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	<title>Midwesterner in Mexico</title>
	<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com</link>
	<description>the life and times of a gringa in Mexico City</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:02:41 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Differentiating yourself via Mexican-themed packaging</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Guess which present at the baby shower was from me?
It&#8217;s not the prettiest, people, but it did get a laugh. As I wrote to Tricia on the card, what says &#8220;new baby boy in Mexico&#8221; more than a box decorated like a lucha mask? Alternatively one might say, &#8220;When has one carried a novelty interest [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/03/17/differentiating-yourself-via-mexican-themed-packaging/</link>
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		<title>Electrical Engineering at its finest&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As seen at Ciudadela in Mexico City this past weekend. We spent a good 5 minutes trying to guess the functionality of this thing before friend Greg gained the courage to inquire directly.
It was at a jewelry booth, so I was voting for some kind of ionizing jewelry cleaner (no idea what that even means). [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/03/17/electrical-engineering-at-its-finest/</link>
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		<title>Taxi Chats about mickeyteesone</title>
		<description><![CDATA[(Imagine below conversation in Spanish)
Me: We&#8217;re going to this address, which is located just off street x which is near street y. Perhaps we can take street z? Also, I have a map if you want to see it?  [I offer, trying to avoid replica of prior experience of driving around indefinitely &#38; asking people [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/03/11/taxi-chats-about-mickeyteesone/</link>
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		<title>Las Pozas: a Jungly Wonderland in Xilitla, Mexico</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Ever since we arrived in Mexico, I&#8217;ve heard rumblings about Las Pozas. General commentary included things like &#8220;crazy place in the jungle&#8221;, &#8220;this English guy Edward James&#8217;s surrealistic garden&#8221;, &#8220;wild concrete structures&#8221;, and perhaps the most intimidating, &#8220;8 hours away on windy mountain roads&#8221;.
With most weekends booked up between MBA class &#38; visitors, it took [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/03/08/las-pozas-a-jungly-wonderland-in-xilitla-mexico/</link>
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		<title>Call for Earth Day vendors in Mexico City</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I want to take advantage of the ol&#8217; blog today to send out a request on behalf of the US Embassy in Mexico City.
The US Embassy is celebrating Earth Day by holding a green bazaar on April 22 in the Embassy compound.  They are looking for vendors (food, jewelry, clothing, anything!) who are green or [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/03/05/call-for-earth-day-vendors-in-mexico-city/</link>
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		<title>Mexican Weather Barometer</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As seen in the courtyard of the Museo del Queso y Vino (Museum of Cheese and Wine) in Tequisquiapan:
I have got to find myself one of these. In case it&#8217;s not very clear from the pic, the &#8220;measurement&#8221; part of this barometer is the cow&#8217;s tail, which is a piece of rope. The translation:

If the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/03/03/mexican-weather-barometer/</link>
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		<title>The latest trends in Lucha Libre souvenirs</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As I have mentioned before, John &#38; I are lucky to have the &#8220;inside track&#8221; on all-things-lucha here in Mexico due to a) a friend who has been training to be a luchador + b) another friend who is a lucha superfan. So while some of you may be familiar with lucha libre souvenirs for [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/02/25/the-latest-trends-in-lucha-libre-souvenirs/</link>
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		<title>Two different approaches to Mexican tourism: Queretaro vs. Hidalgo</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I constantly rave about Queretaro State&#8217;s Secretaria de Turismo (tourism board). They really have their stuff together, with amazing maps, good websites, great brochures, all of which serve to seduce people to a Mexican state that (to be honest) I initially thought didn&#8217;t really have that much going for it. (I have since reconsidered this [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/02/25/two-different-approaches-to-mexican-tourism-queretaro-vs-hidalgo/</link>
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		<title>Tasty Capsu</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes one comes across something in Spanish that makes me feel better about my language abilities, because it reminds me that on occasion, Mexicans have trouble with Spanish too. And maybe also trouble with colors.
Reference the below photo snapped by one of my eagle-eyed MBA classmates this weekend, as seen on the table of food [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/02/22/tasty-capsu/</link>
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		<title>A Las Pozas preview&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If these images don&#8217;t at least pique your interest regarding a trip to Las Pozas in middle-of-nowhere, Mexico (a.k.a. Xilitla in southern San Luis Potosi state), then I don&#8217;t know what will.    More details to follow of our amazing weekend trip, a mere 7 hours north of Mexico City!!

