Ciao!

Sunday in Munaipata

Met Jay & Alison for late breakfast, then headed up towards El Alto, to Alison's field research site in Munaipata (she's an anthropologist). It was the anniversary celebration of the zona, and we joined in first hours of the celebration. Munaipata, btw, is located just above the autopista (the route to the airport) and is somewhat difficult to reach (we walked up).

Posted by Miguel at 02:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Yogurt crazy

One of my favorite things in La Paz is yogurt. I especially like the liter bottles of drinking yogurt; it's great over granola (Andean granola's great, especially quinoa & amaranto). There's also little bags of liquid yogurt kids take to school, or drink at home for snack; you just bite the end and squeeze the fresh goodness into your mouth. And there's so many different flavor varieties.

Posted by Miguel at 07:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Telephone conversations

Today I called my friend Dan, who's getting ready for Moped Army BBQX. It was good to hear his voice again, and to wish Team Minarelli good luck in the cross-town race. He then handed the phone over to a very eager J. Edmund, who's visiting Kalamazoo from his new home in Boston.

Later, I called Santa Cruz looking to wish my abuelita a happy Mother's Day (in Bolivia it's 27 May), since I didn't get a hold of her yesterday. Surprised to hear tía Lea on the phone, who's back from the US. She chided me about my adopted paceño accent. Then wondered why I'm not married yet.

Posted by Miguel at 07:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Beauty queen in a row

Miss Bolivia, who hails from Santa Cruz, is in hot water lately. At the Miss Universe pageant, she was recently asked what was a common stereotype of her country she found to be untrue. Her answer? The image of Bolivia as primarily "poor people, short people, indian people" whereas, she added, she comes from "the other side, from the east ... We're tall, white, and speak English." (BTW, she's 6' tall.)

Posted by Miguel at 02:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

Public transportation in La Paz

Transportation in La Paz is quite varied. There are taxis, radio taxis, trufis, minibuses, and micros. Here's some pictures. Click on any image to view larger version.

Posted by Miguel at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Referendum news

Decision reached by the Assamblea de la Cruceñidad; National Electoral Court upset at Mesa; yet another hydrocarbons minister resigns.

Continue reading "Referendum news" at Southern Exposure

Posted by Miguel at 02:32 PM | Permalink

55 days

I'll be in Bolivia for only 55 days more. Not all of it in La Paz, of course. I'll spend at least a week in Santa Cruz, another 2-3 days in Sucre, and 4-5 days in Cochabamba (if necessary). Running around trying to get election data, and hoping the last few people I want to interview can find time from the country's meltdown to speak to me (many are now involved in government offices like the National Election Court).

Interesting political developments all around these last few days, though. Evo Morales is being criticized by his own party (MAS). Tarija decided to approve the gas referendum, so voter registration in that department's extended another 15 days (it closed a few days ago nationally). President Mesa reviewed troops & thanked them for not listening to "minorities" & staying loyal, despite admitting that syndicate leaders approached them for help w/ a coup.

Also, La Paz residents were startled when a military helicopter flew over the city (I was surprised to see it over Plaza Avaroa). Reason? It's extremely difficult to fly choppers at this altitude (I think only special Russian ones can do it), so the military chopper only flies around on "important" occasions (like in February & October). Despite the semi-panic, it turns out it was used to film the latest movie by Bolivian filmmaker Juan Carlos Valdivia, American Visa.

Poker tonight at O Mundo Café. Oh, and I am taking the pictures for my little digital photography project, it's just taking longer than anticipated.

Posted by Miguel at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Politics?

While we tried insulating ourselves from La Paz politics during the weekend, the topic did infrequently come up. Things are tense, but not major. The number of groups protesting decreases, but there might still be a three-day bloqueo on the altiplano, if rumors are true.

Posted by Miguel at 06:46 PM | Permalink

Three-day puppy pile

The reason for my hiatus, is that I took a group vacation in-town. Alison returned from Buenos Aires, feeling a little blue. So. The midwest mafia gathered (Jay & Kate & I) for afternoon coffee on Friday. Which turned into dinner & DVD, which turned into a slumber party, which turned into a three-day weekend.

After bringing Sophie (Kate's kitten) over to the gringo tambo, we opened a bottle of wine, and made pasta. Dragged some mattresses into the living room, lit a fire, ate Argentine alfajores, and settled in for the night. Several movies & a few South Park episodes later, it was lights out, falling asleep in a puppy pile (4 people + 1 kitten).

Lazy Saturday morning, some coffee & from-scratch pancakes, then off to the spa. Then off to O Mundo Café for a game of Hearts. So we did get out of the house. But then it was back to the gringo tambo, joined by Chris (Clare's husband) for more DVD watching & Dunkin' Donuts from Chile. Second night of puppy pile sleep (5 people + 1 kitten).

Sunday no one left a one-block radius (necessary for things like rice, wine, juice). Listened to music, learned a game invented by Chris, made rice & chili. Then more DVD watching. Third night of puppy pile sleep (5 people + 1 kitten).

Quite relaxing & enjoyable. But. Now it's Monday, and back to the real world.

