Gringos on the loose.....
Blogging is hard to get used to. I cant focus on one family member or friend that I think may appreciate a specific story. words can go to anyone and I cannot predicate who you are. thanks for taking time to read our stories, I like being with you at this late hour after our first full day in Venezuela. I can hear the waves crashing along the shore and cicada bugs chirping as the cooler night air streams in. Andy and I just came down from the roof top of our coastal abode were we oohhhed and ahhhed over many shooting stars. We shared feelings and thoughts of our first day. Our host Charlie is an angel disguised as radical ex-priest, independent Journalist, storyteller, jokster and revolutionary cowboy. thats the best kind of angel.
He is making our entry and transition between cultures and languages almost seamless. There are the very humbling moments when I smack full on with my inablility to communicate beyond preschool needs. Charlie is a bit of recluse writer. he lives along the coast in one of these many mosty abandoned penthouse buildings. you could imagine Florida, palms trees and a gated community but you wouldn't get the full picture. In 1999 a mudslide from the looming mountains beyond washed over miles of this area burying anything along the way under mud. 50,000 people died! and these beautiful tiled and brick penthouses were partially buried and looted. The damage is apparent throught all the building and the area in general. I said I would escape the fences of US territory while here yet I find many metal bars on doors and windows. In this area you can never be too careful. Few people seem to occupy these buildings that I have yet to determine if they are on the economic upswing or decline. we did not explore the actual beach. charlie warned against it. the last time he went jogging there he was robbed of wedding ring and watch by someone with a broken bottle top. We actually took the advice and never walked this section of beach. we have seen it from the distance as we walked up the hillside.
I wondered how much safer we were talking english and carrying our digital video and photo equipment where often nesteled into the hillside poverty is greater. However I do not feel threatened or targeted with any negative attention. maybe a slight curiousity or indiffernce. The same reaction we would give folks walking around our nieghborhood.
I saw for myself today the difference charlie describes between the Chavez and Rosales Campaigns. The youth are out in greater numbers for Chavez exhibiting high energy,slowing cars handing out "ballots", stickers and soaping cars with slogans of support for Chavez. The Roasles campaing across the street has a few old ladies trying to sign people up to vote. However, the one Venezuelen most interested in me today who wanted to practice his english was not a Chavez supporter. The reasons and "facts" for his viral distate for chavez seem hard to confirm. He claims Chavez allows for violence and came up with a number of 90,000 deaths a year due to violence. Charlie our host has lived here 20 years and says this may be the best government venezuela has known in 200 years. he says the violence under Perez was so great students would demonstrate with signs reading "if we are your future why are you killing us?" He says even oppositional newspàpers of Chavez claim only 30 to 40 deaths a day.
it is always the war of words and information. I want to find out more about the software and voting machines. There is some controversy as to wheter the elections are rigged. This anti- Chavistia man percieves the election as being as close as 50-50 split between Chavez and Rosales. Charlie says he views it more as 60-40 split between chavez and rosales. Which is what the national polls are predicting now as well. I am surprised both figures are that high for Rosales. I was not aware that Chavez's competition was getting that much support. It does make the situation more unpredicable. I have heard twice now that there is a call for violence by the oppostion against chavez supporters the day after the election. who exactly is calling this and what that means is not clear. our media delegation has security as I was told. we will make sure we keep a low profile with zarha. I saw Caracas explode when I was here for the World Social Forum after Lions (the Caracas baseball team) beat the rural rivals. It was electric and edgy and I do not doubt that emotions could soar over this. we are here to witness but we will be safe.
zarha and I had our few rough moments when she whole heartedly rejected my idea to video her narrative of Venezuela through her eyes as a 12 yr old US citizen. A friend of mine suggested that as a good angle for our film. oh well. I guess the angle is going to be about stray dogs on this tropical South American country instead. Zarha is a funny, creative writer and I am glad she was motivated to write today. I realize we have to be careful because zarha now has the power to broadcast to any or all of the world how she views her parents. This my not be good for finding jobs later.
she is already worried I want to stay longer. I do. smile. I am already wondering why I have a flight back to Rochester NY in Feburary.
tomorrow we leave our coastal layover and head into Caracas, after a brief detour back to the airport where we will be reunited with our tent. that is no minor piece of property as that will be our home later in the trip.
I was given a Spanish name by a family member of the family we will be residing with for three weeks while in Caracas. She told me my name was cute in Spanish and good for the Process (process meaning the Chavista revolution)
so I will sign now and use my gifted name,
love to all who have gotten this far,
Alba
ps. no yoga classes yet but I did do the happy baby pose on the roof top looking up at a sky full of stars.
