Fotoperiodismo de verdad

Recomiendo que lean esta entrevista con el fotógrafo hatiano Daniel Morel (está en inglés). También miren sus fotos del primer día después del terremoto el 12 de enero del 2010.

I recommend reading the following interview by Haitian photographer Daniel Morel. Some of his photos of the aftermath of the earthquake in Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010 can also be seen.

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/showcase-117/

He brings up the following issues:

-photojournalism focused on what is happening on the ground, giving people's voices an outlet (that's what the field should be focused on, right?)

-international journalists coming in to do "show business" journalism

-the way in which documenting what has happened instead of lending a hand, for example, can also be of big help (I am conflicted with this point, since my instincts would be to help first, shoot later, although there may never be a moment to focus on either thing fully. When does a photographer cross a line? Are photojournalists treated with more leniency for inserting themselves in other people's lives?

I feel like an imposter

lying to myself in the face.

Slowly buying into,

then running away from

a consumerist lifestyle.

"¡Rebajas¡ !TODO a -50%¡" anuncian las vidrieras.

Rebajas. Al fin compro ropa linda más que una sola vez al año, y lo hago a muerte.

A muerte.

Ojala hubieran rebajas al -50% de la muerte.

Haiti.

Now when I punch those digits, "swipe" that card, it will be for you.

All those days swipin' and swipin'. In the back--no, forefront of my head, thinking:

"This is false, this is a front.

Clothes don't matter, don't change much.

I could be spending my money in so many different

useful

realistic

and human ways."

Clothes fall apart, but not as fast as lives do.

Haiti, this swipe's for you.

Galeano, sin vos este mundo no tendría tanto brillo...

En una entrevista con el diario español Público, Galeano describe lo que le parece Obama:

"Uno de mis maestros, don Carlos Quijano, solía decir: “Todos los pecados tienen redención. Todos menos uno. Es imperdonable pecar contra la esperanza”. Con el tiempo aprendí cuánta razón tenía. Lamentablemente, Obama está pecando contra la esperanza que él mismo supo despertar, en su país y en el mundo. Aumentó los gastos de guerra, que ahora devoran la mitad de su presupuesto. ¿Defensa contra quién, en un país invadido por nadie, que ha invadido y sigue invadiendo a casi todos los demás? Y, para colmo, ese chiste de mal gusto de recibir el Nobel de la Paz pronunciando un elogio de la guerra."

Exactamente. Gracias por decirlo. Que la gente se de cuenta que no es más que otra marioneta en la lista de los que les toca "gobernar" para mantener el poder criminal de los EEUU. Al Qaeda puede ser una amenaza muy real (no me lo creo al 100% porque los medios de comunicación nos engañaron antes y lo seguiran haciendo), pero no saben qué hacer con este lío gordo en el que nos metieron a todos.

Acá se encuentra la entrevista entera:

http://www.publico.es/internacional/282576/america/latina/exorcizando/cultura/dela/impotencia

Silence

Tengo bastante olvidado a este blog.

Muchas veces siento ganas de escribir no porque tenga una inquietud que tenga que comunicar. Esas ganas SON la inquietud misma, y cuando quiero expresarla, no me sale nada. También me puedo estar censurando.

No me abandona la sensación de que yo esté viviendo una vida equivocada, de que no esté en el sitio correcto, de que esté sofocando a mi corazón. Esta sensación me envuelve en el momento y después de estar en un lugar natural, el campo, al lado de una montaña, con las estrellas out of the (sky) closet, todas ahi para que las veamos, sin vergüenza.

Este año es y seguirá siendo difícil aceptar para mi , mas que nada por el ritmo y horario de trabajo que tengo, y por su puesto, por mi forma de pensar en esta situación. Mi perspectiva mejora siempre, aunque un poco, y aunque con sólo un silencioso reconocimiento todas las noches cuando llego a casa, de mi cansancio, de la falta de tiempo para hacer otras cosas que me darían mucha mas alegría y me ayudarían a expresarme y crecer más de lo que es posible ahora mismo.

Next year will be different. Next year I'll be (almost) debt-free. And I'll have more time (and money) to do what I want with it. I'd rather consider next year a gift that will arrive in 9 months (no, not a baby) rather than a toy in the window I can't buy right now, por más Navidad que sea.

