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