Mexico City 1883

In 1883, Julius Popper published a commercial map of Mexico City's downtown, which is a jewel.

The David Rumsey Map Collection has it online. It is worth checking this collection of almost 50,000 maps and images, if you are interested in the topic.

The site allows you to download all images in high resolution.

Palabras regias

En 1996, al mudarme al DF, mis compañeros universitarios se burlaban por mi manera de hablar –acento y vocabulario– y por mi forma de vestir (sneakers negros y chanclas: había que usar necesaria y obligatoriamente zapatos de piel). He estado anotando algunas de las palabras que considero típicamente norteñas y que en el DF no se conocen, no se usan o tienen otro significado.

chinola: limpiador de zapatos; procede de una marca gringa, Shinola.

mirruña: algo pequeño

zacate: pasto

manejera: volante

perrón: fregón, padrísimo

calzonudo: valiente o mayor

jale, jalar: trabajar; también: estirar una puerta

namás: nada más

bañársela: exagerar, pasarse cierto límite moral

cucaracho: cucaracha
chaqueta: chamarra

work in progress

Chris John DeWitt

It's hard to have a favorite photographer, but after perusing some of the pics of the Brit Chris John DeWitt, I could say that his are my favorites regarding Berlin together with Willy Römer's.

DeWitt's pictures have an eternal beauty, both in black and white and in color. The Berlin pics from the 1980s show the abandoned state of the city, the sadness and its the chilly, indifferent Wall. All this might sound nostalgic today, but life back then wasn't that easy. DeWitt used a lot the red filter to capture the dramatic clouds. He is not only a consummated street photographer, but a witness of the city I love the most and of an era I missed.

"Berlin is a dramatic place, the pivot point of a pretty dramatic century", he writes. Indeed! A city impossible not to fall in love with.

I LOVE that graffito verse on the upper right: Sei schlauer, zerstör die Mauer!

I used to go around this corner for many years, every day

The same here: I crossed this bridge millions of times. One day they closed it and it was substituted by a new one, after many decades. No punks here with dogs asking for money

Death in literature and on internet

There have been a few deaths in literature which have been very, very touching.

I just experienced that a couple of minutes ago, as I read how P died in this roman I have been perusing for a few months now. Today's technology makes it even more vivid or authentic. This guy is dying, and his brother sings a spiritual. There I go, and I found it on YouTube. As I am listening to it, I keep reading. Until he dies.

This is a beautiful possibility we now have.

Sartorialist's girls

The Sartorialist's blog is a good place to fall in love with random girls. These are some pics I have downloaded. No blondes!

A couple of female Christs

Two more for the growing collection.

Jacques Richard, Ave Maria (1984)

Jiri Ruzek, Nun's boudoir (2011)