Day 22-27

Sorry I have been a bad blogger, writing doesn't come naturally to me and as the flow of work has increased the words have ebbed. I can already tell that my blog will be directly affected by when sleep takes place and along with the duration. If we are opening the shop then we are waking up at times roughly lining up when the bars are closing in Portland, (with the time change considered of course) and we are going to bed when stump town is coming home from work. So adjustments are needed in watching the sun set in winter and thinking that we need to be laying our heads down in an hour or so.
So far our schedules have not been sinking up to the best of our liking but we are still managing to figure it out, it is nice to actually work for a company that has HR where we can have them try and sort it out for us.
On the sales floor Steph and I are slowly figuring out. Between the two of us we have sold around $37,000 in the last week. We are both really happy with that, it is a weird draw of luck kind of environment. It just depends on who walks through the door when you are at the front of the line. The big sales will always add to your totals but we need to learn how to make the small sales frequent and bountiful.
The most difficult part of our jobs is the abuse our feet are taking. We are on our feet for at least 9 hours a day on hard tile floors. Today we were standing for at least 10, I know some theories of Chinese Iron Body training will began to kick in over time and we will won't feel the pain anymore, but for now the bottoms of our feet beg to be elevated and pampered by the end of the night. As the day comes to a close I beg for a customer not for the commission but just so I have somebody to take my mind off how loud my dogs are barking. We have both noticed some healthy weight loss in this first week in response to our highly mobile status in the work place.

Christmas was un-Christmasy but we enjoyed ourselves none the less. After dinner we had many choices for entertaining ourselves out and about on the town but our neighbors impromptu pizza and beer social hour on the roof won out on our socializing priorities list. A highlight as always was the calls home to the parents.
Food: Thursday we went out for lunch at a 'restaurant' a half a block from us, I use quotations in describing it as a 'restaurant' because it also is somebody's home. Not in the way that there are two parts to the house but that in the evening when they close up shop their dining room / living room is their domicile again and not the place you had lunch a few hours previous. They have a beautiful backyard though so you can escape the the portraits of relatives in which you have no relationship with beyond you both know someone who cooks up some really amazing Mexican food. For about $5 a piece we had a bowl of  chicken and rice soup and a well proportioned plate of our choice of protein with beans rice and veggies, and tortillas. I was in heaven.
Friday was my first big sale so we went to celebrate and had dinner at Le Chef again, and again it was delicious, Del Surs was closed.
For Christmas I made paella with chorizo, clams, and crab. Considering I made it on a hot plate it came out amazing.
Sunday we tried El Foco, a taco joint that is down the street, tasty!
Tonight I had a tuna sandwich, yes as we work more the delicacies will become less interesting.

Day 20 & 21

Sorry I missed a day of blogging, I was so incoherent after work nothing I wrote would have made a lick of sense. 
Our first day was mostly boring, I sold very little and Steph had no people come through her shop. I think this will probably be the routine we will have to get use to, the beginning of the week will be slow and it will only get busier towards Friday. 
Day two was more memorable, in that I could remember it. I love my walk to work, I watched the full moon make it's run towards the horizon, after a half an hour the clouds took on pinkish glow from the rise of the sun from the opposite horizon. Oh, did I mention that when I have down time I just stand at the store front and stare at the Caribbean ocean? Because that is what I do, and it is encouraged because it is where we greet customers. 
Work did start at a 5:30 AM so don't be totally jealous, okay be a little jealous. I sold $19,000 worth of jewelry today, with a 2% commission you can do the math. Steph had 9 people come into her store during her shift, so, yeah, do the math...
But on a positive note, Steph is getting along great with her co-workers, and when the cruise ships come into port, she'll have plenty of help navigating sales. The difference between my store and Steph's store, is that my store is more of a destination location. Steph's store is a shop that gets busy when a cruise ship with onboard promotions for her shop comes to port. So some days are crazy busy, others are VERY slow. She has only experienced very slow days so far.
Dinners: Left over chicken noodle soup, still yummy.
We had a late lunch or something, our days all are all messed up right now. Most people eat dinner about 2 hours after they get off from work, that falls around 3:30 for us so timing in our world is a little strange but anyways we ate dinner at Le Chef again. I didn't order the chicken breast so the prices were a little better. We both got sandwiches which we will finish the other halves tomorrow. We got a Caprese salad too, the fresh vegetables were greatly appreciated. 

