The crowd lets out bothboos and cheers. Then, the announcer explains, for three daysthe husband wears a necklace of old, interlinked coins. It symbolizes hislifelong faith-fulness to his wife. The crowd now cheers. The performances keep coming,the band plays on, the audience sits in the intensifying sun.
Women dance in achorus line with pineapples on their shoulders and broad smiles upon theirfaces.
This is wonderful entertainment, but it is also a yearly comingtogether of a culture, a sharing of their common values, an honoring oftheir ancient roots, a lovely celebration of brotherhood among the peopleof Oaxaca, Mexico. I m glad this is where we came, my wife and daughterand I, for summer vacation this year. Oh, yes - eventually thefishermen all cast their nets at the same time, and the shark is snared. Further detailswill be announced in the Winter Nousletter. He was imprisoned for acrime some time back, and finished serving time three years ago.