Life on the Mexi-side

Watch this!

The above video is quite relevant here (by here I dont mean just Mexico, but being surrounded by people from all over the world). Some of the things I’ve actually gotten:

“You’re from Canada? But you look Chinese” or “But you don’t look…*awkward silence*[white?]” or walking down the street random stranger: “Are you Chinese?”

or in my first art class we were asked to draw self-portraits with our non-dominant hand. And my teacher says “Oh, you didn’t draw your eyes the way they are”. At the beginning of class she told me I had small–“but very beautiful!”–eyes. seriously.

or a drunk stranger actually grabbed my face outside a bar when I told them I was from Canada and began disagreeing with my statement

or the many many times people have felt the need to SHOW ME PHYSICALLY ON THEMSELVES what my eyes look like to them. Oh yes, thank you I had NO idea my eyes were slanted and small— how enlightening this conversation is to me.

The world only makes sense again when I explain that my parents are Japanese. Then after that, oftentimes I just become the Japanese girl…although I’ve never actually lived there. My identity is allowed to be more complex than one country or the other no?   Because I am not denying my asian-ness, I am actually really proud of my duality even though I make jokes about my asian-ness or non-asian-ness sometimes.

Nonetheless, can you sense my resentment? My anger and bitterness under my sarcasm? It is a reflection of these feelings that I am sorting through constantly, in a way that I haven’t had to do since I realized I didn’t have the same freckles or fine blond hair as all the white girls in my elementary school.  When I experience those ´questions of origins´ in Mexico, I immediately feel exasperated, then angry, then not so sure of myself. How much of this I need to just let go, and how much I need to be angry and vocal about?  Oftentimes what makes me angry or laugh is a series of fine lines between who is saying it to me, what context they are saying it in, and what they are saying exactly.

And the “Oh, well people are less educated and less-traveled so it’s okay” just doesn’t cut it for me (I am actually oftentimes the one who says this to myself). Dude. Saki. We live in a globalized world where people have access to a lot of shit. And it matters because if somebody TELLS you they are from somewhere you don’t go ahead and question that. You can be polite about it.  I partially blame mainstream North American culture that gets spread all over the world. People are watching these shows and things that represent America (and in turn Canada) and all they see are friggin white people. Did you see the Academy Award nominations this year? The nominations are basically deciding what is best out of 8 movies about white dudes (with the exception of Selma).  I think the lack of diversity in large mainstream industries such as music and movies creates unrealistic ideas about American/Canadian culture.

Lastly, I do want to point out that  I don’t wish at all to look any other way than I am now. Self love, I am into that shit. Also, I should say that I haven’t gotten this from everyone I have met. I just want to make the point that it can be exhausting and frustrating to have to deal with this so much more than I do back home. There must be some sort of lessons here…I am working on it!

So if you aren’t a thorough enough facebook stalker (like moi thank you very much its a refined skill), you may not have noticed that  I haven’t posted any of my own photos to facebook. There are irrational reasons behind this. Let’s keep it mysterious shall we?

Therefore, here are fifteen photos I have chosen from my elite collection for your enjoyment. I will post more from October onwards as well, but I thought 15 at a time would be easier to take in 🙂

AAaaaaaand I just realized that I already made a post about my trip to Oaxaca, where most of these photos are from. Thats okay, I spent too much time on this to delete it so enjoy! I will post newer photos soon!

**Disclaimer: This post is basically just my love serenade to tacos. So prepare yourself for some…intimacy.

Um, yeah.

So it’s impossible to say that taco’s are the heart of Mexico. But what the hell fudge the police:

Taco’s are the heart of [my] Mexico.

I heart you taco-man

Don’t get me wrong, I realize this can add to the many stereotpyes that exist about Mexico. So I want to point out that there is a HUGE range of amazing and diverse dishes here. And I promise to try to post more about them. But today, I’m focusing on the one that comes up most in my life. Rich or poor, anybody can grab some tacos/quesadillas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a middle-of-the-night snack. You don’t need a special occasion, you just need an appetite and 40 pesos (oftentimes not even that)! And there is never a need to look far, as taco stands are on almost every corner of the city. Sometimes more.