Day 19

Steph is/was sick. She is putting up a brave front and hopes she will be all better tomorrow for her first day of work. She starts at 9 AM I start at 6  AM, by the time you read this I will probably be done with my first day.
Back to today, I just took care of Steph, I made one pot chicken noodle soup and gave her shoulder rubs. We had to run around at sporadic times of the day to get all of our final paper work figured out. We are now part of a Mexican union, and if we stay here for 5 years we can buy land outright without fear of the government taking it away from us. 
I have a camera on the roof right now hopefully capturing the lunar/winter equinox. Hopefully I will be able to hook up my computer some time soon and upload the results.
Chicken noodle soup kicked ass! 

Day 18

I don't even know why I am posting for today, the word of the day is sloth. Everybody in the apartments did nothing, the sun was too lazy to burn off the clouds, and the wind only blew indifferently. So we took the cue and fallowed suit. 
Plus Steph felt like she was catching a cold, so we wanted to lay low since we actually start working this week. 

Day 17

Simple day of laying next to the ocean drinking cervesas at No Name Bar. It was much needed after the previous two days of travel. Beyond that it was just a little shopping and watching the sun set on the roof. We aren't going to have many days off in the future so we are reveling in doings of nothing. 
Our upstairs neighbors, who don't work for DI, Tracey and Alex took us out for dinner last night. We went to a restaurant called Chilangos, they serve something called Hueraches. It is basically a large taco, a juicy, succulent, filling taco on a homemade thick tortilla. We loved it, we will be eating there many more times. I had two and was full, both were of different beef varieties. Steph had a carnitas and pollo, plus two beers each. It was only about $15. Perfect!

Day 16

Our mishmash vagabond train continued today. As we wound through the Mexican countryside it is no wonder that heads turned, though those with whiplash do not know the biography on any of us. Those of you reading this have nothing to visualize our ragtag nature. So here it goes... Head of the train is our HR/Mother hen a  Venezuelan born Israeli, followed by an Israeli who came via Australia, a Sierra Leon born Lebanese from Michigan, a Massachusetts born native, a Philippino, an Israeli turned New Yorker/jet setter, a Russian born Israeli, a third generation Mexican American Texan, another Israeli who I do not know the full back story but speaks Spanish, an Israeli army special services soldier turned South American trekker who came via Miami, and Steph and I.
Steph still gets the most head turns, her platinum hair and now nose-bridge freckles make her look like she belongs on a 2010 re-imagining or the Swiss Miss label. 
Back to the trip, WE GOT OUR FM3s, which means we can legally work in Mexico! We spent 3 hours at the immigration office because one of our fellow travelers papers were lost. Granted we spent most of those hours sitting in the morning sunlight of beautiful Central Mexico, but we were all too eager to just finish up this argues trip and get the return home over with.
Because of the paperwork delay the return trip happened in less time but we were late for every departure. Thank Jesus the Mexican airport security isn't as stringent as the U.S, otherwise we would have missed our flight. 
Differences between the first trip and the return were:
We saw more on the bus between Cuernavaca and Mexico City where they showed Gran Torino which made Steph cry, there were no crying babies on the plane, we took a van/cab instead of a bus between Cancun and Playa De Carmen, and the nighttime ferry ride was really pleasant and relaxing. 
We were not even planning to go to dinner because we were so tired  but some of our traveling companions insisted. We showed up to Del Sur not even hungry but soon we were mawing down Argentinian barbecued beef till we burst at the seams. If anybody can make it to Del Surs, Renne the owner is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.

