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Posts Tagged ‘Oaxaca’

My new neighborhood

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , on June 23, 2021| 23 Comments »

Coming or going…

rain or shine…

Barrio de Jalatlaco — my new neighborhood!

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Teotitlán comida and announcement

Posted in Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on June 13, 2021| 6 Comments »

I know, the recent blog posts have been few and far between — and they will continue to be so for a couple of weeks. After twelve years, I am moving across town to a new-to-me, but old to the city, neighborhood. In the meantime, enjoy photos from our recent comida at the Tierra Antigua cocina de humo (traditional outdoor kitchen).

Tierra Antigua cocinera, Carina Santiago
Sopa de guías
Tortillas hot off the comal
Mole almendrado
Kalisa and the sheep
Nieve de mango

Stay tuned for news from the new Casita Colibrí neighborhood and home.

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At long last, Teotitlán!

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on June 7, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Several days ago, I finally returned to Teotitlán del Valle.

This was my first visit since the 30th anniversary celebration of Tlamanalli on February 14, 2020.

The pandemic hit soon thereafter and my adventures outside the city ceased.

Needless to say, I got a little emotional as I reconnected with sights, sounds, and, most of all, friends.

There wasn’t nearly enough time to check in with everyone as we (visitors from California and I) had been invited for comida at Tierra Antigua.

We spent hours and hours dining on delicious food prepared by Carina Santiago and her staff and catching up with her family and Kalisa, who is now based in Teotitlán.

However, now that I and many of my older friends in Teotitlán are fully vaccinated, I will be back soon!

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I read the walls today…

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 2, 2021| 4 Comments »

It feels so good to be back in this walkable city where simple errands offer the opportunity for exercising one’s body and mind.

“Free Palestine! Colombia lives!”

Connections are made and internationalism lives.

Reading the walls of Oaxaca is like reading the news.

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Back in Oaxaca

Posted in Casita Colibrí, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged , , , , , , , on May 27, 2021| 7 Comments »

Alive, well, back in Oaxaca, and enjoying the views from Casita Colibrí.

Looking west at Templo de San José and the Basilica de la Soledad with Monte Albán in the distance.

I arrived three days ago and, unbeknownst to me (as it was supposed to go all the way through to Oaxaca) my checked bag was held up in customs at the Mexico City airport. I can’t imagine what the problem was. Perhaps 5 dry sticks of Sure deodorant? 4 pairs of gardening gloves (1 for me 3 for gifts)? 3 used books? Or, maybe the 15 used compost-able plastic bags I brought back to line my waste baskets? No explanation was forthcoming, but they did put my suitcase on the next flight that evening and delivered it to my apartment around 9 PM — nothing confiscated, no customs fee, and NOTHING missing!

Looking south toward Oaxaca’s airport.

From the evening I returned, I began sneezing, nose began running, and I developed a head-crushing sinus headache. Except for a quick trip to the pharmacy to buy an allergy medicine, I spent all Tuesday in bed. This has never happened before, but everyone is telling me that this season, this year is really bad for allergies. By Wednesday, I was feeling a little stuffy, but much better.

Sunset looking north.

The rainy season was just beginning when I left six weeks ago and now, the hills are turning green, the garden is lush, and tonight, as the sun sets, thunder is rumbling, lightening is flashing in the distance, and a few raindrops have fallen. It’s good to be back!

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Here and there critters

Posted in Animals, Gardens, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 23, 2021| 2 Comments »

My trip to el norte is drawing to a close and tomorrow morning, before the sun rises, my day-long journey back to Oaxaca begins. After being away for 5-1/2 weeks, I wonder what changes I will see. In the meantime, a couple of cute animal photos from here and there…

Chipmunk that perches on this rock every morning at my son’s house in upstate New York.
Squirrel feeding station set up by neighbors in Barrio de Xochimilco, Oaxaca.

Now that I am fully vaccinated, I’m looking forward to venturing out and about a lot more and hopefully having more fodder for the blog!

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Baseball returning to Oaxaca

Posted in Culture, Sports & Recreation, Transportation, tagged , , , , , , , on May 18, 2021| 6 Comments »

After a canceled 2020 season, Mexican League baseball returns to action and Oaxaca city officials have given the okay for fans of the Guerreros to return to the stands at estadio de béisbol “Eduardo Vasconcelos”, though capacity will be limited to 35%. And, this season the Guerreros will be led by their new manager — former Guerreros player and fan favorite, Erik Rodríguez.

VW bus often parked near the Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos, home of the Guerreros.

The Guerreros open their 2021 season on May 21 in Puebla against the Pericos and then return to Oaxaca on May 25 for their home opener. Looking at their schedule, I might just have to put a game or two or three on my calendar. Post vaccinations, it feels good to be able to get out and about once again!

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Here and there walls of art

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 13, 2021| 5 Comments »

In Oaxaca, murals, stencils, and other forms of street art are ubiquitous — and often with cultural and political themes.

The same is true for San Francisco and her neighboring cities of Oakland and San Jose — primarily thanks to significant populations of color and the cultural expressions they bring.

