Coming and going

Not too cute!!

These from the seond desfile.

And from the rear, love those arms akimbo..... you don't get to use "akimbo" in a sentence very often.

And how about this band uniform from Santa Maria Tlahuitlotepec?  The village is renown for its embroidery and for the fact that 90 percent of the people in it play musical instruments. 90%!

And the back?  Nice soprano sax, too.

I love it.... and I want one.

Oaxaca at her best

These are shots from the second desfile of the 2014 guelaguetza.  It will take a couple of posts to do it justice.  Remember, that was the one in which they changed the route, but did not tell anyone.  I had to run across town and barely made it,  Still, what a total blast, all the dancing in the streets, the music, the trajes (traditional outfits), the pride, joy and exuberance from both the participants and the crowd that packed the street.  It was electric!

It was extra fun because people had such great vantage points as they sat high upon the walls near La Soledad cathedral.  The atmosphere was simply... joyous.

 As I said, Oaxaca at her best.

 And guapos galore.  Guapas, as well, but more in the next post.

 Elegant dancing from the dancers from Tehuantepec in the middle of the street.

 Each of the delegations from the eight regions were all so proud and so into struttin' their stuff.

Even the sun got decorated... oh, that's not the real sun.

These Flor de Piña dancers from Tuxtepec were really moving. 

The crowd always goes crazy for them.  I had to run just to keep up.  No problem.  One could float on the energy.
More in a bit...

Who's running things?

After yesterday's looting and closing of gasoline stations by Seccion XII (teachers!!!!) this guy did not text the governor and ask who is the bigger clown.

What a difference a border makes

Ponder this.  Here, we are into the fourth week of a massive sit-in and protest and what do the police do?  Direct traffic.  This sign on one of the teachers' tent.

And in Ferguson, Missouri, USA,

Both places are escalating.  There is a march this Sunday of the general population to protest the protest.  I expect it to be big and peaceful and maybe, and I mean, maybe, the police will be there.
There will certainly not be any of this. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

If one connects the many dots over the last 15 years, certain things become obvious.  9/11 led to many things, like the militarization of police forces.  Then war, paranoia, xenophobia, extreme partisanship and downright hatred 24/7/365, all gasoline thrown on the fire, have logically begot all of this.  Shameful, scary and sad.

It's tuna time!

It is funny to watch folks get ice cream or ices here for the first time.  The list of flavors always includes tuna and they go, "Tuna?  Like the fish??""  No, tuna is the fruit of the nopal cactus and judging from the number of trucks loaded with them and selling by the sides of the roads, it must be harvest season.  They are everywhere, so when in Rome.....  look at that beautiful color.

A perfect dessert, mango, banana and tuna....

with a dollop of yogurt.... healthy and so tasty.

A perspective

These are shots from the zocalo yesterday.  It is pretty much impassable.  The tents are packed in so tightly it is impossible to move.....  or do any business.

 We are moving into the fourth week of this.  This is the south west entrance to the zocalo and that blue is not sky.  It's a tarp.

I will have more on the situation in the city tomorrow, but for now, this is one person's perspective and it is a perspective shared by many.

Amo Oaxaca. Y no sólo es una expresión, en verdad amo mi tierra. Oaxaca es mi más grande orgullo y mi mejor valorado sueño. Oaxaca es mi pasión y mi más grande meta. En verdad doy gracias a Dios y a la vida por ser oaxaqueño. Hoy en día me encuentro estudiando en México, no porque no quiera estar en la tierra que me vio nacer ni por huir de sus problemas, sino porque busco la mejor preparación para en un futuro poder coadyuvar a solucionarlos. Y claro que extraño mi ciudad, extraño la calidez de su gente y sus costumbres, extraño a mi familia y a mis amigos, en fin, extraño Oaxaca. Pero lo que definitivamente no extraño es lo que políticos corruptos, líderes sociales que lucran con las necesidades más sensibles de nuestra gente, y en especial, organizaciones radicales que buscan que sus demandas e intereses sean impuestos ante todo, hacen de nuestra tierra.

Oaxaca le ha dado mucho a México, pero México poco le ha regresado a Oaxaca, o más bien, nuestros gobernantes, de todos los partidos políticos, mucho nos han quitado. Eso nadie lo discute. Sin embargo, el daño que hoy en día hacen la Sección XXII de la CNTE, los normalistas, entre otros grupos a nuestra economía, a la educación de nuestra niñez, en fin, a nuestra vida diaria, es algo que merece punto y aparte. Me duele transitar por la calle y ver camiones secuestrados, personas encapuchadas coartando los derechos de todos nosotros, me duele ver mi ciudad en llamas. Me duele, me pone triste y me da coraje que varios turistas de los que vinieron a nuestra ciudad durante la Guelaguetza 2014, digan que fue la primera, única y última vez que vienen a Oaxaca. Pero lo que más me duele es ver cómo la vida de los oaxaqueños es controlada y limitada por las manifestaciones de estos individuos. Y repudio sus acciones no solamente porque afectan nuestra vida económica y social, sino porque estas personas logran pocas cosas con su forma de actuar, pero dentro de ellas está el hacer que los oaxaqueños estemos hartos de vivir aquí. Sí, amamos nuestra tierra, su riqueza y conocemos su potencial, pero odiamos lo que hacen de ella. Y no es la primera vez que vivimos algo así, esto ha prevalecido por años y el ejemplo más cercano es el conflicto del 2006, sin embargo, en la opinión de un servidor, estamos igual o peor que en el más difícil de los escenarios que ha vivido

I love Oaxaca. And it is not only an expression, I really love my land. Oaxaca is my biggest pride and my best dream. Oaxaca is my passion and my biggest goal. I truly thank God and be Oaxacan life. Nowadays I am studying in Mexico, not because I do not want to be in the land where I was born nor to run away from their problems, but because I seek the best preparation for a future to be able to help solve them. And of course I miss my city, miss the warmth of its people and their customs, miss my family and my friends, in the end, I miss Oaxaca. But what I definitely do not miss is the corrupt politicians, social leaders who profit from the most sensitive needs of our people, and in particular, radical organizations seeking their demands and interests are imposed first and foremost, make of our land.

