Hollywood Moore Visit's Uruguay

We had a nice visit from one of my oldest friends these past two weeks. Holly is a world traveler and has hit Mexico, Jamaica, San Fransisco and Montevideo all this year! A fine artist and union scenic in New York's film and tv industry, she handled time in the southern cone with ease.
We went to the beaches of Rocha; Valizas and Cabo Polonio. Had a gourmet meal in Punt del Este. We had lunch at the famed Mercado del Puerto in Montevideo's Old City and took a trip to our oldest settlement Colonia de Sacremento.
I have some nice shots from both of our cameras as well as some of her recent work. That's Burning Spear, mon.

Pepe and Danillo are in!

Frente Amplio wins the Ballotage run-off and has another 5 year term. Historic for a party that has been conspired against by the entrenched powers. FA was outlawed following the end of the military dictatorship in 1984 for being the political wing of the Tupamaros, the guerilla group fighting for social justice and for it's socialist, communist and left wing members. It was the goverments battle against the Tupamaros that help convince the populace that military rule was necessary to defeat these "terrorists" who threatened law and order.
The party fought it's way back to the ballots and the people found a democratic way to fight elitist two party rule.
Our new president, humble and plain spoken is a hero to many. Perhaps not everyone's choice and not as eloquent as some heads of state, he has earned his new job the hard way.
Jose 'Pepe' Mujica spent some 15 years in prison, many in an abandoned well shaft, at the hands of the military "goverment".
We wish him luck, on unifying the different interests and leading this tiny country in peace and prosperity.

Election confusion

Spirits among Frente Amplio supporters seemed high leading up to the elections here Sunday. I was able to attended a rally for the party although I didn't get close enough to see 'Pepe' speak.
It was a large and enthusiastic crowd, maybe 10,ooo people we guessed. The night before I had been to a march to support another issue on the ballot, repeal of the amnesty law protecting crimes committed around the time of the military dictatorship (1973 to 1985, I think).
It's taken a lot to get it on the ballot again and it's an emotional issue here. Many of the most passionate supporters were not old enough to vote the last time.
At this point I don't think it passed. The outcome of the general election isn't even so clear to me. With about 48% of the vote, Frente Amplio didn't win outright, so as it's now ballotage (sp?), there'll be a run off between the first and second place. This favors the right and super right parties, which is probably why this system was put in. Incidentally, these two parties announced hours after the election and when it was clear they'd lost, that they'd be pooling their support to defeat the unpopular populist Jose 'Pepe' Mujica. Even with the FA, many think him not the best #1 guy and the finger pointing will really crank up if this goes the way it's heading.
It would be an historic second term for the lefties here and I'm hoping all the "splitters" can come together and give these guys a boost. We need this. The world is getting meaner, not nicer.
Here's why; The guys on the right are clearly and unabashadly aligned with the rich, the powerful and influential 'class' of people in this country. An alignment that is more or less universal. This is not a bold or outrages claim, most would aknowlege. So, for the most advanced societies and leaders of the world, an argument could be made that it's not working so well. On many levels.
Uruguyans have a place that's actually fixable and I just don't trust the polo set to fix it anytime soon.
Give the unrefined rubes more time to even things up. That's right, take all the hard earned money from the rich and give to the selfish poor. You know, it just might be the most profitable thing yet.

KERMESSE

Latino Americano's fund raising fair,the "kermesse", went off without a hitch. It was a great time, really. Most families and some friends showed up. The weather was ideal.
Janine was on the food committee and was kept hopping serving it all up. Some dads handled the parrilla, dishing out around 650 burgers!





































Crazy games to win back a bunch of junk that we had all just donated for the event, but it was a blast.
I know it sounds corny, but it was pure enjoyment. Real wholesome fun can be sort of a shock with the world as it is. A pleasant feeling just washed over me, sitting watching an uncomplicated good time. Nice.

Luca's Party 4 Real

A little late, but worth the wait. Luca's 12th birthday party is now officially in books and the word on the street is all good. This was one of the best so far. Vincent has requested the same for his next. Everybody had a good time


































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The night field, full of friends and more or less 3 hrs. of futbol was just out of control. They ran in a pack for a hamburger break and dissappeared in a cloud of dust minutes later.
It was the same at cake time and they even managed a little play time after that as kids started going home.
The grown ups did well cooking and hanging out. Janine caught here eating. Amalia holding her own. That's Luca in the light blue shirt. Vincent is the matching shirt/shorts, long white sleeve under. Outfitted by Nike (of course).
Enjoy.

Twelve

Luca turned 12, Friday, Sept. 18th 2009. We are so proud of him.
We had to postpone his party planned for that evening due to weather. We'll have a soccer field for the boys (no girls this year) and a parrilla for everyone else on October 2nd.
We had a cake and went out for dinner for a mini celebration. All good.
See 'ya.

