The theme for Mazatlán’s Carnaval celebration this year is The Empires Celebration. The empires of France, Russia, Rome, and China will be represented by Carnaval royalty. Carnaval celebrations begin on February 16 and run through February 21.

Today they were still working on erecting four large monos along the malecón. These huge paper maché figures represent the four empires. Here’s a nice schedule of events for Carnaval 2012.

They have been installing lighting and electrical conduit for the various stages. It won’t be long before they install bathrooms and ticket booths. Then come the walls to remove access to the beach stairs so the pyrotechnic people have the beach to themselves during the naval battle fireworks.

The school across the street from us has been practicing the same song for the last week. They must be working on a number for one of the Carnaval parades. It sounds very familiar, I think it is the same one from last year!

I’ve been home sick since Tuesday.  We went to the grocery store in the afternoon, and when we left I was fine.  Half way through I was sick.  It came over me so fast, I couldn’t believe it.  Most of the time since I’ve been “couch sick” which is a few bits better than “sick in bed” in my view.  I think I am pretty close to well although I still feel a bit feverish at times.

Today I felt well enough to cruise a few of my favorite blogs and The Mexile had a wonderful post on Desert Island Disks.  I’ll let you read it for yourself but it inspired me to think about my favorite desert island music.  These are in no order, I love them all as some of them have already been my top music for many (many, many) years.

Salli Terri & Laurindo Almeida - Bachianas Brasileiras No 5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos  This one is so beautiful it can bring me to tears.  My mother gave me this album when I was 14 I think - I played it over and over and bought the CD when records were obsolete.  You’ll understand once you hear it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gejY9FQlDGM

Tracy Nelson & Mother Earth - Down So Low - There’s another link to my mother here… she took me to the Fillmore West probably in 1968 0r 69 twice to see Tracy Nelson.  Once she opened for BB King and I think they had top billing the other time.  My mother’s favorite song of hers was “I Did My Part” but mine always was “Down So Low.” I have every album of hers and in my opinion this is the best recording even though it is very old.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ8RaqDuUik

Van Morrison - Queen of the Slipstream - I could have picked a lot of different Van Morrison songs, I just don’t get tired of him.  This is wonderful.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=inLKEff4IHI

John Martyn - Cocaine - One of the first thing Paul and I noticed when we started dating is that we both had extensive John Martyn collections.  I love this rendition of the song Cocaine, but I could have easily shared Bless the Weather or May You Never.  I have listened to these songs thousands of times and just don’t tire of them.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W1BGd8P1no

Kiri te Kanawa - O mio babbino caro from the opera Gianni Schicchi by Puccini - I remember being introduced to her by a co-worker (hi Cara!) a long time ago.  We went together to hear her sing at the Seattle Opera and I’m not ashamed to say I was moved to tears.  Absolutely beautiful.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRuYQ9KRJms

Nina Simone - Wild is the Wind - Nina was a master of expression.  This song absolutely kills me.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1_D5gef72A

Rodrigo y Gabriella - Stairway to Heaven - I know I have written about this duo before, I love everything they do.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNc5o9TU0t0

Bebo & Cigala - Lagrimas Negras - I love these two, already have played this music to death and am not tired of it one bit.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb_TDpOlDEQ

Ragani - Ganapati - I couldn’t find a video of this anywhere.  It’s a kirtan - or a call and response chant from India.  I can listen to this over and over… The song is progressive, the speed builds and builds and then returns to slow again.  It’s 12 minutes of inspiration.  This is a must have on a desert island, I don’t know how I missed it when I originally posted this!

Ganapati

I hope you’ve enjoyed my favorite music, it has been fun gathering the perfect recordings of each one. What are your desert island disks? Maybe leave a comment and let me know!

Sinaloa Symphony - La Camerata Gordon Campbell, Director

Mazatlán feels like a small town most of the time to me as I bump into friends here and there as I go about my errands.  But it’s a big city, too, with big city cultural events that truly give us world class performances throughout the year.

This winter we are fortunate to have several performances by the Sinaloa Symphony Orchestra:

Jan. 15 — All W.A. Mozart: La Funta Jardinera Overture, Divertimento in D major, Adagio and Fugue in C minor, Symphony no. 29 in A major  You can watch a recording of the performance here.

