Mariano Slutzky's blog

Thumbs up for Subway!

2011-12-22T16:42:00.000-08:00

Subway: it's more than another fast-food chain. Many years ago I got by coincidence in Houston. I never thought I could like food from such a chain. Too American, too unhealthy is what I thought. But I got hooked to the food: it's fresh, lot's of veggies, hygienic and friendly staff. So I kept on visiting Subway many times while I was living in Barcelona and Amsterdam. And now in Argentina. But...I was in Rosario in Galeria del Siglo's Subway and for the first time I was very disappointed in the food and service at the desk. That blond girl at the desk is specialized in mistreating costumers and making the most horrible coffee you can imagine. So I wrote a complain through the site. To my surprise I got a reaction: so great to be taken seriously as a customer by the manager. He offered me something in return in Buenos Aires cause I was leaving to the capital again. And yeps, there I was: the service at the place in the street Uruguay and Paraguay was very good as I was served before elsewhere.

2011-12-13T11:11:00.000-08:00

This city is like the song "La argentinidad al palo": podemos ser lo major o lo peor con la misma facilidad". That sentence describes the essence of Argentina: here you find things, persons, happenings that are great indeed but on the other hand things that probably the worst on earth. It seems my fellow Argentineans can't deal with a middle-road.

This city is ugly, very noisy and filthy but probably nowhere in Latin America you'll find such a cultural life as here. Look at this pictures: it says "forbidden to drop waste here" and that's a sign to drop garbage but look again to one of the many beautiful paintings in the metro hallway, indeed beautiful.

How to enjoy Argentina

2011-11-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

1. Change the chip in your head. Get rid of weird ideas like "the consumer is king". The last incident was a few minutes ago at the Galeria del Siglo, at the Subway desk. I asked for a "café double', this slowly and annoying blond makes every fault she could make. She serves a wrong cup, with too much water and nearly no coffee, charges me wrongly and forget to give me a glass of water. I asked the manager about this. And she didn't really interested, only said: 'Do you want a cookie?' No bloody hell, I just want good service & products!
Again: it's a no-no thinking that customer-service is an issue in Argentina, all day long.
2. Get rid of the idea food is healthy here. People eat here all day long pizza's, pastas, bread, meat, what ever it should be eaten once in a while, certainly not everyday and not every breakfast/lunch/dinner time.

3. Get away from females here. The most hysterical in Latin America.

In Rosario, again

2011-11-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

Okki, here I'm trying to work the interviews I've done in Bs Ars with the survivors. I picked up the work for the book, amazing how healthy those survivors are 60 years after they escaped to Argentina as children.
The most remarkable is how different they deal with the past: some of them in grave pain -'cause of the killing fields of family and dear-ones-, others incredible happy to be alive, always looking to a half full glass of water.
But then again, here in Rosario, I'm staying at amiga Carmen's place. This city is still a much better place than BsArs 'cause of it's greenness, clean streets and specially 'cause of the pride of it's habitants. Why do porteños not have such pride and why don't they care about the public places -the street, the parks, the buses- as the Rosarinos? And much worse: why porteños vote for a idiot like Macri? At least here the rosarino's have voted for the last 20 years for the socialists who have done a proper job of ruling the city.
But I could not be myself if I didn't discover a few annoying things too:
1. the Siesta. Every single day, shops closed between 12 and 17, WTF! Jesus, I hate this hours! Specially the so called ecological shops are more closed than open. There's a shop selling Tofu which is open very incidentally -or better said: nearly never- and it's a pain in the ass.
2. The slowness of people. Like many places in Latin America is efficiency and fast service something that's not in the mind of people here. They just don't care. WTF!
3. Females. They're underweight and hysterical, as everywhere in Argentina. Females in Argentina: the best guarantee I to maintain far away from females.

does ever stop raining in the Netherlands?

2011-07-18T02:39:00.000-07:00

I wonder when this rain is going to go away. It's been raining for weeks now and I'm sick and tired of it.

I ate a few days ago with two lovely friends, Troetje and Mellouki, and the first thing I said when I came in: "I admire Dutch for taking the bike, whenever it rains, there's storm or another weather-related situation which would make me stay at home. The persistence Dutch do have, admirable!

full glass in the Netherlands

2011-06-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

Somedays you see the light and see the half glass full in the Netherlands. Not that easy 'cause life may be boring here.

But...I was in the library and saw the magazine "Genoeg" (Enough) for those who want to consume less. What a wonderful magazine, full of tips, do's, how-to- enjoy life with less consume.

Once, many years ago I interviewed one of the editors about how to consume less being a parent. What was her name again? Marieke something. It was published then in the free daily Metro. I interviewed her at her home somewhere in Haarlem (or was it Amsterdam?) and was impressed by he erotic body language. She is chubby, have beautiful breasts and is brilliant intelligent. Wow, what a woman. But she was married and I stayed professionally in my chair.

Back to the magazine, what a coincidence, in the front page the picture of a journalist I know, another crazy journalist who chosen to do what she likes to do: to travel in the desert of North Africa; she did that for years and now she's chosen another place to travel and write about: the steppes of Mongolia in place of taking part in the rat race of making money. Good on you!

Anyway, it's great that such a magazine exists here, that there are readers for such a magazine.

back to the Netherlands, back to the dont's & fear

2011-06-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

What a shock to be back in Holland. Back to the country of the" don't do this don't do that 'cause we've fear".

What a disaster to be here, after a month a Argentina where at least you feel and here enthusiasm for political change, for being alive. How funny how things change: usually it was the other way round: every time I was there I was chocked by the culture of consumerism in Buenos Aires but now the feeling of emptiness is here in Holland. How to deal with it?

Take for example the cuts on the culture in the Netherlands: never been such cuts in all cultural events, all tickets will rise (the tax from 6 to 19%), lot's of orchestras are being deleted and what happens? Nothing! The whole country should be closed due to protest-actions against it but nobody seems to care. Worse: the Concertgegebouw - orchestra gives a concert to princes Maxima and they pay it by their own and don't take the opportunity to protest!

By the way: I'm so sick and tired when it comes to the father of Maxima that journalists still say: "Maybe he did not know anything about the Killing Fields". How can serious jounalists still be so stupid and ignorant? Look him sitting next to the queen: a murderer next to the queen, who could have thought this years ago?

Rosario, Museum of the Memory

2011-05-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

There's a Museum in this city, called the Museo de la Memoria, it's about those who were killed during the dictatorship. And it's based right in the building from where decisions were taken who to kill and who not to kill. Amazing. So well done this museum.

Look at how art is used to describe the atrocities of those years.

Look at the Buddist art with the names of those killed on it. Or the library-cards of the users of the local library hanging from the ceiling.

And the picture of Lopez, the survivor of the dictatorship who was killed after he testified in 2006 in a trial against a high police officer.

in Rosario

2011-05-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

Such a lovely, green, quiet city. So different from Buenos Aires where people are grumpy, air is polluted and every corner of the city is noisy.

I'm considering staying for a while, later this year, here.

I was this morning at the Photoalbum for the Victims of the military Dictatorship.

Then had lunch with old friend Andrés and had a ride in the city. Here r some pics

The Shoa Museum in BsArs: a great place to visit

2011-05-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I was at the Museum of the Shoa, looking for fresh information about the issues of the new book I'm writing now, Jewish refugees and nazi's from the Netherlands and Belgium. I'd a meeting with a official of the museum and received great new information.

On my way out I got curious and walked into the museum. Wow, this is a interesting museum in the best way of the word. It's not only about the suffering of those who didn't survive Auschwitz and other nazi's "Endlösung der Judenfrage" but also about those brave men and women who took arms against the murderers. These stories of those who weren't afraid and fought fro a very disadvantaged position in the Ghetto of Warsaw of in the outback of Russia were so inspiring.

the Argentinean way of dealing with social problems

2011-05-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

I consider myself leftwing. It's great that those who're in a social struggle for what ever reason have the opportunity to let their demands be known. But what I can't understand is the atittude here in Buenos Aires of those who mix social struggle with lack of social behavior.

Every now and then the biggest and most central avenue 9 of July is blocked by those who for ever reason consider that they're entitled to cut the traffic in the most important connection of the city, no matter what the consequences are for hundreds and thousands of workers who are underway to their working places.

And no, here's not speaking a petit-bourgois person; I would say: why don't you go and cut the traffic in the wealthy areas of Buenos Aires Norte where the rich people live, I wouldn't mind if they're affected but now only those who're going to work will be cut in their salaries 'cause they're late for work.

And besides these groups -this morning was a group of former Malvinas/Falklands soldiers- are taking advantage that this government doesn't use police force to end any kind of social manifestation which is great.

Why doesn't this happen in other countries with leftwing governments like Brasil? 'cause there people take each other more into consideration, here's the rule "If I want to do that I'll do that and I shit and anybody else".

Should I stay or should I go?

2011-05-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

Great that song of The Clash in the eighties. And for some reason I've the song in my head since yesterday.

I keep on thinking: 'Is this the place I want to be for a while?'. This ugly, dirty place?

This boots are something like this hood Once: old fashioned, ridiculous, kind of shocking, seventies-ished.

Yeps, this city is ugly, with lot's of unfulfilled pretensions, too much smog but nevertheless it's my city, it's the city I grew up. I'm renting now a place in the Jewish hood I grew up, the Barrio Once.

Today, this hood is still full of guys with kepa, lot's of shops with a owner with a surename similar to mine's surname but there's also the new migrants: families from South Korea who bought shops, Bolivians working as slaves for other Bolivians with just a little bit more of money and many Paraguayans doing the only thing people without capital may do: work, work and work.

And still, I feel great here, never mind the sleazy, dodgy atmosphere. I don't register that ugly face of the city, I just cross the street and I feel like I never left this hood.

Grumpy people in Buenos Aires

2011-05-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I arrived here. I got ripped off by changing euro's but that should be not a surprise in this country.

Then again, what really is annoying here is the bad mood on street, in the tube, in the shops of Buenos Aires. They even have a name for this constantly grumpy attitude in life: the "mala onda porteña".

People complain here all the time, but don't take much own responsibility, they expect the state or others solve their problems, have an aggressive way of communicating.

Look at this youtube clip to have an idea about that.

And another annoying thing here: the social acceptance to be a liar, a arrogant person who may take advantage of other people's naivety; this is called "ser chanta". Here's an example.

It's so accepted that books like this of Mario Kostzer are written about this phenomenon. By the way, I realized this person has to be a family-member of a friend of mine I'm seeing tonight.

Have to be here two more weeks then finally I'll be outside BsArs where I know people are completely different than here.

Incendies: great movie

2011-04-26T00:12:00.000-07:00

Incendies, wow, what a movie. It's been ages I was so impressed by a movie like this. It's poetic, it has the same effect as a novel of Vargas Llosa o GG Marques: it holds you by your throat and you hold your breath during all the movie. It's a sad story, but not a teartaker, it's a story at a micro level but not disturbing egocentric.

The photography, the actors, the script, scenography; all excellent.

Here's the trailer.

Attitude of doctors in Holland

2011-04-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

Every country has it's minus and pro's. The Netherlands has a great liberal political and social consensus about euthanasia, drugs and prostitution regulating policy, gay-rights, etc. But one of the most annoying things here is the mainstream attitude of doctors.

