Stranger in Oaxaca

My Last Week in Oaxaca

2006-11-06T17:23:00.000-06:00

I am writing this entry in the safety of my own home back in Waukegan. I should start by saying my time in Oaxaca was absolutely wonderful. I learned so much by living in the city for two months. I had the opportunity to really get to know the area, the people and the culture. I was also there long enough to experience and form opinions about the marches, protests and violence that have had a profound impact on the way the people of Oaxaca are currently living.

I have never seen the Oaxaca so many people talk about with great fondness and nostalgia. When I arrived, the city was covered in graffiti and the APPO (Asemblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca) along with the teacher's union had taken up residence in the centro, particularly in the zocalo area. Initially, I didn't feel very affected by their presence, aside from the occasional inconvenience they created as I tried to pass through the city going about my daily routine. Though a number of stores, cafes and restaurants had permanently closed by the time I arrived, I was still able to enjoy many of the cultural and historical attractions the city has to offer. None of us really ever felt unsafe because all of our Oaxacan parents had reassured us that the APPO was protesting peacefully, which they were for the most part.

Last Sunday, after weeks and weeks of gradual destruction of the city, the federal government decided to send in the Policia Federal Preventiva to take measures to remove the APPO and their supporters from the center in hopes of restoring some kind of peace. However, this caused a great amount of uproar amongst the protestors and my last weekend and majority of last week was spent hiding out in my home on the south side of town because it was too dangerous to leave our neighborhood.

The APPO has not taken kindly to the police presence and as a result the supporters of this movement have done everything in their power to make the city virtually unlivable. The picture of the burned bus on the right is just one of seven that were set on fire and put in the middle of major roads to block traffic from coming in and out of the city.

The other photo is of the federal police. They are standing in front of one of the street entrances to the zocalo to prevent the APPO from entering. (They physically removed every single protester on Sunday and Monday and have since been gradually removing barricades, graffiti and garbage from the area). The Friday before I left was my very first opportunity to see the kiosk in the zocalo up close. Prior to that day, the APPO had been using it as their camp ground to display political statements. Now it is the cleanest I have ever seen it.

On Day of the Dead (Thursday), the APPO stayed in one of the universities very close to my neighborhood and the police tried to remove them, which led to a lot of bloodshed and violence. I think what's frightened me most is the manner in which people are fighting. The APPO has taken to creating malatov bombs made from household products, which they hoist at the police with plastic tubes. The police's response to this is to simply pitch them back. The sense of professionalism that we tend to associate with the police or military in the United States is not necessarily the same in Mexico, which terrifies me. As the violence increased that day, the police brought in helicoptors and dropped tear gas into the neighborhood. Fortunately, I was in the center that day meeting with my group when all of this happened and stayed away from the area until my family could safely leave and pick me up. I think that was by far the most upsetting experience I had throughout my stay in Oaxaca. It kills me to see these people destroying such a beautiful, usually peaceful city that relies primarily on tourism to fuel its economy. The tourist market has virtually died as a result of all the protesting and violence that have been going on for over 100 days. However, people are hopeful that things will improve dramatically by December 1. While I was fortunate enough to spend all of my time in Oaxaca (under relatively peaceful circumstances given the political upset), the rest of my group has chosen to relocate to Guanajuato for the duration of their volunteer and class time, which will make for a sad departure from their families and friends, but most importantly a safer living situation.

On a happy note, I am still planning to revisit Oaxaca this January to see how our museum exhibit comes together at Santo Domingo. I received e-mails today from Vero, the secretary of Unión de Museos Comunitarios and Rosie, one of my wonderful project partners. Both assure me that things are still running smoothly and they are anticipating the completion of the exhibit in time for the December 15th deadline, which would be great because we are hopeful that it will draw more people into the artisan communities of Oaxaca, thus helping the local economy.

Santa Ana del Valle

2006-10-30T20:50:00.000-06:00

For my final week of fieldwork, Rosie, Joanna and I were sent to Santa Ana del Valle, which is a very short forty minute drive outside the city of Oaxaca. Santa Ana is known for its intricate textile weaving. We spent two days learning about the processes involved for preparing the wool and weaving with telares de pedal, which are the machines the artisans use to make very ornate tapetes, like the ones shown here.

I interviewed a women´s weaving group called Tejiendo Esperanza. Talking to these women was one of my favorite field work experiences during my stay in Oaxaca. Each of them has a really interesting story to tell. The weaving cooperative was formed a little less than a year ago as a means to improve the economic status of these artisans in this specific pueblo. The weavers of Santa Ana del Valle have very strong competition with another more popular weaving community called Teotitlan. The current political situation in Oaxaca has also closed off the international market to these women who previously relied on tourism to bring in the necessary income to provide for their families.

I am hoping I will have a chance in the future to go back to Santa Ana to work with these woman again. I would really like to do more to help them build a larger market for product consumption. One of the weavers told me right before I left that if the political situation in Oaxaca does not get resolved soon, they will no longer be able to afford to stay in the pueblo because the work they do is very laborious and hardly lucrative. As a result, Oaxaca is at great risk of losing some of the most important artisan forms that contribute to its cultural identity, a reputation that has been formed around age old traditions that have been maintained since before the Spanish conquest.

Our Weekend in Puebla

2006-10-30T19:41:00.000-06:00

Last weekend the girls and I had originally planned to take a trip to Puerto Escondido to see the beach. But at the last minute we decided to go to Puebla because our project schedules required us to be back by Monday. Rachael and I have good friends who live in Puebla who offered to put us up for the weekend. So we took them up on their request, piled into a bus and left for Puebla early Friday afternoon.

