American Influence

Although Sahuayo is a small Mexican town that you can barely locate on a map, American influence is still pervasive, as these pictures show. Vendors sell American movies and magazines in the streets, and I hear American music blasting in the cars.

There are several American car companies on the highway (carretera), including GM and Chrysler. There's a Wal-Mart, and a McDonald's next to it. Most of the products in the pharmacy are made by American manufacturers: breakfast cereal, candy, toiletries, etc. -Kevin

CulturLingua

Here's the school I work at, CulturLingua. It's on Calle (Miguel) Hidalgo. As you can see, it's not much. There's an open-air patio that gets wet when it rains. Now that it’s winter, there’s no respite from the cold air outside. There are two gates at the front. Ricardo, the coordinator, has a computer, but no internet access. There are few resources here: one printer, one computer, no internet, no copiers, and very few office supplies. We have CD players and white boards in the room. There are only five classrooms, and one functional toliet.

I have six classes: one in the morning with young adults, and five in the afternoon. In the afternoon, my first class is four teenagers. They have the strongest command of all my classes. My next three classes are students between the ages of 10-13. The 10-year-olds are fun; 13-year-old students have little motivation and talk all the time. They're clearly there because their parents want them to be. My last class is two teenagers, who are motivated to learn. The school is closed between 11:00-3:00. I wish all my classes were in the afternoon or morning. This job is temporary, and I'm trying to learn as much about teaching as possible.

Kevin

Real Estate

Sahuayo is a small Mexican town but there's plenty of money here. Not only do I see late-model and luxury vehicles, but some of the homes are spectacular. I can't explain the source of the money, but most people here lead a good life. Here's a sample of the same of best property in Sahuayo.

Kevin

Statues and Churches

Sahuayo loves statues. This town of 60000 has no less than four. They are a testament to the history and beauty of every town in Mexico. They are daily reminders of the people who brought us to where we are today. I have photos of Don Bosco, Tlahualil (TLAH-wi-LEEL), Benito Juarez, and Miguel Hidalgo, and a couple of priests. It's not important that we know all the names. What is important is that we recognize how significant statues are for Mexicans. I suppose it's their way to rememer the past, and to pay homage.

Tlahualil is found in the plaza, and comes from the descendants of the Aztecs.

This is a statue of a former pastor of the Parroquia, or the parish of Sahuayo.

A statue of Migueal Hidalgo in the plaza.

The Santuario de Guadalupe.

A former pastor of the sanctuary.

A statue of Benito Juarez.

The Sagrado Corazon de Jesu Cristo.

Finally, Christo Rey. This statue is at the top of the hill (colina). He watches over the city.

Kevin

Food of Sahuayo

Food is one of the most distinguishing aspects of culture. Even in the age of globalization, countries and people still define themselves by the food they cook. I've included a selection of some of the food I've encountered. Of course, you can still find McDonald's, breakfast cereals, candy, and packaged food at Wal Mart (Bodega Aurrera) or the pharmacies.

Not everything is exotic. I was already familiar with avocados, jicama, cucumbers, and most of the produce. However, there is some fruit, and some desserts that I have never seen. This list is not comprehensive. There are dozens of other foods that Mexicans prepare. I will try to take photos of every new food I find in the next few weeks.

I've sampled all the food shown here. The only foods I've added to my diet on a regular basis are the chayotes and the guavas. Otherwise, I subsist on the cheap fruits and vegetables, some cereal and pasta, protein powder (available at most pharmacies) and fish.

Sahuayans have a sweet tooth. Here are some photos of the sweets they sell. A grotesque man sits on the corner next to the post office and sells coco in various shapes. I'm not sure what coco is but it's incredibly sweet.

Pilloncillo is nothing more than sugar cones. Just like the coco, it's very sweet. It's sweeter than a date or a fig.

After week at the Tianguis, or the weekly street market, a vendor sells what looks like coagulated cereal. It looks like Rice Krispie treats, excepts it's made with Bran cereal (by the way, Frosted Flakes are Zucaritas in Mexico).

Honey (miel) is also popular. Indigenous people sell it on the street. Bees land on the comb while the vendor scoops it into a jar. Just like coco, it's molded into various forms.

As I've mentioned in a previous post, corn, maize, is a staple of the Mexican diet. It makes tortillas, which form the basis of quesadillas, chalupas, tacos, burritos, and almost everything else. But I had never seen pink corn. It tastes the same to me.

This is more maze that's sold on the corner next to my apartment. It's bland, but it's the principal component of so many dishes here.

The same vendor sells corn paste, or masa. It looks and feels like scrambled eggs.

Mexicans still incorporate squash, calabaza, into their diets, just like the indigenous tribes did for hundreds of years before the arrival of the Europeans. As far as I know, Mexicans don't distinguish between butternut squash, spaghetti squash, or pumpkin. Everything is calabaza.

