Estoy Aquí

Hola todos,

Many thank yous to all of my wonderful friends who came out and celebrated my going-away and birthday at my parents' house on Wednesday, and/or at my former local bar on Friday. It was great to see all of you before departing.

I arrived in Mexico City on Sunday night, after a long, tear-filled (from both parties), blowout goodbye with my dearest Elizabeth. I am certainly going to miss her. I traveled not very light, with two 50-pound suitcases containing almost everything i own, my guitar, and a backpack of music and music players, which are currently unmarried, as i have no personal computer. Great buys, that Ipod and external hard drive.

I got through customs with great ease, and was greeted at Benito Juarez International by my boss, and only American I know here, Scott Newman. Scott is about 10 years older than me, has been here in Mexico for 5, is from Texas, and generally cracks me up ridiculously. He took me out to the center square in Coyoacan, south of the city center, for a birthday dinner.

Dinner was tequila bandera (a shot each of tequila, spiced tomato juice, and lime juice; thus creating the white-red-green of the mexican flag . . . "bandera" means flag), beers, duck tacos, mussels, scallop cebiche, smoked marlin tacos, and chocolate goo birthday cake. Not too shabby for a first meal.

I've found a temporary furnished place to live for the 90 days the company is paying for, it is in the La Condesa neighborhood. It is a very bohemian, young, hip area, lots of foreigners, little baritos, restaurantitos, lots of trees, etc. I'm excited to be there, and hope I will be able to find a place there when it's on my own dime.

The dirty looks from grumpy existing Mexican salespeople are definitely not lacking, but I feel like since I am tackling an area that they altogether cannot (international business with America), it will be just fine.

So far, Mocteczuma has not taken out his dicked-over Aztec aggression on my lower intestinal tract. I suppose it's only a matter of time, though. Maybe it will help me regain my girlish figure.

The eating schedule is really the biggest change I'm having to make so far. Breakfast before work at 9 is usually just fruit, yogurt, toast, etc. And then, somehow lunch got a solid 2-hour pushback, starting at 2 in the afternoon. Tell me who thought up that one. Then you have to go back to work at 3:30 until 7pm. It´s un poco raro, as the fella says.

This is my first genuine blog entry from Mexico, and I am on my work computer, so I can't upload any photos just yet. You'll have to use your imagination. While you're at it, imagine me and Han Solo tag-teaming a six-boobed alien lady. You know you like it. High five, Han.

Rock and roll everyone.

--Lee