Sugar Death

October, 2013.  At Chiripa, we have often featured brilliantly decorated sugar skulls like those you might find during Day of the Dead festivities in Mexico. Mexican popular art reveals a fatalistic, magical, and often humorous attitude toward the great mystery of death.  The sugar skulls are just one example. Kids and grownups love them.

A Friendly Sugar Skull

But in Mexico, as in the United States, there is also a less whimsical connection between sugar and death. A recent public health campaign in Mexico includes billboards showing 12 heaping spoonfuls of sugar next to a 20-ounce bottle of soda. The ads ask, “Would you eat 12 spoonfuls of sugar? Why would you drink soda?”

The ad campaign is part of a movement to rein in a sugar-fueled epidemic of obesity and diabetes that is raging on both sides of the border. Mexico and the United States are now ranked 1 and 2 among the world’s fattest nations, according to a U.N. report. According to Mexico’s latest health survey, 7 out of 10 Mexicans are overweight and roughly 9% have diabetes.

Would you care for a sweet?

In Mexico, as in the U.S., there is a huge market for Coca Cola and other soft drinks.  Enormous sums are spent on soda, often in places where there is little funding for sanitary public water supplies. Discarded soft-drink containers often litter the roadside.  In some remote places, Coca Cola is even venerated as a sort of god. The former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, was previously the chief executive for Coca Cola in Mexico (and Latin America). Soft drinks have clout, and that clout is not always healthy.

On our recent trip to Mexico, we started looking for sugar content disclosures on food and beverage labels. One of the difficulties, both in Mexico and the U.S., is that sugar content is expressed in grams. And nobody knows how much a gram is. We also noticed that reduced-fat products often contain more sugar to compensate for the reduction in tasty fats. Some sugar is natural to the product (such as lactose in milk, or fructose in fruit), but much of the sugar in processed foods is added.

Things snap into better focus when you think in teaspoons. There are nearly 5 grams of sugar per teaspoon. So, if your soft drink or flavored "low-fat" yogurt contains 35 grams of sugar per serving, that means nearly 7 teaspoons of sugar per serving.

On the other hand, we all deserve a few sweets in our lives. In those moments when you really NEED something sweet, think of a deep, rich Venezuelan chocolate bar from Chiripa (14-19 grams of sugar per serving). They are, as the saying goes, "to die for...."  -JM

Note the slender waistline....

A Scare in San Miguel

August, 2013. We are traveling in central Mexico in search of fine artisan crafts for Chiripa.

Lurid newspaper headlines have scared tourists away from many parts of Mexico.  Frightening stories abound. In our frequent travels in Mexico, we have encountered only smiles, courtesy, and decent people going about their everyday business. But in Mexico, as in any country, it pays to be alert. You just never know when something unexpected might happen....

I was reminded of that on a quiet Sunday afternoon, as I walked the normally peaceful streets of San Miguel de Allende. I was alone, but felt not the slightest fear or threat. 

A Deceptively Quiet Street in San Miguel....

The first disquieting sign was an unusual traffic jam in the narrow street ahead of me. “What is holding up these cars?” I wondered to myself. When I got to the corner, I saw the police car and the yellow tape stretched at waist level across the street. Further down the block, I saw an unusual gathering of people and a flashing red light. 

Just then, there was a sharp rattle that sounded like a string of fireworks. The report echoed and re-echoed from the limestone walls. “Gunfire?” I wondered.

At that moment, from around the corner, a hardened gang of giant puppets came careening toward me. The huge papier maché figures were out of control – swaying from side to side, nodding their big puppet heads, and swinging their long puppet arms in wide and potentially-destructive arcs. Some of the puppets were skeleton figures, but others were just big ladies with weird frozen smiles. The puppets were followed by a noisy and enthusiastic brass band.

A Hardened Gang of Puppets

My first reaction was to grab my concealed camera and shoot, but I fumbled my aim. As I struggled to get off a shot, I realized that one of the puppets (a smaller one with wildly tossing orange hair) was coming RIGHT AT ME – pushing her (its?) face into my camera and making loud kissing sounds. I was startled but strangely flattered....

