Sunday December 3
Today I joined other students from the school in visiting two nearby villages reknowed for their craftsmanship. The first was San Bartolo Coyotepec (Hill of the Coyote) which is famous for its black pottery that is created from the clay.of the nearby mountains, blended with water and molded using two plates as the potter’s wheel. No pedal, nothing electric, just two cermamic plates-one face down the other on top, face up. We visited the studio of the family of Dona Rosa who perfected this technique and produced beautiful pieces of barro negro or black pottery now seen throughout much of Mexico. We then went to a craft shop in Arrazola, a village known for its alebrijes. Alebrijes are wood carved animals fantastically painted with natural or acrylic paints. The artisans use copal wood for the carvings and its bark creates some of the beautiful natural paints. Alebrijes come from the Zapotec peoples and the animals represent certain characteristics Each birthday has a special animal and that animal becomes the person’s protector. Here is an artical on the creatures and the place we visited.
http://www.ventanamagazine.com/html/articulo.php?ID=363
Tuesday, December 6
Oaxaca reminds me a lot of Jackson Hole in the summer only much larger. The mountains are gorgeously in view all around, the weather is crisp in the morning and at night, but down right hot in the middle of the day. It is different from Jackson Hole in that many of the houses are concrete and have corrugated metal for roofs. The land is very brown and there are not many trees beyond those in the the plaza or potted trees in courtyards.
Oaxaca is quite a bustling city in some parts and tranquil pedestrian walkways in others. The central area where I’m staying and where my school is located, is dotted with plazas that are filled with trees and fountains, vendors and families. Something is always going on in them…an art exhibit, a concert, an astronomical education event. The plazas and cobblestone roads are my new walkways and my feet can take me anywhere I need to go—the tienda, my school, the main plaza called the zocalo (as central squares are called everywhere in Mexico), the bank, the coffee house, etc.
Thursday, December 8
I got sick on Tuesday afternoon from something I ate at lunch. Really sick. In bed for another whole day but made it to class today. Grateful for the medicine I had. Enough said.
Friday, December 9
One week of school down and less than a week before my family arrives! I have been in the A2 class, which is one level up from the starting point. Thanks to my classes with Temis in Durham I didn’t have to start a ground zero and so the class is often interesting and challenging. I understand what the teacher is saying about 70% of the time. Right now we have 8 students which is rather large but a number are leaving and I imagine that as we get closer to Christmas, there will not be so many students.
One of my favorite parts of school is the intercambio, a conversation exchange between a Oaxauena (person from Oaxaca) and an English speaking person. My intercambio is Denise and she works for a hotel that serves many Americans so she is trying to improve her English. Of course her English is much superior to my Spanish but we have a wonderful time talking everyday in English and Spanish and getting to know each other. She is a lovely young woman and I am so glad we were paired together!
Tomorrow I am off on a tour of the Oaxacan Valley with a microfinance organization called En Via to visit some weavers they have made loans to and to see their work.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Arriving in Oaxaca
Friday December 1
I am making my way to Oaxaca during the Christian season of arriving known as Advent--those weeks leading up to Christmas that both remember and anticipate the arrival of Christ in our midst. I have thought of Mary often during these last days and how she and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem. Was her mother tearful when they rode off? Was her family worried about her safety? Did she hear the sounds of unfamiliar languages swirl around her? There must have been uncertainty and wonder, fears and expectations. And even when you do finally arrive, when you lean back on that hay bale and let Joseph rub your aching feet, when your head is on a pillow and you’ve texted your loved ones, “I’m safe at my casita!” the journey is still not over.
Saturday December 2
My host was not expecting me until Monday but luckily was home and my lovely room was ready. Though I roused her late in the night, she did not say with a surly voice, “We have no room!” She said welcome, welcome, welcome, gave me everything I needed and had breakfast ready when I came down this morning at 8. Unfortunately, my camera fell out of my main carry on and did not make it out of the shared taxi I took to her house. Perhaps the company will be able to track it down, but perhaps not. Some things are found, and some are lost. The main point being, until Lindsey arrives, this may be a picture-less blog. Well, perhaps the other main point is that I feel ridiculous and incredibly irresponsible for losing such an expensive item only minutes after I arrived to Oaxaca and it put a cloud over my day. At this point it will either be returned, or it won’t. Channeling Tracy Chapman…”it’s only paper, it’s only ink…” and remembering the wisdom I learned in parenting group--tomorrow is another day, a re-creation, a chance for a new beginning.
I am making my way to Oaxaca during the Christian season of arriving known as Advent--those weeks leading up to Christmas that both remember and anticipate the arrival of Christ in our midst. I have thought of Mary often during these last days and how she and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem. Was her mother tearful when they rode off? Was her family worried about her safety? Did she hear the sounds of unfamiliar languages swirl around her? There must have been uncertainty and wonder, fears and expectations. And even when you do finally arrive, when you lean back on that hay bale and let Joseph rub your aching feet, when your head is on a pillow and you’ve texted your loved ones, “I’m safe at my casita!” the journey is still not over.
Saturday December 2
My host was not expecting me until Monday but luckily was home and my lovely room was ready. Though I roused her late in the night, she did not say with a surly voice, “We have no room!” She said welcome, welcome, welcome, gave me everything I needed and had breakfast ready when I came down this morning at 8. Unfortunately, my camera fell out of my main carry on and did not make it out of the shared taxi I took to her house. Perhaps the company will be able to track it down, but perhaps not. Some things are found, and some are lost. The main point being, until Lindsey arrives, this may be a picture-less blog. Well, perhaps the other main point is that I feel ridiculous and incredibly irresponsible for losing such an expensive item only minutes after I arrived to Oaxaca and it put a cloud over my day. At this point it will either be returned, or it won’t. Channeling Tracy Chapman…”it’s only paper, it’s only ink…” and remembering the wisdom I learned in parenting group--tomorrow is another day, a re-creation, a chance for a new beginning.
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