2009 In Perspective

"I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror,

I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways,

And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer,

If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place,

Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change"
--M.J.  *RIP*

“Make no difference, make no difference who's to blame

cause the only thing left that's constant is a change”
--RXB

For a year with so many changes that have occurred, it’s kind of funny to realize the one constant linking me with last year is South America. Exactly one year ago, I stood with my brother on the beach in Valparaiso, Chile, shouting and singing and reveling amid a spectacular fireworks show to bring in the new year. Shortly thereafter, we crossed the Atacama Desert in a hulking old Chevy into the Tatooine-like landscape of Southern Peru. Three weeks in the South was just barely enough to take it all in: seeing gigantic condors swoop through Colca Canyon, spending a night with an indigenous Quechua family on Lake Titicaca, riding mountain bikes between massive Incan ruins in the Sacred Valley, having the cojones to take a rickety 4-person plane to view the ancient Nazca lines from above. And of course, the glory of all that is Machu Picchu, which I continue to say is the single most amazing ancient site I have visited.

The band situation with Art of Chaos hadn’t changed much when I had returned. In October of 2008, we played what none of us realized was our last show at The Troubadour in West LA (a fitting place for a last gig). I remember coming to pick up my stuff from the practice space in December thinking “what if this is it?” after going almost two months without having a practice. The “break up” call between band members is something I’ve been through before and since most of us were on the same page, it ended quite gracefully. The overall concensus was that after all of the time, money and effort that we had given, nobody wanted to continue coming to practice to argue instead of play music. Though I should add, our singer Brian has picked up the ball and continues to make music for Art of Chaos which you can check out here.

Coming back to reality at Grad school was a slight shock; definitely my most aloof semester at USC. Aside from reinforcing my decision to give up my LA Rockstar ambitions, the taste of South America got me thinking of what I could do to ensure that I would be living there by the end of the year. Graduating and getting the hell out of L.A. was the first step. And while I do miss my SoCal friends nearly every day, I will not miss the superficiality, the traffic, the summer fires, the jerks, the exorbitant price of everything and self-destructiveness inherent in so many L.A. lifestyles.

Packing all of my life into a trailer and heading North on I-5 with Poindexter really felt like the things were beginning to change. The summer in Seattle was indeed one for the books: Bike rides with Jeremiah all over the city, grilling salmon with Dad up on the deck, climbing mountain peaks in both WA and WY, relaxing with Betty down at the pool, jam sessions in the Husted basement and concerts at the Ampitheatre are just few snippets of one of my most enjoyable summers to date. The hardest part was realizing that as fun as this was, it was only temporary in preparation for eking out the next chapter of my life abroad.

Once again, I hit the road with a trailer in tow, though this time it was South on the 5 to move my brother into The Monterrey Institute. Ironically we were switching places, as one Knowles brother goes to grad school, the other lives in South America, prompting me to wonder if the world can really handle both of us in the same place for more than a month.

In August, I arrived in Mexico City in with my friends from the Mexican Consulate, Mariana and Karla. We were fortunate enough to be able to stay in the house of the neighbor of our mutual friend/city guide, Elisa. Having Elisa, Mariana and Karla to navigate Mexico City was the key to my amazing experience as they knew every great place to go, the right street food to eat and introduced me to some incredibly interesting people. After brief visits to Cuernavaca and the ruins of Teotihuacan, the girls and I parted ways as I continued my journey South. I passed the rest of my time in Ciudad Oaxaca and its surrounding villages before traveling to La Plata to begin my life as an Argentine.

In September I started with Fundación Biosfera, an Environmental NGO in La Plata. Working and researching in Spanish was at first a challenge, but I managed to work on some great projects, including a climate change event with 350.org (that made it into a national paper), restoring comedors and designing a strategy guide for social marketing and entertainment-education. Through my proposals failed to get funding while I was there, I realized that in place of spending every week in the office, it will be more advantageous to act as an external advisor to NGOs in the future, which I continue to do with Biosfera as of now. A quick visit to Uruguay showed me the beauty and tranquility of the Atlantic Coast before moving North to Rosario for Spanish lessons.

