Šime ide za Amerike (USA): SF bay & UMOJA

Da nešto razjasnimo pre opisa putešestvija. Nekoliko ljudi me je pitalo ko su taj Erik i njegov kompanjon Šime...

To clarify something before I started with my main post. Several people have asked me who is that Erik and his companion Šime...

Erik je nastao kao nadimak zbog junaka serije Vesele sedamdesete koja je bila emitovana sredinom 2000-tih na TV B92, s kojim sam imao sličnosti u izgledu i oblačenju ("retro"). Od zezanja je došlo do toga da mi u parku ljudi prilaze i kažu "Izvini, ali ti jako ličiš na Erika Formena..." Ime bloga je bilo inspirisano imenom mančesterskog muzičara i DJ-a A guy called Gerald, koji se nalazi na soundtrack-u 24 hour party people. Dani kada smo Tazza, Xenia i ja vijali muziku kao DJ tim Kerozeena & The Star-Children... Kad smo kod toga, evo i ranijeg posta o timu na engleskom, pisan inicijalno za Last.fm, iako fotografija više nema - neke su dostupne na Myspace profilu koji godinama nismo koristili.

Erik is a nickname of a character of Those '70s Show which was broadcasted in mid 2000's on B92 TV, whose looks mysteriously appeared similar to mine's ("retro"). From jokes it have become serious when people started approaching me in a park saying "Excuse me, but you remind me of Eric Foreman...". In addition, blog's name was inspired by the name of Mancunian musician and DJ A guy called Gerald, which is featured on 24 hour party people soundtrack. Those were the days when Tazza, Xenia and me played music DJ team Kerozeena & The Star-Children... Speaking about it, here's an earlier post about us then, which I wrote as Last.fm note, although there are no more photos visible, some of them are visible via Myspace profile which we haven't been using for years.

A Šime? Šime je interni nadimak između moje tetke iz Zagreba i mene, podstaknut reklamom za Eva sardine.

Vratimo se Berkliju...

And Šime? It's an internal nickname between me and my aunt from Zagreb, inspired by a saying and an ad for Eva sardines.

Let's get back to Berkeley...

Mural na Telegraph aveniji, koja pokriva oko 7km između Berklija i Ouklanda (šetnja od skoro dva sata) / A mural on Telegraph avenue, a street which covers about 7km between Berkeley and Oakland

Muzička prodavnica Amoeba na Telegraph aveniji: puno reminiscencija na hipi eru (muzičke prodavnice, polovna odeća, ručno rađeni nakit, štandovi na ulici, uz povremen miris marihuane) / Amoeba music shop on Telegraph ave: load of reminiscences of hippie era (music shops, second hand clothing, hand made jewelery, street stands, with casual smell of marijuana)

Pacific center, jedna od najstarijih institucija u zemlji namenjena zdravstvenom i mentalnom radu sa LGBTQ zajednicom / Pacific center, one of oldest organizations in the country dedicated to health and mental work with LGBTQ community

Berkeley, Univerzitet u Kaliforniji / University of CA, Berkeley

Kad smo već kod biljaka, par fotki iz SF botaničke bašte. Ova "bašta" pokriva mali deo ogromnog Golden gate parka. I pored povremenog utiska da sam se nalazio u ogromnoj šumi, postoji nekoliko delova bašte - sa "postavkama" biljnih populacija iz tropskih šuma južnoameričkih Anda, Mezoamerike i jugoistočne Azije, zatim kalifornijske, čileanske, australijske i mediteranske faune... Jedan deo se zove Garden of fragrance koji je teško ne omirisati!

Staring with plants, here's a couple of photos from SF botanical garden. This "garden" covers a part of huge Golden gate park. Apart from feeling that I'm in a vast forest, there are several parts with "exhibitions" of plants from tropical forests of Southern Andes, Mesoamerica, Chilean, Californian, Australian and Mediterranean fauna... A part called Garden of fragrance was a delight to my nose!

Pozorišta i bioskopi... sve sa lampicama i natpisima.

And now - theaters... with flashy small lamps and joyful letters.

