I Moved To Oaxaca

Friday, October 31, 2003

Happy Friday!
Greg had to get up at 6am for a class today, and he's got another one this afternoon at 4:30pm. Me, I got up and went to the Friday market with Timothy to buy flowers, cleaned the house, set up our Day of the Dead altar, had some lunch (reheated spagetti -- thanks, Timothy!) and chat with Marlys, then wandered over to the Internet cafe.

It's been sprinkling off and on for most of the afternoon. The sky's full of clouds, but I can't tell if it's really going to rain or not. Other than today's sprinkles and one early evening shower earlier in the week, it hasn't rained for about a month -- a pretty abrupt end to the rainy season. Saw online that the Bay Area got some hail!

Usually for Halloween/Day of the Dead I set up an altar with what pictures of deceased relatives I have, some incense and candles, some flowers, and some food from the garden, especially pumpkins. No garden this year, though, and a real need to do something a little extra for all the misfortunate kitties this year, so I set up a three-table altar in a corner of the middle room. One table's for cats, one table's for people, and the middle table's for food. I bought a pumpkin this morning, too; that's there, along with some oranges, limes, avocados, candy, booze, and cat food (sabores de aves). And a shitload of candles and flowers, mostly marigolds, but some dark purple and magenta flowers, too. Plus some little painted tin hearts and flowers, and a little butterfly for that kitten that was killed. (In Huichol-land, the spirits of children are turned into butterflies.) With three tables it's the biggest Halloween/Day of the Dead altar I've done, and with all those flowers it's hard to ignore! Can't wait to light all the candles tonight.

We're planning to meet one of my students tonight around 9pm and drive over to Xoxo, a colonia just outside Oaxaca, to see their supposedly grand celebrations in the old graveyard. Should be good. Timothy will be with us tonight instead of back in San Sebastian, as he got pickpocketed while getting on the Miahuatlan bus today!

I'm a little sad that while thousands upon thousands of graves across the country will be resplendently decorated for this most gravely fun weekend, Fuzzy's grave will go unadorned. She's got a prominent place on the kitty altar in my apartment, but I would like to celebrate the holiday at her graveside, too.

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