As the Two Fish empire expands, we think it is about time to have a theme song. Universities, super heroes, and game shows all have catchy theme songs. Our choice was foisted on us while in Angra dos Reis. While approaching our mooring, we were blanketed by a Brazilian cover of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” being played during a shore-side sound check of the New Year’s sound system. The volume was so loud that Two Fish’s hatches vibrated and we could not hear our engines.
This post is not about the words, but the images. I am a fan of graffiti art. Not the clever London based Banksy or the 80’s iconic Keith Haring. No, I prefer the colorful art found in alleyways and on struggling bars and small businesses. On the global graffiti scene it turns out that Chile ranks rather high in its reputation. I learned this after my walk today in Santiago. The web has told me that I have much to look forward to later this week in Valparaiso, which some think is at the top of the heap of street graffiti. “Chile has historically been a center for radical propaganda painting. As early as 1940, renowned Chilean and Mexican artists like David Alfaro Siqueiros, Fernando Marcos and Gregorio de la Fuente, were painting influential murals in Chile. Today, Latin America is on the forefront of the street art explosion, and Chile is leading the innovation.”
I like these paintings because they are bright, complex and push my eyelids back. Banksy and Haring produce computer icons, not art that stirs me. Most of these photos were taken in the Bellavista neighborhood of Santiago, Chile.
For now, I will let you enjoy the images I captured on today’s walk.
We discovered ToniMontaña while walking the streets in San Telmo, Buenos Aires. I have bought many a CD of street bands that seemed great at the time, only to have the experience be a flop when played at home. Untrue for ToniMontaña. Enjoy 60 seconds of their music cast to the sights of BA. Not sure why you can not buy them on iTunes. Here is the only link I could find.
BA Street Fair from Two Fish on Vimeo.
Nuss Hotel Review: Room was an 8 out of 10 on my very harsh rating scale. Wonderful room came with large bed and a large day bed. Modern bath and nice almond treat as a welcoming gift. Food was good but only had breakfast. Would stay here again as location is in the hip part of Palermo.
BA Dinner Review: 2 out of 10 on my generous rating scale. Mexicana is so bad that I am sure they will be closed before you visit. The best moment was while ordering. I asked for a a salad and three tacos. “But sir, the tacos come with a salad are you sure you still want to order a salad?”, the waitress said. “Thanks, I will pass then.”, I replied. The salad with the taco was 1 mini leaf of lettuce. Enough said. Do not go here even if starving.
San Martín, Rosas, Perón
While visiting the Bicentenial Museum in Buenos Aires, I admired this painting that encapsulates the history of Argentina. I have tried to research the painting, but much of my source material is in Spanish and translated by Google. Eager to hear corrections from those who know better.
Queen Isabella
1510 – Arrival of the Spaniards in the Rio Plata – The upper left hand corner illustrates the arrival of the Europeans. Queen Isabella and Columbus are depicted above the caravelle. However, neither one visited Argentina. The corpses are of the indigenous population to whom the European diseases were more potent than Spanish horses or swords. This Revisionist view postulates that the arrival of the Europeans ruined the Americas. It is easy to support this view as disease, war and other oppressions destroyed much of the original society. One art critic disagreed with revisionism. stating it discounts the benefits and progress of current Argentine society. The critic asks revisionists “to wear a loin cloth of the pre-european days”. I hear the art critic’s point but it seems rather out of touch and self-serving. Furthermore, who knows how the cultures of the Rio Plata would have developed without European involvement? Enough of my soapbox on a topic I know very little about. Back to “reading” the painting.
Tupac Amaru
1572 Tupac Amaru is killed – Further down along the left of the painting is a pilgrim-esque symbol which speaks to the connections the Spaniards had with some of the indigenous people (San Martin on horseback with the Incan leader Tupac Amaru) Túpac Amaru (Incan leader) was falsely convicted of murder and sentenced to a beheading. Before his execution, Catholic clerics pleaded that the Incan be sent to Spain for a trial, instead of being executed. Some have argued that Viceroy Toledo, in executing a head of state recognized by the Spanish as an independent King, exceeded his authority and committed a crime within the political ideas of his own time.
