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Anti SOPA and PIPA in Oaxaca

January 18, 2012 by spixl

Vive Oaxaca, one of my favorite websites that covers things cultural in Oaxaca, had the following on their homepage today:

Vive Oaxaca website banner: No a la censura de la red; S.O.P.A. Stope Online Piracy Act; Internet nació seguirá siendo libre Do not censor the web; S.O.P.A. Stop Online Piracy Act; the Internet was born and will continue being free!

There is a video explanation of S.O.P.A. (in Spanish) and a couple of great posters.

Two posters: #1 listing websites going dark toda; #2 showing a face being gagged.

As the Vive Oaxaca website suggests, these Acts will not just affect access to information in the USA, they have worldwide implications.

For more information and links to other articles opposing SOPA and PIPA, check out Wikipedia’s SOPA and PIPA – Learn more page.

Update:  And to become even more informed, resources from the Progressive Librarians Guild:  Learn more about SOPA, censorship, & piracy:

The Swiss study (2011)…Piracy pays for itself

Posted in Politics, Protests | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Protecting migrant workers

January 17, 2012 by spixl

I don’t know the details or even if it is all that it is cracked up to be.  However, I can’t help but wonder… Where is the USA?

Ceramic sculptures of immigrants“La Ruta del Migrante” exhibit by Alejandro Santiago, in front of Santo Domingo in Oaxaca de Juárez (more on this exhibit to come)

Oaxaca’s Government and UFCW Canada Sign Agreement to Protect Mexican Migrant Workers in Canada

OAXACA, MEXICO–(Marketwire -01/17/12)- Migrant workers from the Mexican state of Oaxaca traveling to Canada will receive better protection this 2012 season after the signing of an agreement between the Instituto Oaxaqueno de Atencion a Migrantes (IOAM) and UFCW Canada.

On Monday, Wayne Hanley, National President of UFCW Canada, and Rufino Dominguez, Director of the IOAM signed a co-operation agreement to protect and assist Oaxacan migrants working temporarily in Canada. The agreement addresses issues of human rights, labor rights and social security, proposing a framework for transnational cooperation.

“Mexican migrant workers make an enormous contribution to the Canadian society and economy,” says National President Hanley. “This must be acknowledged and we look forward to working with Mexican institutions to improve the living and working conditions of Mexican migrant workers in Canada.”

UFCW Canada and the IOAM will collaborate to increase the level of protection of Oaxacan migrants before, during and after their stay in Canada. From now on, Oaxacan workers will be assisted in Canada through the network of 10 agriculture worker support centers operated by UFCW Canada in association with the Agriculture Workers Alliance (AWA).

The centres offer Spanish-speaking staff who deal with legal support services and training in human rights, labor rights, housing, and health and safety problems. Services also include a toll-free telephone assistance number from anywhere in Canada and Mexico, both for workers and their families.

Meanwhile, the IOAM will benefit from workshops offered by UFCW Canada to insure workers receive proper information about their rights. The plan of action will therefore focus not only on legal assistance, but also on prevention, information, and training of migrant workers. The program will also will help the migrant workers access Canadian legal benefits to which they are entitled.

The IOAM consolidates its commitment to the people of Oaxaca, actively developing policies to protect its citizens abroad. Other actors who have joined this international cooperation strategy with UFCW Canada include the governments of Michoacan, Tlaxcala and Distrito Federal, as well as two of the biggest agricultural workers labour federations. In this spirit of cooperation, the federal temporary worker programs will continue to be an important link for labour between Mexico and Canada, and these cooperation partnerships will strengthen the programs by involving all the strategic partners to ensure the workers’ experience is fair, safe and productive.

Contact:

UFCW Mexico
Andrea Galvez Gonzalez
3300 6144
Cell: 55 31 26 24 21
andrea.galvez@ufcw.mx
www.ufcw.ca

Posted in Economics, Immigration, Labor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Going forth and multiplying

January 13, 2012 by spixl

Remember Argiope, from my September 20 and October 8 posts? She has continued to hang around, catch flies, and do all manner of spidery things. However, four days ago, her web was abandoned…

empty web

Apparently, my screen door is the perfect place, in her mind, to lay her eggs!

Argiope laying eggs on screen door

A friend asked, how do I feel about having hundreds of little Argiopes hatch practically INSIDE my apartment?

Argiope and eggs

I’m trying not to think about it, says I.