After we arrived, we took the city bus down to the centro to see Puebla´s zocalo and have dinner. We ate at Sanborn´s, which is a Mexican chain restaurant you can find virtually anywhere. But they have awesomely large banana splits, so the other Maggie and I shared one. As you can see, we were filled with joy upon the arrival of our lovely dessert creation.

It was also really nice to explore another city that doesn´t have graffiti on all of the buildings. Virtually every surface of Oaxaca is covered with "Fuera Ulises!" We were actually able to see what a "normal" zocalo looks like without protestors, tents or barricades. The photo on the right was taken in Puebla´s centro.

Puebla is very historic and beautiful. One can find any number of things to do there. However, you are certain to find a ton of churches to visit during your stay because Cholula, a neighboring pueblo, boasts a hefty sum of 365! Saturday morning we visited this church, which rests atop one of the largest pyramids in the world. Apparently this pyramid´s size is comparable to those in Egypt. I had no idea! The climb to the top is rather steep (and the pyramid doesn´t really look like a pyramid in my opinion), but the trip up is completely worth it because the view is spectacular.

We also had time to visit the local mercado de artesanos, which was one of the highlights. You can find any number of things as you wind your way through three or four blocks of vendors selling everything from collector´s items to antiques of all kinds. Rosie and I met a really cool jewelry artisan from Belize named Joe. He and his "gal," as he referred to her, met there and began selling jewelry in other parts of Mexico. They recently relocated to Puebla and are planning to find other markets as well. They had a really cute puppy and very nice jewelry. I really like Puebla. The population is very eclectic because the community has a number of universities that bring in international students. Puebla also draws in a large population of individuals from parts of Europe and South America.

The photo on the right is of the huge cathedral located in the center of Puebla´s zocalo area. It was great to see this part of the city on a Sunday morning because everyone was out and about doing their shopping and preparing for the week. Rosie and I sat at a cafe located across from the church and watched as families hurried on their way to mass, children played in fountains and elderly men stood chatting about the latest news in the paper. Puebla was a much needed break from the chaotic state my city is in right now.

Santa Maria Cuquila

2006-10-29T11:50:00.000-06:00

This past month, I have been traveling weekly to complete interviews with various artisans from different pueblos in Oaxaca. One of my project assignments was to visit Santa Maria Cuquila to complete an interview with a traditional weaver and a ceramics artisan. Cuquila is famous for both of these traditional forms of artisanry. And up until very recently, these art forms served as a primary source of income for these individuals.

The artisans still use the traditional processes to weave and create pottery. Cuquila is one of the only pueblos in Oaxaca that has preserved the original ceramics making process that predates the Spanish conquest. Above is a photo of Sra. Marcaria. She only speaks Mixtec, so I had to have Emiliano (our host and a member of the Union of Community Museums committee) translate everything into Spanish. Marcaria was a very gracious hostess and took time to show us each step of the weaving process. Here she is beginning to form the hilo (skein of yarn) with the wool she collected and cleaned from one of the sheeps the family owns. She wears a huipil to help preserve this weaving tradition. Though she does not weave huipil, that form of artisanry is prevalent in other nearby pueblo communities. Huipiles are often worn for celebrations such as weddings, festivals or religious ceremonies.

My interview with Abraham, the ceramics artisan, was a little easier because we were able to converse directly in Spanish. He was also a wonderful host and took time to show us how to prepare the clay with renilla (a bonding agent collected from a specific type of rock in the region). He has been working with clay since he was a child and still spends a lot of time completing special orders for other community members and people who request products during the holidays.

Rosie, one of the newer ProMexico participants and my wonderful photographer, and I stayed in Cuquila for two days. I´ve become accustomed to sleeping in rather rustic accomodations during my pueblo visits, but this trip proved to be a very humbling experience. Emiliano was kind enough to host us for the evening and we were put up in his guest house, which is located a few miles outside of town in the mountains. Cuquila is very beautiful, but very hilly. And unfortunately earlier that afternoon, we had a terrible storm that lasted about four hours, leaving the streets flooded and everything soaking wet.

While our accomodations were very nice (we had a real bed and electricity), we did not have any running water and I´m pretty sure I saw a bat outside our door right before we had dinner. (Ask to hear my bat story sometime if you haven´t already heard it. I am very afraid of bats, even though I know they won´t harm me.) I shrieked when I saw that bat and Emiliano immediately built a fire outside our door after I explained what happened. He said the fire would ward off any other animals that might be nearby. Rosie and I were both thinking, "Oh dear God! What other animals could possibly be out here!?"

Our trip to the outhouse, located up the mountain to Emiliano´s house was quite an adventure because there are absolutely no lights what so ever and you can barely see your hand, let alone the latreen. So we lit a candle and proceeded to make the short climb up the hill to the latreen using its light and the light of our cell phones. The latreen was really clean and the next morning we discovered they had painted "Bienvenidos a Cuquila" on the front of the door in yellow paint, which I thought was really nice. Rosie and I have learned that baby wipes can be used for anything. We use them to wash our feet, which get dirty during our daily walks, especially in the pueblos. They are great for washing hands and faces, cleaning tables and counter tops and sanitizing somewhat questionable things. If you ever come to Mexico, I highly recommend baby wipes!