I've met many, many expats living here, from Latin America, Africa, the US, rest of Europe and all we say: doctors are a pain in the ass here. They treat you like shit if you come for a visit. If you dare to say something critical they push they may delete you as patient. They've this atittude "You have pain, you complain but it will go over". In Dutch: 'Laat maar waaien-mentaliteit', it wil be over.

Before I left Holland in 2005 I was heavenly depressed. What did the doctor said: 'Go on holidays'. My cousin was vomiting blood, the same doctor said: 'it will stop soon'.

My ex was once suffering a major attack of allergic reaction, she was in big need and the doctor complained about his night working.

I went to my new doctor and asked for a first meeting to get to know each other. The assistant looked at me as if I was mad: who did I think I was to ask first for such a meeting? And she warned me: 'If you decided to go somewhere else you will have to pay the bill, not your insurance'.

The doctor was surprised about my questions: how did she communicate with patients, how are decisions about treatment being taken, in what extent does she analyze with colleagues symptoms?

Ok, I gave her the benefit of the doubt. But next time I called I realize I was back in Holland: I was supposed to call to make an appointment only between 8 and 11 hrs. I was lucky: most assistants of doctors only pick up the phone between 8 and 10 hrs. If you're dying after 11 hrs, in the afternoon or night you've bad luck.

I'm already missing Spain. The love doctors have there -and in many other places- for their patients, for have such a lovely job, the fact you may call for an appointment from 8 to 20 hrs, the prevention and information they give. Please world: teach Dutch doctors how to be real doctors.

Living again in Holland

2011-04-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

So here I'm, back in Amsterdam. It's been a while I didn't write something here but the move includes so much to do I didn't have the time neither the patiance to write something. Besides I'm so delayed with that book about how Jews refugees during the war and nazis after the war fled to Argentina that anytime I can't spend writing is welcome :-)

And how about the Netherlands? Is there nothing to tell? It seems not much has changed here; society seems still to be hold by fear for muslims, even if they've been living here for ages and there was nothing wrong with it. Fear, I hate people with fear, they're those who make the worst nightmares possible. These people with fear are the Eichmann's, the bureaucrats of bad policy, those who make stupid laws possible.

How can I explain that people here see me as a Muslim, 'cause of my dark hair? How provincial are people here?

This is why I could only live here in the cosmopolitan Amsterdam. Yeps, there's less chance I could be seen as a Muslim here than elsewhere in this provincial country. The first time somebody started yelling at me about 'You Muslims bla bla bla' I said: 'I'm Argentinean and besides originally Jew.' But sincethen I don't explain, I feel I don't have to.

For the time being I'm enjoying the channels here,. Amsterdam, lovely city.

Does winter affect your brains? it does to me:-(

2010-12-26T08:07:00.001-08:00

I don't know why but since I'm in Holland this winter I can't read or write much. Maintaining a conversation is also an effort like never before. Reading the paper can take me hours, even reading the comics of Mafalda (my life-time hero by the way) is not an easy task.

Is it a sign I'm getting older? Yeps, me a grumpy old man but that's again nothing new, probably I've been all my life a grumpy old man.

Do I have a breakdown? Maybe, but i guess the answer is simple: my brains are frozen. Yeps, indeed, the cold paralyzes me, makes a statue of me and my brains refuses to work properly. Am I the only one with this problem I wonder.

Here r some pictures to verify I'm not exaggerating when I say the Netherlands has moved into the North Pole.

Freezing in Holland

2010-12-17T07:01:00.000-08:00

Again in the Netherlands and it's bloody cold here. My nephew is doing ok and we went out for a walk in the snow.

I don't know why but I feel so tired all the time.

beautiful Barcelona

2010-12-10T01:36:00.000-08:00

I´ve a kind of love and hate relationship with this city. It´s annoying how the city presents itself as a vanguard city in terms of fashion, touristic traps, design and crap stuff. On the other hand the real Barcelona of the Cagagner, the friendly barceloneses, the culés (fans of FC Barcelona): great people.

Here an impression of last discovered corners of the city.

Three green parties in Catalunya

2010-12-10T01:21:00.000-08:00

How weird. Catalans, like the rest of the Spanish, are not well known ´cause they treat animals very well. Sheeps are being thrown from churches while celebrations, bulls are being mistreated in local parties. But: there´s hope with this Partit Animalista. They didn´t win anything...

shit is for Catalans a signal of prosperity

2010-12-10T01:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, have been busy but here I´m again. What did I do? I returned to Barcelona, stayed for a month while I was undergoing several medical treatments. Oh well, things are better now.

Here are several pictures I took in Barna.

The most fantastic thing about X'mas in Barna is the Cagagner, the pooping-man, the Catalan peasant that is shitting and is considered as a promised for wealth for Catalans. Excrements have been considered in Catalunya for centuries not as a disgusting thing but as fertilizer for new life.

That´s the reason why you may find the Cagagner in shopping malls like the Maremagnum.

shall I close this weblog down?

2010-11-08T05:28:00.000-08:00

Just wondering if there's a need to maintain this weblog, most of the people I know r already on Facebook and we read each others stories there.

What shall I do?

In Amsterdam

2010-11-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

Autumn is so beautiful in Amsterdam. Was there for a couple of weeks supporting my sis in the care of her son and enjoying the great cosmopolitan life of Amsterdam.

I went too to the demonstration against racism and xenofobia. So inspiring to meet so many people motivated for the same reasons.

Sad day: Nestor Kirchner died

2010-10-27T07:41:00.001-07:00

He was the one who gave us back dignity in Argentina, the one who demolished the power of the military, the olygarchy, the impunity. He might not be perfect but he gave us, survivors of the dictatorship. It's a sad day.

Here's when he as a president decided to remove the pictures of the military leaders of the wall with other presidents.

Thanks to him was it all over with the power of the IMF, the Soya-peasants, the murderers of the Junta.

Doing something practical in Holland

2010-10-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

For the time being I'm pretty much into the role of a housekeeper. I'm in Holland, assisting my sis with the care of her sick son; I do the washing, take care of the dog, do the shoppings, clean the house; practical help, that's always the most needed.

Besides, I try to cheer people up, although my jokes are not always very funny. But at least I try.

In November I'll fly back to Barcelona, do several things and then hoops to Buenos Aires.

Have to be in Argentina for several reasons: to interview several survivors of the Shoa, those were children at the time; recollect information etc.

Would love to travel now. Whereto? Dunno. But the feeling I've to be here around keeps me here. There's only one family, no?

dumbs up for Cat Salut!

2010-10-10T06:08:00.000-07:00

The plane in Barcelona landed and I went as fast as possible to the hospital. The bugs who visited me at the hostel in Medellin were again on the attack and my body was completed red; yeps, I looked as a tomato.

There I was helped at once, though there were others waiting before me. I got two injections, I don't remember what they gave me exactly 'cause I was so far away. It didn't really help, next morning I was again scratching and feeling sick.

I went to the private doctor of Axa Wintethur: he looked at me and said: 'I don't really know. Go to the specialized Clinic of Cat Salut for Tropical Sickness.' I wonder why I pay so much for a private insurance!

I went immediately to this Clinica de enfermedades tropicales of Cat Salut, just behind the "Clinic" in central Barcelona.

Again, the receptionist looked at as I was a zombie. She said: 'We don't have time. But looking at you...'. Yes, I didn't look great. I was sweating, looked pale and was scratching my body all the time.

I waited and soon I was called, the two doctors looked at me and asked the opinion of a third doctor. Three females touching and looking at my body: wow, what a unicum in all my life!

Their diagnose: a very strong reaction to the beaten of the bug. My first world and petite bourgeois body was not meant to be at Macondo. Oh well, I can live with that knowledge now.

They gave me pills, four different kind of them. They gave me the very right pills: after a few hours I began to start feeling me better!

Oh, the Cat Salut is a state health agency but much and much better than the private doctors I visited in Medellin and here in Barcelona. Dumbs up for Cat Salut!

The do's & dont's in Colombia

2010-10-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

the cultural do's & dont's in Colombia

Do's:

-Be polite. Colombians are together with Uruguayans and Costaricans in Latin America groso modo the most gentile, full with good manners, welcoming and really interested in others.

-Fish! Healthy and very cheap, specially in and around Medellin.

-Medellin. The greenest, prettiest city. The most cultural interesting city.

-Arepas of maiz, healthy and yummy!

-Take a pair of trousers if u r going out. I love to wear shorts or bermudas so I didn't get into bars, which I really didn't care: it's cheaper and more fun to drink with others at a square.

-The campus at the Bolivariana University in Medellin, plenty of healthy, good food. Even a Doner King!

Dont's:

-Bogota. Ugly as Caracas or Lima. Cold, grey and rainy. Impossible the public transport.

-The bus connection between Botoga and Medellin. Eleven terrible hours in the bus. the other bus-connections are much better, even that between Santa Marta and Bogota. I took the flight back from Medellin: 35 minutes!

-meat in Colombia. U don't need to be a part-time veggie like me to see and taste meat there is not the cleanest neither best meat. be a full-time veggie!

-hostels with very young backpackers. The place to get some bedbugs, like I did in Cali or no sleep at all 'cause of the noise.

-going Dutch. This is the internationally well known way of saying when going out for a coffee with friends

-Politics. U would say in such a country people were involved in policy-makers. Wrong. Most Colombians live by the day, they don't really care who's in power, neither about the displaced refugees.

-don't think colombia is dangerous. Yes, it may happen that u get robbed but keeping always alert, don't drink when u r with unknown persons who may take advantage from u once u loose control.

-Don't think well known Colombians abroad are popular in Colombia too. The divas Ingrid Bentacour, Shakira are not loved by Colombians. The first 'cause she asked a fortune from the Colombian government "cause she was not protected", even after she was warned many times not to go where she was kidnapped. And Shakira is only popular in Barranquilla, where she's from. After she started singing in English her popularity dropped down.

Colombians accept too much shit

2010-10-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

While trying to survive the public transport of Bogota I realized the key of many problems here are the atittude of Colombians. Their happiness, their too polite attitude in live towards those in governement is keeping things as they are: in real shit. Look only the capital of this country. It goes beyond saying this city is ugly (Lima and Caracas are ugly too but not as terrible bad communicated): every little service of the state is worthless. Nothing seems to work properly.

No wonders than that management here is terrible old fashioned: employees are not accustomed to take any responsibility, all decision are in the hands of the "jefecito".

Example: the cafes with wifi, the employes don't know the password, only the "jefecito" knows this so if u r a client and want to check your mail in your Ipad the "jefecito" has to come from his office with the holy password. I witness this ridiculous this so many times here!

Or take the public transport here. The idea of Transmilenio is great, but the implementation "latin-style": chaotic, disorganized, lack of communication and respect for the customer. In Rome, Buenos Aires or even Santiago de Chile this would lead to riots, costumers blocking streets, whatever. Not here. People are pressed as sardines as never seen before and people take that for granted every single day.

Or take the "African" part of Colombia: Choco. There's no tap-water, nearly no electricity, only one road in the entire area in the northwest of Colombia. Lot's of displaced people, lot of poverty. The sport there: corruption. Every few months a new mayor is named and he or she steals as much as possible and gets away. And? Not a single manifestation of discontent or "I don't take it anymore". Where's the civil society, where are the organizations protesting?

So, what did I learned here, how to end the conflict in Colombia?

2010-10-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

Last few weeks I've talking to so many Colombians asking the same questions: how do people think the state of war could ended? I received stright unthinkiable answers from somebody who was kidnapped by the Farc in 2001: 'more military foreign involvement'. According to him if colombia is surrenderd by the US this could lead to crackdown to the narcotics-power.
I thought this was a wishfull thinking idea.
Others said: 'Let's legalize cocaine'. It's so easily to have such wishing full thinking, do people here have a sense of reality? who really thinks this could really happen?

But I received very good input like that of the young investigator Tatiana Lozano -the one on the pic- who I spoke at the campus of a university in Medellin.

The main key is that there are many, many keyplayers here:

the inefficient and corrupt government,

the army and it's links to the paramilitares' killing fields.

I thought there were no paramilitares more but they've changed their names into Aguilas Negras. They adopted a kind of fundamentalism: in the villages where they are the boss transexuals, gays, prostitutes and sexy-clothes are banned.

Then the guerrillas, they are nothing else than bandits, they don't have anything to do with ideology of left-wing. Left-wing doesn't really exist here: the UP which was the strongest left-wing party years ago got completely vanished due to the killing fields of the narcos and paramilitares.

I guess nothing will change as long as the government doesn't implement a social-democratic program for Colombia -taking away the flags of the so called guerrilla-, and negotiating a political settlement with all actors in the conflict.

But this won't happen soon, 'cause there are two majors actors absent: a civil society and external pressure. The wars in Central America, South Africa and elsewhere were finished thanks to a internal cohesive front of civil society demanding long term political agreement to end the war. And external pressure: only the US is here involved as weapons-supplier, not as peace-bringer.

Bedbugs in the hostel :-(

2010-10-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

what a shame, I got beaten all over my body by bedbugs in the hostel Palm Tree. Went to the clinic, received medicines, spend hours I didn't have on this. And went as fast as possible to another hostel. The day after I met others guests from the Palm Tree: they were beaten too. Such a shame: the location of that hostel is great but the owner doesn't really care about guests, otherwise he would have close the rooms and fumigate immediately.

Here is one of the many intruders.

Also in Medellin: talking about politics is taboo

2010-10-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Medellin might be the best city in many terms (greeness, cultural, urban design and mobility) but also here: politics is not an issue. It's incredible that within this country with so many displaced people, a cruel war going on, human rights violations, etc nobody seems really to care. I wondered why and spoke to several 'Medillenses'.

They told me the possible reasons:

-the topography of Colombia: many people just don't know what's happening outside the borders of their own regions 'cause it takes so long to get somewhere. I experience by myself while traveling 11 hours from Bogota to Medellin by bus. 'People here just don't know that the Paramilitares are still present and "at work" in Cesar and Choco'.

-the media: indeed a third world media, meaning very superficial, linked to those in power, not objective.

-lack of modern education at universities. Students are not educated to argue, to rebel themselves, to debate, to have a free mind and organize themselves. A visit to the university Bolivariana confirmed this: not a single sing or rebellious attitude :-(

-the fact former president established "peace" in the city. Indeed, that former president, accused of many human rights violations, made possible to travel safe by land and to be less scared of bombings of narcos or guerrillas. So why bother?

-The paramilitares or so called Aguilas Negras are far away, yes, they may violate human rights of peasants and "marginables" but who cares in Medellin?

-the guerrillas are nothing else than bandits, murders; and anybody with leftwing ideas is easily labeled as sympathetic to them.

One day I saw policemen marching on street in the centre. I wondered why they need such public relations activities? Are there anything they should be blamed then?

Medellin's greeness

2010-10-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

This city might be not Amsterdam but for Colombian standards it's amazing green. The parks are very good conserved, there r many veggies-restaurants, green-shops, even bike-paths.

Live on the squares of Medellin

2010-10-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Medellin's vibes are the best on the many, many squares.

Botero in Medellin

2010-10-03T11:07:00.001-07:00

Here some pictures of the Botero square (with works of the maestro) and paintings and modern arts objects of an exhibition at the main library.

A Farc-leader killed but nothing's changed in Colombia

2010-09-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, he was indeed a very cruel man. El Mono Jojoy was one of the hard-liners within the Farc and responsible for the inhuman treatment of the kidnapped soldiers, police-agents, politicians in hands of the Farc. But I'm afraid this news is being exploited by the government to acquire more political and social support and not confront urgent needs in this country.

The Farc are not the only bandits and killers in this country. Probably they're the best well known but in large areas you can't travel thanks to other irregular forces like the Paramilitares, the many groups who were the AUC, and changed their names into Aguilas Negras and many others. In stead of the state-institutions like a disciplined army and police force they're present at the countryside and occupied their positions: they may kill anybody and be the judge and executor at the same time.

At the same time the "falsos positivos" are there: young peasant boys or poor city boys are killed by soldiers and officers, presented as guerrillas in order to receive the money-award for any guerrilla killed.

I guess nothing will change in this country as long as there is not an internal social movement claiming a political settlement as there was in Central America in the nineties between armed forces. But in Colombia there's no mobilizations, no broad coherent formed civil society-groups demanding a settlement, even with the powerful narco's.

The government should implement a policy of redistribution of land and welfare, to silent the "demands" of Eln and Farc , but the Colombian state is corrupt and doesn't care about reforms.

And then again another problem: there's no external pressure for a political settlement. The US is still focussed on the military solution and for the European Union is Colombia too far away.

For now on the terror of the Farc will go on, time is on their side, also the terror of the narcos and paramilitares will continue thanks to this situation.

Calle del arte in Cali

2010-09-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Once a year, in the n´hood of San Antonio there is the artistic day Calle del arte. How great! lot´s of food, art, dance, tango and even Argentinean folklore hugs and good atmosphere. One top day!

Tango-lessons for couchsurfing

2010-09-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

Tango lessosn in exchange for couchsurfing: this is my way of 'paying' for couchsurfing. I did it in the place Armenia, in central Colombia and now in Tulua, nearby Cali. Great experience!
I'm still in Tulua, it's in the middle of nowhere but I like it. No great cultural life, in fact nothing happens here. But people are so simple, not simpleminded, transparent, easy going, happy to see you, happy in their daily life. That's why I enjoy it so much here.

And now something different: Jewish refugees to Argentina

2010-09-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

While travelling in Colombia I'm preparing the next book,it's about the fled of jewish refugees and nazis to Argentina. I just read the memorandum of the ambassador of Argentina after the Netherlands was invaded by the nazis in May 1940 and realised how cruel, how anti-Semitic was Argentinean then.
According to the ambassador at that time, Carlos Brebbia, the nazis were impeccable, they didn't harm anybody. The most awful thing was point 8. There were refugees fled into the Embassy of Uruguay and the ambassador explained why he considered inappropriate to help them. '...we don't need to help them by no means, they (for Jews, MS) are not popular in our country, we don't have any kind of relationship neither of historical or spiritual link and we should redeem them by giving them to the authorities of the occupation.'
I founded in this investigation many, many examples of antisemitism by officials of the Argentinean diplomatic representations in Europe. Meanwhile, Argentina tried by all effort to receive after the war as many as possible nazi's. Why? I don't think Peron was anti-semitic but he was very much impressed by the building of a corporative state as in Fascist Italy and Germany but even more important was the knowledge of Germans technicians, scientists, military men; anybody who could help him in modernising Peron's Argentina at that time.
There were after the war even two offices opened to facilitate the fled of nazis. And even when Peron was out of power this policy continued as usual. It had deep roots into Argentina policymakers, no matter the political ideology.

The US needed cocaine for the Vietnam war

2010-09-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

I'm now in Tulua, like two hours from Cali.Has just such interesting meeting with farmers and producers of the region. They've witnessed during generations how the plantations and specially the 'cocinas', the "kitchens" where cocaine is produced, have been introduced and maintained.
'It all started during the Vietnam war. Americans came here and needed urgently cocaine to maintain the soldiers there awaken during days. Cocaine is excellent for that. They bought a lot of land here and started to install these 'cocinas'.
Once again, like with the Taliban, Hammas and other crazy men: the US created the devil and the world has to pay for it.
And on the way back: the bus was behind this ambulance, lot´s of guns here.

street of broken dreams

2010-09-18T10:36:00.001-07:00

Amazed about how many people r playing the lottery or spend so much time and money at the many, many casinos. As always most people r here addicted to game, hoping something or someone will help them out of the daily misery. Many of those with broken dreams.
Here a street of Cali with lottery-sellers.

Square of typemachines

2010-09-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

I could not believe at first sight: a square where men may type official letters for those without a computer, a printer. Prehistorical type-machines still going strong.

I had a very interesting chat with one of the clients, she told me her sad life story but didn´t look unhappy or bitter, a great person to meet.

Food in Colombia, pure cholesterol

2010-09-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

Empanadas, churros, chicken, panes. All as grease as it can gets. No wonder why everybody seems to be overweight here. Even the small foods are cooked in bad, old, grease oil.

Happy to see also sellers of fruit on street though.

And I tasted the good dinner at amiga Carmen´s place. It was good though kind of strange: who put salami within the chicken? And besides, knowing I´m vegetarian?

Somebody got shot

2010-09-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Another guest just went for little shops across the street. He witnessed how a guy approached another young guy and shot him in the head. Yes, indeed, in Colombia a human life has no value. How weird.
The receptionist called the police, no answer. We, stupid tourists, went to have a look. Two sleazy guys came in our direction, we chicken out.
Yesterday I went to Martyn´s bar, here nearby. On my way back I was approached by a prostitute, she opened her blouse and showed her gigantic boobs and said something I won´t repeat. I cross the street, first time in my life I run away from boobs. Me a coward.

Any signals of those who think in Cali

2010-09-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

This remind us to the last words of Allende before his dead. Who put it here, dunno.

And this funny graffiti was all what I found against the former president Uribe, responsible for many deaths here.

Salsa festival in Cali

2010-09-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

Funny to see blind people and also those with the syndrome of Down dancing salsa. then the older came.
Here people enjoying themselves, it was really fun seeing this.

war? what war's going here?

2010-09-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Another non-issue in Colombia (among nottalkingabout the disgusting obsession for butt/boobs cosmetic surgery among the nouvaux riches of the narco's) and the level of poverty: the war. There's a war going on here, this country has the second amount of displaced and internal refugees in the world (after Sudan) but it's not on the political agenda.
Worst: there's so much indifference and fear and myths about these "desplazados". People here in Cali speak about them as if they were paria's.
Ten years ago we saw them day after day on TV during the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo.
This is Colombia, far away and nobody seems to care. In the first place by Colombians them selves.

It´s weird how little social unrest u notice here. Yesterday by coincidence I witness a kind of demonstration to raise awareness about water. Lot of children but most adults seem uninterested.

Cali: where are the thieves?

2010-09-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

The phobia for robbery is keeping the middle and upper class in cars. They prefer to ride 5 meters 'cause thieves may be anywhere. Go for a expensive and tasteless coffee -as always in Cali served extremely slow but with a smile- in Juan Valdez Granada and you'll see the white caleños parking as close as possible to the entrance, the bodyguards stap out, control the few meters and then the narcos will find their way to the coffee. These are the real thieves, how much did they already steal from the state and the exploitation of poor people working for them?
Have a look in the mall Chipichape. The main subject of a chat with the gents and ladies of Cali is the robberies. Doesn't happen something more? Yes, lot's of culture activities in the South, I was at a tango class of the cultural center La Juaraca, not far from the Stadium. Splendid area, with many decent people, shops and neighbors just chatting. I didn't feel unsafe but according to the guides and the withe class is this unsafe.