Da, Monti Pajtoni imaju "oproštajnu" turneju, povampireni pod nazivom Monty Python live (mostly) / Yes, Monty Python's Flying Circus had its "farewell" tour

Jedna poseta SF otkrila mi je, pored mnoštva azijsko-afričko-mediteranskih prodavnica i restorana i ruski "kutak" u okviru Geary ulice. Pekara nazvana Moscow & Tbilisi Russian bakery otvorila mi je apetit sa "piroški", goveđim burekom, i pecivom sa makom (kolač, trougao, štrudla, rolnica).

One visit to SF led me to, apart to Asian-African-Mediterranean shops and restaurants, to a Russian area in Geary street. A bakery called simply Moscow & Tbilisi Russian bakery had opened my appetite with pirogues, beef burek and pastries with poppy seeds (cookie, triangle, strudel and roll).

Turistička radoznalost u okruženju koje nudi mnogo na sve strane postaje stepenica za dalje "kopanje" po kulturi i istoriji ovog grada.

Touristic curiosity in an environment which offers much behind every corner (so to speak) makes it an extra challenge to dig up more about the culture and the history of this city.

Čitajući o SF, trenutno iz pera novinara Davida Talbota (knjiga Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love), sve više razumem raznolikost ("rasa", kultura, jezika, hrane, religija, seksualnih opredeljenja i dr) ovog grada. Grad koji obećava novu priliku je dugo vremena bio nada ljudima koji su dolazili iz cele Amerike i sveta - bilo da se radilo o kopačima zlata, irskim i italijanskim radničkim porodicama, hipicima, gejevima i lezbejkama. SF je nosio (i još uvek nosi) auru otvorenosti i prihvatanja.

Reading about San Francisco, at the moment from a book Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love by journalist David Talbot, I'm gradually understanding the diversity of this city (whether it comes to "races", cultures, languages, food, religions, sexuality, etc). The city which offers a new chance was for a long time a sign of hope to people coming from all over USA - and the rest of the world - whether they were gold diggers, Irish and Italian blue-collar families, hippies, gays and lesbians. SF had (and still has) an aura of openness and acceptance.

Međutim, do te slobode i prihvaćenosti je došlo preko mnogobrojnih konflikata među njegovim stanovnicima, političarima i aktivistima, levih i desnih, konzervativaca i liberala... Čitajući Talbotovu knjigu, čini mi se da je otpor establišmentu (po pitanju ljudskih prava svih zajednica i manjina od kojih su ovaj region i grad sastavljeni) izgradio solidnu bazu društvenog aktivizma, komšijskih organizacija i brige za svoje građane/ke, koji je vidljiv u svakodnevnom životu. I to je proces koji je stalno u toku, nikad završen. Oslanjanje na sistem dolazi preko nezadovoljstva sistemom i izgradnje boljeg sistema - ovde se čini zgodna Gandijeva rečenica "Budi promena koju želiš da vidiš".

Although, to reach that freedom and acceptance one needed to bridge multiple conflicts between its inhabitants, politicians and activists, leftists and far rights, conservatives and liberals... Reading Talbot's book, it seems to me that the resistance to the establishment (regarding human rights of all communities and minorities which make this city) have developed a solid base of social activism, neighborhood support and care system, visible in daily life. And that's a process which is always ongoing, never finished. Relying on the system is one of the stadiums between being dissatisfied with it, and wishing to build a better one - it's seems very convenient to quote Gandhi here with "Be the change you want to see".

Paparaco dok završavam knjigu Season of the witch... Paparazzi while reading!

Na kraju krajeva, pomalo idealistično, mislim da bilo koji sistem koji ne uzima u obzir sve protagoniste na društveno-političkoj sceni osuđuje sebe na propast jer misli da drugima može da nalaže šta da rade, ne bi li postali kao oni - kao slika u ogledalu vrednosti, uverenja, stavova... umesto dolaženja do zajedničkog tla. Ovaj mehurić nama sličnih svi pravimo, u manjoj ili većoj meri, ali on postaje opasan ako se preslika na celu zajednicu.

After all, in a slightly idealistic manner, I think  that every system that doesn't take into account all protagonists in the political-social scene is condemning itself to failure, thinking it can boss everyone, wishing that the rest should become like it is - as a mirror picture, of its values, attitudes... instead of reaching a common ground. This bubble of surrounding oneself with familiar and making the world like it we all do - this way or another - but it becomes hazard if it becomes a solo image of any community.

