July, 2011: 国境以南， 太阳以西 Week2 Chihuahua, Mexico

The night before deciding on coming to Chihuahua, the local news were reporting about a jailbreak in Chihuahua, and the federal police were out in full force.

Singapore (or some amongst us) is proud whenever some Singlish word finds its way into the Oxford dictionary. The island of Samoa gave the world the word 'tattoo'. Mexico gave the world quite a few English words, probably because of her proximity with USA. Words like 'nacho' and 'taco' comes to mind. The Mexican state of Chihuahua gave the world the name for the smallest breed of dog in the world. Although not once did I see a chihuahua in Chihuahua, the same way I never tasted Sri Lankan crab in Sri Lanka (the local told me the crabs were exported, probably to our shore).
I was expecting Chihuahua city to be a big one, at least comparable to Monterrey. The state is supposed to be one of the largest in the country, and the city is supposed to take pride of place in the country's history. Arriving in Chihuahua from the airport, it is obvious Chihuahua's significance is not from it's size. In fact, the city looks and feels more like a provincial town.

其实吉娃娃市中心基本上没什么高楼大厦。市中心游客能逛的除了几栋市府建筑， 一条步行街外便是教堂。
中心最高的建筑物正被拆除， 一些街坊游客干脆坐在市府的阶梯‘观赏’拆除过程。
吉娃娃的重要性至于墨西哥就像武汉至于中国。 辛亥革命的第一枪在武昌， 而墨西哥独立的第一枪可以说是在吉娃娃。
我下午绕过市府时， 发现有工人正在架音响， 猜想一定有什么活动。 后来回到饭倒头就睡， 起来时已是下午七点多了。
还好， 赶到市府时， 刚好市府外的音响正噼里啪啦的响着枪声。 市府外墙的白布幕投影着市府内的情景。 一排
穿着像Nutcracker兵士制服的军人刚对着一个囚犯开了几枪。 囚犯应声倒地， 然后被军人抬起， 离开舞台。 此时舞台灯暗下， 市府内响起了掌声， 市府外围观的群众也报以掌声。
当然， 刚刚并非真的是一场处刑。 军人们步操出了市府后， 好些观众都和他们合照。 很显然的他们只是演员。
趁着中场休息，我跟着人群进入市府。 交响乐队正在准备下半场表演。 我看着墙上的壁画， 开始了解刚表演的是墨西哥独立战争时期的一幕。 壁画上有拳头， 有枪杆， 有枷锁， 也有一位秃头面对八把枪的画面。

秃头大名Hidalgo （之前我只认得那是一匹马的名字）,是一名神父, 全名为Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseñor。 来墨西哥两周， 对他的事迹俺略知一二。 下午到市府对面的博物馆逛时， 里面地下室保留了一个角落。 角落里有陈旧的板床，椅子和小桌。 桌上有一本Hidalgo‘碳架’的圣经。 参观这个角落的各个肃穆， 连小孩都不呱噪。 从博物馆里的资料， 明显的， Hidalgo是墨西哥反西班牙殖民统治的独立战争时近乎孙中山的角儿。 他被西班牙人当着寇给囚禁在这个角落 （当然， 当时博物馆不是博物馆， 这个角落是间牢房。） 然后有一天， Hidalgo被拉出牢房， 西班牙人搞了一场审讯，给他定了欲加之罪， 接着便是行刑。 刚刚扮演的， 壁画上的便是这一幕。 Hidalgo被枪毙后， 西班牙人把他的脑袋砍下， 身首异处， 打的是“杀鸡儆猴”的算盘。

我看着这幅壁画， 心里想到的是阿妹的《人质》： 在我心上用力的开一枪， 让一切归零在这声巨响。
Hidalgo的头颅没吓倒墨西哥人，反倒让他们铁了心反了。 墨西哥独立战争打了十年， 终告胜利。 西班牙统治结束， 墨西哥共和国元年开始。
Hidiago在枪声中倒下那一天是200年前（1811年）的7月30日。 正好是我到访吉娃娃那一天。