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		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/02/16/a-las-pozas-preview/</link>
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		<title>Sluggy McSluggerson recounts some Mexico Highlights!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Ok, so I&#8217;ve been a slug. Every now and then, I like to do a blog post outlining all the riveting topics I&#8217;ve been meaning to write about, promise you that I will actually write about them, and then never execute on this.  Which sucks, because we have been some really amazing places in Mexico [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/02/11/sluggy-mcsluggerson-recounts-some-mexico-highlights/</link>
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		<title>Flores de Calabaza (aka Squash Blossoms)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[On almost every trip to the mercados or grocery stores here in Mexico, I find myself admiring the flores de calabaza, a.k.a. squash blossoms. Not being a fan of actual squash, I consider these guys by far the best thing to emerge from the squash family:
I never got around to actually buying them due to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/02/09/flores-de-calabaza-aka-squash-blossoms/</link>
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		<title>Las Jirafas y la Mula in Santa Maria la Ribera</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Back in December, John, friend Susan &#38; I went on a long overdue visit to one of Mexico City&#8217;s up-and-coming neighborhoods, Santa Maria la Ribera. (Read as: no Starbucks yet) For additional colonia commentary, check out SMlR resident Jesus Chairez&#8217;s blog, or Lesley&#8217;s post re. her visit.  There are several cute little spots, like the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/01/27/las-jirafas-y-la-mula-in-santa-maria-la-ribera/</link>
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		<title>Cat Whistle satisfies all gift-giving needs</title>
		<description><![CDATA[There is a dude I&#8217;ve encountered at a couple markets in Mexico City who walks around holding a big, black plastic garbage bag. You can hear him coming from a couple aisles away, because it sounds like he is accompanied by a very angry cat. The first time you come upon him, you are a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/01/26/cat-whistle-satisfies-all-gift-giving-needs/</link>
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		<title>Ok, so maybe I won&#8217;t park my car here</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As seen in a parking lot in Patzcuaro, Mexico:
Fair enough on the robbery front; that&#8217;s par for the course in most parking lots. But the fire part? Uh, has that happened here before? Or happened often? I guess what I&#8217;m asking is: what are the odds of my car being burned down if I park [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/01/18/ok-so-maybe-i-wont-park-my-car-here/</link>
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		<title>Newsflash: free water at restaurant in Polanco!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Living in the fancy-pants neighborhood of Polanco in Mexico City, we see loads of overpriced, trendy restaurants where the food tends to be sub-par. There are a few diamonds in the rough, but it is rare you can escape lunch (much less dinner) with a bill of &#60;$200 pesos at any of the see-and-be-seen joints. These are [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/01/14/newsflash-free-water-at-restaurant-in-polanco/</link>
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		<title>The Spanish Wingman</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Of all the unique things experienced by visitors to Mexico City, I&#8217;ve found that our US-based guests are most surprised that English is not spoken more prevalently here. I think there&#8217;s a general assumption among Americans that everyone in Mexico is dying to move to the USA and hence is furiously learning English. Point of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/01/10/the-spanish-wingman/</link>
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		<title>The Mexican winter of 2010</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Our friends &#38; family up north (like my parents currently experiencing -29F/-34C windchills in Grand Island, Nebraska) are sure to appreciate the latest weather developments from Mexico City. I was slightly amused tonight (Thursday) reading tense articles on www.reforma.com about the impending weather doom expected to hit the city ASAP.
Apparently Mexico City is expecting RECORD BREAKING [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/01/08/the-mexican-winter-of-2010/</link>
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		<title>The best tacos come from the back of a van</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The two friends visiting us this week are your classic &#8220;work hard, play hard&#8221; types. Since there is no work for them to do here, the focus has been largely on playing. In Mexico, &#8220;playing&#8221; loosely translates &#8220;tequila, cerveza, and more tequila&#8221;.
As you can see, this team was well prepared to handle its tequila:
After a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/01/05/the-best-tacos-come-from-the-back-of-a-van/</link>
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		<title>A taste of Yelapa&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Apologies for the delinquency in beach photo uploads!! We have a couple friends visiting this week, so we have been busy with a flurry of taco-eating, pyramid-visiting, tequila-drinking, lucha-watching, bullfight-attending, etc. For an added bonus, one of the visitors (college friend James) is taller than us, which has provided an exciting chance for me to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2010/01/01/a-taste-of-yelapa/</link>
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		<title>¡Feliz Navidad!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Well kids, we decided to forego the trip home to the Midwest this Christmas. This is now seeming quite fortuitous, given the crazy snowstorms that have been popping up all over the States this week &#38; last. Nebraska is apparently scheduled to get heavy snow for the next 3 days, which you can view live [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/12/23/%c2%a1feliz-navidad/</link>
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		<title>A tasty Christmas-y appetizer&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[First off, a caveat: this is not a remotely Mexican recipe. :) But it does fit the bill for blog-inclusion by being Midwestern. And more importantly, it is a gooooood recipe, probably because it is endowed with the hallmarks of Midwestern cooking: dairy, dairy, and more dairy, with the occasional smattering of vegetables well-disguised by cheese.
