Black Pottery Earring
I was in an artisans’ collective trying to surreptitiously take photos of some of the offerings–not because I could ever replicate them, but I have been checking to see if people are interesting in my buying them.
In the tablecloth room, a man joined me (I thought I’d been spotted snapping shots), and he started trying out the little English he claimed he knew. But the funny thing was I had heard the same three words before: Something along the lines of, I can only say “Coffee and donuts.” I tried to pull the first time I had heard this phrase out of my brain or the blog, but I couldn’t. Maybe it was something I heard in the Home Depot parking lot, or maybe it was something I heard here in an intercambio. I am still stuck.
Regardless, I marked it as unoriginal, and my ears became more suspicious than they naturally are (okay, they’re naturally suspicious).
This salesman proceeded to quiz me on all of the places I have been in Oaxaca: a wide variety and many off the beaten path. He is from San Bartolo Coyotepec, the home of black pottery (barro negro). He told me he could take me places I hadn’t seen there.
Of course, I had been to Dona rosa, but had I been to the artists’ marketplace. I had, but appaently I was there on the 18th of the month (or 14th) when people are in church all day minus a select few–the folks I’d seen. Had I seen the museum? Yes. Caldo de Piedrea (the stone soup restaurant)? Yes.
Did I know that up in the hills there are cute little rabbits and deer?
My stupid face won’t lie.
I had found the deer in Oaxaca. Deer! my eyes sparkled.
He said, yes, just call this number he offered on a scrap of paper, and I will show you some deer.
shewhodaresnothing 