The center is unsafe, dodgy, sleazy. And who did I see there? The poor, the drug-users, those who use "bazuko y ladrillo', a very cheap and very dangerous drug. Did I hear any of those who warned me about the robberies about these population and the many homeless you see anywhere after 10 PM? Nops.
So far I didn't see any robbery, didn't feel any kind of treatment. I rather find it weird to walk to the hostel where I'm staying in the northern of the city: this is supposed to be a safe area but there's nobody on street, only security-guys and 4 wheel drivers who won't stop if you need help.
I just learned a few things about this city:
Do places: the south, around the Stadium, the hood San Fernando.
Don't places: the Center after 10 PM, the North, San Antonio (which is no way something like the Candelaria-hood in Bogota), along the polluted river.
And oh yes: guess what's a robbery? Pay nearly 7 thousand pesos for a crap cup of coffee at the place Ventolini, at Av. 4. Those are really thieves!

Casa Blanca hostel in Cali: what a nightmare

2010-09-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

I thought: let's give it a try, the location is perfect. But what a nightmare that hostel! I slept only one night but it's enough to know this place sucks. There were a group of young Colombians who didn't care a shit about others so nobody in the neighbourhood could sleep until 6 in the morning. They smoke in the room, left the light tuned on, spoke and laughed as hard as possible. And the staff didn't care, too busy with chatting online with friends.
In the morning an Irish guest who was leaving and I protested at the reception for the indifference and a very short answer was the only thing we received was a one word-sentance: "sorry". Nothing else! The girl didn't pay much attention and I was gone as soon as posible. But first I had to pay 19 thousand pesos.
And it's very first hostel that I stay where you've to pay 2 thousand pesos for using the internet.
You're warned: don't go to that hostel.

Surprise: somebody's working in Cali

2010-09-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

I was on my way back from the super and there was a guy who hold my attention. I asked myself the question what's he doing that I can't stop watching him. Suddenly I knew: he was doing something, actually he was even working! Hurray, somebody working in this city, could it be possible?
Since I arrived here everybody seems to have one sport, one way to spend the time: do nothing. People here spend hours and hours sitting on a chair, looking to others as if there's nothing to be done.
And during working hours everybody seems to find ways to work as inefficiently as possible in order to work less and less. The Cali-way of work: four people watching how one person works and all get paid. No wonders finance is never enough here.

Another typical thing here: lack of formality. I made yesterday an appointment with a couple living here, they are friends of a friend from Bogota. I even canceled a voyage to the place called Ginebra outside the city 'cause we were supposed to have lunch together. Of course the couple had an excuse so there was no meeting, no lunch, no nothing. They didn't ring, didn't cancel. I was annoyed.

Marihuana smoking coffee workers

2010-09-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

I love coffee, I drink it as much as I can but couldn't imagine explotation was that bad. I was in the "zona cafetalera" nearby Pereira, Armenia. visited wonderful, beautiful small villages like Filandia (without the N), Salento, Montenegro an dothers. Salento was named at the Lonely Planet as the place to be but it was a tourist gap, a place not to be if you, like me, don't like to be with lot's of gringos around and therefore the service is bad and prices too high.
But the thing happened in the square Bolivar in Montealegro. I saw a lot of men wainting and asked them what they were doing.
"Waiting for one boss". Yeps, here it happens the old way in wild capitalism: the boss comes in his 4-wheel driver, picks up who looks fits to work as much as possible for him and that's it. I asked them how much they make a day. Between 7 and 12 thousand pesos a day, what i pay for a cheap lunch.
They start working at 7 in the morning usually and finish at 16 hours.
No surprise the only remaining guys were old; these poor guys survive on what others give to them.
One of this granpa's said: 'Up there, we smoke lot's of marihuana against the mosquitos and the hunger'.

sorry no pics, i left the notebook in Bogota and the Ipad doesnt really work with pics. I'll upload them soon.

Colombia's victims of terror are alone

2010-09-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

I was at the library of the Museum Botero and received a called from a friend something was going on in the neighborhood, in the square Bolivar. I went to have a look. Indeed: there was a manifestation of victims and relatives of victims of the repression of the state.

Every person behind the microphone told emotionally cruel stories about the savage of the paramilitares, the army, the irregular forces of landlords in the outback.

What really surprised me was the indifference of other Colombians. "Yeps, we know, what can we do about it? Nothing", answered several Colombians who passed by and I asked them if they did care.

Indeed, the Colombians society seems to be very, very indifferent towards the victims. There's no huge mobilizations against impunity, there's no demands from civil society to put an end to violence from the state against social activists. It's a lie that so many "desaparecidos" were guerrilla's, it's the same argument all dictatorships in South America used for so long. The guerrilla's are nothing more than a bunch of criminals but the state-agencies responsible for these acts are nothing better.

transport Colombia-style

2010-08-30T18:50:00.001-07:00

I took the bus to the meeting-up of Couchsurfing Bogota. Have been in crowded busses and stations but never something like this. The whole station Profamilia was so packed that I could hardly breathe. And the cue outside was larger than life.

On the way back a sign inside the bus kept my attention. Passengers were asked not to carry weapons. Of course u don't carry weapons in the bus!

The meeting itself was fun. We spoke about indians, a girl told me that there used to be 92 ethnic groups and nowadays 85 'cause many indians were killed in the war between army and guerrillas.

And I learned some typical Colombian words like tirarse means having sex. And arrecharse means in correct Spanish getting angry, here means it getting excited.

And there are no "dark room" in cafés like in Amsterdam but the girls at the table said the toilet is often the place to have sex. I wonder if this is true.

Another funny thing I was told: the people from Pasto in the south are the ones who the rest of Colombians make fun of.

The news: corruption & less kidnaps

2010-08-30T05:48:00.000-07:00

I asked several Colombians which news program is the best: Noticias Uno at 21.30 hrs. So I sat anxious to get the news of the day. The first five (!) items were about corruption-cases of politicians, governors, journalists, bureaucrats. 'Everybody here is bribable', told me the Colombians I was watching TV with.

Amazing how bad the work of these so called journalists is: not a single follow-up of earlier cases, not a single analysis, not an independent comment on why this country is so corrupt.

And then the second item: 23 reported cases of persons who were kidnapped and still hold somewhere. How a incredible amazing story, in this country there were only in one month nearly a kidnapping a day. Most of them committed by unknown criminals, then followed by extreme right "paramilitares", then by the guerrillas Farc.

The big surprise was to see the happy faces of the journalists while they were saying that at least July was a month with less kidnaps. Less kidnaps, hurray! How stupid can they be?

And besides, these are only the reported cases, how about the cases in the outbacks or in the cities which are unreported 'cause families don't want to report them?

And here again: not a single analysis, not a word about why, how, when. No wonders this country seems to be reluctant to confront the narco-maffioso web in which all decisionmakers are involved.

On my way back from the supermarket I saw this, written by some idiots.

Freezing & ugly Bogota

2010-08-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

It's freezing in Bogota. Coming directly from Barcelona is such a shock being in the cold capital of Colombia. What a awful city, there's no heart, no soul in this city. The urban designers must have been a bunch of bureaucrats with no love for others except them selves.

The streets are always crowded with endless files of cars, it took me more than two hours getting from the airport to the centre. There's nothing made with love in the streets, nothing that reminds you that people love living in this city.

Although, I went to la Candelaria, the colonial part of the city. It's seems to be unsafe in the night but didn't notice much of it. I visit the museum of Botero, the great paintor of phat people, huge butts, small breasts. How funny, all the men are painted equally, their face are all the same but the faces of the females are all different.

In the night I went with two persons to a concert of a music group from the Pacifico, as here the Pacific coast is called. Great dance music, though a bit monotonous after a while.

But then I discovered how great dansers Colombians are. I looked and was amazed, wish I could dance like them. I only dance tango and I'm happy with that, for the time being.

Good-bye Barcelona

2010-08-21T05:03:00.001-07:00

"Partir, c'est mourir un peu", is there an English translation for this? Dunno. But indeed: leaving a place feels like dying a little. This pic says it all.

I've lived in so many places and I would now be immune to leave Barcelona. But I've too much blood running in my veins, I'm feeling sad about leaving Barcelona.

Last week I was for the last time at my flat in the street Roc Boronat. Daragh, the Irish new owner, asked me if I would like to have a moment to say goodbye to the flat. Then again I realize I'm really going. Tears come into my eyes remembering how miserable I felt when I opened the doors of the flat in June 2005. The painful chapters which made me come to Barcelona are now closed and now I'm going again.

I'll miss the sun, the food, the easiness to take the bike and go from the beach to the centre. Or the Pakistani selling beer for one euro, the many cultural activities in the summer, the beach, the siesta, the beautiful Gothic buildings, the hidden places I discovered through the years.

And of course I'll miss certain people. Most of them are foreigners; catalans are not easy going to make real and deep friendship. Actually most of my friends have already left the city and went back to Holland, the UK, Colombia or Argentina or elsewhere in Spain. The reasons: lack of work of difficulties with getting the right papers or just simply sick and tired of catalans and their humourless way of living.

Though: no negativeness in looking back, I've been treated well here, never felt a foreigner as I did the last few years of my long stay in Holland.

Now it's time for me to move on. I sold and gave away my properties and goods. Books and personal belongings stored in a storage-box until I know where I'm going to.

Maybe I would stay here for a very short time again but I'll not live here again, I close this chapter and other chapters will be open.

I'll go first stay a while in Colombia, then back to Europe, probably Amsterdam or here for a month and then Argentina. And then? Who knows. Maybe elsewhere in Spain, maybe Amsterdam, maybe an unknown place with new challenges, persons and new adventures to meet.

Maybe I change plans, depending if I find somebody to share the path or something that makes me stay or go.

Bull fights III (and final about this issue)

2010-08-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

Nature takes revenge. This has just happened in Navarra, north Spain. Look at the idiots cheering about the torture of the bull, look how brave they look as long as the bull is blooding empty far away. Look how they panic as the bull jumps and wants to take revenge.

I'm not a eco-freak; much more a urban person who prefers sitting at a café than walking for hours in mountains. But I'm so glad when nature takes revenge

Bullfights in Catalonia II

2010-08-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a way to wake up while reading El Pais. As I knew it, bullfights will be over by 2012 but cruelty against animals isn't over in Catalonia. And political parties are so hypocrite here, from the left to the right they abolish the bullfights only 'cause that's considered a "Spanish" tradition but the well known Catalan horrendous Middle Aged celebration called "Correbous" are not over.

With tax-payers money every year this idiot traditions are "celebrated". Idiots put firework on the horns of bulls, or two teams hold each one horn of the bull and try to get him in two different directions at the same time.

Imagine people hanging at your ears and trying to get you to different directions at the same time. Or the bull is directed to the sea and mistreated as long as it dies.

What kind of people do this torture to bulls? People like you and me, only ten thousand times more stupid, protected by Catalan politicians under the umbrella of "tradition".

The pictures are from the article today in El Pais.

took a ticket to Colombia

2010-08-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

I sold my flat, nothing attaches me more to BCN, except the sun, the culture-activities, the food, being anonymous. Yes, I must say I'm here happier than last few years in Holland; I was never treated here as a foreigner as it happened in Holland.

But at this age it's good to move further more often than when u r 20. I'll fly a few days to Holland. And then? I'll prepare the book about the flight of Dutch nazis and Jews refugees to Argentina. Have a lot to read and write. Where could I do that? Anywhere. Why not in Colombia? I've enough points of that crap company Iberia, only enough to travel to Bogota; so why not use them?

