Electronic Version, All Stories Copyrighted 1995. I am slowly becoming accustomed to the idea of preparing both an electronic and paper version of this small newsletter. It fills a relatively lonely niche in the English language by providing environmental and enviro tourism information regarding Latin America.
Feel free to copy this edition or reprint articles, but please inform me if you do so. I welcome your feedback, suggestions and literary contributions. Ron Mader, Publisher. (RonMader@aol.com and ron@txinfinet.com).
EL PLANETA PLATICA:
SEARCHING FOR THE PERFECT SPANISH SCHOOL
Volume 1, Number 2
Early Summer 1994
Electronic Version, All Stories Copyrighted 1995. I am slowly becoming accustomed to the idea of preparing both an electronic and paper version of this small newsletter. It fills a relatively lonely niche in the English language by providing environmental and enviro tourism information regarding Latin America.
Feel free to copy this edition or reprint articles, but please inform me if you do so. I welcome your feedback, suggestions and literary contributions. Ron Mader, Publisher. (RonMader@aol.com and ron@txinfinet.com)
El Planeta Platica (The Earth Speaks) is brought to you from those globally-minded folks at Talking Planet in Austin, Texas. This newsletter is printed quarterly, bringing environmental information to travelers heading to Latin America.
Online, the newsletter is accessible at the web site http://www.txinfinet.com/mader/ecotravel/ecotravel.html.
Please support this effort at improving our hemispheric dialogue. Annual subscriptions are just $10. Planeta supporters contribute $25. Your literary contributions are welcome and rewarded. Want to advertise your connection to Latin America? Join a select and cherished club. Please ask for our rate sheet.
Everyday brings us closer together - whether we're ready for it or not. Let's crank up the North-South dialogue here on Turtle Island.
Ron Mader, Publisher
El Planeta Platica
P.O. Box 1044
Austin, TX 78767
E-mail: ron@txinfinet.com and RonMader@aol.com
Note: Mader also moderates the Mexico/Latin America conferences on Texas InfiNet, an Austin-based BBS which can be reached via telnet at 204.96.111.157 3000.
QUOTE
Toda la naturaleza tiembla ante la conciencia de un niûo.
- Jose Marti
ELECTRONIC INDEX:
BRIDGES AND BORDERS: EDITORIAL
DIVING INTO SPANISH
LEARN SPANISH WHERE IT'S SPOKEN
LANGUAGE SCHOOL REVIEW
World Loses Fresh Water Fish Species
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION CROSSES BORDER
ENVIRONMENTAL REFERENCE LIBRARY: COSTA RICA
LA OLLA LATINOAMERICANA: RECIPES
POETRY
RESOURCES
BRIDGES AND BORDERS: EDITORIAL
BY RON MADER
Ecuador is one of the smallest countries in South America. There are no pay phones on the streets of Quito or Quayaquil. Nevertheless, the communications industry works quite well.
Daily papers are flown in to remote corners of the country within hours of being published. And environmentalists stay in touch with the world and makes certain the world knows what's happening in Ecuador. Check out the newsgroups on Econet and you'll find a wealth of information.
At first I was surprised to find a computer and modem in every environmentalist's office. But the logic is inescapable. In what we call "the developing world" there has been a tremendous acceptance of using state of the art technology - especially when it's cost effective. Why risk sending a letter in the regular mail when e-mail costs a fraction of the price and provides almost instantaneous connections throughout the world?
Last week I started using a local bulletin board service called Infinet. (Reachable by modem by dialing 301-2151). This type of local, interactive communications service is remarkable for the amount of and the variety of information it provides. I've started uploading files pertaining to Latin Americas environmental issues with the hope of broadening my dialogues with other interested people here in Texas.
But let's pause and ask what kind of information are we looking for? Are we seeking just GOOD NEWS chitchat or the never-ending list of horrors? I question the wisdom of allowing environmental issues to take center stage in the psychic projection of our society's need for apocalypse as entertainment. The U.S.-Mexico border is more than the sum of its toxic waste dumps. The Amazon is not the lungs of the world, but it is very important. Environmental news should be more than the latest sensationalized sound-byte.
Electronic bulletin boards may be able to store the contextual information required for hearty debates. And if we stay in touch with the places we've grown to love - no matter the distance - we may end up as global citizens.
DIVING INTO SPANISH
BY PHIL CROSSLEY
There is only one way to learn Spanish well enough to converse comfortably - study where you are immersed in the language and culture for several weeks at a time.
