Christmas in Oaxaca and well-wishes!

We are off to Mexico City this Saturday for a couple of days 

and then flying to Oaxaca, Oaxaca with some friends of Reed's from Seattle.  Oaxaca is supposed to be one of the prettiest places to spend Christmas.  Here is a little blurb that I found about it:

"Oaxaca, the State Capital, declared Humanity’s Cultural Patrimony by UNESCO, owes its fame to the beauty and harmony of its architecture, the richness of its cultural traditions, the wide variety of its typical foods, and its soft temperate climate, spring-like throughout the year."

Actually, the REAL reason we are going is for the Noche de Rabanos (Night of the Radish) December 23rd (Zócalo, City of Oaxaca) where: "ingeniously crafted images made out of radishes (cultivated in the region) are exhibited. It originally took place in the Trinidad de las Huertas neighborhood, and now comes from San Antonino Castillo Velasco and other communities."

Of course my next blog will be about our adventures in Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and (if I don't write before..) a very safe, warm and Happy New Year!

Guadalajara, México

We left from Cuarnavaca the earliest ever (6:30am) on a bus bound for the airport in Mexico City.  Our one-hour flight left from Mexico City for Guadalajara, Jalisco at 10:30am (they were actually serving free alcohol on the flight, I was tempted but didn't partake...).  Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico (1.6 million) so the taxi ride from the airport to our hotel in the center of town seemed very long!  We were able to look at a couple of rooms in two hotels before we decided to stay in the second hotel.  It was about 4 blocks from the Zocalo and from most of the picturesque colonial buildings in the center of the city.  These buildings are in and around a pedestrian mall area that is free of cars and includes many plazas and fountains where people hang out all hours of the day and night.  

The state of Jalisco, of which Guadalajara is the capital, is the birthplace of tequila.  On Saturday, after we went to the International Fair of Books at the Expo, we went looking for a tequila distillery to have a "tasting".  Unfortunately our two maps that we had couldn't get us there!  What we did find was an Artisan's Market that had incredible hand-made items from all around the region.  We spent about 2 hours wandering around looking at everything and buying some things.  It was a real treat, the talent was amazing!

Guadalajara is also the birthplace of Mariachi music.  We went to the Plaza of the Mariachi's where bands of Mariachi's 'hang out' and wait for someone to hire them to play at a table, a fountain or for fun.  Unfortunately, at that moment, not many people were in the area or paying to hear them play.  However, we were able to hear Mariachi music throughout the city as we walked to various places.

Other places we visited were The Museum of the City, the Tiangis (very large), another Artisan's market at the Glorieta Chapalita (far from the center of town) and a couple of local bars, which were fun!

On a side note:  I know that I may not get much sympathy for saying this but...my mind and body have been thrown off with the weather here.  It is Sunday, December 14 and outside it is sunny and 75-80 degrees!  I can't even think about shopping for Christmas, it just seems too weird!

For pictures, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/Guadalajara#

Coming next:  Some thoughts...

Thanksgiving(s) in México

We were able to enjoy not one but two Thanksgiving dinners over the holiday.  It was fortunate that Reed had Thursday and Friday off so that we could have a dinner on the REAL Thanksgiving Day.  We made a menu and started shopping the week before because we knew it might be hard to find some of the things here.  As it turned out, we ended up going to 9, yes 9, different locations for the ingredients.  The hardest items to track down were spices for the stuffing, cranberries (had to buy these in a can) and sweet potatoes .  Unfortunately, I had to 'set foot' in Superama (one of the many "Wal Marts" here) to get the cranberries.  (The number of Wal Marts in this town is a story for another blog.)  Reed has a day by day account of our adventure in her blog which is on the right of this blog, at the bottom in the blue box.  ("A different perspective..."). 

For dinner, I invited three fellow students from my school, Reed invited three teachers from her school and we invited a friend of Monica's (Reed's exchange partner) who invited a friend. Dinner was a big hit and it felt just like home!

The next day, we got up early to take the bus to Mexico City then caught another bus to Jilotepec.  One of Reed's colleagues, Jen, was making dinner for three of the Fulbrighters in the area, Ross, who is on an exchange through the British Council and two other friends visiting from the US.  We were able to enjoy another wonderful dinner and dessert. (I think I was able to eat more this time because my stomach was stretched out from the day before!)  We played a rousing game of Apples to Apples late into the night and then Reed, Ross and I walked to the house where he is staying because we needed a place to spend the night.  The next day, we went on a hike in the hills near Jilotepec and in the evening, caught the bus back to Mexico City then another to Cuernavaca. When we arrived at the house in Cuernavaca at about 10:30p that night, I had the turkey sandwich that I had been craving all day!  Mmmmmm!

For pictures, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/Thanksgiving#

Coming next:  Guadalajara, the second largest city in Mexico

Asilo de Animales

So....before I came to Cuernavaca I was wondering what I could do, other than going to school, to fill my time and connect with the Mexican culture.  I thought about volunteering at a local school but before this year started I had promised that I would TRULY take a year off from kids, not that they are bad or anything, but because I think a break would be healthy!  

What else could I do?  Taking a break from kids would mean finding a place to volunteer that had little or no noise, no neediness, no craziness, no bathroom troubles, no problems with following directions and no whining or crying.  

I found the perfect place through a fellow student at my Spanish school......Animal Protection Association of Cuernavaca (APAC), the asilo de animales (animal shelter)!  It is a no-kill shelter about 10 minutes from my school with about 125 dogs and 75 cats of all shapes and sizes.  The asilo has been in operation for about 40+ years and is run by women.  The building is on about 2 acres of land in the hills of Cuernavaca and has a low-cost medical clinic that offers out-patient services such as neutering, inoculations and consultations.  The doctors that volunteer at the shelter also provide services to all the animals in the shelter at no cost.

