"My concept of poverty changed"

InsideVandy has this recap of a student's experience in Uruguay as a part of Vanderbilt Hillel's Alternative Spring Break, which immerses students in service. According to its web site, Vanderbilt Hillel is "the center of Jewish life at Vanderbilt, serving the religious, social, and educational needs of the undergraduate and graduate Jewish student communities."

Hillel has spent previous Spring Breaks in other Latin American countries, including Mexico (recap here and picture here), Cuba, and Argentina (video recap here).

Excerpts from the Uruguay recap:

We went to connect with the large Jewish population in Montevideo but also to somehow accomplish the arduous task of building four houses for four impoverished families before we left the country.
...
My concept of poverty changed. The impoverished individuals I saw had family, community, love and hope. Families worked alongside one another and laughed.

Excerpts from the Mexico recap:

That is to say, what part, if any, of Judaism provides the impetus to want to help others? Students read a number of Jewish readings during the course of the week that dealt with such concepts as the significance that every human being is created in the image of G-d, the impact of globalization on the world community and the importance of action accompanying thought.
...
To be a good person, it is important to give as much as you can and then give some more.

Labels: argentina, cuba, education, mexico, uruguay

Whisky: 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes

Hijos de la Guerra: window into MS-13

“We want to reach out to members of the community who take an interest in foreign films, including immigrants to Middle Tennessee.”

Whisky and Hijos de la Guerra are two Latin American works among 14 foreign films to be screened for free during a foreign film series at Vanderbilt University every Wednesday evening until April 16 except for spring break. Two bonus screenings will occur on Mondays.

The International Lens series begins Wednesday, Jan. 23, with Milano Calibro 9, an Italian crime caper from 1972.

All films begin at 7 p.m. in Sarratt Cinema in the Sarratt Student Center on the Vanderbilt campus and are free and open to the public. Most will feature introductions by experts from Vanderbilt and other universities, and some will have discussion periods after the screenings.

“One of Vanderbilt’s missions is to make our students true global citizens,” said Sherif Barsoum, director of international student and scholar services. “One way to do that is through the lens of film.

“We also want to reach out to members of the community who take an interest in foreign films, including immigrants to Middle Tennessee.”

The series is sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Students and various departments at Vanderbilt collaborated to select the films and line up guest commentators. In some cases, the films are coordinated with the syllabuses of Vanderbilt courses and incorporated into classroom work.

“We hope these screenings complement the strong offerings at the Belcourt Theatre near Vanderbilt, with whom we continue to have a partnership,” said JoEl Logiudice, director of the office of arts and creative engagement.

The Latin American lineup for the International Lens series:

Wednesday, March 12, Hijos de la Guerra (2007) from the United Kingdom, directed by Alexandre Fuchs. Presented by the Center for Latin American and Iberian Studies. A documentary about the violent gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.

Wednesday, April 16, Whiskey (2004) from Uruguay, directed by Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll. Presented by the Spanish and Portuguese Department. One reviewer called it "one of the ten best South American movies in recent years" and "a film about Uruguay, represented here in Jacobo's character. This once prosperous country, nicknamed "the Switzerland of South America", is now a country in dire need of technological updating, of restoration of its architectural treasures, and of serious political planning and execution of its economic and social future, and is paying high stakes for decades of unrealistic labor legislation." -IMDB. As of January 23, Whisky's Rotten Tomatoes rating is a perfect 100%.

The full lineup is here.

Labels: arts, events, immigrants, uruguay

Photo:Palacio Salvo, Montevideo, Uruguay by Juan Cubilla

Labels: country music, food, spanish, uruguay

West End eatery features Cajun, Uruguayan flavor

This week's Nashville Scene has food critic Kay West returning to Nola's, the West End restaurant opened this fall by an Uruguayan chef with a cajun kitchen résumé. The chivito sandwich is a West favorite (see below), and it receives another helping of praise in this review ("such an extravagant sandwich it makes a meal"), as does the parrillada, the Milanesa Neapolitan, Crazy Victor’s hot dog, the Pampero, the cheese ravioli, and a linguine. West also gives high marks to the cajun side of the menu, including the "superb" crawfish étouffée and the oyster po’boy ("another reason to add Nola’s to your restaurant rounds").

