Wow!

Here is the year of photos of 2008, some amazing stuff. Be prepared to spend a few minutes. They really make you think and we know what that leads to....

Earthquakes!

Oaxaca has been hit by a series of earthquakes which is somewhat normal, but scary nonetheless. From what I can find out, there was a 6.4 one on Feb 12 and then yesterday, there were five more, the most powerful being 4.1.

There was some damage to structures in Juchitan in the Isthmo. I remember having a pretty good meal in the market there and being dazzled by the hupiles that all the women were wearing.

Earthquakes are just plain scary. If you've been in one, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, you can't imagine it.

I hope everyone is OK.

Be thankful

The days are getting longer and lighter now. The equinox is in sight. My work up here is proceeding, but seems Sysiphusian.... that seems to be a constant in life. One thing leads to another and so on.
That is certainly how it has been with putting in a new kitchen. All that is left is the painting, but of course that means everything off the walls and the kitchen is connected to two other spaces which also need painting... Sysiphusian.

Over the years, the collection of art took over the house, so we are talking a big packing job and seeing as though I packed up all the other rooms before I painted them, I am packing up everything in these last three rooms. At one point, the collection had almost 3000 individual pieces, many of them unique and museum quality. But now's the time to pack them up. Everything is boxed and labeled. The large pieces are in baskets or storage bins.

At times, I thought I would never finish. Plus, it was sad to pack up so many special pieces. Each is linked to a series of memories, experiences, like packing up your past.
At any rate, I am glad I did not need to pack this deer head from Claudio and Teresa Ojeda of Arrazola. Believe me, it was close. I did get the pavo real, the peacock, but it broke down in to small pieces, so it was a snap.

Frida - For real

After seeing so many portraits and Salma Hayek in the movie, to find this video of footage of Frida Kahlo and seeing what she really looked like, how she moved, smiled, kissed...

Alone in Monte Albán

Monte Albán sits to the west, high above the city and is one of the first sights one sees as you fly into Oaxaca. It is always a spectacular vision, as the white stones used to construct this huge site seem to catch light even on cloudy days.

There has been much restoration since this video was shot. I need to reshoot. Actually, I did, with a new camera no less, but I cannot find the tape.... yet.

I always love going there and have been many times. I do wonder if Monte Albán is like the Statue of Liberty and is only visited by tourists? Certainly it is packed on certain days, but on this day I was almost alone in the place. There were a few worker there and I watched them and imagined the early inhabitants doing much the same. It was a lush and green as I had ever seen with standing water that looked like a lake in the central courtyard.

¡Que se vayan todos!

Like a lot of people, I read a lot of newspapers and blogs. I have always enjoyed politics, both playing them and observing them. Politics, the game of human interaction, is easy to see and exists wherever more than one person lives.

Right now, I am watching the US, local Mass stuff, the Virgin Islands, Oaxaca, the small carving villages outside the city and my old prep school and guess what? There is a world of hurt out there. It is patently obvious to most of us.

However, the ruling social and political classes, seem blind and are behaving like what they are born and bred to be - you know. morons.

So Naomi Klein's words resonated with me.

"Watching the crowds in Iceland banging pots and pans until their government fell reminded me of a chant popular in anti-capitalist circles in 2002: "You are Enron. We are Argentina.

Its message was simple enough. You--politicians and CEOs huddled at some trade summit--are like the reckless scamming execs at Enron (of course, we didn't know the half of it). We--the rabble outside--are like the people of Argentina, who, in the midst of an economic crisis eerily similar to our own, took to the street banging pots and pans. They shouted, "¡Que se vayan todos!" ("All of them must go!") and forced out a procession of four presidents in less than three weeks. What made Argentina's 2001-02 uprising unique was that it wasn't directed at a particular political party or even at corruption in the abstract. The target was the dominant economic model--this was the first national revolt against contemporary deregulated capitalism.

It's taken a while, but from Iceland to Latvia, South Korea to Greece, the rest of the world is finally having its ¡Que se vayan todos! moment.

