Usually I envy my brother...I swear that I was really a straight-shooting kid, and yet, I'm the one here in a traditional routine with responsibilities and people counting on me. Some days when I read his stories and see his latitude and longitude I really want to box his ears. But then, I realize, you only get one brother, if that, and hell, I'm lucky he's out there living like there's no tomorrow. Can you imagine my complaints if I had an accountant for a brother? (No offense intended.) Of course, we both have our soapboxes, and Woody's experiences are interesting. His comments on the tourism and privilege strike a chord. I have to remind him that most people don't have the luxury of the motorcycle habit.
"yeah granada is definitely a place to see--and i am sure that you will find my complaint ridiculous and out of place--but it is so hot here! hot like hot. hot like standing i was totally drenched in sweat at 9 am. i got too much sun yesterday on the ride here, and today, on top of something i ate, i´m not feeling too great. it will pass. so will the heat. the other problem here, is the number of tourists. white skin everywhere, and the feel of resentment and desperation in the eyes of some darker skinned folks. it is too bad. the question, "why are we here?” as in here, in granada, as foreigners--came into my head today. because it is not our country. because it is not yet as plasticized, commercialized, or dramatized as our own land is. but, with this in mind, this place just as every other place viewed through the eyes of developed westerners, is on its way. because that is what these tourists want anyway. the same thing they left behind in their own "developed" countries, they want to find here, at their fingertips. hard to understand. so as granada appears to be beautiful and enchanting, it is, in my mind, simply a vacation destination. this is admittedly a gross generalization, having spent 19 hours here at time of writing, and undoubtedly the true beauty lies behind the gates in the hidden courtyards, buried in the life-histories of the people here. undoubtedly. but it is too hot for me to hang around and find a way to get invited into the courtyard."
And then, back with the humor and frivolity:
"in other news, my arms have taken on a neopolitan theme, going from brown, to red, to white. yes, i know, the sun is more powerful here, closer to the equator...
well alright XXXXX, i gotta go find some ice water."
Oh yes, my brother, can't you tell he's the survivor of a tourist town? That bitter resentment never evaporates completely, and the empathy, well he's spot on.
-- luludilly
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment