“Bueno?”

Earlier this morning like many times when my phone rang I picked it up and said “bueno?” (“bueno” = good, well, fine). Later when I hang up I pondered on why I just like the rest of the population in Mexico answers “Bueno” when we pick up the phone. As much as we go into depth, this term doesn’t have anything to do with answering the phone.

As a writer and a Teacher a great part of my job requires me to play detective the vast majority of times because I get bombarded with random questions such as “what is the origin of this,” “how did this get started,” “why this?,” etc, therefore it is very important to be prepared.

The first thing I decided to do was ask my students, friends and neighbors why use that word when answering the phone but unfortunately apart from some of them looking at me ackwardly with a big question mark on their heads, not one single soul knew.

Since I was unable to get to the bottom of that matter I decided to search on the wonderful worldwide web that has the answer to almost everything. After typing up different words to find an answer, something finally came up and it stated that Mexico is the only country where people use this term when they answer the phone. “Bueno” could sound abrupt, like saying? “Well, what now, what do you want?.”

It is a term which means something positive and it can also have a rude and abrupt meaning depending on how it’s used.

According to my research long ago in the 1920’s 1930’s when the telephone system came into use and technology was not too advanced, every call was made through an operator causing calls to be choppy and staticky. Therefore people had to test the line before they started their conversation to make sure the line was clear and then proceed. The operator would ask “bueno” meaning that the line was clear and communication was good to make sure everything every call had been made without running into any difficulties.

It was better to use “bueno” then “Buena.” In Mexico adjectives identify gender; “a” used at the end of an adjective describes a female. And “o” used at the end of an adjective describes a male. Keep in mind that every language has regular and irregular adjectives so in Spanish many times adjectives don’t take either infix “a” or “o.”

Nowadays there are different ways to answer the phone such as “hello,” “hola,” or “si.” It is a matter of which one each person likes or prefers. Just like Mexico each country has its own way or many ways to answer the phone. There have been times when people make fun of this which makes one think, “Have they asked themselves why they answer the phone like that in my country?”

It would be interesting to dig into each country’s word origin but it’d also be time consuming so people much rather ignore these matters than investigate them.

The Alarming Impact of Obesity

According to statistics, the U. S. is currently leading the world in obesity with Mexico coming a close second, taking into consideration that the latter is estimated to take the lead in obesity and overweight in less than ten years. A report on BBC Mundo, states that Mexicans have slowly replaced tacos, enchiladas, beans and tortillas with pizza and hamburgers and if these habits are not changed, 90% of the population will be obese at a swift pace.

These are alarming signs due to the lack of physical activity which affects people of different ages. Although human beings are born to move around, many opt to sit in front of the t.v. and be sluggish. One of the major factors causing obesity to increase rapidly is that now there are more working mothers spending very little time in the kitchen, therefore it’s easier and less time consuming for them to pick up “junk” food and insert it in the microwave. People have gotten used to abundant and greasy meals and unfortunately they transmit this “culture” to their children.


Currently Mexico is at an average of 70 million overweight and obese people. This puts children between the ages of 5 and 11 at 4 million and adolescents at more than 5 million. And this is only the beginning; we are still awaiting to face the worst not only with obesity itself but with all the illnesses entailed to it. Do these alarming signs make us conscious of our health? Many think that it is about vanity, yet, they don’t see further than the physical benefit gained when leading a healthy diet.

There is a big difference between a set of healthy love handles and being overweight which people don’t seem to realize. Many health and Fitness experts like Gilberto Solares, co-owner of One Wellness are on the look for a solution. He says, “It’s not only about losing weight, it’s about having a balance in your life” you must start from the inside. “Ser”, know who you are, where you come from and what you really want. “Hacer” take action, do what is needed in order to reach your goal healthwise. “Tener” be able to see the results. It’s not about food, it is about how much you consume and how to balance it.

Other factors such as worry and stress make us put on weight quicker so let’s start a healthy life today and make a difference. There are many ways not to put our nutritional values on the back burner; Get a membership at a gym, go running, walking at a park, stay active, keep moving around and keep in mind that being healthy is not an obligation, it’s a state of mind, it’s a habit, a lifestyle. Once you have reached this phase, you will be a better person, helping yourself as well as others live a happier and healthier life. Visit One Wellness at: Golfo de Cortés 2959 Vallarta Norte Zona Minerva in Guadalajara. www.onewell.net , 3616-8027

“El Molcajete”

“El Molcajete” is a Spanish word that most everyone who visits Mexico is familiar with. But many people don’t know its origin, how long it’s been around or all of its uses. The Molcajete has been a symbol in the culinary culture of Mexico for approximately 6000 years. The word derives from the Náhuatl word “Molcaxitl,” which means “cajete para salsa,” or salsa bowl. Made of volcanic stone, it serves the function of a blender (the modern day blender wasn't invented until 1922) for grinding peppers and tomatoes to make a better flavored salsa. It was used to make different types of salsas for the Aztecs, Emperors and even for the Conquistadores.

On top of this, el molcajete comes with a matching hand-held grinding tool known as a “tejolote.” The tejolote is the size of your grip which is used to grind the chilis and tomatoes.

Now, when you ask yourself, “What makes a Mexican kitchen stand out?”
We can point out many differences but let’s start with the must haves in a Mexican kitchen.

1) The molcajete – You can always make a good salsa but if you
want to make it more authentic and add more to spice to it, the molcajete is a
plus.

2) “Comal” – The grill: It is a flat, round heavy–duty
grill used for authentic Mexican cooking. Although a comal can last you a
lifetime, it doesn’t offer any additional flavor from its cooking surface.

