Blogging around

Although I invested an entire day (literally 10 hours!) setting up this blog a week ago (it might have been a record for blogger.com), it is extremely gratifying to see one's creation up on my computer screen. Being inspired by my success last weekend, I also made up a sister blog called 'manyenglishes' which I hope will become a place for students and teachers of English - and any other folk who struggle to master this language - to place comments, vent and/or praise.

This 'mbotefromsandiego', on the other hand, is for the rest. Greetings from San Diego! and reflections on the day here. I heard this morning, for example, that the traffic was already very heavy near Del Mar and expected to be at a peak in that area this weekend. Same old, same old.... Avoid going north on Highway 5 tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the weather continues to be perfect, and now, thanks to Thomas's assistance, I can enjoy viewing our garden from above deck as well as below. Went through many bags of stuff from Mom's house and realized how different it is to handle her possessions four years after her death. I could easily give away her hummingbird feeders as our yard is filled with these tiny creatures already. No need to hang a feeder out there when they've got so many flowers to choose from. For me, hanging out with the hummingbirds makes me feel like Mom is right there watching over things. It's a holy feeling at times....

Mariachi music

Last night at the Del Mar Fair, our ears were filled with Spanish and the canciones y música de los mariachis. Mickey and I had great seats in the fifth row of the 4th grandstand section just to the left of the stage for great viewing. At first, I thought that this section was too expensive for the stereotypic blue-collar first- or second-generation Mexican American because when the show started, the area was only half-filled. Apparently, however, at 7 p.m. when the female mariachis left the stage, the 'purists' who came to hear 'real' mariachi - Mariachi Sol de Mexico and the ranchera singer Angeles Ochoa, appeared to fill up the seats. ¡Que lástima! for those people. I.M.H.O., they missed out on an impressive but admittedly different sounding arrangement of mariachi songs by 'muchachas'.

Nevertheless, these 'real' aficionados brought an energy to the performance that wasn't there before, as men surrounding us made 'ooiii - ooiii' sounds, whistled, and shouted in the midst of performances and later when Angeles sang, the crowd sang along with her during her warm up, like an old-fashioned hootenanny. Mickey didn't enjoy the participatory part of the performance, having to listen to some off-key singers behind us, but if we had known the words to join in, it would've been a different experience, I'm sure.

I think that art has to change if it's going to stay alive. I've never been an aficionado of mariachi, but it was delightful to see so many young talented men and women involved in this creative tradition. It was a true blending of cultures too with violinists from L.A., San Francisco, Tijuana, Ensenada, and Hernandez's relative (guitarist) from Jalisco along with a 65-year old harpist from Russia. Oh la la!

A new week stretches out in front of me, and the sun is inviting me out! What's happening in your world?