Dia de Muertos, Part I

*This blog is not endorsed by the US Department of Education or COMEXUS.*

So, it's, uh, been a while. In case you forgot, I'm Bethany.

Nice to meetcha again

Sticking to the theme of posting about events a month after they happen, please allow me to inform you about a significant and interesting difference between Mexican and U.S. American culture:

Día de Muertos!

You've probably heard of Day of the Dead and/or seen the movie "Book of Life." It's a film filled with piñatas, music, candy, vibrant colors and bullfighters. I know this because I saw a poster for it once, I think. Halloween is a similar, but by no means equivalent, holiday in the United States. 

Both holidays have macabre overtones-- skulls, coffins, graves-- but the view of death is entirely different. Halloween is about scaring people and getting scared. It's about candy, costumes, and more candy. It's about having fun. Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) has a much deeper religious meaning that, even in the modern day, underpins all its traditions. I will talk more about the meaning of Día de Muertos in Part 2 of this post.

(This part is boring and about history, skip down to the photo if you are also boring)

Halloween used to have more religious significance than it does today. Samhain, a Celtic holiday celebrated on the night of October 31st, was considered the night when the "veil" between Earth and the spirit world was thinnest. To avoid being recognized by any mischievous spirits that would do them harm, people disguised themselves as spirits. *

The religious significance of Halloween has long been forgotten, although some religious groups discourage its celebration because of its seemingly close relationship with "demonic forces." I don't have a degree in applied theology so I'm not certified to label Halloween as "horrible pagan sin" versus "harmless fun." Rather than engaging in that heated discussion, I'd like to provide you with a picture of me dressed up as a strawberry:

whoa look at that cute little kid. I bet she's gonna marry a hot guy one day

Día de Muertos, while death-focused, is NOT the same as Halloween, and still retains its religious beliefs. More on this in Part 2 of this post. Meanwhile, Part 1 (which you are reading now) deals with a Día de Muertos tradition that is particular to my city, Toluca.

La Feria del Alfeñique

"Feria del Alfeñique" roughly translates to "Fair of Artisanal Sugar Goods" (very roughly). It's a tricky word 'cause it's got that weird squiggly thing in it, so here I kindly provide you with a HANDY-DANDY PRONUNCIATION VIDEO:

In the center of Toluca there is a huge city block lined with antique-ish plaster arches and filled with high-end shops. These arches are referred to as the "Portales" (which translates to-- take a wild guess-- "arches"). 

yes sir, that's them, those are the Portales that killed my wife

These arches are the annual location of dozens of stands selling sugar goods. For the month of October, artisans who have spent the whole year preparing colorful, intricate wads of sucrose peddle their wares to the general public. Since I have written a lot of words, I will now include a lot of pictures to balance it out:

Here is an example of a typical alfeñique stand at the fair. 

Sugar skulls are a well-known symbol of Día de Muertos. Yes, they are really made of sugar, and Yes they can be eaten.

Here is a beautiful specimen (Latin: Craneus Delicious) that I found in the local alfeñique museum.

Also traditional are "borregos" (sheep) made from a sweet pumpkin-seed paste.

This one's gonna Blow Your Mind: this is a tiny candy figurine of a stand selling tiny candy figurines. WHAT

Also present in the alfeñique museum were Flailing Soccer Player Skeleton (above) and Inexplicable Moustache Nun Skeleton (below).

why?

Since I live close to the city center, where the Portales are located, I frequently had the opportunity to visit the fair. I bought myself some sugar skulls to decorate my room (and also a tiny sugar pomegranate, which the ants found pretty quick). The Alfeñique Fair was a really memorable experience because it is not only distinctively Mexican, but also distinctively Tolucan.

Some last pics to finish up before we move on to Part 2, the Day of the Dead altar and celebrations.

 An army of Sugar Sheep ready at a moment's notice to march on your home and devour some Childrenchops, in a shocking (and ironic) turn of events 

Itty bitty chocolate skulls filled with delicious things like Bailey's and eggnog and brain matter

A professionally taken picture of the stalls inside the Portales (will give you the number of the photographer if you need any other stunningly average photos taken)

Read Part 2 here (oops, not yet written)

Works Cited

* "Halloween." Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween

VIVA MEXICO

**This blog is not representative of the opinions of the US State Department or COMEXUS. Pssshh, they wish. **

Welcome to Mexico. Land of the taco, home of the mariachi, and the only possible place the following pictures could ever have been taken.

This is a five gallon bucket of green Vaseline.

This is an unsuccessful attempt at advertising.

This is a tiny sombrero that I bought for my cats.

This is cotton candy the size of my whole body.

Ah ha! Welcome to this enlightening and relevant blog post about Mexico's Independence Day, September 16! That's right, you brazen fools, SEPTEMBER 16. Cinco de Mayo is something totally different (the Battle of Puebla, a military victory against France.) Also it's racist for white people to wear sombreros. EVEN on Cinco de Mayo. Remember this. Yes I put on the Tiny Sombrero, I admit it, I am a Huge Racist

Why am I posting about something that happened three weeks ago, instead of posting about it just after it happened as I should have done? Well, you see, folks, I am lazy. And there you have it.

Mexican nationalism is extreme, particularly around Independence Day. Picture the most patriotic U.S. American you know, and then give them three more heads. Each head is singing the national anthem. One head pauses for a moment to recite the Constitution while the other heads continue intoning their heartfelt melody. One of the heads is Abraham Lincoln.

Every single Mexican is still more patriotic than that.

I first noticed Mexico's disproportionate (in comparison with other countries) national pride two years ago, when I met The Most Mexican Mexican during my studies abroad and was astonished at his fanaticism. Since then, I have wondered what stimulates this seemingly extreme nationalism. What I say next is by no means the capital-T Truth, but it was proposed by a Mexican and makes a lot of sense to me. Feel free to disagree.

During orientation we heard a lecture by Mexican scholar, journalist, and celebrated historian Lorenzo Meyer.* (see citations at end of post) Meyer proposed that Mexico's nationalism was a response to living next to and in the metaphorical shadow of a superpower. Because the United States is so culturally and socially powerful (read: overpowering), Mexico NEEDS to cultivate this "proud Mexican" persona in order to stay separate and maintain its own identity. In the lecture, Meyer emphasized just how much the U.S.'s everyday politics affects Mexico. "Estados Unidos es el globo para nosotros," he said. "The United States is the world for us."**

Again, take this with a grain of salt. Mexican pride is not solely because of its "neighborship" with superpower U.S.A. In fact, to say that would be just more U.S. colonialism (taking "credit" for an entire country's worldview). To imagine that we have that much control over another country is self-aggrandizing. Mexico is proud of Mexico because Mexico is AWESOME. Full of rich, colorful culture, hospitality, tradition, and food. Nonetheless, I found what Meyer proposed to be realistic-- our overwhelming presence puts Mexico on the defensive.

On to the aforementioned nationalism.

On September 15 (the eve of the Big Day) I had the good fortune of working at a primary school. And by "working" I mean "actually working for three classes and then spending the rest of the day watching tiny children reenact the overthrow of the ruling class."

Eyeballs of innocent children covered just in case they are in the Witness Protection Program

Please note Patriotic Sideburns painted onto child's head

More of the little dudes

They sang, they danced, they wielded wooden rifles. Your typical Thursday at an elementary school.

That evening I attended El Grito de Dolores, ("The Cry of the City of Dolores" (where the event originally took place***). Interestingly, I noticed that "dolor" is the Spanish word for "pain," which means another literal translation could be "The Cry of Pain"). According to history (and Wikipedia), early in the morning of September 16th, 1810, Mexican founding father Miguel Hidalgo, a Catholic priest, cried out to the Mexican people to rebel against the Spanish government. Thus began the Revolution.*** 

Each year the Grito is relived as a symbol of Mexican independence. In the zócalo (main square) of the city, hundreds to thousands of people gather in the evening for a night of carousing, music, food, and then, finally, The Grito.

My Grito experience was unforgettable. My Mexican roommate, Yunuen, accompanied me and we spent a while milling around the zócalo buying food and talking about Mexico's independence. The square was so PACKED with people that we had to utilize Yunuen's superpower of weaseling through crowds to get close to one of the LED screens projecting the musical acts.

Due to having a fascinating cultural discussion, we almost missed the ACTUAL Grito, which happened at approximately 11 pm. Over loudspeakers, a representative of the government chants an approximation of Hidalgo's rousing speech and the dense crowd responds with "¡¡VIVA MÉXICO!!" ("Long live Mexico!!") According to Wikipedia, this is the translation of the Grito that the President of Mexico usually recites in the country's capital:

"Mexicans!

Long live the heroes who gave us our homeland!