I'm leaving within a couple of weeks. Here's pic of a dance group in Cartagena, taken by the oldest powergirl last year. Now I'll travel to the Pacific's Coast. Let's hit the road again.

Speed dates: what a disaster!

2010-08-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

I tried. I went several times to a speed date, special organised for foreigners living in Barcelona. The more cosmopolitan the more chance I would had to meet somebody with brains, humour (why are Catalonians born with a lack of humour?) and strong character, that's what I thought. I asked the three questions: what paper do u read, what do u do in your freetime and what r your items; the answers to these questions would give me an impression of the personality.
Wrong again. The ladies were boring. "I love my dogs, nature, walking in the mountains, bla bla bla". Why do these nature-freaks not go and live at the Zoo? Another: "I like to dance, watch TV, stay with friends". Yeps, me too, although I'm a terrible dancer. Although I'm not that bad in tango-dancing. But hey, what a lack of deepness. I couldn't imagine me being in silence -the proof of confidence, hé?- with any of these ladies. Neither laughing about ourselves.
One of these ladies looked as if I was speaking Korean when I told her it thrills me to go off the beaten path, to let me surprise by the unknown. She had a deep cleavage as a camouflage but I kept my eyes up and didn't bother. No young at heart-attitude, no adventurous & rebellious look. None of the present look able to have the "compañera"-vibe.

The good thing about these speed-dates is that the first 30 second you inmidiatly know: here's music or no music. The terrible thing was to hold these miserable, never ending three minutes with somebody who kept talking about her pets.
No more speed dates for me. Promised to myself.

Me a coward

2010-08-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

Today no picture. Today I was coward. I saw a man crying on street and didn't dare to ask him if I could help him.
He's sub-Saharan African, one of the many young men who left home and family searching for a better life in Europe. One of these great guys who are always trying to make a living in a descent way: I see them always busy working, selling sunglasses, beer, umbrellas, bags or recollecting garbage in order to sell.
This guy was holding a phone in his hand. I wonder what kind of bad news he had just heard. It may have been bad news from home, or from here, who knows.
I feel ashamed about myself that I didn't stop neither offer him help or listen to him. I went on walking, in a hurry, looked back and saw his eyes closed and tears on his cheeks. Why didn't I stop, I wasn't afraid, I was just in a hurry. And that's something to be ashamed of, the hurry that make me inhuman. Shame on me.

bullfights are over, not because Catalonia loves animals

2010-07-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

Finally, bullfights are over here in Catalonia. This cruel, so called "tradition" is only one the many examples of brutality against animals in Spain. Look at how in the "España profunda" villagers treat animals during the 16 thousand "fiestas":

dogs and sheeps are thrown alive from the top of the church, the corns of the bulls are put on fire and the bulls are forced to the sea and die in a slow dead. Horses are forced to cross fire-bridges and die underway. Cats and paws are hunged upsidedown.

Every year nearly 60 thousand animals are killed during this fiestas, inclusive Catalonia.

I hope every year that as many as possible idiots get hurted while San Fermin.

So Catalonia finally did something for the well-being of animals? Wrong. The bull fights were abolished not because the Catalan politicians love so much the bulls, otherwise they would also ban all the other crazy "fiestas" where these and other animals suffer all kinds of humiliation and torture.

So why did the politicians aprove the abolition of this cruel happening? It's a political manoeuvre: bullfights are by far considered a "Spanish" tradition, let's abolish it then. It has nothing to do with love for animals. The Catalonian parliament is in the middle of a fights with the central governement and threatening with independence (dream on babe) so this is a way to hurt Madrid. Nothing else.

But now let's celebrate bullfights are over in Catalonia.

Festivals in Barcelona

2010-07-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

Summertime means culture explosion in Barcelona.

So many things to do in July and August! I prefer the festivals. We just had our Jewish Film Festival, now is the Sala Montjuic -the festival of independent movies in the open air- going on and then the neighbourhood festival in Gracia.

Let's not forget the jazz-concerts at the Palau Robert during the free night-concerts, one of the most enjoyable gardens in the centre.

In August the Busker's Festival and tw

ice a week in July and August concerts of classic and jazz music at the Park Ciudadela.

And in September, when the city refinds the calm when most of the tourists left the city, it explodes again during four days of culture-activities during the celebrations of La Mercé.

I met this two friends on my way to the jazz-night at Palau Robert. Funny, to see how they while sleeping collect money on the street for their bosses.

A grumpy old man in Barceloneta

2010-07-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

I was this afternoon at the beach. I was so stupid to agree to have coffee with a friend at that annoying place Migas, right in the centre of the hood where a person with brains should avoid: Barceloneta.

This hood in the city is always crowded. The music is too loud and ugly. It has the main concentration of bad taste in anything: bars, cafés, shops.

Lots of "chorizos" (Spanish definition for pickpocket-thieves) looking out for dummy tourists too drunk to realise they're being robbed.

Why do people like this? What's so funny to lie on a beach with the worst sand of the whole beach, with too much people around you and therefore a lot of waste around you.

It was all so annoying but a castle of sand changed my mind. This guy really did his best.

Not all is crap in Barceloneta though. Soon there'll be the fantastic free festival in Barceloneta Busker's Festival. I wonder if this festival is such a success in order to compensate so much ugliness?

Or is it that I'm a grumpy old man?

top-10 do's & dont's in Barcelona

2010-07-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

I wrote a book about the 100 most special places of Barcelona. Here a quick list of do's & dont's:

Do's
1. Parque Ciudadela on Sundays. Great atmosphere, you'll see hippies, musicians, people doing Tai Chi or meditating (early in the morning), Filippino and Latin American families, people celebrating children's birthday, young & old picnicking or having a siesta. In August twice a week free concerts at night.

2.
The Square Sant Felip Neri, in the gothic area. Beautiful little square, full of history, it was bombarded during the Spanish Civil War and 38 children were dead, their school is still there. Look at the fountain, the trees, incredible beauty.

4. The Church Santa Maria del Mar, in the Borne. It was burnt during the Spanish War, you can see the black areas on the ceiling. Feel the power of the altars.
5.Montjuic, the hill nearby Plaza Espanya. Clim untill the end, don't go to the military museum (worthless) but turn right, you've there an astonishing view of the city. Visti the museum Mnac, one of the best, visit the beautiful gardens around.
6. The Human Statues on the Ramblas. Very funny indeed. Visit them during the week, at the end of the morning or evening. Give this artists some money, they deserve it.
7. The vegetarian restaurants on the street Pim Fortuny, nearby the Ramblas. Take a menu on lunchtime. Or visit the restaurant of the Hari Krishna at the Placa Reial.

8.El Call, the Jewish hood during the Middle Ages. Discover the very old gravestones which were "recycled" and used for the walls of Catholic buildings.

9. Papas Bravas outside the centre. Try those at Met alioli or salsa brava, mmmmh!

10. The Beach Mar Bella, take the metro to Poble Nou and walk to the sea, turn left to the nudist area, the best part of the beaches is that. And don't worry, you don't to be a nudist, there are plenty of non-nudist there.

More: the market Boqueria. Don't go in the centre area, that's for dummy tourists buying overpriced candies. Turn right and visit the lovely part of juices, fruit and veggies.
Café La Granja, in the street Banys Nous, nearby El Call and the Ramblas. One of the very few non-smokers cafés, it used to be a cow-milking place and the milk was sold at the entrance in the thirties. At the end of the café are huge stones of a roman wall.

Dont's
1. The Zoo. Very expensive and probably the worst on earth. Very poor, animals looking so sad and unhappy.
2. The Ramblas on a Saturday. Full of dummy tourists, expending too much money for crap food. Full of thieves.
3. The Chocolate museum, absolutly a ripp off for dummy tourist, nothing at all to be seen.
4. The Museum Picasso. Beautiful building but inside they've uninteresting works of the maestro.
5. Eating tapa's in the Borne. The place to be to pay a lot for bad food.
6. The Ramblas after 12 PM. The place to be robbed, harassed of have other negative experiences.
7. The area around Drassanes at night: full of junkies, pimps and other people you don't want to meet.
8. The beach Barceloneta, full of young, drunken tourists who fall in sleep and suddenly discover they're robbed.
9. Spanish TV. Probably the worst TV on earth. Don't watch a second of TV or you'll commit suicide.
10. Pueblo Espanyol, nearby Plaza Espanya. Only for very, very, very dummy tourists who don't know anything about culture.

Don't come to Barcelona!

2010-07-09T03:50:00.000-07:00

Come only if you know the risks of this beautiful city:
1. Lot's of thieves. This city is the Walhalla for thieves. Especially young Arabs in the neighbourhood Gothic area and Romanian females have all the way to steal very easily. The young males are specialized in the hood Ribera (nearby the Market Santa Catarina and the boulevard Via Laeitana), the Park Ciudadela. They're specialized in the so-called "tirones": they grab your photo camera, bag or any kind of values. Mostly it's without violence. They don't even live here; most of them come from Marseille and other French cities 'cause it's easy to make a living as thief here.
And the Romanian females operate on the Ramblas, in the Gothic area, in the market Boqueria. They are very good in acting asif they're Italian tourists, they even have maps of the city, a bottle of water and all the looks of tourists.
Both groups are present in El Raval and the bus-station Nord.
There's a Facebook-group about this. The pics here r from that side.
Warning: I know it's only a minority of these ethnic groups who commit the robberies.
By the way: Barcelona is according to Tripadvisor nr.1 of the cities where you may get robbed.

2. Grumpy Catalans. Don't except to be treated with a smile by Catalan who brings your coffee or cola. Fast and efficient service in restaurants, tapa's-places or elsewhere are not common sense here. Catalans working in services are sick and tired of tourists but they make their living on tourism. Even if you give a tip they won't change their attitude. People working in services reminds me of Cubans: a total lack of responsability or care about the quality of service.

3. Overcrowded centre. There r seven millions of tourists here, every year! The city isn't fit for so many persons; most of you stay in the centre and the beach (most go to the worst beach called "Barceloneta", go further to the beach Mar Bella!)

4. Completely in operant police and justice system. Imagine: they give an ETA-terrorist 3000 years but if one of this perpretrators is caught and if the value of the robbed goods are no more than 400 euros, they get away with only a fine of 50 euros. And the chance that they got caught is nearly nihil 'cause there are nearly no police-agents (in uniform or without) on the streets.
Besides the police are harrasing guys who at least work very, very hard, like Sub-Sahara Africans and Pakistani who sell glasses and bags and beer and umbrellas on the streets. These guys work at least, they never cheat, they never ask for money, they just want to work and the police target them instead of the annoying named thieves.

The major of Barcelona even sees this major problem but doesn't do much. He considers the possibility of giving hotels the chance to do the paper-work for the police (as in Madrid) in case of robbery but the Mosso's (Catalan police) said already they're against it (asif they do a good job!).

Festival por la tierra at the Parque Ciudadela 2010 II

2010-04-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

Still enjoying the greatness of this festival, so many things seen, experienced, eaten and enjoyed. This is the first of a lot of festivals during spring and summer in the city.

