Una Navidad Mexicana - Christmas in Mexico City

Jeremy and I were blessed to celebrate Christmas in Mexico City.  We would describe it in Spanish as "tranquillo"...very low-key.  On Christmas Eve day, we returned from Puebla, and were happy to stay home with our gato, Guille. That night, Jeremy and I played Scrabble. (I always win when I use Spanish words! ha ha). Christmas morning, we slept in. That evening we went to the city square, the Zocolo, to see the lights.  We were surprised to see an ice rink, games, and food stands offering tamales, pizza, tortas (sandwiches), tacos, coffee...etc.  We made a yummy traditional Italian dish for dinner, Frutti di Mare...pasta with seafood...camarones (shrimp), calamari (squid), mejillones (mussels), and of course homemade tomato sauce. Local chilangos have been complaining about the cold weather and getting sick from the Cold...but to us it's perfect.  high of 70 and lows in the 50s.  Feliz Navidad a Todos!

Visit to Puebla

Just a 2-hour bus ride away is the gorgeous city of Puebla...filled with Spanish colonial arquitecture, cobblestone streets, and a street dedicated to candy...Calle de los dulces!  We stayed at an amazing hotel, Casa Reyna, (that we never could have afforded otherwise) thanks to my amiga, Ana Laura, who lives in Puebla. To celebrate Christmas, we saw a local community-organized production of A Christmas Carol. It was great- Mexican style with Spanish names...little Timmy was Tomasito...and at the dinner, the nephew's famiy drank "ponche" - traditional fruit cider - out of Mexican clay pottery. They sang and dance to Mexican music.  It was a performance to remember.

Words of Wisdom from Chairman of Mexico's Largest Food Corporation

My MBA class recently had the privilege of hearing from Don Roberto Servitje, the Chairman of Grupo Bimbo, the fourth largest packaged foods company in the world (after Nestle, Kraft and Unilever).

His presentation focused on Ethical Leadership and was organized by our professor of Liderazgo y Manejo de Cambio (Leadership and Change Management). Mr. Servitje explained thatBimbo focuses on “la persona humana” – the human being…focusing on employees, competitors, consumers, stockholders, and vendors – all aspects of its work depends on people.  He spoke extensively about the importance of motivating staff and keeping employees (doing everything else to save money except laying off workers.)

Ethic Business Values
He addressed several important values that he holds and that Bimbo honors, including respect, a culture of growth, innovation, quality...but he emphasized INTEGRITY.  He likened integrity to being pregnant - you aren't a little or a lot pregnant - either you are are you aren't.  Therefore, integrity is key to all business decisions and you either have it and act upon it, or you don't.

Bimbo in the US Market...
Acquisitions in the US market, under the US-based company name, Bimbo Bakeries USA: George Weston Bakeries, originally a Canadian company, with brands such as Boboli (pizza), Thomas (English muffins), Arnold’s (breads), Entenmann’s (packaged pastries); Mrs. Baird’s Bakery (still has five plants in Texas); and most recently Sara Lee’s North American Fresh Bakery (Nov. 9, 2010).

From L to R: my professor, Dr. Jose Luis Rivas; the Dean of the Business Dept at ITAM, and Robert Servitje, Grupo Bimbo Chairma

Mexican Corporation Grupo Bimbo Chairman

Being Grateful and Sharing Traditions in Mexico City

Last night, Jeremy and I hosted an early Thanksgiving Dinner to celebrate this beautiful American holiday with new friends from the U.S., Mexico and Australia.  This holiday is especially important to us because it reminds us to appreciate all of the blessings we receive on a daily basis.  This year, I am especially grateful for my 2-year-old nephew, Alejandro's successful open heart surgery on Nov. 18th and his speedy recovery. I am also very grateful for this unique opportunity to live, study and serve Rotary and the community in Mexico City.

The menu included: Turkey legs roasted in mole (chile-cocoa sauce), Turkey (pavo) picadillo for tacos, homemade three-bread stuffing with poblano peppers, quesadillas with squash flower (flor de calabasa) and hongos (mushrooms) (all made by my live-in chef/husband Jeremy), cactus salad (ensalada de nopales), broccolli casarole (made by fellow Rotary scholar Rebecca), guacamole (made by fellow Rotary scholar Billy), a delicious vanilla cheesecake from a famous local bakery in Coyoacan (brought by fellow Rotary scholar Robert), and arroz con leche (made by yours truly).  It was a delicious and special Thanksgiving dinner in our new home!

Jeremy buying turkey (pavo) at the local market

Robert, Rebecca, Patrick, Emily, Vanessa, Rocio, Billy, & Rochelle

Spreading the Word on World Polio Day, Oct 24, 2010

In Mexico, October 24th was known as el Dia Munidal Contra la Polio --- World Polio Day.  To celebrate the near-erradication of Polio (it is endemic to only 4 countries now: Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India), I gave a presentation to my MBA class about my role as a Rotary Goodwill Ambassador, the work Rotary has done to erradicate Polio in the world, and to ask for their support.  After the presentation, I passed around an "alcancia" (tin can to collect dinero) and handed out District 5790 pins to all 20+ of my classmates. Now, every once in a while, I will be happily surprised when I see a Texas-shaped pin on a pencil pouch or a backpack.