 

Posted in Animals, Gardens, Nature & Science | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Salud, here’s to your health!

January 9, 2012 by spixl

Día de Reyes wasn’t the only thing happening on Friday; January 6 was also Nurses Day (aka: Día de la Enfermera) and it warms this former RN’s heart.

Banner: U.A.B.J.O.; Facultad de enfermería y obstetricia; "Día de la enfermera"; Festival de la Salud; Celebramos...

Personal hygiene is important; don’t forget the toothpaste and soap!

Banner above a balloon dart board: "Higiene Personal"

Now this had me scratching my head… we never did this in nursing school!

Nurses giving head massages with a battery powered massager

However, when you are stressed, you are not relaxed.

Banner: Cuando estas estresado no eres tu relajate y consientete

You need to pamper yourself.  Hmmm… wonder if my health insurance covers this?

Nurse giving a back massage

And, for goodness sake, don’t forget to hydrate!

Banner: Los beneficios del agua...

Posted in Education, Health | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Of kings and babies…

January 7, 2012 by spixl

Yesterday, El Día de Reyes (aka, Three Kings Day and Epiphany) was celebrated all over Oaxaca (and the rest of the Hispanic world).  Letters having been written, children went to bed on January 5th in anticipation…

Young girl with face painted

of a visit by los Reyes Magos; though, something tells me they didn’t ask for gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  If these Three Kings are truly wise, they visited the toy department of a local store.

Three teenagers (2 boys and 1 girl) dressed as the Three King.

Yesterday morning, children awoke to find their very own gifts from the Magi.  However, the day’s excitement didn’t end there.  Rosca de Reyes, a wreath of sweet bread had been made or purchased.

Woman putting powdered sugar on top of a Rosca de Reyes

This innocent looking dessert has a secret; a tiny plastic “bebé Jesús.”  Family and friends take turns with a knife, each slicing their own piece, and the one who finds the figurine must host a tamale party on February 2, Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas), for all those gathered.

Rosca de Reyes

However, Laura (my Spanish teacher) and her friend Manuel, just couldn’t leave it at that.  Last night, one by one, guests cut into the above cake and, lo and behold, we all bit into a baby Jesus.  Needless to say, there was much joking about fertility drugs!  It should be some tamale fiesta on February 2nd.

Posted in Celebrations, Food, Holidays | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Here and there

January 4, 2012 by spixl

Wall art from here…

Multicolor mountain lion wall art.

Wall of 142 Throckmorton theatre on Madrona,  Mill Valley, CA by Zio Ziegler

to there.

Wall of Espacio Zapata on Porfirio Díaz, Oaxaca de Juárez, OAX

And, sacred mountains from here…

Mt. Tamalpais

to there.

Green rocky top mountain against white cloud and blue sky

Transition time… Mill Valley back to Oaxaca.

Save

Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

¡Prospero año a todos!

December 31, 2011 by spixl

A little craziness from the November 2, 2011 comparsa in Vista Hermosa…

Muchisimas gracias to all my readers.  Thank you for stopping by, your perceptive comments, and your encouragement.  Peace and joy in 2012, if not in the world, at least in your heart!

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

It’s in the hands of the campesinos

December 30, 2011 by spixl

When “progress” isn’t progress; another thought provoking article that discusses what NAFTA hath wrought…

Donkey in corn field

After NAFTA, Mexican farmers sow uncertainty
by:  Mike Wold

Agribusiness and US policy clash with Campesino culture

The donkeys began to sing to each other as it got dark — starting with a honking bray from one far down in the bottom of the valley, then another answering from up on the hillside, then a third from a little way down the dirt road running by Eleazar García’s house. The road itself was empty by now; even earlier it couldn’t have been called busy — a group of schoolgirls in their white uniforms; a pickup truck with empty burlap sacks in the back; a battered van bringing farmers back from Nochixtlán, the market town two hours away.  I’d been in rural Mexico before but never had a chance to watch the light change as the sun sank below the western hills.

<snip>

Supporting small farming in Mexico is a win-win scenario for both the U.S. and Mexico.  But instead, the U.S. has successfully pushed Mexico into an export-oriented agricultural model that assumes depopulation in the rural areas, as large agribusiness replaces small-scale farmers in places like Oaxaca. Many of the displaced farmers will, as a matter of course, migrate north to work in maquiladoras (manufacturing operations) on the border or they will cross to the United States. In other words, the development model the two governments have adopted makes migration inevitable. 

