The Eye
Beach, Village + Urban Living in Oaxaca February 2020 Issue 95 FREE
“The only remedy for love is to love more.” Henry David Thoreau So it’s almost Valentine’s Day... again! Seems like there is always some holiday right around the corner which requires us to be reflective about our lives and pull our loved ones in close. Some days I can’t decide if I am a hopeless romantic or too independent- can I be both? I have had two successful marriages which ended but they left me with great memories, unbeatable lessons and a better understanding of myself. While I enjoy being part of a ‘we’ and the support and love that comes with it, I also thrive on my own. The realization that I am as happy being single as I am coupled up has liberated me from seeing another person’s presence or absence as the key to my happiness. In Huatulco I am surrounded by many inspirational couples. Some have been together for 60 years while some are on their 4th marriages. What is clear is that to be human is to have the need to connect with other people. However, I have learned that this connection can come from all sorts of unlikely places. As I move through the world I can find tremendous satisfaction in simple interactions with a strangers; talking to the cashier at the supermarket, smiling at people sitting beside me in traffic or hugging a friend. It is in these small interactions which feed my need for connectivity. Humans are born wired for connection – it’s in our DNA, as strong a need as food, water and warmth. Unless newborn babies successfully attach to their mother, they won’t be able to survive. Yet the in world we have created we are more disconnected than ever. We are living in a paradigm of ‘I and the other.’ We have drawn a border between ‘us and them’ whether we are speaking about people from another country or of a different race or religion. One of my favorite quotes by Ramana Maharshi asks ‘how are we to treat others?’ and the answer is simply ‘there are no others.’ If we were all to adopt this way of viewing the world we would change the way we deal with immigration, war, natural disasters and poverty. If we could see our reflection in the face of everyone we meet we couldn’t help but become better versions of ourselves. Forget focusing your love only on your partner this Valentine’s. Let it spread out and touch everyone you meet. Feel your being connected to all those you come in contact with- that is what we are here for. See you next month.
Jane
Editor: Jane Bauer Copy Editor: Deborah Van Hoewyk Web Goddess: Erin Vig Writers: Tirza Bonifazi, Julie Etra, Jan Chaiken, Marcia Chaiken, Brooke Gazer, Randy Jackson, Carole Reedy, Alvin Starkman, Deborah Van Hoewyk, Kary Vannice Cover Image: DM Baker 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 End of February - End of Winter By Randy Jackson Page 6 Plastic Bag Ban: GO, MEXICO! By Julie Etra Page 8 Blues on the Beach 2020 – Second Concert! By Brooke Gazer Page 8 Same-Sex Marriage in Mexico By Kary Vannice Page 12 BOOKS! Creating Your 2020 Wish List By Carole Reedy Page 16 The Empress Carlota and Emperor Maximilian By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken Page 18 A Guide to Antiquing in Oaxaca By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D. Page 22 The Enigma of Porfirio and Juana Cata By Brooke Gazer Page 24 Frida & Diego: Mexico's Most Open Marriage? By Deborah Van Hoewyk Page 26 The "First Couple of Mexico” By Julie Etra Page 36 The Spirit of ART By Tirza Bonifazi Page 38 EDITORIAL PAGE 3 UPCOMING EVENTS PAGE 23 www.TheEyeHuatulco.com
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Chiles&Chocolate Cooking Classes Huatulco, Oaxaca
The best way to learn about a culture is through its food. www.HuatulcoCookingClasses.com
Morning Activities
Evening Activities
TUESDAY- Seafood -Ceviche -Seafood Fritter with Chipotle -Shrimp Tostadas -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
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
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
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
Tel. 958 105 1671
chileschocolatehuatulco
Cel. 958 100 7339
chiles.chocolate@yahoo.com www.HuatulcoCookingClasses.com
End of February - End of Winter By Randy Jackson
O
ur 12-month calendar originated in Ancient Rome. However, the first Roman calendars had only 10 months. For over 500 years Romans considered the period of time between December and March to be the unnamed winter season. It wasn't until Julius Caesar's time that the months of January and February were added to the calendar. I can imagine those early Romans thinking, “Until its Martius, it's still winter.” A sentiment I understand completely. That January/February period is the boggy part of the calendar we just have to slog through (at least in the more northern part of the hemisphere). Once we are past these two months there is good reason to pause, reflect, and celebrate that winter is over. It's high time we recognize and celebrate the end of February as the end of winter. I think we all know the end of winter isn't the end of all winter conditions. Heck, at home I don't put my snow shovel away until the end of May. At the same time, by the end of February I think we all know that the worst and the most of winter is over with. The lack of any festivities to mark the end of February appears to be an historical oversight we can now correct.
There are other reasons to celebrate the end of winter at the end of February. Here's a trivia question: Who likes February as their favorite month? Answer: Nobody (trick question). I had a joke wall calendar at work back in the day. For February it had a cartoon drawing of a guy slogging to work in the snow with the caption “February is the month with 11 Mondays.” Sorry February, it's not because you're the shortest, or that in different years you have a different number of days, or that your Roman creators didn't even want you as a month. It's, well … you're special ... and we'd like to give you a going away party. I think most snowbirds would agree with me on February. Most of us migrate northward in March and so the end of February marks a turning point. Another season of fun in the sea and sun is about to end. And shouldn't all turning points be celebrated? There once was a month in Nantucket So cold saltwater froze in the buckets. But when it was done, There was hope for some sun, And February was ended with trumpets.
For too long, we've relied on precise celestial observations to mark our seasons. The winter solstice of December 21st has been misconstrued in modern times as the start of winter. Wikipedia tells us ancient civilizations identified the winter solstice as the middle of the winter. The time when our ancestors checked the food stores to make sure they still had at least half remaining. Halfway is no reason to celebrate. If you've ever run a marathon, knowing you're halfway is no cause for excitement whatsoever. It's just a marker that you made it this far and you still have a long, painful way to go. So to mark December 21st as the start of winter is silliness of the highest order. Ask any Canadian kid who's licked snow off a metal railing in December if winter has started yet. Nor is the winter solstice the end of winter. Pollyannas often say on December 22nd, “Well, at least the days are getting longer now.” The correct response to this is, “Who cares, it's not even January.” Yes, technically the days are getting longer after December 21st, and the change depends on the latitude. Around the 49th parallel (the western border between Canada and the U.S.), it starts out at about 1 minute per day of additional daylight. Not something anyone would notice for a month or two. The spring equinox is a little closer to the mark of the end of winter. This year, 2020, that date is March 19th. The spring equinox is the one day in the year when the equator is the closest point on earth to the sun. The earth is upright on its axis so that both the north and south hemispheres receive 12 hours of daylight. The date of the spring equinox moves around a bit, although it's not as fickle as Easter, but it's still not an end-type date like the end of February. Besides, by late March we already know winter is over. By then winter was a band-aid ripped off so long ago the hair has grown back. We're all thinking of spring by then.
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Marina Park Plaza Chahue, Huatulco
Open daily 11am- 11pm Tel. 958 117 4502
Plastic Bag Ban: GO, MEXICO!
Blues on the Beach 2020 – Second Concert!
