Mexico City

Katie Bielamowicz is a Texan at heart, but a Mexican at soul. As soon as she graduated, she packed her bags, headed to Mexico and hasn’t looked back since. She doesn’t become enamored easily, but when she does, she falls hard. Such is the case with this country.

I was born in…..Dallas, Texas and I have spent most of my life in Texas, back and forth between Austin and Dallas and exploring everything in between. Now, the adventure has hopped across the border, to Mexico City. My favourite local film is……Hecho en México—a beautiful documentary celebrating this rich culture. They don’t just state it, they intertwine music and film in a way I have never seen before, narrating the documentary almost more through musical performances and visuals than actual interviews, providing not only an accurate portrayal, but also on-par criticisms. My favourite novel/book from Mexico is….El laberinto de la soledad (The Labyrinth of Solitude) by Octavio Paz. When I need a reminder of home, I listen to….Neil Young. My favourite time of the year is….December in Mexico City. It’s a lovely temperature, with lots of sunshine, and it reminds me of my first visit. My all time local hero is….Jorge, the street vendor at Metro Chapultepec. Maybe Jorge isn’t a hero by normal standards, but I am constantly in awe of this man. I see him everyday, outside of the pesero (bus) I take to work, selling candies, crackers, and cigarettes, with the biggest smile you could imagine, missing teeth brightly gaping, so content with life. I couldn’t imagine that lifestyle for myself, torn clothes, working on the streets, but I want his happiness. It’s a reminder to me that happiness isn’t the job you have, your possessions, or even where you are; it’s what you are. My favourite local phrase is….no pasa nada, literally meaning nothing happens—it’s a panacea for whatever life might throw your way, encouraging you to just let it go and not worry. My favourite words of wisdom are…..así es la vida—such is life. Once again, just let it go. Life works in a funny way and always has a way of figuring itself out. What I love most about my home (country) is…..it values the things you can’t buy: love, family, and good times. Forget the rest.

I was born in Mexico City, I have spent most of your life in Mexico City and now I live in Mexico City. My favourite local films are those from the Golden Age of Mexican cinema – everything with Cantinflas, El Santo. Newer ones like La ley de Herodes, Matando Cabos, and Amores Perros are great too. When I need a reminder of home, I listen to Caifanes and Café Tacuba. My favourite time of the year is winter. Winter in Mexico City is a dream, we get really blue skies, sun and chilly wind. My all time local heroes are Mexican artists: Toledo, Tamayo, Siqueiros, Javier and Jorge Marin, Andriacci, Ruben Leyva, Diego Rivera. Artists for me represent the very best of Mexico. My favourite local phrase is “Pasele a lo barrido” It portrays perfectly the importance of hospitality in Mexico. My favourite words of wisdom/words to live by are “everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about”. What I love most about my home (country) is the food, the weather, the beaches and the cultural diversity.