“Telephones” on the street in Oaxaca. Call me, maybe. 😉
Posts Tagged ‘graffiti’
Call me, maybe
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art, telephones, urban art, wall art on November 10, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Pretty in pink
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, tagged automobiles, bus, cars, catrina, graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, Vocho, Volkswagen Beetle, VW bug, wall art on November 10, 2015| 5 Comments »
Pretty in pink on the streets of Oaxaca…
And, this doesn’t even include the pink and lime green of Correos de México (Mexican post office).
Honoring the sacred corn
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged agriculture, Coral Saucedo, corn, Día Nacional del Maíz, food, Francisco Toledo, graffiti, maíz, Mexico, mural, National Day of Corn, Oaxaca, Ocote, photographs, photos, Ricardo Aeme, Seasons of My Heart, street art, Susana Trilling, wall art on October 1, 2015| 6 Comments »
September 29 was Día Nacional del Maíz (National Day of Corn) in Mexico. Corn was first cultivated approximately 8,000 years ago in the valley of Oaxaca and native varieties are still grown by the descendants of those original farmers. This was a day to, not only pay homage to Mother Corn but, as Mexican painter Francisco Toledo reminded those along Oaxaca’s Alcalá, to continue the struggle to defend native corn against impending invasion by Monsanto and its genetically modified seeds.
The year revolves around the cycle of corn, which is planted in the same fields as beans and squash to make a perfect growing environment.
The cornstalk grows, the bean plant crawls up the corn, and the squash vine sprawls out and shades the ground to keep it moist… Some of the corn is harvested in August and eaten fresh, while the rest is left on the stalks to dry.
All parts of the corn plant are used — kernels, husks (for tamales), cobs (pig feed), and stalks (cow feed). The dried corn is stored and used in many ways throughout the year.
Text in italics is from the Seasons of My Heart cookbook by Susana Trilling.
The artists of the above, used the signature “olote” which is derived from Nahuatl word, olotl. In English, it translates to “corncob” and “a nobody.” Thank you to a couple of “nobodies,” Coral Saucedo and Ricardo Aeme, for such an expressive and beautiful piece of art honoring the sacred corn.
Eyes of Kobe (not the beef)
Posted in Creativity, Culture, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged artists, graffiti, Jesus Kobe, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, Taqueria Santa Fe video, wall art on August 3, 2015| 4 Comments »
Last week, walking down Crespo, I spotted a mural at the turnoff to Calle Panorámicas del Fortín and discovered it was the work of Jesus Kobe.
Hmmm… Recently, I’d seen another of his works on Allende near Crespo.
I was familiar with the artist because last year, friends and I were walking along Panorámicas and stopped at this mural.
We walked further along to find another mural, but without a signature. It turned out the artist was walking by and when he saw us admiring the work, he graciously stopped to chat. It was Kobe and he explained that he only signs his work once it is completed.
Serendipity, why this place never ceases to surprise and delight!
And, watch and hear Kobe explain the inspiration that underlies the mural he created for Santa Fe Taqueria in Portland, Oregon:
Behind every mask
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Agatha Christie quote, art, culture, graffiti, Marty Rubin quote, Nicko Foster, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Sam Shepard quote, social commentary, street art, wall art on August 2, 2015| 2 Comments »
I wonder… What is artist Nicko Foster saying along the walls of calle Constitución?
Behind every mask there is a face, and behind that a story.
–Marty Rubin
The human face is, after all, nothing more nor less than a mask.
—Agatha Christie
I believe in my mask–The man I made up is me
I believe in my dance– And my destiny
—Sam Shepard
Nine months…
Posted in Creativity, Culture, People, Tragedy, Travel & Tourism, Violence, tagged #Ayotzinapa9meses, Ayotzinapa, Cristian Tomás Colón Garnica, Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos, graffiti, Mexico, murals, Normal Rural Ayotzinapa, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, posters, stencil art, street art, teachers’ college, Tlacolula de Matamoros, wall art on June 26, 2015| 4 Comments »
It’s been nine months since 43 students from the Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos teachers’ college in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero went missing — a traumatic, heartbreaking, and disgraceful anniversary that isn’t going unnoticed. The Missing Mexican Students Case Is Not Closed For 43 Families, nor for the people of Mexico.