Package Secured

We've had a bit of an adventure retrieving a package sent from the states. Gifts, requests for some things we've been missing were finally on their way.
I was happy when UPS showed up, but confused when they had me sign for just the paperwork.
We would need to visit customs at the airport to pick up our package.
So off we went to Carrasco Airport, visit customs and take home our little bundle. Not-so-fast, there would be charges to pay; a tariff, taxes, extortion whatever, but that wouldn't be the worst news. We'd need a handler of such things. A licensed guy who deals with customs; a "despayante de aduana". Great let's look for one of those.
We now have an idea that the 'tax' will be at least 100% of the value of the items, plus some arrival at the port, clearing customs bs tax and whatever fee some handler wants. This can vary we were told.
Back at home we called UPS, their guy could pick it up for around U$200. Huh? This is getting out of control. It was kind of heavy (around 16 kilos), but how much to send it back? They can't say, the sender has to request it.
In the end the best plan was to pay and learn a lesson. My friend has a friend who does this sort or thing. We went to his office by the port, they looked over the paperwork and declared it shouldn't be more than U$400 in total. You know, when you think you're looking at life, 10 to 15 doesn't sound so bad when you hear it after all.
Thanks for the stuff.
Pancakes anyone?
Oh that? It's a 1971 Jensen Interceptor I spotted on the street back in Brooklyn.

Still Cold in the Southern Cone

We had a brief respite from the cold the other day.
It was just enough to remind us there's much to do before spring is upon us. Vincent recently captured this South American looking milanesa. Just one of the ways we are keeping warm and happy until the weather perks up for good.
Here's what's going on.

• Janine and I are busy searching real estate. Much is required to find something of value. Our COFFEE BAR plans are at the top of the list, but a good find could turn out to be better for some other project. Vamos aver.
  

• Colds are intermittent this winter as usual. We never really get rid of anything, we just pass it around the house.

• The newest member of our family, Paulina Pardinas Altieri had her first birthday party last week. It was a smashing success with no crying (the children at least) and no untoward behavior. Again, I can't be certain about the adults. But ah, they were a handsome bunch. Jose-Luis and Ximena's friends look ready for Punte del Este even if their baby schedules say otherwise. There was a guy making pizzas on the parrilla! It was a tasty affair.

We are hoping for a care package from the states soon. We have a tradition of making "American Style" pancakes on the weekends and so far, we haven't found Maple Syrup.
So, keep those boxes coming!

Thanks for reading.

Enrique Hackenbruch R.I.P.

Thursday, we lost a dear friend. Enrique Hackenbruch was just 44 years old when he lost his life in a motorcycle accident.
We had unusually strong winds and an advisory for a few days. Bikes and light weight vehicles are supposed to avoid the Rambla. He was blown by a gust, we are told, just as he was turning from the Rambla onto Sarmiento. Probably coming from his apartment in the old city. He may have been heading to his parents for lunch or to see his girlfiend, Francisca. The accident occured around 1:30 in the afternoon, Thurdsay July 23. He was apparently thrown fataly into a concrete column. He was wearing his helmet.
The news was spread through friends and relatives quickly. We are still in shock.
Services were held Friday afternoon and it was a grim affair as you can imagine. I could not bring myself to have a last look. I do not want to remember him that way.
Quique was a bit of an imp. He had spent years addicted to drugs and alcohol, but was clean for the last few. He could not shake his need to be excessive and his strong personality was not for the feignt of heart. He laughed, talked, drank coffee, smoked, excorsied and was a friend excessivly. He tried hard to improve his relationship with his two children and was always ready to repair any damage he may have caused in his wilder years. He was outlandish and humble all at once.
We hadn't been speaking for the last few months over a minor misunderstanding between us. I tried hard to reconnect, but he had temporarily shut me out. He was like that, easily offended he would go off in another direction until, well until he was ready to talk again.
Sadly, now we won't have that chance. I will miss him, we all will.



accident
Montevideo

Swine Flu?

There have been reported cases of the H1N1 flu virus here along with a lot of confusion. Our children's school, Latino-Americano, closed for a week after a surge in absentees in some grades. One of the sixth grade classes had all but 4 kids out sick. This prompted a call to the health ministry which suggested the closing. Another private school in the area, who did not want to reveal their identity, was rumored to have a similar situation and would close too. Although plenty of people were speculating, a week after we're still not sure which school, if any, closed.
A friend who's son goes to a parochial school nearby said yesterday they were closing Thursday for possibly 5 days. Taking advantage of today's holiday (birthday of Artigas) and the weekend, they will open again Tuesday. We had heard the incubation period is one week, so I'm not sure what 5 days accomplishes.
Our youngest, Vincent spent the week off with what seemed like a flu. A doctor's visit confirmed it, but they did not say it was Swine Flu and indeed the symptoms seem milder than what's been reported. Some parents said initially the health ministry was sending people in bio-hazard suits to test kids thought to be infected.
We were told of the kids tested from the school, only 3 had the swind flu. No one has died and from what we see and hear, no one is getting very ill.
What's confusing is that this flu is reported to have been deadly. People are nervous about it and in some cases acting irrationally because of what's been reported. There has been influenza this season, maybe more than usual. Maybe just more caution that usual, keeping kids home just in case?
Hard to say. Vincent was sick for a week and is doing fine now. Seems like we know as little now as before.

I'm legal

I got my cedula last week. I am a legal resident of Uruguay at last. In reality this hasn't changed much regarding daily life, but it is a milestone. I can flash that thing if I have to. Here, you are asked for this document constantly, but for extranjero like me, you can just say that you don't have one. Clerks and officials alike are stumped. They just don't know what to do, so they let you do whatever it is you're doing anyway; using a credit card or signing for something. Now, I will have the option to show my new card or fall back on "sorry, I don't have one".
It's been cold and rainy lately and last night didn't dissapoint. We had some friends over anyway.
Our fireplace is working well and often these days and sometimes we cook in it. Our friends came; Claudia with her children, also Mono and son. We made two pizzas from scratch (in the oven with a great pizza 'stone'), chorizos and a colita de cuadril in the fireplace. Janine had made some awesome chocolate chip cookies to seal our fate. Our house is alcohol free for a couple of months now, so many of our friends are working on this issue. The parties are just as good, better if you ask me. We lucked into something unusual for Mvd.; a high quality flower that was a delight. We cooked, ate, talked, ate some more. It was as good as it gets.
I have made some progress with my technology problems. I have a new phone, but no camera. I am still weighing my options, but a phone/camera just won't do for my needs.
The internet is working again at home and I finally removed and reinstalled Nero and can successfully burn the movies I've been downloading. I'm loving it.
Bye for now.
CORRECTION: A good site to get news and information on Uruguay is called 'Small State'. However the address is http://benjamingedan.blogspot.com/. I guess Small State at blogspot was taken. Sorry for the error, but please visit the site when you can.
JD

Latineada

Last night was Luca's latineada. Both 6th grade classes have a sleep-over at the school. They cook hamburgers outside, play games and get very little sleep. Every class has one each year. Vincent's turn is next week. The next morning is a breakfast for the parents.
We are experiencing unusually warm weather lately. It got cold for maybe a week or so (it should be much colder by now) and boom, we're back to summer. It was something like 80 yesterday. Great for the Latineada I suppose.
The weather here is already pretty great. The summer is long, winter short and very little in between. It's more like six months of summer weather, two fall/spring months and 4 of cold, rainy weather which nobody likes. I think it's a fantastic deal.
If only there was a little more business going on here. Just a little more would be nice, you know?
More next time.....

It's Cool

The weather is turning cooler now as we head toward winter. This is mild compared to what we're used to, but everybody groans anyway. Most days are still quite warm and I still marvel at the blue of the sky here. Seriously, it's beyond blue.
Everyone is doing alright. Vincent has a slight cold. The hardest part is to keep him inactive long enough to get completely well. Luca is having a 'pijamada' or slumber party this weekend. Six kids plus our two, and a long night for the parents.
Still plugging away on our house project (click this link http://sansalvadorhouse.blogspot.com/ for details) while starting some of the planning for our next project; Coffee Bar.
I have recently been relieved of my camera ( I thought I was being careful), so there will be few, if any pictures for a while.
Stay tuned please, get your "what's going on in Uruguay news" right here. For actual information beyond what the DeLalla's are doing, see http://smallstate.blogspot.com/.
For now, it's cool. The weather, the life and what's up the road.
thanks for reading,
Ciao

Janine and the Boys visit U.S.

The family took advantage of their flier miles and had booked a trip to NY a while back. They had about 12 days visiting friends and from all I've heard it went well.
A few snapshots of some museum trips and general hanging around.

Our House

Here are some pictures of our house "Villa Punk". That's our sporty little car parked out front. It's a bit of an industrial facade, but in a way it's perfect for here. Not inviting to robbers in appearance or access. On the inside it's comfortable and homey. Perhaps in the near future we can remodel a bit. I have some ideas.

Starting below left, then clockwise;
1.Top of the stairs landing. 2.The playroom. 3.Patio parilla. 4. Up the street. 5. Our Bedroom. 6. The kitchen. 7. The kid's room. 8. The guest room. 9. Frontage. 10. Down the street. 11. The galpon. 12. Kid's playing. 13. The bathroom. 14.Entrance 15. Garage door 16.Kid's beds. 17. Kid's closet. 18. Kitchen. 19. Patio again, kitchen and side entrance. 20.The dining area, stairs and the living room. 21. Patio toward front. 22. Upstairs landing.

The galpon, the huge space behind the house, is a part of the parking garage next door. The original lot included both the house and the garage. When it was divided, the city required the split off lot to be a minimum size, so the house got the 'galpon'. The kids are happy with a field to play a variety of sports.
They will have to give it up for a short time though. I am taking a little less than half for my new workshop and right now its' full of my stuff. When I slow down on San Salvador, I will build a wall separating the two areas and give the kids back some space. Yeah, yeah, I'll get to it.

So, that's it. Our house.