07feb2016

the TODAY project

sunday 07 feb 2016

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text and photos by roylu.

avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

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grey carnaval

vol 1 no 4

theTODAYproject

thanks to david ds who, as our guest, provided the extra prod to our enthusiasm that the threat of rain would have otherwise easily dampened.

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sunday 07 feb 2016

avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

theTODAYproject 2 1 today was a bit disappointing. it was gray. dark gray. then, as expected, even as weather here tends to come in extremely wild swings, it rained. not the best time for photography. not even with a magnesium-alloy weather sealed camera.

2 worse, it didn't happen. what was supposed to happen that was going to be worth lugging a camera as heavy as about a liter of milk to capture it happen was nowhere to be found. nobody we asked knew where it was going to happen. if it was going to happen at all. but the stands were up. the seats were arranged. parasols at the ready.

3 still, doesn't mean nothing happened. nothing happening simply does not happen.cannot happen. something always happens.

sunday 07 feb 2016

avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

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avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

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avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

theTODAYproject 5 4 that's why for a photographer it's not only worth lugging a camera. it is imperative to lug a camera.

5 for whatever happens. as something always does.

6 but, today, not what we expected. or looked forward to. although we had been warned of its existence. as already part of tradition.

sunday 07 feb 2016

avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

7 we expected some dancing. street dancing. in colorful costumes. in extravagantly colorful costumes. for it is carnaval time.

8 street dancing is its most visible manifestation. not by any means the only one but the one that draws in the tourists, the curious and the devotees who embody that manifestation.

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avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

theTODAYproject 7 10 indeed it is a particular kind of devotion through families, clans, communities traditionally dating back some 200 years ago. with the original andean pantheon right through catholic virgins and saints, to the present day dreamwork's minions and guy fawkes anonymous.

11 so no street dancing. anyhow, not the kind we were there for.

sunday 07 feb 2016

avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

12 but the one we had been forewarned about. with weapons. non-lethal, true, but still capable of inflicting such chemical injury that the government has given notice that next year they will be banned altogether.

13 if in the sky it was gray on the ground it was black. the predominant color. the color of halloween. which was, from a northamerican perspective, what it was more like with the costumes and the masks – even if, more than anything simply for protection.

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avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

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avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

theTODAYproject 10 14 no treats, only tricks.

15 not dispensed but inflicted. by, in one instance, a horde of some 20-30 kids who without any apparent provocation, descended, dashed from across the street onto this hapless couple.

sunday 07 feb 2016

avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

16 though it did not get any more violent than that one can't help but feel sorry for the victims, who, for the most part, in the generous spirit of the carnaval, just turn around and return the favor.

17 in fairness, these kids adhered more or less to a code of decent conduct.

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avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

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avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

theTODAYproject 14 18 no attacking of children and adults. adults the same age as your parents. adults who are not visibly carrying any weapons. adults who are obviously not in the fight. adults carrying only cameras.

19 nevertheless, adults and children had to be quick on their feet. they, like we had, had to have some basic protection. raincoats, hats, umbrellas. etc.

sunday 07 feb 2016

avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

20 and be prepared for the occasional stray spray. humans have intention and will. spray only has the unbreakable laws of physics to go by. true, there are miracles. and, yes, miracles are one of the points of carnavals. but a miracle to save you from spray? don't waste the time of the gods. or the god.

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avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

theTODAYproject 16 21 while there is no mistaking that the carnaval is on there is also no denying that a bigger one is in the works.

22 politics.

23 in two weeks time, a national referendum. on the constitution. on some part of the constitution. the vote: yes or no.

sunday 07 feb 2016

avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia

24 yes, even then at the carnaval, the votes are being cast.

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sunday 07 feb 2016

avenida el prado, la paz, bolivia