The stoic Icelandic matriarchs beating their pots flat even as their kids ransack the fridge for projectiles (eggs, sure, but yogurt?) echo the tactics made famous in Buenos Aires. So does the collective rage at elites who trashed a once thriving country and thought they could get away with it. As Gudrun Jonsdottir, a 36-year-old Icelandic office worker, put it: "I've just had enough of this whole thing. I don't trust the government, I don't trust the banks, I don't trust the political parties and I don't trust the IMF. We had a good country, and they ruined it."

Lina Fernandez - Chiles en Nogada

Lina Fernandez is a poet, writer, herbalist, teacher and chef. She was an artist in the kitchen, always singing, talking and smiling while she cooked. Her restaurant, El Laurel had only ten tables and was in a cool courtyard off of Nicholas Bravo Sadly, it is no more. I remember sitting there, sharing the space with Toledo and Morales, two of Oaxaca's famous painters. I met photographers, poets, film makers, writers and other eclectics as we all came for Lina's delicious offerings.

Her chiles en nogada were famous and when word got out that she was making them, people literally flocked into the tiny space. The video is cut from a longer shoot in which I spent the entire day with Lina as she shopped, chopped and cooked. In the longer version, she talks to me, the camera, and says, "You are to blame for this, Chris. I wasn't going to make them this year, but you gave me a motive."

Little did I know that she was closing the restaurant the next month and this was the last time she made chiles en nogada for her many friends at El Laurel. As I re-watch the tape, I realize now that she was telling that it was over and there is a poignancy to her words. Like watching a movie the second or third time, the things one notices that were there all the time, but missed, caught up in the moment.

You will notice

And appreciate, I am sure, that you can now click on the right and get your very own copy of Here & Now on iTunes and most of the online music stores.

First Meal

Well, I had my first meal in the new kitchen and no, it wasn't either of these two dishes, but I was too tired to photograph it. I had my first salad in weeks w/ lettuce, apples, grapes, onion, garlic, carrots and blue cheese, baked chicken and a potato. All very simple and so tasty after weeks of living out of the bathroom sink and the microwave.

I am doing much of the finish work in the kitchen myself which meant a few days of working outside in the ice and snow, but at least I have all the tools to do it. Pictures shortly.

The above dish is chiles en nogada from Casa Oaxa. I have a couple of different videos of cooks making this special dish. They might be fun to post.
And these are stuffed squash blossoms and mole from good friend, Pilar Cabrera, who teaches cooking and operates La Olla restaurant in Oaxaca. That is also her sopa azteca. I still think she makes the absolute best version of this traditional soup. Yes, I have a video of her making it.

A Day Late, but

I missed posting on B.A.D (Blogroll Amnesty Day) but who cares, a day late, a dollar short. Here are blogs to check out:
Panini Girl is a wonderful blog about food, cooking and things Italian, although like all blogs Janie touches on many subjects. She is an amazing cook, so knowledgeable and informative. Fun to check everyday.
Two others by former students, both of whom are amazingly talented and smart. Taiwanablog is by Michael who is teaching in Taiwan. Here We Rest is from Jessica Elaine in NYC and outer space.

The Abastos with Alejandro Ruiz Olmedo

Over the years, I have videotaped many of the cooks in Oaxaca and now I am trying to figure out what to do with the footage. I have some real masters making their specialities. It is a fun gig, because not only do I get to make market runs with them and meet their favorite vendors, but I get to watch them cook all day. Of course, there is always the problem of what to do after everything is prepared and ready to eat. Problem? Right! The icing on the cake, so to speak - of course, we eat it!

I have known Alejandro Ruiz Olmedo for a few years. In fact, the video is from about five years ago. He is an amazing cook, so inventive and knowledgeable. He may be the most famous chef in Oaxaca. Now, he is gerente (manager) of Casa Oaxaca, the hotel, and his two restaurants which also go by the same name. His food is sublime, a marriage of traditional Oaxacan flavors and tastes and techniques from around the world. One of his keys - he uses only the best, the freshest, the most in season ingredients in his recipes.