Our trip to Cuquila was very successful in terms of the work we accomplished for our artisan exhibit. We learned a lot about the different weaving and ceramics processes and also about the history of the community. Working here was a wonderful opportunity to put some of my anthropology skills to use. We also received a lesson in humility, which has made us even more grateful to the individuals generous enough to open their homes and kitchens to us as we do our work. A lot of the people in Oaxaca live daily without the luxury of running water or electricity. Simple tasks such as washing the dishes become very laborious because there is a constant struggle to conserve what little water there is. I have certainly had to step outside of my own comfort zone to accomplish some of my work here. Yet doing so has proved to be an incredibly rewarding and life enriching experience.

My Visit to México

2006-10-29T10:39:00.000-06:00

One of my goals during my stay in Oaxaca was to venture to other parts of Mexico. After talking to a few friends, I decided it would definitely be worth it to visit the D.F. and fortunately I had the opportunity to do so a few weekends ago because I was invited to Rachael´s brother´s wedding, who also happens to be a good friend of my family. I boarded the bus to Mexico early Thursday afternoon and was well on my way around 3:00. It took over an hour to simply get out of the center of the city, due to the numerous street barricades and insane amounts of traffic that have accrued as a result of no police presence here. The drive to Mexico from Oaxaca is really pretty. I passed through a number of mountains and valleys along the way. And the time passed rather quickly until we arrived on the outskirts of the city around 7:30 that evening. Once we reached the D.F., I felt like it took us almost two hours to get to Tasqueña, the bus station where I was to be picked up. I was so happy to arrive that evening. Not to mention I was starving!

I stayed at Marco´s apartment in Coyoacan, which is a historic neighborhood within the city. The area has a number of really interesting museums, restaurants, shops and a lovely park surrounded by numerous cafes and storefronts. The next day we ventured over to the Anthropology Museum and spent over three hours exploring the different exhibits. The museum is organized according to the various cultural regions in Mexico. We spent a lot of time looking at codices and Olmec ruins. The Olmec region is in Tabasco, which is where my familia Oaxaqueña is from. This is a photo of Marco beside an Olmec sculpture (they have the same shape nose).

The morning before the wedding, we decided to visit Frida Kahlo´s house, which is also located in Coyoacan. Her home houses a museum now and you can see a number of her paintings and belongings. There is a large garden area in back (pictured here). The museum is amazing and I highly recommend visiting if you ever have a chance to go to Mexico. It was really interesting to see the work she completed right before she died.

Around noon on Saturday, we drove up to the north side of the city for the wedding. The ceremony and reception took place in a garden just a few miles outside of the D.F. We left three hours early for the wedding because we thought we would have enough time to change prior to the ceremony. Traffic was really heavy that day and it took us all of that time to reach the location. So we ended up changing in the tiny bathroom of the ceremony site, which was rather comical because we rushed about only to find we were the first guests to arrive. About an hour after the wedding was supposed to start, guests began to filter in. The wedding party arrived all at once and the civil ceremony, which was very short, was followed by an elaborate celebration that involved the consumption of large quantities of mezcal and a LOT of dancing. Part of the groom´s family is from the Isthmus (a region south of Oaxaca). Traditionally women from the Isthmus wear very ornate wedding garb with ribbons in their hair. Pictured here is one of the cousins performing a traditional dance in which candy is thrown into the crowds. The dance serves as a means to wish the couple well, to ensure they have a sweet future together. They also perform a snake dance in which everyone participates and forms a huge congo line which is led by the newlyweds. The festivities lasted until two or three in the morning. I returned home on a bus the next day with 40 of Rachael´s nearest and dearest family members and friends, most of whom I got to know very well during our 8 hour drive.

Being a part of a family has given me the opportunity to do a lot of things I would not have had a chance to see or do otherwise. Witnessing a Mexican wedding ceremony and reception was quite an experience. Celebrations are strongly valued here and people enjoy having any excuse to throw a party or festival. To the left is a picture of Marco and me after we´d been dancing for what felt like hours. You can tell we were both kind of tired. After the wedding I retired my dancing shoes for about a week.

San Miguel Tequixtepec

2006-10-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

Last Monday Natalie and I had our first excursion to the small pueblo community San Miguel Tequixtepec, which lies three hours north of Oaxaca. We were sent to Tequixtepec to investigate the palm weaving process, which has been a popular artisan tradition for many generations. The majority of the members of this community weave sombreros, which for many years was a decent source of income. However, today women generally weave sombreros and other craft forms (see photo on left) as a supplementary form of income. The women´s group I interviewed on Monday meets weekly to complete special orders. However, more importantly weaving gives them a break from their family and home responsibilities, as well as an opportunity to socialize.

The weaving process, depending on the specific craft one chooses to make, takes days. Generally women gather palma or purchase palmitas (pieces of palma used for weaving) at the local market. Palma must be dried prior to weaving. This process can take up to eight days. Afterwards, artisans prepare the palma by dividing each part into equal pieces. Once this task has been completed, the weaving process can begin. It was amazing to watch the women work because they don´t look at their hands as they weave, yet their products are extremely well constructed and very ornate, which you can see from the above photo.

In terms of my museum work, it is hard to say if our photos from this pueblo will be incorporated into the museum exhibit. We had a miscommunication last week with Cuahtémoc, our coordinator, about the types of pictures we would be taking. One of the challenges I´ve experienced with my project has been trying to understand the vision of the anthropologists who are coordinating this exhibition. While we meet regularly to discuss the progress of our work, it seems communication is lacking in some areas, which has made it particularly difficult to accomplish interviews and picture taking when community members are unaware of what we need. Although we have had a few minor bumps in the road, I feel I have really benefitted from this experience because I´ve learned how to apply my training in anthropology to a real situation. I´m sure my description is a little vague right now. But I look forward to sharing more about my project once it has all come together.

