Rasta, Papa'

Miami has been called a melting pot. I like to think of it as an Ajiaco.

Ajiaco is a Cuban/Colombian/Latin American vegetable and meat soup, choc-full-o viandas (a Spanish word for a variety of different vegetables we Cuban kids grew up eating, like yucca, boniato, potatoes. Vianda is one of those words heard as children, spoken in the background while watching re-runs of Gilligan's Island, that made us wonder, "what the heck is a vianda?")

Miami is like a big pot full of exotic vegetables; hot, spicy at times, but always full of flavor.

A few days ago, I had lunch at my new favorite Lebanese lunch spot, Shawarma. Shawarma is owned by a South American family, migrants to SA from the middle east at some point in their family history. The restaurant is run by the family, and the owner's children help cook and attend the register.

The children speak perfect English. Their Spanish, like mine, is not as refined, but inteligible. They make a mean Shawarma (kind of like a Greek Gyro, but for some reason I like the Shawarma more). They also represent what Miami is, and continues to evolve into.

My new Latino/Lebanese friends prepare their food while listening to a group from Puerto Rico called Cultura Profetica, a roots-Reggae band. The video-album playing is a tribute concert to Bob Marley. The guy singing the lead is a Boricua who sounds, almost identically (but not in a comical or unnatural way) like Bob Marley.

So as this Cuban-American sat in a Lebanese restaurant owned by a South American family with Americanized kids, listening to a Puerto-Rican group performing in "Queen's English" excellent renditions of Marley tunes in the background, it dawned on me that Miami is a special place.

NY and Chicago are great cities, and are melting pots of many of these same cultures. LA is.... a melting pot. San Francisco is a beautiful city, also a melting pot. But I believe only Miami should have the honor of being dubbed, an Ajiaco.

Miami hasn't always been an Ajiaco. It was a flavorless place for many years, at least for me. But lately, it's been a pretty cool place to be. Flavor is coming back. Life is not as plastic and superficial as it once was; so stayed and uptight. There is color (and not those cheesy fake pastels; real color). There is vibrancy.

There is a sense of place; of culture being redefined into something of substance.

The Ajiaco has not finished cooking. It needs a little more time. But it's getting there.

"I'll have the 'mojito chicken'." - My friend Katie Kerestes,' Americana', ordering at a Cuban restaurant in Miami, pronouncing the 'j' as a 'j' instead of an 'h', and not smiling while she did it.

"I figure marriage is kind of like Miami: it's hot and stormy, and occasionally a little dangerous... but if it's really so awful, why is there still so much traffic?" - Gwynn Marcus, Miami Rhapsody

Miami

Sigh...

Miami. the Magic City. The place where I was born; back in the day.

When people north of the border (that is north of the Miami-Dade County and Broward County line) think Miami, they see... well, this guy. Others see Tony Montana blasting off an Uzi Sub-Machine Gun. And still others see... well, this guy.

This is my hometown. I can honestly say that like many of Miami's children over the years, I grew weary of my home. The reasons and excuses were many, and many of those were valid. By way of revelation, however (whether divine or self-perpetuated by a love for arroz con frijoles negros, I'm not sure), I am slowly finding myself falling in love with my hometown.

Anyone who has known me for the past 10 years would say to that, 'Err... What?', but yes it's true. I love Miami.

This is what's on my mind now, so as my English friend Randolph says, "Brace yourself b_____'s!" Here comes a new series of thoughts -- only I could care about of course -- on Miami.

Miami Beach is where neon goes to die. - Lenny Bruce

Man, I can dig tropical, but this is out of bounds. - "Rico" Tubbs on Miami Vice

Sadducee - Part 1.... Just Kidding.

