He uses his third name "Sandor" but his family and his students call him Cesar. I just call him every chance I get. We are looking for an apartment to live together and his mother and his niece already like me. He is a theater/body movement teacher for kids from 1st grade to high school. He is also a successful actor and director. He has done a lot of Shakespeare in Spanish. Romeo, Romeo, donde esta?
His niece Gina is four and adorable and we speak almost the same level of Spanish. She calls me Tio Peludo Guero Pelon. That's Uncle hairy, blond (like my skin), bald. Here's Gina & me and Gina & Sandor on a sunny February Sunday. Pay no attention to the ice cream stains on Gina's dress. We didn't buy her ice cream, no way, her mother said we couldn't so we didn't. Another little girl spilled her ice cream on Gina, yeah that's right, that sounds good.
So could life get any better? YES! Sandor's mother is Mexico's greatest cook and sends us food. What a great suegra (mother-in-law) and we don't speak the same language. Perfect right guys? She seems really sweet and when I learn enough Spanish, I'll tell her how much I love the food. Here's a picture of Sandor with one of his mother's specialties, chiles rellenos. I think she puts sleeping pills in the sauce because after I eat 9 of these I fall asleep immediately. This week she's making albondigas with chipotle sauce (a kind of Mexican meatball, mmmmmmmmmm).
OK, the only downside so far to the relationship is that his kids are putting on "Cats" for their year-end play. Sandor listens to the soundtrack over and over and over. You know it's love to put up with that. He tells me about his favorite little fat boy at school that he's trying to talk into being the fat cat, but the 1st grader, Angelo, is afraid. I'll keep you updated on Angelo's decision.
One more picture, if you want to see him again, you have to come visit. We'll ask my suegra for another helping of food just for you. Right now he's trying to distract me by dancing to Salsa music. It's working. You should see him shake his ... uuhhhmmm... shoulders .... while he dances.
Love has a name -- Sandor.
He says I have honey eyes. Ahhhh. I will try to start writing every week again.
Affectionately yours, Gagg in Mexico. fmarlman@aol.com
