Goodbye

I know I haven't posted in awhile, but I thought my last morning would be fitting. What an awesome experience. I'm really going to miss everyone and I know they will miss me too. I know this was my first of many trips here :) I'm really sad to go, but so excited to come back. Until then. I will see you all soon.

Record Company logos

Last week Pol gave me the assignment of doing two logos for new record companies. One was called 'Gato Frio' (cold cat) and the other 'deeksha' (a hindu word meaning a transfer of divine energy that is so powerful it has the ability to break through the concepts and conditioning of our mind.). I brainstormed, sketched, created logos, revised and sent them off to the respective locations. Friday afternoon we heard back that they loved them but just had a few minor changes to make.

Afterwards, Pol told me we were competing against 3 other design firms...but thought he wouldn't tell me until after we won so it wouldn't affect my design...I'm a rookie. Anyways, we won :)

Independance Day

Polo Jr's friend Bertil invited me to go to Aculpulco for the weekend, but since the recent hole-in-the-pocket caused by Steve Jobbs and his magnificent machine...I was forced to bite my lip and politely decline.

Friday was Mexico's Independance Day...a half day of work and an afternoon filled with venders selling everything green, white and red. There were people with painted faces, marching bands, and streakers...okay maybe not the streakers.
I could sense the pride in everyone's attitude and it made me realize that maybe our independance day has lost a little bit of its meaning...its a holiday about holding a brat & a beer in one hand and a pack of firecrackers in the other. ;)

People put up little Mexican flags in the windows of the vehicles in the seemingly endless traffic. Somehow Pepe and I managed to get home...with a bag full of tortas--for yours truly.

Polo and Patty went to San Antonio until Tuesday, so it's been me 'fending for myself'. I spent the majority of Friday on my computer, like always, and working. Although I don't have reason to celebrate Mexico's independance, I still felt a little lonely sitting around on a holiday. This was the first holiday I have ever spent alone and hopefully the last.

18 days till I come home....ridiculous!

Stop the Press!!

You heard it here folks...

http://www.polgapema.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1050&Itemid=30&lang=en

Tune in tomorrow at 11 am CST

New Computer!

I'm buying a new laptop online this week. Its going to be my workhorse for the next couple years and I'm really pumped to see it in action. Its going to be mailed so it meets me at the door when I come back in a few weeks. I can't make up my mind if I want the extended Applecare plan...glossy display or flat...bigger hard drive or standard...decisions, decisions.

lots of work!

This week is going to be a busy one at work. We are already planning on one all-nighter...possibly two. We have to launch Ana Brenda's site by the end of the week as well as another site for a brother & sister group called Jesse & Joy. I'm a little nervous for the hours we are going to put in but I'm really excited to get sites up!

I proposed a 'splash' page for Jesse & Joy as well as a site design for a group named Camia on Friday. I hear back early this week if they like them or not~ *fingers crossed*

Guadalajara for the weekend

Friday morning, Polo, Patty and I flew to Guadalajara for the weekend. I didn't know I was built for first class :) I had enough leg room just to get by. We were picked up from the airport by a man who took us to our hotel to get accomodated before dinner. The accomodation process did not take long at all--we pulled up to the castle and I was escorted to my room by a bellboy who gave me a tour of my room before he set my bags down. The room was gorgeous. Everything had a vintage feel to it from the carpet, to the furniature, to the 6 ft paintings on the wall.

I sat for a bit..soaked up the atmosphere and then it was time for dinner.

We took a cab to a place in downtown Guadalajara called to Karne Garibaldi. In the 1996 Guinness Book of World Records, Karne Garibaldi held the record for world's fastest service. I think the main reason why they are so fast is because they only serve a single entree called 'carne en su jugo.' Its basically a combination of diced beef simmered in spicy beef broth, topped with bacon and served with grilled onions, tortillas, and refried beans mixed with corn. Let me tell you...it was delicious followed by a stomache ache. The beans kicked my ass--no pun intended. It was a great atmosphere and good food.

