At the Fountain Theater, Mesilla, New Mexico. November 2016.
Actually, the movie happened in The Fountain Theater in Mesilla, New Mexico. But because I came up to see the movie from El Paso and my movie seat neighbors also lived in El Paso, I'm claiming this post for El Paso.
The movie, The Lamb, took me back to Ethiopia. I can't look at the trailer without sighing. In nostalgia at my time there; in sadness for the movie's protagonist, the beauty of the country, the tenderness of the boy toward his lamb, the little shepherdess; the pathos of the young woman.
I didn't think about it til just now re-watching the trailer and considering the blast of sexism that blew my way in the theater, that the movie's themes include sexism contra women and men. Not to mention the interconnectedness of Ethiopia's Orthodox Christian, Muslim, and Jewish populations.
So about the movie: I recommend it.
Fountain Theater, Mesilla, New Mexico. November 2016.
The theater is an historic one, lovingly tended to by volunteers, screening films that the mainstream movie theaters might not offer.
Fountain Theater, Mesilla, New Mexico. November 2016.
My seat neighbors were a husband and wife who live in El Paso. Congenial, engaging to chat with. The husband is an attorney. Not relevant under normal circumstances, but ....
I shared with them my recent visit to the Kentucky Club in Juárez, how back in the day, only men (per my understanding) were allowed in.
Mr. Husband allowed as how Mexican law now requires that women be admitted to bars, even to private clubs that used to be the sacrosanct dens for those with affluence and influence of the male persuasion.
The Mrs and I chuckled mildly about the bad old days when women were shut out of back-room and golf-course business deals, and then Mr. Husband said something like: "Oh, but we made sure that women who came to our club wouldn't stay long. We would say things and do things that would intimidate them into leaving. We showed them what was what." Hohohohoho.
The Mrs. allowed as how men needed their space and how there was never anything interesting going on in those men's clubs anyway.
I'd like to say that I whipped out my
bumper sticker ... but I didn't. I took the easy way out and just smiled weakly.
Mesilla is a town just outside of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
On Saturday, I turned to Mesilla for celebrating El Dia de los Muertos, held in the old plaza. Technically, it was the "weekend" of the dead; the actual day was on the 2nd.
A funeral, for real
When I arrived at the historic plaza, it was just in time to see motorcyclists outside the Basilica of San Albino, where they awaited the end of a funeral, when they would escort the honored deceased to the cemetery.
El Dia de los Muertos, Mesilla, New Mexico. Basilica of San Albino.
Many years ago, when my father's brother-in-law died, the Chattanooga branch of the Bikers for Christ escorted his body to the cemetery.
About El Dia de Los Muertos
El Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is a Mexican tradition, if you define Mexican to include its Aztec antecedents. Over the years, its observance has spread throughout the world.
It'd be easy to confuse it with All Saints Day and All Souls Day, liturgical events for some Christian denominations, but the Day of the Dead stands on its own as a uniquely Mexican tradition.
There is both a somber dimension to the observance and a festival dimension.
I experienced both at the El Dia de Los Muertos in Mesilla.
The altars
Even though the plaza was set up with many vendors selling arts and crafts related to the day of the dead, there were also altars set up, honoring real family, friends (and even beloved pets).
El Dia de los Muertos, Mesilla, New Mexico
El Dia de los Muertos, Mesilla, New Mexico
El Dia de los Muertos, Mesilla, New Mexico
El Dia de los Muertos, Mesilla, New Mexico
El Dia de los Muertos, Mesilla, New Mexico
An especially touching altar was the one made in honor of the women killed in Juarez (population 1.3 million) since the early 1990s. Juarez is in the state of Chihuahua, and in 2010 alone, more than 300 women were killed in Chihuahua (population of 3.2 million). As a point of comparison: in New York City in 2011, there were 515 murders of both men and women. NYC has 8.2 million residents. In 2011, there were up to 2000 homicides in the state of Chihuahua, both men and women.
El Dia de los Muertos, Mesilla, New Mexico
Even though Juarez seems like a world away to most Americans, it's not, really. It's only about an hour and a half away. I'm willing to bet there are Mesilla residents who have lost loved ones by way of these killings.
Artwork
New Mexicohas a real appreciation for creative, beautiful jewelry. Ah, if I had the budget - so many fine earrings, bracelets, rings, and necklaces done up in the skeleton or skull ("calavera") motif, using stones or glass or beads or wood ... I selected a modestly-priced pair of colorful, dangly earrings topped by skulls.
If I had a permanent house, I would have definitely bought one of the tin luminary "bags." And maybe an ornament or two.
El Dia de los Muertos, Mesilla, New Mexico
El Dia de los Muertos, Mesilla, New Mexico
El Dia de los Muertos, Mesilla, New Mexico
The clothing mannequins, cool.
El Dia de los Muertos, Mesilla, New Mexico
There were painted faces.
El Dia de los Muertos, Mesilla, New Mexico
The area around Mesilla's historic plaza has a lot of charm.
Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla, New Mexico
As you might guess, I was entranced by the curb appeal of the building with the blue door.
I had lunch at La Posta Restaurant, which I learned later is a locally-famous landmark. You can read my review of the place here.
Highway 380, Valley of Fires, near Carrizozo, New Mexico
I have the luxury of locating myself in a travel destination - New Mexico - for one year.
A year is a roomy expanse of time to explore the state in the breadth and depth I wish. No hours hunkered over a one- or two-week itinerary, weighing the must-see value of too many sightseeing candidates against too little time and money.
With a year, I can see all that I want to see.
But I find this isn't entirely true. While the geographic locations of interest remain constant, their seasonality does not.
I arrived in New Mexico toward the end of September. With my focus on finding a place to live and settling in, before I knew it, I was at the end of October.
In Alamogordo, in the high desert, there's no fall foliage to speak of (at least thus far in the beginning of November), so I've got to go out in search of it.
I can't wave away the sightseeing deadline with a casual, "Oh, I'll catch it next year." I don't know where I'll be next year.
So there's a sense of urgency in some things.
Thus, where will I be this weekend? At Mesilla's Dia de los Muertos. Because the dead won't wait.