My life plan has changed a great deal since the beginning of the year. The year to come offers many different paths to choose from, in fact, more than I’ve ever had presented to me in my life. The only thing I’m certain of is being in Colombia until March and continuing to work with NGOs when I have the opportunity. All I can do now is reflect upon all of the amazing people I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with this year the and the profound impact they have had on my development. I feel as if 2010 presents the ultimate opportunity for me to continue to grow, evolve and find my niche in this world while discovering new places, learning new things and meeting new people along the way. Happy New Year to all y Feliz año a todos! Nos vemos en el año que viene.

Cuban Bob Dylan, Cultural exchanges open doors

The comparison Mr. Varela has drawn to the U.S. father of Folk has to do with his musical and lyrical styles, however his recent trip to the U.S. indicates improving cultural ties between the two countries. This comes a week after Kool and the Gang gave a huge performance in Havana, reciprocating cultural exchange that was previously forbidden under the Bush Administration. Having toured with Jackson Browne and been to the U.S. during the Clinton years, Varela was barred from entering in 2004, even after nearly 2000 tickets to his concert in Miami had already been sold.

Despite strong words from Presidents Castro and Obama about what each country needs to do policy-wise, the cultural exchange of U.S. and Cuban artists allows for artist-to-artist, artist-to-public and artist-to-politician diplomacy, all laying the foundation for potential policy changes down the road.

Here, New York Times reports that Varela held a jam session (that's right!) in the House Budget Committee meeting room before speaking with several Legislators in Washington DC. Check here for an interesting slide show on Varela on his previous visits to the US also by NYT. I'll leave you with one of my favorite Varela songs I've come across, La Política No Cabe en la Azucarera:

Hace mucho calor en la vieja Habana

(It's very hot in Old Town Havana)

la gente espera algo, pero aquí no pasa nada.

(People wait for something but nothing happens here)

Un tipo gritó: ¡sálvese quien pueda!

(One guy said: "every man for himself!")

Cada día que pasa sube más la marea.

(Every day that passes the tide rises)

Felipito se fue a los Estados Unidos,

(Felipe went to the United States)

allí pasa frío y aquí estaba aburrido,

(There it is cold and boring)

en la mesa de domingo hay dos sillas vacías

(On the Sunday table there are two empty chairs)

están a 90 millas de la mía.

(They are 90 Miles from mine)

Pero entiéndelo brother

(But understand brother)

tómalo como quieras

(Take it as you want)

la política no cabe en la azucarera.

(Policy does not fit in the sugar bowl).

A Brief Return to La Plata, Understanding Argentines, Gay Marriage at the End o' the World

It's amazing how much not having a computer (or camera) has hindered my ability to proactively update (which I shoot for every other day at least). For those not in the know, I had my camera stolen at the Retiro train station back in October, which has limited my posting of pics to those nabbed from friends and fellow travelers. But I'm back at my apartment in Rosario and my brother Brent is bringing my shiny new Xmas camera when he arrives tomorrow.

I set off from Mar del Plata in the midst of major flooding throughout the Province of Buenos Aires. It was raining was so hard on the freeway that the bus had to stop several times because the driver couldn't see the road. A brief stop in La Plata to visit my old boss, Horacio resulted in a funny exchange of semantics. In short, I'm staying on as an advisor to Fundación Biosfera to help them follow up on some of the social marketing strategies I developed for TV and radio and will be meeting with the Colombian branch of a U.S.-based NGO when I am in Bogota to foster a partnership between the two.

I mentioned to Horacio that I'd like both a "@biosfera.org" email address and a title to help further the NGO's connections while traveling. I suggested the title "strategic communications coordinator," which he thought was quite boring. "Let's see," he said, "you are planning on working with Art, Diplomacy and Media Communications so we should make that your title." Being that titles in Argentina are quite different (in that they describe your field rather than what sounds most important) I told him I'd marinate on the idea of Program Director: Art, Diplomacy and Media Communications, though we made up some business cards just for kicks.

