Huichol Indians

I purchased the above picture from Huichol Indians vending on the streets in Guadalajara. On the back is a description describing the Blue Deer ritual. Every piece is handmade, one of a kind. I bought the picture for a fantastic TWENTY dollars from this couple:


From the girl below, I purchased two hand-beaded bracelets with patterns on them from the iguana and peyote flower, which she described to me.

A Ricardo, gracias para todo

Todos en nuestro grupo quisieramos decir muchas, muchas gracias a Ricardo, quien manejó nuestra autobus durante todo este viaje.

Cada día, Ricardo tenía tanto energía y una buena disposición, a pesar de sacrificar tanto a estar con nosotros. A tí dicemos gracias, Ricardo, por la seguridad, para ser tan agradable y provechoso, y para su amistad. Este viaje no habría sido posible sin tí.

Y también, ¡feliz cumpleaños! En el último noche de nuestra viaje, teniamos una fiesta para Ricardo, aqui tiene una foto. ¡Gracias para todo!

Special thanks to the bus company, Omnibus de Alba.

Mi corazón Mexicano

I can't believe it's the last day in Mexico. I'm so happy and so tired and so sad. People keep asking me, "How will this trip affect you?" I can't think of a less answerable question. I was trying to describe to someone how, several years ago, I got so interested in Mexican music & culture, how it was so spontaneous and sudden, why I sought it out when it was not presented to me. But there's no justifying or explaining things when you fall in love, is there?

I found that my love for this country is overwhelming and completely inexplicable. The music, culture, everything; I tried quantifying it or pinning it down, but I couldn't; after all, I have a wonderful culture of my own, in my own family. It almost doesn't make sense. "It's okay," my friend said, after seeing my frustration. "I understand. It's just that your heart is Mexican." And so it is.

I know this trip is mostly academic in nature, but the implications of it stretch far beyond what I will teach my students in the next few months or years. I have had so many experiences here that have already and will continue to change my whole life; alter my perspectives, create new interests. It will affect the rest of my life and I think everyone in our group can say the same thing. I don't want this to end. I don't want to say goodbye to everyone, I don't want to leave here but I will, tearfully, and I will take all my experiences with me and some of me will be left here, in México.

Despedida

"Caminante, no hay camino. Se hace camino al andar y al volver la vista atras se ve la senda que nunca se ha de volver a pisar............" Antonio Machado

Parto con mi corazon pleno de afectos y gratos momentos que comparti con cada uno de mis companeros y profesores. A Mexico y a su gente le agradezco su alegria, su calor y su cultura.

Al embarcarme en una nueva etapa de mi vida personal y profesional no me queda mas que reiterarle mi agradecimiento a Judith, Natalie y Roberto por haberme seleccionado para participar en el programa Fulbright-Mexico 2006. Gracias a ellos he podido ampliar mis conocimentos y mis horizontes.

Que Dios los bendiga a todos.

Carinosamente,

Yolanda Garcia-DeCruz

Guadalupe from Mexico City

Guadalupe................

Inteligente, culta, dedicada y................................. tierna.
Gracias le damos por haber tocado nuestras vidas. Siempre la recordaremos y la llevaremos en nuestro corazon.

Grupo Fulbright 2006

KUDOS

KUDOS to Jorge zambrano from the University of Guadalajara for a superior presentation and tour of the new Performing Arts Complex. We wish you the best of luck on this endeavor. Thanks for treating us as royalty!

TEQUILA sunrise!!!

All In a Day's Work

Yesterday they put Team Fulbright to work on the sight of University of Guadalajara's performing arts center! Today our hard/work was rewarded with a trip to a Tequila factory, complete with tasting! Now we are getting ready for El Piano Comienzo de Una by Filarmonica de Jalisco at the Teatro Degollado.

Boundless Energy

We are so happy to have spent time here in México lindo, but we are winding down. Along with our excitement (there are still three amazing days left!) there is some serious fatigue and much sadness as well. This is an incredible experience, and we are thrilled to have been here.

