I suspect that anyone who has done any amount of traveling outside their comfort zone is familiar with the acronym “BYOTP.” For those who are not, let me spell it out for you, because if you’re a woman in Chile, this is going to become pretty important: Bring Your Own Toilet Paper.
Of course this is an odd—less than delicate, shall we say—topic, but let’s face it, there are things that a traveler just needs to be forewarned about, and the whole idea behind Cachando Chile is to let you in on the things that no one else ever bothers to mention!
And since Eileen kicked it off today with her piece on “The Case of the Hot TP,” I figured it’s time to pass on a bit of advice for newbies that I’ve been planning to haul out at the right time… and it seems there’s no time like the present. Continue reading →
I love good graf. Graffiti art, street art, urban expression, bright colors, and freedom in design. And,in my opinion, Chilean graffiti is some of the best. As promised, I will be posting some of my “Good Graf” photos from time to time. (Remember Río Mapocho? And the “official” mural in front of Diego Portales?)
Graf fans… lucky day!
All of these Santiago graffiti shots were taken on May 14, 2009; the art is on a formerly blank wall along Av. Villavicencio, near Lastarria. Specifically, it’s the wall that was put up around the backside of the old Diego Portales Building reconstruction site (soon to be the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center). I’m calling it Villavicencio 336 because there was an address plaque with that address at one end. Oh yeah, and a disclaimer… I know these were taken at the wrong time of day (yes, I do know those unsightly shadows do not reflect the artists’ best work–nor mine). These were grab shots taken with a fairly decent point and shoot that I keep with me at all times… a pretty handy thing for a blogging graffiti fan to have within arm’s reach!
I did a bit of poking around to find out who’s behind this work. It seems pretty clear that it’s a group work–there are individual pieces and certain styles that come through loud and clear, while other pieces seem to have contributions from multiple artists. But while I did come up with some leads, it will take more time than I have today folks, so if you already do know something about this work, I bet I’m not the only one who would like to know more!
Here goes, from left to right:
Birthday Love (MST Villavicencio 336)
This piece was off to the side and does not appear to really be part of the rest of the wall.
I originally thought this was a Vazko (Basco)… but there’s a name written on top that makes me wonder. Also, his work and Piguan’s are similar in some ways and I KNOW Piguan was there that day, but no other clues lead me to Vaszko. Does anyone know for sure?
**Update** Now I’m thinking this is Santana, one of the KiltrV group… Still want confirmation!
Nebs Pereira "We Are C3" (MST Villavicencio 336)
I found a Flickr site for We Are C3. Note it’s in English. Wonder why…
And a reference to the Santiaguino street artist Nebs Pereira who signed the piece. His blog Arte Ingrato has great work but takes forever to open.
Piguan Woman (MST Villavicencio 336)
Piguan is another Santiago graf star…so here… take a closer look:
Piguan Woman Detail (MST Villavicencio 336)
You can see more about Piguan and his work at Spacejunk.
(MST Villavicencio 336)
(MST Villavicencio 336)
tp? Josefa? (MST Villavicencio 336)
Wild Style tag (MST Villavicencio 336)
More wild style (MST Villavicencio 336)
Miners (MST Villavicencio 336)
These three pieces are separate but united and are the only ones with such clear social commentary. Look at the different artistic styles used here!
(MST Villavicencio 336)
Note the Mapuche kultrun (indigenous drum) in the central figure’s hand and the references to invasive, destructive logging practices.
Caliche. Food lines (MST Villavicencio 336)
Now for a special treat from the Colectivo KiltrV (Nebs, Santana, Naska, Piguan & Rayner)
Have you ever noticed that it seems like you always hear about cool events AFTER they’ve taken place? Well, here’s a heads up. This Sunday, May 31, 2009, is Chile’s Cultural Heritage Day and no matter where you are in the country, there will be plenty of cultural activities to whet your appetite.
Fiesta del Día del Patrimonio: www.diadelpatrimonio.cl. Be sure to check "National Monuments" and "Buildings to Visit"
Ten years ago, Chile declared the last Sunday in May to be the “Día del Patrimonio Cultural,” a day set aside to celebrate and stimulate pride in Chilean culture. It is particularly geared toward architecture and a highlight of the day is the opportunity to visit a number of public and private buildings that are normally closed to the general public. The event has proven extremely successful and has expanded considerably each year. This year Santiago opens the doors to 110 buildings and has organized a multitude of activities in its museums, libraries, and cultural centers. Cities around the country are doing likewise.
