Dia del Nino

Today is the Dia del Nino (Day of the Child) here in Mexico and it is a holiday that honors all the children...quite a different attitude from the US where people joke that every day is kid's day so why do anything special for them? All the schools in the area have parties during the day and parents give presents to their children. Luckily, our kids gave us a free pass today since we aren't familiar with these Mexican customs. We told them they could choose something small in one of the markets as their child's day gift and they were quite happy with that proposition.

I did go to school today and serve the kids lunch. Every Friday one or two parents do this and the money collected from lunch is donated to the school for field trips and extras. I tagged team with a Mexican woman who's grandchild is at the Waldorf school. Our lunch menu was pasta with homemade sauce, fresh baked rolls, apples, oranges, lemonade, and chocolate cake. The students really enjoyed it and it was fun to serve them all. I love the mix of English and Spanish that we all used to communicate...kids are so open to trying to speak another language. I don't often go out to the school since it is about 20 minutes outside of town and we don't have a car here. So, my kids were extremely happy that Mom could come again to their school. Even Owen hugged and kissed me and then waved goodbye at the end. No more tears for him at school...yeah!

Last night was a full moon and this morning when I got up the moon was still full but the rising sun was creating beautiful colors of pink in the sky. I only have a point and shoot camera, but you can get the idea!

Dance Festival

Today there was a dance festival located at Plaza Civica. It was after school, so we took the kids and went downtown to see what is was all about. As usual, the stage was just being set up when we Americans arrived. Yes, we still think things should start when they are advertised... perhaps by the end of our trip we will learn that Mexican time means about 30 minutes to 1 hour later. Kids were promised ice cream (one of our regular stops around here) so we hit a good ice cream place at the jardin. I tasted chili ice cream, but decided it was definitely not my favorite and went for my old standby - lime! Yummy.

We went back to the dance stage and watched a neat performance. Kids, adults, and elders all did different dances. Some salsa, sensual tango, group dances, modern dance, you name it.

Alex decided to climb a tree to get a better view and ended up getting stuck. So typical! Luckily, Charles could help him down as he was way too high up for me. Did we see any other Mexican children climbing trees? Of course not, only mine.

Owen watched the dancers for a while, but then found a woman selling bubbles. She would dip her wand that she made into a bubble mixture (that she also made) and then the kids would run through them. Owen had a bit of fun running and catching the bubbles with a few other Mexican children. Nothing like bubbles to cross over the language barrier for kids. I ended up buying Owen some bubbles and he happily carried his wand (he called it his magic wand) and bubbles all the way home (takes us about 20 minutes from there to walk home).

Then a woman who cooks for us twice a week had made us chili rellenos which were waiting for us on the stove. Delicious!

Indigenous Masks and Mexican Stereotypes

We found a jewel of a place today!. W visited Casa de la Cuesta which is a bed and breakfast that also is home to a large collection of masks from all over Mexico. What started as a gift of one mask has turned into a collection of over 500 masks from villages all over Mexico. The collection has grown so large that they have taken over a whole new building for their collection. Descriptions of the masks in English and Spanish were so helpful in understanding the purpose of each mask and how it was (or is) used.

Masks are part of every festival here in Mexico and are an integral part of the culture for many people living here. Indigenous tribes first created masks and later the Spanish conquerors used masks to further Christianity. Masks were created for many reasons:

• Religious: Usually these masks were done to honor the gods. There is a god for absolutely everything here. Examples: corn, pineapple, coffee, peanut...you name it.
• Agricultural: Masks were created to pray to a god to bring rain, a good harvest, better weather, etc.
• Morality: Masks were a way to portray good triumphing over evil. 
• Cultural: Masks were used to pass on to generations the history and events that were important to a culture.
• Entertainment: Of course, some masks are for the pure fun of it all.

What struck me in going through this museum was how a mask can change a person completely. When you cover your face and your eyes, masks can completely transform you. There is something fascinating and terrifying when looking at a masked person. When people don a mask suddenly they are free to act and be different than they were without a mask. This reminds me of things like the Ku Klux Klan that cover themselves completely...would these people be able to commit such atrocities without being "anonymous"? Anyway, the masks were intriguing to me, as well as a bit creepy. I did NOT purchase one of these masks for my houses!

It is interesting though that the Spanish conquerors created many edicts forbidding indigenous people to use the masks in their dances. They believed the masks were perpetuating the indigenous way of life (which they were) and they were deemed such a negative factor that people were whipped and imprisoned if they donned one. Isn't it so typical of the invaders to want to eradicate the way of life of the people they were invading? Native Americans and indigenous people everywhere. So sad.

On a lighter note, after a tour of the gallery the owner then discussed other art forms that are created in Mexico. She was so informative about the different parts of Mexico and what their traditional art forms are. Many places have intricate embroidery, others create wonderful paintings from natural dyes, then you have the woven pieces on looms that you or I would never know how to use. Incredible beauty made from almost nothing.

