My Favorite Curandera... Tía Luz

With my Mexican health class this week, Rachael and I got to experience a limpia, which means cleaning. Our professor, Dr. Javier Mendez, took us to a nearby town called Mitla, and we met with a curandera named Tía Luz. (Aunt Light). Basically, she is a traditional medicine practitioner, similar to what we would think of as a shaman. Medicina tradicional is very important here, as you could note from my brief write up on parteras(widwives), which are also a part of this tradition.
So off we go to meet this curandera, not really knowing what to expect. We ended up meeting one of the cutest ladies I have ever seen, ever. Tía Luz, is a almost 90 year old lady, under 5 feet tall, with a tiny wrinkled face and big sunglasses from the 90's to protect her eyes following a cataract surgery a few months ago. (i will be posting a picture of her next week sometime.) Her laugh is just incredible, a huge toothless grin making her eyes almost non-existant, and cackles, usually grabbing her face in an adorable way.
Tía Luz is specialized in Espanto or Fright. She does a ceremony to discover your fright, which is an event in which you were traumatized in life, then she will do a limpia and clease you of that frightful event because the belief is that even pyschological things can affect your physical health. The ceremony starts with her sitting you in a chair and lighting a ball of wax on fire with sand and other things in it, this is burning in a bowl of water at your feet so that when it has burned completely there is a pattern left in the bottom of the bowl. while your fire burns she take a black pottery pot and calls for your spirit to come and cleansing the room by going into each of the 4 corners of the room repeating the call. At some point during each other you call out to her, "ya voy, ya voy" meaning "i´m coming", all the while you are supposed to be staring at the fire at your feet. Then when this is completed, she waits for your fire to burn up before removing the leftovers and interpreting it.
My friend, Rachael, had the whole cleaning done first and her espanto was a big fear of an animal when she was younger, but its passed now. Tía Luz said it was probably a snake. My Espanto, when it was my turn, involves people, lots of people, have frightened me, and there are lots of people around when i am frightened. Rachael didnt think it was acurrate, but still a little curious because she lived in Arizona as a kid so she's been around snakes as a child. Mine, i think is fairly accurate because there have been a few incidents in my life when a friend or someone has really terrified me because of something they said or did.
Once the fright is interpreted, Tía Luz begins the limpia (cleaning). This process starts by sitting you in the chair again, and then she calls your name out again before taking a big clear bottle of mescal and tips her head back and appears to chug it. As a bit of a shock, she spits out the mescal at your feet where the fire used to be. For those not well versed in Mexican alcohols, Mescal is similar to tequila but is made from a different type of cactus plant called Manguey, personally, I think it smells and tastes like rubbing alcohol. Tía Luz takes another big swig of this mescal and spits it out on your feet and lower legs, then on your outstretched forearms, then down your shirt in the front, down your shirt in the back, then you have to stand up and she spits more mescal out on the back of your knees. Once this is done, and you've somehow managed not to laugh while it was happening, she takes a certain type of palms and beats the floor at your feet before hitting you in all the places she spit mescal all over you. When this is done, you're clean, and free of your frightful event!
We had a good chat with Tía Luz afterwards, as well. We found out that she learned from people in her family and started practicing around 40, before that she sold fruit and other things. We're still not sure we should believe them, but she said that one of her grandparents lived to be 122 years old so her 90 years is not that out of the ordinary for her family. She was incredibly full of life, and her laugh was infectious to say the least. She was hard to leave, but maybe we'll get back to visit her someday, if you ever end up in Mexico and want to be cleaned or learn how to do cleanings, look up Tía Luz in Mitla, Oaxaca State. She doesn´t have an apprentice, because no young people in the area want to learn, the old ways are starting to slip away. She's very friendly, and will only charge you a small fee of around 100 pesos for a cleaning, which is about 11$Can. I definitely recommend it!
Mitla is a gorgeous town of artisans and ancient ruins in the middle of the town as well. Its not big compared to Oaxaca but its beautiful and full of life. Again, I find myself recommending a trip to Oaxaca to any and all. If you ever consider it please ask me about it! My professors wife is a tour guide here and i could get you in touch with her! (she's american and therefore language is not an issue!)