To me tacos sum up Mexico really well: coming up to a brightly lit taco stand or being in a bustling taquería pulls you in by all your senses, like so many other things in this country. The smells of grilling meat fills the air, the bright plates the food is served on, the colourful (and spicy!) salsas, the chatter of the workers and the customers. And of course, the irreplaceable flavour-town of the tacos themselves. It’s like Christmas, just several times a week ya know?

It’s a food oasis.

—Getting some of that breakfast quesadilla action in Mexico City. This was actually one of my favourite quesadillas EVER. Fillings: Oaxaca cheese with huitlacoche (corn smut, a blue fungus that grows on corn. YUM!) Dough: blue maiz

My favourite part (obviously apart from the eating), is watching the taco-man work the pastor. Pastor is a big pile of seasoned meat roasting infront of a fire on a spit. On top is usually a peeled pineapple staked onto the spit. When an order comes in, the worker cuts off the cooked meat from the giant meat pile, then uses his taco-skill to cut/fling a piece of pineapple into your taco. It sails in the air, and gracefully lands inside the heaven-on-earth-food you are about to consume. Amazing.

Observe the pastor meat to the right. Although in this case, no pineapple.

The three most common and popular tacos I have encountered are: al pastor, bistec and chorizo. Pastor is meat taken from a spit, and is said to have been influenced from the arabic food traditions that existed in Spain. Bistec is steak meat, and chorizo is a sausage mixed with spices and herbs. Usually served not in sausage form, but rather like ground meat.

“Hanging out” with the chorizo. And telenovela.

If these types of meat aren’t your thing, you should hit up a special type of  taquería that specializes in more unpopular parts of the animal! Brain, tongue,  head, are just SOME of the taco types you can encounter 🙂 I enjoy some of them, but can’t say I love them all.

My friend Amanda went for some of the more “out there” flavours. Can you guess what body parts they are?

–Quesadillas prepared infront of your eyes! Pick your own fillings! [Quesadilla stand]

Shirtless mannequins and tacos. Great combo.

Rice with spinach and cheese. Can you understand why my pants keep getting smaller?

To complete the ritual, wash your tacos down with some good old Mexican cola. Made with real cane sugar!

So, if you’re ever in Mexico get a recommendation for a good taco place, or find somewhere that has a ton of people in it!!

This winter break, I travelled to southern Mexico for about a month instead of visiting home for the holidays.  I met with various friends, both from Querétaro and Vancouver. It was generally wonderful. One of my favourite states that I visited was Chiapas. Known throughout Mexico to be a vibrant and beautiful state, it stole my heart. I stayed for about a week, and based myself in the town/city of San Cristóbal de las Casas. We are at that point in our relationship that I just affectionally call her San Cris.

She attracts a lot of people because of her history and presence of Indigenous culture. This attraction of tourism has also changed the facade of the town and expanded it alot: many people come to settle here, and as a result you’ll notice some strange foreign elements such as yoga/medidation studios, a strong organic/vegetarian food scene, as well as a really awesome Thai restaurant(okay maybe that last one is coincidence but seriously, that Thai food was so good). Depending on who you ask, the expansion is great, or not.

On January 1, 1994, the day that NAFTA went into affect, the town was occupied by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation Army or EZLN. They took over the town as well as some other surrounding communities. According to wikipedia they “read their proclamation of revolt to the world and then laid siege to a nearby military base, capturing weapons and releasing many prisoners from the jails”.

Cool right? Not only that, there is so much to do there! What do you do?! Let me list 5. I also added Palenque archeological site as it’s own category..

1. Need a place to stay? STAY HERE, at the Posada de Abuelito.  My experience in this city was so memorable and lovely thanks to the lovely staff, amazing breakfast, and comfortable beds of this hostel/posada. 
2. Walk down the beautiful pedestrian street of Real de Guadalupe, where you will find many restaurants, little coffee shops, and handicraft stores. Then, go off a few blocks to check out Café Bar Revolución. This place has live music almost every night [anything from salsa, hip hop, electronic, to Latino reggae], and has a great atmosphere of youth and rebellion! Lots of pictures of Zapatistas and people like Ché on the walls. Sadly, I forgot to snap a few of the place. But while you’re bopping your head to the live music, enjoy some delightful Mexican craft beer and the best nachos you’ll ever have. ALL THE BEANS AND CHILES AND CHEESE THANK YOU.
   

