MehikoMāja

No2.-June-July2013

http://www.mehikomaja.com/

Once upon a time:Teotihuacan

“Ladies” and “gentlemen” orTwitter vs abuse of power

Tasty, cheap and authentic:Mexico City´ street food

News flash: Mexican hats are not sombreros

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Bienvenidos

Welcome to the second number of our online magazine.

Some things had move forward since our previous number, and hopefully in a close future be able to do more to promote the Mexican culture in the Baltics. In this number we have our first collaboration, please read it and give us feedback for we can offer you a better publication every time.

With every number we polish the style and smooth the edges, so I hope you enjoy what we have this time. Have a nice summer and see you in a couple of months.

Cezars TorresMehiko Māja

Mexico in LatviaIn this days I´m celebrating my second year living in Latvia. In this two years I had had the chance to discover the country, its traditions, and people, in short the good, the bad and the ugly of my new home. I´d made some friends, and acquaintances, and also begin some projetcs which I hope one day will pay the effort.

Sometimes people ask me if I don´t miss Mexico, specially after a long winter like the one we just had and I do, certainly I do, but as good old Dorothy said “home is where the heart is” and my heart is where my family is, so… however I´d discover that the best medicine against home sickness is bureaucracy, oh yeah. Just try to do whichever kind of processing that involve go to an office branch and you will feel just like at home. Lines, numbers, copies, appointments, all this can be obnoxious yet the alternative is worst. A week ago I had to renew my residence permit and as you can notice, I had time to divagate meanwhile waiting, thinking how the system sucks and how I could outsmart it. Later at home reading the news I watch the video “Lady Senadora” a Mexican Senator abusing her authority trying to access to a flight because she was late and the gates were closed.

All this long story is to illustrate how Mexico and its people is changing. We are walking a path that is worth to walk yet is going to take time, but fortunately is not way back, the society wont allow it and the people in charge knows it. You can read more about that inside the magazine as well as other interesting stuff such as types of sombreros or the most expensive Mexican movie ever.

A lot of good things are happening, join us!

Content

News Once upon a time…Teotihuacan

1001 years of the Spanish language:pre-Roman Iberian Languages

Eat & Drink

Arts & Enterteinment

Culture, fashion and design

NewsPresident Obama visited Mexico at beginning of May being this the first visit that the American president pays to the current Mexican administration.

President Barack Obama said he came (went) to Mexico to break down stereotypes between the United States and its neighbor to the south. At a news conference with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Obama stressed the focus of his trip is the economy, not security and immigration, two issues Obama said often get too much attention when it comes to talking about the U.S.-Mexico relationship."We don't want to make this relationship targeted on one single issue," Obama said. "We want to place particular emphasis on the potential in the economic relationship between Mexico and the United States."President Obama also gave a speech before a group of students at the Museum of

Anthropology in Mexico City. There Obama said that too often the relationship between the United States and Mexico is "trapped in old stereotypes," where Mexicans see America as trying to wall itself off from Mexico and Americans see Mexico through the sensational headlines of violence in the war on drugs."I have come to Mexico because it is time to put old mindsets aside," Obama said. "It's time to recognize new realities, including the impressive progress in today's Mexico."He said it is clear that "a new Mexico is emerging," highlighted by a growing economy, a robust democracy and new generation of youth empowered by technology.

In a tip of the hat to the overwhelming number of Latinos that helped re-elect Obama in 2012, the president said, "Without the strong support of Latinos, including so many Mexican-Americans, I would not be standing before you today as president of the United States.“

"We also recognize that most of the guns used to commit violence here in Mexico come from the United States," the president said. "I will continue to do everything in my power to pass common sense reforms that keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, that can save lives here in Mexico and back home in the United States.“

Imports and exports between the United States and Mexico totaled nearly $500 billion last year, and before Obama's arrival officials on both sides of the border said economic relations would be a focal point during the U.S. president's visit.

"The stronger the economy and institutions for individuals seeking legitimate careers, the less powerful these narco-trafficking operations are going to be."