Jan. 22 — All J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos nos. 3 in G major, No. 6 in B-flat major and No. 4 in G major.  You can watch a recording of the performance here.

Jan. 29 — Special Beethoven/Brahms concert played by a trio made up of Gordon Campbell on French horn, Roman Revueltas (soloist of the National Symphony Orchestra) on violin and Joel Juan Qui, brilliant Culiacan-born pianist, at the limited-capacity Haas Mansion, corner of Heriberto Frias and Mariano Escobedo.

Feb. 5 — Vivaldi’s Four Seasons: Spring in E minor, Summer in G minor, Autumn in F major and Winter in F minor (Nathaniel Basa, violin soloist) plus a fitting series closer: F.J. Haydn’s “Farewell Symphony” no. 45 in F sharp minor

We missed the first performance on January 15 but friends raved about how good it was.  We did get tickets to yesterday’s performance and to February 5 as well. The January 29 performance at the historic, restored Haas Mansion has sold out and a second performance has been added to satisfy demand.

Below is an audio clip from the performance yesterday.  Flautists Antonio Duatovka and Nicole Granrth with Nathaniel Basa on Violin

Sinaloa Symphony Orchestra -Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No 4 (partial)

Another audio clip from the performance yesterday.  Soloists are  Jason Sah and Larissa Brown on violas.

Sinaloa Symphony Orchestra -Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No 3 (partial)

Today we are off to an art opening of works by Sharon Fannin’s talented students at the art museum.  Tuesday is a playreading performance – Seven Stories by Morris Panych put on by Mazatlán Film & Theater (sorry, it is sold out.) There’s a fundraiser for the Mazatlán English Library this weekend with a talk by Deb Rodriguez, the author of Kabul Beauty School and the recently released A Cup of Friendship. Deb lives in Mazatlán and owns the popular Tippy Toes salon.

There are always lots of cultural events going on in town. Before you know it it will be time for the First Friday Art Walk again and then close on its heels, Carnaval.  I saw them installing the electrical boxes on the malecon this morning.  That always means Carnaval is getting close.

Here’s another picture from yesterday.  See you!

Sinaloa Symphony - La Camerata Gordon Campbell, Director

If you’d like to keep up to date on Mazatlán cultural events, here is Mazatlán Cultura’s Facebook page.  They update it all the time.

Click this image to see a panorama of the market.

I know I mentioned before that we have a weekly organic market here in town.  Every Saturday until the end of May in the Plazuela Zaragoza from 8 am until noon you will find at the latest count about a dozen vendors selling their most excellent organic and homemade items.  You can read the M! Magazine article about the market or if you’re on Facebook, like their Facebook page.

This week I came home with such great stuff!  Organic almond butter, shredded coconut, radishes, dried tomatoes, and Paul bought an organic chicken.

From memory, here is some of what you’ll find at the market.  There are new vendors every week, too.

Organic eggs, chicken, goat cheese, dried mangoes, dried tomatoes, every kind of vegetable, vegetable plants, worm castings, dried coconut, baked goods, coffee, almond & peanut butter, granola, vegie burgers, soap, and vegetable seeds.  The following photos tell the story!

Hope to see you there next time!

I feel like I’ve been on a bit of a blogging vacation.  That’s ok, though. I’m entitled.  But why have I been so quiet lately?  Mainly because I’ve been waiting to hear what becomes of the Mexico Today program that I’ve been contributing to since June.  Our contracts expired at the end of the year and we’ve been told that we should just be patient for now as planning and negotiations are still ongoing.  That’s fine, I understand… but it makes me a bit laid back and relaxed without a deadline looming. I so hope the program continues, keep your fingers crossed that it does, ok?

I have made such good friends and learned so much through this project.  I’ve learned that there are countless people who love México and are passionate about challenging the biases we read in the mainstream press.  The men and women who are my fellow ambassadors have greatly enhanced my knowledge of  social media with one of the main lessons learned that sharing each others blog posts, tweets, and status updates enhances the reach for all of us.  And enhancing the reach is important when you’re trying to tell a story that is charming and poignant rather than alarmist and bloody.

