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Friday, March 31, 2006

Sunset/Ocaso del sol

Aveces el ocaso del sol es tan hermoso puede quebrar su corazon.



Sunset - Playas de Tijuana



















Sometimes the sunset is so beautiful it can break your heart.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Casas/Houses

House styles vary wildly in Tijuana but here in Playas, near the beach they tend to a Mediterranean or California look.



La arquitectura de casas en Tijuana tiene variaciones bien amplias pero aqui en Playas son primeramente de aspecto Mediterano o Californiano.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Mercado Hidalgo/Hidalgo Market

The Miguel Hidalgo Market is Tijuana's central market and one of my favorite places to take out of town visitors. (It is also one of my favorite spots for everyday shopping.) It isn't a tourist spot, but it is one of the best places to get pottery, cookware, pin~atas, mole, and many other things to take home. It also has some of the best, cheapest restaurants in town, for example, a good chile relleno lunch (2 chiles) with rice, beans & tortilla for under US$3.00.





















El mercado Central de Tijuana se llama Mercado Miguel Hidalgo. Un buen lugar para comprar muchas cosas para turistas y Tijuaneses. Tambien tiene comedores buenos y baratos.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Playas limpias/Clean beaches

Here is a small portrait of one grateful citizen of Playas de Tijuana enjoying the clean beach.
Aqui esta' un retrato chico de un habitante agradecido de Playas de Tijuana disfrutando la playa limpia.




Sent by a friend/mandado por una amiga:





"....y las mananas vienen con el sol y las ondas en un homenaje..." --Ramon Guaransuay


I won't translate poetry/ No voy a traducir la poesia.

Monday, March 27, 2006

La Limpieza de las playas/Beach cleanup

Saturday was beach cleanup day in Playas de Tijuana and much of the world. Several hundred people picked up tons of trash here.

El Sabado era el dia para limpiar las playas en mucho del mundo y en Playas de Tijuana. Cientos de la gente recogieron toneladas de basura aqui.


This was the tee shirt, "We are creating consciousness in our society."

La playera.







The work.

El trabajo.





The result!

El resultado!





As the tee shirt says picking up the trash doesn't mean much if next week it is just the same. The point is to change the society. At the very least we got front page headlines in Sunday's major paper in Tijuana and a story that said in part, "In the face of the indifference of the authorities, the discharge of raw sewage into the open air increases in Playas de Tijuana."

Como dice la playera recoger la basura no tiene sentido si man~ana es igual a ayer. El punto es cambiar la sociedad. Por lo menos ganamos el domingo en la pagina primera del periodico mas grande en Tijuana la historia decir en parte, "Ante la indiferencia de autoridades, se multiplican las discargas de aguas negra a cielo abierto, en el sector Playas de Tijuana."

Friday, March 24, 2006

More art from Maclovio Rojas/Mas arte desde Maclovio Rojas

Three more murals

"Her water well, wine of the moon, when lightening strikes the women use a canvas as a glass and drink."




"At midnight rattlesnakes sleep with women for the heat of their dreams..."




The Aguascalientes Room [community meeting room] lively and wagging its tail like a puppy. The construction begins with the rebar of enthusiam, sweat & blocks of cement.


Tres mas murales

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Maclovio Rojas

Maclovio Rojas is an ejido (collectively owned land formed under the Mexican Revolution's land reform laws) on the far east side of Tijuana. It has been the objective of well connected, international developers for some time but has managed to survive. One of the tools of survival has been its art. Here are some examples. I will post more tomorrow.

The history of the Ejido Maclovio Rojas

La historia del Ejido Maclovio Rojas




The biography of Maclovio Rojas

La biografia de Maclovio Rojas




An example of the ejido's popular art , "The old ones whisper that women fly in the night and turn cartwheels without any shame."

Un ejemplo del arte popular del ejido.

Maclovio Rojas es un ejido al este de Tijuana. Su supervivencia contra los explotadores internacionales ha sido en parte por su arte. Aqui estan unos ejemplos, Voy a poner mas aqui man~ana.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Gardens & Poetry/Jardines y poesia


Stopping to smell the roses...

Parando para oler las rosas...






Or the cactus,

O el cactus,




& read a bit of poetry on crows.

y leer poca poesia sobre los cuervos.