Day 15

The day started at 8:45 AM standing on the pier ready to embark on a journey for our FM3 so we can officially start working here. The 40 minute ferry ride to Playa De Carmen was probably the most pleasant part of the trip. The skies were sunny and the Caribbean spared us large chop and offered up stronger blues than what we are used to from the shore. From there we took an unremarkable bus ride to Cancun. Some bad airport food and then we took flight to Mexico City. Best part of the flight was the free cervesas but one beer doesn't muffle the screams of a very unhappy baby a few rows aft. The beer would have gone further being fed to the baby. From Mexico City we boarded another bus, this ride was longer and winded through hazy foot hills as the sun set. From the bus to a cab we soon found ourselves at our hotel in the city of Cuernavaca, Mexico. Our misery from the 11 hours of travel was only compounded in the knowledge we would relive the entire trek in reverse within 18 hours. The only good news was that we would have two days off to recover and sleep when the whole pilgrimage was completed. 
Our first day was not over yet, our 10 traveling companions had eyes for the mall, another taxi ride and we found ourselves in a really nice mall, nicer than any mall in Portland. Steph got some flip flops and found a Sally Beauty supply so she now has the bleach to keep near accidents to continue occurring in the Mexican streets when she goes for a stroll. 
Dinner: Italian restaurant mall food, good for a mall but still not great. Steph had spaghetti and meatballs and I had a white wine chicken pasta dish. My dinner was probably the lightest dish on the menu but it still managed to be heavy. DI paid for it so in combination with that and a bottle of wine my pallet was less discerning. 

Day 14

Today was one of those rough days where we came out unscathed but the carnage around us has nicked our shells leaving behind pools of uncertainty. I find myself also in this blog sphere where everything written on the interweb can't be unwritten. So I will leave it at this, one of our friends has been let go from DI. Understand this means being kicked out of a foreign country back to the states with very little resources. Also understand this, the reasons maybe just and we feel we do not have all of the explanation from either end to make a solid opinion. Either way our friend will be missed.
Another friend is on the on the other end of the stick he is having reservations about staying and management wants him to stick around. Between the two of them we once again find ourselves as the balancing scales for their mental weights, we can only nurture their pains and play the devils advocate where they need a little reality. 
Most importantly we still feel secure in our positions and status and will not be going anywhere soon.
Onto happy things, I started a potted garden on the roof outside our apartment. Just lettuce for now and a bell pepper soon. Hopefully I will find some tomato seeds and then the rest will come together. So far the weather has been ideal for a potted garden and I hope it will be bountiful.
Dinner was at Le Chef across the street from our 'Villa' it is a good restaurant and the owner is a super nice guy. I had the special duck breast and Steph had some delicious pasta. I can't comment on price because we paid for our friend who is leaving and I ordered one of the most expensive things. I will just say that I love and 'my wallet will find reasons to' hate that this restaurant is across the street. 

Day 13

An early-ish day at work, I had to be at work to shadow at 8:30 but soon learned that all of my future coworkers were there at 5:30 in the morning. I cringed at first to what my future schedule could look like but then I relaxed into knowing what little I know about this island. Food... Lunch is the big meal on the island so if I can be off work at 2:00 PM and go eat an amazing lunch, for about $5, and then go take a siesta I will be in heaven. I took the back roads into work and got a little turned around but I found a new restaurant, I can't remember the name right now but I remember the the sub title if you will "pozole y tacos" perfect, two of my favorite foods. We didn't go this evening but we will be going shortly. I of course will report on it. In my troubled, but fruitful wanderings I realized I was putting myself out unnecessarily, my walk to and fro does not need to be on the back streets, but along the sea. Yes that is right, I will be starting and ending my day with a sum of roughly an hour  strolling along side the Caribbean sea.
Hurray, we are going to Mexico City on Thursday to get our visas straightened out. Hopefully we will be on the sales floor soon and will be selling up a storm.
Dinner: We went to the Cuban place mentioned before, it was delicious, I got ropa vieja, and a Cuban cigar.

Day 12

We spent some of our time in the stores we will be working in today. The  Forum was slow but everybody was really nice. We can't touch any of the jewelry or talk to any of the customers so it is really boring for the most part. Our limitations are based on our lack of working visas. If DI was audited for their visas vs the number of employees on the floor they would be in a world of hurt. It also means we can't sell, and we can't collect a commission. If we don't go to Mexico City this week for our visas then we don't go until January because of Christmas break. Even though we are being paid for our time here we can't afford to not work, it is too expensive to have nothing to do here. Which brings us to lunch:
We went to restaurant whose name roughly translates to "The Lobster House" we did not get any lobster but we did get some steak tacos and a bowl of pasta with shrimp. I can only imagine that you know the former belonged to me and the latter to Steph. Both were good, Steph was just happy to have broccoli in her dish. We got some guacamole for a starter and a few beers each for around $36. Steph had instant ramen for dinner and I had a tuna sandwich at 10:30. We were so full from lunch it was the earliest we could bring ourselves to eat.

