The Pear-Shaped Pete

regarding yom kippur

i will confess something.  i am currently obsessed with lent/yom kippur/fasting.  i saw some profound fotos in time magazine of all places.  there was a food issue months ago. i am obsessed with food. 

but i won´t talk about it, i will just tell you about these fotos.  there were five i think in all, each of a family in their living room with all the food they would eat for a week in front of them.  one japanese, german, sudanese, american and mexican family.  with where their food budget goes, and how much is spent in total each week written up.

i´m not advocating a subsistence diet here, but the foto of the sudanese family, one widow and her five children, in front of their refugee tent in chad, with a blanket spread on the ground.  on top: one sack of rice from the UN, one sack of beans from the UN, and seven or eight tiny paper bags with what i presume to be spices.

the other fotos were pretty typical for the countries, lots of processed food for the americans, bottled water for the germans, coke and fruit for the mexicans, and seaweed and rice derivatives for the japanese. 

i´m not even talking about the $$s spent, but the food consumed.  it really said something to me, that people can be so entirely ignorant not only of where their food comes from but how much they eat unnecessarily, how much they demand/expect to have available.

i love food, i can´t explain that to anyone, i would happily have a restaurant (and accompanying garden) and feed people for free just to see people eating good food, enjoying themselves, reconnecting with the ground beneath their feet, strengthening community, and securing local autonomy.  or give food away so that people can taste what food should be like that comes from the soil that they walk on daily.  or grow this food to have for myself and LJT and to give away.

ummm.  i´m not supposed to be talking about food (it is a dangerous topic for me - i can be quite unwavering, adamant, fascist et cetera about the whole thing).

plus just coming back and forth from mexico to canada, i want to live my conviction that this is a country of wealth and abundance (and incredible entitlement and consumption) and we need to change things for others who don´t have what we do (including those here in this country).

so i figure 40 days of lent, or periodic fasting, or something is a good way to emphasize this.  i haven´t found a way to reduce my food purchases to rice and beans - frankly i don´t think it is necessary or desireable - but do we need to eat so ridiculously all the time??

where am i going with all this??  i don´t know.  every once in a while i consider putting LJT and i through lent, and also observe the food restrictions (i am a catholic at heart) just to emphasize how good we have it, how much we have to be thankful for, and how much more good work there is to be done. 

i wish that i had a religious-free method to use to ground my convictions and ideals, but i have yet to find one.  suggestions are welcome.  and detoxifying is not the same thing.  the focus needs to be on others, not ourselves. to recognize the wrongs done to others by all of us and to work towards a reconciliation. and with the sublime?

foto from: Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio

sweetness

three years ago we were living in a place called bee river, on the cobequid basin in novascotia.  we were living in the "old cabin" that our friend built before he built the passive solar adobe house that he lives in now.  it was pretty crazy, it needed insulation, but there was never enough time or money to get to it.  we put a little stove inside though to keep off the cold when the autumn hit.  we didnt´stay long enough for winter, although i often wish we did.

there we had a dairy goat, meat rabbits, chickens, turkeys, an apple orchard, 3 bee hives, a huge vegetable garden, a sauna beside the pond, hiking trails through the 80 acres of forest, chanterelle harvesting, swimming in the bay . . . oh damn i´m going to make myself cry i love that coast so much.

we would get woofers through to help out, although most were a royal pain in the ass until ben came to us.  he wasn´t intentionally woofing, he was travelling through eastern canada having done western the summer before.  but he liked our spot and decided to stay for a week or two.  ben was from isreal, after his mandatory military service he scadaddled over here to see what canada was like, i guess this is a popular destination for post-army isrealis. 

ben was awesome, ´cause he could use all his training and do useful things around the farm for us, he radically changed the goat pen design and finished it for us, went and threw straw when we had to pick up the bales for the strawbale studio we were to build.  really enjoyed walking through the woods and was extremely interesting to talk to.

one morning he came to me and asked if he could prepare a dinner for us.  he said that coming to bee river was opportune for him travelling in a mainly secular/christian country.  and that as it was new year for him he wanted to make a special dinner for his hosts to celebrate rosh hashana.

he had the run of whatever groceries we had in the house.  i remember he made a couscous, date, almond and orange dish (that i still make thinking of him) and some fresh veggies.  and then after we ate he went into the orchard.  the apples were still not quite ready to pick (although we were eating them whenever we were out working and passed a tree).  he brought a few back, and with the honey from the summer before we sat and ate apple slices dipped in honey talking. 

ben told us that apple and honey was to let us wish for a sweet new year and that we should think of things that we want for the year to come.

how was he to know that when he set off down our highway he would come to us and find the only apples being grown in that part of nova scotia and the only honey too??

la guelaguetza oficial

a new video has come into my sphere of reference.  as rumoured the governor of oaxaca, ulises ruiz paid people to attend the official production.  i can't remember the numbers but most of the seats for the guelaguetza are free on a first come basis.  then the 200 pesos notes began to be handed out, during the performance.

que fracaso.  the rest of the spectators apparently were policia and family, uro supporters, and priistas, most of whom received free tickets to go. to put it in context, 200 pesos is half a month's rent for most people.  there was also rumour of bus-loads of children from the sierra beign brought in (and then presumably being given money to attend).

The fool clapping off-time is URO, beside him is his wife.  later i will upload an amusing foto of URO on vacation during easter.

from mal de ojo:

OAXACA_SorJuana-Guelaguetza-03VIII07.mp4

2o Lunes del Cerro

Hace unos días que chema me mandó las fotos del guelaguetza.  ¿su comentario? fue padre.  sin crítica nada más.  no he ido entonces no puedo pláticar del tema, pero les presento sus fotos aquí para su placer.

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For english readers,  last week chema sent me his fotos of his experience at the guelaguetza.  i asked how it was, he said "very cool".  and that was all.  i have never been so i can´t comment.  however, for your enjoyment, here they are.

Wedding in Teotitlan - 2

We all woke up late on sunday, even LJT.  Mica, Eunice and i went with the kids down to the market to pick up some chivo for breakfast.  leaving the house without anything in my stomach - not even coffee - was a little difficult, and as the day progressed it became increasingly evident that i hadn't had enough water to drink before going to bed the night before.  that tequila is dangerous stuff.

after eating almuerzo (chivo, tortillas de mano 1/4" thick, cheese, coffee, sweetbread, buñuelos with miel, and fruit) Don Bardo asked if i wanted to go up and pick limones from his trees.  we climbed up the stairs (angeles, he and i) to the second floor and then scooted across a rough and slippery slope up to where 8 or so limoneros were growing.  we filled buckets with the little limes, occasionally pricking ourselves on the spines.  Teotitlan is a major fruit growing area, along with limes they also grow mandarinas, papaya, mango, coco, pina, and bananas.  i returned downstairs with LJT (who had climbed up with pavel looking for me) and angeles. 

we were just getting moving along to go out and visit, (and LJT had been disciplined sharply by Dona Mari for not obeying her) when we heard a crash.  from downstairs we could see a big dent in the corregated roof of the car park, and we heard Pilar scream "se cayo mi papa!"  Don Bardo got himself dizzy being out in the sun and missed a step coming back down.  Mica, Pilar, their tio Oscar and i ran up and carried don Bardo back downstairs.  his shirt was covered in blood, it dripped all the way downstairs, coming from his head.  we sat him down and cleaned him up with water, alcohol and coffee.  Pilar was hysterical, so i sat her down and let her cry for a few minutes, Angeles too wasn't looking very well so i left the two of them to hug and went with Mica to find some tequila for Pilar and don Bardo to drink.  eventually it calmed down, Pavel, LJT and i went back up to gather up the limones that had fallen and to sweep up the stairs so that they weren't so slippery.

ay, it was very surreal.  but Don Bardo was up after an hour or so, he is a very strong man.

Doña Mari told me about her dog.  She had a english sheep dog that was stolen.  So she told her daughter to bring her the ugliest dog that she could find so that it wouldn't get stolen.  One day her grandson came with a little puppy, Dona mari said to him "it looks like a little canut (a flacid roll of string)" her grandson said, "well you wanted an ugly dog".  so his name is Canutito.

when all was well, Mica, eunice and i took the kids off to San Martin Toxpalan to see an alebrije maker, the workshop that Mica knew was closed, but we found another artist.  He closed his butcher shop to take us to his house and show us what pieces he had ready.  not many as he had just sold an order and many were curing in the sun.  LJT rode bikes with the artist's kids.

Then we went back to say goodbye to Bardo's sister Susana who piled a TV box full of chico zapotes for us to bring back, and then to Bardo's brother Osmin to say goodbye and to cure our mareada with some crema de mescal.

we headed out around 3:30 taking the carretera federal back to oaxaca.  by this time i realized that LJT was definately sick with a cold, so Angeles went with her aunt so that there would be no fighting on the ride home.  He slept for most of the trip.  We stopped about an hour from oaxaca at a little pueblo called Santiago Nacaltepec to eat high up in the sierra norte, the restaurant was called Restaurante "el rosario".  we got out of the car, all of us very hungry wearing t-shirts and sandals, to discover that it was about 5 degrees out and everyone else was well wrapped in shawls and parkas.  we greedily gobbled hot beans, hot tortillas, grilled tasajo and salsa, with sweet cafe de olla and tried not to think of the cold.  LJT played with a little boy.  we used the outhouse, washed our hands in frigid water and then scuttled back to the car to turn on the heater.  Eunice said it was the first time in 5 years she had to use it.

we flew down the mountain from there and soon we could see the citylights in the distance. As we approached Telixtlahuaca we could see it's church lit up with lights while all around was dark.  further ahead we saw cohetes in the sky, as well as la luna creciente, a tiny sliver after the night before's dark moon, hanging in the sky with a star placed above.