Long live Hidalgo!

Long live Morelos!

Long live Josefa Ortíz de Dominguez!

Long live Allende!

Long live Aldama!

Long live Matamoros!

Long live the nation's independence!

Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico!"*

Fortunately, I managed to get one of two "¡¡VIVA's!!" in.

I was (mis)informed that after the Grito takes place, people go nuts throwing Cascarones (egg shells filled with confetti and then sealed up). Cascarones, for some reason, are very exciting to me. I stocked up on some filled with flour and some filled with confetti. 

Cascarón smashing, for your satisfaction

Smashing them on people's heads is also a popular pastime.

The next morning I dragged myself out of bed to attend a parade through the Centro. My main reason for going was that some of my students from the Normal were going to be marching, and I wanted to show them I cared. 

Found 'em

During the parade, I repeatedly found myself gawking with excitement. A number of indigenous cultures were represented in the parade:

The marching was ridiculously regimented:
(Yes, the video works even though it doesn't look like it)

There was a large military presence in the parade. I was stunned when I saw this:

The acronym for this branch of the police is "F.E.A.R." (Federal Ejercito something-something). Like, Mexican police, if you're trying to fix your reputation as crooked and abusive, this is REALLY not gonna do it.

Last note before I sign off for the night.
In the U.S., culture and race are INCREDIBLY delicate things. Jokes about skin color are not tolerated, and cultural appropriation is incredibly offensive. You would NEVER see someone play up their (or another's) cultural stereotypes, as this would feed into oppression. 

However, it appears to be wholly acceptable for Mexicans to embrace their stereotypes.

During the independence festival, it is totally appropriate for Mexicans to wear sombreros, green-red-and-white false eyelashes, and even adhesive mustaches to celebrate the independence of their sovereign nation. This is sort of like U.S. Americans celebrating the Fourth of July by putting on fat suits, then carrying a hamburger in one hand and a hot dog in the other while wearing a beer can hat. 

So about U.S. patriotism... Do you go to the lengths that Mexicans do?

How do you celebrate the Fourth of July?

Citations

* "Lorenzo Meyer." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 21 Sep 2016. Web. Accessed 7 Oct 2016.
**Lorenzo Meyer. "Panorama Actual de México y Perspectivas con sus Relaciones con los Estados Unidos." Welcome Orientation 2016, Fulbright García Robles/COMEXUS, 24 August 2016, Hotel Krystal Grand Reforma Uno, Mexico City, Mexico. Keynote Address.
*** "Cry of Dolores." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 28 Sep 2016. Web. Accessed 7 Oct 2016. 

Land and Liberty

** This blog is not representative of the opinions of COMEXUS or the U.S. Department of State. Phew, got that over with.**

Yes I spelled "psychopath" wrong. It is my greatest shame.

This is my first attempt (ever, I think) at multi-media narrative comics, and it didn't turn out as super excellently as I hoped. Oh well. I ended up buying like two drawers' worth of craft supplies that I thought I was going to use, so I guess it's a win anyway:

CRAYOLAS ARE FOR GROWN UPS TOO, YOOOOOOO

Week One

**This blog is not representative of the opinions of the U.S. Department of State or COMEXUS.**

Hi.

Did you read that little sucker up there? Or did you skip over it because it looked too disclaimer-y? If you went the LAZY ROUTE, here it is again:

**This blog is not representative of the opinions of the U.S. Department of State or COMEXUS.**

Ha ha! What a humorous situation I find myself in! I am in a position of responsibility  and honor such that my words could theoretically be mistaken for those of the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT!!!!! Who'da thunk???

In this brief introductory paragraph, let me list a few reasons why some might consider me to be The Least Likely Candidate to Represent the USA as a Self-Respecting Sovereign Nation:

1. During my senior year of college, my roommate and I failed our room inspection.... ummm.... more than once. Some people (me) just REALLY don't like to do dishes, alright????

2. Once I turned in an essay eight months late. #BeatThat

3. Again, the song about the libertarian cats. Really gotta record that sucker.
3.5. Oooh, that just reminded me of my pièce de resistance, "The Fat Toilet Bible Song!" Fans of the Old Testament will LOVE that one. 

