The Eye Beach, Village + Urban Living in Oaxaca December, 2019 Issue 92 FREE
“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” William Penn
W
e are getting ready to bid farewell not only to a year but to an entire decade. Sometimes I catch myself thinking, “2019? Surely that can’t be right.” I’m sure you have the same moments, maybe when you find a new wrinkle on your face or when social media throws you a memory from five years ago that you are sure happened just last week.
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The goddess of time afflicts us all. She is a cunning beast fast-forwarding through moments we wish we could savor and stretching herself out in situations we would prefer to pass quickly. Even living in paradise I have bad days- the sun shines too brightly seeming to mock my foul mood and I need to remind myself about the greatness of this life. Most of the things that weigh me down are inconsequential- the interaction with the outside world- idiot cashiers and pushy waiters, internet not working, my car breaking down... trivialities that won’t matter in the next little block of time we call life. There will be new frustrations for sure, but we can choose to face them with the assurance that they are temporary. Better to put our energy into making the most of the time we have left- whether it be a day or 40 years none of us know. As we catapult into 2020 what are the experiences you yearn for? Is there a fire in you that you have ignored? Maybe it is enough to get through the day with simple pleasures and then subdue your emotions with distractions. Perhaps it is narcissistic to think our lives should be measured by greatness and accomplishmentI don’t know if any of us have a higher purpose to achieve. I do know that I am privileged to even be able to ask the question. My days are not distracted with basic survival, my life is well provided for- I have food on the table and a roof over my head. I can daydream. I can ask what I would like to do with the time I have left- these questions are luxuries in themselves. So when the sun shines too bright and I feel myself getting bogged down, I think of the goddess of time. I imagine her beside me daring me to make the most of her gifts. Happy Holidays! See you in 2020!
Jane
Editor: Jane Bauer Copy Editor: Deborah Van Hoewyk Web Goddess: Erin Vig Writers: Julie Etra, Jan Chaiken, Marcia Chaiken, Brooke Gazer, Vivian Kadelbach, Richard D. Perry, Carole Reedy, Alvin Starkman, Deborah Van Hoewyk Cover Image: Elizaveta Larionova Photography/Art: Various Artists Distribution: Renee Biernacki, Maggie Winter Layout: Jane Bauer Opinions and words are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Eye. We welcome submissions and input. To get involved send us an email. TheEyeHuatulco@gmail.com Visit Us Online www.TheEyeHuatulco.com
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In This Issue Radio Mar: A Fresh New Voice in Huatulco By Brooke Gazer Page 6 AMLO and the Airport Wars By Julie Etra Page 8 Save the Date: January 25, 2020 The Dream Festival Page 12 Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo: One Year after Victory By Carole Reedy Page 16 Tribute Concert for Carminia Magaña Page 18 Globalization in Oaxaca: Isthmus of Tehuantepec Case Study Review By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D. Page 22 A Train to Nowhere? AMLO and Tourism, One Year In By Deborah Van Hoewyk Page 28 Functional Art By Vivian Kadelbach Page 30 Santo Domingo By Richard D. Perry Page 32 December in D.F. A Time to Celebrate and Reflect By Carole Reedy Page 34 We Love Shopping in Mexico By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken Page 38 EDITORIAL PAGE 3 UPCOMING EVENTS PAGE 26 www.TheEyeHuatulco.com
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Morning Activities
Evening Activities
TUESDAY- Seafood -Seafood Fritter with Chipotle -Shrimp Tostadas -Tomato and Jicama Salad -Baked Fish in Hoja Santa leaf -Paloma Cocktail
TUESDAY- Frida’s Favoritesdishes inspired by Frida Kahlo -Huauzontles in Green Sauce -Corn Pudding with Chiles in Cream -Chicken in Pipian -Zucchini Salad -Frida Cocktail
WEDNESDAY- Mama’s Kitchen -Black Mole- This is the most exquisite and complicated Mexican sauce. -Yellow Mole -served with Rice and Chicken -Handmade Tortillas -Mezcal Margarita THURSDAY- Pigs and Rum -Cochinita Pibil -Corn Cakes -Pickeled Onion and Habanero -Avocado Salsa -Nopal and Radish Salad -Horchata FRIDAY- Street Food -Red and Green Salsas -Pico de Gallo -Handmade Tortillas and Sopes -2 types of Taco Fillings -Huitlacoche Empanadas -Jamaica Margaritas
FRIDAY- Village to Table Dinner Our 8-course dinner using local ingredients is a culinary experience not to be missed! *This is not a cooking class Chiles&Chocolate Cooking Classes offer delicious culinary and cultural experiences that explore Mexican cuisine. Our hands-on classes ensure you will leave prepared to recreate the dishes when you get home. · · · · · ·
Hands-on Instruction in English Recipe Manual Free Gift Bag Food and Drinks Included Transportation Included Morning pick-up is 9am Evening pick-up is 5pm
Cost: $85 USD per person Activities are 3-4 hours Zimatan, Huatulco
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Radio Mar: A Fresh New Voice in Huatulco By Brooke Gazer
A unique new radio station is broadcasting over this region's airwaves. Radio Mar Huatulco 106.3FM, is a “social community concession.” Edith Barrera, one of the station's hosts, explained that unlike a private commercial radio station, a social community concession does not expect to create a profit and listeners might notice that there are no formal commercial interruptions. Of course, running a radio station is not without expenses, so there is paid content. This takes the form of program information or announcements that are interspersed into the commentary – much like the “public radio” networks of the U.S. and Canada. Aside from the non-commercial aspect, what sets this kind of station apart from privately owned stations is its commitment to specific principles. The focus of Radio Mar includes the wellbeing of the community, environmental issues, women's issues, and egalitarian rights. The objective is to include the entire community and to encourage community participation. Since Huatulco has a small expat community, Radio Mar has included a program called The English Corner, airing on Thursdays 12 – 1 PM. Content will include local history; upcoming cultural events occurring in Huatulco, Mazunte, Puerto Escondido, and Oaxaca City; and anything that the English-speaking community might wish to learn about. Feel free to contact them with suggestions (see contact information below). On Mondays from 12 – 1 PM, Edith Barrera hosts a broadbased program called Espacio Holistico (Holistic Space) that covers a wide range of topics about well-being. It might relate to community issues, it could touch on topics of health, or something on a personal level. In the following hour (1 – 2 PM) she hosts a program on women's issues.
