Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B
Oaxaca has traditionally been known as an adult travel destination, steeped in ruins, colonial churches, museums and a tradition for fine art and handicrafts. But having been visiting the region regularly since 1991, always with our daughter, and now having been living here for a few years and regularly toured friends and family with young children around the city and outlying sites, without a doubt young families contemplating a visit should set aside any lingering trepidation regarding both the well-being of their young progeny, and their parents’ ability to have at least somewhat of a romantic getaway.
Concerns might include wondering if there will be enough sites to hold your child’s interest, if you’ll be able to visit the vestiges of pre-Hispanic civilizations without the kids being bored to death, if you’ll ever be able to sneak away for a dinner on your own, if you’ll have to pay a premium to find accommodations with a pool --- the guarantee of an afternoon swim is always the best bribe --- and the wisdom of perhaps just having a beach vacation and saving Oaxaca for another time when you can do it without the family.
Having pondered such considerations from time to time, I can now offer valuable suggestions regarding where to stay even without a pool, what tour routes will definitely hold the interests of children and teens, and what activities exist in and around the city on a regular basis, geared to youthful vacationers.
Where to stay, and swim
Suburban Hotel San Felipe is a welcome change from the downtown hustle and bustle…the outdoor pool is in a picturesque setting flecked with rural neighborhoods and rolling hills. Several friends have also enjoyed Holiday Inn Express, at the north end of the downtown sector. But many visitors to Oaxaca prefer a more quaint and traditional environment to the somewhat sterile Americanized accommodations yet can’t rationalize the cost of hotels such as Camino Real or Los Laureles, impressive in their own right.
Most of the smaller family-owned and operated hotels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses do not have pools, but should not be discounted out-of-hand. Some have made arrangements with nearby pooled hotels for their guests to attend.
Each lodging should be able to point you to alternatives to an on site pool such one of the water parks located along the highways entering the city. These facilities have pools of varying sizes and depths, large water slides, and other appurtenances to keep the kids there for the better part of a day. A short taxi ride from downtown are Las Brisas and La Bamba.
There are two additional alternatives. Consider attending one of several “balnearios” located about a half hour out of Oaxaca in the village of Vista Hermosa, catering to entire families rather than to predominantly children. During the hot season you’ll find families and friends around the pools, playing volleyball, or sitting under palapas eating an array of local fare available from the small comedors.
Then there’s Hierve el Agua, at the end of one of the out-of-town touring routes. The site consists of two large pools fed by natural bubbling springs, in a spectacular mountain setting with a petrified mineral “waterfall.” They are safe for kids, and large and deep enough to satisfy the aquatic yearnings of any adult. Most tourists don’t get to Hierve el Agua, probably because of the distance, but in my book it’s a must for families with children, in particular if it’s done in conjunction with a couple of other stops en route.
Oaxaca relies solely on tourism for its existence, and accordingly accommodations which claim to welcome children should bend over to provide families with “the little things” such as a stroller, crib with accessories, car seat, highchair for use in their dining room, and a reference for a reliable babysitter who can come to the hotel while you’re out for an evening. At the time Hotel San Felipe provided babysitting when our daughter was pre-teen. If you search in earnest you should be able to find smaller hotels and guest houses similarly accommodating. If your child can read and the babysitter has only a limited grasp of English, give your child a series of phonetically prepared questions and suggestions [tén go ám bray (I’m hungry); key árrow na dár (I want to go swimming)]. If your child is too young, the niñera should have the experience to determine any pressing issues. All lodgings should have an English-speaking doctor on call in the unlikely event of illness.
Two child-friendly tour routes
1) Hierve el Agua:
The promise of Hierve el Agua at the end of one of the two main tour routes is the best possible means by which to keep children in check during the first half of this day trip. On the return to Oaxaca from this site they’ll be sleeping in the back of the car or van, no doubt having been exposed to too much sun and water activity.
Your morning begins with a stop at el Tule, the massive 2000 year old Cyprus tree. Make sure you get a child tour guide dressed in a Robin Hood suit to show you the innumerable images in the trunk, with the aid of a mirror. Encourage your children to trade words in English and Spanish with the little Hoodettes. A key to holding the interest of young children is to give them the opportunity to interact with others of similar ages…and it provides a good lesson in cultural diversity.
At Teotitlán del Valle, the rug village, ask your guide to take you to where you can have a demonstration where the weavers’ children and grandchildren will be present. Your kids will be able to play, touch the raw wool, try spinning it, and even get their hands wet and dyed in large vats of natural vegetable material used in the process of coloring the spun wool. While you’re searching for a floor covering or wall hanging, let the kids look for a piece with fanciful imagery suitable for their bedroom, or a mini-rug (i.e. woolen coaster) with a fanciful design. They’ll spend as much time choosing as will you. Our daughter grew up with periodic visits to Casa Santiago. It seemed like as Sarah got older, there were always two or three Santiago children or grandchildren on hand to occupy her time and keep her in tow.
If you travel the route on a Sunday, there’s no better place to keep the kids in awe than at the Tlacolula market…the colors, array of sale items, sweets, live turkeys, music, hawkers, and the handicraft market. It takes at least an hour and a half to get through the market, so the promise of a dishful of ice cream (actually a healthier sorbet referred to as nieve) while in the marketplace does the trick. One area has several stationary parlors where you can sit and enjoy a cone or plate of one of several tropical fruit flavours.
The two main ruins along this route are Yagul and Mitla, the latter more grandiose and famous. Each has excavated burial chambers to intrigue the most youthful of Tomb Raider. Since it’s unreasonable to expect children to go to two ruins in one day, regardless of the parenting tactics employed, I would opt for Yagul. It has two tombs which can be descended by all. There’s a labyrinth in which the kids can run around and get temporarily lost. Children tend to enjoy climbing the steep mountain pass leading to a fortress. At the top there’s what archaeologists claim is a bathtub hewn out of stone in which the kids will enjoy sitting. Finally, the site should be of interest to all adults, with its pre-Hispanic ball court and vista of the valley from the pinnacle of the fortress. It might be blasphemous to even suggest, but thinking of young children in particular, why not save Mitla for another trip. After all, you’re probably going to schlep them to Monte Albán, the granddaddy of the region’s ruins.
Unless you forego some the sites already noted, you probably won’t have time to visit the zoo along this highway, nor should you feel compelled to do so. The kids can always go to the zoo back home.
Regardless of which of the two roadways you take to get to Hierve el Agua, your final destination, you’ll pass goats, sheep and/or cattle being herded either at the side the road or right in front of you dictating that you yield to the flocks. Stop and encourage the kids to get out with you. Ask if it’s safe to hop on the back of one of the beasts or at least stand alongside for the photo op.
There are reliable restaurants both en route to Hierve el Agua (i.e. Doña Chica at Mitla, and roadside El Tigre at the cutoff to San Lorenzo Albarradas) as well as at the site, but if you tend to be extra cautious with the children, there are benches at the pools where you can eat your own picnic lunch. Alternatively you can relax and munch away while sitting on the rock outcroppings.