I’ll never understand how people can be so bigoted and closed-minded – and share their feelings openly online about it, too.  Have you ever read the comments on an online article about Mexico?  So many are filled with venom, anger, and generalities.  I’m not just sad that they are saying hurtful things about México and the people who live here, but they seem to not realize that they are showing the world how ugly and small minded they are.

I’ll get off my soapbox now, and for the time being you can catch me out walking, or knitting my endless table mat or reading on my Kindle while petting a dog.  Life is good and I am enjoying myself.  I hope you are, too!

At the top of this post is a picture of my endless table mat that’s nowhere near ready to be felted. I’d better get back to it now!

I wrote a new column for January’s M! Magazine – on food treats from around México.

Last Saturday was the first weekly Organic Market at Plazuela Zaragoza. It was fantastic – everyone there sold out and I’ve been told there will be four more vendors this coming week.  There was so much wonderful food – from organic eggs and quinoa to organic dried mangoes, beautiful organic soaps, and tons of lovely vegetables.  Hector from Molika Bakery was there with his delicious baked goods and Looney Bean was selling coffee so many people were able to have breakfast right there!  The hours are 8 am to noon.

Last Friday was First Friday Art Walk and it was my first time working during the walk.  Paul takes the Friday shift at Luna Gallery so I came over and helped him once Art Walk got going.  The feeling was so festive and there were so many people out and about!  We think at least 200 people came through and I know they enjoyed the current show – Clouds by Dave Robb as well as the other artists the gallery represents.  It was a lot of fun but next month I am going to wear more comfortable shoes!

If you’d like to see a cool video done by blogger MazReal about the Clouds show at Luna, check it out here.

There’s more, too!  Tonight is a talk on Diego Rivera at Recrea and then another art opening – this one is a show by Dory Perdomo at Look.  You could also go to Danzon tonight in the Plazuela Zaragoza, there is dancing there every Thursday.  I love to go and just watch! If you want to know more about what’s going on around town I recommend keeping an eye on Mazatlan Life.

I have been enjoying my free time catching up on some reading. I just finished 52 Loaves, My Year of Meats and Kitchen and and am looking for what to read next. I also decided that the table mat I am knitting for the center of my dining room table still needs a couple more rounds.  I am planning on felting it – then I can start on knitting something for my granddaughter Consuelo with the white and orange yarn she chose when I visited in December. My knitting group and book group meet regularly and I just love them both.

The atmosphere in town is festive and happy.  I believe people are feeling optimistic and positive about life in Mazatlán.  We know people who are buying a house here after living here for several winters.  The symphony is giving four performances that we hadn’t expected, and Carnaval 2012 is already underway, too.

The weather has been a bit on and off – a bit chilly (by our standards) at times.  That means we wear pants and maybe a sweater, though!  Most days are sunny and warm and if it cools off it’s usually at night.  We are having good times here in Mazatlán, I hope you are enjoying yourself, too!

I had a dream the other night.  It wasn’t like world peace or anything, but it was a good one nonetheless.  I dreamed there was a space here in Mazatlan where expat individuals and groups were creating all kinds of cultural and educational activities for themselves in English.  Someone was giving a short course on photography; another was giving an acting workshop.  Someone else was doing a multimedia presentation about a famous artist.  There were regular quality films in English.  There were some amateur musicians jamming.  Someone was hosting a panel presentation about nutrition and health.  There was a small play being performed.  The place was overflowing with people sharing their experiences, interests and creativity.

But where did it come from?  Then my dream went into a movie flashback.   Someone had this space that was not really being used.  It was about 800 square feet and he thought ‘maybe the expat community would like to use this somehow’.

So I went to look at this space in my dream.  Sure, it needed some work but it was a nice empty space that fit the bill – it was inside, which is important because you need a place to be dark and quiet (not a courtyard) and it wasn’t next to a noisy restaurant.   There was room to put a little platform stage at one end and enough room for 75 people (once suitable chairs were found).   We’ll have to fix the place up a bit, put in AC, but hmm, I thought, I see how this could work.

