If you like Tango, you may like what groups like Bajo Fondo, and Gotan Project are doing by fusioning styles, and creating something new, with a strong taste of this region of the world. I'll let the music do the talking....

One Laptop per Child or OLPC is a program aimed to provide one mobile personal computer to every child in the world (as the name implies). Ceibal is the code name of the implementation project in Uruguay. It's an acronym for "Basic informatic educative conectivity for on-line learning" in spanish. This program started to run in Uruguay this year, as one of the firsts countries in the world to adopt it, if not the first. In 2007 the scope of the adoption was reduced to one city, Cardal, in the Florida department, as a pilot project. It is expected to go national by 2008 & 2009, meaning one laptop for every uruguayan kid. Right now universities, and companies willing to collaborate are studying ways to contribute to this. In this month I've heard about volunteering posibilites from three different sources, the truth is, there are a lot of aspects required to push this thing that go far beyond the machine. For instance you need conectivity, technical support, training for teachers......

I came across this video about Santa Teresa in youtube, which looks like it was created by brazilian surfers and I couldn´t help posting it. It pretty much resembles some of my own memories.If you are into surf & camping and happen to be in Uruguay in summer don´t miss it. ......

Yesterday night there was a demonstration in Montevideo to support sexual diversity and to help make abortion legal. Many women die in Uruguay as well as in other countries because abortion is illegal and women can't get proper medical attention. There is big concern about this now, you can hear ads on the radio that say that 60% of Uruguay's population supports making abortion legal and that the government should hear their citizens. This demonstration was intended to make a statement in this sense. Many people were holding the orange hands that read "Voto a Favor" (I vote in favor of this). Dj Paola Dalto was playing happy music to make the demonstration more fun. There was a bus with music and many transvestites dancing to the rhythm of it. The other cause that these people were supporting was sexual diversity. Transvestites and gays want discrimination to stop and they wore costumes and had a lot of fun during the walk. The demonstration started in Plaza......

Right after the economic crisis of 2002 a Brazilian Pentecostal church, called Iglesia Universal del Reino de Dios, spread all over the country, like a virus. They launched a very aggressive mediatic campaign including one hour spots in Uruguay air channels on a daily basis. Their slogan is Pare de Sufrir (stop suffering). They are highly criticized for their methods, even among other Christian groups, since they grant special powers to physical objects, and they sell them. For example they launch campaigns like: "Buy the blessed candle" (and you will have God's blessing) or "Touch the mantle of discharge", of course only after you "donate" a reasonable fee. They operate as a multinational corporation, they are huge in Brazil, and they have presence all over South American countries, including Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and of course Brazil. In Uruguay they usually took for temples what used to be cinemas. Probably the most popular case, is what used to......

Everybody's been talking about Chavez's visit to Uruguay over the last couple of days, so I figured it would be worth it taking a moment and writing some thoughts on the matter. Chavez is doing a tour across south american countries to nail his acceptance in the Mercosur block, yet to be definitively approved. As a part of this tour it has visited Uruguay. Visit which took place yesterday and today. During his stay Chavez talked about the sea of oil Venezuela has, which is willing to share with his south american friends. Uruguay and Venezuela signed today an Energy Security treaty which in Chavez words will assure Uruguay a provision of oil and natural gas for a hundred years. On the other hand, Uruguay continues to play this game where with one hand shakes Bush's grip, with the other it taps Chavez on the back and welcomes him to the Mercosur party. Uruguay wants to be everyone's allied. Uruguay's president, Tabare Vazquez publicly expressed his support for Venezuela's membersh......

We’ve recently been to Colonia de Sacramento, Uruguay with my girlfriend, and I feel like paying a tribute post to the place. If you’ve never heard of it, check out the post where I introduce Colonia in this blog. It’s basically one of the top five places worth visiting in Uruguay. Sometimes when we feel like recharging batteries we go to Colonia de Sacramento. It’s the sort of place you go when you want to escape from the city, noise, technology, etc. Make sure to take your special someone and a good book. That’s pretty much all is needed to spend a great weekend there. What do you do there? Well, you walk the cobbledstone streets. You browse the crafts offered by the artisans, you enjoy the sun in the mini port, you eat some sea food. You dine in some romantic, candle lighted, stone walled restaurants. You probably don’t want to be there more than two, or three days or you may get bored. It caught my attention the number of tourist we saw there this time, we coul......

Uruguay advances (Uruguay Avanza). That's the slogan the Uruguayan government is using to market the new tax reform, as a positive change. The reform entered into play the first of july. We were all required to fill, sign and present a form to each employer before 29th june. Among the changes introduced by the reform 14 taxes were derogated, and were replaced by only one, called IRPF, in an attempt to simplify our tax system. VAT (IVA) was reduced from the astronomic 23 to 22 (not much if you ask me) for all items except some categorized as basic (canasta basica) which had a greater reduction. Anyone earning 25.000 (around 1000 usd) nominal, will be negative affected by the tax, meaning will earn less money by the end of the month. This obviously makes a lot of people not so happy with the new tax system. Some even call it the end of Uruguayan middle class. Uruguay's minister of economy, Danilo Astori, has of course, a different, more optimistic, view on things, he says this re......

Let's switch countries for a day. I've been for a couple of weeks in Kingston, Jamaica. Bob Marley's city, and Reggae's motherland. It's in some ways similar to Uruguay. It was colony, it's a small population country. Officially 2.7 millon inhabitants. It's an emerging economy as well, and both countries suffer from emigration issues. If I had to answer quickly what are the pros and cons of Jamaica vs Uruguay, I would answer something like this, Jamican Pros People Jamaican people seem more optimistic, lively, outgoing, and warmer than in Uruguay. This is for me probably the best thing about this country. Their people. The party mood, and no problem attitude. Weather There's only one season, and it's summer. If you are the type of person that doesn't like cold seasons. This may be your place. Beaches If you are not a surfer, or if you don't miss waves in a beach, jamaica's caribbean beaches are warm, and have crystal like waters. This is not exactly a pro, it may depend on yo......

Let's switch countries for a day. I've been for a couple of weeks in Kingston, Jamaica. Bob Marley's city, and Reggae's motherland. It's in some ways similar to Uruguay. It was colony, it's a small population country. Officially 2.7 millon inhabitants. It's an emerging economy as well, and both countries suffer from emigration issues. If I had to answer quickly what are the pros and cons of Jamaica vs Uruguay, I would answer something like this, Jamican Pros People Jamaican people seem more optimistic, lively, outgoing, and warmer than in Uruguay. This is for me probably the best thing about this country. Their people. The party mood, and no problem attitude. Weather There's only one season, and it's summer. If you are the type of person that doesn't like cold seasons. This may be your place. Beaches If you are not a surfer, or if you don't miss waves in a beach, jamaica's caribbean beaches are warm, and have crystal like waters. This is not exactly a pro, it may depend on yo......