There’s no profit for corporations in helping people stay on the land, where they’re insulated from the ups and downs of the world economy. But, as García put it: “If you really want to combat hunger in the world, it’s in the hands of campesinos. They live on what they grow. It’s important that people begin to understand that.”  [Full article]

Posted in Agriculture, Challenges, Economics, Immigration | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Defying the myth…

December 28, 2011 by spixl

Fascinating and revealing… from Upside Down World.  I encourage you to read the full article.

Defying the Myth of Native Desolation: Cultural Continuity in Oaxaca
Written by Kathleen Melville
Friday, 09 December 2011 15:56

Woman grinding masa on stone matate

“There is no remedy, and the Indians are coming to an end.” – Don Felipe Huamán Poma de Ayala, 1615 (quoted in Restall, 100)

Despite the passage of nearly four hundred years, Huamán Poma’s dismal pronouncement remains the sad ending to many popular narratives of the conquest. In classrooms throughout the United States, students learn that the arrival of Columbus spelled the end of Native American civilization and that the Spanish conquest obliterated indigenous culture and society in the Americas. As Matthew Restall notes in “The Seven Myths of the Conquest”, this pervasive “myth of native desolation” (102) obscures the strength and vitality of indigenous people throughout history and into the present.

In Oaxaca, Mexico, the lives and work of indigenous people belie the myth of native desolation and attest to thousands of years of continuous, evolving culture. In July, over 30 educators from the United States convened in Oaxaca for a summer institute funded by the National Endowment of the Humanities. Our goal was to better understand the histories and cultures of indigenous people in the region so that we might help illuminate and preserve them through our teaching. With unit plans that we designed and shared, we hope to disturb and diminish the myth of native desolation and to enrich our students’ perspectives on native culture.

<snip>

Globalization and transnational corporations also pose a significant threat to indigenous cultural continuity. Artisans in Oaxaca complained that Asian companies have been mass-producing textiles and wood carvings abroad and then undercutting the tourist market locally. As documented in several articles on this site, the agricultural corporation Monsanto aims to expand its reign into Oaxaca and eliminate small maize farms like the Vicente family’s. Drug cartels, their own breed of transnational organization, also jeopardize indigenous culture by increasingly luring young people into lives of violence far from home. These giants make for formidable foes in the fight for cultural survival, but the indigenous communities of Oaxaca have faced formidable foes in the past. From the Aztec conquest to the Spanish conquest to the present day, indigenous communities in Oaxaca have endured and evolved, defying the myth of native desolation and defining a culturally sustainable future for themselves.  [Full article]

(FYI:  I just had first-hand experience with the threat cheap imports pose to the livelihoods of Oaxaca’s artisans.  I do all my Christmas shopping in Oaxaca (so much more enjoyable than hitting the malls in the USA) and purchased backscratchers for stocking-stuffers that “looked” like they were made from the ubiquitous carrizo found anywhere a trickle of water is found in Oaxaca.  However, there they were in a bin at one of the chain drug stores here in el norte!  I’m thinking they were made in China.  Wood carvers, potters, and weavers, the conversation is the same; business is down and these creative and talented folks are being forced to return to work in the fields.)  — casitacolibrí

Posted in Challenges, Culture, History, Language | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Subject matter

December 26, 2011 by spixl

Apparently, I’m not the only one who has made the journey from Oaxaca to California.  The San Francisco Bay Area has been basking in sun and Oaxacan-blue-skies.  Even though the temps don’t match-up, the coast beckoned…

Wall art on sea wall

And, wall art greeted us in Bolinas.

Wall art of surfer in wetsuit carrying surfboard

Gosh, except for the subject matter, I felt like I was in Oaxaca!

Wall art of whale on seawall

Wait!  Who is that I see?

Wall art of Benito Juárez on seawall

None other than Oaxaca’s favorite son, Benito Juárez.  The subject matter IS the same!!!

