Archive for the ‘Compañía de Jesús building’ Category

Stairway to the Mezzanine of Library at Compañí­a de Jesús Building

Tuesday, December 11th, 2007

Stairway to the Mezzanine of Library at Compañí­a de Jesús Building

No, this is not the Stairway to heaven; gosh I am so full of clichés. Honest to god, I am devoid of original thoughts. Everything in my head is a reference or quote to something else. For instance, I see the number 9 and I can only think of Revolution 9 from The Beatles.

One important aspect to highlight about this series about the library is the fact that the guts of the library are contemporary industrial furnishing inside a colonial 16th century building and yet there is harmony between the anachronistic elements.

Multimedia Section at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library

Monday, December 10th, 2007

Multimedia Section at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library

So it took us about a week to finally enter the Multimedia zone at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library, as Lessie suggested. Now I would be extremely happy if the film section had the complete works of Woody Allen, Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock and Emir Kusturica for starters. Or better yet, I would be in film-heaven if they only had the 1001 movies you must see before you die. Sometimes I wish I was a Slacker.

Hallway Reading Zone at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library

Sunday, December 9th, 2007

Hallway Reading Area at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library

We resume the library tour right where we left off last Thursday.

This corridor reading area is a nice place to catch up with the recent events while reading a local newspaper from the newspaper rack available on this same hallway, while drinking a cup of the best coffee in the world and receiving a bath of the morning sunshine. Wow for a few moments you might even forget you are in third-world country.

Children’s Area at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library

Thursday, December 6th, 2007

Children's Area at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library

Children also have a reading and play area at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library. This picture was taken early in the morning, before kids show up and fill the place with their happy noise and laughter.

I was glad to see a reading and play salon for the kids. Reading is a habit that should be acquired at the earliest age possible.

Computer Terminals at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library

Wednesday, December 5th, 2007

Computer Terminals at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library

Computer stations are also available at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library in La Antigua Guatemala. Patsy mentioned that many people opt for the computer instead of grabbing the old-time-tested book. Well, the times are a-changing, you know and everyone needs help with a new system. If you don’t believe me, just take a look a the video clip below that show us how difficult it was for the book to get accepted as the new medium for holding texts.

See I am a geek at heart. I carry a Palm Tungsten with over 100 electronic books on it for all those times when I am forced to make the queues; and that happens often in Guatemala. So I carry all kinds of electronic books, many downloaded from the Proyect Gutenberg which I read with Palm Reader or Pluckr on the handy Palm. I have many more books on the computer in PDF and other formats. So I am not foreign to the new technologies. But I love real paperback books, hardcovers, off-white with rough border books. I especially like that no batteries are included for the book to work.

What is your opinion of books, electronic books, e-books, electronic book readers, the new Kindle reading device?

Post cards request update: Today a found several post cards sent by Ann from Montego Bay, Jamaica. Ann was kind enough to send several post cards to compensate for her tardiness, so she says. Ann maintains the very insightful and informative Montego Bay Daily Photo. Just like with books, as much as I take advantage of email, web sites, and blogs, I have a soft spot in may heart for actual really real post cards and letters, so please keep ‘em coming! If you don’t know what I am talking about, please do read the entry Postscript.

Reading Area at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library

Tuesday, December 4th, 2007

Reading Area at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library

From the reception desk, we move to the reading area, immediately to the left, to check out all the recent magazines (mostly European and Spanish). This gray granite table with its bright illumination is the perfect work area to do your Spanish classes homework; even more so if you take into account the great dictionaries and thesaurus available there.

One more aspect which makes this library different from many libraries in Guatemala is the fact that it is self-served and thus you are free to walk around the whole library in search of the magnificent La casa de usted y otros viajes of Jorge Ibargüengoitia or the most recent novel by Javier Marí­as or better yet the most recently published Guatemalan literature book. The choice is yours once you are living your advertures inside this wonder-book-land.

Have I mentioned that the Christmas season just begun? If you feel like being Santa Claus this year, you can send your Christmas present by clicking the Amazon Wish List button below and picking something from the wish list. If you send something and you let me know who you are, I will send some printed 4×6 photos from this site back by regular mail. Whatever you send goes into a special kind of post office box in Miami and from there the package is shipped to Guatemala. I am still responsible for the shipping charges from Miami to Guatemala and the import duties and taxes.

My Amazon.com Wish List

The Library Tour: the reception desk

Monday, December 3rd, 2007

Reception desk at the Compañí­a de Jesús Library

We will begin a mini tour of the library at the Compañí­a de Jesús building under the care of Cooperación Española NGO or Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional as it is called in Spanish.

But first the disclosure: I love libraries; even chicken bus libraries! ;-)

Back when I lived in the good old U.S. of A. I met many people who used to brag about the numerous credit cards they had in their wallets. I just told them I only carried one card because to me it was enough. You can guess what card that was, right?

I have said several times that the Compañí­a de Jesús building is my favorite building in the whole universe (boy, I am beginning to sound like Manolo, ;-) ) and the main reason for that is the library inside.

