I have a friend. Oh, I have more than one, but he is one of the few that I can go to Guadalajara with and have a good time. Perhaps I should explain. Most of the people in my congregation are relatively limited in their financial resources. Many have never even graduated from high school. For the most part, they do not appreciate cultural events or other educational pursuits. So, when I want to go to Guadalajara to enjoy a steak at Outback Steakhouse, shop or take in a concert or some other activity, I take Temoc. He is not a part of the congregation. He is an outsider. Therefore, when I go to Guadalajara with him, I can relax and enjoy the moment. I have tried taking parishioners to Applebee's and other places I enjoy, only to hear them say later that the food made them sick or that they did not enjoy the experience at all. So, I quit taking them along a long time ago.
Yesterday, Temoc and I went to Guadalajara. Fortunately, he was very hungry, so we got to the food right away. The steaks at Outback were done to perfection. They were so good, in fact, that it made up for the last two unpleasant experiences I have had there recently. We took a stroll around the mall and then headed on over to Wal-Mart and Sam's. He bought a few things he likes from Sam's and Costco and then we made a bee line for the book stores. He was looking for some textbooks for college and I was just enjoying being in Guadalajara. (I like the city, if you cannot tell.) From there, our last stop was the coffee shop, a regional version of Starbucks with considerable differences in price and manner of preparation and presentation. In the basement, there are shelves and shelves of books and magazines available for customers to enjoy while drinking and eating. I ordered a Rose Tea, a flavor I have only tasted in one other place, Taiwan. He ordered his usual cappuccino and from there we went back home to Ocotlan.
I usually do not write about daily drivel like this, but there you have it. It was a really nice trip to Guadalajara.