Murals

Murals are such a part of life here and throughout Mexico.  I love this one at one of the little private schools right on the main street leading into Etla.  Note the cell tower disguised as a palm.

Iconic imagery and history as public art.

Works for me.

Ulises in New York

You can run, but you can't hide.

Any other politicians come to mind that deserve this treatment?  I can think of a few.... oh, I forgot, we are not supposed to look back, only forward.

Meanwhile, back in reality....

from McClatchy

With too few hands to pick the apples in Washington state, Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire says the farm labor shortage has prompted a crisis.

In the Wenatchee Valley east of the Cascade Mountains, apple growers have posted their help-wanted signs across the countryside. And for the first time in years, growers in the state have launched a radio campaign, offering pay of $120 to $150 a day, but there have been few takers, much to the governor's regret

"We're not getting anybody to take a bite on these jobs, so we don't have anybody to do these jobs," she said Thursday night.

While much of the talk on Capitol Hill is tough, with opponents of illegal immigration vowing to seal the borders, Gregoire said Congress should instead focus on a way to get more foreign workers to help with harvesting in her state, the nation's top producer of apples.

From El Imparcial

In Oaxaca, there are 1.3 million oaxaqueños that suffer undernourishment and hunger, a number that could increase due to the rise in the price of the basic necessities, indicated Gerald Go'mez Tort, president of the Food Bank of Oaxaca (BEAM).  "The most serious repercussions are for the most vulnerable sectors of the population and will increase major poverty and extreme hunger. Due to the increases in the prices of the main consumables - like gas and gasoline, as well as new taxes, the condition of the families in extreme poverty will be affected seriously."

Words fail....

I am speechless... well, not really.  There are words that come to mind.

This is a person running for president of the United States????

“It’s going to be 20 feet high. It’s going to have barbed wire on the top. It’s going to be electrified. And there’s going to be a sign on the other side saying, ‘It will kill you — Warning.’” At an earlier rally, on the campus of Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tenn., he added that the sign would be written “in English and in Spanish.”

“This nation has always been a nation with wide open doors,” Mr. Cain said at the second rally. “We want to make it easy for people to come through the front door. And we’re going to shut off the back door so you don’t have to sneak into America.”

Saying that some critics have told him that his remarks about building a fence are insensitive, Mr. Cain said that the fault lies with the actions of some illegal immigrants. “It’s insensitive for them to be killing our citizens, killing our border agents,” he said. “That’s what’s insensitive. And that mess has to stop.”

In addition using a fence and unspecified “technology” to cut down on illegal immigration, Mr. Cain added: “If we have to put troops with real guns and real bullets for part of it, we can do that too.”

October 15th

It is a day of protest around the world.  For an event near you click here.

In Oaxaca, it seems as if someone is always protesting something and with good reason.  That is one of the things I love about this place.  People are involved and politically active.  They have been since Cortes showed up.

 Locked box?

No, it is not OWS. 

It is a hunger strike directly in front of the entrance to the Governor's Palace in the zocalo.  There have been political problems and some violence in nearby Atzompa and people are sick of it and want fair elections.
Think I'm (we're) really asleep?  No matter what they think, we are watching.

Right across from this hunger strike, Section 22, one of the teacher's unions, was protesting and speechifying.

 The struggle continues.

So everyone's is doin' it.  How about you?  If not now, when?

Church work

Hand me the.... whaddya mean, you forgot the socket wrench?

Working on the upper reaches of Sangre Preciosa de Cristo church on Alacala on a non OSHA approved scaffolding.

I'm not sure what this is going to be, but some installation is going up in front of Santo Domingo.

Todo el mundo

It's everywhere, in every language.  Check them out at http://www.gstrike.org/

Of course, in Oaxaca, this is an every day event.  ¡Viva!
h/t spixl

Hmmm...

This little school, or that's what I think it is, is just on the plaza next to Carmen Alto.  It is opposite one of my favorite graffiti walls, so I walk by it all the time. Maybe it is just me, but the sign above the entrance to Jardin de Ninos or Children's Garden is not only almost impossible to read, a font nightmare,

but the Soeur over the door kinda looks like....

wait for it.... a vampire. 

Or is it just me?

Word of the day - Canoodle

One thing that any visitor to Oaxaca would notice is the amount of canoodling that goes on in this place.  Not only in the city, but everywhere.  And we are talkin' serious canoodling, not merely PDA's.

We always speculate as to where it all leads.  Some think that because of the strong church influence and the crowded home scenes, that WYSIWYG and that's where it ends, but as a former teacher of adolescents, I am skeptical.

Best in the West

Tuba players!

  I ran into this band as I was walking down Alcala.  Every time I see one of these guys, I realize that I am in the heart of an area with some of the best tuba players in the world.  OK, what do I know?  Well, actually, I do know something after being a musician, composer, and conductor for lo, those many years.  I worked with lots of brass players in classical, jazz and rock and I think the tuba players here could eat all their lunches.  They play with such abandon and strength.  They are aggressive, but friendly.  Lots of this has to do with the music the groups play here.  They are the foundation, the bass and instead of doing the old "oompa"  thing, they dance around in the rhythms and generally kick total ass.

 Just what I need.  One more aspect of this place about which I should write a book.

Greatest.Thing.Evah.

Well, make that, greatest thing ever purchased through the car window... uh, greatest thing ever purchased while stopped at the intersection in front of the baseball stadium?  That works.

However, I love it!  What better way to learn the states and their capitals?  When I am done with it, it will go to the kids next door.

So you think you know your US states?  Try this game.

OMG!!!!  Look at this.  A Mexico State game!  I am so on it.

