Thursday, October 18, 2012

Justicia poética: Enfisema cerebral

Justicia poética: Enfisema cerebral: Es cierto que es demasiado joven y también que su propia educación no alcanzó a darle el vuelo para considerar los pequeños detalles...


Casi que puedo escuchar a Carlos Gardel y su "Fumando espero" : "Fumar es un placer, genial, sensual..."
No gusto del fumar, pero entiendo que la magia de sus espirales ha inspirado a muchos en la misma medida que se cuela en sus entrañas.  Me gusta esa cotidianidad del cigarrillo desprovisto de vicio casi que por la absorción en el vicio mismo. Como si el cigarrillo fuese una nariz, un órgano más, de aquel ser que vive en su alquitrán.  Hace poco vi a una familia entrar a un taxi y ver al taxista fumando. Sin preguntar, todos encendieron su pitillo y no lo dejaron apagar jamás, encendido como el taxímetro.

Respondo a tu inspiración con una reflexión añeja, que mas que un cuento, es un estado de animo… Se llama : ¿El Factum o la cantata? y dice:
“Ansío alcanzar un millar de constelaciones. Me encuentro perdido en mi propio sistema. Cada despertar es un puñetazo bajo que me ahuyenta las pocas ganas de continuar. Siento en mi tristeza la aguda punción de un vaticinio, como si el factum hubiese tomado la decisión de darme porrazos en ciertos momentos de esta caminata.
Por eso me he ido a refugiar al parque. He salido a caminar las penas y los malos genios. He desbordado en cada paso, por cierto lento, todo suspiro de este silencio. Atravieso con el sigilo de mis tacones, la arboleda semidesnuda que deja caer sus hojas, pajarillos viajeros. Las ráfagas de gente contra el rostro, como el viento, me pasan sin pena ni gloria.  Distingo sus formas y colores, pero se confunden con los restos secos del otoño, esparcidos a mis pies. Mientras los piso, crujiéndolos con hastío, la luz excepcional de un cielo cenizo me cubre con su noche y me ilumina la desolación.
Hoy le dije a mi cuerpo “no tengo a donde ir, toma tu las riendas de mi propio ser”, es decir mi mente y mi corazón. Así es como me condujo, cuesta abajo, hasta este corredor arbóreo que atravieso. Estoy solo, conducido por mis pies. No tengo más remedio que observar.
Hay hortensias a mi alrededor con diminutas guirnaldas que las embellecen. Me apoyo en una loza y veo dolorido más personas que pasan. Me creo egoísta por no querer mirarlas, le roban espacio a mi soledad. Les doy la espalda. No quiero ver a nadie. Es una noche hermosa de otoño y yo estoy gris.
Quiero entonces empezar a cantar para dejar fluir lo que tengo reprimido. Entonar sin miedo algunos cantos antiguos, los que oí cuando era niño, los que se han quedado grabados en mi memoria auditiva. Los canto cada vez con mas fuerza mientras mezo la cabeza, y voy haciendo de la banca donde me encuentro, mi propio escenario.
Canto para la nada.
Canto para las hojas que siguen cayendo.
Canto para los que no me ven y sobretodo para mí.
Canto y canto para mí, para liberarme de mi propio yo. Del yugo sobre mi cerviz. Canto para volverme a levantar y retomar el camino de regreso a casa.
Canto para darle fuerza a mis pulmones y seguir respirando.
Así recobro mi aliento para proseguir la marcha.
Y no morir de frio en la arboleda”.
Antonio Aragón - Madrid, 2000
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Friday, June 18, 2010

The gospel according to Saramago...

Saramago has died. A good reason to awake my dormant writing. His words have inspired me for a decade now, since I first read The Cave. His craftsmanship combined with the wisdom of he who sees beyond the surface, and manages to reach the core of the fruit without destroying its beauty, has left us today at 87. Poignant, relevant, critical of this world but intimately in love with it, Saramago managed to raise important questions about the open wounds of the human condition, our creations and destructions. A great loss because his words will no longer procreate. Yet a great gain because he was… because he existed, and left such a legacy behind him. He won’t be going to heaven because he didn’t believe in it, he won’t go to hell because it is too small for him… he’ll come back as a tree, as Cipriano Algor, or as the man with the black eye patch, or as the seeing woman or simply as the cellist, who surprisingly will not die!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/José_Saramago Share

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Friday, March 12, 2010

Feb 13 Strasbourg and the legacy of Gutenberg!

