“The one thing Americans just can’t understand,” I said to my British and Brazilian colleagues as we sat on the beach in Porto de Gallinhas this morning, “is how obese women can wear bikinis.”

Granted, it wasn’t the most professional conversation we could have been having, but after sitting alone on the beach and watching bags while they all took a dip, I’d had plenty of time to ponder this matter, and I really wanted some help working through it.

“Really?” said one of the Brazilians, completely surprised. “You have a problem with bikinis? You Americans are so funny!”

But it was the Brit who decoded it all:

“People in the US and UK think women here are vain for being large and choosing to wear bikinis. But really, vanity is what keeps them from trying a bikini. I actually think that if a big woman is wearing a bikini, she clearly feels confident about herself.”

We pondered this in silence for a bit. I was looking for the beautiful people, the ones who appear in the glossy pages of Brazil’s travel brochures. But Alex was right. No one on the beach seemed to care less about who was wearing a bikini or what size anyone was.

Not that that makes me want to try on a bikini….

On my way to Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport yesterday morning, the taxi driver asked me, “What will you miss most about Mexico?”

My first impulse was to say, “Everything.”

I’ll miss the markets, the color, the coexistence of the traditional and the modern, the food, the sounds of Mexico City, the public transportation, the ability to find anything you need at almost any moment, the Beetle taxis, the names of the streets, the organization (and chaos) of the city, and a hundred other things.

But what I said, because it’s true, is “The people.”

I’ll miss people greeting one another in the street, the people I know, of course, and–especially–the displays of affection and love that couples engage in publicly.

*
A few months ago, I wrote that while Paris may be the City of Love, Mexico’s capital gives the French capital some serious competition.

Yesterday, as my plane was taking off, thousands of people had gathered in the Zocalo, Mexico City’s main plaza, to participate in “Besame Mucho,” (“Kiss Me A Lot”), a mass kiss-in organized by the city government. The purpose of the event was to break the existing Guinness World Record for the number of people kissing in a single place at the same time.

And they did it! According to the Associated Press, 40,000 people puckered up, allowing Mexico City to claim the Guinness title, taking it away from the English town of Weston-super-Mare, which won the title in 2007.

The purpose of the kiss-in wasn’t just for Guinness kicks, though. The city government organized the event as a response to a surge in violence that occurred in 2008, saying the kiss-in would be a display of love in the face of aggression.

Felicidades, Mexico! Te mando un besote bien grande!!

Logo: chrizar (via Flickr)

Text & Photos: Francisco Collazo

This year, as in past years, New York City’s Jacob Javits Convention Center hosted The New York Times Travel Show from February 6-8. A diverse number of travel agencies, services, and tourism boards from around the world participate in this event, offering lectures, dance presentations, music, and other entertainment, all with the purpose of attracting and selling their destinations to the public.

It’s an important event for the city, for a number of reasons. New York is home to many immigrants, is the point of destination for millions of travelers, and is a city that’s experienced in providing accommodation and services to an immense volume of tourists from around the world during every season of the year.

According to Mayor Mike Bloomberg, New Yorkers talk more than 200 languages. In 2008, the city received more than 47 million visitors from around the world. This statistic, compared to other countries, is more than 400% of the total number of tourists many countries receive, whether in the Caribbean, Africa, or Europe.

Without a doubt, New York is a logical place for this type of activity.

In contrast to other places, where one can easily see the high and low periods of tourism, the flow of visitors to New York is constant. Tourism is, in fact, a significant source of income for the city.

Nevertheless, the absence of many countries was notable at this year’s travel show, as was the number of attendees. Many of the kiosks that had been set up were empty, and some groups decided not to participate on the third day of the show.

In spite of this, and in spite of a group of protesters demonstrating against alleged negligence of Mexico’s large resorts, everything seemed happy at the show, at least on the surface. Musical groups with dancers from Puerto Rico, children’s choruses from Lithuania, and magicians and artisans from Taiwan were all part of Saturday afternoon’s events. Other kiosks had a more somber air, and it was clear that the the economic situation around the world was taking a direct, if subtle, toll upon their countries and their expectations of the show.

