Collazo Projects » Julie’s Published Work

This Week: Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Bolivia: Publications & Projects

julie — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:39:09 +0000

Text: Julie Schwietert Collazo
**
Projects begun months and even years ago are finally coming to fruition.

My photo essay about scientific research at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base was published by DISCOVER Magazine about a week and a half ago; it subsequently hit the front page of Digg. I started working on this piece almost two years ago, so it was gratifying to see everything finally come together.

A travel feature about our trip on Puerto Rico’s Ruta Panoramica appears in the September issue of Latina Magazine, which just hit newsstands today. Hope you’ll pick it up and read it! The article also features a couple of Francisco’s photos.

And speaking of the Ruta Panoramica, that’s one of the subjects I wrote about for Fodor’s Puerto Rico, 6th edition. The guide book should have appeared on bookstore shelves around the US this past Friday. If you decide to buy one, we wouldn’t mind if you clicked through from here:

Francisco’s been keeping his camera busy; in addition to covering the Carlos Varela, Garifuna Soul, and Susana Baca performances at Lincoln Center last week, he was also credentialed to shoot the Larry Harlow, Ruben Blades, Adonis Puentes show a few nights later. It was a pretty big deal– this marked the first time Harlow’s suite “La Raza Latina” has ever been performed live. The photos of Susana Baca are particularly good; you can see them all here.

Together, we’re working on (finally) completing an iPhone app for San Juan, Puerto Rico, which will be available soon through iTunes. To promote the app and to share more advice and insight into Puerto Rico, we’re also in the process of setting up a new website- PuertoRicoTravelGuides.com. We’re also on Twitter: @PRTravelGuides.

Finally, I’ve just published an article over on MatadorChange about a female Bolivian wrestler who has dismantled gender barriers in her country. The article, accompanied by Francisco’s photos, represents the first piece in a new editorial vision we’re rolling out at Matador. Expect to see “deeper” feature-length articles about the issues Francisco and I have always cared about- the environment, immigration, social justice, and the like.

July 2010 Update: Puerto Rico, Cuba, and a New Website in the Works

julie — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:24:14 +0000

Text: Julie Schwietert Collazo
Photos: Francisco Collazo

It’s true, we’ve posted nothing since April. Let’s skip the usual excuses and apologies, shall we, and just say that it’s been so long that we even forgot our own password.

It’s been a busy, fun time.

“Fun Slide,” Aibonito, Puerto Rico, June 2010

Though we never would have expected it when we high-tailed it out of Puerto Rico with all engines thrusting, the island we called home for more than 2.5 years has become one of our writing and photography niches. Fodor’s Puerto Rico, 6th Edition will be hitting bookstore shelves in August. Julie wrote several features for the book, including “History You Can See,” “State of the Arts in Puerto Rico,” “Salsa,” “A Guide to Puerto Rico’s Carved Saints,” and a 14 page itinerary for the Ruta Panoramica, the first time the Ruta’s been featured in the Fodor’s guide. Several of Francisco’s photos illustrate these and other features.

Yes, the guide book has mistakes. And yes, parts of it are already out of date. That’s why you’ll need to supplement it with the iPhone app we’re (slowly but surely) producing. More on that later.

Julie also has a feature article about Puerto Rico’s Ruta Panoramica (Panoramic Route) that will be published in the September issue of Latina Magazine, and several of Francisco’s photos will accompany this piece as well.

A mid-June trip to Puerto Rico and a return trip planned for September will see other writing and photography projects come to fruition. In the meantime, you can read about violence on the island and the problem with lionfish on PR’s Southern coast over at Matador, and take a look at photos from Yauco (one of PR’s coffee-producing towns), Aibonito (home of the annual flower festival), and other cities and towns we visited in June.

Between now and our next Puerto Rico visit, Julie will be headed to Cuba to visit Francisco’s family and to work on a few stories, including several pieces about Havana’s Chinese Cuban population, a subject that she’s been working on for the past couple years.

