Pop Culture 001 - La Familia Telerín

One of these days you may hear someone refer to the “Familia Telerín” (teh-leh-REEN) as in “Ahí viene la Familia Telerín” (Here comes the Telerín family). The name “Familia Telerín” is an affectionate term for any family with small children. It refers to a time in Mexico (and several other countries) when there was an animated cartoon notice broadcast on the television to remind small children that it was time to go to bed. In Mexico in particular it was broadcast by Televisa (channel two) every night at eight o'clock. This occurred in the 1970's and all the way up throgh the 80's. It started out in black and white and eventually it went to color. La Familia Telerín was an early animation created in Spain in 1964 by two brothers named Santiago and José Moro and it was such a great success that it eventually spread to other Spanish speaking countries.

There were six little children in La Familia Telerín. There names were Cleo, Teté, Maripí, Pelusín, Coletas y Cuquín. The leader was the little girl named “Cleo” which is short for “Cleotilde”. The next was the little boy named Teté whom I believe was named after a famous blind Spanish Jazz pianist named Tete Montoliu. His full name was Vicente Montoliu Massana. He was very popular about the time when the Moro brothers created their animation. The next in line was a little girl named “Maripí” (mah-ree-PEE) which is short for “María Pilar”. Next came the little boy “Pelusín” (pay-loo-SEEN). The name comes from a combination of the words “pelusa” (fluff), “peluca” (wig), and peluquín (toupee). In English we would probably call him “Mopsy” or "Topsy" or something similar. After Pelusín came the little girl, “Coletas” (koh-LAY-tahs). She is named “Coletas” because the word “coleta” means “pigtail” and she has two of them. Last but not least comes the baby “Cuquín” (koo-KEEN). The word “cuco” means “pretty” and the suffix “quín” makes it a diminutive and so in English we would probably say “Cutie Pie”.

When the animated notice would appear on the television screen at eight o'clock there would first be a little speech by Cleo who would say:

Un recado de parte de la tele. Ya va siendo hora de que los peques nos vayamos a la cama. A television reminder. Now it is getting to be the time that us little ones should go to bed.

Then Cleo would shout “¡Ale!” (“Come on!”) and they would all march off to bed singing:

Vamos a la cama
We are going to bed
que hay que descansar
because we need to rest
para que mañana
so that in the morning
podamos madrugar
we can be earlybirds.

Here is a little experiment for you to try. Ask any of your Mexican freinds over the age of forty to tell you about the Family Telerín. I'll be that they start singing:

“Vamos a la cama que hay que descansar, para que mañana podamos madrugar.”

Songs 001 Cri-Crí - El Grillo Cantor

It would be impossible to have a good working knowledge of Mexican Spanish without knowing something about the songs. In case you haven't noticed, Mexican people like music and especially singing. I would like to include music in these blog lessons in the form of old time favorite popular songs and I could think of no better way than to start out with the songs created by a wonderful man named Francisco Gabilondo Soler who is better known as Cri-Crí (cree-CREE). In 1934 while broadcasting his own radio show on Mexico's most popular station XEW he created a character named “Cri-Crí, El Grillo Cantor”. In English, “El Grillo Cantor” means “the singing cricket”. He was created by Francisco Gabilondo Soler when he was a child and Cri-Crí remained his lifelong imaginary companion. Eventually Cri-Crí became so famous that people began calling Señor Gabilondo himself “Cri-Crí” and in the 1930's, 40's, and 50's he became the most famous singer of childrens' songs in Español.

A nice man named Gabriel Orozco has created a very nice website where you can download and play the songs of Cri-Crí, El Grillo Cantor.

I have some particular suggestions for songs to start out with. You can sing right along because the words are provided and the songs are clear and simple and are a nice way to practice your Spanish.

The fist song is “Campanita-Juan Pestañas”. It is a song about the Mexican version of Mr. Sandman. The word “pestaña” means “eyelash”. The word “campanita” means “little bell”. I guarantee that you will like this song, especially the way that Francisco Gabilondo sings it.

The second song is “La Patita” which is about a mother duck and her ducklings. Very cute.

The third song is “Negrito Sandía” which is a bit saucy.

There are over a hundred songs with both words and MP3 music recordings so I'm sure that you will find something that you like. The main thing is that you are introduced to the songs of Cri-Crí so that when this name comes up in conversation you will not only know what the people are talking about but you will be able to show how smart you are and rattle off the names of your own favorite Cri-Crí songs.

And now, I will end this post in the same manner that Francisco Gabilondo Soler ended each program:

¿Quién es el que anduvo aquí?
Who is it that was just here?
¡Fue Cri-Crí! ¡Fue Cri-Crí!
It was Cri-Crí! It was Cri-Crí!
¿Y quién es ese señor?
And who is that gentleman?
¡El Grillo Cantor!
The Singing Cricket!