So far the painting is critical of the major figures in Argentine history, but I doubt any former colony would fair much better.
1807 English Lion and 1812 Flag Creator
1807 English annex Buenos Aires – The Lion symbolizes the British invasion, a turning point in Argentine history. The British were repelled by Creole forces. I thought Creole was a New Orleans bayoux culture, but in an Argentine context it refers to a person of 100% Spanish descent who was born in Argentina. This is important to the story since the Spaniards (born in Spain) held more of the important positions in early Argentine society than the Creole. When the Brits came to invade, the Spaniards fled but the home-born Creole stayed to fight. After this win, much of the Spanish leadership was sent home and the colony garnered more independence.
1810 Revolution – The painting now illustrates the 1810 May revolution. Spain and France are at war and the French have taken control of much of Spain. This was the beginning of the war of independence for the entire South American continent. I suppose the logic was something like this: Spain lost control of their own country to the French, so why should they continue to control South America? Not bad logic in my opinion. You may see the avenue name 25 de Mayo, or Plaza de Mayo in BA and other towns. 25th Mayo, 1810 is the Día de la Revolución de Mayo, when Buenos Aires ousted the Spanish.
Naked San Martin
Near the center of the painting there is a naked guy next to a man in a blue suit. Controversially, the artist painted San Martin, leader of an attack on Chile via the Andes, naked to symbolize the lack of support Buenos Aires gave San Martin. San Martin is famous in Argentine history for his brave efforts to free the continent of the Spanish and for the “Crossing of the Andes” military campaign to out the Chilean royalists in 1817.
1812 Argentine Flag created – On the left edge of the painting is man in a green jacket with peace birds on his head. This is Manuel Belgrano who is credited with creating the Argentine flag (good job) and one of the main Libertadores of the country. His full name if you ever needed to greet him formally is Manuel José Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús Belgrano. I bet his friends called him Manny. Another Libertadore leader, San Martin, is painted nearby with a flag. The pair are Argentine versions of Betsy Ross and George Washington. Another key date, 9th July, 1816, is when the Argentines declared independence from Spain; this is also commemorated in many towns with Avenida 9 de Julio.
José de San Martín appears a third time in the painting, accompanied by a village. I suppose that says he was either a man of the people or a village people? San Martin receives much credit for leading troops to free large parts of Argentina from Spanish rule.
1833 British control Las Malvinas / Falklands At the top of the painting the artist shows the British warships headed for an island which harkens clearly to the sensitive topic of the islands. I will steer clear of this since both countries have been wonderful hosts to me in my travels. I have no dog in this fight and less understanding of the long history. But do have an interest in visiting the windswept islands.
Politics of Trade
1845 Anglo-French Blockade of Argentina – Buenos Aires has grown because of its power as a port city. Oddly, the Spanish originally decreed that all of the goods from their South American colonies should travel over the Andes via horseback to Lima and then from Lima to modern-day Panama by sea and finally over land again through Central America. The goods waited in Cuba for a protected delivery to Spain. This seemingly insane plan was needed to avoid looting by French and English ships. Clearly, few goods followed this path and Buenos Aires became a smuggler’s paradise. By the 1840s, BA’s role as a major port for silver, cow hides, and other products was well established. Juan Manuel Rosas, leader of Argentina, had impossed protective tarriffs to enhance the fledgling Argentine economy. Britain and France did not comply and began trading goods inside Argentine rivers. This prompted a 5-year blockade, which Argentina was able to survive. Eventually Britain and France signed an agreement acknowledging Argentine river sovereignty. The chain in the painting is Argentina preventing European ships from sailing upriver and next to this is an Argentine soldier kicking an English merchant. This is a rather nationalistic painting, but what else would you expect in a a country’s National museum?