The Abastos Market is on the western edge of the city. I have written about it before. It is huge and gritty and can be intimidating to some as it is known for its no-nonsense approach to business. There are pickpockets and scam artists and it is not the place to take tourist photos. The vendors will yell and curse you if you shove a camera in their face. They think that every shot takes a bit of their soul. Besides, they think it is rude. "I am not here for your entertainment..."

I go there regularly, because you can get, literally, anything there and once you figure out the layout and how to deal, it is an efficient and inexpensive place to shop. There is also delicious food everywhere and the tastes and smells are tantalizing. Makes my mouth water just to think of it.

At any rate, to have a guide/friend like Alejandro taking me around was great and folks had no problem with me shooting. Well, no one threw anything at me. Actually, people were very warm and friendly, as they usually are. I have shot there many times and never really had a problem. I do always ask before shooting.

Watch the video in High Res if you can. Youtube has increased the size they allow and the quality is really quite good.

Idyll

Still waiting for Godot of the Kitchen and of course, another foot of snow tonight. I know it is warm and green somewhere, just not here. This is a hacienda garden in Guanajuato.

Somebody's Watchin' You

This is very cool. The resolution at high magnification is amazing. Makes you wonder if you are on camera right now... smile.
Check out the other photos on the site. What amazing (and scary) technology.

Art changing daily

I miss are the daily offerings of the graffiti artists. I know there is a constant battle between property owners and the artist. I just like the quality of work and the expression of ideas. Asaro, the artist, is incredibly prolific.
Maybe there are places in the US there are equally politically in tune and visually demonstrative, but it sure ain't Newton, MA.I can only imagine what we would have seen over the last few years is it were.

Siesta

Further Up

There is a dirt road that leads up from the center of Benito Juarez, past the eco-tourism cabins, and beyond the fields and farms, that ends up at El Mirador, a lookout tower. There is a steel ladder that one can climb to get to the platform at the top. From this vantage, one can see for miles and take in the dramatic and diverse landscape.
Imagine the sounds of the wind, of sheep and cow bells and their calls, you get the picture.

Benito Juarez

If you follow your nose up the road from the Tlaminalli restaurante, past the reservoir for Teotitlan, after countless switchbacks on a narrow dirt road, you will come to the mountain village of Benito Juarez. It is about 20 k. and there is a better and paved road if you want to take a left at Tlacolula and head north. Benito Juarez is idyllic with fantastic views of converging mountain ranges and the valleys they open into. There is also a great place to eat in the zocalo where I had one (or two) of the best chile rellenos. For the intrepid traveler, there are eco-tourist cabins nestled among the tall pines. Those pines sit on a carpet of alpine flowers and cacti. Oaxaqueños from the city never go there. It is too cold for them.
Henry, Rosa and Zach in front of a nice specimen. Henry was probably imagining what nice mezcal the plant could provide. The portrait is a bit dated, as Zack is now 16 and over six feet tall, but the plant is still one big agave.... but not the biggest by any means.

Now, here's a kitchen! - Tlamanalli

When I think of some of my favorite kitchens, the wonderful ceramic work in the Restaurante Tllamanalli in Teotitlan de Vaille comes to mind.
Tllamanalli means offering and, on a daily basis, the Mendoza sisters, all five of them, graciously serve wonderful traditional Oaxacan food. Their menu is limited and a bit pricey, but the ambiance is more than worth it.
Depending on the season, there is always a mole of some sort and a soup made with the freshest ingredients.

Lots of people go to Teotitlan for the rugs and certainly the Mendoza name is quite famous for its weavings, but the sisters and the restaurant are alone well worth the trip. The food and the smiles that always greet you make for good memories.
The tile work in the kitchen is amazing. All the shelves, work areas, sinks, counters, stairs use the same ceramic pattern throughout and cover a huge space.
The place is quite famous. It was written up in Saveur a while back and pretty much has a monopoly on the hungry rug buyers although, I heard that one or two restaurants recently opened.

You want pictures?

I thought I would go with nice sturdy counter tops.