Au Crocodile has been passed on through many generations and now hangs, lifeless, from the ceiling of the Strasbourg restaurant bearing his name. Dinner is not cheap but it is flavoursome, très français, very ceremonial, and surprisingly light. I could type up the menu but that would mean more delays on posting this blog entry. I’d rather upload a photo of the St. Valentine’s carte du jour!

Strasbourg, a European Union capital in the Alsace region was built on and around water. Its canals trick you into feeling like you're in a “bike-less” Amsterdam. A nice mix of German and French cultures make it clean, conservative and interesting. Wikipedia says that the city's name has been “Gallicized” from a Germanic origin meaning "Town (at the crossing) of roads". Gutenberg might have been inspired by this busy intersection when crafting the most influential invention of our modern times… the printing press. He lived here for a while. As a crossroads, Strasbourg was a pleasant surprise in my transition between Africa and the former Soviet Union.

The Hotel Regent Petite France where I stayed is a modern gem built within old walls, tastefully renovated and relatively inexpensive compared to what you can get in Frankfurt for double the price. Another restaurant I savoured was Les Deux Gourmandes. Smaller and family run. A cozy living-room-type bistro, equally reptile-friendly, detailed and as full of ritual. I love the French eating pace. One can spend hours at the table without the pressure of humming waiters asking cliché questions such as: “how are you guys doing?” or “here’s your bill but don’t worry, whenever you are ready” …right! In Canada tables are often double booked thus one is expected to leave shortly after the last sip of coffee… Not in France… it is like “you stay, you enjoy, we take our time as well… life is rude but belle!

My selected book for the moment, pretty much in tune with Valentine’s weekend, was The Lover (1984) by Marguerite Duras. I have read the two versions of it, one in Spanish and the other one in English. The Lover was written in the form of an autobiography as the young Duras narrates in first-person. The Lover from Northern China (El Amante de la China del Norte), released concurrently with the film version, was written in film script form and in the third person. I enjoyed both. Duras is sharp, short sentenced, extremely detailed in single terms and in bold observations. She says it all in petite sentences like: "Very early in my life it was too late." Definitely one of my favourite authors. When I visited Saigon (Ho Chi Min City), I endlessly thought of the way Duras described food, colours, steam, humidity… wow, that was a genius showered in sweat in the expanding borders of "French" Indochine!

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Sunday, March 7, 2010

Feb 11 - Ghana

Despite the infernal heat, the drive to Cape Coast in Ghana was my gift from the gods. And my companionship: god’s angels. How lovely the people, how cordial, how thriving, how inspiring. My friend BG was right. The coast is natural, ages old with fishing villages by its shores and hunters on the road selling rodents (some smoked, some still breathing). Gospel on the radio and Nana, my group leader, telling stories about religion, traditions, politics.

We stopped at the University of Cape Coast to talk to students. Impressive. The sculpture of mother wisdom feeding her child caught my eye. I also found bright smiles that tell you stories, colourful fashion, elegant talk. I was treated very well. I was told that is how officials treat foreigners... often better than locals. I used my “foreign-ness” as a charming way to grab their attention… and to invite them to come to Canada with me. We then visited boarding schools, for girls, for boys, private, public, wealthier and not so, uniformed, organized, old enough to be soon celebrating their first century.

On the way back, we visited one of the various fortresses or castles used to gather slaves before shipping them away. Most of them were Portuguese but this one was Dutch. A bit dilapidated, although recently renovated, it sits as a silent reminder at the top of a hill in the midst of a crowded neighbourhood. A tired-looking man in his forties is the key holder. As we walked into the small dark rooms where people from the region were ‘herded’, I felt my pores jump and my eyes pour. And there was that “door of no return” through which stolen generations of men and women walked off their land and disappeared onto the ocean… under the supervision of greedy traders and the ambitious colonizers of the Americas.

I come from Africa too. I felt at home in Ghana. Colombia is also a multicultural society where races have mixed again and again. It is difficult to trace one’s heritage. We are an amalgamation of Europe (with all its combinations and permutations), Africa (mostly from this region of the West Coast) and from the local sedentary inhabitants of the land, rich Aboriginal families (Muiscas, Chibschas, Quimbayas) who lived on “Pacha Mama” for centuries before Columbus. I’m sure African blood runs through my veins… I felt it in the beat of my heart drumming as I saw the boat makers make boats and followed the waves that bathe their bare toes…
Back in Accra the bi-colour cabs buzzed. There were ads welcoming Obama in full smile along John Atta Mills, the Ghanaian president. From North Ridge where I stayed (at the Alisa Hotel) to the steaming streets of a city with a large football stadium, I melted with the inclement sun but suffered no pain. For the first time on my trip I saw traffic police. I noticed that my driver uses the emergency break instead of the pedal break to stop and the highways are divided by fence-like barricades adorned with chicken wire to ‘encourage’ street-crossers to use pedestrian bridges. Along the road I saw big markets, informal vendors. They sell wedding dresses, iron bars, stereo speakers, fridges, evangelical churches, remedies for tumors and other malformations, food.

