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Posts Tagged ‘Mexico’

The girls are back in town, pt. 2

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 26, 2012| Leave a Comment »

This Catrina arrived styling and ready to party.

Stylish Catrina posing in front of stone wall

Manicured fingers and toes, flower in her hair, and umbrella drink in hand, all she needs is a guy (or gal).

Seated Catrina in Tehuana traje holding cocktail glass with umbrellas.

Young man beware — she has her eye on you!

Ghoulish Catrina standing next to head shot of handsome young man

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The girls are back in town

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on October 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »

And, guess who’s coming to dinner?  Catrinas, pinkies up!

Catrina in lavender dress sitting at table

Dahling, don’t start the party without me!

Close-up of face of a Catrina with lavender hat

Lo siento mis amigas, sending regrets from Juchitán.

Close-up of Tehuana Catrina with hand raised

Decisions, decisions, decisions… Shall I take the Jetta, Crossfox, Suburban, or Express Van???

Close-up of face of Catrina standing next to a sign with a list of autos

As for these two…

Male calavera and female calavera facing each other in a doorway

I’m not sure they are coming.

Male calavera and female calavera facing away from each other in a doorway

Hmmm… a lover’s quarrel?  Sheesh, even in the afterlife??!!!

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Señor del Rayo having his day

Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 23, 2012| 6 Comments »

The announcement came at midnight with the ringing of the Cathedral’s bells and explosions of cohetes (rockets).  Today el Señor del Rayo is having his day!  Like Guelaguetza, Noche de Rabanós (Night of the Radishes), and Día de la Samaritana (Good Samaritan Day), this is an “only in Oaxaca” celebration.

Señor del Rayo crucifix surrounded by lilies.

The carving of Christ on the Cross was brought to Oaxaca during the 16th century and was placed in the temple of San Juan de Dios, a church which had adobe walls and a straw (or possibly wood) roof.  Legend has it that lightning struck the church and everything was destroyed, save for this figurine.  Un milagro!  It was christened Señor del Rayo (Lord of Lightning), was given its own chapel in the newly built cathedral, and has been much venerated ever since.

Pillars covered in multicolored lilies

On Sunday, October 21, el Señor del Rayo is moved from his capilla (last chapel on the left) to the main altar.  The cathedral fills with lilies (the scent “breathtaking”), and the faithful flock to pray before Señor del Rayo.  When one inhales the fragrance, one exhales a heavenly, “ahhhh…”

Close-up of orange, yellow, and lavender lilies covering a pillar

Like all good Mexican celebrations, be they religious or secular, there will be pirotécnicos tonight.  Toritos de luces (little paper-mache bulls wired with fireworks) have begun gathering.

Papermache bull (tornito)

And, as I write, the frame of the castillo below has been raised to its “upright and locked position,” its various spinning appendages have been affixed, and gunpowder tracks are waiting to be lit.

Main structure of a "castillo" laying on its side.

Alas, the action doesn’t begin until around 10:00 PM.  The spirit is willing, but it’s been a busy day, and this “too too solid flesh” is looking forward to melting into her bed.  Think I’ll just watch the fireworks from the terrace.  I know, what a wimp!!!

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Documenting textiles

Posted in Creativity, Culture, People, Textiles, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 22, 2012| Leave a Comment »

For lovers of textiles and Mexico, the latest online issue of the magazine, HAND/EYE (love the title!), has a terrific interview with friend and textile designer/collector/researcher, Sheri Brautigam.  The article, Documenting the Lives of Textiles, covers a wide range of topics, including preservation and revival of traditions and concerns re traditional versus modern designs.  As would be expected, given the subject matter, it includes lots of photos!

 

Documenting the Lives of Textiles

BY Annie Waterman | October 10, 2012

Close-up of traditional shawl

Courtesy of Sheri Brautigam

An Interview with Sheri Brautigam

Textile expert, Sheri Brautigam, shares with HAND/EYE Online, her experience as a documenter of “living” indigenous textiles. 

HAND/EYE: How did you first find yourself in Mexico and documenting “living” indigenous textiles?

Sheri Brautigam: I went to the university in Mexico City in the 60’s and that was the beginning of my lifelong relationship and many in-depth experiences with Mexico. This time, I was training Mexican English teachers through the English Language fellowship with the U.S. State Department—sort of like the English Teachers’ Peace Corps. My location was in a small town in the State of Mexico—Atlacomulco, surrounded by many different indigenous villages. When I went to a nearby village Mazahua ‘Saints Day’ festival and saw the amazing garments the ladies were wearing, I started my documentation.

H/E: How did you first get into becoming a researcher/ textile collector?

SB: I had a textiles design studio (surface design textiles) in San Francisco for about 18 years, so I had been collecting world textiles since the 1960s. That was when they were readily available from world travelers. I have loved and been involved with textiles most of my life and always want to know how these beautiful things are made … and now in Mexico, it’s even more exciting to see them in context. 

