This morning we went to the passport office to get the kids' Mexican passports. Immediately, we were slapped in the face with a nasty surprise. Thanks to the ex-governor's impressive levels of deficit spending, all passports issued in the state of Coahuila are slapped with an aditional $1220 fee. That's about 3 times the total cost of the baby's passport. (As an additional comparison, last year the fees that the state applied to passport applications were around 200 pesos . . . yep, we're that far in debt.)
Thanks for that, ex-gob!
Unfortunately for those who came up with this genius pay-off-the-debt measure, they failed to take into account that the two biggest cities in the state, Torreon and Saltillo, are a short drive to neighboring states. Which is why the passport office was eerily silent this morning. Now, instead of the state government collecting 200 pesos from each of the roughly 30 people that would file for a passport daily, they can now rake in 1220 once every two or three days from some poor schmuck who just doesn't have the time to go to Monterrey.
But, the good news is that it's no longer necessary to make an appointment to renew your passport in Saltillo!
martes, 21 de febrero de 2012
domingo, 5 de febrero de 2012
Ojo de Agua
My in-laws were here last week. As we've lived in Saltillo for 3 years now, they've seen the sights. But this time they came wanting to visit the Ojo de Agua, or Saltillo, if you will. This is a spring of water on top of a decent-sized hill. Saltillo was founded on that spot and a church stands there now with a small, chapel-like niche housing the spring. I had only breifly visited it myself, and I was also itching to spend a little more time exploring it.
Lili inspecting the spring. 
Mago checks out reminders of all the miracles worked there. 
The entrance to the spring. 
In this spot, Captain Francisco de Urdinola, following the process of the law, founded the town of Santiago del Saltillo del Salto de Agua on the 25th of July in 1555, by mandate of the viceroy of Spain, Don Luis de Velasco, the first.
Christ Yesterday, Today, Forever [with unfortunate graffiti below]
The Ojo de Agua is about a block away (a fairly steep block) from the Mirador, or a lookout point. This is also another area I wanted to check out again, having only visited both sites on a sightseeing trolley tour, which only afforded about 5 minutes to check out the view. We went on a beautiful clear day, and enjoyed relaxing in the kiosko on the little plaza for the Ojo de Agua neighborhood, while watching neighborhood boys played a pick up game of soccer.
Clara poses in the kiosk, as I took in the view.
From there, we headed downhill to the grocery store across the street from the Chapulin Park. Our plan all along had been to buy a rotisserie chicken and have a picnic at the park. We dawdled longer than we meant to, so we had a moonlight picnic under the stars. It was a little chilly, but as the park was still open, and we were still hungry, we took advantage and had a memorable meal in the moonlight.
Lili inspecting the spring. 
Mago checks out reminders of all the miracles worked there. 
The entrance to the spring. 
In this spot, Captain Francisco de Urdinola, following the process of the law, founded the town of Santiago del Saltillo del Salto de Agua on the 25th of July in 1555, by mandate of the viceroy of Spain, Don Luis de Velasco, the first. 
Christ Yesterday, Today, Forever [with unfortunate graffiti below]The Ojo de Agua is about a block away (a fairly steep block) from the Mirador, or a lookout point. This is also another area I wanted to check out again, having only visited both sites on a sightseeing trolley tour, which only afforded about 5 minutes to check out the view. We went on a beautiful clear day, and enjoyed relaxing in the kiosko on the little plaza for the Ojo de Agua neighborhood, while watching neighborhood boys played a pick up game of soccer.
Clara poses in the kiosk, as I took in the view.
From there, we headed downhill to the grocery store across the street from the Chapulin Park. Our plan all along had been to buy a rotisserie chicken and have a picnic at the park. We dawdled longer than we meant to, so we had a moonlight picnic under the stars. It was a little chilly, but as the park was still open, and we were still hungry, we took advantage and had a memorable meal in the moonlight.
viernes, 3 de febrero de 2012
Candelaria Day
Yesterday we celebrated a little-known holiday known as Candelaria Day. The English translation is the equally ambiguous Candlemas Day. The day is to commemorate Baby Jesus's presentation in the temple (Luke 2:21-40). However, the reading clearly states that this took place when Jesus was 8 days old. Why we celebrate this on February 2ed if Jesus was born on December 25th is beyond me. Perhaps just to remind ourselves to not be too literal.
