SIHUNCHEN: THE MAYAN RUIN I ALMOST SAW!

If you are in Merida and are driving on the sole road that leads to Sisal or Celestun, or one or more of the pueblos in between, you will pass by a lonely roadside sign with a pyramid and an arrow pointing down a dusty, stone road. I had passed that sign many times and curiosity finally got the best of me and I decided I would  take the challenge and head for the ruin.

As soon as I turned off the paved road, I found myself wishing that my vehicle was four-wheel drive or that I had a pick-up truck! The road is pretty much unattended, full of pot holes and very difficult on your tires.

It seemed like a forever drive down that long, dusty road, in and out of pot holes, but finally I saw some people moving around, a few houses, some farm animals, and even a tiny pueblo (of sorts). There was a very old hacienda that offered its services for parties and social events. I wondered who in the world could find the place!

The road dead-ended here and there were no other indications of any Mayan ruin to be had, so I asked one of the locals who gladly told me to turn to the right. Following his directions, I continued my journey.  Ahh! Finally! I saw an archway with the name of the ruin, and I decided that I had hit pay dirt and found it.

I parked and quickly noticed that I was the sole motor vehicle in sight. As I approached what appeared to be the entry way, I saw that it was blocked off with a gate made of galvanized aluminum fencing. There wasn’t a soul to be found.  It looked eerily deserted.

I began yelling “bueno”, which is the local way and custom of saying hello, anyone home. (I should readily point out that the word “bueno” is used in several forms of communication here in the Yucatan, although in literal translation, it means "good".)

After several very loud “buenos” a small, elderly Mayan man peered through some bushes and proceeded to the gate to greet me. He had been cutting some of the over-grown shrubs and he proudly announced that he was the caretaker. I asked if the site were open and he said no, the owner wasn’t here.

Owner, I thought? No one actually owns an historical archeological site. They are all owned and operated by the Mexican Government, save for some cenotes that are on privately owned land. I questioned him further and learned that the only time the site is available is when the owner is on premises. It seems that there are some cabins or lodges or some such similar habitats back in the over growth, and the owner does not permit anyone to enter unless it is under his supervision. Weird, really weird I thought.

I offered the caretaker a tip, well actually it was a bribe, to see if he would permit me to enter and take a few pictures and he cordially and politely absolutely refused as he feared losing his job. I understood his dilemma, thanked him and gave him a tip just for his time. He was grateful and went about his chore of cutting back some of the abundant shrubbery that seemed to be taking over.

I did take one picture and it is the one at the top of this post. I have no idea what lurks behind those man made arches, down the winding and overgrown pathways and through the woods, but I don’t think I will ever find out as I am not inclined to go back there for a second try, at least not in the very near future.

So, if you are in the area and manage to visit the ruins of Sihunchen, let me know what, and how, they were.   Until then, I will remain forever curious!

AGUINALDO: BONO NAVIDEÑO, OR TO US GRINGOS - CHRISTMAS BONUS!!

It was just about this time last year that I published this post about aguinaldos for mail carriers and employees, be they part or full-time.  I believe it is worth publishing again as a reminder to all of us living in Mexico.  So, here it is again:

Yes, it is definitely that time of year. It all starts with the mail carriers who have their special day on November 12, Dia del Cartero. In your mail box, they will leave a card with a return envelope, preprinted with their name on it. (Convenient, huh?)


You simply insert your “gift” as a token of appreciation for their service for the past year. I think they must like me because I actually participate in giving, partially because I have always given to my mailman when in the States in appreciation for the services they provide, and partially out of fear that if I don’t give, I may never receive another piece of mail as long as I live in Mexico!On the other hand, I readily give generously to my housekeeper who works for me fulltime, year round. She is an integral part of my adopted family that I have been fortunate enough to have for 23+ years now. She is a single mother and has two children and a small house that she supports on the salary I pay her. In addition, any special needs that arise, I take care of plus I help whenever I can throughout the year. Her Christmas bonus is above and beyond the norm, and includes several gifts for both her and the children. I do believe that it is more blessed to give than to receive and this is one way I can give back to the community that I have chosen to live in. Something I think we all should do.