Humility

From my limited perspective...

One of the vibes I pick up, as I visit the sites of ancient civilizations and talk to the remaining descendants, is a deep sense of humility. Paradoxically, it is fed by an intense sense of pride.

You can see it in people's eyes.

Here were these cultures, the pinnacles of their times, strong, fat and sassy, now distant memories and vestiges of their former selves.

They all had their butts kicked in one way or another, the Olmec, Aztecs, Zapotecs, Mixtecs, its a long list.

And losing it all, does a number on one's ego and standing in the world. It is not a bad thing to be knocked down, to not always win, to be forced to eat one's words and suffer for ones deeds, one's arrogance.

This country has such a short history, it has yet to really experience it or figure it out.

Its a hard lesson to learn, how to be humble and proud at the same time.

We have the pride and arrogance down, not so much the humility.

Charlatans

I bet there are more postings today than, perhaps, ever, as Bush exits stage right and Obama takes center stage. I have tried not to be too political on this blog, mainly because it does no good. However, living outside the country for a time while George was running the show certainly sent off alarm bells as to the state of the nation.

"Trouble. We surely got trouble. Right here in River City," but you already knew that.

Well, all politics is local and personal, so here's my take on things.

With all my neurotic planning, the kitchen project has followed its natural course with problems arising with every turn of the screw. Lots of delays topped off by yesterday's fiasco of discovering that the new refrigerator is an inch too tall because of the new floor and the fact that they jacked up the joists when they re-enforced everything. OK, it can be exchanged. Just one more problem to deal with or one more straw so to speak.

So this project and its slow progress are driving me even crazier than normal. Of course, no kitchen, illness, frigid temps and tons of snow just add to the mix.

Last year I was shoveling ten tons of abono, cow manure, this year its snow. Y basta! Enough already with the shoveling.

So how does this relate to Bush? Well, think about this. About twenty years ago, when this house went through a complete rehab, I used a guy to coordinate all the work being done by a crew of eight Mexicans. This guy was an obvious charlatan, but hey, he was there, so we used him.

Now, no matter where I turn, I come across something he did wrong or screwed up and I have to choose between ripping it out and redoing it or living with it. Structural, plumbing, electrical, if he touched it, it was done wrong. Obviously, there are certain things that simply require too much work to fix, given the nature of old houses. But the amount of work that that one guy added to the current project??

Ay! my thoughts about what I'd like to do to the guy are right out of the cartoons... or "Reservoir Dogs."

So there you have it. Bush is like that contractor. He screwed up everything he touched. It will be many years before we discover all the things he did to the house, the Nation.

Its OK. We need it. The country, just like my kitchen will end up better.

Still, what a wanker... both of them.

G'day Godot

An interesting time. Hard to believe this is my first posting of 2009. What can I say? It was -11 outside yesterday. I need a meal in the zocalo.

I returned from Oaxaca to prepare for my return to Oaxaca. The house in Newton needed lots of work inside and out, not to mention packing up the art from years of collecting. Those of you who know me, know I am methodical, neurotic about details and preparation, which definitely pays off in the end, but makes for a long process. I had a list and the last big thing on it was a new kitchen. It should be beautiful but...

No matter how one plans it, you always end up without a kitchen for an extended period of time. I am still in it. I am using businesses in the neighborhood trying to keep the local economy going. So I discovered an interesting counter and flooring place just a block away from the house.

They do beautiful work and the quality and variety of material is impressive. The owners are young Brazilians in their late 20's.

Thus I was introduced to the extensive Brazilian network in the trades. It is wild to see just how dominant they are in certain services. In fact, I heard more Spanish and Portuguese than English in my travels around. There is a hierarchy in the contractor world just as there is in all worlds from academia to carving villages. The Brazilians are right up there. They sure are doing great work for me

but...

Times goes by and still I am waiting...

The best version evah

The Classic Olla - Oaxacan Pottery

I loved watching this guy making ollas while carrying on a conversation. He was in the zocalo just cranking them out, all so effortlessly. Such a simple setup, but what magnificent results.

