2501 Imigrantes come to the city... cont

Alejandro Santiago's installation of "2501 Emigrantes"  continues to fill the streets.  I love that the sculptures have now become an everyday part of the street scene.  Normal life surrounds them.
One sees all sorts of interactions and tableaus,  From ships that pass in the night

to couples

Even the famous, that is Francisco Toledo, Oaxaca most famous patron and artist.

Looks like he is leading some away.

Always trying to get the interesting angle or shot.
 
"Hey, Chris, whatcha doin' whatcha doing???"

Such a nice pup.  A real waggler.

Altissima!

After I rode up on my chopper, I couldn't believe she turned her back on me.  Oh my broken heart.

 Normally, I am the one who is hitting people in the head with my elbows, but today.... ay, ay, ay! I think I've died and gone to heaven.... well, Tres Reyes anyway.

Stop it!

 

UPDATE: Here's a link to Tunecore,  my online music distributor.  It's a well-reasoned argument against SOPA and PIPA and one with which I agree.

Things are looking up

 One of the most noticeable things happening in Oaxaca is a general uplifting of spirit.  It is palpable.  Things are most assuredly getting better.  In many respects, no matter what the news says, Mexico and its economy are growing, doing better. 

from the LAHT

Mexican archaeological sites, museums and historical monuments attracted more than 18.2 million visitors in 2011, the National Anthropology and History Institute, or INAH, said.

INAH said in a communique Monday that the number topped the 18 million in 2010, making 2011 the second best year since 2006 in the number of visitors – only 2008 with 18 million people had more during that period.

It said that of last year’s visitors, 10.6 million visited archeological sites and 7.6 million went to museums and historical monuments managed by INAH. A total of 14.7 million were Mexicans and 3.5 million were foreign tourists.

The three sites that topped 1 million visits were the Teotihuacan Archaeological Zone, the National Museum of Anthropology, and the National History Museum at Chapultepec Castle.

2501 Emigrantes..... continues

Alejandro Santiago's installation continues to fill the streets.  It is such a powerful piece, so thought provoking.  I have so many interesting conversations with people, both tourists and oaxaqueños. 

Some do not have any idea of the genesis of the work. 

This is what art is supposed to do.... make people think.  This chiapeneca is an example of the migratory dilemma.

Still working...

I think these were full cases of beer.  Crazy, no?

Hey! I'm workin' here

There is just something about the work ethic here that is off the charts.  I saw it in the young man across the road, who just set up a business washing cars in front of his house.  He has been doing it a few weeks and I have seen lots of cars there every time I drive by.  I stopped and talked him a couple of weeks ago and asked how much. "35 pesos."  My car was so dusty that some unknown person, perhaps Henry Wangeman of Amate Books, had written "porcino" when in fact they had meant to write "porcinito" a term of endearment, I suppose.  At any rate, my car was incredibly dirty,  Hey, it is Oaxaca in the dry season and there is so much road construction going on, it is impossible to keep it clean.  That being said, Eduardo cleaned and polished the car until it looked almost new.... and detailed the inside!  All in about 30 minutes.  Wow, just wow,

I felt the same about the three guys who repaired a tire for me yesterday just outside of Etla.  This tire has had a very slow leak for months now and yesterday I told myself I would stop at the first place I saw.  The aforementioned road construction closed the road and I could not get to any of the ones that I saw.  Eventually, I saw some tires stacked next to a pretty funky, but typical, shack just off the road.  I pulled in and someone immediately took the tire off and then, it was like a ballet.  They were working on three cars at the same time and they shared tools, the compressor and various tire machines.  I just stood and watched.  It was beautiful.  In less than twenty minutes I was out of there for 40 pesos.

In both cases, these guys were working at the highest level, just giving amazing service.  They were working their asses off and yet it seemed effortless.  As I say, it was beautiful.

So I was paying special attention to people working today in the city.  As I said, I think the work ethic here is remarkable.  The hard work is often accompanied by a sense of fun or joy.  It is hard to describe.  Whistle while you work?  Doin' good work makes you feel good?  I dunno.

I saw this on my way in...


and the finished sign.


Great light in this one.


This one is balletic as well....

2501 Emigrantes come to the city... and keep coming

 Slowly, but surely, each day, the life-size sculptures continue to arrive and line the street.  2501 human figures is one heck of a lot of art.  I wonder if they are going to continue down Alcala all the way to the zocalo.

Stay tuned.... and scroll down for an earlier post about Alejandro Santiago's "2501 Emigrantes."

Mexico Makes the Record Books

 Check out these stories on Tim Johnson's Mexico Unmasked on McClatchy. 

Hmmm.... another record in the making?  The Guardian's story on Mexico City's trash problem.  How the city deals with these problems will be a harbinger for many other cities.  David Lida in his book, "First Stop in the New World"  maintains that as Mexico City goes, so go we all.  It is a fascinating read.

Images are examples of the never-ending stream of street art and graffiti.

El Dia de Tres Reyes.... follow up

I made my annual pilgrimage to the nearby village of Tres Reyes just to see what was happening and to pay my respects.  It is always so different from what is happening in the city where in front of the cathedral The Three Kings and their helpers have laid out hundreds of toys in rows. 


I have seen this prep each year but never the actual event. 

I have these images in my mind of hundreds of kids stampeding like Wal-Mart shoppers on Black Friday, but somehow I think it is exactly the opposite, very well organized and orderly.... and fun.
How much fun?  This much.

When I arrived in Tres Reyes, the band was playing in front of the church, but not much was happening. 