I began learning Spanish at the Instituto Bilingƒe in Cuernavaca, just 80 km or so south of Mexico City. We had 7 hours of class daily and from the first minute (after the registration formalities, anyway) heard and spoke only Spanish. After starting the day with a high intensity grammar class, we split into smaller groups for conversation geared to our own particular levels. Afternoons were spent reviewing modern Mexican art, classic literature and contemporary political issues. Each weekend there were field trips or festivals to attend with knowledgeable guides and friends.
Living with a local family was crucial in the development of my Spanish skills. The home environment, so different than the classroom, solidified my vocabulary and boosted my confidence. Playing with children, setting the table, watching television provided familiar settings for natural conversations. Over meals I'd occasionally toss in some expression I'd learned that morning╤and learn that there were more appropriate settings for such comments! And then there were the cultural revelations found anywhere from early Mass to street soccer. Being served sliced bull testicles was a meal I would never have experienced if I had stayed in a hotel, rather than with a family.
I have since taken "normal" university Spanish classes which have also been important in my education, but these have been nothing like the experience of immersing myself into a new world. In Cuernavaca I had the feeling of becoming a new person every day in this second language. At first I could only talk in the present tense and felt uncomfortable and boring, especially during meal times ("Yes, I like the soup. Yes, I like the tortillas"). Within days past and future-tense worlds spilled open.
If you're traveling in Latin America this summer, slow down and don't spend all of your time in buses, hammocks and hotels. Settle down for a while at a school and don't miss out on the opportunity to live with a family.
LANGUAGE SCHOOL REVIEW
BY KAREN COOPER
GUATEMALA - here are 12 or 15 schools in Quetzaltenango (called Xela [SHAY/la] by all the locals. The one I attended - Casa De Espaûol Xelaju - is run by a guy who lives half the year here in Minnesota with his American wife. It╒s known as one of the best and is the most expensive in Xela. I believe the rates are up to at least $155.00/week now.
I had finished three years of college Spanish when I left, and speak it everyday at work, so I╒m pretty comfortable with the language. My traveling companion had no knowledge of the language when he attended his first class, by the end of two weeks he could understand a lot.
LEARN SPANISH WHERE IT'S SPOKEN (Sidebar)
U.S. CONTACTS
AmeriSpan Unlimited
P.O. Box 40513
Philadelphia, PA 19106
1-800-879-6640
Contact: Dori Pincu
AmeriSpan Unlimited offers classes at Spanish schools throughout Latin America. Need insurance? Want to know what to expect beforehand? Call.
COSTA RICA
ICADS
Dept 826
Box 05216
Miami, FL 33102
ECUADOR
Colonial Spanish School
518 Sucre and Benalcazar
PO Box 17-01-3739
Quit, Ecuador
539-2-568664
Contact: Diego Pesantes
Honduras
Centro de Lenguas y
Aprendizaje Practico
P.O. Box 2972
Tegucigalpa, D.C., Honduras
Central America.
37-3250 (phone)
32-7493 (fax)
Mexico
Centro Bilingue
San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas
(967) 8-37-23 (phone and fax)
Contact: Roberto Rivas, Director
Instituto Falcon
Mora 158
Guanajuato, GTO 36000
(473) 2-36-94 (fax)
Contact: Jorge Barroso
Guatemala
Casa De Espaûol Xelaju
Chatwaligoq Language School
5a Calle 17-32, Zona 3
Quetzaltenango
(502)-9-612980
U.S. address: Box 31783)
Tucson, AZ 85751
(602) 795-6534
Other Helpful Reference Numbers:
Honduras Travel Tips
P.O. Box 531
Mountain View, CA 94042.
(415) 965-2441
Contact: Brad Martin
South American Explorer╒s Club
126 Indian Creek Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 277-0488
Contact: Don Montague
World Loses Fresh Water Fish Species
MONTERREY, MEXICO - Industrialization and intensive agriculture have contributed to the extinction of numerous fish species, according to a biologist who has surveyed more than 100 sites in northern Mexico.
╥We╒ve lost 15 species of fresh water fish in Mexico, four in the last three years alone,╙ said Monterrey biologist Salvador Contreras Balderas.
In fact, Mexico leads the world in the number of fresh water extinctions, according to an article in Conservation Biology magazine.
