Walking
to school today with my laptop bag, DSLR camera over my shoulder, day pack of
general things, Oaxaqueñas jewelry, and mocha doble in hand, I was struck by
feeling my own arrogant status of wealth.
Being a poor college student, the relative wealth that I do have is not
often in the forefront of my mind.
But today for whatever reason, perhaps because of my excessive baggage
and trinkets around my neck, I felt not guilt but just awareness of wealth I do
have.
During
my walk, I went past a young woman and her infant child who was holding out a
small plastic bowl for coins. I do
not often give money to beggars—it doesn’t feel like I’m enabling them to
achieve something better by giving them my spare change diurnally—but today I
felt compelled by her. And then
money I gave her was still less than what my Mocha Doble cost. There is something terribly off-balance
in that.
This
is not to say that I’m at the point of wanting to stop buying jewelry or Mochas
occasionally when I want a treat or a delicious pick-me-up. I do wish there was a way to
pro-actively approach the issue of poverty, though. What can design do in regards to poverty? Can architecture provoke a better
balance in our society? Or is “how
can we eradicate poverty” even the right question to be asking?
All that said, Oaxaca remains simply beautiful in my
eyes. I love the vibrancy and how
dynamic the city feels. Yesterday,
being International Woman’s Day, a main pedestrian street was adorned with
these gorgeous cutout paintings of various women. Beautifully painted and colorful, it was just a wonderful
surprise to walk into. A huge
butterfly was also stretched out over the entrance to the street. The city seems to celebrate every
holiday in existence in full force.
I love this attitude of welcoming the opportunity to celebrate.