All the news?

The morning coffee, reading the newspapers online, one cannot help but be struck by how filtered the US media is.  Three women win the Nobel Peace prize but no mention in my old town rag, the Boston Globe.  The OccupyWallStreet protests, which is a huge international story with many references to it being the equivalent of the recent "Arab Spring"... no mention of the hundreds of protest actions across the country... no mention at all.

Here and elsewhere, there has been notice paid to the situation resulting from Alabama's draconian new immigration law.  Students have stopped going to school out of fear and crops are rotting in the fields.  This is progress?

Ah well, I guess all I am saying is get your news from as many sources as possible while at the same time remembering that they, the media, are all part of the problem. 

¿Me puede ayudar?

I need a little help here.  Just looking through shots of Teotitlan and came across numerous ones of this little soldier, IMO-TCFHOG™ uh, too cute for his own good. 

W.C. Fields said something like, "Never work with children or dogs.  They upstage you every time."

OK, speaking of details.  Who the heck is this on his hat?  I can't make out the writing, but I can see a Smurf or Pitufo, as they are called in Spanish, in the left bottom corner.  So is he from the movie?  Hero or villan?  Need a little help here.  Maybe Princess Abigail knows.

Details - Teotitlan del Valle

First, I was wrong.  There is one more opportunity to see los danzantes in Teotitlan del Valle this year and that will be on December 12 at 1 PM.  Be There or Be Square.

My sister blogger, spixl, and I had a wonderful time at the danza de las plumas yesterday.  We arrived quite early and basically had the dancers to ourselves.   Not really, but there were very few people there yet. 

Most would arrive later in the afternoon and stay until the end which could be 9 or 10 PM.

By now, they are used to me, I think, and I wandered from angle to angle, shooting photos and shooting the breeze with lots of folks.

Of course, there was the perfunctory shot of mezcal from this illustrious group.

 

I keep noticing more and more each time I shoot these dancers.  The level of detail is inspiring, so much thought, work and pride goes into each outfit.  Not to mention the expense. Take a few minutes and look at Malinche's dress.  She has her totem and castanets in her hands.

 Or the beautiful work on these leggings. 

At around 2PM, the dancers took a break to grab some food and to sit and rest.  They arranged all of their coronas or headdresses in a group to protect them from the wind blowing them over.  It was the perfect time to get in close and personal. 

I am always amazed at the level of detail that goes into each outfit.

  Sonajas or rattles and the totem that each dancer carries.

These are Moteczuma's.

 Amazing work.  It just keeps going.  The pieces that dangle from the sides. 

Notice the beads in between.

I wonder what they are called?  I will find out.
Even Marina's braids were works of art.

More to post later.  However, my camera seems to have been taken over.....

First things first

Of course, we had a wonderful time in Teotitlan del Valle at the danza de las plumas, but before I left, I had this spectacular breakfast at our favorite restaurant in Etla.  Enchiladas with mole negro and a side of cecina, nice spiced pork.

Then a few hours later it was this fine empanada with mole amarillo and chicken.  The massa was so light and fluffy, it made for a slightly more delicate shell, but the whole thing was super tasty.

This woman was doing a good business.  It was wonderful to sit right in front of her and watch her cook.  It seemed effortless.  She formed the massa, pressed it, laid it on the comal, filled and folded it and made memelitas at the same time.

She had real cook's hands, turning all the items that were cooking with her bare hands.  I cook that way, too.

Back to Teotitlan del Valle

The day here is rather cold and blustery with gray skies and an occasional patch of blue.  I am off to Teotitlan del Valle to watch the danza de las plumas once again.  I think I have seen this group of danzantes four or five times now and it is always magical.  This is the last time they will dance this year, but I believe they have two more years together as a group.  Each cycle is three years in length and then a new group will take over the honors.

Before the danza in the four or five day celebration is the confite, or procession of unmarried women from the village.  This time it was cool and rainy, but who cares, it was still magnificent.

Look at this gorgeous floral canasta that led the procession.

Now imagine carrying it on your head for a couple of miles on cobblestone streets.

This gentleman led the procession carrying a marmota.  Actually, the kids lead the way with little marmotas of their own.

Obviously, it is a photographer's dream as each of the participants is dressed in resplendent traditional garb. 

Lots of heart-stealers.

Of all ages.

You may remember this little guy from earlier posts.  Still as cute as ever.

 

It gets dark by the end, but still managed to snap this portrait with the mountains in the background.

QOTD

This seems to be going viral as the "quote of the day."
 "Money is like manure: Spread around, it helps things grow. Piled up in one place, it just stinks."

Hermanas

Gee, do you think they are related?

This weekend is the final time this year that Teotitlan del Valle will be celebrating with a confite, or parade and the dancing of the Danza de las Plumas.  Next time will be in July of 2012.

I have taken lots of shots of Carina (r) at various events, including the confites and several weddings.  You can bet I did a double-take when I saw her sister, Adriana, who seemed quite used to people getting them confused.

More of the calenda or confite in the morning before I head out to watch the dancers one last time this year. 

Who and where?

To what is this man referring?

“It’s a government that bases its policies on the media. Since the media are no longer covering us (as much), they decided that we’re no longer a strong movement,” he added.

“They’re mistaken if they want to minimize us. They’re mistaken if they want to dilute us, because the movement still has very high morale and is still very empathetic with the citizenry, that invisible element that doesn’t matter to them,”

Sounds like it could be from any one of numerous populist actions around the world.  Greece? Spain? Wall Street?

No, it is about Mexico and the gentleman is Mexican poet and peace activis,t Javier Sicilia.

Read the full story from LAHT