╥We╒ve simply over-exploited our reserves of fresh water,╙ Contreras said. ╥And the extinction of these fish should be the first indicator that something is going terribly wrong.╙
Contreras said that agriculture and industry╒s over use of surface and ground waters have nearly destroyed northern Mexico╒s fresh water habitats.
╥You might be able to protect a tree by putting a fence around it,╙ he said. ╥But how do you protect an underground spring?╙
Environmental Action Crosses Border
By Ron Mader
ORGAN PIPE, Arizona - In the heart of the Sonoran Desert, members of three nations - Mexico, the United States and the indigenous O'odham tribe whose territory crosses the border - sit down at the same table once a month, discussing issues of local and bioregional importance.
Cultural cohesion is repeatedly tested as groups bring up specific and generally controversial concerns. This month the group met in Caborca, Sonora to discuss regional mining issues.
"If it seems odd that environmentalists, politicians and industrialists are members of the same group, think of what would happen if we didn't get together," says Harold Smith, Superintendent of Organ Pipe National Monument, whose boundaries are shared by both Mexico and the O'odham nation. "Instead of focusing on our differences, we're focusing on the commonalties we share in this desert."
Other new organizations are also blooming. In the valley shared by the sister cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, air pollution is the worst of any border community. City officials on both sides of the border have jointly asked Presidents Salinas and Clinton to support the creation of the Paso del Norte Air Quality Management District
With an emphasis on binational cooperation, the proposal would utilize private sector investments to clean up the air in the valley the two cities share. "The beauty of this plan is that it provides financial incentives to reduce air pollution where it's cheapest to do so first," said Pete Emerson of the Environmental Defense Fund.
While government officials may point to the newly established banks and commissions created under NAFTA as a border-wide solution, communities are rediscovering that reaching out across the line may just be the easiest way to achieve local solutions.
Asociacion Costarricense para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza
(ASCONA)
Apartado 8-3790
1000 San Jose, Costa Rica.
Tel: (506) 222 296, 222 288
Contact: Leon Gonzalez.
Asociacion Pro-Conservacion Acuatica de Costa Rica (APROCA)
Apartado 1863
Paseo los Estudiantes
1002 San Jose, Costa Rica
Tel: (506) 553 365
Fax: (506) 553 365
Centro Agronomico Tropical
de Investigacion y Ensenanza (CATIE)
Apartado 7170 CATIE
Turrialba, Costa Rica.
Tel: (506) 56-6431; 56-0169
Fax: (506) 56-1533.
Centro Feminista de Informacion
y Accion (CEFEMINA)
Apartado 949
San Jose, Costa Rica
Tel: (506) 233 418
Fax: (506) 552 197
E-mail: abarcena@igc.apc.org
Fundacion Neotropica
Apartado 236
1002 San Jose, Costa Rica
Tel: (506) 330 003
Fax: (506) 330 617
Monteverde Conservation League
Apartado 10165-1000
San Jose, Costa Rica
Fax: (506) 61-2953
Proyecto Huracan - Fundacion Nahual
Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio
Apartado Postal 37-2060
San Jose, Costa Rica
Tel: (506) 539 011
E-mail: thope@ax.apc.org
Servicios de Parques Nacionales
Apartado Postal 1157
3000 Heredia, Costa Rica
Tel: (506) 236 963
Fax: (506) 236 963
SOSWAK: Hombre y Mujer Trabajador
Fundacion Guilombe
1000 San Jose, Costa Rica
Tel: (506) 219 451
Fax: (506) 279 361Asociacion ANAI (ANAI)
Apartado 170-2070
Sabanilla, Costa Rica.
Tel: (506) 246 090
Contact: James R. Lynch
La Olla Latinoamericana: Snack or supper
By Melissa Biggs
Tortilla Espaûola
(Spanish Omelet)
two yellow onions
four thin-skinned potatoes
(red ones work well, or use the Finnish Gold variety)
olive oil
six eggs
Chop the onions and potatoes into 1/4" cubes. Pour enough olive oil into a 8" or 10" cast iron skillet to just coat the bottom. Heat over a low flame. Test the oil by dropping in a bit of onion. If it sizzles, add the rest of the onions and potatoes
Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk together until the white and yolk are thoroughly mixed. When the potatoes and onions are golden, pour the egg mixture over them. Avoid the temptation to scramble!
Let the tortilla cook until the edges and the top are no longer liquid. There are two ways to finish your tortilla. Traditionally, you would loosen the tortilla from the skillet by running a knife blade along its edge.