By Julie Etra
By Brooke Gazer
I
n the USA, where I am from, we are frequently asked: paper or plastic? And the groovy stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's only offer paper. Is paper any better? I suppose, since paper bags are biodegradable, but they still require a paper industry. That is a longer topic and conversation for another article. As of January 2, 2020, single use plastic shopping bags were banned in Mexico City, implementing a law passed in May 2019. I have been told that this was done at the national level, but can only confirm that is has been implemented in Bahías de Huatulco, Querétaro, Tijuana, and the state of Veracruz. Plastic bags are still available for fresh food items such as produce, meat, and fish. Fines for non-compliance range from 2,245 pesos to 168,980 pesos (US $120 to $8,950), depending on the exchange rate, of course). Environment Secretary Marina Robles García is working with the plastic industry to encourage production of environmentally friendly alternatives. Other items facing a ban in Mexico City on January 1, 2021, and presumably elsewhere, include nonrecyclable straws, plastic plates, cups, forks, spoons, and knives. Not holding my breath for a nationwide ban in the USA. Currently the states of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii (de facto because all its counties do), Maine, New York, Oregon, and Vermont, as well as the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico have banned single-use plastic bags. The Canadian government announced in June 2019 that it plans to ban harmful single-use plastics by 2021.
Huatulco Taxi Rates From La Crucecita: To: La Entrega: 60 pesos Maguey: 70 pesos Arrocito: 55 pesos Tangolunda: 60 pesos Balcones de Tangolunda: 75 pesos Conejos: 85 pesos La Bocana: 100 pesos Puente de Copalita: 130 pesos Sector O: 45 pesos To the airport: From: La Crucecita: 180 pesos Tangolunda: 250 pesos
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T
he star-studded seaside ambience of Sea Soul Beach Club provided a perfect setting for an evening beach party, and January's Blues on the Beach extravaganza was a huge success. Over seven hundred Huatulco visitors and residents reveled to the rhythms of some top blues artists on January 18, while they raised money for one of Huatulco's most-needed nonprofits, Un Nuevo Amenacer (A New Dawn), which provides developmental care and support for disabled children.. For the second Blues on the Beach benefit, coming up on February 22, the performer lineup offers an equally exciting mix of international rhythm and blues and rock blues musicians that you won't want to miss. From the USA, no one brings the jump-style, jazz saxophone to life quite like Sax Gordon. Tia Carroll engages her audience with a brassy, fullthroated delivery that packs the dance floor. Mexico's own Emiliano Juárez is among the finest blues guitarists in the country, and Quiqué Gómez brings us his show-stopping harmonica all the way from Spain. Like all Blues on the Beach concerts, the proceeds from this festival all go directly to UNA. Tickets are 400 pesos each, and are available at Giordana's Delizie Italiana (La Crucecita), Café Juanita (Chahue Marina), Viena Huatulco (Tangolunda), Aventura Mundo (Tangolunda), Xipol (La Crucecita), Resort Real Estate Services (Chahue), and at the door; reserved tables are available. The fun begins at about 8:00 PM and we are looking forward to seeing you there!
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Same-Sex Marriage in Mexico By Kary Vannice
H
ow is it that in a country notorious for its “machismo,” same-sex couples enjoy more rights, and have for a longer time, in Mexico than they do in the United States, a country labeled “the land of the free”? Well, while its neighbor to the north has lagged behind when it comes to civil rights, Mexico stands out as being quite progressive in its egalitarian legislation, where same-sex marriage and LGBT rights are concerned. Even before countries like France, England and the United States enacted country-wide same-sex marriage, Mexico City become the first jurisdiction in Latin America to legally recognize the union of same-sex couples, all the way back in 2009. It wasn't until 2013 that England and France recognized samesex civil unions. And all 50 of the United States didn't until 2015. It seems almost paradoxical that in a country where an overwhelming majority of the population subscribes to a religion that condemns homosexuality, Mexico is ahead of the curve compared to the rest of the world. Unlike other countries where law makers' religious views play heavily into legislation, Mexico has a very staunch separation of church and state policy. It is unacceptable to advocate legislation based on one's religious views. Even the most publicly outspoken religious politicians temper their religious views and agendas when debating and scripting the law. This has forced law makers to consider this controversial issue from a much more legalistic view, rather than a religious one. And, whereas there is no constitutional protection based on sexual orientation in the United States, there is in Mexico.
In 2015 the Supreme Court ruled that that such bans were unconstitutional, citing the first article of the Mexican Constitution, which prohibits discrimination based on “sexual preferences.” What does this mean for a same-sex couple wanting to wed within the state? It means they must get a judge to issue a court order before a civil service can be performed, forcing the couple to enter the legal system and wait. One couple in the state of Sonora reported to the news outlet Fronteras that it took almost a year for them to get a judge's approval. It was a long and costly process. Fortunately, they had free legal help, but most couples do not. Once wed, however, the union afforded the couple all spousal rights that heterosexual couples are allowed, including alimony, inheritance rights, and coverage of a spouse by the federal social security system. Pushing the boundaries even farther, in 2018 a Mexican couple married in the United States won the right to have their marriage legally recognized in Mexico, opening the door for all Mexican citizens around the world to also have their same-sex civil unions recognized, regardless of where the ceremony was performed. All this is not to say that the rights currently enjoyed by samesex couples in Mexico are here to stay. Late last year, a bill was proposed to change the Law of Religious Associations and Public Worship that would remove the language that legally separates church and state here in Mexico. The current administration opposes this bill, but if it were to pass, it could mean the repeal of same-sex marriage legislation. So, for now, members of the LGBT community will continue to fight to maintain their equal rights.
As far back as 2003 the Mexican Chamber of Deputies passed an anti-discrimination law that designated sexual orientation as a protected category. Ironically, this took place when the rightest Catholic PAN party was in power. By court order, all states in Mexico must either allow same-sex marriage to be performed within the state or recognize the same-sex union of a couple married in another state. This does not mean, however, that all 31 states “allow” same-sex couples to get married within their borders. Several states have banned same-sex marriage.
For Sale Profitable 3 unit Boutique Hotel in the heart of San Agustinillo. Info: sukasa.mexico@gmail.com
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BOOKS! Creating Your 2020 Wish List By Carole Reedy “Pleasure lies first in anticipation, later in memory,” Julian Barnes Like many of you, I never make a New Year's resolution list. I do, however, create a book wish list, which turns into an ongoing year-long project. My criteria for the book list is based on five elements: ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶
my favorite writers recommendations from friends my travel destinations for the year book reviews (usually from The Guardian) unread books from the past
Very seldom do I re-read a book, even my favorites. To help you create your own list, here are some of the most anticipated books of 2020. The first three top my list. THE MIRROR & THE LIGHT, by Hilary Mantel At long last, the highly anticipated third volume and the follow up to Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel's brilliant creations depicting the power and rise of Thomas Cromwell in England's 16th century. Mantel won the Booker Prize for both previous books, the first woman and Brit to win this prestigious prize twice. Two men have won the prize two times each, Australian Peter Carey and South African J. M. Coetzee. The jury chair for the 2012 Booker Prize, Sir Peter Stothard, praised Mantel's accomplishment (in Bring Up the Bodies) in writing about the history of the time, noting that she “is able to bring it to life as though for the first time.” This new installment about the fall of Thomas Cromwell is number one on my wish list. Publication date: March 10, 2020. THE MAN IN THE RED COAT, by Julian Barnes Author of the introductory quote at the top of this article, Barnes is a favorite not just of Brits, but worldwide, most of his books having been translated into multiple languages. As readers of The Eye know, he's a novelist and art critic near to my heart. We anticipated this book last year, but now Amazon gives us a February 18, 2020, delivery date. Simplyput, it is the story of society surgeon Samuel-jean de Pozzi. In 2015 Barnes spotted a portrait by John Singer Sargent entitled Dr. Pozzi at Home on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the National Portrait Gallery. Intrigued and then obsessed, Barnes went on to paint a portrait in words of the eclectic, diversified, dedicated, and idiosyncratic life of Dr. Pozzi. As with all Barnes' books, the story is not simply of a man but of the times, as well as the parallels to our own politics. THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS, by Elena Ferrante (translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein) Italians lined up at midnight to buy copies of Ferrante's first novel since her successful Neapolitan quartet. Reading vigils were formed, and now the rest of us await the English translation, due out June 9, 2020. The premise is once again a woman's story in Naples. Ferrante's prose, which took us into the minds and worlds of her characters in the Neapolitan Quartet (2012 – 2015), is just one element of her charm. It's undergirded by her admirable stance against publicity for her work, as well as a desire for no personal publicity. Her hidden identity continues to lend an aura of mystery to her work.