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Edith has an interesting background; originally from Mexico City, she earned her master's degree in European Studies from a University in Finland. Her show is bound to be lively and for those of you working on your Spanish, this might be a good place to practice listening and comprehension. Radio Mar Huatulco was founded this November by a lawyer from Oaxaca. Sheila Santiago worked in a legal capacity for a number of small social community concessions that broadcast in indigenous languages. What those stations did inspired her to create one in Huatulco. There are over twenty official concessions in the state of Oaxaca, and Radio Mar is affiliated with a web of seven similar stations that in turn are tied into the larger station in Oaxaca City. As the station director, Sheila reads the news from 2 – 3 PM. In addition to interviews and commentary, 106.3 features a wide range of music for five hours a day. Mondays to Fridays from 8 – 9 PM En Compañia De (In company of) plays both English and Spanish classics from the 1980s through the 2000s. For programing information, to suggest a segment, become a guest, or sponsor a program, you can contact them with the information below. If you are organizing a community event, do not miss the opportunity to have it covered here. Radio Mar Huatulco 106.3 FM Contact: Elaine Oros TEL: 958 109 9916 Send a message on What's App to suggest programing or make comments. Webpage : www.radiomarhuatulco.com Facebook: RadioMarHuatulco/ Brooke Gazer operates Agua Azul la Villa, an Ocean View B&B in Huatulco.
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AMLO and the Airport Wars By Julie Etra
B
efore I started assessing President Andrés Manual López Obrador's management of the Mexico City and vicinity airports, my conversations about AMLO (as the President is better known) with Mexican citizens from many walks of life have been for the most part positive. However, recent polls indicate a decline in support, most citing the continued cartel violence. One of the first things AMLO did upon being inaugurated in December 2018 was to cancel construction of the New International Airport at Texcoco, located about 6 kilometers from the existing over-capacity and chaotic Benito Juárez airport in Mexico City, also known as Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad México (AICM). At the time, AMLO claimed the standard reasons for the cessation: ubiquitous corruption, cost overruns, nepotism, political favors etc. The new airport was about 30% complete when construction was halted. AMLO's strategy switched to construction of a new commercial airport at the existing Santa Lucia military air base at Zumpango in the state of México. The new airport is called Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Ángeles, in recognition of General Felipe Ángeles Ramírez, who participated in supporting the new Francisco Madero government following the Revolution of 1910 (Madero was eventually overthrown; he and his Vice President were executed by a firing squad and Ángeles was sent into exile in France). This facility, about 54 kilometers by highway from AICM, is supposed to be completed in 2022 at 12% of the cost of the currently shuttered Texcoco project. The new airport is not meant to entirely replace AICM, but will relieve congestion and the two airports are intended to operate concurrently. As President-Elect, AMLO had also proposed the expansion of the existing Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos International Airport at Toluca, located about 58 kilometers from AICM in the state of México. In addition to his initial objections to the new airport at Texcoco, AMLO also, quite recently, recognized the geotechnical problems involved with building the new facility on the bed of Lake Texcoco. According to a colleague who is a civil engineer, the lakebed will continue to subside for up to 15 years, even with engineered fills and compacted lifts. This inland lake has never been completely drained, and at the time of the Spanish conquest the Valley of Mexico, called Anáhuac by the Aztecs, consisted of five lakes (Zumpango, Xaltocan, Xochimilco, Chalco, and the largest, Texcoco) and covered about 1,500 square kilometers (580 sq. mi.) of the basin floor, separated by small mountain ranges including the Sierra de Guadalupe and Mount Chiconautla but hydrologically interconnected. "If we had not made that decision, we would be troubled. Construction would not be feasible at the airport of Lake Texcoco, it was not the most appropriate site, on the contrary, it was the worst place, it is the area of the Valley of Mexico, with more subsidence," López Obrador said recently, assessing the project as "a very expensive, pharaonic work . . . fundamentally driven by private interests, by corruption."
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After months of litigation and 140 appeals by civil and business organizations to prevent the construction of the new Santa Lucia airport, construction has begun, but not without its own set of obstacles, primarily operational. The airport is surrounded by mountains; take-offs and landings will be limited and one of the three runways will continue to be reserved for military operations. Despite the delays, AMLO promised to finish the Santa Lucia airport by 2021, with a tentative inauguration date for May 21, 2022. But beyond the political and legal conflict, some critics of the Santa Lucia airport project have pointed out some drawbacks such as the distance from the new terminal to Mexico City – at least a one-hour commute even without the perennial traffic. To resolve this problem, the government has proposed the construction of a 47-kilometer elevated highway to connect the Santa Lucia airport with AICM. And what about Toluca? There has been mention of expansion of a third facility at the Toluca airport, which is about a 1.5hour drive without traffic from AICM. It already receives international flights from Caracas, Venezuela, and other domestic commercial flights. Airlines have indicated that managing flights from potentially three airports could cause connection problems and an increase in fares, which was noted by AMLO's team in a document released in August 2018. A representative of American Airlines recently reaffirmed that operating out of more than one airport in the Mexico City vicinity was unacceptable and cited their close alliance with the Mexican airline Interjet. There remains the question of what to do about the unfinished infrastructure and land development at the Texcoco site, and associated complex investments. According to my colleague, Mexico City will still eventually need an airport of its own, a new facility. Maybe after final subsidence, whenever and whatever that constitutes, has been achieved, the aborted project will be resurrected. ¡Vamos a ver! In the meantime, all of us who travel through AICM will continue to experience the challenging and constantly changing gates and security checks.
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Save the Date: January 25, 2020 Fun, Food, Singing, Dancing Coming Soon!
