Caravagggio 'Deposition' 1602-4  Buy this print 

An Italian Antihero’s Time to Shine

By MICHAEL KIMMELMAN

Free outdoor concerts of music and folklorico dance are ubiquitous in the gracious colonial city of Merida, Yucatan, and draw hundreds of visitors and locals. On February 27 and 28 records were broken when thousands showed up for two standing-room only performances in Merida’s main square or zocalo for a classical ballet performance by the National Ballet of Cuba headed by legendary Prima Ballerina Assoluta Alicia Alonso. Merida rolled out the red carpet for the dancer who was presented Mexico’s Guest of Honor Gold Medal by Mayor of Merida Cesar Bojorquez, and had an institute of dance in the city named after her. 

On both nights the company from Havana presented ‘Don Quixote,’ choreographed by Alonso and based on Marius Petipa's original choreography. The backdrop for the ballet was the renaissance facade of the grand Cathedral de San Ildefonso, completed 1598 and built of out the limestone rubble of a Mayan temple leveled by the conquistadors. The ballerina, now almost 90 and partially blind, was present on stage before the performance began to warm up her dancers and give last minute  instructions.

Born in Havana, Cuba in 1920 Alicia Alonso founded the Ballet Alicia Alonso in Havana in 1948.  It was re-named the National Ballet of Cuba in 1959, when it received official state sponsorship from Fidel Castro. The company toured widely in the USSR, China and Europe. Alonso studied and danced with the dance legends of her time including Vera Volkova, Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, Enrico Zanfretta, Alexandra Fedorova, Fokine, Balanchine, Massine, Bronislava Nijinska, Antony Tudor, Jerome Robbins and Agnes de Mille. She joined the American Ballet Theatre in 1940 and danced with them until 1960. Her most famous role was Giselle, but she also created roles in Tudor's Undertow (1945), Balanchine's Theme and Variations (1947), de Mille's Fall River Legend (1948), and the title role in Alberto Alonso's Carmen (1967). She was an intensely dramatic dancer as well as a pure technician. At the American Ballet Theatre Alonso formed a famed partnership Russian dancer Igor Youskevitch. 

" We specialise in the classics, and our approach to dance is to enjoy what we do," she said in an interview with Patricia Boccadoro in her dressing-room at the Theatre-des-Champs-Elysées in Paris in 1998. " Technique has progressed so much today, there's a temptation to dance everything the same unless the dancer understands and masters the meaning of style. Each gesture should say something about the character they are interpreting, otherwise it becomes a matter of pure gymnastics. Dancers must transmit an emotion, or the classics will just become meaningless. In the Ballet of Cuba, we are trying to produce artists who respect the purity of the original work rather than just brilliant technicians. " 

Given Merida's proximity and close ties to Havana over the centuries and its assimilation of Cuban culture by way of music, Guyabera shirts, fiery habanero peppers and cigar clubs, the homage to Alonso seems only natural. 

 "Movement Counter Movement" by Geraldo de Barros - Photo: Family of Geraldo de Barros     

 "I have to say that the South Americans in the Newark show, playing so freely with movement, chance and light, take the prize for inventiveness. They really feel like artists of the future, and of a future that is still in the future." Holland Cotter in The New York Times

Carnaval in Merida

Digital photo gallery Sukanya Rahman © 2009

 Digital photo assemblage ©2009 Sukanya Rahman

Carnaval in Campeche

The beautiful harbor-front city of Campeche was founded in 1540 by the Spaniards. The city was designated a World Cultural Heritage site by the United Nations UNESCO in 1999. The historic center of town boasts fine examples of  of 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th century architecture in an array of pastel colors.

The carnaval parade winds up at the zocalo, town square, where dance and music continues through the night.

 Fishermen in Progreso,Yucatan bringing in the catch and smaller boats on a day the sea was calm © Sukanya Rahman

The fishermen, the locals, the pelicans, sea gulls, terns, frigate birds, and flamingos all have an uncanny ability to sense an approaching El Norte. On the Yucatan coast during the months of January and February the El Nortes can whip up with no warning. One moment the gulf of Mexico is still as a pale emerald green sheet of glass; the sky a cloudless deep blue. The next moment the sky turns black and the wind begins to roar across the sea.

Surprisingly, when the last El Norte struck, a few days back, even the fishermen were caught off guard...despite a flaming-red morning sunrise that surely portended rough seas. In a matter of minutes the winds swept down from the north and churned up the waves. We watched in awe the astonishing feat of larger boats, out at sea, scurrying with poles and ropes to piggy-back on board smaller vessels, cross-ways, sometimes two at a time, and towing them back to shore. On shore there was chaos and camaraderie among the fishermen as jeeps and vans appeared on the beach and hoisted ropes onto the boats and dragged them up on the sand. 