It's a pretty simple holiday all in all. Most people just have tamales for dinner. The more hard-core Candelaria revelers take their Baby Jesus from their nativity scene, dress him up (and many people make or buy him a new set of clothes every year), and take him to church. In the past, I've enjoyed my tamales and watching the little old ladies wander down the street carrying baby dolls tucked under their arms.
However, this year I was invited to a neighbor's levantamiento. This is a whole ceremony for taking the Baby Jesus out of the nativity scene, dressing him up and then sitting him (tying him) to the chair that he'll sit in all year to be displayed on a prominent shelf for the rest of the year.
So at seven o'clock I toted my kids over to Rosario's house. We waited for her family and friends to arrive. Then we prayed a rosary, sang some Christmas carols, and enjoyed the tamales. Simple enough, but I felt blessed to have a friend to invite me over for these cultural insights that I'd miss out on otherwise.
So thanks, Rosario!
And now that Candelaria Day is over, it's now officially time to take down the Christmas decorations!
****************************************************************************
Theological side note: in observing people with this holiday, I fear that these Baby Jesus dolls (or those of us who have them) walk a very fine line theologically. Another friend of mine mentioned that if you rock the Baby Jesus doll while "adoring" him (a ritual which drives me beserk) whatever you pray for will be answered. To which my friend Rosario responded [and I translate loosely], "Dude--it's a doll. It's just a symbol. God listens to us wherever we are."
Whew! Too true, Rosario! God does know our hearts [not me, I'm honestly not trying to judge here], and he wants us to worship him, not a plastic doll. The doll does NOT have special powers. Careful y'all!
****************************************************************************
Personal note as background to the theological side note:
I really, really, really do NOT want to sound judgmental. So let me explain myself a little better here (after all, I too have one of these baby Jesus dolls and did enjoy myself at Rosario's house for her levantamiento).
If you know me or have been reading awhile, you may know that I grew up Protestant and am now Catholic. However, before I'd apply those labels, I really consider myself Ecumenical. Really, can't we all just get along? To my personal beliefs, that extends not just to all Christian denominations, but I believe that we all have a lot to learn from each other, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddist, Hindu, and whatever other religions are out there, plus those who claim no faith (because those who have made a conscious decision to not believe in a higher power have some very concrete reasons for that decision and I do respect that and believe I have something(s) to learn from that as well).
In the US (at least among Christian denominations (including Catholics) we do seem to get along. However, the rift between Protestants (often referred to simply as Christians (even by Catholics), implying that Catholics are NOT Christian) just breaks my heart. I understand some of the reasons behind it, but man, oh, man, when you get down to the heart of the matter, we all really do believe the same thing.
I've spent time in both Protestant and Catholic communities in Mexico. While my experience here is very limited, from what I've seen, my church (meaning my current parish) does a great job of religious education. However, it seems that that hasn't always been the case with Mexican Catholic churches and perhaps that isn't the case everywhere. Or perhaps it's just individual families that claim to be Catholic but don't bother to send their kids to catechism or read the Bible, or ask questions of their parish priest when in doubt--yes they may still be Catholic (again, thank goodness it isn't my opinion that matters), but education is soooo important.
Which is why I feel we walk a fine line when we parade around our baby Jesuses. Now, keep in mind, I mentioned that I love to see those little, old ladies carefully cradling their baby Jesuses in the street on Candelaria Day. It's a quirk that makes me happy and I'm confident that the vast majority of those ladies carry their Jesuses as a visual reminder of the baby Jesus was, not because they think the doll itself has magical powers.
But every once in awhile, you find a nutter who does believe that. And yes, she's perfectly at liberty to believe that her doll will grant her every wish.
And I'm at equal liberty to believe that she's bat-shit crazy.
But when this woman publicly declares herself to be Catholic, this is where the damage begins. The Protestants, who generally do a much better job of religious education among themselves, see this woman, correctly claim her to be idol worshiping and then chalk it up that all Catholics are idol worshipers. Not true. These statues and pictures are just visual reminders of the heroes of the faith (or Jesus Himself, of course). It's just like displaying family pictures on the walls of one's home.
But for some, admittedly in ignorance, believe that it's more than that. And it's that belief that further widens the gap of Christian unity in this country and does so much damage. That's where my words of caution stem from.
