More flowers of January/Mas flores de enero

For those in the snow and ice, the last is a banana flower.

Para ellos en el nieve y hielo, la ultima foto es de flor de platano.

3 sunsets/3 atardeceres

Three consecutive days this week, a show every day.

Tres dias consecutivos esta semana, un espectacular cada dia.

Zebras

Some of Tijuana's famous zebras going to work.

Algunas de las zebras famosas de Tijuana caminando a sus trabajos.

Contamination/Contaminacion

The red flag on the lifeguard station indicates the water is closed. It has been raining for most of the past week. With even a little rain the beach becomes too contaminated to swim or surf or even wade in safely. About 3 days of dry weather are needed for the currents to clean out the water. The closure has been for over a week and is predicted to extend at least through all this week.

Because of the way the currents flow there are more closures in winter in Playas de Tijuana and more in the San Diego beaches in the summer, primarily because the Tijuana river mouth is north of Tijuana and south of San Diego.

La bandera roja en el puesto de los salvavidas quiere dicir que el agua esta' cerrada. Ha lluviada para una semana. No mas que poca lluvia puede contaminar la playa para no permitir nadar, sufear, ni caminar en el mar con seguridad. Mas o menos 3 dias sin la lluvia son necesarios para limpiar el mar. La clausura fue para una semana y por supuesto (por la lluvia que viene) va a continuar otra semana.

Por los corrientes hay mas clausuras en el invierno en Playas de Tijuana y mas en el verano en las playas de San Diego, porque la boca del Rio Tijuana esta' norte de Tijuana y al sur de San Diego.

Low tide/Marea baja

The full moon this week brought very low and very high tides. Fishing is better with the low tide.

La luna llena llevo' mareas muy bajas esta semana y mareas muy altas. Pescar es mejor con la marea baja.

Odd monument/Monumento raro

This must be one of the few monuments to the counter-revolutionary troops of Porfirio Diaz. In the first victory of the Mexican Revolution in 1910, Mexican anarchist (Liberal Party), indigenous Kumiai & Kiliwa, and a few U.S. internationalist anarchist troops, all under the inspiration of Ricardo Flores Magon, took over Mexicali, Tecate, and Tijuana, establishing what was arguably the world's first socialist republic. (There is a major street and a boulevard named in honor of Flores Magon in Tijuana.) The views of history of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, who erected this monument, are so reactionary as to celebrate the defeat some six months later of this initial victory.

Of course the revolution would go on to triumph in Mexico, institute land and labor reform, social security, non-re-election, the nationalization of petroleum, and many other victories for common people, and bring with it a series of counter moves by the elite in a rolling reaction which continues today undoing each of these victories in turn.

Street art/Arte de la calle

New art along the Malecon in Playas de Tijuana

Arte nuevo en el Malecon de Playas de Tijuana

Sunset surfing in January/Surfear en el atardecer en enero

Playas de Tijuana

A street in working class Tijuana/Una calle en Tijuana de la clase obrera

The Beach Walk/El Malecon

The Malecon is one of the real pleasures of Playas de Tijuana. But some people will try to steal anything. This restaurant owner tried to put a roof over the Malecon, stealing the sun and the view from everyone. The city stopped him. Sometimes we win!

El Malecon es una de los mas buenos lugares para disfrutar en Playas de Tijuana. Pero hay personas tratando robar cualquier cosa. El duen~o del restaurante trato' poner un techo sobre el Malecon, robar el sol y la vista de todos. Lo paro' la municipalidad. Aveces ganamos!

Playas hermosas/Beautiful beaches

It depends which way you look.

Se depende su punto de vista.

Adventures of Xolotl/Aventuras de Xolotl

1. On the beach, but determined; En la playa pero determinado;

2. To cross under the border patrol's nose. Cruzar bajo la mirada de la migra.

3. Home safe! En casa sin peligro!

January sunset video/Video del ocaso del sol de enero

Odd sights/Cosas raras

Odd at least for a fella from Oregon: A jade plant in full bloom in January; a tumbleweed on the beach; and a strange advertising sign.

Por lo menos rara a un gue desde Oregon: una siempreviva floreciendo en enero; una planta rodadora en la playa; y un letrero comercial raro.

5 y 10

5 y 10 is the intersection that is the commercial center for working class Tijuana. It is surrounded by maquiladoras and maquila workers housing.

5 y 10 es la esquina que es el centro comercial para la clase obrera de Tijuana. Esta' centrado en maquiladoras y las casas para las obreras de la industria maquila.

Chilpa housing and playground/Chilpa casas y patio de recreo

The river in Chilpas/El rio en Chilpas

Our friends who grew up here tell us this was once a beautiful, clean river where they had picnics and swam. The last photo of the maquiladoras above the neighborhood shows the cause of the difference.

Nuestros amigos que crecio' aqui dijeran que fue un rio lindo, limpio donde la gente disfruto' de comida campestre y nado'. La ultima foto de las maquiladoras arriba del barrio muesstra la causa de la diferencia.

More graffiti from Chipancingo/Mas grafiti de Chilpancingo

Art in the Park/Arte en el parque

Chilpancingo is a militant, working class neighborhood. The art in its park is a reflection of this fact.

Chilpancingo es un barrio obrero militante. El arte en su parque es una reflejo de esta realida.