Oaxaca has given much to Mexico, but Mexico has little returned to Oaxaca, or rather, our leaders of all political parties, much have been taken away from us. No one argues that. However, the damage today on day make section XXII of the CNTE, fearfully, among other groups to our economy, to the education of our children, in short, to our daily lives, it is something that deserves point and separate. It hurts to walk down the street and see hijacked trucks, people hooded to subverting the rights of us all, it hurts me to see my city in flames. It hurts me and makes me sad gives me courage that several tourists who came to our city during the Guelaguetza 2014, say that it was the first, only and last time coming to Oaxaca. But what hurts me most is to see how the life of Oaxaca is controlled and limited by the manifestations of these individuals. And repudiation their actions not only because they affect our economic and social life, but because these people achieve few things his way, but within them is doing that oaxacans are tired of living here. Yes, we love our Earth, its wealth and we know his potential, but we hate what you make of it. And it is not the first time that we are living something that has prevailed for years and the nearest example is the 2006 conflict, however, in the opinion of a server, we are equal to or worse than in the more difficult scenarios that has lived in Oaxaca.

 Click on through to read the whole op-ed.

OMG! OMG! OMG! - Home Depot?

That's right.  Home Depot has arrived in Oaxaca and the opening was an evento grande, a big deal.

 

Let's face it, multi-nationals are just what the name says, multi-national and they are here to stay.  Oaxaca has Sam' Club, Office Depot, KFC, Micky Dees, Walmart, all the car dealers, the list is long.  The argument about whether or not they corrupt the culture is long over.  I always say Oaxacans deserve the same purchasing opportunities as everyone else and I like that most of these franchises are located well away from the city center and there was/is a conscious effort to preserve the zocalo and surrounds areas.  So this Home Depot was built on what seemed to be wasteland behind Sam's and KFC.  It is normal Home Depot size.. huge, with plenty of parking.  However, the first Sunday after its opening there was nary a spot to be found. 

 

We were just like everyone else and wanted to check it out.  The store was packed and the atmosphere was really upbeat.  Seeing so many things on display, all with the prices displayed, not a normal thing here, especially with hardware, building materials, was great. 

As a normal male, like comedian, Tim Allen, I love the smell of WD-40 in the morning... It smells like.... (primal grunt).. tools.  Needless to say, I think it is great that Home Depot is here.  I know, I know,  I am a horrible person....  It appears to be a very well staffed operation, lots of amiable and eager-to-help people.  I mean, there were lots of employees and they all seemed as happy as the customers. 

It was way too crowded to actually buy anything, but I plan to return when things quiet down.  Not that I need anything, but  I am sure I will think of something.

Perfect for the times....

OK, clue me in.  "Calm down and kill the princess."  What the heck does that even mean?  Lots of times I ask folks if they know what the words on their tees mean and lots of times they don't know.  In this case, neither of us had a clue.  On the other hand, this one needs no explanation.

 Frida lives!

Off to check out the new Home Depot.... if there are no blockades. Hey, it could happen as we enter into the fourth week of Seccion XXII protests.  Needless to say, the situation is deteriorating and the governor is outta town.  SSDD.

Adding to the viral flow....

This is pretty, no, really, amazing.  Great harmonies and mind-blowing in terms of the technology and techniques involved.  It's good to be alive just to hear things like this.

Post by Deonadre' Sanders.

Music is the meaning of life. (Use headphones to hear the incredible bass this guy sings.)

Hidden treasures

Life imitating art?  It would seems so.  A bit messy these days

But as in life, it's all in the details.

Hidden treasures...

Catching a glimpse into the hidden courtyards, often reveals the most wonderful sights.  Obviously, these are recently carved, as opposed to being hundreds of years old and from some church. 

 No, these look to be one person's work, all commemorating one of Mexico's iconic figures.

 I wonder if they end up elsewhere or if they live here all the time.

OMG! - Look at that!!!

¡Que milagro!

This always cracks me up.

People's reactions to seeing a squirrel.

As one who had sixteen (16!!!!) squirrels living in my house in MA at one time, clearly one of the levels of Hell, my reaction is somewhat staid in comparison.

They start young in Teotitlan del Valle

One of the things I realized quite a while ago was that in order to really bask in the natural essence of any one culture (and truly grok it), one must be born into that culture.  Think samba and Brazil or Cuban rhythms or here in Oaxaca, carrying heavy canastas or penachos on your head and dancing. 

Sure, you can learn how to samba or play Cuban music, but I am talkin' about being born into something, so that it is precognitive.  I see it all the time here with little kids, who do things so naturally that they are not even thinking about it.  And they are good at it.

I see three-year-olds doing things I wish I could, like the steps to the danza de las plumas.  So it was great to see the infantiles doing their thing in front of the municipal building in Teotitlan del Valle on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

The once and future Monctezuma?

Doña Marina

It is highly competitive and a great honor to be one of the official dancers.  I know that as soon as women become pregnant and know they will have a girl, they start thinking about the child being either Malinche or Doña Marina.  It is a very serious competition.  The current girls are six.  They will be nine when they finish and I assume their replacements have already been chosen.

These kids are good already, ready for prime time.

Lots of help from parents who were anxiously standing by with water and advice.

Look at that face!  No wonder the traditions live on.