‘Hold your horses’, says my benefactor ‘I’m all for community blah blah blah, but this space has got to generate some income.’   “OK, OK, says I (thinking fast).   Here’s how it works – revenue sharing.   A third goes to you, a third to the board so they can pay the bills and a third to the group or person sponsoring the event.   You won’t have guaranteed Income every month (especially in the summer) but here is the other advantage:  with fundraising, we can improve your space.  We can fix up that wall over there and put in some air conditioning and generally take care of maintenance and pay the bills. So you generate a little income and at the same time the space gets some upgrades.  My benefactor smiled.  ‘The space is yours’, he says.

I woke up.

Mazatlan is rich in cultural activity for the expat community.   We are among the best places to reside for music and dance.  Our bar and restaurant scene is bristling with musical activity of every type.  Cultura offers us a remarkable level of classical music and we excel in dance of all types from Ballet to Modern.  In addition, our various clubs (FOM, Lions, Rotary, Church groups, bridge and poker players) have found good locations to carry on their activities.  Artists are opening galleries and offering workshops in their studios.  And of course, our wonderful library is well established and a valuable asset to the community.

Whew!  That is a lot.  But there is one thing that we don’t have: a consistent gathering place where expats can create entertainment and educational events for themselves in English, cost-effectively.  Examples: Theater, film, lectures, multi-media presentations, panel presentations, mini-courses or workshops. It is impossible to predict the range of events that expats might develop for themselves if they knew there was a reliable space where they could be hosted.  Recrea in Centro is a good example.  The space there is limited and primarily for visual artists but they generate a lot of interesting workshops and presentations (primarily in Spanish) for the local community.

The experience of other large expat communities has been that such a location spurs on the sharing of talent and experience in a wide range of areas.  Some people will say: well there is always a space you can rent for an activity or you can use someone’s home.   And this is true when there is an event that is chasing a space.  However, it is the consistent, reliable, availability of the space that often facilitates the creation of events.  Without the space seeking an activity, there tends to be a reluctance to create the activity.

So when the space was available – there was suddenly an unleashing of people’s ideas and creativity.  There was a lot of talent, knowledge and experience in the community waiting for a space to hold it.

In my dreams.

So Mazatlan expats – let’s start a conversation.  Is this something that we need here and is there a way to make it happen?  It need not be as described in my dream; there are many possible routes.  Unleash your imagination and your practical side and see if we can turn a modest dream into a reality.  Place your ideas and reactions here.

At the end of a year I always like to do a bit of “summing up.” I think about what went well and what didn’t for the year just ending  and often think of about my hope for the future. I did make my own resolutions this year, but that’s not what I’m talking about here.  I’m talking about my Mazatlán hopes for the new year.

So many of my previous “hopes” have come to pass – the new organic market every Saturday (starting January 7) and English language play readings and independent film showings. So here you go – my hopes and dreams for Mazatlán in the coming year:

• I hope that tourism recovers, since there are many people struggling to make ends meet these days.  I hope every one of us will take whatever opportunities present themselves to tell people how much we enjoy the city.  You don’t need to have a blog to get the word out, either.  You can comment on newspaper articles, share positive stories on social media sites, and – of course – talk to people!




• I am so happy to see that there is less graffiti here in Centro – as we all know it’s important to paint it out quickly in order to deter new tags.  There appears to be a civic effort to paint it out right away now -all I can say is that’s fantastic! Let’s all make sure we keep it up!




• I would love to see Mazatlán’s expat community have a community space. I dream about a building that would be perfect for seminars, movies, play readings, lectures, classes, and more.  There has to be a space out there that would be perfect for this – perhaps one of you reading this even knows of a space that is available or could be made available.  Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
  




• I’d also love to see Centro become more pedestrian-friendly.  When we travel we always enjoy the downtown areas where certain areas are closed to traffic – like they’ve done in Oaxaca, Mexico City, Tlaquepaque, and Puebla. I believe Mazatlán’s most important attractions are Centro Historico, the malecón, and the beaches.  We should make sure they are clean, well maintained, well lit, secure, and walkable.
  

2012 is stretching in front of us, wouldn’t it be great if some of these dreams could come true?

Templo Mayor in Mexico City is one of my favorite archeological sites.  The reason?  Partly because it is still being excavated. It is wonderful to lean on a railing and watch the workers with brushes cleaning away debris, and partly also because it is right in the center of the city, just a few steps from the zocalo.

