Mexico Social Responsibility

Mexico Social Responsibility

Social responsibility in Mexico focuses on ethical business practices pertaining to the quality of life of the workforce and their families, honest customer service, quality of products, community involvement, and conservation of the local culture. The definition of CSR in Mexico and the upcoming analysis is based on my personal research in the state of Baja California and direct interviews with business owners. Through my experiences, four general themes of social responsibility in the tourism industry revealed themselves.

The first sense of social responsibility was concerned with consumer education and customer service. Many responses on the questionnaires handed out stated that they were especially responsible because they were "honest with the customers and with ourselves.” Understandably, honesty was a characteristic that the business owners felt set them apart from the other vendors on Avenida Revolucion in Tijuana. Especially important was honesty with the customer about the authenticity of products and prices.

Supplier relations were another vital aspect to being a socially responsible business in Mexico. I asked about how they guarantee the quality of their products and one response stated: "Because of long relationships with all my sources and they all guarantee the quality of their work." This answer is similar to 75% of the responses I received. Supplier relations meant that they were not only aware of the quality of products but also had established friendships with their suppliers to facilitate transactions, customize art, and ensure quality.

The third aspect of Mexican social responsibility is apparent in the businesses commitment to community development and sustainability. One store owner pointed out they "have served some schools [providing supplies for graduation, etc.] for more than ten consecutive years." Dr. Jack Dorón, past president of CETURMEX, pointed out that CETURMEX has put on many events on Avenida Revolucion promoting the local culture and educating both shop owners and tourists about the history of Tijuana. In addition, I observed this "sense of community" numerous times when vendors would help each other out with anything they needed. If they had the means to help, they would because they understood that every business has gone and will go through tough circumstances and will need assistance.

The fourth element of social responsibility in Mexico deals with employee rights and benefits. This is a common theme among all developing nations since they have limited capability to enforce higher standards. Through some of the personal interviews, the issue was brought to my attention that there are two types of employees in regions that are dependent upon the tourism industry. One type is a standard employee paid an hourly wage and offered all benefits the government requires the store owner to give. Unfortunately, when the tourism industry is at an all time low, it becomes too expensive for store owners to pay hourly wages and provide benefits. The second type of employee is not actually an employee at all; he or she simply serves as a form of commission for sales. Anyone can walk into the vendors store and sell one of their items to a tourist and that person will receive a very small percentage of the profit. This type of individual does not receive any benefits and has no formal employer or job security. This type of employment is very common in Tijuana and Rosarito and CETURMEX specifically hopes to get rid of it in the future in order to maintain sustainable labor standards in Mexico and protect tourists from hagglers.

This blog post is from a section of my Whittier College senior project which you can read here.

5th Anniversary

Karen and I have been together for... drum roll please... FIVE Years! October 14, 2004 in the Freshman doorms (Stauffer 2nd Floor) at Whittier College was when I was lucky enough to make it official. Five years later, we are now living in the beautiful town of Encinitas planning our next adventures.

No, I am not writing this blog post to talk about how lovely the five years has been. I'm writing it because Karen and I have had some seriously awesome adventures together over the years and we are very blessed. So I wanted to give a little summary of places we have been together, and this is just the beginning.

USA

• California: Whittier (lived), San Diego (lived), San Francisco (too many times to count), Napa Valley, Temecula Wine Tasting


• Nevada: Finally took Karen to Vegas for the first time this year


• Driving Across Country: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and finally New Jersey.


• North Carolina - one week in the outer banks


• First East coast trip - NYC, DC, Jersey Shore, Phily, Cooperstown, plus more


• Oregon - Amazing trip to Portland for a wedding and micro brew

Europe

• Denmark - We lived there for 5 months!


• Germany - Bielefeld, Berlin (x2), road trip


• Greece - Athens


• Italy - Rome, Venice


• Spain - Barcelona


• France - Paris
  

Mexico

• Tijuana - Atleast 40 times together


• Rosarito - Several times


• Ensenada


• Mazatlan


• Cabo San Lucas

Most people don't get to do any of this in their lifetime, I feel especially lucky because I got to do all of them with the love of my life. Thanks Karen for being a trooper on all of our travels, you are the best travel buddy.