Place a plate face down on top of the skillet. Carefully flip the tortilla out of the skillet. Then slide the tortilla, uncooked side down, into the skillet and cook for three-to-five more minutes. If you don't feel dexterous enough for the traditional method, you can run the tortilla under a broiler for three-to-five minutes.
Tortilla is a versatile dish. It can be served straight off the stove, room temperature, or cold. Though it is traditionally served as a tapa, or snack, when served with a salad and crusty bread it makes a fine light supper.
You can also vary the taste by adding ingredients to the basic potato and onion mixture. Chopped greens, such as chard or kale, work well. Whatever you choose to use, stir it into the potatoes and onions before you add the eggs. Otherwise, the tortilla won't set properly.
FLOWER-RAIN WORLD
BY GINNY WIEHARDT
Life in the valley:
There are mountains
And there is sky.
They rarely close the windows here
The air's so fresh, daily washed by rain
That there aren't even screens to muffle
The everyday living-breathing music;
Always a community of sounds
Though few people smile and fewer sing,
All caught up in their work-a-day lives.
Everyday the rains come
The flowers are brilliant beneath the clouds,
People stare back at me through gaping doorways:
Old men bent at sewing machines,
An author at his typewriter --
The sound pattering onto the pavement outside,
Blending with the merengue swirling down the steps
Across the street,
And the woman's gasp escaping
From her afternoon lover's embrace
In the house next door
RESOURCES
Talking Planet: Trouble with your shortwave? Then listen to news specials and documentaries produced by Latin American radio stations. Tapes are available in the U.S. - many just $5 per cassette. Get rid of static! Write for our free catalogue. Talking Planet, P.O. Box 1044, Austin, TX, 78767-1044
Chatwaligoq Language School: Total Immersion Spanish in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Locally owned, socially responsible school. One on one instruction, room and board, field trips: $125 per week. Call (602) 795-6534 or write to P.O. Box 31783, Tucson, AZ 85751.Total Immersion Spanish in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Locally owned, socially responsible school. One on one instruction, room and board, field trips: $125 per week. Call (602) 795-6534 or write to P.O. Box 31783, Tucson, AZ 85751.
BOOKS OF NOTE:
America's First Cuisines, By Sophie D. Coe, (Austin: University of Texas Press)
Ecologia Para Lideres, By Byron Real, (Quito: FESO)
Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes, By Judy Mielke, (Austin: University of Texas Press)
Maya Cosmos: Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path, by David Freidel, Linda Schele and Joy Parker, (New York: William Morrow and Company)
Mexico-U.S. Border:
Cross-Border Links, (The Resource Center, $11.95, 505-842-8788), edited by Ricardo Hernandez and Edith Sanchez, names the key players in labor, environmental, advocacy and business groups. They also publish the U.S.-Mexico Series: The Challenge of Cross-Border Environmentalism, On Foreign Soil: Government Programs in U.S.-Mexico Relations, Crossing the Line: Immigrants, Economic Integration and Drug Enforcement, and For Richer, For Poorer: Shaping U.S.-Mexican Integration. Each book cuts to the chase in its explanation of current and changing policies, providing a useful tool in bridging cross cultural understanding. $9.95 each.
Milton H. Jamail and Margot Gutierrez' The Border Guide, (University of Texas Press, $22, 512-471-7233), leans toward an academic style, but presents a comprehensive list and explains the functions of governmental offices on both sides of the border.
Environmental, Health, and Housing Needs and Nonprofit Groups in the U.S.-Mexico Border Area Resource Guide, (Border Progress Foundation, $15, 619-231-9097), edited by Gail Sevren, investigates the actors who are promoting the development of needed social infrastructure along the border.
Several border groups focus on specific subjects and release pertinent reports regarding their investigations. Environmental groups, for example, enhanced their credibility by publicizing their on-sight investigations from the border during the Nafta negotiations. Contact the organizations for a list of recently published documents.
El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF), Blvd. Abelardo L. Rodriguez, # 2925, Zona del Rio, 22320 Tijuana, Baja California (30-04-11)
Texas Center for Policy Studies, P.O. Box 2618, Austin, TX 78768 (512-474-0811)
Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, 803/811 East First Street, Tucson, AZ 85721 (602-621-7189)
Electronic data regarding trade and investment law is now being assimilated by the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, (P.O. Box 27210, Tucson, AZ 85726, 602-622-1200)) and the Border Trade Network, run by New Mexico's Border Research Institute.
Copyright 1995 RonMader@aol.com and ron@txinfinet.com.