The illustrious Pizza Dip has gained [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/12/20/a-tasty-christmas-y-appetizer/</link>
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		<title>Musical guilty pleasures</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Much like in the US, if you go out to enough bars/clubs/restaurant or listen to enough radio in Mexico City, you will hear the same popular songs 8 million times. Some you will come to loathe &#38; each encounter will feel like a thousand music notes stabbing your eardrum. Perhaps one or two will be a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/12/18/musical-guilty-pleasures/</link>
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		<title>Tunnel art in DF: does it soothe or scare?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[We went to Mercado Ciudadela yesterday evening to do a bit of Christmas shopping (FYI, it seems to closes by about 7PM). Good spot for both locals or tourists wishing to find a solid selection of Mexican handicrafts at reasonable prices (and for any visitors lacking in Spanish, several vendors speak enough English to answer questions you may [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/12/16/tunnel-art-in-df-does-it-soothe-or-scare/</link>
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		<title>Run, don&#8217;t walk, to Galerias El Triunfo for all your Christmas shopping needs&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Last Sunday, we drove down to Coyoacan to check out the Terra Madre Day event being coordinated by the Slow Food folks in Mexico City. (See Lesley&#8217;s post for pics of the tasty food to be sampled!) On our way back, I insisted we stop at a crazy store that we passed en route, Galerias [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/12/15/run-dont-walk-to-galerias-el-triunfo/</link>
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		<title>Surprising that I&#8217;ve not spotted these decorative cow heads around Nebraska&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Stuffed animals seem to be über-popular in Mexico, or at least you&#8217;d guess that based on their prevalence at markets/stores nationwide. To be clear, by &#8221;stuffed&#8221;, I do not mean fuzzy-wuzzy little teddy bears. Rather, I mean no-shit, taxidermied, formerly-alive-but-now-marble-eyed ANIMALS. I have seen a fair number of fake replicas as well, but even those (i.e. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/12/08/surprising-that-ive-not-spotted-these-decorative-cow-heads-around-nebraska/</link>
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		<title>Mercados can wear you out&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[After a weekend of MBA classes, I needed to get out of the house yesterday afternoon before resuming panicked studying for finals coming up Dec 11-12. John, Susan, and I first stopped by a market in Roma where female Mexican artists were selling their wares. Christmas decor is out in full force, as shown to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/12/07/mercados-can-wear-you-out/</link>
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		<title>Cars to Avoid in Mexico</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Acquiring a driver&#8217;s license in Mexico City can be done with a concerning level of ease. You just bring your passport &#38; your visa (showing you&#8217;re in the country legally) to the Secretaria de Transportes y Vialidad, and after an hour- you are good to go! No written exams, no driving test, no nothing.
This level [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/12/01/cars-to-avoid-in-mexico/</link>
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		<title>Mexico Shopping Spree</title>
		<description><![CDATA[John and I are not what one might call &#8220;interior design visionaries&#8221;. We&#8217;ve been living in Mexico for about 16 months now, and we&#8217;ve spent many a weekend wandering through various markets, stores, tianguis, etc., assessing the wares on display but unable to make any big decisions&#8230;  I think we suffer from an overly analytical mindset + a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/11/30/mexico-shopping-spree/</link>
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		<title>Fighting the scourge&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Also in the vicinity of Leon, we spotted this bumper sticker:
Perhaps fruit flies are a bigger scourge here than I am aware of&#8230;? Who knew they required a national campaign? Needless to say, I am gettin&#8217; me one of them stickers ASAP.  
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		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/11/21/fighting-the-scourge/</link>
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		<title>Best medical deal yet&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Saw this hot deal advertised outside a store while passing through Leon last week:
Everlasting love for less than a buck? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me&#8230; But unfortunately as I am cautioned, this will only &#8220;preserve&#8221; your love from forming a child.   I like the romantic heart additions to class it [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/11/21/best-medical-deal-yet/</link>
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		<title>Coffee Names</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Ordering fancy-pants coffee in Mexico presents a very minor challenge at places that ask for your name to write on the cup of your impending tasty beverage. Although I go by &#8220;Julie&#8221;, I usually tell the coffee gods that my name is &#8220;Julia&#8221; [Hoo-lee-uh], both to avoid the confusion that results when you pronounce J&#8217;s [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/11/18/coffee-names/</link>
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		<title>Be gone, foul dirt! Vaya con Dios!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[For a city with such a reputation for being dirty, filthy, polluted and the like, Mexico City really loathes dirt. I have never experienced a city where there is such constant cleaning going on. You see this exhibited in various ways in cities across Mexico&#8230;

the guys hanging out in every parking lot/popular street parking area [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/11/18/be-gone-foul-dirt-vaya-con-dios/</link>
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		<title>Unique shopping &amp; snacking in DF</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve never been a big fan of cookie-cutter, chain restaurants/shops (except in a pinch), so I am always excited to find a unique, locally-owned spot to spend my pennies (or pesos in this case). God knows there are zillions of non-chain options in Mexico City, but here are a few of the more amusing selections I&#8217;ve [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/11/06/unique-shopping-snacking-in-df/</link>
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		<title>Dia de los Muertos celebrations around DF</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As many of my fellow bloggers have discussed, this is one of the best times of year to be in Mexico City&#8211; during the Dia de los Muertos celebrations. Preparation for this fascinating holiday begins during the last week or two of October, with activities reaching their peak on November 1 &#38; 2. Wikipedia offers [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/11/02/dia-de-los-muertos-celebrations-around-df/</link>
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		<title>Best kid-friendly Halloween decor</title>
		<description><![CDATA[My mom is down for a visit this week, so I was excited that she would be able to see some of the Dia de los Muertos action here in Mexico. We had a successful trip down to Coyoacan today in search of ofrendas (pics to come!), but I first wanted to quickly share this gem of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/10/31/best-kid-friendly-halloween-decor/</link>
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		<title>Missed business opportunities&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[While in Madrid, I discovered that the niche tall-people shop I was planning to open in Mexico City already exists.
 I wonder if the Spanish folks behind the tall clothing at Masaltos.com (roughly translated: Taller.com) have considered getting into the business of larger showers that you can actually move in.