He also mentioned that my Spanish sounded a little funny as I'd just spent 5 days speaking English with my college buds. I made it a point to redeem myself on the bus ride to Rosario, striking up a conversation about history, culture and politics with an elderly gentleman. While waiting for the city bus from the terminal, I talked to an even older guy who seemed intent on just venting about immigrants. Older Argentines speak a bit slower, which allows me to understand nearly 100 percent of what they say.

Age, location and socio-economic status are big influences on understanding the unique brand of Argentine Spanish. Old people are easy, kids are impossible. Upper class and Academics are a breeze, working class uses so much slang it's like another dialect. In Buenos Aires, the velocity and lunfardo(slang) they use make Porteños the most difficult (though one recently moved into my apt and I can hang). My theory is that the further you get from Buenos Aires (the city and the Province), the easier it is to understand people and the people you meet are a bit friendlier. My favorite example of this are my buddies Fede and Charly from Ushuaia, way down South, who made my first weeks at Biosfera a bit easier by having naturally slower cadence to their speech.

Speaking of Ushuaia, it's  not often that Argentina is the leader of progressive change in Latin America, so check out this article about an gay couple who literally traveled to the "end of the earth" in Tierra del Fuego to become the first legally married same-sex couple in Latin America.

Secret Santa, Half a Piglet and Bottlerockets

Escaping the bugs and humidity that had arrived with the recent heat wave in Rosario was a relief as I boarded a night bus for Mar del Plata.  My 5 yanqui compañeros from LMU had relocated from BsAs to live like Argentines for the month of December. The weather was overcast as I got in, but I got a chance to check out the beach they conveniently live 4 blocks from before the rain hit. Later, we drew our Secret Santa names and headed out to find  gifts for under 50 pesos. During this time I convinced the guys that we should cook a lechón (baby pig) for a massive holiday dinner. After asking the butcher to remove the head, the piglet, which had been split lengthwise, still weighed about 11 Lbs.
We got to preparing deviled eggs, fruit salad and pasta while our little porker slow cooked:

During the gift exchange, my buddy David got me "Venas Abiertas de America Latina," which I had already read with some difficulty in English, but a great gift nonetheless. I got Alex a shoulder bag to carry his laptop. We soaked in a little sun at the beach before watching some amazing skateboarders do tricks off the plaza with the Quixote statue. Concerned about overcooking our piglet, I threw down a few sheets of foil, which kept the meat nice and tender, but didn't get the skin (the BEST part) crispy and flaky as I had hoped. It's not often that you are given this much meat as a responsibility so at least I'll be ready to make it better next time.The lechón was tasty and we made quick work carving it using Brian's Rambo knife.

Later on, we ended up buying some bottlerockets and M80s to partake in the Argentine tradition of blowing stuff up at midnite. And to the amusement of an assemblance of Xmas partygoers, we had a classic fireworks "fight" with Roman candles. One of the reasons I love hanging with my college buds down here: it's just like being 14 again. Same jokes, same fun, same trouble. Though my Spanish language skills are usually put hold when I'm hangin with them,  it's still nice to have a lifeline of good friends when you're so far from home.

Let The Races Begin!

"There will now be a 30% discount at the Levi's store for the next 5 minutes," the voice crackles over the loudspeaker. Nothing short of an Argentine stampede rumbles through the mall, seeking out the sound of a bugler blasting out "Camptown Races" in front of the Levis store. "Hurry, hurry, you've only 5 minutes to get in before the sale ends!" cries a tuxedo-clad chamuyero with a megaphone. Little Argentine pixies in flourescent wigs shake their tushies in front as the tux man supervises organized chaos.