Blogging is hard to get used to. I cant focus on one family member or friend that I think may appreciate a specific story. words can go to anyone and I cannot predicate who you are. thanks for taking time to read our stories, I like being with you at this late hour after our first full day in Venezuela. I can hear the waves crashing along the shore and cicada bugs chirping as the cooler night air streams in. Andy and I just came down from the roof top of our coastal abode were we oohhhed and ahhhed over many shooting stars. We shared feelings and thoughts of our first day. Our host Charlie is an angel disguised as radical ex-priest, independent Journalist, storyteller, jokster and revolutionary cowboy. thats the best kind of angel.
He is making our entry and transition between cultures and languages almost seamless. There are the very humbling moments when I smack full on with my inablility to communicate beyond preschool needs. Charlie is a bit of recluse writer. he lives along the coast in one of these many mosty abandoned penthouse buildings. you could imagine Florida, palms trees and a gated community but you wouldn't get the full picture. In 1999 a mudslide from the looming mountains beyond washed over miles of this area burying anything along the way under mud. 50,000 people died! and these beautiful tiled and brick penthouses were partially buried and looted. The damage is apparent throught all the building and the area in general. I said I would escape the fences of US territory while here yet I find many metal bars on doors and windows. In this area you can never be too careful. Few people seem to occupy these buildings that I have yet to determine if they are on the economic upswing or decline. we did not explore the actual beach. charlie warned against it. the last time he went jogging there he was robbed of wedding ring and watch by someone with a broken bottle top. We actually took the advice and never walked this section of beach. we have seen it from the distance as we walked up the hillside.
I wondered how much safer we were talking english and carrying our digital video and photo equipment where often nesteled into the hillside poverty is greater. However I do not feel threatened or targeted with any negative attention. maybe a slight curiousity or indiffernce. The same reaction we would give folks walking around our nieghborhood.
I saw for myself today the difference charlie describes between the Chavez and Rosales Campaigns. The youth are out in greater numbers for Chavez exhibiting high energy,slowing cars handing out "ballots", stickers and soaping cars with slogans of support for Chavez. The Roasles campaing across the street has a few old ladies trying to sign people up to vote. However, the one Venezuelen most interested in me today who wanted to practice his english was not a Chavez supporter. The reasons and "facts" for his viral distate for chavez seem hard to confirm. He claims Chavez allows for violence and came up with a number of 90,000 deaths a year due to violence. Charlie our host has lived here 20 years and says this may be the best government venezuela has known in 200 years. he says the violence under Perez was so great students would demonstrate with signs reading "if we are your future why are you killing us?" He says even oppositional newspàpers of Chavez claim only 30 to 40 deaths a day.
it is always the war of words and information. I want to find out more about the software and voting machines. There is some controversy as to wheter the elections are rigged. This anti- Chavistia man percieves the election as being as close as 50-50 split between Chavez and Rosales. Charlie says he views it more as 60-40 split between chavez and rosales. Which is what the national polls are predicting now as well. I am surprised both figures are that high for Rosales. I was not aware that Chavez's competition was getting that much support. It does make the situation more unpredicable. I have heard twice now that there is a call for violence by the oppostion against chavez supporters the day after the election. who exactly is calling this and what that means is not clear. our media delegation has security as I was told. we will make sure we keep a low profile with zarha. I saw Caracas explode when I was here for the World Social Forum after Lions (the Caracas baseball team) beat the rural rivals. It was electric and edgy and I do not doubt that emotions could soar over this. we are here to witness but we will be safe.
zarha and I had our few rough moments when she whole heartedly rejected my idea to video her narrative of Venezuela through her eyes as a 12 yr old US citizen. A friend of mine suggested that as a good angle for our film. oh well. I guess the angle is going to be about stray dogs on this tropical South American country instead. Zarha is a funny, creative writer and I am glad she was motivated to write today. I realize we have to be careful because zarha now has the power to broadcast to any or all of the world how she views her parents. This my not be good for finding jobs later.
she is already worried I want to stay longer. I do. smile. I am already wondering why I have a flight back to Rochester NY in Feburary.
tomorrow we leave our coastal layover and head into Caracas, after a brief detour back to the airport where we will be reunited with our tent. that is no minor piece of property as that will be our home later in the trip.
I was given a Spanish name by a family member of the family we will be residing with for three weeks while in Caracas. She told me my name was cute in Spanish and good for the Process (process meaning the Chavista revolution)
so I will sign now and use my gifted name,
love to all who have gotten this far,
Alba
ps. no yoga classes yet but I did do the happy baby pose on the roof top looking up at a sky full of stars.
posted by DAZ at 6:20 PM
2 Comments:
Glad to hear that all is going well and you arrived without incident. We had a very nice Thanksgiving at Jackie's house. Everyone asked about you and told me to send their love and concerns for you keeping safe. Looking forward to your next post. Much love, KAZ
Just checked in; it's Robyn. Glad to hear you're well. How do I get the %$@!@# key out of the ignition? Love you!
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