 Back to the new business idea drawing board, folks&#8230;. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/10/24/missed-business-opportunities/</link>
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		<title>Breaking my radio silence after a trip to Europe!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Crap! I think this is a new land-speed-record for Length of Time I&#8217;ve Gone Without a Riveting Blog Post! I am sure many of you have been sobbing into your chilaquiles as you have rigorously checked this page each morning only to be rewarded with OLD POSTS YOU&#8217;VE ALREADY READ (or didn&#8217;t care about in the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/10/22/breaking-my-radio-silence-after-a-trip-to-europe/</link>
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		<title>The celebratory Perro de Gelatina of the GRE&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The last week has a been a festival of algebra &#38; geometry action for my dear husband John, who&#8217;s been studying up a storm in preparation for the GRE exam. For anyone unfamiliar, the GRE is a ~2.5 hour exam whose successful completion is a requirement for most graduate schools in the US. (This with the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/10/01/the-celebratory-perro-de-gelatina-of-the-gre/</link>
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		<title>Weekend escape to magical Hacienda Las Trancas</title>
		<description><![CDATA[After living in Mexico for a year, I&#8217;ve been a bit delinquent in checking &#8220;spend lazy weekend in gorgeous centuries-old hacienda&#8221; off my to-do list. When friend Emily alerted me to her discovery of just such a place north of San Miguel, I jumped at the chance to experience all that a remote countryside hacienda [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/09/27/weekend-escape-to-magical-hacienda-las-trancas/</link>
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		<title>Good steaky-beef in Mexico City</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I am not a huge steak eater, but every now and then, a big slab of meat sounds like the perfect way to create both a food-induced coma &#38; feelings of regret over not wearing one&#8217;s &#8220;fat pants&#8221; out to eat. Conveniently, John is an avid beef fan, and has gone through the burden (?) [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/09/15/good-steaky-beef-in-mexico-city/</link>
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		<title>A Taste of Mexico in Grand Island, Nebraska</title>
		<description><![CDATA[After wrapping up my 3rd semester of MBA final exams this past weekend, I was up bright and early Monday morning to fly to Nebraska for a visit home! Continental Airlines won a few bonus points in my book via a) the ability to reserve exit-row seats online 24 hours in advance (thanks to bro [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/09/03/a-taste-of-mexico-in-grand-island-nebraska/</link>
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		<title>Who doesn&#8217;t like a good milestone like 100 blog posts?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Well kids, today marks the inauspicious milestone of the 100th blog post here at www.midwesternerinmexico.com. I am celebrating it with a wild Saturday night alone on my couch here in Mexico City, recovering from 3 final exams in one weekend &#38; drinking a bottle of Chianti while watching possibly the dumbest movie known to man, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/08/30/who-doesnt-like-a-good-milestone-like-100-blog-posts/</link>
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		<title>Who doesn&#8217;t have a line of credit at their local steakhouse?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In a sign that Mexico has learned well from its northern neighbor about how credit is great for encouraging people to spend money they don&#8217;t have, I recently observed the below sign at a steak/pasta restaurant here in DF that is popular with the work crowd.
Shoppers in the US have faced plenty of reprimands over the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/08/25/who-doesnt-have-a-line-of-credit-at-their-local-steakhouse/</link>
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		<title>Never try to give a Chilean advice about spicy food&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8230;when you speak Spanish like a 5-year-old.
One of my good friends from my MBA program is originally from Chile, and recently moved from Mexico City to Kentucky due to a change with her husband&#8217;s job. (Now THAT would be a &#8220;cultural differences&#8221; blog I would LOVE to read!!) Since we no longer get to spend hours in class [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/08/20/never-try-to-give-a-chilean-advice-about-spicy-food/</link>
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		<title>Internet is probably more important than basic utilities anyway</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As spotted in Parque Lincoln in the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City:


This is part of DF&#8217;s new marketing campaign:
Mexico City:
We can&#8217;t promise you potable, running water, but we can promise that you&#8217;ll be able to download a video of a hot chick drinking a glass of water online.&#8221;
]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/08/17/internet-is-probably-more-important-than-basic-utilities-anyway/</link>
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		<title>A Mariachi-filled Night Out in Plaza Garibaldi</title>
		<description><![CDATA[You may have heard of Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico City, best known as the local hub of mariachi action. I posted back in March about our visit there after the Cantina Crawl, but I thought I&#8217;d follow up with a bit more detail on how to spend a night out in Garibaldi (for those suspicious [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/08/12/a-mariachi-filled-night-out-in-plaza-garibaldi/</link>
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		<title>Lucha Libre: La Experiencia</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In the US, if you told me that there was a WWE convention going on next weekend, you can pretty much bet your ass that I wouldn&#8217;t be there. For whatever reason, though, professional wrestling in Mexico City = entertainment gold. Hence, I was all over Lucha Libre: La Experiencia, the lucha expo that came [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/08/07/lucha-libre-la-experiencia/</link>
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		<title>Modern poultry refrigeration techniques continue to sweep Mexico by storm</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In a follow-on to last year&#8217;s photo of [dead] chickens on the move, my brother Tim snapped this gem while we were wandering around the Centro during his visit the other week.