And other projects abound- a photo essay about scientific research at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base for Discover Magazine and the conversion of CollazoProjects from a blog into a full-blown website.

What are you up to these days? Fill us in by leaving a comment below!

Remembering New Orleans

julie — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:47:21 +0000

Text: Julie Schwietert Collazo
Photos: Francisco Collazo & Julie Schwietert Collazo

**
In June 2008 Francisco and I went to New Orleans to work with the Culinary Corps, a voluntourism organization I profiled in this article.

It was Francisco’s first time in the city and my third, but for both of us, it was our first post-Katrina visit and we were astounded by the amount of recovery work that still needed to be done. The photos below are from that visit.
**

New Orleans’ Charity Hospital, closed after Katrina.

A tattered American flag that hadn’t been replaced, three years after the hurricane.

What do you do when your country hasn’t listened to you?

If even City Hall hasn’t been razed or rehabbed, what can we possibly expect for the rest of the city?

It’s always striking how some fragile items remain intact.

A house “tattooed” with search, rescue, and recovery information.

**
To see the rest of our New Orleans photos, visit our New Orleans album on Flickr.

Other articles we’ve written about New Orleans:

*Top 6 Volunteer Experiences in New Orleans

*Top 10 Reasons to Travel to New Orleans NOW
*5 Tips for a New Orleans Escape

How to Plan a Trip to Mexico City

julie — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:33:00 +0000

Text & Photo: Julie Schwietert Collazo
*

If you’re a regular visitor to Collazo Projects, you’ll know that Francisco and I lived in Mexico City for about two years between 2007 and the beginning of this year. (We’d live there still if our residency visas had been renewed).

Mexico City is definitely one of my favorite cities in the world–if not my absolute favorite (though I avoid definitive superlatives), and if you ever read David Lida’s fantastic book, First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, The Capital of the 21st Century, you’ll understand why.

I’m always happy to accept opportunities to write about Mexico’s capital. It’s an overlooked travel destination, which is a shame, both for travelers and for Mexico. My recent series of articles for TravelMuse explains why the city shouldn’t be left off your top places to visit list, and helps you plan a trip there. The guide includes five articles:

The Resurrection of Mexico City

Mexico City’s Top Cultural Attractions

Mexico City All Night Long

Where to Take a Siesta in Mexico City

Buen Provecho: Top Mexico City Dining

If the articles inspire you to visit or if you need other advice, feel free to leave a comment below!

In Defense of Books/En Defensa de los Libros

julie — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:55:44 +0000

Text & Photos: Francisco Collazo
[vease abajo para la version en espanol]
*

According to my recollection, there wasn’t a single book in my house growing up. The only book I recall seeing—when I was already beyond childhood—was an old English-Spanish dictionary and an illustrated bible for adolescents, which, if I recall correctly, was missing its cover and had dog-eared pages.

So I’m not sure where my tremendous appetite and great love for books came from. I read books for pleasure, no matter the subject: math, history, religion—they all give me great pleasure, and I submerge myself for hours and days in their pages, studying a subject without the obligation of doing so for a test or a class. My intention isn’t to prepare for a university admissions test or for work.

The ability to travel to other places and to know other histories is both refreshing and strengthening. When I travel in the city, I’m always accompanied by at least one book… usually two. I recall a time when I encountered a friend I hadn’t seen in many years, who said that the first image that came to his mind when he thought of me was a book. “Surely you’re a professor of something!” he said. Well, not exactly… I don’t have to teach anyone anything.

A few weeks ago, I got together with some friends. In their work and in their spare time, the computer is their inseparable companion, just as a book is for me. In one of our conversations, they argued that computers—and the Internet in particular—had given the kiss of death to the written word and the book industry. They went on to profess the innumerable benefits of the Internet, citing that it was better for the environment and for trees, was more democractic, more accessible to the people, more convenient, etc.

