By Frances Lopez
The word ‘guelaguetza’ comes from the Zapotec meaning to “help each other in the constraints that the individual alone cannot cope with”. Most indigenous communities maintain solidarity and mutual support as one of their most important values. More than a habit, it is an attitude for life. Continue reading La Guelaguetza
By Kary Vannice
I wish I could remember the first Pablo Neruda poem I ever read … Was it the one that starts …
“I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair. Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets. Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day. I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps …”? Continue reading Pablo Neruda
By Jane Bauer
I love this idea! A contest to construct an ecological raft with recycled materials was held in Puerto Escondido on June 10th, 2017. This event was organized by the Escuela Preparatoria Federal por Cooperación Puerto Escondido, with the objective of creating awareness about the damage that is being caused by garbage to the environment, mainly plastic wastes. It also challenged students to put into action knowledge acquired in the classroom and was an effective team building exercise. Continue reading Garbage Boats
If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. Desmond Tutu
One of my biggest challenges is to watch the news and try to maintain my belief that people are inherently good. I know we all want to be good but we also want it to come easy. We live in a time where more information is available than ever before. Previous generations could blame their failing to act on the world’s injustices by claiming ignorance – news was reported after the fact. They could look back on history that happened in their lifetime and calmly bathe in the disbelief that this happened on their watch without having to do anything. Continue reading Editor’s Letter
“History endures in Mexico. No one has died here, despite the killings and the executions. They are alive – Cuauhtémoc, Cortes, Maximilian, Don Porfirio, and all the conquerors and all the conquered. That is Mexico’s special quality. The whole past is a pulsing present. It has not gone by, it has stopped in its tracks.”
José Moreno Villa
By Carole Reedy
Despite the endless options for looking up information online, many of us still prefer to read books to gain a sense of history. In keeping with this issue’s theme, I offer here with brief descriptions books that over the years have helped me understand our dear Mexico today. Many have been mentioned in this column over the past seven years because of the authors’ keen insights and grasp of Mexico past and present. Continue reading Mexico’s History, Past and Present, through Books
By Brooke Gazer
Huatulco is known for its stunningly beautiful bays, but the region is also steeped in history and folklore. In fact, this is the stuff that epic movies are made of. Several places bear the name Santa Cruz, but the beach in Huatulco is the original one! For anyone unfamiliar with Spanish, the name translates to “Holy Cross”, but it does not refer to the Christian Son of God. Legend has it that long before the Spaniards arrived in the New World, a man with a flowing white beard floated on a cross onto this beach. The natives believed he was Quetzalcoatl, the ancient Winged Serpent God, who had promised to return to his people. No one knows what happened to the man, but the cross was erected on the beach in Santa Cruz. Continue reading The Origin of the Names ‘Huatulco’ and ‘Santa Cruz’
By Frances Bauer
When I planned my visit to Huatulco I had no idea that I’d have an opportunity to become a parrot feeder. But on Easter Sunday my granddaughter and I accompanied our friend Maggie to the Iguanario in Copalita, a village outside of Huatulco. Maggie and her husband moved from Alberta to Huatulco after they retired. She’s been feeding the parrots at the Iguanario several mornings a week for a while now. The Iguanario’s mission is the protection and breeding of iguanas but when a poacher was apprehended in mid-March with 500 baby parrots the Iguanario agreed to care for them until they were mature enough to release back into the wild. Continue reading Messed Up in a Good Cause!
By Jan Chaiken and Marcia Chaiken
Since the Mexican War of Independence ended in 1821, Mexico has had over 100 heads of state. Many are barely remembered. Some are notable for rare reasons. For example, Pedro Paredes holds the world record for the shortest presidency, one hour on February 19, 1913. But others are larger than life and have left a highly visible legacy around Mexico. One unforgettable president is Vicente Guerrero. Even when traveling for purposes having nothing to do with learning about Mexico’s past, tourists are likely to stumble on Guerrero history. Continue reading The Delivery (La Entrega) of Guerrero
By Leigh Morrow
Homes hold more than dishes and dresses, they hold our history. Within the space of the last three months, I have found myself dismantling three intimately special and distinctly different family homes. Our home of 18 years, my parents’ home of 53 years and my husband’s family home. Completing the dismantling of just one home would have been seen as a serious accomplishment, but three, in three months, well, the word monumental comes to mind. Continue reading Homes Are History
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