Notes on Oxaca from Emily

I think my favorite thing about Oaxaca so far is the food. First of all our host mother is a wonderful cook and actually bases whole meals on vegetable dishes, which is amazing. Breakfast is a full meal, yesterday we had mole tamales--homemade and cooked in banana leafs-- and today quesadillas and fruit for breakfast. Since we don't eat the main meal of the day until 2 this works really well since with a normal breakfast I am usually hungry by 11 most of the time. The city is famous for both its drinking chocolate which they mix with sugar, cinnamon, almonds and either milk or water to make a tasty hot cocoa drink as well as for its mole which is a rich spicy sauce that is really hard to make and has over 40 ingredients in some cases, one of them being coco beans. We also had a most delicious paleta, or popsicle yesterday that was creamy strawberry flavored. As Michael mentioned the sellers didn't know what was in it, but that didn't make it any less tasty. Also, read below for more on why waiters and other seller may not be all that invested in the products they sell here.

One sad thing is that I have been learning from my teacher more about the difficult situation that workers face in Oaxaca and throughout Mexico as well as the governments role in suppressing a popular political movement here in Oaxaca about two years ago. I learned today that the minimum wage (I am unclear whether this is the legal minimum or what most people get away with) is 50 pesos each DAY. That is about 5 dollars. It buys only slightly more than what 5 dollars buys you in the states. I also learned that the baggers at the grocery store are not paid at all! Despite their uniform from the store they are actually volunteers and live off the tips they get. As you can imagine I feel pretty awful for all the times we went to the store and didn't tip the baggers because we had no idea. Workers are rarely if ever paid overtime here and discrimination laws are not obeyed or enforced with any regularity. It is hard because there are hardly any business that do treat workers well so it is hard to avoid supporting this companies. Also many Mexicans (like most Americans) don't really see the point in one person not shopping at a giant chain because they don't feel like it will make much of a difference. We will try and buy mostly from independent sellers from here on out, who, if they sell can easily make more than 50 pesos in a day. This explains the huge number of small random stands, meandering street vendors, and market stalls with very similar items. People prefer the uncertainty of selling on their own than the certainty of such poor wages working for someone else. Waiters are also paid very poorly and depend on tips as well. I don't know that I would take the time to learn what the restaurant I worked for served if they hardly paid me and never paid over time if I was asked to stay after to clean or paint the walls either.

Michael gave you a good over view of our family and living situation. The center of the city here is lovely. Big wide streets many reserved for pedestrians only lined with old fashioned street lamps. This is a very artsy city and there is a movie house that shows independent films every night and gorgeous gallery spaces all over the city. We will go to the opening of a new exhibit at the Contemporary Art Museum on Friday evening. There is a public concert in the Zòcalo every Sunday. Our host father tells us that the musicians are beloved throughout the city, that they get served first at restaurants and pay half price for movies. It is wonderful when orchestra members are superstars.