We observed that the ladies (may they rest in peace) were being watched over by a singular guard wandering through the gutter nearby&#8230;
]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/07/30/modern-poultry-refrigeration-techniques-continue-to-sweep-mexico-by-storm/</link>
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		<title>Play Money in Mexico</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I have learned a lot about the world of finance here in Mexico between working &#38; living here for the past year. One of my favorites, as my friend Alice explained, is the fact that having exact change to give a customer is a foreign concept in most transactions here. In the US, you should be able to break a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/07/25/play-money-in-mexico/</link>
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		<title>Best summer soup ever: Mangospacho</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I have been inspired lately by Lesley&#8217;s multiple mouthwatering food pics &#38; recipes that she has posted on her blog, so I thought it was time to finally share one of my own. I first tried this recipe for Mangospacho (from the &#8220;Stop and Smell the Rosemary&#8221; cookbook by the Junior League of Houston) while [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/07/20/best-summer-soup-ever-mangospacho/</link>
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		<title>Navigating the Mexico City Airport</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I recently received a reader request (yay!) for an overview on what happens when you get off the plane in the Mexico City Airport, so I thought I would share a few tips I&#8217;ve gathered thus far from my trips.
Airport Code: MEX
Possible Aliases: Benito Juarez International Airport, or AICM (Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México)
Website: [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/07/17/navigating-the-mexico-city-airport/</link>
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		<title>The multi-purpose trucks of Mexico&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A glimpse of the varied trucks encountered last week on our drive to Oaxaca City&#8230;
#1) Crazy-piled green onion transporter. This truck was traveling at 60+ mph on the toll road between Mexico City &#38; Puebla. I have no idea how you stack green onions 6-feet high in a way that prevents them from being blown [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/07/12/the-multi-purpose-trucks-of-mexico/</link>
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		<title>What really constitutes a &#8220;car accident&#8221; in Mexico City anyway?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Yesterday marked my first car accident (if you can even call it that) in Mexico City. Frankly, I am somewhat amazed that it took this long for my car to come in contact with another car. Before anyone gets concerned (Mom), know that my car was moving at roughly 0.5 mph, as was the other [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/07/09/what-really-constitutes-a-car-accident-in-mexico-city-anyway/</link>
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		<title>This 4th of July announcement sponsored by Mexico&#8217;s Communist Party</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Happy 4th of July to all those Americans who, like us, are beyond the borders this year &#38; therefore forced to celebrate US independence in a fireworks-free zone. We *narrowly* escaped having to celebrate in an alcohol-free zone as well, due to the tomorrow&#8217;s mid-term elections here in Mexico. As explained on Burro Hall, Mexico institutes [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/07/04/this-4th-of-july-announcement-sponsored-by-mexicos-communist-party/</link>
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		<title>Delicate Oaxacan bathrooms&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[To celebrate my end-of-job + John&#8217;s 3-day weekend, we decided to make the 6-hour drive down to Oaxaca City in the state of Oaxaca for the weekend. We will definitely have more insightful comments to add, but for the moment wanted to share this gem of a poster found in the baño of the seemingly oft-gringo-frequented Café [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/07/03/delicate-oaxacan-bathrooms/</link>
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		<title>And now for something completely different&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Many thanks to any regular readers out there who have been patient with my month-long absence!! I assure you postings should return to some modicum of regularity moving forward. This month has been a hectic one, diving back into my 3rd semester of my MBA program (virtually HALFWAY DONE!!!) as well as surviving 2 major [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/06/30/and-now-for-something-completely-different/</link>
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		<title>Yaxchilan in photos</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you read the previous post, you know that we&#8217;ve finally arrived at the Maya archeological site of Yaxchilan on the banks of the Usamacinta river.  There are more than 120 structures in the central area, distributed in three complexes at different elevations.  Yaxchilan shares similar characteristics with other regional sites, including roof combs, stelae, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/06/18/yaxchilan-in-photos/</link>
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		<title>Getting to Yaxchilan in Chiapas</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Since Julie&#8217;s been slacking off a bit of late, I decided to revisit my promise made in my original post on our trip to Chiapas to check out Palenque with a rundown of our visit to the Mayan archeological sites of Yaxchilan and Bonampak southeast of Palenque.
Yaxchilan, on the west bank of the Usumacinta River which forms the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/06/11/getting-to-yaxchilan-in-chiapas/</link>
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		<title>Final Wedding Flashback: the big day</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Let us cut back once more to a little over one year ago, to the big day in Glasgow when Julie &#38; John officially became &#8220;The Talls&#8221;. (Official wedding day blogging delayed by higher priority anniversary vaca + subsequent MBA class prep&#8230;)  
The day before the wedding, we suggested a day trip to Edinburgh [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/06/01/final-wedding-flashback-the-big-day/</link>
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		<title>Important world news from Mexico City&#8217;s finest, Publimetro</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A new interruption from my wedding-reminiscing&#8230; I came across this pressing news article from Mexico City&#8217;s esteemed (??) free daily newspaper, Publimetro, on Friday. It was excellent fodder for a wee chat with my taxi driver as we sat in standstill traffic due to the stupid route he chose. He simply could not believe that they [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/05/25/important-world-news-from-mexico-citys-finest-publimetro/</link>
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		<title>Our Wedding Mascots: Furry Coos</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Packing for exciting trip to Huatulco tomorrow has taken precendence over a lengthy, super-riveting post about the day before our wedding last year in Glasgow. So as an interim step, please see below some pics of my favorite animal in Scotland, the furry coo. (perhaps more officially known as &#8220;Highland Cattle&#8220;) FYI, it is only [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/05/21/our-wedding-mascots-furry-coos/</link>
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		<title>Flashback to Wedding Week in Scotland, Part 2</title>
		<description><![CDATA[


We tried to reenact the scene from Titanic as the boat pulled out of the harbor on Loch Lomond&#8230;


Let us continue on our Mexico detour begun yesterday with our ambitious bus trip into the Scottish countryside! As part of of dragging our family &#38; friends over to Glasgow for our wedding, we wanted to make sure they [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/05/21/flashback-to-wedding-week-in-scotland-part-2/</link>
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		<title>We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8230;to bring you a flashback to one year ago today in Scotland! I realized that I never really shared many of the pics from our wedding in Glasgow or the pre-wedding-week activities, so I thought we&#8217;d take a quick departure from Mexico across the pond over to Scotland!