Expanding our family to include a Mexican Gatito!

Jeremy and I have been wanting a kitty for a long time, but were never able to have a cat in our previous apartment in DC.  As fate would have it, our dear neighbors, Emily, Rochelle and Jenny, brought home a sweet abandoned 3-week old back kitten who had an eye infection and hyperthermia.  They took him to the vet and kept him at their home for a few days nursing him back to health.  On Friday, we officially adopted him, naming him Guille (pronounced Ghee-zsay).  He is named after Guille, the little brother of famous comic strip character, Mafalda, in Argentina.  We love him and are happy to welcome him to the family!

Impromptu rock climbing with Kids from San Mateo Center

Thanks to my friend, Ricardo, a therapist at the Centro de Salud San Mateo in Tlaltenango, I spent Friday afternoon visiting the local community and hiking in the nearby woods with Thalia, 6 and Ingrid, 11.  Ingrid wanted to show me a beautiful view of the mountains, so we ended up climbing  up a rocky steep incline about 30 feet high. These kids are amazing and very in touch with the environment. We greeted the forest upon entry and thanked it as we left. The plan is for me to come back a few times while I am in Mexico City to give yoga classes to the kids.

30th Birthday in Playa del Carmen with good friends from DC!

I was happy to celebrate my 30th birthday in Playa del Carmen with my husband (who I had not seen in 2 months due to his work in Ohio), my brother, sister-in-law, 2-year-old nephew, and my good friends, Anya and Will, from DC (they surprised me and met me at the airport in Cancun).  It was a great way to bring in my 30s!

It's raining butterflies

I had an amazing trip to the state of Michoacan this past weekend.  We had a long weekend with Monday and Tuesday off due to the Day of the Dead (All Saints and All Souls Days Nov 1 and 2).

Highlights includes:
---Visiting El Rosario Butterfly Sancturary in the forest  (the Monarchs come every year from Canada and stay for the winter: Nov-March)
---Staying at a beautiful ranch with a fireplace in our room and daily breakfast on the terrace
---Climbing and walking up the mountain in the early morning
---Doing yoga on the hill top at sunrise
---Visiting the Pantheon (cemetary) with graves adorned with Marigolds, candles, and food for Dia de los Muertos, on the island of Janitzo, across the lake from Patzcuaro
---Visiting the Dos Estrellas mine that ran until the 60s.  Mexican miners drilled for gold and silver and were expected to only live 10-15 years after beginning work in the Mine
---Staying at a campsite in a German triangle chaped wooden cabin overlooking the lake

Club Rotario de Aragon

I enjoyed visiting with the small Club Rotario de Aragon on October 27th.  I met several of the members at the Quarterly District Breakfast Meeting in September.  The all-men club was very welcoming and reminded me of the Haedo Club I visited in Argentina, because of the nice atmosphere and intimate group of friendly faces.  I actually met two Rotarians, John and Tony, who have lived in the Dallas-Ft Worth area.  I hope to return in the future with Jeremy.

Club Rotario Aragon: Oscar, Tony, myself, Raquel, and Javier.

Club Rotario Aragon Oct 27th

I will take the Women and Children Only Metro Train Car from now on...

On Wednesday, I had a frightening moment while taking the Metro to a Rotary club meeting downtown.  It was during rush hour and I was exiting the train car, when a group of men rushed the doors, trying to get in before everyone had exited.  I was caught in between the door and the mob of men.  I literally thought I would be afixiated any moment.  I was being pushed and crushed between several large, forceful men, when Thank God, some nice men in front of me pulled me out.  I almost lost my bag in the process, but they got it for me.  I cannot believe how crazy the people got just to get into the train car.  I am grateful that I am not hurt and, from now on, will take the Women and Children Only train cars at the front of each train!  I think the important lesson is that all experiences teach us something and should help us grow, rather than create fear or paralysis.  I will continue to take the metro, but will be more cautious and take the Women's car. 

Learning and Adapting -- Keys to Leadership Success

How perfect!  Today in my Leadership and Change Management Class, we learned that based on extensive research, **The ability to LEARN and ADAPT is one of the most important competencies for leadership success.**  This means that not only is it healthy and helpful to learn new concepts and skills, but learning from mistakes teaches you to take appropriate risks and to change and adapt more easily.  Of course, living in another country, conducting oneself in another language and adapting to a new culture --- are all key facets of the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship program.

Source:  "Leadership in Organzations" by Gary Yukl.  Class taught by Dr. Jose Luis Rivas.

