Livin' the Dream

A Big Phat W

2009-06-09T11:21:00.006-05:00

Yup, that is right. Two weekends ago it was a Big Phat DNF. This past weekend, it was a Big Phat W.
Of course its easy to get a Big Phat W when the competition doesn't show up! All I had to do was finish the race, which I did at a very mellow pace while practicing my climbing and descending skills on the more technical parts.

Ajusco with Friends

2009-06-09T11:05:00.011-05:00

Almost every weekend I drive about 30 minutes outside the city to go mountain biking with my friend Lenny and Endo at a park on the mountain Ajusco called Las Llantas (or San Nicolas). However, the majority of my friends have never been there. So this past weekend I took Barby and Daniel to Las Llantas and we hiked up to the Virgen where
there is an incredible view of the city. It happened to be a very clear day but as Barby looks out over the city she just can't exactly get her head around the craziness she lives in.
They recently constructed this new building, which I believe will be bathrooms. Its pretty darn cool but the coolest part is
the solar panels on the roof. I am a sucker for any building that uses alternative energy, especially wind and solar.
They also constructed a watch tower. Here is Daniel on the observing platform with El Pico de la Aguila of Ajusco behind him.
Finally, what would an outdoor adventure be without a picture of Endo and I? Here we are looking up at Daniel and Barby.

A Big Phat DNF

2009-06-02T19:14:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday was yet another mountain bike race. It was a sweet course and reminded me a lot of riding the Ned trails. But I just didn't have it in me. My lower back was killing me, it was pouring rain, and I am a whimp. So I pulled out after 2 of 3 laps. Oh well, you win some, you lose some and you don't finish others.
But I did sport my new socks Micki gave me while she was visiting me from Boulder. I was representin' big time! There is another race this Sunday. I hope my back is feeling better and my whimpiness is gone cause La Campeona de la Montaña, DF is on the line.

I AM BACK

2009-05-27T16:24:00.008-05:00

Sorry blog readers that I haven't posted in a while. But here is the update.

On May 5th I accepted a position in Washington D.C. working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Specifically, I will be working in the Office of Research and Development's National Center for Environmental Research where I will be working on global climate change and air quality issues. I will be moving to D.C. in mid-August and my job starts in the beginning of September. I am super excited about my new job but I will be extremely sad to leave Mexico City.

I also recently took a quick trip back to Colorado because my dad turned 60 on May 14th and we celebrated with a nice dinner of family and friends at 4580. However you would never know he was 60 based on the pics below.
Yup, he still acts like he is twelve hiding behind trees in the forest
and riding away from me on long bike rides.
While home I also got to meet Hudson John Agnew who was born on May 8th. Congratulation to Annie and Kristian. He's a beautiful baby. For those of you that don't know, Annie has been my best friend since . . . well since she was born and came home from the hospital where I was patiently awaiting her arrival. So, although not technically, Hudson is like my first nephew and I am super excited!!

Now I am just back to normal life in Mexico City. I'll try to update more often.

The Great Escape

2009-05-05T10:07:00.008-05:00

As all my fellow blog readers probably know, Mexico City has been shut down for over a week do to, in my opinion, an over reaction to the swine flu. Since there is absolutely NOTHING to do in Mexico City, I persuaded 5 of my friends that we should get out of town and head to the beaches of Veracruz state.
So we packed up the cars with camping gear and the dogs (Nacho and Endo) and drove 5 hours to the coast.
The destination, La Costa Esmeralda.
More specifically, the small beach town Las Casitas.
It was Endo's first time to the ocean. He loves water and ran down to the beach as soon as the car was parked. Then he started to drink the water, which he didn't like at all. He was a little confused by the salt water but would still join me in the waves.
On our way back to the non-flu infested city, we stopped by Tajin, which supposedly has beautiful ruins. However, due to the stupid flu craze, even all open air archaeological ruins are closed. But we took a picture at the entrance anyway.
In addition to the influenza scare, last week there was a small earthquake in Mexico City (5.7). The above cartoon depicts exactly the reactions of the event. However, I didn't feel the earthquake and I've always wanted to feel the earth tremble. But my neighbors felt it and were yelling my name. So I went to the window on the top floor to see what they wanted . . . uh, I think that is exactly what you are not supposed to do during an earthquake, hahaha. But by the time I got to the window the earthquake was over.

Things should start getting back to normal in this city starting tomorrow. Mexico will suffer from the influenza for years to come economically. It makes me sad because its the last thing this country needs.

My Last Day in DC

2009-04-26T19:22:00.006-05:00

I decided to unwind from a week of 12 interviews and dressing fancy everyday (suit required) and stroll around DC to see the sites on a beautiful spring day.
I passed by the White House
before heading to see The Washington Monument
and finally The U.S. Capitol.
While I was cruising along The National Mall, I ran into Molly and Paul. My mom and dad happened to be in DC while I was there and I was able to enjoy a few good dinners with them. My parents are living up the retired life by traveling lots and bringing their nifty fold up bikes with them everywhere they go. Its pretty darn cool 'cause if I were retired, I would be doing exactly what they are doing. Hmmmm, maybe I should retire early and join them on their adventures . . .

La Casa de Melamed Hace 3 Días

2009-04-20T17:16:00.002-05:00

Para mis amigos mexicanos . . .
Una foto de la casa de mis papis hace 3 días!!!

Food Coma!!!

2009-04-19T21:25:00.004-05:00

I am back in D.C. for a week of interviews with various government agencies (NOAA, NSF, EPA, DOE, etc.) and my first stop was . . .
Whole Foods on P St. It turns out that although I love Mexican food and enjoy all the fresh veggies and fruits there, Mexico just doesn't have the large variety of international cuisine that the US has, which is exemplified by Whole Foods. So I filled a salad bar carton with all these yummy things I haven't eaten in a really long time. My eyes were definitely bigger than my tummy!

The Church Wedding

2009-04-06T14:53:00.005-05:00

On Saturday, Wolfgang and Sarai had their church wedding.
The party afterwards featured Mariachis.

Finishing the Race

2009-03-31T18:17:00.004-06:00

My friend Mariely, who is recovering from surgery on a completely torn Achilles tendon, took this video of me finishing the race.

La Segunda Fecha del Campeonato XC DF, Chiluca

2009-03-30T12:29:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was the second race in the DF mountain bike race series. After pre-riding the course the day before, I knew it would be a tough race. The climb was 3km long and extremely difficult followed by a 1km decent that was ridiculous and the 5.5km loop finished with a fun rolly single track section. The races here start at noon and yesterday was HOT (low 80's). Three times up that climb about killed me, especially when I became extremely dehydrated and my bottle was empty. The climb had these steep short sections and I was mentally able to ride them when I focused on TTT practices way back when on the CU Cycling team. The hardest part about the TTT is after you have done your turn pulling, you have to "get back on." So, on these sections I would just yell at myself to get back on. The results you ask.
Yes, I am continuing to do a great job of defending my jersey. But Ari, the 16 year old who got second, made me work for my win.
I also got a special number for my bike for the races because I am the defending champion. I am just glad that if you win your category they don't make you upgrade because the women in the next category race the world cup and stuff. I don't think I would stand a chance against them riding just once a week for training.

What Would You Do?

2009-03-30T12:07:00.005-06:00

Last Saturday, Lenny and I were on our way to pre-ride the course for the second race in the DF mountain bike series when the police motioned for me to pull over. I knew the only reason that they were pulling me over was because my car has Colorado plates on it and I am a gringa. In any case, they started to give me a hard time because the date on my importation document is expired even though that date means nothing as long as my visa is valid. Like most encounters I have had with the police, I am more familiar with the laws than they are. I showed them copies of my visa and that it is still valid and told them the federal law states my car can circulate anywhere in Mexico as long as my visa is valid. They then tried to pull the classic Mexican police move and told me, "well, in the state of Mexico that is not the case." I then said, "fine, lets go to the local police station so I can talk with your boss and explain to him the law." Lets just say they didn't like that idea. I of course knew what they were after, a bribe. But I hadn't done anything wrong. The police then offered to call someone who would give them a "code" that would allow me to circulate in the state of Mexico for the day, but that it would cost me 300 pesos. I asked them if I could speak with the person that would give them the code, they said no. My choices were I could pay them 300 pesos, which I knew they would just pocket, and get on with my day or I could spend the next hour or more arguing with them. I was leaning towards the later but Lenny has a young daughter and had to get back home as soon as possible for farther duty. So, the police wrote a silly code on a piece of paper and took my 300 pesos. The code said X Plata Total 28/3/2009. I believe it essentially meant that if another policeman pulled me over in the state of Mexico that I could show them the code and they would let me go because I had already paid my bribe for the day.

Two things really upset me about the incident:
1) It was racial profiling. They wanted money and they knew they could get it from a gringo even though I had done nothing wrong. I would argue it is no different than racial profiling similar to what happens in the US with the Mexicans.

2) I love Mexico but I get so frustrated by the corruption here. I wanted to fight with the police until the end because I knew I was right. But does that bring about change and as a foreigner is it my place to try to change things? After all, the monthly salary for police is ~5,000 pesos or $350. No wonder they are corrupt.

Mexico and the War on Drugs

2009-03-24T10:35:00.002-06:00

I am sure many of you have been hearing about Mexico and its war on drugs. Some of you have even expressed concern for my safety. The truth is, the majority of people living in Mexico are not affected by the violence being reported in the press. In addition, I think Mexico is receiving a very bad reputation for a problem whose roots are in fact in the US. The editor of a great magazine called Letras Libres (its the Mexican version of The New Yorker I think) wrote an editorial about Mexico and its current state of affairs. I think you should all read it, especially the second to last paragraph.

