Spring is in the air 
By Lou Christine (Feb 24, 2006)

It was a typically beautiful San Miguel day. A friend of mine who operates an upscale San Miguel hotel invited me to take café and talk story. Earlier, mi amigo had said he wanted to tap me for some information regarding Chinese astrology, a subject I dabble in.

Sitting with my busy friend sometimes presents gaps in buddy talk, because he's often summoned away or pestered with telephone calls.

My buddy more or less carried the conversation. In lieu of Chinese astrology, he wanted to speak about women, primarily his. Despite how he worships her everything and described that soft voice, the sheen of her hair and that effervescent smile, his pleasant features soured somewhat when he complained how conflict now and then comes storming into their lovey-dovey bliss, and everything turns topsy-turvy. 

He lamented, "Just in the last few days, it's as if she's turned crazy or something!" 

Before my friend could utter more, he was whisked away to the telephone. For a time I was deserted. It wasn't so boring. I had my tasty café Frank Sinatra, capuccino sin espuma, done "my way," and the well-kept grounds of the hotel are pleasant to the eye. 

I kicked back and enjoyed the ambience. I looked around.

The bees were a-buzzing and crickets a-scooting and butterflies fluttered, some actually giving others piggyback rides. And while my buddy spoke Spanish in machine-gun fashion over the phone and waved his hands in exasperation, I gazed over at the line of standing birdcages that amply grace the one-time home of a famous Mexican opera singer and movie star turne friar.

Staring through the bars of the birdcages I observed how the vibrant blue budgie was chasing the yellow one round and round the rim of the cage, and doing so with bird-dogged determination. Lo and behold, when my eyes panned the gardens and up toward the trees and further, the whole place was rocking and rolling. Bugs were a-hopping, and stunning white egrets cruised the sky like crown princes of fertility. The ground and the trees and the sky teemed with life!

By Jove, despite what the weather might be up north in Paducah, Poughkeepsie or Portland, right here in central Mexico, spring is in the air.

It got me thinking. Since my buddy was still engrossed in his telephone call, I had an opportunity to reflect some about spring and what my friend and I were discussing.

Spring is in the air! Ah, a time for romance, a season perhaps in which even half-an-old man such as myself can dig a little deeper and ferret out a romantic tingle from within his own cynical heart.

Oh, I'm far from jaded. I'm an eternal optimist, actually a sentimental fool (cross my heart) who, just like you, has harbored a love-boat's worth of craven desire for that special sweetheart.

Spring is but a moment.

While my buddy spoke into the receiver I thought how recently, while driving around San Miguel in the evenings, especially in places that aren't illuminated, like up near the Mirador or down the darker calles, I've spotted young couples romantically embraced. 

I can only imagine those young guys whispering sweet Spanish nothings into those señoritas' ears, saying stuff like "mi-amor-mi-amor" or "baby-baby," over and over. And with such tantalizing dilly-dallying occupying my mind, a smile probably formed a wide seam across my face as I recalled how this boy's libido used to beat to a similar drum, and how I relished speaking on such terms to the object of my fancy.

I became stirred, then lost myself for a time in the lingering thoughts of such silliness. 

Think of the excitement of meeting somebody new and spending titillating moments sharing common pasts. Ponder the cavalcade of leisurely lunches, romantic candle-lit dinners, day trips and steamy overnights! While drifting in ga-ga land, we go ahead and send the flowers and then call on the phone, if only to say "Hi." There's that warm cozy sensation that's bubbling within, feeling so right for the moment and so, sooooo good. 

Yet we have to be somewhat cautious and take heed, because there's a chance we could get in over our heads and be hoodwinked, a chance we could start believing perhaps there's a new reason to live. 

Yowza! Hope Springs Eternal. We become more vulnerable and we're so willing and ready to share more. Ah, spring! It's a lovely time, laddies and lassies.

As I lounged within the splendor of the hotel's grounds, I took a deep breath but became distracted as I turned my attention toward a dark cloud forming in the distant sky. 

A cold chill ran through my many-springtime innards, as I considered the past and how quickly the screws can turn. And buddy boy, just when you think you might be onto something, something so nice, something so real and something perhaps so worthwhile ...out of the blue, your whatever-she's-turning-out-to-be might toss that debilitating bolt of lightning your way and then rock the shaky foundation stilting your flimsy fantasy world. She'll all of a sudden spit out something mind-boggling and acerbic, which has the punch to knock you down a rung or two, phrases that are essentially the "kiss of death." 