Vocab Builder 002 - Carmelita's Mole Sauce

Recently, I received a question about mole sauce from Michele and Peter who live in the Mission District of San Francisco, California. Peter's grandparents were born near Irapuato and he is trying to find a mole recipe like the kind that his grandmother used to make. I turned to my Mexican food expert who just happens to be my wife's mother, “Carmelita”, and asked for her help. Carmelita is from nearby Silao and she learned how to make mole from her mother who learned from her mother and so on down the line. The first person to make mole, according to popular tradition, was Sister Andrea de la Asunción of the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla. She created it for the first time in honor of a visit by the archbishop sometime during the late sixteen hundreds. She served it over turkey (Guajalote) and the dish is popularly known as “Mole Poblano de Guajalote” (MOH- lay pohb-LAHN-oh day gwah-hah-LOH-tay). It is a very traditional Mexican dish and it is served on special occasions. I have received several other questions about mole after writing about the “Mole Festival of Guanajuato” and I thought it might be nice to include Carmelita's recipe here in case anyone would like to try it with their Thanksgiving turkey. First, however, we had to get it out of Carmelita's head and write it down. It came out of her head in Spanish of course and so I made a translation. I wrote down both the original Spanish and the colloquial English translation in order to make it into a little Spanish lesson related to cooking a recipe or “receta” (reh-SAY-tah) as a recipe is called here. Okay, so let's get right to it:

Receta: Mole Poblano

Se cuece un guajolote grande y tierno o bien un pollo grande, cortándolo en piezas con, ajo, sal, cebolla, una rama de apio, para obtener un buen consomé. Ya una vez cocido se saca el pollo en un recipiente se tapa y se reserva el consomé colado.

Ingredientes:

9 chiles anchos
3 chiles mulatos
3 chiles pasilla
20 gramos de semilla de calabaza peladas
2 jitomates grandes asados de preferencia jitomate bola
50 gramos de almendras
50 gramos de cacahuates
50 gramos de ajonjolí
1 tablilla (85 gramos) de chocolate (de marca Abuelita o Ibarra)
2 tortillas de maíz doradas en fuego directo sin aceite y cortado en pedazos
1 bolillo mediano
3 dientes de ajo
1 cebolla grande
½ cucharadita de clavos de especia
10 pimientas negras
1 raja de canela
Una pizca de jengibre
200 gramos de manteca de cerdo ó 1/4 litro de aceite

Manera de hacerse:

Se asan un poco, los chiles, se limpian, y se doran en manteca o aceite. También se asan, las semillas de calabaza, las almendras, los cacahuates, el bolillo (rebanado), y una cucharadita y media de ajonjolí. Se frien el ajo, y la cebolla grande rebanada. Todos estos ingredientes se muelen en la licuadora con los jitomates asados, las tortillas doradas, canela, pimiento, clavos, jengibre, y el consomé (tibio) y se forma una pasta. Se pone el resto de manteca o aceite en una cazuela y se vacía la pasta y se le agrega más consomé y se espera a que hierva y tome consistencia ligeramente líquida, poniéndole consomé hasta que termine de cocinarse por espacio de dos horas a fuego muy suave. Agregue el chocolate y añade sal al gusto si se requiere, no dejando de mover constantemente para evitar que se pegue y queme.

Se sirve en un platón las piezas de pavo o pollo y poner encima el Mole Poblano, y se espolvorea con ajonjolí tostado. Se acompaña con arroz rojo (un paltillo muy Mexicano) o con frijoles refritos y tortillas de maíz calientitas y chile jalapeño en vinagre. Una sugerencia infalible de Mamá Carmelita, cuando vayas de invitado a un lugar y te sirvan mole, pide que te sirvan un poco de cebolla blanca cruda en rodajas y lo pones encima de tu mole y si quieres comer la cebolla muy bien y si no la comes no hay problema. De esta manera el Mole poblano nunca de causara indigestión. Otra sugerencia, el mole puedes prepararlo un día antes de tu fiesta y será mucho más rico que el día que lo preparas. Cuando te sobre mole, lo puedes congelar y otro día prepara enmoladas de pollo o pavo servidas con chiles toreados (chile serrano y cebolla en ruedas ligeramente fritos con aceite y con salsa Jugo Maggi de Nestle). ¡Qué rico!

En México es muy tradicional preparar mole, para los cumpleaños, días de santos, el doce de Diciembre (Virgen de Guadalupe), y alguna fecha que conmemorar o especial o sencillamente cuando tu quieras.

¡Buen provecho....Mmmmmmmmm¡ ¡Se me hizo agua la boca!