Uh O Spaghetti O

2009-03-22T18:07:00.002-06:00

Look what happened to my brand new tubeless tire today : (
Looks like my tubeless tire will have to become a tube tire because tubeless tires are super expensive here. Now say that 10 times fast!

Lots to Celebrate

2009-03-19T10:06:00.005-06:00

On Tuesday evening we celebrated Wolfgang's birthday.
The following morning, Wolfgang signed on the dotted line
and then Sarai signed on the dotted line
and then they were pronounced husband and wife. Although the civil marriage is official, the real wedding is on April 4th. Good times.

Vuelta a México

2009-03-19T09:46:00.005-06:00

The Vuelta México finished in Mexico City on Sunday March 8th. I went to watch of course!!!
The race started and finished right in front of the Angél de la Independencia.The race was a 6.4km circuit along Reforma, one of the most well known avenues in Mexico because it connects the center of Mexico City with Chapultepec Park. There is a lot of history along Reforma.
I also got to see some friends from Boulder, Chris Baldwin and Ian MacGregor (not pictured, but check out his web page). It was nice to see familiar faces in Mexico City, especially those from the cycling community.

Who Is That?

2009-03-11T09:06:00.005-06:00

Its me in D.C. in front of the White House wearing a suit.

New Furniture

2009-02-22T15:19:00.005-06:00

I have recently acquired some new furniture.
A bookcase made of individual cubes.
A sideboard.
And a sidetable.

Centro Historico with the Parents

2009-02-22T15:07:00.006-06:00

My parents and I went for a quick walking tour of the Centro Historico a couple Fridays ago (yeah, I am way behind with my blogging). Our first stop was to go up the Torre Latinoamerica, one of the tallest buildings in Mexico City.
From the top you get a good view of the the Palacio Nacional and the Cathedral bordering the Zocalo and . . .
the Palacio de Bellas Artes.
We also went to one of the coolest buildings in the Centro Historico, the Palacio Postal or the main post office. Its an incredible building.

The Race Season Has Started!!!

2009-02-16T10:30:00.005-06:00

The '09 mountain bike race season in Mexico City began yesterday with a great course on familiar terrain at Las Llantas, where I go mountain biking every Sunday. The pressure to defend my Feminil Experta championship jersey from last year's mountain bike season was almost too much to handle (hahahaha). So, I tired to my hardest to show up to the race Erin Huck/Megan Melamed style, which means getting to the start line just in time with no warm up. Problem here is that nothing starts on time so I had more than enough time to sit around and wait for the start. Normally the race has between 1 to 3 women in my category. But yesterday, there were 5 women!!! The outcome?
Yup, that is me in first place. One race down and about 7 more to go in order to defend my title.
But really, the best part of racing is the friends I have made. These women have been super nice to me and I love being part of the racing scene here.

The Rents are in the House

2009-02-12T19:05:00.003-06:00

My parents are here for a brief visit on their way to do a cycling trip in Chiapas, Mexico.
Here they are outside the Frida Kahlo Museum. A short walk from my house and a must see if visiting Mexico City. It is the house that Frida grew up in, lived in with Diego Rivera, and eventually died in. Frida and Diego are two very fascinating figures of Mexican history.
A castle and flowers on our walk home from the center of Coyoacan.

Katie's Visit

2009-02-05T10:58:00.006-06:00

My very good friend Katie Moulton came to visit me and here are some pics from our adventures.
This is the Angel of Independence on the street Reforma in downtown Mexico City.
We took a day trip to this lovely town called Tepoztlan. I went here several times WAY back in 1996 when I was studying abroad in Cuernavava, Mexico. It was nice to see that the town hasn't changed.
The main reason to go to Tepoztlan is to hike up to the pyramid Tepozteco and enjoy the great views of the valley below. The hike is rather beautiful, similar to climbing the top part of Sanitas in Boulder. Only here in Mexico everyone is climbing up to the pyramid whether thy are 80 years old or teenagers in high heels. Its a great hike to do a lot of people watching!
Tepoztlan is a beautiful town with cobbled streets and old catherdrals.
TepoztlanOn the way back to Mexico City we saw this great disco billboard. Not really sure what it is for but we got in a good laugh.

King Endo

2009-01-28T08:02:00.003-06:00

Endo got a handmade stand for his dog bowls yesterday. One of the best things about Mexico is that you can get anything you want custom made for cheap. Although I think I got the "gringo" price on Endo's dog bowls stand. Oh well, it was still cheap.

What a Day!

2009-01-24T17:14:00.004-06:00

You know those days when you wake up and look outside and everything just seems perfect? Well today was one of those days and I took advantage of the it by mountain biking with my friend Lenny.
On these wonderfully beautiful days here in Mexico City you can see the volcanoes that border the Mexico City valley to the southeast. Here I am with Iztaccíhuatl (Ixta) on my right and Popocatépetl (Popo) on my left. Popo is active and if you click on the image and look closely at Popo you can see it smoking.

Wait, this isn't Mexico City

2009-01-11T12:11:00.005-06:00

On Thursday I flew from Mexico City to Boston to give a seminar at Harvard.
In typical Boston fashion, it was really cold while I was waiting for the T to to Harvard Square.
After my presentation I met up with my best friend from my days at Colby College, Bradley. I am staying with her and her husband, James, for the weekend in Plymouth, MA. This morning there was lovely fresh snow on the ground . . . and it was raining out. Oh New England.
This is their dog Dudley. He looks a bit like Endo and they have very similar personalities. Endo and Dudley would be pretty darn funny together.

Marlu's Birthday in Cortazar, Guanajuato

2009-01-04T18:37:00.005-06:00

Today was Marlu's birthday and for the past couple of years, her parents have been very gracious and allowed her to have a carne asada (BBQ) party at their house in the small town of Cortazar, Guanajuato. So, five of us plus Endo drove three hours to Cortazar to partake in the celebration.
Street scene of Cortazar.
Marlu's dad, Hector, and Daniel grilling some really yummy meat.
Marlu with her parents at her side hoping all her wishes come true.

Daily Walks

2009-01-02T18:42:00.004-06:00

I tend not to bring my camera along with me on my daily walks with Endo. But the other morning I decided it was time to start bringing it along so that I could share more of the beautiful neighborhood I live in with you.
One of Endo's favorite places to go (because he can be off leash) is Plaza Santa Catarina. I don't mind hanging out there while Endo sniffs everything he can and jumps over bush fences into gardens because it is a rather beautiful place to sit and ponder. Some evenings our nightly walk happens to be when mass is going on in the church. I am not religious but its definitely an amazing experience to be able to listen to a mass from outside a church in its gardens. There is a note on the entrance to the church that says, "Its not permited to enter with animals." Endo one evening during mass took that to mean that he was allowed to enter the church by himself without his owner. Once I noticed he was missing, I quickly pulled him from the church before he caused any problems.
A statue in Plaza Santa Catarina.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T19:03:00.005-06:00

This was my first ever New Year outside of the US. I'll just say that Mexicans celebrate New Year's Eve in a completely different way than we do in the US. New Year's Eve here is a family event. I was fortunate to be invited to join Hector and his family to bring in the New Year because otherwise I would have been home all by myself as all bars, cafes, restaurants, etc. were closed and all my friends were with their families. After waiting for a taxi for about 15 minutes (and not because all the taxis were full, but because there simply were no taxis, nor cars for that matter on the roads) I met Hector near his parents house. As we walked to his house, Hector informed me that all his aunts and cousins were at his house on his mom side. I sat down to dinner with Hector's 4 aunts, 5 cousins, mom, dad, sister, and brother at about 10pm and ate turkey, stuffing, and Mexican lasagna whiling drinking yummy ponche (similar to hot apple cider, except its made with TONS of different fruits). It was Hector's aunt's birthday so we ate some yummy cake too. By this time, it was 11:30 and most of us where fading and ready for bed. The solution was to fast forward time and ring in the new year just a little bit early with a small taste of wine or sparkling apple cider. Tradition says you have to give everyone in the room a hug and wish them a happy and prosperous New Year. The Mexican culture is so warm and welcoming that all of Hector's family hugged me and wished me a happy New Year as if I had known them for years. Hector took me home at about midnight and the streets again were empty. New Year's Eve is definitely a family event here and I am glad I got the chance to experience it. Thanks Hector for including me in your family and Happy New Year to all my blog readers.

One Word, BURRRRRRRR

2008-12-31T12:47:00.007-06:00

On the 26th, my family and I headed to Winter Park to get in a day of skiing. Upon waking up, we debated long and hard whether or not to go at all since the forecast was calling for a high of 5˚ and some wind. We finally loaded up the car and drove to Winter Park where we decide that perhaps going out to breakfast was a better idea than skiing when the car thermometer said it was 1˚ out. After a very nice breakfast, The Melameds were on the verge of heading back home when we remembered who we are, The Tough Melameds. We bundled up and headed out for the day. The skiing was fun, the company was great, but it was freaking cold out Mr. Bigglesworth.
My brother and dad getting all bundled up.
My mom always has a smile even when its 3˚ out.
Me with my silver bullet helmet. It sure does keep my head warm.
Since we decided to ski, we were able to meet up with my cousins Molly Rose (not pictured because she was working at the Ski-Depot in Winter Park) and Theresa. The Melameds and Theresa went out for some yummy pizza at Hernando's pizza. Then we headed back to the front range. I am glad I got in one good day of skiing despite the cold temps.

Santa Came Through!!!!

2008-12-26T17:20:00.004-06:00

I got a new camera for Christmas. Here are the first three pictures I took with my camera today while skate skiing at Eldora. It was SO beautiful out. I forgot how much I like winter and the sports that go with the season.
Me!! Yes, I am pretending that I am still training for bike racing by wearing my old team jacket.
Here I am getting ready to do a couple loops of Meadows and Phoebe.
Phoebe Snow trail.