There are only two libraries in La Antigua Guatemala that allow check outs (to take books home for those not fluent in library-speak) and the library at the Compañí­a de Jesús building is one of them. It is the biggest library as well. We will begin the tour at the reception desk, if it’s fine with you.

Here are the other reasons why I love the Compañí­a de Jesús building: the coffee bush hedge; the atrium and the people I found there 1, 2, 3, 4; the history on the plaques, the windows, the doorways, the garden and fountain, the window frames, the arches and the Spanish-style roof tiles just to name some aspects.

Honey, I am coming home…

Saturday, November 10th, 2007

Honey, I am coming home...

This old tree creates a magnetic shadow by providing shelter from the burning sun. You saw the old lady that did not care about the world, then you peeked at the indigenous Mayan girl taking a break and now you can eavesdrop in our dear friend JM Magaña while he takes a phone call.

Taking a Break

Friday, November 9th, 2007

Taking a Break

We all need it by now.

Today’s entry marks 558 consecutive days of La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo; 570 entries total. The tree above is the same tree that appears in the post I don’t care about the world on May 21st, 2006.

Have a great weekend everyone and tell me what are your plans for the next two days!

Guateflora: Coffee Bushes used as Hedge

Sunday, October 14th, 2007

Guateflora: Coffee Bushes used as Hedge

We continue our Guateflora series with the omnipresent coffee bush or tree, which has manage to leave the coffee plantation to become a hedge. The coffee bush is one the most often seen plants around La Antigua Guatemala, but not often I’ve seen it used as hedge. The above photograph was taken at the Compañí­a de Jesús building, with the ruins in the background. The coffee bush is not included in the Guateflora book, but I am sure it should be included since it is found often in gardens in La Antigua Guatemala. If you don’t know what the Guateflora book is, please read the paragraph below.

The Guateflora category takes its name on a wonderful compilation book by the name of Guate Flora: Plantas ornamentales más utilizadas en jardí­nes guatemaltecos (Guate Flora: Ornamental Plants Most Often Used in Guatemalan Gardens). The books compiles more than 400 photos of the plants most often used in Guatemalan gardens along with technical description about the plants’ categories, and how to grow them. Many of the photographs in the book were taken from gardens in private homes, hotels, restaurants, parks, green houses, mini-malls or on the streets around La Antigua Guatemala; this fact is what prompted me to try to take shots of the ornamental plants as I encounter them in my comings-and-goings.

The Spanish-style roof tiles in Compañí­a de Jesús

Friday, September 14th, 2007

Spanish Tiles and Volcán de Agua

The Spanish-style terra cotta roof tiles and Volcán de Agua are omnipresent throughout La Antigua Guatemala. I believe this is the second time I present a photograph which includes the rooftop, Volcán de Agua and a bird. The focus was different this time around though. I wanted to show the aging patterns and the textures formed by the Spanish-style terra cotta roof tiles. This rooftop belongs to the Compañí­a de Jesús building.

Elsewhere in La Antigua Guatemala, there is all kinds of Independence activities, similar to what I showed you last year. Today and tomorrow will be filled with patriotic sounds coming from the many students school bands and their parades, as well as the many Independence marathons which carry the patriotic fire in their torches back to their communities and villages. I will try to get at least some different shots of the activities, if work allows it. In the meantime, you can get a feel for the festive and noisy atmosphere we live now in La Antigua Guatemala by checking the entries below.

Related Guatemalan Independence Day activities:

Garden Grid and Fountain at Compañí­a de Jesús

Thursday, September 13th, 2007

Garden Grid and Fountain at Compañí­a de Jesús

I have said that I really enjoy being in this building so many times that you might actually believe that I work for the PR department of Agencia Española de Cooperación International in La Antigua Guatemala. I do not, just to get it right out in the open. However, I do check out books sometimes and read magazines from Spain from the Biblioteca (library) from time to time.

Honestly, I just cherish the atmosphere of the building. On the other hand, one thing I really want to do is sit on the bench in the corner, in the other side of the fountain, for lunch and read Un paseo en primavera (ES) by Ronald Flores. I could really get on the shoes of the protagonist, a tourist guide, since I’ve been told by Maggied that I am her personal tour guide. Just wait Maggied, I am preparing your invoice. ;-) Interestingly enough, the one thing I did not want to be was a tourist guide, nor I wanted for this site to become a touristic guide; it seems I have failed at both.

For now that is not possible because of the rainfall in the afternoons. I just have to wait until I can sing Requiem for the rain again. Also, I need to get an autographed copy of Un paseo en primavera from Ronald, like my friend Juan Carlos Escobedo.

Framed Head in Compañí­a de Jesús

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

Framed Head in Compañí­a de Jesús

Back to the Compañí­a de Jesús building to see the photo exhibit Punto de fuga by some of my favorite photo journalists: Sandra Sebastián, Moisés Castillo and Andrea Aragón. Since I had promised to come back to this magnificent example of antigüeño architecture and show it to you, I took a few more shots. This window ‘National Geographic’ frame is the first of this mini-series or the continuation of the Compañí­a de Jesús building series. Either way, let me know what you think of it. Boy, La Antigua Guatemala is so full of these wonderful vistas.