Here's what we watched: Returner, Love Actually, Unfaithful, Party Monster, Big Fish, In the Bedroom, Kill Bill, Underworld.

Posted by Miguel at 02:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Upgrade time

Apple recently announced new iBooks. They now have G4 processors & similar architecture as the current PowerBooks. Time to upgrade, back to an iBook. The total for a 12.1" iBook w/ 1,256 GB of RAM & 60GB hard drive is $1,923. A 12" PowerBook w/ 1,256 GB of RAM & 60GB hard drive is $2,299. Only differences is the iBook has a 1GHz processor; the PowerBook has 1.33GHz. Winner: iBook.

Currently, Kaneda runs at 867MHz w/ 640 MB of RAM. I brought him home last March; he replaced Tetsuo, who in turn replaced Penfold II. And the list goes on.

Posted by Miguel at 07:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Five questions

President Mesa finally announced the questions for the gas referendum. And although there are five of them, they seem rather vague & almost destined to win a "yes" vote by their very wording (which, I'm sure, was the point). But. Despite that, the questions are unclear as to what they actually mean. So. Here are the questions (my translation):

Continue reading "Five questions" at Southern Exposure

Posted by Miguel at 06:14 PM | Permalink

A note of caution

Watched some TV news (Unitel) today at tia Lilia's house before lunch. The autopista (the route to the airport in El Alto) was blocked this morning. It was a protest by rural teachers. The residents of El Alto seemed uninterested, so the protesters began throwing rocks at house windows, cars, even people. A real mess. The police stepped in — after the government announced it wouldn't allow such bloqueos — and gassed the bloqueadores, then arrested 68 of them (one of the few times anti-bloqueo laws were enforced). Just a note of caution to anyone hoping to fly in/out of La Paz in the upcoming days: check to make sure you can.

Also, Mesa's announcing what the questions of the gas referendum will be. Should be a speech sometime tonight. Some analysts predict the questions may decide his government's fate.

Posted by Miguel at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A cheery project

I've decided I need something to cheer myself up. A project. So. I've decided to start a digital pictures series of daily life in La Paz. The first series will be of public transportation about the city (minibuses, micros, trufis, taxis). If you've any kind of "daily life" you want me to record for you, let me know. I'm taking requests.

Posted by Miguel at 11:41 AM | Permalink

Cofradia, then Mongo's

John, a Fulbrighter from Colombia we met in Lima, swung through La Paz at the end of his whirlwind backpacking tour of the country (which included a bloqueo near Oruro). So after my tango practice (I'm getting better), I met up w/ him & Jay in Sopocachi.

Decided to head up to a little secret watering whole I'm privy to (the Cofradia), where Mike asked about Sam, then brought us Jack & Coke. A discussion about Tolkien later, we decided to head out for a wild night. Or as wild as La Paz can get on a Tuesday.

Since Occipucio was closed, we head down to Mongo's, the city's favorite bar for locals hoping to pick up ex-pats (or vice versa). Ordered Huari (beer), drooled over the dancing waitress, and (despite much Swingers bravura) never go the nerve to hit on anyone.

Posted by Miguel at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

xoxoxo

Just to say that Caleb & Marci are two of the most amazing people I've ever met in my life.

Posted by Miguel at 11:21 AM | Permalink

Quispe on the radio

A radio bulletin last night (Radio Panamericana) told that Felipe Quispe denounced his parliamentary immunity to take up armed struggle against the government. Quispe's the radical leader of his political party, MIP (Movimiento Indigena Pachacuti) as well as the CSUTCB (Confederación Sindical Unica de Trabajadores Campesinos Bolivianos). He announced that armed road bloqueos would begin soon, and even threatened to attack military installations. He stated he wants a "communitarian revolution to build a socialist regime in our own style."

Continue reading "Quispe on the radio" at Southern Exposure

Posted by Miguel at 10:52 AM | Permalink

If only it were that easy

Yesterday, a mass rally sponsored by the COR (Central Obrera Regional de El Alto) declared itself the "revolutionary parliament" capable of making national decisions. Never mind that it only represents (some of) the workers of El Alto (the entire city comprises roughtly 5% of the nation's population).

Posted by Miguel at 08:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Pulling all-nighters

Decided to pull a legitimate all-nighter. I've been needing to finish up that paper to send out for publication (the one born from this idea). Since I couldn't really sleep, I decided to head out to the only 24-hour joint in the entire city — Café Ciudad. Fortunately, it was empty & quiet & I found a table w/ an outlet for Kaneda.

Posted by Miguel at 07:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Sad news from home

Apparently, both my cats are now obese. Yes, even Sophie. Maybe they eat because they miss me? I don't know. But Annie's in really bad shape (21+ pounds). Andy's girlfriend, Saloumeh (who's in vet school) officially put my girls on a diet. How did this happen? I managed keeping Annie under 15 pounds for a year (still fat, but manageable). Oy vey!

Not sure what they're current diet is, but I used to keep them on Purina ONE Healthy Weight Management. One cup (total for both) in the morning, another cup at night. Or a little less (2/3 cup) at night if I ate pasta (they like to lick the tomato sauce from the plates/bowls).