I must have just missed something and I was two hours early for the next event.  It was tranquil, so beautiful and bright. 

This always feels like a church filled with happiness.

Always so colorful.  

So it was quiet.... with band accompaniment.  Perfect for eating a lime ice.

Changing state of immigration

Image from 2501 Migrantes (posted earlier)

This is the NYT story that is circulating today and it is an interesting one, well worth the read.  As I always say, immigration is a complex issue, after all, most all of us are, or our ancestors were, migrants from somewhere.

Sacramento Bee

The United States is simply not the magnet it once was. Arrests at the United States' southwest border in 2011 fell to their lowest level since 1972, confirming that illegal immigration, especially from Mexico, has reached what experts now describe as either a significant pause or the end of an era.

But this is not a shift in volume as much as direction. Nearly 2 million more Mexicans lived away from their hometowns in 2010 than was the case a decade earlier, according to the Mexican census. Experts say departures have also held steady or increased over the past few years in Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru and other Latin American countries that have traditionally been hubs of emigration.

The migrants are just not going where they used to.

Mexicans, for example, are increasingly avoiding the United States and the border region, as well as their own capital, and are moving toward smaller, safer cities like Merida, Oaxaca City and Queretaro. Experts say more Guatemalans are also settling in Mexico after years of passing through on the journey north.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/06/4166566/migrants-new-paths-reshape-latin.html#storylink=cpy

Santa Maria Atzompa is just down the road.  I was there for El Dia de los Muertos.  Yes, there is change occuring and it is significant change.  Not far from Atzompa, we now have a great new multiplex cinema.  The others were on the other side of the city.  I think some of the reactions from the villagers are classic "Get off my lawn" crankiness.  We get older and the changes from what we knew are hard to take sometimes.  However, news bulletin, change is inevitable, like trying to hold back the tides.

And really what do you expect?  The abject hatred for Mexicans that comes from parts of El Norte has had an effect.  The number of deportations is up.  It is harder and harder to get in legally or illegally.  Plus, in case you hadn't noticed, the economy in the States is hurting and here, it is doing better.  So folks are still migrating, but they are moving within country and Oaxaca is such a wonderful place, mexicanos are choosing to come here and with them comes change.  It is a changing world.

Just talk to all the business in the States that have suffered for lack of workers.  Seems like it was a "lose-lose" situation.  Maybe the lessons learned are slowly sinking in and change will follow.  Some of those workers came here and the city has benefited in many ways.  There is a lot of construction, roads are being paved, there is a general feeling that things are improving.  Of course, 2006, was terrible, and Oaxaca is still recovering, but the progress is palpable.

For this migrante, life is much better here.

El Dia de Tres Reyes

Today is the day, January 6th, when the Magi arrived bearing gifts.  It is also the day when children receive gifts, like Christmas elsewhere.

Here is my Rosca de Reyes, shaped like one of the king's crown.  This one is extra special because it is homemade by Rosa Perez Blum, Henry Wangeman's, remarkable esposa.  It is tradition to hide a little figure of Christ baked in it and whoever gets it has to provide dinner, tamales, on February 2.  Guess I will be buying myself dinner.

I am not sure which one I am/was, Gaspar, Melchior or Balthasar, but I was channeling one of them and made sure my neighbor's children awoke to some fun.

UPDATE:
Guess who is buying dinner?

Shots of the day...cont.

As always, lots happening even though the crowds have eased slightly after the Navidad crush.  In general, business was up, but not spectacular.  No matter what or when, the answer is always the same, "Mas o menos."
If it is already this cool before it is even finished, can't wait to see it when it is done.

Am I too late for the Iowa caucuses?  Sorry, it's just what came to mind.

Speaking of cool.... that's what I'm talkin' about.... high tops.

Whatever you do, don't think of Jackie Gleason saying "poloponies."

 A serene shot from the zocalo.

2501 Imigrantes come to the city.

In what will prove to be the most photographed art installation in years, Alejandro Santiago's huge project lines the streets and sits in front of Santo Domino.

I went to see this amazing work when it was at the CaSa in nearby San Agustin Etla in July of 2007.  Please check out the photos and more of the background by clicking on that post.  That way I do not need to repeat myself.

Santiago and his remaining neighbors created 2501 life-size sculptures, each one representing a person who had left his village.  The men leave.  The very young and the very old remain.  And lots of lonely women.  Imagine if that happened where you were.

If the people around you left, would you look the other way?

Would you just ignore it?  Could you just walk past?

Or run past?

Immigration is a very complex subject.  I have strong feelings about it.  First, the daily wage here is about $4.50 US a day.... a day!  Think about what you might do if you could make in ten times that somewhere else.

Also, too, I am in immigrant of sorts here.  Imagine if you were living on $1000 a month in the US, say on Social Security.  That money would allow you to live reasonably well here and would not even get you a place to live in much of the US.

It sure is something to ponder.

¡Feliz Año Neuvo!

 I should call this blog, Oaxaca, where each year is better than the last, nah.... too long.  However, 2011 was one of the absolute best.  The energy of the place at year's end was so positive and upbeat.  You just gotta come and feel the vibe, man.  The year just never quit, start to finish.  All 313 posts.  I love this place.  It keeps rewarding me and teaching me.  I love the people, the culture, the history, the food, I mean, what's not to love.  OK, maybe the politics, but have you checked out the politics where you live? 
Ignore them. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."  Love your family and friends.  Enjoy your life to the fullest and call me when you get in town.  Coffee's on me.  Paz y amor.