TRANSLATION:

Recipe: Mole Poblano

A big tender turkey or even a big chicken is cut into pieces and cooked with garlic, salt, onion, and a stick of celery to to obtain a good broth. Remove the chicken once it is cooked and strain the broth obtained.

Ingredients:

9 ancho chilis
3 mulato chilis
3 pasilla chilis
20 grams (¾ oz) pumpkin or squash seeds with shells removed
2 Large round tomatoes
50 grams (1-3/4 oz) almonds (shelled)
50 grams (1-3/4 oz) Peanuts (shelled)
50 grams (1-3/4 oz) Sesame seeds
1 tablet (3 oz) of chocolate (Abuelita or Ibarra brands)
2 corn tortillas roasted directly over flame without oil and cut in pieces
1 medium size bread roll
3 cloves garlic
1 large onion
½ teaspoon cloves
10 black pepper corns
1 stick of cinnamon
1 pinch of ginger
200 grams (7 oz) lard or 1/4 liter (about one cup) of vegetable oil.

Method of preparation:

Roast the chilis a little and clean them out and fry them in lard or oil. Also toast the pumpkin seeds, the almonds, the peanuts, the bread roll (sliced), and one and a half teaspoons of the sesame seeds. Lightly fry the garlic, and large onion (sliced). Mix all of these ingredients together in a blender with the roasted tomatoes, roasted tortilla pieces, cinnamon, pepper corns, cloves, ginger, and enough chicken broth (lukewarm) to form a paste. Put the remaining lard or oil in a pot, add the paste, and add more chicken broth until it takes the consistency of a light sauce, cooking it slowly over a low heat for two hours and adding more broth as necessary. Add the chocolate and add salt to taste as required. Don't forget to stir constantly to avoid sticking and burning.

Serve the Mole Poblano on a platter over pieces of turkey or chicken and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Acompany with red rice (a very Mexican dish) or with refried beans, warm corn tortillas, and pickled jalapeño chilli peppers. Mama Carmelita has a tried and true suggestion regarding mole. When you are invited to a place where mole is served ask that they serve some sliced raw onion on top of the mole whether you end up eating the onion or not. In this way the mole will never cause indigestion. Another suggestion is that you prepare your mole one day before your party and it will be much tastier than on the day that you prepared it. When you have mole left over you can freeze it and another day you can prpare chicken or turkey with mole and serve it with chilis toreados (lightly rolled, crushed and fried fried chillis serranos and fried sliced onions with Nestle's Jugo Maggi sauce). Very tasty!

In Mexico it is very traditional to prepare mole for birthdays, saint's days, the 12th of December (Virgen de Guadalupe), or some other special day of commemoration or simply whenever you want to.

Bon apetít!...Mmmmmm! It makes my mouth water!

Additional notes:

Don't add hot broth to the blender. Let it cool down to room temperature or it will affect the mix.

It is better to use pure “manteca” or pig lard but vegetable oil will do.

The chocolate sold under the brand names Abuelita (Nestle) and Ibarra comes in three ounce discs that contain sugar and cinnamon. You can substitute dark chocolate but then you have to adjust by adding sugar and cinamon. Abuelita and /or Ibarra can be found in most supermarkets in North America.

Most traditional moles except for “Mole Verde” or “Green Mole” of Oaxaca use chocolate. However, there is another similar sauce called “Pipian” that doesn't use chocolate. Instead of chocolate it uses about a half pound of roasted pumpkin or squash seeds after you remove the shells. By the way, it takes a LOT of pumpkin seeds to make that many "pepitas" which is what the inner seeds are called without the shell. Good luck!

Vocab Builder - 001 Dengue & Aedes Aegypti

On October 31st I published a post entitled “The Living and the Dead” in which I mentioned the general dearth of flowers in United States cemeteries and how in Mexico the flowers had not yet vanished. I think perhaps that I may have written that prematurely. On Sunday, November 2nd my wife Gina and I went to the local cemetery to clean her family’s graves and to place flowers. It just so happens that Irapuato has had several reported cases of Dengue Fever this year and is making a big effort to prevent the spread of Aedes Aegypti, which is the name of the vector mosquito that carries the disease. Dengue comes in four different forms and one of them, Dengue Haemorrhagic, is very serious and life threatening, especially to children. It’s symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and bleeding.

When we arrived at the cemetery we learned that the water spigots in the cemetery had been turned off and that no one was being allowed to bring water into the cemetery. In addition, the city had already begun filling the traditional flower receptacles with sand so that they couldn’t be used by mosquitoes for breeding purposes. I took photos of two signs that explained it all in Spanish and I thought that they would make an interesting Spanish Lesson. Through my own learning experience I found that studying notices of this type are excellent ways to build your vocabulary. Sometimes the words that you see in a notice of this type do not match the definitions that you may find in your handy dandy Spanish/English dictionary. For that reason I have translated the Spanish into colloquial English and added some notes at the end with explanations of certain words.

