Oaxaca-The Year After: Carnaval in Teotitlan del Valle

The here and now... and what and why

Complacency is a trap. At least that’s what I was thinking when I up and left the comfort of a Yankee prep school gig, where I taught music, amongst other things, for 28 years. There was also that life long career as a composer, musician and artist.

First, it was a year in St. Thomas, USVI, working as a reporter and shooting photography and then, a year in San Agustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Time passed.
More time passed and a year back in the Athens of America followed by a hasty return to Oaxaca where it is all happening.
A couple of years in San Sebastian Etla and now, just down the road in San Pablo Etla. Life is good.

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For additional photography please visit my flickr page.
You can find my music on Jango (World & latin - Worldbeat) and at iTunes and most online stores.
¡Soy consciente de todas las tradiciones del Internet!
If you are coming to Oaxaca, please contact me for tours or advice.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Carnaval in Teotitlan del Valle

Well, sorta... Every year we try to go to carnaval in Teotitlan del Valle, which occurs the week after Easter. There is music and dancing, but all in all, it is generally a quiet affair, nothing too crazy. This year our timing was off... sorta. We arrived just in time for comida, mole amarillo y pollo. And notice, no eating utensils. That's how it's done. Using tlayudas to spoon up the mole and then taking the chicken back home.... wrapped in tlayudas, of course. The equivalent of a Zapotec doggie bag.

We ate well and enjoyed the music and the company. Don "Ahuehuete" (meaning "old man of the water) sat with us the entire meal. He has been married for 50 years and has eleven children and over forty grandchildren. Such a warm and friendly man.