October 2025 Newsletter

Life in Mexico

Gord’s Tips for Driving in Mexico

A few fun facts;

There are more Buddhist Temples in Mexico than Driving Schools. The majority of Mexicans learn how to drive by watching Fast & Furious.

The emergency flasher allows you to enact new driving legislation. If, for instance, you miss your turnoff on the highway, you can hit that switch and drive backwards on the shoulder for up to one mile.

Traffic police encourage you to text while driving; it makes finding your next-of-kin that much easier.

The average Mexican would rather spend $3000 on a car stereo than two bucks on a new brake light.

You can legally run a stop light 5 seconds after it turns red, or up to 10 seconds if you’re texting (see above).

Unless it’s already occupied by a baby carriage, you can drive on the sidewalk to avoid a traffic jam.

Motorcyclists are only allowed to carry one rooster under their arm.

Recipe: Shrimp Fried Rice

This is an easy meal to make and very delicious!

2 Tsp sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, diced

6 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined.

1 Tsp Frank’s hot sauce.

2 cups cooked rice

¼ cup fish sauce

1 Tsp soy sauce

2 Tsp brown sugar

Pinch of black pepper

½ cup sliced onion

½ cup tomato chunks

1 green onion, sliced

¼ cup cilantro

¼ cup cucumber slices

Directions

Fry garlic and shrimp in sesame oil.

Add the rice, sauces, sugar and pepper. Fry briefly.

Add the onion, tomato, green onion, cilantro and cucumber slices.

Enjoy!

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Movie Review

Happy Gilmore 2

Streaming on Netflix

DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE!

Unless, of course, you like banana peels, boners, bacchanals, babes in bikinis, beer consumption and general bedlam, then go nuts.

Book Review

Atmosphere

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

Reid is one of the most enjoyable contemporary authors writing today; The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six are just two of her gems.

Her latest novel doesn’t disappoint. Joan Goodwin has wanted to go into space since the age of six. Growing up in the sixties, she was thrilled by the Apollo missions to the moon and vowed that one day she would be an astronaut.

A genius at math, she focuses on astrophysics at college and becomes a science teacher. When NASA finally opens up positions for women in the late 1970s, she is selected as a trainee. Moving to Houston, she begins the long voyage to qualify for the Space Shuttle.

Her journey encounters major hurdles. Although she excels at aero-science, she falls in love with Vanessa, a fellow astronaut. Their forbidden relationship threatens to scuttle their careers.

Naturally, high drama intervenes when a mission goes disastrously wrong. Joan must battle to save not only Vanessa, but the very soul of NASA itself. I highly recommend Atmosphere!

TV Review

MO

Streaming on Netflix

Mo (played by Mohammed Amer), is a young Palestinian refugee who has grown up his entire life in Houston. He is devoted to his widowed mother Yusla, where he lives in her suburban home with his brother Sameer and a cat named Crystal.

As an undocumented refugee, Mo thrives at the fringes of society, hustling to stay one step ahead of ICE and care for his family. He sells knock-off luxury handbags and watches from the trunk of his 1970 Ford Fairlane, always with one eye out for the police.

This doesn’t sound much like the premise for a comedy, but Mo and his gang of misfit friends bring a warmth and vitality to each episode as they struggle to keep their heads above water.

The series has been critically acclaimed (winning a Peabody Award in its debut season), but the true enjoyment comes from watching the ensemble fill the small screen with life and vitality. I highly recommend Mo!

Bonus Book Review

The Mystery Guest

By Nita Prose

Prose, a Toronto-based author, made a big splash in 2022 with her first novel, The Maid. The cozy mystery chronicles the unlikely adventures of an autistic young woman named Molly who is raised by her maternal grandmother after she is abandoned by her mom.

Since childhood, Molly has aspired to be a hotel maid. She holds cleanliness in the highest standard and falls into a Zen-like state as she cleans the rooms in the majestic Regency Grand, a luxury boutique hotel. Unfortunately, she is always stumbling upon murdered guests, interfering with her dusting and whatnot.

In The Mystery Guest, the corpse belongs to celebrated author Grimthorpe, who theatrically croaks in the hotel tea room while regaling fans with a reading from his latest book.

Along comes Detective Stark who, like all good gumshoes, assumes the maid did it, and Molly has to prove that she is not a cold-blooded killer. Fortunately, her spectrum of odd tics and mannerisms make her the perfect sleuth. A heart-warming cozy with a charming cast of characters, I highly recommend both The Maid and The Mystery Guest!