 The Estefani was hauled on to the beach during the El Norte © Sukanya Rahman 2010

When the wind begins to howl and whistle and rattle the shutters, often for four days at a time, you can hunker down with a book, travel inland and explore the beautiful colonial city of Merida, or if you are crazy you can defy death and go kite boarding as many do during the El Nortes. Better yet you could head into your kitchen and cook up a pot of steaming soup to soothe your nerves... not that I ever need an excuse to make soup. Tempest or no tempest our kitchen is seldom without a pot of vegetable soup made from whatever vegetables happen to look fresh in our local mercado.  Included below is a recipe of our house soup as well as recipes for soups I have become addicted to here in the Yucatan. I play around with all recipes depending on what happens to be available and my mood, and you might enjoying doing the same.

Nothing beats a homemade chicken broth (scroll down for recipe at the end) but in a pinch use a low sodium store bought broth. The local markets in the Yucatan sell bags of what translate into English as powdered chicken consommé, consommé de pollo. 

Our House Soup:

Some of the vegetables that go into the soup including chayote (pear-shaped pale green) and calabaza (dark green) © Sukanya Rahman 2010
 

1. Approximately 8 cups of chicken broth (or your favorite vegetable broth) 

2. A couple carrots cut into chunks

3. 1 Onion thickly sliced

4. 4 or 5 Cloves of garlic smashed with the flat part of a knife, peeled and chopped

5. 1 large tomato cut into chunks

6. 1 Calabaza (if you can find it) or zucchini cut into chunks

7. 1 Chayote cut into chunks (optional) 

8. Half a cabbage sliced in large chunks

9. A handful of spinach and/or swiss chard, or any other leafy greens

10. 1 Teaspoon of chopped fresh ginger (optional)

11. 1 small teaspoon Jalapeño pepper chopped fine (adjust to your level of tolerance)

12. Dash of turmeric powder (optional)

13. Juice of one lime or half a lemon

14. Chopped fresh cilantro.

Preparation:

In a large soup pot bring the broth to a boil. Throw in the carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric and tomatoes and simmer over medium heat. After 6 or 7 minutes add the jalapeños, calabaza and chayote. When the vegetables are almost cooked add the cabbage and swiss chard. Cook for another few minutes. Turn off the heat and add the spinach, lime or lemon juice and garnish with cilantro and serve. 

Sopa de Lima

Yucatan Lime Soup

 My version of this soup is very basic. While the tortillas added to the soup are traditional, I prefer it without the tortillas and in a restaurant ask to have them on the side.

1. Approximately 8 cups of chicken broth 

2. Half cup lime juice

3. 1 Tablespoon Canola oil or olive oil

4. 1 large onion chopped

5. 1 small teaspoon chopped Jalapeño pepper or to taste

6. 4 or 5 cloves of garlic smashed with the flat part of a knife, peeled and chopped.

7. 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (from chicken used to make the broth or left over roast chicken)

8. Two large tomatoes roughly chopped 

9. Salt to taste

10. Lime wedges for garnish

11. Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

12. 4 Corn tortillas cut into strips and crisped on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 3 to 5 minutes

Preparation:

1. In a large soup pot heat the oil and lightly saute the onions and garlic until just translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and jalapeños and cook until tomatoes have softened. 

2. Add the chicken broth and lime juice to the pot, bring to a boil then simmer gently for about twenty minutes. Add the chicken until heated.

3. To serve place tortilla strips in bowls add the broth and garnish with lime wedges

and cilantro. 

Caldo Tlalpeño:

This rich and fiery soup was first introduced to us by our friends Joanie and Michael. The unlikely setting was a restaurant in Merida, Sanborns: a chain restaurant plunked in the middle of a sterile shopping mall. But one taste of the soup and I understood why they have made it a weekly ritual to make a meal out of this soup. The soup (caldo) is named after a community on the outskirts of Mexico City - Tlalpan. There are probably as many variations of this soup as there are Mexicans. In the version I have concocted I have tried to recreate the soup I first tasted. The base is similar to the sopa de lima, but with added ingredients.  

1. Approximately 8 cups of chicken broth 

2. 1 Tablespoon Canola oil or olive oil

3. 1 large onion chopped

4. 1 Or two drained canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped (these are really hot, but give the soup its distinctive smoky flavor)

5. 4 or 5 cloves of garlic smashed with the flat part of a knife, peeled and chopped.