Arrived in huayapam around 8:30 making the trip back around 5 hours.  beautiful scenery, but a long time to be in the car when we were all eager to get home. 

Wedding in Teotitlan

On saturday LJT and i rushed and got ourselves ready at an ungodly early hour.  well not that early, but it certainly felt that way, after sleeping in too long, and then wrestling with a stubborn individual about everything: dressing, eating, toys to bring, and jsut about everything else possible.  We loaded ourselves into Eunice's car and headed off to Huayapam to pick up the folks there.  Mid-journey Pilar called to ask just where we were as we were running about 45 minutes late.

We left huayapam at 8:53am, about an hour and a half later than we intended to leave.  Pilar drove ahead with Pavel so that we could follow - which did us no good as Eunice drove faster than she did so we got ahead and then lost.  Anyway, Mica and Angeles came with us, Bardo was called to work - i'm not really sure why - and ended up missing the trip entirely.

We chose to take the supercarretera up to Tehuacan and then back around through Puebla into Oaxaca again - Teotitlan del Camino - or de Flores Magon depending on who is speaking when - is on the border.  We left the carretera at Miuhuatlan, then drove around confusedly through san sebastian until we found the carretera federal.  We drove through Coxcatlan, the birthplace of corn before entering back into Oaxaca.

When we got to Bardo's parent's house we were served a delicious lunch of Pollo con Almendras (chicken with almonds), his mother, Doña Mari sat me down later and gave me a number of her recipes.  LJT was plenty berrinchado as they say here.  He and Angeles fought the whole trip in the car and it didnt' get any better once we arrived.  LJT was too tired to eat much beyond a tortilla and too tired to calm down.  Once we got him into the laundry sink for a bath he was happy.  The neighbour was a rental hall which had been rented for a different wedding.  the base was up so high the earth was trembling.  so from the moment we arrived (noonish) to our wedding we essentially were at another one.  we actually did more dancing at the Nieto Rodriguez home than at the wedding.

We napped what we could with all the noise, actually LJT did quite well.  then prepared ourselves to go to the misa at 7pm.  pretty quickly Pilar decided that she didnt' want to go to the church as it would be boring, so she began to wash her car.  We broke into the case of tequila that we had brought for the novios and danced all dressed-up until we thought we should try to get to the party.

the party was at the municipal market, but it hadn't started when we got there, so we went over to the church to see how it was going and arrived in time to through carnation petals at the novia when she left the church.

When we went back to the market for the party we waited another hour or so until the music started and the food was served.  I'm going to make my millions here in mexico catering for large mid-price weddings.  the food was, quite simply, shit.  and served badly.  and scarce.  ah well, we still had our tequila and then a bottle of brandy and then the wedding festivities: el vibora de la mar, throwing the bouquet, tie, garter, groom.  taking his shoes and socks off, putting them back on, the first dance.  then we could dance.  by this time LJT was asleep (as was Angeles), Pavel had his head on the table.  we got three dances in (well i didn't i got one in before LJT woke up on Bardo's sister Susana's lap screaming for me.  we went home around 1am.  and crashed.  well all but Don Bardo, he would have been happy to keep the party going, but the rest of us disuaded him.

to be continued . . .

2006/2007

¡Feliz y Prospero Año desde Puerto Escondido!

We'll post more when we return to the fresh air and staidness of oaxaca.

Noche de Rabanos

Last night we let LJT have a long nap to give him lots of energy.  About 7:30 we headed up to the zocalo to see the festivities.  as we were walking up bustamente we passed people eating elotes and algodon and carrying balloons, flowers and sparklers, there was also an increased police presence.  About half a block from the zocalo the line started.  I chose not to put us in the line and hoped that we would be able to see the radishes anyway. 

We stopped for LJT to eat an elote and to get ourselves sorted before making the tour around the zocalo.  Even I (being tall) found it difficult to see the radishes well, although i did get some fotos, but i missed a lot, and EB didn't even bother trying to see, but then he hates crowds.  It would be worthwhile going with friends and braving the line together another year. Nonetheless, the radish sculptures were amazing, some were incredibly imaginative while others seemed to work on a theme from previous years.  there were a lot of santo domingo reproductions.  My favourites were the carniceria stand from the 20 de Noviembre market, the mezcal harvesting/production, and the indigenous woman carrying her burden.