If you live in Mexico and you have an employee such as a housekeeper, gardener, cook, driver, or just someone who stops by to help you with chores every now and then, you should consider paying an Aguinaldo. It is customary to do so here in the Yucatan and throughout Mexico as well. There are even formulas on the internet to ascertain the amount you should pay!


Basically, from what I have seen from others living here, the Aguinaldo is considered the “Thirteenth Pay”. That is, one months’ salary for either full or part time help. In addition, to the monetary part of the Aguinaldo, a gift, or gifts, are often given as a token of appreciation for loyal service and/or longevity of service, or both.


Aguinaldo’s are usually paid in Mid-November up to the first part of December and often represents the total “Christmas” the family will have, including food, drink, and gifts. Often, the children in the family will receive some new clothing as their gift and are absolutely delighted to do so! (Unlike some children “north of the border”.) Let’s face it, the people that work for us are generally poor and do the best they can with what they have. It doesn’t hurt to help. It feels GREAT!

You don’t have to give until it hurts, just give until it helps.

E-MAIL TRACKER PROGRAMS - AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS!

By now, I suspect everyone is familiar with http://www.snopes.com/ and/or http://www.truthorfiction.com/ for determining whether information received via email is just that: true/false or fact/fiction. Both are excellent sites.Advice from snopes.com VERY IMPORTANT!!

1) Any time you see an email that says "forward this on to '10' (or however many) of your friends", "sign this petition", or "you'll get bad luck" or "you'll get good luck" or "you'll see something funny on your screen after you send it" or whatever --- it almost always has an email tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and emails of those folks you forward to. The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' email addresses to use in SPAM emails or sell to other Spammers. Even when you get emails that demand you send the email on if you're not ashamed of God/Jesus --- that is email tracking, and they are playing on our conscience. These people don't care how they get your email addresses - just as long as they get them. Also, emails that talk about a missing child or a child with an incurable disease "how would you feel if that was your child" --- email tracking. Ignore them and don't participate!

2) Almost all emails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of Records for the most cards. All it was, and all any of this type of email is, is a way to get names and 'cookie' tracking information for telemarketers and Spammers -- to validate active email accounts for their own profitable purposes.
 You can do your Friends and Family members a GREAT favor by sending this information to them. You will be providing a service to your friends. And you will be rewarded by not getting thousands of spam emails in the future!


Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(S) to those types of listing regardless how inviting they might sound! Or make you feel guilty if you don't! It's all about getting email addresses and nothing more. 

You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT!  Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later and very possibly a virus attached! Plus, we are helping the Spammers get rich! Let's not make it easy for them!


ALSO: Email petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress of any other organization - i.e. Social security, etc. To be acceptable, petitions must have a "signed signature" and full address of the person signing the petition, so this is a waste of time and you are just helping the email trackers.

So, effectively immediately, I will no longer forward any of this junk so please don't send it to me.  In the past, I have always felt slightly guilty if I didn't do it, but not any more.  So, I guess that means that Jesus will no longer love me because he thinks I'm ashamed of him, I won't be rich in three days, the issue won't be recognized because I didn't sign the petition, I don't really love my country, good luck will never knock on my door, and my genitals may fall off.  Life can be difficult, for sure, but I say to hell with spammers and I hope you will too.

 

A FUN FACT FOR EACH OF THE 50 US STATES (UNVERIFIED)

Although unverified, some of this stuff rings true.  In any event, it's fun!  Find your home State and see what you think.  For my readers from other than the US, learn some interesting things about the United States.






ALABAMA .................. Was the first place to have 9-1-1, started in 1968.  (Probably to get fast medical aid to injured football players and fans!)


ALASKA ..................... One out of every 64 people has a pilot's license.  (And that's probably because they couldn't pass their driver's license test on those icy roads!)


ARIZONA ................... Is the only state in the continental U.S.
that doesn't follow Daylight Savings Time.  (I wish other States would follow Arizona's lead!)


