Miel de Maple

We interrupt our regular scheduled programming to bring you important news regarding the new flu virus that terrorizes Mexico City.

A deadly and brand-new menace has arrived to Mexico City. Its 10 ^ 11 times smaller than Godzilla but still, creates fear, confusion, paranoia, and a death toll that could rise to 68 fatalities. Ladies and gentleman, our city is probably the ground zero of a worrisome new swine flu strain which combines genetic material from pigs, birds and humans.

Schools, museums and public libraries were closed on Friday. Public events were canceled by city mayor Marcelo Ebrard from now to 10 days and people in the streets, bars, public transportation, restaurants and almost everywhere are wearing surgical masks.

The victims, surprisingly, are not the weary elderly nor the powerless childhood but the always spry and handsome young-adulthood.

Until now, no vaccine specifically protects against this new threat, so even if you had your influenza shot the last winter, it’s OK to start feeling an uncontrollable fear and anxiety.

In the meanwhile, wash your hands as often as possible, avoid hospitals unless of a medical emergency (but pay a visit immediately at the first flu symptoms), hold back from kissing girls or even shaking hands with strangers and avoid any kind of crowded places.

Good luck!

“I love BJ”.

Or sort of. But don’t get me wrong, I’m just quoting a slogan from the political party Nueva Alianza.

In the vicinity of the legislative elections that will take place on July 5, 2009, in Mexico, the self-proclaimed liberal party is helding a “I love NY“-inspired campaign in the municipality of Benito Juarez (BJ), one of the 16 boroughs that constitute Mexico City. 

Other than this posters I haven’t seen any other kind of advertisement, needless to say any kind of information, but the phrase and its relationship with other sort of BJs, just keep me smiling every time I see it. ;)

I was born and bred  in the district of Benito Juarez. I remember my childhood and adolescence in its streets: riding my first bicycle, playing football or just walking at dawn after a long party.

But besides good memories there are factual reasons to love the place if you are one of the approximately 356-thousand lucky BJed inhabitants of the place.

According to a Human Development Report from the United Nations (1), the borough of Benito Juarez, is supposed to have a similar life expectancy and level of economic and educational development as in Italy or New Zealand, which held the fancy nineteenth and twentieth place respectively.

Half of the economically active population of the district is employed  in  the tertiary sector  of the economy. From each 100 residences, 93 have a refrigerator, 86 enjoy telephone service and 60% of them own a car. 

In addition to  Human Development Index numbers, you should also know that BJ is the motherland of the poet Valentín Gómez Farías and Fernández de Lizardi, the writer of The Mangy Parrot, the first novel written and published in Latin America.

So, yes indeed, I love BJs.