Published on Monday, 16 October 2006 .
Our arrival in Oaxaca was pretty uneventful - aside from it being a decently long trip (about 12 hours of travel time including the lay-overs). And getting to our hotel at almost 11pm did not give us the best first impression of the city. Once we walked around, however, the day we really discovered just how amazing this city really is.
The evidence of the protests that occurred here this summer aren’t quite so evident initially - although we are half a block from a destroyed bus that is blocking the street. This was one of the first images we noticed of the protests that are here, although there is also a sense that things are calming a bit - at least, on the surface. A few people have made it very clear that it is wise to be inside after 11pm - advice that we’re not challenging as of yet.
But it is also completely unfair to judge this city on any unrest. This is really an amazing place to be, and there are moments when it is difficult not to get overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. There’s an amazing sense that the people who live here are very proud of their town - in a much more personal sense than one would be proud of being from Irvine or Santa Barbara.
In any case, there are more photos available on the photos page.
More to come…
Published on Friday, 13 October 2006 .
Alrighty then, here’s what’s happening in the next six hours (all things Bryan related, that is).
1) The debut of The Friday Riff will occur from 12pm-1pm PDT, hosted by Rob Wallace and myself. You can tune into KCSB-FM 91.9, or listen online via KCSB’s webcast. We’ve pre-recorded the program, since I’ll be at the Arlington, because…
2) At 1:15pm PDT, KCSB will be broadcasting Former President Bill Clinton - live from Arlington Theater in downtown Santa Barbara. That, too, can be heard on KCSB-FM 91.9, online via KCSB’s webcast.
Tomorrow, I board a plane for Oaxaca, Mexico - but tomorrow might as well be Christmas at this point. Here’s to “breaking a leg”… twice.
Published on Saturday, 7 October 2006 .
The worst kept secret in Santa Barbara over the last week is the impending the arrival of Bill Clinton this Friday (October 13th) for an appearance at the Arlington Theater in connection with UCSB. KCSB-FM, my employer, will be simulcasting Clinton’s speech at approximately 1:15pm.
While normally I would be fairly excited to particpate in this event, it happens to directly precede the day Jennifer and I are leaving for Oaxaca, Mexico. I will be away for 10 days at the Becari Language School. It’s partly a fun trip, partly a work trip (for reasons I won’t get into now), and mostly a trip to get Jennifer settled as she begins her Ph.D research. Unfortunately, that means that my return trip will be my return trip. Jennifer will stay in Mexico until December.
Clinton’s visit also coincides with the day Rob Wallace and I have our first radio show, The Friday Riff, on KCSB-FM, from noon to 1pm. We will be podcasting the program for those of you who can’t listen at that time. Clinton will not be preempting our first show, so we’ll be ready to go with our first show just prior to our simulcast of Clinton.
And lastly, the Isla Vista Recreation and Parks District honored me with a resolution of appreciation last night. It was kind of odd to be there and not sit behind the table in an “official” capacity. I’ve only attended one other meeting in which I was not a voting participant, and that was almost four years ago. I really wish the board the best of luck - that town is a mess right now and it’s not looking to get any better. I’d also like to send some kind words out to IVRPD Director Kelly Burns, who is one of the most sincere people I’ve met. I really hope she can hold things together.
So that’s about it. Hopefully, I’ll have some updates from Oaxaca. And stay tuned for The Friday Riff radio show, podcast, and website coming next week.