4. Multiple chins during selfies:

MAJORLY unacceptable for reps of the US of A

5. Cannot remember all the words to the Pledge of Allegiance. Dang, I should be SHOT for that one, amiright?

Anyway, notwithstanding the previous info, I'm here. The first week of actual teaching has just come to a close, and I know everyone out there is huddled in the darkness over a glowing computer screen, desperately jabbing their refresh button and muttering under their breath, "Come on.... come on.... POST already, darn you!!" Little do you know that your wife and/or husband is leaning in the doorway behind you, silhouetted in the light of the hallway, observing your obsessive actions and wondering how it came to this... you used to be so involved in your family's life. A montage of images runs through your loved one's head; you tossing around the ol' pigskin with the kids; your gleaming white smile as you throw back your head and laugh a hearty American laugh; a cookout in the backyard; a snowball fight. S/he thinks of better times. Happier times. "Are you coming to bed, hon?" S/he asks, pulling the cozy robe tighter around him/herself. S/he does not know WHY s/he asks, as s/he already knows the answer.

"In a couple minutes, babe! I just have this FEELING that Bethany's going to post really soon!!"

Wait no longer, you family-hater.

Last Week
The ETA's participated in a bizarre coming-of-age choosing ritual during which the fate of our entire lives was determined in a single moment, à la Harry Potter, Divergent, The Giver, The City of Ember, or even (insert other dystopian teenage novel here).

We arrived at the SEP building (belonging to the Secretaria de Education Pública) and, after an unusually long waiting period, we were ushered into a large, crowded room.

As each ETA introduced him or herself, our assigned teacher stood up to greet us. It was all very exciting. My tutor is named Doris, and she put me up in her home for several days while I looked for housing. After everyone was claimed, we were given bagged lunches to eat on the trip to our new cities. The trip from Ciudad de México to Toluca should have taken at most an hour and a half, but heavy rains and heavy traffic delayed us. It was close to three hours of driving, with a good bit of altitude sickness thrown in.

This Monday
I am on a rotating schedule that places me in three different schools in Toluca throughout the week. On Mondays and Wednesdays I am at the Escuela Normal Superior del Estado de México. 

Escuelas Normales are a special type of school designed to train future teachers (often English teachers). For this reason, my students at the Normal are more invested in learning English and often have higher comprehension of the language.

TUESDAY
On Tuesdays I walk twenty minutes into downtown Toluca to a federal high school, "Tierra y Libertad." There will be another post coming soon about this institution, so I will not go into too much detail now. I was told that my first day would be for "observation," so I did not plan any activities.... however, I was thrown under the bus and had to whip something out really quick. Fortunately, I had some family photos with me, so I pretended they were very interesting and managed to keep the attention of six classes that day.

WEDNESDAY
Back at the Normal. I made a really intense game for the students to help them learn the Present Continuous tense (which I had to look up the day before....). By "really intense" I mean there was glitter involved.

THURSDAY
On Thursdays I am placed at a primary school and will be working with kids from 3rd to 6th grade. Man, the 5th graders are gonna be a tough bunch... I tried to impress them by saying cool English things like "Arctic Monkeys" and "The Strokes" but they were just a total handful. Gonna have to bust out the paddle for them (attn: joke).


This is what my schedule is going to look like every week, at least until my normal routine is interrupted by a hospitalization for severe diarrhea. Whoops, did I say that out loud...? Too bad I put that disclaimer at the beginning, or I could fob it off on the U.S. Government. "Hey everybody!! The State Department is having diarrhea because it ignored travel warnings and ate street food! Haha! And it took a taxi off the street, like it wasn't supposed to, and its cell phone and iPod got stolen!! Ha! Oh my gosh, the State Department sure is DUMB!!!!!"

But no, I must take responsibility. I must bear the heavy weight of the disclaimer.

Until next time.

Did You Know?: Tortillas

 **This blog is not representative of the opinions of the US Department of State or COMEXUS.**

Until I find an apartment to live in, I am staying with my host institution tutor, Doris. On Sunday she took me and her two children (ages 16 and 24-- we get along well) to the local marketplace for lunch. It was SWARMED with people and was a bit of an overwhelming experience. The whole place was covered with a patchwork of tarps and roofs, to protect the market from the daily rains that occur in Toluca during the rainy season. These cast a colored glow on all the activity happening below.

I ate some lamb tacos with carrot and cactus:

And I took a stealthy photo of the eating area in the marketplace:

These photos occurred when I was rapidly trying to hide my camera after taking the picture so no one would know I was a gringa (they knew anyway):

Before I leave you, here a few more photos of the market (that I took with more success):

(click on photo to see it larger!)