Lovely but Unpredictable: Puppet Ladies

In retrospect, I realize that the puppet was attracted to the camera rather than me; and maybe that's just as well. In any case, I kept the camera between myself and the puppet, and thus avoided any possible contact with the puppet’s lips. Eventually, the puppet got the message and moved on. I think I did the sensible thing. After all, you can’t be too careful when it comes to puppet kisses….  -JM

Puppets and People in a Quieter Moment

A Oaxaca Wedding - Part 3

The Reception in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca

Even if one enjoys the adventure of public transportation, getting to Teotitlan del Valle, the main wool weaving village in Oaxaca, is a somewhat daunting task. This time was no exception. We walked from our hotel to the spot adjacent to the Abastos market where our memory told us we could catch a brown and yellow bus that would take us to the center of Teotitlan. After about 45 minutes of unsuccessful searching through the loud dusty swirl of bus, taxi, combi, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian chaos for a glimpse of that bus, we decided to ask for assistance from an arm waving, whistle shrieking man directing combi (taxi) traffic. He pointed us back to the street where we had been. “No taxis to Teotitlan on this a market day in Tlacolula.” More anxious waiting,  but still no Teotitlan bus. 

Having lost hope of catching a bus in time for the celebration and debating what our options might be, we spied a bus marked for Mitla, beyond Teotitlan, but, if memory served, on the same highway. Of course, in the time it took us to recognize the name and process the location, the bus flew by. Dodging people, poles, potholes, and traffic, we sprinted down the street in hopes of catching up. Finally the bus slowed to pick up some passengers and we were able to jump aboard. The driver, on a tight schedule, had little time to deal with our wheezing and feeble Spanish. We hoped that his hand signals indicated that he would drop us at the crossroads a fair but walkable distance outside of Teotitlan. Whew! Closer, at least?

To our relief, as we approached the crossroads, the bus slowed and we and a few other passengers were able to leap off. Squinting though brilliant sun and a swirl of dust as the bus roared off, we spotted a taxi waiting on the other side of the highway. Chiripa! The locals, always quicker and more alert, set off at a torrid pace across the new, elevated walkway that increases the chance of pedestrian survival. Scuttling after them as best we could, we clearly lost the race to the taxi, but our fellow travelers kindly held the taxi for us. With them we rode in sardine luxury to street where had visited the Chavez family on previous visits. Chiripa!

The new Chavez house was to be the site of the reception. We were told to just keep walking past their former home/workshop. We crossed a dry creek and headed into the countryside. The looming table-filled tent was our first clue that we had found it. But in typical U.S. style, we were quite early, which gave us time to observe the party preparations. The day was warm and bright, yet pleasant in the shade, and the atmosphere subdued. The new house, not fully finished was open and airy. As the previous night’s party in Oaxaca had continued through the entire night, everyone was operating on little or no sleep. Eric and Elsa were nowhere to be seen. Federico and Lola, Eric’s parents were busy directing various tasks. Janet and Omar, Eric’s siblings were working on signs to direct guests to the party. Several men of the family were sitting around a table talking. They motioned us to join them. Most of the conversation was in Zapotec with a bit of Spanish tossed in probably for our benefit. We understood nothing, but nodded and smiled anyway. We were offered the the refreshment of the day, Coronitas ( 7 oz cervezas). It was all very pleasant and low key, but as it was man talk, I drifted off to the kitchen to see what was happening there.

The food prep area was the most fascinating. The women of the family were hard at work. Eggs were being cracked and mixed in a large washtub. In the end who knows how many dozens of eggs there were. 

A caldron of chicken stock, nearly 6 feet in diameter was simmering over a fire and being stirred by two women using huge bamboo poles. A tub of chicken pieces was ready to add. When fully assembled this soup would be the first course of the celebration dinner, to be served by the many women preparing the food.

I pitched in with the dish washing. How many would attend? 200(!!!!!) for a sit-down dinner. This would be a grand celebration! The plates and bowls were all being washed in tubs behind the house. They are part of the community cache of supplies that are rented for fiestas. My poor Spanish didn’t get me far with the other helpers. But, they didn’t refuse my help although they were quite concerned that I was not wearing an apron. They all wore aprons over their traditional pleated skirts.

At some point Eric and Elsa arrived with their dog. They had some lunch and talked with family members, then left again apparently they needed a nap.

