You draw your own conclusions...
28 January, 2009
18 January, 2009
La Temenda Corte
– Luz Maria Nananina
– Aquííí como too los días
– Jose Candelario Tres Patines
– Aaaaa la reaaaaa!!!
– Aquííí como too los días
– Jose Candelario Tres Patines
– Aaaaa la reaaaaa!!!
La Tremenda Corte [The Great Court] was a Cuban radio show that began transmitting in the 1940's. The show was off the air for a little while and then began transmitting again from Miami, it was broadcast internationally. The show became very popular throughout Latin America. When I was a kid there was a radio station in Mexico City that aired the show. Many times we would be in the car going places and my mom would tune to the station so we listened to the show. It did not matter if it was an episode we had heard before, it was still funny. Nowadays there are many Latin American cities that still broadcast it. For a while they also did a TV show. I have not seen the show, nor do I want to. Listening to the radio show gave me the opportunity to imagine the characters and the scene. I have a very specific way the court looked and what the characters looked like and what they wore. I do not want to spoil it by watching the TV version.
The show was about different cases that came to court. The main characters were the great judge "El tremendo Juez"; the court clerk "el secreatrio"; the plaintiffs and/or witnesses Luz María Nananina and Rudecindo Caldeiro y Escobiña; and the defendant José Candelario better known as Tres Patines. There were some other actors that would come on the air and play secondary characters. Of course Tres Patines would rob or run a con on Nananina and Rudencindo who would get mad and bring charges against him.
A very peculiar thing about this show was that every show would be centered around a crime. If Tres Patines would have stolen a bicycle, then the crime would be a bikecide. If he had taken Nananina's wallet, then it would be a walletcide. Some of the crimes that took place included: a firefighercide, a goaticide, a bakericide, etc., you get the idea. The play on words was first class and entertaining. As far as I know, there are no English translations of the show. Comedy is difficult to translate, what is funny in one culture/language is not funny in a different culture/language.
The show is still very popular today. Besides the radio stations, one can listen to the show by visiting websites that have collected the show (links below). Esparta Palma in his blog wrote: ...either there are a lot of older people on line or people in general LOVE Tres Patines. [This page] gets sooo many hits...
If you would you like to listen to the radio shows visit:
La Tremenda Corte 1
La Tremenda Corte 2
La Tremenda Corte 3
La Tremenda Corte 4 (2o chapters available for download)
15 January, 2009
Aerial Photos of Mexico City - Part 1
For this entry I'd thought I'd do something different: how about a tour of Mexico City.
This one is of the Torres de Satélite. They are located at one end of Satélite city on the main parkway that comes from Mexico City. In the old days Satélite was a suburb of Mexico City. If you lived there and worked in Mexico City, you were considered brave for doing ALL that LONG commute. Thirty years later, one would say that Satélite has been absorbed by the urban sprawl. Satélite is where I grew up, located on the north side of the city limits of Mexico City.
This a place in Mexico City that I like a lot. It is called the Three Cultures Plaza as it has the legacy of three stages of Mexico: Pre-Columbian buildings and small pyramids, a colonial church built by the Spaniards and modern buildings. This Plaza has been witness to many events throughout history.
On very clear days, a rare event, one would be able to see the volcanoes. The Ajusco is the volcano that is on the south side of the city. Once in a while it gets snow.
On rarer occasions, one could see the volcanoes further south of the city. These volcanoes are called the Iztaccíhuatl and the Popocatepetl.
Iztaccíhuatl in the Nahuatl language means "itztac" white; and "cihuatl" woman, thus white woman. However its better known as the sleeping woman based on a Nahuatl legend: a princess was in loved with a warrior, she is told he had died in war and dies of grief, upon his return he dies of grief on learning of her death. Popocateptl comes from the Nahuatl "popoa", smoke; and "tepetl" mount or mountain, or the mountain that smokes. The Popocatepetl is an active volcano. Once in a while the residents of that area have to evacuate.
If you would like to see more pictures of Mexico City from the air, make sure to visit this website. Enjoy your trip.
06 January, 2009
Feliz Día de Reyes/The End of The Twelve Days of Christmas
January 6th, the day after the end of the Twelve Days Of Christmas, is called the Epiphany. The period between Christmas and Epiphany is the twelve tide. On this day the Wise men or Magi arrived to Bethlehem to pay their respects and to honor Baby Jesus. They come bearing gifts: frankincense, gold,and myrrh. This tradition is very popular in Catholic countries.
Nowadays, the arrival of the Wise men to the manger is also remembered by having Rosca de Reyes (king cake) and hot chocolate. Just be careful when eating the Rosca de Reyes, you may get a surprise, a "baby". The Mexican tradition says that if you get the baby, you provide the tamales on February 2nd, on the Calendaria Day.
Another tradition in Mexico is for kids to leave their polished shoe by the window on the eve of January 6 (on the night of 12th day of Christmas). If you have been good, the Magi will leave behind presents for the kids, usually toys. If you are lucky you may get a gift from each one of the kings: Caspar, Melchoir, and Balthasar.
This day marks the end of the Christmas season, people take down Christmas decorations after this day.
If you are interested in learning more about the Día de Reyes, visit these sites:
If you are not too busy today, don't hesitate to stop by mi casa and have some rosca and chocolate with me.
03 January, 2009
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