Horseshoes, Fiddles, and Stickers
One of the men who helps run the horse carriages, holds a hoof for reshoeing.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMAGES Spent another afternoon wandering the downtown streets looking for story ideas and features to shoot. Started with the guys who give horse and carriage rides to tourists and hung out with them for an hour or so. I’ve been looking around the city center for a woman I saw a few days ago whom I’m interested in talking to for a story idea, but haven’t seen her again. She’s there a lot, people say, so hopefully I’ll see her again soon.
Next stumbled upon Hector Mora and Manuel Gomez, playing on the streets on guitar and violin, respectively. They were wonderful, and we huddled under awnings while a light drizzle fell and workers headed home for the evening. They were interested in the work that I was going to do here, and I took their card as I left.
Finished the evening shooting in some nice afternoon light and was quickly discovered by two children who hang out in a plaza handing out stickers and asking for a few pesos in return. I gave them a peso and showed them what I was doing with my camera and let them take photos of each other. Then as they played in the plaza with a ball, I was able to make some images of them too.
The rules
Students recite the rules of CODENI.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS Students who begin in the afterschool program that CODENI runs must first learn the rules of the program, which center around respect for themselves, for others and the things around them.
1. My Duties
2. Do my work
3. Respect eachother
4. Arrive on time
5. Don’t profit from children
6. Don’t scratch the tables
7. Don’t use profanity
8. Be responsible and pay attention
9. Don’t waste materials
Games in the street
Boys in CODENI's evening program play a game of volleyball with Jorge's rope net.
MORE IMAGES HERE This afternoon I spent a few hours photographing the young and old, playing in the streets. First some older men, including Manuel, a professional photographer who has taken portraits of tourists for 40 years, played a game of checkers with bottle caps and some different rules on how kings can jump? Later in the evening I reacquainted myself with CODENI’s evening group of activities that help focus on the rights of children, including this month’s topic…recreation.
Brain is full
Got to my first day of class about an hour late and totally flustered. Basically never got the confirmation email from the school to show up at 8, so I was there at 9:05. I was thinking, “Latin time”, but it didn’t work….also forgot money to pay the remainder of the fee as well as my passport for their records. Then when I stepped into class, after my oral evaluation, the class of two German students were in the midst of a history lesson, which completely threw me off. Fortunately got better quickly. Spent a few hours in the language lab after class, which was helpful. The IMAC truly is great school. My teacher is wonderful. Going to be a better day today I’m sure.
My room.
Had a sinus cold, which thankfully is gone, thanks to some tequila (a.k.a. Mexican sinus medication) and a good night of sleep. Tried to repay my debts to Danielle for hosting me for so long and made a Tortilla Espanola for dinner with a big salad, and learned the time-consuming process for washing and sterilizing vegetables (10 drops of iodine per liter). No wonder why Mexicans don’t eat many veggies…it’s a pain in the ass to prepare them. But I was craving green food, and the salad, and steamed green beans really hit the spot.
Weekend #1
Coco and Raul dance the danzon.
MORE PHOTOS HERE The weekend pace is wonderful in Guadalajara. I was invited to a rooftop party of gringos who teach at the American School here on Saturday, and spent this morning with a group of Mexican photographers and designers who I’ve met through Maria Madrigal. After breakfast, Maria walked us through her photo exhibit at the Ex-Convento. Along the walk we passed Avenida Juarez, usually bustling with traffic, which is closed for cyclits, families and walkers to enjoy.
This evening, Danielle, David and I walked her new dog, Oso, over to a nearby plaza where a group meets every Sunday evening to dance the danzon, a traditional Cuban dance. There I met Coco and Raul, a fashionable dressed couple who I promised a CD of photos for next weekend.
Tomorrow I begin my Spanish class.
My Host
David and Danielle, Bar Americas
Danielle Strickland has been a wonderful host, allowing me and soon Missy to stay with her until we find an apartment of our own (which we hope to be soon.) Her partner David Sandoval Duran, an architect, has been great as well, helping me along with my Spanish and making sure there is a beer nearby when we go out.
Capoeira
The street performance group Capoeira.
GALLERY IMAGES On the way home from the end of summer activities celebration, I passed by some street performers in a group called Capoeira, which combines acrobatics, art, defense, dance, and music. They had a good size crowd that enjoyed the show, and in typical Mexican fashion were quick to hand out tips to the performers. At the end, one of the dancers flipped over seven people side to side.
End of Summer
Families sort through their school supplies.
GALLERY IMAGES At the end of the summer break, CODENI provides school supplies to the students who are in their scholarship program. Each student received a bag of supplies that fulfilled the needs of their teachers for the school year which begins on Monday.
The CODENI staff helped pack the students supplies and then made food for the afternoon end of summer celebration, with a show of dance, drumming, art and photograpy to their parents. I helped the staff make Ritz cracker sandwiches filled with Pate (higado=liver…word of the day). Aside from some minor technical problems with a projector, all went well.
Clase de Fotografia
Maria Madrigal teaches Efrain basic photography.
IMAGE GALLERY As part of the CODENI summer activities program, photographer Maria Madrigal spent the past two weeks working with a half dozen students teaching the basics of photography. I hope to continue her work through my year here with the help of Listen to My Pictures for financial support for equipment.
Fieldtrip
Two boys play with their windmills on the bus.
GALLERY IMAGES Students in the CODENI summer program took a fieldtrip to the Museo de Zapopan, where there was a wonderful Swiss photography exhibit.
Arrival in Guadalajara
I arrived in Guadalajara with three shoes...hmmm.
I arrived safely in Guadalajara on 08-12-08 and have been staying at the house of Danielle Strickland, who is one of the directors of CODENI, an NGO based in Guadalajara, with whom I will be working on several documentary projects throughout the Fulbright year here.
The past two days 08-13/14-08 have been great, justing getting a chance to both wonder around the city and shadow some of CODENI’s activities including the end of a two week mini photo workshop, run by Los Angeles-based photographer Maria Madrigal, and tagging along with a field-trip to the Museo de Zapopan, where there was a wonderful exhibit of Swiss photographers. Several of the students who were part of the camera workshop over the past two weeks told me they got a lot of ideas for their own photo projects from what they saw.
Today is the culmination of the summer activities that CODENI puts on, which have included dance, photography, drumming, arts, and sports. There will be a celebration of the end of summer and start of the 2008-09 school year, which begins on Monday, 08-18-08.
I have run into many families and children on the streets whom I remember from my visit here in March 2007, which has been wonderful, including Ismael, a child whom my parents have sponsored through AHALA.