The first day that I went to the shelter, I spent most of my 6 hours in the two cat cages.  One cage was for the kittens/small cats and the other for the adult cats.  I spent time between both cages petting, holding and brushing the cats.  When Reed arrived at about 11am, we helped clean out the litter boxes and wash one of the cages.  The woman "in charge" of the cats, Rolanda, has been at the shelter for 12 years and has given a name to all 75 cats!  As time went on that day, I was able to notice the different personalities of all the cats.  Some were friendly (one a little too much--I had pokes and scratches on my legs and belly from it's 'friendly' climbing and jumping), some were scared, and some just didn't care.  All were cute, furry and satisfied my craving for being around and petting furry creatures.

Later, we spent a little time with the dogs.  They were the same as the cats as far as personalities; some friendly (one a little too much), some scared (these barked and kept their distance), and some indifferent.  The big dogs are able to run in a big grassy area for most of the day and return to their cages at night for rest.  It was incredible to see the workers put the dogs in their cages.  The dogs crowd around the door and when the worker opens the door, two or three dogs go in.  At the next cage, the same thing happens.  The dogs all know into which cage they should go!  I was amazed!  After all the dogs are in their cages, the workers feed them.  Reed asked one of the women if we could help.  The woman gave us each a bowl of food to feed "the boarders" (they take care of dogs for various reasons if the owner asks).  Reed was put in charge of feeding the small, hairless dog and I was in charge of feeding the mastiff.  When I opened the cage holding the pan of food, I was met with a loud, low bark, a huge head on a jumping body and a large swiping paw that knocked 1/2 of the food out of the pan.  I set the bowl down quickly and closed the door.  By the time the mastiff had finished eating the food in his bowl, we had to push about 2 cups of food back under the fence that he had knocked out while 'scarfing' his food.  What an experience!

At the end of the six hours, I was as tired as I am from a day of teaching P.E!  It's no wonder: the noise, at times, was deafening; the neediness, craziness and bathroom troubles were off the charts; following directions was unheard of (literally); the whining and crying were constant--just like a day in the gym!  Oh well, the cuddling, licking and petting made it all worth it!  I'll be volunteering at least one day a week.

I returned home hoping to find peace and quiet, only to be serenaded by barking dogs for most of the evening...sigh!  :o)

For pictures, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/APACAsiloDeAnimales#

Coming next:  Two Thanksgivings in México!

ps.  For those of you that have been trying to leave comments and couldn't, I think I fixed it!

Mexico City and Teotihuacan

We returned once again to Mexico City for a meeting that Reed had with all the other Fulbrighters in Mexico from the United States.  All of these teachers, from all parts of the United States, have become fast friends and this weekend was one filled with discussion, stories and much laughter!  They are a fun bunch of people!

We were fortunate to be able to stay at a beautiful bed and breakfast, eat at some wonderful restaurants, visit the Benjamin Franklin Library at the US Embassy and take a day trip to Teotihuacan.

While at Teotihuacan, our tour guide spoke in Spanish and since I didn't understand enough to give you a sufficient recap, here is what Wikipedia says about it:  "Teotihuacan is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas. Apart from the pyramidal structures, the archaeological site of Teotihuacan is also known for its large residential complexes, the so-called "street of the dead", and its colorful well-preserved murals. Teotihuacan was, at its apogee in the first half of the 1st millennium CE, the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas. During its zenith it may have had between 100,000- 200,000 inhabitants placing it among the largest cities of the world in this period."  

But wait, there's more!  It is really fascinating to me.... 

"Teotihuacan began declining sharply around 650 AD, and was almost completely abandoned around 750 AD.  No one knows why.  The city of Teotihuacán is meticulously laid out on a grid which is offset 15º.5 from the cardinal points. Its main avenue, the "Street of the Dead," runs from 15º.5 east of north to 15º.5 west of south, while its most impressive structure, the Pyramid of the Sun, is directly oriented to a point 15º.5 north of west -- the position at which the sun sets on August 13 (the day the world began, according to the ancient Mesoamericans).  The siting of the Pyramid of the Moon at the far end of the avenue was likewise done with such care that a sight-line directly over the top of the Pyramid of the Sun marks the meridian, thus allowing the priests of the city to fix the times of noon and midnight with complete accuracy."

There you have it!  

For pictures, click on this link:  http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/Teotihuacan#

Coming next:  The Asilo de Animales in Cuernavaca

Las Catrinas and more...

The Catrina is based on a 1913 zinc etching by Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada.  The figure, a female skeleton, depicted in an ornate hat which was fashionable at the time, "is intended to show that the rich and fashionable, despite their pretensions to importance, are just as susceptible to death as anyone else."  The Catrina has become a popular figure in Dia de los Muertos celebrations.  

We were fortunate to see the "Festival de Catrinas" in the Jardin Borda in downtown Cuernavaca during the days of Dia de los Muertos (10/30 - 11/2).  The festival is a competition of artisans from 5 different states who construct and decorate the Catrinas and display them throughout the garden.  We went 3 out of the 4 days (it was free admission) and were able to enjoy dancing Chinelos (a traditional dance of Morelos), a poetry reading, a band, more ofrendas, homemade food and shopping for handmade crafts at booths.

The slideshow on the right has pictures of the afore-mentioned events in addition to some pictures of sights in Tepotzlan and another art show Reed and I just happened to find while walking around centro.

For pictures, click on this link: 

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/CaterinasJardinBorda#

Coming next:  D.F. and Teotihuacan

Día de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos occurs over 2 days in conjunction with the Catholic holy days of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day on November 1st and 2nd.  On October 31st, some people celebrate Halloween much to the dismay of many (especially the Catholic Church in Mexico) who consider it an unholy U.S. holiday that has infiltrated their traditions.  

November 1st is Día de los Inocentes (honoring deceased children and infants) and November 2nd is Día de los Muertos (honoring deceased adults).  The belief is that it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living during these days.  In preparation for the visit, families build private altars in their homes with favorite foods, beverages, memorabilia and photos of the deceased.  Sugar skulls, marigolds, beer and tequila are popular items.  Pan de muerto is a popular bread made especially for these days, it looks like a loaf of bread with fingers on the top.  Children trick-or-treat for 3 nights singing a song about a calavera (skull) that is hungry and needs candy (or pesos for food).