Polo had four shows this weekend--2 on Friday and 2 on Saturday. I attended the first show on Friday.

We pulled up to the auditorium and outside were enormus banners of their upcoming events. I saw a banner for 'Salvese Quien Pueda' which we attended and went to dinner with the cast...A banner for 'Vaselina'--a grease knock off starring Ana Brenda Contreras--who's website I'm doing...a banner for Polo Polo--who I live with...and finally a banner for Barney & friends...who's music inspires me more than anything. kidding--

The auditorium was the biggest I had seen Polo perform in yet (about 2,000 seats). People filed in to see him perform.
I was really amazed to see the range of people that came to his show. I would say the youngest was probably 17 and the oldest was probably 75. I think its insane to appeal to that broad of an audience which spans about 3 generations...I don't know how he does it.

The weekend rest of the weekend was great...I got to try all sorts of regional dishes and each were fantastic in their own right.

It was fun to see a new city but its always nice to come back where things look a little more familiar.

Guadalajara pics

Turn of events

I'd like to thank Montezuma for last night's episode.

I woke up feeling like garbage...I went outside to wait for Pepe and started playing with Spooky. He got so excited that he rolled on his belly and started peeing and managed to coat my hand with a nice layer. Thanks man's best friend. Great start to a day.

That quickly turned around...I got news that Ana Brenda chose my design for her website :) So we will be working like dogs to get it launched before the 26th of this month. I will let you all know when it is up.

Also! I submitted a design in a competition and it was accepted! So its up on the web and you can vote by clicking here

It was just posted this afternoon and is getting great reviews so far!

State of the Nation Speech

There has been a lot of controversy around the recent Presidnetial election in Mexico because of the narrow vote margin between the two front-runners. Felipe Calderón is the conservative candidate and part of current President Vicente Fox's National Action Party (PAN). Andrés Manuel López Obrador, former mayor of Mexico City and indigenous rights activist, is the progressive candidate in this election who receives much of his support from the poor.

Calderón is the leader of the election (for now) with 35.9% of the votes and not too far behind was López Obrador with 35.3% (about a 200,000 vote difference.)

In the past week and a half, López Obrador has been causing a big stink in the city, vowing to prevent Calderón from taking power. He has shut down major avenues to protest the election--demanding a recount. He claims he was the victim of fraud and is challenging the results on the streets and before Mexico's top electoral court.

Last night was President Vicente Fox's state of the nation speech to Congress. Many people suspected López Obrador to start a violent revolt if the government tried to shut him down. In the city, kids were let out of school by noon and people left work early to get home just incase something did happen.

The 15 to 20 minutes it takes me to get home from work turned into close to an hour...
Good news...nothing really terrible happend...it was just a little indigestion by the city.

Mexico's electoral court has to name a new president by September 6. Most expect the court to rule in favor of Calderón.

Bakery

There is an amazing bakery next door to where I work which has been a staple in my diet thus far in Mexico. If I don't grab something there for lunch--I make sure to stop by for a snack. I am trying to try everything that comes out of their ovens. I can always lose weight later, eh?

You should see the variety of the pasteries and sandwiches that change daily. They have anything you could think of.
My favorites have been the empanadas which is essentially a butter croissant filled with whatever is marked on it. The ham ones are smiply 'delectable'--(T. Lyons)

Spinach is to Popeye as jamon empanada is to me.

Lets see...You ask--Does this bakery have beautiful loafs of bread? Heck yes they do...How about a donut with sprinkles, a mini cheesecake and a tuna sandwich. Sure enough they have it. How about a 3 foot chocolate sombrero cake. Yep, got that too.

Pictures coming soon!

Ana Brenda Contreras

I was put on the assignment of conceptualizing and creating a couple website prototypes for a new pop singer named Ana Brenda. I have a good start on things and today was the first day where I felt I really achieved what I was going for. Ana comes to the office on Friday to see my progress. Wish me luck.

