La 69.G

Waking up

2011-05-03T09:48:00.001-06:00

Last night I had a dream where I saw myself as a child, waking up in the morning, standing on the bed and stretching my arms up and wide.

I thank my mind for the reminder!

Are you a/do you have hyper-parents?

2010-02-07T15:53:00.006-07:00

Here is an interesting documentary and food for thought about the past, present and future of our families and society.

Hyper parent check list:

- Do you see your child's first birthday as an achievement?
- Do you consider yourself your children's best friend?
- Are you competing with other parents for the biggest number of activities/attention for your children?
- Are your children in college/university giving you their username/password so you can check their schedules/grades/email?
- Will you give them a wake-up call so they don't miss a class in university?
- Will you try to negotiate the salary with your children's employer in their new job?

Hyper Parents & Coddled Kids. A CBC documentary.

In memoriam, Mario Benedetti

2009-05-20T00:13:00.005-06:00

There was a poet who was for me like the grandparents I never met. He had in his words, the advice needed to navigate those years of my youth, when the usual concerns about love, women and life could make the brightest day obscure.

He was Mario Benedetti and he died last Sunday, May the 17h, 2009.

"... don't save yourself

now or ever ..."

No te salves

No te quedes inmóvil
al borde del camino
no congeles el júbilo
no quieras con desgana
no te salves ahora
ni nunca
no te salves

no te llenes de calma

no reserves del mundo
sólo un rincón tranquilo
no dejes caer los párpados
pesados como juicios

no te quedes sin labios
no te duermas sin sueño
no te pienses sin sangre
no te juzgues sin tiempo

pero si
pese a todo
no puedes evitarlo
y congelas el júbilo
y quieres con desgana

y te salvas ahora
y te llenas de calma
y reservas del mundo
sólo un rincón tranquilo
y dejas caer los párpados
pesados como juicios
y te secas sin labios
y te duermes sin sueño
y te piensas sin sangre
y te juzgas sin tiempo
y te quedas inmóvil
al borde del camino
y te salvas
entonces
no te quedes conmigo

Mario Benedetti (September 14, 1920 – May 17, 2009)

August Sky

2009-02-09T00:41:00.006-07:00

Aug. 13, 2008 A Perseid Meteor Shower was happening in the sky since the last night. I sighted more than 10 in a half an hour period. Unfortunately I only could capture the slight trace of a meteor on camera and the quality of the uploaded movie is not as good as to show it. Nevertheless, try to see (imagine!?) it in the centre between 00:21s and 00:27s.

Sakura

2009-01-11T12:48:00.010-07:00

Yuki interpreting Sakura in a night of love and goodbyes =)

Cold, alcohol, agave and life's water

2008-12-14T13:45:00.004-07:00

originally uploaded by Garas.

Yesterday night, with temperatures of -28 C, which felt like -36C with the wind chill, my bike's lock froze and refused to open. Fortunately, a friend's bottle of Isopropyl alcohol (freezes around -89 C when it's highly concentrated) saved my night. No, I didn't drink it ... we just poured it into the lock's keyhole to ease the frozen pins inside. However, the occasion brought to me the memory of wanting to write some of mine and other's wonderings about alcoholic liquors. So here are these fragments of information... enjoy, and stay warm this season.

A note by Ryan Thomas about the differences between Tequila and Mezcal...

"Few understand the difference between tequila and mezcal, and many don’t even know there is a difference. While traditionally, all tequilas were known as a type of mezcal. Today, they are distinct products, differentiated by the production process and taste, much the same way rye whisky differs from Scotch whiskey. Most mezcal is made today in the state of Oaxaca, although some is also made in Guerrero and other states. Tequila comes from the northwestern state of Jalisco (and a few nearby areas). They both derive from varieties of the Agave plant, known to the natives as mexcalmetl. Tequila is made from only agave tequilana Weber, blue variety. Mezcal, on the other hand, can be made from five different varieties of agave. Tequila is double distilled and a few brands even boast triple distillation. Mezcal is often only distilled once.

"To make mezcal, the sugar-rich heart of the agave called the piña, is baked in a rock-lined pit oven over charcoal, and covered with layers of palm-fiber mats and earth, giving mezcal a strong, smoky flavor. Tequila piñas are baked or steamed in aboveground ovens or autoclaves.

"Tequila and mezcal share a similar amount of alcohol in the bottle (around 38-40%), although mezcals tend to be a little stronger."

Some scattered notes about Whisky (Whiskey) from Wikipedia...

It is always Scotch and Canadian whisky (plural: whiskies), but Irish and American whiskey (whiskeys).

Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize (corn).

Malting is a process applied to cereal grains, in which the grains are made to germinate by soaking in water and are then quickly halted from germinating further by drying/heating with hot air.

Malted grain is used to make beer, whisky, malted shakes, malt vinegar, and some baked goods, such as bagels. Malting grains develops the enzymes that are required to modify the grain's starches into sugars, including monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, etc.) and disaccharides (sucrose, etc.). It also develops other enzymes, such as proteases which break down the proteins in the grain into forms which can be utilized by yeast. Barley is the most commonly malted grain in part because of its high diastatic power or enzyme content.

Yeasts are eukaryotic microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi.

Barley (cebada in Spanish) (Hordeum vulgare) is an annual cereal grain, which serves as a major animal feed crop, with smaller amounts used for malting and in health food.

Rye (centeno in Spanish) (Secale cereale) is a grass grown extensively as a grain and forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe (Triticeae) and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskies, some vodkas, and animal fodder. It can also be eaten whole, either as boiled rye berries, or by being rolled, similar to rolled oats.

Notes aside:

Baker's yeast is the common name for the strains of yeast commonly used as a leavening agent in baking bread and related products, where it converts the fermentable sugars present in the dough into carbon dioxide and ethanol.

Vodka is a distilled beverage. It is a clear liquid which consists of mostly water and ethanol purified by distillation — often multiple distillation — from a fermented substance, such as grain (usually rye or wheat), potatoes or sugar beet molasses, and an insignificant amount of other substances such as flavorings or unintended impurities.

A bird's eye view of Canada

2008-07-23T08:02:00.002-06:00

Flying from Toronto to Edmonton.

January 2008

Spin

2008-06-01T22:33:00.015-06:00

"... the calculated, 'this is not the whole truth' part."

This is a story of deception. Not very dramatical, but a quite common story these days... at least for those who, like Spin documentary's director Bryan Springer, gets to notice the everyday doings of the "spin doctors". No, not the rock band but the professionals that specialize in elaborating a discourse which "often, though not always, implies disingenuous, deceptive and/or highly manipulative tactics."

As G.H. Lewmer writes in his review of this very recommendable 57 minutes feature:

"Springer spent a year accessing live satellite feeds—raw feeds that are pumped directly to television networks and news channels before being packaged, processed, and regurgitated for your consumption—to create a funny and frightening look on how information is manipulated, suppressed and influenced by Big Media. ".... expressing that... "The footage is terrifying and telling because it presents all the off-camera comments, all the preening and maneuvering of the powers who are more concerned about protecting their interests than thorough reporting." Terrifying, without loosing the sense of humor and the good laugh that the discovering of how gullible one can be towards main stream media awakes.

Which makes me think, what is behind the words of those who I listen to...? =)

"It's less important to get a good answer than to get someone to listen to your question in the first place"

2008-02-25T18:46:00.005-07:00

At least that seems to apply to millions of people on the Web as Jacob Leibenluft finds in his article:

A Librarian's Worst Nightmare. Yahoo! Answers, where 120 million users can be wrong.

Also worth to notice is his comparison with the Wikipedia model.

I made the above video clip from still pictures of the total lunar eclipse on February 20, 2008.

The “human network” needs to overcome language barriers

2008-02-12T01:02:00.000-07:00

“Welcome to the human network”, the Cisco corporation’s tagline, should not come as a surprise in these times where the Web continues expanding and finding more applications. From a technical point of view, it is a slogan that makes sense coming from a networking and communications technology company. But, what do they mean with human? Do they only mean “English speaking humans”? Why the language barriers are impediments for a real human network? Find out more below…

If at home or work you use a Linksys router to connect to internet you are using one of Cisco’s products to be part of a network, a communications network. But these are also the times of Web 2.0 and Cisco and others are also talking of how we use the technological products. As their ad says, these are times where “people subscribe to people, not magazines”. If you use internet for something more than checking your email perhaps you have had a taste of Web 2.0 (like the one I am having) and therefore an impression of what they mean with "the human network".

As a non-native English speaker, who has lived in English speaking countries, I know that watching their TV gives me an idea of what is their present culture and everyday life. Of course, I also know that this vision is biased by the filters that the broadcasters, the media and the governments apply to it. That's why the Web has come as a valuable space where individuals are writing, singing and speaking their thoughts. Their thoughts and lives are expressed in ways that we have the opportunity to see in sites as YouTube, Blogger, OpenDiary and Jamendo, to give a few examples.

I find the development of Web 2.0 fantastic but I also have noticed an important piece missing in the development of this human network: THE OVERCOMING OF THE LANGUAGE BARRIERS. My observation is based on my belief that you only can understand your neighbor if you understand their background. And it’s many times their language what shapes that complex thing which makes them be what they are and how they see you. For this network to be really human it needs to provide a way to overcome cultural and language limitations, of course, without annulling them.

More and more websites are taking one step to overcome the language barriers: the inclusion of their service in different languages. Take for example the popular social-networking site Facebook which now has been open to the Spanish language. Actions like this allow different groups of humans to have access to the same service. Nevertheless, the challenge of making these groups to interact and mix with each other remains.

Finally, let’s not forget that only a small percentage of the total population in the Earth has access to internet. The optimistic in me wants to believe that, as an inherent effect of the development of the human network, eventually more and more people could have access to it. We will see.

You know it's bitter cold when... (II)

2008-02-10T02:03:00.000-07:00

continues from part I...

I still have the image in my mind of my red hands. They felt like two gloves that are being inflated but, at the same time, crushed by an external invisible force. The feeling was a slightly painful immobility and lack of sensitivity to the touch.

Locking the bike looked futile with such a pair of hands (by the way, did I mention that the vapour from my breath had formed an icy layer in my eyeglasses that partially blocked my vision?) With a sense of urgency I reached for my backpack, searching for the pair of gloves that I usually wear convinced now that the new ones were useless under these conditions.

With the bicycle workshop closed my worry for my hands was stronger than the embarrassment of seeking refuge in the property next door, an Audiology clinic...

The answer to my introduction, "The chain of my bike just broke, would you mind if I take refuge here to warm up my hands" was amazing. They not only didn't mind me staying inside but asked if I needed to make a call and offered to prepare coffee for me, offer that I exchanged for plain hot water.

The fact that not only the receptionists were empathic with my situation, but also the understanding showed by a costumer waiting for his appointment, an old man born in Edmonton, made me realize how extreme was the weather that particular day. In part, I had underestimated what a difference of 70 degrees C with respect to the body temperature can do, but also, as it happens many times, my lack of experience was being replaced with painful lessons.

If my "balloon" hands were hurting while frozen (frostnip is the technical term) the slower recovery of my hands was many times more painful. Small needles were stinging with torturous slowness all around outside and inside my hands.

But the pain eventually subsided and it was time to attend my bike, which I had left leaning against the wall, at the entrance of the clinic. Resolved to lock the bike, the best place nearby was where I had failed before. Having left my backpack at the care of the receptionists in the clinic, now with "fresh" hands and clear eyeglasses, I was convinced that this time I would succeed in my attempt.

When I returned to the clinic I couldn't refrain myself to share with my kind hosts what just had happened saying: "There is no doubt that life is an adventure in Edmonton, if you don't die frozen trying to lock a bike, you die asphyxiated by the gases from the exhaust of a car besides in auto-start" We laughed at this as it was funny and odd that my second attempt to lock the bike had an unexpected extra difficulty. Yes, I succeeded this time and later at night I picked up the bike on my way back home, but why, why if it was difficult enough to deal with the 50cm of snow, the frozen lock and hurting hands, why a car without a driver has to auto-start, delivering all its gases to my face in the middle of my struggle, why? =)

Days later after my little "adventure" the tips of my fingers are still "burned" and lacking sensitivity, with no chance of change while this winter lasts...and of course while I keep insisting on biking after I had the bike repaired one week later.

Now that you have followed this "chilling" story until this end, allow me to warm you up with a bit of humor from real life happenings in Edmonton during Winter...

You know it's bitter cold when...

...when you open the fridge in the kitchen and it feels warmer inside it. =)

When is bitter cold for you? Feel free to leave your answers in the comments section below... and keep yourself warm!

You know it's bitter cold when...

2008-02-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

In short, when you loose any feeling in your fingers... apart from a slowly appearing, hurting sensation that your hands are growing in size.