First, the precursors: John&#8217;s Bachelor Party in Washington DC, where [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/05/20/we-interrupt-our-regularly-scheduled-programming/</link>
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		<title>El Chopo: Mexico City&#8217;s goth/metal/ska/punk mercado!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Last week my boss tipped me off to TWO new Mexico City markets with which I was previously unfamiliar:

Tianguis Cultural del Chopo, a Saturday-only market dedicated towards all things rock/alternative/punk/ska/goth/weed/hippie
Centro Artesanal Buenavista, &#8220;La Tienda Mas Grande del Pais con 100,000 articulos finos en 24,000 mts2&#8243; (The largest store in the country with 100,000 fine items in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/05/18/el-chopo-mexico-citys-gothmetalskapunk-mercado/</link>
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		<title>Is &#8220;Mickey Burger&#8221; the correct Spanish translation?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In my continued fascination with the wares of Mexican grocery stores, we came across this gem yesterday at Superama:
How quickly Mickey has apparently forgotten his long-time friend, Clarabelle Cow. I was also struck by the elegant array of seafood on display, namely the purply octopuses. I like most seafood, but I will admit I&#8217;m not [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/05/17/is-mickey-burger-the-correct-spanish-translation/</link>
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		<title>I may have descended from statues</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Since I am too lazy tonight to summarize our full San Miguel de Allende &#38; Guanajuato trip AND because I feel we have moved beyond the need for regular swine flu updates, I will instead share with you one of the more horrifying pictures we took during our weekend away.
Please find below a photo taken in the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/05/09/i-may-have-descended-from-statues/</link>
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		<title>Chinese Government: Not a fan of Mexicans nor swine flu</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Day 12 of Swine Flu not-quite-as-much Frenzy. John &#38; I returned this afternoon from a fantastic get-away from the hub of the furor, with 2 nights in San Miguel de Allende and 2 more in Guanajuato. (Check out the article I wrote for Inside Mexico regarding our escape here!)  Expect a run-down on our trip [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/05/05/chinese-government-not-a-fan-of-mexicans-nor-swine-flu/</link>
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		<title>Pig Flu Mexico City Day 6: in which we decide to eat lots of Bacon</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As we close out Day 6 of Mexican Swine Flu Mania, it appears this virus has no intent of leaving the country quietly. A smattering of recent developments for anyone living under a rock:

The World Health Organization has raised the pandemic alert level to phase 5 on a scale of 6, meaning there is &#8220;sustained transmission [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/04/30/pig-flu-mexico-city-day-6/</link>
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		<title>Crazy Pig Flu vs. Mexico City: Day 4</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As we wrap up Day 4 of Crazy Pig Flu vs. Mexico City and beyond, all is still well here on the Southern front. I have essentially not left our apartment building since Friday night, not so much out of fear as a lack of anywhere to go. As per all of the news, much [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/04/28/crazy-pig-flu-vs-mexico-city-day-4/</link>
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		<title>Luchadores in the Fight Against Swine Flu</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This photo of up-and-coming luchador El Matador protecting two of his young, swine-flu-avoiding fans made my day today. Join El Matador&#8217;s fan club on Facebook to be kept in the loop on all his crazy shenanigans!!
Now that I may have more free time thanks to finally FINISHING MY 2nd TERM MBA FINALS today, also keep [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/04/25/luchadores-in-the-fight-against-swine-flu/</link>
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		<title>If the druglords don&#8217;t get ya, the flu might&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In late-breaking news from here at my dining-room table Financial Accounting 12:30AM study session, there is a chance my final exam scheduled for today (Friday) may be cancelled due to a flu outbreak in Mexico City &#38; surrounding areas. El Universal just reported that the Secretaries of Health &#38; Public Education have decided to cancel [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/04/24/if-the-druglords-dont-get-ya-the-flu-might/</link>
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		<title>¡Obámanos!!!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[So we saw him!! Eeeee! Know that I sacrificed the chance for a handshake in favor of &#8220;The President is only 4 feet away!!!&#8221; photo attempts, realizing that the memory of a handshake would be less effectively conveyed via a blog.    John almost managed to get a hand in, but was foiled at [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/04/19/obamanos/</link>
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		<title>Membership has its privileges&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8230;and finally tomorrow, I will get to experience one of those priviledges. Membership in what, you may ask? In the Spouses of US Embassy Employees club. Mind you, this is not an official club. Or really even an unofficial club. If it were, I would envision its membership requirements being something like:

an inability to remember [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/04/15/membership-has-its-privileges/</link>
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		<title>Malinalco with the visiting Nebraskans</title>
		<description><![CDATA[My parents from Nebraska came for a visit last month, so we decided to show them some of rural Mexico in addition to the Big Taco, D.F.  We spent a couple nights in Malinalco, located roughly 40 miles south-ish of Toluca or 60 miles (but ~2 hours) from Polanco in Mexico City.