On the night of the 1st, one of Reed's colleagues took us to Ocotepec (very close to Cuernavaca) for a tradition that is specific to this town, La Nueva Ofrenda.  Families who have had someone die in the past year open their homes to visitors in exchange for veladoras (small white candles) to show respect to the dead.  The visitors receive pan de muerto or tamales and coffee or warm juice.  We took candles to six homes.  We waited in line on the street (there must have been 100 people in line at some homes), received coffee or juice when we entered the yard, walked into the house and past the altar that the family had set up for their loved one.  The raised altar contained a sugar skull, the clothing of the deceased laid out in form of the person and at the foot of the altar, the person's picture, favorite food, drink and memorabilia.  Family members sat to the side of the altar and accepted candles from people filing past.  As we left, we were handed a tamale or pan de muerto.  Most houses had places for people to sit in their yard to eat and drink.  It was a very interesting but sad experience.

The next day, we went back to Ocotepec to see the cemetery.  On this day, the families go to the graves to clean, decorate and spread marigolds on top or candles if they received them the night before.  People were selling food out front, a band was playing and mass was scheduled at noon.  The cemetery was packed with family members decorating the graves and it looked as though they were staying the entire day!  

For pictures, click on this link:  http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/DADeLosMuertos#

Coming next:  Las Catrinas in the Jardin Borda!

Chivas vs. América

On Sunday evening I saw an incredible display of soccer fanaticism, both amazing and ugly.

The Fulbright Comission bought tickets for 20 Fulbrighters to attend the Clasico de Clasico: Chivas (from Guadalajara-2nd largest city) vs. América (from Mexico City-largest city).  The stadium can hold up to 106,000 people and it appeared as though every seat was taken!  We were sitting next to a fenced section of the stadium which was surrounded by police with riot gear on.  This section was for the "fanatics" of the team América.  The section for Chivas was opposite up on the 3rd level, they too were surrounded by police in riot gear.  Other fans for both teams were mixed up in the crowd; best friends, couples, families all wearing different jerseys from both teams.  Good natured teasing and taunting occurred during the entire match.  The 'fanatic' sections had drums that went on during the game, they would break out in the song of their team (sometimes spurred on by the announcer) and the entire crowd would join in, it was deafening and sent chills down my spine.  I had always heard it during games on television but had no idea how cool it really is!

Chivas ended up winning 2-1.

We stood around until the stadium was almost empty because the Fulbright leaders didn't want to lose anyone in the crowd.  We noticed that the 'fanatics' from the losing team, América, were kept in the gated area long after we were walking out.  Apparently this is to keep them from causing any trouble.

Well, Reed and I had to take the train to the bus station and were on the platform waiting for the next train.  I noticed that 4 people wearing Chivas shirts were sitting on the benches waiting for the train as well.  A group of América fans (about 50) came down the stairs and were waiting to pay their fare.  The police (about 10) in riot gear were on the platform and were keeping them on the steps because I think they knew the Chivas fans were there.  Finally they let the América fans through.  Walking by one of the girls, an América fan spit ice on one of the girls' head and some words ensued.  The police ushered the Chivas fans away (towards us) from the América fans.  One large policeman put himself between the groups and was talking to the Chivas fans.  An América woman (who looked drunk) walked up to the group of Chivas fans and started yelling at one of the women.  The policeman put up his arm to keep her away, shifted his body a little and went on talking to the man in the group.  All of a sudden the drunk woman reached over the policeman's arm and punched the other woman in the face. Unfortunately, the policeman didn't see this happen.  The other América fans pulled the drunk woman away.  Reed and I were fortunate to squish ourselves on the next train.  As the train was pulling away, we saw the policeman escorting the Chivas fans to the exit of the platform.

I guess it doesn't matter that your losing team missed three close goals (one from 2 yards in front of the goal), what matters most is that someone is wearing a shirt from the team that won!  :o)

Coming next:  Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Guanajuato and Dolores Hidalgo

Following is a condensed version of what we saw and visited in Guanajuato and Dolores Hildalgo. If you would like to see this slideshow; click on the current slideshow, click on My Photos and click on 'guan'.

*We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in a house owned by Pita that had been in her family for 3 generations.  It was located behind the Teatro Principal.

*Guanajuato has the most colorful houses and buildings we have seen so far.

*The Callejon del Beso (Alley of the Kiss)--the daughter of a rich family fell in love with a common miner.  They were forbidden to see each other so the miner rented a room opposite and the lovers exchanges kisses across the alley.

*Museo de las Momias (Museum of the Mummies)--remains dug up in 1865 to make room for more bodies were preserved by the contents of the soil.  100 mummies are on display, it only takes 5 or 6 years for bodies to become mummified here.  Bodies continue to be exhumed if relatives can't pay $20 for upkeep fees.

*We were able to see bands playing in stadiums, plazas, restaurants, and streets.  There were small and large displays of acts in theaters, plazas and streets.  Living statues would come alive for 10 pesos ($1) and perform or let you take a picture with them.

*The Callejoneadas (Estudiantinas), a group of professional singers and musicians dressed in traditional costumes, begin about 8pm roaming the streets playing music.  A crowd gathers and follows them as they wind through the streets and alleys of the city until the wee hours of the morning.

*Diego Rivera's birth house where he lived until he was six, still has the original furniture and many of Diego's drawings and paintings on display.

*The Alhondiga de Granaditas is the site of the first major victory in Mexico's War of Independence.  It was a fortress for Spanish troops and loyalist leaders.  Miguel Hidalgo led 20,000 rebels in a siege on the fortress.  They weren't having much luck until a young miner, Juan Jose de los Reyes Martinez (aka El Pipila) under orders from Hidalgo, tied a stone slab to his back and thus protected from Spanish bullets, set the large gates ablaze.  The rebels stormed the fortress and took back the Alhondiga from the Spaniards.

*In Dolores Hidalgo, we were able to visit the Parroquia de Nuestra Senora de Dolores, the church where Miguel Hidalgo issued the famous Grito on September 16, 1810 at 5am in the morning.  This is the famous Grito de Independencia that Mexico celebrates every year on the 16th.