Yesterday, in Tlacolula de Matamoros, the signs were impossible to miss, as we walked down the main street. The community continues to remember her son, Cristian Tomás Colón Garnica, one of the Ayotzinapa 43.
“His father traveled from their land when the abduction of the 43 young normal school students was first reported. ‘I am a day laborer. I make 600 pesos [USD$44.50] weekly, maximum, and that’s when there’s work, because sometimes there is no work. My boy wants to be a teacher. That is the job he wants, but they stopped him, they arrested him … What are we going to do?!'” — from Mexico Voices.
On the wall, near the stencils above, posters announced events in Oaxaca city in remembrance of the students. As the murals at the north entrance to Tlacolula de Matamoros proclaim…
“VIVOS 43 LOS QUEREMOS”
The more things change…
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Economics, Education, Labor, Politics, Protests, tagged cantera, graffiti, photographs, photos, plantón, Seccion 22, sidewalks, street art, Teachers union, tents, wall art on June 13, 2015| 4 Comments »
Yesterday, I hibernated at home; a day spent unpacking and recovering. Today, Carlos, now upgraded to a hurricane, is swirling off the coast of southern Mexico and bringing grey skies, chilly temperatures (it hasn’t even hit 70ºF), and a relentless drizzle. It’s not the kind of day that draws one out into the streets. However, the larder needed to be restocked and the cell phone needed to be reactivated, so, with umbrella in hand, I was forced to venture out.
On the upside, the rain brings out the greens of the cantera. Though, I’m not sure where this concrete insert in the sidewalk at the corner of Independencia and Garcia Vigil came from or what it means. (Update: It’s Grupo: Salvando Vidas. Oaxaca — a volunteer group that has taken on the much needed task of repairing the city’s sidewalks muy peligrosas, saving lives and limbs! h/t, Peggy)
For some mystifying (at least to me) reason, Telcel deactivates my cell phone if I don’t use it for three weeks — this is despite the fact that I have a ridiculously high saldo (balance) in my account. So, my first stop was to add even more pesos in order to reactivate my service. With that chore in the rear view mirror, I crossed Independencia onto the Alameda, on my way to Mercado de Benito Juárez (or, Bennie J’s, as my friend G christened it years ago), only to find much of it covered with tents.
I’d read the news and had steeled myself for the return of ambulantes, but wasn’t prepared for ten times the number of Sección 22 teachers union tents from when I left in mid May. Navigating the ropes tethering the tarps was a challenge and I had to forgo the umbrella. The teachers looked cold and miserable and the restaurants under the portales looked mostly empty. This is definitely not a picnic for anyone. Continuing on to the mercado, I filled my shopping bag and headed for home.
However, the signs of protest are everywhere. In the “Emerald City,” the more things change, the more they stay the same.
More walls talking
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art, urban art on June 10, 2015| 4 Comments »
Looking forward to tomorrow’s return to Oaxaca, though not sure what I will find. So, in preparation, a little street art, apropos of nothing…
… and everything.
Feliz 5 de mayo
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged 5 e mayo, Cinco de mayo, graffiti, history, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, posters, stencil art, wall art on May 5, 2015| 7 Comments »
It’s Cinco de Mayo, but in Oaxaca, like most of Mexico, it’s a business as usual kind of day; schools are in session, businesses and banks are open, and deliveries are being made. The cervesas and mezcal may be flowing and guacamole may be served, but no more than usual. Only in Puebla, where the significantly outnumbered Mexican troops defeated the French army in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, is it a big deal. However, most every city and village has a street named 5 de mayo and in many, like Oaxaca, a street has been named for Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín, the general who commanded the Mexican army at the Battle of Puebla. By the way, he was born in what was the Mexican village of Bahía del Espíritu Santo, now Goliad, Texas, USA.
As the walls of Oaxaca continue to show, it’s the current battles that remain front and center…
As the mother in the stencil above explains, against the odds like her ancestors 153 years ago, “I will fight today because I don’t want to see you die tomorrow.”