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UTOPIA AVENUE: A NOVEL, by David Mitchell This will be Mitchell's first novel in five years, following the successes of Cloud Atlas (2004), The Bone Clocks (2014), and Slade House (2015). In this book, Mitchell's story centers on the creation of a British band in the 1967 psychedelic movement. He says it best when explaining his purpose in writing about the subject of music: “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” He goes on to say, “Songs (mostly) use language, but music plugs directly into something below or above language. Can a novel made of words (and not fitted with built-in speakers or Bluetooth) explore the wordless mysteries of music, and music's impact on people and the world? How?” These are the questions he attempts to answer in the novel. Eager to see just how he does it? You'll have to wait until June 2, 2020, for this one.
THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE: A SAGA OF CHURCHILL, FAMILY, AND DEFIANCE DURING THE BLITZ, by Erik Larson Author of The Devil in the White City (2003), this bestselling New York Times author again creates a work of nonfiction in his creative storytelling style. This time the subject is Winston Churchill, the setting is the Blitz, and the task onerous. We are fortunate that Larson didn't continue his original pursuit of a career in journalism, as he once desired, but instead took to freelance writing. His first book, The Naked Consumer (1994), was about how companies spied on individual consumers. He loved it, but no one else seemed to, he claims. He went on to write the entertaining and informative works we love, including In the Garden of the Beasts (2011) and Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania (2015). Publication date, February 25, 2020. APEIROGAN: A NOVEL, by Colum McCann Although I never read McCann's novel that won the National Book Award, Let the Great World Spin, I continue to hear it praised by friends. McCann returns this year with a novel about two men, one Israeli and one Pakistani, who find a common element – loss – that bonds a friendship. “He [McCann] crosses centuries and continents, stitching together time, art, history, nature, and politics in a tale both heartbreaking and hopeful. Musical, cinematic, muscular, delicate, and soaring, Apeirogon is a novel for our time,” says the description from Penguin Random House publishers, who anticipate a February 25, 2020, publication date.
HOW BEAUTIFUL WE WERE: A NOVEL, by Imbolo Mbue Many of us were impressed by this Cameroonian writer after reading her PEN/Faulkner Award-winning novel Behold the Dreamers (2016), the story of two connected New York City families (the haves and have-nots) during the 2008 financial crisis. Her latest book takes us to a village in Africa and the consequences suffered by the local people from American oil interests. June 16, 2020, publication date. AMERICAN DIRT: A NOVEL, by Jeanine Cummins There is tremendous hype for this novel. Waterstone's is calling it a page-turner as well as a literary achievement. It's the story of a woman living in Acapulco with a journalist husband and a young son who suddenly finds herself traveling toward and then at the US border fighting for her life. Definitely on my list, if only for curiosity! A sampling of reviews: “Riveting, timely, a dazzling accomplishment. Jeanine Cummins makes us all live and breathe the refugee story. If a book can change hearts and transform policies, this is the one.” Julia Alvarez
“This book is not simply the great American novel; it's the great novel of las Americas. It's the great world novel! This is the international story of our times. Masterful.” Sandra Cisneros “One hell of a novel about a good woman on the run with her beautiful boy...I defy anyone to read the first seven pages of this book and not finish it.” Stephen King “It's been a long time since I turned pages as fast as I did with American Dirt. Its journey is a testament to the power of fear and hope and belief that there are more good people than bad.” John Grisham Tough, powerful... American Dirt made me understand better why someone would give up the home they know and love to survive, and the grit required to cross that border.” Tracy Chevalier In anticipation of a two-month return trip to Italy and Sicily this year, my own wish list includes the novel The Leopard (1958) by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and the dark, but fascinating, Midnight in Sicily: On Art, Food, History, Travel, and La Cosa Nostra (1996) by Australian Peter Robb. Happy reading!
The Empress Carlota and Emperor Maximilian By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken
M
aximilian and Carlota, Mexico's only on-site reigning royal couple, had lives so full of romance, drama and tragedy, that, by comparison, today's English royalty seem commonplace. Their rule in Mexico, begun in 1864, ended abruptly a little over three years later. But they left an unforgettable legacy that has inspired films and, most recently, an opera. Maximilian, much like the English prince who is currently dominating world headlines, was a second son, and he grew up in the shadow of his brother who became the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Although Maximilian was remarkably bright and excelled at scientific studies, his decidedly unconventional exploits and many affairs with women led his brother to realize that his out-of-control sibling needed to be reined in and given responsibility. He was sent off for training in the Austrian Navy and proved to be so adept that by age 22, his brother the Emperor appointed him as Commander in Chief. The Navy and naval scientific expeditions flourished under the young commander and he gained the reputation of a progressive and modernizer. Carlota, or as she was known for most of her life, Charlotte, was the only daughter of King Leopold of Belgium and his second wife, Marie Louise of Orleans. Princess Charlotte was a great beauty, and scores of artists clamored to paint her portrait from the time she was a child until late in her old age. But inside that beautiful head was a powerful brain, and Charlotte demanded and was given the same rigorous education as her brothers. She became fluent in French, German, English, Italian, and Spanish. Her education was considered by some as frivolous, since her brothers were raised to rule but Charlotte was destined for a marriage meant to cement European royal relationships. Two of her father's selections were the Prince of Portugal and the Prince of Saxony. But Charlotte had other ideas. When the tall, blond Maximilian appeared at her father's court in his trim naval uniform, sixteen-year-old Charlotte was immediately attracted to him. And with Maximilian's first sight of his beautiful vivacious second cousin, the attraction was reciprocated. In addition to their physical chemistry, the young couple realized that they shared many common interests and progressive ideas, including a desire to improve the lives of people living in poverty. They corresponded frequently, and their letters document the growing synchronization of their world views. Faced with the clearly unbreakable connection between his daughter and Maximilian, King Leopold gave up the idea of Charlotte becoming queen of Portugal and approved Maximilian's request to marry Charlotte. One year after they met, the two were wed in a much celebrated ceremony on July 27, 1857. Charlotte's new brother-in-law, Emperor Franz Josef, appointed Maximilian as regent over the Austrian LombardoVenetian kingdom, and the newlyweds happily set out on a mission to put their progressive ideas into practice. Although their experiment was greatly appreciated by the citizens of the area, politically it was far from a success. Franz Josef was infuriated by their administrative ideas. His disapproval and wish to remove Maximilian became moot by 1859, when the Lombardo-Venetian area was militarily wrested from Austria and joined unified Italy.
