May

Mexican Dances Step Across Cultures

by Eva Boynton on May 26, 2015

Female Mexican dancers in colorful costumes, showing one of many traditional Mexican dances that go across different cultures that make up Mexico. (Image © Eva Boynton)

Las Chiapanecas (The Women of Chiapas) whirl in an elegant tornado of color and tradition.
© Eva Boynton

One Stage, Many Colors

When you travel, timing is everything.

In a new city, any turn down a street can bring a surprise—like my walk down calle Miguel Hidalgo in Toluca, Mexico, that led me straight into a festival lit up with color, music, and dance. This was Toluca’s third Festival Cultural, highlighting National Teacher’s Day on May 15.

A single stage celebrated dances and music from around the world, showcasing performers of traditional Mexican dances side by side with those who embraced more modern influences. The event showed how Mexico goes across cultures to form an eclectic cultural identity.

Embracing the Present

Los niños (the kids) launched the festivities with flair. In colorful costumes, they performed dance routines inspired by movies, musicals, and—in this case—music by Christina Aguilera and Michael Jackson.

Young girls dressed in pink outfits dancing to jazz music, illustrating how Mexican dances can go across cultures. (Image © Eva Boynton)

A tip of the hat to JAZZ!
© Eva Boynton

Groups of performers, each from a different preschool or elementary school, garnered smiles and applause even when a child missed the cue or ran into a fellow dancer in a pirouette across the stage.

Ballarinas dancing in a group, showing how Mexican dances can go across cultures. (Image © Eva Boynton)

Ballet, originating in Europe and Russia, is a part of modern Mexico and
sometimes mixes with traditional dance.
© Eva Boynton

The dancers’ earnest effort, costumes, choreographed moves, and elaborate set changes demonstrated their dedication to the cultural celebration.

I had never imagined being at a Mexican festival singing along to Hakuna Matata, It’s a Hard Knock Life, and other familiar songs from The Lion King, Peter Pan, Annie, The Wizard of Oz, Grease, Chicago, and Cats.

Mexican girl performing a dance as the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz, showing how performers in Mexico go across cultures in Mexican dances. (Image © Eva Boynton)

A pause in the performance by the scary Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz
© Eva Boynton

Yet, on this day at this Festival Cultural, jazz born in New Orleans and ballet originating in Europe seemed a natural part of modern Mexican traditions.

The performances celebrated these modern-day influences, and with a nod to the younger generations, they incorporated new colors of culture into Mexican tradition.

Crossing Paths with the Past

As Dorothy and Toto exited the stage, however, Aztec dancers entered the spotlight.

A shift in cultures, for sure. But as Mexico’s danzas folklóricas (folk or traditional dances) played out, it became apparent that these dances, from 31 different states, stepped across cultures and times themselves.

Each dance told a story of its origin and time, reflecting indigenous roots, local traditions, or historical events:

The Danza Azteca (Aztec Dance) comes from the state of Guerrero where Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec emperor was laid to rest.

Traditional dancers dressed with feather headdresses, showing crossing cultures of Mexican tradition. (image © Eva Boynton)

Feather headdresses and the noisy seed leggings are part of the
traditional costumes worn for Aztec dances.
© Eva Boynton

Las Igüiris, with footsteps similar to the waltz, is a dance from Michoacán performed by women as a kind of bachelorette party. Such iconic dances have strong ties to indigenous culture since the region was less impacted by colonization.

Women dressed in red dresses and hats for a traditional Mexican dance, showing Mexican tradition. (image © Eva Boynton)

Even the petticoats worn for this dance are colorfully embroidered.
© Eva Boynton

During the 1800s, miners from South America migrated toward the California Gold Rush and stopped in Mexico to rest. Forms of Peruvian and Chilean dance, with their synchronous and passionate twirling of scarves, were adopted and changed by locals to create Chilena dances.

Women and men dancing in white and twirling scarves, showing Peruvian and Chilean influences on traditional Mexican dances. (Image © Eva Boynton)

Chilena dances, like “El Toro Rabón” (The Bull Without a Tail) or “La Iguana,”
(The Iguana) are named after animals found in the local environment.
© Eva Boynton

Dances from La Huasteca, the southern part of the state of Tamaulipas, were influenced by its neighbors (Nuevo Leon to the west and Texas to the north), including the leather outfits that resemble the charro suit.