The more extended explanation goes like this: I was cycling from home to work at -33 C (lower than that with the wind chill). I did it the last day under the same conditions and though I used to say that the experience is like bike-skating now it looked more like bike-skiing. At each pedalling movement there was a drift sideways of the back of the bike =)

However, this time the accumulation of snow (about 15 cm. in the parts where I still could try to slowly cycle) made it harder resulting in the breaking of the chain. Bad luck I said and because I was not very far from home decided to go back there to leave the bike. But I changed my mind remembering a bicycle workshop nearby and on my way to work. I headed there...

While walking and pushing my bike I started feeling my hands colder than usual. Of course, with a metal handle this is a situation that I have experienced before, despite the plastic covers in the handle and gloves in my hands. But this time I was surprised that my hands were feeling cold so quickly. It seemed that the skiing gloves that I have decided to try this time were not as good as my usual combination of leather gloves under fingerless gloves with a mitten cover.

I found the workshop in 109 St. closed, not surprising after previous experiences but worrying given my cold hands (I was hoping to warm them inside). Ok, the plan was now to lock the bike to a signal post and go to work. It proved to be an ill-conceived plan. In the first place the lock was frozen so the key could not open it to insert the bar. Secondly I made the mistake of removing my gloves to handle the lock better. The metallic lock was damn cold!! Almost unbearable to touch it with bare hands and despite the plastic around it. Plus the snow around the post (something like 50 cm.) made difficult to handle the bike. Then is when the slowly appearing, hurting sensation that my hands were growing in size made me take another course of action.

To be continued...

If your mind were a dwelling... how it would be?

2007-11-30T02:39:00.000-07:00

And the answer for jAz is:

Roulotte (caravana). 1955. Remedios Varo

A man with a birthday... Leonard Cohen

2007-09-21T02:44:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday Leonard Cohen! Three years ago you turned 70 and the novelty of a new decade is fading away. But maybe it feels more like the revolution of being 23 than the slowing down of 33. One way or another we managed to celebrate it in Edmonton... one way or another.

The whole damn place goes crazy twice
and it's once for the devil and once for Christ
but the Boss don't like these dizzy heights
we're busted in the blinding lights,
busted in the blinding lights
of CLOSING TIME

"Ay, ay, ay, ay! Take this close-mouthed waltz..." wrote Federico García Lorca, and for your hero you wrote a waltz for his words, that you made yours, very yours. Not many birthdays I have been where the celebrated one gives the presents to the guests.

Perhaps that is the secret to have the guests back every year =)

Yeah I missed you since the place got wrecked
By the winds of change and the weeds of sex
looks like freedom but it feels like death
it's something in between, I guess
it's CLOSING TIME

Is email (and Facebook) taking over your time at work?

2007-09-02T00:51:00.001-06:00

Let us face it. For those of us who have as part of our work a computer connected to Internet, the sources of distraction can be as many as how deep we are willing to dive into the web. It is not an easy situation because, as I mentioned in a previous entry, the web offers you tools that can actually improve your work and ultimately your life. But what happens when dealing with email and/or checking on Facebook at work starts to take over your production time? Well, Internet itself gave me some answers...

There is not always a clear distinction between what is a waste of your time and what can be... let's take it to an extreme, saving you to pay loads of money to a therapist because of your over-stressed life. Distractions have a healthy side and alcohol, tobacco and video games can give you a healthy happiness despite their toxicity. It turns out, as with many things, that the secret of a balanced life is in how much we "consume" of something.

With email and websites like Facebook it becomes even more blurred the distinction between good and bad. I am not going to discuss here the implications that Facebook is having in the lives of those of us who have adopted this site in a routinary basis. Let's focus instead in how to deal with email at work and hope that something can be extrapolated to other areas.

I am not re-inventing the wheel, but just passing on the advices that I read one day to tackle the amount of time spent on the email at work. In fact the original article has as title: How not to check email at work. I am going to summarize here what I have been trying to apply:

Turn off notifications and sometimes even keep the email manager closed.
Check the email when making a break and apply the 4 Ds:

Delete it - delete if it has conveyed its purpose
Do it - reply if under 2 minutes
Delegate it - forward if actionable for someone else
Defer it - put away [folder/star, etc.] for later

Ever tried to quit smoking or keep your visits to the gym on? Yes, it has to do with our will, identification of priorities and perception of time. I remember watching a documentary about the life of Charles Dickens where it was stated that he used to spend four hours every morning to deal with his mail. We are not as famous as him, but emails arrive quicker to our inbox these days =)

How are you dealing with email (and Facebook if it's the case!) at work?

Shopping or not to be, that is the question...

2007-08-18T22:25:00.000-06:00

photo originally uploaded by lyzadanger

In this planet there is a land of consumerism, where plastic is a God and styrofoam containers the priests that everyday deliver to their followers lunch and coffee. A land where without a car you are nobody, the malls are churches where the faith is renovated and the energy power endless... or it seems to be...otherwise I don't explain why every night all the lights in the house are on... and appear on again in the morning despite turning them off. An electric stove can be left on without food on it and a SUV is the obvious choice when buying a car.

"And when you're out there
Without care,
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much

"Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?"
Does that make me crazy?
Possibly

Jante Law

2007-08-18T20:45:00.000-06:00

Don't think you're anyone special or that you're better than us.

The ten rules are:

1. Don't think that you are special.
2. Don't think that you are of the same standing as us.
3. Don't think that you are smarter than us.
4. Don't fancy yourself as being better than us.
5. Don't think that you know more than us.
6. Don't think that you are more important than us.
7. Don't think that you are good at anything.
8. Don't laugh at us.
9. Don't think that anyone cares about you.
10. Don't think that you can teach us anything.

In a bar in Helsinki, where you can dance Salsa, a drunk Finn approached me and with neutral tone and face said "Don't smile". Then he went back to his seat. =)

I love Scandinavians! (Specially Jenni, Sima and Chris... and you too Dulce ;-)

Dive into the web

2007-06-16T19:32:00.000-06:00

From my first Open Diary entry to this post I have been living the Web 2.0 explosion with increasing interest and participation. Some weeks ago I changed the look of this blog taking advantage of Blogger layouts and some Ajax applications from Google. I am not any expert so I was delighted to include the video, map, and search tools that you can see here. Even more, subscribing my blog to FeedBurner made me realise how much this blog could become more part of "the web" than what I originally intended. This therapeutic exercise of writing that started for the sake of doing it (and having some "practice" for the thesis that I had to write at the time) have become a point of contact with a virtual community. It is then time to recapitulate some of the steps that I have followed...

After discovering that writing in the web can actually put you in contact with strangers I wanted to see the limits of this interaction and filled some profiles in dating sites. The frustration for not being able to actually contact other people in pay sites like Match took me to places like Plenty of fish, Person or OkCupid. This last one actually has surpassed my expectations from a dating site... which does not mean that it makes more easy to get a real life date! You still have to learn your lessons.

But the internet not only helps you to connect with others, it connects you with your life! Are you one who writes every reminder in a pace of paper that joins the bunch of others on your desk? Are you addicted to stickers? Is your agenda and address book cluttered with annotations? Do you have 567 bookmarks in your home computer (not to say the ones at work)? Do you always synchronize what you have in your computer at home with the one in your office?

Well, I could continue describing one or other aspect of my own life that has been impacted by internet. With pages like iGoogle (a kind of dashboard with all kind of useful widgets) I found that in one page and wherever there is access to internet I had my favourite RSS feeds, conversion tools, calendar, email, weather reports, etc. at hand. Then, one after the other I started using specific web tools.

I needed to keep notes of whatever I was finding while browsing internet for a particular subject. The old way of saving bookmarks was not useful. I always ended with a bunch of links, many without a clear context to tell me why I saved them in the first place when revisited later. With Google Notebook I found that I could save, organize and select the important information at the same time that I was finding it (enhanced by the add-on for the Firefox browser). Even more, if I still valued a website as to give it a bookmark I found that social bookmarking sites like Delicious could just make the trick. The trick of not only keeping bookmarks but also to organize them by labels (tags) and have them accessible from any computer connected to the web.

Word processor and Spreadsheet (former Writely now Google Documents), Photo album (Flickr for example), online Calendar and Feeds reader (e.g. Google again) are all web tools that, as I mentioned before, not only have made collaboration and exchange with others (either for work or for entertainment) a simple routine in my life but also have saved it to be drowned in this ocean of information... where of course I have decided to swim.

I use many other web tools (OK I am going to mention Remember the Milk which has cured my addiction to sticky notes), I do not know about many more and there are others in development... for sure. But let me say some final words about another "phenomena" that I also have joined: websites for social networking. They are for me a kind of synthesis of what I have loosely described above. They take the spirit of dating sites but with people that you already know, they allow you to collaborate, share or play with others not only with words and images but with whatever tools and widgets that someone develop. I am not going to explain those sites here, I think that you better find out what are those sites like Facebook, MySpace, hi5 and Bebo about by yourself. Like the slogan of the VoIP (voice over IP) provider Skype says... take a deep breath!... now dive.

A reason, a season or a lifetime

2007-06-01T15:02:00.000-06:00

At the end of my teenage I was moved by this part of Oscar Wilde's Ballad of Reading Gaol:

Yet each man kills the thing he loves
By each let this be heard,
Some do it with a bitter look,
Some with a flattering word,
The coward does it with a kiss,
The brave man with a sword!

Some kill their love when they are young,
And some when they are old;
Some strangle with the hands of Lust,
Some with the hands of Gold:
The kindest use a knife, because
The dead so soon grow cold.

Some love too little, some too long,
Some sell, and others buy;
Some do the deed with many tears,
And some without a sigh:
For each man kills the thing he loves,
Yet each man does not die.

The prison (or gaol) still exists and the poem was inspired by Charles Thomas Wooldridge, Trooper of Royal Horse Guards who was executed on 7 July 1896 for the murder of his wife and I would say by Wilde's own feelings of betrayal from his former lover. Feelings that he poured out in his long, long letter De profundis.

In November 2005 I remembered Oscar Wilde writings after experiencing a broken heart.

But that experience, that encounter, taught me that she was not the one to blame but my own expectations. At the end of De profundis, Oscar Wilde realizes how much he is to be blamed for his misfortune. Later I would put in words my own realizations here helped by other books and movies. A final conclusion of what I mean with saying that love is the journey not the destination came in another post.

Last week I received this quotation. It summarizes what I have learned since that night of November 2005:

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a
need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty,
to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally
or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there
for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your
part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to
bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk
away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must
realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is
done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move
on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has
come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make
you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually
give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for
a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must
build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to
accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in
all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is
blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life,
whether you are a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Thank YOU!

Elvira Santamaria

2007-04-22T18:17:00.000-06:00

Last 30th of March I went to Downtown Edmonton considering that the artist Elvira Santarmaria welcomes the participation of the public. It is called action-art and in her own words it means... "a larger term than performance. It's the art of creating experiencies, meaning through feeling. Not objects, although in the process objects can appear or create an experience. Action art is actions as art."

Some minutes after my arrival I took my jacket and my shoes off and gently I made myself at home in her temporal space at Latitude 53. Thoughts started to cross my mind while I was observing her in her actions. For some moments she was reading words from a universal history book while standing in front of a big spiral made of salt scattered on the floor. In fact, in different places of the room there were other patterns made of salt that she made during her hours of activity. In some other moments she laid on the floor, gradually blowing some of the spiral, traveling from the outside towards the centre of it. This combined action of blowing and reading gave me the impression that she was erasing the words because this spiral had for me the form of the glyph that Aztec paintings used to represent someone speaking. I thought that she was also remembering the past as her selected words from the history book were flowing. Was she contemplating the past? There were certainly people contemplating her work and taking pictures of her display while she was making her way through the spiral. Was she making the way or erasing the way that history has followed? A history of creation and destruction.

At the same time that I was observing her, submerged in my thoughts, one of her salt patterns was inviting me to let the impression of my hand on it. Of course I had a debate in my mind. Should I do it or not? I believed that her work invites the audience to participate, to act. However, I felt that putting my hand on her work, out of the blue, was somehow too childish. A child does these things without thinking, not an adult. The solution to my dilemma came when I realized that being an adult does not necessarily mean that I should not do some things but it means that the how I do things is different to that of a child. Obvious as it sounds, to put this in practice requires more than thinking. I can be watching Elvira, expecting a signal that allows me to participate, the "permission from the authority", while holding my wishes to act. I can hold myself only reflecting, like others seem to be doing.

"I am not proposing people interact with me. The way to people is through my actions, how I use the space, how people can be there or feel free to leave. That's the way I invite them" she clarifies.

