Happy Santiago NL

I Share with you the following video, this experiences we had at my hometown, that's why I miss it so much....

Viva Mexico!!!!

The past September 15th we could achieve one of our 100 things you should do before die... Making the "Grito" at the Mexico's City Zocalo.

Now that we are here, we didn't wanted to let the opportunity pass us by. This ceremony is held each year to commemorate Mexico's independence. So we get all the courage, investigation and mental concentration and we prepared ourselves for a possible "Baño de pueblo" (people's bath).

Cafe de Tacuba

First we stopped to dine at a traditional restaurant: "Cafe de Tacuba", this place inspired the name of the Mexican rock band too. It's a beautiful place with a lot of tradition and you can get the story about the phantom sister that ambulate every night. This place was also Diego Rivera's first wedding site. And what about the food, you can taste traditional Mexican flavors such as: Tamales, Mole, Nogada Chili, Tostadas and Chalupas. We get a good fill to achieve our principal objective.

With our stomachs filled, and our hearts prepared, we headed to the Zocalo, and there we started to get "emotion as well as a little bit nervous". All the city downtown was surrounded by riot police, and because we have never seen any, we started thinking about how many people would be thinking the same thing as us. Somehow we ran into a line and follow it until the entrance. 

Zócalo

Another experience we lived on this lines, is that they separate men from women and children. But because my family is considered childless (2 teenagers, aren't children) I couldn't abandon them, so I went through the men line. And we had to pass 2 separate revisions. By the second one, we separate, but we manage to found ourselves again at the end of the spot. When we get into the Zocalo, we realized that it was a really secure place, and no to worry about disturbs.

Inside the event you couldn't see any peddlers, maybe because of the night or because the security controls. Because we had some time before the "Grito" ceremony we could review that there were some snipers installed at the roofs of each building surrounding the plaza. No one will want to be at this places with the insecurity of a big disturb.

When we arrive to our spot, the concert had started, but the first singer get to the stage about 5 minutes later. Joan Sebastian, who managed to offer a really good concert. The sound, the lights, the songs he played and the type of interaction he had with the people was really adequate to the event. He sang for about hour and a half and when the concert finished, immediately the ceremony started.

Presidente Peña Nieto

We can see through the screens the projection on what happened inside "Palacio Nacional", first the military escort running through the corridors, then the President and his wife met with them and they received the National Flag. The President went out to the balcony for the ceremony.

What happened at Zocalo was Magic, the people that usually shouts at this kind of events, momentarily keep silence. The President rang the bell and pronounced the ceremony words: "Mexicanos.... Vivan los heroes que nos dieron patria" (Mexicans... Hurray for the hero's that gave us this nation)... and the complete Zocalo answered: Viva for each sentence. After that the bell rang again and the National Anthem sang. 

Palacio Nacional

I had lived this experience at some other places, but it was really impressive hear the entire Zocalo singing with pride and nationalism the Anthem. The people forgot everything and lived some fraternity moments.

Of course at the end, we had the fireworks with the music of Cielito Lindo, Zandunga, among other traditional Mexican music. A really marvelous experience that I recommend to have at least once in life.

Cathedral Fireworks

Keep in touch

You are visiting a city or a friend of yours came to visit, what do you do? How do you contact him?...

As I have told before, I have the opportunity to have friends that travel a lot and what I consider really interesting is the way we keep in touch. For this reason, my friends know that if they look up for me, they will find me. Skype, email, Facebook, Whatssapp, Linkedin, any social media is good enough.

One of the most important things related to Networking is the availability, when I have needed information from some people, I like to get answers really soon, and because I like to have this type of fast response, I always, always, always try to do my best and answer really fast too.

Innovación

 When I have traveled to Monterrey, if I have some spare time between events, I find the way to visit my former neighbors, the past 2 times I have commited with a friend to go for lunch to catch up, and the second one I visited my Innovation friends and get an invitation to a congress.

 Some of my former students know where my new office is and they had make some time between events to visit my office, or send me messages to meet at some spot in this city. It's very flatering to know they remember you and that they get some minutes to catch up.

Aldo

Viaje a Xochimilco

Another way to keep in touch with your friends and colleagues is given by the different events and promotional tours we have. The past week I was promoting at the MBA Tour and in my 5 minute break, I identified the stand of a different institution. I went by to say hello, take some pictures, and send greetings to our common contacts. Because of this fast track meeting I got some other invitations to different events at this city, this means more networking.

Jeff

So, here come my advice to get better and maintain your Networking:

1.- Make sure you know where to find your friends, and if possible visit them at their working places, a fast hello visit is always well recieved.
2.- If you have more spare time, make plans to have lunch or dinner, the people like to have special attentions from their friends, and also this little things can make you get forward on your personal proyects.
3.- If possible, make arrangements with time, so you won't surprise your friends and the contact will get better.

