Return of the Jaguar

Guess who's back in the....Okay, so I have finally returned from my long drive through Mexico's virgin Pacific coastline. Spectacular to say the least. Pictures are forthcoming. In the meantime, I will list the places I was able to visit during this Honda-Accord adventure: i) Acapulco, Guerrero, ii) Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, iii) Huatulco, Oaxaca, iv) Las Monjas, Oaxaca, v) Oaxaca, Oaxaca, vi) Monte Alban, Oaxaca, and vii) Puebla, Puebla. Every corner in Mexico is full of colors, music and culinary treasures. My only hope is that I am able to do some of this justice through this blog. Patience is a virtue...a little more won't hurt you. Gracias.

Marzo Mango Harvest

If a month should ever be allowed to taste like something, then Mango would be March´s flavor for the year. I am finally back from my trip to Nueva York, Filadelfia and Washington, DC. I heard some quality jazz in Harlem, enjoyed some Dean & Deluca tuna sandwiches, and sat through a nice Fitler Square greek dinner in Philly. As a groomsmen in a South Asian-Cuban wedding, I fulfilled my duties by carrying a mock corinthian pillar from one ceremony to another, and most importantly by participating in the street dancing for the groom´s Barat. I took this picture while riding the airport taxi back to my apartment in the south side of the city earlier today. Mango is a Barcelona-based women´s apparel store. The fashion conscious store has had unprecedented growth in Latin America, and is now positioning itself to launch several stores in Asia, notably Hong Kong. Here, the ad´s display of a woman in leisure fits perfectly with the sunny urban background common to a city ready to embrace the coming of spring. The season of the Mango has arrived. If only more cities around the world resembled a cornucopia of exotic fruits in late winter.  

Crystal City Chairs

I just flew back into Mexico City, but I am still in a NY state of mind. I was only gone for a week, but everyday was full of a plethora of activity. I took this picture while lost and walking around the Crystal City indoor maze of shops in northern Virginia. The weather was quite cold in DC, and that is why this mural inspired a pleasant nostalgia for spring. The weather here in Mexico City is spectacular. We have clear skies and a nice sun keeping everyone in the shade. Crystal City residents will have to wait a couple months before their weather reflects the green pastures of this mural. For those unfamiliar with Crystal City, it is a residential and business center community adjacent to the Pentagon, and in more ways than one, reflects the dangers of overplanning a city to death. The city has very little character, and its style leaves more of a Pepto Bismol aftertaste than anything else. Fortunately, for everyone´s sanity, Old Alexandria, a charming colonial town, is only minutes down the road.  

Tiempo de Bodas

Esta es una pintura de una boda tradicional mexicana que encontre en una seccion del Museo Nacional de Antropologia en la Ciudad de Mexico. Este museo esta en el Paseo de la Reforma y es uno de los mas bonitos museos del DF. Como este dia salgo fuera del pais para celebrar la boda de un colega de escuela de derecho, decidi poner esta foto de como la sociedad tradicional mexicana celebra el matrimonio entre dos individuos.  

Las Damas del Parque Lincoln

I am traveling north to be part of a wedding ceremony on the East Coast. I will be in Washington, D.C. later this afternoon. I am looking forward to crossing the border, the political line that continues to create so much discussion, tension and confrontation between the two countries that share it. My trip will also include some days in Nueva York. For those of you interested in this sculpture, I apologize for not providing any further information than the fact that it is part of the Parque Lincoln collection in Polanco, in the north part of Mexico City. This picture captures the often subtle tension between conservative politics and expressive culture. Although both sides of this ongoing debate clearly coexist in all societies, not always is the encounter this cordial. In many cases, indifference is the best weapon, as may appear to be the situation here. The women in this frame represent the varying evolutions of beauty, on the scales of youth v. maturity, ideal v. real, and maybe even modern leisure v. traditional comfort. I particularly like the fact that the older woman is wearing a traditional apron-like vest that is extremely common among women of her age and class background. In the end, the Parque Lincoln is a place for both sculptures and real women to enjoy the Mexican sun on a pleasant Sunday afternoon.  