Christmas Time in Mexico City

2008-12-14T16:04:00.003-06:00

I seemed to have lost my camera, or rather donated it to some lucky Mexican when it most likely fell out of my bag in the center of Coyoacán. So any photos that I post between now and when Santa brings me a new camera will not be my own : (
Here is a picture from the newspaper El Universal of the center of Mexico City yesterday. This picture includes the world's largest ice skating ring, a sledding area, snowman making using man-made snow and a HUGE Christmas tree. All events are free to the public. Since the majority of Mexicans have never seen snow, the center is packed with people curious about how those of us fortunate enough to actually have white Christmases celebrate the season.

Thanksgiving, Birthday, and Christmas Party!!!!

2008-12-07T19:59:00.007-06:00

Since most of my friends have never had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner here in Mexico City, I decided that I would cook one for them. Then I figured why not celebrate my birthday too. Oh and how I do love Christmas, why not celebrate that too? Thus came about the Thanksgiving, Birthday, and Christmas Party.
Last night 14 of sat down to a wonderful Thanksgiving meal of turkey, stuffing, yams, peas, salad, rolls, cranberry sauce, and 3 kinds of pie (apple/pear, pecan, and pumpkin) topped with whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream.
Then we decorated a Christmas tree while listening to the best Christmas album EVER, John Denver and The Muppets A Christmas Together.
With the tree decorated and Christmas music playing, it was time to exchange gifts, white elephant style though. There was a ton of laughing and some people walked away with great presents while others, not so great. I ended up with a book about Kama Sutra. The book was the highlight of the night for a while.
Then to celebrate my birthday we broke open a pinata. Some people can sure get a little crazy with the stick while trying to hit the pinata. Needless to say it was an AWESOME night and I am so grateful to have such wonderful friends here. I wish I could do this every year!

Fellow Blogger Evelyn

2008-11-30T18:57:00.003-06:00

Fellow blogger Evelyn came to Mexico City to celebrate Thanksgiving at Maggie and Antonio's. I don't have any pictures of the great meal we ate on Saturday evening, but I assure you, it was yummy. Its also been nice to see Evelyn. We talked a lot about the transition from living in Boulder for over 7 years to moving to a large city, Mexico City in my case and New York City in Evelyn's case.

Teotihuacan

2008-11-25T18:01:00.006-06:00

This past weekend, la banda (i.e. Daniel, Daniela, Hector, Tania, Roberto, Barby, and I) went to recharge ourselves by climbing the Pyramid of the Sun (the pyramid in the background) at Teotihuacan.
Teotihuacan is a pretty amazing place and only an hour from my house. Here is a view of the Pyramid of the Sun from the Pyramid of the Moon.
After eating a very yuumy meal at Mi Ranchito (see new my new profile picture), we went to Daniel's uncle's house in San Martín de las Pirámides. Last weekend was the town's fair and they act out the Moors and Christians fighting, amongst other activities of course.

More Day of the Dead and Maia

2008-11-17T10:58:00.006-06:00

Before I headed to Arizona for the conference, I went to see all of the Day of the Dead exhibits at UNAM.
This was by far the best exhibit. The students took advantage a the "mirror of water" to build this tribute to Octavio Paz, the honorary dead guy for this years Day of the Dead at UNAM.
I don't typically spend much time on the UNAM campus at night but the library sure is beautiful at night time.
Last night I had the great opportunity to babysit Maia, my riding partner Lenny's daughter. I was her first babysitter and we got a long really well. I think I will be invited over again soon.

DISCCRS IV

2008-11-12T08:42:00.004-06:00

Last week I attended an interdisciplinary symposium on climate change in Mesa, Arizona at the Saguero Lake Ranch. It was nice to get out of the city for a bit and run through the desert. The symposium was very motivating and it was fun to be surrounded by 33 other young motivated individuals.
Here is the group pic.

Day of the Dead

2008-10-31T13:41:00.008-06:00

Last night Ivan, Carolina, Wolfgang and I went to see the Day of the Dead exhibit en the Zocalo. It was super cool and below are many photos.

Clausurado Por Violar La Ley

2008-10-31T13:37:00.003-06:00

If a business here violates the law and is shut down either for a short period of time or permanently, the government makes sure everyone knows by plastering signs all over the building. I think it is pretty funny.

Parres to Tepoztlan

2008-10-20T19:26:00.010-05:00

This past Sunday Lenny and I decided that having a lot of friends that mtn bike is never a bad thing. So, we headed out for our first group ride. It is a point to point ride starting in Parres, a small mountain time just on the outskirts of Mexico City, to Tepoztlan, a lush beautiful town in a valley south of Mexico City. Miguel, the head of the Mexico City mountain bike league, invited Lenny and I. His email said that we would meet at 8:30am and he would not wait for more than 30 minutes before leaving. Being the on time gringos we are, Lenny and I arrived just before 8:30 at Parres, changed into our biking gear, and headed to the meeting point . . . but no one from our group was there. And they weren't there at 9am either. Finally, at 9:30am they show up. We should have know this would happen because in Mexico being on time means being an hour late. Once all 20 of us got organized and I could no longer feel my feet nor fingers and was shivering like crazy from waiting for over an hour in 40 degree fog, we started riding. The first part of the ride was through an ecological reserve. We couldn't exactly see where we were going because of the fog, but it was still beautiful. We rode through some serious black mud.Lenny.
Me.
The second part of the ride was through some beautiful fields and
forests.

The last part was a 20 km descent on an EXTREMELY rocky road. My forearms are hurting from breaking. I don't have any pictures of the end of the ride unfortunately. The Tepoztlan valley is just beautiful. The total distance of the ride was 47 km but it took us probably 5 hours to ride it. Just think of doing a large group ride in the US and then adding in the Mexican cultural factor.

During the ride Lenny and I learned that there was no way to get back to Parres using public transportation. We had already been gone for over 8 hours and poor Endo was home alone, stuck in my apartment. We hired a taxi and paid him 400 pesos (about $32) to drive us an hour back to Parres (I guess we paid him way too much money, but I thought it was well worth it). We grabbed a quick sandwich to hold us over and headed home. Things we learned: never believe that people will actually show up on time, group rides take a lot of time, there is some great mtn biking that we have yet to explore, I need to visit Tepoztlan not in my chamois, and Endo doesn't like it when he is left home alone for 10 hours. Overall, a fun adventure and it was so nice to spend a day not in the city.

Campeón Metropolitano

2008-10-20T19:13:00.007-05:00

A couple weekends ago was the final race in the Mexico City metropolitan mtn bike league. The course was by far the most difficult and the decent was insane. Nonetheless I ended up getting second place for the day and winning the league for my category. I must admit, the racing is not nearly the level of Colorado mtn biking, but its pretty darn cool to say that I am champion of the Mexico City metropolitan mtn bike league. Thanks to Sue for taking the photos below. I believe at some point I might even get a video of pre- and post-race interview she did. I'll post the interviews when I get them.
For second place I won a medal and a very pretty bouquet of flowers and
1,000 pesos, about $100!!!
I won this really cool jersey for winning the league.

VOTE!!!

2008-10-14T14:28:00.003-05:00

To all my blog readers, VOTE. I just sent in my write-in ballot today because my official ballot never arrived. My philosophy is that if you don't vote, you have no right to complain about anything related to politics, which is everything. I will also let all my fellow blog readers know that I endorse Barack Obama (and my endorsement should have a VERY LARGE influence on my blog readers!) If there is one apparent executive decision the candidates have already made, its choosing their VP. For someone who strongly believes that climate change is man made and has been an advocate in the senate to support policies related to climate change, it is unthinkable to pick a running mate that doesn't believe that climate change in man made. Climate change is not just an environmental issue, its a national security issue, its an immigration issue, its an energy issue, its an education issue, and its a human rights issue. I am sorry McCain, but when you address "My friends," I know you are no longer speaking to me. My friend would not have picked a VP that does not believe in my friend's core values.

Playing International Monopoly

2008-10-13T08:50:00.002-05:00

Way back in August when the world was in a different economic situation, I blogged about how the dollar kept dropping in value to the Mexican peso. I believe at the time it was 9.97 pesos to the dollar. Well, since the economic fall out, I have become rich! A few days ago, the exchange rate was almost 15 pesos to the dollar! The exchange rate has settled a little bit and today its 12 something pesos to the dollar. The ups and downs of playing international monopoly (or the US stock market).

Vamos a Votar Por Obama

2008-10-08T09:39:00.001-05:00

Makin' Tamales

2008-10-07T14:39:00.010-05:00

This past Saturday, it was all about makin' tamales. We started the project at 10am buying all the necessary ingredients at the market. The next couple hours were spent braising chicken and pork, making two types of mole (green and poblano), and mixing the masa (cornmeal and lard).
Here is Hector workin' the 3.5 lbs of lard. You have to get the lard to a certain consistency before adding the cornmeal.
Daniel was at the stove the entire morning braising the meat, whippin' up the moles, and making atole.
Barby and Daniela testing the masa. The masa was divided into two part, one for sweet tamales and one for salted tamales.The next step was stuffing the dried corn husk with the masa and what ever else you wanted to add, i.e. meet, mole, peppers and cheese, chocolate chips, dried fruit, carmel, etc.. Tania and I learning the tricks of the trade.
Preparing the pot to steam the tamales.
Ofelia and Armando testing to see if the tamales are done after they had been steaming over a charcoal fire for more than 3 hours.
Finally at 9:30 pm the tamales were ready for us to enjoy and hmm they were good.