It's business as usual every Dec. 23rd in Alto Rosario, a shopping mall in the bourgeois part of town. The 23rd is sort of like their equivalent of "Black Friday," except that it's encouraging excessive spending before the holiday. Every store remains open until midnite, all offering a 20% discount until tuxman makes an annoucement of where the next 30-40% bargain will be for the next 5-15 minutes. For a country that has faulted excessive capitalism (well, American style capitalism) for many of their economic woes, they seem to bring a massive jolt of hyper-consumerism come the holidays.

Trying to bargain hunt in this climate was a bit of a nightmare, so I grabbed a coffee and watched the mayhem unfold. It was fairly organized, some light pushing and shoving; I even saw mall security to separate two brawling boys over a pair of Adidas sneakers. For imported products especially, this day allows Argentines to splurge a little more than usual. I checked the tag of some Levis jeans: 289 pesos, which is like $80 in the US. Granted, some designer jeans in the U.S. cost $200, but Levis? I got mine for $30. The kicker for me was that the every line to get into the sale stores AND the line for ice cream were all longer than the line to meet Santa, which was never more than 2 or 3 people waiting.

Pobrecito Pincha Rata

My adopted Argentine soccer team, La Plata's "Pincha Rata" Estudiantes, made it all the way to the FIFA Club World Cup only to lose to the powerhouse, Barcelona. The veteran journeyman, Juan "la bruja" Veron, finally cashed in on his signature move by booting a long shot to Diaz, who sent it to Bocelli for the go ahead goal. The stunned Barca, whose star-studded payroll is about twenty times greater than Estudiantes', scrambled to tie the score in the 89th minute.



The dagger in the heart came when Argentine superstar Lionel Messi scored for Barca in the 110th minute for an exhilarating finish. For Estudiantes, who won back in the Sixties, beating Barca would have been like a AAA baseball team beating the New York Yankees in the World Series. Even more interesting is the fact that Messi has played far below his abilities while playing for Argentina's national team during the World Cup qualifiers. Living here has really gotten me more up on fútbol fever, it's a shame the club season is over; I guess now the focus is on 2010. Anyone headed to South Africa next summer?

Chainsaw Meditation

Sofia rang around 2pm to ask if I wanted to go to "the concert" tonight. I assumed she meant the concert of our mutual friend, Tincho, who has a "Jack Johnson cover band." Apparently I misunderstood (one of those things of speaking another language), as this was the other concert, "this Indian thing" she had told me about a week before. In any case, it was a far stretch to label it a concert, even in Spanish.

As we took off our shoes and arranged yoga mats on what appeared to be a new age dance floor, it became apparent that I was about to embark on a spiritual journey of Indian mantras interpreted by an Argentinian guru. We began with relaxation and breathing exercises before laying down flat with our eyes closed in a sun formation. The guru started by playing long, drawn out notes on an accordion while singing in a similar fashion in a minor key (harmonic minor for all you music cats). She then followed with Tibetan Singing Bowls and various bells.

Then came "the chainsaw," a non-motorized instrument with a pull-cord and an attitude. The noise was supposed to represent the ocean, but sounded more like a tsunami. Sofia later remarked that this broke her concentration, which the guru replied was the objective of learning to move back to a meditative state from those noises that we aren't too fond of. We also had a participatory harmonizing session of singing the Ganesha Mantra that my old music teacher Mark Hoover (or anyone from Vocal Ens.) would have loved. It was a rewarding and worthwhile experience and I may return next week for some yoga by the same Guru.

To nourish our newly awakened spiritual selves, we grabbed some surprisingly tasty vegetarian food at Sana Sana which is a must-do if you're ever in Rosario. Any Argentine place that can take veggies and make them taste better than meat as well as spice up a stir fry is top notch in my book, now on to read more about mantras...

Rooftop Conga Line

Saying "yes" to just about everything that doesn't put your life in danger (and even then, there are exceptions) is an important part of living abroad. So when my flatmate's friend, Sofia, asked if she could have her birthday party on our rooftop patio I was happy to oblige. The only thing was that my flatmate left for Brazil on Tuesday, making me the sole responsible party for our apartment.

