It’s getting busy over here as house hunting is becoming a second job. I’m on schedule financially and slacking a bit to give myself time to make trips into town. Unfortunately, I have to use my truck for that (was hoping to use public transportation), which is very expensive, but it is what it is. I’m also having only so-so luck consolidating trips.
For instance, I had to meet someone in Progreso about a cooler she had for sale, but she would not agree to meet me tomorrow on my way to Mérida (where I have three commitments), only at 11:30 today. At least, she did concede to meeting up in the Bodega parking lot, saving me a bit of time. I was mercifully able to finish my pressing work for the day by 11:00 and dash out to meet her. The cooler was smaller than what I’d hoped she had, but good enough for the price so I bought it.
Then, since I was there anyway, I went into Bodega to get some of their “famous” (expats rave about it) fried chicken for lunch and to get a few things household things. One of those was a set of plastic drawers for storing office supplies (especially writing implements), which I haven’t been able to find in a pleasing colour or the right size. So when I saw this, which is exactly what I wanted, on offer for $80 I was quick to snag it:
I also wanted a bucket like the pink one I use as a trash can in the office to store the parts for my stick blender, but Bodega was out of them. So I decided to buy the office a new (purple) trash can and move the bucket to the kitchen!
I also bought myself a two burner hot plate. I cook daily and am having trouble keeping the stove here looking pristine. Mexican stoves, even expensive ones, just can’t seem to handle heavy scrubbing or being used with cast iron without the finish coming off. I always get hives about having to maintain other people’s stoves and three months here was my limit of dealing with that stress. The hot plate will keep the pressure off when I get my house since I won’t be desperate for a stove. I’m using my crockpot, ricer cooker, and the toaster oven here a lot and actually wondering if I need a stove. It’s amazing how one’s worldview changes after a couple of years of living in other people’s kitchens.
It was a super quick trip and I was home by one and absolutely ravenous. My lunch was good, and I’m pretty sure that was my first time ever having fried chicken, but it’s definitely not something I’d be keen to repeat regularly (I’ll stick to the roasted birds). But it was definitely a nice Friday treat!
Now, as for house hunting, I’m starting to feel like I’m on an episode of House Hunters International… 😀
I have an appointment at 2:00 tomorrow to see a house located in the northwesternmost part of Mérida, in the Francisco de Montejo neighbourhood that has been dubbed a city within a city.
This would put me about 3KM walking distance to Chedraui, Costco, and the Galerias (which has Scotiabank, sushi, and a cinema) and according to Google, there’s quite a bit in the heart of the neighbourhood, but it’s hard to gauge what there is on the outskirts, where this house is. It appears to be a quiet residential neighbourhood with a good economic mix.
Part of me still wishes I was looking in Centro, but I have to be sensible — my line of work is not conducive to living downtown!
The location right off the Periférico would be very convenient for going back and forth in October. So while I’m not immediately going OOH at the location, I think it has potential.
Now, the house.
The exterior is inoffensive. The neighbouring houses are much prettier, but this isn’t too hard on the eyes. I just don’t know if my truck would fit in the driveway (which would be nice because it would be out of the sun):
The kitchen appears to be one of the better ones with cabinets that I’ve seen:
The house here only has a long counter with stools to eat at and I like it. I wouldn’t have any pressure to get a kitchen and chairs for a bit, just some stools.
The stairs have a handrail!
Both bathrooms appear to have been recently redone and this one (which I think would be the guest suite’s) even has storage:
At least one of the bedrooms has built-in storage:
The master bath has what appears to be a very clean Jacuzzi tub. I have yet to see outside of the super huge compounds a pool that is big enough for doing laps. So a tub like this would equal a pool and be less maintenance:
The red would absolutely have to go. I could learn to live with those floors. They appear to be grey or blue, not black, so they would work well with the pink/purple/green/orange things I’ve accumulated. I really don’t like them, but between them and the beige or white floors that I’m seeing too much of, they are fine.
Another bedroom, but without a closet organiser:
This house has three things that you can’t see in the pictures that make it an extra special candidate:
1) The huge covered upstairs deck that would be a dream backup office for extra hot days;
2) The fact that the house has FOUR bedrooms. FOUR. Two on the ground floor sharing a bath and two on the upper floor sharing a bath. FOUR.
