African photographs in Brooklyn

Gorgeous pictures of a lively, colourful and magical Africa are appearing on the New York Time photography blog Lens this Monday:

 By Peter DiCampo

Picturing Everyday Life in Africa

By JAMES ESTRIN

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/picturing-everyday-life-in-africa/?smid=fb-share 

Photographs from “Everyday Africa” by Mr. DiCampo and Mr. Merrill will be exhibited at the The VII Gallery at 28 Jay Street in Brooklyn Sept. 20 through Oct. 18. There will be a closing reception on Oct. 18.

See more about the Gallery here:


http://www.viiphoto.com/news/exhibition-isee-everyday-africa/ 

--

I wish I could be in Brooklyn again to see the exhibit! Go for me. 

La Rentree - To do list

Because by nature, travel has to end, maybe only to start again but that's another story, it has to end, so I left Mexico and I now have to tackle with "La Rentree".

This is my to do list, not necessarily in that order:

- Read my friend Julien Capron's novel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W89Vvy3JlY&feature=relmfu


- Watch the episodes of my friend Marine's friend Doria's Meteo au Grand Journal de Canal + I missed while travelling:
http://www.canalplus.fr/c-divertissement/pid2834-c-la-meteo-de-doria.html?vid=718298


- Write a couple of articles about Rwanda/DRC and South Africa to put myself back on track with African news


- Write a report on Somalia's election process for Noria Research, see here:
http://www.noria-research.com/

And more here:
http://syrie.blog.lemonde.fr/2012/09/06/les-minorites-dernier-vivier-de-soldats-pour-le-regime-syrien/


- Cover the Malian music festival for Peace in Saint-Denis this Saturday:
 http://www.facebook.com/events/272708582828970/
Who is in by the way?


- Listen to the conference on Mexican Literature at the Festival America in Vincennes this Sunday:

Mexique

dimanche 23 septembre 2012 de 12h00 à 13h00

Maison des Associations - Salle Paul Rumeau (niveau +1)
41/43 rue Raymond du Temple 94300 Vincennes 

Animé par Patrick Bard

Eduardo Antonio PARRA, David TOSCANA

http://www.festival-america.org/les-evenements/les-sc%C3%A8nes/mexique.html


- Other events at the Festival America includes:

http://www.festival-america.org/les-evenements/les-grands-d%C3%A9bats/le-b%C3%BBcher-des-vanit%C3%A9s.html


- Classify those pictures from New York and Mexico...


- Oh and start this new job.

Anything I forgot?

Have a good week!

Cronicas Amexicanas: Miami in transit

Travels luckily also often involve randomness and surprises.

Arriving very early at Mexico City Benito Juarez airport this morning, I was beginning to think that I had lost all appetite for risks, realising I was in about three hours before my flight, when I was told at the American Airlines counter that indeed my 8:30 flight to Miami was cancelled... And that I could be rebooked on the 6:30 flight. Gosh, I was early!

I had to run though the security check and avoid the duty free shops despite the promises I made to bring back a few things, and finally got on the aircraft a few minutes before take-off.

I was about to be in Miami for much longer than expected. Miami, Florida, the home of my second expatriation, a place I had never come back to after Mr Obama's election, because, well, as a certain Charles Dickens wrote usefully for us in A Tale of Two Cities, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times". Now four years later, I am actually by chance taken back on the infamous site.

But before I actually put feet in Miami, I had to go through the US immigration, which always carries its possibility of surprises and randomness, yes again. After queuing twice for a misgiving of paperworks, I was weirdly interrogated by the immigration agent. He actually wished I had applied for a tourist visa on top of my journalist visa... As I was coming back from Mexico this time, I was not actually working and should have applied for a tourist permit, he argued, already knowing that I was not in any way in a wrong situation and that he would in the end let me through... But before doing so, he had to consult another agent and add a little pressure. Looking at him gazing at my multiple Ethiopian and Somalian visas, I could feel I was on the wrong side of travellers, arriving from Mexico, with two passeports and stamps from all over African and Muslim countries. I remained calm, maybe out if tiredness - short last Mexican night. But I could not help but wonder how much bother the agent could cause to less exposed travellers, Mexicans not understanding English, migrants with the wrong visa, etc. Ah you Amexican border...

After a waste of 20 minutes, I only had to go through the customs and declare...  I had nothing to declare. But again, the agent wasn't so kind as to let it go smoothly. A green-eyed hispanic-sounding confident agent asked me why I travelled to Mexico. I replied I was just visiting. He added "visiting from France? A boyfriend then?" I did not have to answer to that question but I did: "No just visiting a friend". But he could not change his mind: "that far, from France to Mexico, it has to be a boyfriend, and a very special one"... He let me through, smiling. Was he trying to flirt? I wondered, did I get something wrong in the search for travel?

Anyway, knowing I was not going to quench that search in a Miami minute, I tried to blow it away, and headed to the airtain, I then discover with pleasure that Miami now had a direct bus to Downtown and Miami Beach! Unlike four years ago. What an improvement for me. It is now possible to reach the airport from South Beach in just half an hour and for 2 dollars.

Then here I am on Lincoln Road, enjoying my favourite Cobb salad at the Van Dyck Café I used to come almost twice a week in 2008 with the friends I met in this crazy city to have lunch or to listen to some jazz...

Time flies. I would never have imagined to be here four years after that 2008 summer. So much has happened since then. In particular Africa! If I had stayed in the US as I had planned at some point, who would I be today? Definitely not the same.

I feel heartbroken to have left fantastico Mexico, but it is for a good cause: my next trip will take me back on the Africa soil...