As we listened to the radio there was a catchy tune that I started to whistle. Nana, Collins and Cynthia laughed. What do the lyrics say? I asked. “Give me a quarter, I'll forget all my sorrows and I'll pay you tomorrow”. It refers to getting a shot glass of ‘akpeteshie’, the 40% alcohol local gin… that helps one forget about the daily burdens so that tomorrow never comes…

I missed the akpeteshie. If there is a tomorrow, I must return to Ghana for my quarter. Share

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Monday, February 15, 2010

Feb 6 - The Lion and the Jewel - Lagos



With the challenge of technology comes this delayed video from Lagos... no, it was not filmed at the beginning of the 20th century. My writings and postings have been as slow as uploading these videos onto YouTube. I am now in Ukraine... a lot to share. This video was shot on February 6



Unlike Chinua Achebe who has an Ibo (Igbo) tradition from Nigeria's South East,Wole Soyinka has a Yorùbá cultural heritage from the Lagos region. He was the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986 for his extense work. In 1959 he published his comedy The Lion and the Jewel which I depict here. An amusing short play filled with colour, sense of space and creativity. Share

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Feb 7 - The Blowfish Hotel - Lagos

Blowfish expand like globes. They are cute water versions of porcupines. Nevertheless, I would have never expected to stay at a hotel with this name. I did in Lagos. Everyone locally calls it the Blue Fish, it sounds more pristine and inviting. I agree. I have never scratched the surface of a blowfish but I imagine surprises. That’s what I have found at this relatively small boutique hotel in the heart of Victoria Island. It is so secluded that it has no sign on the door (apparently you pay a lot of money for such signs in Nigeria); so one enters the place like a secret guest through the garage front door.

Bright pink external walls, the Blowfish invites you with its furniture, its many bellmen, porters and other uniformed staff. Wow, it seems like it is going to be a good stay! Oh, wait a minute… my newly assigned tiny room hasn’t been cleaned, it looks like somebody just got up… and the toilet, oh no… what happened? Not a nice welcoming ceremony. Ok, after a few minutes, the baby-looking manager with an Arab accent comes to my rescue. He apologizes a million times and ‘upgrades’ me to a corner room where I can actually walk a bit. I like the windows facing the street and I settle down for one night. The internet is not working… but it must be down for now, maybe tomorrow. But tomorrow never comes. I cannot even see the wireless network on the list of available ones. I’ll have to live for 4 days without access to my inbox. My consolation, phones and blackberries work just fine.

I find this hotel a resemblance of the two extreme realities of our world. On one hand a very wealthy elite who “enjoys” the benefits of good food, fine shelter, and a social life. On the other, the vast majority a nation (and many nations), working hard to please that elite, trying to make ends meet (sometimes at whatever cost).

The Blowfish administration is trying to fill the gap between those ends. Good luck! And here we are, westerners, asking for lotion in the bathroom, clean water, reliable internet… when I complain about the service I am left with this bitter sense of guilt inside… How can I dare to ask for more?

The same combo goes for luxury cars driving on dirt roads and the poorest people talking on cell phones. We forget, I forget, how this is, because in Canada things seem much different. Although, we can always scratch the surface, and dig a little deeper to find out that the poor will always be there and be more than we imaines (ask the organizers of the Vancouver Olympics). We are sitting on a very privileged chair in a small dining room. Although… chairs can always tumble and fall…

I wrote this in the silence of my secluded fortress:
“In the open night, abandoned at their mercy and with no tail to rid them of mosquitoes, two men lay down on a straw mat. Instead, they scratch their legs with their toe nails. Their dusty sandals as pillows. The heavens as the infinite end they could sink into. They try to sleep. They toss around while the palm trees hardly move. The only street light in their faces is a reminder of the cement floor on which they try to rest. They are lying on the backyard of a big house besides a shiny Land Rover. The humid air weighing on their shirtless bodies. They evaporate in sweat. Rub their chests with naked hands. Once in a while, get up to pray… on the same mat. They kneel and stand, kneel and stand with silent prayers. They also play with the keypad on their cell phones. They call people and throw laughs around in retaliation. They seem restless. They go out onto the road to shake hands with other pals. They piss on the walls. I see them through the window of my air conditioned room on the third floor. I wonder when they are going to start the next revolution. And I see motorcycles stop. People chat. Passing cars give me snapshots of life with their beam lights. I see hollow roads, and moving shadows that bounce around. I hear ghosts of the past; I see spirits of the present. And they talk with loud enthusiasm and even smoke despite the pressing heat. But the sounds of engines swallow any singing”.

