Respect

The Delta Gods were with me on Friday, October 26. Due to swaps, 24 in 7, legalities, availability, pay protection, one drunk passenger that wasn't even on my plane and the only non stop on Saturday (I know, you don't understand any of this lingo unless you are an airline person or married to one) I was able to come back to my beloved Mexico and family five days early and before Sandy relentlessly destroyed much of the Northeast. I was happy to be home as always and especially glad I could take all of the family burden off of Ozzy since he has two big jobs that he is trying to finish, and it is very difficult with two children and a dog. So on Sunday morning after breakfast the kids, Dillon and myself go for a walk on the beach. Poor Dillon hasn't been out since I left so he is super psyched. So we are walking along and there is trash on the beach, not a ton, but stuff here and there. A lot of it washed up with the waves. "Damn, I forgot my bag, again, to pick it up", I think to myself, I'll go to my friends house who live on the beach and get a bag from them and pick it up on the way back. I start seeing lots of trash, where people hung out on the beach the night before with pizza boxes and beer bottles and just left it when they were done. I thought okay drunk tourists, then the one that really set me off was the remains of a wedding. Yep, a couple thought so highly of Sayulita that they wanted to devote themselves to a lifetime of love and commitment on the beautiful beach here in Sayulita, but they didn't think highly enough of Sayulita or its beaches, environment, residents, visitors, wildlife on the beach or in the ocean when they decided to leave programs from the wedding, beer bottles, plastic water bottles and the cross altar they put up on the beach. Really?

I live here, I know that Mexico is not the cleanest country in the world but for a visitor to come here, enjoy what Mexico and Sayulita has to offer, and feel like it is okay to leave all of their shit behind for someone else to clean up just pisses me off. That someone else is a wonderful group called Sayulimpia. These people are given housing in Sayulita but are volunteering their time so they only get paid from donations of random people walking by as they are working on our streets to make Sayulita cleaner. That someone else is also locals like me and my children that do not want to walk our dogs and enjoy our beaches waking through other peoples crap. Also amongst all of the programs, beer and plastic bottles we found at least ten sticks with the firework holders attached. So once again this same wedding party lit off at least ten different rounds of fireworks and left the remains on the beach with all of their other shit.

Yes, we all love fireworks, unless we worked at DisneyWorld, and then we are kind of over them. They are bright fun, loud, colorful and dangerous to the environment. Fireworks get their flamboyance from a variety of chemicals, many of which are toxic to humans. From the gunpowder that fuels their flight to the metallic compounds that color their explosions, fireworks often contain carcinogenic or hormone-disrupting substances that can seep into soil and water, not to mention the lung-clogging smoke they release and plastic debris they scatter.

So this wedding party just did a double dose on Sayulita and the environment. Thanks a bunch! Please don't come back for your anniversary!

Luckily we returned home after visiting friends just as the fireworks were going off. Our dog Dillon, as well as many animals,is deathly afraid of fireworks, thunder, etc and has already ruined screens, doors, urinated inside and run away from pure fear of the loud bangs. As Sayulita is coming into wedding season you can imagine how excited we are about this as there are probably at least two firework shows a night from Thursday to Saturday nights due to weddings.

There is an alternative to fireworks though. Sky or Wish Lanterns. These flying lanterns are made out of rice paper with a bamboo frame, which contain a fuel cell or small candle. When the fuel cell is lit the flame heats the air inside the lantern causing the lantern to rise. Once airborne the sky lantern will rise until the fuel cell or candle stays alight, when the candle burns out the sky lantern floats back to ground. The lasting visual effects will enjoy far outweighs that of a firework. Also, Sky Lanterns are silent so much more sociably acceptable and, as they can float for up to 15 miles. Many people put wishes in these lanterns.

I know that these are not perfect for the environment but they are a much better alternative to fireworks.

With all this said, and it had to be said for the sake of readers understanding my point, please respect our town. People live here, people raise children here, people grow food here, people fish here,people surf here, people release baby turtles here. This is not just a place that people can come and enjoy and destroy and think that someone else is going to take care of it. And it is not only Sayulita, I am talking about the entire planet. Please, people, have some respect.

Dia de los Muertos

El Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), a Mexican celebration, is a day to celebrate, remember and prepare special foods in honor of those who have departed. On this day in Mexico, the streets near the cemeteries are filled with decorations of papel picado , flowers, candy calaveras (skeletons and skulls), and parades.
It is believed that the spirit of the dead visit their families on October 31 and leave on November 2.

In order to celebrate, the families make altars and place ofrendas (offerings) of food such as pan de muertos baked in shapes of skulls and figures, candles, incense, yellow marigolds known as cempazuchitl (also spelled zempasuchil) and most importantly a photo of the departed soul is placed on the altar.

It might sound somewhat morbid, but the Mexicans react to death with mourning along with happiness and joy. They look at death with the same fear as any other culture, but there is a difference. They reflect their fear by mocking and living alongside death.

Living alongside death means that Mexicans have to learned to accept it within their lives. Death is apparent in everyday life. It is in art and even in children's toys. It is not respected as it is in other cultures. Children play "funeral" with toys that are made to represent coffins and undertakers.

Death is laughed at in its face. Many euphemisms are used for death, La calaca (the skeleton), la pelona ("baldy"), la flaca ("skinny"), and la huesada ("bony"). There are refranes, sayings, and poems that are popular with day of the dead. These sayings are cliches and lose meaning when translated. For example "La muerte es flaca y no puede conmigo" means "Death is skinny/weak and she can't carry me." Calaveras (skulls) are decorated with bright colors with the name of the departed inscribed on the head. Children carrying yellow marigolds enjoy the processions to the cemetery. At the cemetery, music is played and dances are made to honor the spirits.

Even the schools have celebrations for Dia de los Muertos. Escuela Del Mundo, Alex and Trace's school had festivities today where each of the children were involved with a skit and explaining what each piece at the altar represents.

After the celebration tostadas and desserts, that the parents brought to help raise money for the school, were served while the children all ran around and had a crazy good time.

The celebrations continue Thursday and Friday at the plaza where there will be many more altars live music and festivities.

Alex and Trace wanted to make an altar at our house to remember our dog who passed, Sammie Sue, so we have a sugar skull and marigolds. Maybe Sammie will come and hang out with Dillon for the evening. He would be psyched.