Day of the Dead Info

Here's some links to excellent sites about the Day of the Dead festival in Oaxaca. I'll be putting up more information about it as i experience next week, but incase you've got some time on your hands and want to put some more meaning on our Halloween check the sites out. The pics are really interesting and actually the whole basis of it is really interesting. To all you teachers out there you should talk to your classes about this, a fun alternative to normal class while still learning about another culture at Halloween when most students will refuse to pay attention anyway!
Really quickly, the Day of the Dead Festival is from Ocotber 31st to November 2nd, and its a huge tradition in Mexico, especially here in Oaxaca. Its mostly practiced by the catholic population, so i dont get to see much of it since my host family is mormon and they dont participate. Essentially its a time when the spirits of family come back through a door open to this world and visit their family members. They are honoured in altars with pictures, fruit, vegetables, traditional dishes like mole, and sweets, along with visiting cemetaries for special ceremonies, bringing their relatives music that they like, or food or whatever their ancestors enjoyed in life. Its a huge deal and in some families its more important than Christmas as a religious holiday.
anyway check out the links that the Lovely Kacki sent me and i'll put up more info next week!

Offers a good explanation of the holiday
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/mdiaz/mdmuertos.html

This website offers cooking classes traditional food for the Day of the Dead
http://www.day-of-the-dead.org/

A nice, personal account of a foreigner describing in detail the Day of the Dead festivities- some nice photos
http://www.viva-oaxaca.com/Day_0f_Dead/DayDead_text.htm

Another website that describes the holiday of how it is celebrated and also offers tours and cooking classes
http://www.go-oaxaca.com/traditions/daydead.html

Link to other Blog

Hey Hey.
So in the wake of writing a few things while in Mexico, i decided to post them so you can read them at your leisure. it also helps me to make sure i dont lose them! its in another blog and i havent figured out how to make a link onthe main pages to the other blog... so check it out if you like...
http://lavidaoaxaquena-articulosycosas.blogspot.com/

The situation...

THis is Puerto Escondido. the beach we went to which is world famous for surfing. this is where Rachael and i went to escape the situation in Oaxaca for a weekend! so nice!
This is my group of girls! in San Martin Huamelupam or something. its early but we're still happy because we're in Mexico! another little escape out of the city in september.

Well. the situation is as it was. We had crazy high hopes that it would clear up last week, but it looks like we've got another couple of weeks to wait until things get worked out. Actually, as with most situations, it will appear to get worse before it gets better.
Unfortunately i dont have much time right now, I have to go write an article for the Ath now. But if anyones interested it should be in the online edition next week at www.theathonline.com so check it out if you want!

Pics of Me!

This is me and my Varuna! I miss her... especially today... i'me wearing a shirt she gave me b4 she left! oh have fun at home in school V! oh i only appear to be naked because i'm wearing a tan dress of Varunas...
this is my group of girls that arrived in september! We're at a club called High. we found it to be a rather low experience. Me Natalie, Maggie, and Rachael.
Me and Natalie!!! yes, i'm wearing another dress, shockin eh? i bought this one just to wear for 'fun'!
none of these ppl are me... no my tan is good but its not that good! Varuna, Agustin ( ProMexico Staffer) and Sonia!

There ya go! a few pics of me since i realized i havent put up many of those and y'all might be curious to see what i look like after all this time away! haha! more up soon i hope!!! Be Good! Be Happy!