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Charlotte and Maximilian remained in the area and devoted themselves to building a magnificent castle, Miramare, which (of course) overlooks the sea in Trieste. While Charlotte furnished the castle with exquisite 19th century trappings, Maximilian returned to his passion for scientific studies and built a park with rare and exotic plantings. While the young couple happily nested in Trieste, Europe and the New World were being rocked by war and revolution. In Europe, Napoleon III (the nephew of Napoleon I) had seized power in France, declared himself Emperor, and was intent on enlarging his empire. Civil wars were raging in the US and Mexico. The different factions in Mexico drew heavily from the treasuries in Europe to finance their armies. When Benito Juรกrez emerged as victorious in Mexico, the European countries wanted to be repaid. Juรกrez was able to pacify governments in Europe other than France, but Napoleon III decided the debt was a way to extend his empire into North America. He sent sufficient troops to Mexico to grab large parts of the country, including Mexico City, from battle-weary Juรกrez and his followers. Once Napoleon's troops secured the cities, Napoleon needed a figurehead to administer the territory, and he sent a delegation to Maximilian to convince him to become Emperor of Mexico. A nasty rumor started that Maximilian was the illegitimate son of Napoleon. But it was more likely that Charlotte's familial French connections and the approval by the royalist conservatives in Mexico City of the connections of both Maximilian and Charlotte to the royal families of Europe were major factors in the choice. Maximilian was reluctant to take the position. He was happy puttering around his palatial garden. But Charlotte had finished furnishing the castle, and the title of Empress of Mexico sounded very appealing to her. She convinced Maximilian that this was the opportunity to practice the social reforms they both valued. Maximilian told the selection committee that he would become the Emperor of Mexico only if it was the will of the Mexican people. So a sham election was held, many voting at gunpoint, and Maximilian was presented with the ballots showing that he was elected by a landslide. The couple set out for Mexico with many of their royal cousins, including Queen Victoria, cheering them on. After their arduous Atlantic crossing, Maximilian and Charlotte, who changed her name to the Spanish equivalent, Carlota, arrived in the port of Veracruz in May 1864.
Marina Chahue, Huatulco Tel. 958 105 1671 Cel. 958 100 7339 Closed Mondays Rather than being met by cheering throngs, which could have been expected given the landslide election they were told had occurred, the young royals were largely ignored as they landed and made their way to Mexico City. They were duly crowned and established their court in Chapultepec Castle. Carlota, now experienced in interior palace decoration, immediately sent orders to Europe for furnishings. Maximilian was involved in designing a roadway from the Castle to the city center, now known as the Paseo de la Reforma. And much to the delight of the royalists, entertainment was lavish in keeping with their high status. Once settled, the couple took up their intent to reform the country for the benefit of the people. Abolishing the system of serfs and slaves received their first attention. When Maximilian traveled, Carlota was the actual administrator of Mexico's government. Some historians later claimed that she was the first woman to head any government in Mexico. The royal duo refused to restore the lands and oversight of the Catholic Church which had been abolished by Juárez. In fact, they both thought that Benito Juárez's intended reforms were splendid. They invited him to join their administration and oversee projects. It was hard to say who was more horrified, Juárez who having won the revolution was now dictated to by foreign rulers, or the conservative royalists who sent word to Napoleon that the Emperor was another revolutionary albeit in royal robes. Their social experiment was short-lived. Once the US civil war came to end in April 1865, the US government turned its attention to the occupation of Mexico by French forces. Citing the Monroe Doctrine that stated that any foreign interference in the Americas was a hostile act against the US, the US demanded that Napoleon remove his troops. Maximilian and Carlota were well aware that without military support they could not continue to reign. They agreed that Carlota should immediately leave for Europe to persuade Napoleon not to accede to the US demands.
Wednesday- Sunday 5pm- 6pm 2x1 Cocktails www.cafejuanitamexico.com
Chiles&Chocolate Cooking Classes Huatulco, Oaxaca
The best way to learn about a culture is through its food.
NEW CLASS! THURSDAY MORNINGS Pigs and Rum
But Napoleon had had enough of the uproar in Mexico, and the establishment of his new world empire was stretching his resources thin. He began to remove the troops from Mexico and completed the withdrawal in 1867. Heart-broken and despondent, Carlota (once again Charlotte) began a campaign of pleading with her royal cousins and even the Pope to support their Mexican rule. But it was a lost cause, and no one agreed to come to their aid. Once the French troops were withdrawn, Juárez went after Maximilian with a vengeance. The young Emperor fled Chapultepec Castle and made it as far as Querétaro where he was quickly surrounded by the revolutionary, now Federal, militia. On June 19, 1867, a little short of 10 years after they had been married, Maximilian, the great love of Charlotte, was executed by shooting on a hillside outside the city. Charlotte never returned to Mexico. Her mental health was at best precarious. She tried to return to the Miramare Palace that Maximilian had built for her, but she could not bear to be there without him. She lived mainly in seclusion until she was 94. She remained a great beauty. But her heart had been broken and no one could ever take the place of her one and only Maximilian.
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A Guide to Antiquing in Oaxaca By Alvin Starkman M.A., J.D.
O
ver the past few years the City of Oaxaca, the state's capital, and environs have welcomed several new opportunities for antique collectors to browse, find and buy. It's taken the form of a new crop of antique shops as well as makeshift roadside outlets. In the wake of the 2006 civil unrest, located predominantly in the capital and nearby municipalities, several stores closed as a consequence of a dramatic decrease in both domestic and international tourism. Those problems now behind us, visitors have returned in throngs, meaning both a thriving economy that is able to facilitate sales of antiques to the local middle class populace, and of course to tourists with a penchant for collecting. The range in product is vastly different from what we traditionally find in American and Canadian shops. As opposed to wooden decoys we find chango mezcaleros (monkey-form mezcal containers); rather than fine depression glass, there's hand blown Mexican green glass garrafones (large water containers); instead of oak sideboards and dining room sets and pine flat-to-the-walls and cupboards, the wood is typically powder post beetle pocked heavy pine, mainly entranceway doors and tables; crocks from the 30s and earlier find their substitutes in pre-50s clay cántaros; and while Hudson's Bay collectibles are impossible to find, vintage Corona, Pepsi and Coke are not. For the collector wanting to return home on the plane, easily transportable pieces also include ex votos, retablos and other religious iconography, masks, jewelry, artwork of some of the late great Mexican artists, as well as vintage textiles, irons and more. And for those driving there is always the option of sourcing heavy, wellworn stone metates and molcajetes and cast-iron potbelly stoves. City Antique Stores Calle Abasolo 107: This is the largest antique store in the city, and the only one which has stood the test of time, with a wide selection housed in several rooms. It has it all, with a broad array of jewelry, furniture, coins and the rest. It can be rather expensive, and prices may vary depending on whom one asks. Because of inconsistent and general high prices, I don't recall ever having purchased from this store over a quarter century of living here. There is a section with art, but don't necessarily count on it being vintage. Contemporary art aficionados are best off in the galleries such as Arte de Oaxaca on Calle Murguía. Carretera Internacional 1803, Santa Lucía del Camino: On the main highway yet still within the city one finds El Quinque, a small shop usually with carts, wagon wheels and sometimes even vintage canoes out front. Inside it has the usual range of Mexican antiques, though quantity may vary depending on what the owners Lorena and Gustavo have been able to source. The couple is extremely welcoming, making shopping there rather pleasant.