Posted by Miguel at 06:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Apartment hunting

Thanks to several of my friends (esp. Bret) who've volunteered to help me find an apartment in Kalamazoo. I've found quite a few on Western's OCL database, but even more on Trident's website.

Posted by Miguel at 06:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The chances of a coup?

The highways out of La Paz are blocked again. Although the markets are still stocked, and prices have only barely inched up, you can't travel by land out of La Paz. This better lift soon, since I need to go to Cochabamba for a few days.

Mesa's in a very tight spot. He insists he's the right to personally determine details of the gas referendum, still unknown to anyone. The military's upset over trials against officers involved in suppressing February's police mutiny — and threaten to not intervene in future uprisings. The COB-led teacher's march continues towards La Paz, set to arrive sometime tomorrow to occupy the city — despite the government's decision to abrogate Executive Decree 27457 (the law that decentralized the health & public sector towards the department prefectures), the marchers' primary demand.

But. I'll give my opinion on a likely coup: A coup isn't likely, despite all the rumors. Why? Several reasons.

Continue reading "The chances of a coup?" at Southern Exposure

Posted by Miguel at 05:45 PM | Permalink

Personal to-do list

Just over two months left in Bolivia. Field work close to ending. What do I still need to do?

1. Gather socioeconomic data at province level from INE (National Institute of Statistics).
   
2. Gather disaggregated electoral data at province level for 1985-2002 from CNE (National Electoral Court).
   
3. Continue scheduling interviews w/ public intellectuals/colleagues (shoot for 12-15 more).
   
4. Gather 1993 election campaign coverage (still missing) from CEDIB.
   
5. Finish list of cabinet members (1985-2004), noting party membership.
   

Posted by Miguel at 06:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Troy falls

The movie falls very short of any expectations I had. Sure, some of the acting was good (Brad Pitt perhaps the only fully believable character). But. Why strip the story of any semblance of plot to make it a long action flick w/ 21st century sensibilities thrown in? Homer's version has survived three millennium, proof that it still stands.

Posted by Miguel at 05:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Poker was a bust

The first poker night turned into teach-Kate-how-to-play night, since there were only three of us. It was still fun, but we're all hoping more people come next Wednesday. Three people bailed out at the last minute. Poker's just more fun w/ more people. So. We retired to Kate's to watch Office Space on DVD.

Posted by Miguel at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Randomness

I've finally gotten around to posting my iTunes library online. For those of you that were interested. It represents about 90% of my CD collection, and all of my mp3s.

Posted by Miguel at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

The military & justice?

Bolivia's recent political crisis, sparked by the military's objection to a court ruling that four officers be tried by civil courts, is a serious challenge to Mesa's ability to govern. And. Like most political crises, this one's not as simple as might look. While it's important to hold the military accountable for its actions, the decision to try military officers for their role in the February 2003 police mutiny has important implications.

Continue reading "The military & justice?" at Southern Exposure

Bolivia's anti-protest protest

In a country where protesting is a national pastime, an anti-protest protest isn't ironic.

Continue reading "Bolivia's anti-protest protest" at Southern Exposure

Posted by Miguel at 04:21 PM | Permalink

A long caffeine day

Worked the bar at O Mundo, Sunday. An especially slow afternoon & evening. I at least got to drink about a pot of coffee while listening to good music. Here's the day's playlist:

Posted by Miguel at 02:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Mother's Day

Although Bolivian Mother's Day isn't until 27 May, today's the US holiday. So. Happy Mother's Day, mom.

What can I say about my mom? She's an odd sense of humor, and laughs at her own little jokes. Other times, she's extremely serious & doesn't seem to get her sons' sense of humor. Although she does like Seinfeld, which surprises all of us.

Always the teacher, she made sure I learned to read & write in English when I grew up in Bolivia. Of course, that also meant I had few "vacations" from school. But I became a bookworm under the tutelage of this English teacher & librarian. As a kid, I had an awesome children's library, which included the book I was named for: And Now Miguel.

Growing up, I underestimated mom's courage. But she moved, sight unseen, to Bolivia fresh out of college. Where she met my dad; three years later, I was born. And although the family moved to Michigan almost twenty years ago, she still considers herself "Bolivian" & dreams of returning to live in Cochabamba, where my parents met so many years ago.

We didn't always see eye-to-eye, which I suppose is typical of a teenage boy & his mother. But I've learned to trust her advice over the years. And I've even grown to share her appreciation for The Carpenters & John Denver. Mostly, I've enjoyed her support & encouragement for my writing. I guess she's my biggest fan.

Thanks, mom. For everything.

Posted by Miguel at 02:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Andy walks

My little brother graduates from college today. And I'm missing his graduation ceremony. See. This is a big deal. None of us have ever missed another brother's graduation ceremony — high school, college, graduate degree. Never. Ever.

Except today.

My family's like gypsies. You can always spot us in a crowd. My first college graduation, I sat among thousands of graduates, in a stadium packed w/ parents, family, friends. I could hear my family, up in the second tier, to my right — my two brothers howling "Centellas!" at the top of their lungs. By the time I took my seat, I knew exactly where they were.

We've always been there for each other. Even when we've been far apart. It's just something people notice about the Centellas boys. After minutes together, we're back in sync w/ one another. We even sit the exact same way. It's uncanny.

So. Andy graduates from MSU — on his way to his new East Coast lifestyle, courtesy of DuPont. The little brother who came all the way to Mount Pleasant to see my band. The eight-year-old cueball w/ the "23" soccer jersey. The IT computer nerd who can't design a web page. Has it really been so many years?

Well, Andy. I hope Sam yells loud enough for me, too.

Posted by Miguel at 03:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Art show, milonga, apple pie

Fali's art exhibit went well, w/ a good turnout. We got the art set up just after 8pm, in a nick of time. The display's mostly a watercolor series — in a minimalist, colorful style that imitates children's art. Quite lovely. The pieces'll be up another three weeks.

Posted by Miguel at 03:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Slow days

The last few days, back from Peru, have been slow & surreal. Still waiting for the National Electoral Court to hand me some data. Maybe this afternoon? Also getting back to trying to line up interviews, which is never easy.

At least the weather's turned again for the better. Sunshine in the afternoons is quite vitalizing. And then got a surprise long-distance phone call from Matt. That just made my entire week.

After the DVD & wine, fell asleep listening to Mates of State, Our Constant Concern.

Tonight's the art show at O Mundo. Tomorrow's my second tango lesson.

Posted by Miguel at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Spooks?

I'm starting to record IPs from the Treasury Department (treas.gov), the State Department (state.gov), and various Pentagon servers regularly hitting my blog (i.e. not coming through Google searches). Not sure what to think of that.

-----
NOTE: I'm pretty sure I'm not being spied on by men in black suits. To think so would make me paranoid, wouldn't it? I was just going through my visitor logs & found some interesting IPs. That's all.

Posted by Miguel at 06:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Economic news (good & bad)

The economic report for 2004's first semester is good. A 44% increase in exports; a growth of $138.7 million. If the rate of export-led growth continues, Bolivian exports could reach a record $2 billion by year's end. Indicators were positive for nearly all market sectors, though especially for agriculture (specifically, soy) & hydrocarbons (gas & oil).

Continue reading "Economic news" at Southern Exposure

Posted by Miguel at 06:07 PM | Permalink

Art at O Mundo

Our first major art exhibit goes up tomorrow night at O Mundo Café. Fali, well-known in the La Paz indie art scene, is exposing a series of watercolors. The reception'll go most of the night. If you're in La Paz, and you're reading this, then you're invited. If you've never been there before, O Mundo is near the corner of Sagarnaga & Linares, inside the same tambo (colonial urban villa) as the Museo de Coca.

Posted by Miguel at 05:38 PM | Permalink

A list of books

I'm late catching up on the most recent list my friends created. So. Below's my list of read/unread books. Those in bold, I read. And. Of course. I added a title or two (the ones followed by **).

1. Beowulf
2. Achebe, Chinua - Things Fall Apart
3. Agee, James - A Death in the Family
4. Austen, Jane - Pride and Prejudice
5. Baldwin, James - Go Tell It on the Mountain
6. Beckett, Samuel - Waiting for Godot
7. Bellow, Saul - The Adventures of Augie March
8. Brontë, Charlotte - Jane Eyre
9. Brontë, Emily - Wuthering Heights
10. Camus, Albert - The Stranger
11. Cather, Willa - Death Comes for the Archbishop
12. Chaucer, Geoffrey - The Canterbury Tales
13. Chekhov, Anton - The Cherry Orchard
14. Chopin, Kate - The Awakening
15. Conrad, Joseph - Heart of Darkness
16. Cooper, James Fenimore - The Last of the Mohicans
17. Crane, Stephen - The Red Badge of Courage
18. Dante - Inferno
19. de Cervantes, Miguel - Don Quixote
20. Defoe, Daniel - Robinson Crusoe
21. Dickens, Charles - A Tale of Two Cities
22. Dostoyevsky, Fyodor - Crime and Punishment (started twice, but never finished)
23. Douglass, Frederick - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
24. Dreiser, Theodore - An American Tragedy
25. Dumas, Alexandre - The Three Musketeers
26. Eliot, George - The Mill on the Floss
27. Ellison, Ralph - Invisible Man
28. Emerson, Ralph Waldo - Selected Essays
29. Faulkner, William - As I Lay Dying
30. Faulkner, William - The Sound and the Fury
31. Fielding, Henry - Tom Jones
32. Fitzgerald, F. Scott - The Great Gatsby
33. Flaubert, Gustave - Madame Bovary
34. Ford, Ford Madox - The Good Soldier
35. Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von - Faust
36. Golding, William - Lord of the Flies
37. Hardy, Thomas - Tess of the d'Urbervilles
38. Hawthorne, Nathaniel - The Scarlet Letter
39. Heinlein, Robert A. - Stranger in a Strange Land **
40. Heller, Joseph - Catch 22
41. Hemingway, Ernest - A Farewell to Arms
42. Hemingway, Ernest - Old Man and the Sea **
43. Herbert, Frank - Dune **
44. Homer - The Iliad
45. Homer - The Odyssey
46. Hugo, Victor - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
47. Hugo, Victor - Les Miserables **
48. Hurston, Zora Neale - Their Eyes Were Watching God
49. Huxley, Aldous - Brave New World
50. Ibsen, Henrik - A Doll's House
51. James, Henry - The Portrait of a Lady
52. James, Henry - The Turn of the Screw
53. Joyce, James - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
54. Kafka, Franz - The Metamorphosis
55. Kafka, Franz - The Castle **
56. Kingston, Maxine Hong - The Woman Warrior
57. Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird
58. Lewis, Sinclair - Babbitt
59. London, Jack - The Call of the Wild
60. Mann, Thomas - The Magic Mountain
61. Marquez, Gabriel García - One Hundred Years of Solitude
62. Melville, Herman - Bartleby the Scrivener
63. Melville, Herman - Moby Dick
64. Miller, Arthur - The Crucible
65. Morrison, Toni - Beloved
66. O'Connor, Flannery - A Good Man is Hard to Find
67. O'Neill, Eugene - Long Day's Journey into Night
68. Orwell, George - 1984 **
69. Orwell, George - Animal Farm
70. Pasternak, Boris - Doctor Zhivago
71. Plath, Sylvia - The Bell Jar
72. Poe, Edgar Allan - Selected Tales
73. Proust, Marcel - Swann's Way
74. Pynchon, Thomas - The Crying of Lot 49
75. Remarque, Erich Maria - All Quiet on the Western Front
76. Rostand, Edmond - Cyrano de Bergerac
77. Roth, Henry - Call It Sleep
78. Salinger, J.D. - The Catcher in the Rye
79. Shakespeare, William - Hamlet
80. Shakespeare, William - Macbeth
81. Shakespeare, William - A Midsummer Night's Dream
82. Shakespeare, William - Romeo and Juliet
83. Shaw, George Bernard - Pygmalion
84. Shelley, Mary - Frankenstein
85. Silko, Leslie Marmon - Ceremony
86. Solzhenitsyn, Alexander - One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
87. Sophocles - Antigone
88. Sophocles - Oedipus Rex
89. Steinbeck, John - The Grapes of Wrath
90. Stevenson, Robert Louis - Treasure Island
91. Stowe, Harriet Beecher - Uncle Tom's Cabin
92. Swift, Jonathan - Gulliver's Travels
93. Thackeray, William - Vanity Fair
94. Thoreau, Henry David - Walden
95. Tolkien, J.R.R. - The Hobbit **
96. Tolkien, J.R.R. - The Lord of the Rings **
97. Tolstoy, Leo - Ana Karenina **
98. Tolstoy, Leo - War and Peace
99. Turgenev, Ivan - Fathers and Sons
100. Twain, Mark - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
101. Voltaire - Candide
102. Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. - Slaughterhouse-Five
103. Walker, Alice - The Color Purple
104. Wharton, Edith - The House of Mirth
105. Welty, Eudora - Collected Stories
106. Whitman, Walt - Leaves of Grass
107. Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorian Gray
108. Williams, Tennessee - The Glass Menagerie
109. Woolf, Virginia - To the Lighthouse
110. Wright, Richard - Native Son

Posted by Miguel at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I hate my neighbors

I really do. I live in 3-story building. I live on half the bottom. The owner lives on the top floor. Her son lives on the other bottom half. He's mid-20, has a pregnant girlfriend (I've seen a pregnant girl around often enough & late enough). I don't talk to these people.

Posted by Miguel at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Cinco de Mayo

It took J. Edmund to remind me that today's Cinco de Mayo. It's a much bigger holiday in the US than in Bolivia (since it's not even a holiday here). So. I'll take advantage of the small La Paz Fulbrighters dinner get-together tonight, to bring a case of Coronas to celebrate. ¡Viva Pancho Villa!

Posted by Miguel at 02:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Bolivia news roundup

Tensions easing in some quarters after May Day strike fails; campesinos willing to dialogue w/ government; gremialistas still on warpath; "media luna" proposes gas referendum rules; anti-march march set for Sunday; politicians not popular.

Continue reading "Bolivia news roundup" at Southern Exposure

Posted by Miguel at 01:48 PM | Permalink

Secrets, revealed (9 layers)

LAYER ONE: On The Outside
Name: Miguel Centellas.
Birth date: 7 April 1975.
Birth place: Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Current Location: La Paz, Bolivia.
Eye Color: Brown.
Hair Color: Crimson (dyed).
Height: 5'10"
Righty or Lefty: Righty, but slightly ambidextrous.
Zodiac Sign: Aries (but don't believe in any of it).

Posted by Miguel at 01:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

The old neighborhood

Here's an satellite image of the Vine Neighborhood in Kalamazoo. My stomping grounds. The circle points to The Parkmont, my apartment building just 10 months ago. Below the thing that looks like a high school (which it is), are three little buildings I visited daily: The Fourth Coast Café, Klein's Bagels, and Martini's Pizza. Along the left edge of the map are the hills & thickets & brick building of East Hall, the original campus built a century ago. I'll probably live in the Stuart Neighborhood when I return to Kalamazoo, but it's nice to imagine the old 'hood.

