Friday, April 27, 2007

Some Like It Hot and Spicy

This is a website that will singe your eyebrows if you get too close to the monitor. Any real student of Mexico owes it to themselves at some point to go beyond the trivial and the travel, and explore Mexico with an edge to it. Mexico and the Mexican gestalt is about things that can make your eyes tear up and your nose run.

Mexico's a big country, an even bigger culture and the Mexican heart and soul encompasses many things. This particular blog is called The Unapologetic Mexican (although it doesn't have capital letters...) and it lives somewhere out on the periphery of the gestalt. It's written by one who doesn't feel the need to apologize, and who does his unapologetic writing and ranting with a sense of humour. And good graphics.

And the guy is funny and witty. He writes with passion and pathos. His style is intimate and intelligent. Oh, Blogger, I think I'm in love!! OK, it's only a blog. But with insight about the Latina culture... from the best kind of person to teach it: someone who has needed to learn.

Because this Mexican unapologetically grew up with a white mother and didn't get inculcated into his raza until later in life. Don't forget to read the "Mi Familia" section... that's where I found the pathos part. And his bit about some words he coined in "Nezua Brings Palabra". And I'm still in the middle of the story called "The Grand American Dream and el Barco de la Ilusion"....delicious! Root around in the corners of his blog and you'll find many tasty bits... writing about his grandmother, book reviews, comments on the news.

Some of the writing about current events might make this blog feel a bit like biting into a nice crunchy fresh habanero. You know it might hurt a bit... but the rush is SO worth it.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

The MEX Files

Yep, I love this blog. It has something for everyone eventually. If you are interested in Mexico, that is.

Spend a little time with Richard and Lyn-2, the writers, and you'll be treated to diatribes on everything from politics to perros, WalMart to Starbucks, Oaxaca to...to....Oscar Creighton (look it up!). Sometimes there are great articles from Spanish-language newspapers translated into English for your reading pleasure (Richard is a translator for a living). Sometimes, a history lesson. Sometimes, a rant. You just never know what you are going to get with the Mex Files!

What you do know is that you are going to get it from a writer who obviously knows a lot about Mexico. And so you'll probably learn something new.

And THAT is what makes this a great website!! Bookmark it...