H/E: What sort of future do you predict for the world of traditional textiles? What changes have you noticed over the years? 

SB: I’m very hopeful that many traditional Mexican textiles will survive and become even finer. This I have seen in Oaxaca and Chiapas. When appreciation comes from the outside world and the artisans can earn money, they have an incentive to keep producing. The more money they can earn from superior work also encourages some artisans with higher skills to train their children. The more affluent indigenous people become, the more pride they have in their own culture and the continuation of their textile traditions.

Certainly some of the indigenous will leave their village and go to the towns and cities to work and wear jeans and t-shirts—but when they come home they will wear a huipil for the feast day. It’s their cultural identity.

Click HERE to read full article.

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Here’s looking at you, kid

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 20, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I’ve got my eye on you…

Decorated skeleton on top of building.

I’m praying for you…

Virgin of Guadalupe image stenciled on a wall

You just never know who might be looking over your shoulder.

Skeleton perched on rooftop above a stencil of the Virgen of Guadalupe

Días de los Muertos are coming…

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Atzompa archeological site

Posted in Archaeology, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 18, 2012| 8 Comments »

At long last, and with not much fanfare, the Atzompa archeological site is open to the public!

Panoramic view of Atzompa archaeological site.

The winding road, cut into the side of the mountain, has been visible for a while and we could see platforms when we were up at Monte Alban (about 5 miles away) two weeks ago.

Winding road on side of mountain.

It’s a bit of a hike up a newly paved road from the small (temporary?) parking area under the pine trees, but we eventually reached the site and the ball court.

Ball court with mountains in background

It is small, but the setting is spectacular.

Ruins in foreground with mountains in back.

One can see a recreation of the 1,000+ year old Zapotec kiln that was uncovered 8 feet down — offering proof of continuity to today’s renown potters of Santa María Atzompa.

Kiln with shade covering.

Then there is the vegetation….  The architecture of native trees adds to aura of this ancient site.

Tree in front of side of pyramid

And, the white flowers of one of the trees has attracted the tiniest hummingbirds I’ve ever seen.

Hummingbird sitting on branch

Nopal cactus, in full fruit (tunas) at this time of year, dot the landscape.

Nopal cactus loaded with red fruit "tunas"

Archaeologists and their crews continue their work excavating and restoring, and much is blocked from amateur exploration, including the 1,100-year-old burial chamber.  Darn!

Workers restoring a building

The only “facilities” available at the site, thus far, are bathrooms (which were a trip, but I won’t go into it).  Lest you worry about comida for the workers, it arrived by motorcycle and was waiting in insulated boxes in the parking area.

6 motorcycles with soft insulated boxes.

Aside from those working at the site, we had the place to ourselves… no tour groups and no vendors.  We were left alone to listen to the birds and insects and imagine a highly developed culture, alive with the ancestors of the energetic, creative, and spiritual people we are privileged to live among.

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Angelic behind bars

Posted in Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I don’t know about these two hanging out on a balcony above Independencia, yesterday.

Two kneeling statues of Mary behind balcony railing on either side of a door

But, who could resist these two???  Waiting for the convite in Teotitlán del Valle last week.

Smiling girl holding smiling small boy behind decorative iron bars

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Zooming in at twilight

Posted in Buildings, Churches, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 14, 2012| 5 Comments »

Yesterday, standing on the terrace, playing with the zoom on my new camera.  Looking southeast, as the sun was about to disappear behind the sierras to the west.

Terracotta dome of San Felipe Neri

Templo de San Felipe Neri, a couple of blocks from Casita Colibrí.

Two yellow domes of Templo San Francisco

Templo de San Francisco, about twelve blocks away.  Going to keep working on it, but liking my little Lumix!

h/t  Chris

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Live theater lives in Oaxaca

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , on October 12, 2012| 3 Comments »

While Oaxaca is filled with music, art, and dance, it hasn’t been known for its contribution to live theater.  However, there are signs that this may change.  In August, the cultural monthly journal, El Jolgorio featured theater in Oaxaca.  One of the articles explained, that thanks to the work of Teatro Juárez and the Fundación Cultural Crisol, a drama workshop was established in Oaxaca and in three years, fifteen plays have been written, with eleven being presented in Oaxaca and Mexico City.  As ex-pat playwright Kurt Hackbarth asked at the press discussing his newest play, El Ostrakón, “Oaxaca is a destination for art.  Oaxaca is a destination for music.  Why not now make Oaxaca as a national destination for original theater…?”

By the way, you may remember Kurt Hackbarth from my post on his comedy, La [medio] diezmada.  This time around he penned a well received drama, El Ostrakón, that premiered on August 29, 2012 and ran through September 2 — a long run here!  It “is a contemporary tragedy which, by using elements of farce and social criticism, tells the story of Gabriel, a homeless youth, and his attempts to avoid the traps laid by the chameleonic narrator, the incarnation of a hostile society.” (translated from El Ostrakón Facebook page)

El Ostrakón home web page screenshot.

