El Palacio on the Zócalo

Neurotic Oaxaca

More from Llano

A Chinese performance meets a kids-with-toy-cars

An artist who works with colored string:

A great sadness

I was crossing a pedestrian bridge when I spotted this truck.  It's a transport truck taking hogs to the slaughterhouse.  It's a sign of factory hog farming.

People would like to believe that in this part of Mexico farmers still use the old methods.  When I was researching moving here, I read many statements by people that food here is organic and free range.  The assumption often was that farmers in this area are too poor to afford pesticides and fertilizers and antibiotics that end up being eaten and then slowly killing untold numbers of people in the form of cancers and other diseases.
But, obviously, some of the "advanced" farming methods from the United States have made it to southern Mexico.  (I had read about massive factory hog farms in northern Mexico.)  Many of the advances in this form of "farming" were made at North Carolina State.
This situation is not only sad because it results in people dying before their time in unspeakable pain.  It is also sad because of the unforgivable treatment these animals must endure from birth to death. Slaughtering them is likely the greatest kindness their human keepers perform.  And what happens to people who treat animals this way?  What happens to a country that permits this kind of reckless disrespect of life?  What happens to a people that value profit over nature and quality of life?  We have seen the results in the United States.  Are there many people left who regard the United States as a "happy" country.  From here, the US looks like a country trapped in a state of fear, anger, depression and violence.  With a people who need all the drugs that the cartels and pharmaceutical companies can offer to provide some relief from this reality.

What will happen to poor Mexico?  And what about what is happening to millions of these poor animals?

The Wikipedia entry for "Intensive pig farming" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intensive_pig_farming

My future neighbor, Lila Downs

I got a google alert about this singer from Oaxaca, Lila Downs (Scottish American father, Mexican mother) signing a recording deal with Sony.  I downloaded some of her stuff and she is really good.  I have been listening to her a lot because she is so good and because it's another way to reinforce learning Spanish.

So my landlord, Anthony was over a little while ago and I had her music on.  He said, "Oh, Lila Downs.  She is building a house right down the street."  I said, "Whaaa . . . ."

So here is a picture I just took from my living room window.  Her house is the big one that does not have the finish siding applied, no windows, etc.  Clearly much work to do on a very big house.

Adam and Eve and friend

A permanent display on the side of a building:

Mural

The birth of the bull.  The birth of the matador.  And their eventual meeting.

Scenes from El Llano

an after-school soccer game

I don't know what this was.  There had been a band and dancing and I just caught the end of the festivities.  Whatever it was, looks like a lot of eligible ladies.

Political statement at the Zócalo

Some items in a Zapatista women's rights group display.

"Women have rights to be heard. we are fighting for the dignity of all."

"Respect the rights of women"

"of all women"

House of Burgers

Went walking in the southwest part of town.  Of course, if you walk long enough in any direction, you start to climb steeply uphill.  On this small street a house had this "House of Burgers" sign.  Very mysterious.  In Oaxaca, there are people selling all sorts of things everywhere, both on the streets and out of buildings.

Up a street in the same neighborhood.  I love these small narrow climbing streets.

Another street, going down:

The more time I spend walking around in it, the more beautiful the city becomes.

Plaza Del Danza

This area is in the Southwest part of town.  Between Basilica de la Soledad and Templo de San Jose, the Plaza Del Danza is one of the sites for Quelaquetza. The stairs form seating for watching native dancers perform.

More murals

Heat Wave

We have a heat wave here in Oaxaca.  It's 86 and has been sunny all day.  The sun is so intense when it is cloudless as we are only 17 degrees north of the equator.  But there is a 50% chance of rain this evening and the expected low is 59.

I met with a local attorney today to see what I have to do to get immigrant status here.   With any luck, I will be able to do this by the end of the year.  This will mean I do not have to leave the country every six months to renew my tourist visa.  I may end up going back every six months or so, but I won't have to and there will be no deadline.  It will also mean that I can enroll in Mexico's national health plan.  Unlike the US, Mexico has a health plan for its citizens.  And I have not heard a word about death panels.

Been a while

I had not realized that my last post was so long ago.  I gotta get back on the stick.

There is a couple from Northampton, Mass staying in the room next door.  (And, Margaret, they live just two blocks away from Smith.)  They are thinking of moving here, too, in a couple of years.  I actually met them at the Oaxaca Lending Library instead of here, much to our surprise. We are going out to dinner sometime next week.

Have met a bunch of North American ex-pats at the library and I am pleased to report that there are no conservative/tea-party types in evidence.  From skimming the NY Times headlines, though, I see that the US is continuing its descent into utter, drooling madness.

Sam's Club

Someone told me there was a Sam's Club in Oaxaca, so I looked it up on Google, and, sure enough, there is.  I live in the southern part of the historical district and Sam's Club is two miles further south in an area of town I had not explored yet.  It was an interesting walk.  Some areas were obviously poorer than the center.  (There is a lot of deep poverty on the edges of the city.)  And then, surprisingly, a typical suburban sprawl, with a McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Pizza  Hut, Office Max and a whole host of Mexican equivalents.  I would say I was disappointed, but Mexicans have the right to create big ugly spaces just as much as North Americans do. (Mexicans are Americans, as are all the residents of Central and South America.)

I walked around the Sam's Club for the heck of it.  And although I have no need for a case of liter bottles of ketchup, I did find a small package of index cards.  I use these a lot.  When I went to buy a cellphone, for example, I looked up Spanish cellphone terms and wrote down the ones I thought I would need to use.  Very handy.  But when I went up to the register, I couldn't buy them without a membership card.  I thought maybe I would have to pay a higher price than members, but I was wrong.  I seem to remember being to do that in North Carolina, but it's been many years.  So I left the index cards and walked back home, taking a different route.  I got back home just before it started to rain.