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Calle Porfirio Díaz 810: Like El Quinque, this small shop has only been around a couple of years. However, it tends to have a lot of different classes of antiques all jampacked into a smallish space but well displayed. There's something for everyone including art and textiles. And like El Quinque, it's easy to spot from the street, typically with collectibles easily visible while walking or driving by. Where Else to Source Antiques in Oaxaca Independencia 300: Across the street from the Basílica de la Virgen de la Soledad, this store specializes in religious items, many of which are vintage. Plazuela del Carmen Alto: Miscelanea Cocijo is a small variety store, but contains two adjoining rooms filled with both contemporary and vintage masks, quite an impressive collection. If the owner is not there, staff may not allow you to enter the inner sanctum of masks. Along the outdoor walkway where the shop is found, during high tourist season such as over Christmas, craft stalls are set up; at times one also finds a couple of them with antiques and collectibles.
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Searching for Antiques and Collectibles Outside of the City of Oaxaca Many tourists to Oaxaca enlist the services of a private tour guide, driver or cabbie to facilitate visiting the craft villages, market towns, ruins and other sights in the central valleys. An option for the more adventurous traveler is to tell one's guide or driver to deviate from the standard routes, at least to some extent, and head into the smaller villages where tourists traditionally do not venture. With a specific list of particular collectibles in mind, consider spending a full day out in the countryside, your driver assisting in knocking on doors. Residents are generally friendly and welcoming, even to pickers. If the search does not prove fruitful, the hunt and the experience should not disappoint the true collector or traveler wanting to get a real glimpse into the lives of Oaxacan campesinos. You can also go to Mitla, noted for its archaeological site, where there is a large antique store with a plethora of different types of antiques. However, once again the prices are high, and in this case the owner is rather pushy. But it's certainly worth a look as long as you're not guilted into buying. And on the return to Oaxaca, roughly halfway, on the right side of the highway there is an antique outlet, much of which is displayed on the shoulder. Sometimes along other highways, such as en route to Etla or Ocotlán, one can spot other makeshift roadside stands.
Upcoming Events Huatulco Recurring Events: English AA, Huatulco Wednesdays, Joe and Charlie Step Study, 7:15 pm Thursdays, meeting, 11:30 am Saturdays, meeting, 7:15 pm Plaza Oaxaca, Calle Flamboyant 310 2nd floor, La Crucecita, Info: Becky Wiles, b_wiles@yahoo.com Weekly Markets Pochutla Market- Every Monday Huatulco’s Organic Market Santa Cruz 8 am - 2 pm First and third Saturdays of the month Encuentro de Cocineros - Local cooks gather with sample dishes to raise money for local charities. Santa Cruz Park, 150 pesos Last Sunday of the month at 2 pm
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Cautionary Notes about Buying Antiques in Oaxaca More so in the antique shops as opposed to approaching folks in the towns and villages, one can encounter reproductions, so caution should be exercised – as always when it comes to buying antiques. Finally, stay clear of archaeological pieces, whether stone or clay. They're illegal to buy, possess or remove from the country, unless strict federal rules are followed. In all likelihood, whatever vendors at the ruin offer will be reproductions. While sometimes original pre-Hispanic pieces are indeed offered by villagers, it's just not worth the risk. And of course, there are ethical considerations. Happy hunting! Alvin Starkman has been a collector for a half century. He 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
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.
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The Enigma of Porfirio and Juana Cata By Brooke Gazer
I
n 1861 the French archeologist and ethnologist, Charles Etienne Brasseur, compared Juana Catalina Romero's exotic beauty to that of the Egyptian goddess Isis, and Cleopatra, Egypt's last independent ruler before the Romans took over. It is easy, then, to imagine her seducing the young officer José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz. This Zapotec-mestizo woman certainly had a close relationship with one of Mexico's most powerful men, but while some insist it was passionate, others are adamant that it was completely innocent. Twenty-one-year-old Juana Cata created controversy wherever she went. She was not only stunning to look at, she was a healer, knowledgeable with herbs, spells and concoctions. Some accused her of being a sorcerer and a witch. To support herself, she sold cigars to military men, and apparently, she was not too shy to frequent bars and billiard halls. Since these were not places patronized by women, a few people had another name for this brash young woman. Whatever her activities, they helped her to act as a spy, garnering information and transmitting messages for the soldiers fighting in the War of Reform 1857 – 60. Like Juana Cata, Porfirio Díaz also began life in Oaxaca with a mixture of Spanish and indigenous blood. During the War of Reform, he was a minor political figure and a daring captain in the National guard; since they were both in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, it was inevitable that the two would cross paths. They did, and on one occasion Cata saved his life. During one of Porfirio's more perilous escapes, Cata hid him from the enemy among her petticoats. Had there been no friendship previously, this certainly would have cemented some kind of relationship. We know that she became a valuable informant for him and that she was handsomely rewarded. In a region where women dominated in commerce, Juana Cata was an astute businesswoman. In spite of being illiterate until she was thirty, she became wealthy, exporting indigo, sugar, and dried fish. Some of what she accomplished was due to her own intelligence and astute business savvy, but there is little doubt that having the ear of the president opened doors for her. Her supporters argue that jealous competitors spread rumors of a clandestine love affair in hopes of sullying her reputation.
In addition to providing valuable information, she helped Porfirio Díaz on several occasions by covering the payroll for his Federal troops in Tehuantepec. Was this due to her romantic attachment, or did she simply want to repay the many favors he had done for her? Porfirio Díaz was not the only one she helped. Her humanitarian work touched the lives of almost every person in the area; she founded schools, hospitals and churches. Doña Cata was an elegant woman with an incredible sense of style, and in this regard, she left her legacy to the ladies of the region. After traveling to Europe, she imported exquisite materials and stylized an elaborate costume that became the official dress for women in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This costume, which includes a heavily embroidered velvet skirt, a lace underskirt, an elaborate lace headdress, and jewelry dripping with gold coins, is still the dress favored by Isthmus women today. In spite of her stylish beauty and social position, Doña Cata never married. Was this because the love of her life was unavailable for matrimony? Because she lacked any romantic inclinations? Or to maintain her independence? Many have speculated but no clear answer has surfaced, If they were lovers, they employed a rare level of discretion. Some argue that Díaz makes no mention in his memoirs and no love letters between the two have been discovered. However, discretion would have been the social norm in that era, especially with a politically important figure who had a wife to consider. Were they lovers, good friends, or simply coconspirators? We may never know, but it is a sad irony that Juana Cata died in 1915, the same year as Porfirio Díaz. Whatever the truth, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec recognizes Juana Catalina Romero as its main benefactor. They have honored her with a huge stainless steel statue at the entrance to the town of Tehuantepec, and refer to her as the “Mother of Tehuantepec.” Conversely, while Porfirio Díaz did much to modernize Mexico, he died in exile and is not remembered fondly by many of his countrymen. Brooke Gazer operates Agua Azul la Villa, an ocean-view bed and breakfast in Huatulco. www.bbaguaazul.com
What is known is that when he became president, Porfirio Díaz arranged for a railroad to pass within two meters of Juana Cata's front door. Porfirio Díaz was a frequent visitor, arriving in caravan of luxurious coaches accompanied by several cadets. If the coaches alone failed to draw attention, the cadet guards entertained themselves by tossing coins at local children while they waited outside her home.
