Plants in Oaxaca and more Spanish!

Botany

So what seemed like a nice break from classes finally came to end and the food systems and botany students started taking classes with botanical enthusiast and genus, Michael Sundue. We (the food systems students) and the botany students that will be continuing with Michael for the next two weeks were excited to be able to take this Botany of Oaxaca class together for the week.

Each day we had lecture in the morning and a lab in the afternoon where we were able to learn and experience Oaxaca’s diverse plant life in the city. We started Monday with a general lecture on plant biology and throughout the week we learned about fruits, seeds, seed dispersal, secondary growth and much more while getting more acquainted with the plants of Oaxaca, particularly those of the city. Monday’s botany lab was held in the Llano park where we learned many names of city trees and plants. On Tuesday, we went for a little adventure to the Botanical Garden which is situated in the center of the Santo Domingo church in downtown Oaxaca. All of the plants in the garden are native to Oaxaca but came from all over Mexico. We walked through the garden with our insightful guide, Diego who informed us that the famous Agave plant’s flower has merely, “a month to live and a month to die”. This was brought up while looking at an Agave that made us feel as if we had been transported into a Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie.

We saw many other plants that wowed us like the Agave such as the Pseudobombax in the Bombacaceae family that has unreal looking flowers.

The week seemed like it kept getting better because on Wednesday we went to the large indoor market called Abastos in order to get oriented with edible plants. We ventured through the market in groups and went on a miniature scavenger hunt where many students were wowed by the Mango-Piña and Guayabana fruits that tasted even better than they looked. In the afternoon, we reconvened to dissect our findings and, of course, munched on our delicious dissections. Thursday’s lab led us to the textile museum in the city to find different things composed of certain plants of which Michael had written down for us. The museum was filled with ancient textiles from all over the world. Students that didn’t gather all of the information needed from the textile museum were led to another indoor market, 20 de Noviembre where they could finish their fibers and dyes scavenger hunt. Finally, on Friday we were excited to climb part of the large mountain in Oaxaca called San Felipe de Agua. However, to our dismay, the men who appeared to be rangers barred us from entering because we weren’t members of the community and they had decided to close the mountain to outsiders a few years back. So, we decided to “botanize” (thank you, Michael) the road leading to the gate.

All in all it was a fabulous week with Michael. He filled our heads with so much plant knowledge and exciting facts about the wonders of nature. Food systems students are looking forward to starting our two week cooking craze with Cynthia Belliveau and Botany students are looking forward to their field trip into the mountains.

Sam

SPANISH

Hola Friends and Family!
After we got back from our indigenous village stays the four of us started our final stretch of the program: the spanish track. Because of teacher strikes at the main campus of the Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca (UABJO), we have been taking our Oaxaca Culture, Civilization and Development class in an affiliate building in the main square called the Zócalo. It’s a beautiful space with tons of natural light and exposed stone; it was once a monastery.

Last Thursday we went to the Regional Museum of Santo Domingo where we saw everything from tomb artifacts of indigenous royalty to present day paper maché sculptures that are brought out for the holidays. This week we will be going to the market in Tlacolula (Natalie’s favorite market in Oaxaca!), the Botanical Gardens, and the Yagul Archaeological Ruins.

The class would be nothing without Alejandro, our quirky and passionate professor who is constantly challenging our opinions. We have gotten into a great routine, and truly feel like students now that we’re on a first name basis with the doorman. We continue to deepen our relationships with one another, and those in our community whether with our homestay parents or our adoptive street dogs.

The last four weeks of the program will fly by, but with bucket lists and curious friends, we will be sure to continue exploring what Oaxaca has to offer in our home away from home.
Sending our love and happy thoughts to all of you and the UVM community. Avi, you’re always in our thoughts and hearts.