I read this quote from a study on the book of Galatians. I thought I'd share it:

“If we doubt or do not believe that God is gracious and pleased with us, or if we
presumptuously expect to please Him through our works, then all [our compliance
with the law] is pure deception, outwardly honoring God, but inwardly setting up
self as a false [savior]… Note for yourself, then, how far apart these two are:
keeping the First Commandment with outward works only, and keeping it with
inward [justifying faith]. For this last makes true, living children of God, the other
only makes worse idolatry and the most mischievous hypocrites on earth…”
-Martin Luther, Treatise Concerning Good Works, 1520

Some questions to ask (yourself):

Do you believe that God is gracious and pleased with you?

Do you expect to please Him through your works?

Are you deceiving yourself, and those around you?

Are you outwardly honoring God, but inwardly setting yourself up as a self-savior?

I've thought about it this week a little more; this whole Grace thing. I have once again concluded that there is nothing to add to it, nothing to expect from it, nothing to do for it, now or in eternity. I want my motivation for anything noble that I desire to do -- for living rightly, for honoring God, family, country, and obeying the golden rule -- to be the fact that God loves me, and is pleased with me.

If it is not that, it is not the Gospel. If that is not enough for me, then I need to pray that it would be sufficient motivation; the only motivation.

Just blogging; just thinking.

Revisionist Thinking

"That's right, Mr. Garrison. Christopher Columbus discovered America and was the Indians' best friend. He helped the Indians win their war against Frederick Douglass and freed the Hebrews from Napoleon and discovered France." -- Mr. Garrison's hand puppet Mr. Hat

Have a great weekend.

Pharisee Part 10 - In Closing...

The Pharisee series is dedicated to someone very close to me; that person being... well, me. It is an analysis of myself and the Pharisee who is always peeking his head out, trying to take away the joy and freedom I have in Christ.

If while reading this series you saw a bit of the Pharisee in you as well, then welcome to the club. If you didn't; well then, I am sorry for you. You are delusional and need to re-evaluate the "magnificence" that is you.

The Pharisee is not partial to the white Christian fundamentalist Baptist, reformed Presbyterian, or other white polyester suit wearing male of your main-line denominational choosing. The Pharisee also likes to show up in those who feel hurt or marginalized by the church. He especially likes those who say, "We're not like those other 'denominations'...", mostly because there he finds the heavily fertilized (yes, I do mean "shat" upon) ground of discontent, anger and self-righteousness hidden in the cloak of "deeper" spirituality.

Tim Keller, in his study of the book of Galatians, says "The gospel teaches us to say:

'I am more sinful and flawed than I ever dared believe'

'I am more accepted and loved than I ever dared hope' "

Yes my friends it is true; sexual deviance is a horrible and hurtful sin, but so is moralism and judgementalism. Either way, you are a sinner. Either way, you are contributing to your own self-destruction and causing division and strife.

At the same time the grace and love that God extends to one, he also extends to the other.

There is hope for the silly little bearded Jewish man in us all.

I leave you with this great song by Steve Taylor from back in the day:

SMUG

Strike this little pose
Chin up in the air
Lips together tightly
Nostrils in a flare
Now look like you care
Very nice!

Practice in the mirror
Brushing back a tear
Very sincere
A promising career could begin right here at home
If you've got that smug...That smug...

chorus:

Hey mama hey mama lookee what your little babies all have become
Hey mama hey mama don't it ever make you wish you'd been a nun?
Vain and fickle, were we weaned on a pickle?Is it in our blood?
Rome is burning
We're here turning smug

Strike another pose
Power politics
Swallow their conventions
Get your power fix
We love to mud wrestle
We love to be politically Koreshed

Practice that smug
Post it like a man
One part Master Limbaugh
Two parts Madame Streisand
Now pretend you're in a band
My, my, we're looking smug
Very very very very

(chorus)

All you smug-starved millions in the thick of the search
Welcome to our church
Whatcha wanna solve?
We can help you evolve from merely self-righteous
To perfectly smug

Strike the proud pose of our country club brethren
Friendly as a tomb
Fragrant as the bottom of a locker-room broom
Now what's the matter?
Hey...get off your knees...that part don't come 'til later...
God will not be pleased...

