Tijuana on Fire – I am Handsome :D – Rent Paid

Revolución was on fire Wednesday/Thursday midnight hours. I poke my head around, took shitty cellphone pics, and wrote a quick article without pitching it to my editor. I got rejected. “We don’t do fire stories,” was the answer. So no fire stories. I guess they are too mainstream and happen way too often. But this one was on Revolución. Still.. there’s no word in what caused the fire. So… since no one is going to publish me. Here it is:

Revolución on Fire!
6 Locals Burnt to the Ground

The restaurant ‘El Artesano’, Internet Cafe ‘Delfin’, a travel agency, and a jewelry store were amongst the affected after a fire consumed six locals Wednesday near midnight. Two other locals were empty. The roof collapsed and the fire consumed the old building. There were no deaths or injuries.

“The fire started in the kitchen by the back, then spread to the internet cafe,” a host of Caesar’s Restaurant told me while he showed me a video of the fire. Caesar’s is situated right in front of where the fire happened. El Artesano was closed during the fire.

“I heard it was some of the kids that hang out in the cafe,” said the bartender in Barrica 9, a bar a block away.

The Cafe and the restaurant were the most affected by the fire. Bomberos de Tijuana, firemen, were quick to arrived and were able to contain the fire by 2 am. Early versions attribute the fire to a short circuit, but the cause of the fire is still unknown.

Rubble remains on Avenida Revolución, between 4th and 5th. The area of the fire is closed to the public with police yellow tape. Not even the proprietors of the businesses are allowed in to asses the damage.

I never ventured inside the cafe, but it was a popular late spot internet cafe with video game rentals. Their Facebook website only shows a picture of the video League of Legends. No other information is provided.

I visited El Artesano with an intention of writing a Feast review shortly after it opened. I was not impressed with the food and never wrote a word. Most the times I walked by the restaurant it was completely empty or just one table of patrons. The last post on their Facebook website was from June 3rd. There is no mention of the fire or more information provided. The website still lists the restaurant as open.

Neither the cafe or the restaurant could be reached for comment.

I emailed that piece and left my apartment.

Almost forgot, I also got published. Click here or the image to go to the story.

That restaurant is so damn good I can’t wait to go back. Which also reminds me, my cover story comes out next week! I have a good feeling about that story. I’m thinking it’s going to be big!

So I got paid a little bit. But didn’t get paid as much as I wanted too… AND I JUST PAID RENT.

Nothing makes me feel more broke than paying rent. Is not even that much. It’s nothing compared to anyone in California really… but it just feels like so much money each and every time. Worth it. Love my apartment.

Going back to…. yeah. Yesterday I left my apartment. My friend Maby who I haven’t seen in years just came back to Tijuana. So I hung out with her for a while and drank caguamas. Then she went to do some errands and I went to each chicken.

We rendezvoused to watch the Mexico vs USA game in my old timey classic bar. Not Nelson. That’s where we drank our first caguama. She wanted 4 Amigos, but it was too crowded. Chips it is! My first bar in Tijuana. My forever bar in Tijuana.

Maby left suddenly. With no explanation. She suddenly said “TIME TO GO BYE!” and abandoned me. I had 3 pesos in my pocket and the ATM lines were not cool. But finally I got some cash out, thought about going back home, but was in a “fuck it” mood, let’s get back to Chips. And back to Chips I went. One more caguamon (those fuckers are gigantic). I semi-regretted since my phone was about to die.

TAP TAP TAP on my shoulder.

“Hey man! The girl over there says you are handsome.”

I turn around. Table of 3 girls, 5 guys. WTF am I supposed to do with this information? All the girls looked over at me. Then they all pointed at the cutest one (phew). I got all red and raised my plastic cup of beer in like “hey cool! thanks! Uh…. ” Still not sure if this was an invite to go to a table with 8 fucking strangers.

Stayed at the bar.

Another girl walks up to me.

“You are very handsome, you know?”

I sorta don’t. I mean, I’m not bad looking. I feel like I am handsome by comparison in a bar like that. Maybe that’s why I go. Anyway. She was really cool and filled with tattoos. Older than me. Phone dead. Girl is chatting me up. Another caguamon and here we go into another night of Tijuana insanity!