Viva Espana: More Thoughts on Equatorial Guinea

I've traveled to 8 countries in Africa each with a unique culture, feel, andvibe but nothing could've prepared me for the culture shock that was EquatorialGuinea. I'd first learned of the country when deciding on what language to takein college. Friends who knew that I wanted to focus on Africa pushed me tostudy French but growing up in a Latino neighborhood meant that I could roll my"rr's" better than I could pronounce throaty French words. Afterdeciding to stick with Spanish I often shrugged, “at least I can move toEquatorial Guinea” knowing it was the only Spanish speaking country on thecontinent. At that time it was just a smart alec retort to people whoquestioned my lingual choice rather than an actual destination. Fast forward 8years and there I was boarding a plane to Malabo, Guinea Ecuatorial - look atGod!

After spending nearly two years in Mexico, hearing Spanish coming fromAfrican faces was a bit jarring at first. To complicate things people spokeSpanish with a Spanish accent but English with an African accent...I kind ofwanted to hear what Spanish with an African accent sounded like - better lucknext time. Downtown Malabo could easily be Puebla, Mexico or San Jose,Dominican Republic - the Spanish influence in the city is unmistakable. Theculture of the Spaniards is actually felt a bit stronger in Equatorial Guineathan in Latin America. The language is spoken much closer to the Queen's(Isabella) Spanish than the multi-faceted accents spread across Cuba, Colombia,Mexico and other former colonies. Perhaps the lack of Spanish colonialneighbors stunted that next phase of cultural development. I did notice thatthe word “Bano” didn’t translate which became a bit problematic in the weehours of the morning.

Beyond the architectural and historic references to the former colonialpower, present day connections to Hispanic culture were alive and well. On ourfirst night we went on a "beverage" run only to discover that ourside of the road vendor only sold Spanish spirits (bummer for Ciroc aficionadoslike me). Brandy, Gin, and an interesting pineapple drink (not juice) all madein Spain, we had never heard of any of them…but made do. Every nightclub had atleast one set of salsa, merengue, and you guessed it - Reggaeton. If I closedmy eyes for a moment, I could've easily transported myself to Mexico City,Veracruz, or Oaxaca with my ears.

When one of the drivers heard that I lived in Mexico heconfided that he wants a Mexican wife and asked if I could bring him one? Igave him the major side eye and told him he’d been watching way too manytelenovelas. At least ask me to bring you a Beyonce! Lol.

Saturday marks one week back from the adventure so staytuned for more recaps of my trip.

Ciao!

Sasyrae

One Year Ago - I Found My Dad on FB

Exactly one year ago, I was in Cuernavaca, Mexico in a pretty deep funk. I was in language school, trying to adjust to being an expat, missing my son, and dealing with a pretty sucky love life - the center of which happened to be sitting in front of me every day.

After a "I'm just not that into you" conversation with the fella of the moment I felt an overwhelming sadness that I couldn't explain. The romantic situation wasn't that deep and I've never been one to get hung up too much on dating and boyfriends in general.

For a few days, I cried uncontrollably. The tears streamed on the rooftop, they came visiting Hernan Cortes's castle, they came after leaving Josephine Baker's home, and they came in the middle of the night. I began to think I should be looking for an arc I was crying so much!

At some point I sat still at a coffee shop and something told me to find my Dad immediately. For 28 years I haven't had a dad and he didn't know that he had me. I'm the glowing product of a one night stand which I found out at about age 14.

Since finding out I wondered who my dad was or what he looked like since my mom explained that so much about me looked like him but with the oh so common name he had and no cheap means to do a search I placed it in the nearly impossible box.

Since the coming of Google I had casually searched for him but never with any real fervor. After the birth of my son, my interest peaked a bit more. But never with the intense force of this internal or universal directive.

There I sat in Cafe Cielo and typed "Mark Blake" into the search engine. Within seconds a Facebook name came up and I clicked. There appeared to be this global wild man with an afro and thick eyebrows just like me. He had an Arab/Hispanic look, a comment I get all the time. Reading his profile I saw that he too studied biology and that the people he admired the most in the world were "the impoverished". Tug at the heart strings for someone who has made a career in international poverty fighting organizations.