*I thought I would add a picture of classmates and teachers so that you all know that I am actually doing SOME work!  :o)

For pictures, click on this link:  http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/Guan#

Coming next:  Chivas vs. America--El Clasico de Clasicos in Mexico!

Queretaro and Guanajuato

We left for Guanajuato early on Thursday morning because we knew it would be a long bus trip and we wanted to arrive in Guanajuato in the early afternoon.  When we arrived in Mexico City at the south station we decided to take a bus to Queretaro, which is very close to Guanajuato, instead of taking a bus to the north station and then a bus to Guanajuato, we thought it would take less time.  Well, if you have been reading my blog you know that things don't always happen the way we think they will!  :o)  

We arrived in Queretaro a half hour after the previous bus left for 

Guanajuato and found out we had a 4 1/2 hour wait until the next bus.  So, we changed our plans and took a taxi into the center of Queretaro for a brief visit.  After a quick lunch at booth surrounding the zocalo, we walked around the city looking at churches and plazas.  We were

 able to see "Los Arcos" the 1.28km aqueduct (pic) with 74 towering arches built between 1726 and 1735 that runs through the center of town.  We also took a tour (given by an impressive 13 year old girl) through the Convento de la Santa Cruz (pic).  The convento (built 1654 - 1815) is famous for a miraculous appearance of Santiago (St. James)  

which led the Otomi (the indiginous people of that area)

to surrender to the conquistadors and Christianity.  Another of the site's miracles includes a tree that supposedly grew from a walking stick being stuck in the ground.  The thorns of the tree form a cross.

We arrived in Guanajuato (pic) about 7:30pm, found our hotel and went out for dinner.  For three weeks in October,  

Guanajuato is host to the Cervantino International Festival.

 "During this period, Guanajuato becomes a living theater and 

museum. The festival features avant-garde artistic performances and exhibitions of fine, classic and modern art. Countries from around the world are represented, with over two thousand national and international artists displaying their works of art. You will find classical music and electronic rhythms, along with folkloric and contemporary dance, as well as plays and multimedia shows."  Literally, everywhere we went there was someone doing something related to the festival, it was fantastic!  

Coming next:  More Guanajuato and a town called Dolores Hildalgo

The legend of mole poblano

My brother Tom sent me this delightful legend of how mole poblano came about.  Thanks, Tom!

Most people associate mole with either with Puebla or Oaxaca , but the origin of mole poblano, the thick, rich, chocolate-tinged sauce made so famous in the colonial mountain city of Puebla, Mexico, is still disputed, and generally involves these two versions of the legend:

The first says that 16^th Century nuns from the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla de los Angeles, upon learning that the Archbishop was coming for a visit, went into a panic because they had nothing to serve him. The nuns started praying desperately and an angel came to inspire them. They began chopping and grinding and roasting, mixing different types of chiles together with spices, day-old bread, nuts, a little chocolate and approximately 20 other ingredients. This concoction boiled for hours and was reduced to the thick, sweet, rich and fragrant mole sauce we know today. To serve in the mole, they killed the only meat they had, an old turkey, and the strange sauce was poured over it. The archbishop was more than happy with his banquet and the nuns saved face. Little did they know they were creating the Mexican National dish for holidays and feasts, and that today, millions of people worldwide have at least heard of mole poblano.

The other legend states that mole came from pre-hispanic times and that Aztec king, Moctezuma, thinking the conquistadors were gods, served mole to Cortez at a banquet to receive them. This story probably gained credibility because the word mole comes from the Nahuatl word “milli” which means sauce or “concoction”. Another connection could be that chocolate was widely used in pre-columbian mexico, so people jumped to that conclusion.

On the right:  A new slideshow of some scenes from our trip to Puebla and Cholula.

Puebla and Cholula

Reed's Fulbright colleague who we had visited in Jilotepec, came to visit us in Cuernavaca.  On Thursday, the three of us headed for Puebla in the truck.  A favorite band of Reed's was suppose to be playing in a bar in Puebla on Friday night.  As it turns out, they cancelled the day before we left, but we went to Puebla anyway.

Puebla (pop. 1.9 mil) is known as the City of Angels, has 70 churches and more then a thousand colonial buildings in the

center alone. (pic) The city is famous for azulejos (painted ceramic tiles).  Our first stop, after our hotel, was at Uriarte Talavera Internacional.  We wanted to take a tour of the oldest (founded 1824) and biggest workshop in Puebla that produces talavera (painted pottery) (pic).  We were fortunate to have a tour given by the owner himself!  The pottery is made 

by hand, dried for 2-3 months, baked twice for 

durability, painted and fired. (pic is from start to finish).

Other things we did in Puebla were visit the

 Tiangis, the Ex-Convento de Santa Rosa/Museo de Arte Popular Poblano, the Barrio del Artista and a street market.

On Saturday we drove to Cholula (pop. 152,000) which is a small town close to Puebla to see the widest pyramid ever built, Piramide Tepanapa.  Now it is overgrown and topped by a church but

still massive and beautiful.(pic)  After a tour of the grounds, we 

walked through a small portion of the 8kms of tunnels under the pyramid which were made by archeologists trying to find the several pyramids that were built on top of each other during many reconstructions.  On the path up to the church, Reed was brave enough to try a fried grasshopper that a man offered to her.  I, however, wasn't so brave!  :o)

After returning to Puebla and having dinner which included the famous Mole Poblano, we sat in the Zocalo with the locals and listened to some of the live music from the surrounding restaurants.

For more pictures, click on this link:  http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/DriveToPueblaPueblaCholula#

Coming next:  Guanajuato

Pictures...