The absence of winemakers distributing samples and gift bags loaded with goodies that were seen so frequently in the past were also notable. But in spite of what was missing, I noted the presence of some groups that had not participated in the show last year, including Estonia and Latvia, and other members of the former Soviet Union.

If you’re a person who likes to climb mountains, raft rivers, parachute jump, dive, enjoy nature, or soak in a thermal bath, the travel show is an ideal place to get the most recent information in the travel industry. It’s also the perfect place to learn about new products on the market for travelers, as stores and gear reps participate in the show.

Discovering different destinations through the travel show was a short trip around the world, one that didn’t require a map, a compass, or a GPS system. I didn’t have to leave New York to enjoy the opportunity of forging new contacts or making friends from around the world.

Perhaps next year’s show will be better, perhaps the next generation of vacationers will bring new ideas and experiences even more fun and exciting. Whatever your reasons are for attending the show, I wish you a wonderful vacation.

Bon voyage!

**

Este ano, como en anos atras, se reunieron desde Febrero 6 al 8 en el centro de convenciones “Jacob K. Javits” de la Ciudad de Nueva York un diverso numero de agencias de viajes de alrededor del mundo. Para este evento se ofrecen seminarios, espectaculos bailables, musica, y otros entretenimientos con el fin de atraer y vender al publico sus ofertas.

Es muy importante este evento para esta ciudad por diferentes razones. Nueva York es la casa para muchos inmigrantes, punto de destinacion para millones de viajeros, y como tal una ciudad que posee la experiencia en proveer acomodacion, alojamiento, y servicio a un volumen inmenso de viajeros de alrededor del mundo en todas las temporadas del ano.

Segun el Alcade de la ciudad, Mike Bloomberg, en Nueva York se hablan mas de 200 lenguas y ha recibido a mas de 47 millones de visitantes en el ano pasado. Esta cifra, comparada a otro paises, es mas del 400 por ciento del total anual de todo el turismo que muchos reciben ya sea en el Caribe, Africa, o Europa.

Se puede decir sin duda que es la capital logica para este tipo de actividad.

A diferencia de otros lugares donde se nota con facilidad las epocas altas y las bajas en el servicio turistico, en Nueva York es casi constante el flujo de turistas de alrededor del mundo y el turismo nacional al mismo tiempo, haciendo de esta industria una fuente principal de ingresos para la ciudad.

Sin embargo este ano no se ha visto la presencia de muchos paises que estuvieron presentes el ano pasado, ni tampoco el numero de participantes del ano pasado. Inclusive muchos de los kioskos que estuvieron presentes se veian vacios y muchos decidieron no participar el siguiente dia.

A pesar de esto y de la presencia de algunas personas demostrando en contra la negligencia de los grandes resortes en Mexico, todo parecia alegre por lo menos en la superficie. Bandas de musica con bailarines de Puerto Rico, coros de ninos de Lithuania, y los magos y artesanos de Taiwan formaron parte de esta tarde animada. Otros kioskos tenian un aire mas sombrio y el efecto de la economia en problemas cubria de una manera u otra el ambiente en general en forma sutil y directa.

La ausencia de las casas vineras, repartiendo muestras de sus vinos, y las bolsas de regalos que en anos pasados se veian con mucha frecuencia atraves de la exhibicion era tambien notable. La ausencia de muchos paises se podia sentir de la misma vez que se notaba la presencia masiva de las nuevas naciones Europeas: Estonia, Latvia, y los demas ex-miembros de la desaparecida Union Sovietica.

Si eres una persona que disfrutas de escalar montanas, navegar un rio, saltar en paracaidas, bucear, disfrutar de la naturaleza, o prefieres en vez un tratamiento termal, este seria tu lugar ideal para encontrar la mas reciente informacion en esta industria. Tambien es un lugar perfecto para conocer los nuevos productos en el mercado para los viajeros, ya que las diferentes tiendas para este mercado tambien participan en esta exposicion.

Descubrir atravez de esta exhibicion las diferentes destinaciones ha sido para mi un viaje corto a travez del mundo sin necesidad de un mapa, una brujula, o de un sistema GPS y sobre todo sin dejar a Nueva York y la oportunidad para establecer contacto y crear nuevos amigos de todas partes del mundo. Quizas el proximo ano sera major, quizas la nueva generacion de vacacionistas traeran consigo nuevas ideas y aun experiencias mas divertidas y excitantes. Cualquiera que sean tus razones para estar alli te deseo unas buenas vacaciones.

