Latest / onefjef / Huerto Roma Verde and a Mouthful of Shirt

Transcript

Huerto Roma Verde and a Mouthful of Shirt · onefjef

0:20
Hellooo.
0:21
This is CDMX Dispatch number nine.
0:27
Hello, everyone.
0:29
Just gonna jump in for a quick one today, but I do hope you're all thriving.
0:32
I hope you're all doing wonderfully well.
0:33
I hope you're all enjoying the lives that you have chosen for yourself.
0:39
And if you're not enjoying the life that you've chosen for yourself, then
0:42
I recommend you choose another life.
0:47
It's not so difficult, except that it is.
0:50
It's rather difficult, to be honest.
0:52
But difficult things are important.
0:55
They build character, as they say, or that's what I keep telling myself.
0:59
They're also more exciting than the easy things, so
1:05
Do what you will.
1:06
Do what you will
1:09
For those of you who are wondering, who are saying to yourself or to me, Jef,
1:16
when is the expat, when are the expat episodes going to start coming out?
1:22
My response to that, to you, from me, is they will come out
1:28
in July, beginning of July.
1:30
July 1st is what I'm shooting for, which is a Wednesday, which is perfecto.
1:34
So stay tuned for those.
1:37
I've been extremely busy and overwhelmed for the last couple weeks with all
1:41
sorts of things, life things, work things, social things, Spanish
1:47
things, Mexico things, all the things.
1:52
And I'm taking six hours of Spanish a day.
1:55
This is my last week of six-hour Spanish classes every day.
1:58
Well, two three-hour classes.
2:00
I'm learning a lot, but by the time I'm done, I'm exhausted.
2:03
And one of my classes is always kind of mixed changing people,
2:09
and it's been a fascinating class.
2:11
I wish I could make a sitcom about it, to be honest.
2:16
Um, I, I don't even know how to describe the, the chaos that
2:21
goes on inside of this class.
2:22
I wouldn't say actual chaos, but just hilarity because there's
2:25
people of all different levels in there, and yeah, it's, it's crazy.
2:29
I actually met a, met a, a friend in that class, this, um, 20-year-old
2:34
German guy who is getting ready to hitchhike across the United States.
2:38
Uh, super interesting dude.
2:41
Um, yeah, Germans are just generally interesting in my mind
2:46
'cause they're German, you know?
2:48
I don't know.
2:48
I don't think I've ever met, like, a extremely dull or uninteresting
2:51
German, but again, I haven't met a lot of Germans, so… Not again.
2:56
I didn't say that before, so why did I say again?
2:58
Hmm.
2:59
Habit.
3:01
So yeah, still taking those.
3:02
This is my last week though, two more days of that, and then I don't know if
3:06
I'll go back when I come back to town in three weeks, two weeks, whatever,
3:11
three, um, in, whatever, in July.
3:16
I would like to because I really do enjoy the, uh, classes and the field trip.
3:18
We went on a field trip last Friday and it was super fun.
3:21
Super fun.
3:24
Uh, we went to this place called like Sunken Park.
3:27
I don't know.
3:27
I'm not gonna describe the field trip because it's ridiculous to
3:29
describe things that you experience be-- but, uh, you know what I mean.
3:33
Anyway, it was fun.
3:36
Um, and I'm learning Spanish although I'm now overwhelmed by… Like I've
3:42
learned so many different tenses now.
3:43
There's apparently 17 tenses.
3:45
I may have mentioned this.
3:46
Apparently 17 tenses in Sp- tenses in Spanish and that enough, I don't f- I've,
3:51
I've learned probably six, seven of them but now it's like I'm overwhelmed by it.
3:56
It's very confusing.
3:57
Um, there's a lot of different tenses, a lot of different conjugations, irregular
4:01
verbs, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
4:03
You don't realize how complicated language is until you start
4:05
to learn a language, you know?
4:07
Um, they're complicated.
4:09
You kinda take it for granted because you're just like,
4:11
yeah, I, I have gone to that.
4:13
I have gone to the store a few times.
4:15
Um, I went to the store a few times and just start thinking about the nuanced
4:18
differences between these different…
4:20
Anyway
4:23
It's also rewarding, of course.
4:24
And, and I'm actually proud of myself because I'm getting better at Spanish,
4:27
which I've never really leaned in this much to learning a new language,
4:31
and, uh, it's, it's rewarding.
4:33
So I recommend it to anybody who's considering it.
4:36
Uh, it also makes it easier to understand people here in Mexico City.
4:40
So there's a twofer there.
