So it has to be said.. a lot of the people here in Oaxaca are really short! And hence for the first time in my life I am TALL!! But really tall.. taller than most of the men even!! I kind of love it... now I can see what all the fuss is about.. I can see over crouds!!
Ok enough of that.. and more about food.. three random points not related to each other...
1. The sweet ball of fluff usually served on a stick.. known as 'fairy floss' in Australia has many different names.. all of which are amusing to me..
Zuckerwatte (Germany)
Cotton candy (USA)
Bomboncita (Mexico)
Candy floss (UK)
Fairy Floss (Australia)
I wouldn't mind being called any of those names as a term of endearment! If you know what fairy floss is called in other places, please let me know..
2. The other morning I arose late from bed having had a couple too many cervesas and not much sleep. I had my bowl of fruit as usual and then recieved my hot second course with tortillas...
I began cutting the meat I had the thought 'Looks a bit different?.. perhaps I don't want to think too much about what this meat is today considering my present, fragile state'. As the thought was passing through my mind my Oaxacan Grandma asked me if I knew what it was - coincidence! - and she proceeded to point at her mouth exclaiming LENGUA!! I fained joy and tried my best to disguise the fact that I didn't eat very much.
The culinary report is that tounge is very tender, has a strong flavor.. and is definitly best eaten with out a hangover!!
3. Street vendors...
I mentioned them before and I'll mention them again.. sooo good! I have now found my favourites. There is one stall that opens each night near the gallery I'm working in. I love empanadas.. They press the tortillas right there, add all the ingerdients - chicken with salsa and fresh cilantro, or flor de calabasa (pumpkin flowers) with Oaxacan cheese are my favourites - and then cook them in the open over a fire.. They are grande, 18 pesos each (approx $1.80) and they have a little television so you can sit and watch the novellas while you wait ! love love love
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
It's the little differences...
these are a few of my favourite things...
Cool drinks on hot days.. Jamaica is a magenta coloured 'agua fresca' flavoured with flowers! Horchata is cold rice milk with cinnamon and sometimes fruit.. Almost every corner has a little stall on wheels selling agua frescas of all varieties, tacos or dulces..
Monochromatic homes.. It seems to be a trend here to paint your entire home in various shades of one colour. My favourite is a huge 3 story arartment building entirely painted two shades of APPLE GREEN.. it has pink curtains in every window, and an arch right at the top with an old statue of the virgin Mary in it.. I'll have that one please it can be my Mexican Emerald City..
Hombres con burros.. It's true! I see them! They exist.. and they are in the city. Men with big hats, checkered shirts and cowboy boots walking along the street with donkeys loaded up with bales of hay.. Squeal!!
Checkered aprons and plastic shoes.. for every man with donkey there are 20 beautiful old ladies with two long plaits, a colourful checkered apron embroidered with birds and flowers and a little pair of plastic shoes. I'm starting a collection of these aprons.. they are a hybrid of 60's gogo/ shift dress, mexican nana and farmers daughter.. they are one size fits all and there are endless combinations of patterns, embroideries, trims..
Gigantic balloon bunches.. every day in the main square there are a handfull of vendors selling bright, foil, helium balloons and inflatable toys on wheels?! Every day there are huge clusters of these objects and sometimes if you're lucky you can see them walking to work.. big buches of balloons with legs..
Cool drinks on hot days.. Jamaica is a magenta coloured 'agua fresca' flavoured with flowers! Horchata is cold rice milk with cinnamon and sometimes fruit.. Almost every corner has a little stall on wheels selling agua frescas of all varieties, tacos or dulces..
Monochromatic homes.. It seems to be a trend here to paint your entire home in various shades of one colour. My favourite is a huge 3 story arartment building entirely painted two shades of APPLE GREEN.. it has pink curtains in every window, and an arch right at the top with an old statue of the virgin Mary in it.. I'll have that one please it can be my Mexican Emerald City..
Hombres con burros.. It's true! I see them! They exist.. and they are in the city. Men with big hats, checkered shirts and cowboy boots walking along the street with donkeys loaded up with bales of hay.. Squeal!!
Checkered aprons and plastic shoes.. for every man with donkey there are 20 beautiful old ladies with two long plaits, a colourful checkered apron embroidered with birds and flowers and a little pair of plastic shoes. I'm starting a collection of these aprons.. they are a hybrid of 60's gogo/ shift dress, mexican nana and farmers daughter.. they are one size fits all and there are endless combinations of patterns, embroideries, trims..
Gigantic balloon bunches.. every day in the main square there are a handfull of vendors selling bright, foil, helium balloons and inflatable toys on wheels?! Every day there are huge clusters of these objects and sometimes if you're lucky you can see them walking to work.. big buches of balloons with legs..
Sunday, November 9, 2008
A veces en Oaxaca
Lo siento.. I am a bad blogger! But i am having so much fun and am busy busy busy..
It's official, I don't want to leave! And I am beginning the process of making living here a reality.. woot! I have found a small group of people from Oaxaca and beyond and we are working on an Art Music Culture festival.. OAXACA EN VIVO. It is in 1 month so there is a lot to do but it is really exciting..