The more you permit your kids to swim, the greater your assurance that the ride back to the city will be peaceful, relaxing, and above all quiet.
2) Crafts and more crafts:
San Bartolo Coyotepec provides an extremely appealing beginning to another full day of touring. At one of the many workshops, watch a demonstration of the ancient craft of making fine black pottery without the use of a wheel or modern tools. This artistry should hold the attention of children of all ages. However, for further assurance ask your guide to take you to a studio such as Doña Rosa, where Maestro Don Valente permits children to go off to a table close to the demonstration and work with the very same clay. While the children are dirtying their hands while molding, you’ll be learning how to fashion a bowl out of freshly mined clay, water, heat, and little more. Browse the showroom and select from a broad array of both sleek and modern, and traditional pieces, while the kids look for ceramic forms of their favorite animals.
In nearby San Martín Tilcajete, some of the workshops producing carved and brilliantly painted wooden animals permit you to make advance arrangements for your children to select and then paint the animal of their choice, with guidance from one of the facility owners. Once again there will likely be an opportunity for the children to chase after and pet animals and play with kids of their own age.
For lunch, try Azucena Zapoteca, on the highway at the entrance to San Martín Tilcajete. The food is good, traditional and safe, and the grounds are spacious and include a swing set to occupy your children, within your site range, while you dine.
The village of Santo Tomás Jalieza is known for production of cotton table runners, placemats, napkins, belts and purses using the primitive back strap loom, and bedspreads and tablecloths using much larger machinery. One of the cultural experiences for children in this setting will be noticing how their counterparts from about 10 years of age help with the family trade and its financial sustenance.
At Ocotlán you’ll drop by the homes of the Aguilar sisters, who fashion clay painted figures with scenes representative of markeplaces, religious imagery, comedic love depictions and colorful fiestas. At least one of the workshops generally has a quantity of unpainted figures on which each child can express his own creativity.
Finally, a couple of minutes down the road your family will have an opportunity to witness Ängel Aguilar hand-forge knives and cutlery using only recycled metals in a rudimentary hearth. The setting is fascinating, primitive, and safe for the kids. In only a few minutes, right before your eyes, Ängel can engrave your child’s name and a fanciful drawing on a souvenir knife with a 1 inch blade and leather sheath, and more importantly the inscription can be whatever your child selects.
If you follow this itinerary on Friday, you’ll have an opportunity to wander through the Ocotlán market, similar to the Sunday Tlacolula market, though smaller.
Each of these two routes has additional stops, but this particular selection highlights sites which maximize experiences which your children will recall for a lifetime.
And don’t forget the city
Throughout the year there numerous local and international celebrations, with color and pageantry, song and dance, some specifically designed with a youthful audience in mind. The website http://www.oaxacacalendar.com should be consulted just before leaving for your trip. In addition to listing weekly events such as where and when the mariachis and the state band of Oaxaca can be heard, as well as particulars of a number of museums and galleries, it details specific upcoming fiestas and performances, when the Guerreros baseball team will be playing (a treat for sports enthusiasts of all ages), fireworks displays and most major upcoming events.
A Saturday morning bilingual hour for children is held at the Oaxaca Lending library ( http://www.oaxlibrary.com ). The library sometimes sponsors additional programs for children.
Many of the Spanish language schools have a specific curriculum for kids, so if you’re contemplating brushing up on your Spanish, there’s no need to worry about how the children’s morning time will be occupied. Casa de La Cultura also offers courses for children. Finally, there are a number of charitable organizations where foreign youth are given an opportunity to assist disadvantaged or struggling local children.
Speak to your tour guide or hotel manager for more specific suggestions geared to children of particular ages and passions. Youths with a strong interest in the fine arts might be thrilled to visit workshops of a couple of local artists, or perhaps go on an alternate tour out of the city which takes in the studio of a sculptor, a hand-made artistic paper factory, and the Center for The Arts housed in a 19th century mill. For those who have been sensitized to environmental issues or who have been exposed to camping and the outdoors, the family can spend a couple of days in a rustic mountain setting in the Sierra Norte…hiking, biking, horseback riding, and learning about how particular industries in the state are making inroads in terms of environmentally friendly production.
The options are innumerable. It’s simply a matter of doing a bit of homework, asking, and then committing yourself to a vacation dedicated in large part to your children. The inevitable rewards will include your own memories of the region’s richness and cultural diversity, and a greater appreciation of the magic of Oaxaca.
Alvin Starkman together with wife Arlene operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ). Alvin received his masters in social anthropology in 1978, and his law degree in 1984. Thereafter he was a litigator in Toronto until taking early retirement. He and his family were frequent visitors to Oaxaca between 1991 and when they became permanent residents in 2004. Alvin reviews restaurants, writes about life and cultural traditions in Oaxaca, and continues to tour the sites and villages.
6/10/2007
La Biznaga is Back: Restaurant Review
By Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
( of Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast: http://www.oaxacadream.com )
It took a reduction in Oaxaca’s tourism and an increase in staff to bring La Biznaga back into my good books. While we never actually stopped patronizing the trendy, relaxed eatery in downtown Oaxaca, the painstakingly slow service coupled with a sometimes snooty attitude of the wait staff was enough to cause us to caution both our house guests and fellow residents. But word does get around, and that, combined with the reality check caused by the social and political unrest in the latter half of 2006 resulting in empty downtown streets (all now long gone) must have caused management to take a step back, re-evaluate, and act. And it’s worked.
The complacent attitude has disappeared. Once again waiters have smiles on their faces and interact with clientele with helpful suggestions, even when serving new faces. The staff complement has significantly increased, and now even includes a school-aged busboy-esque youngster.
Drinks and complimentary seasoned carrot sticks arrive promptly, orders are taken when you’re ready to proceed, with appetizers and main courses arriving without table discussion about how much longer to wait before just picking up and leaving.
And so a testimony to the always consistent quality and presentation of fare, and welcoming ambience, La Biznaga has managed to maintain a following of residents and tourists alike in the face of its earlier seemingly deliberate shortcomings.
The atmosphere is open courtyard, with a fashionable retractable roof protecting from mid-day sun and seasonal rains; tables and chairs are wood, á la simplicity of arts-and-crafts vogue, comfort enhanced by wicker seats and backs; a selection of palms willows off to one side, with tall leafy tree mid-court; the bar by design provides a focal point given that its selections are contained on an overhead blackboard; and a rotating selection of gallery art graces the walls. Music is most often jazz, but eclectically ranges off to other similar genres, thereby maintaining an air of coolness in the beatnik sense of the term.
Enormous chalkboards, one at either end of the restaurant, contain the menu selections, print somewhat cryptic … interesting to say the least. Be sure to bring your glasses, or strain your eyes over the tables of others, or simply get up and walk closer to the cartes du jour and you’ll be fine. On the other hand, our experience over the past three years has been that one cannot go too far wrong choosing blindly. Appetizers, soups and salads range from about 35 - 100 pesos, and entrées (meat, fish or fowl) come in at 65 to 200.