4:45
So yeah, after I finish those classes, I'll have more time freed up to,
4:50
to, um, buckle down and edit some of these interviews and get them out
4:54
to you, my valued listener, to enjoy and absorb and so forth and so on
5:03
I've also had some work.
5:05
Been doing some work which isn't interesting enough to go into.
5:09
Um, and as I said, I'm moving out of this apartment in, uh, one week
5:13
from today, as a matter of fact.
5:15
Um, and I've had this quite extensive back and forth with the landlord.
5:20
My lease, uh, first off, my lease says that… I wouldn't have signed
5:25
the lease had it not said this.
5:27
It's a six-month lease, but it says either party-- this says this
5:30
in Spanish, so I can't, you know, quote verbatim, but either party may
5:34
leave the lease or, uh, you know, end the lease with 30 days notice.
5:38
So I have given 30 days no- I gave 30 days notice.
5:43
Uh, but the landlord, I guess he didn't understand what the lease said.
5:47
I don't know.
5:48
But he was kind of being a dick about giving me the deposit back.
5:51
I was trying to be as friendly as and open as I could, and, uh, yeah, he was
5:57
just kind of responding with like…
6:00
I think he's just-- I understand he's angry because I'm leaving early, but I
6:03
can't stay in this apartment any longer.
6:06
But that doesn't, you know, justify not giving me the deposit back.
6:10
So I've had to go back and forth with him on, on WhatsApp, of course.
6:14
And last night, I think I had a bit of a breakthrough, I think, and I think that
6:20
it's starting to lean towards I will get my deposit back, but I don't know what the
6:24
terms of that are gonna be or how much of it I'll get back or, or anything really.
6:28
I honestly, you know, say would say a 60% chance right now.
6:34
Sorry, drinking water.
6:37
60%, maybe 65.
6:39
I'd like to get that deposit back.
6:40
It's 21,000 pesos, which is about, you know, 1,200 bucks, maybe 1,250 now,
6:47
because the value of the peso compared to the dollar, or the value of the dollar
6:53
compared to the peso continues to drop.
6:57
I'm 52 years old.
6:57
I don't entirely understand converting money.
7:02
Oh, well.
7:04
I mean, I do.
7:05
I'm not, like, idiotic, but it's just still, you know.
7:08
No matter
7:12
So yes, hopefully we'll get the deposit back, and I've started to pack.
7:17
I've been packing up.
7:18
I'm trying to get the apartment back into a good condition.
7:20
I've got, you know, the apartment's big and there's all
7:23
sorts of nooks and crannies.
7:24
Nooks and crannies.
7:25
Did I just say nooks and crannies?
7:27
I did.
7:28
You did, Jef.
7:28
You said that.
7:29
Oh, well, I don't regret it.
7:31
Um, a lot of places… I-- anyway, this is not exciting to talk about unpacking
7:35
to, to move, but this is what I'm doing.
7:39
Uh, and it kinda feels good to pack 'cause I'm, I'm really ready to
7:41
get out of this, this apartment.
7:43
It's starting to annoy me more and more the closer I get to my exit
7:45
date, which I guess, um, makes sense.
7:48
But yeah, it's not horrible, but I'm just excited about the new
7:52
apartment, and, like, I'm excited, I'm excited about starting, like,
7:55
the new phase of my, of my life here.
7:59
The next round, if you will.
8:01
Not like this is a boxing match, but I mean, in a, in a manner
8:05
of speaking, it kind of is.
8:08
Yeah.
8:10
Went to, uh, f- the Fungi Festival over in Huerta Roma Verde, which is
8:15
this, uh, eco center kind of park right near me here in Roma Sur.
8:21
It's an awesome place.
8:22
If you are living in Mexico City, you should go there just to wander around.
8:25
It's a really, it's a vibe.
8:28
I don't really know how to describe it.
8:29
There's like all sorts of ecological exhibits and, and like buildings and
8:32
like there's a coffee shop there.
8:33
You can sit outside and drink coffee.
8:35
It feels like you're like in a respite from the city 'cause it's
8:37
kind of separate from the city.
8:39
It feels like you're in your own little oasis separate from the…
8:42
There's chickens, there's kitties.
8:44
Kitties, cats.
8:45
I guess there may be a kitty or two.
8:47
I don't know.
8:47
I haven't seen the kitties.
8:50
If I did, I'd be there more often, believe you me, 'cause I like kitties.
8:57
Um, anyway, went with a friend of mine to the Fungi Festival, which has been--
9:02
There's like a festival at this place, Huerta Roma Verde, every weekend and
9:06
I, I'll usually like wander through once every weekend just to see what it
9:09
is, and it's usually, you know, fest- fantasy festival, et cetera, et cetera.
