We spent the past five days in Teotitlán working, learning and living with a weaving cooperative of fourteen, called Bii Daüü. This cooperative uses all natural dyes and grow the plants to make them on their land. We spent time working in the huerto (the garden) weeding, watering and making compost. We also learned about the process it takes to dye the wool with things such as pomegranate shells, indigo, cochineal, pericon and marush. We experienced the day-to-day life and comida of a weaver and are only beginning to understand the amount of patience and work ethic it takes to complete one 'tapete' or rug.
http://www.biidauu.com.mx/english/01.html
Below are some of our individual stories and experiences.
Max Shefte-Jacobs
One of the most fun things we did in Teotitlán was play basketball with our host families. Some days on our way back from the huerto we stopped off at one of six different courts in the town to play five on five or three on three. Over the course of the week I played in at least five different games with players ranging from 10 to 50 years old. Like in Santa Ana del Valle, playing basketball was a fun way to meet some of the locals and get some exercise at the same time.
Stephanie Roque
On Wednesday morning, we walked to a holy site where it is said that the Virgin Mary has appeared and did an activity as a group that has resonated with all of us. Each person chose a stone from the ground and we built this house...
The corners of the house face north, south, east, and west. The door opens up to the south where it faces the hills signifying a sense of prosperity. The house itself represents the idea that everyone feels lost in this world at times, and it is meant to redirect you. We all closed our eyes and simply thought of something positive; something that makes us happy. The whole process is meant to take away the fear of not knowing where you are. The whole hill was full of houses, some big and some small, because the houses are not taken apart when the process is complete. They are left to disintegrate over time by way of animals and weather. It is important to recognize that rocks never fully breakdown, which means that the traces of what we did and how we felt will always be there.
Livy Bulger
This past week marked for many of us huge accomplishments within our Spanish skills. For me, this rang most truly in my ability to speak Spanish from sunup until 9 pm every day and to have successfully avoided un cerebro liquido. Within Teotitlan, the presence of Zapotec as a language and culture is extremely vibrant and strong. Zapotec is what holds the community together. For the first time Spanish served as the middle ground between our English and their Zapotec and both us were able to communicate together in our second languages. My most special moment regarding this was when Becky and I met a random woman on the street who asked us where were from. We explained that we were students from Vermont studying in Oaxaca City and spending a week in her village to learn about the lifestyle and work of these amazing weavers. She explained that she was learning English, taking classes in the city every day, and really needed to practice her conversational skills. We agreed to meet the next day and have an intercambio of languages. That next day we met and she bought us ice creams and get began to chat. We talked in English, very slowly, in order for her to understand, and when she didn't we explained ourselves in Spanish. This was the first time I had been misunderstood in English in Mexico and had to explain myself in Spanish. This to me was a huge accomplishment of not only my vastly improving language skills, but also our ability as people to seek out deep alternatives to the traditional means of communication in our first languages. We ended up chatting for two hours in the sun and knew we had truly found something special when Mariela told us we were a part of her family. It's amazing to consciously realize what it feels like to have three sets of family; mi familia en Estados Unidos, mi familia en la cuidad de Oaxaca y mi familia en Teotitlan. This kind of love is simply Mexico.
Livy Bulger
This past week marked for many of us huge accomplishments within our Spanish skills. For me, this rang most truly in my ability to speak Spanish from sunup until 9 pm every day and to have successfully avoided un cerebro liquido. Within Teotitlan, the presence of Zapotec as a language and culture is extremely vibrant and strong. Zapotec is what holds the community together. For the first time Spanish served as the middle ground between our English and their Zapotec and both us were able to communicate together in our second languages. My most special moment regarding this was when Becky and I met a random woman on the street who asked us where were from. We explained that we were students from Vermont studying in Oaxaca City and spending a week in her village to learn about the lifestyle and work of these amazing weavers. She explained that she was learning English, taking classes in the city every day, and really needed to practice her conversational skills. We agreed to meet the next day and have an intercambio of languages. That next day we met and she bought us ice creams and get began to chat. We talked in English, very slowly, in order for her to understand, and when she didn't we explained ourselves in Spanish. This was the first time I had been misunderstood in English in Mexico and had to explain myself in Spanish. This to me was a huge accomplishment of not only my vastly improving language skills, but also our ability as people to seek out deep alternatives to the traditional means of communication in our first languages. We ended up chatting for two hours in the sun and knew we had truly found something special when Mariela told us we were a part of her family. It's amazing to consciously realize what it feels like to have three sets of family; mi familia en Estados Unidos, mi familia en la cuidad de Oaxaca y mi familia en Teotitlan. This kind of love is simply Mexico.
Becky Cain & Ariel Hodgins
We Homestayed with Fermina and Horacio, their two sons Christian and David, and other family members. They were truly a family of weavers. Horacio and his brother weave in their home and sell their tapetes out of a garage storefront. Fermina is involved with the Bii Daüü Cooperative. She dyes wool, weaves complex designs and constructs bags and wallets. Fermina was also a wonderful cook and we were kept full and happy. Every meal (and there were many), was a learning opportunity. We realized we were capable of having in-depth and complex conversation with our host parents in Spanish. There was a mutual interest in learning about each other, and they even came out and played basketball with us a couple evenings. The last day of the village stay, they told us that we were always welcome and their home was open to us . Their hospitality made us feel as though we were briefly a part of their family.
