El Grito

Last night we walked down to the plaza for el grito. I was sorely disappointed.

Someone on stage read off the names of Mexican heroes (Morelos, Hidalgo, Allende, etc.) and the crowd responded with "Viva!" and then came "Viva Jalisco" "Viva!" "Viva San Juan Cosalá" "Viva!" and then "Viva Mexico" "Viva! Viva! Viva!" I like the idea of everyone getting together and shouting things in unison. (Also why singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" with a crowd of strangers is the only part I like about going to a baseball game. Ok, that and the jeering.) But I was disappointed by the crowd's lack of gusto. It seemed half-hearted. I was ready for some proud yelling. AND, I didn't hear a single person do that Mexican laugh/cry thing "Aaaahhh-jai, jai, jaiiii!" and normally all it takes is a good song and a few shots of tequila. I thought of all the days in the year, I'd surely hear some good cries last night.

My in-laws tell me the national anthem has some 28 verses, and most people don't know them all. I'd like to hear them all some day, but I imaging that would try most people's patience. The anthem was played in part in the plaza last night, but sadly it was just a recording and again the crowd let me down, as not very many people joined in.

Otherwise, there was some pretty mediocre folk dancing, the crowning of this year's Queen of San Juan Cosalá, and a mariachi group. We actually have a really good folk dance group in town, but for some reason they didn't perform. The three "princesses" were paraded around in their big, poofy, colorful gowns, but they didn't even have to do anything interesting like answer tough questions about geography or about saving the children in Africa. And, as for the mariachi, they were pretty decent until they invited some high-pitched, off-tone, child to come sing with them. That's when we decided to head home.

So that was last night. Tonight, I hope, oh how I hope! we'll be back in the plaza for the greased pole tradition.