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UK in Mexico Video featuring Julio

UK in Mexico is a YouTube channel dedicated to showcasing the lives of Mexicans living in London. We are very excited to see none other than our very own Julio being featured in their latest video, talking about his life working at Wahaca. Now that he’s a major star of the big screen we’re preparing ourselves to beat off offers from Hollywood agents once they recover from the Oscars.

To see their other videos take a look at the UK in Mexico YouTube channel. And feel free to congratulate Julio or ask him any questions by leaving a comment.

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Feliz Navidad, My Christmas memories

I think sometimes we forget our roots and we just immerse ourselves in our lives and take everything for granted.

After living in London for more than 9 years now, I think this is the first Christmas when I have really missed the festive season in Mexico.

I wanted to tell you about a few of the things I love about Christmas at home in Mexico.

To start with we have the “posadas” witch means “shelter” that are held in neighbourhoods around Mexico. This celebration recreates Mary and Joseph’s search for a place to stay in Bethlehem and are held from 16th of December to the 24th of December.

The celebration consists of a procession with candles, sometimes with individuals selected to play the parts of Mary and Joseph, or sometimes images are carried. The procession will make its way to a particular home (a different one each night), where a special song is sung. In this song those outside the house sing the part of Joseph asking for shelter and the family inside responds singing the part of the innkeeper saying that there is no room. The song switches back and forth a few times until finally the innkeeper decides to let them in. The door is opened and everyone goes inside.

Then the hosts give the guests food, usually tamales and a hot drink – like ponche or atole. Then there are piñatas and the children are given candy.

I remember doing this for many years in my grandparents house, we were a big family at that time living all close to each other plus we would have different posadas every day with a different neighbour! A never ending celebration, with so much food and drinks… just imagine how we would end up like for New Year…!

I remember my favourite Christmas were always with my grandparents, we all used to get together on the 24th from lunch time, my grandma would cook for all of us (around 20 of us!), then at night we will go to the church with my granpa, then come back drink some ponche and dance some salsa, I used to hate dancing but now I actually like it. We would then have a feast of my grandma’s cooking romeritos, mole, chicken achiote and spaghetti (Mexican style!). At that point we drank, we ate, we went to the church… but the most exciting part were the presents! We all used to exchange presents and I used to get full of clothes… not very exciting but still very nice. I think my best Christmas was when I got an electric guitar, I never knew how to use it though.

All the family used to stay overnight and Santa would come overnight. So you can imagine all my cousins at 5am waking up everybody showing off our new toys!

People say that good memories stay forever and that these are the treasures of human kind, I hope you enjoy this treasure!

Feliz Navidad y prospero año nuevo.

Julio

Wahacos > Staff observations > Wahacos

Football and how it all started!

It all started at our Christmas party last year.  Wahaca hired one of the rooms in Soho house, after a few drinks the guys started to arrive from the two sites.  Mark started to talk about football saying that he used to organize a league and had a football team.  After a few drinks the guys started to get excited about the idea of the two restaurants playing each other – Bring it on!

I remember our first practice, was in Green Park after work in early weeks in January, when it used to get dark very early. We end up playing in the dark, rain and mud, but nevertheless we played. We all got really dirty and ended up in a tie-only pub in Mayfair, it was hilarious with everyone there looking at us, was such a great fun.

Two months from there, we were all ready for our first match in Hyde park between Covent Garden and White City.  I remember Mark arriving with a full box of white wine for the cheerleaders in the middle of the match …after 10 min they were cheering and making up songs. A great effort from Marco from the White City restaurant who get all their cheerleaders in uniform!

Every match has got its own story but there’s always an injury at the end of the match, the last was Marcel, one of our head bartenders.  Gavin said that he was only defending himself!! Was he having a laugh…?! We had to wait for the ambulance for about an hour. Always, always  happy endings …Marcel 3 hours later joined us for a drink. Which made up for the fact that he’s off work for a week and a half.

We are very exited for our new kit and the match next week, we love going out together like a big family and have a great fun whatever happens, keep tuned for more from pitch side – Oaxaca style!