I
t's time once again, actually, it's the FIFTH time, for The Dream Festival (Festival del Sueño). Save the date – Saturday, January 25, 2020, from 5 to 10pm – to come to Guelaguetza Park (right next to Marina Park Plaza), have a lot of fun, and support the work of the Bacaanda Foundation / El Sueño Zapateco. Admission tickets are $150 mxn each, tickets for food and games are $10 mxn each, and raffle ticket prices depend on the raffle – there are several! Bacaanda supports CONAFE schools (Consejo Nacional de Fomento Educativo, National Council for Educational Development), a sub-agency of Mexico's Secretariat of Education, in the Huatulco area, by providing school buildings, school supplies, teacher support, and other services through its Adopt-a-School program. Rural schools provide education to the children and families located in isolated areas where communities are marginalized. The Dream Festival features more than enough activities to fill your evening. There will be a central performance stage with entertainment from the children and teachers of the rural schools, plus all kinds of music and dance – stay tuned for entertainment updates. The Dunk Tank will be open all night, with two rounds of celebrity dunkings! There will be Wheel of Fortune and Lotería games, while the Rotary will have its sale table of used books in English, French, Italian, and German, their famous (and essential) collapsible Frisbee-style fans, glasses and glasses straps (did you forget yours?), and kids' activities (e.g., face painting), and more. New food items this year are carnitas (pulled pork) and esquites (corn on the cob), along with tacos, sausages, hot dogs, and pizza from past years. And of course, beer, wine, and aguas frescas. And there are lots of prize opportunities – with your admission ticket you are entered for the Early Bird prize (have to buy the ticket in advance), which is a dual-sim Samsung smart phone, and the Grand Prize, which is an iPad this year! Buying raffle tickets supports Bacaanda, and here's where you can choose your prizes from the best goods and experiences Huatulco's businesses have to offer. And if you haven't had time to seek out unique artesanías, fine art, or other goods, they'll be there at the market tables, some set up by local shops, and most featuring items by individual artists and crafts people who don't have shops, so their goods are hard to find. Since its launch in 2016, the Dream Festival has provided essential support to the Foundation and its activities; last year's Festival proceeds supported the purchase of a used box truck, very spiffy with its new paint job featuring the Foundation. The goal of the Foundation's latest project, Intelligent Rural Schools, is to use point-to-point wireless technology to bring the internet – now a fundamental educational tool – to the rural communities where schools are located. The project includes teacher training on classroom technologies and equipping classrooms with iPad tablets loaded with offline and online educational content and smart TVs.
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Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo: One Year after Victory By Carole Reedy
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t this time last year Claudia Sheinbaum took the reins from Miguel Ángel Mancera to become the first woman elected mayor of la Cuidad de México, one of the largest cities in the world. Sheinbaum was part of the election sweep of MORENA (Movimiento Regeneración Nacional), the new party headed by now-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador. She won, as did López Obrador, by an overwhelming margin. In fact, the entire country expressed its dissatisfaction with the corruption of the PRI and PAN parties, shocking conservatives by electing the MORENA party in all sectors. The party now has majorities in the Senate and House, including many governor positions. So, how are they doing? A year isn't much time to fix the damage done by years of PRI corruption, and fighting corruption is the main focus of both López Obrador and Sheinbaum. But there are many challenges in a city of 20,000,000. I'm not a political writer, so here I'll try to give you a sense of the perceptions of the city's citizens based on a sampling of what's published in newspapers and other media as well as what I hear on the street, peppered, of course, with my personal opinion. On November 12, 2019, the newspaper El Financiero published the results of a survey of the city's 16 districts on Sheinbaum´s performance to date. The average was 53 percent in her favor. The results sorted out, not surprisingly, by wealth, with poorer communities very much satisfied with her performance and the richer areas less so.
Unfortunately, in the first half of 2019, the city's highest rate of intentional homicide was recorded, with an increase of 14.9 percent over 2018, according to the Mexico City chapter of the National Citizens' Observatory (Observatorio Nacional C i u d a d a n o ) , a n independent organization that monitors security. Members of the Violence a g a i n s t W o m e n Information Network (Red de Información contra Las Mujeres) report that 20,418 women were treated in situations of violence in the country's capital. Crime is an enormous problem for the country as a whole, but while both Sheinbaum and López Obrador continue their efforts to curb it, the numbers keep increasing. This is the number one issue for most citizens. Despite these alarming statistics, I personally have not experienced discomfort with the safety of the city. It has been ten years since I changed my residence from a small quiet beach town to this megalopolis, and I feel as safe here in my city apartment as I did at my palapa in the sand. I take public transportation and taxis and walk the streets at all hours without problems. Every place has an element of crime, and naturally you must use the same caution you would in Iowa City or New York. With that said, much of the violence in Mexico stems from infighting among drug cartels and violence in the home. Green spaces and transport More green areas including parks, walls, and the like are also on the agenda. Mexico City has one of the largest, most beautiful parks in the world, Chapultepec Park, and a castle that overlooks it all. Sheinbaum has vowed to plant more trees and create more parks.
In the more prosperous Miguel Hidalgo and Benito Juárez districts, she received 47 and 44 percent in favor, respectively, and 51 and 52 percent unfavorable. In the less affluent areas, she received 65 percent in favor. In my district, Cuauhtemoc, which encompasses Centro, Condesa, Roma, Santa María la Ribera, and Doctores, she scored 55 percent favorable and 42 percent unfavorable. The survey was conducted via telephone by El Financiero.
It feels to me that the city has been spiffed up. Sidewalks are cleaner and there are sweepers everywhere. Metro stations are newly painted and cleaner, though much improvement needs to be done in places such as the Tacubaya station, perhaps the city's busiest metro station. The problem of non-working escalators in the large metro stations still seems to be a stubborn challenge.
There are myriad issues and areas of concern in our big city, but security surely tops them all. Sheinbaum has made changes in the security structure, including replacing police with the National Guard in an attempt to curb crime and corruption.
“Electric transport will be expanded and improved from the existing infrastructure in the city,” Sheinbaum promises. “At the same time we are planning the construction of new lowemission forms of transport such as the cable bus for the most remote and marginal areas of the city.”
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Moving people around this grand city is a challenge and an absolute necessity. Sheinbaum formerly held the office of Secretary of the Environment under then-mayor López Obrador. In 2006, she was in charge of construction of the Metrobus, which includes seven lines integrated into other transport modes. It moves more than a million people daily. She was also responsible for the construction of a 60-kilometer network of cycle paths, as well as the Periférico, a 58-kilometre mega structure over which 50,000 vehicles pass every day. This highway was built between 2002 and 2015. Education Education is among the most important issues for any country or city. Both López Orbrador and Sheinbaum this year have initiated becas (scholarships) for all age groups.