Festival por la tierra at the Parque Ciudadela 2010

2010-04-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

It's absolutely the most interesting festival, every year I enjoy it so much. I did this year a meditation-workshop, ate lots of biological healthy food, listen to great enthusiastic musicians, watched so many technics of yoga, tai chi, natural healing. I'm not a big believer neither a eco-freak but, nevertheless, it was fun. The sun has arrived, the city has started with the explosion of cultural events: now the Jewish Film movie Festival, The Busker's festival and many others rallies and events are to come. And I'll joy them.

Hold on Garzon

2010-04-25T03:36:00.000-07:00

I met him in June 1998. I asked Argentineans living in Madrid I I could testify about the disappearance of my father during the dictatorship in Argentina. No problem, a meeting was scheduled. He received very friendly and had very much interest in the case.
It was a relief and kind of strange situation: a judger in Spain with no familiar links to Argentina doing what the Argentina Justice didn't do for decades: hearing the victims, looking for justice.
Now, finally Justice in Argentina is starting to judge the perpetrators and organizers of the Killing Fields in Argentina. Many of them are now dead but it's never too late for the great feeling of Justice.
And now, the old fascists in Spain are after Baltasar Garzon, 'cause he dared to think he could bring justice to the families of the victims of fascism. He and many of us could not imagine fascism is as strong as it is in the Justice court in Spain and the right wing party, the PP, is neglecting the call for justice. No wanders 'cause they never had to say sorry for what they did.
Yesterday was in whole Spain a day of solidarity with Garzon and in favour of Justice. Here's an impression of the rally in Barcelona.

Karl Marx updated: soccer is opium for the people

2010-04-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

Who could have imagine this? Marx was right to blame religion as opium for the people. It was certainly the truth in the 19th and 20 centuries During the Republic here in Spain many churches were burnt to ashes in Barcelona, 'cause religion was misused by the elite to misinform and keep people ignorant.
Now, in the 21e century it soccer the medium to keep people stupid. Barcelona and Real Madrid were playing yesterday and for days there seemed nothing else existed. The corruption-cases of members of the oppositional political party PP, the trial of fascists against Garzón -because he dared to start to investigate the killing fields of Franco's Spain-, the lack of a transparent state: nothing seems more important than two teams of millionaires running behind a ball.

And yes, I love soccer too and I went too to see the match in the city with an Argentinean and his Russian fiancée. I was glad to see people happy and celebrate the victory.
Nevertheless: soccer is now the evidence Marx is needed to understand society.

Finally ready with book about BCN

2010-04-04T09:20:00.001-07:00

I finished the book i wrote with colleague Annebeth about the 100 most special places of Barcelona. Here's it announced.

Education: the key for emancipation

2010-04-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

Once again: education is the key for freedom, for emancipation, for equality between the genders. I notice this statue in the centre of Sevilla, in honor of a female who struggle for better education possibilities of females.
But when I asked several habitants of Sevilla to tell me more about her nobody knew something...

funny beggars in Sevilla

2010-04-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

I saw them in a walkstreet in Sevilla and i couldn't resist having a look. Two guys asking for money...for a drink, or a bottle even better! Wine, whiskey, beer, anything would do for them. They honestly asked for money in order to have a drink, just because they like it.
They had company of a lot of dogs and they were on their way to Portugal. These two guys are honest about two things: they like to drink a lot and they're vagabonds. Don't care about "modern life", a house, a family, any kind of property. They just want to drink and relax and travel. But they're very modern: they've a website.
I gave them some money and laughed a lot with them.
And they even have a price for people who want a picture of them :-)

Sevilla's matadores and his big balls

2010-04-04T06:09:00.000-07:00

I went for a couple of days to Sevilla, the Andalucian capital in Southern Spain. The third time and still rocks that city.
This time I realize, comparing it to BCN, how clean it is. And, besides, how relax and welcoming is.
There were a lot of tourists but I didn't feel the insecurity and harassment to tourists I see in Barcelona.
At the hostel I stayed i met great people from the US, Poland and Ethiopia.
I did a walking tour in the city, learned about the struggle between muslims and christians and the persecution of Jews during centuries. And then there it was: el Matador. A statue for one this idiots who enjoy in torturing animals and killing them slowly at the" Corrida de Toros".
Look at his balls. Did he have tennis-balls stuffed in his trousers? No, the statue was made so, as realistic possible told me the guide. And a matador has big balls, big testicles to confront the bull. What a bullshit.
Was I jealous? No, no need to be jealous. What's so special to be a torturer of animals?

greatest Argentines empanadas in BCN

2010-04-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

A Dutch resident of Barcelona told me about a new place selling empanadas and other Argentinean snacks. It's at the corner of Urgell/Floridablanca, in the hood Sant Antoni. The name of the place is Rekons.
The first time it wasn't that good as the empanadas of La Pizzeria del Borne in the Gothic area. But the second time...wow! delicious! The empanadas are slightly more expensive than elsewhere but they're the best.
But the most important thing was the view: just in front of this empanaderia, which was open in a boring Sunday, is one of the many squaterred houses in Barcelona. Many of them are full of junkies, heavy metal bangers and others who don't have a clue about the political struggle that means squattering a place.
This place is different: the squatters have made their utmost to convert it in a decent place for the neigbourhood. They organize all kind of workshops -cooking lessons, yoga, self defending and of course political debates- and they painted the huge frontside of the house in a very special way.
These are the things that makes me feel at home here in BCN.

What's the obsession with huge puppets here?

2010-02-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

I wonder why do Catalans have such an obsession with "gigantes", huge poppets. Anyway, I must say that's something they do pretty well. For the rest Catalans are more or less like Asterix & Obelix: good people but very simpleminded and too proud about them selves.
Anyway, I discovered yesterday a new excibition of "gigantes" at the Palau de la Virreina. Sorry about the pics, they're made with my mobile.

Roll doors in Gracia

2010-01-03T05:28:00.000-08:00

I went to the cinema in the hood Gracia and was surprised by how many interesting graffiti on roll doors are there. My day was great after reading the text "all flags should be burned" on the previous Catalan flag, or the text "we the hysterics are the best", or "we speak some English" at a door of a restaurant and looking at the crappy waiters I didn't believe a word of it.
The other graffiti: the ugly Van Gogh, "TV means house-arrest" and the "Together we stand strong"...where did I see that before? Nearby my flat in the centre I saw another two beautiful roll doors, one with Che Guevara drinking Argentinean mate. Great!

Papas bravas before FC Barca

2010-01-03T05:17:00.000-08:00

I went to have some "Papas Bravas"at Bar Tomas in the hood Sarria the day before I went to FC Barca. They were grease but I forgot that day about my cholesterol and enjoy them.

Yeps, life sucks in Barcelona sometimes. The smell of urine, the millions of tourists, the provincial nationalistic Catalonians living in the bubble of thinking they're so different than other Spaniards.
But life is good here also. The food, the cultural life, the remains of the Middle Ages in the gothic area, the fast metro, the weather and cheap tickets to anywhere in Europe.

Why do Catalonians have so little sense of their own space?

2010-01-03T05:03:00.000-08:00

It's ben a while since I wrote something, wow! I was in the UK

, back in BCN, visited Holland, the usual.
Every time I'm back in BCN I'm always surprised about the space Catalonians take for them self on the street, in shops, anywhere where they're.
It seems as if they don't see others, as if they all have some kind of "social dyslexia": they walk or occupied space asif they're alone. When they walk or stand they don't stay on the right: they suddenly stop or walk asif they're in the Sahara ignoring the hundreds of persons around them.
'It's a lack of education. People here never learn social behavior, they never learn how to deal with others in social situations or in social traffic", told me Joao, a Brazilian living here. He, like me, suffers the horror of walking in the centre of the city with Catalonians walking or staying right in the centre of streets, shops, stairs. And we keep on saying "Permiso" with the most annoying voice we can. Are we grumpy old men? Yeah, what the hell.

nationalism in Catalonia: fascists of leftwing

2009-10-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

How weird is history. Here, the only city in the world which was ruled partly by anarchists, those who don't believe in nationalisms, who received thousands of volunteers ready to die for the idealisms of equality, libertarian rules and freedom of state and religion. Many were dissapointed then: the socialists, nationalistis and communist persecueted the vast mojority of Trotzkysts and anarchist in order to hold the power in the Republic meanwhile they were fighting Franco too.
IN 2009 nothing has changed: the main leftwing Catalonian parties are nothing else than etnocentric groups with the main "raisson d'etre" of being Catalan. Get a life fucking nationalists!
These people are fascist who celebrate Catalonia as a goal, asif all Cataloniasn would be the same. Look at the rightwing politicians, Pujol, the CiU, capitalists like FC Barça Joan Laporta: they've exactly the same discours: "first we, Catalonians". Isn't it rare that the left here is that stupid to take that statements over?

One year ago, in august 2008, two "left-wing" politicians make it clear. Lluís Suñé of the Green Left ICV called up to adopt children from Extremadura 'cause he considered that Catalonia is paying the poor region too much. Another politician Joan Puig called extremeños "mal nacidos" if they didn't thank Catalonia enough.

And last week, I was at the university of Barcelona. So what would u expect there? Of curse: leftwing propaganda as in any other university. Wrong. There is a shameless fascist called written in the walls saying "Under the pretext of bilingualism Catalan is being demolished".
How stupid, how ignorant they're. Everything is here in Catalonian, the local government is empowered to do anything except having an own army. Look around and everything is bilingual, often only in Catalan. So why bother? 'probably they don't have any other populist subjects than claiming "we r different".

Anyway...in daily life I don't notice much of this Neanderthal issue, most people don't buy this Catalonian bullshit anyway.

b'day and La Mercé

2009-09-28T00:12:00.000-07:00

Such a wonderful weekend! I celebrate my b'day and enjoyed the festival La Mercé, three days of culture explosion in Barcelona. And all in such a lovely weather!

If Che Guevara only knew...

2009-09-05T01:26:00.000-07:00

I was in Holland one week. Great weather, at least that went all right.
I stayed this time in Amsterdam. Walking to the centre I passed the centuries-old men WC's and wondered why other European cities don't have them.

I passed on my way to the enormous library the Red Area and saw of course the prostitutes and coffeshops where you may buy marihuana and weed. Suddenly I saw such a place called Che Guevara. Would he have a joint too? Who could know this?
It was funny though. Sorry for the low quality of the pics, I had that day only a old mobile with me.

Bicing: how to mistreat costumers and tourists

2009-08-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

The idea was great. Based on the sixties-idea of "White Bikes" in Amsterdam the local governement of Barcelona started the Bicing. You may use the bike for half an hour within the city. The fee has rised from 6 to 24 to 30 euros. But hey, who cares as long as it works.

But it doesn't work. It sucks. Another failure of this BS local governement, also living in a bubble.
The bikes are nearly always in a terrible shape. There're constantly software problems and the helpdesk is unreacheble.

Paris and Sevilla have similar projects but they score much better in two ways: the service for the customer (I wonder if managers here do know what that word means) is there much better; the bikes are of a better quality. The Bicing was supposed to be used by many of the tourists, the managers of Bicing promised a week card for them. It still has to be realized.

