from a story on Noticiasnetmx

From January 1st through March 10th of this year, there have been 96 blockades, marches and sit-ins, as many as three per day. Of course, these cause chaos in the city, business is lost, people get upset, traffic is impossible.  Still, many of the concerns are real and legit.  The protesters included social organizations, farmers and inhabitants of municipalities well away from the city who demand solutions to a diverse set of problems.  Then, of course, there are the teachers, Section 22, and the students from  the Independent University “ Benito Juárez ” of Oaxaca (UABJO).

Blockades are effective because there are so few major roads in and out of the city.  There are 500,000 inhabitants in the city and surrounding areas.  There are lots of cars, trucks and buses.  Motos and taxis and burros, oh my.   If you want to shut down the road to Mexico City or the Isthmo or the coast, it is relatively easy.  Plus, the right to protest is a time honored privilege here and people take full advantage of it.

The city of Oaxaca supplies 60% of the state's economy and the protests have a far-reaching impact on all aspects of business and life in general.  Everyone is affected.  It ripples through the various sectors of the economy.  Kids don't get educated.  People can't work.  Ambulances can't get through.  You get the picture.  You notice I have not mentioned all the construction projects that are adding to the fun.

Some of the issues are long standing.  Some are legit and others, not so much, more political than anything else.  It does seem sometimes that as soon as one issue is addressed, another pops up.

Still, the place continues to function pretty well given the circumstances.  I drove into the city this morning and was confronted with buses blocking entrance to the city center.  Ah well, it is normal.  I slapped the car in reverse and backed down several one-way streets to get to where I need to be.  There has to be a better way.  Anyone have the answer?  Anyone?  Bueller?

It's all an illusion...

 It's just life.

Oaxaca is such a walkable city, a photographer's dream.  I had a fantastic day just walking the city yesterday.  I ambled and rambled some streets and neighborhoods through which I normally don't pass and got some very interesting shots.

Celebrating International Men's Day???

Which, of course, we know is everyday. 

Just kiddin'.  The devil made me do it.  These little guys were feasting in Teotitlan as we ate our lunch yesterday.

Celebrating International Women's Day

¡Viva todas las oaxaqueñas!  Some of the the strongest people I know.

And uh, psst... stop the War on Women on the States.  What is this, the XV Century? After all, all our mothers were women... I am pretty sure.  Thanks, Mom.

And be sure to check out spxl's post over at Casa Colibri.

Another day, another protest

Yesterday, while on our way to the Oaxacan Garden Club meeting in Teotitlan del Valle, we ran into a blockade causing traffic to come to a standstill.  Well, I did not actually run into it, because I saw it in the distance. stopped the car, threw it into reverse, backed up and took off on the ubiquitous dirt side road that everyone else was using.  This is just normal driving here.  There are blockades and there are ways around the blockades.... most of the time.  If you look at a map you can see there are very few major roads in and out of the city, really only three, so blocking them is a pretty effective statement.  In fact, depending on where they are placed, they can shut the system down.  So it is either turn around or wait for hours.... or find the seemingly always present dirt road around the mess.  No problema.

What were they protesting?  The re-installment of four dismissed workers and better working conditions at the Pemex plant.  Here is the full story and a photo from El Impacial.

Shot of the day...

I don't know why, but I like this shot.  Maybe it is the size of the car... I have no idea what kind it is.... do they have them where you are?.... or maybe it is the textural aspect of the whole thing.

If it's Monday....

It must be protest day.

Yesterday there were several marches, protests and blockades, putting the city into the normal chaos that accompanies these constant situations.  Hey, they like to protest here.

The teachers were protesting something, the moto-taxis were protesting something else, the students were protesting still something else, there was a protest about the rising fares on buses, and there was an agrarian dispute that was brought to the city after months of non-action.

Here's the full rundown, in Spanish, of the various protests from Noticiasmx.  Check out the photos at the bottom.

However, the most notable protest of the day was the protest against all these protests.

This gentleman, José Ascona Juárez, who fixes tires, got fed up with the prospect of another day without any business because of the blockades.  He stripped off his clothes and wnent into the middle of the street and had a "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore" moment.

His sign says, "It's fine that you demand your rights, but not if you trample my more elementary rights, I am the city, also (I live here, too)."

Icons

I am not sure, but I think this rendition of the Virgin is new.  It is in Jalatlaco and I pass by the spot all the time and never noticed it before.  Plus, there are some telltale white spots in the niche that look like plaster or paint.  Really quite lovely.

And she looks out of her spot and sees this icon.

And speaking of icons, if you know Oaxaca, you will certainly recognize these folks.  I bet both of them are some of the most photographed people in all of Oaxaca.

Twitter threats for Francisco Toledo

Photo and full story (in Spanish) from noticiasmex.

This isn't too crazy, but it is an indication as to the status and role of artists in this country.  Francisco Toledo has received a number of death threats on Twitter for his opposition and involvement in the Cinco Señores road project.  Death threats?  They also accuse the governor, Cué, of being Toledo's puppet. 

As I wrote before, I survived the Big Dig in Boston for its 25 year process, so I realize that these huge projects cause problems and create conflicts.  However, if the end result is a equally huge improvement, then everyone's gripes fade.  It is called progress.  Yes, it is possible.

From Frida to Diego to Francisco, artists here are often powerful voices for the people and are respected for their positions in society.  I really like that about this place.

I guess in the states, that voice is left to pro athletes or celebs.  Imagine if Larry Bird or Seiji Ozawa or Aerosmith had a position on the The Big Dig.  Well, they probably did, but nobody knew or cared and certainly there were no death threats.

