After a day’s delay (thanks to the big snow storm), I’ll be spending Valentine’s Day enroute to the US East Coast to visit family. However, I wanted to wish all my readers much love and friendship.
¡Feliz día del amor y la amistad!
Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category
Day of love & friendship
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Día del Amor y la Amistad, holidays, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Valentine's Day on February 14, 2014| 8 Comments »
It’s a jungle out there
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged camouflage, culture, Mexico, monos, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Plaza de la Danza on February 10, 2014| Leave a Comment »
A mono in camo, seriously???
I guess it really is a jungle out there. But, it isn’t easy to stay hidden when your buddy is laughing at you.
Just another day crossing the Plaza de la Danza on my way to the market. As I keep saying, you just never know what you will uncover walking the streets of Oaxaca.
Sitting on top of the world
Posted in Buildings, Churches, Creativity, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Cathedral of Oaxaca, La catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, religious statuary, statues on February 5, 2014| 5 Comments »
It’s amazing how sometimes light, shade, and a pristine backdrop can come together to highlight something you have looked at hundreds of times, but have never really seen.
Early last week, on a stunningly clear blue sky day, I passed the La Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption) and stopped dead in my tracks.
The flag must have been what initially caught my attention — it’s not an everyday occurrence — but what held my gaze were the three gals atop the Cathedral.
I wondered, are they new?
Once home, I scrolled through old photos I’d taken and sure enough there they were in every photo of the Cathedral’s facade.
Hmmm… How could I have missed their imposing presence?
Now to find out who they represent. (You can take the librarian away from the reference desk, but you can’t take the reference questions away from the librarian!) Anybody out there have any answers???
Niño Dios dressed and waiting
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged baby Jesus, Candlemas, Día de Candelaria, Mexico, Niño Dios, Oaxaca on February 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Today, Día de la Candelaria (aka, Candlemas, Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, and Feast of the Purification of the Virgin), marking the end of the Christmas season, is being celebrated. Families dress their Niño Dios (baby Jesus) figurines in new clothes and bring them to church to be blessed.
Niño Dios dolls come in a variety of sizes and are sold throughout the year at the ubiquitous shops that sell religious articles. I spotted these across Independencia while dining on my previously mentioned nieves.
As Mr. Rodgers sang…
Posted in Culture, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged Carmen Abajo, Mexico, Mr. Rodgers quote, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, zócalo on January 26, 2014| 2 Comments »
Divorced eggs???
Posted in Culture, Food, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged Dolores Porras DVD, food, Hotel las Golondrinas, huevos divorciados, Mexico, Michael Peed, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on January 23, 2014| 8 Comments »
Sí, huevos divorciados! A little food porn to begin the day…
Early morning walk up to Hotel las Golondrinas yesterday morning for breakfast. Surrounded by the distinctive pottery of Dolores Porras, it was the perfect setting to meet Michael Peed, filmmaker of the documentary, Dolores Porras: Artista Artesana de Barro.
Esquipulas espectacular
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Black Christ, fireworks, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Señor de Esquipulas, Templo del Carmen Alto on January 21, 2014| 3 Comments »
As promised, the fireworks on Sunday night at Templo del Carmen Alto celebrating Señor de Esquipulas were, indeed, espectacular! But, you may be asking, “Who is he and why does he deserve such celebration and veneration?”
Esquipulas refers to a town in Guatemala where, prior to the arrival of the Spanish, the peoples of Mesoamerica worshiped the god Ek Chua. After the Conquest, in 1594, Quirio Cataño was commissioned to carve a sculpture of Jesus on the cross for Esquipulas. Legend has it that Cataño used dark wood so that it looked more like the indigenous residents of the area. Another version of the story has the sculpture turning dark overnight to “please the children from the village of Esquipulas.” However, during a recent restoration of the image it was determined that it was centuries of smoke from candles and being touched by the faithful that turned the original light wood, dark.
Señor de Esquipulas from Templo Carmen Alto, Oaxaca — Procession of Silence, Good Friday 2013
Various miracles have been attributed to Señor de Esquipulas and pilgrims descend on the small Guatemalan village from Central America and Mexico to venerate the Black Christ. He has a long reach and replicas have been commissioned in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and even as far away as Venezuela for the faithful to worship.
I’m not sure how Carmen Alto in Oaxaca came to house a Señor de Esquipulas, but it does and they go all out celebrating. Processions and special masses have been held during the week. However, the big festival day is January 19 and it began with early morning rockets at 6 AM — Alegres mañanitas in honor of the Señor de Esquipulas. The eucharist was celebrated at 7 AM, 8 AM, and 12 PM — the latter “For the peace of the world and for all the infirmed.” Cultural events were held during the day and there was another eucharist at 7 PM. Following the evening eucharist, Señor de Esquipulas was carried through the streets of the parish, accompanied by a band, monos, and believers.
Once they returned to Carmen Alto’s courtyard, it was “torito” time. The little bull holding up part of the castillo-under-construction in my last blog post, was ready to take center stage. Encircled by a brave crowd, for twenty to thirty minutes he danced and ran around the plaza spewing sparks at those in the line of fire.
Next up was two castillos, multi-story structures wired for a major sensory experience — light, sound, and much welcome heat, on a chilly night. Peace seemed to be a theme this year, with wheel appendages spelling out, “Violence no more” and “All united for peace.” This year there was even a prerecorded soundtrack. A young couple, on a cycling trip from Vancouver to Argentina, recognized it as music from a movie that I hadn’t heard of — however, they seemed quite surprised and delighted.
The flaming tops of each castillo eventually spun off into the night, as a fabulous fireworks display lit up the sky.