La Biznaga is known for its cocktails, and in particular its margaritas and mojitos, served as in the case with all other beverages, in classic Mexican blue accented thick hand-blown glassware (vidrio soplado). The mezcals are also noteworthy for the selections offered. Pretty well all of the bar servings are healthy, and prices across the board are competitive, mezcals beginning at, get this, 15 pesos.
But we’re here for dinner. La Silvestre is a mushroom soup, more in the nature of a light broth devoid of dairy, containing a selection of wild hongos including setas, along with bacon, onion and chile poblano … a must for toadstool enthusiasts. Rarely does a visit go by when I won’t indulge.
Las Calendas is a starter worthy of selection. While described as tamales, there is no corn, but rather squash blossom and melted string cheese (quesillo) enveloped with tender hierba santa leaf, an herb with a distinct taste used in preparation of many Oaxacan dishes yet not often enough as a single flavor source. You’re apt to recall, “so that’s the exquisite essence I’ve been enjoying all this trip.” The triptych is presented with sides of refried beans and diced spiced tomato, and topped with a drizzle of cream. Another worthy triumvirate is the Cerro Viejo, crunchy fried tortilla horns stuffed with seasoned sautéed hibiscus (jamaica) flower, presented with a center of guacamole crowned with chipotle peppers. It would be a mistake to not share each of these two tasters.
The grilled salmon is served over a bed of cilantro pesto, with lightly dressed side salad comprised of select lettuce, tomato and pineapple wedges which, together with pine nuts in the entrée provide complimentary crunches. The tuna, similar to the salmon in terms of a good sized serving prepared to the exact degree of doneness as demanded, arrives on a sea of avocado salsa and is topped with pico de gallo, a flavorful traditional combination of tomato, radish, cucumber, onion, chile and cilantro, with an added tang of lime. Finally, my own entrée on this outing consists of four filets of chicken breast each wrapped around a piece of cooked plantain with just enough walnut crumbles to be detected and welcomed, presented on a platter of puréed guava set off with swirls of cream.
The distinctive flavors one has just experienced almost call out for further indulgence, and thus dessert is difficult to neglect: on this evening healthy scoops of pistachio sorbet (nieve) are served in a margarita schooner, and chocolate truffle-cake (trufa) floats on a strawberry coulis.
It’s indeed a rarity for a restaurant to exhibit this level of consistency in quality of cuisine. Now if La Biznaga can only maintain a degree of humility translating into value-added service, there’s no stopping its continued success, nor reason for patrons to ever again hesitate stopping by.
La Biznaga, Garcia Vigil 512, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca (tel: 516-1800)
( of Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast: http://www.oaxacadream.com )
It took a reduction in Oaxaca’s tourism and an increase in staff to bring La Biznaga back into my good books. While we never actually stopped patronizing the trendy, relaxed eatery in downtown Oaxaca, the painstakingly slow service coupled with a sometimes snooty attitude of the wait staff was enough to cause us to caution both our house guests and fellow residents. But word does get around, and that, combined with the reality check caused by the social and political unrest in the latter half of 2006 resulting in empty downtown streets (all now long gone) must have caused management to take a step back, re-evaluate, and act. And it’s worked.
The complacent attitude has disappeared. Once again waiters have smiles on their faces and interact with clientele with helpful suggestions, even when serving new faces. The staff complement has significantly increased, and now even includes a school-aged busboy-esque youngster.
Drinks and complimentary seasoned carrot sticks arrive promptly, orders are taken when you’re ready to proceed, with appetizers and main courses arriving without table discussion about how much longer to wait before just picking up and leaving.
And so a testimony to the always consistent quality and presentation of fare, and welcoming ambience, La Biznaga has managed to maintain a following of residents and tourists alike in the face of its earlier seemingly deliberate shortcomings.
The atmosphere is open courtyard, with a fashionable retractable roof protecting from mid-day sun and seasonal rains; tables and chairs are wood, á la simplicity of arts-and-crafts vogue, comfort enhanced by wicker seats and backs; a selection of palms willows off to one side, with tall leafy tree mid-court; the bar by design provides a focal point given that its selections are contained on an overhead blackboard; and a rotating selection of gallery art graces the walls. Music is most often jazz, but eclectically ranges off to other similar genres, thereby maintaining an air of coolness in the beatnik sense of the term.
Enormous chalkboards, one at either end of the restaurant, contain the menu selections, print somewhat cryptic … interesting to say the least. Be sure to bring your glasses, or strain your eyes over the tables of others, or simply get up and walk closer to the cartes du jour and you’ll be fine. On the other hand, our experience over the past three years has been that one cannot go too far wrong choosing blindly. Appetizers, soups and salads range from about 35 - 100 pesos, and entrées (meat, fish or fowl) come in at 65 to 200.
La Biznaga is known for its cocktails, and in particular its margaritas and mojitos, served as in the case with all other beverages, in classic Mexican blue accented thick hand-blown glassware (vidrio soplado). The mezcals are also noteworthy for the selections offered. Pretty well all of the bar servings are healthy, and prices across the board are competitive, mezcals beginning at, get this, 15 pesos.
But we’re here for dinner. La Silvestre is a mushroom soup, more in the nature of a light broth devoid of dairy, containing a selection of wild hongos including setas, along with bacon, onion and chile poblano … a must for toadstool enthusiasts. Rarely does a visit go by when I won’t indulge.
Las Calendas is a starter worthy of selection. While described as tamales, there is no corn, but rather squash blossom and melted string cheese (quesillo) enveloped with tender hierba santa leaf, an herb with a distinct taste used in preparation of many Oaxacan dishes yet not often enough as a single flavor source. You’re apt to recall, “so that’s the exquisite essence I’ve been enjoying all this trip.” The triptych is presented with sides of refried beans and diced spiced tomato, and topped with a drizzle of cream. Another worthy triumvirate is the Cerro Viejo, crunchy fried tortilla horns stuffed with seasoned sautéed hibiscus (jamaica) flower, presented with a center of guacamole crowned with chipotle peppers. It would be a mistake to not share each of these two tasters.
The grilled salmon is served over a bed of cilantro pesto, with lightly dressed side salad comprised of select lettuce, tomato and pineapple wedges which, together with pine nuts in the entrée provide complimentary crunches. The tuna, similar to the salmon in terms of a good sized serving prepared to the exact degree of doneness as demanded, arrives on a sea of avocado salsa and is topped with pico de gallo, a flavorful traditional combination of tomato, radish, cucumber, onion, chile and cilantro, with an added tang of lime. Finally, my own entrée on this outing consists of four filets of chicken breast each wrapped around a piece of cooked plantain with just enough walnut crumbles to be detected and welcomed, presented on a platter of puréed guava set off with swirls of cream.