Day 11

We wish DI (This blog shall now shorten Diamonds International to DI) paid us to sit on the beach and drink beer, that is what we did today and it is our true calling. I think we could make it worth DI's money, we could just talk up DI and send all of the tourists back into town to buy jewelry. Pipe-dream, I know, but sitting on the beaches here makes one wax towards the absurd. I find it unbelievable that we are here, it gives me allusions that other unfathomable things are around the corner. The rest of the day was sun recovery, I didn't even get a tan but sitting and swimming in the sun really takes it out of me. Honestly the best part of the day was sitting on the roof with our neighbors and shooting the shit after dinner.
Dinner: We went out with our neighbors to a tourist trap. I need to be a little more forceful with what I want for dinner. There is local food at a much lower price than what we are paying. I can't, and probably never will, remember the name where we ate but the food was okay. The best part was their happy hour, when you order a beer they bring you two.

Day 10

We had a lot of fun today! It was our first day off after the long class week. This last week will probably look like nothing in the weeks to come but a beach day was well deserved. When we do start working 60 hour weeks it is comforting to know that we do have the beautiful caribbean ocean to swim in and melt away our stresses. We spent the day lounging ocean side drinking margaritas and soaking in the sun. It was fantastic, and simple... Almost, I do not know how to put this politically correct, but all I will say is that you have not seen haggling until you have seen an Israeli and a Mexican cab driver negotiate the price for a ride across town. 
Tonight was also the company holiday party, I am sure as I write this at 2:30 in the morning it is still going on somewhere. We had a good time but as the six newbies in a crowd of 600 veterans we felt a little out of place. It is good our little crew likes each other so much. 
Dinner: Holiday party- it sucked, though there was free booze.

Day 9

Last day of classes, I can't wait to get out on the floor and start selling. Unfortunately that is at least a week or two away. Next week we are going to be job shadowing for two hours a day. This is both good and bad news. The good news is that we will have a lot of time off, the bad news is that with our time off it is hard not to spend money. 
Part of our time this week will be spent working out immigration in Mexico City. I am looking forward to it in that most of my class mates, who are also our neighbors will be making the pilgrimage as well. We all get along, so we should enjoy ourselves. Rumor has it that the company pays for all of our food while we are on this little expedition so I am looking forward to some good eating.
My neighbors dog bit my nose today, I deserved it I bit him first, though I didn't draw blood.
We learned the placement of the shops we will be in today. I will be in what is called the forum,  it is the busiest of the shops and I suspect I will be making good money very soon. Sadly Steph will not be working by my side, she will be working at a showdown the road, I think she too will be very successful in her location. We have enjoyed working/training for the last week in the fact we have not left each others side for more than a half an hour at the most. Working for the same business is going to be amazing in the fact that no matter how hard the work week the both of us will be able to come home and relate a common threads of happiness, angst, or frustration, and just let it melt away with our affection for each other and our giddiness in sharing something else with one another. 
Dinner: Del Sur is an empanadas restaurant that we had avoided because we thought it looked expensive. We met with one of our new friends Lilach ( probably spelled wrong) and made few new ones. The empanadas are delicious and inexpensive. It will probably be our Friday night thing. I had the chorizo and carne, while mi amore had the tomato basil and a corn spinach. Steph and I spent about $8 dollars for four empanadas and two waters. The owner was going through some alcohol license problems at the moment so we will be looking forward to some cervesas at our next visit, along with essentially a chorizo hot dog that looks out of this world.

