As part of our retreat on Silence and Indigenous Spirituality, we also participated in a Limpia, a tradition which we learned about from an indigenous man named Ignacio, or Nacho.
Literally, the word, Limpia, means cleaning or cleansing. In this experience, a limpia was a spiritual cleansing. Even with my intuitive ways, I was skeptical of this practice. The more I learn, the more I realize the grounding power of logic in connection with a free and open intuition. My logic tells me that there was value in this experience, that it was indeed, a health creating practice, in the way that I experienced it. Using an uncracked raw egg, some herbs, and a pinch of intuition, Nacho cleansed each YAGM volunteer's spiritual aura, and then explained what issues we might be having in our lives by cracking the egg into water and "reading" the yoke's pattern. Its important to be a little skeptical when encountering practices like this in Mexico, or anywhere, because there are lots of people who want to take advantage of gringos' fascination with indigenous spirituality to do scams. Yet, there is also a rooted tradition of healing using herbs, rituals, and faith to cure. This contrasts western medicine, where it seems that everything must be scientifically proven by professional studies to be valid. I believe that both western knowledge and indigenous and ancient practices - even while handed down through centuries - have value, and that we need both. In Mexico, the indigenous traditions of healing, combined with less economic resources, and less access to state of the art health care, creates more openness to more grounded and more spiritual ways of healing. The Limpia that Nacho did was a ritualized set of movements, passing the egg over the head, shoulders, arms, solar plexus, lower calf, and feet, pressing the egg into our skin at certain points. After Nacho "read the egg", he asked us questions, that invited us to reflect on our lives, for example: "Have you ever been to a place that you haven't asked (or given yourself) permission to be in?" If we had, he suggested putting flowers out as an offering of humility to ask forgiveness.
He explained how some of us absorb sadness and anger from those around us, but that we can help ourselves heal through seeing the big picture of the suns' rise and set, and trying to let emotions flow instead of holding on to them. He asked us to reflect on people that may be trying to harm us or people we are trying to harm, and to make peace with those around us. He encouraged us to pay attention to our dreams, waking and sleeping ones. These reflections are a way to be more aware and awake to life, cleansing our spirits and growing in health.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Temazcal: Tradition of Rebirth
A temazcal is an indigenous MesoAmerican tradition of rebirth that continues today. We participated in this tradition as part of our YAGM retreat on silence and indigenous spirituality. A temazcal is a spiritual ritual that involves a herbal steam bath which we participated in a dark lodge. We crawled in to the igloo-like space backwards, and soaked in the warm, sweet, strong, steamy herb-filled air. The small space is meant to be like returning to a womb: a dark, safe space of gathering. After about twenty minutes of silence and sweating, we re-entered into the light, the bright surprise of life once again greeting us. We were wrapped in a sheet, and then we rested. I also participated in this tradition at a birthday party with a blend of Mexican and international friends to at the beginning of spring. At this party, there was a temazcal at the house we went to. While we didn't participate in the steam bath, we did go in. A woman who had studied the spirituality of the temazcal led us in a chant to honor and create sacred space. This tradition reminded me to reflect on each moment as an opportunity for rebirth, each breath as an opportunity for renewal. There are many places throughout Mexico City and Mexico in general where one can go for a temazcal. Sometimes, one has to pay for these services, and many times, people do a temazcal with the intention to heal or improve a certain health condition. The health benefits of a temazcal are similar to those of a sauna: they help with circulation and cleanse the body through sweat. The spiritual, historical, and sacred elements are all intertwined into this health-creating ritual of renewal.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Books I have been reading this year...
