Okay so while this isn’t a true “carrying” photo, I wanted to show you how chilies are displayed in the Mercado de Abastos. To me this reminds me of when you sit on a chair too long and you are left with impressions on your skin. Because of how the chilies are transported, when they are unwrapped they become a dense mass in the shape of the bag itself.

Bean-bag-head

Tlacalula Market, Oaxaca.

Selling fresh spring onions with a dried garlic shoulder sling…

Maximizing your selling space while on the go.

Sometimes what we carry isn’t all about function, but adornment. It seems as though in Oaxaca, they are always are finding a reason to celebrate. This shot was taken at a parade crossing over the Zocalo (main square) in Oaxaca city.

In Oaxaca, we spent an afternoon up in the Sierra Norte Mountains learning how to cook from an amazing 74 year old woman named Dona Lucia. But before we could cook, we had to forage for our meal. Being late in mushroom season we were weary of what we would find, but hand it to beginners luck, we struck jackpot.

Once we surpassed the capacity of our pockets, we had to use the hoods of our jackets to carry the mushrooms as we continued foraging. A solution of necessity, making genius design.

Now remember….

There are a lot of Old mushroom foragers..and a lot of Bold mushroom foragers..but not a lot of Old-Bold mushroom foragers.

I mean sure…You never know when you need a good strainer…Right???

Cheryl and I saw this innovative salesman while walking through The Benito Juarez park in Oaxaca City. Also known as El Llano, this park is a diverse meeting point for everything from jogging, shoe shining, to just relaxing…plus apparently good kitchen supplies.

It’s that time of year…..How will you get your Pumpkin home?

I took this photo last year at the Brimfield antique market. I love the shoulder strap usage on the tote.

Cant wait to share some photos from Oaxaca but until I can get my act together, I’ll leave you with one of the first things I saw once back in NYC. A woman waiting for the subway, carrying two Home Depot bags with some overly designed clip system on a hand truck.

Oaxaca or Bust

I’ve gone ahead and carried myself and my chef knives to Oaxaca Mexico for a chef’s intensive with the renowned Susana Trillings. I’ll be back posting next week! Since arriving last Tuesday I’ve already seen some amazing new ways to carry in the local markets and around town, check back soon for photos…