Indian Summer

2008-10-01T20:37:00.005-05:00

I have been spending my evenings hanging out on my roof deck because the weather in Mexico City has been beautiful the past few days. I believe the rainy season has come to an end and fall is in the air. Its chilly in the morning, about 50˚, but warms up nicely to just around 70˚ during the day. The sky is cloudless and blue, minus the pollution haze that is.
But I say cheers to the sun returning. It sure puts me in a good mood to see the sun. I guess I am a Colorado girl at heart and require many days of sun a year to function well.

CHUPA CABRAS!!!

2008-10-01T20:33:00.002-05:00

Hector, Barby, Daniel, and I hit up Chupa Cabras for some yummy tacos on Saturday night. I can't believe it took me almost 8 months to try one of these tacos, they are so yummy!!

Happenings

2008-09-22T16:13:00.004-05:00

Life around here is pretty mundane these days. I have just been trying to write a journal article about my research and research jobs for next year. Sorry, but there is not much to blog between these two things. Here are a couple things that have been going on. If there is one thing I hate doing, its cleaning my bikes. Well, my cycling partner, Lenny, and I discovered that for 15 pesos (about a $1.50) you can get your bike washed after mountain biking. Yipeeeee!!! No more cleaning my mountain bike.
These large moths for some reason like the entry way to my apartment. I actually find them pretty cool as long as they are not flying.
Its was Barby's birthday on the 11th and we celebrated it with flan and some sort of lemon cake on the 12th.

And that is about it. Wish me luck on the writing and the job search. I need it!

Driving Restrictions

2008-09-15T10:41:00.002-05:00

When I first arrived in Mexico City, I quickly learned about the "no hay circulación" law by getting pulled over by the police and paying my first bride (notice the use of "first" bribe, I paid the police off again recently). Since the last number on my license plate is an 8, I can't drive on Tuesdays. I could get my car "verified", which means an emissions test, but only cars less than 8 years old are allowed to be verified. My very clean running 1992 Subaru wagon is therefore unverifiable even though is passes the Colorado emissions test with no problems. So I was left with only one option, not to drive on Tuesdays. This is not so bad I thought. I take the metro anyway to work and very rarely drove on Tuesdays anyway. Then, in August Mexico City began "no hay circulación sabatino", which means the second Saturday of every month I am not allowed to drive my car. Even with all the "no hay circulación" rules, the Mexico City air pollution was not being reduced. Therefore, a new regulation began on September 1st that states, "any car with plates from a different country or from any Mexican state other than the DF and Mexico cannot circulate in Mexico City from 5am to 11am Monday through Friday." Currently, I am waiting for the clock to turn 11am so that I can go run some errands.

Puebla and Chiles en Nogada

2008-09-11T11:46:00.006-05:00

Last weekend (I know, I have been lazy with the blogging lately)
Carolina, Wolfgang, Ivan, Endo, and I
went to Puebla to
eat chiles en nogadas. Mexico's Independence day is the 15th of September and the whole country is decorated in green, white, and red. Chiles en nogada is a dish that is only served during this time of year because pomegranates are in season and ALSO the chile is green, the sauce is white, and the pomegranates are red. How festive!

Barbacoa

2008-09-01T09:56:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, Daniel, Barby, Ofelia, Armando, Hector, Daniela, Daniel, Endo, and I head south to Texcoco to eat barbacoa at a restaurant owned by Daniela's uncles. It was SO yummy!!!
Hector attempted the climbing wall in the playground.Endo got to come too. I think he likes barbacoa more than anyone else.

How to make a left

2008-09-01T09:52:00.003-05:00

Lenny is explaining to me how to make a left turn onto Avenida Universidad. This city if full of signs like this. Problem is, most of the time they are hidden behind tree branches. Learning to drive in Mexico City is all about trail and error.

Getting Out

2008-08-25T15:14:00.005-05:00

On the weekends, it is very easy for me to stay in the Coyoacan area and enjoy the peace and quiet of my neighborhood. But, I often feel I am living in a city that has so much to offer that I should take advantage of it all. So, yesterday I headed to the center to see a contemporary ballet at the Palacio de Belles Artes.
The Palacio de Bellas Artes is a beautiful building. Inside are murals from several famous Mexican artists; Davíd Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, José Orozco, Rufino Tamayo, Juan O'Gorman, Roberto Montenegro, Jorge González Camarena, and Manuel Rodríguez Lozano.
Inside the theater is a Tiffany glass curtain. Pretty spectacular.

I am Kind of a Big Deal

2008-08-17T19:45:00.003-05:00

As Erin Huck would say, "I am kind of a big deal." Today was the 5th mountain bike race in the Mexico City league. I took 2nd among the experta category. I am winning my category and most people know my name (although I think that has a lot more to do with the fact that I am from the US than with my racing results). I have to laugh at it all though because I ride my bike at best, once a week. Gotta love it!

El Chupa Cabras - The Best Tacos EVER

2008-08-17T19:35:00.005-05:00

Everyday I walk under the Rio Churbusco bridge to get to the metro and then to get home again.
From a distance, it looks like a typical bridge in a large city, which it is.
But under the bridge, is the always packed El Chupa Cabras. One of the supposedly best taco stands in Mexico City. I have resisted stopping to get a taco for 8 months now. I guess I was afraid that they would be soooo good that I would end up eating them all the time and gain 20lbs.
But on Saturday after going for a mountain bike ride, I was starving and had no food in the house. So, I deliberately walked to Chupas Cabras and ordered their specialty, the Chupas taco. It was yummy and all for $0.80. I will probably be stopping by more often but I promise to keep my taco eating under control! Although Chupas is open 24 hrs a day, hmmm.

Night Time Walks

2008-08-17T19:26:00.005-05:00

I tell people I live in Europe because all the streets in my neighborhood have European names (Londres, Madrid, Vienna, Berlin, Bruselas, etc.). Every night Endo and I are fortunate enough to be able to go on long walks in Europe. There are a few little things that always make me happy on our walks.
Passing by the lovely flower plants and under the tree tunnel on Vienna street.
The Corner of Berlin and Aldaman. The picture doesn't do it justice but I love this street lamp and the lights on the store behind it.

El Geiser

2008-08-12T21:06:00.014-05:00

This past weekend, 6 of my friends and I headed north to the state of Hidalgo.
Daniel and Ricardo as we make our way through the Mexico City traffic.
The lovely Hidalgo country side.

Are destination in Hidalgo was EL Geiser, a natural hot springs where the steam used to be used to create electricity until the pressure dropped and the best use of El Geiser was a public hot springs.
This is El Geiser. You were allowed to stand on rocks just to the left of the fence and essentially take a steam bath. Small drops of HOT water would pelt your back, not in a bad way though. Kind of like getting a little massage.These pools were hotter than the newer pools. They were nice during the night, but during the day it was WAY too hot in these pools with the sun beaming down on you.
The kids get to enjoy the new pools, which are not as hot and have all the fun stuff.
When I was told we would be camping at the hot springs, I imagined being in the middle of nowhere with tons of stars. Instead, we camped with hundreds of other Mexicans that love to play music late into the night.
Mexicans also have no problem sleeping on concrete with just a blanket underneath them. I don't think I could handle that type of discomfort. I instead placed my tent where there was dirt and I brought my thermarest.
This Mexican family thought it would be really good idea to enclose themselves in a whole bunch of plastic wrap and sleep on the concrete. Its a good thing they left a few inches open at the top!
All the huts and palm trees make it look like we were in the tropics. In reality, it was the desert with a beautiful river running through it in the background of this picture. I wish I would have camped down by the river, that would have been nicer. Overall though, a good weekend. I need to go on more adventures in Mexico.

Ouch

2008-08-06T11:03:00.003-05:00

I never thought that getting paid in dollars would be to my disadvantage while living in Mexico. However, the Mexican peso is gaining strength against the dollar!!! Normally the conversion on my visa bill from pesos to dollars is about 10.5 pesos to 1 dollar. The conversion on my last visa transaction was 9.97 pesos to 1 dollar. What is going on here?! Should I start looking for jobs in Mexico that pay me in pesos? Messed up.

Happenings

2008-08-04T11:59:00.008-05:00

Life in Mexico City continues and here are a couple highlights from the past couple of weeks.

I found a new great album to listen to while running through the streets of Mexico City in the mornings. The album is called Tijuana Sound Machine. The video is pretty darn cool or "chido" as they say here.

I spent a good amount of time the past week or so staining and varnishing some pieces of furniture Vander made me. Its a lot of work and I spent most of my evenings high off the fumes. But I think the pieces turned out pretty well. Rustic was the goal and I think I achieved it.
I have 3 of these bedside tables and the lamps that Vander made go very well with the tables.
The TV stand. I might need to sand it down a bit to make a little bit lighter and it needs a couple door knobs.

I also bought some nice new plants for my house. An orchid for the upstairs bathroom, a large bushy plant for downstairs, and
a lot of geraniums for my deck.

A few blocks from my house is Cineteca Nacional where artsy movies are shown and cafes are filled with intellectual types. A movie ticket costs $4 or $2.50 with my UNAM ID. Beats paying $10 for a movie in the US. I saw the most recent Woody Allen film, Cassandra's Dream.

My friends Maggie and Antonio got a new pug puppy called Lola. I am hoping that Endo and Lola become good friends and Maggie and I can swap dog duties every now and again.

Kimberly Baldwin is coming to visit me in September. We are going to catch a couple stages of the Vuelta a Mexico. It should be a fun adventure and I am looking forward to watching some bike racing again. I am so excited to have a visitor coming!!!!

Well, I am sure many more things happened in the past couple of weeks but this report should do it for now. For those of you back in Colorado enduring the heat wave, the weather here in Mexico City is lovely, low 70's with afternoon rain showers. Feel free to come escape the heat and visit me!