Con Cariño,
Natalie, Ashley Moore, Mickey, y Sarah

Village Stay at Vida Nueva

Zac xtili! ('buenos dias' en Zapoteco) We are feeling a little strange adjusting to life in Oaxaca city since spending our past week in the small weaving community of Teotitlan. We still find ourselves wanting to shake hands and say hello as we pass people on the streets. When we first arrived to Teotitlan we were graciously welcomed into the Vida Nueva Women's Weaving Cooperative by our moms: Pastora, Petrona, Senaida, Rufina, Teresa, Isabel, Maria, and Sofia. They all made us feel like part of the family and community the minute we got there. We had a brief talk about how Sofia started the cooperative to provide new opportunities through weaving for the women of Teotitlan, and how these progressive ladies were able to learn

and be open about the traditionally taboo subjects like domestic violence, sexuality, and alcoholism. We also got to hear about their annual service projects like planting trees, painting buckets with positive messages to encourage trash separation, and delivering baskets of food to mothers on Mother's Day.

Each mother took in one (or two!) of us eager children for the week and allowed us to participate in daily activities with them. Some of our activities included dehusking and degraining corn, doing dishes, cooking meals, planting seeds, making tortillas and shopping for food at the market. Because each of us had a different family and we didn't have many pre-planned activities, our schedules varied. Every morning at the market we would see other UVM gueros shuffling along behind their tiny mothers, and exchange a brief 'zac xtili!', handshake, and smile before buying the rest of our food for the day. You could be sure to spot Danielle with her mother and little sister (Milca) selling their fresh tortillas that they had made earlier that morning. You could also always spot Stefan and Joe towering above all the petite older Mexican women. If one of us was unfortunately separated from our mother in the market, it was nearly impossible to relocate her among the other Zapotec women wearing identical dresses, mandiles (aprons) and rebosos (scarves) that covered their baskets. Other activities included a talk about traditional healing and another about the weaving process using natural dyes.

We ended our week with a really great talk with Charlie (aka Carlos) about his migration story. We drove to his one room brick house that he is building by hand and sat on his concrete floor while listening to the twenty-eight year old man recount his life story to a bunch of us white kids. While he looked so young, he had so many experiences and hardships that he was willing to share with us. He first went to the United States at the ripe old age of three because his mother fled from his abusive father. He grew up in California amongst gangs and violence, and he found himself in a bit of trouble. He was in a getaway car during someone else's robbery, so while the trial was pending, he spent more than six months in jail. However, when released from jail, Charlie was deported and therefore, he was unable to report himself to the parole officer. He is now unable to return to the States for twenty years, where he had to leave behind his two daughters. Despite all that he has gone through, his face lit up when we started talking about basketball. Even though his is so young, he has had a lot of time to reflect on his life and change into an honest person that the community of Teotitlan can depend on and trust. He is currently working on building a home for his daughters on the land that he inherited from his uncle. It was quite an experience listening to his story and hearing about his impressions of our country. Although we didn't have many traditional classes throughout the week, we certainly learned a lot about Teotitlan, family life and Vida Nueva by living in home stays and being a part of the community.

Brought to you by Stefan, Joe, Sophie, Sam, Shana, Ashley Hill, Marisa, and Danielle!

Our village stay with the Bii Daüü weaving cooperative in Teotitlan!

Blog post by
Jack, Brittany, Sarah, Luna, Mickey, Michaela, and Jocelyn


A group of seven students traveled an hour outside of Oaxaca city to a village known throughout Mexico for its numerous artisans renowned for the weaving of tapetes. The majority of the population of Teotitlan del Valle are native Zapotec speakers, and we were surprised by their polite greetings and soft handshakes given to each passerby in the street. We arrived sunday afternoon and began our adventure by meeting with members of the weaving cooperative, Bii Daüü, and discussing with them their mission and vision. In the words of Mariano Sosa Martinez, one of the sixteen weavers in the cooperative,

"We are working together in solidarity in an atmosphere fostering equality and fairness, textile production with natural dies can achieve its best quality. Members also aim to take care
of their health as well as the community’s environment to promote social,
cultural, and economic development simultaneously."

After an amiable introduction and discussion we were paired with members of the cooperative to stay with for the week. We awoke with the sunrise on monday morning to go work in the huerto, a communal farm, where the cooperative cultivates and cares for the plants that are used for their all natural dies. The huerto is peppered with pomegranate tree's whose fruit skins are used for black and yellow dies. With the coming heat, we watered nopal, a type of cactus that hosts the white insect cochinilla, whose dark red blood has been used throughout Zapotec history for natural tints in their rugs. We also prepared a bio-fertilizer or a non chemical pesticide comprised of garlic and ground alfalfa, which we left to ferment for three days. After working hard, we went back into town to discuss the uses of pericon and marush, two locally occurring plants, that are used for yellow, orange and green tints. We also were able to help two members of the cooperative, Leticia and Rafaela, prepare the plants that are used to die the wool. In between our activities we would return to our home to eat four times a day, causing many to nap frequently!

