notes and reflections

If you have an opinon to express or a cause to champion, the time to do so seems to be Sunday morning.  This past weekend there were two groups of paraders along the main street of Morelia.  The first group of over 1,000 was dressed in white and was registering its complaint against abortion. Closely following was the second, an equal number, endorsing a political candidate. This group wore bright red shirts with the letter F on them.  The two groups made an interesting contrast, the first serious, generally quiet and religious although armed with drums and many banners, the second more fun-loving with small girls turning handsprings, stiltwalkers, dancers and young men with bodies and heads painted silver and juggling flaming torches. Two political statements yet two very distinct methods of expression.

Sitting in the spacious lobby of the Hotel Virrey de Mendoso and looking up you see a remarkable ceiling made entirely of stained glass.  I imagine vertical stained glass windows, although fragile, must not be that difficult to install, but this is huge and completely horizontal and it makes you wonder, "How in the world did they do that?"

Mexico is not a wealthy country but that is sometimes difficult to believe as you watch the steady stream of shoppers wheeling their overladen shopping carts out of Costco or Sam's Club on a weekend. Carts overflow with everything from several month's supply of toilet paper, corn flakes, detergent and beer to George Foreman grills, Coleman camp stoves, dinnerware, lawn chairs and mattresses. By mid September the large stores here already had their Christmas decorations on display, right next to  the Halloween masks and costumes. Consumerism  is alive and well.,

Watching a small, smiling girl holding her mother's hand and skipping across a parking lot I wonder what genetic miracle has given little girls this delightful ability.  Little boys seem to run, jump or gallop and occasionally  run into things much like small bulls in china shops and, although little girls can do those things too, they also skip. Viva la diferencia!