The internet is full of advice on Comuna 13, formerly one of the most dangerous urban spaces in the world. This advice is: go with a tour that tells you about the barrio’s sad past and inspiring present, admire the graffiti, don’t stray off the path, learn the history of the area, get over your […]
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Jab
I returned to the flat from my class and we went off to Poblado with several missions in mind, but only one that we were reasonably confident of completing. In the event we managed all of them, hurrah. It took ages to get there as the traffic was terrible (we had hoped to save time […]
Five o’clock chorus
I woke up at five in the morning to the sound of men singing sad songs in harmony, with a mournful trumpet accompanying them. It was actual people singing, not a recording: though the trumpet was well played, it was definitely not slick and professional. Very peculiar, I thought, go to sleep it’s five in […]
How long remembered?
Partition was ever present in my childhood. Is it still so? An article in Dawn republished some of the great poetry of the time: Faiz: ye daagh daagh ujala ye shab-gazida sahar vo intizar tha jis ka ye vo sahar to nahin Shiv Kumar Batalvi: Mainu te yaad hai ajj vi, te tenu yaad hove […]
Ouch
I have developed a very sore wrist and arm, and am worried about RSI. I suppose I had it coming, but today I took all sorts of measures. These included: Posting on Metafilter to ask for keyboard recommendations. Selecting an ergonomic keyboard, to be purchased from Canada or the UK depending on the bother and […]
Bad writing
I have just finished a biography of the Prophet by Juan Cole. Little in it was new to me, and much of it seemed a little off, a little to eager to excuse or justify to hostile Christian readers. It was interesting, though, to read the biography of the Prophet as a historical text rather […]
My scaly friend
We went to the botanical gardens today. Again, by metro; Medellin’s metro is so very impressive. Clean, inexpensive, fast, airy. Such a pleasure. The entrance to the Jardin Botanico was a smooth modern structure with a circular path around a sort of basin. It made me feel very much like a little silver ball rolling […]
Thoughts on two articles in the Observer
The music was very loud again last night and did not stop till 4. There is something about the way that sound echoes in our street, it is very loud indeed so it made for a very uncomfortable night, again. Anyway, I woke up at 7 so feel quite underslept, plus there is no milk […]
Up up up
We took the metro to Acevado, first missing the stop altogether becuase we didn’t pay attention to the announcement (in both Spanish and English) that only some doors would open due to construction. So we overshot then returned, this time careful to ask a man in a uniform where we should stand. I must say, […]
Long ago battle
Today is a public holiday in the middle of feria season so the soundstage came into its own last night. Not only that, there were street parties everywhere, including at least two directly outside our window. Over the course of the evening the sound swelled, the salsa from the stage and all the different types […]