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Oaxaca te amo

June 13, 2019 by spixl

Home soon and looking forward to returning to these sights…

View of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.

Metates and garlic — market day in Tlacolula de Matamoros.

Monos and marmotas waiting for a wedding at Santa Domingo de Guzmán.

Oaxaca, I love you.

 

Posted in Churches, Culture, Food | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Dreaming Oaxaca

June 8, 2019 by spixl

I’ve been in el norte for a month and loving spending time with family and friends, but now dreaming Oaxaca dreams.

From the mural, painted in 1980 by Arturo García Bustos, depicting the history of Oaxaca in Oaxaca’s Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace).

Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

The not so humble jícara

June 6, 2019 by spixl

As previously mentioned, I am currently in el norte.  Visiting my family and friends has taken me from Oaxaca to New York, across the country to California, followed by Colorado, and then back to California.  I have been on multiple airplanes, traversed through multiple airports, and been complimented multiple times on my earrings.  We are not talking gold or silver filigree, we are talking about earrings made from jícara — the fruit of the Crescentia cujete (aka, Calabash tree).  [Click on images to enlarge.]

 

Earrings are not the only things made from the dried fruit of these humble trees that grow in less-than-ideal environments.  The Tacuate women of Santa María Zacatepec (Oaxaca) use them as hats.

The gourds are cut in half, washed, and with seeds removed, set out in the sun.  Once dry, throughout southern Mexico, they frequently are lacquered, decoratively painted, and used as cups for tejate and other traditional beverages.

 

As youi can see, in Villa de Zaachila, in the valley of Oaxaca, this use is even celebrated in a Día de Muertos mural.

Larger jícaras, known as jicalpextles, are a specialty of Chiapa de Corzo (Chiapas).  However, they have assumed a special role in the Zapotec village of Teotitlán del Valle (Oaxaca), where they are filled with handmade sugar flowers and carried during weddings, religious celebrations, and other important fiestas.

 

And, recently there was an exhibition of carved jícaras by Salomón Huerta and José Cruz Sánchez from Pinotepa de Don Luis (Oaxaca) at the Museo Estatal de Arte Popular Oaxaca (MEAPO).  At last, the talent of the artisans who create these pieces is being given the recognition it deserves and their creations are being appreciated as works of art.

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IMG_2285So, hurray for the not-so-humble jícara and the ingenuity and creativity of the indigenous peoples of the world whose traditions teach them to honor and not waste the gifts of planet earth.

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Flora, Travel & Tourism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

I read the news today…

June 1, 2019 by spixl

I’m visiting family and friends in el norte and trying not to get caught up in the constant barrage of ignorant, disgraceful, and infuriating news coming out of Washington D.C.  However, sometimes it can’t be ignored.

This is all I have to say…

(If you don’t know and can’t figure out what “pendejo” translates to in English, click HERE.)

Another mural by Lapiztola on the side of the Palenque Mal de Amor outside Santiago Matatlán.

 

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Immigration, Politics, Travel & Tourism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Doorway into Zaachila

May 28, 2019 by spixl

From the land of Zaachila yoo (house of Zaachila)…

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Villa de Zaachila pride in black and white by YNKL/Sanez.

 

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Still life in black & white

May 24, 2019 by spixl

Stepping outside my front door, sometimes the play of light and shadow in Oaxaca takes my breath away.

Black and white photo of Crown of thorns plant

Crown of thorns (aka, Corona de Cristo, Euphorbia milii) taken November 2018.

Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Miscellaneous messaging

May 21, 2019 by spixl

Within a few blocks from home…

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Miscellaneous messaging brought to you by the streets of Oaxaca.

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International Museum Day

May 17, 2019 by spixl

May 18 is Día Internacional de los Museos (International Museum Day).  Instituted in 1977 by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the goal is to raise awareness of the role museums play in “cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.”  Traditionally, the primary mission of museums has been collecting, conservation, communication, research, and exhibition.  However, according to the ICOM:

Museums have transformed their practices to remain closer to the communities they serve. Today they look for innovative ways to tackle contemporary social issues and conflict. By acting locally, museums can also advocate and mitigate global problems, striving to meet the challenges of today’s society proactively. As institutions at the heart of society, museums have the power to establish dialogue between cultures, to build bridges for a peaceful world and to define a sustainable future.

The museums of Oaxaca seem to have embraced this expanding and dynamic role — exemplified by this past winter’s exhibition at the Museo Textil de Oaxaca, Intervención Índigo, created by Laura Anderson Barbata, in collaboration with The Brooklyn Jumbies, Chris Walker, and Jarana Beat.

