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Posts Tagged ‘photos’

They ARE different

Posted in Culture, Economics, Education, Politics, Protests, tagged education, educational reforms, graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, political commentary, protests, street art, Teachers union, United States legislation, wall art on October 11, 2013| 13 Comments »

Expats and Mexicans alike, are watching in amazement at the nonsense (as in, making NO sense) taking place in the hallowed halls of Washington DC. And, since many of the expats are retired, we are holding our collective breath over the possibility social security checks will not be forthcoming in November and a tanking stock market that flushes our nest eggs away. Of course, Mexico is in the middle of its own mess, “educational reforms” and economic proposals that will hurt Mexico’s working class and rural populations the most.

Wall in Oaxaca city.

In a New York Times article two days ago, Carlos Puig explains the reality of the material conditions that have forced the teachers of Oaxaca to take the drastic action of abandoning their classrooms to lead massive and extremely disruptive protests in Mexico City against the “No Child Left Behind” style reforms that the Peña Nieto led government has proposed and passed. (Read a critique of the US education “reform” by Diane Ravitch, former “No Child Left Behind” proponent, here.)

Oaxaca is 500 kilometers from Mexico City, yet the real distance is much bigger. The state’s G.N.P. per capita is one-quarter the average for the country. Oaxaca ranks second-to-last among all states in infrastructure. More than half its population lives in towns of fewer than 2,500 people.

Being a teacher in Oaxaca means sometimes having to travel for an entire day to reach your school in a tiny community, teach for three days — to children of all grades — and travel back home for the weekend. It means having to deal with children who speak more than 20 different dialects.

Being a teacher in Oaxaca means operating in a different universe — and under different rules.

Banner hanging in front of a school in Oaxaca city

However, as in the USA, the incomprehensible words coming out of the mouths of the 1% and their elected representatives are mind-boggling in their obliviousness to the adverse consequences their behavior and policies cause. And, we scratch our heads in amazement… McClatchy journalist, Tim Johnson, has repeatedly blogged about the exceedingly “bad” behavior exhibited by Mexico City’s rich and powerful directed at those they consider “below” them — most recently, Las Ladies, episode 7. And, just last week in Oaxaca, most were aghast to read that an indigenous woman, in the advanced stage of labor, was turned away from a hospital and forced to give birth on the hospital lawn.

Daniel Goleman had a revealing piece in the New York Times a few days ago that helps explain where this lack of empathy the ruling elite exhibit, that results in callous social policy, comes from. He explains in Rich People Just Care Less that, by necessity, “the poor, compared with the wealthy, have keenly attuned interpersonal attention in all directions…” And that, “A growing body of recent research shows that people with the most social power pay scant attention to those with little such power” and, “In politics, readily dismissing inconvenient people can easily extend to dismissing inconvenient truths about them.”

Okay, now we know why the rich care less, so what are we going to do about it?

Part of a mural on Niños Heroes in Oaxaca city.

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What’s black and white…?

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Politics, Protests, Travel & Tourism, tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, political commentary, popular culture, popular travel destinations, posters, street art, wall art on October 3, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Remember the childhood riddle, “What’s black and white and red all over?”

Old answer: A newspaper. New answer: The walls of Oaxaca.

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Where am I???

Posted in Food, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged food, McCarthy's Irish Pub, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, restaurants on October 1, 2013| 2 Comments »

When you are caught in stop and go (mostly stopped) traffic and getting hungrier by the minute, the only thing to do is turn off onto a side street and find an Irish pub.

Hamburger and French fries = comfort food to soothe the traffic-challenged soul. But, in Oaxaca??? Yes, McCarthy’s Irish Pub in Reforma! Probably wasn’t the best dining decision we have ever made. French fries were pretty good, but hamburgers left a lot to be desired. However, by the time we left, the traffic had thinned and it was smooth sailing home!

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A boy and his keyboard

Posted in Culture, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, tagged boys, keyboard, Mexico, musical instruments, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, traffic, transportation on September 28, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Navigating through traffic in Oaxaca, you just never know what you will see…

¡¡¡Cuidado!!!