I probably wouldn't have agreed if it were the U.S., having had problems with wild and crazy kids causing trouble at past parties, but the partying culture differs a great deal down here. For one, we had a bit of wine and liquor, but no one (save the birthday girl) got really drunk. In spite of their sobriety, everyone was surprisingly open and eager to getting down on the dance floor (which brought out the conga line).

I of course, befriended the DJ, who had brought a guitar and (holy smokes!) a melodica, which only meant a late-night jam session was inevitable. Overall, the level of warmth, friendliness and mutual respect that I got from everyone I talked to that night was really quite amazing. Knowing that I was the host, even the shyest of guests made a pilgrimage to whichever chat circle I was at just to say hello and talk for a bit. However, I think the highlight of the night was getting Argentine props for correctly pronouncing "ferrocarril," which Yanks typically have problems with. I'll leave you with a classic tongue twister that if you master, will demonstrate to even the most skeptical Latino how "UnGringo" you are:

"Erre con erre cigarro, erre con erre barril, rápido ruedan los carros, por los rieles del ferrocarril."

MY Plan Colombia and a Partnership of Desperation

As the clock ticks down to my trip to Colombia, I'm going to be posting more news, particularly about the internal conflicts going on there. For those that don't know, Colombia has been engaged in a civil war since the Sixties against two insurgencies, the FARC and ELN. Tbe FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) started in 1964, intent on overthrowing the government and installing a Marxist regime. Their operations have been sustained largely by a guerrilla insurgency financed by cocaine. The ELN (Army of National Liberation) began a year later under the direction of intellectuals seeking to emulate the Cuban Revolution.

While both insurgencies are against the Colombian government, they have experienced a fair amount of infighting amongst each other over territory, methods and ideological differences. This came to an end today when the FARC and ELN announced they would be putting aside their differences to join forces against the Uribe Administration.

This morning, the 2 rebel groups announced the following decree through a document published via the "New Colombia News Agency":

1. Stop the confrontation between the two forces with the publication of this document.
2. Do not allow any collaboration with the enemy of the people, or make public accusations.
3. Respect for non-combatant population, their property and interests and their social organizations.
4. Make use of thoughtful and respectful language between the two revolutionary organizations.

 This new alliance is no doubt, a result of conservative President Alvaro Uribe's numerous offensives after becoming president in 2002.  Both groups (which in aggregate number at less than 13,000 strong) have suffered setbacks and defeats over the past nine years, being pushed out of major Colombian cities and into the most remote areas of jungle and border regions. What is often left out of international press are the actions of the Colombian right-wing paramilitaries (such as the AUC), who have employed some of the same hostage taking, drug dealing and terrorist tactics in fighting against the left-wing FARC and ELN.

Some things I will be following closely in the months to come: 1. The public diplomacy (or lack thereof) used by both the insurgencies and the Uribe Administration. 2. The role of Venezuela and its' allies, who have been implemented in sustaining the FARC, both monetarily and rhetorically. 3. The role of the U.S. in light of it's new contract allowing the use of seven Colombian military bases to assist the Uribe Adminisration in fighting the drug trade and insurgencies. 4. The ideological divide within the Colombian populous, who have experienced years of brutality, thousands of disappearances and millions of people displaced by the armed conflicts.

While the danger of this internal conflict has been largely pushed into remote areas of the countryside  you better believe I'll be notifying the U.S. Embassy of my trip and just to be safe, I'll be refraining from speaking English while in Colombia. Perhaps these past few months of living like an Argentine will allow me to be perceived as such when I'm in Colombia, ya veremos!

Mexico City Mayor: "I want to ride my bicycle "

The Danish Foreign Ministry (Public Diplomacy Division) and bike designer Biomega teamed up for a  event during the climate talks in Copenhagen that demonstrated Copenhagen's layout as a bike-friendly city. Cruising down Copenhagen's numerous bicycle paths were the Mayor of Chennai, India and the Mayor of Mexico City, Marcelo Ebrard, who were both interested in incorporating more bicycles into their urban planning. 