West had previously covered Nola's opening in this review, which focused mostly on the chivito sandwich:

"Having never been to Uruguay, I can’t say that [owner Alexia] Cabrera’s chivito is a 100 percent genuine re-creation, but I can testify that it is just as deliciously decadent as the ones I had in small South American restaurants in Greenwich Village years ago, and that, had Nola’s been open one month earlier, it surely would have won the Scene Writers’ Poll for Best Sandwich, hands down."

Over on the Citysearch entry for Nola's, the first review says that Nola's has "the best steak sandwich hands down."

"Nola’s, 2912 West End Ave., 341-3693. Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday."

Photo by H. Michael karshis

Labels: business, food, uruguay

Fundraiser celebrates cultures, supports Susan Gray School

The public is invited to join over 200 children as they celebrate diverse cultures at the Susan Gray School's Second Annual Holidays Around the World event Nov. 11 from 5 to 9 p.m. Proceeds from the event will go toward the construction of a new, fully accessible preschool playground at the school.

"This is a fun event that celebrates the diversity of global cultures as well as the diversity of the children and families at the Susan Gray School," said Ruth Wolery, Susan Gray School director.

The event will begin at 5 pm at the Susan Gray School, where nine of the classrooms will be decorated to represent countries including Thailand, Ivory Coast, Italy, Scotland, Morocco, China, America, Mexico and Costa Rica. Families and children will visit each "country," which will include arts, crafts, games and music to teach the visitors about the holidays the countries celebrate. The event will move to the Cohen Fine Arts Building on the Peabody campus from 6:30 to 9 p.m. In addition to silent and live auctions and refreshments, there will be gingerbread houses for the children to decorate, a visit from Santa Claus and the annual SGS Angel Tree.

The Susan Gray School, located at the corner of 21st Avenue South and Edgehill Avenue, offers an early education program for children from birth to 5 years. The school serves typically developing children and children with various disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, failure to thrive, pre-maturity, Down syndrome and speech language delays. It is affiliated with Vanderbilt's Peabody College of Education and Human Development.The school also serves an economically and culturally diverse population including families from Afghanistan, Argentina, China, Ethiopia, France, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Thailand, Turkey and Uruguay.

Tickets for the event are $75 for families, $30 for singles and $15 for Vanderbilt students. Cost includes food, drinks and family entertainment.

For more information about the event or to purchase tickets in advance, contact the Susan Gray School at 322-8200 or e-mail michelle.wyatt@vanderbilt.edu. More information is also available on the school's Web site, here.

Hispanic Nashville Datebook

If you know of an event that should be listed in the Datebook, or if you are computer-savvy and want to help keep the Datebook current, pleas contact the editor.

Labels: arts, education, uruguay

The Nashville Scene published this announcement of Nola, a restaurant opening this month in the old Vandyland strip on West End. Owner Alexia Cabrera is from Uruguay, which borders Argentina and Brazil in South America.

"The Nola menu will lean heavily toward Cajun tastes, thanks to Cabrera's time at Patrick's, but she will also introduce locals to some Uruguayan and other South American specialties."

"Nola will serve from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 2914 West End Ave. Phone: 341-3693 or 341-3694"

Labels: business, food, uruguay

The Tennessean reports in this story that the Nashville Ballet recently returned from a 17-day tour through Argentina and Uruguay. The dance group included country music ballet among its repertoire. The effort was announced in April and arises from director Paul Vasterling's three-month Fulbright-sponsored stay in Argentina last year.

Report from Argentina/Uruguay tour
Announcement of Argentina/Uruguay tour
Announcement of Nashville/Argentina cultural exchange

Labels: arts, country music, uruguay

The Tennessean reports that the Nashville Ballet will go on tour in October in Argentina and Uruguay.

"It will include a suite of ballets the company has previously done to country/folk or, as Vasterling puts it, 'local' music. Past artists whose music has been choreographed by the ballet include Nanci Griffith, Hal Ketchum and Jonell Mosser."

"'And that's something they really want in South America,' [Artistic Director Paul Vasterling] said. 'The American Embassy is giving us support for this tour, and they're extremely keen on the fact that we do ballet to country music, and that we're the 'Nashville' ballet.'"

"The ballet will also welcome a young Argentinian dancer for the summer ..., as well as an Argentinian ballet master who will teach in the school's summer program."

Labels: arts, country music, education, uruguay