Requirement of the day: reliable internet and laundry.
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Monday, February 8, 2010

Feb 4 Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (Posted in Accra Feb 8)



I am finally in Lagos. A bit tired after a long day. The city welcomes me with the humid heat of a port. The Virgin Nigeria flight was short, calm, full and relatively on time. Adekoya waves at me with the Canadian Embassy sign. He will drive Tushar (a colleague) and myself to the Blowfish hotel. Vendors on the street, blowing horns, taxi drivers wave some kind of an ID at us. We drive through the crowds as if we were celebrities. A huge green billboard displays a beautiful woman and a Nigerian flag. It prays: “Be still and know that I am God”. This city is anything but still: Women carrying kids beg through the traffic, many sell water, a young girl signals cars to stop as she crosses the busy road with a tray of fruit on her head. Welcome to the buzzing Lagos, largest city in Nigeria.


Soon after we drive out of humanity to enter a long highway… It could be Buenos Aires, Shanghai, Ho Chi Min City or anywhere in India as Tushar states. The road is bumpy but steady and we advance like a sail boat in the sea. As we get off the free way we enter a higher-end neighbourhood, we see a mall, we pass by the higher buildings and end up across from a garage door: That’s the blowfish; almost a pension, a boutique hotel.

P.S. I just Watched the video and noticed it didn't upload properly... darn... I can see it well on my computer. Oh well... Things Fall Apart, what better conclusion...I'll try to fix it soon, for now I think it is fun!... Cheers).

As I wait for a chicken and avocado sandwich in my room, I lose faith in blogging tonight. The internet is not working. Neither was my first room. They assigned me one that hadn’t been clean. The benefit of my complaint was an upgrade, but it came with a price, no internet on sight… I have also lost my faith in recovering my camera. The local Lufthansa people told me "it had not been found". I hope whoever has it, can do wonders with it. It contains my latest video from the Frankfurt-Abuja flight… where I was sharing the clouds with all of you. What can one do? Just move on. My webcam seems to be in conflict with YouTube and I burnt a converter last night… I just hope I can share my Nigerian books with you before I depart on Sunday.
My chicken and avocado has arrived. And as I am starving I will stop for a little while. The fries are very salty but my palate doesn’t seem to mind. Share

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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Feb 2 Fela Kuti and my journey to Abuja - Nigeria


Some technical difficulties and a loss… but here I am. I have arrived in Abuja, capital city of Nigeria. It is my first time visiting West Africa. As we flew over the Mediterranean sea and entered Africa through Tunisia and Morocco (waving to my friends P+B)... my interest in the dessert grew. The flight satellite image looked like this massive extension of yellowish/orange land that ended on a green bank… Nigeria. Desserts are maegestic (Sheila, you should follow your dad steps and tell us that story...)
I am a bit sad because I left my video camera on the plane. That means that I may not be able to video blog the way I had planned. The unexpected happened… I was just wondering what everything had gone so smooth… I have this idiosyncratic believe that there’s always a stone in the shoe… perhaps because I know how distracted I can be. I can pack the perfect suitcase and forget the most important item from my list… oh darn!
So far so good. Entering Nigeria was simple, friendly, easy. Yes, it was warm but manageable; and the Canadian embassy people were there waiting for us. I got a new phone SIM card and exchanged some US into Naira. Two things I forgot to bring: a 3 leg converter (those which look like fridge plugs) and my iPod charger. The hotel is ok, and the Tuesday’s seafood buffet was great as well as the local beer, Star. I can hear the reggae like music on the different patios. I swear I heard Spanish Salsa music on the elevator before. I am now fighting with the internet connection for the service to work. It did earlier on but now it is simply dead… and I called the front desk to ask for assistance and they promised to call me back… 10 minutes ago.
I slept on the plane and listened to music; but also finished my first book by a Nigerian author. I shall talk about it tomorrow. It was fun. I also started a play by another famous Nigerian author (clue: he has one of the most amazing hair-dues... can you guess?). I can already see some similarities between the two storytellers.
What does this city smell like? Hard to say. It’s a combination of smells: the air conditioning, fried sweet plantains, sweat combined with expensive perfume, liquor, serene forest breeze. What does it feel like? It feels like things work but at their own pace. People are way friendly but extremely laid back. They do their minimum possible as not to stress and assure you everything is going to be fine. I kind of like that. They are pretty, well groomed, some men tall and strong; women play with their hair and their hips. They greet you as you pass by, but not with the Asian ceremony… it is more like a next-door neighbour type of attitude.
Fela Kuti (from Wikipedia) was born in 1938 and left this world in August 1997. He was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick. He's been my friend and travel companion since S and I watched The Visitor a couple of year ao. Here goes excentric Fela!


