This week started in Boston where I was able to retrace some of my stomping grounds from when I lived there between 2013 and 2015. We headed for dinner at one of my favorite places: Felipe’s. I think the quality is not what is used to be.
On Tuesday I headed to CT to visit my uncle and brother. I taught my uncle how to perform genealogical research and we found some interesting facts about his wife’s family, mainly that they were some of the signatories for Mexico’s declaration of Independence .
I then headed to Miami, one of my favorite cities in the US, blessed with incredibly beautiful sunsets! (See photos below). I visited my uncle who lives here and met his family. My uncle is indeed my dad’s cousin, so I had only met him and his wife in Mexico some 6 years ago. For some reason, I realized they live here a week before arriving and texted them.
We had lunch at their place in South Miami. My uncle used to work with some of Mexico’s leading architects as a civil engineer, and he built a house that screams of contemporary Mexican architecture. It is truly beautiful , with specks of bright colors dotting strategically across the house.
Weekend in Miami is always fun, and we went to the beach to enjoy. On Thursday, it was full-moon day, and there’s a group of people that get together in the beach, and have a primal ceremony filled with drums, bongs, and ecstatic dancing.
I finished reading The Bastard of Istanbul. This is the third book from Elif Shafak that I read. It was probably my least favorite. The prose was unnecessary windy, with very little details revealed as the book progresses. It is also a very predictable book. I was hoping to get a vibe of life in Istanbul, but that was also lacking.
If you are looking to read something from her, I’d recommend: There are rivers in the sky, perhaps the best of the three books of her that I’ve read.
This week, I am starting a new book: We do not part. I have no idea how I ended up with that recommendation but I just found out that its author won the Nobel Prize. I am skeptical as I have not enjoyed anything from a Nobel Prize in a long time.
We also watched a new series: The Newsreader. Set in 1980’s Australia, it is an office drama happening in a newsroom. I wasn’t as drawn to it at the start, but there is a subtle crescendo building up as an undercurrent as episodes progress: news anchors that are kicked out, have heart attacks, and come back with a bang, unfulfilled relationships, extreme anxiety. It definitely makes for an interesting show.
Now we are heading to Mexico where I’ll be for about two weeks. First in Cuernavaca, my hometown, then Mexico City with some friends, and finally the Pacific Coast. I am excited: summer is my favorite time in Mexico: torrential rains in the evening that clear the air, dump snow in the volcanoes and make for incredible views. Not to mention the incredible food.
Finally, I have been highly entertained by the Julio memes my friends are posting in WhatsApp. I don’t know where to start explaining this, but if you’re interested, search for “Julio regalado memes” in ChatGPT, perhaps the AI will give a good overview of it. Another reason to love July in Mexico: unending fun.
