Tuesday, June 29

ciudad juarez

Remember this depressing post about visa papers? I'm even more disheartened as I contemplate Jaime's upcoming journey to Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. Imagine one the most dangerous cities in Mexico. Imagine that border town that you hear about on the news. That's where he's going. 

I'm not sure why the US needs to take such extreme measures (charging you 1000's of $$ and making you fly into drug war zone) for this whole visa process. Is this just normal procedure or is this some sort of test to see if Jaim & I love each other enough? It's enough to make me want to move to Puebla and get a job at their Volkswagen factory (love those jettas).  
But determination to get up north and freeze our butts off in a Wisco winter will get us through this ordeal... Alright - I suppose that's enough melancholy sassiness for one day. When Jaime has his US passport and when he's able to stand in the "US Citizen" line with me after flying back from visiting his family in Mexico... it WILL all be worth it.    

Tell me everything's gonna be ok?

Sunday, June 27

i hope germany squashes those obnoxious argentineans

Sad day here in Cuernavaca - Mexico got eliminated by the hotshot, mullet-bearing Argentinean soccer team. I don't know why I feel so aggressive about this - Ghana beat the US and I don't have any commentary about them. Luckily, I can look forward to the Germany vs. Argentina game on the 3rd...hopefully some Euro-spunk can put Mr. Messi in his place. Supposedly this is the best player in the world?
Yikes...I prefer to give my props to the fight shown by Salcido - gooo Mexico!

Thursday, June 24

being meager

Meager is the word that Morgan & Elise like to use for people who are lacking a little confidence, personality, spunk, etc... and I guess I have to admit that I've been meager about posting the big news - Jaime & I are engaged!  

Being a fiance should make you want to shout from the rooftops and all that - but I feel like I've been in a wonderful state of...calm. It felt good to not change my facebook relationship to "engaged" right away - to keep the news close & intimate for a while. But - it's been a week - so let's throw that out the window! 

We're happy little comprometidos and are planning for our next adventure. Who thought a bicultural relationship couldn't work? Who thought it was too complicated? Call us crazy - I think we just like a little extra spice in our relationship (also referred to as: confusion, language mishaps, airplane tickets, expensive visas...).  :D

Tuesday, June 22

la copa del mundo

I'm sitting among four true blue Mexican soccer fans and there's a lot of yelling at the TV, grumbling about the goalie, and analyzation about Mexico's next step ("they're going to be very disillusioned going against Argentina if they can't beat Uruguay...").  

The most interesting thing I've learned today watching this game has been all of the nicknames that Mexico gives their players:

Chicharito - "little pea"
Cuautemoc - an Aztec emperor
El Conejo - "the bunny"  

It's pretty hilarious - for me at least. They yell at Chicharito as if it were his real name...but I always imagine the vegetable and just snicker a little bit to myself. I asked Jaime if they call him that because he has a round little head - he wasn't sure. What do you think?
Another question - does anyone in the US care about the World Cup? Is anybody watching? We seem to be the only country that doesn't shut down when the games come on...

Friday, June 11

venting

I am so very tired of researching, gathering info & preparing documents for...visas. I can't believe how incredibly lucky Jaime is for stumbling into a relationship with the most detail-controlling girl in North America. Twenty+ years of arranging my underwear drawer, organizing all documents on my computer meticulously, learning classical piano music note by note, etc, etc, have given me the life skills to prepare all the documentation for Jaime's upcoming visa to live in the US (you have to plan so far in advance that the visa prep comes before your decision on where to live & when to actually go). It's a long road that is not suited for the weak of heart.

Imagine that night when you need to finish your final exam that was "kindly" assigned as a 20-page essay. You're tired, bored, sick of the subject and just want to be done with it already. That's how I feel in this process. A fresh notebook and an extra fine black pen usually get me excited to organize and accomplish things - but I have them in front me and I just. don't. feel it.

I know that in the end all the temple rubbing and exuberant huffs of frustration will have been worthwhile. I suppose all the work could help me start a little consultation business...

Carrie's I-129F & I-134 Government Document Support Line · Paperwork & Emotional Support for anyone who's ballsy enough to do all this without an immigration lawyer.

Tuesday, June 8

five hours...

I've been back in the US of A for a week now and am so happy that I didn't miss out on this gorgeous view...
...to just sit around in the airport and futz around on my computer during my layover from noon to five. Life is too short to NOT see the beaches of CancĂșn when the opportunity arises. Even though it took me a few minutes to decide what to do - I said, "Care!" (I like to call myself Care)... "Care! Get out into the world! Explore! Experience!" So I locked up my carry-on, put on those sunglasses and ventured out...of the airport.  

It took me 10 more minutes to figure out which transportation to take. Most drivers were surprised by my ghastly white skin + good Spanish skills combo. However - I didn't receive any of that "you can speak Spanish so I won't take advantage of your gringo-ness" hospitality. I even checked with a sweet Mexican woman, "which transportation is going to rip me off the least?" She told me she was meeting her Virginian boyfriend at a hotel on the beach (bicultural relationships are all the rage) and that I was welcome to share a taxi with her. Since her hotel was a little farther away and because I knew she would like that dramatic reuniting with her bf (without the third wheel)...I kindly declined and jumped into the $15 shuttle to the hotel district. First stop: the mall.
Hey - don't judge. I had fiiiive hours to burn and I don't like to tan or be in the sun in general. Plus I had to make a special pit stop for this bad boy. 
Are you judging me again? Beggars can't be choosers, guys! Starbucks has air-conditioning and the guarantee that the ice won't give you Moctezuma's revenge. That's enough to convince me! Until Stone Creek Coffee makes me manager of their new CancĂșn location - I'm making no excuses. 

So my lovely iced latte and I crossed the street to the first hotel we saw...the Westin. This place was so massive, I decided I could strut in there and pretend to be another sun-worshipping northerner without anyone batting an eye.  The rush I got when the receptionists responded to my "buenas tardes" with a kind, unsuspecting smile - goes to show that I am the least danger-seeking person in the world. Kind of sad...but still...kind of fun. 
Sorry, Westin, for sneaking in and enjoying the relaxing afternoon in your shade and in your beach chair...but I just couldn't help myself. The Mexy adventures must continue.  

Wednesday, June 2

five hours in paradise

You have a 5 hour layover in Cancun before you head up north...what would you do?
My answer coming soon...