First notice:

Por disposición del Comité Municipal de Salud a partir de esta fecha como medida para prevención del dengue, los floreros de este recinto se estarán rellenado con arena para evitar que se conviertan en criaderos del mosco transmisor de la enfermedad. Agradecemos su comprensión, Atentamente, Comité Municipal de Salud

By order of the municipal health committee from this day forward as a measure of prevention against dengue the flower receptacles in this area will be filled with sand to avoid them becoming converted into incubators of the disease transmitting mosquito. We thank you for your understanding, Sincerely, The Municipal Health Committee

Second notice:

LA ENFERMEDAD DE DENGUE SE PREVIENE CON LA ESTRATEGIA DE PATIO LIMPIO Y CUIDADO DEL AGUA ALMACENADA
The dengue disease is preventable by the strategy of a clean yard and care with stored water.

1.) Conserva tu patio y azotea limpios, sin hierba y ordenados.
Keep your yard and roof clean and orderly and free of weeds.

2.) Tapa los recipientes el los que almacenas el agua que usas y consumes en tu hogar.
Cover the vessels that store the water that you use in your home.

3.) Permite que la Brigada de Salud desinfecte los depósitos de agua, tales como tinacos, cisternas, tambos, y piletas.
Allow the Health Squad to disinfect the water vessels such as roof tanks, cisterns, drums, and basins.

4.) Lava y cepillar los depósitos y cambia el agua de cubetas, floreros y bebederos cada tercer día.
Wash and brush receptacles and change the water in buckets, flower holders, and water troughs every three days.

5.) Coloca bocabajo o tapa y coloca bajo techo los recipientes que utilizas como cubetas y embases; y perfora tus macetas para que el agua fluya.
Turn face down or place under cover the receptacles that you utilize like buckets and containers and put a hole in your flower pots so that the water drains.

6.) Elimina recipientes que no utilizas y que acumulan agua: llantas, cubetas, juguetes, trastes, bolsas de plástico, fichas o botellas, ya que facilitan la proliferación del mosquito Aedes Aegypti.
Eliminate vessels that you don’t use that accumulate water: tires, buckets, toys, dishes, plastic bags, and bottle caps or bottles since they help Aedes Aegypti mosquito proliferate.

7.) Instala mosquiteros en puertas y ventanas.
Install mosquito screens on doors and windows.

8.) Permite que la brigada de salud entre a tu casa y cumple sus recomendaciones.
Allow the health squad entry to your house and comply with their recommendations.

9.) Acude a la unidad de salud si presentas fiebre, dolor de cabeza y atrás de los ojos, dolor de cuerpo en general, articulaciones o coyunturas.
Go to a medical facility if you develop a fever, headache, pain venid the eyes, general body aches, or joint pain.

10.) No te automediques.
Don’t self medicate.

EL PATIO DE MI CASA ES PARTICULAR, SE LIMPIA Y SE ORDENA PARA NO ENFERMAR
The yard around my house is my responsibility To keep clean and orderly so it doesn’t cause illness.

Additional notes:

In the first notice they used the word “mosco” to refer to a mosquito. You may not find “mosco” in your dictionary but you will find “mosca” which means “fly”. The word “mosco” is a slang term for a mosquito which is also often called a “zancudo” (zahn-COO-doh).

In line one of the second notice they used the word "azotea" for roof. In Mexico an "azotea" means a flat roof that you can usually walk on and can serve as a roof patio. The type of roof that is most common in the U.S. which we call a "gable roof" is called a "techo de dos aguas" or "a roof of two waters"in Mexico.

In line five of the second notice you will find the word "embases" (containers) but you wont't find it in your dictionary because it is spelled wrong. The letter "b" should be a "v" and this is a fairly common error.

In line six of the second notice you will find the word "fichas" which means "bottle cap". You probably won't find that definition in your dictionary. A "ficha" is usually a paper file or a file card but in Mexico the use of ficha for bottlecap is quite common. You may also hear the word "corcholata" in reference to a bottlecap and this word you may find in your dictionary.

In line seven of the second notice you will find the word mosquitero. This word is used for standard window screen while a mosquito is generally referred to as a "zancudo" or "mosco" as they did in the first notice.

In line nine of the second notice they use the words "articulaciones" and "coyunturas". They both mean the same thing, "joints", as in elbow joint or knee joint. Younger people will probably use"articulaciones" and old folks will more probably use "coyunturas". It is a sign that the language is evolving.

Under the photos of the signs below (click them to enlarge) you will see a photo of a "florero" that the city has already filled with sand.