In 2007, Ebrard began closing many of the downtown thoroughfares EVERY Sunday in Mexico City, allowing families and bike enthusiasts to ride without the insanity of D.F. traffic. This falls in line with Ebrard's goal of building almost 200 miles of bike paths around Mexico City by 2012.

A Dog's Dream

Last night, my roommate and I headed to a funky little theater in midtown Rosario to check out "El Sueño del Perro." It was for the River Parana what Once Upon A Time in the West was for the American West. Some of the best cinematography I've ever seen, these long sweeping shots of the river, filled with lush tropical foliage from Northern Argentina. There was probably less than 100 words of dialogue, which might have even been too much considering the breathtaking scenery.

The director also relied on a clever use of sound, at times the entire theater (half full of Argentines) was deadly silent; then music would creep in panning from left to right. It was like I was right there pasando tiempo del rio; transcendental to say the least. The trailer doesn't do the film any justice, but if you can find a copy (or better yet a theater with it) it's a must see. Here's a still:

Si Se Puede: The Obama effect

One of the ways folks often verify the effects of public diplomacy on foreign publics is through public opinion polling. The most extensive public opinion poll for Latin America is the annual Latinobarometro poll, which can be viewed here (The Economist's breakdown of it).

My favorite section is how leaders of other countries are perceived throughout the region. This year, Obama bumped the popular populist, Brazil's Lula da Silva from the top spot. I'd attribute Obama's popularity to his speeches at the Summit of the Americas (in March) expressing shared responsibility, multilateralism and equal partnership in Hemispheric issues; he was also quite skillful in addressing past mistakes in U.S.-Latin America policy. The thawing of U.S. Cuba relations was no doubt another factor as Obama's popularity has also contributed to a resurgence of favorable opinions of the United States itself, up to 74% from 58% last year. 

Despite these positive stats, the majority of South Americans (mainly Argentines) I talk to seem to regard Obama with "guarded optimism" and the United States with historical suspicion of Yankee Imperialism. At least they can recognize some difference between the two; now if we could only begin to change their preconceived notions regarding American tourists....

A Room With A View

I actually do have a decent view of Calle Zeballos if I push aside the antique baroque shutters and step out onto the balcony. The 5-room townhouse/apartment complex was purchased in 2007 by Pepe the Spaniard, who had the foresight to sell his home in Barcelona at pre-Economic Crisis prices and purchase property here in Rosario.

For one thing, it's nice just to be living on my own again. Having an extra large room is nice but being able to cook whatever I want whenever I want is something I've been missing for the past 4 months. The location of the Apt is pretty good too, it's about 12 blocks from the "micro center," ie. the big swanky downtown section of the city. Oh and I almost forgot the best part, the price: 900 pesos a month which comes out to roughly $230 dollars. Giddy up, I may stay here a while.

L.A. Comes to Mexico

My old flame, Los Angeles, got major props from the biggest literary event in the Americas this past week. Before being tapped as the guest of honor at the Guadalajara International Book Fair,  L.A. had the opportunity to showcase some of the best L.A.-centric music, architecture, films and authors (yes, people from L.A. have actually written books!). Mexican-American Mayor Antonio Villaragosa even lent his dreamy telenovela charm.
The warm outward gestures offered by both cities were seemingly directed towards strengthening and deepening ties of what each has to offer as important cultural centers.  Thanks to Titus for the heads up, you can read the article here:

L.A. Shines At Mexican Book Fair

Mom Diplomacy - Then & Now

During Argentina’s military dictatorship from 1976-83, over 30,000 “subversives” were disappeared by the government. As these disappearances began to occur, the mothers of the disappeared began to congregate around the Plaza de Mayo monument in front of the capitol building. Since they were suffering mothers, the military dictatorship found it more difficult to repress them as easily as they had with other points of opposition, but simply labeled them "locas" as an attempt to discredit their efforts.

These "Madres de la Plaza de Mayo" became a force for public diplomacy when they took advantage of the international media attention received by Argentina's hosting of the World Cup to draw attention to their cause. 