6. 2 Cups shredded cooked chicken (chicken from the broth or left over roast chicken)

7. One large tomato roughly chopped

8. 2 Carrots thickly sliced

9. 2 Cups of green beans sliced in 1 inch pieces (or zucchini)

10. 1 Sprig fresh epazote (a traditional ingredient for this soup but might be hard to find outside of Mexico. Omit if you can't find)

11. 2 Cups canned chickpeas drained

12. 1 Cup cooked rice (optional)

13. 1 Cup shredded Manchego or Monterey Jack cheese (omit if lactose intolerant)

14. 1 Avocado peeled and sliced

15. 1 Cup sliced radishes

16. Juice of 1 lime

17. 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped

Prepartion:

1. In a large soup pot heat the oil and add the onions and garlic. When translucent add the tomatoes, green beans and epazote, if you are using it. Saute for a 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Add the chicken broth and chipotle and simmer until vegetables are just tender. Remove the sprig of epazote. Add the shredded chicken, rice, chickpeas and lime juice and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the sprig of epazote. 

3. To serve, fill four large soup bowls with the shredded cheese and slices of avocado. Ladle the soup in and garnish with radishes and cilantro.

Chicken Broth:

Recipe adapted from Eating Well

A photo taken on an iPhone shows “The Kiss,” part of Tino Sehgal’s show of ephemeral art at the Guggenheim Museum.

The Museum Is Naked And The Emperors Talk Progress

Holland Cotter, The New York Times January 31, 2010

Saturday, February 6th, 10:00 am

Bamboo Beach Restaurant, Chicxulub

(From Chicxulub Main Square go half a block toward the beach)      

Sponsored by

 The Progreso Rotary Club and visiting Rotarians                                                                                                      

This fundraiser in Chicxulub is in support of a Mexican Rotary initiative to build 1500 houses in Haiti. The project will provide materials, and employment to Haitian workers to construct houses for the neediest families whose homes were destroyed by the earthquake. Funds raised will be matched by the Rotary International Foundation.     

Cost: 100 pesos   Advance Tickets or pay at the door                                                           

For info call: 999-224-6442 or 999-173-0837   

Door prize, 50/50 draw, music, raffles 

Even if you can't attend please donate   

                                       

Pen and Ink illustrated letter

From Philip W. Pringle to his wife, Mary Pringle

Camp Copeland, PA, April 10, 1864

From the Frank W. Wicks Family collection

To mark the observance of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War,  Soldier, Come Home, a play by Frank W. Wicks based on family Civil War letters, will be available beginning in 2011 for productions by theatre companies, schools, and community groups throughout America. 

Wicks, a founding member of the Long Wharf Theater and a theatre professional since 1958, transformed the letters of his great-grandparents, Philip and Mary Pringle, into a dramatic stage presentation. Mary Pringle wrote to her husband from Armagh, Pennsylvania, while he responded from several major Civil War battle sites, including The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, the siege of Petersburg, and Appomattox. 

In 1950, the long-forgotten letters, written from 1859 -1865, were discovered in a shoe box in the attic of the home of Wicks’ grandparents, John S. Wicks and Sadie Pringle Wicks, in South Fork, Pennsylvania. Wicks’ father, Frank Wicks, Sr., began to transcribe the letters. After his father’s death, Wicks continued the project and began work on Soldier, Come Home. 

"I was struck from the beginning by the emotional content of the letters," Wicks said. "They were filled with conflicts, complicated relationships, humor, enormous difficulties and struggles for survival. I felt that the energy of the letters, plus their historical importance, would make for a dramatic presentation."

Soldier, Come Home has been playing to sold-out houses since its premiere performance in Brunswick, Maine in May 2002. The play also had a successful Off-Broadway presentation in New York City. For the opening performance, critics said, "Soldier, Come Home played to enraptured audiences. The script, plus the acting, staging, lighting and music produced an amazing, intimate view of history. This is a theater experience not to be missed."

The play is performed as reader's theatre by 5 actors using minimal sets, lights and costumes. Soldier, Come Home has been presented by small professional and amateur theatre companies, high schools and colleges, historical societies, and Civil War Roundtables.  The play runs one hour and ten minutes with no intermission. 

For a copy of the script and royalty information, contact the author at wicksfrank@yahoo.com.