The Devout Among Us

I am not a Catholic but I am religious, and have derived much comfort from our visits to the cathedrals. I always listen to the historical information but sometimes I think it is more personally valuable to me if I have a chance to pray.

I think there are several of us that share this sentiment. The first cathedral we visited, only two of us sat down to pray. By the end of the trip, almost all of us have bowed our heads and closed our eyes in our moment of solitary prayer and reflection. Having traveled so far from home, surely there is comfort in the knowledge that there is One who is with you wherever you go.
(Above right, Jennifer; at left, John; below, Agustín--pictures by Michelle)

when there are no words...

It makes sense to me...this passion for dance (as in Delfos), in music (corridos), for church (as in the burning cross of fireworks on display in Morelia), for futbol! (as in the cops taking a break from duty to watch the game on a makeshift tv on the sidewalk). I am enjoying my time in Mexico but I feel sort of an overwhelming sadness at times. It is an empathy for people who don´t have the same freedoms as I do, as a citizen of USA. But I also thought about that where my culture seems to be rich in freedoms, we are less rich in culture of family and religion. For this, I am envious.
I was thinking today about the heroes of Mexico who have stood up for those without a voice. Hidalgo, for example, whom we saw in the Orozco murals yesterday.
I think it would be an interesting study to correlate the messages in Mexico seen on the Orozco and Diego murals with the grafitti. The grafitti I´ve seen in the states seems to stem more out of an artistic outlet or rebellion than political strife and oppression.

(There are 3 more of my favorite pictures that go at the top of this collection but they are not uploading)

Light Show in Morelia`s Zocalo

Four of us happened upon the weekly fireworks light show at the Catholic church in Morelia`s zocalo. The streets were filled with people, many of whom I imagined make this a weekly outing for their families as there were children pressing their little faces through the fence to watch the cross, crown and heart go up in a whizzing flame.
It was nice that the church event involved the community in such an entertaining way. At the same time though, I thought about how many churches were built atop ruins and the measures taken to convert the indigenous. The classical music blaring over the loud speaker instantly reminded me of Nazi Germany and scenes from the V for Vendetta movie. PROPOGANDA. I´m greatful to have learned more about Benito Juarez and his separating church from state. I wonder what it would feel like to live here today for people who have a belief system other than Catholicism.

DELFOS Danza Contemporanea, Mazatlan

DELFOS on-line
In Mazatlan, our most hottest, most humid destination, we had the opportunity to watch the DELFOS company in the audition process in which they selected 16 students to begin their post-high school training for the equivalent of a BA in Dance.

We watched master classes with the professional performing company and the upper level (3rd and 4th yr) students from the school.

And finally, we sat in the historic Angela Peralta Theater to see the final concert for this year´s 4 graduating seniors. The evening consisted of senior choreography projects as well as choreography from company members and a guest choreographer from the Czech Republic.

This was more than personally fulfilling being a dancer myself, but I think it served all of us Fulbrighters to witness the artistic depth of what is current in Mexico. Indeed, Mazatlan was a special place in that it hosts and supports the company and school. They have a mutually supportive relationship that it difficult to come by. Claudia, one of the founders, told us of their quest to find such a city in 1992.

Mazatlan was charming, if you can overlook the heat. We were lucky to stay in Old Mazatlan versus the tourist section. Most of our rooms, and the alberca upstairs, looked onto the Pacific Ocean. To get to the ocean itself, was about a 30 second walk from the Freeman hotel doorstep.

Back to Delfos... I thought it was an important part of our exposure to arts of Mexico. In watching the auditioning process, many issues were raised for us. For most of us, learning of the rigors and discipline required of the art form was new and maybe shocking. The dancers worked in un-airconditioned studios and with more passion than I have seen in a while. Our conversations following Delfos though have helped me formulate ideas for my curriculum unit in which I want to provide some sort of format for viewers to look critically at dance and perhaps the artistic process of creating it, whether the audience is students or teachers. Please offer suggestions or ideas!!