Catalonians: living in a bubble

2009-07-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent a lovely afternoon with a bounch of French, Colombians and Americans living here in BCN. We ate, we drunk, we discussed the world. And concluded once more something which occurs everytime when I meet with other expats living here: the paradox of Barcelona. This is a wonderful city but then again it's so bad managed.
We further all agreeded on the issue of language: why bother learning a language which is only spoken here and nowhere else? OK, you do learn Hebreuw or Dutch or Danish if you live in Israel, the Netherlands or Denmark. But it's no the same. Catalonia is not a recognized country.
Besides, it's great that Catalonia is BI-lengual and therefore everythign should be in Catala AND Spanish.
And according to a poll (El Pais, 11 June 1009) less and less Catalonians speak Catala.
The anoying thing is that the so called Leftwing here take this nationalistic tool as a core business. And nearly all countries is nationalism a issue for the extreme right, here -probably 'cause the lack of new ideas- is that archaic issue left over for the left.
At the corner of my street there's a bounch of Okupas (Squatters) and they wrote something about the neighbourhood. In Catala. Meanwhile nearly all the residents if the area are migrants from the Dominican Republic or Africa, Spanish speakers. Do they have any spirit and sense or reality?

Photographers with the right heart.

2009-07-24T04:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the MNAC, one of the very few good & interesting museums in Barcelona (there are a lot of museum here but they're, as the fucking Sagrada Familia, made as a rip-off for dumb tourists). Anyway, there's an exhibition of the photographs of Robert Carpa and his German colleague and fiancé Gerda Taro. Both made great pics of the war in the thirties in Spain. It was one of the afternoons during the week, which is free of charge so there were a huge crowd but I enjoyed every second.
What a great exhibition, have in time seen such pics, so amazing shot with the right heart, in the right moment and, of course, in the right place. Until yesterday I never had heard about Gerda Taro and her tragic life -she survived wars but was crushed and run-over by a tank in 1937- but definitely she's my favourite. She, much more than Carpa, had an eye for the human factor in extreme situations like a war: she took pics of blind men playing music meanwhile Barcelona was bombarded by the planes of Mussolini who supported Franco, also of families doing what every family likes to do anywhere anytime: laughing, having a good time together.

They photographed the fierce of the war, the refugees and the loneliness of the Republican combatants. The eyes in the pics! Poor Republicans, left so alone by the governments of France, the US and the UK at that time.
I took some pics but they're of poor quality, using the flash was not permitted and I had only my camera of the mobile with me.
When I went outside for fresh air -god, it's so bloody hot these days in Barcelona- I thought about the courage of Taro and Capa. They were great, as persons and as photographers.

Eco-freaks in Barcelona: why talking about "us and them"?

2009-07-21T02:09:00.000-07:00

I visited this weekend the eco-village Can Masdeu in the outskirts of Barcelona with more or less ten CouchSurfers. There's an American living there and he was so kind to give us an impression of the place and how they live. It's a former hospital which is now squattered by 21 persons. All they do is about ecology: they recycle every little thing, they've a bike-working place, huge gardens, etc. Look how ‘sweet’: even their washing machine is powered by a bicycle.
I asked what were the problems. As anywhere: rumours, daily life-attitudes, those living with children and whatever that includes.
Before, I went twice to eat to a place in the street Magdalenes, also squattered. The lunch, vegetarian of course, was supposed to be ready at 14.30 hrs but it wasn't ready until 15.15 hrs. That didn't matter. What did matter was the atmosphere: the mainly young people had this animosity towards anybody and everything they didn't consider completely right.
There was a discussion about honey: is it ok to ‘steal’ honey from the bees? “Get a life’, I thought. Of course, do bees really care? Or to eat an apple from the tree? No, unless it has fallen from the tree, stated somebody at table. And I make the ‘mistake’ to said I do my daily shopping in Carrefour. Oh what a petit-bourgeois am I. Who cares? For the girl I was talking to, it wasn’t important that Carrefour offers jobs, she said: “We only buy directly of producers or little shops”. The first would be the best but I do know that little shoppers usually are extremely disgusting people, they always dream to become rich and exploit everybody working for them. Who said such grosser’s are saints?
I passed that stage, I'm sick and tired of dogmas, of people who think to have bought the truth and dictate others how to live. Even if they're right in their conceptions, it sucks when people are so arrogant to raise them above others and called them unaware. The same feeling had I before in the eighties with eco-freaks, extreme left-wing activists and others. Probably I was one of them. Why don't they learn about the faults of earlier generations activists? "Get a life"
Thinking back to both visits I wonder why anger is used into negativity, in anger, in thinking in terms of "us" and "them".

Lucy's says goodbye to Barcelona

2009-06-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

Another amiga is leaving Barcelona:-(( bloody hell: this week two friends are saying goodbye: Andrea is going back to Germany and Lucy to Britain. We had a sunny and great picnick in the Parque Ciudadela (where else?) to say her godbye.

She was a great flatmate and is a very special person. I've learnt so much of you, red devil.

In Peru it all seems quite

2009-06-27T05:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday back from Peru. I arrived there the day when Indians took the up streets -better said: the jungle- against the shameless plans of president Garcia to "develop" the Peruvian Amazon. A typical Latin American scene: the bloody liar president send his troops, they killed unarmed citizens and they get away with that. But these time the Indians won: the project was stopped.

And in the quite and peaceful Huanchaco I was amazed about the indifference of the rest of Peruvians. "We lack character, nothing seems to disturb us", a young surfer said. Indeed, I was impressed in Peru by the quietness of everything, Peruvians are grosso modo the most introvert persons I ever met. Conflicts elsewhere and of others seem to be "far away stories", they just don't bother.

Also in Huaraz, very high in the mountains, the same feeling: nothing seems to worry Peruvians in the Andes.

There was though a kind of protest meeting in this city: they were protesting 'cause they had loosed their jobs after a corrupt mayor was send away. "We only want our jobs back", said them. Surpringsily they wanted also the corrupt ex-city mayor back. "At least he gave us jobs". Mmmh.

As a "little bourgeois" that I'm I went to ride horses with two Israeli's.

Yes, like in Colombia there were a lot of Israeli's and it was a good signal for a Jew like me: Peru, at least the northern part, is indeed cheap.

And I nearly got into the arms of a Chaman, a kind of Peruvian witcher.

There's huge demand for their services, they even advertise along the road as you can see. But I was warned: I could lose my sight and only see my thoughts for a couple of hours. No, thanks, I prefer to stay the boss of my body myself.

And then he offered to put a cuy, a local animal, to suck all my negative energy and stress away. The animal was supposed to run above me, and then it would die in the hands of the chaman and be opened to show me the "shadows" of my body. Oh no, me no killer.

And I spent a night in the Sheraton in Lima: a passenger passed away in the flight so the rest was brought to this luxury hotel. I spent the day in Lima: one of the most ugly cities I ever been. Even the "bohemian" hood Miraflores is grey, heartlesss.

Would I recommend North-Peru? Yes, if you're not much of a talker like me. people don't talk to strangers that much. But even then it's worth it. There's nothing like being surprised by the unknown.

In Colombia (2)

2009-06-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

How do Colombians call the most famous national, Gabriel Garcia Marquez? Gabriel Garcia Marketing. Yes, Colombians realize Marquez is a great writer but I've met a lot of Colombians who are sick and tired of the big public relations thing of the writer. "He wrote one single book and copy that book for all the rest of his publications", said many to me. "He's a charlatan, a clown, somebody who's only able to sell books making use of an old knowledge: repeat and repeat what people want to hear. That's the key of his marketing. And it works: he keeps on selling books.

Another two icons of Colombia confront also mixed feelings: Shakira is only popular in her hometown Barranquilla and Juanes ...people are also already sick and tired of his face and bla-bla tune.

I kept enjoying Colombia. Never been in a place with such beautiful and divers females. Never been in a country where I felt right away at home. I even found the female of my dreams but ...oh holly shit, she's no head!

I discovered the place Taganga, it seems it's copied from the movie "The Beach", so astonishing beautiful.

Here's a couple from Brazil, lovely and interesting both, good examples of those who I'd met during the travel.

In Colombia (1)

2009-06-01T01:08:00.000-07:00

I discovered the place to be if u r looking for a place to enjoy peaceful life: Colombia. Yes, never mind the idiots of the Farcs, neither the killers "paramilitares" and other violent types: Colombians are grosso modo very friendly, very welcoming. Probably 'cause there's no mass-tourism (so, please stay away), or maybe 'cause they're just like that by nature.

I've seen only a fraction of Colombia: Bogota, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Taganga, Parque Tayrona, Minca. But it was enough to know I've a good vibe there. And it feels like I could stay for ever there.

I've met wonderful people, travelers like me, who were delighted to be surprised by the unknown. They and I were impressed by the every inch we went through in Colombia.

And such a stress-free atmosphere. I wish I could stay longer.

1 May in BCN

2009-05-01T05:28:00.000-07:00

Workers day in the city with a special revolutionary past: it's the only city in the world which was ruled by anarchists. There were four ministers during the "Spring Time" of the Spanish Republic in the thirties. The Republic began in 1931 and in 1934 won the left the elections and during the Spanish War ('36-'39) the Anarchists and Trotzkysts took part in the Republican Governement which was moved from Madrid to Barcelona, the stronghold of the Republic.

Here the anarchists had a incredible majority, never seen in other countries and were very militant. Some of them crossed the line and killed many priests and "little bourgois" since they were so hated by peasants and workers. But nevetheless, these killings were nothing with the atrocieties commited by the Franco's army, which was mostly formed by hired Arabs and counted with the support of Mussolini's and Hitler's air forces.

Besides, the Anarchists and Trotzkysts were persecuted after May 1937 by two former allies: the socialists and communists.

An important detail: the left wing parties were opposed to the right to choose for females 'cause they were afraid this would favour the right 'cause women were mucho more influenced by the catholic church. For sure the priests ordered to vote the right but most women didn't follow: the left wing Frente Popular won the elections.

But during the time Anarchists took part in the governement they make unique things: the education system was democratized, there were the first Montessori schools here (actually she fled from Mussolini's Italy and started here her system), the equality between sexes, young and old, social classes was institutionalized and promoved, the prostitutes received rights, the was a very rich cultural life & creativity, the eco-movement was unique also with dozens of eco-organizations.

Anyway, back to the Workers Day in Barcelona: I visited the major meeting and saw the Anarchist syndicalists CNT. It felt wierd, they were a generation ago the biggest movement here and nowadays they're no more than "cuatro gatos locos". It seems that this happens anywhere.

Here some pics of today's march.

Festival por la tierra at the Parque Ciudadela

2009-04-27T02:42:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming to Barcelona. And the beautiful season has just began: nearly every single weekends there's a festival, open-air activity or

another very interesting thing to do. Two weeks ago there was the World Festival (Festival por la tierra), organized by the Friends of the Earth.

There was music; there were massages, workshops of yoga and meditation. I took part in one and felt great when I was done. So much postive energy, so many nice people, great atmosphere.

Here a few pics. Absolutely one of the best activities in the city.

The Netherlands & crisis

2009-03-29T02:18:00.000-07:00

Being a week in the Netherlands is always good to know why people do want to live elsewhere: the weather. My god, what a terrible rain, wind and cold. Still, Dutch people never mind, they go on cycling as if they were in sunny Spain.

Is this the key to understand the perseverance of Dutch people?
Once I interviewed in Amsterdam Basker Bashee, a Zimbabwean political scientist, and he told me about his admiration for the "who cares"-mentality of the Dutch. I do admire them too.

Another thing to admire: how they deal with the crisis. The government (consisting of three parties) and the social partners have reached an agreement about economical reforms. Whatever you may think about the results, the fact that people agree to reach consensus and carry responsibility -both important elements of the so called "Polder-model"- shows how mature Dutch politicians are.

