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Bubba

Jul 20, 2004, 5:04 PM

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Mexico as theater

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Well, anyway, there we were in a B&B just off of the plaza in San Cristobal de las Casas known as the Casa Filipe Flores, which is a very pleasant Spanish style restored home in that town, enjoying breakfast with an eclectic crowd including a New York couple comprised of an editor of an important U.S. magazine and a successful artist, two obviously wealthy women from Mexico City and us'n Alabama/Ajijic redneck types making conversation as people are prone to do around the breakfast table in those settings when the subject of living in the capital came up.

These Capitalinas were remarking on the trials and tribuations of living in the Federal District and this was just after the big march in the district to protest the continued violence and corruption in that enormous metropolis so, naturally, the subject of living in that place came up as a point of interest. We remarked that we were impressed at the massive throngs that had gathered to stage this march as we had observed on TV Azteca from the standpoint of helicopter photos during the event and this piqued the interest of our new-found , if temporary, Mexico City friends.

One of the Mexico City residents remarked that she and her companion had joined in the demonstrartion with some vigor and were sincerely dedicated to bringing about an end to the terrible violence and corruption that plagued the city. She further stated that, upon the eve of the demonstration she had inquired of her chauffer as to whether or not he had intended to join in the massive protest at which inquiry he had remonstated that he would not participate as the march was was dispositive of the right (read rich) and inappropriate for those of his class.

After the march, the chauffer had approached his employer and indicated that, indeed, he had participated in the march as, coicidentally, the night before the march, he had been assaulted during a random street crime and, consequentally, had become cognizant of the need to affirm his indignation at the urban violence prevelant in that city.

Now, we have lived in Mexico for over three years and, consequently, interpret tales of Mexican interrelationships differently than we may have upon our arrival here. Not only do we now understand why a rich Capitalina would tell us this story regarding her chauffer with no sense of irony or humor but we further understand the chauffer's reaction to her inquiry as to his involvement in the event. Clearly, upon reflection, the chauffer realized that he had acted inappropriately by telling his filthy rich empolyer that her demonstration was frivolous from a poor person's point of view and he felt the need to seek amends by pretending to have attended the demonstration. He could only do so, however, by having had or pretended to have had a personal experience that would have caused him to change his stance. Otherwise, he would have seemed feckless and without personal direction. Thus the convenient mugging.

By the way, we drove though that massive metropolis from Guadalajara via Toluca and then through the southern end of the city to get to Puebla and proceed on to Oaxaca City and Chiapas. That was quite and adventure which I will relate at a later date.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Jul 20, 2004, 5:09 PM)