Cooking in Oaxaca

2006-10-08T12:10:00.000-05:00

Over the past few weeks, I´ve had the opportunity how to prepare a few kinds of local foods. Each week my abuela gives me a short cooking lesson. So far I´ve learned how to make chocolate, guacamole, juevos con tortillas (one of my very favorite breakfasts), juevos Mexicanos, which have been appropriately named for the presence of red, white and green ingredients (tomato, onion and jalapeño) and flan napolitano, a delicious combination of flan, chocolate cake and fruit.

Yesterday afternoon, Natalie and I decided it would be nice to bake chocolate chip cookies for our families to show our appreciation for the numerous culinary lessons they have provided. So we walked over to Chedraui to buy ingredients. Chedraui is a huge grocery store that stocks food items from all over the world. Their candy aisle is quite impressive because one can buy all sorts of local and European chocolates. Having known this, we figured we would have absolutely no problem finding chispas de chocolate (chocolate chips), for our delicious creations that remind us of home. After searching the baking aisle, candy aisle and various cannisters holding large quantities of sprinkles, nuts and other types of food toppings, we realized our chispas de chocolate were nowhere to be found. Of course this wouldn´t prevent us from baking the famed chocolate chip cookies we were looking forward to sharing with our families. So we decided to buy three large bars of chocolate to cut into pieces as our substitute chispas.

Once we returned with our ingredients, Natalie´s family was eager to help us bake. So we proceeded to chop up the chocolate and prepare the cookie batter. When we got to the step where we needed to add the brown sugar, we realized the cookie batter somewhat resembled the consistency of bread dough. So we decided to add a little milk and a bit more flour in hopes of salvaging our soon to be delectable creations. As Natalie stirred in more ingredients, the batter became so thick she had to use her hands. We decided to proceed anyway and added the "chocolate chips" and a few M&M´s because after little Ruby ate about six pieces of chocolate, there really wasn´t much for the cookies.

When it came time to put the cookies in the stove, we realized no one in the family really new how the oven worked. The dial on the stove, which would typically have various degrees, simply had the numbers one through five. I assumed five was really hot, so we stuck the cookies in the oven on the third setting and waited a ridiculously long time for them to bake. As we checked periodically, Natalie and I realized our cookies were beginning to look like dinner rolls with brightly colored candy pieces. Because the cookies baked more like rolls, it took a long time for them to cook through. Natalie´s dad even recommended that we flip the cookies to ensure even cooking. After the first batch came out of the oven, we sampled our creations and sure enough, we had somehow managed to create chocolate stuffed dinner rolls.

These were the strangest cookies I´ve ever made in my life! I almost didn´t bring any home with me, but decided to share the product of my afternoon with my family, even if only for sheer comic relief. Surprisingly, my grandma thought the cookies were sabrosa (delicious)! And Marco, my brother, even claimed he would eat more at will.

Since I´ve been living here for a little over a month now, I´ve sampled a number of cookies de Oaxaca. And until yesterday´s revelation, I never really understood why most of them (even though shaped like cookies) generally taste like bread with sprinkles. I guess this goes to show, when in Oaxaca, do as the Oaxacans do-stick to bread!

San Agustin Etla

2006-09-30T18:30:00.000-05:00

This weekend´s group activity was a day trip to Etla, which is located just a few minutes outside of the city. Although Etla is famous for its traditional paper making, we spent the morning at the Contemporary Art Museum (see photo on the right). The museum houses two floors of paintings, sketches and photos, the majority of which are done by local artists. However, we also got to see the work of a few foreign photographers. The grounds of the museum are beautifully landscaped with fountains and flowers. It´s a great place to visit in the evening because there is a spectacular view the looks out over the city.
After the museum, we headed to one of the local balnearios (pools) called Vista Hermosa. This was the coolest pool I´ve ever been to in my entire life. And I don´t even like pools. Not only were there six different swimming areas, the compound also had a restaurant, water slides, a volley ball court, hammocks and most importantly, a GIANT trampoline. Here I am stuffing my face (as usual) with one of Oaxaca´s famous Tlayudas (imagine a giant tostada, only better).

Jumping on a giant trampoline is harder than it looks, especially if other people are bouncing in synchrony. As you can see from the picture below, I am still in need of a lot of practice. Perhaps I will have a chance to master the art of trampoline bouncing before I return home. We almost had a few near catastrophes, but for the most part quite an enjoyable time away from the noise and chaos that encompasses a typical Saturday in Oaxaca. Right before leaving, we took a few minutes to lounge in the hammocks and enjoy a lovely view looking out over the hills. Every now and then I have the opportunity to relax for a moment in one of these fine creations. Seeing hammocks on neighboring porches or in passing during my daily walks through the centro reminds me of how comfortable living here has become. I plan to bring one home as a reminder of the peace I have achieved by living in this amazing place.

San Martín Huamelulpan

2006-09-25T23:06:00.000-05:00

This weekend our group ventured to San Martín Huamelulpan, which is approximately 2.5 hours northwest of Oaxaca. We left the city bright and early on Saturday morning so we would have most of the day to explore the area and meet with some of the community members. Upon arrival, we were greeted by two women who were representatives of the community´s local museum. It was interesting to see how much of an impact our presence had on this little town. The population of San Martín is approximately 1600 individuals (if I remember correctly). However, upon entering the city, one would be inclined to believe there are fewer. Many of the homes stretch up into the surrounding hills, creating the illusion that there really isn´t a city at all. The environment there was a great contrast to the congestion and noise I´ve become accustomed to in the city. Although we only met a handfull of people, each person went to great lengths to show his or her hospitality, which was much appreciated.