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Frida & Diego: Mexico's Most Open Marriage? By Deborah Van Hoewyk On December 8, 1886, he was born. On July 6, 1907, when he was 20, she was born. In 1914, as World War I began, when he was 27, painting and studying in France, and she was 7, she contracted polio. In 1922 in Mexico City, when he was 37 and painting his mural La Creación in the Simon Bolivar auditorium at the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, and she was 15 and a student studying medicine there, she saw him. On September 17, 1925, in Mexico City, when he was 38 and she was 18, she was badly injured in a bus accident. During her convalescence, she began to paint. In 1928, when he was 42 and she was 21, their paths crossed at a party thrown by the Italian photographer Tina Modotti. On August 21, 1929, when he was 42 and she was 22, they married. Her mother didn't think much of the relationship, calling them “the elephant and the dove.” On November 6, 1939, when he was 52 and she was 32, they divorced. On December 8, 1940, his 54th birthday, and she was 33, they remarried. On July 13, 1954, when he was 65 and she was 47, she died. On November 24, 1957, when he was 70, he died in his studio of heart failure. Thus went the short, not always happy, life of Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón and the not-so-short, but also not always happy, life of Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez. Ah, what “dark and stormy” lives they lived . . .
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Who They Were Tied always together by art, they maintained separate homes, studios, and lives. They were legendary for their affairs, hers with both men and women. They were tempestuous, manipulative, intense and neurotic, competing with and completing each other. They loved each other with jealous passion. Rivera in many ways represents a distinct moment, well past, in Mexican and international art – the political muralism that portrayed the clashes between ancient and indigenous culture and the advancing machine age. Kahlo is the future of introspective art – although she has been identified as a surrealist and a "folk art" painter, she is rather the portraitist of internal pain, able to allegorize subjective agony in visible, symbolic images. Together, they represent the artistic, political, and intellectual ferment that characterized the North American and European cultural world up until the mid-1950s. Although the Communist Party expelled Diego, ostensibly for accepting government commissions, and Frida quit the Party in support, they both remained committed to the ideals and goals of Communism the rest of their lives.
The 1920s: Frida and Diego Frida became a painter as a result of her injuries from the horrific bus accident, when she painted to distract herself from pain and immobility. She produced her first serious work, Self-Portrait in a Velvet Dress, in 1926, designed to re-attract Alejandro Gómez Arias, a law student and Frida's boyfriend. They had been involved in the radical political scene in Mexico City as part of the cachuchas, a small group named after their peaked caps. After the portrait arrived at Alejandro's home, his parents, who deemed Frida a danger to their hopes for Alejandro, sent him on a four-month tour of Europe, which lasted nine months. Eventually, their relationship faded away.
In early 1928, Frida was introduced to a group of young people centered around Julio Antonio Mella, a Communist from Cuba; Italian photographer Tina Modotti was in this group, and she was a friend of Diego Rivera. At one of the group's parties, Kahlo said she wasn't much interested Diego until he pulled out a pistol and shot the phonograph. Then she found him "interesting" but "dangerous." Shortly thereafter, she asked him to look at her paintings, he said she had talent and, just like that, they were dating. And just like that, they got married on August 21, 1929, in a civil ceremony.
Frida had to borrow a blouse and skirt of indigenous style from her maid to suit Diego's idea of what her wardrobe should be. He himself wore a plain grey suit, a Stetson hat, and sported a Colt revolver. Apparently, Diego's first wife showed up, pulled up Frida's borrowed skirt, and shouted, "Diego swapped me for these legs," revealing Frida's polio-ravaged right leg. Her father, who saw in Diego an unconventional guy with the means to support the medical care need by his "devil" of a daughter, attended. Frida's mother did not.
The 1930s: Frida, Diego, Helen, Christina, Nickolas, Isamu, Leon, and possibly Josephine, Georgia, Paulette, Dolores, Tina, Jacqueline, and Chavela By the 30s, mired in The Great Depression but willing to support public art as a "work relief program" for artists, the U.S. became interested in what was happening in Mexico's various cultural movements, particularly among the muralists (Rivera may have become the most famous by now, but David Alfaro Siquieros and José Clemente Orozco were right up there with him).
It has been argued that one of the paintings she produced in San Francisco, Frieda and Diego Rivera, predicts the course of their marriage (she would soon change the spelling of her first name to 'Frida' as a protest against the rise of Fascism). The banner carried by a dove reads "Here you see us, me, Frieda Kahlo, with my dearest husband Diego Rivera," but they do not have eyes for each other, by any means. Frida is looking at no one, and Diego is turning away from Frida, but sneaking a peek back at her. She is unclasping her right hand from his. As Diego worked on his commission for the Stock Exchange, he asked tennis star Helen Moody to model, and while she was at it, go to bed with him. In turn, Frida took up with the wife of one of Diego's assistants, beginning her affairs with women, which seemed to amuse Diego, particularly when they were with his current or former mistresses. While Kahlo has been linked romantically with any number of women, from Georgia O'Keefe to Jacqueline Baker, there is no concrete evidence of these liaisons beyond ambiguous references in Frida's letters. The notion that Diego approved of her relationships with women can be better supported, and provides the basis for most speculation. Her affairs with men were another story – Rivera would grow very jealous – these situations were much more threatening, and more long-lived; with the exception of Trotsky (see below) Kahlo maintained lasting friendships with former lovers. During this time, Frida experienced a recurrence of the problems associated with her childhood polio, which led her to a surgeon, Dr. Leo Eloesser, who became her life-long medical advisor. In May of 1931, Frida left "Gringolandia," perhaps bored, perhaps annoyed by her secondary role, and returned to Mexico, where she met a celebrity fashion photographer, Hungarian-born Nikolas Muray, from New York. Their passionate but intermittent affair would last ten years, through Muray's second marriage and the divorce/remarriage of Frida and Diego; Muray's pictures, the first color photos of her, are some of the most stunning images we have of Kahlo.