3) And all this for a mere $6,000 a month. That makes a not particularly aesthetically pretty or interesting house a bit out of the way very attractive. The fourth bedroom could be a den or a craft room or even a second guest bedroom should my Airbnb idea get off the ground.
The house also has a back garden.
I’m really excited to see this house tomorrow as it is presenting quite well in photos (ugly paint job not withstanding).
Now, back to work I go. I was supposed to take the weekend off, but, of course, that’s not going to happen. I’m going to have a very long day Sunday as I’m sure I won’t work a bit tomorrow.
Our Mexican stove and oven is over 20 years old. It’s a Mabe four burner with the comal in the center. I keep a very clean house and we cook Mexican most of the time. I scrub the @#$& out of it and it still looks brand new.
Most Mexican appliances are for export so they appear in the U.S. and Canada under different brand names. Same stuff.
You must have a super high end one… This is my third Mabe stove and it is equally a a disaster. This is a six burner one (two under the parilla in the middle) with a stainless steel finish. I’m starting to scratch the enamel on the grills from using cast iron on them. The ones I had in Maz and at the apartment here in Mérida had a white enamel finish that rubbed off of it from too much scrubbing.
Moreover, I tried to cook a roast in the oven here once and almost melted the knobs, the front of the oven got so hot! The oven in Maz literally exploded when I tried to light the oven. I didn’t try the oven on the other stove.
So there is no way I’m getting a Mabe stove — that’s three for three showing me that they are utter crap. They are apparently sold as GE in Canada, which was a super low-end entry brand the last time I bought appliances (10 years ago).
A row of those office supply cabinets across the back of a work table would work well for building LEGO structures. You could put that opposite your work desk in the office.
You can’t really bathe in a whirlpool. Soap can clog the jets. Our previous whirlpool had a shower next to it.
I actually already have the perfect table for LEGOs and puzzles that I could set up in the bonus room. 😀
I don’t bathe in a tub, yuck. It would just for a cool soak.
Re Mabe stoves – I’m with you Rae. I have a Mabe in my house and the oven door gets so hot it will scorch a dishtowel if left hanging on the door handle, and you need a hot pad to open the door. Too, even though I use an oven thermometer it’s impossible to heat it to a desired/definite temperature. Plus it take ages to pre-heat. I’m in a rental so maybe mine is low-end too. It looks nice – stainless steel, four burners with comal in the center. But it’s crap to cook in (burners okay).
Oh yes – another gripe – I’m told they only come with one oven rack. I thought my stove was just missing one. Boo.
I was amused that of everything that I wrote about in the post, Chris chose to come to the defence of Mabe stoves because I’ve yet to meet a single person who likes theirs! The burners on this one are okay, but the oven is terrible. I think we might actually have the same stove, based on the description.
Ovens don’t seem to be part of the culture here — many houses don’t have them and whenever I pick up a recipe magazine, if there’s an oven recipe, there will be tips on how to achieve the recipe without one.
Ovens are only good for making sourdough bread! And even that can be done in an 18-quart Nesco roaster – been there; blogged that.
If you want to make a big roast . . . possibly do it in the Crock-Pot, and then cut into meal-sized portions and refrigerate or freeze. At meal time, you can simulate a roasted piece of meat by “roasting” it for a short time in your toaster oven.
Virtual hugs,
Judie
I don’t get how anyone thinks an oven is unnecessary and I need one and I’ll leave it at that.
Not in defense but to provide valid information. I’m not sure what you clean your stove with but enamel requires special care and abrasives are the worst. I use soap and water and when needed a magic sponge.
I guess being a poor Mexican I can’t afford what ex-pats from Canada and the U.S. are able to import.
I wonder what methodology was used for the stove survey. Mabe and Bosche won in the test below done by Profeco. There are more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNBhZg3jnno
Yours is the first good testimonial I’ve heard from an expat about Mabe stoves. The exception makes the point, really.
I use the same thing to clean enamel, but Mabe’s grills don’t withstand use by cast iron, which is incredible since so many Mexican homes have comals.
You are not a “poor Mexican” and you know it. And who’s talking about importing anything? I can go into the Bodega in Progreso and get a Whirlpool stove that will actually withstand real daily cooking. Sure it might be twice as much, but you get what you pay for.
An oven is a must for me and I’d never trust another Mabe oven.
I’m with you on that one. Immigrant is more appropriate.