The joys of being connected
I spent a week and a half in Colombia before buying a phone. I had conversations with people about feeling “liberated”
by my inability to communicate at every moment of the day, but I don’t think I really meant it. I mean, Continue reading
R.I.P Don Ramon
Don Ramon was, until very recently, a treasured member of the family. I am a lover of animals and it was hard to say goodbye to my best pals Bobby, Joey and Jenny when I left for Colombia. Looking after Don Ramon helped to sooth the pain Continue reading
(Colombia Reports) Congressman Ivan Cepeda, a prominent human rights activist, on Thursday claimed his life is at risk after accusing ex-president Alvaro Uribe of paramilitary links.
Cepeda said he receives threats on a daily basis and that his safety is in question after he publicly denounced ties between ex-president Alvaro Uribe and paramilitary groups. Read full story at Colombia Reports
Man pushing wheelbarrow full of bananas in the centre of Medellin
I work in the centre of Medellin, which is “a bit dodge”. I like it because it’s extremely hectic with people everywhere, car horns a-beeping and hundreds of street sellers.
My favourite street sellers are the men who push around wheelbarrows full to the brim with bananas. It’s hilarious – you’ll be trying to walk through the street, amongst hoards of people, and suddenly you’ll have to dive out of way for some guy tearing through the crowd with a wheelbarrow of bananas.
I actually hate bananas (more to come on this subject), but I think they look very cool.
The city centre can be a tad upsetting because there are so so so many homeless people sleeping on the pavement, rummaging through bins or smoking crack pipes. But I’d like to focus on the positives for now so here is my drawing of a Colombian banana seller.
Drawn 18/03/13
(Colombia Reports) The famous Saint-Petersburg State ballet troupe this April 13 and 14 will thrill dance enthusiasts with a performance of “Swan Lake” on ice in Colombia’s capital of Bogota.
Swan Lake has been adapted by countless ballet companies over its 100-year life time, but this particular production features choreography by the former Marinsky ballet star, Konstantin Rassadin, and will be performed by accomplished ballerinas from the St. Petersburg State Ballet on Ice troupe. Read full story at Colombia Reports
Marcela’s dog Princess
Of the many drawings I have done in my lifetime, I am most proud of this one, purely because it is so true to the reality.
Allow me to introduce Preencess (A.K.A. Princess in a Spanish accent). Princess is Laura’s work colleague Marcela’s dog.
Princess is a fine specimen, but unfortunately one of her eyes had to be replaced with a glass one that gets stuck facing the wrong direction, making the poor darling look a little bonkers.
We love you Preencess!
Picture drawn 16/03/13
Hot and sweaty on Calle San Juan
This was my first taste of Medellin. There I am on the left looking confused and sweaty.
Laura was frantically trying to find a postal service who would do next day delivery to a rural part of the country. Continue reading
(Colombia Reports) The Colombian army has discharged the soldier Alexander Mandon, because he was believed to attract lightning, local media reported on Sunday.
The soldier has been hit 4 times since September 2012. After the first strike, he was simply glad to have survived, however it has now apparently become a regular occurrence for Mandon. Read full story at Colombia Reports
March, 13 – (MTTM) We tend to associate Billy Bragg with defiant left-wing political protest; in the 80s he spent a year playing benefit gigs in mining communities and identifies himself as a socialist. None of this has changed, but Bragg’s first studio album in 5 years ‘Tooth and Nail’ takes a step away from his outspoken political views with a collection of more personal songs. The change of tone in ‘Tooth and Nail’, which was recorded over a period of just 5 days, makes for a refreshing and uplifting listen. Heavily influenced by country music, Bragg’s voice takes on a new personality, deeper and mellower than the rough, shouty style vocals we are used to hearing on his earlier albums. Read full article at More than the Music
(MTTM) In 2010, approximately ten years after forming, Manchester’s I am Kloot made their breakthrough to a wider audience with the critically acclaimed and Mercury nominated fifth album, Sky at Night. For anyone who is unfamiliar with I Am Kloot, this album is so unarguably brilliant that I still listen to it on repeat. The question now, however, is whether they can live up to the impeccably high standards set by Sky at Night, – surely any attempt to match the subtle genius of a song like To the Brink is destined for failure? Read full article at More than the Music
Hannah Mead 