So it's Good Friday, I'm told, and with 90% of the Mexican population registered as Catholic, that means most people do not work in Merida today because with the Catholics making up the majority, today is recognized as a national holiday. Perhaps, the title of this post gives it away, but I was not raised Christian, so I am bit clueless when it comes to Christian holidays. Ok, I'm a bit clueless in general, my mother had to call and remind me it was Passover the other day and I still have not called my grandparents...shoot! (Must remember to do that this weekend.) My dad was raised Christian but always told me he just recognized himself as a "Christmas-tarian". He encouraged my mother to raise us Jewish because she was more religiously inclined. I was that lucky kid, envied by all her friends, because I got Hannukah and Christmas--double the presents! But back to Good Friday, I didn't even know it was a special day until my friends from work told me that most businesses would be closed today (except for our office of course because the American company that we work for does not recognize Mexican national holidays). I'm still confused why this holiday is called "Good Friday" though. I asked my Catholic friends what was being celebrated and they said this holiday is observed to remember Jesus being nailed to the cross, so I scratched my head and said "what's so good about that?"...I didn't really get a response to that one. I did quite enjoy when one of them went on to say, "and Easter Sunday celebrates Jesus miraculously coming back to life and exiting the cave he was buried in with a basket of chocolate eggs and a bunny hopping behind him." Now it all makes sense! I decided since most of Merida had the day off, I'd take today off from work as well as a planned "mental health day", something I think everyone needs to do once in while, especially after a stressful month at work!
I started the day by first going to check out a new gym and trainer that I heard about in a Yucatan Today facebook post. The gym itself is located in this brand new boutique hotel, called Rosa y Xocolate, on Paseo Montejo, which is a really uniquely refurbished bright pink mansion. I really liked the small gym facility (brand new machines) and the fact that the 1500 pesos (a little over $100) per month rate would include 24-hour access to the gym, the full services of the personal trainer during his scheduled hours, and 1 massage per month from the spa (even though the spa probably won't open until next month). A personal trainer who you can see everyday and a gym membership to a small exclusive club in the US would run HUNDREDs if not THOUSANDs of dollars a month, so I'm definitely giving it some thought even though it's more than double what I've been paying for my current gym. I'm thinking that having a trainer would help accelerate my weightloss efforts by giving me a more effective routine and discipline. My current work-out routine is 50 minutes on an elliptical machine 5 times per week, which definitely burns calories, but I'll fully admit that I make a b-line for the locker room and avoid the weights and resistance machines after I'm done with my cardio because I'm intimidated by all the cables and doohickies that have to be clicked into place. I'm guessing the trainer could help me with that.
After checking out the new gym, I wanted to get in a full work-out, so I headed over to my current gym at the Fiesta Americana, one of the big hotels in town, and did the elliptical for close to an hour. I then indulged myself by having an 80 minute massage at their spa (20% discount with my membership)...pure bliss! By the time I was leaving, I was beyond relaxed, but HUNGRY because my refrigerator was empty this morning. I had planned on going over to my favorite salad joint, GoGreen (an American chain) on Prolongacion Montejo, for a hearty & healthy late-afternoon lunch, but when I got there, I realized they'd closed for the holiday much to the dismay of my grumbling stomach. I quickly scanned my brain for other places I could try, but I knew my normal lunch joints, which include the "Chilanga" cocina economica (Mexico City style food) around the corner from my office, called Platos Rotos, where they know me so well that they're willing to make me a grilled chicken breast with salad and soup (not on the menu) any day I can't find something healthy in the daily specials and Pollo Brujo, a delicious local grilled chicken chain restaurant a block and half down the road from my office, would both definitely be closed for Good Friday.
So I did what any person raised in a good Jewish American household would do...I tried a Chinese restaurant! And sure enough, it was open. Thankfully, Chinese food is one of the few foreign foods popular enough in Mexico to have restaurants scattered around Merida. I had the thought to look for a Chinese restaurant because my Jewish family often went out for Chinese on Christmas (the one Christian holiday given as a day off to all Americans) when I was growing up. It is a tradition for a lot of American Jewish families, in fact. With nothing to celebrate other than a free day off from school/work/etc. for us (not a holiday that we feel we need to be at home with family for), and the Chinese restaurants being the only ones that open for business that day--it's a natural fit. If you don't believe me, walk into an American Chinese restaurant on Christmas and I bet you'll find the majority of tables will be occupied by Rosenblums, Steins, Goldbergs, and Silvermans! I am grateful that I had that American Jewish "survival knowledge" for where to eat on a Christian holiday to tap into; it meant that I did not go hungry in Mexico today. I was even able to make a relatively healthy meal out of wonton soup and mooshoo gai pan chicken with steamed white rice. The little extra container of Chile included for the Mexican palette was a pleasant addition as well. I am starting to appreciate the Yucatecan concept of if your mouth isn't burning after a meal, it really can't be classified as "rico". I'd like to tell Chinese restaurants owners that they're doing a great MITZVAH (good deed) for the hungry, cooking-resistant non-Christian populations of the US and Mexico by being open on all holidays! Gracias Chinos!
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