The Nature of Protest

Yesterday I went to a demonstration in support of the depenalization of abortion in Argentina. Sadly, the group of 20 to 30 abortion advocates were oversahdowed by a massive demonstration involving hundreds of people marching from Congresso to Plaza de Mayo. I couldnt really understand what the demonstration was about but I believe it has to do with Kraft foods and the firing of a huge number of employees and something about H1N1 as well...obviously had some trouble understanding the pamphlets, but I was incredibly struck by the culture of organizing and protesting here in Argentina. And I am having a moment right now where the world just kind of looks really ugly. With everything that is going on in the U.S to stop the (modest) healthcare plan from being passed and WHAT the pro-democracy demonstration in Guinea in which 100+ people were killed as police open fired on the crowd.
There are some days when I just cant handle how fucked up the world is. I had kind of shut myself off from current events. Being here makes it a lot easier to forget that the rest of the world still exists. This is kind of a rant, but what I really want to do is just put all of these events in perspective,trying to understand how all over the world people are fighting to be heard, fighting for the right to just live. Its like im seeing too much this week how fragile democracy really is. Its really only this tiny thread of a thing and if you stop fighting for it for even one second someone will try to make you forget that its the only thing we have to keep us from dying, slow painful deaths bc we cant afford to see a doctor, or quick surprising deaths to silence.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/world/africa/30guinea.html?hp

roaming...

So because I have time off from classes - decided to take a
backpacking roadtrip of sorts around the Red Sea area of Egypt and
into Jordan. I'll be trying to post when I get wifi access because I
think it might be cool to give y'all a heads up on my moves and the
experiences in each place. I'll be writing from my BB so its gonna be
short and sweet.

Day 1...I left cairo around 7 am this morning and arrived by bus to
Dahab around 4. Needless to say it was a long ass bus ride...but way
worth the 9 hrs of driving through the desert, 5 passport checkpoint
stops and blasting AC that probably froze my nips off. Dahab is
something that cannot be described accurately with my words. All I
know is since I've been here I have become totally serene by the waves
of the Red Sea which lies just feet away from the hostel. I could
escape and live her forever, and time sees to move much slower than in
cairo. Its made for just sitting with a cold stella by water and
looking out and just thinking. Amazing. Tomorrow I head to the Isreali
border...I know that will be an experience and a half.

You're Right This Place is Magical

This weekend I visited one of Pablo Neruda's homes in Valparaiso, Chile. This is the exact spot where he sat and wrote the words that have repeatedly brought me to tears.(these aren't the words, but this poem is one of the most sensual poems I have ever read I had to share an excerpt: Kinda makes my toes tingle...too much, yeah I know.

He ido marcando con cruces de fuego
El atlas blanco de tu cuerpo
Mi boca era una arana que cruzaba escondiendose
En ti, detras de ti, temerosa, sedienta
-Neruda

The sunrise is

the greatest simplistic beauty that we are given routinely. The first hint of orange sneaking through the navy sky is something that cannot be described in words.

Catch a sunrise and see for yourself.

Just For Kicks



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNm2Ec2T-js&feature=channel




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqJd3d3RHFE&feature=channel

Do You See What I See...?

CUTIE PIESSSSSS!!!
weaving at Ntonso

queen mother
elmina castle independence square

view from hostel jamestown beach

Schools Out!!

Okay so in case I haven't done a great job of conveying the "Egyptian way" is kind of like whatever makes sense at the moment is what is done. The thought process that proceeds actions was at first kind of strange and confusing to me. But now I'm kind of getting used to the fact that things do not form a regular pattern. A meal that I ordered yesterday and took 5 mins to cook, could take an hour to cook this week. A bus driver who is supposed to ask me for a ticket to ride the bus MAY or MAY NOT ask for the ticket. The guard at the pyramid who is supposed to confiscate cameras from visitors who are entering the pyramid will just let you me in with a wink and a smile. And so keeping up in trend with that Egyptian way...yesterday I was informed in my class that starting today we would all be on break for Ramadan until OCT 3rd...or 4th. The reason being that the government officials are afraid that people who are going to Hajj(Pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy land for Muslims) may return to Egypt with symptoms of H1N1. So they want those ppl to be in their homes away from public for at least 7 - 10 days before they reemerge. So no classes for me, a two week vacay of sorts. GOD I LOVE THIS PLACE.