Karina Bailõn

\ Aug 18, 2005

2 min read

Karina Bailõn lived in San Bernardino, Calif., her whole life and had no idea what Albuquerque would be like when she came out one electric evening for an interview. Spending the entire day indoors in interrogation for her new job in spatial data (i.e. mapping), she didn't see much of Albuquerque until nightfall, when it happened to be right smack dab in the middle of a lightning storm. But despite, or maybe because of, the circumstances, she still managed to generate a positive impression of the city. Enough so that, in October of last year, she left her hometown and settled in Burque.

And she loves it.

“Every day there are blue skies, and you can see for miles in all directions. I get up early every morning and am on the road by 7:30; and there are hot air balloons almost every day.”

Bailõn's one complaint is that it took her a while to find a supermarket with authentic Mexican food, as opposed to the pervasive amount of New Mexican food blanketed over the city.

“But then I found El Mesquite (on Fourth Street south of Griegos), which has great Mexican food, even queso fresco, which has the consistency of feta, but an entirely different taste.

“I also like going to the Fruit Basket, which has authentic Mexican food. They have fresh produce and preserves; there are a few of them, but I like going to the one on 12^th Street just north of Griegos (3821 12^th Street NW).