Performance and textiles meld the Zancudos (stilt walkers) of Zaachila, Oaxaca with the Afromexicano devil dance of Guerrero, the color indigo (a natural dye important to indigenous cultures in both Mexico and Africa), batik and beading techniques of Africa, with political commentary about the realpolitik of the African diaspora in North America.

Indigo is one of the oldest natural plant based dyes, used all over the world and ritually embedded with symbolism and spirituality; power and nobility…. Barbata employs textiles hand woven and dyed in Burkina Faso,Guatemala and the United States. The color historically represents absolute truth, wisdom, justice, and responsibility.

So, get thee to a museum near you — you will, no doubt, be enriched, enlightened, and maybe even empowered.

 

 

 

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Travel & Tourism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Kites over the callejon

May 13, 2019 by spixl

On the way Mercado Sanchez Pascuas to restock the larder, for the past several months, this colorful scene has greeted me at the entrance to Callejon Hidalgo.

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“Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.” — Anais Nin

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Bicycles R Us

May 10, 2019 by spixl

Need a bike?

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Need parts for your bike?

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Need to have your bike repaired?

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San Juan Guelavía has just the shop for you!

Posted in Transportation, Travel & Tourism | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Love among the ruins

May 7, 2019 by spixl

Dorothy and Pedro spotted on Calle Murguia, Oaxaca.

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Another mashup by Efedefroy.

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Tis the season…

May 4, 2019 by spixl

The thermometer hovers in the low 90’s (F), a very occasional late afternoon thunderstorm clears the air and cleans the sidewalks, and the high-pitched song of the cicadas (aka, cigarras and chicharras) add to Oaxaca’s soundtrack.

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In addition, “shaving brushes” are seen springing from the branches of the Pseudobombax ellipticum trees — commonly known here as Cabellos de Ángel (angel hair).

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In my garden, the night blooming cereus (Epiphyllum hookeri) have been greeting me early in the morning.

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And, my pistachio tree, which the leaf cutter ants stripped of all its leaves eight months ago, has rebounded and produced its first nut.  Such is spring in Oaxaca!

Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Workin’ for a livin’ in Oaxaca

May 1, 2019 by spixl

Happy International Workers Day!

Food vendors at the mercado in Teotitlán del Valle

Fireworks castillo builders in Oaxaca de Juárez

Flower vendor in the Villa de Zaachila market

Teamsters unloading maguey piñas near Santiago Matatlán

Snack vendor on market day in Tlacolula de Matamoros

Construction worker preparing a new roof, Oaxaca de Juárez

Life… brought to you by the workers of the world.

 

 

 

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Flora, Food, Holidays, Travel & Tourism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Market mural magic

April 29, 2019 by spixl

Since I went to the market today and we are on the topic of murals in Oaxaca…    

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The Calle Porfirio Díaz entrance to my “go to” Mercado Sánchez Pascuas has undergone a make-over to commemorate the 487th anniversary of the elevation of Oaxaca de Juárez to the status of city.

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On April 25 (Oaxaca’s official birthday) city officials, market Board of Directors, and the artists gathered for the mural’s inauguration and ceremonial ribbon cutting.

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Javier Santos, professor of sculpture at the Taller de Artes Plásticas Rufino Tamayo, explained that the mural represents a collection of symbolic images, contextualizing life in the city and market.  How many of these symbols (many Prehispanic) do you recognize?

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Javier Santos continued, “It is important that there is availability and openness on the part of the Municipal Government to bring people the great talent of Oaxacan artists through the exhibition of works in public spaces, because in them people have the opportunity to visualize the graphic quality of our state.” (Google translation)

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Here is to the artists!  May the magic of their creativity continue to illuminate the past, find truth in the present, and inspire the future. 

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And, let us hope the city of Oaxaca will see more mural construction and less mural destruction.

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Markets, Travel & Tourism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Zapata stays

April 26, 2019 by spixl

Even if you’re dreaming of sitting on a beach with a book and glass of wine in hand, there are reminders that one hundred years ago, on April 10, 1919, Mexican revolutionary hero Emiliano Zapata was assassinated.

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In southern Mexico, in the words of Lila Downs, Zapata Se Queda (Zapata Stays) and remains a beloved martyr who continues to inspire.

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And, to remind all to never forget, and continue the struggle.  The cry of “not one more” echos from the streets.

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Mural on the wall of Taller-Galeria Siqueiros on Calle Porfirio Díaz.

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