The distinctive flavors one has just experienced almost call out for further indulgence, and thus dessert is difficult to neglect: on this evening healthy scoops of pistachio sorbet (nieve) are served in a margarita schooner, and chocolate truffle-cake (trufa) floats on a strawberry coulis.
It’s indeed a rarity for a restaurant to exhibit this level of consistency in quality of cuisine. Now if La Biznaga can only maintain a degree of humility translating into value-added service, there’s no stopping its continued success, nor reason for patrons to ever again hesitate stopping by.
La Biznaga, Garcia Vigil 512, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca (tel: 516-1800)
6/06/2007
Desarrollan muestra artesanal de Oaxaca en V. Carranza
Desde el 1 hasta el 10 de junio, se realiza la Muestra de Oaxaca en la explanada de la delegación Venustiano Carranza, donde los interesados podrán disfrutar de platillos típicos de la región al mismo tiempo que observar la representación de la tradicional Guelaguetza.
En la explanada delegacional habrá platillos típicos como tlayudas, quesillo, chorizo, chocolate, buñuelos, chapulines, tasajo, tamales, dulces y nieves, acompañados de un apetitoso vaso de mezcal, así como exposición y venta artesanal de hojalatería, barro negro, cuarzo, collares, colchas, cuchillería, alebrijes, ranas, mantelería, ropa típica, joyería del Istmo y de arte popular en antimonio.
Además, se efectuará el baile de La Calenda o De las Flores que anuncia la cercanía de la festividad del Santo Patrón y en el cual las mujeres portan canastas con bellos arreglos florales al compás de las bandas de música, aunado a conferencias y talleres sobre el arte oaxaqueño, desfiles de trajes regionales, cuenta cuentos, poesía y conciertos de marimba, banda y trova.
"Esta muestra artesanal y cultural es un reconocimiento que la comunidad de Venustiano Carranza rinde al pueblo oaxaqueño y a su inagotable riqueza. Es un esfuerzo que hacemos para valorar una parte de su innegable belleza constructora de historia y tradiciones; festividades que entablan un diálogo directo con el tiempo negándose a quedar en el olvido", expresó Julio César Moreno Rivera, jefe delegacional.
La muestra de Oaxaca en Venustiano Carranza permanecerá hasta el próximo domingo en la explanada delegacional, ubicada en Francisco del Paso y Troncoso número 219, colonia Jardín Balbuena, con un horario de 09:00 a 22:00 horas.
El domingo, previo a la inauguración, una ráfaga de viento tiró una lona que golpeo a seis de los visitantes, cuatro de ellos no resultaron lesionados de gravedad y sólo dos tuvieron que ser trasladados a un hospital para su valoración, pero de acuerdo con las autoridades delegacionales, no se reportó ninguno de gravedad.
Fuente: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/429231.html
Crearán biblioteca con acervo de Beatriz de la Fuente en Oaxaca
19:13 Los 7 mil volúmenes que integraron la biblioteca personal de la historiadora del arte Beatriz de la Fuente (1929-2005) , constituirán una biblioteca y una cátedra con su nombre, que serán inauguradas por el Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas (IIE) , de la UNAM, en Oaxaca, informó aquí Arturo Pascual Soto, director del plantel.
En entrevista, Soto señaló que a medio año de asumir la dirección del IIE, el organismo creará en el segundo semestre de 2007, una sede alterna a la que ocupa en Ciudad Universitaria, que se ubicara en el edificio del Ex Arzobispado, en el centro de Oaxaca.
La sede, que será compartida con el Instituto de Matemáticas, dijo, buscará impulsar no sólo el conocimiento del arte, sino constituirse como una referencia en la sociedad y cultura oaxaqueñas, a través del impulso de proyectos de conservación y restauración del patrimonio artístico de la región.
"Nos interesa no sólo generar conocimiento, sino la derrama de él en la sociedad, me refiero fundamentalmente a la conservación, a tener una injerencia más directa en estos proyectos, de las obras de arte, entendidas como edificios, murales, textiles, etcétera" , adujo.
La sede foránea del instituto en Oaxaca, agregó, "será en un edificio universitario en el centro de la ciudad, frente a Catedral, donde muy pronto se inaugurará la Biblioteca Beatriz de la Fuente , que conservará la biblioteca personal de esta investigadora única, irrepetible y singular, para el estudio de la historia del arte prehispánico" .
De la Fuente fue madre del rector de la UNAM, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, y es considerada una figura fundamental de la cultura mexicana contemporánea, que le mereció el Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes en 1989, además de ser la primera y única mujer integrante de El Colegio Nacional, integrado por los más destacados intelectuales de México.
En la nueva sede, enfatizó Soto, se ubicará además un polo alterno del Laboratorio de Diagnóstico de Obras de Arte, "que ha ocupado un nivel destacadísimo en las investigaciones de técnicas y materiales y que creo que podría tener una mayor injerencia desde el punto de vista de la conservación" .
La intención, señaló, "es colocarse como un referente, un espacio de diálogo con otros restauradores del país y de iniciativas distintas, el propósito es que se convierta en un espacio de reflexión en Oaxaca, sobre la conservación a todo nivel, sobre el estudio de las técnicas, de los materiales".
Además, puntualizó, "es necesario que cumpla con los propósitos de investigación de los especialistas del instituto y que apoye las tareas de académicos del INAH o de cualquier otra institución que así lo requiera, hay una parte ya activa de escultura virreinal, pero también estamos impulsando proyectos de retablos y en la parte prehispánica estamos previendo se finquen investigaciones importantes" .
Por otra parte, comentó que les interesa sumarse a la vida cultural de Oaxaca y que para ello han contado con la colaboración de la biblioteca Burgoa, organizando ciclos de conferencias y se tratando de impulsar una cátedra permanente Beatriz de la Fuente, que corresponda al ámbito de la biblioteca que llevará su nombre y que se ocupe del tema ".
De la Fuente estudió medicina e historia en la UNAM e hizo una maestría en Historia de las Artes Plásticas en la Universidad Iberoamericana y doctorado en Historia en la máxima casa de estudios.
Asimismo fue autora de 12 libros, como " Escultura funeraria prehispánica ", " Los hombres de piedra " y " Escultura huasteca en piedra", entre otros.
El IIE tiene su origen en 1935, cuando el historiador del arte mexicano Manuel Toussaint fundó el Laboratorio de Arte, de donde surgió la institución como un espacio dedicado al estudio de la historia, la teoría y la crítica del arte, así como la conservación y la defensa del patrimonio artístico nacional en sus diferentes periodos.
Desde su fundación, el instituto ha publicado alrededor de 400 libros que dan cuenta del trabajo de investigación realizado y que se han constituido como una aportación al conocimiento de las manifestaciones artísticas, además de contar con la Biblioteca Justino Fernández y el Archivo Fotográfico Manuel Toussaint.