As they talked with such certainty, confidence, and determination, I was consumed by each blow they were giving to books, to my books, to paper. It was a surprise attack, and it took some time for me to recover before I could defend against it. I felt like a lawyer must feel before a judge when incriminating evidence is introduced at the last minute. I had to look for a defense while walking from one side of the courtroom to the other. My mind wandered at an extraordinary rate, looking for satisfactory evidence to save the book. I knew that books were at risk because of people like my friends.

“That will never happen!” I told them.

“It already is,” they replied. “Look how many newspapers have gone under. You don’t see that newspapers are online because nobody buys them!”

That was the spear that pierced my vital organs. “Yes, yes, but…” I said, fumbling for words.

They’re young, in their 20s, born and raised in the cyberage, with different concepts of books. All the information they want is at their fingertips, on their computer screens, whether at home or outside.

I think back to my experience in my old school. I remember seeing the writings of Che and copies of Jose Marti’s writing in Havana. The letters of Frida Kahlo to Diego Rivera in Mexico City. Post cards and photos of Pablo Neruda, with his own signature, in the house of a friend in Puerto Rico. Letters, notes, and documents of Bolivar in Colombia. Kerouac’s “On the Road” manuscript in New York. And many more….

It’s true that you can find all these online, but you won’t get the same feeling as will come over you when you’re standing face to face with the original. You can see the stains, erasures, the creative process of the writer right in front of your eyes. There’s something indescribable in the experience of paper and ink. There’s something of intrinsic value in the printing of words on paper. Perhaps that’s why it was so important for me to get copies of The New York Times when Barack Obama was elected president. I wasn’t satisfied with simply keeping a copy on my computer’s memory.

After exchanging so many ideas, we all agreed that paper and computers serve different functions. We decided that some things will change, while others will remain with us for posterity.

Before parting, we assured one another that our friendship would last for many more years, that we’d always continue to look for a way to get together and share the same spirit of joy, but I wanted to ask just one favor. “What is it?” they asked. “Whatever happens,” I said, “just don’t send me an e-card! I detest them!”

**
Que yo recuerde en mi casa de nino no encontre ni un libro. De hecho, el unico libro que recuerdo haber visto despues de grande fue un viejo diccionario Ingles/Espanol y una biblia ilustrada para adolescentes que si mal no recuerdo sus hojas estaban maltratadas y su caratula desaparecida.

No se por donde me viene ese tremendo apetito y ese amor tan grande por los libros. Leo los libros por placer, no importa el sujeto que este trate: matematicas, historia, religion, todos ellos me dan un profundo placer y me sumerjo por horas y dias estudiando el sujeto sin que tenga que estudiarlo para un examen o un trabajo de clase. No intento prepararme para un examen de ingreso en la universidad y mi trabajo no se relaciona con nada de esto remotamente.

La habilidad de viajar a otros lugares y conocer otras historias es tan refrescante y fortalecente a la vez. En mis viajes diarios por la ciudad los hago siempre acompanado de un libro o a veces dos para ser exacto. Recuerdo que una vez un amigo que hacia mucho tiempo que no veia me recordo en Nueva York que cuando se recordaba de mi lo primero que le venia a la mente era la imagen de un libro y me comento que ya a estas alturas deberia ser profesor de algo! Bueno, no exactamente, no le tengo que ensenar a nadie.

Hace algunas semanas me reuni con unos amigos que en sus tiempos libres y en su trabajo la computadora es un companero inseparable de la misma manera que el libro es para mi. Recuerdo que en una de las conversaciones que tuvimos mencionaron que las computadoras y el internet en especial le habian dado un golpe de muerte a la prensa escrita en papel y la industria del libro. Pasaron a profesar los incalculables beneficios de la red electronica, citando que era mejor para el medio ambiente, los arboles, mas democratico, mas accesible a las masas, conveniente, etc.

