Chile Calling

So I had one of the easiest flight and immigration experiences yet and am back settled in Guadalajara querida y linda. The only upset being my fault, as I somehow only packed one trainer, so it’s sandals for me for the next 6 wks… Yesterday was Jose’s birthday and he invited me out with his family for his cumpleanos meal to the Argentine restaurant El Tango in Chapalita which had great food. It was grand to be able to hang out with friends on my first day back, a lovely welcome. I nipped over to Cinescopio today to catch up and all seems well over yonder. I’ll be giving my site (agaveweb) an overhaul today and designing some new business cards and suchlike. I’ve taken over Sita’s office but I’ve been warned not to get too comfortable… I am though. Anyroad, vaguely jetlagged but nothing serious and plenty to be getting on with.

This arrived in my inbox t’other day, and since I’ve no photos to post with this entry, have this vaguely-photo-related “Integrity Test” in its stead.

This test only has one question, but it’s a very important one. Please don’t answer it without giving it some serious thought. By giving an honest answer you will be able to test where you stand morally.

The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation, where you will have to make a decision one way or the other. Remember that your answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous.

Please scroll down slowly and consider each line – this is important for the test to work accurately.

You’re in Florida… In Miami, to be exact… There is great chaos going on around you, caused by a hurricane and severe floods… There are huge masses of water all over you… You are a CNN photographer and you are in the middle of this great disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless.

You’re trying to shoot very impressive photos. There are houses and people floating around you, disappearing into the water. Nature is showing all its destroying power and is ripping everything away with it.

Suddenly you see a man in the water, he is fighting for his life, trying not to be taken away by the masses of water and mud. You move closer. Somehow the man looks familiar.

Suddenly you know who it is – it’s George W. Bush!

At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take him away… forever. You have two options. You can save him or you can take the best photo of your life. So you can save the life of George W. Bush, or you can shoot a Pulitzer prize winning photo. A unique photo displaying the death of one of the world’s most powerful men.

And here’s the question (please give an honest answer)

Would you select colour film, or go with the simplicity of classic black and white?

tomatopatch.com : “Sleepless In Seattle” Trailer Recut
Found this on Boingboing.net A trailer that’s better than the film itself. Again…

Here’s the line up for the lucha libre this evening. Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks aren’t billed, but we live in hope. I’m sure EL HOMBRE SIN NOMBRE won’t fail to entertain… and if all else fails, there’s Strongbad

ARENA COLISEO: Martes 31 de Enero 19:30 HRS.

LUCHA ESTELAR:
DOS CARAS JR., DR.WAGNER E HIJO DE LIZMARK vs TARZAN BOY, REY BUCANERO Y UNIVERSO 2000

LUCHA SEMIFINAL
BLACK WARRIOR, SATANICO Y LIZMARK vs EMILIO CHARLES, HIJO DE PIERROTH Y HOMBRE SIN NOMBRE

LUCHA ESPECIAL
VIRUS, TONY RIVERA Y STUKA vs OKUMURA, DR. X Y LOCO MAX

SEGUNDA LUCHA
LEONO, TRUENO Y DANGER vs RAMSTEIN, MESALA Y CALIGULA

PRIMERA LUCHA
RAYOS TAPATIOS I Y II vs POLVORA Y VAQUERO

and Geoff… Give us a skype when you get the chance, eh?

So my first night in Mexico alone passed without incident. I was back from work well late in the evening because I had to finish off the political campaign propaganda and we were waiting on the scanning company to provide us with the pictures from the photoshoot in 3m x 2m format (300dpi, about 500 meg each, 1 per CD…). They wanted to charge us US$300 per photo but when we told them we’d do it ourselves the price fell to 3 dollars. Makes you wonder… Anyroad, I tried loading it into my computer and it more or less glared narkily at me and then disappeared into a desert-like heat haze. Even the G5 mac was struggling with that filesize. Anyway it’s done. They’re happy and it’s my first successful foray into Mexican graphic design. Yay! If he gets the candidateship there’ll be a web site in the offing too…

On Tuesday we managed 4 episodes of Lost in a row. I was chomping at the bit to watch some more episodes last night, but since Sita wasn’t around and this is a voyage for the pair of us, I made do with the methadone equivalent of watching Episode 8 with the Commentary on, the English bloke from Driveshaft and one of the writers rambling away. Quite entertaining but I still need a real Lost hit… and I’ve seen all my Phoenix Nights series one episodes too. Might have to get UK Novaing and see how Flash is doing on Deal or No Deal.

Today it’s going to be Camino Real research, accessibilityfying my web design site and that’s about it. If Jose’s feeling better there’s a chance we’ll go off filming, though Sita’s got my (still) camera. She’ll get better usage out of it that I would. One of these days I want to spend a while in Tequila taking B&W shots of agave fields. I’ve a feeling it will come to pass…

To use a Californianism, I’m totally psyched! I’ve been a fan for quite a while. Guadalajara’s suddenly getting world class concerts. There was The Strokes the other day, and Franz Ferdinand, Slayer. And soon, Lila Downs, Julieta Venegas and er, Toto, coincidentally enough. Ooh, what to wear?

Here’s some photos from this afternoon’s wanderings round Zapopan with Victor, Jana & Megan. If you’re in the area and fancy seeing some world class photography of the low points of 2005/06 then the exhibition on now at the MAZ is highly recommended… The slideshow below uses a new fangled javascript thing, fingers crossed…

Well, it rained for the first time in a month or so yesterday (the last time was on the way to Phoenix, Arizona from L.A.). Proper rain, mind, none of your namby pamby mizzle- lightning, thunder, the works. I’ve always wanted to take a photo of lightning so I went up on the roof and took several 16 second exposure, low aperture shots, it took about 5 attempts, but i got one. . It’s far from perfect, i was holding the camera as still as possible with no tripod, aiming at the sky. Next time I want a city scape with forks of lightning above it, like this second pic, which has had a few minor photoshop elements added, and features at least one deliberate spelling mistake…

Had a nice chat with Sally t’other night. The bunnies have become tunneling machines, and their run looks like a building site. Lulu’s the main culprit and he wouldn’t even stop digging when Sally stared at him. So Sally, bless her, went to All American to get chicken wire to go under the run and installed it all herself. Nice one, KilcarSally

Today the plan: Update my CV, pick up the laser printer from the repair shop, pass by an English school that’s looking for gringos as part of the part-time non-teaching staff, get agaveweb.com off the ground. Finalise me postcard size ads and get them to the printer, bulk email the lake Chapala non-profits… Work out why we’re getting so many phone calls that either hang up (I think our number is v. similar to the Cuarenta Principales (top 40 radio station…) or are banks/ loan sharks/ lawyers wanting to find the previous occupant… Anyroad, more news as, when or if it happens. Cheers, gwyn