Arriving in December of ‘71, a young Arturo Vega decides that it is New York where he is going to clavar, or stay put. His journey began in Mexico, where he began his artistic life as an actor and participant in experimental theater or “happenings”—an art form which was not well received by the powers that be in that country.

A little research tells us that the musical comedy Arturo did with Héctor Suárez at the Teatro de los Insurgentes was Sigue tu onda (Follow Your Wave), a Spanish language adaptation of a Broadway show known to American theater-goers as Your Own Thing. Soon Arturo himself would be heading to New York on a tip from Paul McCartney’s agent that he could land a spot in Hair...

As it turns out the young Arturo Vega, Mexican emigré actor and artist in New York, lived below a girl who was seeing a young man named Douglas Glenn Colvin (who would come to be known as “Dee Dee Ramone”). The two visionaries got to talking…

In beautiful Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, the local cooks know their fruit! Let’s drop by the lovely Casa Mar as Gloria prepares a glorious multi-colored fruit salad made with local sandía (watermelon), melón, and plátano (banana). You may soon find yourself blending melon seeds into a delicious horchata.

Al gusto means, literally, “to the taste,” but in English we usually express this as “to taste.” So Gregoria doesn’t add honey to the avena (oatmeal). She puts it on the side of the plate. The person eating can can put it on al gusto, a little or a lot, however they like it. We often do this with salt, syrup, hot sauce… anything where individual palates vary considerably.

Couldn’t you just go for some refried beans right now? They are great for breakfast, great for lunch, and we’re happy to have them for dinner, not to mention a medianoche snack! Let’s drop in on Gloria as she cooks up a batch for us.

Quite frankly, it’s not hard to find excellent Mexican food in Mexico City! Yet, we still consider ourselves lucky to have pulled into Fonda Mi Lupita while out foraging along Calle 17 de Mayo. We invite you to join us for a little chat with manager José Luis Calixto Escobar, completamente!

Get your fresh oranges here! Yabla talks to an orange-vendor in Playa del Carmen about his goods. No chemicals, no mistreatment in transit… These healthy fruits are very popular with the people whether they’re fighting a cough or just craving some sweet juice.

Maybe business is not as good as it used to be, but there are still plenty of hungry mouths to feed in Fonda La Lupita. As we can see, José, our friend and encargado, works six days a week and doesn’t have much free time on his hands.

Arturo Vega is a big part of The Ramones’ history. We even have proof! Actually he was the one who designed the well known Ramones’ logo, which is one part presidential seal, one part outlaw biker. In this interview he tells us why they chose to be represented by an aguila.

Some people could see Arturo Vega as just a guy who happened to design the Ramones logo, but the truth is that he had to get his hands dirty with hard work, and that meant loading tons of equipment, manning the lights and basically doing whatever was needed by the band. The reward was great: thousands, maybe millions, wearing an image that he created.

What’s for lunch today? That’s one of our favorite questions and since we’re in Mexico, Marina give us some great answers. In Latin America people look for a calm, fresh place where they can enjoy el almuerzo del día, the special lunch of the day, or pedir de la carta, to order from the menu. It’s a perfect time for sitting back and taking a break from your work day.

These friendly and animated guys are hardworking chilangos. That’s how people from Mexico City are known around Mexico. Let’s share a bus ride with them and learn some slang about workers and working in and around Chilangolandia.

Let’s keep learning the Chilango slang. Ciudad de México, also knows as El Distrito or el D.F. is home to around 21 million people. Of course, they have to set themselves apart from people coming from other cities, and that’s why they created their own words, their own expressions. We went to share and learn with this nice construction crew, all of them very proud of being Chilangos.

A fruit store in Mexico is not just a fruit store—as you can see. These friendly people also have chicks! But don’t think they’re for sale. They’re only given as gifts to the most loyal customers!

En route, Juan and friends tell about working far from home. Not only are there financial obstacles, there are cultural differences as well that lead to some misunderstandings. Americans don’t quite understand the saying Mi casa es su casa. Pay attention the next time someone from Mexico tells you there’s a party at your house!

Javier is proud of his fruit stand: he says it’s the best in all of Tijuana, Mexico. He explains to us how he prepares the different fruit shakes, fruit cocktails, and fruit salads, as well as a special recipe from Tijuana for tostilocos.

Ramón Hernández Barajas was born to paint. Take a tour of his studio while he discusses his work and his “armchair” philosophy of painting.

Corn to dough and dough to tortilla. It’s simple, it’s automatic, and it’s how Alfonso and his siblings make their living. Step up to the counter to learn more.

Watch Javier as he shows you how he makes a cottage cheese fruit salad. So many colors, so many flavors, so many names!

Ramón Hernandez-Barajas, professional painter, tells us about his paintings, from composition to technique. One thing is obvious, even if it’s left unsaid: he loves to paint!

We chat a little longer with Tijuana painter Ramón Hernández Barajas and we learn even more about his beautiful paintings. El Maestro is trying to change the face of Tijuana into a more cultural and artistic city.

Come see what's on the easel of painter Ramón Hernández-Barajas. His new painting features a beautiful gypsy woman dancing barefoot in a full skirt. Look closely at the colors and textures, and hear what the artist himself has to say.

Don Alonso tells us a bit about his tortilla business and how the automatic machines revolutionized the way to prepare tortillas.