Cheers Amexican folks and thanks again for everything.

Cronicas Amexicanas - D+14 (out of 15)

A taste of Italy but with more randomness and chaos, more noise, music and people dancing in squares... The city is full of love and joy. Oaxaca, I will miss you. Hidden in a mansion transformed in a hostel, I was at the heart of a Mexican jewel, perfect location to forget about time, duties, and endless questioning.

Along the streets of Oaxaca, the colours are fighting with the light. On the lovely terrace that was my private balcony for three days, the purple and pink are mixing in harmony with the warm shades of the walls and front doors, yellow, ocre, brown, blood orange, dark red. Along the street, brightness is just even more alive, melted in Oaxaqueños' smiles and kindness. A walkable city, where you cannot get lost but you can get driven. The end of my walk culminates with the gorgeous Plaza Santo Domingo and its unique iglesia, full of sculptures and golden inscriptions. The square is a meeting point for art dealers and galleries, and a quiet blessing for strangers, never too crowded, never too empty...

Just 20 minutes outside the city, the true meaning of blue and green lies in Monte Alban. The most gorgious sky embraces the impressive view on a never-ending landscape of grass and ancient archeological sites. Paradise view swollen in a perfect sunlight. 

When the night falls, colours seems to get only more intense, a little bit more shy maybe, but as vivid. It is party time. This weekend Mexicans are celebrating the 202 years of their independence and with no restrain. I disappear in the envy for belonging... But no, of course not.

Time to head back. The ride is one of glorious green hilly landscape, until the dusk.

A good way to survive a six-hour Mexican bus ride, despite the feezing cold air conditioning and the Americain action movies dubbed in Spanish: Massive Attack on maximum volume on the ipod. It does feel like it increases our speed though.

Entering the darkness, as we approach one of the biggest megapoles in the world, the landscape looks like a giant spaceship has just landed and illuminated the valley with its orange lights. Unseen before. Ciudad de Mexico, Distrito federal. I will be back, I have to...

Cronicas amexicanas: Mexiparadise in Oaxaca

Why didn't anybody tell me earlier? Paradise exists and it is in Mexico...

I arrived in Oaxaca yesterday by a bus from Mexico and it was an immediate enchantment. The city is the capital of the Southern Mexican State of Oaxaca, full of traditions and indigenious culture, built up in a whirl of colours, lights and charms, fulfilled with the activities and music that make you feel over the moon... 

After a two hour walk, I was ready to taste what is supposed to be the best food in Mexico when I met a very nice man from the region in front of the sublime public library, who happens to speak French... Law student, specialising on Mexican migrants in the US, he had just come back from Milwaukee. He took me to a local restaurant for dinner and only ordered a warm chocolate while I was devouring my mole negro con pollo... We chatted for an hour before I head back on the shining night streets towards la Basilica de la Soledad, near where I am staying...

Cronicas amexicanas: Love letter to my hosts

Some people, on top of being brilliant and amazing, are also generous, welcoming and manage to make most moments taste better. Those people are rare. Luckily, some are your friends, and I can tell how lucky I am to have plenty of these precious species. But some are not even your friends, they just happen to appear on your road.

At some point, for some random reasons or from a magical connection, I have been put in touch with some of those talented and wholehearted persons, and they did host me in wonderful places, offering me some of the most beautiful presents I was ever given.

Most of them must know who they are, and have already been thanked. I am surprised I am allowed to still meet more of them.

Miami, Georgia, India, England, Mexico would not have been the same for me, would maybe not even have appeared on my road map, without you, beautiful strangers, lovely encounters, precious friends or, I hope, friends to become.

And in Somalia: New President, New Era

I am in Mexico but in my news world, Somalia is making headlines: the country has a new President!
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

See more here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19540325

Cronicas amexicanas: bella vida

DF D+4: bosco de Chapultepec, Museo de Arte moderno y contemporeano, Teotihuacan, enchiladas de pollo, Tour Cine Frances, nuevos amigos, nuevas colonias... la vida es bella en Mexico... Gracias. 

Cronicas amexicanas: Arte popular in Mexico, Distrito Federal

Who doesn't remember those days where you first discover a city? Even when it starts becoming familiar, those first memories remain vibrant like the first moments we spend with new friends, and every encounter can be a unique experience for each visitor.

Meeting a place often starts when you leave the main way and the well-known areas. I am not there yet with Mexico, but I'm trying.

Here is a few insights into my quest...

On la avenida Balderas, el centro historico de Mexico changes from a highly touristic area into a more popular one. La avenida leads to the charming Mercado de la Cuidadela, where the most of Mexican handicraft is beautifully featured in a lovely atmosphere.

 La calle Independencia, in between La Reforma and el mercado hosts relevently el Museo de Arte Popular where examples of Mexican traditions, cloths, religious and traditional objects are presented in a beautiful art deco building.

It is a lovely way to deepen in el distrito federal, after a first tour of el Zocalo, el Palacio Nacional, and el Museo de Bellas Artes.

On my second day, I also mingled in the Saturday crowd at the Franz Mayer Museum, on la Avenida Hidalgo, which actually shows the World Press Photo exhibition.

Al sol de Mexico

Estoy en Distrito Federal. Primera vez en Mexico, primera en America Latina.

Mexico is a jewel of a city, full of light, beauty and history, with the most welcoming people. I have only been here for two days, but it is difficult not to fall in love. I am happy to remain in the Distrito Federal but will also travel next week in Teotihuacan and Oaxaca. If you are on this road too, let me know.

I will post some pictures soon.