Gazing up at the Guelaguetza Auditorium tonight from the terrace, as Guelaguetza 2011 came to a close…
Posted in Celebrations | Tagged Guelaguetza Auditorium, Mexico, Oaxaca | Leave a Comment »
The rain held off long enough today for the conclusion of Oaxaca’s Sexto (6th) Festival Nacional de Danzón. Like last year, I was captivated by young and old, feet and faces, formality and style, intensity and joy; and everything in between coming together under the laurels of the Zócalo.
Hmmm… I wonder if I can work up the nerve to inquire about dance lessons at the studio around the corner???
Posted in Celebrations, Culture | Tagged dance, Festival Nacional de Danzón Oaxaca 2011, Mexico, Oaxaca | 2 Comments »
Intermittent rain again today; annoying and even a little depressing, until tonight…
and from the far reaches of the brain, the John Sebastian song, I’ll Paint Rainbows All Over Your Blues, came to mind… and I couldn’t help singing and smiling.
Posted in Nature & Science, Weather | Tagged Mexico, Oaxaca, rainbows | Leave a Comment »
No, I didn’t have to ford a raging river… just make a harrowing 5+ second dash, while dodging speeding cars in an effort to cross Calzada de la República, which used to be a river that formed the natural boundary between Oaxaca and the village of Jalatlaco.
Today, Jalatlaco (“sandy embankment” in the Aztec language of Nauhatl) is a barrio (neighborhood) of Oaxaca, but República and its traffic continue to provide a daunting barrier and some colorful street art.
However, once beyond República, the atmosphere changes. Cobblestones from the old riverbed line the streets and slow the pace;
color and foliage, not to mention crowns, add to the character;
and stone walls line the narrow streets, shielding the neighborhood from the bustle beyond.
By the way, my breakfast of huevos divorcíados at El Biche Pobre was colorful and delicious!
Posted in Food, Neighborhoods | Tagged El Biche Pobre, graffiti, Jalatlaco, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art, wall art | Leave a Comment »
Just strolling along Constitución en route to and from the Oaxaca Lending Library. First en la mañana…
and across Reforma, pasted on one of the previously mentioned Old and dangerous buildings.
And then, en la tarde… father, son, and daughter waiting to perform on a stage set up at the Jardin El Pañuelito.
Going from here to there is never just going from here to there!
Posted in Culture, Random associations | Tagged calle Constitución, dancers, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, posters | Leave a Comment »
And now we have the sixth annual Festival del Tejate y el Tamal de San Andrés Huayapam! A large tent covers half of the Plaza de la Danza and over 100 “tejateras” who belong to the Unión de Mujeres Productoras del Tejate set up shop early this morning to sell refreshing cups of this pre-Hispanic beverage made from corn and cacao.
The festival is part of an effort to preserve the food culture of the Zapotec. San Andrés Huayapam (aka, San Andrés Huayapan) is about 7 miles north of the city and its main economic activity is the sale of tejate.
The festival also features empanadas, hot off the comal…
and six kinds of tamales: Salsa verde, Amarillo, Rajas, Verde, Chichilo, and Tamal de mole.
I wanted them all! However, for today’s comida, I opted for chichilo from this gal…
Why chichilo? The answer is, because I’ve never had that kind before! Chichilo is one of the seven moles of Oaxaca and is only served on special occasions, such as weddings and christenings, or when the crops have been harvested. Chilhuacle negro, mulatto, and pasilla chiles; blackened tortillas and seeds of the chiles; and avocado leaves, the latter imparting a subtle anise flavor, give it its distinctive flavor.
She picked out a good one… it was delicious!
¡Buen provecho!
Posted in Beverages, Celebrations, Food, Parks & Plazas | Tagged chichilo mole, empanadas, Mexico, mole, Oaxaca, San Andrés Huayapam, San Andrés Huayapan, tamales, tejate | 1 Comment »
Last night I, along with thousands of others, gathered on the Alameda, with eyes gazing upwards at the “espectáculo” being projected on the facade of the Cathedral.
Three projectors allowed alebrijes to march across the front of the Cathedral, tapetes to hang from the rooftop, and tin ornaments to be displayed, as if they were on a wall in a mercado waiting to be purchased. Buildings collapsed and were rebuilt, vines reclaimed a pyramid, and so much more. It was accompanied by music familiar to anyone who has spent more than a day in Oaxaca. And, at the end, Flor de Piña was heard as fireworks erupted over the Cathedral.
And so, for whatever role they may have played, my hat is off to the two guys hanging around in their hammocks, mentioned in my July 20 and July 24 posts. The Sinfonía de Luz y Sonido was, indeed spectacular!
Rumor has it that it is being streamed, though I haven’t discovered the link as yet. If I find it, I promise to add it to this post.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture | Tagged Cathedral, Guelaguetza, Mexico, Oaxaca, sound and light show | 2 Comments »
For the first time, live internet streaming of today and tonight’s (and presumably next Monday’s) Guelaguetza performances at: http://www.telmex.com/guelaguetza
As you can see from the photo I just took of the Guelaguetza Auditorium, it is a stunning blue-sky Oaxaca day.
Posted in Celebrations, Culture | Tagged Guelaguetza, Mexico, Oaxaca | 1 Comment »
Aha! So this is what the guys in the hammocks mentioned a few days ago are guarding: It’s the gear for a sound and light show being projected on the Cathedral. Noticias has cleared up the mystery and posted a video snippet to lure readers:
It worked… I’m going!!!
