jacobito (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} jacobito) wrote,@ 2005-04-04 00:25:00 |
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Zocalo, Wedding, and OkupaChe
I'm staying in Polanco, a ritzy district where all the streets are named after famous philosophers. Hesiodo, Arquimedes, Aristotles.
Yesterday, I went to Zocalo. A huge city square unlike anything I've seen in Estados Unidos. It was like a bastard mezcla between Djemaa Al Fnaa in Marrakesh, Morrocco and St. Marko's Square in Venice, Italy. Politics, commerce, protest and carnival all in one space. A concert was being prepared. Dancers were performing, people were yelling, some were praying. Part of the square was occupied by members of COMPA (Oaxacan Anti-neoliberal Popular Magonista Coordination), who were playing political music and speaking about los presos politicos, poltiical prisoners, and the violent repression occuring in Oaxaca. I tried to get an interview, but they were too busy. Maybe later.
More walking. Lost in the maze of ultra-crowded market streets surrounding El Zocalo. Just like the souqs of Morocco.
Got back to Polanco later and dedided to walk about El Bosque Chapultepec, a large forest-park with museums, kids, clowns, and temporary autonomous shops. Walking, talking (practicando mi espanol, siempre), eating. I think I definitely ate some pork, which goes against both my jewish and vegetarian inclinations. I thought it was Churro, but I'm pretty sure it was Chicarones.
At night, I went with my family to a Jewish Wedding at the Maimonides Temple. It was very very boring, and me and my cousin Marlena fell asleep during it.
Today, I woke up very late and went to a fancy restaurant with my uncle and aunt, called MP Cafe Bistro, headed by Mexican Chef Monica Patino (my aunt was very impressed by this). It was hard to avoid the shrimp in my "vegetarian" dish.
After lunch, I travelled by subway to UNAM to try and find Okupacion Che Guevara. After an hour of walking around, I eventually heard the music and saw the beautiful signs. Covered in graffiti, blasting great music, I walked in and found an incredibly large auditorium, the size of a movie theatre. Inside was also a kitchen and cafe. I talked to a couple people there and ate some Oaxacan tamales as they told me about the history of this anarchist squat. 5 years strong, in the middle of the campus, they maintain a radio station, do weekly film screenings, serve vegetarian food, house people for free, organize rallies, and show respect for each. It's so wonderful to see an autonomous space like this thriving within. It reminds of what the Che Cafe in San Diego, for all its great aspects, could be like.
Speaking of squats, I've been reading Cracking the Movement: Squatting Beyond the Media by Adilkno published by Autonomedia. Its an incredible account of the squatters 'movement' in Amsterdam during the late 70's, 80's and early 90's. The stories of street battles with riot cops are particularly impressive. But just as good are the inter-spliced theoretical analyses of media, space, power, and property. I'll send it back to San Diego when I'm done with it; I think I know some people who might want to take a look at it.
To see photos from my trip, you can check here: Photos from Mexico City.
The address is http://pics.livejournal.com/jacobit
Hasta manana
I'm staying in Polanco, a ritzy district where all the streets are named after famous philosophers. Hesiodo, Arquimedes, Aristotles.
Yesterday, I went to Zocalo. A huge city square unlike anything I've seen in Estados Unidos. It was like a bastard mezcla between Djemaa Al Fnaa in Marrakesh, Morrocco and St. Marko's Square in Venice, Italy. Politics, commerce, protest and carnival all in one space. A concert was being prepared. Dancers were performing, people were yelling, some were praying. Part of the square was occupied by members of COMPA (Oaxacan Anti-neoliberal Popular Magonista Coordination), who were playing political music and speaking about los presos politicos, poltiical prisoners, and the violent repression occuring in Oaxaca. I tried to get an interview, but they were too busy. Maybe later.
More walking. Lost in the maze of ultra-crowded market streets surrounding El Zocalo. Just like the souqs of Morocco.
Got back to Polanco later and dedided to walk about El Bosque Chapultepec, a large forest-park with museums, kids, clowns, and temporary autonomous shops. Walking, talking (practicando mi espanol, siempre), eating. I think I definitely ate some pork, which goes against both my jewish and vegetarian inclinations. I thought it was Churro, but I'm pretty sure it was Chicarones.
At night, I went with my family to a Jewish Wedding at the Maimonides Temple. It was very very boring, and me and my cousin Marlena fell asleep during it.
Today, I woke up very late and went to a fancy restaurant with my uncle and aunt, called MP Cafe Bistro, headed by Mexican Chef Monica Patino (my aunt was very impressed by this). It was hard to avoid the shrimp in my "vegetarian" dish.
After lunch, I travelled by subway to UNAM to try and find Okupacion Che Guevara. After an hour of walking around, I eventually heard the music and saw the beautiful signs. Covered in graffiti, blasting great music, I walked in and found an incredibly large auditorium, the size of a movie theatre. Inside was also a kitchen and cafe. I talked to a couple people there and ate some Oaxacan tamales as they told me about the history of this anarchist squat. 5 years strong, in the middle of the campus, they maintain a radio station, do weekly film screenings, serve vegetarian food, house people for free, organize rallies, and show respect for each. It's so wonderful to see an autonomous space like this thriving within. It reminds of what the Che Cafe in San Diego, for all its great aspects, could be like.
Speaking of squats, I've been reading Cracking the Movement: Squatting Beyond the Media by Adilkno published by Autonomedia. Its an incredible account of the squatters 'movement' in Amsterdam during the late 70's, 80's and early 90's. The stories of street battles with riot cops are particularly impressive. But just as good are the inter-spliced theoretical analyses of media, space, power, and property. I'll send it back to San Diego when I'm done with it; I think I know some people who might want to take a look at it.
To see photos from my trip, you can check here: Photos from Mexico City.
The address is http://pics.livejournal.com/jacobit
Hasta manana