Day 8

As we walked to the grocery store after class today Steph mentioned that one week previous at that moment we were passing through customs. I realized all of the things I have wanted to blog about  that I have not in the last week. 
What Cozumel has in surface area it makes up in street lamps. Which has bummed me out to some degree because I was hoping for more stars. I guess we will have to make an overnight trip to the other side of the island to see the milky way.
What is up with the moon,  a lunar cycle is a lunar cycle but this far south a new moon seems to last forever. Which would have been nice if it were not for all the god damn street lights.
Holy shit, did I mention we are one block from the ocean? All of you Oregonians do not get teary eyed fantasies about living a block from the ocean, it isn't expanses of beach with unlimited access. But it is  beautiful, the pallet of blues is unimaginable.  
We have been annoyed in needing to put on a light sweater while dining outside at 8 in the evening. And the temperature has never broached 85 since we have arrived. Pbbbbbbbsss. That is me giving you a raspberry. 

Day 7

One week, really? I can't decide if that flew by too fast or not fast enough. It all depends on what layers of life I look at. The layers of life where we are trying to figure out how to make this a home have been traveling too fast. The layers regarding work have been traveling to slow, I want to get past this training period so I can figure out what we are actually doing here. As these layers of life slide past each other I can only think they will respond like layers of the earths crust. Either there will be a small ripple, some people will be shaken but life will be back to normal by 2 o'clock. Or it will be like St. Helens blowing it's lid and spreading chaos in every direction. 
I don't worry about either outcome too much, because I know that if my experiences are equal to an agate washing up onto the beach or a great canyon being carved out of a desert. I will be able to look back on both and find something magnificent about each.

Day 6

We had our first test in our class today everybody found it difficult. I had a hard time because I have been selling diamonds my way for the last 4 years and they want us to say things in a very specific way. Tomorrows test is supposed to be harder but I feel really confident in it. For me test taking is more about how to take the test than studying all of the facts.
On to the cool stuff, while Steph was talking to her parents tonight I saw a guy leave his house with a broom and a long handled dust pan, as some tourists were walking buy he flicked something out of it and said to the passing tourists "I wouldn't pick it it up." I could see the guy had dogs but I couldn't imagine why he would be leaving dog shit on the side walk or why the tourists were just standing there staring at it. As I approached the rather large turd unfolded and began scurrying down the side walk. When I have better computer access I will attach a picture of the tarantula that made Steph squeal and swat sporadically at random itches for the following hour.

Dinner: We went to an Italian  restaurant called Guido's. It is almost a fusion menu but I don't know the chefs know that and it isn't fused with a singular alternative culinary region. It hit the spot though, we wanted to change up some of the flavors and environments we had been eating in. The back patio is very romantic, filled with tropical plants and candles. The food was excellent we started with the special of the night, some very fresh, and delicious muscles and some "garlic bread" that was just a pizza oven fired flour tortilla  with garlic butter on top but was really good. I got a kind of Italian/Mexican octopus dish that was rich and flavorful but still rather light. Steph got a basic spaghetti that hit the spot. A little more expensive than what we have been eating but we got a bottle of wine, and the above mentioned for about $65. Or waiter, Victor, gave us the locals discount too.

Day 5

Day one of training went well, there was a lot of basic diamond information that I already knew but it makes me happy that I am here for Stephanie to help prep for our test tomorrow. Even though I am very confident in my knowledge for the test I still can't help but to be nervous. Unprepared test taking is still one of most common, realistic, and drawn out nightmares I still have. 
We met with the lawyer for Diamonds International today in regards to our immigration paperwork. We learned we will be taking a short trip to Mexico City to finish up everything, Steph has notions of a multicolored school bus bounding across Mexican desert with us our lawyer, a dozen chickens, and maybe a goat. Which sounds great to me, but in reality it is going to be a lot of farting around in airports and a short bus ride sans chickens I hope we end up spending a night in Mexico City and get to try some really good street food.
Food update: Yesterday we ate at The Burger House, which is actually more of cart. We were pleasantly surprised, a burger, fries, and soda for about $5. The winning touch is the old school wood fire grill pumping out made to order burgers.
Tonight was Cuban, Casa del Mojito, I had been hesitant of this place because of the cheesy name and its proximity to the tourist area but we wandered in because it is a little chilly today and it is one of the few places I wanted to try that wasn't mostly outdoors. 4 beers a chicken dish with all of the appropriate Cuban sides and a Cubano Sandwich, for $25. Not bad, oh plus chips and salsa.

