Roadside architecture of American South West

Baptizing the Gun

I rarely read short stories published in The New Yorker. I try, but most of the time I don't like subject, style, or story fails to engage. It takes a couple of sentences written by good writer to suck me in. Very few authors text works on me this way. Baptizing the Gun by Nigerian writers Uwem Akpan did exactly that. I never been to Africa, but after reading first two lines I was felt engulfed with sounds and smells of African roadside. Lagos, 8 million desperate souls megalopolis. I was invisible on the back seat of battered red Volkswagen Beetle driven by main character in addition to his unwanted passenger on a road trip in Nigeria... I kept reading, missed my Subway stop, sign of good writing.

 

PIETER HUGO Escort Kama. Enugu, Nigeria, 2008

Around the world in... 8 years?

In 2006 I and my brother spent 2 weeks traveling in Burma. It was interesting, but not easy trip. We found that we have to hire car with guide and driver to move around the country. Many places, towns were closed to foreigners and our guide most likely reported about our movement to secret police. He has was kind of stressed  if we getting out of his sight.

While on the road from Bagan to Yangon, we noticed foreigner riding his bicycle loaded with side bags. Not to many foreigners in Burma, seeing one on the bicycle evoke amusement and curiosity. He moved almost as fast as we were going by the old Japanese car on not very good road. By the end of the day, at the hotel we saw bike parked inside. Later we met mysterious traveler. It turns out he was from France. " Tour de France?" - I asked glancing at the bicycle. "No, Tour du Monde."- said man. My jaw dropped.

He was from Normandy, used to work at ship yard and one day just decided just go around the world by bicycle. Just like that. No sponsorship, TV crew or book deal. Hervé LEDUC was traveling since 2004.

We had dinner together. Despite hardships of the road Frenchman was full of energy and very funny dinner companion. He shared with with some his adventure stories. Not long ago he was chased from some Burmese town by local police, because it was off limits for foreigners.
Hervé LEDUC still on the road by this day. He was in France for some time in 2009 because death of his father, and then again, back on the road. I just got a short email from him from China.
Amazing!  What a wonderful way to live life.

Hervé LEDUC. Tour du Monde à Vélo.

Desolate beauty

Páramo de Oceta, near small Colombian town Mongui is fantastic place. Páramo (from the Spanish word for "desolate territory") is a unique ecosystem. It is located in the high elevations, between the upper forest line (about 3000 m altitude) and the permanent snow line (about 5000 m). The ecosystem consists of mostly glacier formed valleys and plains with a large variety of lakes, peat bogs and wet grasslands intermingled with shrub lands and forest patches. Nearly 57% of this ecosystem worldwide is found in Colombia.

The plants here very unusual and beautiful, would take time and special knowledge to explore about 5000 different plant species. About 60% of these species are endemic, adapted to the specific physio-chemical and climatic conditions, such as the low atmospheric pressure, intense ultra-violet radiation, and the drying effects of wind. Most spectacular from them is Espeletia, commonly known as Frailejón. It grows 1 cm a year. Many of them are 200 - 300 and up years old, and remember Spanish conquistadors. The flowers are usually yellow, similar to daisies, or tiny Sunflowers. Old dry flowers remains on stem forming protective layer. Look what reminds Joshua Tree.

Páramo ecosystem is very fragile.What is still remains is very close to area inhabited by people, under the threat of farmland expansion. Gradually native flora getting replaced by more useful potato plant... Locals have a hope to make Páramo de Oceta a tourist attraction, but too many visitors can be equally damaging.

Short Colombian trip

Tunja bus terminal 

Bus ride in Colombia is a pleasant experience. Mountain scenery is very beautiful, full of flowers and lush greenery. Private land very well kept and tended, bordered with neat fences. Nothing that resembles to the country locked into permanent internal social conflict. Colombia probably more safe than many Latin American countries. Fighting still going on, but pushed down to remote areas. I took night buses, no problem.
People relaxed, friendly and ready to help. They very happy to see foreigner coming to see their country.
Small towns compete for the name of Most Beautiful Place in Colombia  Old colonial buildings lovingly restored, streets are clean full of colors and flowers. Very few tourists - a big plus.

