Week 2 in Oaxaca

On a run one morning during my second week in Oaxaca, I noticed the city was a bit more calm and quiet than when I first arrived. Now that Día de Muertos is over, there's no longer a constant buzzing in the streets of vendors, pop-up stages, and tourists. The artisan market is gone, tarp and all, transforming a the previously packed and covered tunnel into a normal, open street. My boyfriend arrived on Friday and on my way to check-in to our airbnb, I stumbled upon a new giant stage set up near Santo Domingo.

We walked by at various times throughout the weekend and stopped briefly for the different bands that took the stage -- effectively providing a background soundtrack for our walks around town. At night, it seems that Alcalá turns into a free-for-all market after dark. Then there's the normal, daily, seemingly regular stuff I stumble upon: the marching band practice and zumba classes in the park, the ballet folklorico practice in enclosed courtyards, the art openings, and the bands you can hear most nights from side streets.

When in a new place, it's hard to know what 'normal' is, but so far I'm enjoying this somewhat more calm version of Oaxaca, especially since I still can enjoy the arts, music and food happenings that seem to never stop. 

Some highlights of last week:

• Embroidery class at Miku Meko -- I learned different stitches and techniques for embroidery and even got myself some cute little swan scissors. I met some new ladies and got to hang out in a really cute, inspiring shop, which has art studios behind it and a fashion design/pattern studio in the entryway.
• Finding a natural dye class I can walk to! More on that in the next post. 
• Wandering the market at Tlacolula -- we took the bus and then walked to the market. I didn't really enjoy it much more than the markets in Oaxaca, but it was a nice trip because it got us out of the center.
• Getting stranded at Mal de Amor -- we went to this specific mezcalería because it was a recommendation, but it happened to be closed on Sunday because it was a fiesta day in Matatlan ('the capital of mezcal'). We walked around the palenque, found some agave plants, and attempted to take some photos when the owner arrived. He opened up the place and let us try a bunch of mezcals before giving us a lift into town.  
• Mitla! We walked around, I bought a shirt (with sleeves!) and a necklace made out of orange rinds, we had a michelada, and eventually found the bus back to Oaxaca. 
• Macrame on the streets by Textile Fever Dach.
• Drinking cocktails. Everywhere. 
• Meeting up with a local artisan who designs and makes leather goods -- we'll be collaborating on a workshop soon. 
• Receiving a bouquet of (paper and co-designed) flowers.   
• Don Gato at Convivio. 
• Alright, Jeremy is hungry. Gotta go eat at Pochote!  

hasta luego,

S

Read about my 1st week in Oaxaca.

Week 1 in Oaxaca

I arrived in Oaxaca on October 30th, just in time to see the city in full swing cray-cray for Día de Muertos. It was lovely to see the whole city in action, but also a little annoying to hear so much English and see so many tourists flooding the streets, with cameras, dressed in a way that would probably look really stupid on me, because I am Mexican-American, and look, Mexican.

I will try to make an update here every week -- at the very least with photos I've taken because they can cover some of what I've experienced so far.

Some highlights of last week:

• Being a part of a Día de Muertos parade, with a face painted full-calavera style. Special thanks to my new housemates who invited me and their friend who painted my face!
• Visiting Zaachila, a village about 30 minutes from Oaxaca Centro, where they have a whole street filled with Día de Muertos murals and tapetes de arena y flores -- basically floor designs of sand and flowers. They were marvelous. So was the michelada. 
• Tasting may different types of mezcal at both locations of Cuish. 
• Exploring all the printshops and stores and cafés.
• Attending a book presentation during the book fair. 
• Eating. Everything. Especially the quesadillas at Carranza y García Vigil, which I've been having nearly every other day. 
• Spending time with my friend, who's one of three super ladies who run XYZ Cooperative, multiple times and getting her tips for this amazing place.  
• Altar exhibit at the library. They had large didactics that explained how each region celebrates Día de Muertos. 

More photos here and here and follow me on IG for daily updates.

A great week, and now, I must do some work. Because I am actually working here. 

hasta luego,

S

Urban Land Institute Health Leaders Network Introductory Forum

On Tuesday I participated in the ULI Health Leaders Network Introductory Forum in Los Angeles, CA. The Health Leaders Network is a program of the Building Healthy Places Initiative supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Colorado Health Foundation, and the ULI Foundation. The program is designed to help real estate and land use professionals develop skills to improve health outcomes in their professional practice as well as their own communities.

