The Magic of the Cities.

Zen promotes the rediscovery of the obvious, which is so often lost in its familiarity and simplicity. It sees the miraculous in the common and magic in our everyday surroundings. When we are not rushed, and our minds are unclouded by conceptualizations, a veil will sometimes drop, introducing the viewer to a world unseen since childhood. ~ John Greer

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Mercurio y Argos / Argus & Hermes


Sculpture by Felipe Sojo. S. XIX.

Argus was Hera's servant. His great service to the Olympian pantheon was to slay the chthonic serpent-legged monster Echidna as she slept in her cave. Hera's defining task for Argus was to guard the white heifer Io from Zeus, keeping her chained to the sacred olive tree at the Argive Heraion. She charged him to "Tether this cow safely to an olive-tree at Nemea". Hera knew that the heifer was in reality Io, one of the many nymphs Zeus was coupling with to establish a new order. To free Io, Zeus had Argus slain by Hermes. Hermes, disguised as a shepherd, first put all of Argus's eyes asleep with spoken charms, then slew him by hitting him with a stone, the first stain of bloodshed among the new generation of gods.

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Missing Book


Cheap & popular books $ 10.00 Pesos each ($ 0.71 USD)
-A. Conan Doyle, Daniel Defoe, Robert Louis Stevenson, E. Salgari, I. M. Altamirano-

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Monday, January 26, 2009

Aztec Underworld



The Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral is the largest and oldest cathedral in the Americas, it is situated atop the former Aztec sacred precinct near the Templo Mayor on the northern side of the main square. Here, two views of people seeing the underworld (aztec ruins) in 3 times, Modern, Colonial and Pre-hispanic.

The Aztec Mythology and their Underworld, Mictlan.
In Aztec belief, the surface of the earth was a thin crust between the material (apparent) reality and the real world of spirit. Death was not taken at face value in Aztec religion, but was seen as the essence of life itself and the creation of a renewed beginning, a Beginning and an End at the same time - an unbroken cycle. According to the shaman, everything is part of the same life force. Birth was an emerging from this world of spirit and Death was a return back into it. In this unending cycle, the crops died and were reborn - that is, if the spirit world allowed it.
Mictlan is the lowest layer of the underworld, situated in the north. Every soul, except those of fallen warriors and women who died giving birth, have to descend to the underworld. Here, their souls will find eternal rest. However, they first have to make the dangerous journey to Mictlan. At the burial, the deceased are given magical powers and with the help of the god Xolotl, they are able to make this journey safely. The ruler of this underworld is Mictlantecuhtli.
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Friday, January 23, 2009

David


Ver. 2


David's Fountain in Rio de Janeiro Park.

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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

El Organillero / The Organ Grinder


The organ grinder was a musical novelty street performer of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, and refers to the operator of a street organ. This is one of a few in Mexico City and in the country, almost extinct.

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

¡Por Fin! / At Last!


First page of yesterday newspaper La Jornada

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Saturday, January 17, 2009

El Beso / The Kiss








A kiss is the touching of one person's lips, which is used as an expression of affection, respect, greeting, farewell, good luck, romantic affection or sexual desire.
Guanajuato is really gorgeous, It´s built on the slopes of a ravine, and many of the houses are painted bright colours - very picturesque. There are a few hills (and steps) to climb, but it´s not as steep as Taxco. The city is a Unesco World heritage site, so there´s no traffic lights.
Incredible, the mayor (panista, right wing) of this beautiful city had forbid kiss in public.

El alcalde de la ciudad de Guanajuato, el panista Eduardo Romero Hicks, anunció este viernes que el bando de policía y buen gobierno —que castiga con multas o cárcel a quienes pidan limosna, digan palabras altisonantes o se besen en la vía pública.

El bando, aprobado por 10 ediles de Acción Nacional (PAN) y uno del Partido del Trabajo (PT), castiga con 36 horas de cárcel o multas de hasta 30 salarios mínimos (más de $ 1 500.00) a quienes pidan limosna, digan palabras altisonantes, vendan en la calle, hagan manifestaciones o se besen.