The Drive Back

2008-07-24T18:07:00.006-05:00

Hector and I left Colorado Thursday afternoon and arrived in Mexico City late Saturday night. It was a long 3 days of driving but we were lucky and did not have any major problems.
The moonrise on the Colorado eastern plains.
Endo.
Eating real Mexican food at a real Mexican restaurant.

It was definitely hard for me to leave Colorado. More than anything, I miss living with nature. Upon my return to Mexico, my boyfriend and I also broke up. Needless to say, I haven't been in a blogging mood since being back until now. But stay tuned, because more post will be coming about all the great things Mexico has to offer me.

Hiking Niwot with Hector

2008-07-24T17:54:00.005-05:00

A couple days before Hector and I began the long drive back to Mexico City, we hiked Niwot Ridge. A point to point hike beginning at Brainard Lake and finishing at my parents' house.
Hector
Me

By far the best part of the hike was during the final mile when we were on the Gold Hill Rd. From the moment Hector arrived in Denver, all he wanted was to see a bear while in Colorado. I explained to Hector that I have seen 2 bears in Colorado my entire life, one of which was on my way to the 4th of July fireworks in Nederland a few weeks ago. I had to break it to him that his chances of seeing a bear were rather slim. The morning before our Niwot hike, the Daily Camera had a picture of a bear in a tree in South Boulder. Hector was complaining that the only bear he was going to see while in Colorado was in the newspaper. So, when we were walking back on the Gold Hill Rd. and Hector turned around screaming "Oso, oso, oso!!!", I hit him and told him to knock it off. But, as I turned around, sure enough there was a big black bear crossing the Gold Hill Rd. right in front of us. It was a rather exciting experience for me and especially for Hector, who now has a new nickname, Oso. Sorry, but we don't have any pictures of the bear, we were too excited to take photos :(

Rocky Mountain National Park

2008-07-14T21:32:00.008-05:00

A friend of mine from Mexico City, Hector, arrived yesterday to spend a few days in Colorado and then drive with me back to Mexico City.
Here is Hector with Boulder in the background yesterday.

Today we headed to Rocky Mountain National Park to drive Trail Ridge Road. But instead of ascending Trail Ridge, we went up a one way dirt road called the Fall River Road, which arrives at the visitor's center on Trail Ridge. Then we descended Trail Ridge back to Estes Park.
A photo of the river.
Another view from the Fall River Road.
Hector playing in snow for the first time in his life.

Working on the Wind Generator

2008-07-12T14:52:00.004-05:00

My dad climbed the wind generator tower today to reinforce a part of the tower. I was his tool runner.
By chance I was wearing my cool new t-shirt. How fitting for the occasion?!

Its a . . .

2008-07-11T11:12:00.003-05:00

Moose!!!! On my way to breakfast this morning in Nederland I came upon two moose crossing the Peak to Peak. I was able to get a photo of one of them. I have lived in this area all of my life and not until recently have there been moose. It is always exciting to see one. They are impressive animals and I hope I never get charged by one!

Trail Ridge Road

2008-07-11T10:40:00.009-05:00

My dad and I rode from the Rocky Mountain National Park visitor's center in Estes Park to the visitor's center at the top of Trail Ridge (and back down of course) yesterday. What a beautiful ride!!
My dad approaching the Rocky Mountain National Park entrance.
2 miles above sea level, but we still ~2,000ft of climbing to go.
One of the many incredible views.
My dad led the entire ride into a pretty strong head wind. He even rode away from me a couple of times. At the age of 59, he rides harder and faster than I do. Pretty awesome.

My Cruiser

2008-07-11T10:22:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday I took my car into Super Rupair just to make sure everything is in working order before heading back to Mexico. There are no Subaru's in Mexico and I am sure that finding parts to get my car fixed in Mexico would take centuries. So I figured it was best to have it checked out in a town where Subaru's out number any other car.
In order to get errands done while my car was in the shop, I pulled out my beloved, yet neglected, Bianchi Cruiser from the shed at my parents' house. I forgot how much fun this bike is to ride and I also forgot how bike friendly of a town Boulder is. There is truly no reason to NOT commute around Boulder on a bike 90% of the time. So go get on your cruiser bikes all you Boulderites!!!

Walking

2008-07-08T11:00:00.009-05:00

One of the best things about being at my parents' house is taking long walks through the woods and discovering new places. On Sunday, I took such a walk with my parents.
Here are my parents at a Forest Service sign marking the boundary between their land and the Forest Service's Land. Yup, they own half of the rock outcropping.
We walked down a drainage that I had never been down before. It was beautiful. Extremely green with lots of new Douglas Furs sprouting up, which is a good thing because Pine Beetle will probably kill all the tall Lodge Pole Pines but not the Douglas Furs!! My dad and me.
These are some of the wild flowers we saw along the way. Daisies, Blue Bells, and Indian Pant Brushes.

Endo's New Bed

2008-07-08T10:52:00.003-05:00

Spoiled dog!!!!

July 4th Apache Adventure

2008-07-05T12:55:00.010-05:00

The 4th of July started out with a big bang for me.
It started at 4:30 am at the Long Lake trail head where I met up with Ben, Caleb, Luke, Stu, and Evelyn to hike up Apache and ski a couloir.
An early morning start allowed us to watch the sunrise. The aplenglow from the sun on the Indian Peaks was breathtaking.
Here is Ben celebrating his descent that finished with him skiing across the water just behind him. It was a great day of hiking and skiing. For a detailed description of the day, see Stu's Blog.
We finished the never ending 4th of July day by watching fireworks in Nederland. Evelyn, Caleb, Luke, an Nichole waiting for the show.
Here I am during the early morning hike and then later on waiting for the fireworks. It was a good 4th of July for sure, one that will definitely be talked about for years to come.

The Gold Hill Inn

2008-07-05T12:48:00.003-05:00

Every summer The Melamed Family gets together at the Gold Hill Inn to celebrate birthday's, anniversaries, father's and mother's day, and just being The Melameds.
A meal at the Gold Hill Inn is a very unique experience because of its rustic ambiance and the great 6 course meal for $31.
My Mom, Dad, and brother.

Riding with the Rents

2008-07-02T17:37:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I went for a wonderful road ride with my parents. My parents are incredible cyclists. My dad even dropped me on one climb and my mom was always a few minutes within my dad and me. Plus, we rode for 2.5 hours. Its fun to have such fit and outgoing parents. For those of you familiar with the Boulder area rides, we started on the Peak to Peak at the Gold Hill Rd. and rode to S. St. Vrain. We dropped down the canyon for a bit and returned back to the Peak to Peak via Raymond/Riverside. Then it was the Peak to Peak back to the Gold Hill Rd. Pretty tough.
Today I went for a short mountain bike ride on the Sourdough. Its rocky. The rest of the day I spent working. I have lots to get done while I am on "vacation" in Colorado.

Happy Brithday Mom!!!!

2008-06-30T22:14:00.006-05:00

Today is my mom's birthday. She turned, well 40 if you decide someones age by how active, in good health, and beautiful they are. We celebrated by going for a nice walk together. Below is my mom and I during the walk with Arapahoe in the background.
And here is my mom and dad enjoying the beautiful trail along Four Mile creek during our walk.

First Days Back in Colorado

2008-06-30T22:03:00.003-05:00

I have spent my first few days back in Colorado being a typical Boulderite. I went to North Boulder Chiropractic to see Dr. Dave, who works miracles, I swear! Then I headed down the street to get a latte at Amante Coffee. I went for a run on the Switzerland Trail AND I even went for a road ride. My first road ride in 6 months! I knew that every cyclist in Boulder would be heading west to enjoy the mountain rides, so I headed east to enjoy my favorite roads to train on during the winter. Luckily, the fields are still green and the mountains still have some snow on them. Oh so pretty!

Driving to Colorado

2008-06-27T19:48:00.006-05:00

Caleb and I left Guanajuato mid-day on Tuesday. The plan was to drive to Monterrey Mexico where we would stay the night in order to cross the border in the morning on Wednesday. However, as we approached Monterrey we still had an hour or so of day light left and figured we would just drive the 1.5-2 hours to Nuevo Laredo and cross the border into Laredo, TX. I was a little tentative about crossing the border at night but it turned out that crossing the border was very simple and safe. Caleb and I spent Wednesday and Thursday driving across ALL of Texas, the pan handle of Oklahoma, and the southeastern part of Colorado. Believe it or not, the drive was very beautiful. My favorite part is the wind farms in northern Texas. I love the contrast in the first photo below, oil rigs in the midst of a wind farm. It is pretty cool to see the change from a petroleum state to a renewable energy state so evident. The second photo is just my fascination with wind farms. I find them to be surreal and mesmerizing.

Megan and Caleb's Excellent Adventure (Part II) - San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato

2008-06-27T19:17:00.011-05:00

Caleb and I left Mexico City last Sunday afternoon to head to Colorado. However, we did manage to pull an all nighter the night before we left partying away on my roof top terrace. The occasion for the party? My very good friend Abraham is moving to England for 6 months : ( I will definitely miss him while he is gone. Abraham and his wife, Pilar, have been incredible friends during my time in Mexico. The party also in many ways was a send off for me too and I was happy to spend my last night in Mexico City dancing away the night with all my friends.