After the dishes were washed, I checked in on the soup and the tortilla-making. Two wood fired comals were in use and each giant tortilla was hand made. What a lot of tortillas, many for each expected guest! 

Then I found another task: rolling the silverware in a napkin. This put me in the room with the Virgin of Guadalupe altar where the gifts and special guests were received. 

As we worked I heard a commotion outside. The band had assembled at the gate and was walking up the drive playing their instruments. Once in the tent they formed a line along the side. The men of the Chavez family moved down the line each one greeting every band member with a traditional handshake and a slight bow. Then the family presented the band with gifts of beer, mescal, and soda. The band took their places at one end of the tent.

Some guests began to trickle in, each greeted respectfully with the handshake and bow.  Many brought a case of Coronitas, some a bottle of mezcal. Then there was a bit of commotion as a somewhat larger group gathered at the gate. Omar told us that the Village President, members of the city council, and spouses had arrived. They solemnly walked to the house in a group. Again the men of the Chavez family greeted each of the dignitaries who then were ushered into the room with the altar. The dignitaries lined one side and the bride’s  and groom’s families on the opposite side. A formal ceremony of what appeared to be greeting and thank you for honoring the event followed. Members of the families spoke to the dignitaries and dignitaries spoke to members of the families. These were serious sounding speeches, all in Zapotec made by an individual on one side of the room to the group on the other side. As each person spoke those on the other side of the room gave short responses of agreement or respect almost like a call and response in a church. 

From my corner where I was working on the silverware, I got to look at the back of the beautiful dresses the guests wore.

Eric and Elsa returned and soon the guests began to arrive in earnest and the tables under the tent filled. Warm and respectful greetings were exchanged each time a person a new person arrived. 

We took our seats as well just in time to be served a large bowl of the chicken and egg soup accompanied by tortillas and hot sauce. We consumed the soup with great relish thinking that this was the meal. Shortly after the soup bowls were taken away, a main course of grilled chicken, corn and mixed vegetables arrived. We don’t know if it was prepared on site or brought in.  It simply appeared. As we were quite full from the delicious soup, we asked to share the main course. 

Large stacks of tortillas arrived at every table. Apparently, many other guests also were quite full after the soup course, as they skillfully wrapped leftovers in several layers of the large tortillas and packed them into the plastic bags provided by the servers.

The band played throughout the meal and then took a break and were served the wedding meal. They too were encouraged to take food home and were given plastic bags for the tortilla-wrapped chicken. Mezcal and cervezas were in good supply!

Dessert was served buffet style and it included a waffle cone with coconut sorbet and a red one that we later learned was cactus fruit. While we ate Federico and other men passed out bunches of moistened and very pleasant smelling leafy branches that would later be used in the dances.

The tables disappeared in a hurry and the band members took their places to begin the dance music. Again, the first dances were for the wedding couple and then their parents. This time the dancers carried the branches. In addition the men carried large bottles of Mezcal in one hand as they danced. This traditional dancing (a jarabe or folk dance) is quite lengthy with the band playing the same refrain over and over. The band director put the band on autopilot and managed to sneak in a good nap.

By this time we realized that the last bus to Oaxaca would be leaving soon and we reluctantly decided to take our leave knowing that the partly would last long into the night. Another couple of gringos decided to leave at the same time and we were able to find a taxi and were able to negotiate a ride to Oaxaca for all of us.

A fun day, we hope we did not commit too many cultural faux pas; an experience we will not soon forget. Thank you Eric and Elsa; Lola and Fe for making us feel welcome at such a personal time. -KL

A Oaxaca Wedding - Part 2

The Civil Ceremony and Reception

Following the wedding at the cathedral we walked to the Ethnobotanical Garden for the civil ceremony preceding the reception. The invitation specified an address that was not the normal entrance to the gardens. 

We checked it out the day before and found that it was a new doorway through the wall to the gardens. In the small enclosed courtyard a civil servant (I'll assume he is a judge or something like that) stood before a table with a lovely floral arrangement and many manila folders with papers. The scene was lit by a portable overhead light. The stone walls with climbing cactus were washed with light as well. The crowd waited for all the players to arrive.