Sky Burial, by Xinran
Breath, Eyes, Memory, by Edwidge Danticat
The Devil's Highway, by Luis Alberto Urrea
The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant
Weaving the Past, A History of Latin America's Indigenous Women from the Prehispanic Period to the Present, by Susan Kellogg
Anam Cara, by John O Donohue
Night of Many Dreams, by Gail Tsukiyama
Crossing Over, by Ruben Martinez
Peace Pilgrim, compiled by some of her friends
Performance y arte acciOn en AmErica Latina, by Josefina AlcAzar y Fernando Fuentes
Breath, Eyes, Memory, by Edwidge Danticat
The Devil's Highway, by Luis Alberto Urrea
The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant
Weaving the Past, A History of Latin America's Indigenous Women from the Prehispanic Period to the Present, by Susan Kellogg
Anam Cara, by John O Donohue
Night of Many Dreams, by Gail Tsukiyama
Crossing Over, by Ruben Martinez
Peace Pilgrim, compiled by some of her friends
Performance y arte acciOn en AmErica Latina, by Josefina AlcAzar y Fernando Fuentes
"We belong to the Land and Not the Reverse"
As part of our YAGM retreat on silence and indigenous spirituality, we listened to an indigenous man named Ignacio, "Nacho," who explained the history of oppression that indigenous people have resisted for hundreds of years.
Early in his talk, he told a story about one of the conquerors who tortured an indigenous leader and demanded to know, "Where is the treasure?" The indigenous leader responded, "How sad that you do not have eyes to see? You have already killed it. The treasure is in the knowledge, wisdom, discipline, and life of my people."
After the conquista, 10 % of the indigenous population remained. Though marginalized, the knowledge, wisdom, discipline, and lives of many indigenous people still inform and form Mexican cultures.
Nacho explained that the indigenous had a circular lunar calendar, with cycles marking the time of light and the other half marking the time of dark. In contrast to Western culture's views, the time of darkness is not seen as negative, but as a time of regeneration. When the Spaniards came, many indigenous interpreted it as a change from the time of dark to the time of light and hoped for positive transformation, but what followed was horrible destruction and loss of culture and life.
Since the conquista, indigenous have struggled for rights to land. Many indigenous worked havesting sugar cane and coffee, living basically as slaves in extreme poverty. He explained how debts were not forgiven when a family member died, and so for 300 years, this injustice grew, and poverty worsened.
When Mexico gained independence on September 15, 1810, the Legislation of Land was not dealt with, and indigenous were oppressed for 100 more years. In 1910, another social movement began to fix this land conflict. Emiliano Zapata called out, "It's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!" There began the Zapatista Movement, whose theme was, "For Everyone, Everything! For us, Nothing!" Although many indigenous didn't believe in violence, because "we reap what we sow," they recognized that sometimes it is necessary. Guns force others to listen. A bloody revolution began in 1910 and ended in one sense in 1919. In 1911, Emiliano Zapata drafted the "Plan de Ayala," which said, "This land will return to those who work it with their hands." Yet the revolution for land in Mexico still continues today. "The government is not listening," Nacho said.
In 1917, Article 27 of the Mexican constitution was created and said, "Communal Land, or Ejido Land is the property of the people who work it with their hands." From 1917 to 1919, after the assasination of Emiliano Zapata, agrarian reform began, but only in the state of Morelos (in Cuernavaca, Morelos, one of the street names is Plan de Ayala).
Nacho explained how many indigenous people see land very differently than people from Western cultures. The land we are on connects us to the present. The land is the time and space we inhabit in the here and now. For this reason, the land is not something we can own; we can't carry the land with us. Many indigenous are against the definition of private property, and see it as an "invention of oppresion." Private property prevents access, even to basic needs of life, like water. "In privatizing everything," he explained, "we are thinking more with our wallets than with our hearts." "We belong to the land and not the reverse," he explained.
In the 1990s, President Carlos Salinas changed Article 27 without asking permission from the indigenous. Communal Ejido Indigenous Lands could be sold for profit. So, many multinational companies showed up. NAFTA was about to go into effect. Nacho explained that NAFTA works in theory, but not in practice. In 1994, the Zapatista Army for National Liberation protested NAFTA. With NAFTA, Mexico was considered "first world." But Mexico can't compete with the U.S. because of differences in agricultural machinery, agricultural subsidies, access to education, and healthcare. In that time, 33% of the Mexican indigenous were living in extreme poverty, on one dollar a day, eating salt and tortillas, especially in the states of Guerrero, Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Hidalgo.