I literally couldn't move. Could this be him?!?! I didn't know what to do. I looked up at the visiting fella and simply said "I think I found my dad - what should I do?" He looked at me with a pretty funny face and said message him!

I think we reviewed that first message and dissected every word at least 10 times before I pressed send and then we waited. He wrote back an hour later and we batted around questions and possibilities over the course of the day. Our host family had no wi-fi so I was prepared to close the coffee shop down!

It appeared that I had stumbled upon the wrong man...complete blower. In my resignation I messaged that my mom mentioned that they met at a NY nightclub called "blackberry Jam". He didn't respond anymore that day and I thought that maybe I'd scared him off. The next day we trekked back to the coffee shop and I logged on...hoping to have heard something from him. Surely enough I saw messages in my Facebook inbox and the most recent one was from him.

"I think I am your father" - the most fulfilling words I've ever heard in my life. We immediately started chatting and then he asked if I had Skype. Of course being the tech savvy traveller that I am, I obliged. I think I cried for the first two minutes of the call. The overwhelming sense of completion was beyond anything I could've imagined.

We talked about so much over those first few days. All the funk I was in disappeared.

Not only had I found my father but I found an amazing example of a man. A good father to both of his other children he is also a raw food vegan, wood floor company owning, house music D-Jaying, meditating, Nicaraguan farm and wellness center owning guru.

My dad is my super hero. I give him a hard time because he is the most amazing person I know. He has accepted me and my son and has been there for me in the past year as if we were never apart. I have an entirely new family that I'm thankful for, two new brothers who are so similar to me it's scary and most importantly I have PEACE.

Since meeting and establishing a relationship with my dad my outlook on the world is different. I think of him and his words and I try to use them to guide me. My love life while far from perfect, is not bent on a man filling any father gap in me. My father loves me and I love him to this world's end. I cannot even imagine the days before him. We've had our first falling out and are still learning to understand our different perspectives but I wouldn't trade him or our experience for anything else.

So today I'm giving thanks to God for giving me my dad when I needed him most!

Veracruz - Capital of Mexico's Third Race

"Here in Veracruz we have three races - Spanish, Indian, and Black with the blood of Ghana, Senegal, and Nigeria" - Taxi Driver in Veracruz, Mexico

The Zocalo in Veracruz

Statue of Yanga

The first time I visited Veracruz was for Carnavale 2011, the little known celebration is actually one of the biggest in Latin America. Outside of the West Indian Parade in Brooklyn, I had never experienced such a thing. Carnavale here is fantastic, as soon as you set foot in the city you are greeted by smiles, music, and dancing. Before moving to Mexico I did a google search on "Blacks in Mexico" hoping to find some semblance of home. What I found instead was an interesting (if not alltogether publicized) history of black slave descendants in Veracruz and also Costa Chica on Mexico's Pacific coast. I put Veracruz on my MUST DO list and embarked on my 4 hour journey from Mexico City 3 months later.

Contrary to Wikipedia's belief that most Afro-Mexicans have forgotten their African heritage, Veracruzanos celebrate the diversity of their region and their ties to both Africa and Cuba. From African themed restaurants to the celebration of Yanga (an escaped slave who founded the first free settlement for blacks in the Americas) - the people of Veracruz are very fond of their storied history as the first port of Mexico.

Chiquitas with Afros @ Carnavale 2011

Hawaiian Themed Carnavale Truck

 I came to Carnivale with my Senegalese friend Ndeye Ndack and we were overwhelmed by the hospitality afforded to us, accustomed to long stares in Mexico City, we were pleasantly surprised by the warmth of Veracruzanos. Even with the intensity of the huge music trucks and dancers during the parade, people who spotted us from the floats shouted Negritas and Morenas!!!! from the top with huge applause and even ran to the stands to grab us and dance in the streets.

