I understand that when many of you think of México the
main thoughts going through your mind are: drug cartel violence,
political corruption and - how do I put this politely? - "tummy
troubles." If you are reading this in the States, I could probably add
undocumented workers and immigration bills. So, if that is what you are
thinking, it is understandable that you might have a different opinion
of the country than I do.
Sometimes,
I wonder if the fact that about half of the land mass of the United
States once belonged to México doesn't make the whole relationship
between the two countries a bit uncomfortable. It is like having your
boyfriend's ex-girlfriend hanging around - all in all, it would be
easier if she would just disappear.
Still,
with my never-ending optimism that people from my birth country (and
other countries) will come to a deeper appreciation of Latin America,
let me share a few reasons I enjoy México:
1) The food.
Mexican food is better in México! I am especially fond of mole poblano -
a dark sauce made up of at least 20 to 30 different ingredients
including: ancho, mulato and chipotle chili peppers, cumin, cloves,
anise, tomatoes and chocolate. I once brought a block of mole back to
Costa Rica and made up a batch of the sauce. Since Su cannot touch it, I
had it all to myself! After about five days of having mole on chicken,
mole on beef and, probably, mole on mole, Su requested I make some
dietary changes since I was sweating mole out of my pores.
Under
the category of great Mexican food I also need to include "street
tacos." Everybody has their favorite stand where they can buy gorditas,
quesadillas, actual tacos and much more. I know there is one particular
place in Querétaro that will always have a special place in my memory.
2) The cities.
That's right. You hear all sorts of stories about how bad some of the
cities are in México. Still, as long as you are at least 200 miles south
of the border with the States, most Mexican metropolitan areas have a
wonderful combination of colonial, neo-classical and modern
architectural styles. There is usually a historical center with great
restaurants (food again!), music and beautiful public spaces.
The
other day I had the privilege of returning to the Casa de Azulejos for a
meal in Mexico City. There is something about eating in an upscale
house built in 1737 and covered with tiles that I always find
fascinating. It was an added benefit that they also have a fairly decent
mole!
3) The people.
I get to hang out with some wonderful people each time I am in México.
None of them are perfect. Almost all of them are intelligent,
hard-working, interesting and fun to be around. It's a privilege for me
to count several of them as friends. I often have enriching
conversations that include discussions of the Bible, philosophy,
political history and social evolution - all over the same cup of
coffee!
I
was especially impressed on this trip by a young man sharing with me
about some of the realities faced by undocumented migrants traveling
through México from Central and South America. Every day over 300
migrants travel through San Luis Potosí on their way (they hope!) to the
US. The dangers they face and the challenges they must confront are
significant, to say the least.
Now,
in the interest of "truth in advertising," I must admit that I will
always root for the Costa Rican or Bolivian national football (soccer)
teams when they play against México. I have found that our sport's
allegiances are formed early and can rarely be changed. Costa Rica (with
a population of 4.3 million) beat México (population 113 million) in
the Azteca Stadium in 2001. At that time, the Mexican national team had
never been defeated in a World Cup qualifying game in their home
stadium. We still talk about it in Costa Rica. Come to think of it, that
is probably one more reason for me to like México!
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