On November 10, 1930, Mr. and Mrs. Rivera arrived in San Francisco, where Diego had received mural commissions from the San Francisco Stock Exchange and the California School of Fine Arts (now the San Francisco Art Institute). Thus began the period, which characterized much of the rest of Frida's life, in which Diego was lionized and Frida was considered his young, not to mention tiny, Mexican wife. continued on page 28
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By November 1931, the Riveras were off to New York for the opening of a very successful retrospective of Diego's work at the Museum of Modern Art (now MOMA). Frida once again had to take up the role of Diego's little Mexican wife. In April 1932, they moved on to Detroit for Diego's commission for murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts, then one of the largest museums in the U.S. Bored while Diego spent all his time frescoing the walls of the DIA, Frida started painting again. A newspaper article of the time portrayed her as the "adoring wife" of the great painter, bearing the headline "Wife of Master Mural Painter Gleefully Dabbles in Works of Art." Not so noticeable in the same article is the quote from Frida on Diego, "Of course he does pretty well for a little boy, but it is I who am the big artist." In 1933, Frida and Diego went back to New York, where the infamous political/artistic debacle of the Rockefeller Center mural took place. While the mural was clearly positive about the power of industry, Diego also snuck in a portrait of Lenin. John D. Rockefeller asked Diego to paint over Lenin, Diego refused but offered to include a bust of Lincoln, the commission was rescinded, the unfinished mural was destroyed, and General Motors canceled its commission for the Chicago World's Fair. Diego had one more commission, at the New Workers' School, and wanted to remain in the U.S., New York specifically, while Frida wanted to return to Mexico. When the money for the commission ran out, the Riveras were broke, and the point was moot. Friends raised the funds for their passage home. They embarked for Havana and then Veracruz on December 20, 1933. By 1934, they were living in a double studio/house by the famous architect by Juan O'Gorman, Frida was disastrously pregnant for the third time, had an appendectomy, an abortion, and an amputation of three toes. This didn't stop her from having an affair with the Japanese sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi, nor Diego from having an affair with Frida's sister Cristina. The latter was devastating to Frida, so she moved into an apartment in the center of Mexico City. She spent a year partying and hanging out in pulque joints. Although they would reconcile in a few months, Frida and Diego continued to live separate personal lives, uniting to work on political causes. When, in January 1937, Leon Trotsky and his wife arrived in Mexico for political asylum, it was because of Diego's influence; the Trotskys took up residence in Frida's childhood home, the Casa Azul. It took no time at all before León and Frida were having an affair. Around this time, Frida started painting again. A small show of her work at the National Autonomous University of Mexico – which she thought would do nothing for her – caught the eye of Julien Levy, whose Julien Levy Gallery at 15 East 57th Street was a major player in the New York art scene. Kahlo's twoweek show of thirty paintings (November 1 – 15, 1938) was a sensation and established her identity as an independent artist.
In a tangled series of events, Frida ended up in a show in Paris in 1939, Mexique, which included work collected by André Breton, photos by Manuel Álvarez Bravo, and 17 of Kahlo's paintings. One of them, The Frame, was purchased by the Louvre, the first work by a 20th-century Mexican artist to grace the famed museum's walls. Frida disliked Paris and returned to New York, where Nickolas Muray had been divorced and was engaged – he wanted to marry Frida, but she did not want to marry him, so they parted ways (although they remained lifelong friends). The 1940s; Diego, Frida, María Back in Mexico, her health and her relationship with Diego continued to decline, terminating in their divorce in November 1939. Frida was extremely hurt, and went back to painting – and having affairs. In 1940, her reputation soaring, Frida visited Dr. Eloesser, who thought the answer to her health problems was in medicine and detox, not surgery. He also thought Frida needed Diego, with whom he was also friends, and convinced Rivera to remarry Kahlo. Dr. Eloesser was also a close friend of Diego who happened to be in San Francisco at the time. While Frida was recuperating, Dr. Eloesser convinced Rivera to reconcile and remarry Frida, which he did in December 1940. The deal was "no sex, no money" – they would be platonic, and Kahlo would support her half of their joint arrangement. That, of course, was hardly the end of drama in their relationship. In 1948, Rivera started having an affair with the actress María Felix, and asked Frida for a divorce. She thought he was joking. He was not. Frida called the newspapers and dragged María Felix through the mud in newspapers read by shocked Mexican Catholics. The affair was over. There was no divorce. The 1950s: Denouement From the turn of the decade on, Kahlo was in poor health with spine problems and infections (including gangrene). Until her death in 1954, she was usually bed-ridden; what little work she could do was usually under the influence of heavy doses of pain killers. Lola Álvarez Bravo, the photographer's wife, organized Kahlo's first solo exhibition in Mexico, which gave Frida a temporary "new lease" on life. She helped plan the exhibition, designed the invitations, selected paintings – but her doctor ordered that she not leave her bed. So, Frida sent her bed along, arrived on a stretcher, and was placed IN her bed, making a grand entrance. Her last public appearance was a political act. On July 2, 1954, she spent four hours in a wheelchair at a street demonstration to protest U.S. intervention in Guatemala. On July 12, she gave Diego an anniversary ring for their upcoming 25th anniversary; when he asked why she would give it to him early, she said, "Because I feel I am going to leave you very soon." She died before dawn on Tuesday, July 13, 1954. Some believe she used her supply of painkillers to commit suicide. Diego would die three years later. He wanted his ashes to be commingled with those of Frida, but his family saw to it that they were sent to the Rotonda de las personas ilustres (Rotunda of Famous Men) at the Civil Cemetery of Dolores in Mexico City. Frida's ashes are kept in an urn in the Museo Frida Kahlo in the Casa Azul where she grew up and where she died.
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The "First Couple of Mexico" By Julie Etra
A
very famous Mexican pareja (couple), known as the "first couple of Mexico," Benito Juárez and Margarita Eustaquia Maza Parada, later known as Margarita Maza, were legendary for their closeness and affection for each other. Much is known about Juárez, an orphan and native Oaxacan who only learned Spanish at age 15, but less about the woman who supported him and his presidency, and who bore 12 children by him, only seven of whom survived to adulthood. They were married in 1843 when Juárez was in his late 30s and Maza was 20 years younger than he. They had met at the Maza household where Juárez's sister was their servant, and Maza was just a baby. Maza was of Spanish descent but born in Mexico, making her a Creole, and part of Oaxaca's upper-class (although her father was supposedly an Italian from Genoa). An unlikely and unusual pair, especially at the time, mixing ethnicities and class as the Indian Juárez married up and the "white: woman – well, I'll leave it at that. The marriage lasted until her death from cancer in 1871, at age 45. She is buried in the Juárez mausoleum in Mexico City. This article depends on my good fortune in taking a class with Clara Valdes Hernández, who helped translate the correspondence from Maza to Juárez, noting the cultural context. For example, the 'Dear Juárez' salutation in Maza's letters, which sounds formal to us "foreigners" is standard and reflects the respect Maza held for her husband. But the larger message she conveyed was the inflated and unwarranted admiration of Juárez, given his lack of support for his own people in the state of Oaxaca, and well as the underappreciated policies of Maximilian, Carlota, and the French presence. From her perspective, his worthiness should be noted for his ascension to power having been an orphan, and a Zapotec, and eventually given the title Benemérito (meritorious). Moreover, Maza, as was typical of the time, supported her husband as it was her role and duty, and raised twelve children mostly in his absence and without his help. Clara considers her a martyr, and deserving a greater level of respect, also noting she was almost constantly pregnant when they were together.