Nazad ka fotografijama - kad smo kod raznolikosti, ko odluči da pešači po SF, neka se pripremi na brda.

Back to photos - speaking about diversity, who wants to walk SF, needs to be prepared to many hills.

Pogled na Pacifički okean - Ocean view...

Ko god misli da uz more, surfere i Kaliforniju ide 30+ stepeni (celzijusa), vara se... Sea, surf, sun & CA in August with 30 degrees Celsius? NO!

Za kraj ovog bloga - u Ouklandu je u subotu bio održan drugi afrički festival pod nazivom UMOJA u Lowell parku, na 20min. od centra. Ceo park je bio posvećem ovoj manifestaciji - dva improvizovana terena su bila namenjena fudbalskom takmičenju različitih timova (Nigerijski, Etiopski... u zavisnosti od brojnosti učesnika), štandovi sa hranom, odećom, suvenirima, kao i binom sa muzičkim programom koja je bila centar dešavanja.

To conclude this blog - in Saturday Oakland had 2nd African festival called UMOJA in Lowell park,some 20min. by walking from center. The whole park was dedicated to this manifestation - two improvised football ground had a competition in (European) football (Nigerian, Ethiopian team... depending from the number of participants), food stands & trucks, clothing, souvenirs, as well as a stage with music program as a highlight.

Većina ljudi je dolazila iz Ouklanda i okoline - primetno su se ljudi družili (kao da se svi znaju), park je imao šmek piknika (ćebići, kučići, deca), a ja sam ulazio u 10% posetioca koji nisu bili afro-amerikaci. Nastupali su bendovi iz Južnoafričke republike, Zimbabvea, Nigerije... mene je najviše zanimao afrobit bend Lagos Roots.

Most people came from Oakland area - it was noticeable how people were hanging out (like everybody knows everybody), the park had a feeling of a big picnic (blankets, dogs, kids), while I was one of 10% of the visitors who weren't Afro-Americans. Many bands performed - from South African republic, Zimbabwe, Nigeria... for me, the most interesting ones were Lagos Roots.

Tell it!

Fudbal

Obratite pažnju na starog hipika s leve strane! / Check the old hippie dancing on the left

Piwai iz Zimbabvea

Lagos roots afrobeat ensemble

Nazad ka BART stanici... Back to BART station

U skladu sa Talbotovom knjigom, još jedan kalifornijski bend - Dead Kennedys - u obradi i interpretaciji pesme I fought the law - kritikuju sistem povodom političkog ubistva Džordža Moskonea i Harvija Milka.

In line with the book, another Californian band - Dead Kennedys - with cover and interpretation of a song I fought the law - criticizing the system after the political assassination of George Moscone and Harvey Milk.

Šime ide za Amerike (USA): Oakland (murals & OMCA)

Posle skoro nedelju dana konstantnog osećaja da sam zombifikovan zbog džet lega, polako se vraćam u normalu...

After almost a week of a constant zombified state due to jet-leg, I'm slowly becoming normal again...

Na par stanica brzim zalivskim vozom (BART), nalazi se grad Oukland (Oakland), tačno između Berklija i San Fraciska. Grad poseduje jednu od najvećih luka u zalivu, a prepoznatljiv je po velikoj raznolikosti kultura i stanovništa koje u njemu žive (što se da videti i po uličnim znakovima koji su na kineskom jeziku u okviru Kineske četvrti).

Few stations away by fast bay train BART, there's a city Oakland, right between Berkeley and San Francisco.The city has one of the biggest harbors in the area, it's also recognizable by its diversity of cultures and inhabitants (which could be seen in the streets, e.g. street signs in Chinese).

Grad "bije" glas da ima najveću koncentraciju umetnika po glavi stanovnika u USA, prema izvorima sa Vikipedije. Umetnički studiji, zajednice, ateljei, galerije i sl. su u bliskoj vezi sa lokalnim prodavnicama, restoranima i preduzećima. Primetio sam ovaj šmek tokom uličnog festivala koji se održava svakog prvog petka (Oakland First Fridays) u okviru Telegrafske ulice. Koncerti i nastupi na ulici, štandovi i kamiončići sa hranom, ad-hok galerije i prodaja umetničkih dela lokalnih umetnika, nakita, dizajna, odeće, društvenih kampanja za podršku (npr. borbe protiv nejednakosti, za aktivizam zajednice, dostupnosti informacija, podrška pokreta Okupiraj Oakland)... Nažalost, nemam fotografije sa ovog događaja (bio sam preplavljen utiscima, te sam zaboravio da koristim telefon), neka mašta malo uradi svoje! Probao sam nešto novo - korejski kimbap.