When I first heard about this program, I was really excited to apply, even though I wasn’t sure what it would be like. My sister is getting her Master’s in Public Health and through our conversations I’ve become more and more turned on to the relationship between health and the built environment.

It seems in public health there has yet to be a major movement to assess and improve the impact of the built environment on public health, at least beyond public safety basics. Could professionals in the built environment and community engagement realms do anything to improve major health issues, such as heart disease, opioid abuse, or obesity? And even if we could, being we are in a capitalist society, how can we connect the health benefits to investor gains and (increased) dollar per square foot?

I am relatively new to real estate and have so far been pretty fascinated by the silos that seem to exist in every part of the industry -- on the private side you have departments that operate without much interaction and on the public side you have groups and government entities seemingly unaware of each other. It’s bound to create some tension, and of course, in the urban areas that I’ve worked and/or learned about, it does. Even though I was excited for this program, I wondered whether there is much that can be done with so many players and strong emotions.

Despite my skepticism, I was really delighted to get into the ULI Health Leaders Institute and see what might be possible to help make the connection between health and the built environment, and, hopefully, improve the circumstances for healthier communities.

The program kicked off with the in-person Introductory Forum. It was moderated by Sara Daleiden and Ron Milam, who both did an amazing job keeping the forum engaging and interactive. The participants are from all over the US and from various disciplines. Through exercises and brainstorming sessions, I felt like I got to know a tiny bit about most everyone in attendance, which got me even more pumped up about this group and the program.

During the program, we attended ULI’s Changing World Speaker Series on Equity and Inclusion. The speakers included PolicyLink’s Angela Glover-Blackwell, Mosaic Urban Partners’ Calvin Gladney and National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Stephanie Meeks. Each speaker gave her own perspective on how and why to take inclusion and equity seriously.

Glover gave a persuasive and powerful talk on how not only is diversity of race and class unavoidable in US cities, but an equitable approach is actually a superior growth model for economic and community development. She backed up her argument with personable anecdotes and stats, like how by 2044 the US will be  majority of people of color.

Gladney gave an equally powerful talk and used three M’s to argue for equitable development: mandates, margins, and might. He said explicitly that it is not about ethics, but about doing better business. If a developer isn’t held to certain standards by local mandates, they may see better margins creating an equitable place. And if they don’t have mandates and don’t need the margins, they just might be faced with a public voice regarding equity and inclusion that they might not easily escape. We’ve all seen how messy a loud, unhappy contingent can be when pushing through a development project. Why put so much at risk by ignoring issues of equity and inclusion? Why not just face them head on when starting a project?

Meeks’s talk was also impactful. She shared stats on how a diverse built environment actually creates a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. Her book The Past and Future City describes how historic preservation can create active places that maintain their history while revitalizing or strengthening today’s communities.

After the session, we went back to our Health Leaders Group and debriefed. It was great to hear so many different takes on what we had just heard, and also a little confusing. I finally spoke up and asked what exactly we were talking about when we said ‘white,’ ‘non-white’ or ‘people of color’. This led to more discussion and debate about how we talk about and categorize people and communities -- and how easily we can forget the individual or even the nuances of a particular group that is itself very diverse. Many shared a desire to obtain and keep community members’ input at the forefront of a development or community engagement initiative. I thought about all the times this doesn’t actually happen, however well-intended, or how sometimes it actually can’t happen due to rules and regulations, processes set up by policy, or the facts of commerce -- you don’t always want the public to know what you are doing until you know it can be done.

Later we learned about the case study we will be working on and separated into small working groups to know each other more intimately. I looked around nervously when we first got into our small groups, noticing very quickly that my group did not have an architect or designer. Soon an architect came to our table and I was relieved. We did, in fact, have a very well-rounded group!

After a long day of sharing and processing, I left with a newfound optimism -- the built environment and the health industries are complicated, but they are areas which are long overdue for some extra love and care. And I now have a pretty stellar network with which to do the work.

On Modern Bar Cart Podcast Episode 017

I was on my very first podcast and here it is!

