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.)

A Valentine to Oaxaca

August, 2012. We are in the City of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, searching out fine artisan crafts for Chiripa.

Oaxaca rooftops

We love to walk the streets of Oaxaca, one of our favorite cities in all of Mexico. 

Oaxaca is sophisticated, but down to earth, and inhabited by charming people. 

A Day on the church steps, Oaxaca

We love the morning mist on the mountains, the afternoon sun and shadow, the cool evenings, the friendly light of the food seller's stall after dark.

Food vendor and customers, Oaxaca

We love the green cut stone of the buildings, the echoing church bells, the museums, the old monasteries, the elegant courtyards, and the daily grit and clamor of the market.  

Textile Museum, Oaxaca

We love the cobblestone streets and sidewalks, the street vendors, the students, the shopkeepers, the balloon sellers and the roaming mariachi bands. We love the giant papier mache puppets and the families strolling together. 

Oaxaca Street

We love the smells of coffee, chocolate, peppers, fresh vegetables, fried tortillas and roasting corn. We love the crowded sidewalks in the market district.  We love the flat nasal shouts of the bus conductors, calling out destinations. We even love the belching, rumbling, swaying, rundown buses that are often named (like fishing boats) after saints or loved ones.  

Market stall, Oaxaca

Everywhere in Oaxaca, proud and graceful people are working hard to make a living. People are building, hauling, cooking, counting, sweeping, selling, and playing music in the streets.

Street musician and green stone.

Oaxaca

Thank you, Oaxaca. - JM

Santo Domingo at Night

Nicodemus

August, 2012.  We are in the city of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, searching out fine artisan crafts for Chiripa.

At the corner of Mina and J.P. García, in the market district southwest of the central plaza, there is a little shop that sells tin and other artisan crafts. Nicodemus, a gentleman of 81 years, has operated the shop for over half a century. For most of those years, he worked 6 days a week (he closed the shop on Sundays to spend time with his wife and family). But since his wife died 9 years ago, he now spends every day in the shop. He feels at home there.

Nicodemus is a retailer, not a maker of crafts. But he is an artist in his own way. He knows what it means to run a shop in good times and bad. Untold thousands of craft pieces have passed through his hands, and he knows exactly what size box he will need for the many pieces we buy. He stores his boxes near the ceiling, and pulls them down with a long wooden pole. He wraps the craft items expertly, and fits them precisely into the box he has selected. The box is exactly full.

Nicodemus and Chiripa friend

Nicodemus is charming and courteous, and not at all pushy. He moves gracefully around his little domain, despite his 81 years. He knows where everything is, and he wastes no motion. He loves to talk about his business, including the good old days when he was selling “tons” of crafts to Japanese buyers who trusted him to arrange complex orders. To every purchaser he gives little handout sheets describing interesting details of Oaxacan history and culture.

Nicodemus had little formal education, but by hard work managed to send all his children to school. His children now have good jobs, and Nicodemus lives with his son. On one wall of the shop there is a large poster, marking the 50th anniversary of the business. The poster features a picture of Nicodemus, and is inscribed to Don Nicodemus (a title indicating great respect) by his loving children. 

Although Nicodemus has operated his shop for over a half century, he does not actually own the building in which it is housed. On the day we were there, the landlord called about the rent payment. Nicodemus told him that the rent was on its way. - JM