Posted in Celebrations, Culture | Tagged Catedral de Oaxaca, Cathedral, Guelaguetza, Mexico, Oaxaca, sound and light show | 2 Comments »
Guelaguetza… the offering and sharing has begun! Under cloudy skies, with the occasional torrential downpour, buses bringing dancers and bands began arriving for the Desfile de Delegaciones Regionales, tonight’s hour-long parade down the Alcalá to the zócalo.
Parade has ended, I’m back at Casita Colibrí, the sky has cleared, a 200-piece youth orchestra from the central valleys of Oaxaca has finished playing traditional Oaxacan music in the Plaza de la Danza, and the third round of fireworks has just erupted from the zócalo. Ahhhh… this place is amazing!!!
For more information on Guelaguetza:
Posted in Celebrations, Culture | Tagged desfile, Guelaguetza, Mexico, Oaxaca | Leave a Comment »
… and for everything good, you also should.” — old Oaxaca saying.
Today, the XIV Feria Nacional del Mezcal opens in el Paseo Juárez el Llano. Preparations were in full swing yesterday afternoon, when I walked passed Llano Park (as it is more commonly known).
Behind the back of Benito Juárez, carpenters were busy.
Newly constructed puestos lined the sidewalk on Pino Suarez, waiting to be filled with vendors and displays…
… and hearts of the maguey (called piñas, because they look like pineapples) were piling up all around the park.
For more information about mezcal, including how it differs from tequila, see:
- All About Tequila and Mezcal – from the Beverage Testing Institute
- Mezcal – entry in Wikipedia
In the meantime… “¡Arriba, abajo, al centro y pa’ dentro!”
Update: Posters, website, and other publicity to the contrary, the feria did not begin today. Mañana is the word!
Posted in Beverages, Celebrations, Parks & Plazas | Tagged agave, Feria Nacional del Mezcal, Llano Park, maguey, Mexico, Oaxaca, parks | 3 Comments »
Guelaguetza is almost here, the Zócalo is teeming with tourists, and a massive stage is being set up opposite the cathedral. I think these guys are guarding it. I want their job!
Hmmm… there’s an empty hammock. Maybe I should apply!
Posted in Celebrations | Tagged Guelaguetza, Mexico, Oaxaca, zócalo | 1 Comment »
Back on January 10th, I posted a photo of a pupa that had materialized on my plumbago while I’d been up in the USA for a month.
What I haven’t mentioned is that the next day, it moved! It began traveling up and down the plumbago. I ran inside, grabbed my new Canon G12, set it to video, and began recording. Video was edited, music was added, and the following resulted:
However, that isn’t the end of the story. I kept close tabs on the terrace’s new resident, checking daily, but no more plumbago strolling; the pupa remained firmly fastened to one of the branches.
Then on April 17th, over 3 months later, I noticed a significant change in the pupa…
A butt protruding? Was a butterfly in the process of emerging??? Daily observations continued… no change. I returned to the USA for a month, returned to find… NO change!
Finally, on July 2nd, I couldn’t stand it any longer. With the Skype encouragement from my friend G, I snipped the pupa from its home of almost six months and began a dissection; the industrial strength silk was peeled away and the woody chrysalis was cut into with my gardening shears… a hollow shell of the “butt end” and an empty cottony interior was revealed!
Posted in Gardens, Nature & Science | Tagged Butterfly pupa, Casita Colibrí, Oaxaca, plumbago, video | Leave a Comment »
A major source of entertainment these gray rainy days is watching the colibríes darting in, around, and through the African tulip trees surrounding my terrace; sipping nectar from the profusion of giant red-orange blossoms 3 times their size;
… chasing each other as they protect their turf (Hey guys and gals, there’s enough for everybody!); catching insects with their rapier like tongues; and pausing for a brief rest at the tip of a branch,
… but always on guard.
Posted in Gardens, Nature & Science | Tagged African tulip tree, Colibríes, hummingbird, Mexico, Oaxaca | 3 Comments »
Op-ed piece from Richard J. Salvucci that appeared on Miller-McCune.com. Grrr… anger-inducing, frustrating, and disappointing to this librarian!
How Google Disrespected Mexican History
Opinion: Anything can happen when Google gets involved in digitizing national treasure troves of archived information, warns a frustrated scholar.
Excerpt from article:
Paper of Record is a Canadian website that boasts of building the world’s largest searchable archive of historical newspapers. It was conceived, appropriately enough, in a Mexican restaurant in Ottawa by R. J. (Bob) Huggins. Paper of Record is, to my knowledge, the most extensive searchable archive of Mexican historical newspapers in the world. There are more than 150 logged newspapers, some dating as far back as the 1840s. Paper of Record became, outside of the National Newspaper Library of Mexico, the single most important resource of its kind for scholars like me working in Mexican history — in Mexico, the United States, anywhere. With an excellent user interface and powerful search engine, Paper of Record made a vast collection of what had been nearly unusable and generally inaccessible primary sources searchable and exploitable, at no charge to users. For some scholars, especially those of us doing commercial, political or economic history, Paper of Record became literally indispensable.
Then Google bought it. [Read full article]
Link: National Newspaper Library of Mexico (Hemeroteca Nacional de México) mentioned above.
Posted in Education, History | Tagged Google, Hemeroteca Nacional de México, Mexico, National Newspaper Library of Mexico, Paper of Record | Leave a Comment »
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