   Real de Guadalupe (the street!)

   

   The week we were there was the week leading up to Lady Guadalupe celebration. Lot’s of people!

    

3. Make some chocolate! The local chocolate museum, Kakaw, gives little workshops on making chocolate from the raw cacao all the way to finished product. It was so much fun and kind of a gong show because we were all hyped up on chocolate. But you learn a lot, and end up with a delicious totally personalized  chocolate bar! Mine was a dark chocolate with chili.
   

   The raw cacao!

   

   Sorting the beans

   

   Roasting the beans

4. Something I recommend no matter what city you visit in Mexico: visiting the local market. A great place to pick up some cheap  market food, get some fresh groceries and juice, as well as human watching. Markets are a central part of Mexican culture, and therefore can be really interesting to visit to soak in the sights, sounds, and smells of the local life. Also, big plus is that there are usually little or no tourists in these places. I always feel pretty uncomfortable taking photos here (I don’t like people thinking they are on display for my camera to capture. I am also being stared at enough already and don’t want to draw more attention to myself). San Cris also has an artisan market catered especially for visitors, and is great place to pick up some beautiful handmade crafts and gifts for friends and family. Also for…yourself.
   

   The artisan market

   

   Chillin’. In the artisan market.

   

   Smoothie making time!

5. Take a day trip! The entire state is famous for having a diverse range of ecosystems, from beaches to jungles and mountains. As well, it also has some cool Zapatista stuff going on. We visited a Zapatista “caracol” called Oventiq, which was a highlight of my time in Chiapas. A caracol is a Zapatista community that is basically sovereign from the Mexican government. They don’t allow police or government officials in at all and have their own education and justice systems. Its free to go in and we were told students are welcome. Upon arrival (about 45min drive out of San Cris) we were greeted/observed by the iconic masked men and women zapatistas, and had to wait about 20 minutes while they decided if they were going to let us in or not. In the end, we got a tour of the buildings and schools from one of the local teens. It was a pretty uncomfortable/interesting experience. Uncomfortable because I felt like again, I was watching and…othering? Like such a tourist, watching observing from a distance, judging. Also though, really interesting. Our guide was polite, and amicable. He answered our curiosities, and tried to teach us some Tzotzil phrases (the commonly spoken Indigenous language here).
   

   Our guide. He isn’t allowed to show his face.

   

   “You are in Zapatista Rebel territory. Here the pueblo is in charge, and the government obeys”

   

   Some sweet mural work going on throughout the community

   After you’ve experienced your social awakening to the power of Indigenous people and especially Indigenous woman, make sure to check out some of the great landscapes and nature Chiapas offers too. Visit: Cascadas de Chiflon, Cañón del Sumidero [think vertical walls of 1000m, surrounded by national park, with crocodiles and lots of different birds.], Misol-Ha, Agua Azul, 

   

   One of the many Cascadas de Chiflon

   

   We saw this one and thought “lets get closer!”

   

   So we did!

   

   Cañón del Sumidero

    

   

   Misol-Ha Waterfalls

    

   

   And then you can climb behind it!

   

   Saki checking out Agua Azul

6. And of course, you can’t miss the Palenque archeological site. In the thick of the jungle, you climb up the steps of the ruins with sounds of howling monkeys in the distance. Much lower in elevation than San Cris, even in December this area is humid, although not overbearingly. At the top—slightly out of breath due to a lack of exercise and a love of tacos—you take a deep breath and drink in the view. This used to be a space of great Mayan splendour, and whats crazy is that it’s still possible to recognize the grandeur that existed thousands of years ago; even if its crumbling in a lot of places with tourists taking selfies on the steps and tired looking locals selling kitchy souvenirs, you can still sense the blood and sweat that went into building this empire. It’s pretty cool.
   

   They say only 90% of the existing ruins have been uncovered.

   

   People used to live here

   

   Here too.