"The Zapatista movement is about dignity," Nacho explained, since so many indigenous have lived through so much suffering and indignity. Zapatista movement is about indigenous rights to land, natural resources, and autonomy.
"Many indigenous have much mistrust of multinational companies because they have arrived and mined, and taken advantage of us," he said. He said its frustrating that many students come to "study the indigenous," and they leave after a time, and advance in their professions, but "what about the indigenous people?" The studies done by students may educate others, but do not have a direct and immediate impact on the indigenous communities. He said its frustrating to feel that his culture is valued in museum pieces and exhibits, but that human beings who form his culture are not valued. He said, "As indigenous, we want to be included in a nation-project. We want to be included and valued because all of us are children of the Land." This makes me think of the indigenous perspective that God lives in the earth. In Christian traditions, the phrase, "We are all children of God," is so common. If we see from the eyes of the indigenous, being children of God means being children of the earth, and ALL of us belong to the earth, not the reverse.
Early in his talk, he told a story about one of the conquerors who tortured an indigenous leader and demanded to know, "Where is the treasure?" The indigenous leader responded, "How sad that you do not have eyes to see? You have already killed it. The treasure is in the knowledge, wisdom, discipline, and life of my people."
After the conquista, 10 % of the indigenous population remained. Though marginalized, the knowledge, wisdom, discipline, and lives of many indigenous people still inform and form Mexican cultures.
Nacho explained that the indigenous had a circular lunar calendar, with cycles marking the time of light and the other half marking the time of dark. In contrast to Western culture's views, the time of darkness is not seen as negative, but as a time of regeneration. When the Spaniards came, many indigenous interpreted it as a change from the time of dark to the time of light and hoped for positive transformation, but what followed was horrible destruction and loss of culture and life.
Since the conquista, indigenous have struggled for rights to land. Many indigenous worked havesting sugar cane and coffee, living basically as slaves in extreme poverty. He explained how debts were not forgiven when a family member died, and so for 300 years, this injustice grew, and poverty worsened.
When Mexico gained independence on September 15, 1810, the Legislation of Land was not dealt with, and indigenous were oppressed for 100 more years. In 1910, another social movement began to fix this land conflict. Emiliano Zapata called out, "It's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!" There began the Zapatista Movement, whose theme was, "For Everyone, Everything! For us, Nothing!" Although many indigenous didn't believe in violence, because "we reap what we sow," they recognized that sometimes it is necessary. Guns force others to listen. A bloody revolution began in 1910 and ended in one sense in 1919. In 1911, Emiliano Zapata drafted the "Plan de Ayala," which said, "This land will return to those who work it with their hands." Yet the revolution for land in Mexico still continues today. "The government is not listening," Nacho said.
In 1917, Article 27 of the Mexican constitution was created and said, "Communal Land, or Ejido Land is the property of the people who work it with their hands." From 1917 to 1919, after the assasination of Emiliano Zapata, agrarian reform began, but only in the state of Morelos (in Cuernavaca, Morelos, one of the street names is Plan de Ayala).
Nacho explained how many indigenous people see land very differently than people from Western cultures. The land we are on connects us to the present. The land is the time and space we inhabit in the here and now. For this reason, the land is not something we can own; we can't carry the land with us. Many indigenous are against the definition of private property, and see it as an "invention of oppresion." Private property prevents access, even to basic needs of life, like water. "In privatizing everything," he explained, "we are thinking more with our wallets than with our hearts." "We belong to the land and not the reverse," he explained.
In the 1990s, President Carlos Salinas changed Article 27 without asking permission from the indigenous. Communal Ejido Indigenous Lands could be sold for profit. So, many multinational companies showed up. NAFTA was about to go into effect. Nacho explained that NAFTA works in theory, but not in practice. In 1994, the Zapatista Army for National Liberation protested NAFTA. With NAFTA, Mexico was considered "first world." But Mexico can't compete with the U.S. because of differences in agricultural machinery, agricultural subsidies, access to education, and healthcare. In that time, 33% of the Mexican indigenous were living in extreme poverty, on one dollar a day, eating salt and tortillas, especially in the states of Guerrero, Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Hidalgo.