Street scenes

Anything is possible

I have been asked for directions twice in the last 3 days by Mexicans.  They are probably in town for Guelaguetza.  I could dismiss once as a fluke.  But twice?  I suppose this means that my attempts to "fit in" are working.  But maybe too well, since the second time all I could do was say, "Sorry, I don't understand Spanish very well."  I really did not understand what the lady was saying.  The first guy I helped somewhat by pointing him in the right direction for the Zócalo.  In any case, I don't quite know what to make of this.  If this keeps up, I will have to start wearing shorts all the time to identify myself as a gringo.  At least until my Spanish improves a whole lot.

Llano park during Quelaquetza

Llano has been transformed.  A couple hundred vendor booths have been built, along with stages, lights and sound systems.  One area that has not changed is the street between the park and the neighborhood church whee there are two ground fountains.  The street is permanently closed to all but pedestrians because of the fountains.  Kids love the fountains, which shoot up randomly, and during the festival there is always a crowd around them watching a very entertaining show.

Not all the fountain runners are small children.  Teens and adults get involved, usually by trying to wrestle someone else into the spray.

Guelaguetza breaks out!

Now I know what all the fuss is about.  The first parade was tonight, and the schedule says there will be parades the next seven evenings.  It was simply awesome.  I don't know how they can top it, but I am sure they will.

There were thousands of people lining the parade route and it was a long parade.  Most of the tourists were Mexicans who came from all over the country.  Those of us from Europe and the US were a tiny minority.  This festival celebrates the Mexico that existed before the Spanish Conquest, so there is an immense sense of national pride.  And a striking sense of joy.  (And unlike the US, there is no need for any military display.)  This is not a drunken party (at least not yet).  It's a family event.

All these groups were dancing as they went by.  Many of the dances were obviously courtship dances.  My favorite group was the pineapple dancers.

And of course there were fireworks and ear-splitting firecrackers.

Street scenes

It's always fiesta time in the Zócalo

I walked to the Zócalo just because there's always something happening there, and guess what, a fiesta broke out.

Some great news

Internet here has been iffy. The apartment complex has had one WiFi router for all the apartments.  Sometimes the internet has not been available at all.  There have been complaints, and Maria, the landlady, got the internet provider to send a guy out today.  It was a long service call with lots of up and down the stepladder trying to get the system to function better.  It didn't.  So the end result is a new router with a separate antenna apparatus attached.  This means that I can stream Red Sox games.  I was not able to do that in Carrboro.
So I am sitting on the couch, windows open, drinking an Indio beer and watching the game on my computer. Life is sweet.

Volkswagens of Oaxaca

You see VW Beetles all over the place here.  Their owners keep them going seemingly forever.  Here's a couple samples.  In the first, the wheel is turned into the wall to keep the car from rollng away.  In the second, a Beetle with a ladder rack.

Paseo Juárez El Llano

This is my favorite park.  It's on the north side of town near the yoga studio and in a nice neighborhood.  It has four fountains.  The Zócalo is a three-ring circus all the time, with people coming up to you trying to sell stuff.  Llano park is a beautiful and relaxing place.

Yoga en Español

Took a yoga class at Casa Angel this morning at 8:30.  Instruction was all in Spanish, which meant a lot of looking around to see what I was supposed to be doing. There were around a dozen students, two other guys, all Spanish speakers except me.  (Where are the gringos hiding?  Maybe it's like Florida where you watch TV all day and then go out to eat.  No early bird specials here, though.) Great way to start the day.  It's around a mile away, too, so a nice little walk.  And I wore sandals and shorts.  Very daring.

Ray left yesterday

Now that Ray is gone I don't have anybody to boss me around.  Or correct my Spanish (or English for that matter).  He will be greatly missed.

Rainy Season

The weather has been close to perfect.  Every day temperature rises to 80 or so, then go down to around 60 overnight.  It's rainy season here, so that late afternoon and early evening bring showers more than half the time, sometimes torrential showers. There are a lot of clouds during the day.  When the sun is not covered by clouds, it's pretty intense.  The weather forecasts always list the UV factor as "10+ Extreme."

What's really nice is that we have windows open all the time.  No matter how hot it gets, it never gets too hot inside.  And it never gets too cool.

After rainy season there will be long periods of time with little or no rain and the sun will be unimpeded.  But the humidity will be low and it should be fine in the shade. I don't know exactly what it will be like, but I think I need a wide-brimmed hat. Another fashion problem.  The hat I got at REI screams "gringo dork."  I've seen other gringos wearing similar hats and it looks pretty bad.

The rainy season is June, July, August and September.  July is actually the fourth rainiest month.  As is typical in regions with a rainy season, the rain levels starts high, decrease somewhere in the middle, and then go back up again.  I don't know why.

Dogs in Oaxaca and Guelaguetza

You see a lot of dogs out on their own here and hardly ever see a dog on a leash.  They may just be lying around, completely unconcerned that you are stepping inches from their faces.  Or they may be walkng, seemingly having some place to be, too busy to bother with what people are doing.  It is so unlike dog behavior in the US.

Here's a picture of a dog picking up litter and exhorting people to help him keep the "stairs" clean.  

These stairs are wide stepped paths leading to an outdoor performance theater high up above the city.  Next week, a two-week festival called "Guelaguetza" begins.  This is a wildly successful event that attracts tourists, and their money, from large Mexican cities and Europe.  It's hard to say what it's about, even after reading descriptions of the event.  I guess it's a combination of a celebration of the Virgin Mary, who is a big celeb here, and the goddess of corn (who is now apparently the VM), and the seven ethnic areas of the state of Oaxaca.  Expect parades, dances and native costumes, and firecrackers at any hour of the day or night.