Hello from Merida Yucatan (well, by the time this is published I will be in Campeche but you get the point right?),

I am still doing some travelling, so am having a challenging time doing posts with my own photos. But I have some great ideas of blog posts upon my return to Querétaro 🙂

For now, enjoy this article from another internet website, that hopefully paints a more diverse picture of Mexico than what we normally see in mainstream media. I guess by sharing my experiences on this blog, I am in a small way trying to express Mexico in a broader spectrum too.

I have been seeing some really beautiful things here in southern Mexico these last weeks, and I was just talking with another traveller today how Mexico would have SO many more visitors if it weren’t for the bad international media coverage. The country is so gorgeous and diverse with so many things that many people would love to see. Ruins, culture, history, nature; she has it all. Well, I guess in a selfish way that’s better for me as it isn’t as crowded as it could be. MWAHAHAHAHA

The article talks about the Mexico/USA border problems, but I think replacing that with the current media coverage of the Ayotzinapa disappearances would be more time relevant to now. My only disappointment is that they didn’t talk about the nature and landscape, as well as the food.  I have also added my own comments in bold orange.

Enjoy! And of course, Merry Christmas!

[Instead of forcing you to click on a new link, I have decided to copy and paste the entire article here. If you would like to see the website, it is here]

Think to the last news story you heard about Mexico, and it probably involved the heated debate over immigration reform in the United States or the Mexico’s struggle against drug cartels.

And now, more than ever, the media is painting a grim picture of the multi-faceted crisis brewing at the U.S.-Mexico border, where a recent surge in undocumented, unaccompanied children are moving between the two countries at a rate of more than 1,000 per week. President Barack Obama has called it a “humanitarian crisis,” and all eyes are on the White House as the government decides its next move.

The images pieced together in the news — of corruption, poverty, violence and crime — are grim, but they don’t capture the full, textured reality of life in Mexico. As there are approximately 33.7 million Mexican-Americans living in the United States today, it is worth thinking more about what the country looks like beyond the headlines.

Here are some photos that show a side to Mexico that we don’t usually see in the media:

Its weird, being in a relationship that has a predetermined amount of time before termination. Knowing from the beginning that we were only going to be together for 10 months or so. It makes my time with you kind of bittersweet, and forces me to take full advantage knowing it wont last forever. If I am being honest, the temporaryness can be a comfort too. Not always, but when things are hard for me here. When I feel like I going to burst about my frustrations here: the stares, the cat calls, this stark and visible difference between wealthy and poor, the pain and time it takes of getting things fixed (if they get fixed), and the sometimes-quiet-sometimes-up-in-your-face-but-always-in-the-back-of-your-mind unease/fear. Not fear and anxiety just for my safety, but my inability to properly communicate, and constantly being in unfamiliar places.

But then, then! I also feel like I might burst from the nostalgia I already feel for my mind-numbingly amazing experiences I’ve had with you and the rest of the country:  meeting all these fascinating people, walking around your downtown at night with all the lights and street performers, your beautiful streets and colours and smells, getting glimpses of different lives,  laughing with strangers, laughing with friends, experiencing all this kindness, your 3am tacos, your 5pm tacos, your 12pm tacos. And of course, the sometimes-quiet-sometimes-up-in-your-face-but-always-in-the-back-of-your-mind unease/fear.

So,  I guess we are getting to that halfway point in our relationship. How am I feeling about you? Lots of things. Firstly, grateful. You have allowed me to be so much while I have been here.   You have welcomed me, sometimes in strange ways. You are full of people who aren’t from here but now call you home.  Your rolling hills of lights from my bathroom window—of so many neighborhoods you harbor  that I have never seen, and might never see.  Your industrialization looming over so much while art and creativity attempt to push through.

How will I ever say goodbye? I am not sure…but for the time being, let us be us and let our relationship grow. Lets see where things take us, and go on more adventures together.

Thanks for everything Querétaro, lets make next semester as awesome as the last.

I grew up in Canada and feel like I am used to most of the customs that we have there, but I did grow up in a Japanese family where we eat Japanese food, celebrate Japanese holidays, and visit ALL our family back in Japan atleast once a year.  So although I am pretty Canadian, I still have a lot of things about me that I think are considered Japanese.