Mongui - town of football ball makers.

Food is simple, but good quality and filling. I was always was able get fish. Prices at Supermarkets like in US, I think too expensive. In eight days I  was not be able to try all exotic tropical fruit varieties growing in different areas and altitudes.

It was short pleasant trip, I need to come back for more.

Easy Access

If I not listening music on vinyl, I listen it from compact cassettes. Much more easier to pop in tape than dig out something from hard drive. Barely touching any CD's lately. 95 % of my tape collection coming from NY streets. Music collections put together by other people years ago. Latest finds: pile of cool Jazz and Funk, 2 boxes of South America Jazz from 70's and classic music recordings from NY radio, shoe box with 80's pop and rock. It takes time to go through all that treasures, but its rewarding process with plenty of discoveries.

Vinyl Landmarks of the Sound

The more digital world gets the more analog my life becomes. Already for a few months I listen music from compact cassettes and vinyl records only. I tactile interaction with media. And in case of LPs, I love wonderful pre computer art and photographic work. Airbrush, grainy photography, innovative foldouts and sleeve cuts - pure joy to handle. I listen records more ritual and art work than sound quality. Most of my eclectic record collection comes from trash piles of New York. Worn an abused, reminders of the time when record release by favorite band was real cultural event and thrill of anticipation.

EUR, ROMA

I went to see EUR, suburban area of Roma reachable  by Metro, because Michelangelo Antanioni filmed L'eclisse  here. EUR water reservoir or  “fungo” of this upper class neiborhood was present in many scenes and stuck in my head.  Obviously that M. Antanioni chose this location for unique look and feel.  I wanted to see and explore area for myself.  it was raining.  I have intended to  spent  a couple hours, look around, snap a few pictures, homage way. The moment got out of strange Metro station painted in Yves Klein blue it felt not like an ordinary place. Big and deeply dug in  construction project next to the station emanated quite subtle industrial soundtrack consisting of power tools and truck engines noise coming from depths of concrete orchestra pit. Audience consisted from two middle aged man with umbrellas observing action from the street level. Il Fungo was visible behind artificial lake and tall trees. It's look slightly changed  by presence of mobile communications antennas and by not working electronic clock display. Rain made streets almost absent of human presence, eerie Chirico like urban landscape. Monoliths of office buildings and modernist residential towers cut by park, private estates and various embassies behind the gates. Architecture here is very interesting expensively build modern of 50's and 60  surrounded by pine and cedar tree green.

While taking pictures across the street I have noticed tall woman dressed in long black coat and light beige shoes who was smoking a cigarette. She looked like someone waiting or have nowhere to go.
It seemed odd, somebody standing in the rain and place like that. She had big grotesque looking pale face. I was continuing shooting. Smaller ratty looking woman joined woman in coat across the street. They exchanged a few words, smaller one started walking to me obviously not very happy, since by talking picture of crossing I have pointed my camera at them. I realized that to woman are  prostitutes, and the big one most likely is a trannie. No wonder she looked so odd. I didn't expected to see them here in the early afternoon. The small one started bitching about me taking pictures and that she needs to work to feed her children. They mistook me for journalist, they don't want publicity. I explained that I didn't really took picture of them, but architecture, buildings. It why I'm here for. Not I'm not from the newspaper, I'm just curious tourist. She calmed down, I started walking away. She followed me just to be sure that I leaving her territory. I was moving towards Mushroom on the hill, structure surrounded by posh fenced residencies, and park. Here again I have noticed Middle Eastern looking youth in late 20's dressed in track suit aimlessly wondering among the trees in the rain. Most likely male prostitute. Destitute and void of the place just got stronger.