Fresh Seafood @ El Negro del Estero

After Carnavale, Veracruz had won my heart but I had to go back again to check out the city when it's quiet. Last weekend, I quickly learned that Veracruz is NEVER quiet, even when the seasonal "Norte" winds whip upon the coastline, the city still feels more Havana and less DF. On the weekends, each square in the centro is filled with bands, jarachas, and salsa dancers. If you're familiar with the song "La Bamba" you can imagine the air here - check out an article on the songs' origens in Veracruz here. Music and the best mariscos (seafood) in Mexico permeate the city. We had already scoped out dinner at a place called "El Negro del Estero" from out last visit that has hands down the freshest seafood I've had in my life and I'm from Long Island! We checked out La Casona, one of the biggest nightclubs in the city but were dismayed when the music turned from reggaton and merengue to Mexican rock (which I could do without lol). We quickly moved to a local bar next door and within minutes I was hoisted onstage for a dance contest. The contestants were myself, a beautiful Afro Veracruzana, and another young lady. They saved me for last (I think my curly fro gave them high expectations) and even served up "Get Busy" by Sean Paul to inspire some moves from me. Needless to say I walked off stage a ganadora with a bottle of tequila and bucket of coronas as my prize.

Fresh coconut water on the beach

The next day we hit the beach, grabbed some lunch and headed to the centro to shop at the market and check out some of the folk dance shows in the zocalo. My French counterpart remarked that the dance of the Jarochas reminded her of a loose flamenco, to me the rapid footwork and hip movements looked more Caribbean, it's probably a mix of both! We ate dinner in the Zocalo at an amazing little place that was covered with photos from Veracruz Carnavale's heydey. The owner was a man in his 70's that was singing and moving his hips with every step. We again dined on mariscos but this time octopus in ink which was absolutely delicious. We finished the night with rounds of Pina Coladas (in the style of Puerto Rice as the sign indicated) and headed back to our hotel.

Carnavale's Heydey

Beyond the city, the state of Veracruz is also known for it's nature adventures, it has some of the best rapids in Mexico. We woke up at 8am and drove about an hour and a half north near Xalapa, Mexico to experience whitewater rafting here for ourselves. I had only been once in West Virginia but this trip blew that one out of the water. I'm not sure if it was the scenery or our witty guide but we had a blast. The rapids were intense enough to leave us soaked but not scared. We even finished our trip in hot sulfur springs which were stinky but indeed a great way to end a long weekend.

Not the government-created tourist towns of Acapulco and Cancun, Veracruz is an oft forgotten gem on the Mexico tourist scene.Carnaval dates for 2012 are February 12-22, I suggest a vacation to the city and surrounding state for a taste of Mexico that doesn't dominate the airwaves.

Ciao!

A Taste of Nawlin's in Mexico City

My friends that have travelled to NOLA always scoff at the fact that I’ve never been. “You of all people should have been to New Orleans by now!” is the oft heard remark. Considering that the city is known for both rich culture and history, but also binge drinking and bare breasts I’m not sure which characterization they identify with me but I’ll go out on a whim and choose the former.

After 7 weeks of trotting across the pond and back again, I am finally home in D.F. (Districto Federal, the local name for Mexico City). I was well overdue for a girls night with my favorite chicas here. Not yet ready to dive head first into la comida Mexicana, I opted for more familiar fare in La Condesa. Zydeco has been on my list for some time, it's next to my favorite pub here and features creole and cajun cuisine.

We decided to order food conducive to rounding out the amazing Hurricanes and Martinis we started out with. I must say, I was skeptical of getting cafish fingers and crabcakes in a landlocked city that doesn’t eat this in the first place. The crabcakes left a lot to be desired…too much salsa picante, not enough crab, but the CATFISH?!?!?!?!?! I’m not sure who was in the kitchen mixing up that cornmeal coating but they were the BOMB.com! Add a little touch of Valentina (best hot sauce in the world) and you are in fried food heaven. We also ordered a side of Cajun fries which were also pretty tasty.

The music was interesting if not always good. The momemt we sat down they started a run of hip-hop mixes (rare for DF) the first of which was Jay-Z's "Who You Wit" over the "I Got 5 On It" beat - random.com but I appreciate Hov at all times. From 90's rock to 80's pop, by the end of the night they were playing TLC's "Ain't Too Proud 2 Beg" as the live band warmed up. Mexico City never ceases to amaze me.

Good drinks flowing, and bellies full, my British and French counterparts were more than satisfied with their new culinary adventure. I opted to fill them in on the heritage behind the food of the big easy and regional/cultural American food traditions while we were at it. 

Zydeco is definitely at the top of my pre-gaming hotspots list. Right on Tamaulipas in the heart of La Condesa you should add it to your list of places to visit if you’re ever among chilangos (after you hit me up of course).

Ciao!