We give many thanks to Gervasio and Javier for taking us on a jaunt through the village and showing us the cuevita, a place where people from Teotitlan and surrounding villages celebrate the new year. After building a little rock house, as many do on new years eve, we visited the bustling morning market, where bartering for quesillo, flowers, and sweet bread is commonplace. The very polite Fausto showed us around the beautiful museum which featured the history of Teotitlan, its tradition of weaving, the danza de la pluma (an annual celebration of heritage), as well as stories of courtship in the village. After an early morning application of the bio-fertilizer and the construction of beds for the plants in the huerto, our group of laborer's became weaver's and were able to practice on both large foot pedal looms and hand-loom's used as a training device for beginners. Laughing at ourselves we were to create mini tapete's that could function as coasters! We learned much about the process of weaving, the relationship between man and nature, and the rich tradition's of the Zapotec people.

Before departing, we awoke for a sunrise hike up the communally owned mountain, Picacho, guided by the hyper Procoro and Jesus. It was wonderful exercise, but to no avail, for we only gorged ourselves at a goodbyem lunch, with all of our new friends from the Bii Dauu cooperative, who so kindly gave us gifts of rugs, bags, and purses. We learned a lot this week and are very thankful for the tranquility of Teotitlan and its residents.

Week of Village Stays - San Vicente Lachixio

Last week the seven of us stayed in a small village called San Vicente Lachixio, working with an NGO called Centro de Desarollo Communitario Centéotl. This organization, among other things, works with various communities, helping them to be self sufficient and sustainable. They are currently working on an amaranth project in the pueblo teaching the people about the nutritional benefits of amaranth and how to plant and grow it successfully. Our job was to go to the homes of 30 different women in the community and interview them about their lives in San Vicente (such as water availability, food consumption, income...). With Zapotec as the primary language spoken in the community, we knew we were in for a challenge!

We arrived in Zimatlán on Sunday afternoon, had a delicious dinner at La Ballena Azul, and saw a traditional dance in the center of town.

The following morning we got breakfast and fresh juice in the market and went to Centéotl's office for a brief presentation about the organization.

We went to an amaranth factory in town to learn about what products exist and to see how some of them are made (as well as sample them!). We then headed for San Vicente, stopping on the way to eat spicy and delicious quesadillas. We arrived at night and met our host families and their children. After introductions we all went to Juana's house, sat by the fire, drank café de olla and listened to Domingo and Ángel sing and play guitar.

We went for a hike to see Las Grutas, which are amazing caves near the town. We spent the day exploring the caves, where after defeating a horde of the world's most terrifying bees, we got to climb through the darkness and see

mass amounts of guano.

After a delicious lunch, we went to the home of one of the town members and planted amaranth and radish. We took turns shoveling, planting seeds, and watering the soil.

We took a short break, played pool and drank cantaloupe water. That night some of us played in an epic 2-hour marathon of a basketball game in the town center with some local ballers. Though we struggled to make layups, it was still a great time bonding over what we were repeatedly told is the pueblo's most popular sport. Also, Natalie played with the town's women and was officially a giant (and also the undisputed MVP).

In the morning we awoke at 6:00 am to help make tortillas.

It was a difficult, lengthy process but amazing to watch.

Over the next two days we spent a lot of time going to the homes of different women in town. We asked them questions from a questionairre, mostly about their local customs, about how they get food/water and what they eat, about the town's economy and job opportunities.

There were some very interesting experiences: many of the women spoke limited Spanish and required translation from María , the extremely helpful local who acted as guide, accompanying and assisting us throughout the week. We learned, among many other things, that women in the pueblo cannot attend town assemblies, and therefore cannot vote or hold positions in the local government; we had some interesting moments trying to understand how the women, many of whom were fairly timid, felt about this situation.