If you missed it the first time around (or would like to see it again) and will be in Oaxaca on Monday, October 15 at 6 pm, you are in luck.  El Ostrakón will be performed at the beautiful Teatro Macedonio Alcalá as part of the inauguration of the Oaxaca State Theater Festival.  And, the performance is free, though a 5 peso (that’s only about 40¢ US!!!) donation is requested to help support the festival.  El Ostrakón is in Spanish, but English-only language speakers can download an English language synopsis from the website.

Full disclosure:  I designed the El Ostrakón website.

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Danza de los diablos?

Posted in Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , on October 10, 2012| 1 Comment »

Today, in my mind, I was working on a different blog post.  And then, walking home from my Spanish lesson, I came across these guys — and whips were cracking!

3 young men, one helping another with his boot.

Hmmm… they weren’t there an hour (plus) before.  As I’ve said before, you just never know what you may find when you round a corner.

Young man sitting on ledge holding a devil mask

Darn, before I had a chance to ask what was going on, the sky opened and everyone ran for cover — including me!

Man wearing a devil mask and holding a lavender colored bandana.

However, I’m thinking somewhere in the city, a Danza de los Diablos is happening!

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Undying flowers and traditions

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 8, 2012| 3 Comments »

It’s that time of year, again.  Daylight doesn’t last quite as long, the large red-orange blossoms of the African tulip trees have mostly fallen (onto my terrace!), and the hummingbirds have mostly departed, leaving the airspace to the dragonflies and butterflies.

Decorated canasta with religious scene.

However, the season of yellow marigolds (cempazuchitl) and the yellows, oranges, and purples of flor inmortal (immortal flower) has begun and that means Días de los Muertos and Noche de Rabanos  can’t be far behind.

Decorated canasta with image of Virgin Mary.

In the meantime, during the past week, Teotitlán del Valle celebrated La Santísima Virgen del Rosario and early Friday evening, the unmarried girls and women gathered with their canastas for the traditional convite (holy procession).

Decorated canasta with image of bandaged head of Jesus.

And, given the season, flor inmortal played a prominent role in the decorations of many of the canastas.Flor inmortal surround a crucifixion scene on a canasta.

And, as always, I’m amazed and captivated by the girls and women who, with arms raised, balance these sizable baskets on their head, as they navigate the sacred route along the cobbled (and, this day, rain-slicked) streets of Teotitlán del Valle — for almost an hour!Young women wearing dark red wool wrap skirts and embroidered white blouses, carry large canastas on their heads

It’s a scene that I never tire of — of course, I’m not carrying a canasta on my head!

More photos and commentary over at Oaxaca-The Year After.

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Flowering of Monte Albán

Posted in Archaeology, Environment, Gardens, Parks & Plazas, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 6, 2012| 2 Comments »

Fifteen hundred years may have passed since Monte Albán was in full bloom as the center of Zapotec civilization.  However, the flowering continues…

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Monte Albán on an early October morning.

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Wherever you go…

Posted in Archaeology, Buildings, Culture, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 4, 2012| 3 Comments »

… there you are.

Green grass, stone structure, blue sky with wispy clouds

Monte Albán on a picture perfect autumn morning.

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A tree falls in Oaxaca

Posted in Environment, Gardens, Parks & Plazas, Science & Nature, Weather, tagged , , , , , , , on October 2, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Instead of the coming of age novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, we have the real life drama of a tree falls in Oaxaca.  Heading down to the mercado this morning, I was brought up short by this heartbreaking sight.

Large trunk of tree uprooted from ground.

According to reports, there were many present to hear and see one of the grand 130+ year old Indian laurels topple during a storm on Saturday night.  And, worst of all, ten people were injured, two seriously.  Trees in the city, including Indian laurels in the Zócalo, have been plagued by adversity.  A laurel in the Zócalo fell a few years ago, damaging a nearby building, and most recently in May 2011, I wrote about a laurel on the Alameda that toppled.  Resurrection was attempted and guy-wires remain to this day holding it upright.  I guess the experts decided this latest one was beyond rescue.

Large tree cut into pieces

Controversy reigns, as many assert that these trees should be able to withstand the rain and less-than gale force winds.  Thus speculation over the cause runs rampant.  Root rot appears to be the immediate culprit but the big question is, why?

Pile of massive wood logs

And, as Chris sadly noted a couple of months ago, regarding the diseased flamboyant trees in front of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Any tree is hard to replace.

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Home in old October

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , on October 1, 2012| 2 Comments »

All things on earth point home in old October; sailors to sea, travellers to walls and fences…  — Thomas Wolfe.

Colorful painting of faces tacked on telephone pole

It’s good to be back in Oaxaca.

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