De hecho mientras ellos hablaban con tanta firmeza, confianza y determinacion yo me iba consumiendo con cada punalada certera que les daban al libro, a mi libro, al papel. Fue un ataque de sorpresa que me tomo tiempo en recuperarme para defenderlo. Me senti como se siente un abogado ante un juez cuando a este le introducen evidencias incriminatorias que le fueron escondidas hasta el mismo dia del juicio final. Tenia que buscar una defensa mientras caminaba de un lado a otro en la sala de juicio. Mi mente vagaba a una velocidad extraordinaria para buscar una evidencia satisfactoria que salvar al libro, al papel. Sabia que era en personas como mis amigos que todo lo que se habia hecho en papel hasta hoy estaba en peligro!

-Eso nunca va a pasar!-les dije.
-Ya esta pasando- fue su respuesta. -Mira cuantos periodicos se ha ido a la quiebra. Tu no ves que los periodicos ahora estan en la red porque nadie los compra!- Ese fue un lanza que me atravezo los organos vitales con un certero disparo. Si, si pero…..les dije mientras me recuperaba.

Ellos son jovenes, en sus 20 a mas decir, crecidos en la cibernetica con diferentes conceptos del libro. Todas las informaciones la tienen en la punta de sus dedos y en la pantalla de su computadora, en su casa, o fuera de ella. Yo pienso en mi experiencia con la vieja escuela. Recuerdo haber visto la muestra de los escritos del Che y copias de Jose Marti en La Habana, las cartas de Frida Kahlo a Diego Rivera en La Ciudad de Mexico, postales y fotos de Pablo Neruda con su firma original en casa de un amigo en Puerto Rico. Cartas, notas y documentos de Bolivar en Cartagena, el manuscrito de Jack Kerouac cuando escribio “On the Road,” entre muchos mas.

No es menos cierto que todos estos los podrias obtener en la red, pero no obtendria esa sensacion de estar frente a frente con la original, poder ver las manchas, los borrones, el proceso creativo de su creador delante de tus ojos. Hay algo indescriptible en esta experiencia de papel y tinta. Hay algo de valor intrinsico en la impresion en papel. Quizas fue para mi imprescindible obtener copias de “Los Tiempos de Nueva York” en su edicion en papel de la victoria de Barack Obama. No me conformaria yo en guardarla en la memoria de mi computadora.

Al final de tantas ideas, acordamos todos que los dos cumplen funciones diferentes. Decidimos que algo va a desaparecer pero otras se quedaran con nosotros para la posteridad. Les deje saber a manera de cierre que nuestra amistad seguiria por muchos mas anos y que estaria siempre buscando una manera de reunirnos de nuevo con el mismo espiritud alegre y jovial pero, le pedia una sola cosa de favor- Que es?-me preguntan- -Que pase lo que pase no me envien una postal electronica; que a estas las detesto!-

Where in the Web Are We?

julie — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:48:48 +0000

It’s been a busy week for CollazoProjects!

If you’ve missed any of these projects we’ve just finished, just click on over and get caught up!

Why Travel is the Most Patriotic Act You Can Do: In celebration of July 4, Julie reflects upon why she travels to Cuba (hint: it’s not the rum or the sun) and why travel is the most patriotic act an American can make.

From the article:

“I believe that the act of traveling and then sharing is the most American, the most patriotic, the most democratic act an ordinary citizen can take.”

On another Cuban note, we want to give you advance notice that Francisco will be teaching a Cuban cooking class at the Whole Foods Culinary Center on Bowery Street in New York City on October 24.

The three hour class (6:30 PM-9:30 PM) promises to be informational, hands-on, fun, and tasty– all in Francisco’s usual signature style! Be sure to keep your eye on the Culinary Center’s calendar and sign up page: tickets are sure to go fast and there are only 12 spots in the class!

Top 10 Tips for Stretching Your Travel Dollar : A two-part series on MatadorPulse with Julie’s suggestions about how you can make your vacation dollar go the extra mile. Part 1 is here; part 2 is here.