Salt Available at Café Juanita in Marina Chahue
The Eye 36
The first president of Mexico, following the hard-fought, decade-long struggle for independence from Spain, finally achieved in 1821, was Guadalupe Victoria. He was followed by Vincent Guerrero, of African descent (who was betrayed and assassinated by firing squad, after being taken by ship from Acapulco to Entrega Bay in Huatulco and then overland to Oaxaca City) and then very briefly by José María Bocanegra. Until the Constitution was adopted in 1857, rule of the new country was complicated for this ethnically diverse nation, comprising multiple leaders and coalitions. In 1858 Juárez became president of Mexico according to the rules of succession mandated by the Constitution of 1857 when President Ignacio Comonfort was forced to resign. Juárez remained president until his death by heart disease in 1872, at the age of 66. In 1861-1862, however, Juárez's government was in desperate financial shape, and had to withhold payments of interest on foreign loans with Spain, Britain and France. The three European countries sent a joint expeditionary force and seized the Veracruz Customs House in December 1861. Spain and Britain withdrew from the assault after they learned the intentions of the Emperor Napoleon III to overthrow the Mexican government, in collusion with the defeated Conservatives. The French invaded in 1862 and were ultimately ousted along with their Conservative allies in 1867, saving the Mexican Republic. At the Battle of Puebla (May 5, 1862), Mexican forces led by Porfirio Díaz scored a preliminary victory over the invading French by Mexican forces (we now celebrate this victory Cinco de Mayo). The outcome forced the French to retreat to the coast for a year, but they persisted, capturing Mexico City in 1863. In retreat Juárez and his government fled the capital and became a government in exile; Juárez headed north to Chihuahua City with his cabinet. Margarita Maza and their children also went into exile in New York City and then Washington DC, until the French were defeated in 1867. That was their second and lengthier separation. But before being discovered by the Maximilian government and forced to flee Mexico, she and her daughters organized meetings and small events to raise funds to help support hospitals and families affected by the war.
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Their first separation, at least their first political separation, occurred when he was Governor of Oaxaca during the presidency of Antonio López de Santa Anna. Mexico had lost the Mexican-American War (leading to the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848) and Juárez objected to Santa Anna's plans to resurrect the conflict and regroup with additional forces. Adding to this, he voiced his objections to the corruption of the presidency and in 1853 was exiled by Santa Anna. With the financial support of his wife, he went first to Cuba and then on to New Orleans, where he worked in a cigar factory. She and their six children were hounded and sought refuge in a succession of private estates. \ More about the couple. Although much is known about Juárez' life, a lesser known aspect is the mutual love and devotion between the two. Although they were twice separated, their correspondence during these periods was frequent and very personal, but also insightful and politically helpful during the French invasion. While she was in exile in Washington DC, despite the death of two of her young children, she carried out diplomatic work and served as a liaison with politicians who supported the struggle against the French (it is not well known that U.S. President Andrew Johnson of the United State of America supported the Juárez government and shipped arms across the southern border). The Juárez-Maza marriage dealt with separations and the premature death of five of their twelve children. In 1850, when Juárez was governor, one-year old daughter María Guadalupe died in Oaxaca. And three years later, during their first separation. two-year old Amada died, followed in 1862 by the death of their daughter Jerónima Francisca in Mexico City. In 1864, while Margarita and her children were in New York, son José María (Pepe) died at eight years of age. It was perhaps this death that caused the most pain to Juárez (a boy, of course), who in a letter to Matías Romero said, “I do not continue, because I am under the deepest regret that destroys my heart for the death of the son whom I loved most, I have barely been able to write the preceding lines.” Son Antonio (Tono), only one and a half, died the following year, also in New York. In her letters, Margarita referred to her husband as "My dear Juárez," and signed them with a phrase that does not translate well to English – "Take the heart of your wife who loves you." And from Juárez to Margarita: "My dear Margarita …Your husband who loves you and desires you," he wrote several times.
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On September 22, 1864, he wrote to her from exile in Nazas, Durango: My beloved Margarita: Although I already wrote you another letter for you and Santa, I write you these lines to tell you not to worry about me and up until this date I have nothing new to report. Only our separation, and our children's separation, continues to torment me and I don't know how you are faring. Perhaps one of these days I will receive favorable news and that will be of great comfort to me. Give a hug to my beloved daughters and Beno and many kisses for the Negro, our little friends, and Antoñito and Maria Doloritas. Accept the heart of your husband who will never forget you.' And from Margarita on December 13, 1865, in exile in New York City, to her husband; Clara Hernández has doubts about its origin due to questionable sentence structure and context from a very literate woman: My dearest Juárez:
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I received your letter of 10 November where you told me that you had not received my letter, nor one from Romero, but I suppose you have by now. Don't worry, we are fine. He who continues with the Presidency does not surprise me, I understand that you have not answered and we do what we have to do. Finally, even if we were separated, you would not be able to come with us. I have no hope of seeing you again until we triumph, according to the news, it seems this won't happen for another year and this makes me very happy, as you should consider. On December 8, our son Pepe has been dead for a year and today our son Tono was one and a half years old. These daily memories of my dead children do not let me live. I am very unhappy. Receive a thousand memories of our children and your wife's heart.
The Eye 37
The Spirit of ART By Tirza Bonifazi
J
im Spicka established himself as a painter in 2010, drawing inspiration from the life and landscapes of the coast of Oaxaca, and two years later, with his wife Mary, he organized an art exhibition with the participation of other Huatulco-based artists, that ended up being an annual event. His death in 2018 left a void in the local art scene. Keeping his legacy alive was important for the art community. With the inspiration of Canadian artist MJ Kelly and the vision of Colectivo Tilcoatle and Hashtag Huatulco, The Spirit of ART was created. It is an exhibition that aims to be a meeting of art in the most diverse visual forms – painting, sculpture, engraving, photography – with a look towards the future. Thanks to the support of art patron Shaun Wymes, developer of Cosmo, the first edition of The Spirit of ART will be hosted at the Villa Montecarlo, located inside Cosmo Residences in Arrocito, Huatulco. In addition to the aforementioned arts, there will also be an example of architecture and design overlooking the ocean: the same space that houses the show will be an active part of it. The Spirit of ART is characterized by integrating the visual arts with digital platforms, accompanying with freshness and innovation the conceptual and creative approaches of the individual artists.
The Spirit of ART is a cosmopolitan exhibition that brings together more than 20 artists: the colors and techniques of the state of Oaxaca, combined with the essence that characterizes Mexico’s chiaroscuro. Artists from Mexico include Irving Cano (Santa María Xadani, Oaxaca), Francisco Monterrosa (Juchitán, Oaxaca), GAM (San Pablo Huixtepec, Oaxaca), Armando Manuel (Laollaga, Oaxaca), Noé Jacinto (Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca), Mr Power (Oaxaca), Gustavo Silva (Tehuantepec, Oaxaca), Sabino López (Juchitán, Oaxaca), Rafael Ortega (Ciudad de México), Heriberto Palafox (Salina Cruz, Oaxaca), Edna Guzmán (Santo Domingo Ingenio, Oaxaca), and Jariz Villagómez (Zihuatanejo, Guerrero). Artists from other parts of the world include Fiona Nichols (England), Karen N. Wikstrand (Italy), Giorgio Rollo (Italy), MJ Kelly (Canada), Ann McLeod (USA), Nancy Norris (USA), Richard Saunders (USA), and LEVA (Guatemala), some of them based in Huatulco for many years. Thus the exhibit offers a total experience, where the various visual forms and the countries in which they have developed come together within the artistic vision and The Spirit of Art.
Huatulco’s Frozen Yogurt Art Show Opening February 28, 6:30 pm Villa Montecarlo @ Cosmo Residences Arrocito, Huatulco Open to the public The Eye 38
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