I sat besides the salt pattern that was inviting me to put my hand on it. It was there, it was not mine and I was not sure that it was completely hers. I decided to let myself be part of the actions, not suddenly interrupting but spending some time watching what was the dynamics of the actions taking place in the room in order to act myself. Gently, I left an impression of my hand on the salt and it really didn't look well there. Being part of something brings responsibilities. I understood that one of the beauties of her apparent simple and futile pattern was due to the time that she spent doing it. As she pointed out in her lecture days before in the University, the stress is not in what to do but how to do it, completely present, with dedication and giving the appropriate time. I would like to eat my meals in the same way that she works.

My intervention in her space made me part of it, only in terms of how I wanted to be there. With the best of my intuition I inserted myself in the dynamics of the room starting to modified my hand print to better suit her pattern.

She and I speak Spanish and nevertheless, there we were, in an English speaking environment. Perhaps in her blows of the spiral she was erasing a language of words in favour of a language of responsible communitarian actions.

Defragged

2007-03-12T11:26:00.000-06:00

I have watched with fascination my friend's machimina, which has the interesting name Defragged. Of course those of you familiar with video games might not be surprised at all by such a name. After all, what else a grenade can do? If you are a computer versed creature you also know what the term means.

Now, what my friend's work does is, in my opinion, to "defrag" what her main character sees as reality.

Let me give you my own personal experience from watching the video. The beginning is a close reminder of a Quake game. Then, at a critical point I really had the feeling of a malfunction of the game that my friend intended to give us... but, is it a malfunction of the game? Recalling that the character was chasing Hossman before the malfunction a thought comes to my mind. Why the character didn't shoot merciless Hossman as it has been doing with others? It was not because of lack of ammo... maybe the failure is not in the program.

The character is now alone and in an introspective search that reminds me a David Lynch's movies situation, specially in the "mirror" scene of Lost Highway. The character here should know that the other is not his specular image in a mirror because of the side on which one of them are carrying their guns.

The clones are part of that introspective search that tests the boundaries of the character's perception. At the end, the single shot that kills the character is like a return to the real time, real space and the action of a snipper. However, when I realized that the score was -1 I just could think that the character somehow shoot himself.

For me, Defragged is a metaphore. Someone who kills merciless ends up alienating themselves and kills something inside them.

Bristol again

2007-02-19T23:45:00.000-07:00

I am back for a short time in Bristol realizing that I feel here very much at home. This is not surprising after living here for four years. The ex-housemates are lovely and nothing seems to have changed a lot so far. Somehow I liked it this way.

I came back quickly and with a very limited amount of time to sort out some things from the past. Probably you have noticed that I have been thinking of my karma lately ;-)

Precisely and talking about karma I have an anecdote from my arrival to Heathrow. I found myself in the corresponding tube station queuing along a crowd of people. At some point I got distracted and when I payed attention again a tall guy was standing in front-besides me (it was the turn of the queue). I made him notice that I was standing (at least) in front of him before as I didn't remember seeing him when I started queuing. He said "yes, you were in front of me" but he didn't move a bit! =)

The corresponding tension was kept all the way until he helped the people in front of me (us) with the automatized ticket machine. From his heights he had a clear view of the situation. I thought that he could be not as an assh... as I suspected as he kindly gave help.

Eventually I got in front of him to the ticket machine, same machine that didn't take my card and left me with the decision of queuing again or ask for... for help to the tall guy. I had a fiver (five pounds note) and the resting 1.70 was somewhere in my luggage. He didn't want to lend me 1.70 pounds that I promised to give back as soon as we have got out of the queue.

Instead, he paid with his card the whole amount of my day travel card and didn't accept my money, saying goodbye with a "have a nice day". If I am learning well, the best thing at the end of our life is to have paid all our karma. I am very thankful with him for showing me another face of life in a crowded big London area.

Dispelling illusions on the path

2007-02-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

"People starting on the spiritual path often think it is full of silence, light and Om sounds, but it's a CRASH! Mental and emotional turbulence is not unusual on the spiritual path... It is a working through of our conditioning. It is a turbulent thing, it has to be. We're on this human plane, learning about being human...

"It is difficult when you have an idea that spiritual life and daily life are separate. What does it mean for you to lead a spiritual life? You have to be realistic.

"People play games to get what they want on the spiritual path. Why? Because they are not committed to the Light and they are not serious about finding out who they really are. There are many games:

The honesty game. You play at being honest, so honest that you're spectacularly honest. You can admit anything. Next week you can admit something else. The "honesty" becomes a substitute for change.
The child game. Acting like you can't do anything for yourself, that you are "spiritually helpless."
The humility game. You act very humble. Behind these actions there is a strong desire to be recognized as humble.
The justification game. Everything that you do has an excellent reason (for being done), so there is no room for the light to come in. There's no room for anything to come in. The rational mind takes over, figuring everything out and making it tidy.
The holy one game. Where you show all the actions and words of being holy, but there is no generosity or consideration, only the appearance of holiness.
The pseudo spiritual language game. Using words like "transcendence," "cosmic vision" or "one with the universe." The words are a facade when people don't want to look at themselves; the language loses its meaning.
The spiritual partner game. Using your partner as an excuse to not go forward with your own evolution. You "wait" and "support" the other so you can both go together. Nothing happens. Neither goes anywhere. What are you supporting?
The dream lover game. People often come to spiritual life looking for emotional gratificationa "dream lover" or "soulmate." If you are not looking for your own soul, what then is the purpose of a spiritual path?

"One thing for certain, the Light brings pressure. You might have the expectation that when you get to that point of being lighter, life will be easier. But the Light is bound to bring pressure. That's its job. Your faith will be tested. You may get into a painful situation or get despondent or depressed. Light will pressure you to question your life, your actions and what has brought you to this point. If you cooperate with the Light, it will give you the ability to see through your illusions.

"If you don't cooperate with your own evolution, or ignore the Light, things become worse. Look at your everyday situation. Is there tension, disagreement, conflict? The Light wants something changed so it will create this dissonance. This isn't a bad thing; it creates awareness that something has to be addressed. Will you just let it go, avoid the situation? Would that be compassionate?

"Compassion isn't "niceness." It can be fierce. The most compassionate action is to break the cycle of illusion. Illusions are built from unrealistic expectations. They create a sense of a false reality. That's the thing with the Light, it keeps breaking the pots. Krishna breaks the pots and keeps things moving, so your life doesn't become a museum...

"Can you see what really is and not just what you want to see?"

"Reality is always better than an illusion."

Extracts from the article:
Dispelling illusions on the path by swami radhananda

Not another Sunday

2007-01-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

So here I am this Sunday praising internet for what it has given us. This means praising YOU, the people who makes this wonder to shine. (I know I am not being original, Time magazine said it first)

Precisely the Bloggies 2007, let's say the Oscars for blogs, are open now to vote for the best of 2006. I am glad to see that one of my favourites, the Postsecret blog has been nominated in different categories.

The web is full of stuff but still can contain the most simple thing, in the form of a rude postcard (you have been warned), to be the expression of a many times misunderstood feeling =) By the way, if you clicked the link and before you start arguing that this is a very unique men "doing", check the Girl with a one-track mind blog out.

"An incomplete education"

2007-01-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

Libros, books, poemas!!: "An incomplete education"

"...taken to imply that you'll never entirely understand yourself..."

Tara

2007-01-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

There is an image of Tara in my room. How it ended hanging on a wall is a simple story: My landlady was cleaning the unoccupied room besides mine and I spotted the image. I asked her if she is a Buddhist and she responded 'sort of '. She then offered the image for the naked walls of my new room. Later, I would find out that the house were we live serves also as a yoga center for a spiritual community based in British Columbia (the province to the west of Edmonton and where Vancouver is).

The inspiration for this community can be traced to the person of Swami Sivananda. A woman from the west, who was his disciple, brought to Canada his teachings and put on them a special emphasis in the feminine spirit. I see this specially relevant as it happened in 1956. A "spiritual feminism" imported from India may not sound strange for the 70s or even the 60s, but for the 50s I suppose she was a pioneer in a world that was asking for changes.

Changes are either radical or require, like I see in this case, a syncretism, an open and eclectic mind that mixes the old way of thinking with new ways. Finding myself living in a Yoga centre was motivation enough to participate in the activities. I have seen in those activities the mixture of the Christian tradition with Hinduism and Buddhism and this suited me perfectly. I have wondered before if Christ was a Buddhist himself and I have been increasingly interested in Buddhism.

In Buddhism, Buddha is not seen as a god detached from this world and humans. In a sense, God, the Light, the Highest is everything and a Buddha is a human being who has become aware and part of that totality. The experience of concepts like ego grasping, duality, and delusion is a barrier in our life for the achievement of that awareness. To overcome that barrier is not an easy goal to achieve. I'm happy that I found this house and people in Edmonton. Together with the people and good friends that I have found in the past, they make feel this samsara like a better one.

Blizzard

2007-01-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

In UK you hear about blazes here in Edmonton, Canada is more common to hear about blizzards.

A blizzard is a blizzard but nothing like the first one in your life. In other words, I am thinking that surprises can come with the apparently insignificant and common things of everyday life.

"Cada quien habla de la feria como le va en ella" (each ones opinion about the funfair is in direct proportion to the kind of experiences that you have on it) is a Mexican say that expresses that, what can be a hell for someone, is a heaven for someone else. This is either because the experiences are different or because the same experience is seen from a different perspective.

From my part I am happy to see that a bus driver waits for you if they see you running to the bus stop. Then it is not wonder for me why those drivers that have the same schedule every day, make acquaintances and friends from their regular users.

Here in Edmonton cents are to take and to leave . There is usual to have on the counter of a shop a container where people can leave their cents. Is that for a charity? No. If you have to pay $1.03, the cashier will take those 3 cents from the container and accept one dollar from you. For this to work you have to leave there or in a similar container somewhere else, those cents that make your pocket bulky. "Take a penny, leave a penny". (As a subject besides but talking about money, yes, Elizabeth II appears in coins and notes and her portrait ages =)

The F word is an old folk in these parts of the world and I don't mean only the streets. Not that my colleges and I are extensively users of it but you hear it in the TV, in the radio, read it in the newspapers and nobody seams to blink an eye. Still someone may have the politeness to write: "However, if I may be so bold as to speak candidly, where the fuck is this money going to come from?".

Jaywalking or crossing a street not using the designated areas for that (e.g. crossing in the middle of the block instead of the corner) is an unknown concept in UK as it is common place to cross a road wherever convenient. In Edmonton, apart from being illegal, in some cases the police have taken it seriously.

A news writer shared her impressions about her moving from Toronto to Alberta and ended them saying: "Holy Mother, it’s unbelievably cold! Dry cold or not, it’s much, much worse than Ontario. And I’ve never seen so much snow in my life. But still, people wear running shoes! In Toronto, we’d have called in the army long ago. Edmontonians, you’re a tough bunch."

Edmonton in the cold III

2006-12-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

Back in the hotel, with the refreshing feeling of having been able to come back with two hands working, I realized another fundamental mistake. I was walking west, towards the forest and the river, instead of south. Days later, during the Departmental Christmas dinner, I will make people at my table laugh with this story. Not only because of my mistake but because I was not the first one to make it! The great majority of the streets in Edmonton have numbers, no names and more precisely speaking there are streets and there are avenues. Streets run south and north, increasing their number to the west. Avenues run east and west, increasing their numbers to the north. At the moment of realizing my mistake I confessed it while phoning to the guy who was waiting for my visit. It may be that my explanation of why I have had not arrived at his place was reasonable enough because he offered to me to pick me up at the hotel in his car and take me back. "Canadians are friendly" I have heard other people telling me. The gesture of that guy was really a good example of it and one of many other examples of friendliness that I will come to find in my later experiences.

But, as much as the guy was friendly and he only asked 280 CAN per month, the lack of furniture in the room gave me the illustrative experience that I was talking about before. I agree that a cold floor and an empty room is better than nothing but I wanted to try my luck before taking on them. The next day I changed my search to the more obvious strategy of looking at recently posted advertisements. Fortunately, I had a couple of places more to visit and the question was again "how to decide which option?"

At the end I discovered that there was a simple answer to that question. I have noticed that the prices of a comfortable accommodation were fluctuating between 400 and 600 CAN dollars, including or not including bills and services depending
on the case. (That of course, without having to share with more than one person the house or apartment.) The focus of my decision was more in where and with who I was going to live with. Therefore, I can summarize now my experience of finding accommodation in Edmonton in the following way: all depended in how comfortable I felt when I visited the place I am living now in.

Yes, it is a basement suit, but under a Yoga-Buddhist-Christian centre. =) More about this, later.

Edmonton in the cold II

2006-12-29T18:37:00.001-07:00

Snow
originally uploaded by Neil Carey.

