Dia de los Muertos
I left behind the Halloween decorations of Toronto for the Day of the Dead preparations of Mexico. Thanks to a lot of cultural importing, the two celebrations look very similar these days. For some Mexicans that’s a point of consternation. I remember hearing two people arguing about it on the subway during our first year in Mexico City. That was the same year they filmed the James Bond film here which inaccurately depicted a Day of the Dead parade. Since then, life has begun to imitate art as organizers, in a bid to attract tourists, put together a parade that more closely resembles the hit movie. I missed this year’s parade, held this past Saturday. The first float of the parade paid tribute to the victims of the recent earthquake. The float was built out of hard hats and pick-axes to resemble a giant fist, paying tribute to the now-iconic hand gesture used to call for silence when listening for survivors. Indeed, the earthquake is sure to weigh heavy on all of the ceremonies this year. For our part, my girlfriend and I are taking the opportunity (and her week off from school) to get out of the city for a few days. We’re headed to San Miguel de Allende to enjoy some hot springs, hotel pools, and huitlacoche. I’ll have more to say about all of that next week though.Ty Trumbull, from his base in Mexico City, covers the entrepreneur’s journey and business continuity for ChannelE2E. Each Tuesday or so, he offers views about his adopted hometown — his personal Dispatches from Mexico City. Oh, but sometimes he pops up in his home nation of Canada.