En entrevista, Soto señaló que a medio año de asumir la dirección del IIE, el organismo creará en el segundo semestre de 2007, una sede alterna a la que ocupa en Ciudad Universitaria, que se ubicara en el edificio del Ex Arzobispado, en el centro de Oaxaca.
La sede, que será compartida con el Instituto de Matemáticas, dijo, buscará impulsar no sólo el conocimiento del arte, sino constituirse como una referencia en la sociedad y cultura oaxaqueñas, a través del impulso de proyectos de conservación y restauración del patrimonio artístico de la región.
"Nos interesa no sólo generar conocimiento, sino la derrama de él en la sociedad, me refiero fundamentalmente a la conservación, a tener una injerencia más directa en estos proyectos, de las obras de arte, entendidas como edificios, murales, textiles, etcétera" , adujo.
La sede foránea del instituto en Oaxaca, agregó, "será en un edificio universitario en el centro de la ciudad, frente a Catedral, donde muy pronto se inaugurará la Biblioteca Beatriz de la Fuente , que conservará la biblioteca personal de esta investigadora única, irrepetible y singular, para el estudio de la historia del arte prehispánico" .
De la Fuente fue madre del rector de la UNAM, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, y es considerada una figura fundamental de la cultura mexicana contemporánea, que le mereció el Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes en 1989, además de ser la primera y única mujer integrante de El Colegio Nacional, integrado por los más destacados intelectuales de México.
En la nueva sede, enfatizó Soto, se ubicará además un polo alterno del Laboratorio de Diagnóstico de Obras de Arte, "que ha ocupado un nivel destacadísimo en las investigaciones de técnicas y materiales y que creo que podría tener una mayor injerencia desde el punto de vista de la conservación" .
La intención, señaló, "es colocarse como un referente, un espacio de diálogo con otros restauradores del país y de iniciativas distintas, el propósito es que se convierta en un espacio de reflexión en Oaxaca, sobre la conservación a todo nivel, sobre el estudio de las técnicas, de los materiales".
Además, puntualizó, "es necesario que cumpla con los propósitos de investigación de los especialistas del instituto y que apoye las tareas de académicos del INAH o de cualquier otra institución que así lo requiera, hay una parte ya activa de escultura virreinal, pero también estamos impulsando proyectos de retablos y en la parte prehispánica estamos previendo se finquen investigaciones importantes" .
Por otra parte, comentó que les interesa sumarse a la vida cultural de Oaxaca y que para ello han contado con la colaboración de la biblioteca Burgoa, organizando ciclos de conferencias y se tratando de impulsar una cátedra permanente Beatriz de la Fuente, que corresponda al ámbito de la biblioteca que llevará su nombre y que se ocupe del tema ".
De la Fuente estudió medicina e historia en la UNAM e hizo una maestría en Historia de las Artes Plásticas en la Universidad Iberoamericana y doctorado en Historia en la máxima casa de estudios.
Asimismo fue autora de 12 libros, como " Escultura funeraria prehispánica ", " Los hombres de piedra " y " Escultura huasteca en piedra", entre otros.
El IIE tiene su origen en 1935, cuando el historiador del arte mexicano Manuel Toussaint fundó el Laboratorio de Arte, de donde surgió la institución como un espacio dedicado al estudio de la historia, la teoría y la crítica del arte, así como la conservación y la defensa del patrimonio artístico nacional en sus diferentes periodos.
Desde su fundación, el instituto ha publicado alrededor de 400 libros que dan cuenta del trabajo de investigación realizado y que se han constituido como una aportación al conocimiento de las manifestaciones artísticas, además de contar con la Biblioteca Justino Fernández y el Archivo Fotográfico Manuel Toussaint.
5/31/2007
Oaxaca Estudio Abierto (Oaxaca Open Studios)
The dates July 27, 28 & 29, mark a significant event in Oaxaca, known as Oaxaca Estudio Abierto, designed to promote interaction between local artists and those members of the public interested in creative endeavors. On July 28th, between 10 am and 8 pm, painters, sculptors, ceramicists and photographers will be opening their studios or workshops to exhibit their art.
Oscar Carrizosa, coordinator of the event for the third consecutive year, has emphasized that its purpose will be “to showcase the artists and where they work, and while their studios and workshops are open to the public those interested will have and opportunity to speak and interact with them, with a view to learning more about where and how such reknowned artistry has brought fame to the state”.
Carrizosa continued: “Oaxaca Estudio Abierto is a unique and enjoyable format by which to appreciate art, meet the artists, explore various neighborhoods in Oaxaca and acquire pieces for one’s own collection”.
The inaugural event of Oaxaca Estudio Abierto will take place on July 27th at 7 pm, at the Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños, were there will be a colective exhibition and a silent auction
On July 28th, from 10 am to 8 pm in the evening, the artists will open their studios to the public. Downtown historical center will be divided in four different areas and depending of the area it will be a different schedule for the artists to open their studios.
On the 29nd of July, at 10 am a guided tour will leave, from Casa Crespo at 10 am, for San Agustín, Etla to vist artists´ studios, the paper workshop and the Centro de las Artes de San Agustín. (CASA).
More information at http://www.go-oaxaca.com/oaxacaestudioabierto_en.html
5/23/2007
Touring the Art Galleries of Oaxaca
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
Many travelers to Oaxaca simply don’t have the time, patience or inclination to seriously tour the city’s multitude of small storefront art galleries replete with wonderfully unique and provocative offerings. It’s understandable, given the number of culturally rich and diverse sites to be taken in over the course of a brief vacation.
Certainly the larger establishments should not be missed by anyone. There’s the Museo de Pintores Oaxaqueños, for example. Another “must” is Arte de Oaxaca, featuring works of artists who have “made it” and enabling the casual observer to get a good sampling of uniquely Oaxacan metaphors in various mediums…evidence the permanent gallery dedicated to the works of Grand Master Rodolfo Morales.
But a well-planned walking tour of some of the galleries listed below, perhaps beginning with the open air craft and art market known as Jardín Labastida, pretty well guarantees that you’ll go home with at least one piece to grace that barren wall that’s been crying out for creative forces. More importantly, you’ll leave Oaxaca with an enhanced appreciation of the history and culture of Oaxacan and more generally Mexican art.
The metamorphosis of members of the art community in Oaxaca is at times a microcosm of the means by which young professionals in the Western World establish themselves…starting out pounding the pavement in search of that first job, eventually catching one or two breaks along the arduous way, and then a decade or two later reaping the rewards of a successful career. But for some 5,000 artists in Oaxaca, be they from abroad or Mexican born, having studied at Benito Juarez University’s School of Fine Arts or in one of several workshops in the City, they can ascend the rungs of the ladder much quicker, yet with much less in material rewards. The blunt implication of this for tourists and Oaxacan art aficionados alike is that one day you can purchase a quality piece from an artist on the street or in his co-op style gallery, ranging from obtuse imagery to much more simplistic yet equally entrancing, and then a year or two later encounter his works or obras in high end galleries fetching tenfold what you paid; alternatively his work may no longer be locally available as a result of having been “found” by a New York patron or commissioned by government for a special project.
