A Mexican Easter Tradition
And now, we’re proud to present Nathanael and Hannah in this edition of “Easter Traditions”…
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In case you’re still not clear, here’s a summary of what cascarones are…
Mexico
Coming this summer (to a Mexico near you)!
Rod Fry just posted this animated explanation of the summer program here in Central Mexico, that involves people (primarily from Canada and the USA) in ministry here in Mexico. You need to check it out. And while you’re at it – why not come down to Mexico yourself?
This animation is the creation of the talented people in the church Rod is a part of in Ixtapaluca, Mexico. If you didn’t figure it out already, the narrator with the ball cap and CAM shirt is Rod himself… sorta… 😉
Moon eclipse from Cuernavaca
We were privileged to see a total eclipse of the moon last night in beautiful weather. I took some pictures so you could see what it looked like from here. The next total eclipse of the moon visible from this part of the world will be in December 2010. Here’s all the information you could want about last night’s eclipse of the moon, and here are a few shots from Mexico City. Thanks for the reminder from Tim.
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7:47pm |
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7:53pm |
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8:13pm |
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8:20pm |
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8:32pm |
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8:40pm |
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8:42pm |
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9:06pm Some of these were taken with a different setting on the camera. On these you can see the "dark" side of the moon. Here the whole moon is more or less dark. I think the actual mid-eclipse was at 9:26pm. |
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9:50pm Again with a different camera setting, a little light is starting to show. |
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10:08pm |
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10:09pm The last one with the camera setting where you can see the whole moon. I didn’t use it much because I wasn’t using a tripod and it was hard to keep the camera still enough. |
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10:10pm |
He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will break in pieces the oppressor.
They shall fear You
As long as the sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations.
King Solomon, Psalm 72:5-5
What about the change? A Mexican nightmare
I was on my way down our hill to do some errands. I decided to stop at the window and mirror shop on my way down.
The shop was dark and dirty, with pinups and pictures of saints on the walls. Two guys came out to look at the remains of my driver-side mirror. (I had gracefully smashed it on a lamp post in front of a very appreciative audience at a local café) One of them began picking the pieces of broken mirror off, while the other measured and cut a new mirror to glue in its place. They were done in a very few minutes, and told me it would cost MX$50 (about $4.65 in Canadian or US dollars).
Now being on my way down the hill, I had a limited amount of money and change. I had a MX$200 bill, and handed it to him, but I could see he was about to travel up and down the street searching for change for me. "Just a minute," I said quickly, and I began raiding my pockets and van for change. I found $49.50, and offered it to him apologetically. He laughed – "50 cents!" he said, and that was that. Then I headed on the rest of my errands.
Suddenly I realized what a precarious position I was in.
I had no change.
You have to understand, in Mexico, you must have coins on you at all time. Even in the house I always have coins on me. After all, I might need to tip the garbage man. If I’m out and about, I need to give tips to the man at the gas station, the kid who bags my groceries, the guy who helps me back out of the parking space.
There’s a joke here in Mexico – What’s the difference between a Canadian and a canoe? Answer: A canoe tips!
Well, I don’t want to be part of the joke. I may be more careful with my money than your average American (US), but really, I do tip.
I needed gas, that was all there was to it. As the attendant filled my tank, beads of sweat began forming on my forehead. How was I going to tip him? Suddenly, I looked at the numbers on the gas tank and called out – "That’s enough! Thanks!"
Phew – MX$395. I gave him MX$400 and told him to keep the change. Not a tip he’d tell his family about that night, but at least it was something.
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I went to the bank machine next to withdraw some money (we do almost everything with cash here), but of course that didn’t solve my change problem. But finally, after paying my water bill at the water place I got a bit of change. When I got my groceries bagged at MEGA, I was actually able to casually give the "bagger" a normal tip.
Please, don’t ever let me get caught without an ample supply of coins again. Next time I’ll wait for the mirror-guy to canvas the street for change. I’m not in that much of a hurry. This is Mexico.
Sunday and the week ahead
A podcast (audioblog) about Sunday morning, pilgrims to Chalma, and (re)finding a doctor…
Bless this pet
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This past Thursday was a special day for pet owners in Mexico. And a number of other Catholic countries. It was the feast day of Saint Anthony the Abbot.
Anthony lived in the 3rd and 4th centuries after Christ. He is remembered for cutting himself off from all civilization and living in the desert with only animals as his friends. Now he is considered a patron saint of animals (and a few other things, such as basket weavers and grave diggers).
Anyway, on the 17th of January pets galore are brought to certain churches to be blessed (not just in Mexico – services are on the rise in other countries, such as the USA). Birds, cats, turtles, horses and chickens all come to the churches to be sprinkled with holy water. Then the priest reads a special prayer of blessing.
Pet owners hope for a long life, and perhaps better behaviour if Fido is a bit mischievous. Some claim that faithful annual attendance is the reason for the ripe old age of their beloved animal.
I’m curious. What do you think about this? Would you take your pet to church to be blessed? Would you like to have a service like this at your church?
(via: Reuters)