PDA

In college, a friend introduced me to idea of the PDA Police. Girl, if you're reading this, I am losing hope of their existence. Or maybe they're just working overtime in the States.

We walked around downtown Monterrey on Saturday. Take all the following factors into account and you can picture the amount of PDA that we were accosted with:

1. It's more accepted here. Couples smooching in the most random places out in the open. Take for example, that on our drive into downtown there was a couple in a grassy area near the highway. Hello! Cars. Exhaust. The world passing by.

2. It's been raining pretty steadily for the last few weekends. Prior to that, it had been pretty toasty. Monterrey has been known to get up into the 100s during the summer months. This was the first nice weekend in a while. Butterflies everywhere. Slight breeze. High 80s. Lovely day...for smooching.

3. The rules of engagement are still a little more strict overall. That is, people still "introduce" their significant others to their parents in a more formal manner. But on the flip side, I think it makes people get a little crazy. Kinda like those folks that let all their business hang out when they travel somewhere. Like, "She's mine and its alright to get smoochy smoochy up in this park with families two steps away."

Nope. I don't want to see other people smoochy smoochy. I looked away when my brother kissed his bride at the altar. Then again, that may have more to do with the fact that it was my brother. Blech.

I saw couples kissing at pay phones.

Waiting in line in front of McDonald's. (The lines at fast food joints may be another post entirely.)

At an open concert...with a thrasher metal band performing. Kissing with the roar of a long-haired angry man in the background is always romantic.

In the crowd, waiting for the final countown for the world's longest sausage. Yes, Monterrey, Mexico has now broken Japan's record. Nothing like the smell of Ponderosa sausage to bring out the love. I'm leaving that thought where it is. Right there. Thank you Guiness.

In front of one of the main fountains with statues of Poseidon and all his water nymphs in all their nakedness.

In front of pretty much every fountain.

In front of the Ministry building and that of the state Congress.

THEN....if all this wasn't bad enough...

SUNDAY MORNING...

I sat behind a couple in church. Homegirl was hugging, leaning, whispering to, massaging, and practically sitting in her husband's lap. That goes REAL well with the message: "Todos Somos Ministros" ("We Are All Ministers") I can tell you, the distraction in front of me was NOT ministering to me.

As a side note, we were visiting a neighboring church in the city. I hope that the most extreme display of PDA I see at ours will be church massage. I don't like it, but I can handle it without gagging.

I say ALL of this with one disclaimer. I don't mind displays of affection. I'm a touchy feely person with family and friends. At least, I try to be. But COME ON!!! Suck face in your own place.

I should make a t-shirt...translation anyone?

Those are mis pensamientos (my thoughts) for the day.

You put your right foot in. You put you're right foot out...

So I'm finally in Mexico. Got here Saturday night. That's the only reason I started this blog.

But, it almost didn't happen. Ali and I mistakenly ended up in the bus lane at the border crossing. Essentially, we bypassed the border checkpoint. You shoulda seen all the officials that came running up to the car as we pulled in behind the bus. They made us turn around and go back to McAllen. You can imagine our frustration in having to sit through that wait to re-enter the States. THEN, when we got through the entry to Mexico, we ended up going down the same bus route, once again, after the border crossing. Technically, we could've lied earlier and said we'd hit the checkpoint. There isn't any clear signage anywhere, telling you where to go and why.

You need a permit to drive your car beyond a certain distance into Mexico. They don't tell you that either. People just know. Ali knew this...but there weren't any signs telling you where we needed to get said permit. After spitting us out of the border crossing into Mexico, we just kept driving and driving...without the permit for the car or our tourist visas. Someone needs to put a suggestion box SOMEWHERE.

Eventually we worked our way back into the crossing zone and I had visions of us returning to the States. Again. Really, you just have to laugh at that point. I had already prepared myself mentally for the waits and delays. It's so typically latino to say something starts at 5 and everyone shows up at 6. So, we'd planned to be across the border by 1 or 1:30. Here it was, 3:30 and we're driving next to the bus lane, again, trying to get our permit and visas. We must've looked a sight. The only car within hundreds of miles with California plates driving in and out of Mexico; wrong lane in the wrong direction.

We eventually got what we needed. But only after going to show a guy our passports at window #1. He hands us forms to fill out and sends us over to window #2 where a guy photocopies the paperwork. That dude then sends us to section #3 with multiple windows where you pay for your papework. The lady there takes the money and staples everything together. We go BACK to window #1 where the first guy REMOVES the staple, separates the paperwork, stamps one of the sheets, restaples half of the paperwork, and hands it back. I LOVE MEXICO.

We were in. On our way. In the 5th lane of a 3 lane road.

Reynosa (the border town we entered) is in the state of Taumalipas. Nuevo Leon, the state that Monterrey is in wants to make sure the border guards did their job. Gotta love the cooperation in this nation. The guy at the state crossing looks at the car and asks us why we got so much stuff. I guess the fact that two women coming to stay for a few months isn't enough of a reason. We pull everything out and he opens up the suitcases. Lo and behold. Clothes. Shoes. Yup, you caught yourself some females.

He says we're good to go, so we throw everything back in the car and head out. As we're driving out Ali notices someone flagging us down...but isn't really sure. We keep driving down the highway. About 5 minutes later, we see lights flashing from behind. We'd forgotten one item when repacking the car. He chased us down to give it back.

We got to Monterrey without any other delays after that. I'm gonna LOVE living here. Honest.

Driving

Hmmmm...what to write.

So there's the pressure that this is my first post. Ever.

I'm currently in San Antonio staying in a guest house. Chi chi froo froo. Very nice.

Yeah, that's all I got. Are you sure you still want to keep reading? Let me think. Let me think.

Okay. We spent about 9 hours driving today from San Elizario TX, a small town outside greater El Paso to San Antonio.

Some things I've learned while driving through New Mexico and Texas in the last two days:

1. I like California's version of Mexican food best. TexMex is awright.
2. There's wireless at the rest stops in Texas.
3. Sonic rocks the BLTs and you don't have to drive to an hour and a half (Anaheim!) to get one.
4. Texas is pretty after some rain. It's actually green.
5. Buzzards. Eew.
6. Some people do live in the same house they were born in. How cool is that?

Alright, that's really all I got.