Flat Amy and Flat Alexandra's Journal Entry from Calle de Olvera, Los Angeles, California

We took Flat Amy and Flat Alexandra along with us to Calle de Olvera (Olvera Street) which is the oldest street in Los Angeles.  It is located in downtown Los Angeles, and is a shopping district full of Mexican shops and restaurants. We went for the Día de los Muertos fiesta which is held every year.  Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is actually observed and celebrated over  two days, November 1st and 2nd, in which people throughout Latin America remember friends and family who have passed away. It is both a happy and sad occasion. Día de los Muertos  is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality of a National Holiday, and all banks are closed. The celebration takes place  in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2) although the tradition can be traced back to pre-Columbian times. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas honoring the deceased using sugar skulls (calaveras de azúcar),  marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed.

 Here are all four girls striking a pose at the entrance to Calle Olvera; Niamh and Clara are wearing their embroidered Puebla dresses. They are a Mexican folk garment, originally from the State of Puebla, Mexico.  They have been considered stylish in California since the 1940s and 50s, right through the 60s "hippie era" to the present.

We stopped at the Avila Adobe, which is the oldest house in Los Angeles.  Los Angeles is actually a very short way of saying the original Spanish name for the city:  El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula (The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porciúncula River). Los Angeles is a lot easier to say. Some people call it "The City of Angels", and people who live there call themselves Angelenos. More than 12 million people live in Los Angeles; it is the most populous city in California, and the second most populous city in the United States. Los Angeles was founded as a tiny little town on September 4, 1781 by a group of forty-four settlers  There is lots of history in the area! 

We went shopping for a few things for our ofrenda, such as papel picado and some copal incense.  We also looked at these pretty fans. 

We crossed over to the plaza to look at the ofrendas being assembled for the novenarios which are held every night between October 25 and November 2.

 This ofrenda is being assembled.

We stopped to eat lunch at La Golondrina ("the swallow") and had some very delicious Mexican food.

Some musicians were passing by so we asked if they would sing a song for our guests and they kindly complied with our request for "El Rey".

Here is a video of the song, sung by its composer José Alfredo Jiménez :

And here are the lyrics in Spanish, and English.
El Rey

Yo sé bien que estoy afuera
pero el dia en que yo me muera
sé que tendras que llorar

Llorar y llorar
llorar y llorar

Diras que no me quisiste
pero vas a estar muy triste
y asi te vas a quedar

Con dinero y sin dinero
hago siempre lo que quiero
y mi palabra es la ley
no tengo trono ni reina
ni nadie que me comprenda
pero sigo siendo el rey

Una piedra del camino
me enseñó que mi destino
era rodar y rodar

Rodar y rodar
rodar y rodar

Después me dijo un arriero
que no hay que llegar primero
pero hay que saber llegar

Con dinero y sin dinero
hago siempre lo que quiero
y mi palabra es la ley
no tengo trono ni reina
ni nadie que me comprenda
pero sigo siendo el rey.

English Translation:

I know very well that I'm out (of your life)

but the day I die
I know you'll have to cry

to cry and cry
to cry and cry

You may say you never loved me
but you're going to be really sad
and that's how you're going to stay

With or without money
I always do what I want
and my words are the law
I don't have neither a throne nor a queen
nor anyone that understand me
but I keep being the king

A stone in the journey
taught me that my destiny
was to roll and roll

to roll and roll
to roll and roll

Then an arriero told me
that you don't have to arrive first
but you have to know how to arrive

With or without money
I always do what I want
and my words are the law
I don't have neither a throne nor a queen
nor anyone that understands me
but I keep being the king.

We also heard them sing "Cielito Lindo", here is a video of the song, as performed by Los Lobos, a Los Angeles band. 

Cielito Lindo 

De la Sierra Morena,
Cielito lindo, vienen bajando,
Un par de ojitos negros,
Cielito lindo, de contrabando.

Estribillo:
Ay, ay, ay, ay,
Canta y no llores,
Porque cantando se alegran,
Cielito lindo, los corazones.

Pájaro que abandona,
Cielito lindo, su primer nido,
Si lo encuentra ocupado,
Cielito lindo, bien merecido.

(Estribillo)

Ese lunar que tienes,
Cielito lindo, junto a la boca,
No se lo des a nadie,
Cielito lindo, que a mí me toca.

(Estribillo)

Si tu boquita morena,
Fuera de azúcar, fuera de azúcar,
Yo me lo pasaría,
Cielito lindo, chupa que chupa.

(Estribillo)

De tu casa a la mía,
Cielito lindo, no hay más que un paso,
Antes que venga tu madre,
Cielito lindo, dame un abrazo.

(Estribillo)

Una flecha en el aire,
Cielito lindo, lanzó Cupido,
y como fue jugando,
Cielito lindo, yo fui el herido.

(Estribillo)

English translation:


Through dark tresses, heavenly one,
a pair of deep brown eyes,
lower as they approach, a stolen glance.

Refrain:
Ay, ay, ay, ay,
sing and don't cry,
heavenly one, for singing
gladdens hearts.

A bird that abandons
his first nest, heavenly one,
then finds it occupied by another,
deserves to lose it.

(Refrain)

That beauty mark you have
next to your mouth, heavenly one,
don't share with anyone but me
who appreciates it.

(Refrain)

If your little mouth, my dark girl,
were made of sugar,
I would spend my time
enjoying its sweetness.

(Refrain)

From your house to mine
there is no more than a step.
Before your mother comes,
heavenly one, give me a hug.

(Refrain)

Cupid shot off an arrow,
heavenly one,
And though he was playing,
I was wounded.

(Refrain)

Next, we went to a bakery called Mr. Churro which sells, well, churros. Churros are kind of like donuts except that they aren't round.  They are like a donut stick sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.  Mr. Churro has churros rellenos (relleno means 'stuffed') that have chocolate, custard, or caramel inside.  They were also selling Pan de Muerto, which is a type of pan dulce (sweet bread) made for Día de los Muertos.  It is very good with hot chocolate. 

And finally, we went home and set up own ofrenda with the help of Flat Amy and Flat Alexandra. The papel picado, colorful paper that is decoratively cut, is hanging above the ofrenda. 

¡Muchas gracias por su ayuda Amy Plana y Alexandra Plana! ¡Feliz Día de los Muertos!