"The Zapatista movement is about dignity," Nacho explained, since so many indigenous have lived through so much suffering and indignity. Zapatista movement is about indigenous rights to land, natural resources, and autonomy.
"Many indigenous have much mistrust of multinational companies because they have arrived and mined, and taken advantage of us," he said. He said its frustrating that many students come to "study the indigenous," and they leave after a time, and advance in their professions, but "what about the indigenous people?" The studies done by students may educate others, but do not have a direct and immediate impact on the indigenous communities. He said its frustrating to feel that his culture is valued in museum pieces and exhibits, but that human beings who form his culture are not valued. He said, "As indigenous, we want to be included in a nation-project. We want to be included and valued because all of us are children of the Land." This makes me think of the indigenous perspective that God lives in the earth. In Christian traditions, the phrase, "We are all children of God," is so common. If we see from the eyes of the indigenous, being children of God means being children of the earth, and ALL of us belong to the earth, not the reverse.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Lizards and Snakes: Sacred Creatures
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| This is one of the church door handles at Southside Presbyterian Church. The church modeled some of their structure to connect their beliefs with indigenous traditions. Many indigenous believe(d) God lives in the earth, and so lizards and snakes are sacred, since they live between us and God! |
In D.F., most days I see tiny agile lizards scrambling into crevices in the hardened lava that forms the rocky landscape where I live. I haven't seen as many live snakes, but the snake is present in lots of art, including the Mexican flag, which pictures an eagle on a nopal (cactus) eating a snake. The ancient Aztecs received a message from their gods that when they saw this image, they should build a great city. They built Technotitlan, (the original name for Mexico City) in the middle of a huge lake! I recently walked on top on a winding snake sculpture garden at UNAM, one of the largest universities in the world. When our YAGM group traveled to the border, we visited the Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona. There, John Fife, one of the founders of the Sanctuary Movement (learn more about the New Sanctuary Movement here: (http://www.newsanctuarymovement.org/), is pastor. He explained how the church design reflects how indigenous spirituality has and can inform other religious traditions. For example, the altar is in the center, reflecting the importance of community, so that everyone can see one another's faces. The handles of the church made an impression on me, as the handles are sculptures of lizards and snakes. He explained to us that many indigenous peoples believe God lives in the earth. And so snakes and lizards are sacred creatures, because they live between us and God. How interesting that this sacred snake and lizard link to God in the earth can help us live in community: When we care for the earth, we care for one another, and the reverse. When we love the earth and one another, we love God.
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| The outer entrance to Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson. |
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| Our Group with John Fife, one of the founders of the Sanctuary Movement, inside the church. The congregation sits in a circle with the altar in the center, which reflects an indigenous practice of community. |
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| This small colorful art piece was outside the church, making me think of the abundance that the earth gives, when we care and honor for the God who lives in the Earth. |
Sunday, April 17, 2011
I Cross Myself Because there's No Seatbelt and Other Spiritual Reflections...
I've gotten into the popular Catholic-Mexican habit of crossing myself, except instead of doing so when passing a church or holy place as many Mexican people do, I cross myself every time I get into a bus or taxi, where one is hard pressed to find a seatbelt. Taxis careen, buses zoom, passing happens wherever whenever, drivers honk instead of stop at intersections, its a wonder anyone makes it anywhere in the mess of traffic in Mexico City. I also cross myself on the way across the street, as buses barely (and sometimes don't) stop at red lights and crosswalks.