Bon Voyage!

Text & Photos: Francisco Collazo

December 31 is not the end of the year for many countries. For example, for the Yoruba of Nigeria, the end of the year falls on June 2; for Ethiopians, it’s August 28 (during a leap year) or August 29 (during a regular year). Similarly, some other countries structure their years differently; some have 366 days or more, creating differences between countries and calendars around the world.

For the Chinese, the new year this year began on January 26, 2009. In New York, Chinese New Year was celebrated on January 31 on Main Street in Flushing, Queens, and on February 1 around Canal and Mott Streets in Manhattan, the city’s two epicenters of Chinese life in New York City.

Every year of the Chinese calendar is assigned a unique symbol, a different animal that dominates the predictions for that year. This year, 2009, is the year of the ox. The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animals in all: the rat, the tiger, the dragon, the horse, the monkey, the dog, the ox, the rabbit, the snake, the sheep, the cock, and the pig. Everyone born under these signs share special characteristics unique to that symbol.

The ox, the symbol for this year (4706 or 4707, depending upon the calculations being used in the Chinese calendar; or 2009 according to the Gregorian calendar), possesses the following characteristics:

Personality: Yin Element: Water

Dependable, Calm, Methodical, Patient, Hard-working, Ambitious, Conventional, Safety-Seeking, Modest, Logical, Resolved, Tenacious. Can also be capricious, close-minded, materialistic, rigid, and overly demanding.

Some people who were born under the Ox sign include: Bach, Barack Obama, Bill Cosby, Charlie Chaplin, Walt Disney, Van Gogh, Margaret Thatcher, Will Smith, and Pablo Picasso.

This only represents how other people perceive you; your attitudes and characteristics may be dominated by other symbols and traits based on hours or days; these are referred to as internal characteristics, and may allow you to experiment with other signs of the zodiac.

Sounds complicated, right? Well, whether you’re an ox, a cock, or a snake, I wish you Gung Hay Fat Choy!, or Happy New Year!

**

Diciembre 31 no es el fin de ano para muchos otros paises. Por ejemplo, para los Yorubas en Nigeria el fin de ano es el 2 de Junio; para los Etiopes, es el Agosto 28 (en los anos bisiestos) y Agosto 29 para el ano regular. De la misma manera, en otros paises los anos tienen 366 dias o mas, creando asi una diferencia en anos entre unos y otros en sus calendarios.

Para los Chinos, el ano nuevo este ano comienza el 26 de Enero del 2009. En Nueva York estas celebraciones se celebraron con alegria el 31 de Enero en el condado de Queens, alrededor de la Calle Main, en Flushing, y el 1 de Febrero, en el condado de Manhattan, alrededor de la Calle Canal y Mott: los dos epicentros de los barrios Chinos de Nueva York.

Cada ano en el calendario Chino tiene un simbolo diferente. Un animal diferente domina las predicciones por ese ano. Este ano, 2009, es el ano del toro. De acuerdo a su zodiaco, este contiene 12 animales: rata, tigre, dragon, caballo, mono, perro, toro, conejo, serpiente, oveja, gallo, y cerdo. Todos personas nacidas bajo estos signos comparten caracteristicas especiales y distintas de acuerdo a su simbolo.

El toro, simbolo dominante de este ano, 4706 o 4707 (en algunas otras calculaciones para el calendario Chino) o 2009 (en el calendario Gregoriano), tiene las siguientes caracteristicas:

Yin como personalidad. Agua como Elemento:
Dependiente, Calmado, Metodico, Paciente, Laborioso, Ambicioso, Convencional, Seguro, Modesto, Logico, Resuelto, Tenacio. Puede ser caprichoso, mente cerrada, materialista, rigido y demandante.

Algunas personas nacidas bajo el simbolo son: Bach, Barack Obama, Bill Cosby, Charlie Chaplin, Walt Disney, Van Gogh, Margaret Thatcher, Will Smith, y Pablo Picasso.

