20 de diciembre 2011

steven and fougete were waiting for us outside our door, in the sunshine at 8 30 this morning. they and jerry, lenore and mike were going to catch a bus or colectivo to the lovely, small ruin of Dainzu today, and walk to Tlacochuaya. Dainzu, which means Hill of the Organ Cactus in Zapotec. There is partially restored ceremonial center and many unexcavated mounds. At around A.D.300 the town supported 1,000 inhabitants.  There are more than 30 bas-reliefs of ball players draped with leather head, arm and torso protectors. There is also a tomb, with a jaguar's head with bat-like features, may represent a composite jaguar-bat god. (Moon publications Oaxaca)
   This is one of our favorite walks. Dainzu is always enjoyable to roam around, close your eyes, and imagine life almost 2,000 years ago --which is what I do whenever I visit the ruins.
   Then we walk through farmer's fields for a couple miles to the beautiful church in San Jeronimo Tlacachuaya, the 16th Century Templo y Ex-Convento de San Jeronimo. It has a white baroque facade and a large fig tree. It was restored in 1991. The atrium has three chapels, where conversions of the indigenous people took place. It is estimated that 5,000 could have been assembled there..
   The church is well-known for its beautiful organ. You ascend a narrow strairway to the balcony where the beautifully decorated organ sits.
 The church can be seen as we are walking, so we know the way.

Many of us could not go today, so Jerry promises to lead another walk in a few weeks. When we arrive at our destination, we always look for a comedor to have lunch together.

I did not go since early this evening I will be going to the Synagogue outside Viguera, near Etla. I did not want to take a chance that I would miss the trip!

So I walked to La Noria mercado with the group and said adios from there.  I had a lot of shopping to do to get ready for the big comida we will have tomorrow with Julieta, Sarai, Sonya Esmeralda and Rafael.
Gail Schacter will join us also! For postre, Lenore and Mike will come. Julieta is making the main dish and frijoles. I will buy all the ingredients for guacamole, salad and a large Gelatina from Quemen!

It is always enjoyable to see our juice lady and dificult to pass up, but not today. I found limas from a woman selling a few verduras; the rest I purchased from the large vendor in the rear. It is so pleasurable buying vegetables and fruits....and quickly passing all the meat vendors. The chocolate vendor reached out to give me a spoon and it was luscious....very difficult to pass up, but i did not want to be home alone with that! and then the bakeries ---the rolls with their pulpy middles- yum!..and many look delicious but the taste is disappointing so i must keep that in mind as I pass them.

I had carried my strong, blue Frida Kahlo bag to carry the bananas, tomatoes, about 18 avocadoes (2 kilos, julieta said for guacamole!), limones and, i went back for fresas, strawberries.

...and then it was hard to pass my favorite empanada makers (with quesillo, flores de calabaza and champinones).

Outside, on the street, vendors are selling flowers, tortillas and some prepared foods like chili rellenos, blandas (large tortillas), rice and beans. Yesterday, we purchased some tortillas from an indigenous woman. Jerry mentioned how amazed he is that they remain warm. I asked her, and she showed us that they are held in two canastas, baskets, which preserves the heat.

Tomorrow, I must come back to this area to purchase some flowers to make our table pretty, and for a large gelatina from Quemen bakery. The last gelatina that I purchased for Gabriel's birthday was delicous! The lower half was made with milk; the upper half was filled with different kinds of fruits.....and then there is always some sweet light cream which makes it even better.

It was early morning so the streets were bustling.  Music pours out of the apartments and especially the parking lots (we know too well)- often with that rhythmic fun beat, words of love or sorrow, and some good horn.

I met lovely, amable Lily, walking also, who lives around the corner with the ferocious dog that has, without doubt, cut my life short from his sudden terror - jumping up and ladrando in the loudest, meanest voice.Lily owns a baby clothes store; she used to have an internet place that we would frequent. Jerry mentioned how amazing it is the number of small stores here; there is a huge population, of course, but it does seem that many people open small shops and we wonder how they can afford to. Rent and maintanence must be low and certainly no insurance or handicap accessibility necessary!

The sky is always so incredibly beautiful, baby blue, or a deeper shade of blue, and the curve of the forested butte North of us, a couple puffy, cumulus clouds resting atop it --exquisite.

I stopped at the tiendita on the corner and saw the senora's warm smile. Ruben, who used to work there most of the time, has a tos (cough) so is taking some time off.

Our plans for the next few days:

After I finish writing, I will go to Santo Domingo Cultural Center to see their photography exhibit, other exhibits and peruse the wonderful libreria (bookstore).

Tomorrow the comida with Julieta and family and our America & Canadian friends. I must make a holiday card and get some treats and pesos for Julieta to take home. Since we are sponsoring the two girls for school (through the Oaxaca Streetchildren organization), and that bill of $500 U.S. will have to be paid in February (besides another $275 for Carlos Daniel, the boy we have been sponsoring for 5 years), we will be giving them $25.00 for their holiday food and little gifts We brought down  light jackets with hoods for Julieta and the girls, and a fleece vest and sweatshirt for Rafael, which takes care of half the gifts for them. I must also find a way to talk about the $100 Mateo and Mary have allocated to help Rafael. How can we make it truly benefit him? He is not attending school regularly so we will have to decide to either give it to him if he does make progress, or give it directly to the organization. Mateo has left it up to me to decide.

Tomorrow afternoon we could have gone to Barry and Jacque Scheinberg's Chanukah party, but we have our guests. They were very kind to invite us.  Perhaps next year.

Tomorrow evening, Gail will sing Christmas, Chanukah and other holiday songs at the library Solstice Party. it should be fun! We will walk up with Lenore and Mike. They stopped by yesterday - just arrived Sunday - and it was great to have them in our midst again. Aome went to Carmelita's with us for comida and then back to our place and we all got to talk with Lenore and Mike, who took a short trip to Cuernavaca, which they did not find pleasing - surprised.