Here the full speech:http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/05/03/text-of-obamas-speech-in-mexico-city/

Official visit of President Obama in Mexico (source CNN)

Point of view: “Ladies” and “Gentlemen” or Twitter vs the abuses of power

In the preamble I divagate a little about how bureaucracy make us wish to break the rules. Thanks to a very Borbonic tradition, in Mexico during decades the system was design just to pretend that it works when in real life and in order to get something done, the common people had to bribe the authorities meanwhile the authorities for the same purposes abuse their faculties. Corruption is nothing new in the world, but the pursue of the wellfare state is tied to accountability and fortunately Mexico is currently in the endeavour of reach the wellfare state doesn´t matter what.After decades of corruption and crime the road is not an easy one but slowly the majority is facing it, accepting it and willing to pay the price for a meritocratic society. This wouldn´t be surprising in an emergent economy with clearly growing, but what is surprising is how the smarphones and the social networks are playing its part as tools of accountablility giving the society a power that so far is used to make the changes that the country needs, so much that an infamous politician is pledging the Congress to create a Bureau to defend politicians from the armed (with smartphones) citizens.

“Ladies” and “Gentlemen” are the euphemisms used in the social media to label the people that abusing of their social status, wellness or political position pretend to be above the law and of their fellows citizens. Here a couple of articles about the most recent episodes starring by a couple of “Ladies”.

Lady Profeco The incident occurred in mid-May, at a popular

restaurant in Colonia Roma in Mexico City. Andrea Benitez Gonzalez, daughter of Humberto Benítez Treviño Director of the Consumer Protection Bureau (PROFECO) of Mexico, was furious because she had to wait long for a table and threatened to close the restaurant, what happen later that day when Bureau officials closed the place for alleged irregularities.

  The girl criticized the place on Twitter, however

several outraged restaurant patrons filmed and took pictures of the events with their mobile phones and on Sunday, when the newspaper Reforma reported what had happened, the (digital) storm broke. The fact transcended the media, a scandal broke out and the incident became popular on twitter under the hashtag "# LadyProfeco".

  Humberto Benitez apologized two days later,

also on Twitter as well as his daughter Andrea, although she always insisted that she had not been well attended in the restaurant, but controversy jumped from the digital world to the political with strong criticism and calls for the resignation of Benítez Treviño as Consumer Attorney.

The internet memes are big part of this cultural revolution

  Given this, the president Enrique Peña Nieto, had to intervene and days later were dismissed four staff members directly involved with the incident. Nevertheless, and against the outrageous arrogance of Humberto Benítez Treviño in the affair, President Peña Nieto, finally ordered his removal as of the Consumer Protection Bureau, through the Secretary of the Interior, Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, who said that although Benítez Treviño as Consumer Attorney has no administrative responsibility for what happened, the case damaged the image of PROFECO.

(source BBC Mundo)

I was wrong about the "ladies“ (Me equivoqué con las “ladies”) by Leon Krauze, published in Milenio 02.06.13)

*Charolazo: Means to show your official badge to get some privilege over foot citizens, due before 2000 those badges were made in metallic material.

From some months to the date, every time someone committed an abuse of power or influence peddling and has been discovered in flagrante by a common citizen would immediately be labeled as "Lady" that or "Gentleman" other. Those elegant nicknames has proved being most useful to showcase, in all fairness, those who still believe they live in the country of charolazo*. The most recent attempt at pedantry and foolishness was starred last week by Luz Maria Beristain, the now famous #LadySenadora, and her desperate attempt to justify the unjustifiable: abuse their position in order to board a flight that was already closed. The theme is attractive and important for two reasons First, by the very fact of the fight against corruption and the abuse of power. Second, and more important, by the role of social media as a tool to immediate expose in the public opprobrium to the offenders. The cohesion of the social network in Mexico is not only admirable but worthy of study. Say something about the speed in which the trending topics are generated in Mexico and how this leads to a kind of large virtual magnifying glass that helps to not only display the corrupt but, at its best, to prevent such disgusting outbursts. To continue, then, the exhibition of the "ladies" and "gentleman" reptiles of the past, with no place in today's Mexico, more attached to the best transparency.