Theme Day: The Color Red

Sunday, July 1st, 2007

Red building, motorcycle and jeep

Once again, La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo is participating in the theme day of the Daily Photo community. This time the theme is about the color red. Here you can see the Compañí­a de Jusús building under care of the Cooperación Española which is a huge red building; one full block to be specific. This building has had many uses through history, like the home of Bernal Dí­az del Castillo, home to the Jesuits of Central America in colonial times, thus its name, and more recently it houses a public library, culture center under the administration of Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional. You can see the big entrance of the building, the interior gardens and arches and one the side wall of the ruins. I decided to photograph this building because it’s the biggest red thing in La Antigua Guatemala, but I was lucky to have a red motorcycle and a red jeep enter the viewfinder at the moment I snapped the shot; how lucky, indeed.

I had to break my coverage of the San Pedro Las Huertas town fair for this theme day. I will continue with other aspects of a Guatemalan town fair tomorrow and through the week. Come back tomorrow for the follow up. In the mean time, I leave you with the links to the other Daily Photo sites which decided to participate in the theme day.

Over 100 Daily Photo City sites are participating in the July 1st Theme Day: The Color Red, please use the links below to visit them.

Due to time zone differences and other factors, the theme photo may not be displayed until later if you are viewing early in the day.

Shanghai, ChinaMumbai, IndiaNew York City (NY), USAManila, PhilippinesAlbuquerque (NM), USAHamburg, GermanyStayton (OR), USALos Angeles (CA), USAHyde, UKOslo, NorwayBrookville (OH), USAMelbourne, AustraliaStavanger, NorwayBellefonte (PA), USABucaramanga (Santander), ColombiaJoplin (MO), USASingapore, SingaporeSelma (AL), USACleveland (OH), USAKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaChandler (AZ), USAStockholm, SwedenSeattle (WA), USABoston (MA), USAArradon, FranceEvry, FranceBaton Rouge (LA), USAMaple Ridge (BC), CanadaBoston (MA), USAGrenoble, FranceCottage Grove (MN), USAGreenville (SC), USAHilo (HI), USANelson, New ZealandLa Antigua, GuatemalaBrisbane (QLD), AustraliaSingapore, SingaporeTel Aviv, IsraelHong Kong, ChinaSequim (WA), USAPaderborn, GermanySaarbrücken, GermanyRotterdam, NetherlandsTenerife, SpainKyoto, JapanTokyo, JapanSydney, AustraliaNaples (FL), USACologne (NRW), GermanyWassenaar (ZH), NetherlandsSaint Louis (MO), USACypress (TX), USAOcean Township (NJ), USAMainz, GermanyToruń, PolandMenton, FranceMonte Carlo, MonacoSingapore, SingaporeNorth Bay (ON), CanadaJakarta, IndonesiaMontréal (QC), CanadaTuzla, Bosnia and HerzegovinaMinneapolis (MN), USABazií¨ge, FranceSan Diego (CA), USAPrague, Czech RepublicAmpang (Selangor), MalaysiaNew York (NY), USAKajang (Selangor), MalaysiaSharon (CT), USANewcastle (NSW), AustraliaPort Angeles (WA), USANottingham, UKVilligen, SwitzerlandChicago (IL), USATorquay, UKBrussels, BelgiumSan Diego (CA), USAMexico (DF), MexicoSaint Paul (MN), USACape Town, South AfricaParis, FranceSeoul, KoreaManila, PhilippinesMilano, ItalyAustin (TX), USAChennai, IndiaMadrid, SpainSeoul, South KoreaWailea (HI), USAToronto (ON), CanadaAjaccio, FranceBuenos Aires, ArgentinaSilver Spring (MD), USAZurich, SwitzerlandSydney, AustraliaBudapest, HungaryMoscow, RussiaAuckland, New ZealandTorino, Italy

Arches at the Compañí­a de Jesús Building in Antigua Guatemala

Thursday, May 31st, 2007

Arches at the Compañí­a de Jesús Building in Antigua Guatemala

The Compañí­a de Jesús Building has to be one of my favorites building in La Antigua Guatemala. It is beautifully restored with so many gorgeous details like arches, wood floors, wood arches and columns, fountain, gardens. The Compañí­a de Jesús Building is under the care of Cooperación Española NGO, Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional in Spanish, which converted the building into a cultural center and library. On Wednesdays at 7 p.m. they show Spanish films. The library is among the few that allows to check out the materials there. In the atrium of the Compañí­a de Jesús Church Ruins are presented every month classical, jazz and world music recitals as well as all kind of cultural activities. Almost all the activities are free. How could I not love this building; I get my cultural fix here.

I feel I have not done justice to the beauty of this building through the photos presented thus far. I promise I will make the time to go there one afternoon and really take better photographs. Stay tune!

Theme Side Note: Tomorrow La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo will be participating in the Theme Day of the Daily Photo City community (over 250 cities around the world). The theme chosen for tomorrow is the view from your bedroom (window) of your town or city. Come back mañana to look at what I see each morning from our window and to check out the bedroom window view of other daily photo bloggers around the world.

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