Ayotzinapa, an urgent anniversary
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Education, Music, People, Politics, Protests, Tragedy, Violence, tagged Ayotzinapa, Balas y Chocolate, documentary, Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos, graffiti, Guerrero, Lila Downs, Mexico, Mexico City, murals, music video, Normal Rural Ayotzinapa, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art, students, urban art, wall art on April 26, 2015| 8 Comments »
Yesterday, the city of Oaxaca celebrated its 483rd birthday as a Spanish chartered city. Early in the morning bells were rung, Las Mañanitas was sung, tamales and atole were served, an air force flyover buzzed the city several times, multiple musical events were held, a convite paraded through the streets, fireworks exploded from the Plaza de la Danza, and more, and it continues. I was going to write about it, but…
Today a more urgent anniversary requires our attention: Mexico Marks 7 Months Since 43 Ayotzinapa Students Disappeared. Family, fellow classmates, friends, and supporters around the world keep their names alive and cry for justice. And artists continue to reach into our minds and hearts through their music, artwork, and film making.
In the documentary, Ayotzinapa’s 43 Disappeared: Family & Friends Remember, we hear the voices of their classmates and relatives. They don’t trust the official story and are determined to find out what happened.
Near the end of the song, “La Patria Madrina,” from her new album, Balas y Chocolate (Bullets and Chocolat), Lila Downs chants the Ayotzinapa 43 mantra that can be seen and heard all over Mexico, ¡Vivos los llevaron, vivos los queremos! (They were taken alive, and we want them back alive!)
And, on walls throughout Mexico, our attention is called to the missing 43 students from the Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos, teachers’ college in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero.
Oaxaca de Juárez
Mexico City
Mexico City
Oaxaca de Juárez
Just another Friday…
Posted in Children, Creativity, Culture, Flora, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Xochimilco, children, dog trainer, dogs, flamboyantes, graffiti, jacaranda, Mexico, mezcal, murals, Oaxaca, organic market, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, trees, urban art, vendors, wall art, Xoloitzcuintlis on April 17, 2015| 6 Comments »
“What do you do all day?” It’s a question I’ve been asked countless times since I began my retired life down Oaxaca way and I’m not alone. Most expats here have heard those words — a query that hints at the notion that there couldn’t possibly enough to fill the day in a place where one isn’t fluent in the language, isn’t surrounded by family and old friends, and doesn’t have a job. A large part of the answer is, doing most everything takes longer. And that is not a bad thing! Perhaps, a photo diary of this morning’s grocery shopping excursion might provide an illustration.
After morning coffee and breakfast, catching up on email and the news, washing dishes, showering and dressing, I grabbed a couple of shopping bags and headed out at 10 AM. The initial plan had been to walk up to Niños Heroes (the Pan American highway) to photograph some new murals, cross the highway to the Organic Market, and then return home by way of Sánchez Pascuas mercado where I could get chicken, quesillo, and anything else that remained on my shopping list or struck my fancy. However, for almost an hour, I’d been hearing Guelaguetza music coming from the Plaza de la Danza. I decided a detour was in order and found kindergartners performing Oaxaca’s traditional folkloric dances, including this one where couples take turns “dissing” each other in a rhythmic double-entendre laden dialogue. It always gets laughs — wish I could understand the jokes! Needless to say, I hung out watching the kids for awhile.
I finally tore myself away and resumed my original itinerary. Some of the murals were east of the Pochimilco Organic Market so I decided to start at the end and work my way back — a route which took me up the Macedonio Alcalá where I saw a sidewalk vignette of hats and scarves lined up in front of Santo Domingo. There was also a small marmota (cloth globe on a pole) laying on its side, so I’m guessing there was to be a calenda (parade) of some sort.
After stopping to take a few photos (how could I resist the juxtaposition with the Peña Nieto graffiti?) I found myself behind these vendors taking their merchandise up to Llano Park for its Friday market.
Deciding to speed up my slow progress on the errands I’d set forth for the morning, I passed the gals only to stop to watch Oaxaca’s version of the dog whisperer working with four Xoloitzcuintlis (Mexican Hairless Dogs).
Eventually continuing north, I arrived at Niños Heroes and the murals and street art I’d come to find and photograph. They deserve their own blog post, so I will save those photos for another day. However, I also ran across this wonderful wall! 
Crossing the highway, I found the newly built and landscaped stairs (almost didn’t recognize them) leading up to Xochimilco and the Pochimilco Organic Market. I wandered and lingered and tasted — including a few of these mezcals, as I’ve got a US trip coming up and a stepson who probably won’t speak to me if I don’t bring him a couple of bottles.