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Sheinbaum also introduced, for the first time, a gender-neutral uniform policy in the public schools. “Boys can wear skirts and girls can wear pants if they want,” states the new mayor. In a predominately conservative Catholic country, this is a big step forward in protecting the rights of transgender teens. One of the most important educational projects Sheinbaum created is the PILARES program (Points of Innovation, Freedom, Art, Education and Knowledge), consisting of 300 community centers that will be located in the most marginalized areas of the city. Her motivation is to make “Mexico City a city of rights.” PILARES consists of a cyber school as well as an area for cultural and sports activities. She believes the program is essential to reducing violence in the city. One of the most significant changes the MORENA party instituted is the Austerity Program. Reducing the city's bureaucracy by 15 percent has focused the savings on augmenting education programs and water service, among other services. Sheinbaum has not cut salaries as the federal government did, because they had previously been reduced. Every citizen has ideas about what makes a successful city. For most of us it's the simple things. In Mexico City, as in my hometown Chicago, one of the big questions has always been “Has the garbage been picked up?” I'm happy to report my neighborhood, Roma Sur, has daily garbage service.
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Tribute Concert for Carminia Magaña We are honored to invite you to the Tribute Concert for our friend Carminia Magaña, which will be held on December 12, 2019, at 8:00 p.m, at Camino Real Zaashila Hotel. We will be accompanied by great international musicians such as: Horacio Franco, flutist and conductor Katia Reyes, soprano Vladimir Rueda, baritone Isaac Bañuelos, pianist All of them were close friends who collaborated with Carminia, spreading the music in Huatulco. The voluntary contribution will be $200 pesos general admission and $100 pesos for students and teachers. Tickets are available in Foto Conejo, Yamaha Musical, Café Juanita, Giordana’s and Hotel Camino Real Zaashila Hotel.
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Globalization in Oaxaca: Isthmus of Tehuantepec Case Study Review By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.
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n No Word for Welcome: The Mexican Village Faces the Global Economy (University of Nebraska Press, 2011), author Wendy Call, a selfdescribed grassroots organizer and researcher, makes an impassioned plea, if not for halting the invasion of the global economy into Oaxaca's Isthmus of Tehuantepec, then for proceeding only after critical evaluation of environmental and cultural impact studies. Ms. Call spent two years living and working in the Isthmus, in addition to shorter visits totaling a further year. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is a 120-mile strip of land between the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico. It's been inhabited by indigenous groups with different languages and customs for millennia. Since colonial times it's attracted both national and international attention because of its important geographical location and richness of resources. The federal government proceeded with its Trans-Isthmus Megaproject by commencing the construction of a four-lane highway through the region, in some cases as a bypass around small Oaxacan towns and villages otherwise connected by potholed two-lane roads. It became part of then-president Vicente Fox's Plan Puebla Panamá (PPP), an initiative to extend Mexico's main, relatively new highway system from the US border through to Central America. The scope of the PPP megaproject initially included 150 proposed projects, including oil refineries, plantations, industrial parks, commercial shrimp farms and a highway-rail network to carry products to national and international markets. The project would inevitably alter both the environmental and cultural landscape. Townspeople opposed development of the region mainly out of fear of the unknown due to a lack of information and consultation. Government and commercial interests were intent upon forging forward. Call's contention is that development would result in irreversible adverse impact to the natural environment, and to inhabitants by altering their means of eking out an economic existence, while at the same time destroying other cultural indicia such as traditions and language. The book centers upon objection to construction of the highway system and the proposed replacement of small fishing operations with large industrial shrimp farms.
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In No Word for Welcome, Call chronicles family histories and livelihoods as well as opposing individual points of view. This is accomplished by providing detailed examinations of the lives of individuals she came to know intimately in the course of living in the Isthmus, and to a lesser extent through interviewing civil servants and proponents of the project. Call's novel-like use of colorful, detailed description draws you in. She holds your interest by weaving together the stories of her subjects (i.e. the activists, the fishermen, the uneducated schoolteacher); otherwise often dry archival evidence of the historical importance of the Isthmus; the sometimes violent and destructive manifestations of opposing positions; and her own viewpoint. You cannot help but become extremely opinionated, either by jumping on Call's bandwagon or being critical of how her political point of view affects the presentation of her thesis. She approaches her chapter centering on Huatulco, which was created by FONATUR (Mexico's national tourism development agency), with disdain, though she does note positive impressions of its Mexican residents. She seems to mock the government when she writes that the FONATUR office “felt more like a travel agency than a government agency, with overstuffed furniture, brochures filled with beaches and bikinis, and the hollow air of a place with more infrastructure than activity.” How else does one attempt to sell tourism, sun, sand and surf? But it's Call's style of writing, inevitable as a consequence of her very reason for being on the Isthmus, which contributes to keeping the reader engaged, either cheering for the cause and hoping that “the people” prevail, or cringing at naivety – the arrival of the global economy in the Isthmus is inevitable and could have been foreshadowed since the 1500s. .
