San Miguel FAQ

Ria Talken wrote: #340! That was my number at Parque Zeferino on Friday, March 19, 2021.

The night before, Glenn and I spent the evening watching Netflix’s Unauthorized Living until close to midnight. Then Glenn checked his email before falling asleep. There, in the inbox, was a message from our friends: Kathy and David let us know that their church in San Miguel had sent them a notice that the Pfizer vaccines would be available in San Miguel for 3 days starting the next morning.

We had heard nothing. Information was on the COVID-19 SMA Facebook Page, but it hadn’t come across into our feed, even though we follow it. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: Getting The Jab in San Miguel. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: After three months away from each other, my husband finally comes back to San Miguel today. My elbows are ready to knock against his as he will be in self-imposed quarantine for 10-14 days. We do that because it is the right thing for our community and ourselves. But it won’t be easy.

We are lucky we rent a big house, with three floors. Bedrooms on the first and third, so we can maintain a distance while still being near each other. There is going to be a lot of calling back and forth through the stairwell. We also have terraces big enough to be separate, still see each other, blow kisses.

I am ready to have my cheerleader and constructive critic back for my writing practice. At times, I can really put a hell of a lot of pressure on myself. Let that destructive self-talk get in my way. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: Learning To Live With The Double Me. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: As we enter the new year, I thought I would reflect on the old, the horrible year of 2020. That, in retrospect, wasn’t too horrible for us.

We started it off in Merida. We had escaped the cold weather in San Miguel in November 2019 headed to the beaches and finished with hosting friends.

Glenn and I had a lot planned for the year, culminating in a six-month trip to South East Asia in September. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: Wrapping Up 2020, A Year Of Introspection. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: It is Christmas time and in this crazy, whacked-out year of 2020, many are thinking about their place in the world, their beliefs, and their god.

My parents raised me Catholic, I went to Sunday school, first communion, and confirmation. And then I stopped.

I have never been religious, but I have definitely felt connected to something bigger than I am. I kind of have to, being such a small part of everything. I have reigned in my Bipolar disorder and no longer feel I am the anointed one. But more often than not now, I feel a spiritual connection to that which surrounds me. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: I Live In A Place Of Worship. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: San Miguel is such an incredibly creative town. The lack of in-person social gatherings has tempered our spirits a bit, but many are still occupying our time with artistic endeavors.

For writers, the San Miguel Writers’ Conference is still offering amazing keynotes, literary events, and workshops.

Blogs are still being written. Books published and released. ZOOM meetings called to order.

In keeping with the need for outlets, and offer a group where San Miguel authors and writers can find each other and support, encourage, and network. I have started a Facebook Group – Writers Of San Miguel De Allende.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanmiguelwriters ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: A New Facebook Writers’ Group In San Miguel. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: CRAMMED!! And Miserable.

That is what we were. Our Leon to Tijuana flight was almost full, mine returning to Leon from Oakland; not an empty seat anywhere.

There was no social distancing, although we tried to create some space around us. They say flights should be safe. The filters used, I guess. But being at an airport or on a plane is just not what we should do right now. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: Just Don’t Fly, The Petrie Dish Of Travel. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: In San Miguel de Allende, our Parroquia, or parish church, stands proudly sentinel over the main town square, the Jardin, like a pink tiered wedding cake.

Its Gaudi like design and pinnacles are a point of reference, a beacon, and the eyes over town.

A stalwart on a hill in Centro, we can see it above or peeking through small lanes and alleyways guiding residents and visitors to our heart.

This year, 2020, our heart is going through a bypass. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: La Parroquia, The Sentinel. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: My husband and I woke up this morning and took a stroll down to Rustica, one of our favorite cafes in San Miguel.

There, among the plants and trees and tinkling fountain, I thought about how lucky we are that we can amble along and that we have such a lovely place to do it.

Not everyone can do so. ...

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Ria Talken wrote: Life in Mexico and San Miguel de Allende may be quieter, and in San Miguel, a town known for its festivals, parades and all-around good time, I kind of feel like our toys have been put back in the toy box. Like someone has cleaned up our room.

I miss those other times, everyone does.

But, last night, for a few minutes, San Miguel played dress up and danced in the skies. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: COVID Be Damned, Mexico Is Still Here! More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: I am having my morning coffee, looking out past the end of our terrace to our awakening town.

It rained overnight, so there are small puddles on the tiles and the air is cool, not cold.

I am allowing the calm beauty of San Miguel de Allende to seep into my soul.

It is a great time for contemplation. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: Can A Place Be The Best Medicine? More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: It is five-thirty in the afternoon.

Glenn and I just got home from a walk we started after my Wednesday writer’s group.

We didn’t really have a set path to follow. We just entered town and walked.

At the outset, I was tired, hot, and slightly annoyed. But I knew we needed the exercise. And I needed to spend some time with my husband. We are both trying to lose a bit of weight. Walking is necessary.

We followed tiny roads near the top of town down to Cinco de Mayo, then came along Salida Celaya back towards Centro.

At home, we had broken a few glasses. Typical clear, heavy Mexican ones. And we needed to replace them but were in no hurry to. We would find some eventually.

So we meandered. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: I Love When I Am Surprised. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: Oh, my god!! It’s the bells!

At first, I was oblivious to the sound until it went on for a bit. Then the significance stopped me in my tracks, brought me out to the terrace, and with tears in my eyes I raised my iPhone to record.