When we got near the cemetery and Gina learned that she wouldn't have access to water to wash off the top of her grandmothers' tomb she bought a plastic bucket that had a lid and she had them fill it with water. When we got near the entrance of the cemetery where the police were checking everyone I told her to be careful because the weight of the bucket made her lean to one side and for sure they would know that she was carrying water. So, what does she do? Just before we go through the police check she turns and thrusts the bucket at me and then goes through the line with no problem leaving me standing there with the bucket of water. There was nothing I could do but walk forward acting very nonchalant. One of the policemen stopped me and asked what I had in the bucket and I tell him that it is food for El Día de los Muertos and that it is a family tradition. To my great relief he waved me through. Then when we got to the tomb and Gina started washing it with water several people came up to me and asked where I got the water. I told them that I just found it sitting there in that bucket. Then I thought "Wow, I just told two whopping lies and now I will probably have to do extra time in Purgatory". That really isn't fair. I think I am going to write to the Pope and explain to him that those two lies should accrue to Gina's account and not mine. I intend to use the same defense that men have been using going all the way back to the time of Adam and Eve..."The woman made me do it".

By the way, the last picture shows Gina sitting on the edge of a tomb. Her father's mother and his grandmother are buried there and when he dies he will be buried there too. He invited me to join him when my time comes. He said there will be plenty of room. They take the bones of the people who are already there and consolidate them into little boxes which they include in the coffins of the new arrivals. Sounds okay to me. I think I just might take him up on that. I'll have to remember to bring a deck of cards!

The Transition - Halloween to Los Muertos

On November 1st we took down our Halloween display and put together our "ofrenda" (altar) for "El Día de los Muertos" (The Day of the Dead). I have been making an ofrenda every year for the past several years in honor of my parents, George and Armella, who have left me here for a little while longer and have gone on to a better place where I hope to join them someday. In the meantime, however, I like to keep their earthly memory alive and let them know of my profound respect for them and my deep gratitude for all that they have given me. I should mention that my mother's name is a bit unusual. She was named after "La bonne Armelle" a saintly French serving-maid held in high veneration among the people of her time although she was never officially canonized by the Catholic Church. My mother's name, "Armella" is also very unusual in Mexico because the word "armella", pronounced "ahr-MAE-yuh" means "screw eye" like the eye that the hook of your old wooden screen door used to latch into. My Mom always thought that was pretty funny. Even though my folks are no longer alive on Earth I still feel close to them. They are a part of me. Every time I put a dirty dish in the sink I hear my mother say, "Don't leave that dish in the sink. Wash it right away and put it in the rack to dry". Whenever I am driving I hear my father say, "Slow down and don't follow so close. Watch out for that guy on your right". I think that building an ofrenda just brings that closeness feeling home and it gives me a sense of peace. I am in no hurry for my earthly life to end because I have people here whom I love also. However, I do feel that when it is time to go I will be ready. I look forward to the day when I will see my Mom and Dad again and say...
"Hi Ma, hi Dad...I'm home!"

Tradiciones y Costumbres – 002

As I mentioned in the post “Tradiciones y Costumbres – 001” my wife Gina thought it would be nice to write some short pieces about Mexican tradition and culture and I welcomed the idea. Not only would it allow her to participate with me in this blog but also provide some practice material for reading in Spanish. In addition, I will give the English translation. In this piece she writes some more about Halloween.

En el día de 30 de Octubre compramos todo lo que necesitamos para nuestra cena de Halloween como carne molida, refrescos, y el tequila. También, compré unas bolsitas muy simpáticas para los dulces de nuestros pequeños invitados y también para mi Papa, que es un niño grande que le gustan mucho los dulces. Recibí llamadas de mi sobrina Pau (Fátima Paulina) para saber de que me voy a disfrazar y no le di respuesta. Mi nieto Ian estuvo muy feliz por su fiesta. Él quizo disfrazarse de Hombre Arana. Le compramos una capa y se ve muy simpático. Hicimos una calabaza de mache, es grande y bonita, y la pintamos el día siguiente. También tenemos una linterna de calabaza hecho de barro que mi Mama nos regalo.

En "¡Felíz Noche de Brujas!", el 31 de Octubre, llegamos de nuestros trabajo y estuvimos corriendo para terminar de arreglar la casa. Quedo muy bonita en tonos de color naranja, espantapajaros, fantasmas,calabazas, dulces, etc, etc. Tenemos un gran equipo. Mi Mama, Carmelita, hizo unas flores de cempasúchil y le quedaron hermosas e hizo unos ramilletes de fantasmas. Fuimos a comprar cacahuates , botanas y los dulces para los niños que tocarán nuestra puerta. Rápidamente llenamos las bolsas con dulces y chocolates pusimos la mesa con premios para nuestros niños. Mi sobrina Luisa compró las salchichas y Bob preparo las salchichas y papas a la francesa y yo preparé espagueti a la boloñesa. Nuestros pequeños llegaronn llenos de alegría y la fiesta comienza. Fuimos a pedir Halloween. Después cantamos, cenamos, platicamos y hasta los adultos nos divertimos como niños. Mis niños tienen una gran cómplice. Yo la calabaza mayor, que soy dirigente explorador...que tenemos una misión ...disfrutar sencilla y simplemente la Vida...

