The here and now... and what and why

Complacency is a trap. At least that’s what I was thinking when I up and left the comfort of a Yankee prep school gig, where I taught music, amongst other things, for 28 years. There was also that life long career as a composer, musician and artist.

First, it was a year in St. Thomas, USVI, working as a reporter and shooting photography and then, a year in San Agustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Time passed.
More time passed and a year back in the Athens of America followed by a hasty return to Oaxaca where it is all happening.
A couple of years in San Sebastian Etla and now, just down the road in San Pablo Etla. Life is good.

Click on an image to see it larger.
For additional photography please visit my flickr page.
You can find my music on Jango (World & latin - Worldbeat) and at iTunes and most online stores.
¡Soy consciente de todas las tradiciones del Internet!
If you are coming to Oaxaca, please contact me for tours or advice.

Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo
The view from Corazon del Pueblo

The hereafter re me

My photo
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
Musician, photographer, videographer, reporter, ex-officio teacher, now attempting to be a world traveler

Friday, August 14, 2009

Faces

It ain't like it is all sweetness and light here. Just like El Norte and damn near everywhere else, the place has problems. Folks in the US would be interested that folks here think the US politicians are almost like the South Koreans, you know, ready to punch each other's lights out. The best thing for most north americans would be to leave the country and look at it from the outside. Then problems would get solved instead of all the hideous stuff that is going on. I really don't want to have come back and solve everything once again. C'mon people, get it together.

Here, they deal with different problems and they deal with them differently. There are the narcos, the poverty, the political problems, the inequities between the haves and the have nots. So the government uses strong tactics and symbols. In Oaxaca and especially travelling in and out of the state, there are lots of military and police checkpoints. They are just an everyday part of life. For me, to see such large weapons and in such numbers is intimidating, but as i say, it is just a part of life here. Maybe that is something for the folks in the States to ponder. I hasten to add that these guys do not ever hassle tourists unless they deserve it by being jerks. I myself, who can be quite a jerk, generally am on good behavior when in the presence of a guy in black body armor with a big gun.
These police were part of an action just to north of the zocalo last week. I have no idea what the action was, but there were a lot of them. I shot all these clandestinely at hip level so they are all candids. No reason to stick a camera up in people's faces. I do find that the faces and expressions are fascinating. Click on the image to see them larger. One of these men has a smile way too reminiscent of Alex in A Clockwork Orange.

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