Author: Fiamma

While in Mexico City I was sent to Xochimilco to photograph the farming movement in the area. I am embarrassed to say I had never been to Xochimilco in the first place, and if I have been as a little girl I don’t remember it. We went straight to the back canal areas, where all the locals live and have their “chinampas” or small floating gardens, right on the banks of the water. It is only accessible by boat and it seems ridiculous to think that these clean, calm canals exist in the middle of a bustling metropolis. Did I already mention I love this city? So we where taken on this tour by one of the locals to the various chinampas where they grow a variety of different vegetables, all seasonal, all without pesticides, all with centuries old farming techniques. These farmers do not produce enough to compete with the big distributors, but they are hoping to continue to live off their lands by marketing themselves as a local organic source, mainly to the high end restaurants. One of the local farmers is also the owner/operator of the infamous “Isla de las Muñecas” or “Island of the Dolls,” so we stopped by for a bit to look around. Story goes that Don Julian, who is now deceased, and is the father of our farmer friend, witnessed a girl drown in the river, and was constantly haunted by her ghost. In order to ward off her spirit he collected dolls that he found discarded in the river, and hung them up around his house, and well, many years later, this is the result.

An ofrenda for the deceased Don Julian, you can leave him coins and gifts and ask for favors in return:

Don Julian’s son:

The sign for the women’s bathroom:

The back canals of Xochimilco:

But I hate photographing it. I was born in Mexico City, I love it, it is my favorite city (so far), but when it comes to pictures, it just doesn’t love me back. I’ve been going out and about to take photographs for years, trying to illustrate what I see and love so much about it, and I just can’t seem to get it right. I think what makes this city so amazing is the people, and I am scared of people, literally terrified… maybe I just need to get drunk before I go out on the streets.
If you would like to see the work of my favorite Mexico City photographer, who is obviously not scared of people, check out Pablo Ortiz Monasterio’s ¨Last City¨ here (skip the intro).

The Mariachi Academy of New York had a mothers day celebration yesterday at St. Paul’s Church on 117th Street. It was a lot of fun, with mixed performances by the students of MANY, students from a ballet folklorico school, a performance by a dance group called Los Tecuanes de Acatlan, which was amazing, and lots of Mexican food (best mole tamales EVER)… The students performed together and then some where selected to perform individually with a professional Mariachi group. I really enjoyed attending this event, it made me miss living in Mexico, but also made me appreciate the people who organize events such as these, to make all of us exports feel a little more at home.

My niece and nephew swimming in Tequesquitengo…