“A budget tells us what we can’t afford, but it doesn’t keep us from buying it.” William Feather

NOB has Black Friday, SOB tenemos ​Buen Fin​……that is the Christmas shopping season started in Mexico on 11/16 and we were there to experience it first hand; traffic, maddening crowds, the elusive hunt for a parking spot and the euphoria of sales, sales, sales that transferred into buy, buy, buy.

Our first stop – Plaza Andares, a two-level open-air mall (think South Coast Plaza) anchored by Palacio del Hierro (a store within a store of every designer boutique you will find on 5th Avenue in NYC); the other anchored store is Liverpool (something between a Macy’s and a Bloomingdales, including a Carousel in its toy department). The rest of the mall dotted with American brands and national chains, restaurants, and the ever-present food court (Carl’s Jr., Popeyes Chicken, Sbarro, Dairy Queen).

The air was festive with decorations including a bigger-than-life manger where the figures minus the Baby Jesus (arrives Christmas Day) were done in a corn husk, eucalyptus leaves, grass, and other organic materials. Shoppers scurried around carrying their many bags as trophy badges – us included.

After a full afternoon shopping, we were not done. We’d come into the city to take full advantage of it, so off we went in search of the fairly new City Market and find it we did – the Holy Grail of gourmet shopping – it’s the equivalent of a HAPPY marriage of Whole Foods and Gelson’s…………can someone please pinch me, so I can wake up from my dream!

The store’s food selection and presentation were works of art. The selection and variety were overwhelming, especially as I drooled over their bakery (the almond croissant transported me to Paris), cheese, seafood, vegetables, wines and yes even the meat and charcuterie departments……..buy, buy, buy.

Exhausted and with the car filled with goodies we headed home……. 2 1/2 hours later. Guadalajara Friday night traffic (and beginning of a three-day holiday weekend – celebrating the start of the Mexican Revolution) and it’s Wild West driving mentality makes the 405 feel like a country road.

Last Sunday morning we went on our first hike with our friends, Mike and Darryl, up to the chapel overlooking the town. It’s about a two-hour hike round trip up some steep terrain that offered some spectacular town and lake views……It’s nuts – I can get the same views from sitting on my Terraza, but hey – the exercise did us good.

In the afternoon it was the Feria breakdown … all those beautiful flowers and streamers that went up had to come down……funny how you spent a whole day putting stuff up but it takes nothing to take it down……David found a very creative way to carry the streamers. He looked like a cousin It from the Adams Family – just a bit more colorful.

But the biggest event of the week was picking up our Permanente or as I sweetly call it our Mexican 🇲🇽 Green Card (it’s actually green)!

Now that we are permanent residents, we are covered under the National Health Program (Seguro Popular). We applied for private medical 🏥 Insurance … the yearly premium a fraction of US cost. We should hear back in about two weeks if we have been approved or medical exams will be required…..keeping my fingers crossed.

Saturday night we were invited to our friends Claire and Hans for their annual homemade Bangers and Mash Party accompanied by Yorkshire pudding, peas and carrots, gravy, red cabbage, and the most delicious apple sauce ever. Dessert was bread pudding with Kahlua Sauce……..and the sweetest ending to a busy week.