Sunny Delight

Wednesday in Juarez
Today it did not rain until around 2 -- and then only enough to continue the streak.

Training continued acceptably. We had some executive requirements review -- and then went on to have dinner with the plant manager at a local steakhouse.

At the restaurant, the waiter seated us and then asked us how we liked our salsa. There was a guy that would come to the table with a big mortar & pestle and several bowls of ingredients. My boss said "Medium", which in Spanish is very similar to the English word "Molten". The server actually asked when we said Medium if we would prefer that he go light on the Habenero peppers. There was no sweating with this salsa. There was simply a tingle followed by pain.

Loss of manly points by bursting into tears and begging the "bad man to stop" -- 50.

Thursday
We wrapped up the majority of training today and I was able to get in a bit of programming (which is not something I do more than once or twice a year). The team wanted to take us out to dinner to a local restaurant named "Frida's" after the famous painter.

Dinner was very good. For the appetizers, we had cucumbers & jalepenos in a mild sauce and a wonderful combo platter that included the fried famous Menonite cheese. I had a steak with a wonderful brandied gravy and au gratin potatoes. After the gorging completed, the team generously gave us a huge box of local foods and flavors of Mexico -- and a bottle each of tequila. Way too genorous.

After dinner, three of us (or at least two of them including my ride) decided to go next door to a dance club. There was a great live band (as opposed to a dead band, I guess) and the ratio of women to men was at least 60-40. I am thinking that this isn't so bad afterall. So ignoring the packing challenges that loom ahead between the terrorist limitations and the addition of these wonderful gifts -- we go on.

Now it should have been clear to me that a large ratio of women to men is not a natural occurrence in any culture or country. If there are a lot of women, there is always a lot of men unless there is one determining factor soon to be made appararent.

The band completed and a guy came out into what I thought was an oddly unpopulated area in the middle of the floor. We, I had wrongly thought conveniently, had a great seat next to the dance floor. Please picture the change in facial expressions.
1) Seconds 0-5 Me smiling and enjoying the scenery and live music.
2) Seconds 6-9 Oddly confused at why the women are crowding towards the stage
3) Second 10 Horror as his shirt comes off. I realize I am now experiencing a Mexican strip show

Three dancers later, after couning the number of tiles in the opposite wall -- the show is over. The locals go to dance to the techno Spanish music and we leave around 1 a.m.