There is a restaurant at the top of water tower. Expensive, and I got impression,  not very welcoming one. I have trying to imagine what kind of clientele dines here. In the parking lot of establishment I found half bottle of red wine. I took a swig out it. Wine was sweet and cheap tasting. I wonder who drinks this kind of wine in Italy? Took bottle with me to the park to finish for the sake of experience. It was revolting sweetness, but I poured it down to my throat.  Took some more pictures and started walking back. Smaller prostitute was still at her street corner. I waved her good bye, she waved me back. Transexual was gone.

World Made by Hand

Nowadays, real luxury is being identified with craftsmanship. Tradition of making things by hand, fixing old stuff and maintaining feel of time still very much alive in Rome. Many business exist out of necessity to maintain old Roman apartments and lifestyle. Tiny shops and workshops maned by one person or staff of few busy with restoring antique art and furniture, creating wooden and metal architectural elements. Music instruments are made and the old ones travel from around the world to be lovingly restored here. Small independent fashion designers and shoe makers create individual pieces for people with style and taste. Design, materials and painstaking workmanship are exquisite. If you can't afford, just good too know that old traditions still alive and artisan skills in demand.

Werner Herzog needs to eat too

I'm glad that Werner Herzog gets directing movies in Hollywood with their star cast. Hopefully he gets paid for his engagements and some money will be left for his personal projects. His latest film Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call: New Orleans is more like work to pay bills than one of real Werner's creations. Films in Hollywood are made by producers and technical people, very little left to directors input. W. Herzog's touch in this case was to get job for Brad Dourif to play bookie (single interesting character here) and Peter Zeitlinger to put his name on credit roll as DP. Movie itself looks like directed by any nameless LA director, overproduced, simplistic a moralizing script. Camera man Peter Zeitlinger managed to snuck a couple more organic visuals with alligators, but movie has TV show look. Nicolas Cage tries to act and overacts like Robin Williams. Good movie associated with N. Cage name is a rare accident to happen, not this time either. Script idea ripped from gritty Abel Ferrara's 1992 film The Bad Lieutenant. In order to look more original Port of Call: New Orleans was added. Total lack of imagination. Besides a couple exterior shots and flooded prison scene rest of the story has nothing to do with New Orleans or Louisiana. What the point to use 50% of name for location then.

The Great Bleep Forward

Like electric guitar before, invention of synthesizers and samplers unleashed creativity in people who not necessary had credentials to be musician. Synth driven music peaked in mid eighties with unsurpassed abundance of great tracks and ground breaking sound.
BBC's 3 part program, The Great Bleep Forward presented by Andrew Collins explores the development of electronic music from Theremin in the beginning of XX century to samplers and computer based music today. Series filled with great musical illustrations and interviews with key players in the development of electronic music. Dense, BBC at its best.

Yucca ginger & curry pancakes recipe

2 medium size yucca (other names is cassava or manioc) roots
1 cup of flour
1 egg
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 inch long ginger root
pinch of Cayenne pepper
pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder.
1-1.5 cup of water

Boil cassava roots until soft, put aside to cool.
Chop ginger and garlic and put it to food processor, add pepper, curry powder, salt and 1/4 cup of water. Blend it good.

Remove fiber like strains from the center of cooked roots.
Add cooled yucca, egg and rest of the water to processor. Mash it.

Transfer mix to the large bowl, add flour until it gets to dough like look and feel.

Fry it on frying pan with coconut or olive oil as little pancakes.
Serve the way you like, sour cream, butter, Flax seed oil or chutney.

Analog Cool

With advance of digital technology supply of cool gear gets depleted. Ipod, cell phones or new digital cameras are as cool as bar of soap. Most of them are ugly disposable items manufactured to be sold and junked as quick as possible.
Same with everything what dumped into the consumer market, be it cars, fashion or so called luxury items. It's more marketing tricks and catchy word game.
It was trend in advertising for while, to warm up and spice junk with old, almost century old but timeless engineering and cool design objects. Obviously, air brushed model with vacant stare is not enough anymore. Obscure, pre II WW or Leica cameras, reel to reel tape recorders, vinyl and even cassette players dominate those adds just because they are single product what worth to pay attention and lust for. In the end these adds is reminder for times when people took pride in producing something what has lasting life.



