Gates and Doors

Wandering around town, I'm always peering into people's houses - the doors are so enchanting

 I always end up staring just a little too hard and then making accidental awkward eye contact with the residents inside. Maybe it's the ironwork, maybe it's the time-worn paint in bold color choices, who knows. I just know the doors are always fixating me. 

Viva Mexico!

On the 15th and 16th of September, Mexico celebrates it's independence, typically with two things that they excel at in this country, crazy fireworks and a parade. 

Things kick off on the night of the 15th, when everyone gathers together in the town square for the grito (literally, the shout). The grito traditionally happens at 11pm, after a few hours of singers and dance presentations, and is led by someone in charge (the mayor, in Zacoalco's case). 

The speaker starts with with a small "Viva!" (for example, "Viva Francisco Madero, who did something important in Mexico's history!") and then the crowd shouts back "Viva!". Then maybe "Viva our lovely state of Jalisco!" "Viva!" Leading up to the big "Viva Mexico!" "VIVA!!" "Viva Mexico!!!" "VIVA!!!!!" followed by lots of crazy elaborate fireworks. One of the favored styles is a big rectangular bamboo frame with smaller lines of bamboo shaped to look like a portrait of one of the figures of history, with small fireworks attached to create a fireworks paint-by-number, if you will. Or maybe a firework Lite Brite. 

Either way, they're pretty great. The other form fireworks take is a big bamboo tower called un castillo, which has lots of wheels of fireworks that spin when they're lit, or spin and unfold, one component at a time. There are castillos at any festival worth it's salt, and culminate with the corona, a little crown-shaped bit at the top, flying off in the the night shy, sparks shooting everywhere. 

As if all that excitement weren't enough, the following day hosts a parade. In bigger cities, like Guadalajara, the military is involved, and there are tanks and soldiers parading around, but I prefer the Zacoalco version, where every last school in town (from 3rd grade up) has its students don their special uniforms and march together.

The students are accompanied by the queens of the town (some sort of beauty pageant), some wee floats, and then a big group of horseback-riders in costume. Lots of the towns people dress up, too, putting on whatever they consider to be traditional Mexican garb for the day.

All in all, it's a pretty great holiday. My only regret is that I wasn't able to get myself one of the gigantic sombreros that say "Viva Mexico Cabrones!" on it (more or less "Long live Mexico, Jackasses!).  

Our Lady of the Holy Bumper

Last Sunday Luis and I went with his family for lunch/dinner at their favorite restaurant, which is a lovely cabin-in-the-woodsy-type place on the outskirts of Tapalpa, about 45 minutes from Zacoalco. They serve traditional regional fare, which means I get tricked into eating mysterious meat products under the agreement that no one tells me what I have actually eaten for at least 48 hours after the meal. This rule being put into existence after an incident where I enjoyed, and then was nauseated by what turned out to be some sort of blood-based taco.
Heading back from the restaurant, we decided on a lark to stop by Atemejac, another wee town en route home. Pulling into town, we were delighted to learn that we happened rolling in exactly as the parade culminating the celebration of the town's patron virgin, La Virgen de la Defensa, was going by. We packed ourselves in with the masses, and caught the procession of dancers, musicians, and holy folk carrying the statue around town and to the church for a public mass in the main square.

Technically, in this case, La Virgen de la Defensa means "The Virgin of Defense", or maybe "The Virgin of Safekeeping", but if you're wanting to make tacky jokes, you could translate it as "The Virgin of the Bumper", and follow up with questions about when the celebrations of Our Lady of Headlights and/or The Holy Virgin of Power Steering, which is what we opted for. Quietly, and in reverential voices, of course.

Bienvenidos!

Welcome to Mano Lista Workshops photo blog. I'll be posting daily snapshots to try and paint the picture of what life in and around Zacoalco looks like - the life that we'll bring you into during one of our photography workshops. If you're interested in joining us, visit www.manolistaworkshops.com for all the details. 

I arrived back in Zacoalco (pronounced za-QUAL-co, more or less) after spending the summer in Chicago, to find the town in the throes of the Festivals de Septiembre, the constant party leading up to Mexico's Independence Day on September 16th. It

also happens that the festivals are coinciding with Guadalajara's annual Mariachi Festival. It was explained to me that Guadalajara's festival has grown and grown, so much so that all of the international acts brought in to perform have left the local groups with nothing to do, so many surrounding towns are now happily playing host to festival offshoots, and having an added mariachi flavor to their usual Independence Day parties. 

Last Friday there were performances in the plaza by a variety of mariachi groups, painting the picture of the historical evolution of the musical style born in the villages outside of Guadalajara. The town was out and about in droves, sporting their cowboy finery and the bringing the tiny mariachis in training out to enjoy the music.

Luis and I filled up our jarras (pint-sized terra cotta jugs) with the official drink of Squirt and tequila, and made merry with the rest of the town for an evening of free live music celebrating the history of the region.