9:13
Uh, but this one was heavily advertised, Fungi Festival.
9:16
Love the name, like fungi.
9:18
Why not?
9:18
Let's go.
9:19
So went to this festival and, you know, there's a lot of vendors
9:22
selling like, like honestly like just a lot of mushrooms,
9:26
obviously, uh, fungi, if you will.
9:29
Uh, but also like, you know, weed, um, mushroom gummies, uh,
9:33
psychedelic, obviously psychedelic mushrooms, all sorts of things.
9:36
I don't know how the law works in Mexico City and how this-- I think
9:39
mushrooms might just be legal here, but marijuana is not necessarily
9:42
legal, but it's kind of legal.
9:44
There's actually places in the city you can apparently go, and I've
9:47
seen one once, where it's legal to stand outside and smoke weed.
9:50
Like there's three legal smoking areas.
9:53
They're not very-- The one I saw was small, and I knew I saw it 'cause
9:56
I just saw this like little area that was kind of roped off a little
9:59
bit with just like 30 people just smoking what I assumed was weed in it.
10:05
So it didn't look fun, but you know, who knows?
10:11
So that's weird.
10:12
Uh, and it's also like what, what exactly is the law here about marijuana?
10:16
I imagine the law is wherever the police at the time decide it's
10:19
going to be, which is usually the case, and then you bribe them.
10:22
But it is very confusing because they're literally like open- openly selling it
10:26
at this, at this fe- fu- fungi festival.
10:29
So
10:32
But it was really fun.
10:33
There was like, my friend knew that one of the, the DJ who
10:35
was playing, so there was a DJ.
10:37
That was fun.
10:38
Uh, we ate some like, um, like weed honey that was honestly delicious.
10:43
They gave you free samples, and it was a, it was a sizable sample, I'll be honest.
10:48
Um, am I saying I'll be honest a lot in this episode?
10:51
I think I am.
10:52
I wonder why that is.
10:54
Hmm.
10:55
Anyway, uh, yeah, the DJ, there was a band playing for a while.
10:58
Um, we talked to this interesting Mexican woman for a while about
11:03
how she's changing apartments.
11:04
There was an amazing band that played.
11:06
I believe it's a cumbia, cumbia band that played.
11:09
I think it's a Colombian music.
11:10
But anyway, cumbia, and they were awesome, and we were sitting
11:13
in this perfect place for them.
11:14
I actually recorded, uh, a little bit of what they sounded like, and
11:19
I'm gonna play that right here.
12:19
Like psychedelic cumbia.
12:21
There's an- another genre that's kind of come out of cumbia, which
12:24
is called psychedelic cumbia.
12:25
I think it came out of Peru or Colombia, and it is like cumbia
12:29
music combined with like, obviously, psychedelia into this very old, new,
12:34
past, present, future kind of a vibe.
12:37
It's really great.
12:38
If you get a chance, give it a listen on the old, uh, Spotify
12:41
or Apple Music or what have you.
12:43
Psychedelic cumbia.
12:46
Just go to, like, some of the top ones or playlist or whatever.
12:49
You, you do what you need to do.
12:51
Um, but yeah, it was, it was really fun.
12:54
It was really fun.
12:55
And, uh, anything else that's gone on in my life that's been exciting?
13:00
Many things have gone on that have been exciting and/or emotional and/or eventful
13:04
in the last two weeks, but a lot of them I'm not gonna go into and because they're
13:09
not interesting, and the others I'm not gonna go into because it's somewhat too
13:12
personal, which you're probably thinking, "But Jef, have you listened to the podcast
13:16
you've been making for the last year?"
13:18
Like it's, it's a little bit personal.
13:20
And I say back to you, "Yes, I realize that," but for some reason, I have been
13:24
inside of myself for the last month or so.
13:28
Maybe you've noticed.
13:30
Maybe la- maybe the last two month.
13:31
Maybe since I've moved here, I've been kind of inside of myself,
13:33
like kind of hiding myself.
13:35
I don't know why this is.
13:36
Not hiding necessarily, but not feeling as open as I have felt in the past.
13:44
For example, when I was on my road trip.
13:47
Maybe it's 'cause there's too much going on.
13:49
I often feel overwhelmed here with all the things, but nevertheless, perhaps
13:54
someday I will talk about all of it 'cause it's dramatic and exciting and a bit sad.
14:01
Quite sad actually.
14:03
Now you're like, "What is it, Jef? What is it?" Sorry.
14:07
While I'm thinking of it though, um, you, you, you there, you know
14:12
what you should do right now?
14:14
Go to patreon.com/onefjef, O-N-E-F-J-E-F, and sign up for as little as $5 a month.