Rome is cooking
My, we're looking smug

Pharisee Part 9 - Church

I owe this post to my friend Dave.

I am thankful for many things. My wife, my daughter, my family and my friends. My wife made it home safely from her trip to Guatemala yesterday. On Saturday, I spent a great day with my daughter snorkeling the reefs off of Key Largo, in some of the most breathtaking waters in the world. I served dinner for my parents and my wife's mom on Friday, and my awesome niece Emily. We then watched Peter Seller's The Party. It was a great Friday night.

Yesterday while attending worship service, I got up to take my daughter to children's church. My friend Dave stopped me as I walked down the aisle. "Marcos", he whispered, "Here's that Cuban leaf cigar I told you about." Dave handed me a beautiful cigar, right after a time of worship, as our pastor began praying in preparation of a message on spiritual and physical healing. in speaking of spiritual healing, my pastor spoke of the need to be healed from things like self-righteousness, resentment, anger, jealousy, anxiety; you know... some of the feelings that may be creeping up in you right now at the thought of a cigar being handed to me in "church".

This weekend I went to church. Everyday, from Friday over spaghetti and meatballs and good wine with my family, to Saturday swimming among the bright colors of God's underwater creation with my little girl, to worship on Sunday with the added bonus of a cigar, culminating with the safe return of my wife; all of these things created elements of what it means to have church. They all brought me to reflect on my God and his amazing love and grace extended to me.

We cheapen the idea of church when we limit it to walking into a building for 2 hours on a Sunday. We miss the grace and love of God when we spend our time thinking about church, instead of enjoying church.

Thanks for the cigar Dave.

Pharisee Part 8 - Nietzsche

"I do not know how to make a distinction between tears and music", said the nihilistic philosopher and thinker.

The hardened heart is the result of a slow and silent decay being caused by life's many painful and disappointing moments. Nietzsche is the ultimate example (at least in word) of this hardening; a brilliant man reduced to death by insanity.

So it is for the Pharisee; the slippery slope of cynicism, sarcasm and opinion. The Pharisee's world of judgement and self-righteousness becomes what defines him. He becomes an island unto himself, and no one is allowed to vacation there. In time, no one really wants to visit there. It is after all, a very dull and dreary place.

The Pharisee brings himself to the point where "tears and music" gel and eventually dissipate; emotion is nullified. God is an ogre, and we are the worms he devours. The man who was once mystified by the love of God forgets his First Love, and over time, silently and subtly, is reduced to a walking opinion that no one really cares to hear.

The Pharisee becomes irrelevant.

"As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message." - The Apostle Paul

Pharisee Part 7 - On Being and Doing

James 1:22, King James Version

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 1:22, New International Version

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Both translations say the same thing. But, depending on how you read it, one sounds more "active" than the other.

Be ye doers sounds so... sweaty; like you're about to start working on an assembly line at a chocolate factory (doopity-doo).

The Pharisee is like -- well -- one of Wonka's Oompa-Loompas. He works feverishly and emotionless at making sweets for children. He is tireless and relentless in his work. The difference between the Oompa-Loompa and the Pharisee however, is that the Pharisee usually only pretends and gives people the impression that he's actually working. The Pharisee spends more time making sure everyone knows he is "holy".

The only difference between a Pharisee and any other believer is the mask the Pharisee so desperately works at keeping on. The Pharisee spends more time focused on making sure everyone focuses on his mask -- the mask that says "I am a good Christian" -- then actually doing any good work at all.

Even though "Be ye doers" sounds ominous and daunting, it simply means to obey the word of God. James goes on to say "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does."

The perfect law that gives freedom is the one perfected in Christ, freely given to us, requesting nothing in return. That is what we are to be "doers" of; living in his grace.