I met Eric, the creator of Modern Bar Cart, when he was running Embitterment and we partnered last year for a bitters-making workshop at Colony club. I'm so excited about his podcast and have learned many helpful from the previous episodes!

Listen to learn more about cocktails+craft, my bar cart (thanks mom), running workshops in DC, the future of cocktails+craft and making drinks with friends. 

Are books bourgeois?

I spent most of my early-to mid-20s jealous of all my friends' and acquaintances' book collections and book arrangements that still seam to be a staple of the 'creative' and 'well-designed' home. These friends and acquaintances had these apartments or lofts or rooms in houses filled with books. Books arranged by color. Books stacked on top of each other for decoration. Books on coffee tables. Books on night stands. Books in the kitchen. Books in the bathroom. Books on floating book shelves. Books strewn on the bed. Books -- that I doubt many of them had read. And, I always wondered - what the hell are you going to do with all of those books when you move? Or, how did you move all those books from >>>(LA/Tokyo/Berlin/NY/etc.)?

I love books. And I have always had a ton of them - just not as (simply) decor in my home. I grew up with lots of books. But in my childhood home, books were read and used and often borrowed from the library and given away to friends. They weren't bought for a specific place in the house to make a statement. They were utilitarian. They were dog-eared. They were recycled for art projects.

I've realized my jealousy wasn't of the books themselves, but having enough money to frivolously buy books that made me feel something or that simply looked a certain way so I could put them somewhere - maybe even regardless of whether I actually wanted to read them. I was jealous of a lifestyle where you could not only afford books as props in a dream life, but also have enough money and time to move them when you move on to a new city (and these people always did). 

Now, thanks to my corporate job that I just resigned from, I have a new collection of books here in DC. I desperately want to read them, and have certainly started to, but I can't pretend like I don't also love the way they look. Or that I've put them on my coffee table. Or enjoy rearranging them or stacking them in different parts of my apartment. Books can, and often are, bourgeois. And, now that I'm faced with having to sort and pack or get rid of them, I feel like a really silly materialist. As if, I can only prove my creativity or expertise because of my collection of books strategically stacked somewhere. 

But I also knowI just really like books. And I am a regular at the library. And I will read the books. Sure, I might ship them to my next home, but I'm going to purge first. This isn't the first time I've moved and gotten rid of everything --  when I moved from San Francisco to Washington, DC. I gave books to my friends and my neighbors and my co-workers and the bookstore a few doors down from my house. It felt good. But I remember thinking - I can't wait until I have a home where I can keep all my books. 

During my last move I sent some books to my parent's house, where there's a nice little random collection of books. Books that look a certain way and made me feel something. Books that cost money to make and store and ship. Books that someday will have a home. And yes, some of them are very bourgeois books. But I'm ok with that.

Wisconsin Road Trip

Me at Eau Claires music festival. I somehow managed to leave with zero mosquito bites. Thank you friends for the magic bug repellant.

Last week I showed up at the airport to get on a flight to Madison, Wisconsin, for one reason only: my friend invited me.

After a pretty terrible flight cancellation, 24-hour delay, and general airline drama with American Airlines (never again!), I boarded a direct Delta flight and got into Madison less than two hours later. 

It was worth it. I had an amazing time exploring this state with some amazing friends. I tasted everything I could, saw all the trees and the cows and the farms, and discovered a million other things outside of 'cheese' - which was - prior to this trip - the only thing I really thought about when I thought about Wisconsin. Don't worry... I also ate a lot of cheese.

We started the trip in Madison, drove up to Eau Claire for the Eau Claires music festival, then went further North to the South edge of Lake Superior, up to Madeline Island, then back down to Madison. Because I was with friends, we stayed with them, which was AMAZING. SO MUCH LOVE TO OUR HOSTS. Wisconsin is a really interesting state -- and not just because of current politics -- but because of its history and beauty. I myself have much to learn, but here's a brief guide to ways to experience the state and so you can get to know the people and places first-hand. 

01 STAY

An amazing home // Madison -- I had the benefit of staying with friends in a beautiful home in Madison. There was a bike path and an ice cream shop within walking distance. What more could you ask for?

An amazing cabin // Up North -- Ditto on the cabin situation. But check out this NY Times article for accommodations. 

