May 3rd

Last May 3rd was hold a big celebration in every cosntruction site here in Mexico. It's the "Day of the Saint Cross" or "Día de la Santa Cruz". I didn't heard about this day until I began studying architecture, but it seems it's a big deal.

This day, in every construction site, people stop working at midday and the party begins. Traditional mexican food, lots of food, music, people working in the office with no direct contact to the site also go, as well as their partners, and there's a huge party going on. What else is needed but food, drink, music, and people? (All of this obviously paid by the company or architect or ingeneer in charge)

A big cross made with things from the construction site, "beautified" with paper and flowers and blessed by a priest is put in the highest point. And the party begins.

My sister's got to do a homework on some tradition about a culture she chose and she chosed this example, so I helped her looking for the origins of this celebration and I got so surprised. I'll tell you something about this.

In the III century, empress Elena, wife of Constantito Cloro, was obsessed with finding Jesus's cross. She asked his husband for the authorization of demolishing a Roman Empire god's temple on the top of "Mount Calvario", as she was sure to find it in there. When she got the authorization, and lots of workers, she destroyed the temple and found 3 crosses, one of Jesus, two of the thieves at his sides. To identify Jesus's cross, she layed a man that was dying over the three of them and Jesus's could make him well again. As the cross was found by construction workers, it is belived to be more "theirs", or they feel it as if it belonged to them.

In Mexico, on May 3rd, it was traditionally a party during a colony of certain groups of people. Right now, the most important group are the construction workers. It is even known as "Día del Albañil" (Construction worker day).

Long ago, in Mexico, Catholic Spanish were used to making a cross at the top of the houses or temples and beautify it with flowers on May 3 (Celebration by the Catholic church as the day of the Saint Cross).

Priests took this tradition to Mexico, and during the construction of their temples, they asked the construction workers to make a cross and put it at the top of the construction. This way, they began with this tradition, making it theirs.

In 1960, the Pope John XXII supressed this celebration from the calendar, nevertheless, the celebrations here in Mexico continued, so Mexican Church asked him to keep it in Mexico, even though it was supressed in the rest of the world. He said yes, so the celebration here in Mexico, officially continued, and every May 3rd, the construction workers celebrate their day. :)

I find it really interesting a beautiful to have so many parties, and such strong believes here in Mexico. I hope they never end. I, myself has just been once in a small celebration, not as huge as the ones I desribe and have heard about, but it was nice. Food, people, in the middle of the site, even pics of the complete team (which I don't have by the way...) I hope to be in another one some other day.

Here are the references I used for the info given. For any doubts, check the out (both in Spanish, though).
http://www.culturafronteriza.com/diasanta_cruz.htm
http://radiocentro1030.mx/grc/redam.nsf/vwALL/XPAO-7ECJAR

Lots of hugs and kisses!!!!

Library "Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada"

Yesterday I went downtown with my dad, and it was such a sunny and beautiful day and I had such a good time. I rarely go downtown, and it's not because I live in the suburbs, but because it is usually full of people and noise and... too much life... and if I have no reason for going, then I don't.

Oh, I live in Mexico city, one of the biggest cities in the world, full of life and chaos everywhere, so there's  no need to travel a lot to find it, and you find yourself or accepting it, or trying to avoid it. We usually call this caothic but amazingly beautiful zone full of people and places,and history, and surprises around every corner, and mavelous buildings and stories... "el centro".

So Yesterday I went to "el centro" with my dad and walked for almost 5 hours without rest, and I found a building I liked, as it was a bit different from the rest having a small square in front of it, and being really old. I thought it was a church as it looked like one, but no, it wasn't. My dad told me it was a library, very beautiful in the inside, so I told him: "oh, please, let's go inside! Just for a little while!" So we went inside and I was astonished: an explosion of colors in the walls, really well lit from above, (daylight and artificial light, amazing!) and so well cared, and the floors were so pretty!

Name: Biblioteca Miguel Lerdo de Tejada
Adress: República de El Salvador 49,
            Centro Histórico. C.P. 06080
            Delegación Cuauhtémoc
Tel: 3688 98 37 y 3688 98 33
Contact: biblioteca_lerdo@hacienda.gob.mx
Link: http://www.hacienda.gob.mx/cultura/museo_virtual_biblioteca_lerdo/index.htm



Next time, I'll definitely take my camera for some pics of mine (this pics were from flickr) and I will absolutely stay much more time than this.

Hugs and kisses and a lovely weekend!!!!

Calles Peatonales/ Pedestrian Streets

Sentir el calor del sol en la cara, el asfalto en los pies, y el tiempo transcurrir mientras uno camina por la ciudad es algo incomparable. Es cierto que caminar en medio del bosque viendo el paisaje natural es sumamente relajante; sin embargo, nada se compara con disfrutar de la creación del hombre, de la vida, del vaivén del ser humano divirtiéndose, entretenidos, de prisa, o distraídos con aparadores y espectáculos callejeros. Toda ciudad necesita calles peatonales, calles donde la gente pueda caminar sin preocuparse por los carros, donde pueda ver el tiempo pasar y sentir que está conociendo la ciudad sin escuchar las bocinas de los carros, o sentirse perseguido por el tiempo de aquellos que buscan llegar antes que cualquiera.

Hoy caminé por una calle peatonal de mi ciudad. Fue una gran sorpresa, ya que la última vez que la recorrí había automóviles circulando, y banquetas angostas. Ahora estaba repleta de gente caminando por la mitad, por los lados, o saliendo de las tiendas. Justo a la mitad de la calle había gente disfrazada, preparándose para dar un espectáculo, riendo, tomándose fotografías, cantando, desfilando con un santo, u organizando sus cosas para el próximo show.

Hoy recordé San Luis Potosí y Guanajuato al poder caminar por las calles sin escuchar las bocinas de los carros o correr para llegar a un lugar. Recordé Estocolmo y Copenhagen al escuchar un cantante de ópera en medio de la calle, Recordé Londres, junto al Támesis al ver los espectáculos callejeros y las multitudes sonriendo alrededor y tomándose fotos.

Las calles peatonales son importantes, y cada ciudad, deben tener al menos una para poder sentirla, disfrutarla y vivirla.

To feel the heat of the sun on the face, the concrete under the feet, and the time passing by slowly as you walk through the city is something without comparisson. It is true that walking in the middle of the forest watching the natural landscape is extremely relaxing; nevertheless, nothing can be compared to the joy of experimenting the creation of man, of life, the movement of man having fun, entertained or in a hurry, distracted with the displau¡ying windows and street shows.

Every city needs pedestrian streets, streets where people can walk without worrying about cars, where they can see time passing by and feel that they are knowing the city without listening to the honk of cars, or feel chased by the time of those who are looking to get earlier than anybody else.

Today I walked through a pedestrian street in my city. It was a great surprise, as the last time I went through it there were cars passing, and small sidewalks. Now it was full of people walking everywhere. Just in the middle of the street there was people in disguised, laughing, taking pictures, singing, in procession with a sait, or organizing their things for the next show.

Today, I remembered San Luis Potosí and Guanajuato when being able to walk through the streets without listening to the honks of the cars nor running to get to a place. I remembered Stockholm and Copenhagen when listening to an opera singer in the middle of the street. I remembered London, next to the Tamesis, when watching the street shows and the crowds smiling around them and taking pictures.

Pedestrian streets are very important, and every city shoudl have at least one to be able to feel it, enjoy it, and live it.