Live, from Little Guatemala!

I have been seriously remiss in updating this blog, but what can I say? I have nothing new to photoblog, and Rhode Island has been a very quiet place since Thanksgiving, although two bits of news from today's Providence Journal stand out (registration required):

• Guatemala has opened a consulate on Branch Avenue in Providence

• The Providence Police made a dramatic West End crack house bust, netting $20,000 of crack and arresting five suspects

The first bit of news is a bit strange, since I'm sure even Guatemala has the means to build a consulate outside of one of the city's meanest neighborhoods. It's also strange because if someone didn't actually know better, they'd swear that Rhode Island is an offshore colony of Guatemala. All of which reminds me, I've been meaning to take a walk over to El Chapincito since I moved here. Nora should come with me, but I think she's afraid they serve guinea pigs.

The news about the crack bust is simultaneously welcome and disappointing. It's welcome because the city is awash in baseheads and crack dealers, and any reduction in drugs and guns makes the city just that much more liveable. However, it's disappointing that such large volume dealers could be so brazen and deal in plain sight for so long without anyone giving a damn about it.