Fruits of Life

As I am sitting in the ITESO cafeteria eating a deliciously fresh bowl of mango covered in lime juice, I can think of nothing better to do than create a new blog entry- about fruit. You will find fruit everywhere you go in Mexico. It is all over the place- on the side of the street, on my breakfast plate every morning, in grocery stores, in the ground or hanging from a tree. The thing is- it all looks delish. One of the first things they scare you with when you come to Mexico is food safety. A well known rule that is stated over and over again is DO NOT EAT FRUIT FROM THE STREET. Of course, on the second day I am here while walking through the streets of Tlaquepaque, I see a fruit stand that just looks so delicious. I was entranced by the fruit's allure and not once did the primary rule pop into my mind. It was very hot outside and I had been walking around in the sun for a few hours- I just couldn't resist.

I ate a large cup of freshly cut watermelon and papaya with fresh squeezed lime and sugar sliced with hands (sans the gloves) that had been handling money all day and probably wiping away some forehead sweat . DELICIOUS. Well, for the next two weeks, I was in and out of the bathroom and was scared to put any type of food in my mouth. You can imagine the details.

I wanted to make a photo as a commentary on fruit in Mexico since it is a simple, but important part of my daily experience here. So... I made this photo. I think it is one of my favorites I've taken since I've been here. This photograph, simply put, talks about the appeal of food. It makes us think about what we eat, where it comes from, where its been and how clean it is (regardless of how colorful, beautiful and tasty it may be).

In my photo class this summer in Guadalajara, my professor, Paul Turounet, talked about the punctum, which is a term used by Roland Barthes in his book Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography, where he says "A photograph's punctum is that accident [of photographic detail] which pricks me (but also bruises me, is poignant to me), ...for punctum is also: sting, speck, cut, little hole---and also a caste of the dice." It is the little detail in the photograph that makes the photo come alive for you. Paul said that seeing the bee on the pineapple is the punctum in this photograph.

Enjoy! Love, Danielle