Forty six new cultural assets have been added to UNESCO’S (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage”. A list containing traditional treasures from different corners of the globe, cornerstones and representations of diverse communities and cultures. A list that gives these treasure distinguished status, & tells the world they are patrimony that is to be admired and safeguarded. Among those treasures are Mexican customs & staples. Please enjoy the following videos showcasing the Mexican assets that have made it on to UNESCOS’s list. Congratulations Mexico & fellow Mexicans! May we continue to feel pride for our roots and preserve them with honor.
Over time I’ve seen and heard the “that’s so Mexican” jokes going around . You know the type, the derogatory, stereotyped ones. Sadly these “jokes” are all too often propagated by Mexicans themselves. So this post category will be dedicated to things that are “so Mexican” and so POSITIVE! For example often times jokes are about Mexicans and their attitudes on life, such as the “cut corners, do it the Mexican way” joke. Well, did you know, in Mexican and Hispanic culture the following saying exists : “Pobre pero, honrado” = Poor(concerning wealth), but decent/honorable.” This saying is used as a reminder to be true to one’s self and be proud of who you are and where you come from. You don’t need to be fake to fit in. It’s important to be rich in spirit. No one, regardless of social status or wealth can ever look down on you as long as you’re and upstanding person.
This saying is so popular that there’s even been movies with this saying as their tittle. In novelas there’s the example of the maid being accused of stealing the boss’s gold watch or what have you, upon being accused she’ll respond “Seré pobre, pero honrada” = I may be poor/just a maid, but I’m honorable.
So many beautiful things about our cultures, things that are worth: admiring, learning about and most of all keeping alive & thriving. One of those things most definitely has to be language. In Paraguay 88% of the population speaks Guarani along with Spanish. In Taiwan though most people speak Mandarin and the older generations are most knowledgeable when it comes to traditional Taiwanese, and though Taiwanes youngsters outside of Taiwan are a little sketchy on it, native Taiwanese kids are still taught about it (traditional Taiwanese) and understand it a bit even if they don’t practice it as often as say their grandparents, or so I’ve heard. So, I listen to different kinds of music and there’s this Taiwanese pop girl group I like. I totally fell in love with one of the songs off their latest album, and I especially thought it was super cool when I heard the group recorded that particular song not in main stream Mandarin but instead in traditional Taiwanese. This is our heritage ,our vestige…. We should take pride in these beautiful treasures. That is why in today’s post I’d like to share a traditional Mexican song. This post as they all are is for everyone, but especially those who’d like to learn a short little something in Nahuatl(aka Aztec). The song is called “Xochipitzahuatl” pronounced: soh-chee-pee-tzah-hoo-wah-tahl, meaning: little flower. This song is AKA “Flor Menudita” in Spanish.
Are these kids too COOL or what?! And such talent =D Plus they look so cute in their outfits.
It’s just a few short lines, but it something cool you can learn & impress your friends with. Show ’em you can sing in Nahuatl!
This song is usually sung at weddings in the Huasteca region of Mexico. From what I’ve been able to research, it is sometimes danced rather than sung. The song is preformed for the Virgin of Guadalupe as away of asking for the event to be blessed. I’m not incredibly familiar with this song, so not sure how long the song actually is . The girls in the first vid seem to be singing more lyrics than the guy in the 2nd vid =S Went on a hunt for the lyrics online and can not for the life of me find proper lyrics. There’s very little info online, could be that is due to the fact that the song is often know as a dance rather than a piece that is sung. I can only get little excerpts here & there, plus everyone’s version differs =(
Still so glad to see people taking pride in their roots and passing them on especially youngsters. =) Hope you ENJOY GUYS!!
An institution with a rich & deep history, a educational & cultural mainstay that is well worth getting to know is turning 100, Mexico’s famed UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico)
FACTS ABOUT UNAM
*Established Sep of 1910 two months before the beginning of the Mexican Revolutionary War
*Based primarily in Mexico City
*Has Nobel prize recipients among it’s alumni: Alfonso Garcia Robles(for Peace), Octavio Paz (Literature), Mario Molina (Chemistry)
*Main campus is a world heratige site.
*Served as a sanctuary for exiled republican Spaniards, and refugees of Latin American dictatorships.