And totally, trend pushed to extreme, Bruce Weber with his cameras...

Singing happened by chance

All interesting New York summer concerts this year held in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. The best shows not even by rock bands. Goran Bregovic & His Wedding & Funerals Orchestra delivered speedy Balkan vibe to the delight of numerous Eastern Europeans in the audience. Another wonderful act came from South Asia, Bollywood composer and singer Kailash Kher with his exotic band performed modern indian music. Traditional Indian sound blended with Spanish guitar and rocking drum set very accessible to non Indian ear. Kailash started singing career after failing business. Good luck!

Camera Style

As majority pictures around the world taken with digital cameras of different incarnations, old school analog film cameras becoming fashion accessory and personal creativity statement. In the streets of big cities hip characters sporting old Leicas, Nikons, Canonets, Pentaxes and other obscure cool looking image taking machines. Most digital cameras produced today are ugly and lack of tactile appeal. Like cars on the street, all brands look like they came from the same assembly line. Film cameras is total opposite: they are heavy and solid tools, fruits of passionate engineering. Produced in Japan, Germany or Sweden, countries with reputation for attention for details and craftsmanship, they easy outlast any today's soap dish shaped gizmo.
Most film Leicas are sold in Japan. Most film camera cultists roam streets here.
Take a look to Tokyo Camera Style, site devoted to analog cameras in use.

Bailout According to Gospel

To him who hath nothing, nothing will be given; to him who hath, more will be added to.

Barefoot Biopirate

Fascinating and at the same time sad story in WIRED magazine about Brazilian biologist Marc van Roosmalen, originally of Dutch birth living in Manaus in Brazil. Scientist who spent most of his research time in the field, deep in the jungle instead of library or lab. His nontraditional work methods and fight for preservation of rain forest made him enemy of jealous colleagues and corrupt Brazilian bureaucrats, who accused him in biopiracy. Roosmalen, voted a Hero of the Planet by Time magazine in 2000, was sentenced for 15 years for trying to protect the Brazilian wilderness and many still undiscovered creatures. Rain forest is cut for shortsighted agricultural use. Exports of soya for cattle feed, mostly to China and Europe, are being put ahead of the environment. Just remember fate of activists Chico Mendez in 1988 and Dorothy Stang in 2005.
Read also interview with Marc van Roosmalen on Aquatic Community's site.

Brain in the Gut

The most innovative and daring ideas lately coming not from philosophers, artists or academia. They come from the kitchens around the world. Wonderful interview with celebrated cooks Chef Ferran Adrià & Chef Jose Andres from Spain just proves that statement. Fantastic.

UNREALx36

My brother's Tomas Andrijauskas photo show UNREALx36 opens at Photography Museum of Siauliai (Lithuania) on March 20. Pictures taken with snapshot camera, without any thinking at parties and all kind of encounters with friends in Siauliai between the late 90's and 2003. Raw and unpolished.

Frontal Truth of Alberto García-Alix

Considering how conservative Spanish society is, photographer Alberto García-Alix deserves double respect and attention than he receives. For some reason he is not very well known and represented beyond Spain. His raw and sensitive portraits of human soul materialized from the drops of the artist's blood and sweat, soaked in wine and cigarette smoke. He lives his images and photographs people alike, friends who balances danger, self destruction and lust for life. Alberto García-Alix's images very Spanish, Latin. When I look at his images it reminds me films of Argentine film director Jorge Polaco, who is even less known, yet makes wonderful and strange movies. Blend of machismo of corrida with passion and sexuality of flamenco serves more like shell and temporary safe place for naked bodies with vulnerable faces and sad wondering eyes.