Writing About What I'd Like to Know About Mexico

As the editor (and sole writer ) for BellaOnline’s Mexico site, as all of the editors do, I have great latitude in what topics that I choose to write articles about as long as they are directly related to the subject that I am responsible for. A common dictum that aspiring writers read about or are taught is to “write about what you know.” To a certain degree that is sound advice but to keep one's creative juices flowing, to motivate and interest one's self, to hone one's research skills, to expand one's knowledge base, and to best craft and disseminate that new found information/knowledge to your readership, there is another writing dictum that is more advisable to guide one's writing endeavors. So, overall I have been selecting topics on Mexico based on “what I would like to know about” rather than what I already know a lot about. The following, in no particular order (as admittedly I do not know enough about them to prioritize them at this time) are some of the Mexico-related topics I would first like to learn more about and then create articles about them.

LUCHA LIBRE
Lucha Libre is the extremely popular version of professional Mexican-style wrestling. Other than I believe that it is entertainment not sport and that all of the wrestlers are either villains or heroes that wear masks, that is the extent of my “knowledge” about this important (?) aspect of contemporary Mexican life and popular culture. So much to learn- What is its history? Who are its iconic figures? How does one become a professional wrestler? What is its attraction to the masses? How is it different than U.S. wrestling?

FUNERALS IN MEXICO
My wife had to make an emergency thirty hours bus trip from our home in Michoacan for her aunt’s funeral in Mexicali and by the time she got there the services had already been held; she was there two days after her aunt’s demise! I wanted to write an article about her experience but I realized there was so much I did not know, so it is on my “to learn list.” So much to learn- What is the role of Catholic tradition? When are they conducted? Are funerals different in rural areas compared to urban ones? Who arranges for them? What do they cost? For whom are those bells tolling for?

MEXICAN POLITICAL PARTIES
Pretty much all that I know is that there are three major political parties in Mexico and their abbreviations, PAN, PRI, and PRD and that in every community they have brightly painted offices. So much to learn- What do the abbreviations stand for? What are their ideological orientations? What are the local and national elected positions? What are the length of the terms of office? Why and when are elections held? Do the items like food or cement that they (only!) distribute just prior to elections really result in votes for their party?

CHAYOTE
Chayote is a vegetable from the gourd family (I think?) like squash and melons that I love using as an ingredient in caldo de camaron seco/dried shrimp soup whether I make it in the traditional Mexican style or in my own improvised Sichuanese version. Yet, that is the extent of my use and knowledge about it in addition to the fact that its green skin is wrinkled. So much to learn- Where is it native to? Was it available and used in prehispanic Mesoamerica? What is it called in other countries or regions of the world? What other Mexican dishes is it used in? Is it safe to give to Brinkee my rabbit?

DOMESTIC AIR TRAVEL
Boy is it (normally) expensive and the routes are not extensive or convenient! Yup, that is about the extent of my knowledge about domestic air travel in a country where most long distance travel is done by bus. So much to learn- Who are the carriers? What routes do they cover? What are the schedules? What are the distances from the airports to major cities? What governmental agency is responsible for overseeing the industry? Who owns the airlines? What are their safety records? Why are they normally so expensive?

LESSER GROUND CUCKOOS
As an avid birder, I only write about birds that I have actually seen in the wild (or at least heard). Of the hundreds of birds species that occur in Mexico that I have not seen yet (I have seen about 350 out of around 1009), the lesser ground cuckoo is high on my “to see (if possible)” list- hopefully I will be able to see/hear one or more on a future birding trip to Oaxaca. I do know what they look like, that they are terrestrial birds, and they vocalize like a referees whistle but that’s about it. So much to learn- What is their range? What habitats do they live in? What do they eat? What interesting behaviors do they exhibit? Why are they called cuckoos?

COURTING RITUALS
Having lived in Mexico a few years, in the small town that we live in I have seen (and heard coming from outside of our neighbor's house across the street at 2AM while trying to sleep!) some romantic courting going on but that and the serenatas that occur a few times a year in our town’s plaza are about all that I know about “romancing” in Mexico. So much to learn- What are the names of the courtship rituals? How did they originate? Do they vary from the city to the country? What is their importance to Mexican society and is it diminishing?

TRIPE
Known as “tripa” in Mexico, all that I know is that I can’t stomach the stuff! Yet, where we live it is quite popular as it is a main ingredient in a regional favorite dish called menudo, is often served in tacos, and is readily available in butcher shops and supermarkets. So much to learn- What are other popular dishes that it appears in? Is it popular throughout Mexico? From what animals does it come from? How should it be stored and handled? What is its nutritional value? How can anybody in their right mind eat such “offal” stuff?

CHIHUAHUA
Since I have never been to Mexico’s largest state, Chihuahua, I have never experienced its capital city of the same name. As a matter of professional ethics, I have never written about anywhere in Mexico that I have not personally been to (yet wanted to know more about). So, to write about Chihuahua, the state and the city, I will have to go there. So much to learn- How does this major capital compare to others that I have been to in Mexico? What are its particular local customs and traditions? What are its food specialties? Is it still possible to rockhound for agates there? Are there many chihuahuas in Chihuahua?

GRINGO
As the only “gringo” in town, I am highly aware that I am one as school children sometimes yell out to me “gringo, gringo, gringo.” So much to learn- What exactly is a gringo? What is its origin? Is it positive, negative, or neutral? Can one ever stop being a gringo?

Ay Caramba! So much to learn before I can write about those and so many more topic ideas that did not make this article like mariachis, the Mexican military, Puerto Escondido, Porfirio Diaz, chayote, silver mining in colonial times, the different indigenous peoples, famous Mexican poets, insects of Mexico, health care services in the country, the Copper Canyon... Come to think of it, though, in the whole time that I have been in Mexico, I have never heard "ay caramba!" exclaimed even once. So, that's another topic idea to add to my ever-expanding list of fascinating places, things, and people that I need to learn more about before attempting to write about them. What does "ay caramba" mean? What is its derivation? Was it used only by past generations of Mexicans? Or did Bart Simpson really create that expression?