Posted in Creativity, Culture, People | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

A Christmas classic with a twist

December 24, 2011 by spixl

A few weeks ago, my neighbor gave me the following poem based on the Clement C. Moore classic, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.  The author, she said, was unknown.  The reference librarian in me couldn’t resist doing a little digging and found that this is Texas Public Radio DJ Ernie Villarreal’s version of the song, Pancho Claus, by Chicano music legend, Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero.

~~~

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through la casa
Not a creature was stirring, Caramba! ¿Que pasa?

Los ninos were all tucked away in their camas,
Some in vestidos and some in pajamas.
While Mama worked late in her little cocina,
El viejo was down at the corner cantina.

The stockings were hanging con mucho cuidado,
In hopes that St. Nicholas would feel obligado
To bring all the children, both buenos y malos,
A Nice batch of dulces and other regalos.

Outside in the yard, there arouse such a grito,
That I jumped to my feet, like a frightened cabrito.

I went to the window and looked out afuera,
And who in the world, do you think que era?

Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero
Came dashing along like a crazy bombero!

And pulling his sleigh instead of venados,
Were eight little burros approaching volados.

I watched as they came, and this little hombre
Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre.

¡Ay, Pancho! ¡Ay, Pepe! ¡Ay, Cuca! ¡Ay, Beto!
¡Ay, Chato! ¡¡Ay, Chopo! ¡Maruca and ¡Nieto!

Then standing erect with his hand on his pecho
He flew to the top of our very own techo.
With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to squeeze down our old chimenea.

Then huffing and puffing, at last in our sala,
With soot smeared all over his red suit de gala.

He filled the stockings with lovely regalos,
For none of the children had been very malos.

Then chuckling aloud and seeming contento,
He turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.

And I heard him exclaim and this is VERDAD,
Merry Christmas to all, And to All ¡Feliz Navidad!

~~~

Multicolor star-shaped piñata against blue sky.

Piñata at the southeast corner of the zócalo in Oaxaca.

Paz y alegría a todos  ~~  Peace and joy to all.

Posted in Books, Holidays, Language, Music | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Christmas on the Zócalo

December 23, 2011 by spixl

And the juxtapositions continue; the annual nativity scene set up on the zócalo in Oaxaca across from the Government Palace and the ongoing occupation by the women of San Juan Copala, not to mention the ubiquitous banners of  Section 22 of the Teachers’ Union.

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Then there were the impossibly cute kids and a rapid request from them.  “Mas despacio, por favor,” sez I.  A slow motion reply followed, “To-ma nu-es-tra fo-to,” sez the older girl.  And, so I did!

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Virgin of Solitude

December 19, 2011 by spixl

On December 18, Oaxaqueños celebrated the feast day of the Queen of Oaxaca, La Santísima Virgen de La Soledad (Virgin of Solitude).  There are several minor variations to her story, but there is no doubt that in the State of Oaxaca, she is venerated in a manner similar to the Virgin of Guadalupe and is carried through the streets of the city during many religious celebrations.

Virgen de La Soledad being carried through the streets with plain purple cape

Virgen de La Soledad in her traveling clothes

According to one legend:  In 1620 a mule train bound for Guatemala camped outside the city of Oaxaca discovered an extra mule which did not belong to anyone in the group. The mule refused to move and when prodded rolled over and died. When the pack it carried was opened, it was found to contain the statue of the Virgin of Soledad. Taking this as a sign from heaven, the inhabitants built first a shrine, later a church and finally the imposing basilica which stands today on the spot where the statue first appeared.

Another story:  a muleteer from Veracruz in route to Guatemala noticed he had one too many mules in his pack upon his arrival in Oaxaca. Outside the San Sebastian hermitage, the mule collapsed under the burden it was carrying. All attempts by the muleteer to get it back on its feet were futile; so to avoid punishment he notified the authorities. When he lifted the load off the mule, it got up and died instantly. The burden was inspected, and they found an image of the Virgin accompanied by Christ on it, along with a sign that said, “The Virgin by the Cross.” Faced with this momentous event, Bishop Bartolome Bohorquez ordered a sanctuary built in honour of the divinity.

Still another legend:  a heavily laden burro of mysterious origin appeared outside of town in 1534, fell to the ground, spilling its load next to a rock (still onsite) containing the beautifully carved Virgin (thought to be carved in Guatemala or the Philippines) and a chapel was built on the spot. However, apparently there was an adobe shrine to the Virgin of Solitude atop Cerro Fortín as early as 1532 — and the rock may have even been moved from the mountain in 1617 to the current site (immediately to the right, along the wall as you enter).

She became the patron of not only the city but the entire state, as well as of the mariners who sailed to and from her ports. She wears a purple velvet cape, and her vestments are encrusted with pearls, 600 diamonds, and she wears a 4-lb gold crown.