I got the idea from Mark, using TerraServer.

Also, J. Edmund's mom is now officially cooler than mine. Since she has a blog. But my mom's never been cool, she's just always been awesome. So there.

And one last thing. I just picked up two packages of comics sent by Josh Upson. That's over a month of pulls. Guess who's a happy boy.

Posted by Miguel at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Firsts & Lasts

This list comes via Kara. Feel free to post your own version on your blog.

FIRSTS:

First best friend: Tadashi Nakama. First car: 1985 Chevrolet Citation. First date: 1991 Snow Ball (high school dance). Worst. Blind Date. Ever. First real kiss: Holly. I was 16. First break-up: Holly. Followed by 26 others. First screen name: 32jcsmq@cmich.edu (1993, late to the internet). First self-purchased album: The Sugarcubes, Life's Too Good. First funeral: Friend-of-the-family (can't remember name). First pet: Tony, my cocker spaniel. First piercing/tattoo: I've none. First credit card: MBNA America MasterCard. Bad idea. First true love: Olivia. First enemy: A kid named Jason at my first American public school, 5th grade. First big trip: Summer visit to the US. First musician you remember hearing in your house: Sherri Hudberg.

LASTS:

Last cigarette: Saturday, 1 May 2004. Lima airport. Last car ride: Taxi from San Miguel to Sopocachi. Last kiss: M. Last library book: David Held's Models of Democracy. Funny story. Last movie seen: Screen, Starsky & Hutch. DVD, The Cooler. Last beverage drank: Café con leche. Last food consumed: El Sabor Nacho Chips (made in Greece, not recommended). Last time showered: Sunday, 2 May 2004, 12:17pm. Last shoes worn: Sketchers. Last CD played: Carissa's Weird, Songs About Leaving. Last item bought: A fake Adidas backpack. Last annoyance: Why can't I stop coughing? Last disappointment: Adults who act like high schoolers. Last time wanting to die: Never wanted to die. Last time scolded: Two months ago. Stupid bureaucrat. Last shirt worn: Yellow Moped Army BBQ 9 shirt. Last website visited: www.livejournal.com/users/mcentellas/friends

Posted by Miguel at 03:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Rainy Days & Mondays

Everything's closed today for Labor Day (aka May Day). Although the date's actually 1 May, the government announced this Monday as the holiday, so people wouldn't have to work. Ironic, since many people wanted to work — the incessant COB bloqueos & paros in La Paz have made for more than enough "labor day" holidays.

But this means even La Terraza is closed (no wi-fi & coffee), as are most cyber cafes. So. No rainy afternoon email time for me. If they don't open in a bit (half day, perhaps?) I'll just go back home, work on the paper I owe.

Posted by Miguel at 02:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Peru adventures

Having not posted during my entire week in Peru (25 April to 1 May), here's an update on my (mis)adventures w/ some amazing people.

» Day 1

By the time LAB flight 926 arrived at Lima International, we were slightly tired & hungry. Met by charter bus that took us to Sol de Oro hotel in Miraflores (downtown Lima). Registration, a refund of the airport tax costs, and a $100 allowance awaited us.

After a short half hour to settle into our more-than-comfortable rooms, most of the Bolivia crew gathered for a trip out to LarcoMar, a touristy shopping & restaurant district facing the ocean — just a few blocks from the hotel. Finally agreed on Mango's, a sea-food place, and began drinking pisco sours — which would become the week's centerpiece activity.

Even the La Paz crew was in culture shock our first night in Lima. This was a major city. It's 8 million population dwarfs the entire country of Bolivia. Jay was first to point out, in awe, that LarcoMar had a movie theater w/ more than one screen (it had nine, actually). Parts of Lima remind me of a weird mix between Chicago & Buenos Aires.

We ran back to the hotel, for the 8pm welcome. Pisco sours had been advertised. Non-Bolivia Fulbrighters were gathering, and there were awkward efforts at mingling. Time dragged, and there were no pisco sours. Members of the Ecuador crew had a bottle of Grant's, so I tried whiskey for the first time (didn't like it).

Jay, Lindsay, & I decided to run to the store for a case of Cusqueña beer. By the time we got back, the pisco sours had been served and the "party" broken up. We decided to skip beer drinking, and go out w/ new people so's not to seem clickish (the three of us live in La Paz). Disaster. We ended up the three of us alone at LarcoMar — and decided beer wasn't such a bad idea after all.

» Day 2

Early morning buffet breakfast, w/ much-missed waffles & pancakes, strong coffee, and cereal. Here, the mingling finally began. Plus, this was an amazing five-star hotel. And since we were on our own for dinners, everyone woke up for breakfast every day. The idea was simple: eat a big breakfast, fill up at lunch, eat cheap food for dinner, keep as much of the $100 as possible.