In any case, Caleb, Endo, and I drove Sunday afternoon to San Miguel de Allende, which is a quaint little town about 3 hours north of Mexico City. The town is beautiful but pretty run over by gringos. Below is a picture of Endo and me in the main square. The second picture is of the main church in San Miguel de Allende late in the evening.
On Monday we drove an incredible road 45 minutes west to Guanajuato city. Guanajuato is incredible! We definitley enjoyed our stay there, minus the horrible beds in the terrible hostel we stayed in. Guanajuato is an old mining town and the city was built above the mines. The result is that the major roads of Guanajuato are in underground tunnels and the streets above are so narrow that cars can't make it through, making Guanajuato a very pedestrian friendly town. It is fun to just explore and get lost for hours in the narrow pedestrian streets above ground. At times I felt like I was cruising the streets of Vienna while in Guanajuato. The town has a pretty European feel to it. I highly recommend visiting Guanajuato! Below is a picture of Guanajuato, it doesn't do the city justice but it gives you an idea of how cool Guanajuato is.

Megan and Caleb's Excellent Adventure - Oaxaca State

2008-06-15T15:21:00.014-05:00

My brother, Caleb, arrived in Mexico City on June 4th. On June 6th, we took off to explore the state of Oaxaca. First stop was Oaxaca City. The rainy season has just begun here and the road from Mexico City to Oaxaca had several rock slides. Here is a view of the scene while we waited for a rock slide to be cleared. The bus driver used the delay to to his advantage.
Oaxaca is a very beautiful city with many churches. However, the Santo Domingo church is by far the most beautiful, especially at night.
Oaxaca has many traditional foods. One of which is mole. Caleb and I learned how to make mole from scratch during a cooking class we took. We also went to the market to eat traditional Tlayudas.
And had hot chocolate with bread. The Oaxaca region is very well know for its chocolate.
We also explored the ruins of Monte Alban. The foggy, rainy weather made the ruins even more magical than they already are!
After spending the weekend in the city, we were ready to see the sun, surf, and relax on the beaches near Puerto Escondido. The road from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido takes you from about 5,ooo ft. to to the Pacific Ocean by passing through the Sierras, an extraordinary mountain range. The van ride took 6 hours and for those of you from the Boulder area, it was equivalent to ascending and descending Fourmile canyon over and over again for 6 hours straight. However, it was beautiful.
Upon arriving in Puerto Escondido, we were greeted with a tropical storm. I have never seen it rain so hard. Luckily, the weather cleared up a few hours after we arrived and it looked like we just might be able to have the beach vacation of sun, surfing, and relaxing that we had planned. The best beach for learning how to surf in Puerto Escondido is Playa Carrizalillo. Here is a view of the beach from above.
Caleb catching a wave with a little help from our instructor Julio.
We also took a 2.5 hour boat ride put into the Pacific searching for dolphins. We didn't see any dolphins but we did see lots of sea turtles mating and enjoyed the views of the Oaxacan coast with the Sierras in the background.
I had to head back to Mexico City last Thursday afternoon. But Caleb was enjoying Puerto Escondido so much that he decided to stay until Monday. For those travelers out there, the state of Oaxaca is a must see.

Ajusco from Afar

2008-06-03T10:56:00.004-05:00

I continually mention that I went mountain biking at Ajusco this weekend or that weekend. But what exactly is Ajusco. Ajusco is the tallest mountain in a mountain range to the southwest of Mexico City. I drive about half way up Ajusco to a park called San Nicolas (or as the locals call it, las llantas, which means tires. The parking area has a lot of car tires used to terrace the hill side). On clear sunny days, like today, I get a good view of Ajusco from my roof deck.

Its in the details

2008-06-02T13:14:00.006-05:00

The place where I live in Mexico consists of 3 apartments. Two of the apartments (one of which I occupy) are essentially a duplex. The third apartment is in the back of the lot and was designed as an artist studio. Currently, the artist studio is being used as an office by two photographers. Last Wednesday (I know, its has taken me a while to actually sit down and write this), one of the photographers invited me to the opening of his art show at a gallery more towards the center of town. Considering I see the photographer everyday, I thought I better drag myself across town to his opening.

The opening was from 7-10pm and it should have taken me about 30 minutes on the metro to get there. I left my house at 7:30 with plenty of time to spare. Mexico City reserves the first 2 trains on the metro for just women and children from 4pm to 8pm. So when I got the metro I took advantage of this and got on one of the reserved trains. Now, I don't know what it is about men, but my sense of security on the metro increases about 10 fold when there are no men on my train. It has less to do with someone robbing or violating me or and more to do with the fact the men get angry very easily causing words and often pushes then punches to be exchanged. Rarely does this occur between women. In any case, I thought I was on my way.

Then the train stopped . . . for 20 minutes and not at a stop either. The trains don't have a/c so when its not moving, which causes at least air flow, it gets extremely stuffy and a bit claustrophobic inside the trains. By the time the train got to the next stop it was after 8pm and men pushed their way onto the previous all female trains. The metro was PACKED with people. We finally got moving and eventually arrived at the next stop. More people pushed their way onto the train. When the doors tried to close, they couldn't. Some men started to exchange words about who was blocking the door from shutting, etc. and a couple pushes were exchange. After 15 minutes, the train was still stopped and I couldn't deal anymore so I pushed my way off the train and figured I would just take a taxi to the opening.

Upon exiting the metro station, one of the women that had been in the same train car as me approached me. We both complained about how slow the metro was. She offered to share a taxi with me to the next metro station where we could get on another metro line that would bring us both to our destinations. It was evident that we had to get a taxi right away because more and more people were opting to take a taxi rather than wait for the metro to get going again. We flagged down a taxi and were on our way to the next station.

I offered to pay the taxi ride since the smallest bill I had on me was 100 pesos (about $10) and no change. The cab ride probably took about 10 minutes and the meter said the cost was 15 pesos (about $1.50, yes taxis are super cheap here by US standards). I gave the taxi driver my 100 and he immediately asked if I had any change. Yup, here in Mexico it is often difficult to get change for a 100 peso bill. Just imagine in the US some store or taxi driver saying they didn't have change for $10. But it happens all the time to me here. Luckily, the woman I was with saw this coming and already had 15 pesos waiting. I felt bad that she had to pay the taxi ride because to me, 15 pesos is nothing. But most people commute on the metro in Mexico City because it costs 2 pesos (yes, that is 20 cents). Commuting by any other means (taxi, personal car, and even some of the buses) is just too expensive for many people. Whether or not 15 pesos was a lot for this woman to pay I do not know, but it still bothered me that I was unable to pay the fare.

The least I could do though was pay for her entrance into the metro station with my card. A whole 2 pesos. In any case, the next metro line we took was rather empty and I was able to have a good conversation with the woman I shared the taxi with. Turns out last Wednesday happened to be some saint's day and everyone was going to a specific church on the previous metro line we were on. They essentially offer the saint a doll and in return, the saint is supposed to grant them a wish. This country is extremely religious and these types of things are a huge part of their culture. I will save my comments on what I think about religion in this country for another time.

At the end of the metro line, the woman and I would be going our separate ways. We finally introduced ourselves by name. Claudia walked me to the metro line I wanted to get on and we exchanged phone numbers. I was very grateful for her looking after me. It is very easy to plan a trip across the city by metro but if something goes wrong and you are forced to go out onto the street to find another means to get to your destination, you are at a complete lost to where you exactly are and what direction you even want to go in. This city is just so large and the streets are not gridded. Think of Boston, not Manhattan. With Claudia's help though, I was reoriented and on my way. It just goes to show that there are people out there that do things out of the goodness of their heart and for no other reason.

I arrived at the opening at about 9:15pm. Unfortunately, the opening was rather disappointing. There were approximately 10 photos, none of which caught my attention. I stayed maybe 15 minutes and caught a taxi home, which cost me 40 pesos ($4). Sometimes its just better to be fresas (snobby or stuck up) and take a taxi.

The point is, I often don't mention the little details of everyday life here. But these little details are what make up my life here in Mexico. The small details about the metro reserving 2 trains for only women and children, the fact that no one ever has change for $10, the large differences between men and women in this city (and in general), the generosity of others, how big and overwhelming Mexico City is, etc.

And speaking of the little details, as of May 1st (I think it was), Mexico City no longer allows smoking in any closed public areas. YEAH!!!! This means all the bars, discos, clubs, restaurants, etc. are smoke free.

The Bolder Boulder

2008-05-26T09:21:00.003-05:00

Memorial Day is a big day for The Melamed family because of the Bolder Boulder, a 10K running race in Boulder. The race started 30 years ago and my mom ran in the first Bolder Boulder and has run in every single one since. She is a Bolder Boulder Boldest!! I used to run in the Bolder Boulder myself since I was in third grade but when bike racing took priority, I began to crew for my mom and anyone else in the family who was running. This Memorial Day though, I am in Mexico City at work. I am missing everything there is to miss about the Bolder Boulder. I am especially missing one of my favorite parts, the Air Force fly over and sky divers at Folsom field. Anyway, to all of you running or participating in the Bolder Boulder in some way, I am thinking about you from Mexico City.

Guess What?

2008-05-25T20:27:00.003-05:00

I have 2 pear trees outside my apartment and the first pear fell from the tree today. How exciting is that? I've never had a fruit true in my yard!

Let's See, What Have I Been Up To?

2008-05-21T19:01:00.007-05:00

A few Friday's ago Ivan, Carolina, Sarai, Wolfgang, and I spent our lunch eating all you can eat hard tacos and pazole. Included in the all you can eat is a beer of your choice and a bottle of tequila for the table. Returning to work after such a meal was, well, impossible. We just all hung out instead.
Last weekend I went to Los Dinamos with my friend Victor. I seem to have explored the city more than my friends that are from here. So I get to be the tour guide. After going for an hour long hike, Victor and I enjoyed fresh trout, tacos, soup, beers, and cafe con leche. Mmmmmmm
On Sunday I participated in yet another mtn bike race and WON!!! But this time I had competition. Ok, it was only one other person but I still won. I did manage to crash on a pretty technical decent and I have a nice big bruise on my right butt cheek. I have no pics from the race and I thought posting a photo of my bruise was probably not appropriate.