At -30 C, things outside your common experience start to happen. The steam from your breath freezes in the lens of the spectacles if you happen to use ones. Your hands hurts without gloves and once cold they don't warm up quickly in the gloves, actually you just feel that the blood is stuck there. I happen to use spectacles and the diver's trick of using saliva helped a bit. But why on earth I had to remove my gloves? Of course I didn't want to scratch the lenses when applying the saliva but oh yes, there is another reason why I removed the gloves. To better manipulate the map as I was lost. Without proper light to see the map, not a soul at 8pm walking in the street to whom ask for directions and the funny feeling in my hand increasingly calling my attention, I came to the delirium, I mean conclusion, that something have had to be mad. Either the numbering of the streets or me walking in an area that was increasingly dense in threes instead of houses. It was then when I decided to go back to the hotel. =) If the insanity of the streets numbering or of my mind was serious enough as to stop me finding quickly the way back, that was something that I would have to discover. Fortunately, my concern was distracted by the sight of a rabbit crossing in front of me as I walked. The fluffy rabbit didn't seem to mind the temperature or it was crazier than me. Perhaps more the former than the latter as I bump not longer later with a woman shoveling the snow in front of her house.

To be continued...

Edmonton in the cold

2006-12-29T18:08:00.001-07:00

Edmonton in the cold
originally uploaded by Paul Jerry.

I had a week to find accommodation while staying in a hotel. Perhaps some of us have the concept that something that is cheap, convenient and nice is close to perfection. In fact I thing those are the attributes that advertisements want always to give to the products. In any case my perfect room was not something different to one of these products. I had a great tool to help me in the form of a website that lists a great range of offers. However, that was the first problem: how to choose among the many. For example, that room close to work is advertised as not furnished (as the majority are here in Edmonton!), that cheap one is only for females ("preferred" doesn't say it completely clearly, does it?) and the furnished one is too expensive. Now, the previous examples didn't represent any rule or pattern and when I finally was able to find the best combination I encounter a fundamental problem: all the ones that I carefully chose were taken already.My mistake was not to put enough attention to how recent the ad was. By the time when I have realized why the approach of my search didn't start well I already have had another illustrative experience.

Have you ever lived in a basement? There are from places to places and from basements to basements to be fare, but at the beginning of my search I have discarded basements as I regarded them as "perhaps" too cold, too depressive. (Some pictures that I saw gave me that prejudice =) However, as the options were narrowing and the days passing, I was opening my mind. "Perhaps starting without furniture is not too bad" "Basement? Well, judging by the amount of advertised basements I suppose they are not that cold" and so.

In this context, in one of those -30 C nights I got a room to visit, a room in a basement to be more precise. I had a look at the map, and started my first walk in the city, in the parts outside of my up to now known range (the hotel is besides the Uni). Well, I never got to the place.

This story will continue...

Edmonton views

2006-12-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

Here in Edmonton we have had a warm -3 to 3 degrees in temperature these days. =) That is what everyone says and I am certainly feel it and understand it. When I arrived the temperature was -20 C (-30 C with the wind chill factor) and I saw an incautious girl in a mere jumper (probably just arrived from another city) going out of the doors of the airport to smoke a cigarette while talking on her mobile. I swear that when she came back inside you could see that her body was dying =) Her face had an strange color, her eyes were wide open and her voice had a change. Even so she continued talking on the phone perhaps without realizing what her body just have been going through. That's the magic of youth called unconsciousness :D and one piece of evidence to show that smokers are suicidal.

I was in the other extreme. Overcautious as I read that I should be I dressed with 5 layers in my upper body, two in the head and two in my lower body. That didn't make me the most agile person when carrying my luggage but I found out that it is not as bad as I was expecting and the experienced re-enforced the need of buying proper clothing . Same thing that I did with the help of my new supervisor on the next day.

With the hotel paid by my employer, I only had to have a hot bath and rest in the bed. My condition was: a rare combination of mental and physical tiredness and boredom, all together. Not surprising after all and after having a day spent in three different planes and airports, three different countries, and one use of what it seems an advantage of the NAFTA or North America (that means Canada, USA and Mexico believe it or not ;-) Free Trade Agreement.

The morning was waiting for me with what my not very experienced life found a mesmerizing view...

Y me he cambiado a Edmonton, Canada.

2006-12-29T17:12:00.001-07:00

The Commute from the pilot's seat
originally uploaded by Paul Jerry.

Y me he cambiado a Edmonton, Canada.

A night in Bristol.

2006-11-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

I remember, in a night of drunkenness, coming back to the office and writing an email to my father.

I actually don't remember what I wrote. I remember that he never replied to it. It was quite a jolly one!

Today I am not that drunk, but happy enough to write these lines. Approximately one week before I depart to Canada and happy to have been celebrating that N passed her viva (or PhD examination).

That is gurt lush!, init me lover?

Spam

2006-09-26T07:37:00.000-06:00

I was looking at my folder where my Google mail automatically sends
the spam. One common trick called my attention. This was just looking
at the sender and the one line with the beginning of the message that
the list of spam messages shows. I don't usually open spam messages =)
The sender is the name of someone, someone who can be anybody. The
beginning of the message starts saying "Following what we were
talking...", "In reply to your question...", "Hi buddy!". Obviously
they want to look familiar to you.

But then I was asking myself. Why do the spam senders think that this
strategy would work? How on earth do they think that I am going to
open a message from someone that I don't know or don't have a clue of
who they are. My pessimistic and prejudiced point of view gave me a
picture of the answer.

We are encouraged to do "networking", ultimately to get email
addresses from strangers from whatever party, dinner or meeting we go
to. The race is to have as many "friends" as possible. Your number of
acquaintances is a measure of your popularity and your social success.
Well, at least in appearance. Now let's add to this the growing
availability of services and products to buy in Internet. I see then
the gold mine of spammers. The more tangential your relationships are
with people and the more consumerism is in your life the less you know
who is writing you and who send you something worth to read. Of
course, I have to admit that some spam messages are clever than
others. For example those who wants to attract my attention with real
concerns such as... mmm... such as how to enlarge... my financial
capital.

Fortunately and at the end of the day that is only my blurred vision
of the world. The spam detector makes most of job identifying the
undesirable mail and leaves me with the only task of having some
amusement reading lists of messages. That just before clicking the
"delete all" button.

Europa, Jupiter's moon

2006-08-30T05:38:00.000-06:00

One day long time ago I read the Gospels in the Bible and found something appealing on them. Then is when I started calling myself Christian. I found that the practice of “love your neighbour as yourself” is an interesting one.

The novel 2010 by Arthur C. Clarke conciliated my trust in the scientific theories of the origin of the universe and life as we know it with my idea of God.

Did Jesus (Isa or Yuz Asaf for Muslims) die in the cross? Gautama Buddha was born around 563 BC. Some people think that Jesus went to India, became a Buddhist and came back to preach in Levant, more precisely in Galilee and Perea. Some other people think that he survived the crucifixion and fled to Afghanistan, Iran and/or Kashmir. Roza Bal is then alleged to be the final tomb of Jesus.

Whatever is the true, something that we know today is that Hezbollah and Israel found themselves fighting in the same land where Jesus was preaching love nearly 2000 years ago.

Yesterday I found myself in a Buddhist centre doing a meditation where we were asked to wish well, in a loving and compassioned way, to three people, someone we love, someone who si only an acquaintance and someone we hate.

Look at Europa, "it has been suggested that life may exist" in an ocean under its ice surface. But even if this is proven to be true, it will not be anything compared to what we have at "home". Shame on us.

PhD

2006-08-05T10:42:00.000-06:00

First, some time ago, I got a paper saying I am a chemist. It was the time when intellect was my search.

Then after some years another paper said that I have some mastering of physical chemistry. That was the time of searching my soul.

Now, I have finally submitted my PhD thesis!
That takes me closer to be called a Dr. and I am living a time of creativity.

(But my life-aim is still the same...)

"We are living in a realm of desire"

2006-07-15T06:23:00.002-06:00

"Because our eyes, ears, nose, and so forth are the very gateways of desire, those wishing to break free and achieve liberation from this circle of suffering are encouraged to become especially distrustful of the five physical senses...

"When following this type of training we combat the tendency of running blindly after objects of attachment, and thereby falling victim to pain and disappointment, by teaching ourselves to focus on those aspects of the object that will reduce our desire for it. For instance, we can neutralize our longing for a beautiful person by concentrating on the unclean parts of his or her body... =)

"Compared to a system like tantra, which actually uses the energy of desire, this cautious approach to the spiritual path is considered inferior. But this is not to say that such an approach has no value...

"Tantra's approach is very different. Instead of viewing pleasure and desire as something to be avoided at all costs, tantra recognizes the powerful energy aroused by our desires to be an indispensable resource for the spiritual path. Because the goal is nothing less than the realization of our highest human potential, tantra seeks to transform every experience - no matter how "unreligious " it may appear- into the path of fulfillment. It is precisely because our present life is so inseparably linked with desire that we must make use of desire's tremendous energy if we wish to transform our life into something trascendental.

"Thus the logic of tantra is really very simple: our experience of ordinary pleasure can be used as the resource for attaining the supremely pleasurable experience of totality, or enlightenment... According to tantra, we cannot hope to attain our goal of universal and complete happiness by systematically making ourselves more and more miserable. This is contrary to the way things actually work. It is only by cultivating small experiences of calm and satisfaction now that we will be able to achieve our ultimate goal of peace and tranquility in the future. And similarly, it is only through the skillful use of desirous energy and by building up the habit of experiencing what we might call true pleasure that we can hope to achieve the everlasting bliss and joy of full illumination."

Guess what...

2006-07-01T16:04:00.000-06:00

... that part of the perfection consists also in believing in monogamy =)

Heavenly Perfection
You're 92% Poly =) 96% tolerant of the poly lifestyle =) (But... you're 1% just in it for the sex =))

Ooooooohhhh Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh

You're poly.

You're tolerant of poly lifestyle. (Good for you you like yourself!)

You're not just here for the sex.

And you won't lie to your mate.

I *Like* YOU.

Congratualtions on being a pretty good person =)

Gabriel_Night

Oh - just so you don't go off wondering - the first question? the one about monogamous cultures? the answer is 16% of recorded cultures have been monogamous - 84% have been non monogamous! how about that? =)

This test tracked 4 variables.

How the score compared to the other people's:

You scored higher than 93% on True Poly

You scored higher than 92% on Tolerance

You scored higher than 1% on Sex Only

You scored higher than 25% on Honesty

Link: The Polyamorous Test written by Gabriel_Night on Ok Cupid

Robert Capa, photographer

2006-06-05T20:40:00.000-06:00

Robert Capa is best known for his picture of the "Falling soldier". On June the 6th 1944 (D-Day), he was the only photographer in Omaha Beach and his pictures are the only graphic testimony left of the first moments of the invasion. He died on May the 25th 1954 steping on a mine while covering the French Indochina war. He took his last pictures seconds before.

At the top of the world

2006-06-03T17:00:00.000-06:00

Not always you have the opportunity to listen to a Nobel prize (R. Timothy Hunt) and a climber of the Everest (Jake Meyer) the same day. That was one day of the last year.

Today Jake celebrates the first anniversary of his successful climb. Congratulations!

Capa in Bristol

2006-06-02T21:45:00.000-06:00

This is for me a curious picture by Robert Capa, showing the campaign headquarters of the socialist politician, Jennie Lee (1904-1988).

"Born in Lochgelly in Fife, Lee became the youngest ever woman elected to Westminster in 1929 when she won the north Lanark by-election for labour. An ardent supporter of the Soviet Union and energetic campaigner, Lee stood in Bristol Central in 1943 as an independent candidate in support of a two-front war. She lost the election to the government's candidate, Lady Viola Apsley, whose pro-Churchill campaign was described by the press as 'a monument of decorum'".

Ivor Cutler, beyond comedy

2006-06-02T21:25:00.000-06:00

In Spanish we have "Les luthiers".

It seems to me that in English they have, ladies and gentlemen:

Ivor Cutler.

Once upon a time in Atenco, Mexico...

2006-05-18T10:09:00.000-06:00

May 3, 2006

Ever wondered about chromium?

2006-05-13T11:43:00.000-06:00

The roman god Janus had two faces, not to say that they ment to be two personalities but only to face different directions. He was the god of doors and gates.

The element chromium (Cr) has two well know faces... but two "personalities":

Chromium (III)

"Chromium (III) is an essential nutrient that helps the body use sugar, protein, and fat. Cr (III) is a very stable oxidation state for chromium. In this state, the chrome is labile and kinetically very slow to react or form complexes. It is not a strong oxidiser and the human's natural body acidity is enough for the chrome to keep to this Cr (III) state. (reference)"

Chromium (VI)

"Breathing high levels of chromium (VI) can cause irritation to the nose, such as runny nose, nosebleeds, and ulcers and holes in the nasal septum. Ingesting large amounts of chromium (VI) can cause stomach upsets and ulcers, convulsions, kidney and liver damage, and even death."