Mexico has so much to offer. I also learned that Spanish isn't the "official" language; the country actually doesn't have one. In fact, Mexico has so many languages (over 50) that it has more languages than China and just slightly fewer than India. I find this amazing. In many villages in Mexico, all the forms and official state documents are in the native language and people don't even know Spanish. Fascinating! We hear such negative press about Mexico. We hear about the drug cartels and the poverty and danger in the border towns. However, Mexico is an enormous country. That is like saying we have drug rings in LA so don't come to the US! Crazy! The stereotypes of Mexicans are so negative in the US and this is deeply disturbing to me. The people I have met here are open and wonderful...far nicer and more polite than most Americans you would meet. More people need to travel and experience the world so that the us vs. them mentally is not so big. Anyway, for all of you reading this blog...come to Mexico and see first hand what I mean!

Pictures: These are masks that were for sale. Pictures were not allowed in the gallery, but you get the idea of the intricate nature of many of these masks. The other picture is the entrance to the mask gallery and then the last one is the cactus garden at the B & B.

Tour of Homes and Gardens

Every Sunday the Biblioteca (library) hosts a home and garden tour showcasing a few local San Miguel homes. This is basically a fundraiser for the library but at the same time you get to see some pretty interesting homes around town. When we arrived, the Mariachi band was playing and a few local artisans were selling crafts. You can then have some coffee in the cafe and hang out for a while until the tour begins at 12:00.

We all boarded buses and headed off to a neighborhood called Los Balcones which is high on hill on the edge of town. All homes in this part of town have the most amazing views but the walk to town is only for fitness junkies. Literally, some of the roads are so steep that it makes you nervous just to look down them. We saw  some amazing houses...1 contemporary one that we didn't like but 2 that were wonderful. The tile work is so beautiful here. Hand-painted in the most glorious colors. Also, the flowers, fountains, and gardens are spectacular. Mom, Barbara, and I went on the tour and had such a lovely time trying to decide which house we would buy! Ha!










This is one of the doors leading into the house. The flowers just grow everywhere and are so beautiful.

Here is Mom and me on one of the terraces of a house overlooking San Miguel.













Look at this bathroom tile! The entire bathroom including the tub were done this way. Do you think we could take some home with us? Our VT homes could use this kind of color and fun in their houses!

This is a cactus garden in the second house we went to. No tending this garden and no watering!

 A small walkway on the side of a house. I love the yellow of the house with the purple flowers.

Another view into town. The city aquifer is in the distance but you can't see it that well in this picture.

Deportiva: Sports Complex

Today we took the boys to the Deportiva which is an outdoor sports complex at the edge of town. At one time, this must have been a nice facility, but it is a bit worn down now. We thought the kids needed to do a  bit of running and heard this was a good place to play soccer. Unfortunately for us, they were watering the soccer field so that left us to play on the dusty, gravel fields. There was also some playground equipment and a track but it was a windy day and the dust was a little hard to take.

We did take a public bus out and back so now we can say we have taken public transportation. The buses are 5 pesos to ride (about .45 cents) and they run all the time and go everywhere. We tend to walk everywhere in town and, since we are a family of 5, taxis are the same price as buses when we are together. This town is quite easy to get around!

It was a hot day so when we got home it was time for fresh margaritas (yes, I do squeeze all the limes for the lime juice) and some homemade guacamole. Yummy!

Mexican Cook

Today was the first day of having a Mexican woman come cook for us. I have asked that she come 2 days this week and help show us how to make some Mexican dishes. How lovely it is for someone to cook a few days a week...I'm going to get spoiled! She made chicken enchiladas with green sauce and they were absolutely delicious. Luckily, I asked her to make some that weren't spicy as the kids can't stomach what the Mexicans call spicy food. So for about $13.00 I had someone make dinner and buy the ingredients! Not bad at all!

My Mom and her friend Barbara arrived today as well. I am so thrilled to see them! I have been solo here in Mexico since Charles left a week ago so it is absolutely delightful to have them here. We are excited to show them our life here in Mexico. Kids happily ran around showing them all the features of our house here.  Very cute.

Tomorrow we are off on a walking tour of the city. It will be fun for me as I haven't been on a real tour of the city. I'm sure I will learn a lot!

Living, Learning, and Growing here in San Miguel

What is it about traveling that expands your being? Each and every day here I feel like I am learning, growing, and becoming so much more than I was before. Perhaps it is getting out of the routine of home where daily tasks are done without a moment's thought. When words spill without the deep digging that is necessary when language and communication aren't taken for granted.

I feel very much alive here. Like parts of my brain are being used that for awhile have been idle. I wonder if I triumph in the little things more since the little things take more effort? I wonder if being in a new place makes you stop, look, and listen to all that is around you since the unfamiliar at one time both shocks and exhilarates your system?

All I know is that each day I get out of bed wondering what the day will hold. I'm excited to learn more. I'm exhilarated to be lucky enough to be here and experience a new way of living. La dolce vida. I think I'm living it.