The show put on for Señor de Esquipulas was spectacular!
Danger / Peligro
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Black Christ, fireworks, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Señor de Esquipulas, Templo del Carmen Alto on January 19, 2014| 4 Comments »
Beware, anyone in the vicinity of Carmen Alto church tonight…
There’s going to be some major fireworks!!!
Oaxaca is celebrating the Black Christ, Señor de Esquipulas.
Has this post got legs?
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged bar stools, Eartha Kitt quote, Fred Astaire video, La Condesa Oaxaca, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, restaurant on January 17, 2014| 2 Comments »
And now for a little levity…
Seen through the window of La Condesa restaurant and bar in Oaxaca.
I love to tease men with my legs. — Eartha Kitt
I keep waiting for the bar stools to break out into a tap dance routine. A friend posted this video on Facebook yesterday of Fred Astaire tapping and drumming — at the same time! I wonder what he would have done with these stools?
Work in progress
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Travel & Tourism, tagged art, Gorilla Gallery, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, urban art, Yescka on January 13, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Urban artist, Yescka, at work on December 20, 2013 at Gorilla Gallery in Oaxaca…
Live action painting from the back of the glass, a devilish Virgen de Guadalupe emerges…
From the back and from the front, La Virgen is finished.
Yescka then turned to one of the gallery’s windows; outside looking in and inside looking out.
Like street art, these works are not forever. In a month (or so), the virgin will be disappeared and another artist will come to Gorilla Gallery to create another ephemeral masterpiece.
Gorilla Gallery is at Crespo 213 and is open on Thursdays, from 2:00 – 8:0 PM.
Pop-up parade
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Education, Travel & Tourism, tagged calenda, Mexico, Oaxaca, parade, photographs, photos, Universidad La Salle Oaxaca on January 11, 2014| 2 Comments »
Walking down the Alcalá… on the way home late yesterday afternoon… sounds of a band… I look up towards Santo Domingo… and see a calenda coming down the street.
Universidad La Salle Oaxaca on parade. Reason # 552 why I love living here!
Who is that woman?
Posted in Culture, History, Parks & Plazas, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged Benito Juárez, Brigida Garcia de Juárez, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on January 9, 2014| 1 Comment »
At a busy intersection, on a small concrete island, sits the bust of a woman. Who is she?
This is where Pino Suarez and República both meet Niños Heroes, traffic comes in at “unnatural” angles, and my attention is usually laser focused on attempting to look in the right direction, deciphering which traffic lights do what, and keeping my adrenalin in check as I determine the safest moment to dash across each street.
However, a few days ago, on my return to El Centro, after having walked far up into Colonia Reforma, I decided to take a break and investigate. Just who is this indigenous woman who presides from her triangular perch.
Meet Brigida Garcia de Juárez, from the mountain village of Guelatao, Oaxaca — mother of Oaxaca’s beloved favorite son and Mexico’s revered former president, Benito Pablo Juárez García. She died when he was only three years old.
The plaque that rests at the base of the monument reads, “Madre de Benemérito de America – H. Ayuntamiento – 1984. Mother of the distinguished national hero of modern Mexico.
It’s a merry-go-round
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Food, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged carousel, Día de Reyes, El Día De Los Reyes Magos, Epiphany, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Rosca de Reyes, San Pablo Academic and Cultural Center, Tato, Three Kings Day on January 6, 2014| 1 Comment »
We are still enjoying the Christmas merry-go-round in Oaxaca. Lucky for “children” young and old, the San Pablo Cultural and Educational Center has even provided a real (not just metaphorical) carousel to hop on during this holiday season. And today, along with riding the merry-go-round, in honor of Día de Reyes, all were welcome to partake in the traditional Rosca de Reyes (Three Kings cake) — served by none other than Tato, the birdbrain (after all he is an ostrich) Oaxaca Guerreros team (baseball) mascot (though I think he was doing more eating than serving). Thankfully, on this chilly night, there was also hot chocolate (with milk or water, your choice) with which to warm hands and dip cake.
Whew!!! A baby Jesus figurine was not found in my piece of Rosca de Reyes, so I won’t have to throw a tamale and atole party on Candlemas, February 2nd, for everyone present at this evening’s festivities.
The kings are coming
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged Día de Reyes, El Día De Los Reyes Magos, Epiphany, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Three Kings Day, toy drive, toys on January 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »
While Santa Claus is making inroads into Mexico, it’s tonight’s visit by Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar that children anxiously await. Los Reyes Magos (the Three Wise Men) bring gifts in Mexico, Latin America, and Spain. Tomorrow, January 6, is El Día de Reyes (aka, Epiphany) and children will scramble to see what the Magi brought them.
Special markets have been set up; puestos upon puestos selling toys, sporting equipment, and any and everything else kids desire. Friday, it was quite a scene on the Alameda, as for the 22nd year, a toy drive, sponsored by El DIF Municipal and Grupo Radio México, was in progress. And, naturally, there were payasos (clowns) to help the kings collect.
According to reports, the Kilómetro del Juguete (kilometer of toys) collected 2500 items on Friday, alone.
From doll buggies to…
to skateboards…
The toys will be distributed to disadvantaged children this afternoon in the Plaza de la Danza, in a program that begins at 5:00 PM. There will be music (of course!), contests, entertainment, and local celebrities. Last year was a hoot!
My upstairs neighbors and I have been without running water since yesterday afternoon. So, we’re just hoping Los Reyes Magos bring us water — preferably today!
Do or don’t do
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged arts, graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art, urban art on January 3, 2014| 4 Comments »
In 2014, don’t…
or do, what feels good.
(In Oaxaca, on Berriozábal at the corner of Reforma.)
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