A few pointers, each of which has made me wiser and aesthetically wealthier:
1) If you hesitate, it may be gone tomorrow;
2) You aren’t buying a rug or carved wooden animal…go easy on practicing your negotiation skills when buying from the artist…it may backfire, or you may make the purchase, but with a diminished sense of self;
3) When something catches your eye, or better yet if both of you are drawn to it, buy at all cost…you’ll never regret it;
4) If a piece seems absolutely enchanting but is curiously inexpensive, don’t shy away for fear you won’t be purchasing quality…remember that next year you may not be able to afford it;
5) Never buy for investment first…if you’re really lucky the piece will appreciate substantially, but remember two things:
(i) you have to live with it;
(ii) when the time comes, your children will probably give it away for a song;
6) Compare what you see in terms of quality, imagery and price,
to what you already have…in my case, all I have to do is
recall my two pieces by R.C. Gorman, the reknown Arizona-
born recently-deceased artist influenced by Mexican
masters such as Orozco, Rivera and Siqueiros…the buying
decisions come faster and easier;
7) Most of today’s promising artists who are represented in the following galleries have been influenced by the foregoing
legends, as well as the likes of Oaxacan greats including
Rodolfo Morales and Francisco Toledo, so if a piece that
draws you appears to have a special quality, it probably does.
8) Resist the snobbery in which we at times get caught up. A
serigraph or grabado is an original, albeit one of a limited number. Even posters of exhibition openings, festivals and the like constitute an artform onto itself. As with other mediums, they often evoke interesting images. They are affordable for the most budget conscious…and framing tends to be modest. They provide at least some of what we seek when selecting our artwork…color and coverage.
We are listing only those galleries which carry a significant offering of “paintings” or “wall art” such as oils, watercolors, acrylics and serigraphs, including a couple of talleres which produce obras, and excluding restaurants and other retailers which offer art for sale, and galleries containing predominantly more traditional folk art and crafts. The enumeration is subject to additions and corrections, and is a work in progress. If you happen by or are otherwise aware of other retail art establishments, or closures, email me (oaxacadream@hotmail.com) with names and addresses so that can they can be included in or omitted from a subsequent edition.
Any tourist map of the Centro Histórico may assist you in designing your own tour of the galleries. However, the order in which these locales are presented provides a loosely organized tour, to the extent possible. Many outlets are closed Mondays, and frequently between the approximate hours of 2 – 4. Others open and close when they feel like it, subject to the anticipated level of tourism at the time.
· Jardín Labastida (between M. Alcala and 5 de Mayo) - outdoors craft and art market
· Labastida 115 - Plaza las Vírgenes - series of small stores rented by artists, many of whom began in the Jardín above
· Plazuela Labastida corner of 5 de Mayo - N. Mayés Galería - her work and that of her children
· 5 de Mayo 409 - Sala Raffarte Arte Público - mixed media, run by artists, with impressive bronzes
· 5 de Mayo 407 - DM Arte Contemporáneo - work of Mayés’, et al.
· 5 de Mayo corner of Constitución - Café Gecko y Galería
· 5 de Mayo 412 – Galería d’Arte Axis
· Constitución 103 - Galería Quetzalli - mixed media with wonderful ambience
· Calle de Gurrión 104-1 (across from Sta. Domingo) - Galería Linda Fernández
· M. Alcalá 407 (Plaza Sta. Domingo) - Arte Mexicano - mixed media includes sculptures
· M. Alcalá 407 (Plaza Sta. Domingo) - Arte Popular
· Allende 104 - Galería Índigo – large offering of high end mixed media
· M. Alcalá 507 - Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca
· García Vigil 613 - Taller de Juan Alcázar - workshop featuring his art
· García Vigil NE corner of M. Bravo – Centro Fotográfico Á. Bravo (rotating photographic exhibitions)
· Murguía 105 - Arte de Oaxaca - extensive offerings as well as permanent Morales display
· Murguía 102 - DM Arte Contemporáneo - work of Didier Mayés et al.
· M. Alcalá 203 - La Mano Mágica - includes broad range of crafts
· M. Alcalá 305 (upstairs) - Galería 910 Arte Contemporáneo
· M. Alcalá 202 - Museo del Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca – extraordinary setting with changing exhibits and store
· M. Alcalá 102 – Galería de Rolando Rojas
· M. Alcalá and Morelos (NW corner) – Galería Guraieb
· Independencia 607 - Museo de Los Pintores Oaxaqueños
· Zócalo #110 (2nd floor) - Manuel García Galería – many quality larger pieces
· Reforma and M. Abasolo (NE corner) – gallery housed in one of the Rodolfo Morales Foundation buildings
· Murguía 400 - Quetzalli Bodega
· B. Juarez 300 - Galería Epicentro
· B. Juarez 514 – Taller de Artes Plásticas (Rufino Tamayo Galería) –
workshop with periodic exhibitions
· 5 de Mayo in Jalatlaco, east portion of downtown (same street as La Toscaza) La Curtiduría at #307 (gallery and taller) and another along the same cobblestone street).
NOTES:
1) Each of the city’s antique stores often carries art, so a brief enumeration of their locations is in order: Abasolo 107, Constitución 108, 5 de Mayo 409A, Independencia 300, Benito Juarez 204-B, Guerrero 506, García Vigil 304 (moving in June /07 to Independencia across from Church of La Soledad).
2) Remember that in the outlying towns and villages you can find galleries and workshops such as at the Rodolfo Morales Foundation in Ocotlán, and the Center for The Arts in San Agustín Etla, housed in a magnificent 19th century building and providing an exquisite medium in which to view art.
Alvin Starkman together with wife Arlene operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ). Alvin received his masters in social anthropology in 1978, and his law degree in 1984. Thereafter he was a litigator in Toronto until taking early retirement. He and his family were frequent visitors to Oaxaca between 1991 and when they became permanent residents in 2004. Alvin reviews restaurants, writes about life and cultural traditions in Oaxaca, and tours couples and families to the villages. While residing in Toronto Arlene sold Oaxacan art through invitation-only wine and cheese art exhibitions.
Many travelers to Oaxaca simply don’t have the time, patience or inclination to seriously tour the city’s multitude of small storefront art galleries replete with wonderfully unique and provocative offerings. It’s understandable, given the number of culturally rich and diverse sites to be taken in over the course of a brief vacation.
Certainly the larger establishments should not be missed by anyone. There’s the Museo de Pintores Oaxaqueños, for example. Another “must” is Arte de Oaxaca, featuring works of artists who have “made it” and enabling the casual observer to get a good sampling of uniquely Oaxacan metaphors in various mediums…evidence the permanent gallery dedicated to the works of Grand Master Rodolfo Morales.
