Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!

The Christmas celebration is in full swing here in Zihua. The music started last night around 8pm and hasn't stopped yet.

Last night we had dinner at Ibis's boss's house and I was kicking myself for not bringing my camera. The house is beautiful - the entire outside looks like a hotel. There's a two level pool - with a waterfall - that wraps around a full bar, a large seating area on one side and a covered patio on the other. There were candles all over the yard and combined with the sound of the falling water, it was a very relaxing setting.

We were told to be there at 9pm, but dinner wasn't served until almost 11pm. She has three children, and the oldest is studying communications in Guadalajara AND speaks some English. We had a great time chatting with her in the hours before dinner.

Five minutes before midnight the fireworks and gunshots started and we were trapped beneath the pavilion for almost half an hour. (Not really trapped, but we felt safer with a roof over us.) We left shortly after the gunslingers settled down and quickly passed out.

Today will be a quiet day for me as Ibis has to work. Merry Christmas to my Christian friends and Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends! Everyone else - happy Thursday!

11 comments:

Stephen Parrish said...

Merry Christmas Melanie!

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Thanks Stephen, the same to you!

Anonymous said...

Nothing commemorates the birth of Christ like gunshots and drunkenness. (Shivers at the thought of the New Year's celebration)

It sounds like Ibis's boss has a very nice place. I'm glad you had fun last night!

Melanie Hooyenga said...

I know. I still don't understand the correlation. We were laughing because his boss lives in a wealthier neighborhood and there were a lot more gunshots than in ours. The logic? Bullets are expensive and rich people can afford to shoot off more without having a real target!

It's good when you can laugh at these things, right? :P

Spy Scribbler said...

We had a wonderful day at the movies. We saw four! All day long!

I thought about you, and wished I could pop by and say hi!

Aimlesswriter said...

Just dropping by to say Happy Holidays!
Gunshots? Wooo, scary. I'd have hid under the porch too.
I think this is a big example of the cultural differences.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Spy, FOUR movies? You're crazy! What did you see?

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Aimless, you do get used to it. You just have to remember to be safe when there's a lot.

colbymarshall said...

That whole told to be there but then it doesn't start until... thing sounds familiar. We did that yesterday :-)

Anonymous said...

Two-level pool? That party sounds like heaven.

Jewel Allen said...

gunshots + new year's eve

I don't miss that.

But I do miss the nice weather and fireworks on New Year's Eve. :-)