Carnival is here,

which means people are out in droves buying costumes or costume parts. The Children's Parade is tomorrow, so these folks are down to the wire.

I love not knowing what to expect with Carnival in Merida, and yet I find myself playing the endless game of "it's like": it's like Halloween, with the costumes and the candy, only it lasts a week; it's like Mardi Gras, only I've never had the pleasure of going to Mardi Gras, so what do I know?; it's like New Mexico's Zozobra with its "burning of bad moods," except that they don't actually burn anything.

It's like... a visitor's least curious state of mind, to compare each new experience to those preceding it. So I slap myself on the wrist and turn back to the moment, and the moment rewards me. It's like... totally unique.

I made some new friends tonight, all West Coast expats living here in Merida, each one interesting. With perfect café seating on the Plaza, we drank beer and learned about one other while keeping an eye on the Burning of Bad Moods. And you know what? It worked! There's not a bad mood to be found anywhere.