11/18 Festivities

Evening in Romita.

I’m sitting in Plaza Romita at dusk. The tortilleria is closing up shop, sloshing buckets of soapy water across the floor spilling in grey bubbles into the street. A priest is conducting evening mass , the brewery down the way is bass heavy with house music punctuating the rise and fall of the sermon whose words I can’t make out, but whose intonation I would recognize anywhere. Tweens are kicking a soccer ball down the callejon practicing swearing so rudimentary that even I understand. A group of men with cigarettes watch from the stoop of the corner shop.

I forgot to share details of Fran’s friendsgiving. Now Fran is not a cook, but Fran is an excellent gatherer of people. This was an amalgam of Colombians, Mexicans, Indians, Croatians & Americans. There was turkey, there were mezcal margaritas, a creamy jello mold and an appetizer of tortas. I have complicated feelings regarding Thanksgiving, as I imagine many Americans do, having a deep sense of betrayal at the discovery that perhaps the Pilgrims did not, in fact, make friends with and assist the native population they encountered upon arrival in the “New World”. But here, as Fran forced us all to share what we are thankful for, I saw the beauty of it. There were comments on how lovely it was to have a day to reflect on all your blessings and share them and feast with your community. It was deeply moving, perhaps especially in the wake of the election. Granted, they also expressed an everlasting love for a highly traditional green bean casserole who’s main star definitely came out of can and in my snobby opinion was an especially weak point.

I have a tremendous sense of sadness being happy without you. Every piece of my solo life I build brings up that you aren’t in it, what’s been left behind, not always good or bad, just always loss. But today, I felt happy walking down Avenida Amsterdam and into Parque Mexico. Taking in the immense green lushness, the smells of pork roasting and the moments of utter calm in this big city. Trees have no bark and stand proudly filtering the intensity of the sun. I walked past ridiculously charming storefronts in pinks, greens, blues and yellow. Here balconies droop, overburdened with plants. I hear French, Japanese, English, Spanish & German over the course of 4 blocks. I am charmed. You would’ve hated it.

Friday has been busy! A friend of a friend is moving, so I picked up a lovely table & chair set for outside and a desk & office chair (omg what a relief!) bright n early this morning. On my way over to her place I walked past a delicious smelling cochinita stand and wolfed down a tiny and fiercely delicious taco made by a woman named Carmen who very kindly complimented my Spanish. Honestly, I think she was just impressed cause I asked which her favorite salsa and she pointed it out, warning me it was spicy, and I withstood the heat. And she was right, it was phenomenal.

We found our doggie daycare/training heaven. One challenge we have not yet overcome is that training here is overwhelmingly between the dog and the trainer, and unfortunately after much searching the only one I could find that would regularly involve is way too far away. So Leo will be starting next with half a day of school and half a day of training. I’m excited to get him back in a rhythm and interacting with other dogs and people. Much like the vet, they were very into him. On our walkabout we also found a fantastic new plant place and some extremely yummy enchiladas with a very tomatey just the right spicy sauce. Now for a little downtime before Corona Capital Fest.

Action packed weekend indeed. This is an amazing fest. Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was originally built for F1 and Nascar racing and is still used for that, but’s a huge complex out near the airport. It was really huge. Like really really huge. Just getting in you were ready for a rest. I think there were like 5 or 6 stages. And a ferris wheel. Oh and a giant Nascar track.

It’s been quite awhile since I’d seen Green Day, and then there were a whole bunch of “oh I always wanted to” acts like Iggy Pop (still going shirtless to mixed reviews), Beck, Kim Gordon, and, of course, Paul McCartney, who incidentally wins the ‘tried speaking the most Spanish prize’. But oh how much I’ve wanted to see Jack White and how completely he exceeded everything I’d hoped. I’m now obsessed. He’s playing Denver in early May and back in Portland at Edgefield in late May….

Iggy, Jack n Paul

Today is Mexican Revolution Day. This is not their Independence Day. On November 20, 1910 the Mexican Revolution to overthrow Porfirio Diaz began and set into motion a highly tumultuous period of battle in the country, featuring about 5 different presidents from 1910-1920, instituted through both election (both fraudulent & legit) as well as a coup or two. Think Pancho Villa, the back drop to Like Water For Chocolate, Emiliano Zapata (not the founder, but the inspiration for the modern day Zapatistas). There are no clearly agreed upon end dates or even decade marking the end of the revolutionary period. Greivances were widespread and the revolution was not a cohesive effort addressing a clear issue, and frequently experienced internal battles.

President/General/Dictator Diaz remains a complex figure in Mexican history. He ushered in a period of modernization and stability, encouraged foreign relations & investment, and then, of course, oversaw the unequal distribution of wealth and refused to give up power. He also briefly lived in Brownsville in 1875 (if you aren’t in my family, this is where my grandma was born). He was exiled to France in 1911 after President Madero won a landslide election. His presidency would last a year. The subsequent 8 years were various attempts by various leaders of the Revolution to unify their movement and each fail in turn. In 1917, the present day Constitution was ratified which features a strong nationalistic stance and enshrines social and individual protections, although President Venustiano Carranza, a moderate leader in the Revolution, did little to protect or enhance that element of the new constitution. Álvaro Obregón overthrew Carranza in 1920 and was the first to see relative quiet and then allow for a peaceful transition of power in 1924. Incidentally this mini, wildly incomplete history lesson could also serve as a basic primer on Mexican street names.

Remember that list of things I was going to do this weekend? Nary a one. Fortunately, there’s always next weekend.