At the same time I have been meeting with my friend Jeronimo el artista de tatuahes.. He fell off his roof and broke his muñeca (the word for wrist - muñeca - also means doll, it is one of my favourite terms of endearment here.. my Oaxacan Grandma calls me her muñeca, I assume she means doll not wrist?) Anyhoo he can't work for a while and in the mean time I'm going to help him work and he is going to teach me to tattoo! We are making my very own gun.. and I have begun drawing my very own flash.. weee heee
You can look at his work too.. Search for Dr Lakra
A special note to Gemma Jones: there are so many VW beetles here.. more than any other type of car! My favourites are the old rust buckets that have been painted a million times.. Every time I see one scooting around the streets I imagine it is your pumpkin buns behind the wheel. Ah.. happy memories of you, me, your beetle and Melbourne.
Oh I must mention the manualidades.. The hand crafts here - as I am sure you can imagine - are blowing my tiny mind. Every day I walk past street vendors and tiendas selling intricately hand embroidered clothing, jewellery, paintings and more more more.. Everything here is bright, beautiful and just the way I like it with birds, flowers, hearts, skulls and more.. I bought a dress which was meant for niñas with bright embroidered birds, love hearts and ribbons sewn on. My friends have a baby boy and he has the most amasing multicoloured, hand woven rattle!!
Todo es muy bonita!!
And last but not least.. please leave me comments you goons! I would love to know what all my peeps are up to.. and to a lesser degree, if anyone is reading?!
It's official, I don't want to leave! And I am beginning the process of making living here a reality.. woot! I have found a small group of people from Oaxaca and beyond and we are working on an Art Music Culture festival.. OAXACA EN VIVO. It is in 1 month so there is a lot to do but it is really exciting..
At the same time I have been meeting with my friend Jeronimo el artista de tatuahes.. He fell off his roof and broke his muñeca (the word for wrist - muñeca - also means doll, it is one of my favourite terms of endearment here.. my Oaxacan Grandma calls me her muñeca, I assume she means doll not wrist?) Anyhoo he can't work for a while and in the mean time I'm going to help him work and he is going to teach me to tattoo! We are making my very own gun.. and I have begun drawing my very own flash.. weee heee
You can look at his work too.. Search for Dr Lakra
A special note to Gemma Jones: there are so many VW beetles here.. more than any other type of car! My favourites are the old rust buckets that have been painted a million times.. Every time I see one scooting around the streets I imagine it is your pumpkin buns behind the wheel. Ah.. happy memories of you, me, your beetle and Melbourne.
Oh I must mention the manualidades.. The hand crafts here - as I am sure you can imagine - are blowing my tiny mind. Every day I walk past street vendors and tiendas selling intricately hand embroidered clothing, jewellery, paintings and more more more.. Everything here is bright, beautiful and just the way I like it with birds, flowers, hearts, skulls and more.. I bought a dress which was meant for niñas with bright embroidered birds, love hearts and ribbons sewn on. My friends have a baby boy and he has the most amasing multicoloured, hand woven rattle!!
Todo es muy bonita!!
And last but not least.. please leave me comments you goons! I would love to know what all my peeps are up to.. and to a lesser degree, if anyone is reading?!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Saludos desde bonita Oaxaca!
Dear oh dear.. I am surely falling deeper and deeper in love with Oaxaca..
Este fin de semana es Dia de los muertos.. y me encanta!!
I spent hours of the last afternoon and night roaming around the bonita cementario. Muchos altars, flowers, people, music.. traditional hot chocolate and pan de muerta (dead bread). This morning I went to lay flowers with my Oaxacan family.. tonight off to another large cementario just out of the city.. and tomorrow a feast con mi familia. Arriba!!
I went out during the week and had my first night with Mezcal.. I don't know if it is my Spanish school or the Mezcal but the entire night I spoke spanish - yes, at the level of an 10 year old, granted, but it's my second week?! I might go so far as to say, think I like spanish better than English?
There is an amasing amount of art and creativity here.. all the houses, shops, streets, cementarios are colourful and embellished. Heaps of galleries and street art..
I was introduced to a local artist who makes tattoos and I guess you can fill in the blanks.. I went to his casa where he has a great studio full of books, art and exotic objects including several sets of falseteeth!! I did a rough drawing and showed him some folk art that I bought here and he drew straight onto my skin - no stencil!.. so once again I am a sore but happy chica!!
Hasta pronto muchachos xxxx
Este fin de semana es Dia de los muertos.. y me encanta!!
I spent hours of the last afternoon and night roaming around the bonita cementario. Muchos altars, flowers, people, music.. traditional hot chocolate and pan de muerta (dead bread). This morning I went to lay flowers with my Oaxacan family.. tonight off to another large cementario just out of the city.. and tomorrow a feast con mi familia. Arriba!!
I went out during the week and had my first night with Mezcal.. I don't know if it is my Spanish school or the Mezcal but the entire night I spoke spanish - yes, at the level of an 10 year old, granted, but it's my second week?! I might go so far as to say, think I like spanish better than English?
There is an amasing amount of art and creativity here.. all the houses, shops, streets, cementarios are colourful and embellished. Heaps of galleries and street art..
I was introduced to a local artist who makes tattoos and I guess you can fill in the blanks.. I went to his casa where he has a great studio full of books, art and exotic objects including several sets of falseteeth!! I did a rough drawing and showed him some folk art that I bought here and he drew straight onto my skin - no stencil!.. so once again I am a sore but happy chica!!
Hasta pronto muchachos xxxx
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)