These are nopalis leaves. The nopalis is a cactus tree. Its fruit, the tuna, is delicious. Ricardo and I made a recipe with Nopalis. You shred the top layer, chop the leave, and then boil it.

You can eat either very unhealthy in Sahuayo (tortillas, helado, coca, miel, or the junk food at the pharmacies), or you can eat very healthy for very cheap. This is a picture of the colorful abundance of fruit in the store of the vendor I visit every week, Aurora. We see grapes (uvas), bananas (platinos), apples (manzanas), peaches (duraznos), oranges (naranjas), and plums (ciruelas).

What you see here is an assortment of vegetables. You can find just about any vegetable you want in Sahuayo (I haven't seen yellow squash, however). Here you can see (from left to right), limes (limons), zuchinni (calabaza verde), chayotes (same word in Spanish, serrano peppers (chilies serrano), and carrots (zanahorias).

Avocados (aguacates), are everywhere. My room mate made some guacamole with serrano peppers. There's an old refran (idiom) in Mexico that goes:

Aguacate maduro, pelo seguro.

Since it's bathroom humor, I'll let the reader figure out the meaning.

Other than corn, I can't think of anything more quintessentially Mexican than beans (frijoles). These are garbanzos. The vendors heat them in a large metal skillit and the smell emanates throughout the street. They're kind of bland, but I see a lot of people munching on them.







One of my favorites, jicama. I calculated the cost. Whereas on the east coast of the United States, it can cost up to $2.00 per pound, here in Sahuayo it costs 15 cents per pound. Transportation and demand are the answers for the difference. Jicama is grown in Michoacan, and it arrives at the market fresh every day. Vendors slice jicama, pour chili sauce, and sprinkle sea salt on top. It's a refreshing snack.

These are chayotes sin espinas. I buy these every day. Unfortunately, they're expensive. Chayotes are hard and have to be cooked. These have already been baked, which is why they're expensive. The flesh is soft, and with a little salt and chili sauce, they're delectable.







Just as with jicama, street vendors peel and chop cucumbers (pepinos), and pour chili sauce and sea salt on top to make a great snack. To the left of the cucumbers are a kind of plum (ciruela). They have a seed in the middle. They're sour and sweet at the same time.

I hope you enjoyed this brief culinary tour of Sahuayo. I will have more photos soon.

Kevin

Day of the Dead

At midnight on October 31, Mexico begins to celebrate the Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos. It’s a day when Mexicans celebrate, rather than fear, death. The idea is that spirits return to earth for at least one day. The holiday is a hybrid of the Aztec’s month-long celebration overseen by Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead, and Christianity’s All Saints’ Day on November 2.

For pre-Hispanic cultures death had a symbolic value. For that reason human sacrifice was a privilege. The indigenous people wished to die because death marked the beginning of a new existence, at least a better one. These beliefs mingled with the Spanish propensity to not take death seriously.

Death today is easily accepted. The Engilsh idiom, “everyone dies, but no-one believes it” doesn’t apply. However, it could be that the abundance of expressions, idioms, and rituals associated with death could mean that Mexicans fear death to the point that they mock it. It could be an eagerness to convert terror into a joke. Perhaps it is a sign of bravey to laugh at death.

Si me han de matar manana,
If I’m to be killed to tomorrow,
Que me maten de una vez!
Why not kill me right away?

Halloween is not a holiday in Mexico. There is no “trick-or-treating,” no parties, no costumes, no witches, no jack-o-lanterns. In fact, some students at my school say Halloween is devil worship. At least, that’s what their local Catholic priest tells them.

Mexicans produce altars in their homes to welcome the spirit of their ancestors in cemeteries. The dead return to the grave first and then to the altar. Some Mexicans lay flowers all the way from the home to the grave. The elaborate altars are decorated with candy skulls, photographs of the deceased, the deceased’s favorite food, an inscription of the person’s name on the top, and candles. Families bring the favorite foods and drink of the departed, light candles, recite chants and celebrate. Bells ring every 30 seconds starting at 6:00 until the end of the night. On November 1, deceased children (angelitos) are honored. The next day, All Souls Day, adults are honored with drinks, food, and festivities. Popular symbols include pan de muerto (coffee cake with meringues), candy, papier mache skeletons, flowers such as marigolds (cempazuchiles) and cockscomb (barro de obispo), and skulls.