Hasta la Próxima...(La historia continúa)

On the 30th of October we bought everything that we need for our Halloween supper like ground beef, soft drinks, and tequila. I also bought some cute little bags for the candy for our little ones. And also for my Papa who likes candy and is like a big kid. I received phone calls from my niece Pau (Fátima Paulina) to see what kind of costume I was wearing and I didn't answer her. My grandson was very happy for his party. He wanted to disguise himself as Spiderman. We bought him a very cute cape. We made a pumpkin from paper maché. It is big and pretty and we painted it the next day. We also have a jack-o-lantern made from clay that my mother gave us.

En “Happy Night of Witches”, the 31st of October we came home from work and we were running around trying to get the house ready. It turned out very nice in shades of orange, scarecrows, ghosts, pumpkins, and candy etc. We have a great team. My mother, Carmelita, made some cempasúchil flowers and they turned out beautiful and she made some ghost corsages. We went and bought peanuts, snacks, and candy for the children who knock on our door. We quickly filled the little bags with candy and chocolates and set the table with prizes for our little ones. My niece Luisa bought the hot dogs and Bob prepared the hot dogs and french fries and I made spaghetti with meat sauce. Our little ones arrived full of joy and the party began. We went trick or treating. Afterward we sang, we ate supper, and we talked and even us adults had fun like children. My kids have a great conspirator. It is I, the great pumpkin, who is the leading explorer...and we have a mission...to live life simply and happily.

Until the next time...(To be continued)

Te Amo Rux

The first Halloween that I spent in Mexico was in 1999 in a small town in the state of Nuevo León. However, at that time there was no sign whatsoever of Halloween, not even a pumpkin. Gradually, thanks to things like cheap plastic from China and aggressive marketing by Walmart, Halloween has become a big deal. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. The Catholic Church in Mexico certainly frowns on Halloween and many people point to the fact that Halloween is usurping some of their traditions but as long as children think Halloween is fun I don't think that much can be done about it. I have mixed feelings about “Trick or Treat” myself. I am hoping that trick or treat doesn't evolve into some kind of “devil night” like it was in the United States in the 1920's and 30's and up to recent times in certain places (like the city of Detroit). The practice we see today, with children dressed in costume going house to house saying "Trick or Treat", did not really come about until the mid 1940's. My father told me that after he had come back from serving in the army overseas during World War II he was surprised by some kid in a mask knocking on the door and saying “Trick or Treat!”. He said that he had never heard of that before and didn't know what to make of it. I don't know who was startled more, my father, or the poor kid when my father shouted, “Get the hell out of here!”

We had two kinds of trick or treater's last night. One kind consisted of little kids who were dressed up in cute little costumes and escorted by their mothers and fathers and timidly accepted their treat with a shyly mumbled “gracias”. Then there was another kind that consisted of unruly and aggressive adolescents without costumes who acted like jerks and jostled each other to grab for whatever they could and then left without a word of thanks. The last two Halloweens were very nice but this year it seemed like things like civility might be starting to slide. We will just have to wait and see. In the meantime we had a nice party for some of the kids in Gina's family after taking them around to friends, neighbors, and relatives to do their trick or treating. When I was a kid in the 50's Halloween was a glorious time. We started trick or treating right after school and stopped when it got dark. Then we would all gather at my great aunt Flavia's house for a party. Every Halloween I think about it and wish that I could go back. Perhaps when I go to Heaven (Si Dios quiere...if God wishes) I will go up to the pearly gates and when Saint Peter answers my knock I just might uncontrollably blurt out “Trick or Treat”.

Here in Mexico, the kids don't say “Trick or Treat”. They say “Queremos Halloween” or “We want Halloween”. Another thing about Halloween in Mexico...the ghosts don't say “Boo!”. They say “¡Buu!”. It's the same pronunciation, but the spelling is different. Speaking of spelling, I saw a little drawing that Gina's eleven year old niece Fatima Paulina (Pau) made for her mother. You can see it below. It says “Te Amo Rux” or "I love you Ma". The word “rux” is a slang word for “ruca”. The word “ruco”, or “ruca” (depending on the gender) means “old and worn out”. It is sometimes used by young people to refer to their parents just like in English some kids refer to their parents as “my old man” or “my old lady”. In this case the letter “x” on the end shows that it is meant to be a term of endearment. I didn't know that. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't learn something new...even on Halloween.