The description of the lives and hardships of fishermen and their environs is rich and compelling. Yes, perhaps industrial shrimp farms destroy the mangroves and might have a short lifespan, leaving a swath of destruction. But we're given little in the way of alternatives for the area and its industry Both industrialization and the residents themselves have played a part in marginalizing existence and requiring government intervention. But there appears to be a lack of understanding on the part of residents of the complexity of the issue and the part they have played in creating the current conundrum; Call's job is not to educate in this regard. A fisherman surmises that his people have been harvesting shrimp, fish and crabs for over a thousand years, so asks why he should pay attention to some mestizo government regulation banning the use of large rectangular nets. He seems to deny any direct role as a contributor to the problem and states that you cannot trust a government whose solution would create a bigger problem (industrial shrimp farms). The area has become overfished. Fishermen were not forced to begin using motorboats. They discarded their smaller nets, each of which took a year of spare time to make, in favor of buying the large $100 USD Japanese machine-made ones, and proceeded to trap their catch by extending these new nets across the river's mouth. The result was that small shrimp and other marine species could not get through the nets and into the mangroves to reproduce. The government had to ban the use of these nets in order to protect the industry. The fisherman is adamant that he needs to harvest that much fish to survive. Many in the fisherman's position opt to head to the US. Call notes emigration in passing from time to time but it's not fully addressed in her book, perhaps because it is not consistent with Call's thesis. One rarely finds an anthropological writing of this nature which does not deal with emigration head on. But Call is not an anthropologist, and in fact is critical of social scientists, for some reason lumping them together with others working in the Isthmus: “I tried not to act like so many of the journalists, anthropologists, folklorists, and sociologists I'd encountered while living on the Isthmus. They tended to come for just a few hours, days, or weeks, blurting out questions before their bodies had warmed a chair.” Though I hope not, perhaps anthropological fieldwork has changed dramatically since my days in graduate school. The superhighway and a network of smaller roads and rail do result in physically dividing populations, and yes, they can adversely impact indigenous culture. Relocating populations into neighborhoods with street names such as Poblado One, Two, etc., rather than retaining names of heroes of The Revolution or pre-Hispanic gods and royalty impacts a pride in one's society and heritage. But globalization is inevitable, for the benefit of not only a few rich Mexicans and foreigners seeking to capitalize on NAFTA, as is submitted in the book, but for the residents of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
Of course, as Call suggests, cultural and environmental impact studies are crucial for minimizing destruction of peoples and their lands. And yes, they are sometimes not done or are ignored and politics and power often govern. What I found missing were propositions regarding the least detrimental alternative, which in these circumstances I would suggest, is the best one could hope to achieve, rather than a wholesale halt to all. When subcomandante Marcos' caravan was en route to Mexico City in 2001, and he assured all that he would take President Fox the message that “the Isthmus is not for sale,” perhaps someone should have suggested a rental agreement with terms maximizing the benefit for the Istmeños. No Word for Welcome is well written, holding the reader's interest throughout. I recommend it for visitors to southern Mexico because its descriptions of life are extremely accurate, from the workings of local politics, antics, strategies and sometimes destructive forces used to make a point, to the richness of detail, to the lesson in history. The expat living in Mexico will find Call's experiences familiar and reaffirming on many levels (a department store employee is indeed often taken aback when you ask how much a refrigerator costs for cash, not credit). For those interested in globalization in general, or understanding how competing interests are addressed and resolved in Mexico in particular, it's a must. No Word for Welcome is written with a strong bias, and as such it stirs emotion. The reader is anxious to learn how it all turned out, and to some extent is informed. Alvin Starkman operates Mezcal Educational Excursions of Oaxaca (www.mezcaleducationaltours.com).
Mezcal Educational Excursions of Oaxaca TM/MR While in the state capital, learn about this century's most coveted spirit by spending a day with recognized authority Alvin Starkman. Visit rural artisanal distilleries (palenques) using both ancestral clay pot and traditional copper stills. For novices and aficionados alike. Sample throughout your excursion with no obligation to buy.
www.mezcaleducationaltours.com mezcaleducationaltours@hotmail.com
The Eye 23
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Plaza Coyula Local 4 Santa Cruz, Huatulco (behind Banamex) Tel: 958 100 9998
Oaxaca City Recurring Events: Open AA Meetings (English) Members of all 12-step programs welcome Mondays and Thursdays, 7 pm Saturdays, 9 am 303B Rayon near corner of Fiallo Al-Anon (English) Tuesdays, 10:30 am 303B Rayon near corner of Fiallo Religious Services Holy Trinity Anglican Episcopal Church Sundays 10:30 am Crespo 211 (between Morelos and Matamoros) Liturgy followed by coffee hour. Information 951514-3799 Oaxaca Quaker Friends Saturdays, 10 am, Free. All are welcome. For more information and location, contact janynelyons@hotmail.com. Weekly Markets Zaachila Market, Every Thursday Ocotlán Market, Every Friday Etla Market, Every Wednesday Tlacolula Market, Every Sunday
The Eye 26
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A Train to Nowhere? AMLO and Tourism, One Year In By Deborah Van Hoewyk
L
ast spring, a f t e r President A n d r é s Manuel López Obrador, or AMLO, had managed to get his firstyear plans and budget issued, The Eye ran an article on whether the change in government would produce any changes in tourism (May/June 2019). Much had been made of AMLO's reductions in the budgets of various tourism programs, his cancellation of the airport (see article elsewhere in this issue), and the feasibility (or not) of his pet project, the Tren Maya, which was intended to connect Palenque in Chiapas to Cancun in Quintana Roo, going up the Gulf of Mexico and then coming down the Riviera Maya side of the Yucatan peninsula, and back over to the Gulf side. AMLO's first national budget, for 2019, in fact increased the amount for tourism over the the previous year, the last of Peña Nieto's administration, but only because the amount budgeted for the Secretariat of Tourism (SECTUR) included the cost of the Mayan Train. His 2020 budget reflects the elimination of the country's Tourism Promotion Council, which primarily developed and implemented the national advertising campaign to encourage tourism from abroad. AMLO dismissed the Council's efforts as unsuccessful, noting that the “neoliberal” policy actually produced a decline in Mexican tourism numbers and revenue. Political Philosophy, AMLO, and the People As an aside, neoliberalism is basically free-market capitalism that believes human progress is made through sustained economic growth with little or no government intervention. While there is debate about the specifics of neoliberalism, it's basically a 19 th -century concept that has declined in effectiveness as the industrial revolution has given way to the information revolution. (One has to wonder why Mexico's 20th century began with a revolution to eliminate a neoliberal dictatorship, and then, why the revolution failed utterly to get rid of neoliberal policy.) As another aside, the decline in tourism is more readily explained by cartel violence, which arguably has worsened under AMLO's administration, and, to some extent, the stinky sargassum pileups on the Mexican beaches most accessible from abroad.
The Eye 28
For AMLO, neoliberalism is the root of all evil, the defining characteristic of previous Mexican administrations, the source of corruption, a “nightmare” responsible for reforms that were “complete failures.” Thus AMLO's “postneoliberal” development plan is based on the state's “economic, social, and political responsibility to improve the living conditions of the people.” When he presented his six-year development plan for the country in March 2019, AMLO asserted that “We must show that modernity can be forged from below, and without excluding anyone, and that development does not have to be contrary to social justice."