Women and men dressed in cowboy-like outfits balancing bottles on their heads, showing influences of border culture on traditional Mexican dances. (Image © Eva Boynton)

These dancers keep their rhythm while balancing jars on their heads.
© Eva Boynton

And because dances need music and movement, get a better feel for them from this video (5:11).

If video does not display, access it here.

A New View of Mexican Dances

Glued to my seat, I watched the dancers until Oh, I couldn’t see much longer! My eyes were killing me, and my legs had fallen asleep. But by the time I left I had a new understanding of what happens when people go across cultures.

Little did I know that by stumbling upon this festival I would get my own education in how a place can honor its past and present with national and international influences. It was a day to celebrate the vibrancy of Mexican dances and the ever-changing nature of cultural heritage.

And that was only my first day in town . . .

Festival Cultural 2015
© Eva Boynton

The Festival Cultural was sponsored by the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (National Union of Educational Workers) as part of their efforts to encourage teachers to foster an understanding of Mexican heritage and culture in their students.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Eva Boynton 3 Comments

Crossing Cultures/Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Mexico

May

Cultural Differences of the Fast Food Kind

by Meredith Mullins on May 18, 2015

Desserts in a Paris McDonald's restaurant, showing cultural differences in fast food. (Image © Meredith Mullins)

Sweet Dreams
© Meredith Mullins

McDonald’s: From Le Croque McDo to McSpicy Paneer to Matcha McFlurry

Yummm. Rows of macarons in their inviting soft pastel palette. Rich chocolate cake. Little canelés rising like flour fortresses. Tiramisu. Cheesecake. Cookies. Lemon tarts.

Where are we?

In a sweet dessert dream? In a prominent Paris patisserie? In the restaurant of a Michelin-starred chef?

We could be. But, in fact, we’re at a McCafé, a part of the McDonald’s ambiance in France that brings all the lusciousness of French pastries and desserts to its fast food counter. From croissants to muffins to traditional French pastries, they’re all here for the (fast) taking.

McCafé at a Paris McDonald's restaurant, showing cultural differences in fast food. (Image © Meredith Mullins)

McCafé in a Paris McDonald’s
© Meredith Mullins

Changing Times

I remember when a McDonald’s finally came to our town (somewhere around high school for me). The golden arches rose majestically and seemed to be lit from within. We looked on in awe.

Fifteen cents for a hamburger. Ten cents for a drink. The brightly colored restaurant quickly became an after-school hangout, and our parents’ carefully-planned healthy cooking became a distant memory usurped by an all-beef patty on an oh-so-soft roll.

McDonald’s turned 75 last week (May 15). The company has grown from a single BBQ stand in San Bernardino, California, to more than 35,000 restaurants that reach out to local tastes around the world. From a single burger to the Big Mac to the Quarter Pounder to a range of new offerings, the menu changes with the times and tastes.

Man with McDonald's quarter pounder, showing cultural differences in fast food. (Image © David Taggart)

A thumbs-up favorite: the Quarter Pounder
© David Taggart

Fast Food with Cultural Roots

In the McDonald’s restaurants around the world, the menus adapt to the culture and tastes of the locals. Traveling Americans like to have a familiar place to eat—a place where the lingo is known and where there are reminders of “home.”

The familiar burgers and fries are available in 119 countries. But when the menu relates to the culture and traditions of the country, the flavors appeal to the locals, as well as to the visitors.

The McFalafel from McDonald's in the Middle East, showing cultural differences in fast food. (Image courtesy of McDonald's)

The McFalafel
Photo courtesy of McDonald’s

Far Flung Flavors

Looking at McDonald’s menus across cultures is a travel adventure in itself, as well as a lesson in diversity.

From Le Croque McDo in France to the McSpicy Paneer in India to the McSausage Burger in Germany to a little sprinkle of seaweed on the fries in Japan, each menu adapts to the tastes of the country.

A McDonald's in Israel, showing cultural differences in fast food. (Image © Mark Sebastiani)

A kosher menu in Israel
© Mark Sebastiani

There is a kosher menu in Israel. There is a vegetarian menu in India. And there are creative recipes in every country that provide good clues as to what local folks like to eat.