Rosa with the lower classes
Juan Manuel Rosas (1793-1877) was no small figure in Argentine history. He controlled the country with a totalitarian fist. Like any dictator he had a penchant for the dramatic. The Argentine governor mandated that the slogan “Death to the Savage Unitarians” be inscribed at the top of all official documents. Anyone on the state payroll was obliged to wear a red badge with the inscription “Federation of Death”. Every male was supposed to have a “federal look”, i.e., to sport a large mustache and sideburns. Many resorted to wearing false mustaches. The red color became omnipresent in the province of Buenos Aires. Soldiers wore red chiripás and their horses sported red accouterments. Civilian males wore a red waistcoat, red badge and red hatband while women wore red ribbons and children donned red school uniforms. Building exteriors and interiors were also decorated in red.
20th Century – Oil
Twentieth Century – This portion of the painting shows some famous moments from 1900 to 1940. In 1929, Argentina was wealthy, but the prosperity ended with the worldwide Great Depression of 1929. In 1930, a military coup, supported by the Argentine Patriotic League, forced Hipólito Yrigoyen from power. Support for the coup was bolstered by the sagging Argentine economy, as well as a string of bomb attacks and shootings involving radical anarchists. The attacks alienated moderate elements of Argentine society and angered the conservative right, which had long been agitating for decisive action by the military forces. The military coup initiated the period known as the “Infamous Decade”, characterised by electoral fraud, persecution of the political opposition and pervasive government corruption. The most famous (and perhaps most symbollic of anarchism’s decay in Argentina at the time) action was the execution of Severino Di Giovanni, who was captured in late January 1931 and executed on the first of February of the same year.
President Peron
Peron was elected President of Argentina three times, serving first from June 1946 until September 1955, when he was overthrown by a coup d’état, and then from October 1973 to July 1974. During his first Presidential term, Perón was supported by his second wife, Eva Duarte (“Evita”), and the two were immensely popular among many Argentines. Eva died in 1952. Peron lives on today via his politcal party known as Peronists. I am still trying to understand Peron but it seems like he was part FDR. He pushed the state to expand the social welfare net, but at some point the economy could not handle the burden and went into a severe contraction. This has been an all too common outcome of good intentions.
In 2001 I, Jason, created our first vaction video. The video was of our Swedish vacation and consisted of a slide show with some bad music and even worse narration. I used Microsoft’s PictureIt! application. A decade later and I am producing videos with much better tools, such as iMovie, but my narration hasn’t progressed much. The name of my movie company is “A Don’t Quit Your Day Job Production.” It has produced such famous hits as “Budapest to Krakow” and “A Turkish Vacation”. No current award nominations are pending but we are holding out hope.
Taking Photos in Scotland
I am trying to make movies that tell a story, and have strong editing and stunning video. I am far from that target but the film crew of “A Don’t Quit Your Day Job Production” is striving to improve the quality for the blog. Please offer up reviews via comments or e-mail. Bad reviews are enjoyed just as much as good reviews. The website content will vary from photos to videos to audio files.
Where did the “Don’t Quit” your name come from? Banking is a stressful job even though the actual activity is not as important as a fireman or a nurse. Reminding myself that there are alternatives to life on the trading floor created a sense of perspective and calm within the storm. So I think subconsciously the title was saying, I can quit this job. Well, if all goes as planned I will have done just that. Even though the idea had been there for a while its still surprises my that I am finally quitting my day job.
Education
If I had all the time in the world I would like to take several photography classes, a videography class and a film editing class. The first priority is photography since I am a chronic point and shooter. No clue on composition or image control. Many years ago I looked at taking a class by mail but that fell apart just like my resolution to do 100 push ups every morning. After I take the class we can see if I was just born with a tin eye.
Software
2007 Christmas card
For photos we store our collection in iPhoto because it has an attractive and easy to use interface. Photoshop is used for the more complex efforts such as this homemade collage Christmas card from years ago. We have always struggled with Photoshop Elements because we do not use it enough and have never opened the manual (is that important?). More time with the software and the newest version will assuage our Photoshop fears.