The Spanish first brought radishes to Mexico in the 16th century.  The Dominican friars developed vegetable gardens for the young community of Antequera (Oaxaca).  The story is that two Spanish friars encouraged the Zapotec from the area surrounding Oaxaca to cultivate produce in the lowlands, irrigated by the Atoyac River. One of the monks suggested that the farmers carve the radishes into imaginative shapes. This would entice people to visit the market  and buy the produce. The tradition of displaying carved radishes may have originated in the Christmas Vigil market held on the 23rd of December.

2006 marks the 107th year of this festival, making this one of Mexico's most oldest fairs. Today, the radishes are cultivated next to the airport. The harvest takes place on December 18th and the radishes are delivered to the artisans, who have five days to produce their complex figures.             

Some of the radishes can grow to 50 centimeters in length. These giant vegetables are heavily fertilized, treated with chemicals and are not for consumption.             

In addition to the displays of radishes, artisans compete in two other categories, using dried flowers (flor inmortal) and corn husks (totomoxtle). The grand prize in the carved radish competition is $12,000 pesos.     (Thanks to Planeta for the explination)

We miraculously ran into Eunice, given how many people were wandering around i didn't think that would be possible (but we did run into a number of people we knew).  So after buying some popcorn for LJT we went and got some chocolate and cake at el Importador, by some miracle there was a table waiting for us.  We sat and listened to the bad Trova duo and watched the crowds walk past, women selling flowers, luces (sparklers), balloons, and the usual tourist stuff.  The tourists are definitely back in Oaxaca especially last night.

After our cena we wandered over in front of la catedral to buy a long balloon for LJT and to wait for the fireworks.  we were in good time because we didn't wait long.  LJT met a little girl who gave him a pink rubbery flashing toy and tried to pick him up (a reversal from the usual). 

The fireworks show was very special for me.  LJT had really not seen any fireworks before and to be able to stand 20 metres from them made them particularly amazing.  Our fotos cannot show the impact of twirling lights and smoke so large and close.  Halfway through the show the fireworks set up at the top of la catedral were lit and a gorgeous cascade of white lights fell down the sides of the church.  It lasted for many minutes and was unlike anything i'd ever seen.  My favourite is being able to stand directly underneath the large fireworks as they explode overhead.  We stood under the trees surrounded by thousands of people and watched the colours burst into the sky.

La Virgen de Guadalupe

tonight  went up to el llano park for la virgen de guadalupe celebrations.  i should have gone earlier to get photos of the devout waiting in line to touch la virgen and light a candle and leave flowers. 

however, i waited until after LJT's nap and then took both him and fernanda up.  ugh.  it was fantastic i had a great time, however it was full of people. 

the park was surrounded with vendors selling pirated cds, jewellery, food (tlayudas, elotes, tacos, memelas, tamales, et cetera), fair games (knock over the pins and win something), carnaval rides (LJT and f went on two). 

there is a giant xmas tree there too like in the zocalo, and of course the huge fountains.  the kids had a blast.  came home tired and emotionally drained.  on the way back we were stuck in the procession to the cathedral: flowers, a band, a float, flaming torches, singing, giant puppets.  we got onto a tourbus full of oaxaquenos from out of town coming in for the festival.  we were tired from walking and so they offered a ride into the centre.  the kids got wired so thankfully we arrived near our home juat as i was starting to get dirty looks.  was a great night.

we ran into gerardo and his mother (socorro) while we were at el llano.  i think they thought i was crazy to have brought the two kids by myself. 

telephones and virgins

As we have no telephone it is very quiet around here.  Yesterday, however a woman gave LJT a toy cellular.  He's quite taken with it. 

This morning he called grandma to see how she was.  Apparently she was out for breakfast and was having bacon, sausage and tomatoes.  She didn't want to talk to me.

LJT and I are off out of town for the morning to do what i don't know.  Maybe a hike. 

Today is el dia de la Virgen de Juchila.  Our landlords/neighbours have a huge party planned for tonight, and so it begins.  a month of little sleep but lots of late night fiestas, music and food. 

Last night I helped to put the altar up out in our patio.  Los muchachos who are always here strung up lights and palm branches, Tere and I arranged the flowers and put la Virgen up on the altar.  Un Trio will play tonight after the seven o'clock mass, during LJT's nap I will help Tere make the ponche and the pozole for the dinner.  They expect over a hundred people.