Future adventures currently in discussion: Puerta Vallarta, Mexico City, (all of Mexico), more Denmark, China, India, Eastern Europe, Belize, Peru. We are always looking for some more travel buddies too!

How to Drink Tequila

How to Drink Tequila Guide

The booming tequila industry doesn't mean that more people are licking salt and squeezing limes to cover up Jose Cuervo's flavor. It means that more people are learning how to drink tequila properly. Tequila is a fine liquor that has gotten a bad rap due to people binge drinking low quality brands. I was a victim of bad tequila a while back but have since learned my lesson.

I started drinking Don Julio Blanco because I knew it tasted good and didn't give any hang over. What I didn't know what how to properly drink it. I learned that the American way of tossing the shot back in one swig was obnoxious, disrespectful to the tequila, and didn't impress anyone. When I was visiting Mazatlan and ordered a Don Julio Blanco, I took the shot only to realize everyone was staring at me like I had committed a crime. So the bartender had me order another and do it right this time. Since then, I have perfected how to drink tequila by networking with local Mexicans and visiting tequila tastings often. Here is how to do it right:

1. Pour the tequila into either a tall shot, snifter, flute, or rocks glass.


2. Take a very small sip to clear your palette. Don't worry about tasting this one, just use it to prepare you for what is to come.


3. Take a larger sip but the glass should still be 3/4 full. This one you should focus on the warming sensation you feel as it goes down. It should have been a small enough sip to go down very smoothly.


4. Now focus on the aromas. Unlike a wine, you do not want to stuff your nose into the glass and take a big whiff. If you do that, the alcohol fumes will burn your nostrils and possibly make your eyes water. To smell tequila (and any liquor), swirl the liquid then tilt the glass 45 degrees and place your nose directly above the rim of the glass. This way the fumes will go one way and the aromas will go directly up into your nose. If you are drinking an aged tequila (reposado, anejo, extra anejo), you will smell oak, vanilla, smoke, earthy flavors, spices, and other flavors. If it is a blanco/white/silver/plata tequila, it will not have any flavors that an oak barrel would so you will be smelling almost pure agave plant.


5. After you get a good idea of the smell, take another sip up to half of whats left in the glass and give it a little swish in your mouth to make sure you get the full affect on your palette. This is the sip that you will truly judge the tequila by. You got the aromas and all of the flavors exploding in your mouth as it goes down. The warm sensation won't be shocking because you already covered that in step 3. This step will show you the true complexities of tequila and its hard to ever drink it any other way again.


6. Finish it off with enjoyment. If you did steps 1-5 right, you will be trying to get every last drop out of the glass because it taste so good. Don't worry, just grab the bottle and pour yourself another.

Other considerations on how to drink tequila:

• Sometimes it is traditional to drink a "sangrita" as you're enjoying your tequila. This is a sweet, sour, and spicy drink often made with tomato juice, orange juice, grenadine, and hot chillies. It compliments the tequila very will but would not be recommended if you are trying to understand the true flavors of a specific tequila.


• The only reason you would use "training wheels" (salt and lime shooter) is because you think it is fun, not because you like drinking tequila.


• Tequila drinking is very social. Teach your friends how to drink it and enjoy a bottle amongst yourselves over some good conversation. Tequila drinking (done right) usually leads to very intellectual conversations and can create great friendships.


• Tequila drinking can be used to help digest food.


• It is not the price of the bottle the matters, it is the type of tequila you like and how you drink it.


• Anejo Tequila and cigars do go very well together but the strong cigar flavor will cover most of the subtleties of the tequila.


• If you are at a tequila tasting and only have one very small cup, try and do a small palette clearing sip and then swish around the rest of it. If you don't think you got an accurate tasting, ask for another.


• Drinking blanco/plata tequila using these steps will almost guarantee you won't have a hangover no matter how much you drink because there are very few impurities. Drinking reposado/anejo should be limited in quantity because it will give you a hangover.