Fotos!

random spiderweb i enjoyed in the morning dew
i swear its not scary here!
this is the puppy that made me bleed in two places... devil puppy!

raise of Hands

Alrighty! Everyone at home who´s heard any news about Oaxaca... Raise your Hands! and i mean on main circuit news, not my fancy little blog here! No One? Oh! One or two in the back! Okay cool! Well.... Limme tell you a little story...
So Once there was this corrupt govenor Ulises Ruis. And once there was this very organized teachers union that back in the day started to go on strike every summer to get more money. Then wayyyy back in June, everyone decided to agree that Ulises is corrupt. the Teachers and all kinds of other groups banded together and now we have the APPO!
Now the thing you´ve got to understand about this whole she-bang is that everyone has gone to extremes. Today they were all supposed to sit down again and have a lovely little chat about how to fix this whole mess, but this being the sticky situation that it is... the APPO and the teachers wouldnt go because not all the same groups of people were invited as before. Now, to be brutally honest, we dont have a clue whats going to happen. So we wait. and twiddle our thumbs and go on with normal life more or less.
The federal police could come in at any point and essentially fumigate the city of all the little pesky protesters. but i doubt that will happen today. Who knows? no one! well... presidente Fox might. but he aint sayin a word! shhh... secrets! Anyway, more of this story today is that we're just chillin and livin like normal. shopping trying to stimulate the economy and going out to dinner tonight for the same purpose! Officially i suppose i could tell you that we're sticking close to home and not staying out late this week just incase. and if the federal police do come in Our darling staffers might just wisk us away to the mountains... or beach.... for a perfect few days together! haha! seriously... no worries! s'all good in the Hood as they say!

A little Update!

Manuel, Maggie, Rachael, and Gil.... on Rachaels 21st Bday in Sabina!
Marco and Celso! My davorite Mexican Couple! Celso is in Black and is one of my spanish teachers... whose favorite english words are DUH and Hanky Panky! How do you not LOVE that?
please meet Kacki... or Kiki, or Kackinder! Shes ProMéxico Staff and is super fun from Tennessee!

And this is also a ProMéxico Staffer... Tim or Timo our program director... and yes, if you´re wondering is he dancing to MC Hammer, the answer is yes. Ah the things that man will do with some coaxing....

Hola Todos!
I just thought i´d steal a few more pics from my buddy Rachael so you can all be nosy and look at my friends! Again these are all stolen pics but you get the point! I´m still working on getting mine on a cd so i can actually put up some that i´ve taken!
Now on to the update!
I´m offically and semi legally allowed to stay in México until december 14th! eventhough i will be home to bug everyone a few days before that! I´ve decided that i will be super sad to leave all my few friends and staffers here when i leave, but i´ve still got... like 72 more days to enjoy in the beautiful Mexico! Yes i went and got my tourist visa extended today, with the help of my passport and bank account which is rather plump right now.. thanks Daddy! I´m all set to stay now! As long as no one figures out that i´m not actually only a tourist then i´m good! but it wont be a problem! Since its pretty much our main way to pass the time!
Rachael and I are heading to the beach in Puerto Escondito this weekend to get out of the city and away from the craziness. We still manage to enjoy ourselves despite classes, and the demonstrations and threat of military invasion. our staffers are actually encouraging our little outing for the weekend considering what could happen this week with the attempt at resuming talks with the APPO and all the protesters with the federal and state governments. You just never know. There have been helicopters flyin over the city since saturday to assess how things are, and make a plan. Plus the actual protestors are not laying down. there was another march today that Rachael and i got to witness with Tim and kacki outside the office. Tension seems to be building, and if something happens this week wé're in our houses with our families until Tim says otherwise! Unfortunately our staffers cant come with us this weekend because they have orientation with the new group of girls coming in, but we're all trying to plan a trip on the 21st of october again and then another one in November maybe?! I hope!
Um just a little note about media back at home, if any of you get to see news about Oaxaca, be critical of what you see. Not that its necessarily wrong, but dramatic. We were looking at CNN today, and they seem to like their thesaurus more than they like anything else in the world. they tend to paint a very negative picture that isnt how the city actually feels. for example, apparently there were some 'attacks' on banks here today, but we had no idea, and we wouldnt if we didnt check the news. If you avoid the problem areas at the problem times and pay attention to rumours and whats going on around you then you're fine. But speaking of which, it is 8 o clock and i promised Tim i´d be home by now! hahaha! no worries!