Por favor, never come between a boy and his keyboard.

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On top of Atzompa

Posted in Archaeology, Culture, History, Travel & Tourism, tagged archaelogical site, archaeological zone, archaeology, Mexico, Oaxaca, photography, photos, popular travel destinations, Santa María Atzompa, Zona Arqueologica de Atzompa on September 24, 2013| 4 Comments »

Almost a year after our first visit to the newly opened Atzompa archaeological site, yesterday, we returned. The beautiful paved road up from Santa María Atzompa (elevation 1,580 meters) now brings one to a parking lot right across from the entrance, making for less of a haul up the hill for those less mobile or challenged by the altitude — at the top it is almost 300 meters above the village below — even we were huffing and puffing.

Atzompa was part of Monte Alban and one of its largest settlements. At the top of the stairs (above), is the largest (45 meters by 22 meters) of the 6 ball courts found among the Monte Alban communities.

Investigations of the Atzompa site first began in 1940 by Jorge R. Acosta, who was part of the Monte Alban Project. However, in 2007 the National Institute of Anthropology and History began formal explorations using a team of architects, archeologists, topographers, and restorers.

Though the path is currently difficult to see, make sure to go around to the left of the building above to see the north quadrant. Informational placards in Spanish and English are now in place throughout the site and most of the facts in this post are taken from them, but, of course, I neglected to take a photo of the placard for the building below!

Residents from the land cooperatives in the surrounding communities have been hired to do much of the field and lab work. Not a bad setting to work…

One can, in the words of The Who, “see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles…”

Except for the birds, insects, lizards, and workers, we had this spectacular setting to ourselves — I think we only saw 3 other visitors the entire time we were there. Perhaps when the second entrance on the Monte Alban side opens, it will attract more attention. In the meantime, the peace and tranquility are a gift in these chaotic times.

Oaxaca–The Year After has more from yesterday’s visit.

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Beautiful gals of Danzón

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Congreso Nacional de Danzón, dance, Danzón, festivals, Mexico, music, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on September 20, 2013| 2 Comments »

Not only is the previously mentioned Oaxaca FilmFest4 opening tomorrow night, but last night a calenda up Morelos heralded the arrival of the 8th Congreso Nacional de Danzón. Alas, it was raining, I’m a wimp, and so stayed home. However, the music coming from the Plaza de la Danza sounded wonderful. Sigh….

If you are walking around Oaxaca during the next few days, be on the lookout for the guapas y guapos (the guys are all duded up, too) of Danzón. They are adding a lot of glitz and glamour to the streets of the city.

For the uninitiated, Danzón is a very stately dance that originated in Cuba. However, it seems to be most beloved in Puerto Rico and Mexico. It has especially flourished in Oaxaca, where one can find dancers young and old dancing under the laurel trees in the Zócalo every Wednesday evening at 6:30. And, no wonder it has retained its popularity here, according to Wikipedia, “many famous danzones were composed by Oaxacan musicians such as the famous Nereidas and Teléfono de larga distancia, both works of Amador Pérez Dimas, from the town of Zaachila, near Oaxaca city.”

If you aren’t anywhere where Danzón is performed, you can check out the 1991 movie, Danzón:

Julia (Rojo) is a phone operator in Mexico City who divides her time between her job, her daughter and the danzon: a cuban dance very popular in Mexico and Central America. Every wednesday Julia does the danzon with Carmelo (Rergis) in the old “Salon Colonia”. They’ve danced for years but barely know each other. One night Carmelo disappears without a trace. Feeling lonely and sad, Julia takes a train to Veracruz, where she knows Carmelo has a brother. That sudden trip will change Julia’s life forever. — IMDB

I haven’t seen the movie, but according to one reviewer, the soundtrack is worth the rental price. I’m going to try to find it!