While walking around Playas today looking for some nice cactus gardens, we came upon some new poetry pasted to the U.S.'s border wall - crows of death, crows of life, crows.

Dando un paseo de Playas hoy, buscando jardines de cactus, encontramos alguna poesia nueva pegado a la barda - cuervos de muerte, cuervos de vida, cuervos.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Some days.../Algunos dias



Some days all you can see is the garbage.

Algunos dias no puede ver mas que la basura.




You just can't see the good things.

Simplemente no puede ver las buenas.





All you see is garbage.

Ve la basura, nada mas.



This was one of those days.

Hoy es un dia como esto.

Monday, March 20, 2006

Tijuana en numeros/Tijuana in numbers

Se calcula que la poblacion de Tijuana es de 1.5 millones de habitantes. En los ultimos 14 an~os la poblacion se duplico. 37% de las viviendas de Tijuana no cuenta con agua entubada y drenaje.

The estimated population of Tijuana is 1.5 million. The population has doubled in the last 14 years. 37% of homes in Tijuana have neither running water or sewers.


Canyon of Laurels next door to Playas.

Can~on de Laureles vecinos de Playas.


Se calcula que 50% de los residentes de Tijuana no tiene visa estadounidense. En promedio cada dia muere un trabajador indocumetado en intento de cruzar hacia EUA.

An estimated 50% of Tijuana's residents do not have visas to enter the USA. On the average each and every day one undocumented worker dies trying to cross to the USA.


En la via internacional circa las garitas.

On the Via International near the gates


Mas de 251 mil cruces diarios entre Tijuana Y San Diego durante el an~o 2003. Cerca de 40 mil turistas visitan a diario Tijuana. 45% de ellos permanecen menos de 3 horas en la ciudad. (Hay 5000 consultorios medicos, 4000 dentistas, 2500 consultorios dentales y 1400 farmacias en Tijuana.) Los tijuanenses gastan 33% mas en San Diego que los habitantes de San Diego en Tijuana. Circa de 25% de los trabajadores tijuanenses tienen trabajos en San Diego.

There were more than 251 thousand crossings daily between Tijuana & San Diego in 2003. About 40 thousand tourists visit Tijuana daily. 45 % of them stay less than 3 hours in the city. (There are 5000 medical offices, 4000 dentists, 2500 dental surgeons & 1400 pharmacies in Tijuana.) Tijuanans spend 33% more in San Diego than San Diegans spend in Tijuana. About 25% of workers living in Tijuana have jobs in San Diego.

Las garitas por los Estados Unidos

The gates to the USA



Hoy era tipico. Cuesta 1 hora, 5 minutos para cruzar la frontera. Desde el Agosto pasado cuestaba aveces 20 minutos, aveces 3 horas. Es una fuga tremenda para las economias de Tijuana y San Diego.

Today was fairly typical. It cost 1 hour, 5 minutes in line to get across the border. Since last August it has been as little as 20 minutes, as much as 3 hours. It is a tremendous drain on the economies of both Tijuana and San Diego.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Beisbol y fotos fortuitos/Baseball & random photos

Last night Mexico beat the USA in the first World Classic of Baseball, knocking them out of the competiton. Folks were pretty happy around here, suggesting that next time we play them for the stolen northern territories.

I don't have any baseball photos so here are a few random shots around town.


One of my favorite modest, but beautiful houses.

Una casa modesta pero hermosa.




Puppets in the artisans' market

Titeres en el mercado de artisania





Sunset at home

Anochecer en nuestra casa



Anoche gano' Mexico a los EEUU en el Clasico Mundial de Beisbol dejarlos afuera de la competencia. La gente eran bien feliz aqui. La proxima vez jugamos para los territorios norten~os robado.

No tengo las fotos de beisbol entonces aqui estan pocos fotos fortuitos de Tijuana.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Marcha por la Paz II/March for Peace II

A few more photos from Sunday's Peace Rally at the Tijuana Cultural Center.





















