not the motorcycle diaries

Image: Gertrude Duby Blom with Lacandan friend, date unknown.

“We formed the first governmental expedition of the State of Chiapas to establish contact with the Lacandon Indians.  A contact not to exploit them, nor to study them anthropologically.  The mules carried very little of our things, the majority of the cargo were gifts for the Lacandon from the government.  Our goal was to investigate the necessities of these remote Indians, to construct modern houses and to establish a relationship between them and the government.”

- Franz and Gertrude Blom, La Selva Lacandona, Vol. 1, p.69, 1955.

“Vamos a pedirles a los compañeros hombres zapatistas que nos ayuden en cuestiones de logística. Podrán estar también los compañeros de México y del mundo para oírnos, pero calladitos, al igual de nuestros compañeros hombres zapatistas.

Este Tercer Encuentro, como será especialmente de las mujeres zapatistas, estará dedicado a la comandanta Ramona, que llevará su nombre.

Entonces queda así: Tercer Encuentro de los Pueblos Zapatistas con los Pueblos del Mundo. La comandanta Ramona y las Zapatistas. Así que lleven este mensaje para las demás compañeras. Que se vayan preparando. Al mismo tiempo, que vayan diciéndoles a sus esposos que se tienen que quedar unos días para cuidar la casa, los hijos y los animalitos mientras salen y se encuentran con las zapatistas para organizarse de cómo luchar contra el capitalismo y el neoliberalismo.”

—–

“We are going to speak, us women Zapatistas, with compañeras from Mexico and the world and you will be able to ask questions of how we organize ourselves, the women Zapatistas, more directly with women. We are going to ask the compañeros men Zapatistas that they help us with logistical questions. Compañeros from Mexico and the world may also come to hear us, but remain silent [calladitos], same as our compañeros men Zapatistas.

This Third Encuentro, as it will be especially of the women Zapatistas, will be dedicated to Comandanta Ramona, and will take her name. Thus it is like this: Third Encuentro of the Zapatista Peoples with the Peoples of the World: Comandanta Ramona and the women Zapatistas.

Bring this message to the rest of the compañeras. That they are prepared. At the same time, that they go to tell their spouses that they will have to take care of the house, the kids, and pets for a few days, while they leave and gather with the women Zapatistas to organize ourselves on how to fight against capitalism and neoliberalism.”

- Comandanta Everilda, 28 July 2007, La Realidad, Chiapas.

…. can’t blog. Busy beholding the capitalist monster.

Adriana Yoto explains malls.

How socially responsible and commercially viable of General Growth Properties and his regiment to allow Yoto´s work to take place. Malls truly are the way of the future, if they are being led by such visionary people with such a commitment to making space for community projects.

(Photograph taken at Museo Casa de Leon Trotsky)

¡Trotsky liked chickens!

I dare The Whitlams to write a mushy song about my current neighbourhood.

PS. I think I know where Howard got his latest grasping-at-straws idea from.

Uma canção, um violão, amarelinha, Corcovado
E um mar de azuis e uma canção verde.
Um cantinho, uma paixão, amarelinha, Corcovado.
Tanto faz, tanto faz…

- ‘Amarelinha’ para Luisa mandou um beijo. Com uma “obrigada” a minha mulher Martini por o CD do Fantastical Amazingness.

Hips Don’t Lie

Ladies up in here tonight
No fighting, no fighting
We got the refugees up in here
No fighting, no fighting

Shakira, Shakira

I never really knew that she could dance like this
She makes a man wants to speak Spanish
Como se llama (si), bonita (si), mi casa (si, Shakira Shakira), su casa
Shakira, Shakira

Oh baby when you talk like that
You make a woman go mad
So be wise and keep on
Reading the signs of my body

And I’m on tonight
You know my hips don’t lie
And I’m starting to feel it’s right
All the attraction, the tension
Don’t you see baby, this is perfection

Hey Girl, I can see your body moving
And it’s driving me crazy
And I didn’t have the slightest idea
Until I saw you dancing

And when you walk up on the dance floor
Nobody cannot ignore the way you move your body, girl
And everything so unexpected - the way you right and left it
So you can keep on shaking it

I never really knew that she could dance like this
She makes a man want to speak Spanish
Como se llama (si), bonita (si), mi casa (si, Shakira Shakira), su casa
Shakira, Shakira

Oh baby when you talk like that
You make a woman go mad
So be wise and keep on
Reading the signs of my body

And I’m on tonight
You know my hips don’t lie
And I am starting to feel you boy
Come on lets go, real slow
Don’t you see baby asi es perfecto

Oh I know I am on tonight my hips don’t lie
And I am starting to feel it’s right
All the attraction, the tension
Don’t you see baby, this is perfection
Shakira, Shakira

Oh boy, I can see your body moving
Half animal, half man
I don’t, don’t really know what I’m doing
But you seem to have a plan
My will and self restraint
Have come to fail now, fail now
See, I am doing what I can, but I can’t so you know
That’s a bit too hard to explain

Baila en la calle de noche
Baila en la calle de día

Baila en la calle de noche
Baila en la calle de día

I never really knew that she could dance like this
She makes a man want to speak Spanish
Como se llama (si), bonita (si), mi casa (si, Shakira Shakira), su casa
Shakira, Shakira

Oh baby when you talk like that
You know you got me hypnotized
So be wise and keep on
Reading the signs of my body

Senorita, feel the conga, let me see you move like you come from Colombia

Mira en Barranquilla se baila así, say it!
Mira en Barranquilla se baila así

Yeah
She’s so sexy every man’s fantasy a refugee like me back with the Fugees from a 3rd world country
I go back like when ‘pac carried crates for Humpty Humpty
I need a whole club dizzy
Why the CIA wanna watch us?
Colombians and Haitians
I ain’t guilty, it’s a musical transaction
No more do we snatch ropes
Refugees run the seas ’cause we own our own boats

I’m on tonight, my hips don’t lie
And I’m starting to feel you boy
Come on let’s go, real slow
Baby, like this is perfecto

Oh, you know I am on tonight and my hips don’t lie
And I am starting to feel it’s right
The attraction, the tension
Baby, like this is perfection

No fighting
No fighting