July, 2011: 国境以南， 太阳以西 Week1 PartIII MONTERREY, Sierra Madre, the North Face

Since stepping out of Monterrey airport, it has been obvious that the city is surrounding by mountain ranges. After moving downtown, the mountains were right there outside the hotel room. And I couldn't resist taking a hike up.
So on Sunday morning, after stocking up on some drinks and food at the convinient store near the hotel, I took the short trip to Chipinque Park (Parque Ecológico Chipinque, in Spanish) on a taxi. But not before stopping by a used car dealer.
Chipinque Park is the natural reserve within the Sierra Madre mountain range (which means Mother mountain range). The taxi stop at the gate, and you purchase a ticket for entry to the park. Cars are allowed into the park, although there are rangers to lookout for speeding. There is a visitor centre near the entrance, where there are English maps printed on thickly-laminated paper, good if it rain on your hike. Although the ranger there don't speak English.
The map that they were handing out list the hiking route as easy and difficult. Easy route are really road for motorised vehicle, longer but not as steep. The difficult and moderate route cut right into the forest. I don't plan to come all the way to be walking alongside cars (could have done it back in town), and while I don't regret choosing the difficlt route, I regret not having my breakfast first. Picking my way up the steps, it didn't take long for me to feel my blood sugar level dropping fast. Once at the first resting point, I actually took a nap. But, after sipping on the sugary drink and some equally sugarly Bimbo cupcakes, I was rejuverated. Bimbo is a brand name belonging to a food company, it is also sponser of some popular soccer team. So all over Mexico you see men and women in jersey with BIMBO across their chest.
To get to the true summit of the mountain, you will need a permit from the visitor centre, and need to start the climb much earlier in the morning. For leisure climbers, the summit is a little park equiped with playground, restaurant, car park and hotel. That Sunday, and I guess most weekends, the place were crowded.
But I guess the main reason to make the way up is for the paranomic view it affords.
The park provides free transport to and fro downtown, though not frequently. And the Spanish-speaking ranger couldn't really confirm to me the time table of the bus back downtown. Anyway I got on one in the afternoon and was dropped off at a bus terminal in downtown Alameda.
It looks like Alameda is Indian central. Many who looks like Aztec Indians were spending their Sunday at the park nearby. It is here I got to try out some local food. All week in Monterrey, the people I met and the food I have tried were quite Americanised.
After Chipinque Park, next weekend...the Copper Canyon.

July, 2011: 国境以南， 太阳以西 Week1, PartII MONTERREY

After wandering off into the side-streets from the walking street, I found myself in the part of downtown that I guess the locals had been warning me against venturing in. This is no longer the touristy part of downtown. There were no museums, galleries, nor government buildings. What it has are churches, roadside stalls and shops. 3 weeks in Mexico, I noticed that the churches and stalls and markets seem to go hand-in-hand. Where-ever there is a church, stalls and markets seem to spring up around it. But I guess it's been like that since way way back...
"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,"
--Matthew 21:12