There are no indications that AMLO has any intention of actually practicing “bottom-up development,” which uses grassroots micro-projects designed and controlled by local residents to create a groundswell of small-scale, appropriate technology that can be adapted to other locations, and then possibly scaled further up the development ladder. First seen in agriculture or water projects, the bottom-up approach is now getting a lot of attention in tourism development. Local eco-tourism projects, such as trips to see the crocodiles and other wildlife on the Ventanilla mangrove lagoon near Mazunte on Oaxaca's southern coast, are a good example.
Note that AMLO said “modernity” should be forged from below, that development does not have to “exclude” anyone, but he did NOT say that everyone would be taking part in determining the vision for what modernity and inclusiveness should look like. (Of course, just what “modernity” means in a country that on the one hand, has forged its identity on ancient cultures that were decimated five hundred years ago, and on the other, has a population that is more than 20% indigenous, more than 40% poor, and less than 38% having completed high school, is also unclear.)
And What's That Doing for Tourism? Back to that 2020 budget. Overall, the tourism budget for the Secretariat of Tourism has been reduced by nearly 45%, from just under $9 billion to about $5 billion MXN. The almost $6 billion pesos gained by disbanding the Tourism Promotion Council have been rerouted directly to FONATUR, which is responsible for the Mayan Train. Most commentators see the reduction in overall budget as leading to even lower tourist arrivals and income.
AMLO has taken various actions to protect tourism. He worked with the Secretariat for Tourism to set up a $50 million MXN fund for promoting tourism, which while a mere fraction of what the Council had, is a start. In March, he announced an initiative to make improvements in 15 cities that would improve the environment to support sustainable tourism. For example, he canceled a gold mining project in Baja California Sur on the grounds that it threatened local water sources and would thus damage tourism. He also announced a $1 billion MXN desalinization plant for Los Cabos, another project to improve water security. AMLO has announced substantial investments to improve existing housing for tourism workers in Playa del Carmen, Acapulco, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta; he has also asked the secretariats of Public Safety, Defense, the Navy, and Tourism to coordinate on initiatives to improve security in major tourism destinations. One goal of the urban improvements is to assist the notoriously underpaid people who work in tourism with better access to services, social programs, and legal help to gain title to their housing. Do We Hear the Train a Comin'? The Tren Maya project represents AMLO's strongly held belief that southeastern Mexico has long been neglected, and correcting that is a matter of social justice. With the southern states of Guererro, Oaxaca, and Chiapas always duking it out for the title of Mexico's poorest state, but Tabasco and the three Yucatán peninsula states (Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo), to the east doing much better, primarily through tourism, AMLO's “modern, touristic, and cultural” Mayan Train might seem to be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, it seems to have been such a no-brainer, “an engine of development, a generator of social equity and sustainable growth [built with] maximum respect for the environment,” that AMLO didn't ask anyone's opinion. About two weeks after he was inaugurated in December 2018, AMLO went to Palenque and created an indigenous ceremony to ask Mother Earth's permission to build the Mayan Train (five other such ceremonies were conducted simultaneously at ruins throughout the Yucatán peninsula). Apparently, the permission was given, but even though AMLO projects that the train will add 3 million tourists to the 17 million that now visit, and create 20,000 jobs, it has received pushback. Lots of pushback. Academics, environmentalists, indigenous communities, farmers, and social activists have all protested the very concept of running a high-speed (130 km/78 mi per hour) train slashing through a rainforest that is home to any number of endangered species, the pumas and jaguars in particular. University scientists and environmental organizations object to both the Tren Maya and AMLO's plan for a commercial train corridor across the Isthmus through Veracruz and Oaxaca, on the grounds that all these area are “critical habitats that cover areas with high biodiversity value.” For centuries, the Veracruz-Oaxaca route has resisted development as a commercial corridor; see Alvin Starkman's review of No Word for Welcome: The Mexican Village Faces the Global Economy elsewhere in this issue. Indigenous communities have made public statements to the fact that the project will “only benefit the rich and foreigners,” and the local landowners will “only see it pass by,” because, of course, there are no stations planned for the small towns where they live.
AMLO says that up to now, there has been a “preliminary and informal process … since the beginning and for a long time, [of] contact with communities; we have gathered opinions; we have shared our intentions during this whole process.” Nonetheless, as this issue of The Eye went to press, the administration has begun a referendum process to get a local response to the project. On December 15, the opinions of 3,425 “local authorities,” about 40% of them indigenous, will be solicited. The “modules” for the referendum will be set up in Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo, in municipalities through which the train will pass. Whose opinions will be solicited, and how each process will operate, have yet to be determined. However the referendum will turn out, it does not represent bottom-up participation; groups now opposed to the train may well remain opposed to the train.
And how to finance the $7.9 billion US ($150 billion MXN) project remains a mystery as well. AMLO's administration is looking for investments in an arrangement somewhere between a partnership and a trust to raise about 90% of the cost. So far, though, the administration has done no studies to determine whether the train will pay for itself with passengers and freight, and AMLO and FONATUR see the Mayan Train's value more in the construction of hotels and other facilities, and the resulting increase in tourism than in the train itself.
Probably not a good idea to incorporate the Tren Maya in your travel plans just yet. By the way, how about that road down from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido, and from there to Huatulco? On June 28 of this year, AMLO said it will be restarted. Any minute now.
