Semana Santa in Antigua Guatemala II

We were again at Antigua this Sunday and the city was full, as the Semana Santa is coming there are more procesiones and more activities luring thousands of visitors, all is like a party here.

Imprescindible VI

Quizá porque mi niñez
sigue jugando en tu playa,
y escondido tras las cañas

duerme mi primer amor,
llevo tu luz y tu olor
por donde quiera que vaya,

y amontonado en tu arena
guardo amor, juegos y penas.

Yo,
que en la piel tengo el sabor
amargo del llanto eterno,
que han vertido en ti cien pueblos

de Algeciras a Estambul,
para que pintes de azul
sus largas noches de invierno.

A fuerza de desventuras,
tu alma es profunda y oscura.

A tus atardeceres rojos
se acostumbraron mis ojos
como el recodo al camino...

Soy cantor, soy embustero,
me gusta el juego y el vino,
Tengo alma de marinero...

¿Qué le voy a hacer, si yo
nací en el MEDITERRÁNEO?

Nací en el MEDITERRÁNEO...

Y te acercas, y te vas
después de besar mi aldea.
Jugando con la marea

te vas, pensando en volver.
Eres como una mujer
perfumadita de brea

que se añora y que se quiere
que se conoce y se teme.

Ay...
si un día para mi mal
viene a buscarme la parca.
Empujar al mar mi barca

con un levante otoñal
y dejar que el temporal
desguace sus alas blancas.

Y a mí enterrarme sin duelo
entre la playa y el cielo...

En la ladera de un monte,
más alto que el horizonte.
Quiero tener buena vista.

Mi cuerpo será camino,
le daré verde a los pinos
y amarillo a la genista...

Cerca del mar. Porque yo
nací en el MEDITERRÁNEO...

Nací en el MEDITERRÁNEO...

Nací en el MEDITERRÁNEO...

Water Pistol

From the Extreme Objects series, this water pistol is one of my latest bronze sculptures, its dark patina is chosen to resemble a real gun.
This work pretend open up points of view against violence, here i copy
an excerpt from Should Children Be Given Toy Guns? by Philippa Rowlands.

"Parental Guidance:
The toy is only part of the problem. The other aspect is the failure of parents to educate their children in the negative aspects of guns. Children are open to the “hero worship” of guns and the power they posses. Children are observing their world all the time looking to see what works and what doesn’t. What they sadly see is in many aspects of the media is that violence works. Violence is power. More and more often this violence is no longer stylized and children are more likely to look at the violent solutions they see as a “real” alternative. Parents need to stand up and educate their children from a very young age. If children are going to be allowed to have toy guns and watch violence on television then they need to have parental input, explanations, discussions and a strong understanding that that violence is not an answer and that real violence cannot be retracted. A child can “come back alive” from a toy gunfight, but a real gun or any other violence cannot be undone. Too many parents believe that this concept is somehow inbuilt into their children. This is not so. A child often needs to be taught the difference between imagination and reality especially when they are very young."

Obscuro Package

This is the handsome package of our new Obscuro flavor.

Just Like a Drummer

New Café P11 Obscuro Flavor!

Our new Café P11 Obscuro flavor is already available. The same perfect blend with all its intense exotic aroma with spicy fragrances of aromatic wood, orangy citrus and notes of leather, now with a slightly darker roast for those who like the full-bodied taste of strong coffee.

Buy it at:
www.cafep11.com

Total Eclipse of The Moon

I found in my archives a set of photographs of the total eclipse of the moon held on February 20, 2008. These were taken with a 80-200, 2.8 Nikon telephoto (more data upon request) and the help of a tripod and a clear sky. The series included here were taken at 20:30'51, 20:33'29, 20:36'31 Guatemala City time. Each year occur 0 to 3 lunar eclipses (partial or total) and they are free, so find out if the next one is at your backyard.

Read more at:
www.nasa.gov

The Why Cheap Art? Manifesto

A very kind coffee blogger sent me this manifesto. Saludos Mike!

Change of Sight

No words are necessary.

Woodrow Wilson House

The design of these customized cabinetry is part of the contribution of Guatemalan Architect Hugo Arrué to the renovation of the Woodrow Wilson house in Princeton, N.J. between 2003 and 2006.

After being President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910 and New Jersey’s Governor from 1911 to 1913, Woodrow Wilson became the 28th U.S. President from 1913 to 1921. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919 for his contributions to ending World War I.

In 1896, Wilson asked architect Edward S. Child to design this house when he was a faculty member at Princeton. Since then the house has been transformed, and more recently his current owner decided to make a significant renovation keeping the original spirit of the building while upgrading it to modern life requirements (where possible).

The cabinetry was executed by resembling traditional icons of the house and by adding a little bit of modernism to it. High craftsmanship and quality materials (including certified wood) were used due the historical value of the property.

In 2006, the whole project won the Princeton Preservation Award and the State of New Jersey Historic Preservation Award for that year.

The Coffee Flower

This is the flower of the coffee tree, impeccable white and very aromatic, they grow in clusters at the base of the leaves enriching the entire plantation with their perfume. After a few days they will become in green coffee beans.

We Salute Santana!

Great concert tonight at Mateo Flores Stadium!

Read more at:
www.santana.com

Close Ups with Bellows

I have testing the possibilities of bellows attached to my 35mm camera and although the deep of field is very very short (as any macro shot) the final image is very good. You get best results with large lenses rather than short ones.

Read more at:
nikonians.org

Principles of Design II

Each day i realize more and more that learn the design process is something that should be obligated in any career at any school, no matter what expertise they may teach. The reason is simple: design is part of everything, from the form a law is applied, the way a light directs traffic, the cap that tops your pen, the location of emergency doors in a ballroom, to the size of the can to keep your coffee fresh from first to last cup. Indispensable. If you have not begun, is time to start to learn about the design process.

H Chair

Contempo chair made of 35 continuous sections, assembled by pressure, designed by Guatemalan Alejandro Estrada. Built by Piegatto.

Read more at:
piegatto.com