This summer is closer than next year, though. Only 6 months away. And with her arrival I plan to be submerged in nature, save a bit of time for myself to do something not related to work nor family, a retreat connecting me with what makes me most alive, most happy.

I know happiness doesn't arrive one day, that it's a daily labor, but being in nature makes it that much more possible to achieve. La ciudad, por más pequeña que sea en términos globales, no es mi preferencia. Cuándo salgo de ella, más y más me doy cuenta de que el silencio es el sonido más lindo .

Esa tierra

Siempre vuelve ese itch

Que me pica y me pica hasta que

por la fuerza me hace prestarle atencion.

Esa tierra como me tiene,

esa tierra me tiene loca.

Viaje a Glendale

Sophie es toda una diva.


Mergimek kufte (albondigas de lentejas amarillas) hecho por mi abuela.


Pupusa Salvadoreña: con queso y chicharrón dentro y una ensalada de repollo y zanahoria encima llamada "curtido". RIQUISIMO!


Una panadería y cafetería armenia/libanés. La escritura en la vidriera es en armenio y en inglés, diciendo lo que se ofrece para comer.

Comimos un beorek (tipo empanada) de queso armenio con pimentón y lahmajune, que es un pan chato con carne encima calentado al horno.


Un burrito de pollo en la playa Imperial. ¿Lindas palmeras, no?


Hamburguesas de In n Out, "animal style". Son inigualables. Y me falta comerme una antes de irme!!!
Mante, una comida parecida a ravioles de carne, con salsa de madzun (yogur) con ajo.

Haven't written since before summer camp in Almería. It tired me out so much, I decided to stay away from blogging about it.

Now almost finished with my CELTA course, I have more ganas than energy to write, so I'll do it.

Actually, I'm asleep behind these open eyes. My body feels heavy, my breathing is not as optimum as could be (lots of cigarette smoke in the air last night), and I'm quite exhausted overall, mainly from not sleeping well the last few nights. Gotta sleep and eat lots of fruit (something else I've been missing this month of assignments, teaching and little time for food shopping/cooking/eating) in order to have a healthy VACATION back home in Glendale.

My interests in travelling/living abroad have been piqued since realizing that the course I am doing now will give me a certificate that will open the doors of work just about anywhere in the world. It's like getting a platter of chocolates, all of which you can choose from, not knowing which one to eat first! Which country should I try out first?

Current interests:
-Brazil
-Turkey
-Not sure yet but somewhere in East Asia
-Also another country in the Middle East...

In unrelated news, I'm highly bothered by the cigarette smoke that surrounds me at the moment. I can't understand how some people don't find it bothersome and don't have a consciousness about it's general fucked-upness. That shit is not good for you! Why focus on health in other areas of your life, then pollute your OWN lungs multiple times a day? No lo entiendo. I know I come from a different (less pervasive) smoking culture in LA...but common sense should lend itself here.

I can't wait for a more definitive anti-tobacco law in Spain/Andalucía which would prohibit smoking in all closed spaces. I know its damaging to local business, but in the long run, we're looking out for our health...in general, we can't pollute ourselves this way, knowingly yet ignorantly. I know you could say there's a lot of other pollution to deal with, why fight this one?

It's more about everyone's right to breathe "clean" (smoke-free) air. You can tell me that the exhaust coming from buses and cars hurt me just as much as cigarette smoke. That is being combatted as well, as it affects people and the earth on a global scale.

The local benefits of a more inclusive anti-tobacco law, however, will affect people right away, allowing them to choose whether they want to be surrounded by smoke or not. If it's a public space, you can't privatize the air, you can't impose a majority smoking habit on the people who want to spend time in public spaces without having to breathe in something that will hurt them. If you want to smoke, go outside and sit in a cafe with your friends or go to someone's house and fill the place with smoke...but leave the general public out of your unhealthy habit.

When I can't stand the smoke around me, I stick my tongue out as if expelling the air I've just breathed in. Not because I think it works (ha! if only!), but because I feel helpless, so I do it to feel like I may have some control over what I breathe. Manu saw me and imitated me without realizing I wasn't making a face or being silly. It sucks when you breathe in deeply and feel all sorts of shit in your lungs you didn't put there in the first place.

OK. Time to leave this smoky room and lie down.

Hope this message spreads. CONSCIOUSNESS and CONSIDERATION. That's all I want. :)
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