The Ebi Burger or Ebi Filet-O in Japan, Singapore, and other Asian countries—a whole-shrimp crispy patty, served with lettuce and a spicy sauce in a Big Mac bun.
The very round Le Croque McDo
Photo courtesy of McDonald’s
Le Croque McDo in France—a very round croque monsieur, a French sandwich with emmental cheese and ham melted on toasted bread.
The McArabia in Arab countries—two grilled chicken patties with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and garlic sauce inside a pita.
Burbur Ayam in Malaysia—a breakfast porridge with chicken, spring onions, ginger, shallots, and chilies.
McSpicy Paneer in India—a fried curd cheese patty with tandoori sauce, red cabbage, and lettuce on a sesame roll.
McLobster in Canada and Maine—lobster salad on a long bun.
The Italian spinach and parmesan McNuggets
Photo courtesy of McDonald’s

McLaks in Norway—salmon filet on a bun.
McPinto in Costa Rica—the traditional gallo pinto (black beans and rice) with fried plantain, eggs, and vegetables.
Gazpacho in Spain, spinach and parmesan McNuggets in Italy, McFalafel in Israel, and Bacon Rolls in the U.K.

Chicken Maharaja Mac at a McDonald's in India, showing cultural differences in fast food. (Image courtesy of McDonald's)

From McDonald’s in India: The Chicken Maharaja Mac
Photo courtesy of McDonald’s

More Clues to the Culture

McDonald’s adapts its menus, but there are other customizations as well. The buildings can show individual style, and the ordering process is also different in some countries.

The McDonald's in Deagu, Korea, showing cultural differences in fast food. (Image courtesy of McDonald's)

Modern times at the McDonald’s in Deagu, Korea
Photo courtesy of McDonald’s

The McDonald’s in Times Square hosts a marquis with glittering lights. The Taupo, New Zealand McDonald’s, is inside an old DC-3 airplane. And the McDonald’s in Sedona, Arizona, had to change its golden arches to turquoise at the request of local leaders (a better fit with the palette of the city).

Wooden McDonald's in Paris on rue St Lazare, showing cultural differences in fast food. (Image © Meredith Mullins)

A tall, skinny, wooden McDonald’s with Paris charm
© Meredith Mullins

The ordering processes go from high tech (with a wall of touch screens to take orders and payments) to home delivery in many Asian countries. The fast food chain consistency concept seems to be changing into promoting individuality and personality.

Touch screens at McDonald's for ordering, showing cultural differences in fast food. (Image © Meredith Mullins)

Touch screen ordering in multiple languages
© Meredith Mullins

Oh, I See

There are many ways to learn about cultural differences in the world. The McDonald’s story tells us that food offers a way to connect to another culture.

The next time you’re in another country looking at a McDonald’s fast food menu, you can go one of two ways. You can have a “stay-at-home” familiar burger and fries, or you can choose one of the local menu items. Either way is an adventure—a taste of culture a long time in the making.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins Comments

Cultural Diversity/Worldwide Sites

May

From Colorful Guatemala to Post-Vacation Blues

by Sally Baho on May 11, 2015

Off-centered door in yellow stucco wall, a colorful memory recalled during post-vacation blues. (Image © Scott Kafer)

The flowers aren’t the only thing that provide color in Antigua, Guatemala,
the houses remind you of a painter’s palette. © Scott Kafer

Finding the Color Wherever You Are

Only yesterday, I had returned from Guatemala, surrounded by people, colors, smells, and noise—music, cars, crowds, conversation. Now here I was back in Pacific Grove, CA, known as “America’s last hometown,” waking to the low hum of my refrigerator. Looking around, my once beloved apartment seemed silent, cold, desolate.

I felt as if someone had pulled the plug on me—where was everyone? They had gone and left me with the post-vacation blues.

A Sense-sational Trip

Traveling—when done right—hits all your senses. My trip began in the streets of Antigua, a colonial town and UNESCO World Heritage Site, where old cobblestone streets crawl past colorful facades.

I continued to noisy Guatemala City where a walk through the crowded Mercado Central captivated my senses. The sharp smell of fresh fruit. The pots of simmering meat. The sound and smell and taste of the sizzling tortillas on the griddle.

Close up of a moronga (blood sausage) taco with tomatoes and onions, and a Gallo beer bottle in the background., a tasty memory recalled during the post-vacation blues. (Image © Sally Baho)

I thought back to the two old ladies who insisted on feeding the gringa (me) some of the moronga (blood sausage) taco they were eating . . . with their bare hands.

