| Remember your auditory sense: | | | | the government to just repair streets and sidewalks, |
| It is said that while in Oaxaca, if you don't look up while | | | | and make somewhat safer the tap water we receive |
| sightseeing, you'll miss a lot (i.e. centuries old detailed | | | | from the broken, antiquated and inefficient underground |
| carvings, moldings and frescos, trees growing | | | | water delivery system---let alone embark upon |
| perpendicular out of walls and elaborately landscaped | | | | changing the entire system of fuel delivery to |
| roof-tops). Similarly, if you don't keep your ear to the | | | | subsurface (although recently the downtown |
| ground your stay in the city will not be as culturally | | | | sidewalks and streets were dug up to bury utility lines). |
| complete and informative as it could be. What follows | | | | Much more often than in earlier eras, residents are |
| is a sampler of the range of sounds you might hear | | | | opting for the use of larger stationary propane tanks |
| from car-top loudspeakers, truck and scooter horns, | | | | which are filled pursuant to a delivery schedule so that |
| steam whistles, stereo systems and live bands, and an | | | | these larger single receptacle propane trucks do not |
| explanation of what each signifies, as well as how to | | | | notify households that they're out on the street. |
| tell them apart. | | | | Similarly, the large water trucks---which fill cisternas |
| It is not necessary to venture off into the pueblos to | | | | and tinacos for household use apart from |
| experience the plethora of diverse and colorful sounds, | | | | drinking---need not signal their presence, since they |
| which in and of themselves provide you with a greater | | | | arrive by order only. But if you're downstairs when the |
| understanding of life in Oaxaca. Just head outside of | | | | cow bell signals the arrival of the garbage truck, you've |
| the Centro Histórico by taking a bus or taxi, or | | | | missed it for another week, unless you track down the |
| simply going for a long walk, even a kilometer or two | | | | truck with the week's refuse in back of your pickup, |
| beyond the Periférico and N. Heroes de | | | | either that day, or another if you know the dates and |
| Chapultepec. I am referring not to the continuous din of | | | | routes closeby. |
| donkeys and dogs, toads, turkeys, roosters, and the | | | | There are also three types of informational |
| more exotic birds and bovine, but rather to man-made | | | | announcements you may hear on a regular basis. |
| articulations. Such sounds advise the residents of the | | | | Once again there are merchants, not peddling their |
| city of the proximity of vendors of a variety of goods | | | | wares on the street, but rather notifying Oaxacans of |
| and services, regarding religious and secular events, or | | | | bargains or sales by means of car-top speaker, for |
| that a rite of passage of a neighbor is under way. | | | | example a supermarket chain promoting products, or a |
| Commercial vendors create most of the daily discord | | | | pizza franchise selling a large with two selections, plus |
| on the streets, and inform us of what fruits are | | | | two liters of soda for only 100 pesos. The second and |
| seasonally inexpensive, delicacies which tempt the | | | | perhaps more vital type of information that is received |
| taste buds of locals, and how important it is for | | | | by residents is public service in nature, consisting of |
| Oaxacans to have their fresh tortillas and other baked | | | | local news events. Often when someone in a colonia |
| goods. The most unusual sound comes from a metal | | | | dies, a truck winds the neighborhood streets advising |
| wagon wheeled along the streets, its operator selling | | | | of not only the passing, but of pertinent details |
| hot fried plantain, with sweet cream and other | | | | regarding mass, burial, and so on. |
| condiments sprinkled atop upon asking...simply delicious, | | | | When there are public works to be completed that the |
| and generally a "safe" food to eat on the street. | | | | municipio does not deem within its mandate to address |
| Usually during the evenings one can hear the pitch of | | | | in a timely fashion, the president of the colonia may |
| its steam whistle, starting off with a low tenor, and | | | | arrange for the work to be done by residents, for |
| reaching a high screech...can't be mistaken. At the | | | | example clearing brush. The announcement traditionally |
| other end of the spectrum are the tortilla vendors who | | | | includes where and when the project will be |
| often drive by the same neighborhood streets 2 - 3 | | | | commenced, with a plea to attend ready for work and |
| times daily, usually in a VW Beetle, or on a scooter, | | | | to bring as many picks, shovels, rakes and |
| notifying residents of their presence by short beeps of | | | | wheelbarrows as are available to you. When hearing |
| their horns. You might also hear the bread and pastry | | | | this type of exhortation you know that there is a |
| truck trolling the streets, with loudspeaker atop, the | | | | neighborhood organization in place that sees part of its |
| driver busking the virtues of his bolillos and variety of | | | | duty to pick up where the "higher" levels of |
| pan dulce. When he's not so extolling, he has music | | | | government have left off, or is not prepared to wait |
| blaring, the same songs day after day so neighbors | | | | until government gets around to prioritizing what the |
| can identify particular songs with baked goods for sale. | | | | residents deem important. |
| The same pattern of dividing announcements between | | | | The final type of information your auditory sense picks |
| the shouted word and recorded music is encountered | | | | up on the streets emanates from celebrations, |
| with the fruit trucks, pickups sometimes selling simply | | | | evidencing the richness and diversity of social life, and |
| oranges by the bagful of 25, 50 or 100, or in | | | | signifying the arrival of an important customary or |
| conjunction with other types of citrus, melons and | | | | religious event. While often a part of the event may |
| piñas, by the piece or kilo, scales loaded in the | | | | take place in a hall, church or salon, in this fiesta |
| back of the vehicle, young associate bagging, weighing | | | | oriented society celebrating includes at minimum a |
| and taking cash. When the voice goes hoarse, on | | | | portion of the festivities occurring on the streets or at |
| comes The Beatles, Revolver. We learn a little about | | | | a home, or entirely in a local setting. At any time of day |
| culture and economics...the price of gas and labor | | | | or night it is not unusual to hear the blaring of a sound |
| relative to the sale of such perishables and required | | | | system or live band music echoing across a valley |
| profit margins; the importance for residents to have | | | | through neighborhoods. There may be a wedding of |
| fresh foodstuffs; lack of proximity to more traditional | | | | 400 people, a 50th birthday celebration or a quince |
| retail outlets with such offerings; and finally, the | | | | años (elaborate celebration when a girl turns 15, |
| availability of at least one person in the home | | | | similar to a Bat Mitzvah in the Jewish faith) well under |
| throughout the day to make such purchases. Think of | | | | way. Depending on the makeup of the crowd, you |
| what percentage of your neighbors are home | | | | may hear deafening rap, hip-hop or that otherwise |
| throughout the day to welcome such purveyors. In | | | | deep base type of teenager-oriented music, or |
| Oaxaca, with its extended family tradition, and | | | | perhaps the more traditional cumbia tunes, or a |
| responsibility for making purchases entrusted to quite | | | | combination of D.J. contemporary music in one set, |
| young children, it is feasible for such a method of | | | | followed by live band Latin music in the next. The most |
| marketing to continue. | | | | modest $100 stereo system can be hooked up to an |
| Distinctly different sounds are made for announcing | | | | amp and monster speakers to create a deafening |
| the arrival of necessities. It is trite to note the | | | | diversion from otherwise relatively tranquil surroundings. |
| importance of drinking water. Several times a day | | | | The other type of music one often hears comes from |
| water trucks loaded with 19 liter blue plastic or clear | | | | more informal bands winding their way through the |
| glass bottles patrol every street in every colonia, | | | | streets as a part of religious customs. Just look in any |
| although sometimes economics may dictate use of a | | | | book which enumerates the multitude of saints' days |
| large tricycle instead of the motorized vehicle. The | | | | and other ritual dates, and you can pretty well assume |
| sound one hears is always the same, and | | | | that you will hear band music swinging up and down |
| unmistakable.....agua (¡aah-gwaaah!). Almost as | | | | streets, weakening as the procession winds further |
| frequently one can't help but miss the trucks selling | | | | away, and strengthening until it is upon you. Stop and |
| propane by the tank, usually in your choice of three | | | | ask what's going on. Have a drink if you're offered a |
| sizes...exchange your emptied for filled. No human | | | | small cup of mezcal, and eat up all that the festivities |
| voice used here, but rather one or more of perhaps | | | | are willing to offer. |
| three familiar signals...a deep fog horn type of sound, | | | | Follow your ears to the origin of the music, and peek in |
| the racket of a chain dragging along the street, and/or | | | | if you can, no matter how formal or informal the |
| the recorded sound of a mooing cow followed by a | | | | setting may be...you just may be welcomed inside, and |
| jingle. Propane is residentially used primarily for stoves | | | | really have an experience to tell the folks back home. |
| and hot water tanks...no underground oil or natural gas | | | | If you simply "listen to the music" your Oaxacan |
| lines...here in Oaxaca we have enough trouble getting | | | | experience will be that much richer. |