The political cartoon:

Mexican Federal Government shows its new Public Safety strategy by RDarío from the newspaper “Milenio”

June 1st: Navy Day

Once upon a time:

Teotihuacan

Mexico city and the ancient city of Teotihuacan, the mystery by Pedro Castillo.

This ancient city remains so old before Aztecs, and Mayans developed their empires.Place for strictly visit if you are in Mexico, in fact this spot besides the anthropology museum in Mexico city and the cathedral are the most visited things in the city. The pyramids are around 1 hour northeast Mexico City. The area was still far from the old lake of Texcoco, now base of the actual Mexico city. That's why is so weak for the earthquakes. Teotihuacan " city of gods" pyramids receive millions of visitors per year, the pyramid of the moon and pyramid of the sun are unique.(280 steps) The very best day to visit this mystique place is in the Equinox days on November and March. Recently discovers show the 4 level to top of the pyramid give high frequency of energy. On 2003 project of national geographic, governments of Japan and Mexico discovered human sacrifices besides the pyramid of the moon, the skeleton of a woman, maybe a princess, is not normal for the archeologist since the women could not rule in high levels, maybe is the mother of one king.Also they found some children with tied hands, it seemed were sacrificed, this not knew before for the Teotihuacan area. The relation with Mayan sacrifices in Teotihuacan is an enigma.Also were discovered some tunnels behind each pyramid. At the moment no access to the public in this areas. In 2008 was discovered an ancient royal grave in the Quetzalcoatl pyramid area. In 2013 is a big project with robots and scanners. You can have a look on you tube typing:“Primeras imágenes del robot Tlaloque I en Teotihuacan”

Notes for archeology: 20 thousand years people in the area with mammoths before 300 BC first people, 650 ac decrease the settlements between these years arrives more people because there was the immigration caused for the eruption of the Xitle

volcano south Mexico City probably people from Cuicuilco they abandoned the area. Constructions show points of observation astronomic. Teotihuacan 63 m height, 225 m length each side 21km2 surface 100 to 200 thousand people lived in Teotihuacan of different ethnical origins Totonacas and Otomies roots Toltecas and Mexicas excave part of the city and extract objects Rio San Juan nearby giants / graves the men that convert to gods Mayan connection with the soldiers sacrificed around the moon pyramid the queen founded in the moon pyramid can be a loved person mother of a king discoveries in Quetzalcoatl pyramid change the material of the pyramid that caused humidity for one permits

ventilation. the sacred grave founded can have 10 graves of kings in front Quetzalcoatl pyramid, now with a robot INAH-IPN

Tlaloque it can be explored this cave of 100 mtsWritten by:

 Pedro Castillo

MEXICO specialist and tourshttp://members.virtualtourist.com/pedroebc

 http://www.lonelyplanet.com/members/pedromex

1001 years of the Spanish language*Part 2:pre-Roman Iberian Languages

Historians of the Spanish language need to go back to the Latin language. There are philologists who not in conformity with speak about the Latin language from the time it was introduced in Spain, look further back on the argument that Roman soldiers or colonists brought to Hispania the Oscan language, a relative of the Latin language. However it is much more important to know the languages spoken in the Iberian Peninsula when it was occupied by the Romans. Spanish speakers today still use good number of words used by the pre Roman peoples and several characteristic features of the Castilian are inherited from those languages, for example the use of the h instead of f in herir (hurt), humo (smoke), hoja (leaf), etc. opposite to ferir(e), fumo, foja, etc.

Unfortunately, what we know for sure is little and the conclusions are read with a "maybe". The pre-Christian history of Spain is made in much of conjectures, hypotheses and interpretation efforts of the facts and little news (albeit mythical) left by Hebrews, Greeks and Romans writers. For a Nordic European today, Spain is not a very European country, a country with much of African. The phrase "Africa begins at the Pyrenees" has had fortune. Spain was inhabited by peoples who arrived not only from continental Europe but also by people from the north of Africa and those who arrived from the Mediterranean coast in the late prehistoric times. For human groups who slowly wandered in search of land, Spain was the last end of the world.

The Greek Strabo gives us in his famous Geographica, written after consummate the Romanization, diverse peoples´ names and their location, their tongues were diverse but not last long before to die (with one exception) These peoples did not know the writing and left few archaeological relics.

