A Love Letter to Oaxaca

Most of us have a place, somewhere in the world, that so entices us and draws us in that we return to it in our mind over and over again. For you, it may be a beach on a faraway island. It could be your hometown. It could be a city you lived in or only passed through for a day. Perhaps you have returned to that place many times, or maybe right now returning is a dream, something that you keep on the back burner, so to speak.

The other night my husband and I were having one of our many travel chats, and I asked him, “If you could only take one more trip for the rest of your life, where would you go?” He paused and said that, well, there are so many places out there…he’d have to do some research.

Before even finishing my question, I realized I knew what my answer was: Oaxaca.

El desayuno perfecto
El desayuno perfecto

Right now I’m in the middle of the book My Own Country by Abraham Verghese. Verghese, a doctor specializing in infectious diseases, was at the frontlines when small-town America began to face the AIDS crisis. His book chronicles his time living and working in Johnson City, Tennessee. It was a long way from India, where his family is from, and Ethiopia, where he grew up. And yet, the small town began to feel like home. He writes, “I suppose this is when you know that a town has become your town: where others see brick, a broken window, a boarded up storefront, you feel either moved to tears or to joy. The map of the town becomes the map of your memories, the grid on which you play out your obsessions, on which you mark your great loves and your enmities; its geography becomes your destiny.”

El Jardín Etno-Botánico y el ex-convento de Santo Domingo
El Jardín Etno-Botánico y el ex-convento de Santo Domingo

I read this the day after my Oaxaca realization, and it couldn’t be more true. I’ve had wonderful moments there – weaving through Abastos and spending time with dear friends in Teotitlán del Valle. I’ve also had sad times, such as a very specific melancholy that hits me when it rains there, or needing to catch a flight and not being ready to go. And all this, like Verghese says, makes up my map of the place.

Haciendo tapetes de lana
Haciendo tapetes de lana

So, with Valentine’s Day in the recent past, I send loving thoughts to a place that will always have my heart.

Oaxaca de noche
Oaxaca de noche

Thanks to the following sites for lovely pictures: www.tripomatic.com, www.eluniversal.com.mx, www.seccionamarilla.com.mx, www.thelittlemarket.com

Bullfights. Love ’em? Hate ’em?

Bullfights. Love them? Hate them? Not sure? Well, there are lots of opinions swirling around about bullfighting these days. Here are some highlights in the news…and my opinion further down.

Patricia McCormick, the first woman bullfighter from North America, passed away in 2013: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/us/patricia-mccormick-bullfighter-who-defied-gender-roles-dies-at-83.html?ref=bullfighting

mccormick01
Patricia McCormick. Image care of weirduniverse.net.

The Spanish senate just passed a law recognizing bullfighting as a part of Spanish heritage…and will be providing public funding to the industry. Interestingly enough, Spanish state television has spoken out against bullfighting, and 76% of Spanish citizens are against public funding for bullfighting: http://www.wspa.ca/latestnews/2013/Spain-passes-law-to-protect-cruel-bullfighting.aspx

A story of activists versus tradition in the Spanish town of Tordesillas: http://pri.org/stories/2013-09-18/extreme-bullfighting-spain-activism-vs-tradition

Sonora recently became the first state in Mexico to ban bullfighting: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/agencia-efe/130504/mexican-state-bans-bullfighting

Barbara Drake, an American expat and freelance journalist living in Peru, wrote an article about bullfighting in her adopted country: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/levi-novey/the-twisted-temptations-o_b_472989.html

Lastly, did you know there are bullfights in China? Hm. http://www.theguardian.com/sport/picture/2013/jul/31/sport-picture-of-the-day-bullfighting-china

I do not support bullfighting. My opinion is: In this day and age, we have the resources available to us so that we do not need to excessively hurt or kill animals for our livelihood or entertainment. There are many alternative options. Livelihood: Veggie burgers! These delicious corn dogs! (They really are good.) Entertainment: Movies! Books – gasp! While those antiquey corrida de toros posters are lovely on a wall, it is a spectacle I will be happy to see put to rest. Yes, I do think it will be bid a clear adiós sooner rather than later.

And you? What is your opinion? A cultural staple or passé? Well, if you agree with my opinion and want to share your anti-bullfighting thoughts on Twitter, make sure to add #LoveSpainHateBullfighting to your post. PETA, 76% of Spanish people, and many bulls will thank you.

2021 update: A 2020 article in Forbes discusses the current state of bullfighting: “Will Bullfighting Survive the Next Decade in Spain?”

Protesters in Lima, Peru. Image care of The Huffington Post.
Protesters in Lima, Peru – “Stop the cruelty,” “Not art nor culture.” Image care of The Huffington Post.