So there is no need to fake it; no need to wear a mask. You're not impressing anyone worth impressing. Loosen up! Don't be so uptight. Come to grips with the simple fact that Jesus loves you, and live joyfully in that knowledge.

Pharisee, Part 6 - God the Giver

"To give to God is to take from God's right hand and put that very thing back into God's left hand" -Miroslav Volf

The Pharisee in me demands that I give to God. This giving on my behalf is required of me in order to get something in return; God's love and acceptance, a job opportunity, the warm-fuzzies, a ticket to heaven, or the love and admiration of people. The Pharisee in me says, 'You better give to God by following these rules, or else _____________ (fill in horrid results here)".

We fail to see that whatever we may be able to give to God, whether it is given in a moment of fear and doubt, or out of some warped expectation that God may "return the favor", or even out of genuine worship, could not be given by us if He did not give it first.

God is the giver. We give nothing to him that he needs, or demands. Yes, it's true; God doesn't need you. Whatever God gives or does for us, is out of complete and perfect love for his children.

Pharisee - Part 5 - My Self-Sermon

"When a man or woman is truly honest (not just working at it), it is virtually impossible to insult them personally. There is nothing there to insult. Those who were truly ready for the kingdom were just such people. Their inner poverty of spirit and rigorous honesty had set them free. They were people who had nothing to be proud of."
- Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel -

Are you poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3)? Am I? Do you find yourself on "off days" sitting in judgement of "sinners", churches, your neighbors, that guy with the tattoos, the smoker, the adulterer, the self-righteous, or whoever may be "insulting" you on any given day? What is the greater insult; the "tresspasses" against you by people you may not even personally know? Or YOUR own tresspass on YOUR own heart as you ravage it with pride, resentment, disappointment, anger and fear? Who are you angry at? And again, "My God, how did I get here?"

"Blessed are the poor in spirit", said Jesus.

"Yes Jesus, but these people really piss me off with their constant disregard to you", says one.

"Yes Jesus, but I'm the only one with the "right" theology; so I must instruct these people in the error of their ways", says another.

"Yes Jesus, but these evangelicals are so judgemental and harsh. And those conservatives are heartless", says another.

'Yes Jesus, but that guy is gay, and he should burn in hell for his sin", says yet another.

"Yes Jesus, but I have to guard my heart, because if anyone knew who I really was they would hate me or I would be ashamed", says... everyone.

What hardens your heart? What hardens my heart?

Something to really think about.

"Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." - Jesus

Marketing and Image

Photo of Al Gore on one of his websites, "SOS", The Movement for a Climate in Crisis presenting Live Earth".

Photo of Brian McLaren on one of his websites, "Deep Shift, The Everything Must Change Tour"









...I'm just sayin'... ummm, is this the new "face" of "Hey kids! This 'Christian' rock star sounds a lot like this secular rock star! Buy the CD and check it out!"


I think Y-O is right; we are in deep shift.


Marketing is evil.

Pharisee, Part 4 - Self-Righteous Without Religion

This is a quote from a website called Al Gore, The Movement. Read it carefully:

"The" WILL To ACT" is a Renewable Resource - Al Gore Quote at the Academy Awards... PLEASE HELP MAKE ART A DRIVING FORCE FOR CHANGE... THIS SITE IS FOR AL GORE SUPPORTERS AND STOP GLOBAL WARMING AND THE STOP THE WAR IN IRAQ SUPPORTERS NOT FOR THOSE TRYING TO SPREAD MISINFORMATION FROM THE EXTREME RIGHT ! ! ! IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE IN GLOBAL WARMING,AND ARE NOT AGAINST THE WAR FIND YOUR SELF ANOTHER SITE TO EXPRESS THAT YOU'RE AN IDIOT ! THIS SITE IS FOR THOSE THAT LEAN LEFT NOT RIGHT ( OR " THE SELF RIGHTEOUS " )"

The parenthetical remark "OR "THE SELF RIGHTEOUS", was not added by me. The owner of the site put that there. So glad to see those on the left are so not self-righteous.