We covered a lot of ground in a day and a half. By far, one of the most interesting experiences I had this weekend was my limpia from the local curandera. Limpia is a long standing healing tradition that is still prevalent in a number of communities and among many families today. Often children receive limpias when parents or family members suspect someone has given them mal ojo or (evil eye). Unlike in the United States, it is not acceptable to fawn over a pretty child or make comments to the parents about how adorable or cute he or she may be. People generally consider this a form of envy, which can be a hazard to the child´s health.

The limpia process is somewhat complex and I don´t understand all of the steps (especially since the curandera was whispering in Spanish). However, the process went something like this: While I was sitting in a chair with my eyes closed, the curandera took a free range chicken egg and doused it in mezcal, then proceeded to rub it all over my body. It is thought that the egg can pick up energy from each person, which then impacts the reading of the egg once it is cracked into a glass cup. Before the egg is cracked, a number of local herbs and healing plants were tied together and wiped all over the top of my head, arms, torso and legs. This step serves as the limpia, or cleaning. Afterward, I opened my eyes and watched as the curandera cracked the egg into the glass cup. She told me that I was sick because I walk in dirty streets every day and prescribed a mezcal steam bath to cure me of this affliction. When she cracked my egg, the yolk did not rise to the top, which is why I was told I was sick. My friend Rachael underwent the same process and had very different results. Her egg yolk rose to the top of the glass, indicating she was healthy. The curandera asked her if she had a relatively easy and clean walk every day and she responded that she indeed did. Where as I walk through the grimy part of town each day, in muddy streets and through broken sidewalks, Rachael supposedly has a much easier route.

Perhaps the curandera´s analyses of our broken eggs were metaphorical. I can´t really say, as she did not stay long enough for us to ask many questions. But regardless of what any of us believes about this experience, it was wonderfully insightful to undergo a different form of healing (especially one that is so strongly embedded within the culture).

If you are thinking, "This ritual must only be used by people who live in rural Mexico," that is definitely not the case. A number of people I have spoken to in the city either have experienced a limpia or know families who perform limpias to protect and heal their loved ones. Natalie lives with a family who regularly uses this tradition to predict whether their one and a half year old granddaughter has been receiving too much unwanted attention. Ruby, a particularly pretty little girl, often receives a lot of stares because she is very light skinned (this is a quality that is somewhat exotic in Oaxaca). Normally a very happy go lucky baby, when Ruby cries, her grandparents perform a limpia to calm her. Though I have not been there to witness the process, Natalie informs me that Ruby generally regresses back to her usual behavior after this is done. While I can´t explain how the limpia actually works or the impact it has, I can appreciate the history behind this healing ritual and respect the faith people have in this act.

Aside from my limpia, I also had a chance to visit some of the local archaelogical ruins. Much of San Martín Huamelulpan remains unearthed, as there are over 10,000 archaeological sites and not enough archaeologists or funding to complete all of the work. This photo was taken on the church grounds which are adjacent to a large set of ruins that were onced used by priests and nobles for religious rituals and gatherings.

Santo Domingo

2006-09-21T22:38:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Natalie, Agustin and I accompanied Cuahtemoc to Santo Domingo museum to visit our project site and learn more about the type of display we will be creating for December´s exhibition. Here we are standing in the gardens behind the museum.

The other photo on the right is of the actual space where our exhibit will be located. It´s nice and big. Right now they have a photo display of various communities surrounding the city. Stories about the every day lives and traditions of these people are revealed through a variety of brightly colored images.

The picture below was taken inside the upstairs courtyard area of the museum. I think Santo Domingo is quite possibly one of my favorite places in Oaxaca. The church located directly next door is equally, if not more impressive.

El Primer Dia de mi Proyecto

2006-09-18T23:01:00.000-05:00

This morning I started my project with a one hour drive at 7 am to a tiny town called San Magdalena Jaltepec. Cuahtemoc met Natalie and me at the bus station and drove us through the mountains to this tiny puebla which houses a very small community museum. We met with some of the local museum workers over a nice breakfast of hot chocolate and eggs and discussed the future of the museum community.

We are still in the very early planning stages for our own research. But we had a long conversation about palmas (palms), which are an important material source of income for many of the artisans in the community. The people in this town use palm leaves to construct ornate religious ornaments for festivals and celebrations, patetes (which are kind of like straw sleeping mats) and various other useful items that are sold to local citizens.

Currently, due to the lack of tourism and the increasing number of individuals who are immigrating to the U.S., the artisanry of many local towns is slowly beginning to decline. I have been reading a book about immigration trends in Mexico, specifically Oaxaca, that explains that a number of artisans are having to find work elsewhere to supplement their crafts because they are unable to attain a sustainable income through basket weaving or similar sorts of work simply because there is no longer a need in the community for such goods.

Part of my responsibility for our exhibition in Santo Domingo will be to research the history behind this tradition and the impact natural materials have had on shaping the cultural and economic identity of local communities here. It is not uncommon to visit a puebla and find that many artisans specialize in one specific sort of craft, such as alebrijes (see previous entry about Arrazola). The picture above was taken at the community museum this morning. You can see an ornately woven crucifix that has been constructed from palm leaves.