"The main reason why Cr (VI) is so toxic is that one of the reduction products of Cr (VI) is Cr (V). Chrome (V) is a known carcinogen and will lodge in any tissue to form cancerous growths. There are reports that chromium (V) is also a factor leading to premature senility in parts of Russia."

"In the body, the acidity and action of enzymes on Cr (VI) will promote the formation in small quantities of Cr (V). However, as the size of this is normally too large to be adopted by a tissue, the Cr (V) will pass out. The only place where the Cr (V) is likely to lodge is in some of the fine capillaries in either the kidneys, intestines or lungs."

"One of the most well known cases of how Cr (VI) impacts the human body is depicted in the movie blockbuster Erin Brockovich. This true story involved a controversial lawsuit against the world’s largest utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) as a direct result of a massive communications effort mounted by Ms Erin Brockovich."

How likely is chromium to cause cancer?

"Several studies have shown that chromium (VI) compounds can increase the risk of lung cancer. Animal studies have also shown an increased risk of cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that chromium (VI) is a human carcinogen. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that certain chromium (VI) compounds are known to cause cancer in humans. The EPA has determined that chromium (VI) in air is a human carcinogen."
Source: Corrosion Doctors

But...

2006-05-03T23:39:00.000-06:00

I also have to admit that this is the best moment of my life because I have had the privilege to experience, to think and do as freely as I never was able to.

And I am very grateful for that.

Holy crap!

2006-05-02T10:23:00.000-06:00

I am passing for the worst moment of my thesis writing up. I have more than 60% but the rest of it is being a hard one. I wanted to hand in a complete draft to my supervisor at the end of April and guess what?

The reason for the delay is the usual one in my life :-) My stubbornness in not finishing this PhD if it is not with the satisfaction of having completed some “tasks”. You will see, I am more curious than a cat and this life offers me a load of pretty questions, interesting facts and things to do. Science, my work, is just another part of my life that offers endless questions. Yes, I have learned that I cannot have all the answers…but I am very tempted to…ha, ha!!

How can I solve this problem? I know how. It’s easy. I just have to remember… Time is finite!... and the moon is waiting for me.

As said:

"We choose to go to the Moon! We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and our skills ... we do not know what benefits await us ... [but] space is there and we are going to climb it." JFK, 1962

Corpora non agunt nisi fluida

2006-04-13T11:32:00.000-06:00

"Substances do no react unless fluid" is an old alchemists' adage that shows us not only what chemists see everyday on their lives but what is happening everyday, everywhere.

Teflon is a great substance, though some claim that releases the toxic perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which is a substance used to make Teflon. The most common use of Teflon is in non-stick coating.

Well, today I feel like I am not fluid and I have a teflon coat on my heart.

That's why I am listening again and again this song. To remind myself that there are better days :-D

You and I

Anniversary

2006-04-07T08:17:00.000-06:00

On a day like today, but 16,000 million years ago, everything started.
Also today, but 4,500 million years ago, there was some earth where to put our feet on.
Not forgetting that 4,000 million years ago there was enough water as to call it "Water of life"

Happy anniversary!!!

Malos hábitos

2006-02-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

Para Jz

"—En primer lugar, me parece un error fatal que tomes las cosas tan en serio —dijo al tomar asiento junto a mí—. Hay tres clases de malos hábitos que usamos una y otra vez al enfrentarnos con situaciones fuera de lo común en esta vida.

"Primero: podemos no hacer caso de lo que está ocurriendo o ha ocurrido, y sentir como si nunca hubiera pasado. Ese es el camino del santurrón.

"Segundo: podemos aceptar todo tal como se presenta y sentir como si supiéramos qué es lo que está pasando. Ése es el camino de los devotos.

"Tercero: podemos obsesionarnos con un suceso porque no podemos descartarlo o porque no podemos aceptarlo de todo corazón. Ése es el camino del tonto ¿Tu camino?

"Hay un cuarto camino...actúa como si nunca hubiera pasado nada, porque no cree en nada, pero acepta todo tal como se presenta. Acepta sin aceptar y descarta sin descartar. Nunca siente como si supiera, ni tampoco siente como si nada hubiera pasado. Actúa como si tuviera el control, aunque esté temblando de miedo. Actuar en esa forma disipa la obsesión."

Relatos de poder. C. Castaneda

Love is the journey, not the destination

2006-01-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine read my post As you set out for... and asked me - what do you mean by "love is the journey, not the destination?"

For me this means that the most enjoyable part about love is the everyday life. When I transform myself to be a better partner, when I do something to improve myself and then the relationship I am living the best part of love.

And I think this is true either when you have a partner or you don't. I believe that, if I am expecting to find one day the right woman for me, I have to be prepare for that. So I am preparing now to be the right man. And that for me is love, for me and for my future partner.

As I told her, her own journey, of which she has left a record on her diary, is a proof of love, no matter the end, the destination.

We were cavers once…and young (IV)

2006-01-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

South Wales Weekend (October 2002)

Saturday (Fun day)
Go caving and know the country! Yeah! But be sure that somebody reserved a place for you in one of the cars. Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (OFD) cave has a welsh meaning in its name, maybe different to its meaning in my impressed mind: an amusement park. And again with the perfect guide for a pleasant trip according to our kid’s curiosity (L, L and me) This cave has muggy passages where, if like me you don’t use gloves, your hands could become pottery with little warm. You will be happy in its long tunnels for run, run, and run and run…and fall in the stream underneath if the guide doesn’t stop you.

There I also had my first post-caving enjoyment because there’s no better place for share your cave impressions that a warm pub for put you fast in the best alcoholic mood. I also learned what sleeping in a hut means but the future deserved me more surprises.

Sunday (Work day)
I joined the Tim’s video maker team along with L, T and E. Following a different trip and comparing with that the day before I felt like visiting the roof of the amusement park, ending the trip with the filming of a rescue practice (some caves are crowded). Of course, the presence of all those rescuers couldn’t be ignored and T, E and I decided to make a fast visit to the stream, flowing with the water, running along those black walls made of razor blades up to a fabulous water fall. There I learned other lesson. Why shoulders were made for in a cave. Thanks T!

Poverty in Britain

2006-01-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

New study reveals true levels of poverty in Britain

According to David Gordon, co-editor and Professor of Social Justice at Bristol University: "The only way to end poverty within a generation would be to embark on a serious policy of redistribution. At the beginning of the 21st century, the UK is one of the most unequal societies in Europe. In order to reduce poverty and social exclusion the Government needs to reverse this redistribution to the rich, and, at a minimum, return to the levels of inequality in income and power that existed in the mid-1970s. This would see poverty and social exclusion reduced by at least half."

La 69.G (apologies...but for a version in other languages of this post try the translation bar above)

2006-01-24T03:35:00.000-07:00

!Y este va para Juan!

?Que cual es mi interpretacion de la cancion "La 69.G" de Sabina?

Pues bien Juan, asumiendo que la connotacion sexual de 69 y punto G no te son ajenas dejame preguntarte, ?cual es tu estacion de radio favorita? En Mexico, durante muchos anyos me desperte escuchando Monitor, cuando estaba en Radio Red FM 88.1. O recuerdo a la estacion Alfa 91.3...

Asi para mi, La 69.G de Sabina es esa "estacion de radio", pero aun mas, ese lugar, esa frecuencia, esos cuates, esos compas, ese momento para relajarse y pasarsela bien.

Sabina es un buenazo para las metaforas y para describir la vida cotidiana. ?Alguna vez has buscado refugio en la almohada y esta te ha dado la espalda? ?Donde buscas refugio cuando te cansas de crecer, cuando los problemas y retos de la vida cotidiana te acosan, cuando los suenyos tardan en venir?

Para algunos es la television...para Sabina es la 69.G.

En Mexico ha sucedido que una cantina, un bar toma el nombre de "La oficina". Uno tiene que recordar esto cuando las estadisticas nos dicen que la gente pasa mas tiempo en su trabajo que en la casa :)

Por eso Juan, y por Sabina, escogi ese nombre para este lugar. Asi que bienvenido, pasale, ponte a gusto y gracias por haber firmado el libro de visitas.

Gym and my love for...

2006-01-24T03:12:00.000-07:00

This morning I thought of a good friend. This as a result that I have been trying to go regularly to the gym (as a New Year's resolution ;) and haven't been able to do it. Of course I do other stuff :) Went to the swimming pool, play badminton and indoors football, cycling everyday, etc. But no gym.

Then I thought of my friend and his one or two hours per day in the gym. I wondered "how could he do it" Then I remembered his boyfriend...

Back in Mexico, when I was a kid, I liked one of my neighbours, a pretty but dull girl. I started doing exercise with my mates. It was the age of the challenges and there was an even more powerful motivation: to get the love of someone.

:) Tricky thing to find the motivation to love oneself eh!..

(unless your name is Gargola! ;)

‘Teaching’ in non-human animals

2006-01-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

First demonstration of ‘teaching’ in non-human animals
“According to the accepted definition of teaching in animal behaviour, an individual is a teacher if it modifies its behaviour in the presence of a naïve observer, at some initial cost to itself, in order to set an example so that the other individual can learn more quickly.
‘…true teaching always involves feedback in both directions between the teacher and the pupil. In other words, the teacher provides information or guidance for the pupil at a rate suited to the pupil’s abilities, and the pupil signals to the teacher when parts of the ‘lesson’ have been assimilated and that the lesson may continue.’
“Tandem running in Temnothorax ants meets all these criteria and thus qualifies as teaching.
“…the process is highly intermittent because the follower is dictating the speed of the lesson by stopping frequently to consolidate its growing knowledge of the path that it has taken.
“Tandem leaders pay a cost because they would normally have reached the food around four times faster if not hampered by a follower. But the benefit is that the follower learns where the food is much quicker than it would have done independently. Tandem followers learn their lessons so well that they often become tandem leaders and in this way time-saving information flows through the ant colony.”

Claire Bertschinger

2006-01-08T16:28:00.002-07:00

The Red Cross nurse who inspired Sir Bob Geldof’s Live Aid

"Behind every war, every refugee camp, every famine are the invisible working people no one sees. Not the journalists, who get all the attention, but the nurses, the doctors, the logisticians necessary to try to end the agony of masses of people who were simply born in the wrong place and the wrong time. It was Claire Bertschinger, a nurse for the ICRC, who brought the world's attention to the starvation in Ethiopia, to the men, women and children who were dying in droves at her feeding centre in Mekele. If not for her, there would be no BBC cameras, no Live Aid, no Bob Geldof, and no outpouring of compassion and comraderie that restored one's faith in humanity, if only for a few minutes. Bertschinger's courage is matched only by her conviction; her tireless effort to comfort the hungry and dying is a beautiful story that needed to be told, and more importantly, needs to be read." (Janine di Giovanni)
To know more about her you can see the BBC interview or read her book “Moving mountains”

Are children interested in evil?

2006-01-05T05:24:00.000-07:00

A post in the Blog Publico about the play for children The Ogreling by Suzanne Lebeau gave me the opportunity to express some thoughts.

As a review says:

“The Ogreling” tells the troubling tale of a six-year-old ogre who lives alone in the forest with his mother. Under her doting care, he is oblivious to his cruel heritage as the son of an ogre until he starts school, where the sleeping monster within him awakens and hungers for flesh and blood –especially that of young children! The ogreling decides to confront his inner demons by undergoing three tests, the outcome of which will seal his fate as either boy or beast. The author Suzanne Lebeau explores the permanent battle between the forces of good and evil which inhabits everyone throughout this story, for after all, ogres may not only exist in children’s tales…

In the above-mentioned post, Mariana points out what seems to be the comment of Susana Lebeau, that: “Children are interested about the evil represented in the adults and the evil that exist on themselves. That is something that they understand by themselves. It is the adults who feel themselves perturbed and fear the crude stories of the imperfection of the world.” I understand this as a critic to the overprotection that the adults have on children, moved by their own fears, without realizing that children understand and are curious about it.

If children understand in some degree the evil in the adult world then, are those “naughty”, “bad behaved” and “hell” children only the reflection of what their parents are, but without the control of the conscience and the adult rules that the later have?

With the showing in the media of the abuse to children, may it be that the modern parents develop a fear to the interaction with their children? This may be especially in “developed” countries where a possible traditional role of the family seems to transform quicker nowadays.