Malinalco is a cute [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/04/12/malinalco-with-the-visiting-nebraskans/</link>
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		<title>Commuting to work in the Centro</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Just your average commute to work here in downtown Mexico City&#8230;
What, did you think Spiderman would take a taxi?
]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/04/11/commuting-to-work-in-the-centro/</link>
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		<title>Picturesque Palenque</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A few weeks ago while Julie was stuck in class a few friends and I whisked off to spend a long weekend in Chiapas, where we visited the archelogical sites of Palenque, Yaxichilan, and Bonampak &#8211; a perfect three-day weekend.  We flew into Villahermosa (in the state of Tabasco) late afternoon on Friday, grabbed a rental [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/04/05/picturesque-palenque/</link>
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		<title>Mexico City Cantina Crawl Report</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As a follow up to my previous post regarding the map of cantinas in the Centro Historico, I am delinquent on an report on our Cantina Crawl findings! Good times were had by all, and we managed to hit 4 cantinas prior to walking over to Plaza Garibaldi, hub of mariachi action. I wasn&#8217;t sure [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/03/31/mexico-city-cantina-crawl-report/</link>
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		<title>The many, the not-so-proud: the Kickdogs of Polanco</title>
		<description><![CDATA[My husband long ago added the term &#8220;kickdog&#8221; to our daily vocabulary to refer to any dog who might be more efficiently moved across a room by kicking it rather than waiting for its 400 mincing steps to get it there on its own. (For the record, I have never seen John kick a dog. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/03/28/the-many-the-not-so-proud-the-kickdogs-of-polanco/</link>
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		<title>Avoid a Reverse Mullet in Mexico City</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Reading my friend Lesley&#8217;s post today that mentioned a recent crap haircut reminded me to share a secret gem with any local ladies in my blog audience. After 2 years in DC, I finally found a hairstylist I was happy with who charged reasonable prices (~$40) AND understood the fine balance between cutting-vs.-talking (visit Bubbles Salon at the Pentagon [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/03/27/avoid-a-reverse-mullet-in-mexico-city/</link>
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		<title>Animal Highlights of Mexico, Part 2</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Despite the wealth of mercados here in México, our non-edible purchases thus far have been quite restrained (if I do say so myself). I continue reminding John how lucky he is to have a wife who is not obsessed with pottery / Dia de los Muertos figurines / vessels made out of copper / traditional [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/03/22/animal-highlights-of-mexico-part-2/</link>
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		<title>Makes a Nebraskan feel right at home&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[My parents are visiting Mexico this week from Nebraska. To help them adjust, we found this slowly-moving cow herd on the road outside our B&#38;B in Malinalco. Mexico can always be counted upon for the random herd of livestock to help make a Nebraska farm boy feel like he never left&#8230;
I&#8217;m pretty sure rural Nebraska [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/03/17/makes-a-nebraskan-feel-right-at-home/</link>
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		<title>&#8220;Am I going to be a victim of violence in México?&#8221; Take this simple quiz to find out!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As most of my fellow Mexico blogs have addressed recently, the news coverage around security in Mexico has reached fever pitch in the last few months. A flurry of articles in the US press is sending everyone into a panic, which is only amplified by so-called experts busily spreading fear regardless of facts. Some people [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/03/07/am-i-going-to-be-a-victim-of-violence-in-mexico-take-this-simple-quiz-to-find-out/</link>
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		<title>Map of Cantinas in downtown Mexico City!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[After a few &#8220;bottle service&#8221; episodes at the über-trendy clubs &#38; lounges here in Mexico City, we have been itching to check out the more autentico cantinas in the Centro Historico. (For those not in the know, most of the glam spots here are big fans of the &#8220;buy a whole bottle of liquor&#8221; approach [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/03/06/map-of-cantinas-in-downtown-mexico-city/</link>
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		<title>Dinner at Izote!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Blog updates have a been a bit slow recently, due to a combination of a looming accounting exam this past Friday and visitors in town!  John&#8217;s mom and aunt, Penny and Chris, made the trek down to Mexico to escape the highly-unpleasant climes of most of the US during the month of February.  They seemed [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/03/02/dinner-at-izote/</link>
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		<title>Chiapas-style Car Wash</title>
		<description><![CDATA[John made it down to Chiapas this past weekend (while I was stuck at class busy being a brilliant MBA student). A summary from him should be forthcoming, but in the interim, I was entertained by this photo of a car wash along the Usumacinta River along the border of México and Guatemala.
 
]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/02/17/chiapas-style-car-wash/</link>
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		<title>Your own&#8230;personal&#8230;taxista&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I have a regular taxista who I call to get a ride home on days that I work out of the office. Her name is Guadalupe, and she is a lovely, middle-aged Mexican with a son who lives in Cancun. She became my go-to taxista after I broke up with my prior taxista, Carlos, when [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/02/13/your-ownpersonaltaxista/</link>
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		<title>Animal Highlights of México, Part 1</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The plethora of unique animals here never fails to entertain me, so thought I&#8217;d share a few photo highlights of critters (or representations thereof) we&#8217;ve encountered over the last 7 months here in Mexico City and beyond!!
