Toronto the Chilly The damp, cold, grey days of May are easier to accept than the reception of our friends. The Toronto press has done a superb job of spooking everyone; don’t go near a person who’s just returned from Mexico, the press insists. Despite not having a single symptom, despite not having being near…
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My Mexican Moments: Chapter 9
April in Mazatlan Spring is here. How can we tell without the filthy snow banks melting and shedding of our down coats? Here’s how: trees are bursting with new buds, the wild canaries are chirping louder, the bougainvillea blooms brighter, the surf splashes onto the Malecon, the days grow longer, the air is warmer and…
My Mexican Moments: Chapter 8
FM3 and Copper Canyon We know we are moving here. I know we are going to take a trip to Copper Canyon; I just haven’t sold it yet to Soren. To facilitate our move from Toronto and our travels throughout Mexico, an FM3 is required. FM3 is our Mexican resident papers, which will open up…
My Mexican Moments: Chapter 7
Cigars and Carnaval By now we have found our rhythm and the rhythm of Mazatlan. Our close friend, Warren Holder, is due to visit us from Toronto. He has an excellent position with the University of Toronto and travels the world promoting the university’s electronic library. Although he’s never been to Mazatlan, I am optimistic…
My Mexican Moments: Chapter 6
So This is January and What Have We Done? Quite a lot, actually. We had no intention of ever buying another property again. Yet we do, complete with Mexican bureaucracy and all its bank/ trust complications; meaning, you never ever really own your property because the bank holds it in trust. Scary stuff if you…
My Mexican Moments: Chapter 4
Red Rock Fever Strikes Again Years ago in Sedona, Arizona, Soren and I contracted Red Rock Fever. It’s not fatal, but it can cost you a bundle. We were enchanted with the desert landscape. It was our second visit to Sedona and one afternoon, for reasons we will never know, we got talked into a…
My Mexican Moments: Chapter 3
“If We Were to Buy?” Over dinner we sit on our rooftop gazing at the Cathedral glowing in the evening light and play the “if we were to buy in Mazatlan” game … where and what would it be? After 20 days and nights we know Mazatlan is for us. It meets our criteria for…
My Mexican Moments: Chapter 2
Falling in Love When we arrived at our “fully furnished apartment,” it became obvious that not only did we need to learn Spanish, but we must also learn to understand the Mexican code phrases. For instance, a fully furnished apartment means that, yes, there is some furniture: a bed, but nothing in the kitchen or…
My Mexican Moments: Chapter 1
A Memoir by Sheila Madsen Time to Escape:Winter or Toronto? It all began innocently enough over a bottle of red wine. One chilly April evening I suddenly blurted out to my husband, Soren, “I hate Toronto I hate the climate.” Even for me that was a little odd, having lived there for 61 years. And…