February 25, 2013 — A Lovely Sunday

A final look back at this little paradise before leaving

Koi bidding us farewell in the entryway pool

Lynn and Penny about to call it a day

Shadows on that gorgeous wall

The stunning mud brick wall behind reflecting pool

My new friend, Penny, midway through her meal

Part of the makings for duck tacos. Yum!

My beautiful salad at Los Danzantes

more parade

The ongoing parade of people walking by

Looking across the street to the park

In the entryway at 100% Natural

Our view of the band from our walkway behind them

Captivating little girl beyond full of energy

Cinda and Barbara at breakfast

 Sunday morning entertainment at 100% Natural

Yesterday I began the day by meeting Cinda and Barbara at 100% Natural for breakfast. We sat at a window table with a full view of the Zumba exercisers across the street in the park. This was Barbara's last day in Oaxaca. Always a mixed feeling seems to prevail. Happy to be moving on but sad to be leaving Oaxaca. I brought them back to my room in the courtyard to see my new top with the fantastically fine embroidery. Everyone thinks I should hang it on my balcony but I think I should wear it. Maybe a little of both would be possible. It is natural brown Mexican cotton with very fine, patterned embroidery. I've never had a piece quite like it. Do I sound happy?

After Cinda and Barbara left I went to the Zocolo with Lynn where we found all chairs taken for the Oaxaca State Band performance about to begin. We finally found a spot in the shade in the walkway area behind the band. Not bad at all and a thousand times better than trying to stand in the sun in front of them. While sitting there I struck up a conversation with the woman sitting next to me. We found we had all kinds of interests in common and I eventually introduced her to Lynn, Pat and Jim who were by that time standing with us at the end of the concert. Penny (the new acquaintance), Lynn and I decided we would walk to a restaurant I had been wanting to try. We located it fairly easily along Macedonio  Alcala and entered a lovely new environment with great anticipation.

We were warmly welcomed to "Los Danzantes" by several staff members and our afternoon began. We chose to sit as close as possible to the stunning back wall along side of a lovely series of glassy reflecting pools. it took us a while to orient ourselves and even think about ordering. But we finally settled on some lovely salads and several other dishes whose names I can't quite reproduce at this moment. I had a beautiful green salad and the makings of duck tacos. I can barely begin to tell you how delicious it all was. We agreed on the spot that we'd have to return there. Actually we began discussing book titles and contents and eventually realized we had been discussing "things" for over two hours. We never felt rushed and it was one of the most pleasant afternoon meals I've had while here. I put three new books on my Kindle during the course of the afternoon and look forward to getting into them after I finish this latest book I'm reading that takes place in Venice, by Donna Leon. I'm only a little way into this one but it looks like a good mystery and contains plenty of good descriptions of Venice sights and sounds.

We walked back via Avenido Benito Juarez to show Penny where 100% Natural and Llano park were and continued back to show her our sweet little courtyard hotel. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting Penny who is English but living in Washington state, Mexico and Spain. I hope to visit her and her husband  in Widby Island while I'm on my trip across Canada this fall. Actually I'm hoping to begin that trip the last week of August, so I should call it a late summer visit. I look forward to it.

So..... always much talk about food in Oaxaca. But that's Oaxaca. Food, drink, art, textiles, architecture, music, ballet. Whew! So I'll confess that I finished the evening at 9:00 going around the corner to 100% Natural for a lovely glass of hot chocolate with Carol and Mike. A delicious way to end the day.
Abrazos,  Jackie

Centro de Esperanza Infantil — Hope for Children

Carol happily looking over the computer room

Totally cheerful dining room filled earlier with noisy, happy kids

Mike contemplating his computer gift choices 

Head of computer program — A cordial man from Italy

Cheerful computer facility for students

View from the balcony

Discussing the pros and cons of a local PC over a used MAC

The light and airy courtyard at Centro de Esperanza Infantil

I took a walk way up the hill to Calle Crespo #308 where the headquarters to Centro de Esperanza Infantil A.C. is located. There was a lively sense of children all around the minute we walked into the building. To our left we passed a brightly painted dining room that was almost filled with children happily eating "comida" as we passed by. We walked into the central courtyard and were warmly greeted by a member of the staff.

Carol and Mike were there to talk to the staff about the progress of their sponsored teenager. I went along with them to see what  the center felt like and to perhaps offer to be a supporting contributor for a particular child. They now have my information and because their need is so great they plan to suggest a child for me to sponsor by tomorrow.