We were cavers once…and young (III)

2006-01-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

Mendip Day Trip (October 2002)

Mendip Hills, my first caving in the UK and it was strange, no need of single rope technique (SRT), just helmet, light, suits and wellies. The game that I played: be swallowed by a lobster and, like Jonas in the Bible, escape from its dark interior. Fortunately for that “hell” I had the best Dante’s Virgil personified in the couple R-E. Extra points: As the co-pilot of captain T I had a taste of that other maze that takes you throw Cheddar, Wells, Petty and our hut with the excitement of be travelling in a tight one-line-road-for-two-cars or in the “wrong” side of the road (Shit...what’s doing in the right line that car approaching!!!..oh!, I see, we’re in the left)

Libros, books, poemas: Mostly Harmless

2006-01-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

'I know that astrology isn't a science,' said Gail. 'Of courseit isn't. It's just...

Letter to political prisoners

2005-12-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

Letter to political prisoners

Dear Lieutenant General Yu Changxin
Dear Captain Hammoud Murshid Hassan Ahmad
Dear Mario Enrique Mayo Hernández

I am a Mexican student in UK and thanks to this I have had the opportunity to coexist, for the first time in my life, with people from other countries. It has been a marvellous experience to learn about other cultures through their people.

That is why in this end of the year, when different cultures take a moment to reflect, I want to send you my greetings, my respect and my best wishes to you.

(Spanish version here)

We were cavers once…and young (V)

2005-12-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

Bonfire Weekend (November 2002)

It was as promised, a major party with caving extra fun. Do you feel thirsty, do you feel hungry, do you feel cold…don’t miss the Bonfire… and be sure that you are not so tired that you will miss the challenges. Just have a look in the gallery of the web site!

As you set out for...

2005-12-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

I am reading the new book of P. Coelho, as you probably have noticed. There are many things to say around this. How is that the book got to my hands. Why it came to me in the right time. What is it making me think about?...But today I had de compulsion to write about…about the beginning of the book, or part of it. There is a quotation of the Konstantinos Kavafis poem Ithaca. The message from it is: The travel is the roads not the destinations.

Of course I knew about the poem long time ago. Of course I read it and I remembered it when started reading the book. But it has been until I am about to finish the book that something came to my mind…

…and then I understood.

My housemate gave me a cup of coffee and looking at the reflection of the light in the surface while I blow to cool it I remembered the movie Cold Mountain. I remembered the scene where Ada looks backwards into the water well to foresight the future. I remembered that this love story made an impression on me and I was sad about the end (I will not spoil it for those who haven’t seen the movie). This is not the only movie that I have seen recently which resembles the Odyssey. With many laughs I enjoyed the approach of Coen Bros. to this epic in Oh Brother Where Art Thou? I enjoyed the end of this last movie :)

I always have had a dislike of Romeo and Juliet’s story. I am childishly angry with Romeo killing himself…without checking if Juliet was really dead…I know! It’s easy to say “I would not do that!” when you are not playing the role.

But looking at the changing reflections in my cup of coffee, making a break to stop my reading of “El Zahir”, I understood. Love is the journey, not the destination.

By the way, I recommend the movies “In the mood for love” and “2046”, which I have happened to see recently as well.

siempre estamos en guerra

2005-12-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

"– Realmente sus ojos son diferentes. Tienen miedo a la muerte, si –pero por encima del miedo a la muerte esta la idea del sacrificio. Sus vidas tienen un sentido, porque están dispuestos a ofrecerlas por una causa.
–¿Hablas de los soldados?
–Hablo de los soldados. Y hablo de algo que me resulta terrible aceptar, pero ante lo que no puedo fingir. La guerra es un rito. Un rito de sangre, pero un rito de amor.
–Has perdido el juicio.

“–Lo que me va a hacer danyo es una vida sin sentido. En la guerra, todo el mundo sabe que esta experimentando algo importante.
–¿Un momento histórico?
–No, eso no es suficiente para que arriesguen su vida. Experimentando… la verdadera esencia del hombre.
–La guerra.
—No, el amor.
—Te estas volviendo como ellos.
—Creo que si.
—Dile a tu agencia de noticias que ya basta.
—No puedo. Es como una droga. Si estoy en el campo de batalla, mi vida tiene un sentido. Paso días sin ducharme, me alimento de las raciones de los soldados, duermo tres horas cada noche, me despierto con ruido de disparos, se que en cualquier momento alguien puede lanzar una granada en el sitio en el que estamos, y eso me hace…vivir, ¿entiendes?. Vivir, amar cada minuto, cada segundo. No hay lugar para la tristeza, las dudas, para nada: solo siento un gran amor por la vida. ¿Me estas prestando atención?
—Totalmente
—Es como si…una luz divina…estuviese allí, en medio de los combates, en medio de lo peor que hay. Tienes miedo antes y después, pero no en el momento en que disparan. Porque, en ese instante, ves al hombre al limite: capaz de los gestos mas heroicos y mas inhumanos...

“…Pero he visto que en la guerra, por mas paradojico que sea, la gente es feliz. El mundo, para ellos, tiene un sentido. Como he dicho antes, el poder total, o el sacrificio por una causa, de un significado a sus vidas. Son capaces de amar sin limite, porque ya no tienen nada que perder. Un soldado herido de muerte nunca pide al equipo medico: ‘¡Por favor, salvenme!’ Generalmente sus ultimas palabras son: ‘Diganles a mi hijo y a mi mujer que los quiero” ¡En el momento de desesperación hablan de amor!
—O sea, en tu opinión, el ser humano solo encuentra sentido a la vida cuando esta en una guerra.
—Pero siempre estamos en guerra. Estamos siempre en lucha con la muerte y sabemos que al final va a ganar la muerte. En los conflictos armados eso es mas visible, pero en la vida diaria sucede lo mismo. No podemos darnos el lujo de ser infelices todo el tiempo.”

El zahir. Paulo Coelho

perderse para encontrarse con uno mismo

2005-12-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

"Nos acercabamos al museo del Louvre, pero el se detuvo, se apoyo en el muro del rio y nos quedamos viendo los barcos que pasaban, con faros que herian nuestros ojos.

" – Mira lo que hacen –dije,...– Ven solo lo que alcanza la luz. Cuando vuelvan a casa, diran que conocen Paris. Manyana veran la Mona Lisa y diran que visitaron el Louvre. No conocen Paris ni han ido al Louvre –todo lo que han hecho es pasear en barco y ver un cuadro, un unico cuadro. ?Cual es la diferencia entre ver una pelicula pornografica y hacer el amor? La misma diferencia que hay entre ver una ciudad e intentar saber lo que sucede en ella, ir a los bares, meterse en calles que no estan en las guias turisticas, perderse para encontrarse con uno mismo."

El zahir. Paulo Coelho

...until it is lost.

2005-12-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

Relationships can be a mess...but thanks to that one has the opportunity to learn a thing or two to improve them.

I read this girl regretting that her boyfriend never have given her a birthday present...

Her entry inspired me the following comment:

It's certainly f...ing sad that one cannot be our partner’s priority…but I learned that when I broke up with mine. I used to say that my work had more priority than her because it will provide us with a future. And now we don’t have a future together. That’s why it comes to my mind the following: Tell him that you understand the difficulties on thinking about presents and giving importance to some moments in the life of a relationship. Then tell him that you read about this guy (me) who overcomes those difficulties thinking: “How life can be if my partner dies tomorrow? Would I regret not having done something with her? Would I have liked to give her something or tell her something?

The idea is that one does not appreciate what we have until we have lost it.

We were cavers once...and young (VI)

2005-12-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

Derbyshire…sorry New Yorkshire Weekend (November 2002)

For several reasons the attraction of York caves gained the next caving weekend in the calendar.

What is worst than a crowded cave?...A crowded cave with ropes. And that’s the nature of SRT in a cave. You may have all the fun and excitement that being suspended in a dark high empty space have (and we had all that!) but ask to E how cold (not cool!) could be to wait (wet of course) for your turn in the rope.
d
Besides that, now you can say that caving-SRT is cool! And it could be the best way to know about yourself. As my leader in M says, what better improvement to your self esteem than to realize that you are able to climb (prusiking) 300m of rope. With the practice of SRT in a cave you will be able to know how crazy you could be (that what your parents are telling you every time they know about your weekends) and if you avoid killing yourself you will also learn where your limits could be. Oh! And you also will learn the difference between a cave and the stairs in the Union Building.

Thinking in all those teachings that SRT-caving has I decided to miss that pub night, take a shower and go to sleep early. (Do I say sleep?) With all the adrenaline in my body it was difficult to sleep and I felt in deep meditations. Meditations that pretty soon were mixed with the sounds of the jungle.

Personally I never have slept in a jungle but some people say that, depending of the kind of jungle, you can hear the rain, the wind, the leaves falling, the insects jumping and singing, and the movements of the night hunters. Well, Yorkshire is cold and the water in the pipes of the heater does strange sounds, along with the movements of drunk people jumping in the bunk beds, hunting for a bed, for a sleeping bag ( or for food?).

And there all we were, all together in the concert of the windy snoring, the rainy sounds of our stomachs and noses! I learned then that if you want to be a (sleeping) rock in the jungle, you need a lot of ales/beers/ciders beforehand. I paid the price of going to sleep early. Including that L hunted me…a bed. Poor girl, she was drunk and cold so I had to surrender and give her the bed.

Next day in Lancaster shire I saw in a cave the most beautiful white stalactites I have never saw. To my eyes, they had the figure of a ballet dancer with her partner. That was thanks to L’s and P’s curiosity that along with the energetic guidance of E-H (he is like a gnome in a cave, disappearing in front of you, to then appear behind, above or below you with extraordinaire and contagious energy) made that caving Sunday a great one.

And I’m missing to talk about the training sessions, the Tuesday’s Pub with its ghost, the travel-gypsy-dance-music that S, P and I enjoy. But at last all take you to the same. Wherever you are, we, cavers, are the best of the best.

?La vida en el primer mundo?

2005-12-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

Profesor Boltvinik,
Soy estudiante de doctorado en la Universidad de Bristol, Reino Unido y por ello lei con mucho gusto su entrega "La vida en el primer mundo" en el periodico La Jornada.

Comparto la buena impresion que Bristol le ha dejado. Creo que en los que hemos vivido en la ciudad de Mexico esto es mas acentuado. Bristol no tiene el caracter de megalopolis como el DF o Londres y sin embargo tiene todas las ventajas de una ciudad. A los locales les parece que Bristol tiene muchos problemas pero (aunque los tiene) yo siempre volteo la moneda y les digo que no han visto nada todavia.

Pero hay algo que no entiendo de su articulo y me llama la atencion considerando que usted es un experto y estudioso de la pobreza. Dejeme ver si entiendo su punto de vista.
Desde el presupuesto de una economia global que hace desvanecer fronteras, usted considera una solucion. Esta es que la pobreza economica en nuestros paises y la "pobreza de ayuda" de otros paises se complementan y la necesidad de los ultimos es una respuesta para la necesidad de los primeros.

Pero entonces lo primero que me viene a la mente es aquel argumento comun de: "La pobreza de un pais se resuelve cambiando al pais no mediante la migracion de su poblacion" Se me ocurre un ejemplo: La hambruna en Irlanda hizo que en el pasado se diera una gran inmigracion. Estados Unidos se beneficio de ella. Despues, con ayuda de la Union Europea, Irlanda se ha convertido en un pais desarrollado.

?Pero que tan posible es esto en nuestros tiempos? Desde hace muchos anyos hemos tenido emigracion de compatriotas hacia Estados Unidos, ?propone usted ahora una emigracion a Europa? Que hay que decir que eso ha ocurrido y esta ocurriendo, pero principalmente a otro nivel, el de la fuga de cerebros, ?no?

Usted dice "Si las restricciones migratorias se eliminasen, ganarian los britanicos, que podrian pagar por la ayuda que necesitan agudamente..." Pero no veo claro como es que usted llega a esta conclusion.

Permitame que le cuente lo que yo veo. Tal vez usted oyo hablar del barrio de St.Pauls aqui en Bristol, es el barrio de inmigrantes. Yo vivo en el barrio de al lado, Montpellier. Lo que yo veo es que precisamente hay una gran cantidad de personas de paises de Africa, de Jaimaca, de Europa del este que han emigrado, que estan emigrando y que quieren emigrar al Reino Unido. O sea que si el gobierno britanico relajara sus restricciones migratorias gente no les va a faltar.

Es cierto que aqui requieren mano de obra, como usted dice, en las areas de salud, servicios y atencion a la poblacion. Pero yo no veo aqui un problema migratorio, sino un problema interno de la sociedad.

En fin, solo queria hacerle llegar estos comentarios y le mando los mejores saludos desde esta preciosa ciudad de Bristol!

