If there was a song played over the 3 countries of the Caucasus, this was. Started the first chords and immediately put people to dance. Amid the music "weird", hear something in Castilian was a relief. Shakira, Colombia, at that distance was almost as if it had sounded Chilean music. Of course people thought we were moving because Latinos like her, and we had no way be at its height.
was a relief for us, something we knew. Nearby rhythms, words we understood. It was for a minute forget that we were so far from home.
Now, every time we've been dancing and sounds that song, we looked and danced together. We will not be it or we will move as the people there but this song, for all the times as listeners, is part of our soundtrack. Pola
What makes us Chileans? Be the range, the tamales, the declaration of independence, the garden of seafood, the cueca, the Festival de Viña, Castilian Chileanised, the Cucalón, the pebre Papelucho the piscola, the merkén, highlands, Torres del Paine ... well, some of these things help to explain our identity, however, is difficult to think of a livelihood that differs profoundly from Bolivian Peruvians, Argentines, Venezuelans, Colombians, etc.
According to experts, the identity and culture are closely linked to religion, and if you think about it, all Latin American countries are predominantly Catholic. To this point, more than anyone should be saying that we are very different from Ecuadorians and nothing makes us like the Paraguayans. Perhaps they are right, but attribute becomings these differences historical, territorial and geographical situations contingencies. At least we all speak Castilian, pray to Jesus, we worship Mary, we were colonized by the English, our countries have less than 200 years of independence and we all have conflicts with the native peoples for exclusion and segregation.
South Caucasus countries in 2006 celebrated 15 years of independence after having been relieved of the USSR. For them it was simply a formality, since their identity is not played on a declaration of independence, the blood is in charge. Just as these people may have endured a history of domination by different empires, without losing a bit of their culture and sense of belonging to their roots.
The pride of these people for being Armenian, Georgian or Azeri feel when they speak, when they pray, when they fight, they eat, when they suffer. All the passion and the roots have made these people can continue to feel unique. Religions
own unique languages, help, despite centuries of domination, Armenians, Georgians and Azeris can continue fighting to be recognized as the ancestors of Noah, and those fortunate to live in the land chosen by Zeus to chain Prometheus and the place where the garden was supposed to be of Eden. Nando
When you visit a country, it is curious that one always ends up visiting churches and temples, regardless of whether one is a believer or not. Many times this is to complex for those who want to attend Mass for example Notre Dame in Paris. People pray the Our Father between flashes and shootings of tourists. The thing does not change if we talk about the churches of the colonial Mexican route. And a much smaller scale, even something that we do with our churches of Chiloé, which are visited by hordes of tourists each summer and then be in almost total neglect for the rest of the year.
But what brings us together, in the Caucasus. Moreover, focus on their churches and mosques.
Churches of Armenia and Georgia, are quite similar. Are small churches, often perched on a hill. Postcard usually ideal. Small churches that seem to see from the top towns and villages. While outside, Armenian and Georgian churches are similar, it is inside that makes the difference. In Georgia, for example, are full of icons and religious images. The faithful come and kiss each of the images and symbols inside. In contrast, in Armenia, nothing, not a single figure or image distracts the eye the altar. Azerbaijan
Obviously things are different. They are Muslims. So we changed the small temples perched on the hills by mosques.
I did something super funny. While we visited a mosque, we had they were praying. I was super uncomfortable, they were over a hundred people, all men and looking like we were there too touristy and the Pola covering our hair as we could with handkerchiefs we had.
Was it the lack of custom and ignorance of the behavior that we should have, I dunno. But I remember thinking how curious it was no one would bother to enter the Basilica of San Pedro while there is mass and I would have been so uncomfortable to be in a mosque while praying to Mecca. Cata