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FilmFest fever

Posted in Creativity, Culture, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged entertainment, film, film festivals, international film festivals, Mexico, movies, Oaxaca, Oaxaca Film Festival, Oaxaca FilmFest4, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Ramiz Adeeb Azar on September 18, 2013| 1 Comment »

Today the Oaxaca Lending Library played host to Oaxaca FilmFest4 founder and artistic director, Ramiz Adeeb Azar. He and 4 members of the festival staff came to the library to “pitch” the festival, which opens September 21 and runs through the 28th. (Note: it has moved from November to September). It wasn’t a hard sell, as many of us have been following it since it began in 2010. And, I’ve got to say, it’s come a long way in a short amount of time. According to Ramiz, it has…

Grown to be one of the Largest International Film Festivals in Latin America
Discovered over a dozen films that have gone onto commercial success
Created a highly competitive Script Writing Competition.
Created “Pitch It”; a unique platform that allows screenwriters to sell their scripts to industry executives around the globe
Conducted the longest University Rally ever (10 days throughout the entire state!)
Rolled out Academia; a five-day training program designed to enhance Festival Attendees’ self-distribution skills
Developed Academia Exchange; a unique exchange between filmmakers and students 
Gained membership of the Mexican Film Festival Association (La Red Mexicana de Festivales Cinematográficos) and in 2013 was the host of their national conference
Gained recognition as an official IMDB Film Festival

The festival has already set up shop in Plaza San Jerónimo (on Macedonio Alcalá) where staff and volunteers are hard at work and, like last year, the site will serve as the festival’s Hospitality and Information Center.

Ramiz Adeeb Azar

If you love film, but have never been to a film festival, I highly encourage you to give it a try. Prior to relocating to Oaxaca, for 7 years, one of the highlights of my calendar year was volunteering at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Besides being a lot of fun (never forget, on my hands and knees mopping up spilled red wine at the feet of Katherine Ross and Sam Elliot), I had the opportunity to see some truly wonderful films — especially shorts and documentaries that are rarely shown in the big chain multiplexes. The MVFF was one of the things I missed most (along with crusty sourdough bread and being able to flush toilet paper down the toilet) when I moved down here.

However, along came the Oaxaca FilmFest and, though it didn’t satisfy my craving for sourdough bread or cause new plumbing to be installed in Oaxaca, it does come with a well-considered, eclectic, and always creative selection of films (feature-length and shorts) from all over the world.

Last year, El último hielero (The Last Ice Merchant) a touching documentary from Equador was a favorite of mine, as was The Cart, a humorous short from Russia. And, if the two short films Ramiz showed today — the animated, Sleight of Hand and the very moving, Part of the Change — were any indication, the selectors did a terrific job again this year. So, if you are in Oaxaca, get thee to the Oaxaca FilmFest4 information center at Plaza San Jerónimo and pick up your festival schedule or download it from the festival website.

FYI: All screenings are public and free (except Cinemex and Foundation Nights) and every film is projected in its original language, with Spanish, English, or dual subtitles.

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Boys will be boys…

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, History, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged desfile, holidays, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, military, Oaxaca, parade, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, women military on September 16, 2013| 6 Comments »

What do the guys do while waiting for an Independence Day parade to begin?

And, what do gals do? Pose for them!

A mother takes twenty years to make a man of her boy, and another woman makes a fool of him in twenty minutes. — Robert Frost

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Green, white, and red

Posted in Celebrations, History, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged El Grito, el grito de dolores, Grito de Dolores, Mexican flag, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on September 15, 2013| 2 Comments »

At 11 PM tonight, with El Grito de Dolores, also known as El Grito de la Independencia (the Shout of Independence), echoing from government buildings throughout the country, Mexico begins celebrating her long and hard-fought independence from Spain. Despite the gathering of meteorological and political storm clouds, Oaxaca has gotten her green, white, and red on.

Doors are decorated, bunting is hung, and Mexico’s tricolor appears…

This proud yet faded flag with frayed edges seems a fitting symbol this year.

In the words of Che Guevara, “La lucha continua.”

