29 January 2007

Happy Birthday MICHAEL!

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting The PRD is organizing a march in The City on Wednesday to protest the price hike of corn. Of course, I'm going to be there with my handy-dandy camera and video camera to interview people.

So I went to the dentist and got an acrylic resin drilled out. The dentist said that my tooth had a huge hole in it which was causing the pain. Since he drilled out the old thing and put in a new one, I'm no longer in pain. Let me assure you, however that I was incredible afraid of going to a Mexican dentist. There are so many horror stories, in California especially, that having to experience a medical visit was stressful. This dentist happens to be Tonio's uncle, and a military doctor and everything turned out fine.

A quote from "Opening Mexico": The PRI was a patronage pyramid that doled out favors in return for allegiance and it discouraged community people from organizing to help themselves.

Things have changed a bit in Mexico. Now, community members are encouraged to organize, through the cunning use of bribes in an unforgiving exploitation of the country's poverty. If you go to a protest, generally you are given a lunch or a dole for the day. You are told to take your family with you. If you don't, you run the risk of being fired from your job.

I have so many pictures to upload but no cables to upload them with.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes! I called you today! Aren't you happy? Well I hope to see you in Mexico City - I KNOW you miss me. ;)
~cubanito

Auntie Annie said...

Hi cutie! sounds like you are adjusting very well. Everytime I see a news item about Mexico on TV I look for your little red head, hoping to catch a glimpse of you!! ( I figure, how many red-heads can there be right?)

Your apartment is looking great! Nice job building and repairing, I am very proud. Did you really have to pay the UPS man to get your stuff???? OMG. I'd wager UPS corporate headquarters would flip their lids over that if they knew.

I threw a surprise party for you Uncle's 60th birthday on the 20th it was a great success and we had lots of fun. We miss your face! How's Tonio's job hunt going? Are you allowed to work there? What is the policy for hiring employees that are foreigners? Is it illegal to hire undocumented workers in Mexico? It used to be when I was working for the import company. It's been several years though, I guess the policies have changed. Maybe? Does Mexico have Health care for you if you just live there? I know when I visited, I had to get a special policy because my coverage did not extend in Mexico, and me, being the klutz that I tend to be, I thought I'd better make sure I had coverage. Is the health care system anything like here? IE can anyone go to an emergency room and get treated? what if they can't pay? I was just wondering. I am glad I never had to go to the dentist or doctor while I was there, with my limited spanish I could have ended up with dentures! :)

What happened to you uploading cables?

I read an article about disarming police in Tijuana the other day. It seems that the new Federal Government was so concerned about the corruption of city police that they disarmed their policemen. (some, not all) the article went on to say that there were fewer kidnappings and murders and certainly fewer bribes because it was near impossible to be threatned by a corrupt police officer armed only with a slingshot and some marbles or rocks, which apparently is the only weapon they are using now. The article implied that this was a test case and Tijuana was not the only city that the experiment has been tried in. The Feds seem to be pleased with the results. Heard anything about that? I hope to God that they don't try that in Oakland or East LA! Good Heavens!

TTFN, Lots of love & kisses Hi to Tonio!

Anonymous said...

Thanks :)
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