"Thank God," I think to myself as I take a deep breath and feel grateful to have made it. I've noticed that I am used to using the phrase, "Thank God," only when something bad did NOT happen. Here in Mexico, I hear a different spirit of reverence when people use God in daily expressions. Many everyday sayings reference God. Many people use them, whether they are particularly religious or not. "Thanks to God," expressed "Gracias a Dios," is one of the most common. If someone asks "How are you?" for example, it is not uncommon to hear, "Estoy bien, Gracias a Dios," or "I am fine, thanks to God." Sometimes when I thank someone, instead of replying "de nada" or "you're welcome," the person will reply, "Gracias a Dios." A friend was telling me that "the phrase "Gracias a Dios" is so common in Mexico that we have the saying, 'Yo soy atea, Gracias a Dios,' which means, 'I am an atheist, Thanks to God.' "
Another phrase often used to speak about miraculous or uncommon events of grace, is "Dios es tan grande que..." which means, "God is so big that..." Sometimes I hear that phrase about the size and mystery of God when others marvel at nature.
A very common reverent habit is saying, "Si Dios Permite," which means "If God permits." If I say, for example, "Hasta MaNana" "See you tomorrow," to Esther, my host, she will often add for me, "Si Dios Permite," meaning "Yes, if God permits." This phrase is a constant reminder to me to not take life for granted.
I have reflected on why expressions about God are so different in the U.S. and in Mexico. In general, I feel that my U.S. culture more commonly uses expressions with the word God in negative ways, only to say things like, "thank God I did not die in that car accident!" And in general here in Mexico, I feel "Gracias a Dios," usually carries a completely different reverence, respect, and awe.
In a recent conversation with the other YAGM, Amy, dear friend and one of the volunteers, relayed a story about a conversation at her worksite. She was at a meeting, speaking in English, with the director of her work site translating for one of her coworkers. Amy explained how in the U.S., there is a different sense about time, efficiency, and getting things done. And the director of her work site, translated her statement in a very interesting way, explaining to the Mexican woman she was with, "The U.S. is a culture of conquerors, and so are efficient and warrior-like in the way they occupy time" and "we are a culture of the conquered, which means we view time very differently."
I feel this explanation also relates perhaps to the differences in the ways of relating to God. Coming from a "culture of conquerors," there are ways that my actions are in some ways "more effective," in the sense that I have more economic possibilities, more of certain kinds of privelage, more of certain kinds of opportunites, just because I am white and from the U.S. That means that maybe I don't look as much for help to the powers outside of my control. Whereas, being from a culture of "the conquered," perhaps there is more of a reverence, a mixed up blend and fear and hope for what is out of one's control and out of one's reach.
I find myself at times deeply appreciating, at times annoyed by this all-pervading sense of a great and mysterious God. Sometimes, especially if I feel angry or don't sense the presence of God, I just want to say, "Yes, I will wake up tomorrow, whether God gives me permission or not!" This attitude comes from being part an indivilualistic culture of conquerors, and the illusion of wanting to accomplish something without any outside help. Yet, when I reflect, that is impossible. Many times, I feel so humbled to be able to breathe, sleep, be a part of another culture, and live, that saying "Gracias a Dios" seems the very least I could possibly do to acknowledge the mystery that has brought me here that I don't understand, and the many other people and forces of the universe which allow me to live. Gratitude, humility, a history of struggle and strength through oppresion, and awareness of the importance of relationship, are at the core of these sayings. It really is by some strange and wondrous permission that we are here, waking up again, living, breathing, and saying, its all "Gracias a Dios." How can we learn from humble hearts, using our gratitude to help us live with more care for one another and ourselves?