Tabasco

2006-09-18T22:24:00.000-05:00

I was warned by virtually everyone I told about my vacation that Tabasco is a very hot place to visit during the summer. So I prepared myself by packing the lightest clothing possible, sunglasses, bug spray, sunscreen and of course lots of water. I figured these essentials would be all I needed to get through a 5 day holiday with my family. Little did I know that this vacation would turn out to be one of the most memorable I´ve experienced yet!

The four of us piled into my mother´s jeep for what was supposed to be an 8 hour journey to Villa Hermosa. We had agreed to stop in Vera Cruz to collect some papers my Sra. needed for her accounting office and then had planned to head to El Gaucho for a nice lunch before finishing the last portion of our trip. Unfortunately, all did not go as planned and our little drive turned into a 14 hour haul in some of the hottest weather I have ever experienced in my entire life.

Tuesday evening, Gabriel, my cousin stayed in Oaxaca so he could drive us back to his hometown since we were staying with his family. My mother had assured me that they had just bought a brand new house with plenty of space to hold us all and of course they had clima (air conditioning), because who would live in Tabasco without it? (If you can imagine the hottest you have ever been, then multiply that times 10 and factor in an insane amount of humidity, you can relate.) Gabriel was doing a wonderful job of getting us there safely, despite the horrible conditions on the carretera (for those of you who live in Indy, the Mexican highway is not much better).

So we made our way approximately thirty miles and Gabriel decides to inform us that we do not have any gas and that he just passed a sign saying there will not be another gas station for 60 more miles. We clearly could not make it that far. So Gabriel decided to flag down a cab to go buy some gas so we could make it to our next stop. This was only a minor set back. And we arrived safely in Villa Hermosa around 10:15 in the evening. Upon entering the family´s house, I realized they had no air conditioning. Gabriel explained this was due to the fact that they had just recently moved and not transferred it yet. I slept directly in front of a fan that night in hopes of not dying of heat stroke in my sleep.

The next day, my family decided it would be nice if Gabriel played tour guide for the day. I agreed because I figured it would be good to get out of the non air conditioned house and explore a new state. He offered to take me to the museo, which I automatically assumed was indoors. So of course I was thrilled at the suggestion of spending the morning in air conditioning. After a quick drive through town, we arrived at a place that looked more like a park than a museum. I figured Gabriel would be accompanying me, but I think he was under the impression that he was just my taxi service for the day because as we pulled into the parking lot, he informed me that he had to go to work right away. I mildly protested, mostly because my mother threatened to never let me leave the house again if I go anywhere unaccompanied in Mexico. So he agreed that maybe I should wait a while until he got off work. He suggested I visit with his sister for a bit and she agreed to host me if I was willing to wait for her to get through her ''massage.'' I figured that wouldn´t take long and once she was finished we´d be on our merry way to the museum.

Gabriel dropped me off at the office where Claudia was getting her massage and I quickly realized this had nothing to do with muscle relaxation. When I walked in the door, I was greeted by woman who appeared to have a vacuum in her hand. That vacuum was actually one of those fat sucking devices that redistributes your cellulite to make you appear slimmer. When I sat down in the front office, the vacuum lady insisted I come sit with Claudia and her friend. So I not only got to see one but TWO girls get their fat sloshed around for an hour....yeah, weird.

I finally made it to the museum around lunch time and apparently there was a miscommunication some where because Gabriel took me to the zoo, which has no air conditioning. I was very hot and somewhat upset because hot weather makes me cranky and I don´t really like Mexican zoos I´ve decided because they have unfamiliar animals running around loose. Some creature that looked like a possum breeded with a skunk bolted toward me when I was walking down the middle of a path trying to look at Olmeca ruins. Here is a picture of me with an Olmecan grandma. She looks like she would´ve cooked well.

Aside from numerous adventures regarding lack of air conditioning, running out of gas on the carretera, not having running water for a day at my house (I showered at Gabriel´s office) and having wild animals bolting toward me, I can still say I had quite an enjoyable time in Tabasco. Villa Hermosa boasts some of the best horchata in Mexico. They also have pretty yummy seafood and beaches with warm water, which is a luxury when you live in the northern suburbs of Chicago. I got to share in a very lively celebration for Independencia, which was held at our house. Our fiesta involved a lot of food, music and dancing. I learned how to salsa and that Mexico is certainly the place to go if you like to party. They even have a verb devoted solely to the act - festejar. I would definitely recommend visiting Tabasco. However, if you don´t enjoy living in ovens, wait until the dead of winter.

My Project

2006-09-12T16:15:00.000-05:00

This afternoon after Spanish classes, Natlie, Agustin (one of the ProMexico coordinators) and I met with Cuahtemoc, one of the anthropologists who runs the Union of Community Museums here in Oaxaca. He explained in further detail what we will be doing for our project and it turns out we are going to have the opportunity to work together.

Our project involves a series of activities. We will be researching various artisan communities in the area to learn about the history and process behind creating numerous local crafts. I will be interviewing artisans and other community members and taking pictures, while Natalie reproduces some of the art forms for an upcoming exhibition that will be displayed at the museum at Santo Domingo in the center of the city this December.

I will also be involved in facilitating a number of discussions in various pueblos. The exhibition is going to revolve around the idea of "community" in these towns and citizens will contribute their input so we can create a timeline of how things were in comparison to how things are. The communities will discuss different topics such as the transitions that have taken place surrounding health care, the economy, local governing organizations and religious and cultural traditions. All of this information will be shared through the exhibit that Natalie and I help create at the museum.