This is a classic shape and size olla and can be found everywhere. Oaxacans have been making pottery for hundreds of years. This artesano was working in the zocalo and carrying on a conversation while working. Pottery and ceramic figures are produced in many villages, each with a different style or color. In San Bartolo Coyotepec they create the classic black pottery. Atzompa is known for using tan clay w/green glaze, Ocotlan de Morelos for sculptural pieces, Santa Maria Tavehua for orange clay and San Marcos Tlapazola for red clay with silica flecks.

Bruñuelos - A Christmas Tradition

There are many different forms of bruñuelos throughout Mexico and Latin American. Actually, they exist in some form in almost every culture - fritters, funnel cakes, etc. In Oaxaca, at Navidad, they are sold in stands near the cathedral and are often served with a thick syrup of piloncillo, Mexican raw sugar. Nothing like some good Oaxacan chocolate and some of these big, sweet treats. After finishing, one is supposed to break the ceramic dish they are served in by throwing it back over one's head. This will bring good luck. Some also think it has to do with letting go of material things, something one is supposed to do every 52 years in keeping with the early calendar cycle. Everyone's got a theory. Better to just shut up and eat!

Oh to be...

Winter Soltice

La Noche de Rabanos - Night of the Radishes

Easily, one of the best days of the year in Oaxaca.

Amate's Best Seller List

Gee, right in there with the adults...... wheee!

1 Oaxaca Moon Handbook Whipperman
2 The People Decide: Oaxaca's Popular Assembly Davies N
3 Oaxaca Journal, Oliver Sacks Sacks
4 Viva Oaxaca: An Insider's Guide Viva Oaxaca
5 Seasons of My Heart: A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca Trilling
6 Mexican Folk Art: From Oaxacan Artist Families Rothstein
7 Short Stories in Spanish (Bilingual) King
8 Carvers of San Martin Tilcajete Stowens, Christopher
9 Mexican Dream Clezio
10 Mexico Style Taschen
11 One Hudred Years of Solitude Garcia Mar
12 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus Mann C
13 Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein Klein, Naomi
14 Compact History of Mexico Villegas
15 Exploring Colonial Oaxaca Perry R
16 Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Diaz, Junot
17 2012:Return of Quetzalcoatl Pinchbeck, Daniel
18 Other Game: Lessons from How Life Is Played in Mexican Villages Dahl-Bredine, Phillip
19 Escape To Mexico Nickles
20 Zapotec: Weavers of Teotitlan Stanton
21 The Secret History of the American Empire Perkins, John
22 Aura Fuentes C
23 First Spanish Reader Flores, Angel
24 Perfect Red Greenfield
25 Mexico ( Traveler's Literary Companions ) Mayo
26 Labyrinth of Solitude Paz

What a great list. Kinda makes me want to read all the ones I haven't read yet. The Diaz is next for me after I finish 2666 by Roberto Bolaño - what a wonderful book and a lot of it takes place in Mexico. Can't wait to read it every day, a real page-turner - all 800+ pages.

Perros

Last year I posted a thing about dogs in Mexico that rambled on as to the importance of dogs in my life. I have always had dogs, but not now. It is a very different life without them. (Pssst.... life is better with dogs than without them.) Last year I had Lucky to care for and learn from. This year I am pretty much on my own - just occasional random canine encounters. I'll probably get a dog when I know better where I will be for a while, because, Lord knows, they are a commitment.

Maybe by now you have seen this video. If not, it is sad, but powerful.


Humans tend not to realize that all living things have feelings and thoughts. We like to think that plants and animals are incapable of "higher thought," that none could possibly feel as we feel. As soon as one realizes that all sentient things are just that "sentient" - feeling, the richer life gets.

Man, I love dogs.... and most sentient and non-sentient things as well. Yeah, I 'm lookin' at you...

Thinking.....

and painting walls and ceilings, but towards a goal of getting back to Oaxaca ASAP. In the meantime, in between time, here is a video to enjoy and ponder. i will try to get some Rabanos video up soon.