Day 4

Fannie, Fannie is the nick name to those named Stephanie in Mexico, at least according to our new street performer friend Philipe. Steph, or Fannie, likes it so it might stick. 
As it turns out Cozumel changes faces on Sundays, like a harlequin removing her makeup, we saw the sleepy soft side to Cozumel. I only had to say no about a hundred times today verses the thousand or so times that is accompanied with walking down the streets. I need a shirt that says I am not a tourist, but with a Swede for a wife I don't believe anyone will believe me. Ironically I have been gaining a healthy bronze while she has remained as white a babies fanny.
It turns out the bar I complained about two days ago is part of Cozumels weekly transformation. We sat quietly over the Caribbean drinking cevesas connected to the Internet and we found nobody annoying. Because Sundays will be our day off for the most of our remainder of stay we were overjoyed with this realization and look forward to the remaining lazy Sunday afternoons swimming in the ocean. If only our bodies could whip into shape by next Sunday, at least none of the 19 year olds will be there. 

Day 3

A slow day, the idea that we actually live here is taking time to sink in. We still haven't unpacked and I am wrapping my brain around what we can and can't do with the furnishings supplied to us. Our apartment manager doesn't speak any English so we will have to ply one of our neighbors with cervesas to act as translator for us. Our neighbors are also our coworkers and so far mostly trilingual Israelis, I can't help but feel small in their presence. My curiosity about this company grows as I find ourselves surrounded by Mexican & Israeli coworkers. I feel as though we have stumbled into a secret club and somehow uttered the right password, I hope we are ultimately accepted.  This is all speculation and hand wringing that is of little use to my personal internal discourse and I should focus on the things that I know to be whole truths. Like how am I going to satisfy my inner chef with just a hot plate? Or can I change the art on the walls? It is only our second full day here and there are too many questions, large and small, tangled together and I am sure soon they will absolve. Or at least become a loose braid that once I figure out how to free one end it will unravel naturally on it's own.

Day 2

Cozumel is still awesome. Today we spent more time in the tourist areas than we would have liked to, but we saw a little more of our future employment. Diamonds International has 10 stores here and employs 600 people on the island alone. I am proud to be part of the crew, so far the hospitality has been akin to family. 
Most of the day we were on our feet, trying to find out how we can get to our best grociers and avoid the drunks/loudmouths that cause our spine to condense into a pillar of salt that crumble into bitter piles that nobody should be around. Unfortunately we ended up at a bar for the wi-fi that both of us enjoyed the 19 yearold bodies but we disliked their inability to hold still and dance everywhere they went, the music sucked, why are you dancing? 
More importantly we avoided the food at the wi-fi/dance hall and found a place for some tacos and margaritas. Ironically I miss my Portland margarita. Every time I order a margarita it comes in a giant stem glass that is more reminiscent of a drink ordered at a Red Robin. Where can I get a margarita in a pint glass?
Wait, back to the food, amazing chicken tacos, different than anything I have had with a black bean style paste, sauted red onions, and chicken. Simple yet delicious, the difficult part of ordering at the local spots is the waiters wait to be called out, or snapped at, weird but it works. Back to the food, they serve guacamole and chips in opposite proportion to the states, more guacamole than I can handle with the amount of chips that were served, today it was presented with a salsa of jalipanio and lime juice, amazing. Plus this restaurant is a block a way from where we live. Pictures will follow when we are up and running.

Day 1

The last few days have been an apparition; tequila, beer and spirits of the like have been infused into our world for the last week. It has been both diminishing and numbing but not souring in our preparations for our departure. We, I, needed the separation from the previous world to make this one a new. But now I look back on the days as a folly of missed emotions as a barrier so that I didn't tangle those of others with my own. 
I do find myself upset with my actions and separation from those I love but I also know myself to be overly affectionate and overall I know those who read this feel the place they hold in my heart.
As for Cozumel, it is awesome. And not in the way that is akin to backflips, a burger from Chili's, or boobs. It is awesome in the classical sense, it is more than I can comprehend, inviting great experiences, life altering changes and personal growth. All of which will happen sooner than either of us have the resources to comprehend and manage the true awesomeness of it all.