Tips for Traveling in “Dangerous” Places: As we get prepared for a Colombia trip and hear “Be careful down there!” one too many times, Julie offers some practical tips for traveling safely in “dangerous” areas… and anywhere, for that matter. From the introduction to the article:

“…our perceptions of what make a place seem dangerous are shaped by many factors—the hyper-dramatic media more interested in getting a quick and juicy story rather than sticking around to figure out the complicated dynamics of a place; government agencies driving their own political and economic agendas; and rumors that have taken on a life of their own. All of these are dubious sources of useful information for the traveler getting ready to depart for a place that’s perceived as having a high danger factor.”

Finally, Julie’s guest blog about living your dream life appeared on Christine Gilbert’s website earlier this week. Be sure to check it out!

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!- Francisco & Julie

Cuba postcard photo: wedgienet
Colombian girl photo: Philip Bouchard

Welcome to Havana

julie — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:15:34 +0000

My article, “Why Travel is the Most Patriotic Act You Can Do,” was published today by Brave New Traveler.

The article recounts some of my experiences traveling in Cuba. Since many Americans don’t travel to Cuba, however, I thought it would be nice to take you there virtually….

Creative Space

julie — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:56:13 +0000

I remember when I worked in a cubicle and, later, in my own office (oh, happy day! To have my very own office!), and the biggest deal ever was to decorate that little territory and make it my own.

Poems by Pablo Neruda, by William Stafford, by Mary Oliver.

A quote from Stanley Kunitz’s poem, “The Layers”:

“I have walked through many lives,
some of them my own,
and I am not who I was,
though some principle of being
abides, from which I struggle
not to stray.”

Back then, I was a psychotherapist specializing in creative arts therapy, so I had poems and drawings by clients on my wall. Funny notes from colleagues. Tasteful pictures of people I loved.

But now, I work for myself. I have my own little creative spaces wherever I go. Here in New York, my desk looks like the photo above.

Over my desk is a painting by Juan Antonio Picasso. On the wall are two pictures of Francisco and myself shot, absurdly, into the reflection of an Airstream trailer on display at MOMA. There’s also a note with the name and address of a friend’s boyfriend’s bar, a list of articles to edit for Matador, and a recipe for a drink that I clipped from Bon Appetit that I’ll eventually get around to making. Or not. I just like the looks of it there.

On my desk are books and journals with notes for projects done, in progress, or in the perpetual dream state. There’s the list of things to do, of course.

And then there are the items closest to me, the ones that have no value for anyone but me but which mean more than anything.

Inventory:
-Photo of Francisco and me in Boston: We’re both in suits. It’s very unlikely you’ll see us in suits again.
-Two shells from a beach in California: Souvenirs from a roadtrip in January 2008. The larger one still spits sand all over the desk. I don’t get it.
-Piano key: From a tour of the Steinway Piano Factory that Francisco and I took together a few months ago.
-Piece of granite in the shape of a heart: I found this in a fallow field in my hometown when I did an interview with the writer, environmentalist, and professor, John Lane, this past January.
-Empty cologne bottle: Even if Francisco hadn’t been the amazing person that he is, I probably would have fallen in love with him for this cologne. It’s an empty bottle of Miller et Bertaux, No. deaux. He bought it in a thrift store. We haven’t been able to find it since. If you do, let me know. For real.
-A cork from a bottle of Prosecco. Our first. I’m sentimental that way, you know?
-A little pot of ink for a real fountain pen: It’s called, not so nostalgically, Speedball. But I have a real ink pen and I use it.
-A Moroccan tile I use as a coaster for morning coffee and evening libations. Also a thrift store find.
-A letter from Cuba, written in 1981, which I found in the garbage: I found this in the garbage on my most recent trip to Cuba and it’s still cause for wonder: Who wrote it? To whom? Why was it in the garbage? I love it.

So here’s where YOU come in:

I’m endlessly fascinated by these types of details from other people’s lives, so if you send me a photo and brief description of your creative space, I’ll post it here. Don’t be shy and don’t say something silly like, “Aw shucks; my little space is a folding TV tray or it’s a neatly organized desk that no one would be interested in.”