The Pharisee comes in many forms; not just masked with religion. The Pharisee creates his own laws, and demands that his views be observed by everyone, or else.

I once observed an anti-war protest on Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles. As I sat outside a cafe on the sidewalk lined with celebrity stars, I watched as peaceful protesters marched, holding signs and voicing their displeasure with the Iraq invasion. Unfortunately, their voices were muted out by those who were crying out for the death of George Bush, holding posters with bloody images of our President, which reminded me of the images I had seen of burning flags and Bush effigies in the Middle East. Watching this march, I could only think of how proud they all seemed to be with their own formulated brand of self-righteousness. How high-brow. How very enlightened. How very frightening.

The Pharisee cloaks himself in righteousness, and misses the point; that our perceived righteousness, whatever it may be, is a creation of our own mind. It's that thing that defines us. In fact, the cloak is the covering; part of our mask. And it is the very thing we have to bring into question about ourselves, lest we get lost in our Pharisaic little world.

There is a Pharisee inside everyone of us; even outside the walls of religiosity. The trouble comes, however, when we come to believe that we are indeed righteous, and lose ourselves.

And you may ask yourself

Where does that highway go?

And you may ask yourself

Am I right? ...am I wrong?

And you may tell yourself

My god!...what have I done?

-David Byrne-

Gimme Shelter... with a pool

Today we begin our official search for a new home. I know, I know; those of you who know us have heard me say that for about a year (or 2) now. But we're actually getting serious about it now.

We're not too excited about it, because we have to sell our current townhouse first. While we're in a buyer's market, it's a catch-22 for us since we have to off-load our place and it may not be that easy. But, we'll be positive about it and see where God takes us on this little adventure.

Pharisee, Part 3 - Knowing God

It seems like everything I've been reading lately relates well to this subject. Here is another chunk of wisdom, this one from Tim Keller:

Jonathan Edwards argued that both the rationalist fear of religious experience and the
emotionalistic excesses are incompatible with gospel-shaped faith. Edwards knew that, on
the one hand, the gospel has a content--it is a body of information that must be delved and
grasped, and that takes thinking and reflection. On the other hand, if a person studies the
gospel and it does not thrill and amaze and comfort them, that means that the gospel was
not understood. This is true because the gospel does not just bring God’s power, but it is the
power of God in truth form. This means that a Christianity without deep and abiding
emotion and passion is not true. But passion is never to be “worked up” directly. Rather,
passionless Christianity comes from a lack of understanding of the gospel. Nor do you work
up “discipline” by a sheer effort of the will. Rather, an undisciplined Christianity comes
from a lack of understanding of the gospel. Only if you truly understand the good news does
it enflame the heart and engage the will. - From Tim Keller's Study on Galatians

For so many people, belief in God is an emotional trip. For the Pharisee, he has become a logical conclusion and an idea to argue over.

Belief in Christ and the desire to experience his reality results in a passion beyond any human emotional stirring (i.e. "I cried when I heard that song") or seminarian rambling (i.e. "Let me tell you what the Gospel is really about").

I like the use of the term "enflame the heart and engage the will". God is an experience in reality, not an idea on paper.

Pharisee, Part 2 - Morality and Habit

Some great quotes from Donald Miller:

"The hijacking of the concept of morality began, of course, when we reduced Scripture to formula and a love story to theology, and finally morality to rules. It is a very different thing to break a rule than it is to cheat on a Lover.” In Search of God Knows What

“I believe that the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time. This is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man’s mind into a habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging God.” - Blue Like Jazz

The last quote really got me thinking. What is my habit? Can I even ask that question sincerely? Do I have the ability and humbleness of heart to acknowledge that I have a habit that keeps me "wasting time"?

So often I'm concerned with sins and behavior. Many times, I'm concerned with those of others, sometimes with my own. But in my efforts to be "religious" or "pious" or "learned" or "Godly", am I missing the opportunity to examine myself? Who I really am? Who I have become?

