| Profil de Autumnin the space of a cantel...PhotosBlogListes |  Outils  Aide |
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15 novembre Civil Disobedience in Tulua, Colombiain my inbox: ...disculpame por no escribirte, lo que pasa es que cuando regresamos de Bogotá, nos dimos cuenta que para el próximo semestre solo abrirán una carrera ( administración ), entonces al volver decidimos tomarnos la sede de la universidad, así que estoy durmiendo allá... Trans: Upon returning from a huge student protest in Bogota, students of the Tulua campus of Universidad del Valle discovered that as soon as next semester the only degree available at their campus will be Administration. In turn, the students locked themselves inside the building and are sleeping over night in protest. These events are due to recent cuts in education spending which will force either the closing or otherwise privatization of smaller college campuses in Colombia. In a small town like Tulua, a major university like Univalle is crux and a force behind growth and education, and its dissolution can only make the community suffer. For these reasons, the students of Tulua have every reason to actively fight for their education and save their Univalle campus. 13 novembre Babel(spoilers ahead) I first heard about Babel on NPR, where it was compared to Crash and that was actually kind of a turnoff, even though I haven't even seen Crash. But the diversity of the story drew me in, the trailer looked good, there were Moroccans in it, and well I had a day off so why not? So here goes... My number one pet peeve in movies is loose ends, or things that seem irrelevant or unnecessary in the story, and this movie had a handful. In the opening scene we see Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette wondering why they came to a country that doesn't pander to their apparently aspartame-rich sterilized-ice American diet, and Cate Blanchette alludes to some past shortcoming of her husband that is contributing to her high strung mood. We never find out what he did. We also see a young Moroccan boy who spies on his sister getting naked only to be scolded by his father later. And I am really curious, what were they trying to say? Is this supposed to be typical in a remote Moroccan household as opposed to anywhere else? Why is it important to this story? I am not trying to say that this happens anywhere or nowhere, but I find this portrayal somewhat offensive without appropriate context. I almost felt the same way about the chicken beheading in Mexico. According to this movie, some Mexican people apparently think that beheading a chicken is entertainment at a wedding party. I was personally revolted but everyone gets their kicks in different ways, right? But was there any point other than this? How is a non-Mexican (well maybe a non-Latino for that matter) supposed to take this? And then, the Japanese girl whose mother died. Does it make a difference to the story whether or not her mother was there? How she died? Whether or not her father had something to do with it? It just goes nowhere. And then at last, we are left to wonder cluelessly what the Japanese deaf-mute girl wrote to the police officer. These things are just not integral to the story, and I feel like I waste mental energy trying to follow them only to feel cheated when it seems to me they are just thrown in for shock value or for cheap mood-setting fluff. Babel tries to portray its characters as victims of their social environments, but I propose that they are victims of their own idiocy. I mean, the conflicts in which they find themselves are results of their own ignorance and poor decisions. Here I address each situation: a) Cate Blanchette bullet wounded and "stranded" in a remote Moroccan village. As far as I saw, the American couple in despair had at their disposal: a motor vehicle, a very friendly translator, and most of all, money. The only thing they seemed to be in want of was a stretcher and a siren, on which they insisted. I am sure in that situation someone might have had a clue which way Casablanca was, so what were they waiting for? Even when the rest of the tourists ran off with the bus, the cops came to the village coldly refusing help and well.. if Morocco is like Colombia (as they tell me it is), a flash of Ben Franklin will get you almost anywhere, even with the cops. Even the friendly translator seemed to overlook the idea. b) Stranded in the Texas desert with two children. Crossing the border back to Mexico when you're illegal in the US isn't wise if you plan on coming back (many people have to miss more than their son's wedding because they know better). Drinking and driving is bad, and worse when you are trying to get back in. Crashing through the barricade at border patrol when apparently the is also a dumb decision. c) And finally the first decision that caused the whole ruckus... Giving two barely-pubescent boys a large rifle to play with, scantly trained and unchaperoned. I could drive myself crazy wondering who would reckon this a sane idea. I understand that many people grow up with access to guns (myself obviously not one of them), and however typical or second nature this access is in any situation, gun safety and responsibility should always be tirelessly stressed. And if it is not, which it is not in this movie, again making me wonder if this is supposed to be presented as a normal trend in rural Moroccan society, that could be material for a whole other movie. The story that I did appreciate was that of the Japanese deafmute girl. I liked the theme of using her body to communicate, immaturely using sex as a tool where words fail and learning from the experience. I like the naked-on-the-balcony scene in the end, in which she exposes herself to the world, denoting an acceptance of herself. As I think about it, she was the only one in the film that grew, and I guess that is what else I felt wanting in the movie. None of the other characters changed or learned in the course of their experiences, and if it was supposedly implied, it was too little too late so the audience could only be lost with them. Reflecting on all this, I guess I understand why I had trouble feeling much for the characters or their situations. Too much fluff with irrelevancies, too narrow storylines, and too little growth. So I know this will be overrated, but I still don't regret seeing it because it was part of a very nice day off (although rainy) and now I will have a clue as to what I am talking about when people bring it up (unlike Crash last year which I never got around to seeing). btw, Farmicia on 3rd and Chestnut is an awesome eats. 7 novembre the newsfeedtoday is election day.. praying as the borderlineatheistliberal I am that the Republicans, not to mention Rick Santorum, lose majority standing in Congress (thank you Dan Savage!) listening to lots of NPR lately to re-nurture my socio-political passions The Israeli military is turning the Gaza Strip into a wasteland, as predicted. The morning after pill has just been made available over-the-counter.. Take that, Republicans! And... buying jeans is still an emotional crisis. Being a poor college student, I am pretty behind on mass market trends, but the prevalence of the poor chic fad that I learned about in my Sociology [Socialism] class was pretty evident as I tried to update my scant wardrobe. I don't understand, why is this so popular? What is so hard about making available a solid color, comfortable pair of flares? Why pay for professional fakeness? Why is looking used and trashy so cool? No, I don't want stains.. No, I don't want fades... No, I don't want them torn.. Yes, I would like to be able to sit down.. and no, I don't want a butterfly stamped on my butt. But at last I did it! I had to settle for a slight fade, but its passable. And it's probably the first major piece of clothing (tank tops don't count) I have bought myself in.. a very very long time. But it was necessitated since I retired my old travel jeans, which I have since made into an heirloom, complete with hole-near-backpocket and Sharpie-branded with all the places I have taken them. 6 novembre "Hussein is Sentenced to Death by Hanging"As little as I have kept up on the Iraq news, the photo of Saddam Hussein and the headline engenders some ominous air, I guess a sign of the times. There are real, tangible people who have lost their lives because of this man, and people who are still living and dying in ways that no one should even after his fall from power. And where there should be justice on all sides, here is an other act in the Grand Circus, a stage of archetypes, symbols, and masks to distract the general public from the profiteering behind the scenes. All aside, the question that looms in my mind: ... is the world a better place? |
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