And of course, the movie of the day: The visitor (2008) directed by Thomas McCarthy. If you've watched the TV series "Six Feet Under" you will recognize Mr. Richard Jenkins who plays cold Professor Walter Vale.
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Monday, February 1, 2010

Feb 1 Is God dead? Nietzsche and my Frankfurt stop-over

I land in Frankfurt before dawn. I see snow on the airport tarmac for the first time. I had never been to Germany in the winter-winter. I am surprisingly not as sleepy as I should be. I cross customs with ease and walk to the train station instinctively. I've been using this route for quite sometime now and know my way quite well (although this airport seems to be under constant construction). Germans are friendly at a distance. They look at you with neutral eyes (they may wonder about your existence but won't hesitate to show it).

As I walk on ice to my destination I decide to stop at a corner on kandleStrasse... to shoot. My question of the day is a controversial one, that some of us may dare to wonder about at times... is God dead? or is he/she alive? Nietzsche got into this dilemma and he stated it in "Thus spoke Zarathustra", a slightly complicated read, that as most philosphical accounts, leaves one with more questions than possible answers.
This novel was published between 1883 and 1885 and besides its remark on the "funeral of the deity" it also deals with a theme I found amazing at the time: the "eternal recurrence of the same". Inspired by Nietzsche, I wrote a short story that I included in my novel Humanum (2001). It is entitled 'David y su Eterno Retorno'. Thus spoke Zarathustra is much denser and esoteric, Nietzsche uses the style of the Bible in order to oppose Christian and Jewish morality and tradition... an interesting concept.

Dusk is hitting Frankfurt and I am going back home to share with my warm hosts. I'll try to be on my blog as much as I can. I am leaving to Abuja tomorrow before noon.

My tip of the day: the best remedy for jet-lag is a good coffee, a short nap, a couple of tylenols and waiting... waiting, waiting as long as you can before going to bed at night. I'll let you know how it works. Cheers! Share

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Jan 31 Journey to the East - H.H. - Ottawa


No matter how far a specific date may seem, that day will arrive... time never stops. When I was a kid I used to see the year 2000 as a distant moment in the far future. I knew I would be 28 at the time, and in my mind that seemed like an eternity! Well, the year 2000 came along and is now long gone; in fact, it's been a decade ever since (you do the math).
Days inevitably arrive and the 31 of January, 2010 is now here. What does it mean? My trip to Africa and Russia is imminent.
I farewell Ottawa on a warmer day (-5 degrees). My first destination: Frankfurt, as a via point on my way to Abuja, capital of Nigeria. My author of the day is Herman Hesse, whom I thought to be a pure German but he happens to be a Swiss depsite his Black Forest birth in Southern West Germany. Journey to the East (published in 1932 as "Die Morgenlandfahrt)is a relatively short novel that involves famous characters such as Plato, Mozart, Pythagoras, Paul Klee, Don Quixote, and Baudelaire. They are all involved in this search-for-ultimate truth journey. "Truth" (as we may know) is a controversial word often charged with heavy expectations. Philosophy can certainly theorize about it, and Hesse does it quite well... but the truth about Truth is mirage.
I like journeys. They imply a great deal of learning and adventure. I am about to visit four countries I have never been to. I am glad I am starting in Frankfurt; a place that has become familiar to me, since it is an easy stop on the way to Africa and Eastern Europe. Frankfurt is the hometown of Goethe... another big thinker of our times... wished I had a moment to re-visit "his" house in the heart of the city.
I am a bit tired but not as jet-lagged as I thought I would be.