But a well-planned walking tour of some of the galleries listed below, perhaps beginning with the open air craft and art market known as Jardín Labastida, pretty well guarantees that you’ll go home with at least one piece to grace that barren wall that’s been crying out for creative forces. More importantly, you’ll leave Oaxaca with an enhanced appreciation of the history and culture of Oaxacan and more generally Mexican art.
The metamorphosis of members of the art community in Oaxaca is at times a microcosm of the means by which young professionals in the Western World establish themselves…starting out pounding the pavement in search of that first job, eventually catching one or two breaks along the arduous way, and then a decade or two later reaping the rewards of a successful career. But for some 5,000 artists in Oaxaca, be they from abroad or Mexican born, having studied at Benito Juarez University’s School of Fine Arts or in one of several workshops in the City, they can ascend the rungs of the ladder much quicker, yet with much less in material rewards. The blunt implication of this for tourists and Oaxacan art aficionados alike is that one day you can purchase a quality piece from an artist on the street or in his co-op style gallery, ranging from obtuse imagery to much more simplistic yet equally entrancing, and then a year or two later encounter his works or obras in high end galleries fetching tenfold what you paid; alternatively his work may no longer be locally available as a result of having been “found” by a New York patron or commissioned by government for a special project.
A few pointers, each of which has made me wiser and aesthetically wealthier:
1) If you hesitate, it may be gone tomorrow;
2) You aren’t buying a rug or carved wooden animal…go easy on practicing your negotiation skills when buying from the artist…it may backfire, or you may make the purchase, but with a diminished sense of self;
3) When something catches your eye, or better yet if both of you are drawn to it, buy at all cost…you’ll never regret it;
4) If a piece seems absolutely enchanting but is curiously inexpensive, don’t shy away for fear you won’t be purchasing quality…remember that next year you may not be able to afford it;
5) Never buy for investment first…if you’re really lucky the piece will appreciate substantially, but remember two things:
(i) you have to live with it;
(ii) when the time comes, your children will probably give it away for a song;
6) Compare what you see in terms of quality, imagery and price,
to what you already have…in my case, all I have to do is
recall my two pieces by R.C. Gorman, the reknown Arizona-
born recently-deceased artist influenced by Mexican
masters such as Orozco, Rivera and Siqueiros…the buying
decisions come faster and easier;
7) Most of today’s promising artists who are represented in the following galleries have been influenced by the foregoing
legends, as well as the likes of Oaxacan greats including
Rodolfo Morales and Francisco Toledo, so if a piece that
draws you appears to have a special quality, it probably does.
8) Resist the snobbery in which we at times get caught up. A
serigraph or grabado is an original, albeit one of a limited number. Even posters of exhibition openings, festivals and the like constitute an artform onto itself. As with other mediums, they often evoke interesting images. They are affordable for the most budget conscious…and framing tends to be modest. They provide at least some of what we seek when selecting our artwork…color and coverage.
We are listing only those galleries which carry a significant offering of “paintings” or “wall art” such as oils, watercolors, acrylics and serigraphs, including a couple of talleres which produce obras, and excluding restaurants and other retailers which offer art for sale, and galleries containing predominantly more traditional folk art and crafts. The enumeration is subject to additions and corrections, and is a work in progress. If you happen by or are otherwise aware of other retail art establishments, or closures, email me (oaxacadream@hotmail.com) with names and addresses so that can they can be included in or omitted from a subsequent edition.
Any tourist map of the Centro Histórico may assist you in designing your own tour of the galleries. However, the order in which these locales are presented provides a loosely organized tour, to the extent possible. Many outlets are closed Mondays, and frequently between the approximate hours of 2 – 4. Others open and close when they feel like it, subject to the anticipated level of tourism at the time.
· Jardín Labastida (between M. Alcala and 5 de Mayo) - outdoors craft and art market
· Labastida 115 - Plaza las Vírgenes - series of small stores rented by artists, many of whom began in the Jardín above
· Plazuela Labastida corner of 5 de Mayo - N. Mayés Galería - her work and that of her children
· 5 de Mayo 409 - Sala Raffarte Arte Público - mixed media, run by artists, with impressive bronzes
· 5 de Mayo 407 - DM Arte Contemporáneo - work of Mayés’, et al.
· 5 de Mayo corner of Constitución - Café Gecko y Galería
· 5 de Mayo 412 – Galería d’Arte Axis
· Constitución 103 - Galería Quetzalli - mixed media with wonderful ambience
· Calle de Gurrión 104-1 (across from Sta. Domingo) - Galería Linda Fernández
· M. Alcalá 407 (Plaza Sta. Domingo) - Arte Mexicano - mixed media includes sculptures
· M. Alcalá 407 (Plaza Sta. Domingo) - Arte Popular
· Allende 104 - Galería Índigo – large offering of high end mixed media
· M. Alcalá 507 - Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca
· García Vigil 613 - Taller de Juan Alcázar - workshop featuring his art
· García Vigil NE corner of M. Bravo – Centro Fotográfico Á. Bravo (rotating photographic exhibitions)
· Murguía 105 - Arte de Oaxaca - extensive offerings as well as permanent Morales display
· Murguía 102 - DM Arte Contemporáneo - work of Didier Mayés et al.
· M. Alcalá 203 - La Mano Mágica - includes broad range of crafts
· M. Alcalá 305 (upstairs) - Galería 910 Arte Contemporáneo
· M. Alcalá 202 - Museo del Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca – extraordinary setting with changing exhibits and store
· M. Alcalá 102 – Galería de Rolando Rojas
· M. Alcalá and Morelos (NW corner) – Galería Guraieb
· Independencia 607 - Museo de Los Pintores Oaxaqueños
· Zócalo #110 (2nd floor) - Manuel García Galería – many quality larger pieces
· Reforma and M. Abasolo (NE corner) – gallery housed in one of the Rodolfo Morales Foundation buildings
· Murguía 400 - Quetzalli Bodega
· B. Juarez 300 - Galería Epicentro
· B. Juarez 514 – Taller de Artes Plásticas (Rufino Tamayo Galería) –
workshop with periodic exhibitions
· 5 de Mayo in Jalatlaco, east portion of downtown (same street as La Toscaza) La Curtiduría at #307 (gallery and taller) and another along the same cobblestone street).
NOTES:
1) Each of the city’s antique stores often carries art, so a brief enumeration of their locations is in order: Abasolo 107, Constitución 108, 5 de Mayo 409A, Independencia 300, Benito Juarez 204-B, Guerrero 506, García Vigil 304 (moving in June /07 to Independencia across from Church of La Soledad).
2) Remember that in the outlying towns and villages you can find galleries and workshops such as at the Rodolfo Morales Foundation in Ocotlán, and the Center for The Arts in San Agustín Etla, housed in a magnificent 19th century building and providing an exquisite medium in which to view art.
Alvin Starkman together with wife Arlene operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ). Alvin received his masters in social anthropology in 1978, and his law degree in 1984. Thereafter he was a litigator in Toronto until taking early retirement. He and his family were frequent visitors to Oaxaca between 1991 and when they became permanent residents in 2004. Alvin reviews restaurants, writes about life and cultural traditions in Oaxaca, and tours couples and families to the villages. While residing in Toronto Arlene sold Oaxacan art through invitation-only wine and cheese art exhibitions.