I relived my flight north from Guatemala City to Flores and how the vista of the Isla de Flores in Lake Petén Itzá opened my eyes wide to new wonders.

Aerial view of Isla de Flores in northern Guatemala, a beautiful memory recalled during post-Vacation blues. (Image © Rafael Amado Deras)

The memory of all these sensory experiences, however, only heightened my sense of sadness.

New Friends in New Places

I missed the new friends I had made, too. And I missed how easy it feels when I’m traveling to make new friends.

Only three days ago, I had shared a canoe ride with a lady I had just met. We drank a cold beer as we leisurely rowed away from the vibrant Isla de Flores. I was on vacation: no watch, no alarm clock, no email, no desk, just me and my whims.

I met Ilse on the street. We were both looking to rent a canoe which happened to be only for two people, and we were both alone.

“OK, quiero ponerme el traje de baño,” (OK, I have to change into my bathing suit) I said, as we coordinated payment and logistics.

“Y yo voy a comprar la cerveza,” (And I’ll go buy the beer), she answered.

Three wooden canoes on a body of water, providing one of endless experiences whose memory can spark the post-vacation blues. (Image © frankdennerlein / Thinkstock)

Ten minutes later, we were walking along the shore of the tiny island to a jerry-rigged “dock”—a few rusty canoes chained to a rotting post. Balancing oars, plastic bags, and sandals, we climbed in the canoe and started talking about life.

It’s amazing how travel works—you lose inhibitions, you’re open to life and all the experiences it has to offer. It’s so easy to share personal thoughts and stories, much more so than in your daily life.

Back to the Same Old Life in the Same Old Place

Here at home, life just wasn’t the same. To quell my loneliness and blues:

Bag of Guatemalan coffee in a Guatemalan textile bag with a worry doll, part of a strategy to get over the post-vacation blues. (Image © Sally Baho)

I put on some Latin music and made coffee from beans brought back from Guatemala.

I looked at my travel photos and researched cheap flights back to Guatemala.

I unwrapped my Guatemalan worry dolls and tried to pass off my big case of post-vacation blues to the tiny doll.

Blasting Away the Post-Vacation Blues

And then my phone buzzed. It was Saturday morning when my local running group meets for our long run.

“Are you coming? We want stories!”

I begrudgingly laced up my shoes and headed out to meet the group. We ran a route I had never run before.

One of the guys told me that we were approaching “The Window of the Bay” and, when we emerged from this clearing, there would be a beautiful view. He instructed me to yell, “we live here” as soon as I saw the view.

“How will I know?” I inquired.

“You’ll just know.”

So we continued our run, swapping stories, laughing, chatting when suddenly we came upon a clearing with a panoramic view of the ocean.

“WE LIVE HERE!” I screamed and did a jump for joy.

View of the Pacific Ocean, during a run designed to blast away the post-vacation blues. (Image © Sherry Long)

The view of the Pacific Ocean from the running path…
it’s hard to believe that the same waters touch Guatemala
© Sherry Long

Oh, I See

And like that, my post-vacation blues disappeared.

It dawned on me that it’s not about where you are; it’s about your attitude. It’s about finding the things that make your heart race where you live (or moving to the place that fulfills you, if that’s an option).

It’s about bringing back the openness to other people that you feel when you travel—the kind that makes you head down to the tourist trap in your area, chat with some travelers, and maybe even invite them for a canoe ride.

Airplane ticket from Flores to</br>Guatemala City, a scrapbook item that turns post-vacation blues into a good memory of the trip. (Image © Sally Baho)

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Sally Baho Comments

Art of Travel/Guatemala

World Views:

Topics

Monthly Archives: May 2015

Mexican Dances Step Across Cultures

One Stage, Many Colors

Embracing the Present

Crossing Paths with the Past

A New View of Mexican Dances

Cultural Differences of the Fast Food Kind

McDonald’s: From Le Croque McDo to McSpicy Paneer to Matcha McFlurry

Changing Times

Fast Food with Cultural Roots

Far Flung Flavors

More Clues to the Culture

Oh, I See

From Colorful Guatemala to Post-Vacation Blues

Finding the Color Wherever You Are

A Sense-sational Trip

New Friends in New Places

Back to the Same Old Life in the Same Old Place

Blasting Away the Post-Vacation Blues

Oh, I See