The staff includes many volunteers and one of them showed us their whole computer facility for the children because Carol and Mike have decided to buy their recipient a laptop. Mike actually has a used MAC he would like to have upgraded and given to her but after consulting with the man at the Center, they decided it would be better to give her a computer outfitted especially for a Mexican user. What a warm and generous couple they are. Tomorrow they are going shopping for "whatever" with their girl and I imagine they'll be telling her about the soon to be gift of a new laptop. She sounds like a wonderful young teenager. They describe her as intelligent, full of life and very affectionate. I'm really touched by this whole program and urge anyone interested to check out their webside at:

                                                www.oaxacastreetchildrengrassroots.org

This admirable program serves about 600 children. At the center they provide nutricious meals, medical care, a kindergarten and all support  necessary to prepare and assist these children as they enter public school. It was initiated in 1996. $250 a year will support a child from kindergarten through Middle School to 8th grade until graduation. They support young people through high school and university.

I'll post a few photos I took this afternoon and will continue to report on my association with this thoughtful organization.    Abrazos,   Jackie

Thursday, February 21, 2013 — Last Night Was a Joy

Lots of children at this 5:30 appearance

Our wonderful Mariposa owners in the audiance

My smiling classmate from Huston across the room

Skaters on a small pond at the rear of the stage

A great scene

The closing bows

Evil personified

The scenery was charming

Pat Parsons and I went to the Moscow Russian Ballet last night to see "Swan Lake." I feel like I just live on endorphins in this city. One wonderful thing to do after another. The Performing Arts Theater on Independencia is a lovely, many tiered theater that is not so large as to be overwhelming — just right. I could hardly keep myself from taking picture after picture so we'll see how many work to show you here. The pas de deux was exquisite—almost made me cry.

I'm going to see a British film in the same theater tonight and to the library next door to see "Frida" tomorrow night. Really, never a dull moment in Oaxaca.

We're moving right along in the Spanish class. We started on preterite Wednesday and doing a lot of writing biographies and short stories with a concentration on the past. Finally had to admit my age in the class two days ago. Guess I better get used to it and get over it. Just because I feel 40 and want to find someone who'll go kayaking with me, I can't avoid the preconceived ideas about people as they age. It all seems so unnecessary. I don't see why what you do and how you feel can't be the guiding line. But if I'm going get real and start accepting my chronological age, it will certainly begin to separate the wheat from the chaff. I love to be with people for whom age means nothing. What you are and what you think and do should be the guiding light. Eh?  We'll see. I have lovely people in my class who, now that they know my age, still treat me as they did before. Those are the only kind of people I want to be around from here on.

There is an organization in Oaxaca which solicits funds to help Oaxacan street kids and families who don't have the funds to help their children go to school. I'm think seriously of "adopting" one of these children. It only requires a $250 commitment each year and a firm promise to continue until you child has finished his or her schooling. I have a number of friends here who are doing it and I'm going to go with two of them to visit the office of the organization tomorrow afternoon. I'll keep you posted.

This is a pretty rough (pics and narative) posting but I'm on the run and afraid I won't get it to you otherwise. Love to all.

Monday, February 18, 2013 — A Tour Deep Into Mixteca Territory

One of several gorgeous pipe organs on our tour

This vast area
in front of the structures was once a lake — filled in by the Spanish

I've never seen such amazing blossoms

You wouldn't believe the fragrance of these blossoms

Well, we took the tour on Sunday into Mixteca country. I carefully bought extra batteries and then proceeded to leave my camera on my desk. A friend, Jim Parsons, graciously took pictures for me at the two principal architectural sites. All the pics posted today are from him. Thank you so much for your generosity, Jim. I need to study the geography for a few more days before I dare make any serious location statements or descriptions. But I am going to post Jim's photos so you'll have a taste of what we were looking at yesterday. Quite a day! I will consult with the library next door in hopes of identifying these amazing images with some semblance of truth.

Here is an introductory paragraph out of "Oaxaca Moon" describing the Mixteca territory: "The homeland of the Mixtecs, Oaxaca's "People of the Clouds," spreads over an immense domain encompassing the state's entire northwest, stretching northward from the tropical Pacific coast over the high, cool pine-tufted Sierra to the warm, dry "Land of the Sun" along Oaxaca's northern border. The Mixteca's vastness and diversity have led Oaxacans to visualize it as three distinct sub-regions: Mixtea Alta, Mixteca Baja, and Mixteca de la Costa." "Oaxaca Moon" is a good volume to consult if you are interested in learning more about this amazing state. I promise to return with more information and labels. Abrazos.