The morning was a slow starter. The typical going around the table as everyone introduced themselves. An overview of what Fulbright is, etc. Followed by lunch. Sometime between lunch and the 3pm panel presentation, my roommate (Phillip, a sociology PhD candidate working on political violence in Colombia) & I wrote our presentations.

The panel went well enough. All but one of the panelists were social science PhD candidates, so these were the least-prepared presentations — no PowerPoint, no overheads, just talking for 10-15 minutes. Somehow, people seemed interested.

Followed by a coffee break. Thankfully, we had a coffee break twice a day. Not that my fellow Fellows' presentations were boring, but we were waking up around 7am every morning & staying out late every night.

After the second set of presentations (including Jay's 45 minute talk on Bolivian modernist art), we prepared for the big reception on the 12th floor. The US ambassador to Peru made an appearance. The nearly three dozen of us mostly just sat around drinking free pisco sours. Phillip (who's much shorter than I first thought) & I talked at length about operationalization of variables and other stuff two lonely behavioralist social scientists talk about.

The evening was capped off w/ another run to LarcoMar. By now, the group was less clickish, and we enjoyed getting to know all these interesting people, eating pizza by the ocean.

» Day 3

Overslept. Missed the entire first session (anthropology); caught most of the second (health). But plenty of time for the lunch buffet before the tour of Lima.

Two charter buses picked us up, and we headed out through Miraflores, San Isidro, and other neighborhoods heading towards Plaza de Armas, the central plaza. Our tour guide had a great dry wit, which made for fun facts. We learned that each of the city's neighborhoods has its own independent municipal government. That the US ambassador lives in a huge downtown mansion near Washington Plaza, where a statue of Washington watches the ambassador 24 hours a day. We learned that Lima residents paint their buildings w/ bright colors because it's cheaper than buying depression pills. And that the all-female transit police seem genetically engineered to only know one phrase: "Give me your driver's license!"

We toured the central cathedral, one of the oldest in America. Saw the bones of Alejandro Pizarro, referred to as "the conqueror" by our guide. Went into an old Franciscan Monastery, including one of the oldest libraries in the New World, as well as creepy catacombs.

In the evening, a group gathered for a walk down the calle de las pizzas. It's a narrow street off Avenida Oscar Benavides. It's a continuation on the bad Latin American business model of putting all the same type of restaurants in the same small space. A row of nearly identical (though quite lovely) pizza restaurants (though they do serve other things), w/ hanging gardens. Waiters lined the sides of the pedestrian mall, hawking their menus, assaulting passersby w/ offers of free pisco sours. We finally settled on a place, and enjoyed our meal.

From there, a group went back to LarcoMar to see Starsky & Hutch, which met few people's expectations.

» Day 4

Managed to crawl downstairs for a 7am breakfast & chit-chat, before our trip out of Lima. We also had to pack & abandon our hotel rooms, but we finally boarded the large bus, heading out south.

Our first stop was Pachacamac, a set of pre-Inca ruins — although the Incas later built their own religious center on the hill above. It was amazing. This giant Andean religious monument overlooking the ocean. Except they practiced human sacrifices. The Inca toured his empire, looked for the most beautiful, intelligent girls, took them back to Pachacamac. Here, they made his hundreds of outfits, and prepared themselves for eventual sacrifice as virgins. Now. This just seems a bad idea, genetically. Take the best female genes in the realm, prevent them from reproducing, then kill them. Explains why so few Andean women are attractive.

We got to the lovely Hotel Paracas w/ just enough time to settle into our hotel rooms, and get our free pisco sours before lunch. This included a lengthy conversation on sex & dating advice, blogs, and their relationship.

After a brief dip in the pool, met up w/ most of the crew in the hotel's bar. It was happy hour, and we wanted cheap pisco sours. More conversations about sex & dating & whatnot. Also, several good discussions on indie music. You know, all the things you'd expect "intellectuals" to discuss. There was talk of going into town (Pisco) to find a discoteca, which quickly fell through once we realized that town was far away & there were no cabs. Rather than join Bart (the Fulbright alumn anthropologist) in crashing a local party, Amber, Lindsay, Heather, and I decided to rejoin the rest of the party at the hotel's karaoke bar.

Perhaps one of the funnest evenings, as everyone went crazy singing some long lost 80s greats (perhaps for good reason) like White Snake. But I got to get up and sing Madonna's "Like A Virgin," Johny Cash's "Sunday Morning Comin' Down," and The Carpenter's "Superstar" (mom would be proud). We also got to enjoy the crazy American middle-aged woman who made us laugh, or want to fight her, or just feel sad for her. The singing continued until well past 3am, in a little bar on the end of a dock, on the South Pacific.

» Day 5

Somehow — not sure yet how — I managed to drag myself out of bed around 5am. This isn't a feat because I was hung over. First, I can hold my drink. Second, I don't drink that much. But because I normally don't wake up before noon — and this was now 4 of 5 days waking up before 8am.

Two boats took us out to the Islas Ballestas, where we enjoyed watching boobies, sea lions, even penguins. The little boats jumped the ocean waves outs towards the cluster of rocks that make up the "islands," before slowly going 'round the guano-topped rocks. Our boat was lucky to have Dan, an ornithologist (he studies birds in Amazon Peru) to point out different species. Breathtaking.