14:20
That's 100 pesos.
14:22
Would more people sign up if I made it, like, $3 a month?
14:25
I wonder.
14:26
Maybe it's too expensive
14:30
I'll consider that.
14:30
If you have thoughts on it, email me at onefjefpod@gmail.com.
14:35
So yes, patreon.com/onefjef.
14:37
Sign up, support the podcast.
14:39
This is an independent podcast.
14:40
I'm the only person involved, and it's a lot of work.
14:44
So every little bit helps, and, uh, you'll feel good, you'll feel
14:49
special, you'll feel like you're making another person feel better.
14:52
And the number one thing that they've found is the, uh, that gives the most
14:56
happiness to people, studies have shown, is doing things for other people.
15:00
So in a sense, I'm giving you a gift of happiness that you can give back to me.
15:05
See what I did there?
15:06
Patreon.com/onefjef, and thank you to all of my present listeners
15:10
or present Patreon subscribers.
15:12
That is, you are my heroes, my idols.
15:15
Um, you are the elite of the elite.
15:18
You are the crème de la crème.
15:20
You are the, uh, apple of my eye as, as it were.
15:25
I think that's enough.
15:26
Thank you very much for continuing to support the podcast.
15:28
Que mas, que mas?
15:36
The World Cup is in full swing here in Mexico City, and, you know, I'm not
15:42
a big fan of soccer, football/soccer, football, football, soccer, whatever.
15:47
I'm not crazy about it.
15:48
Sorry, water
15:53
I'm not-- I've never been that crazy about soccer.
15:55
I played it when it was-- when I was a kid, and honestly, it was a
15:58
bit traumatic, so, uh, uh, after that, I just didn't want to, um,
16:03
I was bad at soccer.
16:04
I was not a good athlete when I was very young.
16:06
I mean, I'm not a good athlete now, I don't think, but I, I do more
16:09
athletic things, and it doesn't matter.
16:11
When I was a kid, I mean, I don't know, five, six, seven, eight, I don't
16:14
know how old I was when I was playing soccer, but I would, I would like for
16:16
some reason I had this… I was addicted to, like, I would take the top of my
16:19
T-shirt and put it in my mouth 'cause I was probably nervous, you know?
16:24
And my dad would yell from the sideline.
16:26
He'd be like, "Jef, get your shirt out of your mouth."
16:31
Why do memories like that stick with you?
16:33
God.
16:34
And there'd be like a big circular circle of slobber, like, on one dot on
16:39
my shirt because I'd had it in my mouth.
16:43
Oh, kids.
16:44
Anyway, but being in Mexico City during the World Cup has really made me, um,
16:49
enjoy and appreciate soccer a little more.
16:50
I still think it's quite slow.
16:52
There needs to be more scoring and excitement, but whatever.
16:55
But yeah, I've gone, watched a few games.
16:57
I went last night with a friend of mine to watch, uh, I don't
17:00
know who even was playing.
17:01
Argentina and Algeria, I think.
17:03
Maybe.
17:04
And, uh, that was super fun.
17:06
Yeah.
17:06
I mean, it's an excuse to go out and have some beers and stare at a TV.
17:11
Um, so I mean, I guess you don't really need an excuse for that, but, hmm.
17:17
And tomorrow is the Mexico City versus South Korea game.
17:20
Tomorrow night, I think I'm gonna go.
17:22
The school, the language school I'm going to is, uh, Lengua y Cultura.
17:27
Shout out.
17:28
I recommend.
17:29
Um, is having a gathering at some bar with whatever students wanna go.
17:35
Um, we're all gonna meet up there, and that seems like fun, so I might just do
17:39
that tomorrow night, which might be later now that you have listened to this later.
17:45
You know what I'm saying.
17:47
Time is but a circle, though.
17:49
In a way, I am recording this podcast, and you are listening
17:52
to it at the exact same time.
17:54
Or perhaps you've already listened to the podcast, and I'm just recording it
17:58
now because time is a circle, my friends.
18:04
Please like, rate, and review the podcast.
18:07
Uh, it does help with the algorithmic gods.
18:09
It makes me feel better to see a new, fresh review there in Apple
18:14
Podcasts, which is the place you should write a review if you can.
18:18
Makes me feel happy, makes me feel like, "Oh, look, somebody wrote
18:21
a nice review about my podcast." Makes me feel warm inside.
18:26
So please go do that, and if not that, then just rate it, uh,
18:30
five, 10 stars, whatever, and, uh, you know, give it a thumbs up,
18:33
subscribe, whatever you need to do.
18:34
Do all those things.
