Oaxacan rainbow (YELLOW)

Argh, a blog a day is a little intense. You think it's not a big deal and then at the end of Wednesday Harrison asks you, "did you do yellow?" -- Well here is yellow in some of its many Oaxacan forms. It is a little late so look fast because if you know your rainbow you know tomorrow will be a green day.  --Natalie

Oaxacan rainbow (ORANGE)

So you’ve probably guessed that I am trying to post a blog a day to pay homage to each color of the Oaxacan rainbow. Will I be able to keep it up until purple? Is biege/gray going to make an appearance? Honestly, I don’t know, but orange was easy. I think orange is one of the most delicious colors in Oaxaca. 

See you for yellow.  --Natalie

Oaxacan rainbow (RED)

When I spoke to people about living in Oaxaca there was one comment that I remember specifically.  “When you get back to the Bay Area everything is going to seem a little drab and muted."  "My house is not going to feel that way," is what I thought… then.  Now, when I think about going home, I already miss the colors.  Every day, on every corner, on each person, in the markets, on each building, with every pile of vegetables or plastic toys, the colors speak to me, and say, "don’t forget us!" I promise I won’t.  Fair warning to neighbors and friends I might ask for help painting a few walls.

And now let me introduce you to my friend red.

So I'm not going to hang a pig head in our kitchen, but a blood-red floor could make an appearance.  -- Natalie

Oaxacan Movie Night

When not sojourning in Oaxaca, we live in Oakland, California.  We live on a wonderful block in Crocker Highlands, near the northeast end of Lake Merritt.  Twice a year, one of the families invites us all into their backyard to watch a movie projected onto a sheet that hangs off the back of the house.  We bring garden chairs, blankets, sleeping bags, and lots of yummy treats, like kettle corn, hot cider, vintage candies, Mimi's chocolate cake, and brownies.  The movies always are kid-friendly, even if some of the yummy treats are not (e.g., special flavoring for the cider).  When Natalie and I talk about reasons we love where we live in California -- which we do a lot these days when discussing things we like about Oaxaca -- Movie Night often comes up.

Movie Night in Oakland.

The four of us always look forward to Movie Night, which is why we all felt a little homesick last week, knowing that the first Movie Night of the year was happening on Saturday.  The featured film:  Herbie the Love Bug.  We decided to participate, even if we could not be there in person.  We made a short film to be shown before Herbie.  It shows Max and Helen making their way to a Oaxacan Movie Night, and what they find once they get there.  You can watch the video by clicking here, or by searching for "Oaxacan Movie Night" on YouTube.


Our neighbor called the video a movie postcard to the block, which is exactly what it was:  a postcard that says "Hi everyone.  We miss you!"  --Harrison

Lions, tigers, and bears (and paparazzi), oh no!

The title is misleading since we have not seen any lions, tigers, or bears.  But we did see plenty of other exotic animals during our recent travels.  Most – though not all – were small enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand.  In fact, most – though not all – did fit into the palm of Max’s hand or onto one of us.  Some of the animals were bigger, and better left alone.  Please note:  None of the animals were harmed during the making of this blog entry.  The snake was already dead.

Parrot at restaurant on road to Palenque, Chiapas.

Cicada Max "coaxed" out of a tree in Palenque.

You asked for it, you eat it (not really).

Helen with small snake she found on a footpath at our hotel in Palenque.  Helen brought it to show Natalie, who was sick in the hotel room and would have been sad to miss it.

Hypnotized (or terrified) lizard.

Tarantula in insect museum, San Cristobal, Chiapas.

Harrison with tarantula.

Natalie with tarantula.  (Bet you didn't see that coming.)

Buzzards in the Cañon de Sumidero, Chiapas.

Crocodile in the Cañon de Sumidero.

Ok, enough pictures of animals.  As for the paparrazi, well, we haven’t seen any of those either.  But paparrazi could have taken these pictures.

Harrison, spotted in Xoximilcho, keeping hydrated.

Natalie (with Helen), spotted at the Guatemalan border, barely keeping it together for the one-hour exit from Mexico to renew our visas, since nobody could tell us if it would work.  (It worked.)

Max, spotted at Juarez International Airport, Mexico City, on his way to play in a soccer tournament, moments before punching the photographer.

Helen, spotted in Perisur mall, Mexico City, sporting new shoes, shorts, shirt, and scarf (and spotted in the same outfit for the next three days).

On a different topic, Natalie is part of a group of mothers organizing an all-school fair on Oaxacan traditions that will take place in June.  Natalie volunteered me to find a master radish carver to put on a demonstration.  Just our luck that our tutor, Mercedes, lives across the street from a radish carver.  On Monday we will find out if she can find oversized radishes this time of year.  Radish carving usually happens in December.  If you do not know what I am talking about, check out this website or look at these pictures.  (Radish carving may sound strange, but it is no stranger than carving pumpkins at halloween.)  Inevitably we will have more to say about the school festival in the coming weeks.  --Harrison