Union Stationery

From Martin Pringle, Jr. to his brother, Philip W. Pringle

Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn NY, February 19, 1862

From the Frank W. Wicks Family collection

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'Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres' Michael Lewis photo, buy at art.com 

 "You can't get there from here," goes the saying in Maine. We have learned the hard way, despite years of experience in planning winter travel in and out of Maine, how true that adage can be. My husband and I are experts at booking flights that coincide with major winter storms. So when a storm warning was issued, threatening to sabotage our departure for our winter retreat in the Yucatan for the third year in a row, we decided to beat the elements by arriving at the Portland Airport at the hideous hour of 4:00 in the morning on the day of our departure to see if we could make our escape on an earlier flight. According to the weather report snow was predicted to hit around 9:00 am. After an extraction of extra payment we were given seats on a flight departing at 7:00 am. We were hastily boarded onto the aircraft so as to pull out a few minutes before departure time.  The flight attendants briefed us on  safety procedures and the plane was about to pull away from the gate when we were informed we had to wait for another passenger. By the time this passenger was seated the pilots got word that airports along the East Coast had shut down. We disembarked the aircraft, our spirits shattered. There was no further word on what the airline planned to do with us. Snow started to fall, earlier than predicted, and soon blanketed the runway. After an hour, for some unexplained reason, we were herded back on to the aircraft. By this time we could barely make out the snow plows struggling to clear the runway. There was yet another delay while the plane was de-iced. When the plane finally began to taxi the wheels seemed to be skidding sideways and unable to gather speed for take off. No longer in a panic about missing our connecting flight, I began to question the sanity of our death defying decision to beat the storm. So It was a miracle when we broke through the clouds, barely made our connection (this time other passengers had to wait for us) and eventually arrived at the first leg of our destination, Cancun, several hours  ahead of our original schedule. That our luggage did not travel with us was of no consequence.

We checked into a nondescript hotel in close proximity to Puerto Juarez and the ferry to Isla Mujeres where we planned to spend the next day decompressing on the beach before continuing our journey north to the Yucatan. That evening, in complete exhaustion and ready for some good Mexican food, we staggered into a restaurant some kind person on the street had recommended...only to have to fend off guitar-strumming balladeers, a photographer who wanted us to pose wearing sombreros, and a waiter balancing four glasses of margaritas stacked on top of his head. 

By ten o'clock the next morning we were on the ferry bounding through the deep turquoise Caribbean sea towards Isla Mujeres: Island of Women. According to legend the island was used by ancient Mayans for fertility rites; the name refers to the stone images of Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of love and fertility, that Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, a Spanish explorer in search of gold, and his crew discovered in 1517 when their expedition was thrown off course during a storm. According to another legend, the name originated from the female slaves that marauding buccaneers and pirates stowed away on the island. The images of the goddess are long gone and a reconstructed temple in her honor was turned to rubble by hurricane Gilbert in 1988. Little else seems to be known of the history of this five mile strip of an island in Bahia Mujeres.  

The island is just a half hour ferry ride away from Cancun, and within sight of the glitzy Hotel Zone high rises, yet a world away. As we stepped off the ferry we were greeted by fishing boats, dilapidated clapboard buildings, palm trees, pelicans, sea gulls, golf carts for rent and offers of snorkeling trips  A left turn along the main drag of the northern end of the island took us past souvenir shops, street vendors, sea food restaurants, tanned gringos and Chiapan women selling their weavings. We sped past them all and kept walking on the malecón, which runs along the waterfront, until we hit Playa Norte, found a secluded spot on the beach and plunged into the deepest clear blue water imaginable. The water was calm and shallow. The sky with out a cloud. We left our spot only to have lunch at a restaurant we had picked out earlier. Three old fisherman seated outside urged us to try the food. The restaurant was called the Velazquez. How could we resist: plastic tables under a palapa on the sand, water lapping at our feet, no mariachis, no photographers, no one performing feats, just the most astonishingly fresh sea food. Our lunch of two Modelo beers and grilled wild snapper came to $200 pesos (around $15.00 US) with tip.

Then it was back to our spot on the beach and into the water. The inevitable vendors strolled by. The most persistent tried to talk us into getting tattoos: henna tattoos which he promised would fade away in a few weeks. "What happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico," he assured us. I was tempted. Instead we celebrated the end of a perfect day at a beach bar that was offering two margaritas for the price of one. It was tourist time. We shooed off another guitar strumming balladeer. He had better luck with a young Mexican family seated next to us with their grandmother. The musician pulled out a menu of songs he could sing. When he broke into a sad love song tears began to stream down the old lady's face and into her piña colada. 

Restaurant Velazquez, Isla Mujeres

 Grilled wild snapper lunch