However, in my white-bread hometown of Mill Valley, it’s only in the past several years that murals have begun popping up and they have seldom addressed social and political issues — until now.

In response to the killing of George Floyd and a controversy in the town regarding the tone-deaf attitude toward the Black Lives Matter movement and its own issues of racial discrimination and profiling, artist Wesley Cabral painted these two murals which now adorn a prominent wall in downtown Mill Valley.

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Happy Mother’s Day

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 9, 2021| 2 Comments »

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and mother figures out there!

“Mi Segunda Madre” woven by Mario González Pérez using wool dyed with natural dyes.

The above wall hanging (photographed in February 2021) was part of the art exhibition, “Sangre y Herencia” (Blood and Heritage) at Hotel CasAntica. By the way, Día de las Madres is celebrated in Mexico on May 10.

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Here and there May flowers

Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 5, 2021| 4 Comments »

Flowers of May there and here…

Flor de mayo (aka, plumeria, frangipani) on the terrace in Oaxaca
Sixty-five year old camellia planted by my grandfather on the Mill Valley patio

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Missing mi cocinera

Posted in Casita Colibrí, Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 26, 2021| 12 Comments »

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I’m alive and well and, at long last, in California — my childhood home, to be exact. While I’m loving spending time with family, seeing friends, and happily able being able to wash my clothes in my own washer and dryer, it also means I’m having to cook. Looking back with envy at the meals prepared by my amiga, vecina, and cocinera extraordinaire, Kalisa.

February 12 2021 – Vegetables, queso panela, and basmati rice.
February 15 2021 – Codillo, mole, beans, and salsa.
February 24, 2021 – Eggplant and spinach lasagne.
February 28, 2021 – Duck pozole.
March 2, 2021 – Duck tostada.
March 7, 2021 – Leftovers of chard, broccolini, potatoes, and black beans.
March 8, 2021 – Chicken mole.
March 12, 2021 – Salad of Pochote bounty.
March 25, 2021 – Marinated chicken, green salad, basmati rice, and green salsa.
April 7, 2021 – Michoacán tacos with flores de frijol.
April 10, 2021 – Michoacán las corundas.
April 11, 2021 – Chicken tacos.

As you will note, the occasional vegetarian meal popped up over the past couple of months on Kalisa’s menu, along with inspiration from the recent visit to Oaxaca by Cynthia Martínez, chef owner of La Conspiración 1809 in Morelia, Michoacán. All delicious and works of art!

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The art of marketing

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Food, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 21, 2021| 7 Comments »

For the first time since February 25, 2020, I ventured out of Oaxaca city. The pull of my fully vaccinated family in el norte and with no word regarding when the second Pfizer vaccine would be given in Oaxaca, I booked a flight up to California for April 15 (five weeks after my first jab) and a 10:00 AM vaccination appointment at CVS for the next day. Needless to say, I was very grateful to not have to stand in line for hours. However, I am already missing my weekly Friday morning hike up to Pochote Xochimilco Mercado Orgánico y Artesanal.

Click HERE for close-ups of the art in the last photo. Nothing like a little culture to add to the shopping and dining experience!

By the way, the city began offering the second dose of the vaccine the day I left.

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Reduce, reuse, recycle

Posted in Creativity, Environment, Flora, Gardens, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 14, 2021| 3 Comments »

Container gardening, Oaxaca style.

Recycled garden planter

I chuckle every time I pass by this planter on the sidewalk of Calle Heroico Colegio Militar in Colonia Reforma.

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Sound of silence

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Neighborhoods, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 3, 2021| 4 Comments »

Alas, another silent Viernes Santo in Oaxaca due to the pandemic. No early morning processions from churches throughout the city converging in front of the Cathedral to reenact the encuentro where Jesús meets María going towards Calvary. No worshipers praying and reciting appropriate devotions as they moved from one sidewalk Estación de la Cruz (Station of the Cross) to another. And, no rhythmic beat of a tambor, high-pitched tones of a chirimía, and the sputtering sounds of rachets punctuating the hush of the crowds gathered along the route for the early evening Procesión del Silencio (Procession of Silence).

Only silent sacred vignettes accompanied yesterday morning’s Good Friday walk through Barrio de Jalatlaco…

Unlike last year when church doors remained closed and services were broadcast remotely, the Archbishop announced that this year the churches will be open for liturgical acts on Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, albeit with a “limited presence of the faithful.”

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A new day

Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Music, tagged , , , , , , , on March 31, 2021| 4 Comments »

Yesterday morning a new day dawned and my first night blooming cereus flower of the season greeted me.

Today marks 21 days since my first Pfizer vaccine, yet the date, time, and place of my second vaccination is still unknown. However, during these challenging times, I’m channeling Nina Simone singing, Feeling Good.

Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Breeze driftin’ on by you know how I feel

It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me
And I’m feeling good

Fish in the sea you know how I feel
River running free you know how I feel
Blossom on the tree you know how I feel

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don’t you know
Butterflies all havin’ fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That’s what I mean

And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me

Stars when you shine you know how I feel
Scent of the pine you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel

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