I have been searching for someone to teach me about Mexican cooking. One of my coworkers, Adrianna, volunteered. She drove me to an outdoor market near her home. We purchased meat and salsa ingredients. When purchasing the meat, tomatoes, onion and serrano peppers, you have an option to have them grilled on a BBQ. After the grilling, we went to her place where we seeded the serranos and placed them in a blender with the onions, garlic and some water. At the final, the tomatoes were added whole, then pulsed twice. Now I know how to make roasted salsa. Maybe I won't have to go to the buffet everyday. Adrianna also showed me the best place to purchase cheese, tortillas and for the first time in Oaxaca I found fresh eggs. The market vendors were referring to me as "La California."
Unfortunately my lessons were short-lived because her husband was hit by a drunk driver. He is in the hospital but will be fine. Oaxaca does not punish drunk drivers just as the USA had no punishment before MADD pushed for drinkers to take responsibility for their choices. If you have forgotten those crazy days, I suggest you watch Dragnet which is an old black and white cop show from the 1960s which reenacts real crimes or Quincy which depicts the investigative techniques of a coroner. In one Quimcy episode, a man purposely mows down an enemy with his car, then chugs a couple bottles of booze while waiting for the cops. You see, before MADD, being drunk precluded you from punishment because it "wasn't my fault".
Sunday, November 9, 2014
$2.80 Buffet
On Murguia street there are 3 buffet restaurants situated in a row. They cost about $2.80. I try to visit one of these each day to pig out and then only need a snack either for breakfast or lunch depending on which meal I chose to eat at the buffet. The best part of the buffet is the unlimited fresh squeezed juice of orange, mango, some kind of green healthy drink, cantaloupe, beet, papaya, or guava. Arin will sometimes join me if guava juice is present. He loves that fruit. It's hard to believe that one can eat an entire buffet for the price of one glass of juice made from concentrate in the states.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Dia de los Muertos traditonal bread
Our landlady hung skeletons on all our apartment doors and today she served pan de muertos and hot chocolate to all her guests. The pan de muertos has the head of a doll baked in.
Visiting the cemetery for Dia de los Muertos
Our friend Daniel offered to take us around to some of the sites for Dia de los Muertos. We visited a cemetery named Panteon General. When we arrived at the locations, we first cruised through a tunnel of carnival games and food. Daniel playing one of the ball throwing games and won a piece of candy. He encouraged me to drink Ponche which is similar to mulled wine but is made with beer and fermented fruit. Floating in the cup are pieces of apple and peach and small seeded fruits which I could not identify
. Inside the cemetery walls were hundreds of people, many of them with painted faces. Daniel is paying his way through college working as a clown on the city buses.
Many of the graves or should I say tombs, were decorated with flowers of red cocks comb and orange marigolds. One of the tombs was in disrepair and I asked Daniel the reason. He told me that if the person buried there did not have a son or if the son did not get married and have children then there was no one to tend the family tomb.
Also built into the cemetery is a large amphitheater. A famous Oaxacan actor was giving a performance. On the walk home we observed in one building, a large family alter. The family allowed us access and encouraged us to take photos.
. Inside the cemetery walls were hundreds of people, many of them with painted faces. Daniel is paying his way through college working as a clown on the city buses.
Many of the graves or should I say tombs, were decorated with flowers of red cocks comb and orange marigolds. One of the tombs was in disrepair and I asked Daniel the reason. He told me that if the person buried there did not have a son or if the son did not get married and have children then there was no one to tend the family tomb.
Also built into the cemetery is a large amphitheater. A famous Oaxacan actor was giving a performance. On the walk home we observed in one building, a large family alter. The family allowed us access and encouraged us to take photos.
Dia de los muertos Day of the Dead
November 1st and 2nd are important dates in Mexico. On these days, Mexicans honor their departed loved ones. This usually entails a visit to the cemetery which may include a picnic and soft music. Also, each family generally builds an altar which displays not only pictures of the departed but also contains foods and other items which the relative or friend enjoyed while living. The theme of the celebrations is skeletons. Skeletons hang from buildings and 3D pictures constructed with sand are designed around the skeleton theme.
Most interestingly, people paint their faces black and white to simulate skeletons. Being raised with the American equivalent of Halloween, I am somewhat spooked by the skeletons, but the Mexican culture does not present them as frightening. This is a perfect example of cultural influence.
All of these floor murals are constructed from sand.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Halloween at the our English school
There is a guideline in Mexico whereas in every English school at least 50% of the teachers must be native Mexicans. We have some teachers from Canada, some from England and then most are from United States and Mexico. The staff decided that we would sponsor a traditional Halloween party for the students.
I was in charge of the "Bobbing for Apples" game. I thought that the kids would just come around to the games at their leisure, but that was not the case. An audience sat in chairs and the barrel of apples was placed on the stage. At that point, I had to convince three kids to come to the stage and see who could get the apples first. Well, the children had never seen the game and would not put their heads under the water to retrieve the apples, plus, the apples were giant sized and much too large for their mouths. Needless to say, the game took forever and I was expected to MC the whole thing in Spanish. Luckily, there were only six kids at the party at that time, so I only had to do it twice. Our friend Bety had accompanied me to the party and she said that I didn't do too badly with my Spanish. Bety and I also passed out candy to the kids when they came to each classroom in their costumes. They were required to knock on the door and say,"Trick or Treat" in order to receive their candy.
There was one traditional Mexican competition in which the children write a calavera which are satirical mock obituaries about politicians, teachers and other people in power positions. They poke fun at people and are used as a reminder that once we pass, we all end up in the same place.
I was in charge of the "Bobbing for Apples" game. I thought that the kids would just come around to the games at their leisure, but that was not the case. An audience sat in chairs and the barrel of apples was placed on the stage. At that point, I had to convince three kids to come to the stage and see who could get the apples first. Well, the children had never seen the game and would not put their heads under the water to retrieve the apples, plus, the apples were giant sized and much too large for their mouths. Needless to say, the game took forever and I was expected to MC the whole thing in Spanish. Luckily, there were only six kids at the party at that time, so I only had to do it twice. Our friend Bety had accompanied me to the party and she said that I didn't do too badly with my Spanish. Bety and I also passed out candy to the kids when they came to each classroom in their costumes. They were required to knock on the door and say,"Trick or Treat" in order to receive their candy.
There was one traditional Mexican competition in which the children write a calavera which are satirical mock obituaries about politicians, teachers and other people in power positions. They poke fun at people and are used as a reminder that once we pass, we all end up in the same place.
Arin's first paycheck ever
Arin received a check for a whopping 120 pesos which may sound like a lot, but is only about 10 bucks.
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