Hardware
How many cameras do you need is really not the right question? [This the old cat and mouse game where Jason tries to convince Gail that we need more videographic stuff.] The question should be how can we survive with only a proper DSLR, a water proof point and shoot, a few GoPro HD cameras, and some camera/video camera that works while diving. I am not even including a full size video camera!
Nikon d800
DSLR: Dream choice is the d800. I like this camera because I want to make 4 foot photos of that memorable anchorages and 36 megapixels should ensure quality enlargements. I had entertained a medium format camera but they cost 30,000 bucks. Yup that is the right number of zeros. I gave up on medium format after seeing the price. The Nikon d800 has a FX sensor which is a complex way of saying it can take in more data that leads to better photos. Lenses are key as well. I am considering a portrait, a zoom, a wide angle and maybe a cheapo fish eye lense. They say the photographer makes the photo not the camera and they also say people kill people not guns. But I say if I want to shoot something I either want a big gun or a good camera. The Nikon D800 is not a great at killing people but is a strong shooter for an aspiring paparazzi.
Panasonic DMC-TS4
POINT and SHOOT: The leading choice is a Lumix which is waterproof. We have an older, on its last legs Lumix from previous generation that we have enjoyed. The reasons this camera is good for us is the video is very sharp (new model even better), the photos are geo tagged, the camera is idiot proof and simple menus. There a many new modes that will likely go unused besides the minature effect. I wont say more as you will see it on the blog.
Go Pro
GO PRO VIDEO: This product is changing quickly and is key for creating action videos. In the past I have been biking down hills while hold a point and shoot camera taking video. Too risky long run. Now the Go Pro will record Dolphins doing a swim by, crazy market in a new country, or sneaked video of a local coming out to visit Two Fish. Go Pro is adding iPhone integration so from the helm you could remote engage record on a pre-placed camera. I wont stop making bike movies, just try to make better bike movies with helmet cam.
Sealife Underwater Camera
SCUBA CAMERA: I have not researched this space too much but here is what I know so far. A waterproof case for the Nikon or a video camera is very expensive (there is a comma in the price). Sealife offers something that looks good for a starting point as it has lights for both photos and video. The case looks easy to use and keeps the DSLR safe on board the boat. There is a PADI class on underwater photography and with infinite time on my hands I would have enrolled.
I am very focused on quality blog postings while I am stuck in an apartment in NYC waiting for the big day when the boat splashes. When time passes and I am aboard will I be to busy to take that perfect photo or too relaxed to get the energy to write that humorous blog posting? I will need the office bound worker who is sneaking a peek at the blog during a too brief lunch hour to encourage me to keep posting. That is what the comment fields are for.
Now that the wine debate is settled, it is time to think about entertainment. Most folks dream of sailing off over the horizon and reading all the great novels of the last 3 centuries. I am honest with myself – that will not happen. I watch way too much TV while being a landlubber and can not go cold turkey. To my credit, I did not buy the optional satellite TV that the boat builder offers. Instead I am creating a large movie and TV library. What are your desert island movies? Please tell me so I can add them to the list. Again space and weight are a concern but technology has come to the rescue. No need to pack my Star Wars collection. Instead, I just use a program called Handbrake that converts my legal DVD into a file on my computer. CODEC (type of video files) are a complete confusion but after a bit of tinkering you can have all your movies in a small space and leave the disks behind.
So how did we build our list? Not very scientific but found a NY Times list of 1,000 movies and crossed off the ones we have seen too many times already and skipped the ones that we missed in the theatre on purpose. The process for TV shows is similar but I left less of the editorial call with the web and selected stuff we like that we have not watched. An exception was made for Law and Order. We have seen it but a second dose will be great on rainy days. Did you know there are 20 seasons, not including the 3 spin offs?
Finally, documentaries are going to be great prep for visiting new lands. Brazilian and Argentinian videos are my first focus but the field is wide open! Globe Trekker shows are a personal favorite. The boat probably will not make it to land locked or polar region countries so Frozen Planet and Mongolia are off the list.
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