You know you are in El Paso....

You know you are in El Paso when you are awakened at 3am by the strong distinct smell of burnt chile rellenos.  I was at home visiting my parents this weekend and I seriously thought the house was burning down.  I got up in a panic, thankful for my sensitive pregnancy nose, ready to save the family.  After a swift search of the house and no smoke in sight, I determined that it must be an electrical fire.  I have never experienced an electrical fire so I could only assume that electrical wires might smell like chiles when they are burning.  I then proceeded to wake up my sister, doubting myself just a little.  At 3am she was not exactly pleased with me alarming her with the smell of chiles in the house but since I am pregnant she heard me out and confirmed that I was not crazy. It did indeed smell like burning chiles.  Next stop, my parents room...still slightly convinced there was an electrical fire because it made no sense that someone would actually be cooking chile rellenos at three in the morning.  My mom, concerned that I was waking them up cause I was sick or hurting or possible hungry due to pregnancy, was quite alert.  Once a mom always a mom.  She then explained to me that I was not crazy, it did smell like burning chiles and it most likely was.  The neighbors smoke meat, chiles, all types of food in the middle of the night....sometimes all night and the smoke drafts into the air conditioner and fills the house.  They don't share their meat either but I know that if my parents showed a slight interest they would be invited to the family gatherings every Sunday from over the fence.
Now if that ain't El Paso, I don't know what is.