Sálvese Quien Pueda

Sunday afternoon, Polo, his girlfriend Patty and I went to a wonderful Mexican restaurant with a great Mariachi band equipped with trumpets, guitars and ridiculous outfits. It was quite a show. A handful of people approached the table while we were eating to get autographs from Polo. One man was so touched that he almost started to cry...I did my best to hold back my smile.

After dinner we attended the closing show of "Sálvese Quien Pueda" the Spanish version of Ray Cooney's "Run For Your Wife." Three of Polo's friends were performing in the play so we went to support them. Walking into the theatre, Polo took four or five interviews with TV stations while Patty and I stood in the background as part of his entourage.
We were seated with the likes of with other comedians, actors, and musicians near the center of the theatre.

The play was quite funny even though I only understood the situations and not much of the dialogue.

After the play, Polo and many of the celebrities in the audience were called up on stage to present the actors with awards.

We left soon after and headed to an argentian restaurant where we met most of the cast and many of the people that were on stage after the play. It was a little weird to sit with them because they don't understand how famous I am in America...actually quite the opposite. They were all very friendly but none spoke much of any English so I sat...had a beer...sat some more...smiled at awkward times...you know the drill.

The guy I sat next to was a very friendly man. I am going to have to ask Polo what his name was again...I think it was Chabbaaaaaaiii dont know...anyways. He has had a kids show on TV every sunday morning at 7am for the last 40+ years and is more famous to mexicans than our Sesame Street or Mr Rogers is to American kids. I want to know what all the fuss is about so Chabbasomething or another and I have a date at 7am this Sunday.

Polo Polo Bio

I found a biography in Spanish that I threw into a free translator--SO the English isn't perfect but you get an idea.

"Polo Polo:
This great Mexican comedian has become the favorite comedian of the public Hispanic loudspeaker. He began his career in 1972 in a small venue in the Mexico City Rose Zone. His popularity and his recognition quickly grew day after day. It was so much the public that continued it that after a time had to carry its show to another larger stage. Polo Polo presented his show every night with a packed audience. It was show of comedy that was the sensation that Mexico was expecting and had never seen. Businessmen convinced him to carry his show to an even larger stage in Mexicol the Crown Plaza. To date, Polo Polo maintains the record of performances and the longest duration of the recognized parlor. It was such a large the success that Polo Polo did an extensive tour of presentations in all the had to be initiated Mexicant Republic. Many of his successful presentations were shown on important and popular programs of Mexican television. It was during that same time that Polo Polo was signed by an important record company and was given the opportunity to record his first CD. The LP was recorded live during one of his shows in Mexico City. Without being able to play the disc on the radio, because of its strong content, this LP became one of the most sold of the country. Quickly the LP sold like hot bread and their sales surpassed the 100,000 copy mark.

In 1988, the Mrs. Sonia Of Leon, President of Exclusive Artist Productions, brought to Polo Polo to the United States for the first time. His US tour was kicked off at the prestigious Chew Super Club in Hollywood, California. His short 10 day tour was a huge success. His successful presentations even continue nowadays with full house, attracting to thousands of people to witness his funny show. December 3rd and 4th, 1994, marked the beginning of new successes for Polo Polo. During both days, he performed in the Grand Olympic Auditórium in Los Angeles, California. Here they broke the records of the monetary profits in the history of the Grand Olympic, and the number of tickets that had been sold. The great success that obtained Polo Polo was repeated in almost all the presentations that he gave. So much was the success in the Sahara Hotel & Casino of The fertile plain, Snowfall that to the liquor sales record was broken. Was the same case in the Universal one Ampetheater in Universal City California; in Chicago; Emilios Ballroom in Houston Texas; the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix; Arizona and many more. In this year, the Hispanic public U.S. wait the new one show of Polo Polo. This year the tour will extend for but cities of the American Union. Polo Polo will present its new one show of but of two hours of duration and with all its new jokes."

Polo's Show

I attended my first Polo Polo show last night. We pulled up to the parking garage where posters of Polo lined the walls of the ramp. Pepe and I walked Polo in through the backstage area and into his dressing room. The club owner came back and introduced himself to me, had a quick chat with Polo and soonthereafter it was time for him to go on. I went around front to my table near the stage and off to the left wing.