It's interesting to see the paralells between Iranian and Argentine Mom Diplomacy efforts, from today's New York Times:

Ahead of a planned opposition rally on Monday, Iran tightened security and arrested over 20 mothers who were mourning children killed in the unrest that has broken out since the disputed June 12 elections. The mothers had taken part in an antigovernment protest in Leleh Park in central Tehran every Saturday since the death in June of Neda Agha-Soltan, the 26-year-old woman whose shooting became a symbol of the government’s violent repression.  

Arresting protesting mothers who have recently lost their children is a sign of desperation from the Iranian government and cannot last for long. Just as the death of Neda has become a symbol of Iran's brutal repression, the defiance of Iranian mothers, outraged at the damages inflicted upon their sons and daughters will continue to communicate the tyranny of the Ahmadinejad regime to the rest of the world.

The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo began only with their collective sorrow, their white kercheifs and determination to find out the truth. Their mediums of international communication were effectively more limited than those that exist today. I'd like to be the first person to start the "Mothers of Leleh Park" Facebook Group, but it's definitely not my place to do so. Hopefully an Iranian who recognizes the similarities between the two movements and the potential of Mom Diplomacy will go ahead with it.

The Sanatorio Americano

After four months of travel without any major sicknessess (other than the sniffles or food poisoning from that Strawberry Empanada), my good luck finally ran out when I reached Rosario, Argentina. Having just found a nice apartment and started my Spanish lessons, a tickle in my throat turned to a scratch to the feeling of having swallowed broken glass.

I spent all of Wednesday in bed with fever, barely able to get out. My throat was so painfully swollen, I couldn't really put anything down other than water (I've just now finished a bowl of Ramen, my first food in 2 days). I bought local antibiotics from the pharmacy, losenges which sort of helped. Earlier today I made the decision to see a privately-run "Sanatorio," as they are known, as opposed to the public hospitals.

I was first asked for my "obrero social" (social work), which I didn't have, so I had to pay 50 pesos. Sanatorios, though private, are free for social workers (like in France). I had to wait about an hour, there was one General Practicioner and no real line or system of knowing who was next; I finally got in just my asserting myself (which is hard to do when you can barely talk). The Doc took one look at my throat with a flashlight and nonchalently informed me that I had a throat infection and wrote me a prescription for antibiotics. No temperature taking, no strep test, just antibiotics that I have to take for the next 7 days. Not that different from a US clinic I suppose, and as I walk in, not to shabby on the wait time!

Radio Bemba Buenos Aires

"Tonight I dream about fraternity
 Tonight I say: one day!
 One day my dreams will be reality
 Like Bobby said to me
 Hey Bobby Marley
 Sing something good to me
 This world go crazy
 It's an emergency.”   –Manu Chao, Mr. Bobby

Never have I seen someone enjoy themselves on stage like Manu Chao and his band. He seems to let the music take him to a place only performers like Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye seem to have found while on stage. I will admit that many the songs sounded a bit similar (reggae/folk with punk/ska breaks), making the concert at times sound like one long Manu Chao song. But I’ll give it to him, the man knows his audience and he knows how to work ‘em.

From a Public Diplomacy perspective, it’s remarkable to see how a Parisian who also claims Barcelona as home can have such a powerful influence in Latin America. While he does have Peruvian heritage, his credibility is enhanced by his songs’ focus on indigenous movements and against foreign exploitation in Latin America. Singing in 4 languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, English), is another way he has been able to win over Latin American publics.

While Manu’s “Third World Solidarity” may not have as large an impact in Euro-centric Argentina, he was able to make time for announcements from two Argentine civil society groups during the concert. He closed out the show by bringing them all back onstage for a 30-minute encore, praising the Pachamama (Mother Earth).

When I was in Uruguay, the owner of my hostel showed me this video of Manu in Cabo Polonio helping to raise awareness about government destruction of some of the houses there; and it must have helped as it was just made into a national park 3 months ago: