Java and Sheriff

When we go to Omar's for lunch on Thursdays, his dogs are always a big hit. The little yorkie, Sheriff, generally rules the roost. He even bosses their big dog around. Well, there's a new 'sheriff' in town. Omar and Mela have a new Jack Russell terrier puppy named Java, who has just enough 'caffeine' to get the group going! The ladies just couldn't keep their hands off him, and he seemed to enjoy the attention. Sheriff the yorkie has gotten a little snooty lately and didn't want all the attention anymore. Omar declared, "he's turned into a teenager!" Well, he probably got his nose a little out of joint with the September group, because he was mostly ignored while Java got all the attention. Take that, little guy...maybe the next time you'll condescend to give us a lick or two for old time's sake!

Click here to see the other memories and pictures of the September 2007 program group ...

Cascarones for Luck!

It was with good fortune when we went to the Plaza Guadalajara in September that we got to see a young girl actually making cascarones! I've seen them...I've even bonked a few people on the head with them, but have never really thought about what it takes to make one.

Cascarones are empty eggshells that have been gently cracked and emptied, then carefully washed and dried. Then, as this young lady is doing, each egg is individually filled with confetti. Before she's through with her little treasure, she will reseal them with tissue paper. After that they will be painted with bright colors or decorated with scraps of tissue paper glued into place all over the shell. I have no doubt that some of these fragile items get broken before they ever become hair fare!

And, realizing how much effort it takes to make just one, I am equally amazed that as this young girl sits making hers, she knows each one is made to be broken, and all of these pretty party favors will be destroyed in just a few moments of joy and fun, which, having participated in a good ol' cascarone bashing, is definitely true...it's a whole lot of fun...a chance to act like a kid again. I do love Mexico!
Empress Carlotta is credited with bringing the custom to Mexico when she and her husband, Emperor Maximillian, came to rule Mexico for France from 1864-1867. The eggshells she adored had been filled with perfumed talcum powder since the Renaissance in Italy, later becoming popular in Spain.

Supposedly, an eggshell broken on your head, releasing a shower of confetti is considered to be good luck in Mexico, and also a sign that you have good friends. In fact, on Sunday evenings in the plazas of Mexico, the girls with the most confetti in their hair are judged to be the most popular. This tradition has been going on for several centuries in Mexico. For instance, on weekend evenings and during town fiestas, the young people of Ixtlahuacan (where Bill and I live) still gather on the plaza for the paseo, where the boys walk clockwise around the bandstand and the girls stroll in the opposite direction. Timid boys find it easier to attract a girl's attention by cracking a cascaron on her head than actually saying he likes her. Ah-h-h...youth!

And, many large parties and wedding receptions evolve into a war of cascarones with shells and confetti flying everywhere. Bill and I helped celebrate the 78th birthday of our friend Jenny. We didn't quite understand the excitement when the eggs were being distributed. But when the bags were torn open, all of the adults became a mob of 10-year-old kids, running around bashing people on the head and laughing wildly...it was some of the most fun I've ever had and I think I should take them back to Kansas City when I go for the next party! Outdoor party, of course!

Please click here for pictures of our first introduction to cascarones! You'll be smiling by the end and will definitely be asking where to buy a bag when you visit Ajijic, as participants Peter Smith and Linda Fox did!


Click here to see the memories and pictures of the September 2007 program group ...

The Bronze Sculptures of Alejandro Colunga

One of the most popular stops during our tour of Guadalajara is the opportunity to enjoy the bronze sculptures of magical realist Alejandro Colunga in Plaza Tapatia. This is where his "Room of the Magicians" and "Universal Magicians" are located. They are an interactive and favorite site of locals and visitors who without doubt always take a photo of the site home with them among their memories of the city.

Born in Guadalajara in 1948, Alejandro studied Architecture from 1967 to 1971 and Music and Tourism from 1971-1973, but is a self-taught artist---painter and sculptor. He has gained international acclaim as one of a talented generation of visionaries. When one thinks of Mexican artists of the 20th century, Alejandro Colunga is always on that list. He has also been the inspiration of many young artists of the last century. Colunga is best known for the wonderful chairs "La Rotondo del Mar," which he created in 1997 for Vallarta's boardwalk "malecon" (pier).

However, when we go to the Instituto Cultural Cabanas, a Guadalajara landmark and major cultural center, to view the Orozco murals, we get to pass between these two "magical" groups of anthropomorphic bronze sculpture-chairs that are some of Colunga's most delightful creations. These whimsical "people-objects" come in all shapes and sizes, with grinning heads, pipes sticking out of jacket pockets and feet, big and small, some bare and other shod in sneakers, lace-ups and boots Some of the shoes even morph into snakes and lizards!

We're often asked what it's all about. It's hard for some of us to realize art is for art's sake...where an artist relies on individual imagination and originality ...nothing more! However, I finally took the opportunity to do a little research and found out that each object represents a magician (Mago) transforming himself into a sofa or chair. And the best part about it is that there are no rules about not sitting on these remarkable creations! In fact, it's more of a 'please sit on los objetos de arte!" Personally, I think you have to sit on some of them to experience their odd effect on your senses. Colunga likes his art to be touched, "I love it when people are drawn to one of my works and want to touch it or sit on it, since touch is the most intimate and universal sense we have."

I think it's unfortunate that with bronze sculptures, people are generally asked not to touch, because grease or dirt from their hands can affect the patina. Thank goodness Alejandro Colunga thinks that touching the surface can improve the look of a bronze sculpture, since people "tend to touch the high points, and you end up with a more three-dimensional look." Also, from what I understand, the frequent touching, caressing and sitting on these whimsical pieces of furniture produces a kind of regular maintenance in itself, which gives them a highly attractive and translucent look.

Furthermore, because the proportions of each piece are so unusual, a person may feel tall or short, fat or thin when sitting on them. No matter what their level of artistic sophistication, everyone seems to love the sculptures as they point, laugh, touch and finally sit on these unusual works of art. It's hard not to smile when you're in these delightful "rooms."

If you've seen these wonderful pieces in person, let us know what you think. If you haven't, you're in for a treat!

Click here to see pictures of the wonderful sculptures ...

Click here to see the memories and pictures of the September 2007 program group ...