This sometimes rubs up with Mexican/Latin culture in some interesting ways.  Example in the case of this blog post: greetings and personal space.

So in Canada, depending on who you are, you hug goods friends if you haven’t seen them in a while or if that is just what you’re into when you see each other. That’s cool, thats fine. I think it’s partly because of my Japanese background and mostly because I am an awkward human but I find this a bit….uncomfortable. I have just always had this problem. If the other person initiates the hug I am all for it, but I am not going to start that shit.   Like, dude my sister used to hug me as a way to bother me. I just don’t physically embrace like North American (or Latin) culture does.

In Japan and other Asian cultures, there is a lot more personal space (in some ways, ignore those images of packed trains), less physical contact and less open affection. Youtube evidence: there is a video of asian kids randomly telling their parents they love them and recording how the parents react to this. So yeah, it’s a thing.

It’s not that we love each other less, or I appreciate my friends less than other cultures.  Us Asian families, we show our love in other ways.

So, this physical contact thing. I thought it was hard in Canada. Well here in Mexicoyou are in the land of latin culture baby. Here touching is as normal as…as normal as…tacos!  You touch cheeks every time you say hi, bye, walking by, meeting others SO MUCH TOUCHING AND CLOSENESS. And I am not even in a couple things, that is like a whole nutha level.

Part 2

Body language, and body things are funny things. So in Mexico, when you greet eachother you kiss a cheek. What else is common in Mexico? Well I made you some GIFS to show you! I’ve also added some body language from Northern Canada and what a lot of Inuit people do,  as a comparison too 🙂

1) Saying YES in Inuit culture and Mexican culture.

When I was in Pangnirtung in the summer of 2013, I got used to saying Yes and No using the facial expressions that are common up there. I remember when I first arrived I would ask a question to a kid in the community, and they would reply with their face, but I didn’t get they were saying yes so I would repeat the question….

Raise the eyebrows people!

In Mexico however, there is a different way of saying yes. Although people do understand the nodding of the head that is common back home, there is also the finger moving, often used in more non-formal occasions.

Just more fluid and faster than this gif

2) Saying No with Inuit facial expression

3) Saying thank you in Mexican culture. I have often encountered this when I offer something (like food) and the person doesn’t want it but wants to say like, “no thank you”. But I am told it just means thank you . Use it when crossing the street. At first it  feels rude, like you’re flipping someone off. Just get used to it !

Try to maybe look happier than I do but not 100% necessary

And there you have it! Some quick body language greetings used in Mexico and parts of Northern Canada.

Hi  everyone!

Thanks for keeping up with me until now with my journey in Mexico. Winter break is coming up for me (last exam on Thursday!) and a lot of people are heading home permanently or if they are staying for a year, going home to visit loved ones.  I have decided not to head back to Vancouver for the Winter Break because I have no loved ones only myself. Okay just kidding. Kind of…heh heh. Well,  I want to take FULL advantage of being in this part of the world so I am staying in the country! As well, my family will be all over the world during Christmas anyways: My sis in India/Nepal, mom in Japan, Dad and Bro back in Vancouver. And my brother will probably just be snowboarding the whole time anyways 😛

School doesn’t start again until January 12th, so I plan on being gone for most of that time. I am heading South for a lot of it, and a good friend of mine and I will be meeting up to do some travelling in Cancun from the 15th-23rd. Yaaaay!

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, I am NOT going to break my blog oath if that is what you are wondering. I have written a few posts and have them scheduled to publish every two weeks (starting on Friday). When you read them, know that they were written a bit before the actual publication date. I will have a photo gallery of my travels upon return, and hopefully will even be able to blog some too!

I  hope everyone has a great Winter time and New Years, and thanks for taking the time to read my blog 🙂

I am kind of nervous because I will be spending Christmas and New Years alone, which is a first for me. But, this is a great time to make some one-person memories and do some more reflecting. I might even blog about that…how the holidays this year will be different. Anyways, wish me luck. I will stay safe in these tumultuous times of the country. Another blog post maybe?! Okay I stop now haha

When people ask me what I study here in Mexico I just tell them Agriculture and Indigenous Studies to keep things simple. Actually though, my focus is more social agriculture rather than Agriculture Engineering (what TEC offers). One of the students in Agriculture knows/thinks I study agriculture back home so invited me to go with his class to visit one of the largest Agriculture fairs held in Latin America. I actually visited the exposition with four other agriculture classes in Irapuato Guanajuato (about a two hour bus ride away).
I was going to the fair with some things in mind—main example, I have an interest in the social impacts of small scale agriculture and I dont think this fair was really going to be geared towards that. As well as “Yesssss ticking off another Mexican state off my list!”