95 years of Networking

Blanca Basterra Perea, lived 95 years, she just passed away to reach her siblings, her daughter Marcela and my grandfather Adal. Now she is networking at heaven...

My grandmother just left us, and I am still receiving condolences and affection tokens. What I have being considering since this event is the great friendships and network that she grew during her life.

Grandmom and Gabrie

We met to say goodbye to her at my mother's house and the stories about her life appeared immediately. Blanca was the third of 5 brothers and sisters. She had two daughters, Marcela and Ana María, also grandchildren, uncles, nephews, cousins and some close and not so close relatives. She had a really good relationship also with her godchildren. She was a flirty and joyful woman, she liked the music, knitting, painting, the good food and the good wine.

One of his nephews told us that at some time they lived close to each other at the condo unit, as a student he gather with some friends to play Poker. One time they have one space left to complete the game. So my cousin asked my Grandmother if she want to join them, "of course" was her answer. They also told me that she was a very good Domino's and Poker's player, as they told me, that was not the only time she were asked to play with the group.

She had this resilience quality, she changed addresses and cities a lot. She lived at Mexico City and at Monterrey in different times of her life. She seem this changes as a moment in her life, and she decided not to cut off communication with her friends, no matter where her city was at the moment. It's important for me to clarify that she never used a computer, had an email account or facebook. I think it doesn't matter to her, because she always keep in touch with all her acquaintances.

95 Anniversary

She had a lot of visitors, the people asked a lot about her, and she kept sending her regrets and calling her friends. She always had "little presents" for the people that visited her, it doesn't matter if it was a little box with pills, a hand cream or some earrings. She always find something for the visitor. Her last 8 years she lived at a nursing home were she had the opportunity to grow more friends and had the chance to prepare herself to her next challenge.

I remember her as a gentle woman and tame, she always find a way to adapt herself to the many situations she had. She lived deeply, enjoy good times and tough times, now she is resting and enjoying the legacy that in life she created.

May She Rest In Peace: Blanca Basterra Perea

Market Networking

The past weekend I went to the Market to get all the stuff for the week, and leave without paying...

This is my first time shopping for groceries at a market, I used to went to the supermarket franchises, because my job duties won't allow me to get on time to this fabulous places that in Mexico are really popular.

Since I came here, the people recommend me to go to the market, and I have to accept that I was reluctant to change my shopping habits. But in the meanwhile I realized that I should adapt myself to buy and consume on the places that the locals do, because trying to maintain my habits is becoming complicated. I think that I should practice my resilience.

Fruits and Vegetables

The first thing I learn to buy was the fruits and vegetables, I have here my "Marchantes" (Sellers), they show me the fresher fruit and they take care that I should not choose yesterday's coriander. This would never happen at a convenience store, if you find your fruit, you take it and no one will tell you anything about its freshness.

Fish Station

Then I went to the fish station, this became a very interesting experience, the lady that sell me the fish, told me which one was the fresher and she gave me a recipe to make a mouth watering fish broth.

I move forward and buy some species to make some "Mole", I always brought the one that is preprepared, now I came home with a bag of "Mole Almendrado" (Almond Mole), and it included the recipe to cook it.

Butcher

 Once I start my shopping, it's difficult to stop me, so I went to the Butcher and he explain me how to ask for smoked pork chops, He promised that those chops will be the better I could ask for. As a good seller he also convinced me to buy ground beef and "longaniza" (kind of sausage).

Pollería

To finish my shopping day, I stopped by the poultry station, remember I had the "mole", now I have to get the next ingredients. It's amazing on how this people make all the cuts, confection, smashing, feather cutoff, etc. I was so interested on the process, and then taking pictures that we came out without paying to my new friend.

The advantage was that on the process, she listen to me that I had to get some bags that I had forgotten and really shy on what happened, she told me that she had forgotten to collect my payment, at this time I don't know who of us was the most ashamed. I apologized and promised to came back to buy to her more chicken, she of course became my new bff.

So my recommendations to make market networking:

1.- People that work at a market want to create a customer relationship, so they are really kind and will try to give you the best service. Seize this opportunity, it is nice to get all this attention at once.
2.- If you become friend of yours "marchantes", the will give you good recommendations, at the end they are the experts on their products and merchandises, and if lucky, you will get an interesting sale offer.
3.- Its a both way relationship, so if one day you forget to pay, for sure they will track you and with a little shame they will collect the payment. In your case, you maybe be ashamed too and will try to avoid to repeat the damage. That is what a friendship is all about, to learn how to apologize and to learn to tell your friend when he is committing a mistake.