fine, fine. so this is a little late. i'm back in the cold, semi-rainy, demi-snowy winter for the timebeing, but maybe that makes this memory of mexico all the more heartwarming.

that weekend. during the festival of guadalupe.

the three of us were strolling around downtown, aiming to find the sample-friendly stall from guadalajara in that temporary alleyway of good eats by the cathedral that was selling the fragant sugared nuts and sour-gummy beings that i'd been dreaming about and salivating over the night before. [complicated and rambling sentence, anybody?]

we casually detoured to a makeshift artisan market by the ocean first, and browsed its eclectic wares as we instinctively attempted to match up friends and family back home with their potential christmas gifts.

after our leisurely (and surprisingly fruitful) impromptu giftshopping spree, we fulfilled our intended mission in the alley, and even tacked on a brief stop at the hot-drink vendor.

as we made our way through the festive crowds who, like us, were basking in the celebratory blanket of feeling that had fallen over the streets of vallarta, i ran into a student and then a co-worker, and greeted them without awkwardness (a rarity, in my case).

it turns out we coincidentally went for dinner at the father of that student's restaurant, known for its made-to-order-right-in-front-of-you guacamole and fajitas flambe.

i could hardly imagine a more pleasant evening. i've had quite a few more like it down there, too.

[flowery and wordy.]

then i got deathly sick on sunday.

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!