Working to Save Sea Turtles

A recent event in Costa Rica has me reminiscing about my time there. Today El País ran an article about the killing of conservationist Jairo Mora, a Tico, who worked to preserve sea turtles on the Caribbean coast of his country. This sad news highlights the high emotions that surround the preservation of sea turtles.

A baby turtle crawls out to sea.
A baby turtle crawls out to sea.

Some Costa Ricans – and people in other countries – eat sea turtle eggs. They are harvested by digging up the holes where female turtles have laid their eggs. Sometimes the occasional dog will do the same, and it is well known that baby turtles scrambling to sea can be swooped up by a seagull for lunch. Human poaching, however, is much more dangerous to the turtles’ survival than natural causes.

I volunteered through PRETOMA at Ostional, a beach located along the Nicoya Peninsula on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. I will never forget seeing the giant female turtles waddle up and out of the waves, slowly dig their nests, and drop the large, white eggs into the sand. One of our responsibilities was to count the eggs – a laborious task but nothing compared to the amazing cycle of nature we were watching. Another responsibility was our night patrol, making sure that nests were not being dug up. This was the tricky part, as some community members support conservation efforts, and others do not.

The "arribada" at Playa Ostional.
The “arribada” at Playa Ostional.

A comment from the El País article rang true for me: “Comida para hoy y hambre para mañana…Cuando ya no les quede más playas vírgenes para asfaltar ni árbol por talar, se darán cuenta que el dinero por si sólo no se come.”

Photo credits: costarica.com; fws.org

Calavera Love

Día de los Muertos is just around the corner. Last year I posted pictures from here in San Francisco. This year I’m sharing some lovely, unique images. ¡Feliz Día de los Muertos!

calavera 1
Too cute.
If the afterlife is this, that's fine with me.
If the afterlife is this, that’s fine with me.
Haunting and lovely from Oaxaca.
Haunting and lovely from Oaxaca.
brains
This is titled “Mmm…brains.”
Nombres
Nombres

Photo 1 credit: photopin.com

Photo 2 credit: Illustration by Jose Pulido Art

Photo 3 credit: Wayne Hunthausen Photography

Photo 4 credit: Linocut by Lori Dean Dyment

Photo 5 credit: Pregunta Santoral

Homes to inspire

I just finished redecorating my bedroom. Along the way I encountered some beautiful design ideas from firms and individuals located in Spain and Latin America. In more rural areas of places like Costa Rica, nature is gorgeously incorporated in spaces like Casa Kike.

kike

This light-filled apartment in Bogotá, Colombia is a lovely oasis from the big city. I love the brick walls and large windows.

bogota

Lastly, I’ve always admired Spanish-style homes. Living in California, we have many gorgeous examples, and I especially like the ones that mix modern with traditional. Perhaps one day I’ll live somewhere with a real summer and can enjoy lazy afternoons on a patio like this, complete with olive tree:

Mediterranean Patio mediterranean-patio

Photo credits: Lush and Luxe, Gianni Botsford Architects,  and Houzz.com.

My Top 4 Tips for Language Learning

Image

I recently started taking Italian classes: Elementare Uno. So far I am thoroughly enjoying myself – I’d forgotten how wonderful it feels, after fumbling with words and tentatively mumbling a new verb conjugation, to be able to finally put a sentence together!

Being a language student has reinvigorated my understanding of the general student experience. It also reminds me of what us language teachers sometimes forget to talk about in class. So, here are my top four suggestions for students learning a new language. Thanks to my Italian school, Istituto Italiano Scuola, for reminding me!

1. Speak. Sorry, but you just have to. Eventually it just has to happen. This brings me to my next point….

2. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I know everyone says this. But it’s easier said than done. The best thing to do? Put yourself in your conversation partner’s shoes. If someone was trying to practice your native language, you would probably be excited to support and help them. You wouldn’t mind if they made a few – or even a lot of – mistakes. You’d probably feel honored that they are looking to you for support and help.

3. Grammar is important. But it doesn’t have to be perfect all the time. As a language teacher, I can be a stickler for grammar. But really, you don’t need exquisitely polished grammar to make friends, get around, and do what you need to do. The grammar will come in time.

4. “Keep your eye on the prize.” My dad has often shared this phrase with me, and I think of it all the time. Keep your language learning goals in mind. Why did you choose to learn a new language in the first place? To have amazing travel experiences? To meet interesting new people? To read articles and books? To eat delicious food? To communicate with someone you love and with their family? Keeping your goal in mind will help you through the rough patches.

So, that’s it from me! What are strategies that have helped you when learning a new language?

Photo credit: yourworldhere.com