It's a pretty simple holiday all in all. Most people just have tamales for dinner. The more hard-core Candelaria revelers take their Baby Jesus from their nativity scene, dress him up (and many people make or buy him a new set of clothes every year), and take him to church. In the past, I've enjoyed my tamales and watching the little old ladies wander down the street carrying baby dolls tucked under their arms.
However, this year I was invited to a neighbor's levantamiento. This is a whole ceremony for taking the Baby Jesus out of the nativity scene, dressing him up and then sitting him (tying him) to the chair that he'll sit in all year to be displayed on a prominent shelf for the rest of the year.
So at seven o'clock I toted my kids over to Rosario's house. We waited for her family and friends to arrive. Then we prayed a rosary, sang some Christmas carols, and enjoyed the tamales. Simple enough, but I felt blessed to have a friend to invite me over for these cultural insights that I'd miss out on otherwise.
So thanks, Rosario!
And now that Candelaria Day is over, it's now officially time to take down the Christmas decorations!
****************************************************************************
Theological side note: in observing people with this holiday, I fear that these Baby Jesus dolls (or those of us who have them) walk a very fine line theologically. Another friend of mine mentioned that if you rock the Baby Jesus doll while "adoring" him (a ritual which drives me beserk) whatever you pray for will be answered. To which my friend Rosario responded [and I translate loosely], "Dude--it's a doll. It's just a symbol. God listens to us wherever we are."
Whew! Too true, Rosario! God does know our hearts [not me, I'm honestly not trying to judge here], and he wants us to worship him, not a plastic doll. The doll does NOT have special powers. Careful y'all!
****************************************************************************
Personal note as background to the theological side note:
I really, really, really do NOT want to sound judgmental. So let me explain myself a little better here (after all, I too have one of these baby Jesus dolls and did enjoy myself at Rosario's house for her levantamiento).
If you know me or have been reading awhile, you may know that I grew up Protestant and am now Catholic. However, before I'd apply those labels, I really consider myself Ecumenical. Really, can't we all just get along? To my personal beliefs, that extends not just to all Christian denominations, but I believe that we all have a lot to learn from each other, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddist, Hindu, and whatever other religions are out there, plus those who claim no faith (because those who have made a conscious decision to not believe in a higher power have some very concrete reasons for that decision and I do respect that and believe I have something(s) to learn from that as well).
In the US (at least among Christian denominations (including Catholics) we do seem to get along. However, the rift between Protestants (often referred to simply as Christians (even by Catholics), implying that Catholics are NOT Christian) just breaks my heart. I understand some of the reasons behind it, but man, oh, man, when you get down to the heart of the matter, we all really do believe the same thing.
I've spent time in both Protestant and Catholic communities in Mexico. While my experience here is very limited, from what I've seen, my church (meaning my current parish) does a great job of religious education. However, it seems that that hasn't always been the case with Mexican Catholic churches and perhaps that isn't the case everywhere. Or perhaps it's just individual families that claim to be Catholic but don't bother to send their kids to catechism or read the Bible, or ask questions of their parish priest when in doubt--yes they may still be Catholic (again, thank goodness it isn't my opinion that matters), but education is soooo important.
Which is why I feel we walk a fine line when we parade around our baby Jesuses. Now, keep in mind, I mentioned that I love to see those little, old ladies carefully cradling their baby Jesuses in the street on Candelaria Day. It's a quirk that makes me happy and I'm confident that the vast majority of those ladies carry their Jesuses as a visual reminder of the baby Jesus was, not because they think the doll itself has magical powers.
But every once in awhile, you find a nutter who does believe that. And yes, she's perfectly at liberty to believe that her doll will grant her every wish.
And I'm at equal liberty to believe that she's bat-shit crazy.
But when this woman publicly declares herself to be Catholic, this is where the damage begins. The Protestants, who generally do a much better job of religious education among themselves, see this woman, correctly claim her to be idol worshiping and then chalk it up that all Catholics are idol worshipers. Not true. These statues and pictures are just visual reminders of the heroes of the faith (or Jesus Himself, of course). It's just like displaying family pictures on the walls of one's home.
But for some, admittedly in ignorance, believe that it's more than that. And it's that belief that further widens the gap of Christian unity in this country and does so much damage. That's where my words of caution stem from.
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