The curtains opened and a band began to play. Polo came out singing with the band with a big smile on his face and everyone began to whistle and clap. He finished his song and started in with the jokes. Although I don't speak Spanish, it was neat to watch the show to see people's faces and hear them all laugh as well as to learn a few swear words in the process. He was on for about an hour and a half and closed the show with a familiar dirty joke about a cow :) that I was able to follow.

After the show, the club owner approached me and told me that the best dance clubs are nearby and if I wanted to go--he would take me. I politely declined and thanked him. An usher took me backstage again to meet Polo and then we left.

It was a great opportunity to give me an idea of how famous he is. I think a good comparison would be Steve Martin. He has done a lot of things in his career from movies, TV shows, and stand up and has his share of success. Now that he's a little older, he performs in smaller venues and still manages to sell out every night.

Garden Photos

Coyoacán

Yesterday I went to Coyoacán with Pol, his girlfriend and her son. Coyoacán is not too far from where I'm staying...maybe 10 minutes. Its a place full of live music, street vendors, and of course--great food.

I was able to try Enchiladas de Mole. Mole is a sauce made from chocolate, peanuts, tortillas, just about anything else you can imagine. It's ground to a fine powder, water is added and then it is put in a frying pan with some oil and served as a sauce for your main course.

I had a glass of jamaica--pronounced (ha-mike-uh) which is a drink made from a hibiscus flower. It's very tasty and unlike any flavor I've had before. I would say its comparable to grape or cranberry juice, but that really doesnt do it any justice.

Spooky

Meet Spooky. He is a gentle old man. He's 1/2 golden retriever and 1/2 cocker spaniel...I guess I would describe him as a golden cock. He likes getting scratched behind the ears and is always down for a good belly rub. Spooky is a sentimental dog and has a hard time with goodbyes. The language barrier has been a bit of a problem, but so far we are doing just fine.

Tienges

Today was an interesting day. I found out that every Thursday in Mexico City is a day where anyone can bring goods to sell on the street. They call it 'Tienges.' It was set up a long time ago so farmer's could bring their goods to town and in order to have a direct sale and avoid paying the middle man. Since then I think it has lost its original purpose and its more of a free-for-all. You can find anything from hats, to cheap toys, to pirated music, to clothing and fruit--the marketplace has virtually everything for sale. Only the food items are marked with a price and the rest is unmarked--so you have to ask how much each item is and there is a little room to barter. It reminded me of how I think a marketplace would look like on the movies. They are small booths lined up side by side on both your right an left. Canopys made of a plastic tarp or cheap fabric is strung between each side of the walkway to act as a rooftop.

Alfonso (Poncho) and I ate at one of the stands on the side of the road. I honestly have no idea all of what I ate but I know that one was some kind of tortilla made of pumpkin flour, another was filled with zucchini and a fungus that grows on corn and lastly one filled with spicy pork and veggies. Each one was delicious in their own way and unlike anything I had ever tasted before.

Tienges may have become something other than intended so many years ago, but is still a custom...and a pretty cool one at that. I can't wait until next Thursday.

Calling Card Blues

I bought a 500 minute phone card before I left the US thinking it would last me awhile.
Think again buddy.
Last night, I spent over an hour trying to make a phone call with my card with no luck. I would call only to get customer service each time. I bounced back between AT&T customer service reps, prepaid phone card customer service and every time they gave me a different excuse as to why my card wasn't working. They told me my phone was bad, I was punching the numbers in too fast, and my card was invalid. After I attempted dialing higher than I knew I could count, I finally got a representative who was able to connect my call. By this time, between international surcharges for each call--I was down to 50 minutes of my 500 and being able to complete ONE phone call.
Anywho, after that fiasco--I discovered Skype, a service that enables me to buy minutes to call any phone from my iBook. I'm going to give it a shot. Can't be any worse than a single $30 phone call, eh?

Random photos around the house