For this city it's said that it has the biggest concentration of artists per capita in USA, according to Wikipedia. Art studios, communities, ateliers, galleries and the rest seem to be closely related to local shops, restaurants and firms. I have noticed this label during a street festival which takes place every first Friday (Oakland First Fridays) in famous Telegraph street. Concerts and street performances, stands and trucks with food, ad hock galleries and sales of local artists' works, jewelery, design, clothing, social campaign and support groups (e.g. against inequality, for community activism, availability of information, support to movement Occupy Oakland)... unfortunately, I don't have photos from this event (I was overwhelmed by people, that I totally forgot to use my phone, let the imagination fills the rest! I tried something new - Korean kimbap.

Korean kimbap, from Wikipedia

Nešto što mi i dalje privlači pažnju su grafiti i murali - i dalje su veliki, puni boja, dominantno figuralni...

Something that gets my attention immediately are graffiti and murals - still big, colorful, figurative...

Characters from manga and anime Attack on Titan

Na fotkama ispod se nalazi Alice street mural project, deo kampanje građanske neprofitne organizacije Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP). Ovu organizaciju čini umetnički kolektiv koji kroz murale teži da uključi mlade i lokalne zajednice u kreativno izražavanje svojih istorija, društvenih težnji, savremene i tradicionalne kulture, kroz osnaživanje i obrazovanje. Navode da je njihov pristup "od trotoara do politike" način da se utiče na lokalna preduzeća i gradske čelnike. Više o njima na njihovom sajtu i FB stranici.

On the following photos you can see Alice street mural project, part of a civil campaign by nonprofit organization Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP). This organization is being run by an artist collective which seeks, through murals, to work with youngsters and local communities in order to creatively express their histories, social questions, contemporary and traditional culture, adding an extra layer of empowerment and education. Their slogan "from pavement to policy" shows a tendency to affect local companies and city politicians. More about them you could see on their website and FB page.

Veliki utisak na mene je ostavio Muzej Kalifornije u Ouklandu ( Murali nisu jedini koji se obraćaju zajednici/ama grada, što govori i natpis blizu ulaza u muzej: muzej (za) nas. Na trećoj fotografiji se nalazi tipična scena sa jednog petka u muzeju - nastup dj-a sa javnim časom plesa, dok ljudi grickaju klopu sa nekoliko štandova sa hranom koji su se nalazili iza mene dok sam fotografisao. I to nije sve...

I was under a great impression by the Oakland Museum of California (short OMCA). Murals are not the only ones to speak to the communities of the city, stated by the entrance's line The museum of us. On the third photo below you can see a typical Friday nights atmosphere - live DJ-ing with a dance class, surrounded by food trucks. And that's not all folks...

Dok smo već kod murala, kod ulaza se nalazi mural Pesme i žalosti (Songs and sorrows) u nastanku umetnika Jesse Hernandez-a, kojim muzej obeležava 20. godina svoje proslave meksičkog Dana mrtvih (Día de los Muertos). Ovaj praznik korespondira sa hrišćanskim praznikom Svi sveti i tzv. Noći veštica.

While I'm still speaking about the murals, near the entrance there's a mural Songs and sorrows in progress by artist Jesse Hernandez, by witch the museums celebrates 20th anniversary of Mexican Day of the dead (Día de los Muertos)

A sada, u muzej. Stalnu postavku muzeja čine tri dela: umetnička, istorijska i prirodnjačka zbirka (jedino nisam video poslednju). Ono što pleni je što muzej svojim delovanjem i postavkom postupa u skladu sa obraćanjem zajednici. Usmeren ne samo na Oukland, već i na celu Kalifoniju, kao regionalni muzej, muzej pokušava da obuhvati raznolikost kultura, istorije, stvaralaštva i ambijenta. Umetnička zbirka obuhvata umetničke stilove/žanrove, ponajviše usmerena na umetnike koji su iz regiona (ali ne isključivo), uz reference na svetske tokove istorije umetnosti. Kroz umetnost se takođe govori i o društvu, prirodi, materijalima, ljudima koji umetnost stvaraju (sa citatima umetnika na engleskom, španskom i kineskom).