The Living and the Dead

There is enough being written by others about the "El Día de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead) celebrations in Mexico and the sugar skulls and the marigold-like cempasuchil flowers and the all night graveside vigils, etcetera. I really can't add anything new to what has already been written about and photographed many times over. However, I would like to say a few words about the relationship between the living and the dead. At this time of year everyone seems to focus on the Day of the Dead traditions and with good reason because they are so colorful, unique, and culturally distinct. The thing is that in Mexico people seem to visit the cemetery regularly and not just for the Day of the Dead. On any given day if you visit our local municipal cemetery here in Irapuato you will see quite a few living souls. I know people who visit the cemetery at least every two or three weeks, especially on the weekends. In Mexico, the dead, the living, and the yet unborn are all considered to be connected by the fact that they are contained in the mind and consciousness of God. They are just three separate forms of "being"… the past, the present, and the future.

When I was a little boy growing up in Chicago the 1950's it seemed as if, like Mexicans, we had a closer connection to the dead than Americans in general have now. The dead were a part of us. In those days our "Day of the Dead" was Memorial Day which was celebrated on May 30th. Up until the early 60's many people observed the holiday by visiting the cemetery either on or around this date in order to clean the graves, plant flowers, and pay respects to their loved ones who had already embarked on the next great adventure. Then things began to change. On June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971. By that time the Memorial Day tradition of going to the cemetery and decorating the graves slowly started to fall by the wayside. In the old days people used to visit the cemetery at least once a month during the spring, summer and early autumn. The grave sites usually included little garden-like areas either on top of or along side the graves where people planted flowers. Some of these little flower beds were very intricate, well tended, and beautiful to behold.

My mother had four children and I remember my mom taking the four of us on the Milwaukee Avenue bus in Chicago to the end of the line at Niles and then we would walk to Saint Adalbert's Cemetery. Saint Adalbert's is the largest Catholic Cemetery of the Archdiocese of Chicago (in number of burials). It was established in 1872 to serve Polish Catholics of Chicago's north side. Right near the cemetery there were several plant nurseries and my mom would buy some potted flowers for us to plant. She would also rent a trowel and a large battered green watering can for fifty cents. There was no deposit required. Everything was on the "honor" system back then. All of us kids were expected to carry something and we always brought our lunch with us in a wicker hamper. That was my job, carrying the lunch, because I was the oldest and the hamper was heavy. We always had a wonderful time and my mom enjoyed telling us stories about the people who were in the graves. In this way she kept them alive in our memories. Some of them I had already met before they passed on. Those were great little excursions and I will never forget them. It was a time of great innocence for us.

Fast forward to the present era. The flower beds in Saint Adalbert's are gone. The grass is planted right up to the monuments so the man who mows the lawn will have an easier time mowing. In some cases the monuments have been removed or sunken to ground level and in the new areas the grave markers have to be flush with the soil. The section where my mother took us was full of tall monuments interspersed with trees and flower beds and it was very beautiful. The monuments are still there but without the flowers they look like stark remnants of a lost civilization, and maybe that's exactly what they are. My father used to say that it looked like a "stone orchard". The place where my parents are buried is just a big open field. All of the gravestones are sunken down flush with the soil so the tractor that mows the lawn can pass right over them. There are no flowers to tend. There aren't many living people around either. Mostly there is just the man on the tractor who does the mowing, the man on the backhoe who digs the graves, and here and there a funeral.

This Sunday, November 2nd, is El Día de los Muertos and my wife Gina and I will go to the cemetery to bring flowers and clean the graves. It is always a happy time for me because it reminds me of those days long ago when my mother took us to the cemetery to do the same. The Day of the Dead in Mexico is like a "happening" and it brings the living and the dead together in spirit. There is no worry about making it easier for the man to cut the grass either. The graves are a hodge-podge of shapes and sizes. Some are brand new and some are very old and they all seem to fit together very well, just like the living and the dead. That's the way I think it should be, the past, the present, and the future fitting well together…like a nest of dishes…or as Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "an endless chain of countless rings".

Calaveras

The word “calavera” means “skull” in Spanish but “calaveras” are also a type of ditty poem written at the season of “El Día de Los Muertos” or “The Day of the Dead” celebrations in Mexico which run from October 31st through November 2nd. Calaveras are imaginary obituaries announcing fake deaths of people or to poke fun at people who are very much alive. In fact, it is an honor to receive a calavera from a friend. However, the newspapers often publish calaveras about political figures that are very amusing but not always very flattering. Calaveras contain references to “calacas” which are cadavers or “skeleton people”.