And duh, aren't twitter accounts easily traced?  It seems pretty dumb to send out a threat this way.  They need to watch "The Godfather" or something.

Afromestizo - Street art

This is a huge and amazing piece on Vasconcelas near Hildalgo.  You can see it goes around the corner. 

The only way to get a shot of the whole thing was to get into the middle of the street and shoot real fast.
You can recognize this mask as one of those from the dancers in the Pinotepa postings.
 
The animalito outfits as well.

Blacks held a special place in Mexico's history.  They were the intermediaries between the indigenous and the Spanish.

I love how the whole thing spins out of the musical instruments.

Here are the artists. And links eljaviersantos, elcer and galeriaestacioncero.  Some cool stuff.

Yes or No?

Wind power - Tangent

Wind power is coming on very strong here as I have mentioned before.  The largest wind energy project in the western hemisphere is kicking in on the isthmus, near Juchitan. 
Sounds great, huh?  Well, maybe not.

Full story from The Christian Science Monitor

What emerged that day was a complex story without obvious heroes or villains, but rather the natural result that comes from an industry that requires wide land tracks, and poor communities that control that very land. The wind companies are in a tough spot because the land they want is owned by dozens or even hundreds of communal farmers (unlike, say, in Texas where one or two ranchers might own all the property) with limited schooling. Meanwhile, many farmers sign contracts they don’t understand and can lose access to their livelihood.

Cruz says that the companies have come in and pushed contracts on poorly-educated farmers, paying as little as a fifth as much as they would in the US, and a seventh as much as to the Mexican government. For the past few years she has been protesting the wind farms and demanding new contracts.
...
The activists' reasoning was that the contracts had not been signed with the full free and informed consent demanded by a number of national and international laws when dealing with indigenous communities.

Carnaval - Pinotepa Nacional - The video

While wishing I was there right this minute, I went back and looked at last year's video.  Actually, the lack of video was one of the reasons I wanted so badly to return this year.  Last year I shot more stills than video and when I got back I realized that I wanted/needed much more.  Still, I was able to put this together.  You can see what a special time it is.

Pilfering Tubas

Recently, there have been a slew of stories about thieves stealing tubas and sousaphones, mostly from schools.  This is so sad.  As a former music teacher, one who had a very small budget with which to work, a instrument like a tuba, represents a huge investment, one not easily replaced.  It takes years of planning and scrimping and saving to build up an instrument collection.  Not every kid can afford an instrument and letting them choose between, say, a sax or a violin, by letting them hold each and try to play it, can only happen if the instruments are there to begin with.  And good instruments are expensive!  Tubas, string basses, timpani, bassoons, all are very pricey and absolutely essential.  Of course, you could always donate that instrument you never play anymore.... or start playing again.
Where would Oaxaca be without tubas?

Carnaval - Pinotepa Nacional

These shots are from the coast are from last year and I am kicking myself for not being there this year, but... I'm not.  Next year for sure.
Tejarones dancers from Santa Maria Huazolotitlan.

Headdress made from rooster feathers and a sonaja.

A little dancer from Pinotepa Don Luis.


A beautiful mask from Pinotepa Nacional.

From San Pedro Jicayan

The classic look of a white rebozo and pozahuanco.

Next year for sure!

Street art...cont.

 On my recent wanderings, I have seen some wonderful hidden jewels.

 Well, not entirely hidden, but like this one, hard to see and harder to shoot.  I had to stand in the middle of the street and dodge heavy oncoming traffic to get these shots.

Then there are the pieces that are fading with time.

They have a certain patina to them.  This part was to the right.

Purple again - Jacarandas

The weather has been a little weird this year with just a bit more rain than the last couple of years.  It is the dry season and they do mean dry.  And just when things are nice and dry and the countryside is all brown, there appear these wonderful bursts of purple that splash up everywhere - the jacaranda trees.

They seem to bloom over a two or three month period.  OK, I forget who this is.  I will have to go back.... that's OK, he is right next to La Güerita so maybe I'll get that empanada.

This statue of Jose Pedro Mendez across the street seems to be saying, "Hey, you've got yours.  Where are mine?"

Wind Generators - Aeolian Electrical plants

from Noticias.mx (in Spanish)

This year, five Aeolian electrical plants will begin operation in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, to join the nine that already they are operating in the region.

La Güerita

On my walk down to see the Cinco Señores construction site - which is still in flux.  It might have tunnels.  It might have bridges.  Who knows, but the work continues - "empuje debemos," "dig we must."  No matter what, it was such a crazy intersection, maybe the plans to make it better will actually work.  I think Oaxaca, in general, does a good job on these projects.  People always squawk about change.  I will miss the 8-lane into 3 lanes race and the buses turning left from any lane they wanted, but there are plenty of exciting other places to experience these sort of things.

But I digress.... on my walk down Insurgentes, I passed La Güerita in the Merced market and thought I would pop in and get an empanada. 

They make some of the best and tastiest in the city along with fine memelitas.  Ay!  I could not even get near the place.  It was packed.

Look at this menu.

Remember, that $20 pesos equals $1.55 US.

Hmmmmm.... it all looks good.  Ah well, next time.  ¡Buen Provecho!

Night and Day

Oaxaca knows how to do public displays that can capture the eye and the imaginatin.  These palms are right next to Santo Domingo.

By day they look like this.

But at night they are transformed.  Yes, that is the moon up there.

The lights slowly fade from color

to color. 

They may be LED's. 

The shifts are similar to those produced by the wheels that people use to light their silver Christmas trees.

Ah... technology marches on.

The effect is wonderful.  Note the "2501 Emigrantes" sculptures on the right.