Pollito Little

It´s a glorious day in Mexico City. This particular Saturday, there are clouds over the city, as if the sky is scheming, trying to keep us on our toes...will it rain? Everyone is asking and looking up at the sky. I don´t think it will rain. I am calling the bluff. It´s just the sky trying to keep everyone´s eyes on it. Vanity, you ask. Well, maybe. But aren´t we all entitled to some vanity every now and then. In fact, we are each vain in our own individual ways. This just goes to show that even ¨el cielo¨ (the sky) has a right to want some extra attention now and then. So long as we maintain a balance, I am hopeful we can keep the sky from falling! For those of you interested in this sculpture, it is titled ¨Gimnasta II¨ and it is by Oshra Michan. The piece was donated to the Parque Lincoln in Colonia Polanco by P.C. Price S.A. de C.V. in October of 1997. This is the sort of balance I have in mind.  

Chac-Mool

On Saturday afternoon, I spent an hour at the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, located off the Paseo de la Reforma in Polanco. While there, I saw this sculpture looking quite relaxed. His name is Chac-Mool, roughly Red Mound, and he is a messenger between "man" and "the gods." He carries the packages and offerings on his belly. So next time you are debating between DHL, UPS or FedEx, don't forget to consider my buddy Chac-Mool, especially when your package needs to get to its destination asap!  

Los Voladores

Before entering the National Museum of Anthropology, these guys were swinging around this giant yellow pole to the sound of drums, etc. The four indigenous men have ropes tied to their waists as they slowly work their way down. For more information about the Voladores and their impressive ritual, please see: http://www.vanilla.com/html/globe-voladores.html
 

Un Poco de Lluvia y Balance

Today the weather in Mexico City was mixed with scattered showers and overcast skies. It was strange because this morning, although cloudy, promised to be a sunny day. Fortunately, traffic this evening was very good considering that usually a little rain always makes roads that much more congested because people drive slower, etc. At the end of the day, I felt exhausted, but felt better when I stopped by a local corner shop to buy a papaya and six avocados. Being from California, I am used to coughing up almost $1.50 for a single avocado! But today, I got six ripe ones for the same price...yes, the benefits of living in Mexico City, produce is cheap! The month of March, and all its madness, is right around the corner. I am taking two classes at ITAM this quarter and my final exams are in about two weeks. So, all I have to do is keep it together, stay balanced and remain focused for another couple of weeks, and before I know it, the waters of Acapulco Bay will be splashing at my feet. Quick Sidenote: For those of you that know about the LiveSTRONG wristbands, you should be informed that in Mexico City they are the most recent rage with everyone. Since the wristbands are a rare commodity in Mexico, vendors are exploiting the low supply and high demand by selling them for as much as 200 pesos, roughly $20! Of course, the Lance Armstrong Foundation sells them for only a $1 and such proceeds go to support cancer research. Sadly, in Mexico City, most people wear them because they have become the trendy item to have, especially considering that a popular soap opera (¨Rebelde¨) features characters that wear them. This hype gets frustrating when wearers of such bands don´t even realize the meaning behind them. In the end, one must not let such trivial examples of mass consumer behavior bother one. Instead of stressing out, just focus on the tight rope you have left to finish the task at hand. Of course, for those curious, the art piece displayed here was photographed last Saturday in San Jacinto, in the southwest part of the city.  

El Pulmon Verde de Lincoln

Este domingo pase un tiempo en el Parque Lincoln de la Colonia Polanco en el norte de la ciudad. En este parque muchas personas aprovechan el buen clima de la ciudad para ponerse a leer una revista o un libro, y tambien para caminar por los jardines verdes. Aqui vemos un tren que va dando vuelta al parque. El clima de esta ciudad es ideal para aquel turista que pretende escaparse de la nieve o el frio, y tambien para ese capitalino que gusta respirar en uno de los pocos pulmones naturales del Distrito Federal. Se debe mencionar que el Parque de Chapultepec, el pulmon mas grande de la ciudad, permanece cerrado durante este mes de febrero. Las autoridades lo cerraron para que este se recupere de las miles de pisoteadas que le han dejado los chilangos. Hasta que se abra de nuevo Chapultepec, los residentes del DF tienen que acudir a parques menos grandes, como este pulmon verde de Lincoln en Polanco.