To nobodys surprise, the exposition was very focused on large scale agriculture. Anything that you would ever need in the agriculture industry could be found at this fair, from John Deer tractors, the cardboard boxes that vegetables arrive in at the grocery store, to hydroponics and different types of animal feed. So as you imagine,  it was HUGE!

It was HUMOUNGOUS.

We were given five hours to explore, and some students were complaining that this would not be enough (Oh come ON, SERIOUSLY?).

Tractors for saaaaaale!

As it was focused on things like maximizing yields, specializing machinery, and the latest technology, I soon became quite bored. Like mind numbingly “holy shit it has only been five minutes since I last checked my watch” bored. So, as I always do when in situations in which I feel uncomfortable, I decided to run away. To be honest, I was more bored than uncomfortable, but still pretty uncomfortable nonetheless. But before I slunk away from the fair to go explore the surrounding neighbourhoods—and by explore I mean taking a nap in a local convenience store— there was something that struck me about the fair: the role of woman.

There were so many people at the fair, and yes, it was mostly men. Not just the visitors but 95% of the vendors were men. And this is where my biggest “this is super weird” moment came. The role of woman who were at the exposition was to wear 7 inch heels, do their hair and wear “sexy” clothing to entice men into the stand. They were there soley as sexual objects in the most non-subtle way possible. If you are a human in todays society and have stepped outside in the last 100000 years you have probably seen this before in some shape or form. As a minuscule example that is comparable to the Agriculture fair, at UBC you see those “sexy girls” who come to campus handing out red bulls. Why are there no old people or fat woman handing those out? Wait, even if they did diversify the type of people who were handing them out, they are still being used as objects no? I don’t know. ANYWAYS.

Here in Mexico, this objecitifcation is much more up in my grill.  More exagerated and prominent. I think it also has to do with the contrast of the machismo-ism that exists in Latin culture, and the prominent gender roles here.  But I wish I was more critical thinker and able to figure this out better. In my experience at the Agriculture fair, the woman are literally on display. I was creeped out thinking about what those men who were taking pictures with these woman were going to do with the photos. Admire their good looks later? Like seriously!

——–There were lectures too. A good place to practice my listening skills. Like, spanish listening skills. Not like kindergarden listen politely skills…in case you needed the clarification…..

But the thing is, its not just taking place at this one place in an Agriculture Fair in Irapuato. I see it here when there are furniture sales and at fried chicken stores…everywhere! Its strange when you compare the role of woman on the morning talks shows with what the men do: the amount of talking the woman do[nt] do, the amount of dancing they do (yes, they dance.), the amount of production that has gone into putting them on display. And I could go on and on!  And there is a HECK of a lot more that can be said around this topic, but I don’t feel I am able to articulate all these things yet, because I am still learning and unlearning.  So if you have anything to add or comments, please leave em below 😀

My last few posts have been semi-negative, but I want friends and family and randoms to know I am still having a wonderful time! I have chosen a new apartment for the next semester, and when I move in January I will blog about that tooººº   I am going to have my own place (plus a roommate from Chiapas)! Cooking my own soy sauce dishes and baking bread!! I AM SO PUMPED but sad to leave such wonderful homemade Mexican food :3

Okay talk to everyone soon

We went to a smaller little town called TzinTzunTzan (sounds Chinese right? An Indigenous name I think) that was probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen

I would like to say before you start reading: this is a nice song to listen to in the background that is kind of beautiful and spooky and about ghosts and people returning.

This past weekend was one of the weekends I have looked most forward to since hearing descriptions of it from Spanish teachers in high school. Is was one of the few things I knew about Mexico before arriving, and that is Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos.