This year’s theme is “The Fiesta del Patrimonio” and celebrates the concept of fiesta in different moments of time and cultural expression throughout Chile’s nearly 500 years of history.
I strongly suggest taking a look at the Día del Patrimonio Cultural (Cultural Heritage Day) web site and check out what’s doing around the country. If you click on “Programación nacional” you can find activities in each of the country’s 15 regions and then download an excel file with activities in your area.
To avoid making you go through a long series of clicking here, clicking there, just go straight to this link: La Fiesta del Patrimonio: Guía de Recorridos (Cultural Heritage Festival: Guide to Tours)to download a pamflet in pdf format that lists the different buildings that will be open to the public on Sunday. Choose a couple of options and go out and explore! This is your opportunity to get into those old mansions and the back rooms of government buildings you’ve always wondered about. There will also be plenty of music, food, games, and fun for the whole family.
Check it out and come back to report in on Monday!
I just found this great link: Cultura Mapocho which gives more information in Spanish about some of the tours available.
There’s nothing like a bit of Elvis—Chile’s own Elvis Junior, that is—to brighten up a Santiago afternoon. Para español, hacer click aquí
Elvis Junior and his amazing homemade 1-man band
Santiago has its share of characters… those folks on the street that everyone recognizes, people who are an essential part of the cityscape and who add to the human side of making this city unequivocally Santiago.
Living in a big city has its ups and downs, but there are some things that just make my day. One of them is Elvis Junior, a Santiago character who turns up in the most incredible places playing his…hmm… shall we say “artisanal” drum set made of old buckets, pots, pans, cans, and rubber bands… A whole slew of found objects that make their way into his percussive arsenal. It’s a different setup every time I see him… And every time I do, I come away with a big smile on my face.
Elvis Junior on Alameda in front of the Biblioteca Nacional, Santiago
Yesterday as I was approaching Alameda, near the National Library, I heard his distinctive sound, a frenetic drumbeat, complete with cymbals blaring and a wheezing kazoo (made from plastic tubing) alternating with his characteristic tell-tale one-line phrases picked up from a long-forgotten radio station.
It made my day. I grabbed my camera and rushed over to the median (he seems to have a thing about playing in the median between the rushing lanes of Santiago’s busiest downtown street). As always, he greeted me with his big gap-toothed grin and I, likewise, beam back with a grin of my own and a nice tip. We both went home happy.
There’s nothing particularly unusual about seeing stuff hanging from trees in Santiago. In fact, a jacket, a backpack, and maybe a thermos are a sign that someone’s at work…
For Spanish, use the translation tool on the top right of the page…
Santiago is full of informal jobs: car attendants, band-aid vendors, knife sharpeners, and paper hander-outers, to name just a few. Future posts will cover a host of unusual ways that people make a living here in Chile, but today’s topic refers to an aspect that is so common that most people don’t even see it: personal belongings hanging from a tree mean that someone has staked out that territory and will be working there that day.
Men at work, Santiago Chile
This picture was taken in a residential-transition-to-commercial sector of Providencia (a Santiago neighborhood). The man in yellow is a human parking meter, paid by the municipal government to keep track of how long cars are parked there and make sure they pay their due rate. On the tree we see his jacket and thermos, a yellow bag full of who knows what, and just to the right (and above the thermos) a stack of parking slips impaled on a nail. An empty Pepsi can dangles from another nail and will probably be recycled for cash at the end of the day. He spends the entire day there taking care of traffic on that block.
This is actually a fairly new job. Until recently, most parking was technically free, and cars were “cared for” by voluntary attendants who laid claim to certain blocks and “took care of your car” for tips. Some ask for payment up front, especially in areas with a nightlife and the attendants might want to go home before the owners come back. There are plenty of stories about pushy hustlers in Bellavista who demand payment up front and defiant drivers who defend their right to free parking and return to find their car scratched up. Moral of the story: pay up or park somewhere else…
Fewer informal parking attendants are seen in commercial areas these days because the municipalities have caught on to the fact that there’s considerable money to be made… it’s even enough to make you miss the old days when “park for a tip” was the norm!
Of course this is an odd—less than delicate, shall we say—topic, but let’s face it, there are things that a traveler just needs to be forewarned about, and the whole idea behind Cachando Chile is to let you in on the things that no one else ever bothers to mention!