Popular foods include fruits, vegetables, sweets, candied fruit, chalupas (corn tortillas with toppings), tameles (corn meal and meat wrapped in a corn husk), enchiladas, and calabazas (pumpkins). Beverages include water, coffee, beer, Tequila, and atole (corn starch in a hot, fruit drink

Not too far from where I live in Sahuayo is the island of Janitzio in Lago de Patzcuaro here in Michoacan. The Purepechan (a.k.a. Tarascans) Indians have a duck hunt. They cook the duck at midnight. They surround the lake with candles. I chose not to go for personal reasons, but my room mates told me it was a spectacular show. I went to the local cemetery here, and saw families placing wreaths and flowers on top of the graves. Sure enough I saw a few families chanting hymns. Street vendors sold popular food and flowers.

Kevin

Transportation

Americans are obsessed about safety but they probably don't realize that. It's second nature to get into a car, buckle the seatbelt, start the motor, and then drive. For the most part we turn on our turn signals, stop when pedestrians are crossing, and don't go too fast in neighborhoods. Mexico is different.

As you can see, there are various modes of transportation, none of which are particularly safe. The big busses that run between Sahuayo and Jaquilpan, the town just south of Sahuayo, are the safest.

The Volkswagen vans, combis, are not. The door regularly slides open while the vehicle is moving. There are no seat belts, nor cushions on the seats. That's what you get for nine pesos, round trip. I take the combi to Wal-Mart (Bodega Aurrera) every Saturday. They're efficient but I don't feel safe in them.

There seems to be no age minimum to drive. Kids ride mopeds in their parents' laps. Teenagers drive with no helmets. People sit on the back of motorcycles with no

seat belt. It's not uncommon for people to sit in the back of

pick up trucks.Pollution doesn't bother Mexicans. I can't imagine there are emissions tests here. Cars belch excessive amounts of CO2 and NOX into the air. Some cars have no catylitic converters. Old pick up trucks release tons of fumes into the air. The highway, carretara, is a nasty place to breath air. Mexico is about 30 years behind the United States in terms of safety and pollution.

Bicycles are also popular in Mexico. Many people ride old, rusty bicycles as a convenient way to get around. Nobody wears a helmet.

The rich folks drive Linclons, BMWs, Lexuses, Cadillacs, and other late-model cars.

VW Bugs are common too. Some serve as publicity cars (Auto Publicidades). They annoy me. They drive around constantly, advertising for any company that will pay for a slot. Gas trucks also roam the city, constantly reminding people that they're selling gas. All of this would be noise pollution in the United States. I don't know if Sahuayans put up with it, or have learned to ignore it. I have yet to ignore it.

Kevin

...And Goes to Sleep

When the locals ask me what I think about Sahuayo, I honestly tell them that it's a safe place. Some of my students say there's more crime than I think, and that drugs are a problem. Compared to most places in Mexico, I think Sahuayo is a safe place to live. I've never felt threatened. There are few homeless people. Even the poor areas are safe. The streets are well lit.

The plaza and the market are where Sahuayo comes alive. However, few stores are open after 3:00. I know it's time to go to school when I hear the vendors closing their gates. The big pharmacies stay open, as well as a couple restaurants, but that's it. The plaza isn't crowded, and the only noise emanates from the scooters and cars (the subject of an upcoming entry).

This in stark contrast to the United States, where many stores open every day, and stay open until the evening. Stores might have abbreviated hours on Sundays, but they still open.

I also find it strange that Saturday is the most quiet day of the week in Sahuayo. Many stores are closed, and there aren't many people on the streets. Sunday mornings and afternoons are busy. The streets are crowded, and there's plenty of noise. But at 3:00, it's as quiet as Saturday.

I find this an inconvenience. The short hours of the working days mean customers have to do all their shopping in the morning. In a way, it's nice to have peace in the afternoon and evening. As I've mentioned before, however, Sahuayo does make a lot of noise. Drivers still play their subwoofers at full blast.

Kevin

Sahuayo comes alive...

Like many Mexican cities the plaza is the heart of Sahuayo. It's where the majority of people congregate, where concerts and festivals take place, and the scene of every postcard that's sold here. A gazebo is at the center, and benches and well-trimmed trees surround the plaza. Traffic circulates around the plaza counter-clockwise. Vendors sell coconut water (agua del coco), ice cream (helado), toys, and sweets.

During the day it's not very crowded. Old men shoot the breeze, and young men polish the shoes of businessmen. At night, it's pretty much the same. Sunday afternoons are the busiest time. It's packed with people, but by sunset, it's much quieter.

I walk through the plaza every day when I go to work. Sometimes I meet people there. It's convenient and everyone enjoys the atmosphere.

Resumption

I destroyed my computer by incorrectly cleaning the keyboard. Hundreds of dollars later in warranty and customs fees, hours on the phone, and nine weeks later, I have my computer back. In the next few days I will post no less than 10 entries that I've been wanting to share with you all. When I travel across Mexico in two weeks I will not have my computer, so I will not be able to post new entries until January 7. I will have my camera however.

I have to thank my father for paying for shipping fees, buying another warranty, and installing the software. Thank you so much.

Kevin