We were cavers once...and young (II)

2005-12-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

First night in the Pub (October 2002)

Language problems have been something unavoidable but as soon as I realized that some people know more foreign languages than they admit and practice I felt more comfortable. Especially when I received a message in Spanish from T (Oh! Captain, my Captain…have you seen the “Dead Poets Society” movie?) inviting me to a pictorial presentation of the club at Micawbers Pub. The pictures, the music, the ales were superb so I didn’t understand why some people left the pub after the show. There I learned that the loss of freshers can be like the loss of hair. It could happen very soon in your life.

We were cavers once...and young (I)

2005-12-02T16:28:00.000-07:00

Impressions (October 2002)

I am a fresher and I am from Mexico. Caving? One year ago I just had been in warm, relative dry, vertical caves in Mexico. I had enjoyed the adrenaline flowing in my body when I was suspended in long pitches. Maybe those memories made my heart beat when I saw the stand of the University of Bristol Speleological Society (UBSS) in the FRESH fair.

Today...it's my birthday!!!! Yeah!!!!

2005-11-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

Birthday!

Powered by Castpost

You say it’s your birthday
Well it’s my birthday too yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you

Yes we’re going to a party party
Yes we’re going to a party party
Yes we’re going to a party party

I would like you to dance (birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (birthday)
I would like you to dance (birthday)
Dance

I would like you to dance (birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (birthday)
I would like you to dance (birthday)
Dance

You say it’s your birthday
Well it’s my birthday too yeah
You say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you!

:-)

Oxford metido en la niebla

2005-11-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

Oxford me encanto! La niebla y el frio por fin materializo lo que tanto habia imaginado leyendo las aventuras de Sherlock Holmes en Londres.

Camine a toda prisa la manyana del domingo para coger el unico autobus del dia que va a Bristol. ?Sera que mi fascinacion viendo las telaranyas congeladas en los arbustos, rejas, arboles, hizo que llegara a la estacion de autobuses justo cuando el autobus acababa de partir?

Estuve a punto de pedir alojamiento por otra noche...pero el tren lo evito.

Por cierto que casi me remadreo cogiendo el tren...que estuve a punto de perder. No suficiente con la madriza de caerme de la bicicleta la semana pasada, resbale en el congelado piso justo antes de saltar al tren. Me lleve un golpe en la rodilla...justo arriba del enorme raspon de la semana pasada...al menos.

Pero el viaje en tren valio la pena. Fue un viaje a traves del tiempo, del tiempo de las estaciones. Didcot Parkway nos esperaba con un paisaje nevado invernal. En la siguiente parada, a pesar del frio, Reading lucia todavia otonyal.

Llegue demasiado tarde a Bristol...demasiado tarde para unirme al taller de Biodanza al que me habian invitado. Llegue hasta el sitio...pero la gente ya estaba adentro y habian cerrado la puerta. Toque, hice llamadas a telefonos mobiles...inutil.

Cuando abandonaba el sitio me encontre una moneda canadiense en el suelo...dicen que es de buena suerte...bueno, tal vez la buena suerte es que mi oficina esta a unos pasos del lugar de la Biodanza. Cogi refugio del frio, del cansancio y de las decepciones de la manyana en mi oficina.

Tal vez, debi haberme quedado en Oxford otro dia. Las cosas por algo pasan. Tal vez el significado de haber perdido el autobus era mas profundo...por ejemplo, el haber entonces tenido que regresar a tu cuarto y descubrir que habia olvidado mi estuche con jabon y shampoo para la ducha.

bonfire night

2005-11-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday the 5th of November marked the beginning of not just another Bonfire night weekend. By the end of it I managed to fall of my bike, have my heart broken and get a bad cough.

---

On Saturday I went (12pm) to the Bristol airport to pick up my “love interest”, a French girl that was coming back to Bristol to finish some work that she started in Bristol last April. At that time we get on very well with each other. When she left Bristol on June I left her clear that, whatever it could happen in the future, I couldn’t be just her friend. We said we will be in contact. I don’t want here to enter on details about what happened during the year. With her return to Bristol I only expected to find out what kind of relationship she was thinking we were having. (I didn’t want to ask her by email, letter or phone call).

---

After leaving her suitcase in the place she was staying we went to have lunch in a pub nearby and one of her friend joined us. Later she and her friend went shopping to the supermarket while I looked at the shops of the mall for new trousers. We agreed to meet later (15:45h) to go to a Biodanza workshop that a common friend of us have invited us. I found a nice pair of trousers but having expended most of my free time I rushed (15:43h) to cycle to her place. I'm glad that I gave second thoughts to my first impulse of not wearing my helmet this time (the usual pretext that it was not a long ride crossed my mind).

---

My fall of the bike was quite stupid. Somehow I forgot to pull up the front wheel before jumping from the road to the pavement. I think I underestimated the height of the border. As a result the front wheel hit the border I lost control of the bike and ended rolling in the floor. The first thing that I noticed was my broken trousers at the level of the left knee and a stabbing pain in my twisted left hand thumb. A quick evaluation of my hand gave me the impression that there was not broken pieces. Only my trousers. No, fortunately not the new ones.

---

When I arrived at her place her first comment was "I don't believe you have fallen of your bike" When we looked my knee under the leg of the trousers she was convinced and I felt pain. All the surface of my knee had a bloody graze that I proceeded to clean with soap and water. With my handkerchief I made a dressing for my wound and put on my new trousers (funny and lucky that I had ones at hand don't you think? :)

---

Yes, I was in pain. Was it the pain of having caused my own stupid accident? No. Was it the pain of having to cycle to pick her up to go to the Biodanza workshop and find out that all of a sudden she decided not to go? No. Was it the pain of seeing her sitting, looking at me taking care of my own flesh wound? No. It was not one of those things it was all together. Because I can understand that you are tired after a flight and you don't want to do a physical activity, that I can take care of myself and that I am perfectly able to do stupid things, I can bear all that separately. But the synergy of all that together was causing me pain.

---

My good star made the Biodanza experience something to counterpoise my pain. The rare opportunity to be in close physical and emotional contact with myself and others was kind of a healing.

---

The plan with her was that after the workshop we were going to meet our common friend (who indeed attended the workshop by the way). I assumed that we were talking about dinner but I was wrong. After the workshop (18h) my pain and I cycled back to her place under a light rain to pick her up and find out that she was about to have dinner. The Biodanza people have invited us to a get-together in someone's place to chat, share food and keep going with the good vibrations that the workshop awaked. I gave her a sketch of the map to get to this someone's place and left her having dinner.

---

She arrived just in time to join us. The now gathering-party was deciding to move to a nearby hill to see the fireworks display occurring scattered all around the city. After all, it was Bonfire night! It was another outstanding experience...including the experience of being rocketed by fireworks fired by some people in the hill and that missed their intended direction, ha, ha, ha. I was happy of sharing this with her and this new friendly people of the Biodanza. I didn't regret to have changed my usual plan of joining my caving club's celebration in our HQ in the Mendips Hills.

---

Everything was finally looking fine. But I was wrong again. When she and I said goodnight on Saturday (I walked her home) we said that she will send me a text message with the landline phone number of her place so we could make plans for Sunday more easily (her mobile number is French and expensive). I was starting to feel ill, not only because I had started to develop a bad cough but also because I was realizing where our relationship was heading to. Of course, she sent me a text message the next day (13h). But instead of a phone number she said: "We are meeting at the Cafe Rouge at 5pm in case you want to join us" I was doing some cleaning at home and found that the noise of the vacuum cleaner covers very well the sound of a heart cracking.

---

All my fears were confirmed. It was clear that I was in the typical situation of being her "good friend". I actually have very good female friends. I was not looking for another one and she have known that all the time. She was not only being thoughtless, she was playing a disgusting role.

There are people who like admirers, not friends around them. They stimulate those "friends" playing with their instincts. I know that I was not in love for her. It appeared like that but it was only a combination of feelings and instincts. From my part it was the attraction for her, from her part the stimulation of those feelings and instincts on me. These people keep you with the feeling that something has started, they continually stimulate your instincts to make you feel the need to culminate that indefinite something. They take you to that position and leave you there alone until they feel the need to renovate the game.

---

To be in love involves not only the feelings of the intimacy and the instincts of the passion but also an amount of commitment. Commitment and intimacy make a good friendship. Passion and intimacy can make a good lover. (What kind of relationship makes to have commitment and passion?) Love involves a combination of these three parts.

---

On the verge of falling ill (in part as a psychosomatic reaction) I realized what to do. I will go out, I will enjoy my day. At 5pm I will text her back "Thanks but not. I'm going to see a movie. Enjoy your evening" At 5pm I found myself eating and talking with a real good female friend. I missed the movie but apart from that detail, my text message said all what I planned. The next day my French "love interest" wrote me an email asking:

Are you angry ? I did something that hurt you? Anyway, I'll be at --- at 2.15pm, maybe we can meet there...Love++ Bye

My reply, (technically, thanks to the PC of my housemate) was:

It's very sweet from you asking...but this kind of conversations are better over a cup of tea/coffee, don't you think? :)

Yes, I am hurt...in my knee, in the wrist of my left hand and got a bad cough :) I am staying at home today.---. Hope to see you soon! Love and hugs.

On Wednesday evening I was a friend for her. At the end of the night, after a brief chat and without drama, I had said "You break my heart"..."I don't want to be your friend, you know that"..."Write me once you are back in France" and had kissed her to say good night.

According to Oscar Wilde, I am a coward.

Yet each man kills the thing he loves
By each let this be heard,
Some do it with a bitter look,
Some with a flattering word,
The coward does it with a kiss,
The brave man with a sword!

Some kill their love when they are young,
And some when they are old;
Some strangle with the hands of Lust,
Some with the hands of Gold:
The kindest use a knife, because
The dead so soon grow cold.

Some love too little, some too long,
Some sell, and others buy;
Some do the deed with many tears,
And some without a sigh:
For each man kills the thing he loves,
Yet each man does not die.

(Oscar Wilde, from "Ballad of Reading Gaol")

Rain

2005-11-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was caught in the rain while cycling home. I rushed to escape from it like if it were poisonous. I did a frantic escape that in the first part always takes me down a hill with a medium slope (Perry Road). In the middle of this hill-road there is a traffic light in the T intersection with a big slope road (St. Michael’s Hill) with cars coming down.

I was stopped by the police once in this junction for not stopping in the appropriate area, behind a marked line. In fact, that time I was more cautious than the usual because my normal procedure to sort out that traffic light will be as follows:

On approaching the red light apply the breaks only to reduce the speed
If there are cars on the way, go up to the pavement and approach the corner with moderate speed avoiding the posts for the pedestrians at the same time.
Once in the corner and without stopping completely, unless it is strictly necessary, have a quick look at everyplace, specially the left hand side looking for cars coming down.
Run the red light.

Since I was stopped by the police I have been stopping at the red light and not going up to the pavement. I don’t have anything to discuss. A pedestrian running down the hill might bump into me with horrendous consequences.

But yesterday it was raining and coincidentally new penalties were also announced for careless driving (perhaps careless cycle riding as well?). These give imprisonment to careless driving (in the past you only got a fine) if it ends in someone’s death.

But it was raining and I was running away as if I could be soluble in rain. I am not proud of it and fortunately this time nothing bad happened. After crossing the red light I was realizing how stupid I was acting. Running away from the rain…why? I have been caving completely soak and cold…why am I escaping from the rain.

And then I started noticing the people around me, the recollection of the opening scene of the movie “My life without me” came to my mind. I started to slow down my speed and looked back to see the face of a girl walking as I passed besides her. She was walking as if the rain couldn’t touch her. Some meters forward I saw another girl walking with the same attitude. There were people scared of the rain, there were people just walking in the rain. I saw big men with their head and shoulders down, submitted to the rain.

I was happy to arrive at home.
It didn’t matter I was soak and wet.

Un sol frio

2005-10-23T15:12:00.000-06:00

En una visita al Tate Modern en octubre del 2003 me lleve una gran sorpresa. El dia era frio como pocos que yo habia experimentado antes. Y sin embargo, la sala de la turbina del museo albergaba un sol (The weather project). Era un sol que no calentaba, que no quemaba y que sin embargo atraia como un magneto, conglomeraba a la gente, se volvia un circunstancial objeto de adoracion y fascinacion.

La luz amarilla tien un efecto acogedor que no tiene la luz blanca. Lo he experimentado haciendo espeleologia. Con el mismo traje humedo y el frio en los huesos, una lampara de luz blanca es "fria" y una lampara de luz amarilla de alguna forma te reconforta.

Si, las ciudades, los humanos irradian una luz que no se ve. Hay lunas, espejos y almas que reflejan esa luz dandole vida y una nueva perspectiva. Esa luz calienta, pero no como la luz del sol estrella. Calienta como el sol en el Tate Modern.

