cariño

the love of a grandmother

turkey day

Although I'm all about cultural immersion and "doing as the Romans do", the prospect of celebrating Thanksgiving here in México held much allure for me.  My family was of course familiar with the tradition because of American movies and such, so they were excited to know that I wanted to import this particular holiday for them.  I still have a couple of calluses on my hands from all of my kitchen slavery, but it was well worth my (and my helpers') effort.  Sitting down to eat dinner y dar gracias has never been so delicious.

my dutiful onion-breader

my reluctant turkey baster

Man's first turkey carving!

paseando

When in need of a nighttime stroll, the Zócalo is always the ideal destination...

20 de noviembre

Yesterday morning I attended another assembly at my nephew's primary.  This time around, the children were commemorating Nov 20, the date that marks the beginning of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 (not to be confused with the Mexican War of Independence of 1810).  Although the kids' jig could have used more creative choreography, it was entertaining all the same.  My nephew is to the far left...his showmanship shines at 1:39 =)



nube

In case y'all didn't know, I like clouds =)

laundry day

Washing clothes has quickly become a leisurely activity for me.  On my sunny rooftop terrace, time floats along on the wings of the breeze.

nightcap

lunas de noviembre

The moon has been particularly beautiful this month, I'm sure you'll agree!

spaceship

I finally made it to the Museo Soumaya yesterday and was thoroughly impressed by the building.  The majority of the art consists of European works from the 15th to the 20th century but there is also Mexican art, religious relics, and coins.  This fancy solar-panelled edifice can be found in the ritzy Polanco neighborhood.

Let us pray

December 12th marks the official beginning of the holiday season here in México.  Why the 12th?  Well, that's the feast day of La Virgen de Guadalupe, México's patron saint.  She is also referred to as La Morenita and has legions of followers in Latin America and beyond.  The story goes that she appeared to a lowly indigenous man, Juan Diego, during the time of the Spanish colonization, and asked him to let the clergy know that she wanted a church built in her name...Suffice it to say that she had to scare poor Juan Diego three times before she got her wish, and even then, he had to present proof to the bishop.  This evidence came in the shape of his poncho.  The Virgin's image was miraculously emblazoned on it and so, it hangs in the Basilica today, for all to stare at in wonder.  If you wanna know more, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe

In any case, pilgrimages to the Basilica are no rare occurence, and now that December is near, large group pilgrimages are more commonly seen.  Yesterday, I participated in one of these and I have the blisters to prove it!!  It was a four hour, 15km trek, but all worth it to see La Virgencita  and to give many thanks.

Virgencita loses finesse...and yes, that's a donkey in the corner.

Hallelujah, we made it!! 
To the left you see the newer Basilica, where Guadalupe now resides.  To the right is the original Basilica, built in the 17th century, but it's SINKING, thus the need for a new temple.  This also explains its weird angle in the pic.


 

The best part of the walk was probably having this band there to wake us up and announce our arrival to the Basilica.



And here she is, our Virgen de Guadalupe.





por aquí, por allá

Since cemeteries get too jam-packed during Día de los Muertos, my family prefers to visit our dearly departed after all the festivities have ended.  It's been a while since I've seen the tombs of my paternal grandparents, but I always welcome the visit.  Rather than being a sad trek, my cousins and I compare memories we might have and we tend to "update" the abuelos on all they've missed.  This time around, we had a special helper...



Rodrigo, one of my nephews, is too young to remember his great-grandfather, but he was anxious to put the flowers in place and to tell Abuelo Lupe about all he's learning in kindergarten.

On our way back, we took a detour through one of my favorite spots in Mexico City:  Los Viveros de Coyoacán.  They are best described as a small forest preserve, a haven for weekend deportistas or people trying to get some exercise outta the way.



solecito

Ciudad Universitaria stadium

visiting Catrina

All around Mexico City, there were events commemorating this national holiday and the Ciudad Universitaria took the opportunity to set up several altars in memoriam of Jorge Luis Borges.  La Catrina, a popular figure in Mexican folklore and always associated with Day of the Dead, was also present at this event.  She is death or la muerte and comes dressed in elaborate, colorful garb.

This Catrina is dressed in a wedding gown made of corn husks.

I'm still always slightly surprised by such protests against the USA...it reminds me just how unpopular we are in most of the civilized world.  Here, Uncle Sam is a spider feeding off of the blood of Mexican and Colombian leaders.



un bailecito

A special surprise from last night's trick-or-treaters!



we humbly offer

These are just a couple of ofrendas for you to gaze upon...the first is the one in my own casa.