Network

I now understand why is it that I work with telecommunications... It is because I need my network of friends alive. And Laurent has been really generous in itroducing me to his 'family" in Paris. I was honored to meet Alain, Laurent's best friend. He has been here for him through a lot of things, and they both share a very peculiar sense of humor. I also met Regis, Jacques, Joseline and the wonderful Tom, from California, and his very handsome friend Edil - an old word in arab that means JUSTICE. Tom left today to go back to LA, but we had a great time together. I sure hope we'll stay in touch. I also got to meet Manu et Cyril, and there's nothing better than an outdoor table dans un bistrot ou un restaurant, une bonne bouteille de vin rouge - ou plusieures ... Et une conversation completement folle.

People, I tell you, there is nothing like being surrounded by wonderful people to feel alive...

Jose

WOW!!! I finally got to spend some more time with Jose... He is so FUNNY! And brilliant. Laurent and Jose have been my guardian angels here. These pics are not too flattering, but it is practically impossible to take a picture of him, he's like a kid! Never stops! What an amazing person :o) We connected really well.

Laurent

The first thing I said to Laurent when I saw him last thursday is how important it is to know we have each other. How lucky we are to have had a common past for the last 21 years. I did not come to Paris to see museums or streets / well, yes I did, but not only that / I cannot talk to buildings or paintings. I'm here to communicate, to create my life thanks to my friends.

Gracias Lorenzo

I'm rediscovering Paris

It's like a new city to me... I love it... And I'm still looking for my bridge...

Carlitos

Ben voici Carlitos. One of my best friends in Colombia, now living in Paris. he was my TA at Los Andes University and he's just a wonderful artist. You can see in the back on of the paintings of Sandra Rengifo and Franklin Aguirre. It's so nice to see those paintings here in Paris. Colombian talent. We saw his videos too. He's amazing. Great great...



Carlitos in the subway



Le Sacre Coeur from his window. Very interesting neighborhood, 18e arrondissement, little Africa. The street is full of posters and fashion from Africa. The best place for an artist like Carlitos to be.




He finally got his diploma from the Universidad de Los Andes. It took the University 5 years to finally graduate him! Because of plain and stupid bureaucracy! He's so happy.



This is one of his pieces. He is drawing / sewing with human hair. BEAUTIFUL...

Felix Rodriguez - La Pantera Roja

This blog is in Spanish, I'm sorry it's my first post from Paris, but I just read in the news that a friend of mine in Bogota was murdered... I stole this picture from the site of eltiempo.com. It's Felix, La Lupe - one of the best "transformers" in Bogota, and the very famous red clay panther, that was the name of his bar, the Red Panther.

Estoy en Paris, pasandola delicioso y cuando por fin puedo conectar mi computador a la red wifi de mis amigos me entero por el Tiempo.com que Felix Rodriguez el dueño de la Pantera Roja fue asesinado hace un poco mas de un mes. Me ha dado muy duro. Es increible. Felix fue uno de los personajes - junto con Plinio de Calles - mas importantes en la generacion de una identidad gay en Bogota. La Pantera Roja fue el primer bar al que fui en mi vida, cuando tenia 17 anhos en el 87 y ni siquiera tenia cedula. Fui con un amigo de MK, y la pasamos delicioso. Despues la Pantera se convirtio en mi lugar preferido. Empezabamos en el Figaro, luego en la Escondida y despues en Dandy, en el foyer del mogador (?) para terminar rodeado de gente super chevere en la Pantera.

Alla fue donde conoci a Jose Nodier, a Alcides, a Felix, a Eduardo - mi cubano tormento - a la Lupe, a Adela Ferrer, a mi queridisimo Vicente ( que me vine a reencontrar con el alla despues de anhos) Alla tambien conoci a Jair. Nos la pasabamos metidos en la Pantera con Oscar Gomez, y con Fernando Cuadrado... Los mejores shows de Bogota, delicioso. Siempre buen trago, siempre gente super, sin las pretenciones ni decadencia de Discofuego o Zona Franca... los Miercoles eran de la Pantera y FELIX SIEMPRE FUE UN PRINCIPE. Siempre mantuvo el nivel del sitio impecable, siempre se preocupaba por todos nosotros, era el alma de la Pantera. Que vaina.

Colombia Diversa publico un articulo sobre esta serie de crimenes. Y creo que en Colombia ya llegamos a una madurez interesante que nos permite tratar este problema desde el punto de vista de genero y discriminacion. Felix es solo una de las victimas mas visibles, pero no nos olvidemos de los que pasaron desapercibidos, como NN, o a los que sus familias prefirieron dejar olvidar por no pasar por un momento vergonzoso.

Me robe la foto del Tiempo de Felix con la Lupe, y la famosa pantera roja detras, para que por lo menos yo no me olvide de mi bar favorito en todo el mundo. Nunca me presente en Drag en la Pantera, NUNCA, para mi el trabajo de La Lupe, Adela, es maravilloso, y mi trabajo hubiera sido mediocre al lado de lo que ellas hacen. Patty existio para otro contexto y su presencia hubiera sido un insulto para todas las transformistas de la Orquidea de Plata.

Juan Diego

Well, I finally got to hang out with Juan Diego, Diego's Ex, in Ft. Lauderdale. He lives in Colombia but he came to the US for a week to do his Landmark Forum's Advanced Course. Cool, he loved it. He has to do the Communications Curriculum... the best... But it does not exist in Colombia. He will create it. We had a great time. He has a wonderful heart. I loved the way he talked to a turtle in a pond. He's also an Aries...

Art After Dark

Paul showed some of his paintings in the Art After Dark at the Tampa Museum a few weeks ago. He was happy! Good work! It was fun. Belly dancers, Albert from Mirta's Gallery - no, he did not dance ... - and good food and music. Paul did not sell, I do not think that the event was correctly designed for the artists, but still, he got to show his art. I was actually proud of him.

Siblings fighting

Last weekend was the first time in 8 years that the three Echeverry brothers were all together again. We ended up going to the Gourmet Diner on Biscayne Blvd, in North Miami... I had escargots - hmmmmm - and my mom ate a huge Napoleon ( including the bona-parte ...) My brother Diego was great and Dario, as usual told silly jokes. It was a lot of fun. Juanita drank an entire Coke, and she was EXTREMELY hyper-active, so she ended up fighting with her brother just for fun... I think they did not sleep that night...

Aurore's Bday

Aurore, one of the coolest students at UT who comes from the Fdrench Antilles, invited me to her bday dinner at the Garden in St Pete. Really nice, of course I was the OLDEST one around - BY FAR... but it was great to share some time with some of my students and friends, Renee, Jill, David, Adam (and his GORGEOUS boyfriend, I'm really happy for them) Jessica, Angie, Juan, who just graduated... It was a rejuvenating experience, multicultural, fresh, alcohol free and happy. I really had a good time, it helped me see the world through the eyes of a younger generation. It counds cliché but it is true... I love to be connected and to be able to share the same language and experiences as the people who surround me.