5/18/2007
Garage Sales in Oaxaca
Venta de Garaje or Bazar (Bazaar), they mean the same, a garage sale. But otherwise, what you’ll find is quite different than the garage-saling to which many of us have become accustomed over the past quarter century or so in the US and Canada. The only commonality with Oaxaca is the existence of the odd perpetual garage sale just as we find in some rural communities north of the border…and for the same reason, economic necessity.
But the same financial constraints constitute the reason why such sales are few and far between. Upon the unlikely event of happening upon “one person’s garbage”, the likelihood of encountering your “treasure” is slim to say the least. In fact, this northern GS junkie has yet to make a single purchase, after two years of permanent residency in and a dozen prior years as a frequent flyer to the tierra de Toledo. I’ve simply had to find other ways to occupy my Saturday and Sunday free time, to the glee of my “you’re gonna bring that into our house?” wife.
Here in Oaxaca not a day goes by that I do not lament that the thrill is gone. It’s the 20% factor. In and about Toronto rarely would it be necessary to pay more than 20% of a new product’s market value at the conclusion of negotiating for a GS item purchase. In Oaxaca, one rarely ever encounters a true bargain, and worse yet the 20% factor means that generally, ticketed prices at such sales are about only a 20% discount off retail.
I recently attended such a sale, encountering a lovely baby stroller. As is happened, at the time a young couple was staying at our B & B, and she was pregnant…very much so. I thought wouldn’t it be a nice gesture to buy them a toddler transporter, and even if they already had one, it would be a welcome spare. It’s the kind of thinking process we GSers go through weekend after weekend during the season, making us feel good about ourselves in being able to bring joy into the lives of unsuspecting friends and relatives. “How nice of you to think of me; you really didn’t have to; let me pay you for it”…until we invariably confess to the details of the acquisition and with the greatest of pride note our bargaining prowess. But poor Amy and Ed, our proud pareja presently with child. Damned if I was going to spend 1900 pesos for a used stroller…not even a Peg Perego would have whet my appetite at that price.
Given that Oaxaca is close to the bottom rung in the country’s economic birth order, it is understandable why the phenomenon as we know it is non-existent. GS-able chattels get passed on within and between generations through both kinship and fictive kinship (compadrazgo). Otherwise, scarce resources demand resale only marginally below market value for new…for the purchaser it’s still better than going out and buying in the store. This therefore is a mindset foreign to us. Such sales are thus more akin to Salvation Army or other retail outlets for gently used items. However, contrasted with what we are generally accustomed to see or perceive in the course of attending tourist sites in the Oaxaca environs, on town and village market days one frequently encounters used chattels for sale as an adjunct to a particular stall or in an area so designated (i.e. clothing around a square in the interior of the Sunday Tlacolula market). Thus, there are alternate outlets and means by which to turn unwanted chattels into either cash or a favor to be returned in the future.
Culturally, the middle-to-lowerish class now-acceptable Northern past-time of buying clothing, cutlery, components or crafts that someone else no longer deems useful has not caught on. It’s still a little too close to mingling with the masses, or worse yet a fear that someone might see and wonder or gossip…snobbery if you will. Just walk by Terra Nova in the Zócalo on a warm weekend night and you’ll see what I mean…but if you see me there, it’s only part of a sociological study.
Alvin Starkman together with wife Arlene operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://wwwloaxacadream.com/ ). Alvin received his masters in social anthropology in 1978, and his law degree in 1984. Thereafter he was a litigator in Toronto until taking early retirement. He and his family were frequent visitors to Oaxaca between 1991 and when they became permanent residents in 2004.
But the same financial constraints constitute the reason why such sales are few and far between. Upon the unlikely event of happening upon “one person’s garbage”, the likelihood of encountering your “treasure” is slim to say the least. In fact, this northern GS junkie has yet to make a single purchase, after two years of permanent residency in and a dozen prior years as a frequent flyer to the tierra de Toledo. I’ve simply had to find other ways to occupy my Saturday and Sunday free time, to the glee of my “you’re gonna bring that into our house?” wife.
Here in Oaxaca not a day goes by that I do not lament that the thrill is gone. It’s the 20% factor. In and about Toronto rarely would it be necessary to pay more than 20% of a new product’s market value at the conclusion of negotiating for a GS item purchase. In Oaxaca, one rarely ever encounters a true bargain, and worse yet the 20% factor means that generally, ticketed prices at such sales are about only a 20% discount off retail.
I recently attended such a sale, encountering a lovely baby stroller. As is happened, at the time a young couple was staying at our B & B, and she was pregnant…very much so. I thought wouldn’t it be a nice gesture to buy them a toddler transporter, and even if they already had one, it would be a welcome spare. It’s the kind of thinking process we GSers go through weekend after weekend during the season, making us feel good about ourselves in being able to bring joy into the lives of unsuspecting friends and relatives. “How nice of you to think of me; you really didn’t have to; let me pay you for it”…until we invariably confess to the details of the acquisition and with the greatest of pride note our bargaining prowess. But poor Amy and Ed, our proud pareja presently with child. Damned if I was going to spend 1900 pesos for a used stroller…not even a Peg Perego would have whet my appetite at that price.
Given that Oaxaca is close to the bottom rung in the country’s economic birth order, it is understandable why the phenomenon as we know it is non-existent. GS-able chattels get passed on within and between generations through both kinship and fictive kinship (compadrazgo). Otherwise, scarce resources demand resale only marginally below market value for new…for the purchaser it’s still better than going out and buying in the store. This therefore is a mindset foreign to us. Such sales are thus more akin to Salvation Army or other retail outlets for gently used items. However, contrasted with what we are generally accustomed to see or perceive in the course of attending tourist sites in the Oaxaca environs, on town and village market days one frequently encounters used chattels for sale as an adjunct to a particular stall or in an area so designated (i.e. clothing around a square in the interior of the Sunday Tlacolula market). Thus, there are alternate outlets and means by which to turn unwanted chattels into either cash or a favor to be returned in the future.
Culturally, the middle-to-lowerish class now-acceptable Northern past-time of buying clothing, cutlery, components or crafts that someone else no longer deems useful has not caught on. It’s still a little too close to mingling with the masses, or worse yet a fear that someone might see and wonder or gossip…snobbery if you will. Just walk by Terra Nova in the Zócalo on a warm weekend night and you’ll see what I mean…but if you see me there, it’s only part of a sociological study.
Alvin Starkman together with wife Arlene operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://wwwloaxacadream.com/ ). Alvin received his masters in social anthropology in 1978, and his law degree in 1984. Thereafter he was a litigator in Toronto until taking early retirement. He and his family were frequent visitors to Oaxaca between 1991 and when they became permanent residents in 2004.
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