A gospel choir song that I used to sing at St. Olaf sings, "Thank you for another day...For makin things okay. What was broken yesterday, is all fixed up today. I thank you for another day.....I thank you for another day." Another day to begin anew. Here, I am learning to say, "Thank God I woke up this morning!" , "Thank God I have family, friends, and health." "Thank God I arrived back home safely," and "Por Todo, For Everything, Gracias a Dios." If God is truly the animating spirit inside of each one of us, then saying Gracias a Dios is a way to acknowledge all the people who've gone before me, all my ancestors and all people who've lived, for their contributions, inventions, inspirations, dreams, writings, discoveries, constructions, artistic creations, mistakes, failures, perseverence through loss, and movements towards peace. Gracias a Dios is a way to acknowledge all those who live now, who support me in direct and indirect ways, the people who sew my clothes, harvest the fruit I eat, drive the trucks which bring food from the farm to the city. Gracias a Dios is saying thanks the inner spirit of the people who have been and are my teachers, my friends, my family. Gracias a Dios is a way to see this big interconnected web, and recognize that we each are supported by zillions of invisible threads. Anything that you or I accomplish, you or I have not done "by myself." The food that we ate for strength, the transportation that we drive or ride, the clothes which we wear, the support we receive from family and friends, the people who care for health, the people who have paved the way before us, all make it possible for us to just simply live and breath our lives. I will close with a quote I love by Albert Einstein which I feel reads almost like a prayer, especially, if thinking about the God inside each one of us:
"A hundred times every day, I remind myself that my inner and outer life are dependent on the labours of other [women and] men, both living and dead, and that I must exert myself, in order to give in the same measure as I have received, and still am receiving."
~Albert Einstein
"Thank God," I think to myself as I take a deep breath and feel grateful to have made it. I've noticed that I am used to using the phrase, "Thank God," only when something bad did NOT happen. Here in Mexico, I hear a different spirit of reverence when people use God in daily expressions. Many everyday sayings reference God. Many people use them, whether they are particularly religious or not. "Thanks to God," expressed "Gracias a Dios," is one of the most common. If someone asks "How are you?" for example, it is not uncommon to hear, "Estoy bien, Gracias a Dios," or "I am fine, thanks to God." Sometimes when I thank someone, instead of replying "de nada" or "you're welcome," the person will reply, "Gracias a Dios." A friend was telling me that "the phrase "Gracias a Dios" is so common in Mexico that we have the saying, 'Yo soy atea, Gracias a Dios,' which means, 'I am an atheist, Thanks to God.' "
Another phrase often used to speak about miraculous or uncommon events of grace, is "Dios es tan grande que..." which means, "God is so big that..." Sometimes I hear that phrase about the size and mystery of God when others marvel at nature.
A very common reverent habit is saying, "Si Dios Permite," which means "If God permits." If I say, for example, "Hasta MaNana" "See you tomorrow," to Esther, my host, she will often add for me, "Si Dios Permite," meaning "Yes, if God permits." This phrase is a constant reminder to me to not take life for granted.
I have reflected on why expressions about God are so different in the U.S. and in Mexico. In general, I feel that my U.S. culture more commonly uses expressions with the word God in negative ways, only to say things like, "thank God I did not die in that car accident!" And in general here in Mexico, I feel "Gracias a Dios," usually carries a completely different reverence, respect, and awe.
In a recent conversation with the other YAGM, Amy, dear friend and one of the volunteers, relayed a story about a conversation at her worksite. She was at a meeting, speaking in English, with the director of her work site translating for one of her coworkers. Amy explained how in the U.S., there is a different sense about time, efficiency, and getting things done. And the director of her work site, translated her statement in a very interesting way, explaining to the Mexican woman she was with, "The U.S. is a culture of conquerors, and so are efficient and warrior-like in the way they occupy time" and "we are a culture of the conquered, which means we view time very differently."
I feel this explanation also relates perhaps to the differences in the ways of relating to God. Coming from a "culture of conquerors," there are ways that my actions are in some ways "more effective," in the sense that I have more economic possibilities, more of certain kinds of privelage, more of certain kinds of opportunites, just because I am white and from the U.S. That means that maybe I don't look as much for help to the powers outside of my control. Whereas, being from a culture of "the conquered," perhaps there is more of a reverence, a mixed up blend and fear and hope for what is out of one's control and out of one's reach.
