Neither here nor there

I have a question and it is this.  Is there some mexicano in El Norte reading the newspapers about her/his home country and flippin' out, saying, "That is just too crazy.  What is goin' on?  What could they possibly be thinkin'? Am I gonna have to go back and fix everything?  Again?"

'Cause that's what I thinking looking at some of the stuff that's going on in the States.  Maybe it is because I get all my news from the internet and because "they" know where I am, I get the international feed on lots of news sites.  Of course, I check all the US national sites also and..... well.....  "That is just too crazy.  What is goin' on?  What could they possibly be thinkin'?  Am I gonna have to go back and fix everything?  Again"

Going up or down?

Street sweep

There are legions of these workers who clean the entire city with their hand made brooms.  They can wield that broom and send stuff flying more accurately than those noisy gas-powered blowers.  Really, they work miracles and are seen everywhere.  I think they collect trash from homes as well.  I am sure they are a union.

A moment of respite in a tranquil setting.

Speaking of unions, today was May 15 and the day the teachers union usually takes over the zocalo in a never-ending, multi-year, series of protests.  It is always one of the hot button issues here.  I am sure there will be much more, but today I just played it cool and worked in the garden.

Everyone's got an answer

I see this one in various places.  "Jail for who ever (keeps) putting trash here!"

So they put a little extra in.

There is graffiti that some folks like

And other graffiti that people don't like.

Shots of the day.... una boda

Whenever I see a wedding or quinceanera, I am drawn to the visual action and always try to get a couple of unobtrusive shots.  These are from yesterday as the parties got ready for a wedding in Santo Domingo.  There is always a strange juxtaposition between the regular people and those folks all dressed up for the festivities.  Seeing the maids of honor with the little street vendor made for an interesting study, generating lots of thoughts.

 A yawn...

Beauty comes in many forms....

the eye of the beholder.

We have all been there, just before a wedding, sometimes as participants or guests

 Sometimes just an observer, on the the outside looking in.

Street Art cont.... never fails

It is like a river, always there, always changing.  River rat?

I am not sure about this one.  I am sure all the characters are important political figures, but other than that.... it looks like Benito Juarez's head on the platter.... center figure/Jesus with a automatic weapon?

Then there is this one plugging Davos, the home of the World Economic Forum.

Things are looking up

While walking the city one comes upon all sorts of architectural treats just by looking up.

 This guy looks out across the street at all the ice cream vendors in the Jardin de Socrates that abuts La Soledad church.  I am not exactly sure what sort of a figure he is... maybe a dancer from the danza de las plumas.  He looks like he has weathered some hard times.  He ain't alone.

Women at work

At a follow up to yesterday's photos is this story about women in the Oaxacan workforce, in particular working mothers.

It is a different world here. People work very hard for a daily wage of under $5 US.  That can be 8-10 hours of hard labor.  I see it all the time.  I have learned to work that way myself... well, I am tryin' anyway.

I maintain that Oaxaca is a false patriarchy, one in which the women are the real strength of the system.

However, the laws and protections are not there for them in many cases.

from Noticias.  Here the first paragraph translated.

Of the total women with children who work in Oaxaca (581 thousands), 26 percent are dedicated to commerce. Of that amount, 50 percent, 70,000, are dedicated to this activity but in an informal way, and in this sector of the economy an increase of the feminine participation is being seen. In agreement with estimations of the National Camera of Small Commerce in (Canacope) the 70 percent of the traveling salespeople in the city of Oaxaca are women, and a majority are mothers of families. Concerning this matter, the federal delegate of the Secretariat of the Work (STyPS), Maria Guadalupe González Ruiz, recognized that women in Oaxaca face a disparity in income in relation to men. In addition, women face deficient labor conditions, and because of this subordination, 51.5 percent of the population, the women, do not even count in writing on a contract.

The story goes on to say how women supplement their incomes and some interesting statistics, the one that jumped out is the young age at which women or girls become mothers.

Practice, practice, practice...

Kids can lead a very different life here, but still, they are just kids, you know, sweet li'l heart stealers.

Some spend many hours on the streets, but hey, it's a good time to get homework done

 This little one had a great deal going.  She walked up and stuck a sticker on me that said, "Te amo."

 Hard to resist.

I remember being inspired watching some old guy walk down the street and give a coin to every street musician and every single kid.  Compassion is very easy to practice here.  How about where you are?

Chores

A good day for cleaning.  This place will be spotless.

Cinco de Mayo - Oh?.... meh

I know that yesterday was Star Wars day - May the Fourth be with you - but today, Cinco de Mayo, is a much bigger deal in El Norte than it is here.  It isn't even a holiday.

In the U.S. it is another opportunity for everyone to party and for every business to cash in.  So go crazy and enjoy it.  I am sure there are margaritas and tacos being sold everywhere.  I am just imagining that Dunkin' Donuts morning burrito... mmmm. 

We are getting closer to every day being a sponsored event, kinda like David Foster Wallace wrote about in Infinite Jest.

But I digress... Cinco de Mayo, here in Oaxaca, is basically a non-event.  I am sure, just to the north, in Puebla, there is something going on, as on this day in 1862, the Mexican army celebrated a victory over French forces, but in most of Mexico, it is just another day.

I guess it is like St. Patrick's day when everyone is Irish.  So on Cinco de Mayo everyone is Mexican.  I bet that is making some heads explode on the right.  Relax and enjoy that margarita or just a straight up shot of mezcal.  As for the food, there ain't nothin' like the real thing, but have a taco for me.  Party on, Garth.... I mean, Juan. ¿Dónde está la fiesta?