I am very excited because we are going to have the opportunity to interact with a number of local artisans, museum staff, community members/leaders, as well as members of the Union of Community Museums and INAH (a local organization that has control over the archaeological and anthropological sites in Oaxaca). We will visit at least two of the four communities that are participating in this exhibition. And Natalie will be creating a series of murals with the children from three of the areas. These paintings will also be circulated through the community museums.

When I return from my trip to Villa Hermosa, Natalie and I will meet with the other anthropologist, Teresa Morales, on Monday to begin planning the rest of our project. I will try to send some pictures of the communities I visit in the near future. Agustin has promised to send me photos of the exhibit in December so we can share the finished product!

Mi Casa

2006-09-08T17:30:00.000-05:00

My house is located in the southern part of downtown Oaxaca. I live in colonia San Jose la Noria, which is a very quaint and friendly area that I´ve come to enjoy since my recent move. I´ve already befriended the girl in the lavanderia (laundermat). Her name is Judi. It´s very interesting. If you talk to people for long enough, you come to find they do numerous other forms of business on top of their regular jobs. Judi sells jewelry and I just found out today that my Spanish teacher Hector can make purses out of plastic table cloths. I´ve also gotten to know Lillian. She runs the local internet cafe and can speak English, which comes in handy when I´m having technical difficulties (which is often).

The photo above is the entrance and garden area. All of the house is very open and breezy. My Sra. works out of her home and has a large office that staffs about five. There are always people coming in and out. Last night a family friend came to visit and he recounted the entire history of the Aztecs, Mixtecs, Zapotecs, Toltecs & Olmecs. This took a very long time as you can imagine. And he spoke in animated Spanish for about an hour. But I´d be happy to retell this lesson in English if you´re interested. I doubt I´ll ever forget. He´s also promised to bring me a book that discusses the history of man in Mexico from an anthropological perspective. Apparently it´s three volumes. I doubt I´ll need to buy any other form of reading while I´m here.

This picture on the right is of the front of my house. My bedroom window (the large triangular one on the top floor) looks out over the street. I have rooftop access and an amazing view of the mountains and the city on clear days. I plan to take pictures of my homestay family very soon. I really like my Sra. and abuela a lot. Both of them go out of their way to help me when ever they can. It has certainly made my transition into life in Oaxaca a lot easier!

The Sounds of Oaxaca

2006-09-08T17:08:00.000-05:00

After living in Oaxaca for shortly over a week, I´ve come to discover there are numerous sounds that indicate important opportunities or events that are going to take place in the very near future. For instance, people who drive in the city fail to use any of the signs or stop lights that still function perfectly well. Signs have absolutely no significance. And stop lights simply mean pause. When drivers beep their horn it means you have literally a split second to get out of the way before they run you over. At every intersection it´s very important to be cognizant of the sound of motor bikes. These guys don´t stop for anyone. And they tend to behave as if the entire "centro" was their race course. All of this leads to extremely exciting ventures every time I leave my house.

Virtually everyone buys water from the "water man" who peddles down the street every day on his tricycle hollering at the top of his lungs "Agua, agua, agua!" When I first arrived in the neighborhood, I had yet to understand the sounds of the city and could not for the life of me figure out why this person kept coming by my house every day yelling for someone. I was later informed that it´s simply the water man.

Aside from the numerous roof dwelling dogs that bark at me on my way to school every day, I am also fortunate enough to be graced by the presence of a very loud rooster who lives in San Jose la Noria (my colonia). This rooster never sleeps and can be heard at all hours of the day, like this morning at 6:00 am for instance. I guess it´s his job. On top of the rooster, I also have my very own parakeet named Quicho. The first day I had moved in, I came to discover he likes to cat call passers by by whistling at them. He also has a very colorful vocabulary of swear words he likes to use. (I´m pretty sure my abuela taught him.)

All of these sounds have opened my eyes to the colorful culture that exists in Oaxaca. However, my very favorite sound by far is the gasoline truck that drives through the streets every day blaring a noise that sounds distinctly like a distressed cow. I´m sure I will come to recognize other sounds throughout my stay. Apparently the locals are able to recognize which people sell the best baked goods by the songs they play from their little vehicles as they pass through the neighborhood.

El Tule

2006-09-05T19:16:00.000-05:00

Aside from meeting my lovely host family, I think the highlight of my weekend was having the opportunity to go to Tule to visit the huge tree there. This was the first activity I did with Sra. Mireya and Abuela Semiramis after we had a nice lunch at El Milenario. I´ve already had an opportunity to try three different moles. I´ve decided I don´t like the green one all that much.

Here´s a picture of the huge tree. If you look carefully, in certain parts you can see different animal figures. Sra. Mireya told me there´s a lion, deer and elephant. I also got to witness a funeral the first day I was with my family. In Mexico, there are grand processions with mariachis and a parade to the cemetery. I already have so much supplemental material for more research regarding Day of the Dead. It´s been fun to get a local perspective on death rituals and the upcoming holiday in November. I´m sure I will be describing all of this more in the coming months.

Amigos del Sol

2006-09-05T19:01:00.000-05:00

I started my Spanish courses at Amigos del Sol Escuela de Español this past Monday. My friend Natalie and I are in the same classes. It´s been very nice to have individualized attention to our grammar and language practice since there are only two of us. Today we visited the cemetery located near our school. This is a picture of what the cemeteries look like in Oaxaca. You can imagine how happy I was to actually see a Mexican cemetery in person after doing a year of research about funeral rituals, Day of the Dead and the distinction between cemeteries in the states and those in Mexico.

