Escenas desde la Carretera Chilena

Santiago City

Chilean Street Art II

I'm curious about the story behind this one...






Not sure if these are supposed to be cancer related...probably not but couldn't help but think it.

Cazuela Para Todos

I'm often asked what a traditional chilean meal consists of. I have to think about this for a bit. Most dishes are heavy on the potatoes and meat. I think that the most distinctive for me at least is the Cazuela. The cazuela is kind of like a stew. The typical cazuela in one dish contains: a piece of meat (beef, chicken or rib), potatoes, pumpkin, and the stock from boiling this all together. You can also add rice, green beans, celery, sliced carrots, garlic and a big piece of sweetcorn all cooked in the same stock. Garnished at the end with chopped up cilantro to your liking. Makes for a rather hearty dish. Kinda the equivalent to chicken soup in that it's recommended if you have a cold or feeling down. My favorite, the cazuela de pollo:

Empanadas Fritas

I recently went to Chile to visit my lovely family before I started my latest round of cancer treatment. It was a wonderful trip where I got to reconnect and see family and friends I hadn't seen in years. A chance to reenergize and get away from the current nightmare that cancer has made my life. A chance to nurture and love and feel loved from those who inevitably will always be far away.
A chance to stuff my face with as much tasty food as I possibly could.
Case in point one of my favorites, empanadas fritas de queso. Simply, a wrapped pastry stuffed, well... with whatever you would like. My favorites are the ones that are deep fried and stuffed with cheese. Simple and soooo good.

The Earth Shakes and the Seas Rise

Some of the most devastating and moving images I've found of the earthquake in Chile so far. There are more here, from the Boston Globe.










Luckily, my family is alright. During my teen years I lived with my aunts and uncles in Cañete, a small town of about 16,000 people, one hour south of Concepcion, the epicenter of this past weekend's earthquake. Looking at pictures of the destruction that rocked such a vast region of the country, it's scary to be able to recognize locations, building and bridges.
Concepcion is one of the cities where I spent alot of time as a teenager visiting. My family and I would go there on weekends because it was the closest real city nearby. The closest movie theater was there, the closest mall and department stores where there. It was where most of my classmates and cousins went to the university and later settled when out of school.
Always drawn to the road less traveled, opted to move to Temuco, in the south, which was farther away. Concepcion was just a little too close.
Now after the quake, Concepcion has been rocked by looting and violence. It will take time to pick up the pieces.

Earthquake

Chemo. cancer. iv fluids, pills, pills. Earthquake. deadly. 8.8. on the Richter scale. Chile. 700 dead. Epicenter. Concepcion. looters, bandits. hope. despair. tsunami.

cracked lips, broken roofs, shortage of water. no shortage of tears. homelessness. hairlessness. more drugs.

one percocet. two percocet. a catheter.
rumble, rumble, aftershock. maybe one more pill.

where is my family? so much debris! who is under it? where to look? where to turn.
in my mouth is metal. copper. ever present. it's from within, it's inside me. this damn chemo. in my veins, in my hair, in my sweat, in my tastebuds. Fucking everywhere.

Goddamnit! where is everyone? is everyone ok? of course not. it's chaos outside and in. it doesn't end.
what now? just huddle and wait for it to pass...please let it be over soon.


(photo from NY Times)

Street Art de Chile

In South America, Sao Paolo is considered the epicenter for graffiti and street art. But, I'm proud to say that Santiago isn't far behind.
Two years ago I went to visit and was able to hang out in Barrio Bellavista, which is known for being the bohemian party neighborhood. But I also found here a place rich in vibrant grafitti and artwork. Graffiti and stencil art is present all over Santiago, but in this borough there's a large concentration as virtually every house serves as a canvas.
While the muralist brigades in Chile don't have a set aesthetic, political fires fuel their inspiration. I suppose that is part of graffiti, being a reactionary form of art. A way of protesting in a peaceful manner.
Big issues that are seen in the mural art in Chile are the countries divide in relation to Pinochet-Allende, our September 11th coup, globalization, rebelling against authority and social norms, the marginalized people's neverending struggle against poverty, among so many other social issues that affect the country.
These are some of the pictures of the street art I took.