Día de Muertos is a celebration that takes place in Mexico on November 1st and 2nd. It is similar, I think, to “obon” in Japan where it is said that family members who have passed on come back to eat, drink, and spend time with family members who are still on earth. All over Mexico, family members and friends spend this evening and night hanging out at the graves of loved ones, oftentimes singing/drinking/eating and taking time to remember them.

Originally a celebration with Indigenous roots, it used to take place at the beginning of summer before Spanish colonization. However, it was was moved to the current day in order to coincide with the Catholic celebration of what we now know as Halloween. Colonization 101 people.

An altar for somebody

Cemetery we visited in Tzintzantzun

There are a few things that are very symbolic and representative of this holiday:

1. Pan de Muerto: only sold in the few weeks before Day of the Dead. A sweet bread roll oftentimes flavored with cinnamon, chocolate or orange. Super delicious, soft and white. There is a bakery near my school who has offered to make me Pan de Muerto, post Día de Muertos! Woo!
2. Calaveras: skulllllllls. You have probably seen these before, and are pretty iconic with Día de Muertos. Everywhere they sell sugar and chocolate skills that can be eaten or given as small gifts. According to my school, these are  a way of teasing and making fun of death.
3. Along the same lines…La Catrina. There are figurines of her  everywhere too, and is a figurine of a skeleton woman. Many people paint their faces kind of Catrina style during this time of year, which you may have seen before. You can find Catrinas made of clay, sugar, glass everything! So many little souvenirs which embody her.
4. Cempasúchil: a bright orange flower. As you will see in the photos, these sort of marigolds/chrysanthemum  decorate graves and are seen everywhere during this time of year
5. The Altar: A lot of Mexican families build altars in their homes this time of year, decorated with a lot of the things mentioned above and pictures of the deceased to honour/celebrate/remember them.

Colouful Calaveras

Tzintzuntzan Altar

So what did I do this really special weekend? I decided to go to Morelia and Pátzcuaro in the state of Michoacán. It seemed that everyone was telling me to go here and there were a lot of school groups planning trips here this weekend. Its considered to be one of the most popular places in all of Mexico to go this weekend.

I was struggling with the decision to join my friends to go, as I wasnt sure if I wanted to participate in something so huge. On the other hand however, it felt like I should try and see it if its sooo famous. In my gut, I knew I should try finding something smaller, more intimate. But in the end, I decided to go as it was the easiest choice (just join along those who were already going).

Taking the boat to the famous Island Janitzio, while drinking hot fruit punch with wine/mezcal/rum/tequila (depending on your taste)

Not going into too much detail, it was a disaster. Maybe I am being dramatic. There were just hoards of people everywhere. Everything being sold to seemed kitchy, and aimed at tourists (which may or may not have been true). And we went with 10 people, which meant a lot of time spent on decision making, waiting for others, etc. Usually mild Mexican taxi drivers seemed snarly and trickster, and busses heading home were sold out. The look on the face of the girl who graciously allowed us to stay at our house…she thought there were only four of us coming….then 10 of us showed up at her door….. And to top it all off, we lost a friend in the crowd at 10pm on the Saturday. After waiting for us in the cold for 4.5 hours, he took a 6 hour journey back to Querétaro at 230 in the morning. So yeah, shitty.

I was feeling pretty shitty that it was a shitty trip. I had looked forward to this weekend so much, and was left with feelings of disappointment and frustration. At the cemetery we visited, it was strange to see so many strangers and tourists peering into the rituals and intimate spaces of people trying to connect with their passed-on family members. Was I expecting too much “authenticity”? Striving for a specific experience? Was I bringing in my own ideas of death which were affecting my judgment and thoughts on how people should act?

At the cemetery on Island Janitzio. The baskets and altars both have food to offer to those returing

Whatever the answer is to those questions, I have accepted and come to terms with it. Because some experiences aren’t going to be not great Saki. Remember that you need crappy ones to remind you of the awesome ones too. Actually, this past weekend I took a day trip to Sierra Gorda (a biosphere reserve in the Northern part of our state) and it was GORGEOUS, spontaneous and fun. So, I guess you win lots, and lose some too 😛

**Note, some of these photos were not taken by me, but rather a friend with a sweet camera.