And now, let's come inside. Museum's permanent collection consists of three parts: art, history and natural history (I haven't seen the last one). What catches the eye is that by its work and public display the museum keeps on the mission of community outreach. Focused not just on Oakland, but encompassing the whole state of California, as a regional museum, it tries to present a net of the diversity of cultures, histories, creativity and ambients. The art collection has being sectioned under art styles/genres/periods, with most of the artists coming from the region (but not solely), with references to world flux of art history.  Through art the exhibition talks about the society, nature, materials, people who are the makers of art (with artists' quotes in English, Spanish and Chinese).

Istorijska zbirka je interaktivnija od umetničke, i u sebi obuhvata mnoštvo materijala za čitanje i istraživanje. Svaki istorijski period ima svoj zaseban deo, sa izložbenim eksponatima (koji su mahom van vitrina) i rekonstrukcijama ambijenata. Posetioci mogu interaktivno da istraže npr. kako su se u ranim danima nemih filmova Holivuda koristili specijalni zvučni efekti, koje mogu da isprobaju i pokušaju sami da ozvuče insert iz nemog filma, ili da pak pogađaju koji zvuk se odnosi na koji predmet. Deo eksponata se nalazi dostupan online.

The historical collection is more interactive from the artistic one, encompassing a plenty of materials to read and explore. Every historical period has its space, with exhibits (mostly out of glass cases) and reconstructions of ambients. Visitors can explore through interaction, for example, how special effect were produced in early Hollywood's silent movies, while trying to make a sound background based on a couple of movie scenes, or taking a quiz to pair up an object with it's sound. Part of the objects could be found online.

art collection map

Temporary exhibition The smallest of worlds, by artist Rey May, dioramas of Latino American folklore art

Ono što mi se čini značajnim je kako muzej u sebi obuhvata različite, možda čak i konfliktne perspektive istorije, npr. domorodačkih kultura pre dolaska misionara i vojnika Španske imperije (pod nazivom Pre nego što su došli drugi ljudi) ili perioda kada je Kalifornija bila pod Meksičkom upravom (Španci uzimaju ovu zemlju) ili konfliktnih stavova oko talasa imigracije iz Meksika. Ovaj pristup je znatno otvoreniji nego skrivanje problematičnih epizoda pod tepih. Takođe, posetioci su uključeni u stvaranje kolekcija, koje se mahom odnose na skoriju istoriju (npr. '60-te i '70-te godine XX veka), ili jasnim postavljanjem pitanja i mogućnosti kako predstaviti Kaliforniju od 1975. do danas.

What seems important for me is how the museum tries to get together different, even conflictive historical perspectives, e.g. cultures existing before missionaries' and Spanish arrival (called Before the other people came), or the period when CA was a Mexican territory (Spaniards are taking over the land), or conflict viewpoints about the immigration wave from Mexico. This approach is more open than hiding problematic histories under the carpet. Also, visitors can help in building the collection itself, which deal with the more contemporary history (e.g. '60s and '70s), or maybe posing questions how contemporary Californians could be presented from 1975 till today.

A waring sign near Mexican border that was used from '80s

Za kraj ove posete, otkriće (za mene) i favorit - Majkl Mekmilan i njegov rad (diorama, ambijentalna skulptura) koji se nalazi u okviru stalne postavke OMCA pod nazivom Aristotelov kavez (1982-1993). Fin članak o ovom radu je napisao umetnik Robert Džarel na svom sajtu.

Uprkos mojoj lošoj fotografiji, na linkovima obratite pažnju na dva kostura koji se nalaze iznad + iz prikolice dopire isprekidan zvuk radija.

For the end of this visit, a small discovery for me and a favorite - Michael McMillen's work (diorama, ambient sculpture) as part of the permanent art collection of OMCA titled Aristotle's cage (1982-1993). A nice article about the work can be read by artist Robert Jarrel on his website.

Despite my bad photo quality, pay attention on the link to two skeletons  hanging from above + bear in mind that there's music from the radio coming from the trailer park.

I mala muzička pozadina - Kalifornijski nokturno...

And to contribute to the ambient -  Californian nocturne...