Pocas photos mas de la manifestacion por la paz en Cecut el domingo que paso'.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

March for Peace in Iraq/Marcha por la Paz in Irak

On Sunday a peace march demanding an end to war in Iraq was led by the father of the first Mexican youth (Jesus Alberto) to die there for the U.S. military adventure. It went from the young man's high school to the Tijuana Cultural Center to the San Ysidro border crossing and on to Chicano Park in San Diego. These photographs are from the rally at the Cultural Center.

Counter-clockwise from top: Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, Jesus Alberto, the Virgin of Guadalupe

Desde arriba hasta la derecha Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, Jesus Alberto. La Virgen de Guadalupe



Jesus Alberto's father

El padre de Jesus Alberto





For Peace

Por la paz



El Domingo marchamos por la paz en Irak llevado por el padre del primer muerto Mexicano de la guerra aventurosa de los EEUU. Fuimos desde la prepa del joven en Tijuana hasta el Parque Chicano en San Diego. La photos son de la manifestacion en Cecut, Tijuana

Friday, March 10, 2006

To San Antonio Necua/A San Antonio Necua

On Wednesday the Carrerra Ceremonial ran from Colonia 89 southeast of Ensenada to San Antonio Necua northeast of Ensenada.

El miercoles corre la carrera Ceremonial desde Colonia 89 sureste de Ensenada hasta San Antonio Necua noreste de Ensenada.



A song before leaving Colonia 89

Una cancion para salir Colonia 89



Beginning the day's run

Iniciar correr para el dia





End of the day running
near San Antonio Necua

El fin del dia corriendo
circa de San Antonio Necua


All runners know the spiritual aspects of running.

Todos corredores saben los aspectos spirituales de correr.

More/Mas: http://carreraindigena.blogspot.com/

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Colonia 89 - La Carerra en Ensenada

Yesterday we joined the Carrera Ceremonial por la Dignidad Indigena at Colonia 89, south east of Ensenada. The day's journey began with a ceremony and a walk of the runners, the school children & other community members through the village.

Ayer unimos con La Carrera Ceremonial por la Dignidad Indigena at Colonia 89, sureste de Ensenada. La Jornada inicio' con la ceremonia y el paseo por el pueblo de los corredores, alumnos y otros miembros de la comunidad.

(http://carreraindigena.blogspot.com/)



Praying to the six directions

Rezar a los 6 direcciones





Beginning the walk

Iniciar el paseo



Walking to the edge
of the community

Pasear a extremo
de la comunidad

Tomorrow I'll post on the day's run to San Antonio Necua. The runners will finish their journey Saturday in the afternoon at the park next to City Hall in Tijuana with a cermony & dance. Everyone is invited to celebrated the completion of their journey of 2 weeks and 1500 kilometers.

Man~ana voy a poner photos de la carrera a San Antonio Necua. Los corredores van a terminar su carrera Sabado en la tarde en el parque al lado del palacio municipal de Tijuana. Todos son invitados para celebrar su carrera de dos semanas y 1500 kilometros.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

More Women's Day/Mas Dia de las Mujeres

Otra actividad para el Dia Internacional de Mujeres aqui en Tijuana era hacer un mural temporal de aserrin pintado. El proceso era como asi.





Another activity here in Tijuana for International Women's Day was making a temporary mural of colored sawdust. The process is illustrated above.

Monday, March 06, 2006

International Women's Day/ El Dia Internacional de Mujeres

Among other activities in Tijuana for International Women's Day there was a march yesterday calling for an end to impunity for crimes of violence against women. The march began at the statue of Diana the Huntress, paused for speeches and a minute of silence at the site of the discovery of the body of a young woman, Sara Benazir, murdered this winter in Tijuana, and continued to the office of the prosecutor, demanding full investigations of unsolved crimes against women including Sara's brutal murder.


The march begins

Inicia la marcha





In memoria de Sara Benazir

In Sara Benazir's memory




At the prosecutor's office

La oficina del procurador



Entre otras actividades en Tijuana para el Dia Internacional de Mujeres hicieron ayer una marcha para terminar la impunidad de la violencia contra mujeres. Inicieron por la estatua de Diana la Casadora, hicieron una pausa en el lugar de discubrimento del cuerpo de una joven, Sara Benazir, asasinado este invierno en Tijuana, y continuaron por la oficina del procurador, exigir investigaciones completas de crimenes no resolvados contra mujeres incluendo el asasinato brutal de Sara.