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