We also learned about the annual fiestas that involve plenty of dancing, singing, eating, and, yeah, you guessed it, basketball tournaments. The final night we went to a townswoman's house where many women had come to meet and speak with us; we were amply fed, we had many great conversations, and it felt like an appropriate way to spend our final night in town.

Another essential part of the trip was our varied experiences at the homes where we were staying. There were many little niños running about, asking for shoulder rides, playing marbles, bringing the energy, speaking in mandatos, keeping us on our toes. We definitely bonded with them, and it was a sad moment saying goodbye to Erica, Genesis, Job, Brisa, Emanuel, Ezekiel, Jesica, and Haciel. There were also some puppies to play with, which is always a good time. Our host parents were extremely welcoming, helpful, even loving. They asked for us to return, and we hope that some of us can make that happen while we're still in Oaxaca.

The next day we saw presentations by members of Centéotl in the neighboring pueblo, Santa Maria Lachixio, where we also watched an extremely entertaining and informative film about efficient agricultural practices (that was produced in Maoist China no less), ate a delicious comida of mole rojo con pollo and drank the nectar of los dioses (horchata con fresa), and then returned to Zimatlán and subsequently Oaxaca City-- just in time to crawl into our comfy beds and get some much needed sleep.

It was a difficult experience to summarize. The pueblo is nothing like the city. The way of life, the daily rituals (such as grinding corn and making tortillas), the economic situation that leads to many people emigrating to the city or the USA, the material conditions (kitchens with dirt floors, very limited water, bucket showers, tons of animals-- dogs, donkeys, turkeys, pigs-- roaming the streets (except that most of the pigs were actually tied to trees...))-- were so different and new for us. For most (all?) of us, it was like no other place we've ever seen.

We're now happy to be back in Oaxaca, ready to begin our new classes-- Spanish, Botany, etc. We've passed the midpoint of the trip and it's exciting to anticipate what comes next (or, even better, wade in the moment, experiencing what comes as it comes: something we've learned to do in the last couple months...)

We send our love and positive thoughts to everyone reading this!

Thanks for reading,

Ariel, Ash Mo, Schwitney, Natalie aka Scatalie, Pedrito, Sierra aka Mountain Dude or even better Mountain Range Female Deer Dude, and Jack Lit

Finishing Spanish at Solexico and Moving On!

Last week we finished our Spanish classes and were very busy with assignments to wrap up the first half of the semester. We were sad to say goodbye to our maestros-- they have been a huge part of our lives here so far, not only teaching us Spanish but also about the ins and outs of Oaxacan society. To celebrate the completion of our Spanish classes we had to do something, but what? It was a dilemma. Should we make a cheesecake? Go shopping for new sweaters? Have a story cubes marathon? Luckily, the end of Spanish coincided with a short 4-day break in our schedule. A very fortuitous coincidence. We decided to go to the beach!

The trip from Oaxaca City to the coast cuts through the mountains. Twenty of us traveled by van passing through the tight mountain roads of the southern Sierra.The vans departed the city at 11 PM and it was quite a bumpy journey through the darkness. Sleep was hard to come by as everyone was too cold, or too hot, with no room to stretch, no room to breath, lost in the dark abyss, etc... We finally completed the trip and arrived tired but excited at the lovely beach town of Puerto Escondido, just as the sun began to rise. It was 5:30 AM on Friday morning, with four days ahead of us to enjoy our time at the beach. Most most of us were awake to see the sun rise over the mountains on our first morning at the playa.

Some of us traveled along the seashore, staying at new hotels almost every night, seeing Puerto Escondido, Puerto Angel, Zipolite, Mazunte,while others stayed the entire trip in Puerto Escondido. A group of us group took a boat ride through the mangroves at Ventanilla and saw crocodiles, iguanas, and sea turtles. Others lounged on the beach in hammocks, catching up on our reading and enjoying fresh fish! Some of us took surf lessons while others sat in the same beach chairs every single day, just waiting for the coconut ice cream to pass on through. Some of us saw the nightly release of baby turtles into the tide-- they were flipped, toppled, nearly destroyed by the oncoming waves but at last survived! At the end of our trip we watched the sun set over the Pacific before hurrying to catch the vans back to Oaxaca. Now we are back in the city gearing up for our village stays next week.