Virgin of Solitude with purple cape encrusted with pearls and diamonds

Virgen de La Soledad her glass enclosed home at the Basilica

She resides in the church dedicated to her, the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad.  Construction began in 1682, it was designed by Father Fernando Méndez, sanctioned by the Viceroy Tomas Aquino Manrique de la Cerda, and consecrated in 1690 by Bishop Isidro Siraña y Cuenca.  The current baroque style facade was built between 1717-1719 and is unusual because it faces east (Photos are best in the AM).  It was built with the green cantera and a pinkish stone, used in the facade.  If one looks carefully, several ways in which the indigenous masons and carpenters introduced their own “pagan” symbology and pantheon into the wood and stone are in evidence.

Facade of the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad

East facing facade

It was intentionally built with low spires and towers, to better withstand earthquakes.  The atrial courtyard is enclosed and fitted with two simple access portals, one facing south, and the other east. The latter leads to the Socrates Garden (currently undergoing a major renovation) and the Plaza de la Danza.

References:

Posted in Buildings, Celebrations, Churches, History, Holidays | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Las Virgenes de Oaxaca

December 14, 2011 by spixl

December seems to be quite a month for the Virgins of Oaxaca.

December 8, I was awakened by cohetes (rockets… all bang, no bling) at 4:45 AM.  They continued sporadically until about an hour later, when wildly clanging church bells heralded a non-stop barrage of more cohetes for several minutes… they eventually faded away, but a banda was heard in the distance.

It was the feast day of the Virgin of Juquila (La Virgen de Juquila), one of Oaxaca’s own.  According to legend, in 1633, when a fire burned the small Chatino village of Amialtepec to the ground, a small statue of the Virgin Mary was rescued amidst the ashes. It was a miracle; she was undamaged, save for her light skin color, which was permanently darkened by the smoke… causing her to look more like the Chatino people, who revered her.

Here she is, in a field alongside La Virgen de Guadalupe, almost at the crest of the new carretera between Oaxaca and San Martín Tilcajete.

Brown fields next to highway at crest of hill

La Virgen de Guadalupe on the left and La Virgen de Juquila on the right.

Sand paintings of the Virgin of Guadalupe and the Virgin of Juquila on a mountainside.

The Virgin of Guadalupe had her day only four days later, on December 12.  La Virgen de Guadalupe is known as the Queen of Mexico and Empress of America, and is the patron saint of México.  Reports estimate that 5.8 million of the faithful made the pilgrimage this year to Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to honor the dark-skinned virgin who appeared to Indian peasant Juan Diego on Dec. 12, 1531 near what is now Mexico City.

In Oaxaca, worshipers flocked to the Chapel of Guadalupe at the north end of Llano Park and a carnival filled the park for all the little Juan Diegos and girls in period costume to be entertained.  However, I headed out to Teotitlán del Valle to see this Zapotec village honor La Virgen de Guadalupe with their traditional Danza de la Pluma.  Several of the Danzantes (dancers) were wearing capes woven and embroidered especially for this day…

Virgin of Guadalupe embroidered on the back of the cape of a Danzante.

The weaving and embroidery were spectacular!

Closeup of the Virgin of Guadalupe on the back of Moctezuma's cape.

And, at least one of the Danzantes had an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the middle of his corona (feathered headdress).

Feathered headdress with image of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the center.

Malinche and Doña Marina also had similar images on the skirts of their dresses.  To see those and several other photos of the dancers, you should take a look at what Chris has posted at, Oaxaca-The Year After.

Next on the “Virgin” calendar is December 18, the feast day of La Virgen de la Soledad (the Virgin of Solitude), Oaxaca’s patron saint.  Stay tuned…

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Holidays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Christmas time in Oaxaca

December 11, 2011 by spixl

…warms the night and the heart.

After a week (plus) of temps that dropped into the high 30s/low 40s during the night (Brrrr… central heating, what’s that?), sun, clear blue sky, and mild evening temperatures have returned.  It’s perfect weather for strolling around la ciudad, wandering in and out of artesania shops, doing a little stress-free Christmas shopping, and pausing every once in a while to absorb the scene.

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You might have noticed, the angel from Friday’s post successfully ascended the ladder and now graces the top of the stable.  And, along with bells and Rudolph, a Star of David hangs on the side of a building.  Interesting… this is the first time I’ve seen it as part of holiday decorations.  By the way, there are no synagogues in Oaxaca.

Posted in Celebrations, Holidays | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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