]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/02/09/animal-highlights-of-mexico-part-1/</link>
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		<title>Dining in Condesa: know thy strengths</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Today was John&#8217;s birthday, so I ambitiously decided to make chilaquiles, only the best Mexican breakfast food ever. It is basically crispy, fried pieces of corn tortillas doused in a tasty salsa verde (tomatillos, onion, garlic, cilantro, serrano peppers) &#38; cooked briefly until the chips soften a bit. Mix in some shredded chicken, top with optional [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/02/02/dining-in-condesa-know-thy-strengths/</link>
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		<title>What Not to Wear&#8230; to a Mexican market</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This past weekend, we decided to check our Mercado Sonora and Mercado de la Merced here in Mexico City. Mercardo Sonora is known as the &#8220;Witches Market&#8221;, meaning that its vendors proffer a wide variety of goods that tend to fall under the &#8220;potions&#8221; category (perhaps optimistically). So lots of incense, herbal/folk remedies, images of saints [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/01/28/what-not-to-wear-to-a-mexican-market/</link>
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		<title>Mercado de Jamaica&#8211; the flower market of Mexico City</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This Sunday afternoon, we decided to go for a exploration of the wholesale flower market of Mexico City, Mercado de Jamaica. This massive market is apparently *the* place for purchasing flowers for basically all flower vendors in Mexico City and for locals looking for fresh, gorgeous, bargain-priced flowers. We decided to go here with John&#8217;s dad [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/01/19/mercado-de-jamaica-the-flower-market-of-mexico-city/</link>
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		<title>Photo highlights from Querétaro State</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A post with the relevant details of our trip to Querétaro, Tequisquiapan, &#38; the Freixenet Winery will be forthcoming, but for now the behind-in-her-readings MBA student can only be bothered to post a few of the random photo highlights of our 3 day trip to the state of Querétaro&#8230;.
 
 
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		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/01/12/photo-highlights-from-queretaro-state/</link>
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		<title>We are one with Street Food Vendors of Querétaro</title>
		<description><![CDATA[We felt obligated to take advantage of both of us having New Year&#8217;s Day 2009 off from work, and so parlayed it into a 2-night stay in Querétaro, a town of ~1.6 million people located two hours northwest of Mexico City. Our recent string of luck continued, as we happened upon yet another holiday festival&#8211; the town [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/01/04/we-are-one-with-street-food-vendors-of-queretaro/</link>
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		<title>Various Forms of Security in México</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Security personnel are incredibly pervasive throughout México, but we&#8217;ve seen a few incarnations in the last couple months that strike me as particularly amusing.
 
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		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/01/04/various-forms-of-security-in-mexico/</link>
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		<title>Christmas Fun with Orphans</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A quick guest-post by John.  If you follow Julie&#8217;s blog, you no doubt saw me featured as Uncle Sam for the Embassy&#8217;s election night party.  A total sucker, I was quickly convinced to dress up as Santa for the Ambassador&#8217;s annual orphan Christmas party.  About 150 kids from a number of orphanages attended, and it was really touching [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2008/12/29/fun-with-orphans/</link>
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		<title>Back to Nebraska for Christmas!!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This past Saturday, John &#38; I were alternatingly excited to return to the States to visit our family, and depressed to be leaving 72F weather for impending snow &#38; windchills of -30F below zero. After another magical sub-30 minute trip to the airport at 7:30AM, we confirmed that American Airlines is the least organized airline at [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2008/12/24/back-to-nebraska-for-christmas/</link>
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		<title>Mexico&#8217;s Monarch Migration: bazillions of butterflies</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This weekend, John &#38; I took advantage of the Friday I had off of work in honor of el Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe to drive to Michoacán to see the annual monarch butterfly migration! In a nutshell, millions of butterflies migrate from the US &#38; Canada each year starting in November to spend [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2008/12/16/mexicos-monarch-migration-bazillions-of-butterflies/</link>
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		<title>Our first MEXPAT Christmas Party</title>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the organizations that I had sussed out prior to moving to Mexico is MEXPAT, an organization for expats living in Mexico. I like this group because their purpose is simple: to hold monthly social events for foreigners living in Mexico City/Guadalajara/Monterrey, usually at a trendy bar/restaurant and usually involving a fair amount of social lubricant [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2008/12/10/our-first-mexpat-christmas-party/</link>
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		<title>Alternative Energy?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I wonder if these colorful pinwheels serve solely as a fundraising attention-grabber, or if they also have secret powers of energy generation for the car that lies below them. Perhaps Mexico has some secret alternative energy R&#38;D going on that we are not aware of&#8230;?



I fear the donation-soliciting sign may impair the driver&#8217;s vision&#8230;


]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2008/12/10/alternative-energy/</link>
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		<title>Pizza Hut México: Trailblazing paths to new levels of obesity</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I walked to DHL in my neighborhood to mail something today, and on the way home decided to grab a quick personal pizza from Pizza Hut. Yes, it was against my better judgement, but I was in a hurry &#38; we have virtually no food in our house. While waiting for my pizza, I was almost tempted [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2008/12/04/pizza-hut-mexico-trailblazing-paths-to-new-levels-of-obesity/</link>
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