Mixing Germans and Mexicans

On Tuesday, October 12th, I enjoyed attending a concert hosted by the Club Rotario Polanco.  The musicians consited of a group of very talented 14-20 year-olds from Germany.  They played Phantom of the Opera and music from Forrest Gump, and ended the evening with Mexican National Anthem.  Following the concert, we had the opportunity to mingle with other Rotarians and guests, and I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the German Ambassador to Mexico and the Director of Hospital Angeles Lomas, where the concert was held.  The concert was very far from where I live, in a beautiful hilly area of the city.  I rode with my Host Rotary Counselor, Susy, and with traffic it took us about 2 hours to get there!  Fortunately on the return trip (at midnight), it only took us an hour.  This city is extremely large and spread out.

Life is always better with family

I was fortunate to have a last-minute visit from my mom this weekend.  I gave her a tour of the campus and we hung out in the cute colonia of Coyoacan.  We visited a local market, had coffee at a local cafe and enjoyed the sights of the main plaza.  Come back soon, Mama!

Vale la Pena

"Vale la pena"  is to say "it's worth it."  After a 15 min. car ride, a 40 min bus ride and a half hour car ride, we made it to the Rotary Club of Ecatepec.  It was definitely worth the trip.  This club serves a very needy community to the north east of the Federal District.  We were told that this area has a lot of poverty, including many young people sniffing glue on the streets (sadly, it reminds me of Kampala, Uganda) and mothers giving birth prematurely and to babies who are deficient in nutrients.  I hope to return to the club during one of their service days at the local clinic.

The former club president, Juan Carlos, and his wife, Lupita, organized the visit and were great hosts. 

Featuring...the Ambassadorial Scholars of Mexico City!

This past Saturday, all four of the Mexico City Ambassadorial Scholars attended the District's Seminar on the Activities of the Rotary Foundation.  We learned about local fundraising goals, District projects around Polio Plus, how to apply for matching grants, among other interesting things.  We each had the opportunity to present ourselves to the group of about 150.  I am happy to report that I easily and enthusiatically presented in Spanish. I wasn't nervous or at a loss for words.  I felt good about my connection with the group. 

We also had the distinct honor of being there with two Past-Rotary International Presidents, Luis Vincente Giay of Argentina (who obviously quickly became my Argentine buddy) and Frank Devlyn of our very own Mexico City.

Here are some pics!

Ernesto Ibarra (Chair, Amb Scholars Committee), Billy Blaustein (Scholar from San Fran), Yours Truly, Jose Luis Martinez Larios (District Governor), Rebecca Watts (Scholar from North Carolina), Luis Vicente Giay (1996-97 Rotary International President), Manolo Herrero (Regional Foundation Chair)

So excited - I now have an official Host Counselor, Susy de Leon of the Jardines de Pedregal Club. She is fantastic.  I had lunch with her and her son, Augostine on Saturday after the seminar.

Frank Devlyn (2000-01 RI President), little ol' me, Billy, Robert (from Kentucky...love the bow tie!), Rebecca and Luis Vicente Giay (Past RI Pres)

Los Becarios del DF! 

Vanessa with her new Porteno buddy, RI Past President Luis Vicente Giay

Hey yall!  We got the 2011 Super Bowl in Arlington!  You can crash at my place.

Great Weekend of hiking, beautiful views, sun salutations and theater

This past weekend was the first time I have really gotten out of the house (away from the books) and explored the city and nearby cultural and natural beauty.  Saturday, I travled a short 1.5 hours on bus with about 75 UNAM students to visit nearby Tepoztlan.  We enjoyed climbing the rocky path 400 meters to reach the Pyramid of Tepozteco.  It was a beautiful sunny day and you could see the whole village and beyond.  We also had fun with the coatis (wild muskets).  Afterward, we strolled the village, eating tepoznieve (their unique icey sweet treat in rare fruit flavors) and visiting the expansive market or quality and inexpensive artesenia.

On Sunday, I was finally able to attend a yoga class (after 6 weeks! not to worry, I can't live with my yoga practice, so of course I did my own each day)...this one was at Jiva Spa (fancy I know) and consisted of 108 sun salutations (a traditional vinyasa yoga sequence) - half facing the east to honor this past summer and be thankful for all it has brought, while releasing any negativity or attachment to things of this past season, and half to welcome the autumn and welcome a new outlook on life for the coming season.  This workshop was extremely valuable to me as I have been adjusting to a new culture, new student life style, and a new world in Mex City. 

In addition, Sunday evening, I attended a great show, "Las Tandas del Centenario" which was the final production of the season.  It chronicled a Mexican theatre company in the early 1900s, mocking the constant change in leadership, yet proudly showcasing Mexican culture and triumph over decades of unrest and change. I went with Rebecca and Billy, two other Ambassadorial Scholars, as well as some of their UNAM friends.

Today I started my classes in the full time MBA program.  So far, great! I will write more at the week's end.