Things I like in Mexico

Apart from the fact that I love to learn new Spanish and Mexican vocabulary every single day (immersion is a great thing), there is lots of other stuff I like here.

Mexico is exotic, it's different, exciting... It's not as cheap as some Asian countries, but still the purchasing power is comparatively high. Nice to be here.

There is even some food I can indulge in.

Tuna (cactus fruit)

The image shows a fruit which curiously enough is called tuna here in Mexico. Actually, as you can see it doesn't have to do anything with the fish, but in fact it's a cactus fruit. However, sometimes I do ask the vendor to get me some atún, which is the actual Spanish word for tuna (this time I mean the fish). Argh, confusing!

Anyway, the vendors are so kind to offer the fruit in an form where the small spines are already removed, so you can safely touch them.

Now you can either peel or cut them. I did the second and it looks like this:

It was quite funny when not only one, but two of my Mexican roomies asked me how to peel or cut the tuna... Erm... Ok, no problem, the German visitor will tell you... But to be honest, I also already had to show them how to properly use a pepper grinder. You wouldn't believe how many ways there are one could do it so wrong that there doesn't come out anything. Man...

Enough dissing, back to the fruit. When ripe, it has a sweet, yet refreshing and watery flavour, especially when chilled. The seeds are a bit tough to bite, but that's not really a drawback. Actually, I like tuna so much, I had it almost every day since I came to Mexico.
Indeed, tuna is even featured in Mexico's coat of arms:

Once I found a restaurant where they served Agua de Tuna, that is cactus fruit with lots of water, a bit of sugar and lime juice. Sooo good. Unfortunately it's not a common flavour for the omnipresent aguas.

While preparing my fruit bowl I came across another "mystery".

Why are the small labels on kiwi fruits always adhered in the very center? I don't know anybody I cuts a kiwi lengthwise, so probably 99% of all consumers will have to fiddle it of. Now, what I wondered: Is this just coincidence? Or is it for technical reasons? For example it could be the best spot for the machine to put on the labels. But honestly I think there's some badly underpaid poor guy who does nothing else but sticking labels on kiwi fruits... Or perhaps it's the best place to scan the label.

OR is it marketing, because everybody will look at the label when stripping it off. Jeez, I'm really influenced by my studies!

Finally, two announcements.

Number 1:
On Monday is Independence Day in Mexico. That's why already now you don't see anything but red white green (and golden emblems) wherever you go...

Number 2:
Today we had dinner at a pizzeria, where not only the food was very good, but also the ambience. This didn't even stop behind the toilet door.

Watching you! But no problem, always wanted to have Superman as Big Brother ;-)

Tata!