From these peoples stand out the Iberians or "Celtiberians", because in time of Strabo, they were allied with the Celts. Five centuries before Strabo, Herodotus the "Father of History" had spoken about Iberia, the region of the river Iber (Ebro current) where these people lived, being one of the most advanced in pre-Roman Spain. The Iberians were highly permeable to Hellenic influences as evidenced by archeological relics but more so, the Iberians possessed the art of writing. Modern scholars have been able to decipher letter by letter several Iberian inscriptions while not possible to say what they mean. It seems certain that the Iberians came from North Africa and its territory exceeded Ebro Basin.

The "Turdetani" located by Strabo west of present Andalusia relate to Herodotus´ Tartessos which is but the Hellenization of the Semitic word Tharshish that appears several times in the Bible and is related to Phoenician sailors of the eleventh century BC. According to Strabo, the Tartessians boasted that their writing was 6,000 years old, but at that time they had already adopted the Roman customs and its language was forgotten. Their writing used different symbols to that of the Iberians and also a different language but we do not know the relationship between them.

The Celts as has been said, are also included in this list and the toponymy as reliable assistant of history and linguistics, reveals that there were Celts in most of the mainland, examples: Bracara (modern Braga), Aébura (Évora) , Bletísama (Ledesma), Mundóbriga (Munébrega), Segovia (Segovia), Segontia (Siguenza), Clunia (Corunna). The Celts arrived to Spain in the eighth century BC, their Indo-European language was somewhat similar to the Latin and by the time they had already spread throughout the British Isles and today´s France.

The primitive Celtic is known for its ancient testimonies and their modern descendants (Gaelic, Irish, Breton, etc.). They had no alphabet itself, the inscriptions left are in Latin characters except one which curiously used the Iberian alphabet. With this you can ensure that the Hispanic Celtic took modalities and influences in peninsular romances, although it is difficult to pinpoint. For example, the word NIGHT: Italian notte and Romanian noapte kept the group ct from the Latin nocte better than Spanish noche (night), this is Celtic influence; the same is true for Portuguese noite, Provencal nuech, French nuit and the Catalan nit. Moreover, the Celtic vocabulary is very abundant and even the Latin took among many others, the words from which came birch, lark, verve, horse, cottage, road, shirt, shopping, beer, league, piece and salmon. abedul, alondra, brío, caballo, cabaña, camino, camisa, carro, cerveza, legua, pieza y salmón.

The other Indo-European language that was heard in Spain before the Roman occupation is the Greek, but this seems to have been spoken only in factories and port facilities created for and by commercial traffic in the seventh century BC The Greeks influenced the arts (sculpture, architecture, ceramics, coinage, especially the peninsula is installed in the myth of Hercules in many different ways.) and they introduced the cultivation of vines and olives but were not really settlers so they left no direct linguistic footprint. However, the heritage of Greek vocabulary is enormous: bodega, botica, cítara, cristal, historia, poesía, ángel, diablo, paraíso, etc (warehouse, pharmacy, zither, glass, history, poetry, angel, devil, heaven, etc.). But all these voices really came through Latin, which still happens today: we say chronology and not jronología because Latin has no sound of J.

By 1100 B.C. the Phoenicians founded the city of Gáddir (Roman Gades, Arab Qadis, current Cadiz) The Phoenician influence must have been very large, the alphabet in most Iberian inscriptions is adapted from the Phoenician and in the first century BC was still spoken in southern Spain a Punic-Phoenician language, the same as in the famous Carthage, most famous for its war against Rome. The Carthaginians also left their mark in Spanish toponymy: Malaka (Malaga), Cartagena (New Carthage), Ebusus (Ibiza). The same Hispania with which the Romans called the newly conquered country, it seems to be a Latinization of the name Punic Carthaginians had given to that land* and which means "land of rabbits" *(Ishapan: land of fine rabbits)

Finally will mention the "Váscones" people, ancestors of today Basques. No doubt that in spite they have been mixed with other peoples or adopted other customs throughout the centuries, the current Basques descended from ancient Váscones and vascuense is still spoken by thousands of people as the only pre-Roman language alive in our time , the only Latin could not put out of action.