I’m interested.

What does it mean to you? What do you do there? Tell us a bit about your space. What are the objects and what do they evoke for you each time you see them? Send me your stories (and a photo): writingjulie@gmail.com. I’ll post some of my favorites here as they roll in.

Articles Published This Week

julie — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:17:50 +0000

If you’re interested in travel or travel writing, I hope you’ll check out the articles I’ve had published this week:

Sonidos de la Tierra: Saving Children Through Music

Cinterandes: Innovating Mobile Medicine in Ecuador

Top Five Secrets Travel Writers Won’t Tell You

Travel Stories: Knowing When to Pitch to an Editor and When to Blog: co authored with Peter Davison

“All Corners of the Earth”: Kiva Fellows Program

julie — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:19:35 +0000

Published by Matador Volunteer, March, 2008

Organization: Kiva.org

Opportunity: Fellows Program

Organization Overview: The U.S. based microlending organization, Kiva, has generated major buzz, enthusiastically supported by President Clinton and featured in The New York Times Magazine and a documentary produced by Frontline/World, all of which have praised the organization for its novel approach to linking social entrepreneurs and lenders through the Internet. With a 99.9% loan repayment rate, Kiva is popular with both lenders and loan-seekers, and is positioned to continue attracting attention.

Opportunity Overview: Less well-known is Kiva’s year-old Fellows program, a natural extension of Kiva’s mission. Anyone over 21 can apply for the Fellows program, the purpose of which is to strengthen Kiva’s relationship with its microfinance institutions (MFIs) by placing skilled volunteers on the ground in communities where the work that’s being funded is performed. The Fellows are a vital link between Kiva staff, lenders, and loan recipients, sharing information among the stakeholders, increasing exposure and awareness, and providing technical support to loan recipients.

Ideal Volunteer Profile:

-21+ years of age (current volunteers range in age from 21-60)

-Proficient with photography and blogging

-Strong travel history, especially independent travel

-Language skills: Fluency in French, Spanish, and Asian languages are particularly needed for West Africa, Asia, and Latin America placements

Expectations of Volunteers:

Volunteers are matched to regions, organizations, and tasks based on their experiences, skills, and interests. All volunteers are expected to photograph members of the microfinance institution and post blog entries to Kiva’s site; the blogs are intended to chronicle the lives of the working poor and provide first-hand accounts of how microlending is impacting people’s lives. Volunteers also work in the microfinance institution’s office 2-3 days per week, providing assistance with a variety of tasks, which may include data entry, accounting, document creation, training, and other forms of technical support.

Bonus Points for the Fellows Program!

-Couples can apply.

-The volunteer positions are largely autonomous (no supervisor on site) while also highly collaborative (working closely with the members of the MFI).

-Beyond the required 10 week commitment, the terms of service are flexible. Some Fellows have been in the field for more than a year, and have rotated through more than one organization… or country!

Details: For full details about the Fellows Program and to download an application and instructions, please visit http://www.kiva.org/about/fellows-program/.

Feel Good Story:

Anushka Ratnayake, Fellows Program Manager, shared the following story:

“One of my favorite Fellows stories is about Liz Vilette from Houston who went to Azerbaijan. She was finishing her MBA and wanted to see what she’d heard about in theory in practice. She’s a former soldier and was really gung ho to try anything. We really wanted a fellow in Azerbaijan because it has a really strong microfinance industry and we were sending lots of funds there. Liz was incredibly resourceful. [Even before she left] Liz found out that Houston is a sister city with a city in Azerbaijan and she found an expat community in Houston and got them really excited about Kiva and helped them connect to people at home. They helped her find a homestay and she went to Azerbaijan for over three months and ended up working with three of our partners there. She trained staff and provided English language classes, which really added value to the MFI, and helped improve staff retention. She was making Kiva real to them.”