Gods, Gachupines and Gringos

GODS, GACHUPINES AND GRINGOS
A People's History of Mexico

The first general history of Mexico to be published in English in nearly thirty years, Richard Grabman's Gods, Gachupines and Gringos is one of the only Mexican histories ever written with the general reader in mind.

Gods, Gachupines and Gringos is written in a radically non-academic style, putting flesh and bones on the dusty figures of the past and shedding light on the common humanity of the Mexican people throughout history, often with suprising wit and humor.

Approximately 500 pages, 6 x 9 paperbound SUMMER 2008

"Sixty Minutes" producer Frank Koughan has called Richard Grabman "The best foreign writer in Mexico". Grabman's website, The Mex Files, reviews Mexican culture and politics, often from a historical perspective. Grabman, who presently divides his time between Mexico City and Mazatlán lived in Mexico City between 2001 and 2005, when he moved to Alpine Texas to work on Gods, Gachupines and Gringos and to look at the border situation. In Alpine, he also worked for several local newspapers. Presently, he divides his time between Mazatlán and Mexico City. Richard Grabman can be emailed at richard-AT-editorialmazatlan.com.

Link to the Editorial Mazatlán Bookstore

Semana Santa en Melaque

The kids have been out of school for a week now and a few days I've become the babysitter including cleaning up, butt wiping, clothes changer and chauffeur. We went to the Saint Patrick's festival for fireworks and carnival, watched cartoons, played computer games .... and went to the airport to pickup Ron and Dora. Kids hadn't been to an airport before.

So Ron and Dora are here and 3 of their family from San Luis Potosi and the house is full, the streets are full and the beaches are full. We had everybody over for asada (bar-b-que) yesterday. We are considering a waterpark outing because it's impossible to get a table in a beach restaurant unless you grab it like 9am

Ron putting it on the Barbie


Kids table


Hot dog


Semana Santa crowds and this is the unpopular end of the beach due to wave size

Gatos Rateros

To those of you that missed the feather duster episode a few months back .... our cats had been bringing these things home and leaving them by the door. Well, it stopped for a few months, (no more in neighborhood?), but last week it started up again with another duster. Yesterday we found a baby blanket by the back door. The cats are fixed so that is not the reasoning. Simply rateros !!!

Stolen feather dusters

You wouldn't think it of him

Flag folding your plastic bags

A lesson I learned living with my Mexican family here in Melaque. Here's a French how-to video so this is not a Mexican or regional 'thing'

The Afilador - Knife sharpener

I was out in back busy with something and heard a new whistle in the neighborhood. I just figured it was kids with a new toy but Mari came in and said the Afilador is here and asked if I wanted the machetes sharpened. He has a small plastic pan flute that he announces himself with. So for 40 pesos apiece he sharpened my machetes while telling stories and jokes - a real character. 10 pesos extra for fotos ;)-

I hear this guy (or another) can ruin a good kitchen knife so beware !!

Mari talking to the Afilador

Telling one of his stories

Sharpening one of my machetes


Afilador, Melaque, Costalegre, Mexico