ARKANSAS ................ Has the only active diamond mine in the U.S.  (I know some women who'll move there after reading this!)


CALIFORNIA .............. Its economy is so large that if it were a
country, it would rank 7th in the entire world.  (I think California should be a separate country!)


COLORADO ................ In 1976 it became the only state to turn
down the Olympics.  (There's got to be a good reason for this, but I sure can't think of one!)


CONNECTICUT ........... The Frisbee was invented here at Yale University.  (Now who who would have thunk that!  A flying saucer, maybe, but a frisbee?)


DELAWARE .............. Has more scientists and engineers than any other state.  (The question begs to be asked:  WHY?)


FLORIDA .................At 874.3 square miles, Jacksonville is the
US's largest city.  (And, from living in Florida for many a year, I'll add "and is the birthplace of the Early Bird Dinner Special!  And is lovingly referred to as the land of the newly wed and nearly dead!")


GEORGIA .................... It was here, in 1886, that pharmacist
John Pemberton made the first vat of Coca-Cola.  (I recall reading somewhere that the original batches actually contained cocaine and were sold for medicinal purposes.  No wonder everyone liked it so much that it became the number one selling beverage in the world!) 


HAWAII ..................... Hawaiians live, on average, five years
longer than residents of any other state.  (Could it be because they get more leys than the rest of us?  Nahhh, it's got to have something to do with the weather or the volcanic ash!)


IDAHO ....................... TV was invented in Rigby, Idaho, in 1922.
(And the world went downhill from there.)


ILLINOIS ...................Has a Governor in jail, one pending jail & is perhaps the most corrupt state in the union.  (And we elected a President from that State!  Makes you wonder.)


INDIANA ...Home to Santa Claus, Indiana , which gets a half million letters to Santa every year.  (What do they do with all that unfowardable mail?)


IOWA .............Winnebago get their name from Winnebago County .  Also, it is the only state that begins with two vowels.  (Has anyone from Iowa ever won a spelling bee?)


KANSAS .................Liberal, Kansas , has an exact replica of the
house in The Wizard of Oz.  (Who lives in that house????)


KENTUCKY .............Has more than $6 billion in gold underneath Fort Knox.  (GOOD GRIEF!  Don't remind the politicians because they'll want to tax it or spend it!)


LOUISIANA .............Has parishes instead of counties because they
were originally Spanish church units.  (Only one out of 50 isn't bad.  I guess they march to the beat of a different drummer!)


MAINE ...................... It's so big, it covers as many square
miles as the other five New England states combined.  (If you look at the tiny size of the other five, that's not that big of an accomplishment!)


MARYLAND .............. The Ouija board was created in Baltimore in 1892.  ("Oui" being French for yes, and "ja" being German for yes, I would have guessed Europe!)


MASSACHUSETTS ....... The Fig Newton is named after Newton , Mass and where the first chocolate chip cookie was created.  (Is this also where Wayne Newton was born?  Probably not.)


MICHIGAN .....Fremont, home to Gerber, is the baby food capital of the world.  (One has to wonder how many babies they have fed since their inception.  I'm guessing eleventeen gazillion.)


MINNESOTA ............ Bloomington 's Mall of America is so big, if
you spent 10 minutes in each store, you'd be there nearly four days.
(In the middle of a Minnesota winter, it may take you four days to just drive there!)


MISSISSIPPI ............. President Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear here .... that's how the teddy bear got its name.  (Good for you, Mr. President!  I'm pretty much against hunting myself.)


MISSOURI ............... Is the birthplace of the ice cream cone.  (I knew there was something I really liked about this State!  Show me the cone!  A chocolate one, please.)


MONTANA .............A sapphire from Montana is in the Crown Jewels of England.  (I SAY LET'S GET THE DAMN THING BACK HOME WHERE IT BELONGS!  And any jobs that went along with it, too!)


NEBRASKA ............... More triplets are born here than in any other state.  (Good grief!  I'm glad I never lived there!)


NEW HAMPSHIRE ...... Birthplace of Tupperware, invented in 1938 by Earl Tupper.  (A true All-American invention that helped change the world and made it a better place.  Thanx Earl!)