I find myself at times deeply appreciating, at times annoyed by this all-pervading sense of a great and mysterious God. Sometimes, especially if I feel angry or don't sense the presence of God, I just want to say, "Yes, I will wake up tomorrow, whether God gives me permission or not!" This attitude comes from being part an indivilualistic culture of conquerors, and the illusion of wanting to accomplish something without any outside help. Yet, when I reflect, that is impossible. Many times, I feel so humbled to be able to breathe, sleep, be a part of another culture, and live, that saying "Gracias a Dios" seems the very least I could possibly do to acknowledge the mystery that has brought me here that I don't understand, and the many other people and forces of the universe which allow me to live. Gratitude, humility, a history of struggle and strength through oppresion, and awareness of the importance of relationship, are at the core of these sayings. It really is by some strange and wondrous permission that we are here, waking up again, living, breathing, and saying, its all "Gracias a Dios." How can we learn from humble hearts, using our gratitude to help us live with more care for one another and ourselves?
A gospel choir song that I used to sing at St. Olaf sings, "Thank you for another day...For makin things okay. What was broken yesterday, is all fixed up today. I thank you for another day.....I thank you for another day." Another day to begin anew. Here, I am learning to say, "Thank God I woke up this morning!" , "Thank God I have family, friends, and health." "Thank God I arrived back home safely," and "Por Todo, For Everything, Gracias a Dios." If God is truly the animating spirit inside of each one of us, then saying Gracias a Dios is a way to acknowledge all the people who've gone before me, all my ancestors and all people who've lived, for their contributions, inventions, inspirations, dreams, writings, discoveries, constructions, artistic creations, mistakes, failures, perseverence through loss, and movements towards peace. Gracias a Dios is a way to acknowledge all those who live now, who support me in direct and indirect ways, the people who sew my clothes, harvest the fruit I eat, drive the trucks which bring food from the farm to the city. Gracias a Dios is saying thanks the inner spirit of the people who have been and are my teachers, my friends, my family. Gracias a Dios is a way to see this big interconnected web, and recognize that we each are supported by zillions of invisible threads. Anything that you or I accomplish, you or I have not done "by myself." The food that we ate for strength, the transportation that we drive or ride, the clothes which we wear, the support we receive from family and friends, the people who care for health, the people who have paved the way before us, all make it possible for us to just simply live and breath our lives. I will close with a quote I love by Albert Einstein which I feel reads almost like a prayer, especially, if thinking about the God inside each one of us:
"A hundred times every day, I remind myself that my inner and outer life are dependent on the labours of other [women and] men, both living and dead, and that I must exert myself, in order to give in the same measure as I have received, and still am receiving."
~Albert Einstein
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Swedish Pancakes : Who Knew they'd be Such a hit in Mexico?
I get a kick out of it when Mexicans ask me, "What foods do you eat in the U.S.?" and then answer the question themselves, only half jokingly: "Hot dogs, hamburguesas, pizzas, y Puro Pan! (Pure White Bread!)..." Well, yes, you can find those foods, I reply, but there's lots more to it than that. I try to explain how foods people eat in the U.S. depend a lot on the particular family's lifestyle, economic class, and heritage and less on the location in the U.S. where they live. As I explain, I realize the multicultural identity of the U.S. is reflected in the foods we eat. In major cities and small towns alike, restaurants often reflect a variety of cultures: Chinese, Italian, and Mexican restaurants are easy to find in many places, for example. While in many of these restaurants, these cultures' foods are americanized, they still reflect some base connection to another culture. I also explain how there is growing interest in locally grown and organic foods, in my hometown and beyond, and that many people are seeking ways to eat healthier for themselves and the environment, lower on the food chain. Here in Mexico, each state is known for particular types of foods, and then this gets even more specific with foods common to regions, towns, and then families. Many Mexicans here ask frequently, "And what do you think of the food here in Mexico?" And I reply that I like just about all of it. "And do you like spicy food?" they want to know. For reasons unknown to me, since arriving in Mexico, I've happily spinkled spicy salsa onto almost everything (my Scandinavian, Scottish, Dutch, English ancestry certainly does not explain it.) I am already thinking about carrying around limes and chilis in my purse when I get back to the U.S. because I've gotten used to putting lime juice and chili on just about everything! In spite of common foods across much of Mexico, like limes, chilis, and what often comes to mind in the U.S.: tacos, there are diverse, rich and rooted culinary traditions here, and food is an important part of sharing among Mexicans and foreigners. "Para que lo pruebes," "So that you can try it," Mexicans and market vendors will often say as they offer to share something with me that I've never tried. Many Mexicans love to share their eating traditions, and are delighted when foreigners share the food they eat with them in the way they eat it. When I first walked thru markets, I was super surprised to see things like pigs' heads, pigs's feet, whole unskinned fish, whole chickens with vendors pulling off feathers, and intestines hanging from the market booths. Just yesterday, I ate a handful of grasshoppers (smothered in lime juice---which makes everything go down easier) for the first time. Now in some strange way, I appreciate this whole hearted approach to meat - it gives me a more of a sense of connection to the animal I eat. In the U.S., sometimes the meat we buy in the store has been so processed that it loses its raw animal-ness. A piece of chicken that has no bones, no feathers, no blood, makes it easier to forget that this meat used to be a living breathing creature.