We would like to give a shout out to the parents of Ariel Handy and Jack Laub, and Whitney's sister, who have visited Oaxaca in the last couple weeks. It sounded like you all had great experiences seeing the sights around the city. You were great company and it was awesome to meet you! We're looking forward to meeting more family members along the way.

Also, lets give a big woop woop for the birthday girl Luna Colt (21 on Saturday).


Stefan practicing balancing on a tight rope!

We apologize for the tardiness of this blog: beach time is a tricky thing. Love to you all!

Pedro and Jack Lit

Capulalpam

We started the week off with a group gathering at Mary Lucias house to eat tamales(a traditional Oaxacan cuisine) to work on our independant projects and to discuss plans for our upcoming field trip!

On Thursday afternoon we all gathered at Solexico after Comida, dispersed into the vans, and took a beautiful two and a half hour drive through the Sierra Norte (or Sierra Juarez) mountains to our destination in Capulalpam, which is also known as "Nuevo Pueblo Magico." Capulalman is an ancient Zapotec village.

On Thursday night we ate dinner in our home stay and relaxed for the night. On Friday morning we went to the community garden and learned about the garden project that the community has been creating with students in the school in the pueblo. We were able to sample various vegetables grown there as well as help plant lettuce.

After a delicious Comida on Friday we all went to a traditional healing center to learn about traditional healing practices as well as to take part in the various services there. Calpulalpan has a center that employs traditional healers who provide medicinal plant therapy, limpias (cleansing), massages, temazcal, among other services. The 'temazcal' is a type of sweat lodge that gives physical and spiritual purification using the four elements of fire, air, water and earth to give relief from the stresses of daily life.

On Saturday morning after breakfast we hiked through the forest for hours to a river in the mountain, while learning about various plants and information regarding the towns fresh water source, mining, and the dynamics surrounding maintaining independance and resistance of government and large company pressures to exploit the land, in turn sustaining a beautiful, clean environment in Capulalpan.

After our hike we ate fresh trout from the river at a restaurant near by. After lunch many of us ziplined in the air above the restaurant. Once we were done ziplining we started our journey home and arrived on Saturday evening.

Capulalpam is a magnificent city and we are very fortunate to have had the opportunity to go to such a beautiful place!

Brittany and Ariel

Mezcal Tour & Ocotlan

This week we are settling into more of a routine in the beautiful city of Oaxaca, and each of us is finding our own little things and experiences that we enjoy doing. Some of us have been playing basketball with local Mexican Mormons, others have been enjoying the food at a nearby organic farmers market on Friday and Saturdays, others have been running up a local hill, making compost in a garden rooftop, and still others have been playing soccer with locals. As we explore the city and all its wonders, we also have had to face new challenges. Whether it’s getting used to the way that things here usually change last minute, adapting to new customs, or watching the Patriots lose, we have all been facing new challenges and hopefully growing as people and as a community here in Oaxaca.

Last Friday we went on a field trip to Ocotlan to learn about the local culture. We were lead on a guided tour of the local countryside learning about several different kinds of local Agave. Agave is the plant that Mezcal and Tequila are made of, and though the different kinds resemble large cactus, they are not related to the cactus family. We saw how the local agave was grown, and then saw how it was processed into Mezcal. First, the agave hearts are roasted slowly in a large outdoor oven in the ground with rocks for several days. The hearts are dug out of the pit and crushed by an electric wheel. The juice that is extracted is fermented in huge wooden vats, and then distilled according to a variety of measures. For special Mezcals, fruits and other flavors are added in the distillation process, and in a type called "pechuga," a chicken breast is used to enhance the flavor. Our many vegans and vegetarians were crushed to learn that some of the state’s alcoholic beverages were off limits to them, but somehow we managed to push through and partake in a tasting, trying to distinguish the different types of Mezcal.

After the spending the mid-morning learning about Mezcal production, we proceeded to gorge ourselves at a great local eatery and then head into town center to check out the market. We explored the market and then went to see a local convent-turned-art museum. The influential Mexican artist Rodolfo Morales restored the convent, and it was truly gorgeous. There was a lot of his work on display, as well as plenty of religious art dating back to the 1800’s. After a big day we were all exhausted, and the ride back was the quietest van ride of the trip (because we were all sleeping).

Stefan & Joe