Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Chasing the Three Wise Men

Okay, lets get this out of the way. This isn't a great picture but I had a lot to contend with. First of all it was DARK. I can hold the camera fairly still (see the horse's head) but the people just didn't cooperate. They were MOVING. The other big problem was that what light there was, was from several different colored light sources. The orange street lights are so orange that not even Photoshop would fix them. I'm using the image anyway because I wanted to tell you about trying to get the picture in the first place so you'll know what I go through for my readers.

We read that there was going to be a procession of the Three Wise Men from Insurgentes and San Antonio Abad at 6:00 PM. I like to photograph from where a procession starts so about 5:30 we headed for Insurgentes. We saw the Three Wise Men just starting to put on their Wise Men robes, we didn't see any camels but I wasn't really expecting camels. There were not any horses either. So we walked on up Insurgentes to the Oratorio church.

There were a few kids with their families on the plaza. So we waited and waited. Could the procession be going somewhere else? Everyone we asked said that the procession was going to pass by the church. The transitos we asked, said the procession was going to pass by the church. The priest said that the procession was on the sixth of January, not the fifth. Could we have the wrong night? We asked another family. They said that the procession would be along at 6:30. We waited. More families began to gather. We asked a transito on a motorcycle and he said that the procession would pass by the church in 10 minutes. We could look down the hill on Insurgentes and we couldn't see a procession coming. All we could see were more buses and more cars on the street.

Now it is after 7:00 PM and definitely dark. More children with their parents appear out of nowhere. Suddenly the street is clear and a truck with a sound system appears followed by about 20 locos dancing behind it. Then another truck with two angels on the back of it. Followed by children with pinatas on poles. Then came the Three Wise Men on horses. Lots of the children ran out to the Wise Men to give them slips of paper with their toy requests written on it and the Wise Men give them a tiny candy.

That was the end of the procession.

I walked home feeling good. We had finally seen the Three Wise Men.

8 comments:

Islagringo said...

First, the picture is great. No need to make excuses for it. It actually looks like real life should.
Second, I think we all know what bloggers go through for their readers. Most of the pictures we all post don't just happen. We plan them and seek them out. Good to remind people of that once in awhile. After all, this is a full time job if you do it right!

Unknown said...

Billie, you must be a little perfeccionista. The picture is fenómenal. I wish I was there seeing the three kings and the happy kids.

Jonna said...

Yep! I like the 'action shot' look of it. We appreciate the effort too.

You were certainly more energetic than I was, I haven't been out to see any of the Epiphany stuff. Closest I've come is watch people carry giant roscas out of CostCo.

Babs said...

Yoooou rock!

Billie Mercer said...

Alfredo,
Perfeccionista.....I love the word, so kind of contemporary like fashionista. I'm afraid you have me pegged. Sometimes it is a good trait and other times not so good. Looking for perfection can stifle creativity. And then on the other side, it can mean that you get it right.

And thanks to all the rest of you.

Unknown said...

Billie, you wrote, "I'm afraid you have me pegged." ¿? I had never seen the word pegged.
Does it means this:
Peg
1 for tent estaca
2 in woodwork, in guitar, violin clavija
3 on score board ficha
· * we decided to take bring him down a peg or two - "decidimos bajarle los humos "
· * she was a square peg in a round hole - "estaba totalmente fuera de su ambiente "
4 for clothes pinza
5 broche
6 for hanging coats, hats gancho
7 colgador
Verbo Transitivo
1 a tent sujetar con estacas
2 wages, prices fijar
· they tried to peg salary increases at two per cent - "intentaron fijar el aumento salarial en un dos por ciento "
Peg out
1 washing tender

Could it be the meaning of # 3?

Billie Mercer said...

Alfredo.....Learning Spanish is hard enough for me. Now you are going to have me worrying about English. But you know this is a good example of how we learn our native language. I had to stop and think of exactly what I meant and if that meaning was in the dictionary. I meant that you have me figured out. One of the definitions for peg... is "to designated or mark by means of pegs" Kind of like your #3. So I guess I mean that you have correctly designated me as a perfeccionista.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the lesson. I had been learning English language for over twenty years and at times, I had no idea what I had read nor what people are saying. lol...that is the fun of learning a new language I guess. Saludos.