In the next installment will discuss the language of the Romans.

*From Antonio Alatorre´ book Los 1001 años de la lengua española

Culture, fashion and designA distinctive part of any traditional or national attaire is the hat, and from Mexican hats none is more famous than the charro hat (Sombrero de charro) Here some information:

  The famous hat is made of felted wool, rabbit hair or wheat straw is a true protection

for the bright sun of Mexico and to the fall from the back of a horse. So the true charro hat is wide brimmed, raised from the back and bears in the cup four “pedradas” that give it resistance on impact. For the latter case is better made of palm hat, which is more robust without being too heavy.

According to the region has variants: in the driest areas, the wing is wider than in forested areas, and those with higher humidity, the materials are fresher and lighter than in the uplands.

Usually adorned with toquillas and trim usually embroidered or "pierced". Hat types used are: the "San Luis Moderate", "Pachuca", "Cocula", "landowner", etc.. (“San Luis Moderado”, “Pachuca”, “Cocula”, “Hacendado”, etc.)

A real charro hat is commanded to do with skilled craftsmen and is very different from what is sold in stores "souvenirs" tourist. “

These are not the same than those

North region

Center and Bajío regions

South regions

South East region

Now you know more about hats, so next time you are in Mexico, if have wish to blend with the locals and experiment the culture, try to look more like this:

And yes, everyone is making fun of you.

And less like this:

Eat & Drink

Street food

The most chilango (slang for 'from Mexico City') food of all, tacos al pastor are the perhaps the only dish truly associated with capital itself. These tacos, the legacy of the city's many Lebanese immigrants, a variation of shawarma, the grilled marinated meat dish popular throughout the Middle East. Here pork, thinly sliced, is swathed in a chilli sauce, roasted on a revolving spit, sliced off, enhanced with chopped onion and coriander, and rolled up in a small tortilla.

The torta, Mexico's version of the sandwich, is quintessentially Mexico City. It's a fast food that blends European and Mexican cultures. The story goes that it was invented by one Sr Armando, an Italian immigrant, as his riff on the Italian panino – he adapted it to available ingredients and the locals' penchant for avocado and chilli. 

From the article: 10 of the best places to eat street food in Mexico City by Nicholas Gillman, published in The Guardian 08.02.13

Appropriately named "little meats", carnitas are tender shredded bits of pork, from all parts of the pig, eaten as tacos. They're unceremoniously served heaped on a plate, with an array of red and green salsas, coriander, onions and lime; and fresh warm corn tortillas, of course.

Read the full article in: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2013/feb/08/best-places-eat-street-food-mexico-city

Arts and Enterteinment "Cinco de Mayo: The Battle" is the most expensive film in the

history of Mexican cinema, and according to its director Rafa Lara, Mexico is ready to make big and epic productions.

With a budget that exceeded 80 million pesos (6.5 million dollars), the film tells the battle recorded in 1862, when the French army of Napoleon III invaded Mexico with the idea of establishing a monarchy with Mexican conservatives and in order to invade the United States.

Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza (played by actor Kuno Becker) prepared the defense in the city of Puebla, in command of an inexperienced army, outnumbered and poorly armed, and managed to beat the French.

Cinco de Mayo ... is a film that undoubtedly surprise the audience for its visual effects, realistic costumes and weaponry used in addition to loading patriotic offering, but on a historical level, the film has little to contribute.

In a single market function in Cannes, the film was sold to China, Thailand, Canada and much of Europe, including France, which was defeated at the Battle of Puebla (1862). Sorprisingly "The film is being viewed mostly by Americans, not Hispanic, screaming at the end" viva Mexico. " Reminds them Braveheart", says director Rafa Lara.

Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhECHygu8dg

Sources, photos and informationInternet: Presidencia de México CNN en español Milenio Diario The Guardian BBC Mundo The Mexico City Experience Dia Siete

Books and magazines: Los 1001 años de la lengua española de Antonio Alatorre Revista Algarabía Revista Relatos e historias de México

cezars@mehikomaja.com

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