My tip of the day: Read on planes, it shortens distances and brighthens one's night. If you can accompany it with music... I recommend 'Bose' headsets and a good iPod playlist! Share

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Friday, January 29, 2010

Jan 28 Avatar and the 20,000 leagues under the sea



After arousing my brain cells in front of the big screen with Avatar, I exposed my head to the freezing cold by walking onto the front entrance of the Coliseum theatre in Ottawa at minus whatever. That’s my disclaimer for “swallowing” the word “thousand” for Jules Verne’s 20,000 leagues under the sea. Instead I said 20!

I loved Jules Verne as a kid. He was a synonym of fun science and fiction. As soon as I could read I was given this beautiful collection of illustrated books and 20,000 leagues was one of them. A Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864), From the Earth to the Moon (1865), Around the World in Eighty Days (1873) and one of my favourites, the Courier of the Czar, Michel Strogoff (1876), which I will talk about once I get to Russia!

A great number of us have heard of Nemo… but not only referring to the lost clownfish in Andrew Stanton’s film but also for Verne’s Captain Nemo and his submarine Nautilus. If you haven’t read the book … there is a “ride” in Florida’s Disney World with this theme…. And there’s also a movie from 1954... with Kirk Douglas playing Canadian master harpoonist Ned Land(a classic in technicolour)



And I am going to sound old, but I used to accompany my reading with what is now considered a toy: my red viewmaster (created in 1939). Remember the seven 3D stereo images rotating on that paper disk? I had one of the Nautilus being attacked by the gigantic squid (or octopus, according to the French version). ‘Twenty thousand leagues’ refers to the distance traveled by Captain Nemo, and his experience with New York professor Aronnax. They travel from the Arctic to the Antarctic through the seven seas. A ‘modern’ resemblance of Homer’s Odyssey and the ‘revolutionary’ vision of a free anarchic submarine detached from any land-based government (in times were devices of this kind were unthinkable).

Verne has been a best seller in most languages for years (after Agatha Christie); and so is James Cameron, Mr. box office success. I thought I would compare the Avatar of the 21st century to the creative and constructive science fiction mind of the 19th century. Verne’s submarines, balloons, rockets, trips to the centre of the earth and all other journeys… were beyond people’s imagination in his days. Cameron has managed to bring us to a different era as well, connecting the thematic reality of today (military powers, unfriendly-profit-oriented enterprises, endangered indigenous communities) to a modern computer-designed mythology. I liked Avatar… although I found some stereotypes that could’ve been avoided (like the ‘nature-oriented, spiritually inclined, animal-friendly’ portrayal of the Na'vi people). The script serves the standards of a good movie, and today’s technology facilitates the transition between the fragile human bone and the resilient blue flesh. Avatar has magic moments and its use of light and colour is literally ‘fantastic’.

Suggestion of the day: let’s dust our view-masters and have a theme party… stereograms predate digital photos and were a great way to see tourist attractions especially from those places far from our reach. Share

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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Jan 27 - Blindness/Ensayo sobre la Ceguera - Ottawa



No, Canada doesn't have a President... that was a Lapsus Línguae on my video of the day... although, I am sure our Prime Minister would love to become the King of Canada (over our unpopular Prince Charles)!!!! Anyway, Canada is a parliamentary system unlike the US which is a Republic (you do your research).

And Yes, I hate the shiny light reflected on my glasses as well. I didn't have much time to find the right spot for my video entry last night... darn... oh well... it kinda goes with the theme... that layer of shine that may cover our eyes at times, preventing us from seeing.

Blindness is a wonderful essay on human condition and human interdependence. Beautifully written, quite disturbing on occasion, it is impossible to drop it. There are moments when you literally suffer the pains inflicted on the characters. Brilliant work of Nobel Prize Laureate Saramago. This book is my second favourite of his after the Cave. If you don't like reading, watch the movie. If you like reading, go for it... and then watch the movie. I thought the film wasn't going to be as interesting (it didn't get very good reviews in North America)... but it was actually quite good... the audience may not have been prepared to see themselves reflected on the screen! Fernando Meirelles the director (City of God, 2002) is a genius. The cast is excellent... and what about the slightly cheesy ending? Well, we all need some optimism after all... Hollywood endings are more popular than we think.



I like open endings... endings that leave you wondering, that allow your imagination to complete the scene. Those are rare... there's a little bit of that in this book and film (despite the spark of optimism). There is rebuilding ahead, and that is not shown... that part is left for us to reflect on.