For pictures, click on this link:  http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/MiVidaEnCuernavaca#

Coming next:  Puebla and Cholula

Cacahuamilpa caverns, karaoke with the locals and Jilotepec

After a wonderful breakfast of freshly squeezed orange juice, sopes (small, thick tortillas) covered with red or green salsa and cheese, we hopped in the Toyota Rav4 with Reed's colleague (Santiago) and his family to go to the Grutas (caves) of Cacahuamilpa (pic) .  The caves are connected to form a very long (1 1/2 mile) and high (269 ft.) cave.  It took us about 2 hours to tour the cave with a guide who talked about the many stalagmites and stalactites in the cave. 

On Saturday we were invited for beers at the house of another of Reed's colleagues.  Like many people here, his house has been a work in progress for six years.  It is very difficult to get a loan for purchasing or adding-on to houses so often times people live in houses as they earn enough money to complete them.  We sat on the roof which will eventually be a patio and enjoyed the view of Cuernavaca as a thunderstorm moved in.  Later, his friend called, came to pick us up and took us to his house (also unfinished) for karaoke.  I was forced, or rather...encouraged, to sing a song or two in Spanish.  Of course, I didn't know the song or what I was singing about but I received a round of applause when I was done!  I finally found a CD of English songs (Bee Gees, go figure) and sang a few I knew.  We sang and danced (3 men and 3 women) until the wee hours of the morning and then they took us home.  I think it was 4:30am which 

is the latest I have stayed up for many, many years. 

A Fulbrighter/friend of Reed's lives and teaches in a town called Jilotepec.  On Thursday, we took a bus to Mexico City, a city bus from the south bus station to the north bus station and caught another bus to Jilotepec.  The trip ended up being about 5 hours total but as usual, much to see!  Jilotepec is a small town of about 15,000 residents with an altitude higher than Cuernavaca so it was much colder. On Friday we perused the local Tiangis (a 'must' in any town) which was huge! After making several purchases and taking them back to the house, we returned to the Tiangis to eat lunch at one of the small, temporary

 restaurants that the locals set up each week (pic).  As usual, the food was delicious (fresh and full of flavor) and the family serving us was very

friendly.

On Saturday, another Fulbrighter/friend came to Jilotepec from Mexico City and the four of us went to Tequisquiapan, a town about an hour from Jilotepec.  Tequisquiapan has many brightly colored colonial buildings, a beautiful Zocalo and Catedral.  We spent the day walking through the markets, eating and shopping.

Coming next:  Pictures of interesting things...

Luche Libre and Tepotzlan

¡Matalo!  

A phrase that is commonly used at a Luche Libre match but purely in jest.  It literally means, "Kill him!" but...not really.  Luche Libre is Mexico's version of the USA's WWF.  However, the participants are dressed to the "nines" in costumes and elaborate (fabric) masks to match. Replicas of the masks are a very hot item here.  We went to a

Lucha Libre match last friday with 4 classmates of mine and two of the classmate's Mexican padres (a homestay).  We had ringside seats and were in full view of the action!  One of our group was even accausted, in good fun, by two of the participants!  We witnessed about 6 matches in all which included men, women, "mini's" (small people but not dwarfs), dwarfs and referees (couldn't really tell which side they were on, they just hit and kicked the participants at will).  Of course, the action is totally fake but I was amazed at the athletic ability of the participants and their ability to perform the stunts without getting injured.  The audience yells at the participants and the participants jump up on the ropes and yell back usually telling the audience that they are drunk and don't know what they are talking about.  Everyone laughed a lot and seemed to have fun!  I did!  :o)

The next day, Reed and I took the ruta (city bus) downtown to catch a autobus to Tepotzlan which is about 30 minutes east of Cuernavaca.  The traffic to downtown was very slow due to a graduation at the military base and traffic around the zocalo (center square) from the striking teachers.  Two hours later, when our bus to Tepotzlan stopped to let someone board at

a bus stop 1/2 mile from our house, we realized that we could have already been at Tepotzlan!  Oh well, another lesson, of many, learned.

Tepotzlan, a small city of 15,000 people (elev. 5578f) is very picturesque.  Like Taxco, new buildings must have the same architectural style as the older buildings which really makes it seem like an authentic Mexican town.  The city is surrounded by mountains and forests with the main attraction being a pyramid (the Pyramid of Topozteco) at the top of one of the mountains (pic). We climbed the thousands of steps (1313 f. up and 1.24m. long--1 way), along with 100's of other visitors, to see the altar and view, which was  phenomenal(pic)!  The pyramid was built in honor of Tepoztecatl, the Aztec god of the harvest, fertility and pulque (fermented agave cactus juice).  On the

way up, a man (late 40's, early 50s) passed us as he was running up the steps!  I was flabbergasted because I was gasping for air and dripping with sweat!  On the way down, he was running up the stairs a second time--I almost dropped to my knees in homage!  WOW!

After the pyramid and a beer (of course!) we walked through the Tiangis (market) which is the largest and best variety we have seen so far.

The next day we visited the Ex-Convento Dominico de la Natividad 

(a monastery) which was built from 1560-1588.  In addition to a church, the monastery houses the regional history museum.  The arched entryway to the grounds is adorned with an elaborate seed mural of pre-Hispanic history and symbolism(pic).  The mural is created by local artists the first week of september from 60 varieties of seeds.  

After beers and lunch on a balcony overlooking the Tiangis (pic), we bought two small rugs handmade by Carmen and her family and headed home.  Yes, we made sure to get off the bus as close to our house as possible!  :o)

Coming soon:  Cacahuamilpa caverns, Karaoke with the locals and Jilotepec

Tidbits and Observations

*  Burritos don't exist here--they are a US invention.

*  Women don't typically drink in public, except if they go to a bar.

*  Infants and toddlers aren't required to be in a car seat.  I saw one playing on the floor on the passenger side of the car and another was standing on the console in between the front seats!

*  The natural gas tank is on the roof of the house.  I wonder about this, especially when we have incredible lightening and thunder storms.

*  The water tank is right next to the gas tank on the roof--the bill is not based on use but everyone pays a flat fee.

*  At almost every bus stop there are bus "checkers".  They monitor the buses and tell the driver if he (I have yet to see a woman driving a bus, however, I have seen 2 women 'checkers') is late, early or on time.  The drivers toss coins to the checkers which I think is a tip.

