Sunday, August 15, 2010

Getting Back to my Real Life


Leaving this group and leaving Oaxaca is very, very hard. Each day was such a delight, it didn't always turn out the way I planned, but who cares? Whatever happened was better. The last dinner party Jake planned moved us from the roof to inside because the group got larger...it turned out to be chilly that night and we were better off inside. The meeting Yasmine, Scott and I planned with an artist didn't work out but 3 seconds later we discovered the orchestra was rehearsing the concert we were going to miss (so we sat looking at the mountains and heard the whole concert for free). The pool we thought we'd swim in rained us out, so we sat having a wonderful lunch under the vine trellis. It was like that every day.Visiting Asar-O the protest artist group. We each bought a print, (100 pesos, 13 pesos to the dollar). That morning we received an e-mail that the Princeton Museum of Art just bought 39 of their prints. Oh to be so cutting-edge!
Last dance for me and Dr. Spores.
The amazing free concert, the bass guitar had 6 strings. The percussion section had bongos.
Nosferatu Travis. But we love him.
Dr. Stephanie Wood gets her new dress at the party. The band got rained out at one point.
Spooky remains in the Museo Anthropologia. The exhibition designer made you walk down stairs into the "tomb". Well done.
Out in the garden that surrounds the museum.


We had our farewell party with brass band, dancing (see me and my crush, Dr. Spores) food and Zak's new "stick Travis" which has evolved into Alebrijes Travis but bares a resemblance to Nosferatu Travis. Like I said, whatever turns out is just better.

On the way home I had a long layover at the Mexico City airport. I have traveled on subways in many cities and figured this one couldn't be that different. I had to switch twice and it took over an hour but I made it to the Museo Anthropologia. What a palace! The artifacts from all the sites we went to, the stelae in the adjoining tropical gardens, the tombs you have to climb down stairs to get into (spooky!). This was all accomplished with the kindness of the Mexican people. They never let me down when I had need of directions. One man led me all the way to the next train and it wasn't even the train he needed to get on.

This was a experience that will be with me forever. Viva Mexico!

Mucho Gracias! Last Mexico Post. Pearl

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Friday, August 6, 2010

Red Bugs, Black Pottery

This is our last week and I must say, I'm not ready to leave. Every day has been a delight of the senses, the visuals, the learning, the smells (worse now that the garbage collectors are on strike) but that does not stop us!

Our group has been presenting our fabulous lesson plans and units of study all day for three days. Each evening we had a film documentary at the local theatre (two bulbs overhead) with the filmmaker there for the Q&A afterwards. Film topics have been the use of pesticides by indigenous people who are hired by tobacco companies. Many are ill with cancer because they can't read the precautions (written in English and Spanish) on the side of the containers. They speak Zapotec or Triki or any other of the dozens of local languages. Another film was about women who try to get involved with politics and are threatened, sabotaged etc.

The most moving to me was the women who get tricked into being "mules". Sometimes even by a family member. They carry the drugs, get busted, don't even know what they're carrying and spend 10 years in jail. Why did they do it? They're poor, needed the $20, and were forced to sign a confession. Even though they had a court appointed lawyer, the lawyer only spoke Spanish and like I said earlier, many people here speak their own language. The best part about being an artist and protesting is that the film was shown to judges and 7 women were let go.

People here are trying to make it but are thwarted from all sides.


Dancing...there's always something to see on Sundays in the Zocalo.
Part of my art unit is to learn about body ornamentation that the Zapotecs had at Monte Alban. Here the group tries on the nose decor. This was shot in the Etnobotanical Garden which is right outside our classroom door.
Colonial architecture. This is the front door to the theatre. Somewhat Baroque but with a hint of Art Nouveau.
What did I tell you? Stephanie NEVER travels on a paved road. We are leaving the Cochineal Farm. Did you know where your red dye used to come from? Little bugs.
One of our very exciting, and very delicious lunches...though the ambiance is questionable. You missed the semi trailer that just went by. This is San Bartolo Coyotepec, home of the very famous black pottery. My mother bought some in 1967. I bought her another piece today for her patio.
Here's the Cochineal nursery. They hatch in the little baskets, crawl out and then the females imbed themselves in the Nopal cactus leaf. The males die. The whole process takes about 3 months.
This 91 year old potter would not stay still for a second-all photos of her are blurry. Elise asked her about the process in Spanish.
When the clay is leather-hard they carve it, then polish it with quartz or obsidian. The clay is fired in a kiln with wood. No glaze. To get it to hold water they fire it at a much higher temperature, the surface then melts more and takes on a rainbow-like sheen. Like oil on water.

Now back to finish packing. I transfer to a hotel for the last night and leave at 4 am for the airport Sunday morning. Tonight is our last get together. Dr. Spores is coming and were all excited!


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