Of course, the reason it is a few steps from the zocalo is because the ruins are part of the great Aztec city of Tenochitlan, and Templo Mayor was one of the city’s main temples. Templo Mayor was built on the exact site that indicated the Mexica people had arrived at the promised land – when they saw an eagle on a nopal cactus with a snake in its mouth.  (You’ll see this symbolized today on the Mexican flag.)

When the Spanish arrived in 1519 they found a city here of around 200,000 people.  They destroyed the city of Tenochitlan, including the Templo Mayor in 1521 and looted it of all its treasures and gold.

Walking along the street today you’ll see the familiar chain link fencing with barriers to obstruct the view.  Behind them you’ll hear voices and rhythmic tapping. This is some of the evidence of continuing excavation work taking place.  Pay a nominal fee (I think it was 50 pesos or approximately $3.58 US) and you can take a self guided tour.  There are wooden walkways throughout the site and plenty of signage explaining things along the way.

But during your visit take a minute here and there to look up and out.  Seeing the familiar city just on the other side of these ancient ruins is quite startling.  In the picture below, you see the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico in the background and the ruins of Templo Mayor in the foreground.

One of the things you’ll notice here, too is that there is still quite a bit of original paint.  I love the chac-mool at the top of the post, and the serpent’s head below.

There are many beautiful and interesting things to see here.  I loved the huge House of the Eagles, which is roofed to protect the painted areas beneath from further damage.  I think you’ll also like the Wall of Skulls right outside the entrance of this building.

There is much more inside the adjacent museum. When you walk out, you might want to visit one of the Mexica shamans in the zocalo for a ritual cleansing.  Why not?  It might be the perfect ending to your visit to Templo Mayor.

Disclosure:   I am being compensated for my work in creating content as a Contributor for the México Today Program.    All stories, opinions and passion for all things México shared in my blog are completely my own.

My list is not in any particular order – follow the link if you want to see the book list I’ve been keeping for years.

1.  The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown – I love books about sisters, and especially educated, quirky, and interesting ones.

2.  Fingersmith by Sarah Waters – I don’t want to say too much about this but it is a very fun and surprising read.

3.  An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro – Partly about postwar Japan and partly about the decisions made by painter Masuji Ono earlier in his life.  A very moody story by one of my favorite authors.

4. The Dirty Life by Kristen Kimball – I love books like this, as I am a farmer at heart.  When Paul and I moved to the country our plans weren’t as ambitious as theirs but we had just as much fun and ate just as well, too.

5. The Optimist’s Daughter by Eudora Welty – I have a soft spot for Southern authors and family and this book takes its time winding back and forth in the Judge McKelva family.

6. Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton – This book, by the owner of the New York restaurant Prune, shares her love of food and cooking and all the kitchens and inspirations that brought her to where she is today.

7.  Three Stages of Amazement by Carol Edgarian – I had enjoyed her previous book Rise The Ephrates and bought this as soon as it came out.  The story is a complicated family story that is very beautifully told.

8.  Ordinary Love and Goodwill by Jane Smiley – These two short novels are powerful and wonderful.  She is an incredibly talented writer.

9.  Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson – Here is another talented author and a very memorable (although a tad confusing at times) intertwined story.  You’ll remember it for a long time, I promise.

10.  State of Wonder by Ann Patchett – Patchett is another of my favorite authors and I was patiently waiting for this book to be released, too.  The – almost a love – story takes you from Minnesota to the Amazon jungle and you learn a thing or two about the pharmaceutical industry, too.

11. The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje – What a delightful book!  A fictionalized memoir of Ondaatje’s early years, starting with a voyage from Colombo to England.  The story, the voice, the characters are all interesting and surprising.

12. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami – I know Murakami is not for everyone as sometimes he is a bit too surreal but he is one of my favorite authors and I was thrilled to have a new book this year.  This long book weaves its way back and forth as the two main characters (Tengo and Aomame) gradually become aware of their strong early connection.  Part mystery and part fantasy, it is a wonderful read.  And even more amazing is that it had to be translated from the Japanese.

Here’s your chance to share your favorite! To just see the responses so far, click here.