The Eye 29
Functional Art By Vivian Kadelbach
B
radley Narduzzi Rex, an American born in Connecticut in 1967, studied architecture at Columbia University in New York City. In 1992, he was awarded the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship Award which allowed him to work and study in Venice, Italy. Life is full of coincidences that determine our paths. While in Italy, Bradley familiarized himself with furniture design, which later led him to manufacture his own contemporary furniture in Mexico, where he has been living full time since 1999. Bradley's biography is long: solo and group exhibitions, fellowships and art prizes. But who is he really? Certainly so much more than what his bio makes us believe at first glance. I have always been intrigued by Bradley's abundant, embracing energy that is full of light and happiness. He says it's a family trait, inherited from his father. Being a person defined by/full of ideas, he experiences the world with all his five senses and an openness that makes him unique. To him, everything he perceives is an opportunity and an inspiration to create something new and different. The world is a happy place full of opportunities that are worth exploring. And being as ambitious as he is, he does not remain in the world of ideas and dreams but rather rolls up his sleeves to make things happen. Bradley's understanding of art is not like that of other contemporary artists. His art is not made to be admired in a museum or to shock the viewer by provoking certain strong emotions – something that many of his contemporaries strive for. Rather, Bradley's vision is that he wants his artwork to be displayed in homes and offices, creating a pleasant environment that one would want to live in and enjoy. Hence, practical or functional are probably good words to describe his art. When looking at his art, you certainly cannot deny his background as an architect or his experience as a furniture designer, with a focus on the utility or functionality of everything he does and a primary interest in color and form. Bradley lives his art. His apartment in Mexico City displays just that: a harmonious and fun back and forth between old and new, different materials and colors that show great taste and an amazing eye for combining elements that at first glance are completely unrelated.
Cell: 222 101 7123 Tel: 958 688 5444
gardening and landscaping
info@espaciosverdes.mx wwww.parquesincluyentes.com
www.espaciosverdes.mx The Eye 30
To Bradley, his art is like a game he loves to play. He constantly explores new elements while taking others, already established parts of his work, to perfection, just to then change them again. He enjoys reinventing his work over and over again and invites the viewer to participate in this game of color and form with him. His billboard panels that take up common popular themes of comics, Mexican pop culture and superheroes, are the perfect example for an invitation to a play date with the viewer. The different panels are waiting to be arranged by us to our liking and personal preferences and also to our decorative needs. He invites us to have fun, to play and to enjoy and the best part is that he leads us the way. The Mexican “idiosincrasia� that is well known to us foreigners who love the magic of this country is something that, just as for many of us, has been a challenge for Bradley, but that he has come to embrace and enjoy as an intrinsic element of Mexican culture. Bradley has built an entire life in the 20 years that he has been living in Mexico. He has made a name for himself in Mexico and abroad and is deeply rooted in this home away from home that he has chosen for himself. For him, it is the ideal creative turf, with daily inspiration through things and situations that are completely different from what the common North American or European eye is used to seeing. He has managed to turn it into his artistic and overall inspiration for a happy and fun life that is reflected in his art. Bradley lives in Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende with his wife Sandra and their two xoloitzcuintles, the hairless Mexican dogs of ancient, of unclear, ancestry. (www.bradleynarduzzi.com).
Santo Domingo By Richard D. Perry
A
s the mother house of the Dominicans in the region, the grand priory of Santo Domingo in Oaxaca City exerted a major influence on everyday life and society in colonial Oaxaca, both religious and secular as well as on its art and architecture.
Most of the original wall and ceiling ornamentation inside the church, as well as the adjacent convento and Rosary chapel, features painted stucco relief dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, much of it created by artisans and stucco workers from Puebla. With the dissolution of the priory in the mid-19th century, however, the church was converted into an army barracks. The interior was vandalized and many altarpieces burned. When the church was returned to the Dominicans in the 1930s an ambitious program of interior restoration began, eventually completed in 1976. Further work has been done in more recent years. While many of the original walls and ceilings have been restored, the altarpieces and many other furnishings are modern reproductions. The sumptuous gilded main altarpiece, together with the ornate pulpit and altar rail, were reconstructed on the basis of old descriptions and surviving examples from the period—notably the main retablo at Yanhuitlán. Restoration of the interior in keeping with its colonial appearance has continued with the recent creation of an altarpiece dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Located in the south transept of the church, this new retablo is designed in traditional Oaxacan Baroque style with encrusted spiral columns, jutting cornices hung with spindles, a variety of rectangular and oval frames and gilded filigree ornament. The classic representation of the Virgin of Guadalupe at center is complemented by the Four Apparitions in the small ovals in the gable. However, the four paintings of archangels with gilded windblown draperies, mounted in the side niches, are of 18th century origin, attributed to the noted baroque painter José de Páez, whose work appears elsewhere in Oaxaca City, notably in the church of San Felipe Neri. Apart from Gabriel, those portrayed are among the lesser known archangels. To read more about colonial Mexico, visit http://colonialmexico.blogspot.com.
Salt Available at Café Juanita in Marina Chahue The Eye 32
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From the archives: December 2012 December in D.F. A Time to Celebrate and Reflect By Carole Reedy
M
exican holidays are a mix of emotions. Underlying the boisterous parties and
celebrations are quieter pursuits: silence,
reflection, respect, and prayer.
It all starts December 12 and continues until January 6. In D.F., thousands of brilliant red poinsettias line the streets of
At the Zócalo, the center of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, all eyes are on the huge ice rink that is free to all, including skate rental. In the evenings, shows on ice are presented. Plus, there are toboggan slides and snowmanmaking workshops for the children. For details, see www.cultura.df.gob.mx. For a fabulous bird’s eye view of this spectacular, enjoy a drink or meal at one of the restaurants in the hotels that overlook the Zócalo: the Majestic, the Gran Hotel Cuidad de Mexico, or the Holiday Inn.
Reforma, and decorations adorn every part of the city. Closer to Christmas, nacimientos (manger scenes) find a home on Reforma also. Trying to conduct business in the capital during this time? Take a pass—it won’t happen. It is also wise to make hotel and restaurant reservations far in advance. There’s something for everyone and, as is the tradition in this great city, many of the events are free of charge to the public. Following November’s Day of the Dead and Revolution Day activities, on December 12 we celebrate the most famous woman of Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe. Everywhere you
Shopping for gifts Whether you’re shopping for presents for your family or friends, or for a special treat for you, there are several markets and bazaars that take place during the holidays that should satisfy all your gift needs. All year long, but especially in December, enjoy the Bazaar Sábado (Saturday Bazaar) in San Ángel. Visitors from all over the world come to shop here. See a detailed description of the Bazaar in The Eye December 2011 issue. Here you will find the finest hand-crafted gifts in the country, each a work of art. Outside the Bazaar, easel artists display and sell their creations. The Bazaar is open from 11 am to 7 pm located at Plaza Jacinto, Colonia San Ángel. Metrobus stop is La Bombilla.
look in Mexico you’ll see her image, from the facades of buildings to posters, candles, jewelry, clocks, and clothes. A huge mass, attended by people from all over the world, is held at the Basilica, which houses her original image. You will not miss the day…the fireworks will remind you!
