Me-hee-ko

Last daze of familiarity, and not a moment too soon. The snow starts falling, temperature dropping, and I'm having my last meal with my good friend Andra. We're at the Rex, enjoying some beer, food, and good jazz as I head out for a smoke. I've been in Toronto and Hamilton for about a month now, and one person I really wanted to see was an old friend Sarah Taylor. We worked together in Hamilton a few years ago, and when I left to the west coast she was in the same transition of going to Toronto. We said our good byes and good luck, but never had any contact information. It had ended there. Now I had got her number from a friend and left some messages, but received no reply. She had become a television host now for A music video station, and I wondered if she even remembered me amidst her new found fame. I have my views about serendipity, but as I stood in the cold smoking, I couldn't help by say under my breath " I wish I could see Sarah walk by". My eyes started to shift back and forth scanning Queen St.West and I seriously questioned my mental health in that moment. Sarah a tall slim beauty, was now walking by me across the street. It took a moment to clue into the fact, and I yelled from a distance, and would you know it, she remembered me clearly. So there we were having a drink and getting all caught up on the past 3 years, and the congratulations of what we had accomplished in the time gone past. Moments like that always have their place and reason, I might never know why it happened, but I'm glad it did. I had done everything I wanted to do now in Ontario and was ready to leave for something new.
    It was early, and Sean and I were groggy. As we leave to the airport, I'm excited, but half lucid, so the coffee goes down and I'm saying good bye to a friend I've reconnected with. Everything seem to happen so fast, from getting through the line up, and through security, and then waiting at the gate, I'm now boarding the plane. Small but comfortable, the flight is uneventful, except for my sinus infection bringing me to tears at certain altitudes. Couple ibuprofen and 5 hours later we land in Mexico.

The confusion of the airport, and the worry about security, after what happened in Buffalo, leaves me sort of on guard for anything to go wrong. I'm now a free man in the streets of Mexico city, and the one thing I can't stop thinking about is "Don't get in the green taxis" I've heard too many horror stories about people getting mugged and killed. Mexico city is a nice place, but also very populated (10 million or something) and dangerous. I decide to take my chances and head to the Metro.

    I got looks, many of them thinking I'm gringo..., but there's no way of me saying to everyone I'm from Canada. To be honest I don't think they really care either way. So off to Autobuses del Norte, and I figure I'm right on track. Hehehe I don't speak a single word of spanish! I met -------- and he was kind enough to do all the translating for me, and even find me the best deal on a bus to Monterey, Nuevo Leon. We spoke for a while, since I had an hour to kill, and he got me acquainted with mexican culture. He was from Chappas and so he was just as lost as I was, and went to tell me that he had gotten himself mugged the other night, by getting into a green taxi. "They stole all my research" he told me, and this had no value to anyone other then him. Some papers about old native mexican languages. He studied and taught linguistics in southern mexico, and specialized in ancient languages like mayan, and aztec. I envied this man for not being all distraught, everything seemed fine and calm for him. He kept me company with stories, making sure I was alright. When it came time for me to catch my bus, he asked me quite embarrassed, if I could help him out to with some money. I immediately thought I had just got played. I will never know for sure, but I gave him $20 US and some Canadian change I had. I thought to myself, and justified the situation. He helped me out more then his share, and I can honestly say I don't think he made all that up. Whether it was a ploy or not, I knew that I had done something nice in exchange for someone else being a good samaritan, and nothing else mattered because that was my perspective about it.
    10 hours to Monterey and I slept. I was so tired that even the 3 other guys who were trying to be courteous by offering me food and conversation weren't able to keep my interest. Halfway we stopped and I made some friends, which came in real handy when I needed to call Sofia whom I was going to be visiting. I had no clue what I was doing, but everything seems to be working out. We said adios, and I was meeting Sofia for the first time. It was 3:30am and I was now at my destination, and full circle in an again half lucid state.