Aztec Mask

The very first Aztec Mask of the power point, the mask believed to represent Quetzalcoatl  or Tlaloc the Aztec rain god,  is the mask that drew the most of my attention. The beautiful jade and turquoise colors covering the entire mask give it a supernatural feel. Both deities Quetzalcoatl  and Tlaloc are associated with serpents, however, because no serpents are obviously represented in this mask, I believe the mask represents Tlaloc the Aztec rain god due to its' color scheme. Something else that I find interesting is that this mask in particular, compared to the other masks of the power point, has the least human characteristics. The eye sockets of the mask are enormous and would never correctly fit a human, the facial structure/width around the eye sockets are enormous as well and make it resembles the facial structure of a primate. Also, the chin on the lower end of the mask is very low and wide; This again supports my thoughts that the size of the masks' features make the mask literally resemble the face of a primate. If this mask is indeed a representation of Tlaloc the rain god, I'm curious to as why the artists chose to sculpt the mask based on a primate facial structure and not Tlaloc associated serpents.
My overall thoughts concerning this mask are all but ordinary, and now looking through the power-point once more, this specific make truly does stick out to me the most. At sight the mask evokes thought of the supernatural, rain due to its vibrant blue color scheme and animals due to the mask structural composition resembling that of a primates'. Compared to the other masks of the powerpoint, I believe this mask is much more provoking. All the other masks of the slideshow are much more realistic in terms that have many more human characteristics, but this to me seems plain and ordinary. When I gaze upon any of the other masks I think about the mask being based off  the face of an old Aztec ruler, king or common man. There is absolutely no problem with this, I just believe the mask I chose is more interesting as it decor and structure are quite unique.

Blog 2 - Maya Today

Today the surviving Maya community is still threatened by a variety of problems. Currently the Maya are  pickled in between the orders of the Zapatistas rebels and the Mexican military. This situation however is no surprise to the Maya, who dealt with a similar issue in the 1980s. Throughout the 1980s the Maya community found themselves sandwiched in a conflict between the Guatemalan guerrillas and government. The Maya way of life faces more threats though than just the government and rebels. Today 'fundamentalist missionaries' are being blames for uprooting the Mayan culture, literally. These missionaries have made their presence felt in the Lacandon forest of the residing Mayas. By uprooting and harvesting the great mahogany trees of Lacandon, these missionaries have threatened both the Maya community  as well as the ecosystem of the rain forest.

Blog 1 - Mexico

I’ve been fortunate enough to travel most of the world but South America/Central America is quite foreign to me. I’ve only been to Mexico once in 2009, but from what I gathered it seems like a difficult place to grow up. I stayed in Cabo on spring break so obviously the first thing that comes to mind is the beautiful coast and all the partying visitors. This however is obviously not real life in Mexico, and I was reassured of this on a long bus ride to the other side of town. I remember the litter on the dusty roads and the countless empty markets. Other than in the tourist part of town the local vendors did not seem very happy with their business nor with their day. I recall countless abandoned infrastructures on the side of the freeway that were torn down either by man or weather but for some reason never cleaned up. The broken down infrastructures were such an eye sore but it seemed as no one cared as I gazed upon the local kids running through the ruins. Lastly I remember the ancestral Mexican sites that I visited with a tour group. These ruins were very impressive and beautiful to say the least. Never have seen architecture in that style so the memories I have are quite vivid. Overall my perception of Mexico is sadly limited to a few memories from a short vacation trip. My inclusive feelings though are more negative as my memories that stand out the most are the ridiculous amount of graffiti tagging everywhere and the dirty broken down buildings which line the country.