*  Since we arrived 35 days ago, we have had one day that we didn't see the sun and one day (24 hours) that it didn't rain.  The rain only lasts for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

*  The other day as I was walking through the Faria on my

 way to school, I heard a big dog growl from behind a tarp-wrapped booth (pic).  I quickly jumped away thinking a mad dog was about to charge me then I realized that it was someone snoring!

Our Casa de Cuernavaca is open for visitors!  We have room for 6 people at a time!  Come on down!  :o)

Coming soon:  Lucha Libre and Tepotzlan 

El Grito!

Tonight, September 15, 2008, at 11:00pm, we will be able to witness "el grito de independencia" (the cry of independence) in the Zocalo of Cuernavaca.  It begins the celebration of Mexico's Independence from Spain which occurred, not on Cinco de Mayo, but on September 16, 1810.  The short version of the story is this:  After Columbus "discovered" America, the Spaniards arrived in Mexico in 1521 headed by Hernan Cortes.  The indigenous nations helped Cortes defeat the Aztecs because they thought they would be better off.  Thus began 3 centuries of Spanish rule.  The Spaniards brought with them diseases unknown to the natives and after one century of Spanish rule the Indian population went from 20 million to 1 million! Discontent steadily grew,  in 1808 Napoleon invaded Spain and inspired by the French philosophers concepts of liberty, equality and democracy and by the war of Independence of the US, the Criollos (those born in Mexico from Spanish parents--the social class below the Spaniards) decided to revolt.  Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a 57 year-old priest from an old family of Criollos, accompanied by several conspirators, rang the bell of his little church calling everyone to fight for liberty.  This was the beginning of the Independence War, which lasted 10 years.

At 11:00pm tonight, the President of Mexico along with his family, will stand on a balcony in the Zocalo of Mexico City and repeat the cry of Father Hidalgo, "Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe (a symbol of the Amerindians' faith and patron saint of Mexico), death to bad government, and death to the Spaniards!".  From what I hear he also says "Viva Hidalgo!" and other names important to Mexican independence, to which the crown replies, "Viva!".  The event ends at midnight with the cry, "Viva Mexico!" and fireworks.  Apparently, it is also popular to shoot guns into the air!  Yikes!

Each state has it's own cry by the Governor of that state in the Zocalo of the Capitol. Cuernavaca is the Capitol of the state of Morelos, so the Governor is suppose to be in our Zocalo tonight.  HOWEVER, there is rumor that El Grito will not happen because of the teachers strike that is still going on and the Governor is afraid that the teachers (and others that support the teachers) will cause some havoc!  Those DARN teachers!!  :o)

Tomorrow, the cities have military parades.  Our city has a pretty large military base (artillery based) so we will be able to see a grand military parade, I think.  

My first week in Spanish school!

I was prepared, or so I thought, for my first day of school.  I had ridden the bus and walked to the school the previous week (I timed myself) so that I would be 'ready' on the first day.  Well, I

was on the bus on the first day and all of a sudden, at the last Glorieta (round-about) before the road to the school, the street was closed for the Faria (fair) and all the traffic was being detoured to the right. I had no idea where that detour would end up and of course I forgot the map, so I got off the bus and walked through the faria (about 1/2 mile of tarp covered booths) to the school. I made it on time, thank goodness.

My first day at Instituto Chac Mool (Chac-Mool is a pre-columbian mesoamerican stone statue, pic) started at 8am with  a placement test, an orientation and then I was placed in my first class consisting of 2 other adult students.  The main rule, which students see as soon as they enter the front door, is that you may not speak English!  Yikes!  After the test and orientation, the schedule was as follows:  From 8:50-11:40 we have Spanish structure and practice (in a classroom which is a hut outside, pic).  From 12:00-1:50 we have conversation workshop or content courses.  Then, from 1:55- 2:35 you may sign up for either a lecture or a private one-on-one consult.  From 5-7pm Monday - Thursday there is a different event each night, dinner at a restaurant, cooking class, dance class or art class.  On the weekend, for a small fee, they have guided excursions to other cities close to Cuernavaca.

After my first week, I can honestly say, I AM WORN OUT!  It's tough concentrating so hard for 5 hours a day!  However, I have already improved my Spanish and learned a lot! Giovanni is my morning teacher (in this group I am with one other person from Canada) and Veronica is my teacher in the afternoon (in this group I am with 3 others, 2 from California and one from

Michigan).  The teachers are sympathetic and very good but also very strict.  It's interesting being ordered around by a teacher 1/2 my age!  :o)  We work hard, use many modes of learning and have tons of fun.  It is a very relaxed atmosphere. 

(The last two picture are of the school.  The backyard where we have our classes--rough huh?--and the building which has other rooms for classes)

Coming soon:  Other observations.

Deh-Effeh (Mexico City, Distrito Federal)-Part 2

So...I am taking classes and don't have much time to update my blog because I have HOMEWORK...of all things!  :o)

Continuing with our adventure in Mexico City...

On Friday, Aug. 29th, Reed and I rode the Metro to the south side of the city to spend that night and the next day with one of her colleagues who is teaching in Mexico City.  Gretchen is a high 

school teacher in the US but has been placed at a middle school in the city.  She lives with her husband and two children in a 10th floor apartment in one of 12 buildings in a complex (pic of D.F.

 from their window) .  When we arrived, her husband and the kids 

were gone so Reed and Gretchen had time to talk about the differences between education in the United States and Mexico.  It was interesting to listen to them talk (in English, thank goodness)!

When Gretchen's husband and kids returned, we walked to one of the 16 boroughs of the city called Coyoacan which became famous because Leon Trotsky, in addition to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, called it 'home' (both homes are now museums).  The intense cultural life that began with Diego and Frida is still very prevalent in the atmosphere of this part of town with it's many theaters, institutes and galleries.  The architecture is equally intense (2 pics).  We didn't get to see much of the

 area because it got dark so we ventured back to this part of town the next day. It was Saturday which meant there were many outdoor markets (Tianguis) filled with paintings, drawings and

handcrafted items (pic).  We walked through several markets and then around the streets in this part of town, expertly led by Gretchen's husband and his Lonely Planet Guide.  

