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| 'An idyllic place or experience is extremely pleasant, beautiful or peaceful.' (Cambridge Dictionaries Online) |
"Development of Balandra would surely have brought jobs: margaritas would have to be served, tour parties guided and pets pampered. But the people of La Paz have looked into that particular future and dared to choose another path. They have shown that it is possible to take on the inevitable - and win."
"Development of Balandra would surely have brought jobs: margaritas would have had to be served, tour parties guided and pets pampered (the tourist publication Baja Traveler magazine last year, without irony, printed a picture of a waistcoated Mexican smilingly massaging a blond spaniel). As in Acapulco or Cancún, air-conditioned boutiques would have sold trophy watches while wandering hawkers flogged hand-plaited wristbands. But the people of La Paz have looked into that particular future and dared to choose another path. They have shown that it is possible to take on the inevitable - and win."
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| 'Grassroots campaign' at a shopping centre (Would it be allowed here in Brazil?) |
Hi there!
We were talking the other day about the difference in impact between a simplified version of a text and its original version, remember? Here are two questions that you could try to answer in your comments about the conclusion of today's article:
1. Why might it be said that, in this case, the shorter version of the paragraph 'sounds better' than the longer one? Which do you prefer? Why?
2. What information from the original paragraph is lost in the edited one? How important do you consider it? Why?
Also, have a look at the full article, as published in The Guardian, and find two more factors which could possibly explain the resistance to the creation of a resort on Balandra beach.
Finally, if you believe in the importance of such cause and in online activism, you can sign Colectivo Balandra's petition here. In the 'ANP' and 'Novedades' section of the page, you'll see that the place's still in danger (a 'protracted struggle', indeed!) - I reckon all help's welcome!
P.S.: Have you checked what's going on in the comment section of some of our blog posts yet? ;)
I know it's not in English, but if you, like me, became interested in learning more about Balandra's case, I recommend you also read this: http://www.balandraesnuestra.org/web/pdf/10_cosas_Balandra.pdf. I do believe it's worth your time (as an example to us, Brazilians, yes).
ReplyDeleteIn the last class we discussed about the situation of Balandra's beach and how the people stoped the development of this city. But did they stop the development or they avoided the destruction of a paradise? Sometimes we only thing about the improvement of economical features and how it would raise up our well being. However, we often forget that some civilization are not guided by capitalist principles and are really glad to leave in untouched places. Thus it is plausible that people like that have the reaction they had.
ReplyDeleteTalking about the two paragraph cited above I thing that the first one is more concise and straightforward. Although some information are missing in the edited one, I do not thing it impaired the meaning of it.
However, I guess that the follow sentence is quite important, but I did not understand its reason
"the tourist publication Baja Traveler magazine last year, without irony, printed a picture of a waistcoated Mexican smilingly massaging a blond spaniel"
It seems that the magazine is criticizing the grassroots campaign, but I am not sure?
Could someone help me with this issue?
Hello!
ReplyDeleteBruna and Rodrigo, I have tried to answer your points, together (1- the factors could possibly explain the resistance to the creation of a resort and 2- Rodrigo’s question in the end of his comment). Let’s see:
“Environmental issues were, naturally, one of the main planks of the collective's campaign…” “But there were social considerations at stake here, too, because Balandra is essentially a beach for the people of La Paz, where tourism is of the unobtrusive variety…” “a unique and diverse ecosystem resplendent with rare and endangered species;
So, they want to protect Balandra due environmental issues and resist making it a place of pleasure for a few (riches), “exploiting” the poor who would work there, doing a more restrictive “tourism”. The last paragraph of the full article (The Guardian) displays this, it is ironic with this sentence: “Development of Balandra would surely have brought jobs: margaritas would have had to be served, tour parties guided and pets pampered…”. There they say in parentheses: “the tourist publication Baja Traveler magazine last year, without irony, printed a picture of a waistcoated Mexican smilingly massaging a blond spaniel”. Spaniel is a dog’s pedigree (I didn’t know rsrsrs) and in my view, even without wanting to be ironic publishing the photo, it is by itself. Thus, I don’t think they are criticizing the grassroots campaign, on the contrary, they are warning the reader that it exists to struggle this tourism for a few.
The issue is the access to Balandra. They want to keep its natural attributes and that it continues to be a completely public space for recreation and open access (from article “10 cosas que debes saber sobre Balandra”, I have read in “novedades”).
Bruna - I prefer the longer paragraph because it is more complete and seems that changes a little the meaning, the impact (I don’ t know, but seems). The information lost in the 1 is about the photo of the man massaging the dog.
I have read the “novedades” section, and I have read the article “10 cosas que debes saber sobre Balandra”, in which there are some more factors of resistance:
- La Paz lacks green areas (so beaches are important for recreation/relaxing)
- Mangroves are shelters for shrimp and commercial fish.
P.S.: Here don't we have options to underline or bold the words?!? What a shame!
Looking at the full article again it was possible find out that there are ulterior motives for the resistence met by the business consortium. It has been cited in the article that geographic features might have contributed for the victory of the grassroots campaign. It is known that Baja has a ringside view of the most powerful economic on the earth. Due to the close contact with the USA, the governamant has incentivased people from USA to visit Baja and let their money in the local commerce, mainly in road events. Maybe the local governament would not benefit of a resort more than it has been earning from USA petrolheads.
ReplyDelete