This description of "How to Drink Tequila" is based solely on experience with locals in Mexico over the past 5 years. If you have any suggestions or other ideas, please let me know. There is an art to tequila drinking just like wine tasting. Please enjoy responsibly

Tijuana Tequila Expo 2009

IX Expo Tequila Tijuana 2009

We are one week away from one of my all time favorite events of the year, the Tijuana tequila festival. This year it is taking place between October 15-18, 2009 on Avenida Revolucion. I will personally be there on Saturday night and Sunday during the day. It only cost $5 to get in which is the best value you will ever find for a tequila tasting. Their website says you will find "Mexican cuisine and family atmosphere, more than 300 brands of Mexico's best tequilas at special prices for the event, personalized service for wholesale buyers, and collections of tequilas will be raffled among attendees every day." This is an event you do not want to miss. Check out my post about the Tequila Festival 2008 If you are not familiar with the location, you have a couple options to get there:

1. Tequila Tours - Five Star Tours does really great tours on charter buses that easily cross the border and prevent any drinking an driving. Not to mention it is great fun on the bus ride. Visit http://www.tequila-tours.com/gpage.html for details.


2. Taxi - Park at any of the cheap day lots in San Ysidro and walk across the border. Once you get across, you will see a large group of taxi libres waiting to take you to Revolucion. It shouldn't be more than 60 pesos.


3. Driving - If you are comfortable driving across the border, go for it. There are several parking lots on/near Revolucion that are cheap for the day. Careful drinking too much tequila and trying to drive home, it is very dangerous.


4. Walking - My personal favorite! Park your car for $6 for the day, walk across and instead of heading straight to the taxis veer right and follow the walking path which will take you across the Tijuana river and directly onto one end of Avenida Revoluion. The tequila festival is at the other end, but it is a very enjoyable walk and you can do a little shopping on the way. If you are looking for cheap tacos, immediately after you cross the bridge there will be a taco shop on the right hand side with a sign that says "Taco Fish". They have 3x$1 tacos and 3x$2.50 beers... the best deals in town and it taste great.

A couple highlights from last year's Tequila Expo would be the rattle snake tequila that has a dead rattle snake soaking in the giant jug. They say its an aphrodisiac, but who really knows. The beautiful Fresca girls were great and we got some pictures with them. The stand displaying other uses of the Agave plant. Tia Juana Tilly's next door to the festival for great food. And most importantly, all the great tequila that you can taste or buy for very cheap prices. You can get away with taking two bottles home per person. Be safe and have fun, see you there!

California Burrito

The California Burrito

If you really want to experience San Diego culture, well, use the “When in Rome” philosophy. Drink, be happy, and eat an amazing California Burrito somewhere between 11pm and sunrise. For you have not heard of the great burrito, you may be shocked to find out it has French fries in it. Trust me, it’s pure genius, not madness (well, maybe a little madness too). Supposedly it was invented with the grand opening of Santana’s in 1987, but I would argue that it wasn’t until the late 1990’s/ early 2000’s that it really caught on. My first was in 2000 and I have never looked back. On average, I would say I have eaten one California burrito per week since my first which would mean I have eaten anywhere between 416-468 Cali Burritos in the last 8-9 years. That is why I need to set the record straight about what a Cali Burrito truly is. Some may argue my points, and to others it may clear up passed arguments.

As for the Cali Burrito, here are the guidelines…

1. Any Filibertos, Albertos, Albertacos, Filbertos, Filbertacos, Robertos, or similar chain should be a good starting point. Just find the one closest to you. These aren’t always known as “the best”, but they are usually more dependable than taking your chances at a hole in the wall restaurant. For a local hole in the wall, Juanitas or Karinas in Encinitas have good reputations but the quality is hit or miss. If you want, drive down to the USD area and look up Santanas down there because it is off the charts good. North and South County vary a little, but all are good. Northern California still doesn’t know what the hell a Cali is yet and OC/LA is still struggling to get it right.
   