3) “ Tortilladora” – The tortilla press: It is a traditional
tortilla press to make fresh homemade tortillas and “gorditas.” All you have
to do is prepare the dough and once it’s ready, flatten it out by squeezing the handle of the tortilla press.

4) Metate – It is known as a mealing stone, a ground stone
tool which is used for grain and seed processing. “Metates” were used by women
to grind and calcify maize as well as other organic materials when they prepared
food many years ago. Nowadays “metates” are found all over the world.

5) “Chiles” – when you walk into a Mexican kitchen if you
don’t find chilis, it is not an authentic Mexican kitchen. A Mexican meal
without spice, it loses its authenticity.

6) “Condimentos”- “cominos,”cumin, a type of plant,
“clavos,” “oregano”, “hierbasanta,” an herb used when making mole,“tomillo,” thyme, a mint plant and “laurel” are a few of the spices used in a Mexican kitchen.

Molcajetes have become very popular outside of Mexico in the last few years so if you don’t already have one, you can find them in a few stores in Tlaquepaque. They are also available in Tonala for a lot less money. Ask around in one of the stores on Tonaltecas and they’ll be able to point you in the right direction. But keep in mind that molcajetes are heavy and not the easiest things to carry around. If you are thinking on taking one back to the States, save yourself all the trouble and just buy one at Crate and Barrel for 30 dollars. Molcajetes now come in different sizes, sometimes the color may even vary, depending if you want to add a more Mexican touch.
You can also find one in many “mercados,” in California where the Mexican culture is more instilled since Latinos are no longer a minority.

“Dia de los Reyes”

January 6 the day of the three Wise Men or better known as “Día de los tres Reyes Magos”

Ex-pats, Mexicans, Latinos, Chicanos, Pochos, Hispanics or any foreigner who has been living in and outside of Mexico and doesn’t know the story about January 6th, here’s a brief scope of it:

Long ago, from an area now being Iran or Saudi Arabia, after Jesus was born, wise men came looking for him. Even though nowadays they are often called the “Three Kings”, it is not stated in the bible how many there were, or that they were kings. The reason why they are called the “Three Kings” is because each one of them brought with them a gift. To this day we can probably still call them “Philosophers or Scientists” since they were certainly men of learning. When you look at the sky, you will see that there is an unusual star – that is, three lined up stars, each one representing each King, and also represents the birth of a special king, baby Jesus.
According to many stories, the Three Kings went east following the direction of the star until they found the stall where Mary, Joseph and Jesus had been staying.
The purpose of the three gifts were to honor the child; gold, a gift suited for a King, frankincense (incense which gives a beautiful scent when is burned), it was used to worship God, and myrrh, a sign of mortal human – ness which was used to bury the dead.

This tradition is followed each year on January 6th with a “rosca” with plastic figurines in it representing “the King” baby Jesus. On this day, friends and family get together to cut and eat the “rosca” and drink hot chocolate. Each person cuts a slice of rosca and the fortunate ones who get the figurines become the “Godparents”. The Godparents are responsible for buying clothing to dress the figurine representing baby Jesus follow the celebration 27 days later on “Dia de la Candelaria” (February 2nd); tamales among many goodies are made on this day. Mexicans don’t need a special day nor a reason to celebrate, every day is a party for them. Their spirits are filled with happiness all the time.
Dia de la Candelaria
February second, Dia de la Candelaria the many baby Jesus figurines are taken from their nativities to the church to be blessed. All the supermarkets paint, restore and dress the figurines for the occasion, and once this is done, the nativity is put away on this day, February second until the following year – when the next Christmas season begins.

Dia de la Bandera/Flag Day February 24th, 1887

Like in many countries, the Flag is considered the most important symbol. In the Mexican motherland, their Flag is the symbol of unity and sovereignity, designating February 24th to commemorate it since it represents several events of the historic developments of Mexico. As Mexico developed as a Republican and Democratic Country, they thought it necessary to adopt its “own symbols” which represented the cultural and social characteristics of “El Pueblo Mexicano.” Mexico’s National Flag was created in 1821 by the "Three Guaranties" Army, as the Plan of Iguala was proclaimed; the Plan of Iguala promised to establish three guaranties: religion, independence and union. By establishing these three guaranties, they adopted three colors to represent them: green, representing its independence, white representing its purity of religion and red representing the union of Americans and Iberians. This Flag was endorsed by the signatories of the pact of Independence, the Royal Army official Agustín de Iturbide and Vicente Guerrero.During the few years of the First Mexican Empire, there was a law requesting the flag to change position; on the white fringe edges the eagle was settled alone, with its wings open and the head was on the side, wearing the Imperial Crown. But in 1823, the Constitutional Republican Congress ordered that the Emblem must be presented according to the Indian tradition; the eagle on the side and posing on a cactus eating a serpent and without the Imperial Crown.The National Emblem was originally introduced on the flag during the Second Empire of Maximilian of Hapsburg (Emperor of Mexico from Hungarian descent), when a flag with the eagle under the Imperial Crown was adopted. Then, long term dictator President Porfirio Díaz ordered to have the eagle placed in the front with her wings extended. After that, the emblem was changed again by Revolutionary President Venustiano Carranza, who decided to have the eagle placed on its left side and that it kept the Mexicans conception of the founding of Great Tenochtitlan (the old Aztec Mexico City). In addition to this, a tricolor ribbon was included symbolizing the patriotic unity joining the branches of encino and laurel.As of February 24th 1937, the day of the Flag is celebrated at the monument of General Vicente Guerrero, (the first Mexican soldier to swear allegiance to the Flag in the event known as the "holding of Acatempan" of 12 March 1821).