Popping some gum in my mouth (didn’t want my breath to smell like I’m a lush), I headed south on Tinoco y Palacios to catch a couple of new murals I’d had fleeting glimpses of when returning from last Sunday’s trip to Tlacolula. This one had particularly caught my eye.
By the time I arrived at Sánchez Pascuas, it was after 12 noon. I found my poultry guy, paid a visit to the cheese vendor, picked up some veggies from my favorite produce gal, and, on the way out, bought some homemade salsa verde. Yummm… As I descended the three stairs down to the sidewalk, I turned around to admire the beautiful color of the flamboyant and jacaranda trees and the tranquility of this setting in the middle of the state’s bustling capital city.
It was close to 1 PM when I unlocked the door to my apartment. If I were in California, I would have jumped in the car, driven down to the local Friday organic market (with not a drop of mezcal in sight), browsed a bit, spent way too much money, climbed back in the car to finish shopping at Safeway, before returning to the house, probably by 11 AM.
Here in Oaxaca, I’d been gone almost three hours, walked close to fifty (often hilly) blocks, and seen some wonderful, creative, and life affirming sights. And, that doesn’t even include the scattering of conversations with my neighbors and Luís and Luci, who work here. Just another Friday. Not a bad way to live one’s life!
New neighbor
Posted in Creativity, Culture, tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art on January 25, 2015| 2 Comments »
A nuevo vecino arrived in the neighborhood a few days ago…
And, I’m guessing, he’s not happy.
Sounds & sights of Oaxaca
Posted in Churches, Creativity, Culture, Health, People, Tragedy, Travel & Tourism, tagged Ayotzinapa, demonstrations, Escuela Normal Rural, graffiti, Guerrero, healthcare, La catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Leonel Castro Abarca, marmotas, Mexico, monos, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, protests, Santo Domingo de Guzmán, street art, sunset, urban art, workers on January 17, 2015| 2 Comments »
Ahhh, it feels good to be back in the warm and wonderful Oaxaca. There are the sounds… I awake to church bells, followed by the loudspeaker cry of “Gas de Oaxaca” from the propane vendor. Last night, as I was heading to bed, rockets exploded and, just now, the camote man’s steam whistle sounded, announcing tooth-achingly sweetened hot sweet potatoes and bananas. Then there are the sights…
The walls continue to talk… On Thursday, I saw this on Calle Morelos as I walked to the Alcalá and comida with friends. It remembers Leonel Castro Abarca, one of the 43 still-missing students from Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos teachers’ college in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero.
On the way home from comida, I detoured to see what was to be seen on the zócalo. Teacher tents remain pitched around the bandstand, but the walkways were free of ambulantes, and, as always, the Cathedral presided over the scene.
Thursday, the familiar sounds of protest were irresistible. I grabbed my camera and headed out the front gate to see a massive march by healthcare workers on their way to the Plaza de la Danza. To be honest, tubas and cohetes would have had me out the door, too! It was way too quiet in el norte.
And, what can I say about last night’s sunset from the terrace?
Naturally, a marmota and pair of monos were waiting on the plaza in front of Santo Domingo this afternoon, awaiting a bride and groom to emerge. After all, it is Saturday — wedding day in Oaxaca!
I wonder what my ears will hear and my eyes will see, mañana…
Message is in the mural
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Politics, Protests, Travel & Tourism, tagged artists, graffiti, Mexico, murals, Normal Rural Ayotzinapa, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art, Tlacolula de Matamoros, Tlacolulokos, urban art, wall art on January 10, 2015| 1 Comment »
More of the mural from yesterday’s post…
“¡Solo Dios perdona!” (Only God forgives!)
Seen on the same wall in Tlacolula de Matamoros where we were stopped in our tracks by the Tlacolula never dies mural in August. Both were conceived and created by the Tlacolulokos colective.
The artists are known for fusing iconic Mexican imagery with political and social commentary and can be found on Facebook.
These traditional religious standards voice today’s messages, “against all governments” and “alive we want them.” The latter refers to the disappeared and murdered students from the Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos, teachers’ college in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, one of whom, Christian Tomás Colón Garnica, is from Tlacolula.
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View From Casita Colibrí 
Wise old walls of Oaxaca
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, social commentary, street art, urban art, wall art on September 20, 2015| 4 Comments »
Never silent and never dull.
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