America's Best // Eau Claire -- This hotel was loads better than the motel place we originally had booked (that lost our reservation). Good value if you have a group of friends and are going to a music festival. 

Nucleus Cafe in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

One of the many rooms inside Nucleus Cafe

02 EAT

Batch Bakehouse // Madison -- Road trips must start with a cappuccino and a pastry. Ideally from an excellent bakehouse like this one.  

Nucleus // Eau Claire -- We could have eaten here multiple times, and given their eclectic maze set-up with multiple rooms and vibes, it would have felt different every time. Food was amazing, drinks were great, we wanted to have all their blended coffee drinks. 

Mona Lisa // Eau Claire -- Found on Yelp. We were hungry. It was rainy. We were pleasantly surprised with an excellent selection of Italian food and some yummy cocktails. 

Delta Diner // ??? - On our way up North, we stopped here and waited for maybe an hour (it was Father's Day). One of the best diner experience's I've ever had. It's worth the wait just to hear the menu explained by the waiter. They have coffee and ice cream next door if you want a snack before you stuff your face. 

The Joynt in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Drinks at Tom's Burned Down Cafe

A sweet and sour brandy old fashioned at Mona Lisa

Big Water Coffee in Bayfield, Wisconsin

Tom's Burned Down Cafe on Madeline Island

03 DRINK

The Joynt // Eau Claire -- This is an institution. You can't go to Eau Claire without going to the Joynt, nor could the best musicians during the 70s, 80s, and 90s. CHEAP beer and good times, guaranteed.

Big Water Coffee //  Bayfield -- I love supporting locally-owned and operated places and I think this is what most impressed/surprised?/enlightened me about Wisconsin. I shouldn't have been so surprised -- everyone wants great coffee! drinks! bakeries! But, my city-centric self was surprised. This is one of those gems. They had great coffee and fun mugs that I regret not buying. If you go, please send me one. 

Tom's Burned Down Cafe // Madeline Island -- New favorite dive bar. I can't describe it, just go. 

Mona Lisa // Eau Claire -- Adding this again for drinks because they made us a sweet Brandy Old Fashioned and a sour Brandy Old Fashioned and they both made me really happy. Some history about this unofficial state cocktail.

We're waiting for Feist at Eau Claires. We left as soon as it started raining.

This may or may not have been an art installation at Eau Claires.

04 LISTEN

Eau Claires // Eau Claire -- This is a music festival. I don't really do music festivals (crowds of drunk people are something I try to avoid), but this one was bearable because it was in the woods. And it wasn't full of electro adult-children. There were kids. There were baby boomers. There were art installations. There was a maker-market. There was Wisconsin food and fare (including fried cheese curds, which were fantastic). We went mostly for Julieta Venegas, who was fantastic. I was also excited for Feist, but she was a little too pretentious on stage. We were very thankful for our hotel when it started raining. This festival is only a few years old, so go before it does become a shit show.

Big Top Chautauqua // Lake Superior --  I have not been to this, but friends' family tradition. Looks like a can't-miss experience. 

Gorgeous ceramics at Bell Street Gallery on Madeline Island, Wisconsin

Fish sculpture in Bell Street Gallery

05 SHOP

Bell Street Gallery // Madeline Island -- We stumbled upon this cute gallery and art bar that sold all kinds of amazing work, from jewelry to paintings to ceramics to blow fish sculptures. Go see it!

Tetzner's Dairy // Washburn -- My friend pulled up. We got out. We took some cheese curds and ice cream, we left some cash, we left. Essential stop. 

Sorry I didn't do much shopping this trip...next time!

Echo Dells in Wisconsin

06 SEE

Echo Dells //  Bayfield -- A gorgeous, gorgeous hike that leads you out to Lake Superior. 

The Terrace at Memorial Union in Madison 

07 DO

Fly a kit or ride a moped // Madeline Island -- I opted to drink instead, but these both seemed and looked fun. You have to take a ferry to the island, so do that too!

Terrace at Memorial Union // Madison --  Do you think your college has a really amazing bar/cafe/outdoor space? It's probably not enjoyable as this place -- drinks, food, entertainment, outside on the water. 

Special thanks to my friends who showed me their amazing state and who feed me everything they could on this epic road trip. Now I should probably go on a run. 

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