All this week I have been in a workshop with some German colleagues. We definitely talked about some interesting science and health issues as they relate to Mexico City air pollution. But the best part of the workshop is that is was held at a conference room in UNAM's botanical gardens. I think these gardens are one of the hidden treasures in Mexico City.
Next big adventures on my list are that my bro is coming in a couple weeks and we will be exploring Mexico together. Then I will be heading to Colorado at the end of June to party it up with my parents to celebrate their 35th anniversary and my mom's 60th!!!! I should be in Colorado for about 3 weeks!! I am looking forward to the next couple months for sure.

Mexico City Air Pollution

2008-05-12T20:03:00.004-05:00

I frequently get asked how bad the air pollution is in Mexico City. Well, it depends on the time of year but this past week has been pretty bad. Let me give you an idea.

I will be talking about the pollutant ozone. The former head of the NOAA lab where I worked referred to "the good, the bad, and the ugly" of ozone. If ozone is located in the stratosphere (i.e. the ozone layer), ozone is incredibly good because it prevents very harmful sun rays from getting to the Earth's surface thus allowing us to inhabit the planet. However, if ozone is located in the troposphere (the layer of the atmosphere closest to the Earth' surface) it is bad because it causes respiratory illnesses and it also damages plants. The ugly part of ozone is that when ozone is in the troposphere, it also acts as a greenhouse gas. Needless to say, due to ozone's effects on human health, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just reduced the ozone standard in the US from 80 ppbv (parts per billion by volume) to 75 ppbv average over an 8-hour period. That is, over an 8-hour period the average concentration of ozone cannot exceed 75 ppbv.

So let's see how bad the ozone pollution was in Mexico City this past Saturday, May 10th, which happened to be mother's day here. The highest consecutive ozone concentrations in the part of the city I live in on Saturday were as follows.

1:00pm 111 ppbv
2:00pm 118 ppbv
3:00pm 145 ppbv
4:00pm 155 ppbv
5:00pm 172 ppbv
6:00pm 159 ppbv
7:00pm 145 ppbv
8:00pm 92 ppbv

The 8-hour average is 137 ppbv, almost double the EPA's standard! So yes, the pollution is pretty bad here and Mother's day was one of the worst days I have seen recently (although I think the city breaks the EPA standard almost daily). One of the reasons that the ozone levels were so high on Mother's Day is that the mother is the most important figure in a Mexican family. Therefore, the 22 million people that live in Mexico City were all trying to get to their mothers. I am not joking, the traffic was horrible, worse than during the week. This greatly contributed to the high ozone levels. Kind of crazy.

My Own Personal Carpenter

2008-04-25T19:16:00.004-05:00

I am fortunate enough to know this rather talented guy. Not only is he capable of making me smile on a daily basis, but it also turns out that he is rather good at making furniture. Today, I received my first shipment from my carpenter, 3 bedside tables. They are not varnished yet but these things are very well made. Push in the drawers and they pop open. They weigh a ton and are super solid. We are not talking about Target furniture here. I was impressed.
In the next couple of weeks I will get a 4th bedside table, a bookcase, a console, and a TV stand. All handmade by Vander.

Playing Anthropologist

2008-04-25T18:53:00.006-05:00

On Tuesday I went on an adventure to Chapultepec Park to find a very specific book at the National Anthropology Museum. You see, about a month ago Vander went to visit his uncle in a remote pueblo in the state of Veracruz. While there he bought me these hard to find handmade Aztec stamps.

Vander had mentioned that he once saw a book at the National Anthropology Museum containing definitions of all the Aztec symbols and figures. On Tuesday morning I got on the metro with the mission of finding the book for him. I was pleasantly surprised to find Chapultepec Park empty on a week day morning and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the entrance to the park is.
I walked across the park to the National Anthropology Museum. This is the largest museum in Latin America. It would take days to get through the entire museum, which is divided up into 21 different rooms that each describe either a different time period or a different culture of Mexico. The museum is a must see for any visitor in Mexico City.
I found one book while at the museum that contained some of the Aztec symbols and figures but I didn't see the book that Vander was talking about. Although my adventure didn't exactly end up as I expected, I must say that visiting Chapultepec Park on a weekday was well worth the trip.

I am still a winner if . . .

2008-04-20T18:38:00.008-05:00

1. I trained for 1.5 hours in the past 6 weeks? (It also happened that during those 1.5 hours I was suffering from some stomach problems.)
2. I refuse to put my chamois on more than 30 minutes before the race and decide instead to take a photo of an essential part of every bike race, port-o-potties!?
3. I get to the start line and there are 6 elite women (i.e. pro women) and one experta woman (me) ?
3. Since I am the only one in my category, I stop during the race to take photos of the terrain and myself?
4. I smile for the photographers on the course?
5. I am the only one standing on the podium and I have a huge grin, as if I won the Olympics or something?
Well, I think I am still a winner! I am taking the Mexico City league experta category this year, watch out!

On another note, I have been needing to get my knives sharpened for a while now. I had heard of this guy who rides his bike through the streets blowing a whistle and if you can catch him, he will sharpen your knives. Well, there are so many different whistles, calls, shouts, etc. from people selling stuff in the streets that I was never able to find the whistle of the knife sharpener guy (that is his official title, at least in my book). But yesterday on my way to the grocery store I found him. Check out how he sharpens my knives! How cool is that?
My knives are extremely sharp now. All for $3.00.

A Work Adventure

2008-04-18T10:53:00.006-05:00

A German colleague, Hendrik, has been visiting our group at UNAM for the past week. He developed an instrument in Germany for our group here. The goal of the instrument is to remotely take images of volcanic and power plant plumes that are color coded to the concentration of SO2 within the plume. Its a very handy measurement to have because we can be kilometers from the plume and figure out the concentrations within the plume. Henrik and I decided to test the instrument by going to Paso de Cortez to measure SO2 emissions from the active volcano Popocatépetl (5,636 m or 18,500 ft). But as luck would have it, it was cloudy and we couldn't see the volcanic plume from Popo. Here is Henrik with his instrument and Popo in the background.
Upon arriving to the refuge where we take our measurements from, we met a very nice man named Miguel. Miguel is retired and a widower. Since he has no commitments, he spends the majority of his time at the refuge greeting climbers and climbing himself. Although you can't climb Popo right now because it is active, on the other side of the pass is the non-active Iztaccíhuatl (5,230m or 17,159ft) and climbers stay at the refuge on Paso de Cortez at 4,000m (13,123 ft) before summitting Izta. Here is a picture of Miguel and I with Izta in the background.
Miguel convinced Henrik and I to stay the night at the refuge with him since the probability of it being clear in the morning was much higher. Henrik and I did not come prepared to stay the night but Miguel provided us with everything we possibly could need, plus more. We were treated to a wonderful meal of soup, salad, pasta, and wine in addition to some incredible hot chocolate. We got to hear plenty of fascinating stories from Miguel and see numerous photos from his time on the pass. Miguel woke up us early the following morning to inform us that there were clouds and measurements were probably not a possibility. Needless to say, we had bad luck making measurements, but we had great luck with our adventure.

Endo also got to join in on the fun at Paso de Cortez. After being in the city for months on end, I think he was glad to be in the mountains again.

My New Amante

2008-04-18T10:42:00.003-05:00

When Amante Coffee opened in Boulder, CO a few years back I was so excited. Amante was pretty much where I could be found when I was writing my PhD dissertation. I spent many hours there with either a lovely latte or a nice glass if wine writing away. I was definitely sad to leave Boulder and the Amante scene when I came to Mexico. BUT, about a month ago, a new coffee shop opened around the corner from my house in Coyoacan. Its called Society Signature Coffees. Although their coffee standard is not nearly as high as Amante's, the ambiance is very similar to that of Amante. Society just might end up being my new office when I begin to write journal articles.

The Simpsons vs. Baywatch

2008-04-08T15:46:00.004-05:00

Today I found this great article (its in Spanish though) about the TV channel Televen in Venezuela. The Venezuelan government kindly suggested that Televen should take The Simpsons off the air because the show infringes on the national norm and contains messages that are not appropriate for children and adolescents. Televen obeyed the governments request and replaced The Simpsons with Baywatch, a show that has yet to receive scrutiny from the government. WHAT?! Baywatch is better than The Simpsons? Come on Chávez, lets get real. Chávez has also banned the use of words like "password" and "email" in the work place. Instead people must say "contraseña" and "correo eléctronico." Chávez feels the use of the English words in a Spanish speaking country is part of the USA's plan to take over the world. Just thought I would share some news that we receive here in Mexico that you may not receive in the USA.

From all the emails . . .

2008-04-06T18:21:00.005-05:00

I received about the lack of blog postings, I decided it was time to update my blog. Actually, I didn't receive one email from anyone about the lack of blog posts but I am hoping there are still a few of you out there that read my blog and in fact did wonder why I hadn't put a new post up in a while.

Well, I really don't have a reason for not putting up a new post in a while except that life has seemed busier lately than normal.

Below is a photo of the Mexico City Mouse Trap (at least that is what I call it). The large flag in the middle is very impressive. I took this today while heading to Home Depot. I wanted to buy a grill but Home Depot had a terrible selection.
Also, my friend Colleen visited me from Thursday March 27th to April 2nd. Here is a list of the things we did:
•Very nice dinner at Hacienda de los Morelos with Colleen's boyfriend Fadi and his friends Rodrigo and Irene
•Ate a very traditional Posole comida (i.e. lunch) with my friends Vander and Delibes
•Went to a breakfast to celebrate Suzzi's (Abraham's daughter) baptism
•Colleen got a taste of the Mexico City salsa scene at Mama Rumba
•We went for a nice walk at Los Dinamos, which was followed by a fresh trout feast for Colleen
•Lots of long walks with Endo in Coyoacan

More posts to come this week. That I promise.