NEW JERSEY ............ Has the most shopping malls in one area in the world.  (Guys, if you can't find your wife, mother, or daughter, try looking somewhaere in Jersey!)


NEW MEXICO ............ Smokey the Bear was rescued from a 1950 forest fire here.  (Weird.  I never knew there was a real "Smokey The Bear"!)


NEW YORK ................ Is home to the nation's oldest cattle ranch,
started in 1747 in Montauk.  (I'm sure there are tons of Texans who'd dispute this one!)


NORTH CAROLINA ..... Home of the first Krispy Kreme doughnut.  (God Bless America, and especially NC and Krispy Kreme.  Amen!)


NORTH DAKOTA ....... Rugby , North Dakota , is the exact geographic center of North America .  (Who measures this stuff?  And what kind of a ruler do they use?)


OHIO ......................... The hot dog was invented here in 1900.  (And I'm sure there are lots of New Yorkers who'd dispute this one!)


OKLAHOMA ............... The grounds of the state capital are covered by operating oil wells.  (How pretty is that!?!)


OREGON .................... Has the most ghost towns in the country.  (Now that rings spooky!)


PENNSYLVANIA ......... The smiley,  : )  was first used in 1980 by
computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University.  (Gee, is that all they could come up with?)


RHODE ISLAND ......... The nation's oldest bar, the White Horse
Tavern, opened here in 1673.  (God Bless America and especially Rhode Island and the White Horse Tavern.  Amen!)


SOUTH CAROLINA ..... Sumter County is home to the world's largest gingko farm.  (Wow!  How did I make it this far without knowing that!?!)


SOUTH DAKOTA ....... Is the only state that's never had an earthquake.  (Given the Law of Averages, watch out South Dakota!  The next rumbling you feel may not be from your neighbor's snow blower or tractor!)


TENNESSEE ................ Nashville's Grand Ole Opry is the longest
running live radio show in the world.  (And without a doubt, the best, too!)


TEXAS ....................... Dr. Pepper was invented in Waco back in
1885. The Hamburger was invented in Arlington in 1906.  (Now this tidbit of information is really strange - Dr. Pepper and hamburgers?  Two things I wouldn't immediately associate Texas with!)


UTAH ........................ The first Kentucky Fried Chicken
restaurant opened here in 1952.  (Hmmmm,  I would have guessed Kentucky!  Makes more sense to me than Utah!)


VERMONT ..............Montpelier is the only state capital without a McDonald's.  (Way to go, Montpelier!)


VIRGINIA ............Home of the world's largest office building...The Pentagon.  (I never thought of the Pentagon as an "office building" before!)


WASHINGTON...............Seattle has twice as many college graduates as any other state.  (Perhaps that's because there is absolutely nothing else to do in Washington?)


WASHINGTON D.C. .... Was the first planned capital in the world.
(And it worked.  Well, it used to work.)


WEST VIRGINIA ......... Had the world's first brick paved street,
Summers Street, laid in Charleston in 1870.  (A dubious distinction for this Blue Ridge Mountain state!)


WISCONSIN ............... The ice cream sundae was invented here
in1881 to get around Blue Laws prohibiting ice cream from being sold on Sundays.  (God bless America and especially Wisconsin and the ice cream sundae.  Amen!)


WYOMING .................Was the first state to allow women to vote.
(No comment!!!)


Note:  A special thanks to my friend MR for sending the original
e-mail to me.  I took the liberty of adding comments  in parentheses.)

G-R-O-A-N-E-R-S-

If these don't make you groan, I recommend doubling up on your meds and asking your therapist for more weekly sessions!  :-)


Groan away:

1. The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.  He acquired his size from too much pi. 2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian. 3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still. 4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption. 5. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery. 6. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering. 7. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in LinoleumBlownapart. 8. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie. 9. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it. 10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. 11. Atheism is a non-prophet organization. 12. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.' 13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me. 14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.' 15. The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large. 17. A backward poet writes inverse. 18. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes. 19. If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine. 20. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too. 21. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says,"I've lost my electron." The other says, "Are you sure?" The first replies, "Yes, I'm positive." 22. There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh.  No pun in ten did. If these didn't solicit a groan, go ahead and moan!