Maybe it seems like a small thing. Churches and their bells are synonymous with Mexico.

To us, they ring in weddings, festivals, religious holidays, and note the passage of time.

But I hadn’t heard them like this in San Miguel since the start of COVID-19. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: Pealing bells and wanting to breathe. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: When we moved into our new rental on Real a Querétaro in April, we perused the binder of do’s and don’t, helpful hints, and how to’s left by our landlords.

Number 10 on the list said, “please refrain from using the toilet during rainstorms. The main sewer line running down Calle Salida is too small to accommodate all the larger remodels. Thus, when there are torrential rains, the system just gets bogged down with too much water.”

We have heard this from other landlords. It is good to be prepared.

Or so we thought. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: The Ten Minute Flood. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: I have never seen so many creative, colorful face masks in my life.

They are everywhere. Personalities shine through with choices.

Are you a traveler? Perhaps an African print is up your alley. Or an animal lover, there are masks for you too.

Cook, seamstress, booklover, gardener, coffee lover, artist, a follower of Lucha Libre, photographer, writer? You can be a walking billboard with an unspoken welcome to others sharing your interests. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: The life of masks in San Miguel. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: Glenn brought home American cheese a few days ago, and I got a craving. Fried egg sandwiches, good ‘ole comfort food.

This morning Glenn showed his culinary artistry and viola, yummy, with the right amount of gooeyness. Simple to prepare and happy, happy, joy, joy to eat.

We brought our coffee, sandwiches, avocado and fruit plate out onto the terrace, played some get up and dance African tunes, gazed, and sighed over our view of San Miguel spreading to the other side of town.

We moved into our current rental a little over a month ago and the view a major selling point. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: A fried egg sandwich and a view. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: In 1989, Ray Oldenburg coined the phrase “third places” in his book The Great Good Place, which I read in the nineties. The book made an enormous impact on my life and determined what I seek as the perfect environment to thrive.

Our town of San Miguel de Allende with its cafes, outdoor seating and courtyards, library, parks, beauty, and rough around the edges welcoming vibe has proven to be exactly what we envisioned for our happy place. It is, as they say, a “community living room,” a third space.

Humans need contact and community, and third places are public spaces that promote the exchange of ideas and building relationships while having a pleasant time. They are equalizers or strive to be. Social and financial status shouldn’t come into play. And an email address or fee is unnecessary to join. ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: The joy of third places in San Miguel. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: Unfortunately, self-care/self-isolation isn’t the rule in everyone’s minds. There are many different reasons for that, from pure stupidity and selfishness to a strong desire to continue to financially support one’s family. but, it comes with risks.

And I admit, that when this whole thing started back in January, I was a skeptic. I just couldn’t imagine that the whole world could shutter and lock its doors and borders, fundamentally changing the way we live. I don’t think many of us could.

Life has changed for everyone. Plans for the future are practically non-existent. No-one knows how or when this will end. Everyone is in limbo. And people are starting to realize what the core of their lives boils down to. Can they make it through this crisis without the everyday exterior bombardment of stimuli? ...

Continue at Our Prime of Life: Coronavirus, how you handle it is in your state of mind. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken wrote: Coronavirus is scary and unpredictable and nerve-rattling but staying positive and not falling into the pit is so necessary right now. This forced isolation could be an opportunity for exploration and learning for those not ill. Take this time for yourself and take a breather. Thinking up disaster scenarios without having any control is not going to serve anyone well. Try and turn a horrible time into a well-deserved retreat. It can be a chance to connect with family and friends and to ultimately look at what possibilities of rebooting can come out of this pandemic. Here are ways to beat boredom.

If you ever wanted to learn a craft, study at an Ivy League University, listen to an opera (the MET) or concert, see a play – even Shakespear, write your new book, have more time with your children, learn to cook, see what NASA does, go on art tours, get in shape, spend time with friends; can anyone say ZOOM, write a script, organize your house, paint, and sketch, or go to a zoo, now is the time to do this.

The amount of streaming content available for free at this time is extraordinary. With museums opening their collections, operas being streamed, zoom being used for remote work and keeping in touch with friends and family, a vast amount of educational opportunities and of course some very creative and amusing videos and posts arriving on my Facebook feed all through the day, someone really has to try hard to be bored.

Continue at Our Prime of Life: Coronavirus, boredom shouldn't be an option. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

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Ria Talken: Our love of Ethiopian food really started when Glenn and I were living in Oakland, CA before we made the big move to San Miguel. And, one of the things the area is known for is it’s wide range of restaurants serving food from Ethiopia and Eritrea.

We would get a hankering for this food at least once a month. Especially since we had a great little place right around the corner from us on Telegraph Avenue. We loved the variety of spices used and the heat of our favorite dishes. And tearing off a piece of the Injera bread to scoop up a tasty morsel by hand, well, who can’t get into that.

San Miguel has such a choice when it comes to great food. There are the restaurants, of course, both high end and casual, along with Mom and Pop tiendas and taco trucks, cafes and cantinas. But one thing it was lacking was traditional Ethiopian fare. So, when our friends Phyllis and Kim told us they had met a couple who had a delivery business for just that, and that they also served meals up on their rooftop terrace, we were oh so very much all in!!

Continue at Our Prime of Life: We took our mouths to Ethiopia, While we remained in San Miguel. More #OurPrimeOfLife.

See also: SMA now has Ethiopian food!

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