“Murals in the main campus were painted by some of the most recognized artists in Mexican history, such as Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros.”
“Generally considered to have the largest enrollment among universities in the Americas.”
UNAM’s soccer team Los Pumas participates in the first division of the Mexican Soccer League.
“UNAM students and professors are regarded throughout Mexico as very politically-aware and sometimes intensely politically active”
The list of those who have attended the prestigious university includes: heads of state, humanitarians, writers, physicians, sports stars and diplomats.
The school currently has : a radio station, its own TV channel, and a philharmonic
UNAM Philharmonic plays at Uxmal ruins. Sorry if the vid’s a little off it’s a home video someone posted. The music’s awesome though, so I just had to post it.
Hey guys! Guess what, I got on Yahoo this morning to find that, Teotihuacan was trending =) The reason being: Turns out that archaeologists have discovered a cool new find at the ruins that could lead to royal tombs! The find consists of a hidden tunnel that may have been buried due to the sinking of land as a result of stormy weather. The reason why this is such a huge & exciting deal is, very little is know about the societal structure and rulers of Teotihuacan. That is, archeologists are after the story of those who conformed the culture which inhabited Teotihuacan before the Aztecs, and reached its height between 100 B.C. and A.D. 750. The Aztecs are believed to have arrived in the area in the 1300s. Too cool or what?! =D
It’s Sunday, time to kick back and relax. Well, what can be more relaxing than admiring beautiful art? I actually found out about our featured artist through a tweet by Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa (Mexican League, team America/ El Tri soccer star). Diego Anaya is a talent native to Mexico City , one who can check pro soccer player & gifted artist off his “Things I want to become” list. Just to get an idea of what kind of flavor his paintings have, his inspirations growing up included artists like Modigliani, Dali, and Warhol to name a few. Diego eventually got the chance to have artist Guillermo Canseco take him under his wing. Thanks to the opportunity of being able study under this artistic professional of 30 years Diego was able to exhibit and sell his work in several parts Mexico and a few major cities in the U.S.
I really wish I could post a picture of his work, but I’m not quite sure how that works, with all the copy write stuff. I’m not sure if I’d be ok to post something so long as I link it back. =S Just follow the links guys, his work is really cool. So far my fav piece is “Thinking about sex & love” it evokes vibrant emotions. Well enjoyness much as always & let’s not forget to spread the word and support Mexican talent whenever possible =D
For a full bio and more info on the artist’s work please visit:
Today’s post is about Mexicans and DANCING !! So grab your partner! Cuz it’s the weekend & it’s time to unwind & have some fun! In my last post I wrote about how George Lopez once dissed his own people & culture saying that Mexicans really can’t dance, and that the only dance they have is around a hat. As I said before, Au contrare pally! Mexicans love to dance & Mexico has lot’s of popular dances that are not folkloric. Dancing is HUGE with Mexicans, it’s a very popular pass time that’s near & dear for both native Mexicans , Mexican Americans, and all Mexicans abroad. Mexicans love dancing and are proud of the dancing styles that come from Mexico. Many young kids would rather go to clubs that play traditional and modern Mexican dance music instead of going to regular clubs that just play pop, techno, & hip hop. For some people dancing is like more than just a pass time, it’s an obsession. They go dancing religiously, take classes, enter competitions, and form clubs. Some girls are so into dancing that they refuse to date guys who don’t dance. And it’s not only the young kids either, many parents love to dance at family parties or still make time to go out dancing during their free time. Being Friday night, I bet there’s a bunch of people going out to dance tonight just like in these videos. Hope they have a blast, those crazy kids =) Later on I’d like to post more info about the different types of Mexican dances, but today I wanna share some simple videos. Today’s dance rhythm is = Mexican Cumbias
A group of young Mexicans who participated in a Cumbia exhibition that took place in France =) Yay way to represent guys!!
A Mexican young man teaching a Ukrainian young lady how dance Cumbia.
The vid description on this one said, “Me & my girlfriend. It was raining , couldn’t go out, and so we decided to dance.” They really used their indoor time wisely lol they recorded and posted more vids of different Mex dance styles they had fun with that day. oh that will come in handy =) Anyway I like this couple, good synergy.