Kitchen Essentials

2008-03-25T23:41:00.005-06:00

I tend to have people over to my house often whether it is for a nice sit down meal or it is to watch a movie. I have learned that there are some items that I must always have on hand in my kitchen. Some of these items include a combination of dark and light beers, limes, hot sauce, and HOMEMADE beans.
I made the mistake once of serving beans from a can and everyone knew right away that they were not homemade. Before arriving in Mexico I had never made my own refried beans but now I like to think I am an expert. After all, my Mexican friends think I make some pretty darn good beans. The recipe is actually pretty simple. Put some black beans in a pot and cover with twice as much water. Let the beans sit over night. The next day, boil the beans for 2-3 hours adding salt half way through the boiling time. The key is to make sure the beans are really soft after the boiling process. In a sauce pan, saute a finely chopped onion in about a tablespoon of butter. Add the drained cooked beans and mash them with a potato masher. If the beans appear too dry, add some of the broth the beans cooked in. Add salt to taste when done. Simple as that. Give it a try and trust me, homemade beans are WAY more yummy then frijoles de lata (canned beans)!

The Rents Visit Continued

2008-03-25T23:19:00.005-06:00

Well, my parents are already back in Colorado but I didn't blog enough about their trip so I thought I would post a couple more pictures and tell you about everything we did.

The best way to see any city is to walk around A LOT. We did some great walks in Coyoacan with Endo. Here are my parents outside of the church La Conchita. Built in 1521, this church is thought to be the first Christian building in Mexico City.
We also did a lot of walking in Chapultepec park. We visited the Castillo de Chapultepec as well as the National Anthropology Museum, which is the largest museum in Latin America and is VERY impressive. It would takes days to get through everything in the museum. Below is the view from the Castillo de Chapultepec looking down Reforma with the monument to Niños Héroes, 6 young soldiers that leapt to their death from the United Stated Army rather than surrender in 1847, in foreground and the Angel of Independence barely visible in the background.
Here is my dad and me at the Castillo de Chapultepec.
In addition to the above adventures we also ate a nice dinner in La Condesa on Thursday night. Friday night I invited all my friends over for dinner to meet my parents. On Saturday we went for a nice run where I typically go mtn biking and then we hit up the Saturday art market in San Angel where we also ate a great meal at one of the restaurants on the square. I think that about sums up my parents' visit. It was good to have them here and I wish more people would come visit and see what an incredible city I live in.

The Rents are in the House

2008-03-19T21:31:00.011-06:00

Yup, my parents are visiting me. They got in last night and will be here until Sunday morning. Their visit is perfect timing because I don't have to work this week, its Semana Santa, i.e. Spring Break. Today we spent the morning in Coyoacan going for a run in Los Viveros and then took Endo on a walk to the center of Coyoacan. Here are my parents in the center of Coyoacan.
My mom and dad joined Endo in his morning greeting to the coyotes.
We then headed to the Centro Historico. First we grabbed a bite to eat at a very nice restaurant that over looks the Cathedral on the Zocalo.
Next was a visit to Palacio Nacional, which is similar to visiting The White House. In the Palacio Nacional is an incredible mural by Diego Rivera depicting the history of Mexico.
My parents are troopers and put in a good day being tourist in a rather overwhelming city. Between taking the metro, watching protests, breathing in the pollution, and pushing are way through crowds, we are all very tired and are spending the evening enjoying my nice apartment.

Birthday Party Galore!!!

2008-03-17T11:23:00.006-06:00

On Saturday night I hosted a birthday party for Wolfgang, Abraham, and Ivan. It was a fun night with a large mixture of people. My roof terrace is the perfect place to host a party.

Here is Daniel the Mojito Making Master
Here is Abraham and I with Wolfgang being silly behind us. Abraham is a very close friend. He met me in Loredo, Texas to drive with me to Mexico City last November. Since then Abraham and his wife Pilar have has always been there to help me out. On Sunday they invited me to have Pozole with their friends and family for Abraham's birthday. Abraham's mom makes a very tasty Pozole!

Friends

2008-03-17T11:08:00.004-06:00

On Saturday, Barby and Hector moved into the apartment directly above Daniel's apartment. Now their living arrangement is a lot like Friends and I have been given the role of Phoebe, the crazy one that doesn't live in the same building but is welcome to visit at anytime. I am sure there will be many Friend's marathons in their apartments and I can't wait because I am a huge fan of the show!
Daniel, Me, Barby, Ofelia, and Hector outside their building.

Monumento a la Revolución

2008-03-13T10:50:00.004-06:00

Last Saturday . . . I know, I know . . . last Saturday was a long time ago and I have been really bad about updating my blog as of late. In any case last Saturday I met up with my friend Victor in the Centro Historico. I hadn't seen Victor in a couple month so it was nice to catch up with him. The highlights of our walking tour were as always the Zócalo, La Plaza de Computadores (this place is incredible. Its like a typical Latin food market but everything being sold has something to do with computers. You can find anything you have ever wanted there. It was a little overwhelming because its packed with people), yummy tacos at a side street cafe, the fancy new trains on the metro line 1, and the Monumento de la Revolución (photo of Victor and me below). We discovered where the swig dancing crowd hangs out on Saturdays as there was a live swing band and tons of people dancing at the Monumento a la Revolución. Overall is was a nice afternoon in the city. Thanks for the company Victor.

Morning Walks

2008-03-05T13:45:00.004-06:00

Now that Endo can't come to work with me and chase squirrels around several times a day, I take him on a long walk every morning before I head into work for the day. We pass through some very beautiful parts of Coyoacan on our walks. Here is a picture of the coyote fountain (Coyoacan means coyote) in the center plaza of Coyoacan. Endo likes to put his front legs up on the fountain and say hi to his friends every morning. In the background you can see the main church in Coyoacan and a couple of 50's style school buses that some school was using to take their students on a field trip to Coyoacan.
I have no idea what the tree in the photo below is called but these trees are blossoming everywhere right now. Their beautiful purple flowers always bring a smile to my face.

New Office

2008-03-05T13:41:00.003-06:00

Wolfgang and I have moved offices. Now we have a nice view with trees and all. Wolfgang had to move from our old office so that another post doc to move in. But I decided I would stick with Wolfgang and move too. We added a touch of Europe in the office with posters of the Tour de France. We also got brand new desks put in. We feel pretty at home in our new office.

Lost in Translation

2008-03-05T13:31:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday I had several friends over to enjoy my now World Famous Pies. I made two blackberry/strawberry pies. I can buy a good size bag of blackberries on the side of the road to Ajusco, where I go mtn biking, for about $2.
Here is the story behind the get together though. I wrote an email to all my friends inviting them to a "Noche de Pies Famosos de Megan." The email kept talking about my famous pies. It didn't even dawn on me that in Spanish, pies means feet and in Spanish pies is spelled pays. My friends are still giving me a hard time about my famous feet.

Yes, I Work Too

2008-02-27T22:01:00.005-06:00

Today I spent the day with Michel and Roberto testing Roberto's real-time data acquisition and analysis program. To test Roberto's program we headed to a place where we were sure to see large increases in sulfur dioxide. This beautiful place (that's sarcasm folks) is called Tula. Below is a picture of the power plant that we were measuring.
Here is Roberto and Michel preparing the instrument. By the way, Roberto is the man because his program worked really well. Michel and I were both very impressed.
To be honest, I can't believe that people are allowed to live as close as they do to the power plant we measured today. In addition to the power plant, there is also an oil refinery, several cement factories, and some mines. I have not seen any data supporting my hypothesis but I am almost 100% sure that the health of those living in Tula is effected by this industrial area. It was nasty . . . but its a good place for measurements.

Another Bound to Happen

2008-02-25T21:33:00.002-06:00

I was finally asked today, after almost 4 months, to not bring Endo to work with me. Apparently there is some old school biologist in a completely different part of the building who saw me with Endo and decided to write a letter to the director of El Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera saying that having dogs in the building presented a sanitary issue for the work that he conducts in his labs. I later found out from co-workers that this biologist is very old school and doesn't like foreigners nor women. I don't think his complaint about Endo, who never goes to the side of the building Mr. Old School works on, causing a sanitary issue was the real issue at hand. So now the question is whether I fight this battle or just leave Endo at home while I am at work? I am leaning towards the later at the moment.

The one good thing about leaving Endo home while I am at work is that I would then take the metro to work every day. I have been feeling extremely guilty about driving to work and the only reason I drive to work is so that Endo can come with me. The question that begs to be answered is whether I should feel more guilty about driving to work or more guilty about living my dog in an apartment for 6-8 hrs a day? I think Mr. Old School just solved my internal conflict.

On another note, I did my second mtn bike race of the season on Sunday. Once again I definitely enjoyed myself. I kind of dig the training once a week and racing with no goals program. The big guys were out for this race though as it was a national calendar race. I must say that these guys fly. Here is a picture just before my start. Don't worry, I didn't race with the men's Experta group, they started a few minutes in front of us.

Lunar Eclipse

2008-02-23T15:17:00.005-06:00

Every full moon, Wolfgang and Ivan spend a few nights on the roof of El Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera (CCA) taking measurements of the moon with their FTIR spectrometer from la casita. A while back while grocery shopping, I found a bottle of wine from Spain called Casa Luna, which I promptly bought for Wolfgang and Ivan. They saved the bottle of wine and shared it will Sarai, Carolina, and me on Wednesday night while we watched the lunar eclipse. For those of you that were not fortunate enough to see it, it was darn pretty cool. Below is the best image I could capture with my cheap digital camera.