The extended message from the judge was somber. We think it spelled out the duties and responsibilities of the newly married couple. No one was cracking a smile. This is serious business. Then the signing began. Each in the wedding party, the newlyweds, their parents and their sponsors had many duplicate pages to sign. Eric and Elsa had to add their fingerprints. 

When the signing was done the group exited through another door presenting the ticket that was included in the invitation in order to pass from the courtyard room through to the garden reception. As we walked along the path we were greeted by small candlelit paper balloons floating into the cloudless Prussian blue sky. All threat of rain had evaporated and the evening was glorious.

The gardens filled with the plants of Mexico added to the enchanted feel of the event. A light show projected on one wall, the band (from Teotitlan del Valle) created another wall and in between were dozens of tables ready for the crowds.

Each table came equipped with a bottle of mezcal etched with the wedding logo. (Elsa works in marketing at Studio Xaquixe, the glass factory where they were made.) Our table's bottle came home with me. Guests at our table included young people from Teotitlan, who did not like mezcal and were not interested in drinking alcohol, and a couple from Austin, TX who preferred beer. Que lastima! Pero una chiripa para mi!

The artistic first course of the meal arrived presented by a fleet of bright young servers. It was a shrimp salad with a cactus paddle and a tortilla chip in the middle. Fabulous. By the time the main course arrived I had forgotten that I wanted to photograph the food. 

After one bite I remembered and snapped a shot of the roast pork with squash and corn. The tastes complemented each other and the pork melted in my mouth. By the time the dessert arrived I had forgotten my camera altogether. Unlike the ubiquitous cakes at US weddings, this dessert was more subtle; a creamy coconut meringue eaten with a spoon. Light and just slightly sweet. 

Curiously, the wedding couple sat at a table alone. Of course they didn't stay there long as each is exuberant and was out among the guests in no time. A couple toasts and then the dancing began. 

The Teotitlan band played traditional music and the wedding couple, and then the parents, and then others moved and shuffled to a jarabe. Soon the dance floor was mobbed with revelers and the party seemed like most wedding receptions with the lookers and the performers.

At one point the bride climbed onto a chair to throw her bouquet. A group of men surrounded her to hold her upright and young women danced in streams around her. She teased them several times and finally tossed the bouquet into the hands of her new sister-in-law Janet (see previous post).

Prizes seemed to part of the wedding tradition here. The women in blue dresses circulated among the guests handing out gifts that were printed with the wedding logo. I scored a pair of flip flops. These were quite useful for the young women who had been dancing in 5-inch heels.

At midnight the Teotitlan band retired and a DJ took over.  The music was loud and we old people were flagging.  Time for us to walk back to our hotel, but the party would go on until 6 am!!!!  -KL

Part 3. The Reception in Teotitlan del Valle.
(To be continued.)

A Oaxacan Wedding - Part 1

A wedding, a joyous occasion, becomes rather rare as one ages. Rarer still is that chance to participate in the customs and rituals of a wedding in a foreign country. Our first notice of the planned marriage of our Oaxacan friends Eric and Elsa came via email with a save the date message. We considered the timing and the cost and decided to go for it.

The event was scheduled for Saturday, April 6, 2013. The ceremony would be at 7 p.m. in la Iglesia de la Soledad (the Basilica of Our Lady of Solitude), a beautiful cathedral in the heart of Oaxaca de Juarez (the capital city of the state of Oaxaca). There would be a reception at the Ethnobotanical Garden and another reception the following day in Teotitlan del Valle, at Eric’s family’s home.

The day was hot and humid. The bridal couple debated whether to rent a tent in case of rain. They decided to chance it and by evening the heat and humidity broke. We walked from our hotel to the public area around the cathedral arriving a little early. The upper level of the park-like area overlooking the entrance to the cathedral was filled with activity; a group of young people were working on traditional dances and a Shakespearean troupe was practicing stage fighting. We turned back to the church and watched as the guests and attendants arrived. It was evident that another wedding was in progress inside the cathedral. This magnificent venue must be in high demand for ceremonies.