SOME WORTHLESS, BUT INTERESTING, FACTS THAT YOU ACTUALLY COULD LIVE WITHOUT!

(And NO, I did not check any of this out with Snopes, the Internet Nazi!)




Q: Why do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes have buttons on the left?

A: When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right! And that's where women's buttons have remained since.

Q: Why do ships and aircraft use 'mayday' as their call for help?

A: This comes from the French word m'aidez -meaning 'help me' -- and is pronounced, approximately, 'mayday.'

Q: Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love'?

A: In France , where tennis became popular, round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called 'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'egg.' When tennis was introduced in the US , Americans (mis)pronounced it 'love.' (Ya gotta "love" those French!)


Q. Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses?

A: In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfil obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous. (I wonder where the "O" for hug came from?) XOXOXOXO

Q: Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called 'passing the buck'?

A: In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility of dealing, he would 'pass the buck' to the next player. (I know people like this.)

Q: Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast?

A: It used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he would only touch or clink the host's glass with his own.

Q: Why are people in the public eye said to be 'in the limelight'?

A: Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and theatres by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, a performer 'in the limelight' was the center of attention.

Q: Why is someone who is feeling great 'on cloud nine'?

A: Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares. (I know people like this, too!)

Q: In golf, where did the term 'caddie' come from?

A. When Mary, Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl, Louis, King of France , learned that she loved the Scots' game 'golf.' So he had the first course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when she returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with her. In French, the word cadet is pronounced 'ca-day' and the Scots changed it into 'caddie.'

Q: Why are many coin banks shaped like pigs?

A: Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a dense orange clay called 'pygg'. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as 'pygg banks.' When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a container that resembled a pig and it caught on. (Leave it to the English to get i confused!)

Q: Did you ever wonder why dimes, quarters and half dollars have notches (milling), while pennies and nickels do not?

A: The US Mint began putting notches on the edges of coins containing gold and silver to discourage holders from shaving off small quantities of the precious metals. Dimes, quarters and half dollars are notched because they used to contain silver. Pennies and nickels aren't notched because the metals they contain are not valuable enough to shave.

So there! Now you know! Thrilled?

OH, IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE . . . . .

If you guessed “Christmas”, you’re correct!

The first week of SEPTEMBER, my favorite super market, Mega, started putting out their Christmas displays. I was, and still am, appalled. If you do the math, that’s approximately 4 months before Christmas! Other stores are following suit, or even leading in the pursuit.

I understand the retail side of this story, but unfortunately, I’m not convinced that the retailers understand the other side. Growing up, I was taught both the religious and “retail” aspects of Christmas. Gift giving was always from the heart, not the wallet, and certainly didn’t start the day after Labor Day! We actually celebrated the birth of Jesus. Family and friends were always at the top of the list of priorities, and fond memories of family gatherings still linger in my heart and soul. I don’t think many people do that anymore and they have lost sight of the real meaning of Christmas and they have taken Christ out of Christmas.

I’m not being over-zealous here, and I’m not preaching, honestly. To each his/her own and I won’t sit in judgment of your personal beliefs. I guess I’m just ranting about going to the store to buy some fruits and veggies and having to pass by Christmas displays in September when it is still in the 90’s here in Merida! I'm thinking "air conditioning" not Christmas decorations. I think it is too early to get into the Christmas Spirit, even from a retail point of view. I honestly try to keep the spirit of Christmas alive all year long. Sometimes, I fail miserably and other times I am quite successful at doing so. But, I do try.

I just don’t need to be reminded in early September that Christmas is “only” 4 months away. Do they think I don’t have enough time to shop? Do they think I jmight just forget? Do they think I’m actually going to buy Christmas ornaments in September? Not!

I wonder how early they’ll start next year? It seems like every year it is earlier and earlier. The retailers will coninue to display their Christmas items and I will continue to rant.

Ho-Ho-Ho.