After eating, another flavorful meal, we ventured back to the apartment to pack and bid farewell.  We took the Ruta (city bus)

 which costs 2 pesos (20 cents) to the Terminal for the 'big' bus ($6.60 for 1 1/4 hour) back to Cuernavaca.  We learned a valuable

 lesson:  when you offer to pay for your tickets with a credit card and the person at that part of the counter says that she doesn't 

have a credit card machine, it means that she, personally, doesn't have a credit card machine--it doesn't mean that the bus company

doesn't accept credit cards.  Unfortunately, we were 60 cents short of buying a ticket with cash and spent a good hour walking around on 'tips' from kind, helpful people before we realized our misunderstanding.  We arrived home safely!  :o)

An observation:  It is increasingly obvious the divide between the haves and have-nots in Mexico.  However, I haven't seen many homeless people.  What is astonishingly obvious is that people sell whatever/wherever they can to 'make a living'.  Por ejemplo (for example--a term that is used frequently here), currently there is a Faria (fair) going on in a major street here in Cuernavaca for 10 days (1/4 mile long).  The amount of things that are for sale is beyond belief AND they are the same things booth after booth.  I can't imagine that the people that own these booths are making much money and I often wonder how they can buy these things in such quantity to sell!  OR are they working for some entity and being paid 'peanuts'?  In addition, riding around in the cities I have noticed grand, walled-in houses right next to a shanty with NO walls and a tin roof.  On that same street there is a person selling tamales out of a bucket on the corner of the street.  It is all very interesting and I find myself pondering the differences, reasons, events, and observations each day.

Coming soon:  My first week at Instituto Chac Mool!

Deh-Effeh (Mexico City, Distrito Federal)-Part 1

The uninhabited land between Cuernavaca and Mexico City reminds me of some of the land in Oregon.(pic)  It took us about 1 1/4 hours to get from one to the other (with a movie playing, of course) on the bus.  We arrived at Terminal Sur at the south end of the city and took the Metro towards the middle of the city to the Comexus Office (i.e. Fulbright Office in Mexico) so that Reed could get a box that she had sent herself.  On the Metro, at almost every stop (12 in all for us), someone would get on selling something--mostly CD's but also Chiclets, candy, and DVD's.  The people selling CD's had CD players and discs in their hands and wore backpacks equipped with small but incredibly loud speakers.  They would yell, over the top of the music, who the artist was, play several songs, announce the price (10 pesos), then exit at the next stop.  It was entertaining, to say the least!  After getting off the Metro, we stopped and had lunch at a small restaurant (teriyaki--go figure!) on a major street.  I think that we saw at least 1 million people, of the 23 million people who live here, walk by!  The major streets are amazingly packed (but the flow never stops) with pedestrians and cars.  We walked to our hotel (pic), got settled and then ventured out to see what was in the area.  As we were walking to the Paseo de la Reforma (the 'grand avenue' of D.F.--10 lanes) rain began to fall in buckets!  We headed into the Zona Rosa and found a cafe/bar to have a beer and wait it out.  This is the first time we have been a little chilly here.

The next morning, we walked to the Bosque de Chapultepec (pic -

by the way, the 'fog' that you see is not my camera,  it's the smog 

in the city!) which is a huge (1600 acres) park in the city.  The castle, (pic) located in the park stands 7,628 feet above sea level and has served as a military academy, imperial residence, presidential home, observatory and currently, as a museum.  It is the only castle in North America that was ever used as a residence by a ruling European sovereign (Maximillian and Carlota).  The museum was amazing and told of the turbulent history of Mexico City and the surrounding area.  I am beginning to understand why there is so much distrust (except towards family) in this culture!

Later in the afternoon, we headed south to the University District to visit Reed's Fulbright colleague.

Coming soon:  D.F.--part 2

Solo adventure, Chac Mool and food

On Tuesday, I ventured out by myself for the first time!  It really wasn't that big of a deal, I had taken the bus many times with Reed so I knew what to do and where to get off.  I was just a little nervous--a solo adventure!  I rode to the institute that I am starting classes at on Monday, Sept. 1st.  It's called Instituto Chac Mool and has an approach to teaching spanish using Stephen Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition and the Seven Intelligences which Reed says are good.  I will be tested on the first day and placed with 4-5 adults in a class at the same level of ability.  We start at 8:50am and go until 2:35pm.  The time includes: Spanish structure and practice, conversation workshop and 20 minutes of your choice of a private tutor, lecture/guest speaker/songs/games or Taller Bilingue (grammatical explanation).  Sounds fun!  I hear from a teacher-friend of mine who has taken classes there that they play soccer sometimes!  YAY!  :o)

On the way home, I decided to walk up the street for awhile instead of catching the bus. Unfortunately, what seemed like a good workout ended up with me feeling sick from breathing in the fumes from the cars, buses and trucks.  I caught the bus.  

Pictures of food: 1.  Take out from the restaurant on the corner.  The plastic bags are filled with horchata (a milk-like liquid made from almonds, cinnamon, rice, lime and sugar).  2.  Tamale from a street vendor. (L)  3.  Chicken. (R) 4.  A torta!  (bottom, my favorite)

Coming soon:  A trip to Mexico City!

Taxco, Plaza Cortes

On Saturday, we rode the bus (similar to a Greyhound) to Taxco.  The driver showed a movie both there and back but I was more interested in the scenery.  I definitely saw a different side of Mexico.  Among the rolling green hills (pic) were tin-roofed shacks, some without walls and all with earthen floors.  Families were lined up along the two-lane highway, each member with something different to sell in their hands.  Some of the families had roadside stands with cold beverages and an assortment of other things to sell.  The bus driver stopped twice to let someone on who tried to sell cookies and lotion to the bus riders.