The Eye 34
Christmas Eve This is the night that Mexican families gather for dinner following the last posada of the season or church services (which take place all over the city). On this night many clubs and restaurants are closed, because this is the night to celebrate at home with your family until the wee hours of Christmas day.
New Year’s Eve As of this writing, we don’t have an announcement for the usual free concert taking place at the Monumento del Ángel or the Monumento de Revolución, both conveniently located in centro. Famous Mexican entertainers fill the bill, with fireworks at midnight, of course. Of course, the Zócalo will be jam-packed with people bringing in the New Year.
Open Daily 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm Located beside La Papaya in Chahue
Three Kings' Day (Epiphany, January 6) This is the main gift-giving day in Mexico. Throughout the city you will find the Three Kings talking to the children, taking their “orders” just as Santa Claus does in the US. On this day, it is traditional to prepare and eat a rosca de reyes, a wreath-shaped coffee cake made only at this time of year. The rosca contains a small plastic figurine of the baby Jesus. If you are the lucky person to find that figurine in your piece of cake, it is your duty to provide tamales for the breakfast at yet another celebration that takes place on February 2, Día de la Candelaria, which fuses the Aztec New Year and the Catholic tradition of baptizing the baby Jesus (among other things). If you are a frequent traveler to Mexico, you know that most events are not publicized far in advance. As a result, we can’t include complete information about some other fun and worthwhile activities. So on arrival in D.F., be sure to pick up a copy of Tiempo Libre at any corner kiosk for a complete list of activities. Also check online with Ticketmaster.
Patio Time at Frida’s Giant Margaritas, Jugs of Sangria and the best caesars in town! Variety of Burgers, Tacos and Pitas Fried Cheese, fresh shrimp cocktails
¡Feliz Navidad Y Prospero Año Nuevo………Disfrutan todo!
Chiles&Chocolate Cooking Classes Huatulco, Oaxaca
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NEW CLASS! THURSDAY MORNINGS Pigs and Rum -Cochinita Pibil -Corn Cakes -Pickeled Onion and Habanero -Avocado Salsa -Nopal and Radish Salad -Horchata
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chiles.chocolate@yahoo.com www.HuatulcoCookingClasses.com The Eye 35
Oaxaca City Events
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We Love Shopping in Mexico By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken
O
rdinarily we are not shoppers. We hit the stores as infrequently as possible. When we really need an item, we're more likely to find it online and ship it to our current address. And when we travel, museums, but not museum shops, are high on our list. But there are some places in Mexico where shopping is a pleasure and a delightful pastime. Oaxaca is a city that we visit for great dinners, music and the latest movies – but we rarely leave without buying an alebrije for our collection of these whimsical wooden animals. Occasionally, we travel out to one of the surrounding towns to buy one directly from one of the many artists who carve and paint them. But usually we find one that calls to us in MARO, the store that features creations of women artists living in the region. We've found several in the stalls that line plazas or the zocalo in the city center. And other acquisitions were displayed in the many gift shops that abound in the city. Over the decades we've been shopping for alebrijes in Oaxaca, styles and colors have changed, but the great appeal of these little critters remains high.
The epitome of shoppers' paradise in Mexico is Tlaquepaque in the state of Jalisco. We've stayed in this suburb of Guadalajara principally as a lovely oasis on the long drive from the U.S. to Huatulco – a place for a good night's sleep and a delicious meal. One year we purposefully set out to furnish and decorate our condo from many of the shops here and in nearby Tonalá. But even before we bought our condo and after we had everything we could possible want in the condo, walking from our Tlaquepaque BnB to a restaurant has always proven to be hazardous to our budget. There are so many unique items – jewelry, sculptures, paper art, and amusing garden paraphernalia – that sheer greed has resulted in buying.
We all too rarely find ourselves in the little village of Tzintzuntzan on the shores of the beautiful Lake Pátzcuaro in the state of Michoacán. But when we do, we can't resist shopping for baskets – large baskets for hampers, wastepaper baskets, bread baskets, and woven trays are among some that have filled the back of our car. The weaving is exceptional, the patterns are varied, and the colors are allnatural browns, greens, and yellows of the reeds, bulrushes, and other plant fibers used to create these useful works of art.
Also on the way to Huatulco, we've been known to take the route into central Puebla rather than the faster bypass. Not only are our favorite mole restaurants located there but also a plethora of stores selling beautiful and oh so practical Talavera pottery – everything including the kitchen sink. We go from store to store stocking up on colorful coffee mugs. You may think, how many mugs does a person need? Fortunately our grandkids love them and we encourage them to make off with the ones they like the best for their homes or dorm rooms. When our supply runs low, it's a great excuse to visit Puebla to restock.
On the road between Comitán and Tuxtla Gutiérrez in the state of Chiapas is a wonderland of pottery in the village of Amatenango del Valle. The potters are almost all women. Their shops line the main road, each containing brightly colored pots of all sizes, many in the shapes of birds including roosters, hens, ducks, and swans. This seemingly endless selection is supplemented by a co-op near the center of town that, in addition to selling a large inventory including very large pots, has recently started to cater to tourist busses, giving visitors a chance to create their own handcrafted objet d'art. Although we have no need for yet another pottery rooster or colorful planter, we simply cannot resist shopping for a gift for folks back in Huatulco or the U.S.
Our most dangerous places for impulse shopping on an empty stomach are found all over Mexico – the tortillerías. The delicious smell of cooking cornmeal wafting out to the street makes it all but impossible to just pass by. In almost every state in the country, we've been seduced into buying a half kilo of hot tortillas, burning our fingers and lips by immediately wolfing down two or more. We're completely ruined for our next meal – but totally satisfied by the lingering taste. We may not be shoppers in the U.S. or elsewhere, but Mexico is a world apart.
The Eye 38
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