I've chose this book because I see how Haiti will disappear from the TV radars soon. After two weeks a catastrophe becomes history... a Wikipedia entry... we will soon forget how the earth roared on January 12, 2010... killing thousands of already impoverished Haitians. We will forget because the earth rotates at a very fast speed. The struggle for survival in Haiti will get shadowed by Apple's new iPad, or by the State of the Union speech... we just throw more rubble on what is dated, and move on... is it nature? is it choice? is it just short-attention span?

Actual news, which is supposed to mean "information on a recent event or happening", is associated with 'media news' (which is what media outlets and media associations, i.e. AP...consider is a 'recent event')... well, if official media newscasts stop broadcasting an event... should we forget about it ourselves? Should we move on to the next catastrophe? This is today's open ending to ponder on...

Tip of the day: We, as citizens have more media power nowadays than we did before, because of the Internet and other social media outlets... let's continue to empower ourselves. Citizen journalism is IN! Share

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Jan 26 El Limonar/The Lemon tree.. a song - Ottawa

Al saber que muy pronto ibas a volver,
la fuente silenciosa empezó a cantar,
el limonar del patio a reverdecer,
y el jazmín de la huerta volvió a aromar.

Al saber que muy pronto ibas a volver,
florecieron las rosas en el rosal;
y hasta la enredadera de tu balcón,
abrió ya sus capullos todos en flor.

Y están los naranjales llenos de azahar,
y las palmeras vuelven a suspirar,
tiene la primavera una nueva luz,
y es por que ya muy pronto regresas tú



This is a "Danza" song by Colombian composer Rafael Barros became my family's anthem for who knows what reason. There is no celebration where El Limonar is not requested.

The song says, not in a literal translation, that "as soon as I heard the news you were coming back, the silent fountain began to sing, the lemon grove in the backyard turned greener, and the jasmine flowers in the orchard released their fragrance. As soon as I heard the news you were coming back, the roses in the rose bush bloomed, and even the ivy hanging from the balcony had its buds flower. The orange groves are blossoming, and the palm trees are sighing, there is a new light for this Spring day, and it is all because you will soon return".

Lovely words... Share

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Jan 25 - Intimacy and mediated relationships - Ottawa


I loved this book. and I warn you, it may be disturbing for some. It is very well written, modern... with the sincere confusion of people finding their ways, especially when they reach that middle age... and want to question everything all over again, relationships being one of those items.

Experimenting with my camera and web cam, I noticed the delay in my speech. And how my image, reflected on a computer screen and mediated over and over, resembled that approach to online intimacy. We are close but distorted. We can develop a sense of intimacy because the natural physical barriers allow us to open up to strangers, and yet, we are pixels away, hiding behind the comfort of a screen and a cheap web cam.

These thoughts remind me of two modern thinkers located perhaps at two opposite ends of the spectrum. One is Canadian educator Marshall McLuhan and "the medium is the message", meaning, as stated by Wikipedia, that "the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived" (you go figure that one)and the other one is Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek (this goes for my friend E)who talks about the impersonal forms of modern life, where we get to "experience" things without their essence... many products are deprived of their "malignant property": coffee without caffeine, cream without fat, beer without alcohol... and virtual sex without sex!

Tip of the day: we may want to revisit the term intimacy but especially its actual sense of existence.

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Sunday, January 24, 2010

Jan 24 - The Kite Runner and sharing found books




By the way, I didn't keep the Kite Runner to myself... I passed it on the same way I found it. When my friend EH moved to Germany I gave it to him as his farewell present. It'd be great to know if E has read it and what his thoughts of the book are. Share your input if you read this blog entry. Let us know how far the kite has flown!

As a kid I used to fly kites. August is the windy month in Colombia. There is actually a very famous kite festival in Villa de Leyva (Boyaca). The fun part was to make one's own kite with string, wood sticks and colourful cellophane... and an old bed sheet that you ripped into strips of fabric for a tale... My own kites never went very far so my family ended up buying me one every year. They of course didn't last very long... they get caught in trees, they fall far off the hill where you're standing, they go flying on their own with a surprising gust of wind or they get stolen... Nevertheless it was so literally uplifting to see your kite flying higher than others, conquering the skies... right before circling and falling. Kites are magic, and the Kite Runner has the ability of reminding you of that innocence of childhood, and also the subsequent fall... when we as youth awake to many other realities we ignored out of excitement.