Sin embargo, esto solo representa como otros te perciben pero, tus atitudes y caracteres pueden ser dominados por otros simbolos por horas o dias, a estos se les llaman caracteres internos, permitiendote asi experimentar los diferentes caracteres de los diferentes animales en su zodiaco.

Complicado verdad?

Bueno, ya seas un toro, gallo o serpiente sobre todas las cosas te deseo un Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Don’t get me wrong: I think technology is incredible.

Just this morning, I listened to a compelling story on NPR about the video captured by passersby who witnessed the murder of Oscar Grant, the 22 year old man killed by an Oakland transit policeman in early January.

Passengers on the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART) pulled out cell phones and video cameras, capturing the chain of events leading to Grant’s death. The indisputable details rendered by these digital images stand in stark contrast to the dubious defense being forwarded by the officer. Those who captured these images uploaded them to the Internet, creating a body of evidence that, while public and extremely controversial, is likely to play a critical role in the process of justice-seeking.

I also think about the person with a camera phone who captured the first image of the US Airways flight that landed on the Hudson River a few weeks ago, establishing the trajectory of the visual narrative of the emergency landing, documenting rescue efforts before any conventional media arrived on the scene.

These are just two examples of the ways in which technology is shaping everything around us: accidents and crimes, justice and injustice, even the very stories we tell about what happens to us and to others.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, more.

In fact, I think that we’ve only just begun to tap into the power of technology as a means of human connection and communication, and we have a long, exciting, promising way to go.

BUT…

There are times–and they are increasing in frequency–when I find myself wondering if we can put down the cameras, the phones, and the video cameras, and simply be where we are and experience the moment.

The thought first came to me at the inauguration. I didn’t carry a camera or anything else; wary of security and aware of my own physical capacity to hold lots of gear in the cold for hours at a time, I decided to leave it all behind and just be in the moment.

Despite the flashes of regret I felt as I watched other people snapping photos of this inarguably historic moment, two weeks later, I realize I don’t rue my decision at all. In fact, I was only more sure that the decision was right for me when I asked one of the adults in the tour group I was leading, “What did you think of President Obama’s speech?” “Oh, I didn’t really hear it,” he told me as he fiddled with his tripod. “You know, I was too busy taking pictures.”

The relative affordability of cameras, cell phones, and video cameras has expanded the documentarian impulse to an immense group of people. Attend any event of significance and you’ll find dozens of folks with Canon digital cameras, a set of lenses, and an iphone. Often, I’ll be among them. I own all of this gear (except the iphone), and then some, and I use it to eagerly capture as many moments as possible.

Sometimes, though, I feel the conflict of not really having been in that moment myself.

In her tightly constructed essay, “Photography: A Little Summa,” Susan Sontag argued that photography–and one can extend photography’s embrace to include visual and auditory documentation of any sort, I think– has become an “enterprise of notation.” It consumes us with the desire to capture something, like the hobby entomologist pinning his specimen to a board. It preoccupies us so that we are less capable–even, as Sontag argues, incapable–of feeling and acting.

Which brings me back to Oscar Grant.

What was going on behind the camera? Outside the frame? Was anyone holding a phone or a camera actually concerned about what was happening to the man lying face down on the platform as one officer punched him in the face, apparently unprovoked, and another shot him in the back, killing Grant? Or were they thinking, “This will be great for YouTube!”?

Watching some of the footage, it’s clear there was a critical mass of civilians “documenting” the incident. Did any of them feel empowered or impassioned about intervening, about doing something other than holding a camera phone in the air and recording Grant’s last breath? As of this writing, more than 700 (and closer to 800) videos have been uploaded to YouTube about the shooting (though some, it must be noted, are compilation videos and videos of newscasts about the incident). Some of these videos have been viewed more than 200,000 times. But what does the video do besides leave the viewer with a sense of helplessness and rage? Although these videos are likely to become–have, in fact, already become–important influences in the outcome of the criminal case brought against the officer, the question becomes: Is that enough? What if some of the people had put away the phones and cameras and really been there, had really been witnesses, in the true sense of the word?

It’s an extreme case, to be sure, but I don’t think we should let the lesson be lost upon us (and really, I’m writing this more for myself than for anyone else): Sometimes we need to just show up and be present. Sometimes, we just need to live experiences, instead of trying to document our way through them.