Well, now we are up to 400+ replicas (after quakes) from the March earthquake. Most of them are not even noticed, but it would appear that all of this is not over yet. Last week there were three strong earthquakes in different places in Mexico, and one or two of them got people in Mexico City to leave the buildings. That means the people felt it enough to know, get scared, and walk out of the buildings where they were working, houses where they live, etc.
It is very disturbing to have all of these after quakes, and gives you the impression that another big one is trying to break out. The fault that causes this earthquake situation hasn’t seated itself yet, and that means that until it does, we will have more of the same. We (Mexico) have a Mayan myth that according to ancient prophesies the world will end in 2012 of the Mayan Calendar. The government and others play that down. The actual Mayan myth is that a new Calendar (end of the old one) will begin, so some “experts” interpret this. None-the-less it doesn’t help the situation here.
Tule’s family in Pinotepa National basically are living in the back yard of their houses because it has caused widespread panic and fear. In that area, the earthquakes are up and down shaking, like a Mexican jumping bean, moving the buildings up and down about an inch. They are usually accompanied by a lot of noise like the earth is breaking. Tule laughs at what we called earthquakes here, because they are circular in motion and not as scary.
Most people here in Mexico City don’t worry much about these earthquakes either, and when “the big one hits”, they just hope they won’t be in a structure that collapses. Personally I like houses with 1 floor, because in a few dozen steps you are outside. My first year here I rented an apartment on the 9th floor, and since you cannot use the elevator in an earthquake, and there were 2 flights of stairs on each floor, and two stories of parking before the first floor, and meant I had to “run” down somewhere aroung 22 flights of marble (like glass) stairs, and I figured out with the first tremor that the building would fall way before I ever got all the way down those things, or I would break my neck running, so just walk normal (and pray fast and a lot while walking).
Our church continues to grow some and retreat some. We have another new family, Paul and Lulu. Carlos and Diana (our other new family which is Adolfo’s nephew) don’t seem to be very faithful over time. Paul and Lulu are coming from the center of the city, about one and half hours transit time without a car. They seem very happy with our church, and like the preaching. Marcos and Sonya (a core family) decided to leave our church and go to another one, and apparently it was over some personal problems they had in their marriage. Sonya didn’t want to go to the same church as Marcos. We talked with them, and it appears they have returned with us.
Tule and I continue to “get old”, and we have continuing aches and pains. My diabetes advances. I am having more problems with my eyesight (having a lot of problems reading the kids school books), and my cholesterol and triglycerides are high (but strangely my glucose is actually lowering). I decided to go to an internist doctor with this (at the suggestion of a General Practionist “regular” doctor), and I am trying to cut out all fats and greasy things, and all red meats. Kind of boring diet, but I guess that is what I have to eat.
For you guys who have never tried it, try cooking green snapped beans (the ones with long casing which are snapped, not shelled), boiling them first, then take some and put them with egg whites (scrambled) for breakfast. Not too tasty, but ask your doctor. They are very high in fiber, and with egg whites you can eat them without cholesterol concerns. (I have to have them in a taco, with a little bit of Texas Pete hot sauce or ketchup.)