Is my faith based on a formula, or a love story? Am I losing sight of who I am; a child of God? Are my efforts, whatever they may be on any given day, stifling my ability to engage God?

One more quote, this one from Mike Yaconelli:

“Nothing makes people in the church more angry than grace." - Messy Spirituality

Revelation 3:20

"There must have been a door there in the wall,

When I came in."

from "The Trial", Pink Floyd- The Wall

Pharisee, Part 1

Pharisee - Phar·i·see /ˈfærəˌsi/ –noun 1. a member of a Jewish sect that flourished during the 1st century b.c. and 1st century a.d. and that differed from the Sadducees chiefly in its strict observance of religious ceremonies and practices, adherence to oral laws and traditions, and belief in an afterlife and the coming of a Messiah.
2. (lowercase) a sanctimonious, self-righteous, or hypocritical person.

I found this on a website that is some kind of posting forum; it's weird so I can't really give credit where it's due. But, I loved it.

YOU MIGHT BE A PHARISEE IF...

…you get upset when people leave your church because, after all, yours is the only one in town that is truly "doing it right".

…you think any Christian music written in the last 50 years is from the devil.

…you pay exactly 10% of your income to your church each year; no more, no less.

…you ask questions like, "if I get a birthday gift from a friend, am I supposed to pay a tithe on that?"

…you make sure everyone notices all the underlines and highlights in your Bible.

…you wonder if someone is really a Christian when they casually mention they had a glass of wine with their dinner last night

…you always quote the chapter and verse reference when speaking of scripture.

…you ever gave your pastor a doctor’s excuse for missing a Sunday evening service

…you ever worried about whether or not you should read the italicized words in you King James Bible because they weren’t in the original text

…you refuse to read any other Bible except the King James version.

…you display your Sunday School perfect attendance award prominently in your office or home.

…you rub down the ends of the pages in your Bible that relate to the Old Testament, just like the ends of the pages in your New Testament section, so it will look like you spend much time all over the Bible.

…you casually mention your giving habits in conversations with your pastor.

…when asked to consider being an elder in your church, you get excited because your name badge will now have an important title on it.

…you always let people know, "I’m praying for you", even if you haven’t been.

…some sins are okay to admit you struggle with, but others are not.

…you are seen with a calculator right before the contribution basket comes around.

…you boycotted The End of the Spear because the part of Nate Saint was played by a homosexual.

…you think someone else’s baptism "didn’t work".

…you ask questions like, "isn’t the church staff breaking the sabbath by working on Sunday?"

…you immediately conclude someone is not a Christian when you hear them use a cuss word.

…you love to wrestle with questions about the Christian life that start with the word, "should".

Finally, you might be a Pharisee if after reading all the above you say to yourself, "I thank God that I am not a sinner like those guys…"

More on the Pharisee mentality to come.

Deep Shift

I was looking for something interesting to read on the web and decided to check out Brian McLaren's website. On it, he is promoting the Everything Must Change Tour '08. The organization behind it is called Deep Shift. This is what they're about:

A time of transition
rethinking
re-imagining
and re-envisioning

A time for asking new questions
and seeking answers
that are both new and old
fresh and seasoned
surprising and familiar

What does it mean, in today’s world, to be a follower of God in the way of Jesus?
What does it mean to be a faith community engaged in the holistic, integral mission of God in our world today?
How do we, as individuals and faith communities, respond faithfully to the crises facing our world?
What is our duty to God, ourselves, our families, our neighbors, our enemies, and our planet in light of Jesus’ radical message of the kingdom of God?
How can we engage in personal formation and theological reformulation for global transformation?

Living in deep shift can be exhilarating and energizing, but it can also be disorienting and frightening.

