Just in time for the sunset in Zacatecas

We were originally on our way to something called “Wixarika”, an area of traditional, indigenous towns. But as you may or may not know, being spontaneous is the key to living in Mexico. Because trust me, plans normally don’t work out. Plans are, in fact, quite useless!

We were looking for some sort of sign. We asked people at gas stations and little stores, but nobody had any idea where this “Wixarika” was. Before long, we were in another state and 3 hours away from Guadalajara. “Well”, said Manuel. “We’re already well on our way to Zacatecas. Let’s find out how far it actually is!”

So, 3 hours and some wrong turns later, at about 6:30 pm, we found ourselves in the old mining town of Zacatecas. It is spectacularly situated in the middle of the desert, surrounded by mountains. It boasts a beautiful, old cathedral, cobble stone streets, quaint alleys and gorgeous buildings and museums. In this town of 300,000 there are numerous hotels catering for tourists, but no malls. I was quite shocked!

After a typical Mexican dinner of enchiladas, beans and tortillas, we headed up to “La Bufa”, a lookout point. Unfortunately, the cable cars had already stopped running, but we got to see a spectacular sunset over the town and desert. The town turned pink and the mountains blue. We sipped the rest of our Starbucks coffees, watching the red sun disappear behind the mountains and wishing we didn’t have to get back to Guadalajara the same night…

When we walked back to our car, a family had gathered around a sound system. As they danced their way into the night, we began the long drive home…

Day of the Dead vs. Halloween

As my students dress up in creative costumes for the school’s major Halloween event, I am left wondering what will become of Mexican traditions. Last year’s Day of the Dead event is forgotten, as students and teachers alike embrace American culture, and leave their own behind. Wal-Mart and department stores have been full of pumpkins, witches and vampires for weeks. Nightclubs and restaurants are throwing costume parties and Halloween specials. What about the Day of the Dead?

Day of the Dead (or Dia de los Muertos in Spanish) is celebrated throughout Mexico on November 2nd. The origins of the holiday can be traced as far back as to Aztec civilization, where rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors were performed. Skulls were displayed to symbolize death and rebirth, and are still used in Day of the Dead celebrations today. The famous skeleton-lady “Catrina” which can be seen year-round, is also based on Aztec tradition, namely the goddess “Mictecacihuatl” or “Lady of the Dead”.

For weeks before this special day, grocery stores and bakeries sell Pan de Muerto (a round, sweet bread sprinkled with sugar), decorated sugar skulls and chocolate coffins. These treats are placed on altars that families make in their house to honor loved ones who have passed away. The altars are decorated with orange marigolds, crosses and pictures of the deceased. There are also plates of beans, tortillas or drinks – usually the favorite of their loved one. These offerings can be anything from chocolate to tequila!

At the malls in Guadalajara there are large altars for famous Mexicans. Downtown, there are numerous stalls that sell Pan de Muerto, and candy skulls and coffins. Bakery windows are brightly decorated with skulls, and cemeteries abound with flowers.

Yet when I ask my students on November 3rd what they did for Day of the Dead, I get no response. One girl says she threw a Halloween party at her house. But since when is Day of the Dead synonymous with Halloween? To top it all off, the school has been covered with spider webs and jack-o-lanterns for days in preparation for the major Halloween event. Not a single skull or skeleton can be seen. Is this how a country loses its culture?

Mexico's War

Mexico is at war. In Mexico's second largest city, Guadalajara, armed police behind armored trucks indicate that the drug cartels are threatening the city. They are positioned outside the police headquarters, on a busy street in the middle of downtown. Several times in the last two years, the building has been hit by granades. Fortunately, it has happened in the middle of the night - but two cops have been killed and several wounded. "It was my friend who died", says one of the police standing guard. "I don't want the same thing to happen to me. Being a cop now is dangerous." He studies business in the evenings, and English on Saturday mornings. He desperately wants to change his profession.

The drug cartels now control all areas around this city of around 6 million people. The attacks on the police headquarters are direct responses to the police's work against the country's drug cartels. If the police tries to work against them, the consequences will be deadly.

The average Mexican doesn't really see this war, but drugs are present in the streets and in the schools. The dealers are becoming richer and more powerful, whereas rehab clinics and AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) groups can be seen in most neighborhoods. In one of the largest private high schools, drugs are easily available. "I was in shock when I started here", says a student in his second year. "It is so easy to get a hold of marihuana. There are students who sell." But the school appears to be losing the war. After a couple of days with drug dogs at the beginning of the school year, the school could again be controlled by the drug dealers. And at the recent Halloween event in the middle of the day, the smell of marihuana filled the air on campus. The teachers are not informed about the presence of drugs, and administration turns a blind eye to the problems.

How, then, can Mexico's war be won when police take a defensive stand and schools deliberately overlook the obvious issues?