Thursday we will go to Los Naranjos with new friends, Steven and Fougete, It will be fun to get to know them. She has lived in California since the 80's, but they are thinking of moving to Massachusetts soon!

At 5 pm Thursday we will meet Mafer and the family at Santo Domingo to watch the Guelaguetza for a short parade on their way to Jalatlaco. Then we will go someplace to enjoy together!

Friday is Dia de los Rabanos! (day of the radishes) My favorite event!

Saturday and Sunday, Christmas Day, no plans yet. Jerry had agreed with me that we will not go to a fancy dinner at a restaurant on the 25th....it is a very quiet, peaceful day so it would be fun to take a long walk and, perhaps, eat ourselves or with friends at our house.

Reviewing....

Sinuhe David, the young man who would like to do an intercambio with us, wrote so we should see him soon. Jerry's great idea about including Mafer - or by herself - she would like!

Yesterday, Susan was moving from the small apartment to Rita and Wayne's! Her mother will be visiting soon. I asked her if she will be back again next Fall (usually comes for one or two months). She told me that she is going to try to start a Mezcal business in California! She has a local partner who has been taking her to the Palenques - mezcal makers - to find out about and taste the different mezcals. She, and another resident here, Savalda, have had mezcal tasting parties with groups of friends! Susan says her mother has been worried about her partying --she told us about tango dancing unti 5 am last week! and all the tasting of mezcal!...but she is 45! what else should she be doing? One of the mezcal business owners was very rude with her friends, but began flirting with her outrageously, and finally made a proposal - she should marry him.  But she told him that her business partner is her boyfriend (and told him at the same time!) So she is calling his mezcal "prometido" - promised, like engaged - which has caught on with her friends!

Jerry mentioned to me that Gabriel had suggested that he sell mezcal. Since liquor in Oregon is state regulated, he never thought about it or had the slightest idea how to market it.

On Friday, Gail and I met at the Textile museo to hear a marvelous lecture about weaving in Oaxaca. She brought with her Jan, also from Victoria, who just joined her Spanish language class. Eric, the director, and perfectly bilingual, talked about the great diversity of weaving materials and dyes in Oaxaca - to be compared only with Peru. He had samples of the materials from the most elemental. I have notes so will write a separate piece about it. He did mention his own experience - born and raised in Teotitlan del Valle, the most famous and popular weaving village in Oaxaca. He began weaving at 12, although children begin helping in many ways from the time they are 6 or so.  His parents wanted him to use synthetic dyes, but he was very stubborn because of the often toxic and caustic results of using them. So he spent a long time devising formulas for natural dyes and, ultimately, his parents agreed and use them now!

Gail and I went to El Jardin for tacos in salsa verde (Jerry's favorite) with crumpled cheese and cream and a fresh roll. Very tasty and only 33 pesos! It is always fun sitting as observers on the zocalo - people watching, musicians, vendors of finely handcrafted shawls and bags to head scratchers from China :(. We had about an hour to get to the Teatro Alcaha, the jewel of an 1800s theatre that was beautifully refurbished a few years ago. We were told to get there at 6:30, a half hour before the concert of the "Orquesta de Camara de San Jacinto". Well, we arrived ten minutes before, afraid that there would be no seats.
But the theatre was only sparsely filled! We were able to go upstairs for a box seat!  From our high perch, we noticed Jan sitting downstairs. Gail was persistent in calling her name until she saw us! She is very nice, and lives in our complex, in the small apartment on the end!

Well, the concert finally began. After the first piece, Gail said "Let's go!" Jan held her back for one more piece and then we quietly escaped. It was truly painful to hear - like my first practice session with the cello!
Gail was hysterical --"these are not our kids, we've paid our dues, let's get out of here"! It was the first time ever that I felt that way, after attending many children's performances!

After taking many photos of the entryway, I was ready to leave. Gail decided to return to the Zocalo where friends of hers congregate at the Italian Coffee Company every night. Jan and I walked home - so nice to have someone to walk with in the evenings! But when we got to Arteaga and Fiallo, to the Defensa Church, there were lots of people gathered and the Tuna of Antequera group of musicians and singers in their beautiful black robes. Jan asked me if i had heard them before. yes, on the street. well, she had listened to a performance inside a church and enjoyed immensely. So I waited with her. One of the performers saw me taking photos and asked if I want one of the group! My little camera actually took a good picture at night!

The music and acrobats, the children, also, singing and swaying, was a wonderful thing to see!  Some of the instruments are very unique, making sounds of large seeds, for example. Some of the music and singing was like Klezmer. I was told of the origin of the Tunas but must review. The congregants were enjoying, many left, holding candles, to parade through the streets. Some had flower-like holders, others Chanukah candles!  We were offered a candle and I was amazed that it was identical to the traditional Chanukah candle.

I was ready to leave after a while and Jan left also. She is here with her partner Chad, who plays the banjo!

Next writing:  Stamp Museum exhibit of Flores que no son Flores; Soledad Church Guelaguetza dances and the Dance of the Old Men in celebration of the Virgin of Soledad; walking to Xochimilco with Aome and meeting her very nice friends, Katharine, Denise and Cynthia(just arrived from the Poconos, Jim thorpe, PA with her grandson) and who makes jewelry - must meet Rita. We stopped at Marcos Perez 111 where Donna lives, to see the apartment she is renting, but she was not home.

The most wonderful dance performance was done by Luisa, in her group, and two other groups at the Fabrica de Hielo on Gonzalez Ortega between Hidalgo y Independencia.  ..more on that later.

I had better leave --casa de cultura, lettuce, cookies and little gifts.