The first people to arrive were Eric (the groom) with his brother Omar followed shortly thereafter by their parents Federico and Dolores (Fe y Lola). We waved and photographed the group before coming down to greet them. Janet, Eric’s sister was looking glamorous for the event as were about a dozen other females dressed in aqua blue floor-length dresses of various designs. These were not “bridesmaids” as we have in the US and there were no counterpart “groomsmen.” We concluded they were all relatives or close friends of the bride who were honored for the event and seated together at the ceremony. We called them the "bevy of beauties."

Elsa arrived in the courtyard a little later accompanied by her parents and sponsors. The sponsors play a special role at Mexican weddings, but we did not venture to ask the specific involvement. While people were casually chatting and photographing each other we noticed someone who seemed like a reporter or videographer who was interviewing Elsa. There were many photographers and we could not tell who had been hired for the event or if all were just taking the opportunity to record a beautiful wedding and bride.

Finally, the other ceremony ended and people started gathering at the doorway. From a ways away we surmised that the priest was blessing the couple as they entered the church. People scrambled to the front of the church and so did we.

This was to be an hour-long ceremony with mass. The wedding couple and their witnesses were seated before the alter. To the left a musical group assembled: three violins, a keyboard, and a soloist. The soloist took our breath away with her powerful voice filling the cathedral. The amazing part of her presentation was the fact that while she was singing she was holding a baby; and when the baby began to squirm, she calmly shushed it with a finger on his lips. She didn’t miss a beat. And nearby a toddler looked on, also quite comfortable with her mother’s activities.

Since our Spanish is poor, the ceremony provided time to take in the beauty of the place; the dozens of bouquets of lilies, the ornate alter with the Virgen de Soledad, and the beautiful people in attendance.

As we left the church we were given little bottles of bubbles. We happily blew ours at the newlyweds. As we walked away from the Cathedral I turned and captured this amazing structure beautifully lit on a perfect April evening in Oaxaca. -KL

Part Two. The Civil Ceremony and the Reception.

(to be continued.)

Brilliant and Disappearing Arts

February, 2013. We are traveling in the highlands of Michoacán, in south-central Mexico, looking for fine artisan crafts for Chiripa.

Victor Aguila has worked with the indigenous potters in the village of Capula for decades. Years ago, he went door-to-door trying to convince the artisans to switch to lead-free glazes. His pioneering work was originally sponsored by Barro Sin Plomo (Clay Without Lead), an organization that has since taken its lead-free crusade worldwide.

Victor Greets an Old Friend in Capula

As he wanders through the village craft market, Victor takes satisfaction in many successes. Many of the local artisans have switched to lead-free methods, which are more expensive but safer for artisans and their families (as well as consumers). But the overall market for traditional village ceramics has declined. “When I started, there were over 400 ceramics artisans in Capula,” says Victor. “Now there are fewer than 100.”  In today’s economy, skilled village artisans have a hard time making a living from their work.

Victor takes us to the homes of several families who still produce beautiful traditional ceramic ware, and who use only lead-free methods. Chiripa has worked with some of the families, such as the Juan Rosas family, for years. Others, like the Rogelio Martinez family, we are meeting for the first time. All of the artisans are happy to see us, because they need money for tortillas and for their children’s schooling.  We buy as much as we think we can possibly sell, and maybe a little more.

Martinez Family, Lead-Free Ceramics

The village of Capula is also known for producing exquisite ceramic catrinas (elaborate skeleton figures that dress and act as if they were alive). These catrinas are not exactly a traditional art form, although they certainly have roots in the indigenous Mexican culture. In the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries, the Mexican illustrator Jose Posada used catrinas in his widely published works to lampoon the pretensions of the rich upper classes, and to make other irreverent comments on Mexican life. The skeletons spoke to the unsettling (yet humorous) truth below the surface of things. They soon took on a life of their own (so to speak), and have now become a wildly popular folk art form.

Carlos and Big Catrina

You can see many kinds of catrinas throughout Mexico. They are cleverly rendered in many media, from pen-and-ink to oil paint to papier mache.  But you will see nothing more exquisite than the finely-sculpted ceramic catrinas produced by the best artists of Capula. They come in many sizes and styles, and strike a variety of absurd, elegant, proud, merry, tragic and haunting poses. We bought some good examples from Candelaria Hernandez and Carlos de la Cruz, and asked the artists to pack them really well.  Most survived the long and bumpy trip to Wisconsin, and you can see them at Chiripa. - JM