Sounds great. Then, I checked out who is sponsoring the tour:

Emergent Village

Sojourners: Faith and Justice Churches

Sierra Club

Please check out the websites I've linked above. I really would like to hear opinions from all sides on this movement. Presently, I am forming an opinion which I hope will be centered on the Gospel. In fact, my hope is that at the center of this movement, started by Mr. McLaren, we will find the heart of the Gospel. Will we? I'm not sure; maybe.

One question that comes up is, at what point does activism, to the Right or the Left, become counterproductive to sharing the Gospel? Check out Sojourners and Sierra Club (both with activist leanings, the latter not a Christian organization). We've seen the damage the Right can do; are we swinging the other way now in response? In a world where relativism is king and absolutes are questioned (or dare I say, reversed), where does this movement fall?

If anyone is interested, let me know what you think.

Chile Day 12 - Evening at Mao's

My favorite pub in Santiago is Off The Record. This is one of those neigborhood pubs that has a defined characteristic; left-wing and neo-socialist. So why do I, a right-of-center registered Republican call this "communism is neat" pub my favorite pub? It's just the right pub, in the right neighborhood, and it's got the kind of bohemian feel I like.

The menu is great too. We had 2 plates which we shared among 4 people. One was a picada type of plate with salmon ceviche, sliced smoked salmon, quaill eggs, and assorted veggies and cheeses. The other was a plate with grilled beef tenderloin, lamb chops, pork tenderloin and chicken.

I also had a mojito made with Havana Club Rum.

Speaking of communist hypocrisy, the pub, which is a cash-cow from all appearances, features pictures on the walls of great communist thinkers like Pablo Neruda (who owned about 5 houses throughout Chile and lived in France while he supported communist ideals of equality for the people), Che Guevara (...you know), Isabel Allende (socialist critic of capitalist ideals living well in New York city off the well-deserved earnings from the sales of her books), and various other silly idealists, some of whom actually had some interesting things to say. The centerpiece of the pub is a piano with a pink portrait of Chairman Mao over it.

As Gotan Project played in the background (my favorite song of theirs is the one that chants "El Capitalismo es un arma!", which was also a cash-cow for Gotan Project thanks to capitalism), Off The Record was introducing the first issue of their new magazine, which includes literary pieces and article by Santiago writers and thinkers. It just so happens some of these very writers were there for the release of the new mag. As conversations carried and I heard terms like, "the people won't stand for that" and "censura facista", I enjoyed my mojito and we laughed and had a great time with Felipe and Carolina.

To top off the evening at Off, I inquired as to where I could get a copy of the new Off The Record magazine. The writers were gathered in an intellectual huddle, but they managed to turn around and offer me a moment of their time. I was going to say something deep like, "I'm looking to expand my horizons and open my mind to socialist thinking, since I have now been exposed to the oppression of the poor and down-trodden people of Chile. I would like to learn more about your views on the caste system which is so evident in Chile; the poetic symbolism that exists as the rich and the privelaged live in the upper part of the valley looking down on the poor, uneducated workers below. Please, show this fat American the brilliance and genius of your socialist ways."

Instead I just asked for a copy. A lady among the group told me "Sure. I'll get you a copy. That will be $1,000 pesos.

Classic.

I gave her 1,000 pesos, we paid the hefty bill for the food and drinks and left this bastion of socialist equality and capitalist criticism.

But really, Off The Record is a stylish place and I enjoyed it very much. I finished off the evening with a good Cuban Cohiba. As I puffed on my cigar, I thought of the great country I live in. I love Chile, but I'm looking forward to getting back home.

See you soon.

Chile Day 12 - Morning and Afternoon

Today we managed to find the cemetary where Ceci's grandfather is buried. It was nice to be able to visit the grave site after all these years. Ceci's grandfather had basically filled the role of father when Ceci was very young. He died in 1992 one year prior to our wedding. Ceci was not able to go to the funeral or see her grandfather before he passed. Now, going to the grave site, she was able to at least see his final resting place.

We then had tea-time at the neighbor's house, where we had tea and bread.