"We’re Not Going to Allow Ourselves to be Stepped Upon"

The Mexican state of Oaxaca is once again in the grips of heightening tension as the famous Guelaguetzla festival approaches and a large segment of the population is planning a boycott and some fear that disgruntled activists hope to sabotage it. Oaxaca was once again in the news on Monday after an attempt to celebrate a "Guelaguetza Popular" was violently put down by police. But the unrest here is about much more than just rescuing an indigenous festival from corporate cooptation. Thousands of Oaxacans are still fuming about their corrupt governor and the impunity of those who killed more than a dozen protestors last year.

continued at http://www.counterpunch.org/liebertz07202007.html

Mexican food recipes and book reference

July 8, 2007

I was looking up the information for a cookbook "The Taste of Mexico" by Patricia Quintana (see description at http://www.amazon.com/Taste-Mexico-Patricia-Quintana/dp/1556703260) and found this Mexican recipe site (http://www.mexgrocer.com/mexican-recipes-top-recipes.html) - yum!

“miracles are for real”

from http://www.mexgrocer.com/61003.html
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE HISTORY

In 1531 a "Lady from Heaven" appeared to a poor Indian at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of Mexico City; she identified herself as the Mother of the True God, instructed him to have the bishop build a temple on the site and left an image of herself imprinted miraculously on his tilma, a poor quality cactus-cloth, which should have deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sign of decay almost 500 years later and still defies all scientific explanations of its origin. It apparently even reflects in her eyes what was in front of her in 1531!

Her message of love and compassion, and her universal promise of help and protection to all mankind, as well as the story of the apparitions, are described in the "Nican Mopohua", a 16th century document written in the native Nahuatl language.

There is reason to believe that at Tepeyac Mary came in her glorified body, and her actual physical hands rearranged the roses in Juan Diego’s tilma, which makes this apparition very special.

An incredible list of miracles, cures and interventions are attributed to Her. Yearly, an estimated 10 million visit her Basilica, making her Mexico City home the most popular Marian shrine in the world, and the most visited Catholic church in the world next to the Vatican.

Altogether 24 popes have officially honored Our Lady of Guadalupe. His Holiness John Paul II visited her Sanctuary four times: on his first apostolic trip outside Rome as Pope in 1979, and again in 1990, 1999 and 2002.

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th. In 1999, Pope John Paul II, in his homily from the Solemn Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, during his third visit to the sanctuary, declared the date of December the 12th as a Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent.

During the same visit Pope John Paul II entrusted the cause of life to her loving protection, and placed under her motherly care the innocent lives of children, especially those who are in danger of not being born.

For more information on Our Lady of Guadalupe please visit the following links:

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Sancta.org

I love this stuff!

“Free Frida Kahlo!” by John Ross (counterpunch.org)

July 3, 2007

Weekend Edition
June 30 / July 1, 2007

Mexico’s Rightwing Tries to Claim Leftist Painter’s Soul

Free Frida Kahlo!

By JOHN ROSS

Mexico City.

The battle for the possession of Frida Kahlo’s soul erupted this June 13th on the alabaster esplanade of Mexico’s maximum house of culture, the Palacio de Bellas Artes, a rococo wedding cake of a palace that is slowly sinking into this mega-city’s subsoil. The occasion for the artful free-for-all was a visit by freshman president Felipe Calderon to cut the ribbon at the Mexican government’s official homage marking the centennial of the painter and her feverish oeuvre. Kahlo’s work is considered one of Mexico’s most lucrative national treasures.
continued at http://www.counterpunch.org/ross06302007.html

These pictures are from Mexico trips in 2005 (to Puerto Morelos which is about 45 minutes from Cancun) and from the Guadalajara area this year. I used a disposible camera and the picture quality is just alright. Some of the pictures are odd - I just like the colours and combinations.

I had to look in my passport to see if I went to Mexico in 2006 - I did (San Miguel and hot springs!) As I have been there so often I didn’t even take a camera but I now regret this as it would be nice to have a picture of Amira, a woman I met at the hot springs from Guadalajara (she used to work at the Tequila Museum!) and spent a couple of days hanging out with.

I particularly liked the Bull Bar in Guadalajara - it is a few blocks from the central plaza. I will definately go back to Guadalajara area and Barra de Navidad. From Vancouver, I keep hearing people rave about Air Alaska to Guadalajara.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo for history.