Those who missed the boats were quite irritable, and didn't want to hear about our trip. Though they did require less coffee to keep them going.

From there, we headed out to see more of the Paracas National Preserve. Stopping twice, once to see the ocean. The other time to see a bird sanctuary — although we only saw three flamingos & a solitary hawk. A sandstorm started blowing, and we wanted to start heading back. The Paracas area is one of the most arid deserts in the Andean coastal region.

We rolled up to Casa Hacienda San José for lunch & a peña exhibit of Afro-Peruvian music. More pisco sours, followed by an amazing lunch. Then some dancing lessons.

Later, we toured the centuries-old hacienda, led by the great-grandson of a former slave who'd worked there. The tour included the old Jesuit-built chapel & the underground secret passages used to escape from pirates. After the guided tour, Jay, Amber, & I went out our own little archaeological expedition of the hacienda grounds. We discovered that sports had been played near the giant chimneys at least several decades ago. Perhaps they drank beer.

Finally, headed back to Lima and Sol de Oro, to check back into the same rooms we left two days before. After showers, I decided to dye my hair red. First we went out for falafel. Then, Amber worked on my hair while we watched Gilmore Girls on WB. Then it was time for bed.

» Day 6

Back to having presentations after breakfast. The organizers smartly put the most interesting presentations last. Dominated by biologists studying interesting animals in the Amazon areas of the Andes, including colorful pictures. Followed, of course, by long & obligatory goodbye-and-thanks-for-coming speeches. And then came our last hotel lunch.

Some took naps, or went shopping. I looked for a cheap bookbag to avoid upcoming airport hassles (my small "carry-on" bag doesn't fit the carry-on size requirements). Then, gather up Jay, Amber, and Lindsay for sauna & jacuzzi time. After the refreshing experience that's sauna & jacuzzi, we went out to last night's falafel place, gathering up other stragglers.

Then, time to go crazy at a discoteca. Unfortunately, this took some time. Someone suggested Posada del Angel in Barranco (another Lima neighborhood), advertising it as "very bohemian, w/ good music" by someone who'd been there the night before. While it was bohemian, most didn't consider the open-mic-style guitarist/singer "good music" — certainly not danceable. But we ordered a round of drinks, then got to playing an interesting game.

The game involves giving someone a choice between three persons. Then they have to specify which of those three they'd: A) choose to sleep w/ once, but never see again; B) marry, but never touch; or C) throw off a cliff. Many interesting personal revelations.

From there, we finally decided to try our luck looking for an actual discoteca. Since Barranco is a bohemian, nightlife district. I can't remember the name of the place we found, but it was playing some great Madonna 80s dance tunes, so we stayed there. DJ had heavy preference for the 80s, but w/ great taste. Even some Aztec Camera, a blast from the past (whipped me into a dance frenzy). At Rebecca's request (for me), he also played The Pixies' "Here Comes Your Man" — which made the night complete.

Tired, sweaty, we took a micro back to Miraflores, and our hotel. Fell asleep quite soundly, and missed all the non-Bolivian Fulbrighters who left for the airport early in the morning.

» Day 7

The Bolivian group gathered together in the lobby for a farewell to the few Fulbrighters (all in Peru) still left, and the organizational staff. Then, off to the airport for expensive fast food, while we waited for our flight back to La Paz. Had a great conversation w/ Jacob about his experience at The Poncho Eco-Village (which is not at all an eco-village, but just a green-washed tourist trap) & snagged an invite to his upcoming Cochabamba wedding.

By the time we landed in El Alto, we were ready to get back to our respective apartments & work projects. Sad as it was to leave people I spent an entire week w/. Watching School of Rock on DVD w/ Jay & Caroline was a nice transition back into my paceño life.

Posted by Miguel at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Pictures from Peru

A selection of the pictures I took in Peru. Click on any image for larger view. I'm still writing up a post on the weeklong adventures (up tomorrow, I promise). I'll be sure to include links.

Posted by Miguel at 03:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Back in La Paz

I'll write a long, week-in-review of the Fulbright retreat to Lima (w/ pictures, of course). Which was great. But I just landed, back in La Paz, checked back into my apartment, then headed down to La Terraza to catch up on email, weblogs, and the digital world.

As tiring as the week was, physically, it was refreshing intellectually. Yes, we mostly just drank pisco sours watching the ocean, took over a karaoke bar, and went wild in a cozy Barranco dance club. But I spent a week surrounded by people doing interesting research in such diverse fields. And they weren't all anthropologists — which makes up the majority of Bolivianist researchers.

Oh! And good news. The country's still standing. No golpe (coup d'etat), the exchange rate's the same as when I left, stuff like that. Maybe I should leave more often?

Anyhow, it's good to be back in La Paz. Looking forward to Jacob's wedding in Cochabamba. Even more excited about writing again. Stuff like that. OK. I know have to catch up w/ a week's worth of weblogs.

Posted by Miguel at 08:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)