También incluye castigos a los promotores turísticos que se acerquen a los automovilistas, a quienes no usen los puentes peatonales y a los limpiaparabrisas.

[ Conozcan a sus politicos. Es la mentalidad de la derecha, la regresión, la infelicidad, la frustración, que alternativas plantean a la gente, en lugar de besarse, apedrearse, lapidarse? Lastima de vidas, desperdiciadas en el desamor, en el odio, que triste, gente sin Amor.
Dios, de donde sacan a estas gentes, pobres de sus familias, que infelices deben ser. ]
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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Globos / Balloons




Plaza Principal de Leon Gto. / Main Square at Leon, Guanajuato. Mexico.

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Monday, January 12, 2009

Cow Parade Leon 2



Exhibit on main square of Leon, Guanajuato. Mexico.
For Art, For Charity, For Fun
CowParade is the world’s largest public art event. From Chicago and New York in 1999 and 2000 to Kansas City and Houston in 2001 and London in 2002, CowParade continues to evolve, not just in size, but in creativity and quality of art. While the cow sculptures remain the same, each city’s artists are challenged by the art from past events, inspired by the cultural influences of their respective cities, and moved by their own interpretation of the cow as an art object.
CowParade is not meant to be high art, however. It is first and foremost a public art exhibit that is accessible to everyone.


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Saturday, January 10, 2009

Cow Parade Leon I



Milk Bath by Celso Garcia 2006 at Cow Parade exhibition in Leon, Guanajuato.

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Friday, January 9, 2009

Sunset in Leon


Parque Metropolitano de Leon / Metropolitan Park at dusk.

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Thursday, January 8, 2009

The Closer I Get To You


Among the flowers on the Hills of the city of Leon, Guanajuato. Mexico.

Alone And Drinking Under The Moon

Amongst the flowers I
am alone with my pot of wine
drinking by myself; then lifting
my cup I asked the moon
to drink with me, its reflection
and mine in the wine cup, just
the three of us; then I sigh
for the moon cannot drink,
and my shadow goes emptily along
with me never saying a word;
with no other friends here, I can
but use these two for company;
in the time of happiness, I
too must be happy with all
around me; I sit and sing
and it is as if the moon
accompanies me; then if I
dance, it is my shadow that
dances along with me; while
still not drunk, I am glad
to make the moon and my shadow
into friends, but then when
I have drunk too much, we
all part; yet these are
friends I can always count on
these who have no emotion
whatsoever; I hope that one day
we three will meet again,
deep in the Milky Way.

Li Po

Happy New Year 2009
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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Los Reyes Magos / Three Wise Men



The city of León, is the fifth most populous city in Mexico and the first in the state of Guanajuato. It is also the seat of the municipality of León. It has a strong leather industry, offering shoes, boots, belts, jackets, and other leather accessories both to national and international markets.

Here, photography for kids cost $ 2.00 Dlls. in Main Square.

In Christian tradition the Magi (Greek: μάγοι, magoi), Three Wise Men, Three Kings or Kings from the East are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts. They are mentioned only in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 2) , which says that they came "from the east to Jerusalem" to worship the Christ, "born King of the Jews". Because three gifts were recorded, there are traditionally said to have been three Magi, though Matthew does not specify their number.

[ Los Reyes Magos (también conocidos como los Magos de Oriente) es el nombre por el que tradicionalmente se denomina a los visitantes que, tras el nacimiento de Jesús de Nazaret, acuden desde países extranjeros para rendirle homenaje y entregarle regalos de gran riqueza simbólica: oro, incienso y mirra. En muchos países (en especial los hispanohablantes) existe la tradición de representar a los tres Reyes trayendo los regalos que los niños les han pedido en sus cartas durante la noche anterior a la Epifanía -Enero 6- ].

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Monday, January 5, 2009