Here is a the "cheesy" trailer to the movie:

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Saturday, January 23, 2010

Jan 23 "Pierogies for lunch" and the Prince by Machiavelli



I had never tried pierogies until I came to Canada, they are some kind of dumpling filled with stuff. When the government of Stephen Harper decided to "prorogue" parliament last year (cancel it/postpone it)to avoid a vote of confidence, the words prorogue and pierogi were matched up. "Pierogies are for lunch" was one of the lines that rally goers scream in front of the Parliament in Ottawa today as we got together to oppose the decision to close the House of Commons until the Olympics in Vancouver are over."Go back to work", "Don't shut democracy" and "Pass that bill" were some of the other popular lines.

Beautiful day to protest, somebody said that Mr. Harper may want to take credit for such a bright day as he believes to be "the king". I don't want to go that far, I'll call it "The Prince" as I choose this book by Machiavelli to be the one of the day.

Mr. Harper may think that "the end justifies the means", but he may be wrong this time. We certainly hope so... in the best interest of the country. It is hard to believe that he represents the vast majority of Canadians.


For more videos on the rally, please visit my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/alvalle

Tip of the day: Never take for granted that the members of parliament represent us as the people of a nation and they are accountable to us because we elect them and give them the power to act on our behalf.

I'd like to thank Julie Laurin (A first-time rally-goer as well) for sharing her comments with me. This is the first of a two-video story that she's posted on her blog. You can follow her at: http://julielaurin.com/?p=582

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Jan 22 - Manufacturing Consent and the conspiracy theories - Ottawa



The two conspiracy theories are: On one hand... Pat Robertson



On the other one... Hugo Chavez



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Friday, January 22, 2010

Jan 21 No book or author of the day - Ottawa

I like to start by thanking my friends and readers for subscribing to this blog. It is a great incentive. I promise to share engaging moments during my upcoming trip of Africa and Russia. My sister sent me a sweet message today and at the end she mentioned this blog. She hadn't been able to check it out before as her speakers were down. She said "y pues obvio el 12 de Enero tus lindas palabras que me pusieron a llorar ahogada, sos un papasote lindo.Muchas gracias".
Translation: "And obviously, on January 12 your beautiful words that made me breathlessly cry, you are a sweetheart. Many thanks". The 12 was her birthday... it is amazing how we can communicate our feelings through this cold and seemingly impersonal medium...



Keeping this blog up to date is not easy. I like the discipline and commitment to it; but on ocassions I am simply swamped. Today is one of these days. You can see it in my eyes, "mirror of my soul" as a Spanish saying states.

Tip of the day: a few hours of non-stop sleep are much better than many restless hours in bed. Share

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Jan 20 On being a Canadian - Ottawa



I am actually writing on the 21, a day after the fact. I am tired... it's been an emotional week. I am happy I took the oath. some people at work "welcomed" me to the bunch... I thought I was already in... but I guess it is like being baptized... it gives you a name, a blessing and it prevents you from going to Limbo!



My book of the day is a twofold. One i have read (and learned) and the other one I haven't seen yet. A look at Canada is the booklet I had to read in order to prepare for my citizenship test. It is a very basic recollection of Canada's history... very "sanitized" and somehow outdated. Discover Canada (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/discover/index.asp#pdf) is supposed to be a "more realistic" How to be a Canadian booklet... we shall see. If anybody has read it, please share. I have attached a PDF version on this entry.



Going to bed now. More on the topic soon. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Jan 19 On the eve of my citizenship oath - Ottawa


I have watched two movies recently. Youth in Revolt - a Juno-like coming of age movie (It must be the Michael Cera style) and the Living Bones, somewhat cute, disturbing, Hollywood pretty with a good cast. Nothing earth shattering.

The restaurant: The Black Tomato, 11 George Street (Ottawa) in the Byward Market. Great location, good menu, abundant plates although relatively pricey.

Event: Daniel Ghur on Social Media and Canadian Education Marketing

Cultural remark: Russians look severe and may come across as rude, but they are quite friendly and efficient... if one follows their rules. This is a conclusion based on my Russian visa application submitted this morning.

My book of the day" as I get closer to having two nationalities, my choice is How to be a Canadian by the Ferguson Brothers Will + Ian. The book jokes about the concept of "Canadianness" and it is told with grace and asserted humour... from the weird spelling of words, to the use of "eh", to the neighbours of the South and the Canadian symbols. A funny essay for Canucks and non-Canadians alike.

As of tomorrow, God and the Queen willing, I should have two nationalities.


Tip of the day: take risks even if you have to apologyze for mistakes made. Share

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