2. A California Burrito must include these ingredients:
   a. Carne Asada
   b. French Fries
   c. Salsa (some places use Pico De Gallo, some use hot sauce. I prefer hot sauce) - Make sure to order extra cups of hot sauce, you will need them.
   d. Sour Cream
   e. Guacamole
   f. Cheese
   
3. If the burrito contains all of those ingredients and with good proportions of each without you having to specialize the order (eg. “Please add guacamole”), then there is a 90% chance you will be eating a great burrito. Some argue guacamole is not standard, but what would a “California” burrito be without California’s main crop… Avocados! San Diego produces the largest amount of avocados in the United States, it better be on every burrito. If you don’t like avocado then you probably weren’t born in San Diego and therefore you can only blame yourself, not the burrito.
   
4. If the burrito has any extra ingredients, it is not a California Burrito. Watch out for some places calling their breakfast burrito a “California Burrito”, they are idiots.
   
5. A sign of high quality burritos is homemade tortillas, sometimes even double wrapped. That is hard to find in North County.
   
6. Signs of poor quality: Gristly Carne Asada, Cold Carne, Cold Cheese (not melted at all), watery Guacamole, and any burrito that isn’t good enough to finish the whole thing no matter how full you are.
   
7. Tip, I would say the amazingness of a Cali is enhanced by about 20% when you have several alcoholic beverages mixed in your bloodstream.
   
8. The only drink that can stand with a Cali Burrito is a great homemade Horchata.
   
9. Proper Burrito eating etiquette must be used to consume a Cali Burrito. Proper etiquette is a whole different topic for another time; basically don’t look like a tourist when eating it.
   
10. Do not eat and drive, you miss all the magic and its very dangerous. Also, a cop will know you have been drinking if you are eating a Cali while driving, its obvious.
    
11. Always pour copious amounts of hot sauce all over your burrito.
    
12. You will most likely make a mess, be polite and clean up after your own drunk ass. The one guy working the entire restaurant that night doesn’t have time to help you.
    
13. Always pay complements to the chef if you had a great burrito.
    

This information is owned and distributed by Hansen Hunt. If you wish to use it for your own personal benefit, royalties must be paid in the form of California Burritos at the location of Hansen’s choice. Eat, Live, and Be Happy!

Top 5 Beer Cities and Americas Best Beers

Men's Journal released their top five beer town in the US recently and a small amount of controversy ensued. They named San Diego as the best beer town in America, just beating out NYC and Portland. We thank them for going out and doing the hard work of drinking great beer across America for a year, but did they get it right? I don't think so.

I don't want to say Men's Journal got it all wrong because it is a matter of opinion, but I do want to state what I think. NYC as #2? Come on people! That is a disgrace to great beer towns across the US. Denver or Boulder should have made top five and NYC maybe in the top 10.

As for the San Diego vs. Portland controversy, I think San Diego deserves it this year. Although Portland was shafted in the number of breweries, that is not the only thing to take into consideration. In the last three years San Diego has grown exponentially in terms of quantity and almost (almost being a key word) every brewery has focused closely on quality and creativity. Almost every suburb has there own brewery and the main pub crawl streets are hard to beat anywhere in the world. I have been to about 10-15 breweries in both Portland and San Diego and although Portland has at least 2 beers in my personal top 5, I would say this year San Diego is #1 and Portland #2. Just look at who is up and coming: Stone, Ballast Point, Lost Abbey, Port Brewing, Alesmith, Coronado Brewing, Green Flash, Mission Brewery, just to name a few. All are well known around the US as some of the best craft brew. And in reference to drinking in Copenhagen, I lived their for 5 months and San Diego beer is all over the place. Both are worthy of the #1 spot, but someone has to take it.

Here is my 5: #1 San Diego, #2 Portland, #3 Denver, #4 Chicago, #5 San Francisco. I have to admit though, I haven't gone to any breweries in Philadelphia but the simple fact that SF has Toronado makes them a top 5 for me. Other notable cities that could easily make their way in the top five are Seattle and Boulder.

All and all, everyone loves their hometown breweries. Each town has its unique festivals, beer styles, and pub crawls, which is one thing that makes America so great. Go out and enjoy a fresh pint of your favorite grog, but most importantly support the local micro-brew that actually has a passion for their brew.