18:36
And if you wanna contact the podcast or follow the podcast, actually…
18:39
Uh, well, I'll do contact first.
18:41
How about that?
18:41
If you wanna contact the podcast, I've already told you, is
18:43
onefjefpod@gmail.com or 669-241-5882.
18:55
669-241-5882. That's kind of like a weird, like, John Cage or something.
19:00
Um, not my best.
19:02
Give it a call.
19:03
Leave a voicemail.
19:04
I may or may not play it on the air, as I deem.
19:07
As I deem.
19:08
Can I end the sentence with just as I deem, or do you
19:11
need an extra word after deem?
19:12
See, I am studying a language.
19:14
Can deem work by itself?
19:15
I don't know.
19:17
Let me know if you want to, 669-241-5882.
19:21
Let me know if deem can be used as a standalone word in the English language.
19:25
Thank you very much in advance.
19:30
And yeah, I, I think that's gonna be it for this week.
19:33
Um, I know it's been kind of scattered and, uh, kind of short
19:36
this week, and I think some people actually enjoy the shorter episodes.
19:39
Maybe they don't.
19:40
Just let me know, 'cause I have no idea what you like.
19:42
What do you like?
19:43
Please tell me, you the listener.
19:46
If you're listening to this right now, please just take a minute
19:49
right now or after you listen.
19:50
Don't stop the podcast, of course.
19:53
As soon as this is over, which is almost over, so y- be ready.
19:57
Pick up the phone, 669-241-5882.
20:00
Leave me a voicemail.
20:01
Tell me what you like about the podcast.
20:03
If you want me to play you on the air, just say so.
20:05
Or send me an email at onefjefpod, a quick email, onefjefpod@gmail.com.
20:09
Say, "I like when you do these episodes. I like when you do
20:11
these." It really would help me.
20:13
Like, I'll give you what you want, I mean, to a degree.
20:16
I mean, let's see how far we can push it.
20:17
If you have requests of what you'd like to hear, just let me know.
20:20
I'll see if I can do that for you.
20:21
I'll take requests.
20:22
Why not?
20:23
I mean, within the bounds of the podcast, you see?
20:28
I'm not gonna go crazy here, right?
20:32
Anyway, I would love to hear your feedback.
20:36
Um, but I am getting more listeners, so thank you to all the-- welcome, and
20:40
thank you to all the new listeners.
20:42
Welcome to onefjef Nation or onefjef Squad or, I don't know, something like that.
20:50
I think onefjef Nation's amazing.
20:52
I mean, that's the thing to do, right?
20:55
onefjef Nation.
20:58
Anyway, yeah, thanks for listening.
21:02
I hope you enjoy.
21:03
Uh, this is not typical of the show.
21:05
Well, maybe it is, actually.
21:06
Maybe old listeners are thinking, "Yeah, Jef, this is exactly what the show is."
21:10
I don't know.
21:11
Maybe it is.
21:12
I clearly have not been reflexive enough, reflective enough when
21:16
it comes to the podcast of late.
21:17
I- maybe I don't.
21:18
I should go back and listen to some of the episodes.
21:21
Who am I kidding?
21:22
I've listened to some of the old episodes, and whenever I listen
21:24
to them, I'm like, "Goddamn, that was better than I thought it was.
21:27
That's actually good." So I like the podcast.
21:31
I like it, and isn't that what's important?
21:34
I'm making a podcast that I enjoy.
21:36
So if you enjoy it too, that's wonderful.
21:40
Let me know
21:45
And yeah, thank you for listening.
21:46
Thank you for being a human being in this world, this chaotic, confusing world.
21:52
Thank you for being a human being that gives me your ears every now and again.
21:58
Um, and I am trying to find a quote of some sort or a, um, you know what
22:08
I mean, to end the episode with.
22:10
Um,
22:13
Oh, is this Carl Jung?
22:15
I don't know.
22:15
My… I have this quote app, quotations app, where I can just-- somebody
22:19
says something wacky, um, I can just write it down so I can remember it.
22:24
I've got a ton in here.
22:25
But my old quotation app became obsolete, so it stopped working.
22:29
So I found a new one, and I've transferred them from the old app,
22:32
but they transferred all weird.
22:33
So some of the attri-attributions, um, are not accurate.
22:37
But I think… Well, let me know if you think this is
22:39
actually Carl Jung, um, famous psychotherapist, so forth and so on.
22:44
But it's a good quote, whoever said it, but I think it was Carl Jung.
22:48
So we'll go with that.
22:50
"I'm not what happened to me. I'm what I choose to become."
22:57
I'll see you next week Very good, Jeffrey