MEXICO
Artist Credit: Watercolor by Sue Siskin: Zocalo, Oaxaca, Mexico
Something happens to me when I am in Mexico. I relax. My mind seems sharper. Most of all, I’m happy. The people and ambiance of this beautiful country have inspired the stories and other posts in this section.
A Personal Mezcal Tasting
A mezcal tasting is a beautiful thing. I hope you have your chance. I interspersed quotes from some of my favorite authors throughout this essay in the hope of inspiring you to grab at the opportunity should it arise.Qué bonito y qué bonito How nice, I say how nice,...
Appreciating Oaxaca With Saul Bellow and Italo Calvino
[Pictures of Mitla courtesy of Rene Cabrerra, Las Bugambilias B&B Tours, Nikhol Esteras Photographer] “Spicy foods were [considered] stimulants. They were classified as stimulants, so they were on that same continuum along with caffeine and alcohol all the way up...
In Oaxaca
The day changes somewhere over L.A. on the red eye from San Francisco to Mexico City. I notice the first changes to my body when I arrive at dawn. Subtle changes. I’m tired but happy, relaxed. An ancient past begins to tug at my sleeve, pulls me away from where...
Mezcal Brings Out Cow Hollow Eatery’s Oaxacan Roots
Delarosa, the immensely popular bar and food hangout on Chestnut Street in the Cow Hollow District of San Francisco, has pulled off one of the greatest food heists of all time. Styling themselves as an Italian bistro with pizzas, salads, skewered protein, Panini...
Reading Oaxaca
“In northern Mexico they work; in central Mexico they think; in southern Mexico they rest.” She was travelling to Oaxaca for a two-year olds birthday party, the daughter of her friend. Chocolate cupcakes and a wrapped present were in the carry on. Her eyes laughed...
Alebrijes Make Me Happy
A small child is taken to the zoo for the first time. This child may be any one of us or, to put it another way, we have been this child and have forgotten about it. In these grounds - these terrible grounds - the child sees living animals he has never before...
Off With Their Heads
UPDATE June 21: I want to express my full support for the eloquent words of Lila Downs: "Violence provokes more violence. Why provoke with confrontation and repression? If we have the same preoccupations: better education, respect toward students, respect toward...
Poem by Think in the Morning: Mole
Scoop up a handful of dust From where you’re standing. Let it slip through your fingers. Dig a little deeper, Into the loamy Dark chocolate of the topsoil. Deeper still. You will see the ochre, Yellows, browns, reds, and purples, In the...
Poem by Think in the Morning: The Crossing
The Crossing for my friend, Renato Aquino Mora I arrived in Mexico City by bus. I was carrying two thousand US. At the airport, I was robbed. The two of them had a knife. “Give us your money or we’ll kill you.” “I don’t have any money.” “You expect us to...