Under the bright afternoon sun of Monterrey, I really do not feel any danger lurking around. Everyone were either out on a Sunday shopping trip, or, as in the case of the storekeepers and street vendors, were there making a honest living. But once in a few side streets, there were the police pickup trucks parked by the side, with the usual armed police.
One last stop before I call it a day was the Barrio Artigua, or the Old District. It is supposed to the conserved part of the downtown. As with other conserved downtown around the world, businesses such as art gallery, pubs and restaurants seems to have taken over.
Other than a couple of art gallery, most of the businesses seem to be closed, and would be open until the evening. But here in the narrow cobble-stoned side streets, I found the Mexico of my imagination (the result of those Looney Tunes Speedy Gonzales cartoons): brightly-painted buildings and old beat-up American trucks.
That, then, was supposed to wrap up the day. Actually, some river-side dining was supposed to wrap up the evening, seeing from the map that Barrio Artiguo was next to a river, the Rio Santa Catarina. In reality, the river has dried up, and a highway seperate the Barrio and the river. I was wandering off looking for a taxi at a more crowded area (my theory is that the more honest drivers would seek their business in the crowded area, although I have no reason to believe this theory has much merit), when I saw what looks like an artificial river under a bridge.
Turns out it's one of the main attraction in Monterrey (yes, I have came downtown without really checking out any guidebook): The Santa Lucia Riverwalk (Spanish: Paseo Santa Lucía). It's quite obviously an artificial river/canal. There was a gathering point for cruiseboats up the river. I forego the cruise and decided to walk along the bank up the river. Walking up the river, it become obvious how Monterrey first made its wealth. The area on both banks of the river is known as the Parque Fundidora, a well-kept area a world apart from the residential downtown. The area used to be part of an area of steel foundries, once the source of Monterrey wealth. The foundries may no longer be smelting iron, but Monterrey's proximity from USA meant it is still an industrial power house within Mexico (...until China came along in recent years, that is.)
As expected, the artificial river has to end somewhere. It ended in the old foundires, now serving new purposes as sporting complex, museums, and conventional centres.
By now, the sun is setting and it is time to leave downtown before the "day watch" takes over, before downtown turns as dangerous as it is reputed to be. But before leaving, I need to risk arms and legs to get back into downtown.
There was a long queue at a roast chicken fast food restaurant ealier in the afternoon, I just have to get back to take out some, hoping the queue will be shorter by now. Luckily, the queue at the EL Pollo Locco was gone, even if it was still as crowded. I noticed also that the streets are now quite deserted, and many of the shops had drawn their shutter down. I guess all have the same idea as me, to get out before the streets turn dark.

September, 2011: BIG in Japan?? (Railroad MP3: Part the Seven)

Click here for Part the Six
Big in Japan
[Alphaville version]
Lyrics: Gold
Music: Gold-Lloyd-Mertens

Winter's cityside,
Crystal bits of snowflakes all around my head and in the wind...
I had no illusions
That i'd ever find a glimpse of summer's heatwaves in your eyes.
You did what you did to me,
Now it's history I see
Here's my comeback on the road again.
Things will happen while they can,
I will wait here for my man tonight--
It's easy when you're big in Japan!

Ooh, when you're big in Japan, tonight,
Big in Japan, be tight,
Big in Japan, ooh the Eastern Sea is so blue.
Big in Japan, all right, pay, then I'll sleep by your side
Things are easy when you're big in Japan, oh when you're big in Japan.

Neon on my naked skin
Passing silhouettes of strange illuminated mannequins
Shall I stay here at the zoo,
Or should I go and change my point of view for other ugly scenes?
You did what you did to me, now it's history all I see.
Things will happen while they can...
I will wait here for my man tonight, it's easy when you're big in Japan

Ooh, when you're big in Japan, tonight,
Big in Japan, be tight,
Big in Japan, ooh the Eastern Sea is so blue.
Big in Japan, all right, pay, then I'll sleep by your side
Things are easy when you're big in Japan, oh when you're big in Japan.
(Repeat)







Big In Japan
[Guano Apes version]

Winter's city-side
Crystal bits of snowflakes all around my head and in the wind
I had no illusions
That I'd ever find a glimpse of summer heat-waves in your eyes

You did what you did to me, now it's history I see
Here's my comeback on the road again
Things will happen while they can
I will wait here for my man tonight, it's easy when you're big in Japan

You're big in Japan
You're big in Japan
You're big in Japan
It's there
You're big in Japan, then I'll sleep by your side all through the night
Big in Japan, it's easy to be

Neon on my skin
Passing silhouettes of strange illuminated mannequins
Shall I stay here at the zoo
Should I go and change my point of view for other ugly scenes
You did what you did to me, now it's history I see
Things will happen while they can
I will wait here for my man tonight, it's easy when you're big in Japan

You're big in Japan
You're big in Japan
You're big in Japan
It's there
You're big in Japan, then I'll sleep by your side all through the night
Big in Japan, it's easy to be

Too late, too late

You're big in Japan
You're big in Japan
You're big in Japan
It's there
You're big in Japan, then I'll sleep by your side all through the night
Big in Japan, it's easy to be

You're big in Japan, then I'll sleep by your side all through the night
Big in Japan, it's easy to be

You're big in Japan
You're big in Japan
You're big in Japan
It's there

You're big in Japan







You say Obrigado, I say ありがとう。

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