Many Mexicans also have asked me, "so what did you eat in the U.S.?" and before they can answer for me, with their assumptions of white bread and pizza, I explain some of my family's favorites: goulash, chili, soups, salads, stir fry chicken, homemade bread, and, in attempt to show how the U.S.'s multicultural heritage is reflected in foods, I tell them about Swedish pancakes, a family favorite on my mom's side. I've made Swedish pancakes in Mexico for my coworkers, host family, and many other family friends, on several occasions. Esther, my host mom, shares the name of my Swedish great grandmother on my mom's side, and so I think its a funny coincidence that she happens to be the biggest fan.
Its a simple recipe. I've realized Swedish pancakes end up kind of like tortillas, but I have yet to try putting lime and chili on them!
Here's the recipe (this makes enough for 6 hungry people or so):
4 dry ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups of flour
a pinch of salt
a few shakes of ground cinnamon (optional)
Mix these three dry ingredients together.
3 wet ingredients:
6 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk (any kind will do)
a little bit of vanilla
Mix these wet ingredients together.
Then, mix the wet and dry ingredients together gradually. The batter should be runny and bubbly.
Then, pour oil into a pan, let the oil and pan heat up. Then, pour a little bit of the batter into the pan, and pick up the pan and move it around in a circle so the batter spreads evenly. Put it back over the heat, and wait till you see bubbles on the top, then flip the pancake! Walla! Swedish pancakes. You can eat plain or top with yogurt, fruit, jam, sweetened condensed milk, butter, syrup, limes and chili, peanut butter, or whatever else you want to try!
Many Mexicans also have asked me, "so what did you eat in the U.S.?" and before they can answer for me, with their assumptions of white bread and pizza, I explain some of my family's favorites: goulash, chili, soups, salads, stir fry chicken, homemade bread, and, in attempt to show how the U.S.'s multicultural heritage is reflected in foods, I tell them about Swedish pancakes, a family favorite on my mom's side. I've made Swedish pancakes in Mexico for my coworkers, host family, and many other family friends, on several occasions. Esther, my host mom, shares the name of my Swedish great grandmother on my mom's side, and so I think its a funny coincidence that she happens to be the biggest fan.
Its a simple recipe. I've realized Swedish pancakes end up kind of like tortillas, but I have yet to try putting lime and chili on them!
Here's the recipe (this makes enough for 6 hungry people or so):
4 dry ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups of flour
a pinch of salt
a few shakes of ground cinnamon (optional)
Mix these three dry ingredients together.
3 wet ingredients:
6 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk (any kind will do)
a little bit of vanilla
Mix these wet ingredients together.
Then, mix the wet and dry ingredients together gradually. The batter should be runny and bubbly.
Then, pour oil into a pan, let the oil and pan heat up. Then, pour a little bit of the batter into the pan, and pick up the pan and move it around in a circle so the batter spreads evenly. Put it back over the heat, and wait till you see bubbles on the top, then flip the pancake! Walla! Swedish pancakes. You can eat plain or top with yogurt, fruit, jam, sweetened condensed milk, butter, syrup, limes and chili, peanut butter, or whatever else you want to try!
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