This afternoon I had a discussion with my program coordinator Augustin. He told me that I´m going to have the opportunity to visit other communities in Oaxaca during the week. Natalie and I will be visiting one of the towns by bus every few days to work on a new exhibit that is going to displayed in December. I will have more details to share regarding my project in the coming days. I will be meeting with my ¨boss,¨ Teresa Morales and her husband Cuahtemoc in a few days to share my ideas about what I would like to do and how I think I can help.

The First Weekend

2006-09-03T13:29:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! This is my first post since I've arrived in Oaxaca and I am so happy to finally be here! I've been planning this trip for months! Oaxaca is very temperate and beautiful.

We visited Monte Alban that morning. This is a protected Zapotec ruins archaeological site. The majority of the land has not been excavated. However, there have been substantial efforts made by the U.S. and Mexican governments to protect this region/site. Today we hiked at El Fortin, which has been somewhat damaged from the social unrest in Oaxaca.

I actually witnessed the Mega Marcha from the rooftop of the ProMexico office on Friday. There were approximately 30,000 - 50,000 marchers in the streets of Oaxaca protesting the governor. It's been really interesting to be down here at such an important time for the area. The community is on the verge of undergoing a number of very serious changes that will impact not only how they are governed but also their economic stability. It is very apparent that the striking has had a severe impact on the local economy. None of the restaurants, bars and clubs are open very late and we are typically the only group of individuals frequenting these areas, along with a small number of other tourists.

I'm meeting my host family in a half hour, which I'm very excited about. I will actually be starting my project with the Union de Museos Comunitarios at the end of the week. Cheers!

My Project~

2006-08-30T13:50:00.000-05:00

Today I received additional information about some of the volunteer opportunities I will have while I am in Oaxaca. Two specific projects I will most likely be a part of are working in the Mixteca in the town of Santa Magdalena Jaltepec and helping them as they work on expanding their small community museum. This will involve setting up a large artisan exhibition from the 17 villages that will be on display in the Centro Cultural Santo Domingo in December. I may also have a chance to help work on writing the grant proposal for the town of Santa Maria Cuquila to build tourist cabins in their community. Both of these activities are a part of a larger community organization called the Union de Museos Comunitarios (Union of Community Museums).

My Homestay ~

2006-08-30T13:16:00.000-05:00

Here is the summary I received from ProMexico:

"The Revilla Pulido family has been hosting international students for several years and enjoys meeting people with different backgrounds and the intercultural exchanges that result. Mireya, the mother, is a widow who works from home (she is an accountant). She lives with her mother (abuelita Semiramis) in a nice home 20 minutes walking from the city center. Her son, Marco Antonio, studies in Mexico City but occasionally visits. This is a lively household with Mireya's work staff, miscellaneous family members and even a cat and parakeet all coming in and out."

About Me ~

2006-04-16T19:43:00.000-05:00

I recently graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis. At the start of my college career, I was certain I wanted to do medicine. But, like many students, my interests quickly changed and I enthusiastically decided Cultural Anthropology was more my cup of tea. I am thrilled with this decision because I have been able to pursue all of my interests under one concentration, namely Medical Anthropology, Religion and Latin American Studies.

I am currently working for the Lake County Literacy Program as a child educator for two initiatives in the area. I teach two classes of preschool aged children three times a week. I have to admit, I was fairly intimidated at first. However, I love the surprises that each class brings. This summer I will continue to teach one of the programs and will look forward to being a student again as I polish up my Spanish speaking skills in preparation for my trip.

I am also in the researching stages of graduate school preparations. Ideally, I would like to be enrolled in a program by fall 2007. I plan to continue pursuing my interests in Cultural Anthropology.

WHY I am Volunteering in Oaxaca ~

2006-04-16T18:53:00.000-05:00

Because I chose to double major, I was unable to study abroad due to constraints in my course work. After graduation, I realized how important it was for me to have the opportunity to experience every day life in another country. I researched various programs, including the Peace Corps. Ultimately, I decided I did not want to commit to a two year project because I am eager to begin my graduate training. Participating in this nine week program, will enable me to not only have the experience I am looking for, but also become involved in a community that can benefit from my contributions.

I have specifically chosen to volunteer in Oaxaca because the educational background and interests I have regarding Cultural Anthropology and the celebration of Day of the Dead are conducive to working in this area. Oaxaca has been recognized for its excellent archaeological areas. Additionally, it is surrounded by communities known for their tremendously rich cultural diversity. Oaxaca is one of the most ethnically diverse in all of the 31 states of Mexico. I am very excited to have the opportunity to experience the celebration of Day of the Dead in a state that still upholds the traditions of long ago. Witnessing all of the preparations and activities surrounding this holiday will be tremendously beneficial as I continue my research.

Most importantly, Oaxaca is one of the poorest states in Mexico. More than a third of the population lives on less than three dollars per day. Because Oaxaca lacks economic stability, its citizens are faced with a continuous struggle against poverty. They are unable to afford adequate health care and educational programs, thus increasing the likelihood of the cycle to progress. I am hoping to contribute to the community in any way I can. While I am very excited about this wonderfully beneficial learning experience, I continue to stay mindful of the fact that my main objective is to serve those who are in need.

Please Click Here to Donate ~

2006-04-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

http://www.proworldsc.org/1pw_2aboutus_5fund.htm

*Please note, all donations to be credited
towards my program fees need to be
received prior to August 1, 2006.

Donations by Check ~

Please make sure that all checks are made out to "ProWorld Fund."
My name should be printed in the memo section of the check to ensure your gift goes toward my project.