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Meanwhile in Oaxaca…

Posted in Holidays, Labor, Politics, Protests, Weather, tagged current-events, demonstrations, El Grito, Frente Único de Lucha, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, politics, protests, San Juan Copala, Triqui on September 14, 2013| 2 Comments »

Yesterday, as today’s article in Noticias states, “with great dignity and head held high” the Triqui families from San Juan Copala pulled up stakes and moved to temporary housing in Colonia Reforma. The 105 displaced families had been occupying the front of the Government Palace for several years, but reached an agreement with the state government to relocate.

Meanwhile, on the east side of the Government Palace, the band played on… September is “La mes de la patria” (the month of the motherland). Tomorrow night, governor Gabino Cue will repeat El Grito de Independencia (the Cry of Independence) from the balcony of the Government Palace and Monday, an hours-long patriotic parade will pass in front of the Palace.

Today, the scene has changed. Members of the Frente Único de Lucha (FUL), the new incarnation of APPO, have taken up positions in front of the Government Palace and vowed to remain until those arrested in clashes with the federal police, on December 1 and yesterday in Mexico City, are released. Hmmm… I wonder what will happen tomorrow and/or Monday.

Just remember, when you read, hear, or watch the news… Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca are the most indigenous and poorest states in Mexico. And now, the tears of Mother Nature are raining down on Oaxaca.

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To know the flavor

Posted in Culture, Food, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged Aurora Toledo, barbacoa, barbecue, chefs, cuisine, culinary traditions, dining, El Saber del Sabor, food festival, gastronomic festival, gastronomy, José Domingo Cruz Cobos, laborers, Mexico, Oaxaca, Patricia Quintana, photographs, photos on September 12, 2013| 12 Comments »

A couple of days ago, above the Plaza de la Danza, a mound of sand and a pile of bricks.

There were guys doing the heavy lifting — bricks on their shoulders and buckets of sand in hand — carrying load after load down the ramps and stairs to the plaza below.

The sand was spread and leveled and the bricks were carefully laid in a herringbone pattern.

What were they up to? Preparing a barbecue platform for last night’s gastronomic festival, El Saber del Sabor Oaxaca 2013, opening night buffet. The entire Plaza de la Danza was tented, tables and chairs were set up, lights were strung, and by yesterday afternoon, all was ready.

Last year we missed out on the barbecue — spit roasted lamb and pork — it looked and smelled divine, but the line was too long and then it was gone. This year, we were not to be denied and so our strategy was to be first in line.

That meant standing for at least 20 minutes in front of the newly constructed barbecue at the Cuenca station, where we had plenty of time to study the menu and salivate, as smoke from the BBQ permeated our clothes and burned our eyes.

José Domingo Cruz Cobos from Tuxtepec did not disappoint. I can’t even begin to describe how succulent the meat and how crispy the skin. It was well worth the wait!

However, this was only the beginning. Cooks from the other 7 regions of Oaxaca were also there, preparing their signature dishes.

Aurora Toledo of Zandunga restaurant with chef and evening honoree, Patricia Quintana.

Aurora Toledo of Zandunga restaurant with chef, teacher, author, and the evening’s special honoree, Patricia Quintana.

Gluttony makes for a hazy memory, but in addition to the above, I had mole negro and tamalitos from the famed Mendoza sisters of Tlamanalli in Teotitlán del Valle, garnachas from Aurora Toledo of Zandunga in the city, and ??? Oh, and then there was wine, mezcal, and a cajeta flavored paleta for dessert.

All this, and much, much, much more for only 350 pesos (about $27 US). It was a lovely and delicious night.

And for those with deeper pockets, multi-course lunches and dinners with wine and mezcal pairings are being prepared by the top chefs from all over Mexico, at select restaurants throughout the city, including Alejandro Ruíz of Casa Oaxaca and Jose Manuel Baños Rodriguez of Pitiona, each recently named to Latin America’s 50 Top Restaurants.

¡Buen provecho!