Read more here: http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/mexico/#storylink=cpy

Lining it up

As in many parts of Oaxaca, or all of Mexico for that matter, sometimes behind the blandest of exteriors lies the most exquisite of interiors.  Often, if one looks through a doorway, one can catch a glimpse of a hidden courtyard or garden.  While walking back from the Merced Market, where I have found a wonderful supply of delicious sweet breads, I looked through a closed gate and beheld this jewel.  It looks like the perfect setting for a good film noir.  Is it deco?

Dia de la Santa Cruz

The are firecrackers, cohetes, bottle rockets with a really good bang at the end, going off all around me.  At times, it sounds like a war zone, but it is only because it is May 3rd, the Day of the Holy Cross, also the Day of the Construction Worker.  I am in the middle of a construction boom around the house and I wanted to see if the unfinished houses were decorated and they were.

No one is working and traditionally, there are lots of special meals with family and friends.  Hmmm.... the firecrackers having taken a break in the heat of mid-afternoon, only one every 15 seconds or so, but tonight, it should be fantastic!  It is funny the things you get used to.  They sound like music to my ears now.

The day after

The day after International Workers' Day it is back to work....

in a just few more minutes.

May Day - International Workers' Day

The workers were out in force today with long marches and many speeches.  There was action all over town.

At one point, some less than savory individuals began pelting the marchers with eggs and a shot was fired, which brought out the police and soldiers a half hour after all the action was over.

Not everyone was fired up.

Too bad they did not have any of these shirts in my size.  I liked them all.

"I think it looks perfect with your hat."

Home is where the heart is....

Even surrounded with jagged glass...

You just gotta have heart.

Sign of the times

Maybe it is the same everywhere and it is only that my eyes are more in attuned here... no, that's not true, because I always have a camera in my back pocket, I look at things differently.... but the signs here seem more interesting.
A clear sign that the times are a'changin'.

You know what pozole is, don't you?  And a tata is a nanny, I think.

Fresh paint.  Any one for a frosty Indio?

The tradition continues..

Moctezuma's Headdress

It must be in Mexico because it is such an important Mexican artifact, right?  Wrong!  It has been in Vienna, Austria since 1575.  A quick search reveals that its return or even just a loan of it to Mexico has been under negotiations for a very long time.  There is so much wrong with this story, I will let you figure it out.

from the LAHT (emphasis added)

The Austrian government has approved a bilateral pact with Mexico governing the loan of cultural artifacts, an agreement that could pave the way for a headdress believed to have been worn by Aztec ruler Montezuma II to be temporarily brought to the Latin American country.

The treaty, negotiated over nearly two years and approved earlier this week by Austria’s Cabinet, is aimed at resolving a decades-long dispute over the spectacular feather-work crown, a spokesman for Austria’s Culture and Education Ministry told Efe Thursday.

The goal is to “create international legal certainties regarding temporary loans of cultural property,” the spokesman said.

The treaty, negotiated between each country’s ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, does not address the matter of ownership over any cultural objects that may be loaned out, he said.

Both countries’ legislatures must ratify the treaty before it enters into effect, which in Austria’s case could occur “in a matter of months,” the spokesman said....

Under no circumstances will the Austrian government permit the headdress to be permanently transferred to Mexico, he said, adding that to his knowledge the Mexican government still has not approved the bilateral accord.

The priceless artifact, made of 400 bronze-green quetzal feathers mounted in gold and studded with precious stones, is an important Mexican national symbol traditionally believed to have been worn by Montezuma II, the Aztec emperor at the time of the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in 1519.

The headdress became part of the collection that Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria – nephew of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor – held at Schloss Ambras in Innsbruck, Austria at the end of the 16th century.

It was only in the 19th century that the piece was determined to be of Aztec origin.

Some Austrian experts say the feather-work crown did not belong to Montezuma II but instead was an ornamental element used by priests, although they acknowledge the headdress’ significance in Mexican culture.

Good press

Every bit helps.
from the Tucson Sentinel 

This colonial Mexican city recently received a special guest. Malia Obama, the U.S. president's 13-year-old daughter, walked through the city's elegant, ornate churches on a school field trip with 12 classmates and two dozen security guards.

Their itinerary, at the end of last month, included visits to the massive Monte Alban archeological site and the "world's biggest tree" El Tule.

The visit caused a stir. In Oaxaca, everybody seemed aware of Malia's trip — particularly the region's tourism boosters. The head of the hoteliers association attributed a recent spike in occupancy specifically to Malia. One Oaxaca promoter even joked the city should start its own "Malia was here" campaign.

The field trip gave Oaxaca what Mexico's tourism industry craves so much right now: positive press.

The bulk of Mexico's vital tourism economy comes from U.S. travelers. The country's drug war has damaged its reputation with its most frequent visitors. As a result, Mexico is trying to change perception by any means necessary.

"We believe that we have to rebrand to the Americans," said Niza Lopez, head of Oaxaca's international promotion. "Yes, there are unsafe areas in Mexico, but also there are areas like the state of Oaxaca where really there's almost no violence or crime."

It is all true.  Come and see for yourself

Huevos

One of my favorite lines from "Kill Bill Vol 2" is "Wakey, wakey, eggs and bacy."  OK, no bacon, but look at those eggs!  A classic.

Birthday Blues

You would think that because the city is in the midst of a birthday bash, it would be free of protests in the zocalo.  Things look pretty quiet on this side.

But you would be wrong.  This is the other side.

There appear to be a couple of groups protesting. 

This is the entrance to the Governor's Palace.

Hmmmm....

I still think that Oaxaca is ahead of the curve with all these protests.  Someday it may be happening around you, but I suppose things will have to get worse first until you reach the "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore" moment.