Advanced cumbia moves
Older adult couples dancing during a Cumbia session that took place in “El Palacio de Bellas Artes”= The famous “Palace of Fine Arts”, Cultural Center in Mexico DF
LMAO . Just two guys goofing around dancing Cumbia
When learning a language who isn’t eager and excited to learn what will make you sound cool, fun, and friendly, so that you can make new friends & enjoy communicating with others in your new language? Well, nothing makes a person cooler than great manners, & so today that’s what we will be learning about. Today’s lesson specifically talks about one little word: “Qué.” While it might be common knowledge that “what” in Spanish = “Qué”(pronounced Keh). The meaning & usage of this word as it pertains to Spanish is sometimes ,not entirely understood. In Spanish missuse of the word can mean sounding very rude. Many times I’ve seen on TV the depiction of various characters who speak Spanish(Mexican more often than not), upon listening to another language, umm…say English he/she will automatically respond in a stereotypical voice “Qué??!”
It truly is a most disturbing sound to hear. It’s a method used for the purpose of augmenting inanity, boorishness when it comes to the portrayal of that character. The reality of it is that, ““Qué” would not really the first thing someone would say in Spanish. Why? Well, because manners are held in very high regard & are treated with utmost importance in Hispanic culture, regardless of social position or the amount of education received. When you are told something & did not hear or understand, the polite way to respond is by using the phrase “Mande usted” (mah-deh-oo-steh-ehd) the formal version or “Mande”(shortened version). The word “mande” literally means= “You may request/ instruct.” In essence it means excuse me. Only it has more of a : beg your pardon, excuse me what was that, say that again please, I’m sorry I couldn’t hear, but if you’d be so kinds a to repeat you have my attention”…etc kind of connotation to it.
Another time when “Mande” is used is, when being addressed or called over. Say your boss has decided to give you an assignment & so he addresses you “Mrs. X come over for a minute” You would respond by saying “Mande usted Señor/Señora” = Yes boss(sir/ mam). At a store if a shopper would adress a clerk , the shopper would also receive a “mande usted.” Another example, Say your mom calls you into the kitchen . You go to the kitchen and say “What?”, because you’re used to the “what” in the English expressions: “what is it/what’s the matter?” It’s quite likely that you’ll receive the following scolding : “What do you mean Qué? Don’t be so rude/disrespectful, you don’t say “Qué, you say Mande usted”. “Mande” in This sense= yes mom, you called, Yes ma’m. “Qué?” does have it’s place in Spanish however, “Qué?” alone is used as more of an interjection than a question, and it’s used to express: surprise/shock /or confusion in a direct, and explicit manner, thus using it alone sounds rude at times. The moral of the story? One little word can mean the difference between sounding abrasive & disrespectful, or friendly, and well mannered.
I recently ran across a great webpage that has a list of links to all kinds of radio stations from all across Mexico. Keep up with latest news, en vogue music, find fun variety programing,you can even listen to university radio stations, & much more! Whether you speak Spanish and are looking to keep in touch with what going on with Mexico, or are learning Spanish and looking for a cool and fun way to sharpen your listening/comprehension skills, or maybe you just want to learn about a new culture or get into a new type music . Or if you’re Mexican & want to keep up with the latest in your state, or hometown… etc Here is your fix my friends!
Ok, Once you are on the page, you will find a list on the left side(it will be under the bright orange button that says Mexico). This is a list of all the Mexican States A-Z. Once you click on a state a list of all the stations that belong to that state will drop down. *To listen to Mexico City radio stations click on “Distrito Federal” first, then “Cd. de Mexico” (which stands for Ciudad de Mexico= Mexico City). After you choose the State & city you want to listen to, a list with the different media player(windows, real, iTunes, “otro” = other) options will appear in the middle of the page. Clicking “Web” is the easiest, because it automatically directs you to the radio station’s webpage & that will most likely have a media player already broadcasting. This won’t work for all so you might have to fiddle a bit & choose a media player that’s right for you. If a connection is down, or there’s some compatibility issues, don’t despair keep trying or switch to another station , the choices really are plentiful & it’s not that hard to get it going in a matter of seconds.
Ok ,well hope you guys finds this post : cool, informative, and helpful. ENJOYNESS MUCH!! =)
★MeGaSuPer Chido y + 