With the precise, calculating coldness of a surgeon's blade, she's able to say: "You're a very nice man but .... You must understand, I don't want to get involved .... Further sex is absolutely out of the question ...". And then there's that dreadful, ultimate hammering of the final nail sealing romance's coffin: "Can't we just be friends?" It's enough to make a guy want to vomit.

With grim reminders of the past my boyish grin was all but wiped out. My cappuccino chilled (heck-it iced). The sky darkened. The buzzing and chirping ceased. I saw myself foolish and silly, letting myself become a syrupy chump bullied and nudged by old Mother Nature. Nah, not this old salt, I won't get fooled again. Not me. I'm too smart for that mushy kid's stuff.

My buddy finally disconnected. He appeared to stand taller, chest extended outward, he looked more handsome and seemed more relaxed. He gave me a wink and said with exuberance, "That was my baby on the phone. Oh, I love that girl. She's coming up from Mexico City this weekend. I just can't wait. Love is beautiful, my friend! You should try it sometime. She's bringing along a girlfriend, a real guapa. Would you like an introduction?"

Lou Christine is a local writer and long-time contributor to Atención and, we should note, very much in love. (First published in slightly different form in El Independiente in the late 1990s.)

 

 

Letters 

Send your letters to the editor to 
atencionedit@bibliotecasma.com 
Atención will not publish offensive or defamatory material.

Editor,
Thank you so much for publishing the exceptional assistance to foreign visitors contained in the last two editions. February 10th's safety and emergency information was great-particularly the Spanish/English translations. 
Just over a week ago, my sister-in-law became very ill in the middle of the night and needed medical help. We are so grateful for the caring and speedy attention of the ambulance medics and the compassionate, conscientious attention given her at the Hospital de la Fe by Dr. Enrique Mogollán and the nursing staff. Her ailment turned out not to be serious, but it could have been. 
This raises a concern. It took too long to get an answer at the two emergency numbers. Between approximately 3:30 and 3:50 a.m. I called 152-0911 and 066-about 20 rings each time-then a busy signal cut in. It took several calls before I made a connection. I, fortunately, was able to explain the situation in Spanish and give our address in Centro. The ambulance arrived within five minutes! 
We certainly appreciate how busy the emergency numbers probably are, but we worried about what we would have done if we had not gotten through. Later, we were given this advice by two residents of San Miguel: Call the hospital to expect you, then call a taxi and go directly to the hospital. We would have saved at least 20 minutes that way, which would have mattered greatly in the case of a serious heart attack, life-threatening injury, etc. 
We have also heard that it would have been faster to go to the Civic Hospital, on Reloj. But, as foreign visitors, we only knew of Hospital de la Fe, quite a distance from Centro. Perhaps other readers might offer their suggestions. 
We are also grateful for Atención's sensitive exploration of the impact of development on San Miguel. So many of us come here from the north bearing tremendous privilege and huge expectations, no Spanish and, much too often, the arrogance of believing we know a better way. We hope that our Mexican neighbors know there are others of us (also hugely privileged) who are very much embarrassed by this conceit. We sure hope everyone read Jay Vlasak's super article (February 3, 2006) on how to be a respectful guest in Mexico. 
- Diane Mossman

Editor,
Last Friday the owners of the new house in calle Aldama that was designed by the famous Mexican architects Legorreta + Legorreta gave a benefit for IREE, the school for deaf children at Pila Seca 41.
As the founder and director of IREE, I, together with all the staff and pupils, would like to thank not only the owners but also all of the guests who generously bought tickets.
Over US$15,000 was raised, and this will help with the expenses of the school, which educates 44 deaf children. As we get no money from the Mexican state, a fund-raiser like this makes the continuance of the school more certain.
- Cecilia Ibarola de Escobar

Editor,
I do applaud Atención's efforts to publish its lead articles in both languages and I try, in order to improve my Spanish, to read both versions.
I did note in the opening sentence of last week's article on Commercial [sic] Mexicana the words "un espectacular y algunas mantas." As far as I know "spectacular" is an adjective, so I assume a noun has been unintentionally omitted. The corresponding words in the English version are "gigantic billboards," which is hardly the same thing, and which leads me to my real point.
Many people read both versions in an attempt to improve their vocabulary, and while no one should expect a word for word correspondence between the two languages, a tighter level of translation would be helpful indeed.
"Gigantic billboards" can be very adequately translated by "carteleras gigantescas" … as far as I know.
- Bill Gallacher

Editor's Note:
"Espectacular" is indeed an adjective meaning "spectacular,"but in Mexico it is also a noun meaning "large billboard." This particular story was written in Spanish and translated into English; "gigantic billboards" is therefore appropriate. 
Atención news stories are separately edited, sometimes down to the last moment, in both languages, making perfectly parallel translations impossible.