Taxco (pic) is a beautiful town (pueblo) with it's colonial ambiance still intact due to a law requiring that any old building be restored that way and any new building be built in the same fashion.  Even the Oxxo (our 7-11) looked colonial!  It is the silver mecca of Mexico and one of the oldest silver mining sites in the Americas.  We walked the narrow streets for hours and passed many of the 50+ stores selling incredible amounts of silver, much of them had the same items but each had a little something different as well.  After awhile my head was spinning and I didn't even know what I was looking for or wanted!  In the end I bought a hammock chair (in a silver mecca!) for our front porch, go figure!   Apparently, Don Jose de la Borda (Sound familiar? He was the man who built the Jardin Borda that I mentioned in my previous blog.) discovered the silver when his horse stumbled on a rock.  When he became over extended and left his mines, many churches were built by other successful miners. We saw some of those beautiful churches (there are 12 in all in this small town), the most fantastic was the Santa Prisca Catherdral (pics).  WOW!  We had another great meal at a restaurant, approached constantly by street vendors selling everything from paintings to belts.  We arrived back at our house at 10pm--long day! 

The next day we went into centro Cuernavaca to the Plaza Cortes, built in the 1530's.  Now it is a museum with displays of the history of the Cuernavaca area.  Lucky for

 me, they had most of the events translated into English so I was able to really      enjoy it.  (On a side note:  Something that I am struggling with is missing out on things because I don't understand what is being said or what I am reading.  Reed helps a lot but I feel bad asking her all the time.  It has been an interesting and huge part of this whole adventure!  I know it will get better with time but it's a little frustrating now, at times.)  Continuing...as with most history, death of the people and destruction of buildings come at the hands of the 

people with wealth, power and/ or religion.  So it goes with the struggle in Mexico.  One of the most impressive things at this museum is a HUGE mural (pic) painted on three walls by Diego Rivera that was a chronological depiction of the struggles in this region.

Coming soon:

Regina goes into centro by herself!  :o)

Regina starts Spanish classes at the Chac Mool Institute!  :o)

South Cuerna, march, Jardin Borda

For the second time, Reed and I were unlucky with our plans to find a museum.  The first one was closed early (Muros Museum), the second (Museum of Traditional Medicine/Botanical Gardens next door) wasn't where our map said it was suppose to be. However, we had a great walking tour of the south part of town which seems to be one of the wealthier sections of Cuernavaca. There were beautiful haciendas hidden behind very ornate gates and huge walls (pic).  We had another wonderful meal at a restaurant we just "happened by".  So far, all of the food we have eaten (a meal a day) has been reasonable and very tasty--even the fateful bowl of soup!  :o)

The next day, we went to the Fotografia Museum which was a Castillito (little castle-2 stories/4 rooms--pic) that had photos of the history of Cuernavaca.  It was amazing to see the rolling hills without houses on them.  Cuernavaca has grown immensely in just the past 10 years!  

While we were at the museum, a march by striking teachers went by.  Of course, this being near and dear to my heart, I rushed outside to take video and pictures.  The primaria and secondaria (elementary and middle school) teachers are on strike.  They were having 3 different marches that day in Cuernavaca and the amount of people that went by in just this area was impressive. Obviously they had parents and others in the community marching in support beside them because the march was huge!  They have been congregating in the center of the city since Monday so there has been no traffic allowed on the three major streets going into that area.  This has been an inconvenience for some--major delays in traffic--but most people just "go with the flow".  Reed says that protests and strikes are very common in Latin America.

Later, we walked to the Jardin Borda (est. 1783--pic) which are beautiful gardens designed similar to Versailles.  During their brief reign (1864-1867), the Emperor Maximilian and his wife Carlota used it for garden parties.  The next picture is of the ornamental lake that was made to water the botanic gardens.  You can rent a boat and tour the lake but unfortunately, it started raining right before we arrived at that part of the gardens!

Next:  Taxco--The former colonial silver-mining center in the northern part of the Mexican state of Guerrero. 

Cortez Plaza

Tidbits: 

*No one wears shorts here and from what I understand, most of Mexico. Long shorts (at or over the knee), Capris, dresses, skirts or pants (no sweats) are worn.

*Honking horns is VERY common here.  A driver can't even be nice to someone by letting them cross the street, a horn WILL sound! :o)

Never a dull moment!

In a previous blog I mentioned some of the action that happens in the neighborhood (pic) during the day.  What I didn't realize is how MANY things go on, most of them having to do with sound.

•  The military base (specializing in artillery), located between our house and Centro (downtown), starts exploding things at 6:30am until 8:00am (the big show) and then a few times during the day.

*  The gas trucks begin roaming the neighborhoods at 7:00am with their intermittent sirens going off constantly.

*  The commotion sets off the dogs in the neighborhoods which start barking at many of the sounds during the day AND each other.

*  The garbage truck comes on 3 different days twice a day.  The man riding on the back hits the side of the metal truck with a metal rod to announce their arrival.

*  The water truck (with drinkable water) drives down the street twice a day, the driver whistles out the window.

*  People selling tamales walk down the streets singing "Tamales, hot tamales!" at all hours of the day and evening--as early at 8:00am and as late as 9:30pm.

*  The men wanting to buy scrap metal, computers, appliances, etc. drive slowly down the street shouting their mantra through speakers on the top of their truck.

*  One of the local radio stations advertises by blaring music through huge speakers from the top of a car decorated with their logos.

*  The man that sharpens things rides his bike down the street ringing a bell.

*  Drivers and taxis picking up people honk their horns to announce their arrival.

*  People come by and clang on the gates of the houses to sell sandwiches and light bulbs.

*  Fireworks are a popular way to celebrate special occasions and go off sporadically.  (I can't wait for Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16th, I imagine it'll be LOUD!) 

*  Amongst and in between all of the above, the thunder and pouring rain fill in the gaps.  We haven't had rain or a sprinkle yet just HUGE downpours! Also, we have heard thunder every day since our arrival!

The other day I was in the kitchen and felt a little strange.  It took a moment before I realized it was silent...completely silent.  I stood there enjoying it for a good 30 seconds before an old, creaky, squeaky car rolled down the street which started the dogs barking...