Barcelona fights back!

2009-03-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

I was only a few days away and the revolution starts in Barcelona without me! How weird! It didn't wait for me...and when I came back it was all over. Police-brutality was again the enough to disperse the student’s uprisal. The day after, I was walking home with a loth of veggies and fruit and I saw a huge crowd walking down the Via Layteana. I though it was a demo against police brutality of a day before so I joyned them soon. But after a few minutes I realize this was something different: it was against the crisis, better said: against the fact we, normal people without bonusses, are paying the crisis. Didn't

matter, it felt great to be a part of this angry younf dudes. So I'm too angry, thoug not that young anymore so I walked with this heavy bags back home after a few meters.

In Granada

2009-03-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

Mmh, still wondering where I could live. So I took the plane and visited Granada, the University City in the south. It's absolutely a great city: small, though not too provincial thanks to the university-life and all this hippies -most of them seem to be from Scandinavia-, a lot of West-Europeans living there. There's a cultural very interesting cafe (for non-smokers, great), the city is clean and safe. And this neighbourhood, el Aylbaizin: so beautiful! And all these shawarma, mmmh!

I met there an American writer and Angela...an intelligent, very sympathetic Italian. It's so great to meet people like her, I met her through couchsurfing. It happens always when you're on the road: you meet great persons, big characters, and special persons.

The last night I knew it: I wonder if this is the city where I want to live. It’s a long way to the beach and –this is the most important- it has very poor flight connections to Western-Europe. But…who knows. The search continues; I’m going to visit Malaga and Valencia too.

Speed-dates:

2009-03-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

I visited last week a speed-date Spanish style.It was Spanish slow. It took me only a few seconds to look at the eyes of females to know they ‘re looking for a macho-thing to watch every night the soap together and visit the family and friends. I’m so amazed about how poor and narrow-minded females here are. Even if they called themselves emancipated, left wing, blab la…as soon as they feel comfortable with you, they’re expecting to be treated in the most archaic traditional way: the man has to pay for the drinks, he has to conquest the female, she’s to resist a little and then give in. My god, aren’t we too old for this?

Looking at these females expecting to be conquered by the “Principe azul” I felt too simple for this game. Once again I miss the Netherlands where directness and honesty are being put usually before this theatre-attitude.

Mmmh, thinking about going to the “eco-single days” or to the “eye speed dates” (you’ve to look during a minute to the eyes of the other and then you may talk).

How difficult is to find an independent, assertive female with self-esteem. And yes, she’s to be voluptuous, yeah.

Why is service in Spain so bad?

2009-02-11T01:57:00.000-08:00

Yes, there’s sun, good food and siesta. There’s beach, mountains and a great climate. Old, lovely cities, a very good private health system. And in the city where I live Barcelona you may use the bike as the most fast and easy transport way.
But there’re Spaniards. And they’re Latin-style organizers: the worst on earth. You expect that in Latin America but not in this country in Western Europe. How could you explain that?

Spain has come through a huge economical and social development since it got into the European Union in 1986: from a country which was not changed since the Middle Ages to a country with modern infrastructure in many ways. During the last 30 years there're big, modern roads anywhere, pc's -but no one seems to know how to use them- but the service hasn't changed. Neither the old fashioned way to organize things. So here’s still the problem: the customer doesn't have rights, the Law of Murphy is everywhere: if something can go wrong it goes wrong.

Just a few examples:
• I contracted Internet provider Ya.com. Here in Spain Internet connection cost the double as in Holland and it’s not fast but you need one, so I didn't have much choice. I didn’t receive the signal and the router didn’t work. I renounce and Ya.com kept on billing me. I sued them through the Consumers Defence, we send them 17 (!) letters demanding my money back, Ya.com agreed but they didn’t even bother. After FOUR years they gave my money back.
• To put my name on the bill of the Gas Natural took EIGHT months.
• I’ve my insurances with the company Axa. It’s the worst nightmare: they charge me every month the annual bill, change my year of birth, make every possible mistake they could make.
• The building in front of my flat is falling apart, ‘cause it’s bloody old and the owners don’t care. I wrote several official protests-letters to the Ajuntament: not a single answer.
• If I want information about my credit account at Caixa I have to go myself to the office. No, nothing can be done by phone, internet what ever. These idiots at the office wouldn’t anything to do without customers I guess.
It would be so difficult to deal with these things if you didn’t have to listen to this nationalistic crap stories of Catalonians. Oh well, maybe this explains why the best thing I do here is enjoy the sun, food and beach and try not to bother about this horrible management-capacities of Spain. Or maybe move elsewhere?

Liverpool is more than The Beatles: The Slavery Museum

2009-02-01T06:04:00.000-08:00

A few days in this city: great! The weather was UK-style: windy, cold, clouded. Didn’t matter, but the lack of internet-connection at the hostel made me go nuts. Had

to spend hours at the local McDonalds ‘cause it is one of the very few places in this city where wifi is free. And I’m a Jew and (half) Dutch and therefore don’t want to spend money without reason, so I consume too much of this crap food.

The very surprising thing was the Slavery Museum. Brilliant. It’s being made with lot of dignity, covering the roots of slavery, how it was done and it’s follow-ups and consequences for Africa. The most amazing information was how slave trade contributed for the welfare of Liverpool: lots of banks, enterprises, the local government was paid by the benefits of this infamous trade. And not to forget: lots of charity-initiatives were paid through slavery-trade: schools, guest-houses, hospitals, orphans-houses, etc were made financially possible thanks to the benefits of this trade.

Surprisingly the museum named many of the traders with name and surname. There’re still streets being named after notorious slave-traders.

But my questions about how slavery is working today in attitude of many white, coloured, black, migrants was not there. How to deal with this white attitude of “knowing it always better”? Has this anything to do with slavery-relationships?

And how about the lack of responsibility of black men? Where does it come from that attitude in life to have several children along several women and not taking care of them? I’ve heard before in Holland that the lack of family-ties was set during

the

slavery,

when men and women were kept apart and families were disintegrated. It could be but for me that’s insufficient nowdays to understand why so many black men are still being irresponsible for their children. Is it after all a matter of race? No, I can’t believe that. Neither of culture. Does unequal gender-relationship has something to do with this? Why do black women still take it f

or granted, even if they’re well educated and financially independent?

"Saudade" to the Netherlands

2009-01-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

I spent one month in my former living-place. Brrrr, never felt so cold: minus 17 degrees! The channels were frozen, my nose and fingers too. It was just like the global warming was saying us: “I’ll give you a winter to rest”. It didn’t stop me of celebrating and having fun with my sis, the kiddies and see great amigos like Melllouki-Cadat and Herman.

The days passed by, I took care of the youngest –that anarchist of 17 years- and prepared myself to accept the oldest –that anarchist of 21 years- is about to leave to Peru. And wow…I felt at home again in Holland.

Yes, unbelievable but I realise I’m much more Dutch than I could ever imagine. Grosso modo the Dutch –white or mixed race, middle class, university degree- is down-to-earth, communicative, honest, individualist, straight and direct in his communication. He doesn’t like to posh, to show his wealth, neither to talk about money, he works hard, doesn’t complain and argue with the government and anybody else about anything.

Probably are these things the results of 500 years of Calvinism. Johannes Calvijn, the protestant thinker, who joyed the Reform, called himself a humanist and he was very severe on ethics and morals. Like any religion or sub-religion Calvinism has been misused. But nowdays, it’s great to know a society where strong morals are combined with the freedom to use marihuana, euthanasia, sexual orientation and an very progressive tax-income system. He was probably a not easy going person in daily life but there's one beautiful thing he left the Dutch: the atittude of "I resist to conform the mainstream". He resisted the attacs of the corrupt Roman Catolic Church, the governements and nearly everybody around him. He called to resist the official church and governement. A kind of Che Guevara was he, wasn't he?

I went to a speed-dating in Amsterdam. Dutch women never attracted me that much –they’ve great big chest but are not the most expressive persons on earth- and then again: I knew all the non-written communications codes and that felt great. Such a pity: no interesting woman again. And the few ones who did have some grey cells didn’t see me as a serious candidate. Oh well.

While flying back to Barcelona I felt like I have to think going back to live there. The deepness of conversations, the deepness of friendships, the social debate about the environment and how this crisis could be use to have a much more green economy made great impression on me.

These feelings remind me the song of The Clash: "Should I stay or should I go?"

In Oporto, Portugal

2008-12-12T09:54:00.000-08:00

"Are here any prisoners?" I kept on asking me this meanwhile I was walking through Oporto. People are there so extremely law-loyal, so "fifties-ish". Everything and everybody seem there to belong in a museum.

The buses are older than my grandma could be. The shops, hair-models, the clothes people wear: everything is old-fashioned. Is that wrong? Not at all. It's only that I didn't expect that.

I talk a lot in Oporto, with one guy about how he fled 'cause he didn't want to do his military draft in the colonial wars in Africa. He told me about how anarchists were hanged in front of the Judges Houses in the centre of the city.

A Cuban who I met the last day told she misses her country. "Portuguese are sad, boring people." Indeed, they seem to be sad, without energy. But, it's pleasant to be in such atmosphere, as if time was stopped. Portugal and Cuba have many similarities: time seems to be stopped in both countries. There's though a big difference: people in Castro's island are harassing every visitor in the daily struggle of the fittest. In Porto was no "amigos" or "amigas" trying to steal something from me, there were only friendly persons.

So innocent, friendly people there.

It was a very cheap stay in Oporto: the flight was only 12 (indeed, twelve) euros -inlcuding taxes and the use of the credit card- for the two-ways ticket. The bus to airport Girona was more expensive: 21 euros for two ways. And I stayed at Catarina's flat in Oporto. She is -like me- a member of couchsurfing.

An absolutely phenomenal, this Catarina, she called herself campesina. And indeed, like most campesinos, she is down to earth, honest and very, very friendly.

Here some pics:

Me on the famous bridge between Gaia and Porto.

Me in between Catarina (on the right) and her friend Silvia.

I guess this piece of art is too difficult to understand for me.

It's situated at the park where anarchists used to be hanged in front of the Judges House.

This blind man is holding a tabloid saying “Blindness doesn’t kill but for sure it’s a difficulty”. I couldn’t resist taking this pic, although I didn’t ask him permission. His sentence is so multi-interpretable; it made me think a lot. And it reminded me about the masterpiece of the Portuguese writer José Saramago “Blindness”, one of my favourite books.

I empty my coins in his cup, but felt guilty and ashamed about the fact I didn’t ask him for permission.

On the streets of Barcelona

2008-11-19T06:13:00.000-08:00

There are remarcable texts and spaces in my town Barcelona. Some texts are written on the walls of toilets or outside, just on the street. Other spaces are from another time. Take a look.

This warns you for professional thieves in the bar Viene on the Ramblas. How are visitors of this coffee-place supposed to know what this mean if it's written in Catalonian and not in English neither Spanish?

These holes are the silent memories of the heelshoes of prositutes in front of the restaurant Amaya at the beginning of the Ramblas, nearby the Colon statue in the forties and fifties.

They spend hours, days waiting for the clients and their heelshoes marked their place for ever.

Indeed: why is there no modern dry machine to dry your hands at the men-toilet in the Library Monnemaison in the centre?

This was found at the men-toilet of the Bar Original, next to the Museum Macba in Barcelona

Such a great poem of Bertrolt Brecht on a wall in the beighbourhood of El Raval, Barcelona.