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From head to toe

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged capes, Danza de la Pluma, feather art, Feather dance, Fiesta a la Natividad de la Virgen María, Fiesta de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, leggings, Mexico, Oaxaca, penachos, photographs, photos, Teotitlán del Valle on September 10, 2013| 5 Comments »

The Danza de la Pluma penachos (headdresses), capes, and leggings are spectacular and unique to Teotitlán del Valle. The feathered designs on the penachos are more intricate and varied than in other pueblos; and the capes and leggings are hand-woven in this village that is internationally known for its weaving. However, while the Danza de la Pluma is a crowd-pleaser during the annual July Guelaguetza on Cerro del Fortín in Oaxaca, folkloric groups from other villages are usually chosen to perform it, as Teotitlán’s costumes are not considered “authentic.”

However, performing for tourists is not why Teotitlán del Valle tells this story through music and dance several times a year. It is performed on the church plaza, not the municipal plaza, because it is an integral part of the annual major religious celebrations of the village: Fiesta titular a la Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo in July, Fiesta a la Natividad de la Virgen María in September, Fiesta a el Rosario de la Virgen María in October, and Fiesta a la Virgen de Guadalupe in December.

Penachos from the Fiesta a la Natividad de la Virgen María on Sunday…

Moctezuma’s penacho

Detail of Moctezuma’s penacho

Capes from Sunday’s Fiesta a la Natividad de la Virgen María and July’s Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo festival.

Leggings from both festivals…

The various elements of the costumes do not come cheap and dancers must appeal to their extended families to assist in commissioning each of the pieces. Thus, as annual festivals come and go during a dancer’s 3-year commitment, the costumes may evolve.

With their performances, the dancers honor the rituals of their church and community. And, with their magnificent costumes, they pay homage to the creativity, talent, and tradition of Teotitlán del Valle’s weavers and feather artists.

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It’s good to be home!

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Danza de la Pluma, danzantes, Doña Marina, El Picacho, Fiesta a la Natividad de la Virgen María, fiestas, Malinche, Mexico, Oaxaca, penachos, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Teotitlán del Valle on September 8, 2013| 2 Comments »

Yippee, I’m back in Oaxaca! Last night’s flight was smooth, on-time, and mostly empty. I have to admit to always getting a goofy grin as the little Embraer comes in over the lights of the city and the smile continues through immigration and baggage claim. It usually falters and turns to a grimace when I have to hoist my 50 pound suitcase up onto the x-ray conveyor belt. However, last night the grin returned when I pressed the “to search or not to search” button, got the green light, and was able to proceed directly to the booth to buy my colectivo ticket — 60 pesos for door-to-door service to the historic district ‘hood. An easy return to home.

Unpacking done, late this morning I walked down to my local mercado to restock the larder with some basics: 2 perfect avocados, 1 pristine white onion, a bunch of unblemished small and sweet bananas, half kilo of quesillo (Oaxacan string cheese), and 6 freshly made tamales (mole, rajas, and verde). I’d actually asked for 4, but my regular tamale gal threw in 2 extras. How often does that happen in el norte? A welcoming return to home.

This afternoon, blogger buddy Chris and I drove out to Teotitlán del Valle for the Fiesta a la Natividad de la Virgen María performance of the Danza de la Pluma. We stepped up onto the plaza of Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo and it was like emerging into the middle of a technicolor movie. We’ve been there countless times, but today we were blown away by the scene. Mother Nature had conspired to use her enhance wand on the sky, clouds, sun, and costumes. A spectacular return to home!

A spectator sport

Doña Marina y penacho

Nueva marmota

A pause in the action

In step!

Battling the wind

El Picacho y penacho

Hold your hat

La Malinche y dos Subalternos

Danzante, up close

The recent trip to California was to sign papers finalizing the sale of the house my grandparent’s built in 1957. Prior to relocating to Oaxaca, it had been my home for 30 years, where I’d raised my kids and made many wonderful memories. Needless to say, selling it was an emotionally challenging ordeal and it has engendered a lot of thinking about the notion of “home.”

However, these past 24 hours have reinforced my belief in bumper-sticker wisdom seen many years ago, “When you live in your heart, you are always home.” It’s good to be home!