Here is a calavera that my friend Benjamín wrote for me:

La Calavera

Se encontraba el Señor Bob trabajando en su oficina
Cuando llegó la calaca y dijo ¿Mira? ¿Mira?
La gente esta trabajando. ¡Que alegría! ¡Que alegría!
Pero no te creas de ellos, esas son sus fantasias
Mejor te llevo al panteón y trabajas día con día.

This sounds very cute in Spanish. It loses something when you translate it but I will do what I can:

The Skull

Mr. Bob was found working in his office
When a cadaver appeared and said "What's this? What's this?
The people are working. What joy! ¡What joy!
But don't believe in them, these are your fantasies
I better take you down to the cemetery
To do your work day after day.

In effect Benha was chiding me for working too much and not paying more attention to the finer things in life and one day it will be too late and I will just be another dead one. However, two can play the same game. I happen to know that some of the guys will go nowhere near a cemetery to celebrate the Day of the Dead but rather to their favorite tavern and try to anesthetize themselves with cerveza instead so I wrote this poem back to Benha:

Identidad Equivocada

Benjamín toca la puerta y le abre la calaca
De cara larga, larga,
Con una bolsa de hielo en la cabeza
Y Benjanín dijo “Perdón...¿Está Pedro?”
Y la calaca contestó “No joven... No estoy pedo,
¡Estoy CRUDO!”

Mistaken Identity

Benjamín knocks on the door
And a cadaver with a long, long, face
With a bag of ice on his head opens it.
And Benjamín said, “Pardon me...is Peter here?”
And the cadaver answered, “No young man, I am not drunk.
I am HUNG OVER!

Now, this one isn’t a particularly traditional calavera but nevertheless it is pretty funny. It is a play on words so I need to do some explaining. Benjamín says to the calaca with the ice bag on his head, “Is Pedro here?” but the skeleton thinks that he said “Are you drunk?”. The word “pedo” by itself means “fart” but when used in the phrase “estar en pedo” it means “really drunk”. The calaca thought that Benjamín said “¿Está en pedo?” instead of “Está Pedro?” and so he answered, “No young man, I am not drunk. I am HUNG OVER!”. The word “crudo” in Mexico means “hung over” when used with the verb “estar”. Everyone got a big laugh out of this one. Try it yourself but practice it first so that you don’t screw it up because if you do...the joke will be on you.

Tradiciones y Costumbres – 001

My wife Gina thought it would be nice to write some short pieces about Mexican traditions and customs and I welcomed the idea. Not only will it allow her to participate with me in this blog but also provide some practice material for reading in Spanish. In addition, I will give the English translation. In this piece she writes about getting ready for both Halloween and “El Día de los Muertos” and about a cute little song that the preschoolers are learning:

En nuestra casa estamos preparando nuestro altar para el Día de Los Muertos por una parte y preparando para la fiesta de Halloween por otra parte. Durante el mes de Octubre hemos preparado gelatinas artísticas con colores de la temporada y arañas de goma de adorno. Estamos felices al preparar y comprar todo para nuestras fiestas. Los niños están muy emocionados de saber de que se van a disfrazar. A nuestro pequeño nieto de dos años, once meses, su maestra de preescolar le enseñó la siguiente canción:

“Caminando en Guanajuato una momia me encontré
Como no sabía su nombre, Pedro le llamé
Ay, Ay, Pedro ¿porqué estás tan feo?
Ay, Ay Pedro, ¿porqué estás tan feo?”

Y así por cada miembro del grupo se canta la canción poniendo el nombre de cada uno.

La historia continúa...

In our house we are preparing our altar for the Day of the Dead on one hand and for Halloween on the other. During the month of October we have made artistic gelatin molds with the colors of the season and decorated them with gummy candy spiders. We are happy to prepare and purchase everything for our celebrations. The children are very excited to find out what disguise they will wear. Our grandson of two years and eleven months is being taught a cute little song by his preschool teacher:

Walking around in Guanajuato I encountered a Mummy
Since I didn’t know his name I called him Pedro
Oh, oh, Pedro. Why are you so ugly?
Oh, oh Pedro. Why are you so ugly?

And so it goes for every member of the group, singing the song and using the name of each one in turn.

To be continued...

Note: We live near the city of Guanajuato in the state that is also called Guanajuato. The city of Guanajuato is famous for its collection of mummies. The song is about walking in Guanajuato and meeting a “calaca” (humorous term for dead person) in the form of a mummy. It is a silly song but that is what it is supposed to be and the kids have lots of fun.

The photo below shows a cantaloupe melon (muskmelon) which here is called a Chinese melon or “melón chino”. In the center of the melon half there is gelatin and on top of the gelatin there is a gummy candy spider and his web is also made from gummy candy. This is typical of the surprises that I get in my lunch all the time depending upon the season and what crazy ideas Gina is cooking up.