Con Beranardo, Eugenia, Camilito, Nadia y Toni en Heredia, Costa Rica

Dos Dias antes de regresar a San Francisco tuve la opportunidad de conoser a mi primo Bernardo y su Linda Pareja Eugenia quien tiene solo mes y medio para dar luz a Camilito! hehe Tambien conosi a Toni la hermana de Eugenia y a la nenita Nadia quien ya es muy fotojenica!
Bernardo y Eugenia son artesenios que tejen prendas muy bonitas y interesante! Si alguien esta interesado en ordenar de estos talentosos manden un e-mail a Bernardo a penfle@hotmail.com.
Asi es mi gente!
Siguere trabajando para tener otra chance de regresar a ver a todos!

Pulseras y cadenas con piedras de diferentes formas

Pulsera roja con mas disenos

Cadena con piedra amethyst

Un llavero

Una pulsera con forma de relampago

Prenda para collar de color anaranjado/rojo en forma de tortuga de el mar con piedra obsidiana

Prenda para collar de color verde/cafe en forma circular con piedra obsidiana

Detalle de una prenda de cadena

Pulsera con piedras

Pulseras

Pulseras anchas con variedad de diseno

mas disenos

Detalle en forma de mariposa de la cartera blanca

Cartera blanca

los garrobos que viven en el jardin de Bernardo

La hermanita de Eugenia-Nadia!

El pajaro carpintero loco hehe

Caminando con Bernardo asi a Santa Barbara

Yo y Bernardo enfrente de la Catedral Santa Barbara

Eugenia trabajando en sus disenos

Las dos hermanitas!

Camilito que no tarda por venir

Ahh estos chicos!

Esperando el bus para Heredia

El Salvador A Costa Rica

Tome el taxi a Comalapa una ves mas para mi vuelo asi a Costa Rica. Cuando llege a Costa Rica me hospede en un albergue y despues camine por la calles de San Jose una ves mas...

Que edificio mas Chivo en Paseo Colon en San Jose Costa Rica

El Parque Morazan

Calle 3, en frente de el Teatro Nacional

Calle 3, en frente de el Teatro Nacional

Teatro Nacional

El otro lado de la Fuente en La Avenida

Vaaa!

Una fuente en La Avenida

Mucha gente!

La gente

El Urbanismo y la gente

Los Rascacielos de La Avenida Central Fernandez Guell

El Centro de San Jose, Costa Rica

Comalapa Time!

FMLN graffitti!

Y este senor!

Una Torre de la Colonia La Esmeralda serca de el centro San Salvador

El Parque Esmeralda de la Colonia Esmeralda

Pues si...

El Palacio Nacional de San Salvador con ambiente capitalino

Los Mercados de San Salvador

La Catedral San Salvador

El Centro de San Salvador

Catedral de San Francisco! BayyyyAreeaaaa!!!Gggjjjyeeeah

Locsters

Traveling Locsters

1 week before leaving for El Salvador I found my self scrambling to find my nephew a going away gift. My friend Louis and I walked down Market St. window shopping. We decided to enter Toys Co on Market St. I looked around and decided to purchase my nephew a set of "Locsters" toys, why not! I thought that it was not so much that I was giving into stereotype or condoning it to my nephew but more so about being proud of the Latino culture for what it is, in barrios of inner cities. The locsters figurines included "Big Chino"," Frankie Furious", Tattoo Tony","Player", "Officer Perez", and " Nabster". I was celebrating this culture that so many people misunderstand. I was a boxer just like "Frankie Furious" I play basketball like "Tony" and I am learning to become a tattoo artist like "Player". It was more about relating to these really chingon things you can do! I showed Louis the toys and he liked them.

I had run out of time in mailing my nephew his "Locsters". It was the day of my trip to Central America, about to board flight 87 to San Salvador, El Salvador. I thought well I could always mail this from El Salvador.

Two and a half weeks into my stay at the Hacienda Colima I find myself with my Cousin Camilo, Tio Samuel, Amanda Green and Matt swimming relaxing.. Camilo noticed my Locsters figurines sitting in my bed and asked me what they were. I put the toys in his face and he could not believe how amazing they were. I told him that some people had criticized me of supporting stereotypes. We both agreed that this figurines were not about stereotypes but about culture and celebrating it. I decided to give Camilo my Locsters hehe, I think he will enjoy them more.

Two weeks after this incident I have not been able to stop thinking about the Locsters figurines and how I took them to El Salvador and gave them to my cousin Camilo when I initially wanted to give them to my nephew. I thought of them as a truly American product in different ways. Product from the perspective that cultures in the US become a parodies of themselves after commercialization and packaging take over. Product from a import/export perspective. The figurines were after all exported to El Salvador just like how people that would be associated to "Big Chino" have been deported to El Salvador for being involved with gangs. I thought of them as American not only in the Anglo Saxon sense but Pan American or as I like to now say American-from north to South, including everyone, present and past. However, I was most intrigued by how my act was an echo of what a person during the Aztec period would have done, which is of traveling far away trading precious stones and imposing certain figurines celebrating a certain cultural icon.

Despidos de La Hacienda Colima

El momento llego de decir adios a la gente que iso todo para que nuestro grupo estuiese feliz durante nuestra estansia alli. Los extrenare a todos y esperando que diosito me concida otra oportunidad a regresar. Gracias a todos de La Hacienda Colima por sus esfuersos!

Con Rosita!

El amable grupo que administra La Hacienda Colima

Don Avi con las talentosas cosineras

Con Jorge y Don Avi

En camino viendo asi el cielo azul