A kind of magic

2005-10-23T14:36:00.000-06:00

"Pele's goal for Brazilian club Santos against Juventus on August 2, 1959, widely considered to be the best of the lot, was never captured on camera..."

"The author of 1,281 goals was 19 at the time of the moment of magic that more than any other oozed class and finesse - four times he beat off opposing players by flicking the ball over their heads and catching it before it hit the ground, before finishing off the move with his head."

Desperate housewives

2005-10-15T21:58:00.000-06:00

I have not seen the tv series "Desperate Housewives" but I have heard and read that people is talking about it. When Mirabai gave her comments about the mentioned series the first thing that came to my mind was: "Ah! So now the soap operas are called tv series... "

Mirabai complains of the television formula that through "confusing histories, suspense and too much sensationalism" tries to make us pass a story as same as reality. I agree that seeing again and again the same formula makes you lost interest and stops being entertaining. After faithfully following all the series of Twin Peaks it was not attractive for me to watch the The X Files . After watching Candy Candy , Remi , Cuna de lobos (Cradle of wolves) , Tieta , El camino secreto (The secret way) , Roque Santeiro and many other soap operas it is not difficult to compare and then see everything as repetitions of stories and ends.

But repetitions should not surprise us. They have happened throughout all the history of humankind. Michel de Montaigne realized this and wrote his Essays . Using texts of Greek and Roman authors he compiled "soup operas" of the daily life. For example, it wrote "Of how we laugh and we cry by the same cause", "Of the solitude", "As how the feeling of good and evil depends to a large extent on the idea that we have formed of them", "Of the greed of the glory", "Of the inequality that exist between us" Does this sound like titles for soap operas?

But Montaigne had the good idea to approach only a single subject in each chapter. I understand that feeling of "saturation" that the tv series can give us. Trying to attribute to 5 characters the dramas and conflicts of humankind requires talent. For that reason the Quixote is a classic one, Shakespeare is on some way a writer of "best-sellers" and James Joyce took his time to rewrite and to reinterpret in his peculiar way the Odyssey of Ulysses.

I like intrincate stories. Films like those of David Lynch, Peter Greenaway or Wim Wenders, or like Magnolia or Crash (this year's one) fascinate me. Sometimes the subjects and the approaches are overlapped, but I like them as individual pieces.

I say it again. I have not seen even a chapter of "Desperate Housewives". Either it contains sensationalism or not, I don't know if it can fascinate me as Twin Peaks did or if it can make me as curious as I am with Sex and the City. It is valid to reinterpret and use present contexts. It is between "I miss it!" or "I saved my time" to decide if I like what I watch/read or if I prefer to read and/or to watch the "classics". Finally, who says that someone who did not have the opportunity to see Tieta cannot learn something watching "Desperate Housewives"... Or perhaps not.

Esposas desesperadas

2005-10-15T21:50:00.000-06:00

No he visto la serie de televisión “Esposas desesperadas” pero he escuchado y leído que la gente habla sobre ella. Cuando a la colega Mirabai le dio por comentar la mentada serie lo primero que me vino a la cabeza fue: “¡Ah! O sea que ahora a las telenovelas les llaman series...”

Mirabai se queja de la fórmula televisiva que a través de “historias intrincadas, suspenso y demasiado tremendismo” nos trata de hacer pasar una historia por la realidad misma. Y coincido con ella en que ver una y otra vez la misma fórmula deja de interesar y hasta de entretener. Después de seguir fielmente toda la serie de Picos Gemelos (Twin Peaks) ver Los Expedientes Secretos X (The X Files) no tuvo ningún atractivo para mí. Después de ver Candy Candy, Remi, Cuna de lobos,Tieta, El camino secreto, Roque Santeiro y muchas otras telenovelas no es difícil comparar y ver todo como repeticiones de historias y desenlaces.

Pero las repeticiones no deberían de sorprendernos. Han ocurrido a lo largo de toda la historia de la humanidad. Michel de Montaigne se dio cuenta de esto y escribió sus Ensayos. Usando los textos de autores griegos y romanos compiló los telenovelones de la vida diaria. Por ejemplo, escribió “De cómo reímos y lloramos por la misma causa”, “De la soledad”, “Como el sentimiento de los bienes y los males depende en gran parte de la idea que de ellos nos formamos”, “De la codicia de la gloria”, “De la desigualdad que existe entre nosotros” ¿Les gustan estos títulos para telenovelas?

Pero Montaigne tuvo el acierto de abordar solo un tema en cada capítulo. Entiendo esa sensación de "saturación" que las series televisivas nos pueden dar. Quererle atribuir a 5 personajes los dramas y conflictos de la humanidad requiere talento. Por eso el Quijote es un clásico, Shakespeare es a su manera un escritor de “best-sellers” y James Joyce se tomó su tiempo para re-escribir y reinterpretar en su peculiar modo la Odisea de Ulises.

A mi me gustan las historias intrincadas. Películas como las de David Lynch, Peter Greenaway o Wim Wenders, como Magnolia o como Crash (la de este año) me fascinan. A veces se traslaparan los temas y los enfoques, pero como piezas individuales me gustan.

Repito que no he visto ni un capítulo de “Esposas desesperadas”. Tremendismo o no, no se si me pueda fascinar tanto como me fascinó Picos Gemelos o me cause tanta curiosidad y morbo como Sexo en la ciudad (Sex and the City). Reinterpretar y usar contextos actuales es válido, decidir si me gusta y lo prefiero a leer y/o ver “los clásicos” esta entre “yo me lo pierdo” o “yo me lo ahorro”. Finalmente, quién dice que quien no tuvo la oportunidad de ver Tieta puede ser que aprenda algo viendo “Esposas desesperadas”…O tal vez no.

Science, art and humans.

2005-09-26T00:24:00.000-06:00

Agent Dale Cooper, in Twin Peaks, stated: "Diane, when two events happen simultaneously, pertaining to the same object of inquiry, we must always pay STRICT attention!"

Last day I received an email from a German friend of mine. It was the bearer of good news. My friend, a future Engineer, was telling me that his last important school project was finish and it will be soon holidays for him. He included his project as an attachment and I found myself surprised looking at the planes that he drew for it. It is art and science…maybe more science for him…but more art for me. I decided then to include one of his planes here to serve for the artistic purposes of it.

Last day I discover the blog of jz and she was pondering in one of her entries about architecture and cult of personality. Her fortuitous mention of Peter Greenaway brought to my mind the movie The belly of an architect and therefore the architecture of Étienne-Louis Boullée: (the following from Wikipedia)

“It was as a teacher and theorist at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées between 1778 and 1788 that he made his biggest impact, developing a distinctive abstract geometric style inspired by Classical forms. It was characterised by the removal of all unnecessary ornamentation, inflating pure forms to a huge scale and repeating elements such as columns in huge ranges. He promoted the idea of making architecture expressive of its purpose (a doctrine that he termed architecture parlante, "talking architecture"). His style was most notably exemplified in his proposal for a cenotaph for the English scientist Isaac Newton, which would have taken the form of a sphere 150 m (500 ft) high embedded in a circular base topped with cypress trees. This was, however, never built.”

And then I thought…how funny! Science and knowledge can become art, art can become a philosophy and a doctrine, and these two can become a cult of personality…for example, the personality of Isaac Newton, a scientist and man of knowledge…Is there here a cycle? Is there here something right or something wrong? Or there is just something tremendously human.

Neon lights, a nobel prize
The mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You don't have to follow me
Only you can set me free
I sell the things you need to be
I'm the smiling face on your t.v.
I'm the cult of personality
I exploit you still you love me

You gave me fortune
You gave me fame
You gave me power in your god's name
I'm every person you need to be
I'm the cult of personality

Cult Of Personality (Living Colour)

Secret Underground Bristol

2005-09-15T10:43:00.000-06:00

A bit of "Secret Underground Bristol"

"The entrance to the grotto is a Gothic façade built into the side of a hill. It looks innocuos enough, but passing through it is unnerving. From the civilised world of trim lawns and afternoon tea, you are suddenly plunged into a pagan underworld.

"Everything is bathed in the eerie greenglow of moss-laden skylights, and echoes to the crash of water. The cavern is gloomy and glistening at the same time -encrusted with thousands of shells, conches, crystals, fossils and corals like the cave of some eccentric water god. You turn instinctively left, towards the sound of water- and there he is. Far away, it seems, at the top of a narrow cleft,lounges a marble deity. From the urn at his right hand, water cascades downover the rocks, singing through the sells, and tumbles into a deep pool at your feet. As your eyes grow accustomed to the light, you see that the grotto has other strange occupants..."

"Why Thomas Goldney III spent so much time and money on his grotto,and what he did in it, are far from clear...He certainly developed a taste for the exotic if his library -which included a 'Life of Mahomet' and 'TheArabian Nights'- is anything to go by. Perhaps, after all, Goldney built his Aladdin's Cave primarily for himself, and whenever respectable Quakerdom became too stifling, he escaped underground into a romantic dream world.Who knows?"

Goldney Grotto: Goldney Hall, which is now a University Hall of Residence,holds occasional Open Days in spring and summer, when you can see the grounds and grotto. You will find detais on their website:www.goldneyhall.com

El albur

2005-09-12T14:00:00.000-06:00

Robado textualmente de Chilangabanda

Se dice que el surgimiento del albur nace con la mezcla de la cultura Náhuatl y Española ya que ambas tienen sus antecedentes de picardía. Por una parte existe el caso de los cantos Nahuas que se cantaban en las cortes de los emperadores aztecas. Dice la leyenda que una nación recientemente sometida al imperio de Tenochtitlán compuso un canto mofándose del emperador en el que se hacía referencia a la incapacidad del monarca Tenochca para “conquistarla”, aludiendo a nación recientemente conquistada. Sin embargo, el canto revelaba que a quien no podía conquistar el emperador azteca era a una mujer anciana.

Se dice que al escuchar este canto el emperador se carcajeó tanto que hizo miembro de su corte al cantor que declamó. El canto en cuestión era uno de tantos poemas (o cantos, por que literalmente se cantaban) que era conocidos en tiempos prehispánicos como cuecuechcuicatl (cantos de cosquilleo o picarescos) y que eran de naturaleza sexual (cabe mencionar que los aztecas tenían muy finos poemas eróticos). Esto quiere decir que los aztecas ya conocían el doble sentido y el inuendo sexual. Es más, conocían hasta la mentada de madre, a la cual denominaban como “nantenehua”, que quiere decir, literalmente, mencionar a la madre.

Niqitoa ni Nezahualcoyotl

2005-09-03T20:02:00.001-06:00

Nahuatl
Niquitoa
Niqitoa ni Nezahualcoyotl: ¿Cuix oc nelli nemohua in tlalticpac? An nochipa tlalticpac: zan achica ya nican. Tel ca chalchihuitl no xamani, no teocuitlatl in tlapani, no quetzalli poztequi. An nochipa tlalticpac: zan achica ye nican.

Español
Yo lo pregunto
Yo Nezahualcóyotl lo pregunto: ¿Acaso deveras se vive con raíz en la tierra?
No para siempre en la tierra: sólo un poco aquí.
Aunque sea de jade se quiebra, aunque sea de oro se rompe,
aunque sea plumaje de quetzal se desgarra.
No para siempre en la tierra: sólo un poco aquí.

English

I ask

I Nezahualcoyotl ask: Do we really live with roots in the earth?
Not forever on the earth: Only a moment here.
Although made of Jade, it cracks, although made of gold, it breaks,
although it's plumage of Quetzal, it is torn apart.
Not forever on earth: Only a moment here.

Calvinball

2005-09-02T02:34:00.000-06:00

I had the most exciting beginning of the day today! In the last month I have had trouble getting to bed and therefore waking up early. But this morning I needed to get to work early so I had to do something. Battling against my duvet and the alarm clock I had an epiphany: Let’s play Calvinball!

For those of you that know it, Calvinball is the best game ever! Especially for a procrastinator and game-seeker like me, he he!

I am sorry I cannot explain here the rules of the game (but feel free to visit the links above!) Everything started with the rule “Get ready to leave and prepare something to take for breakfast in the office in 10 minutes”. In between I passed an exercising zone so I had to do 20 push-ups. There was a corollary zone that demanded squeezing a ball 5 times while running to the kitchen ha ha! That started to be fun, specially when my housemate, without knowing about the game, set up the next rule!

Follow me in the bike!!! Wow!! That was exciting as my house mate is one of those bikers who likes to squeeze in the traffic whenever he can.

Now let’s see what new rules and zones the rest of the day have for us!!!

La Belle Dame sans merci

2005-08-26T22:30:00.000-06:00

La mirada de ella es ciertamente hechizante. Pero yo recordaba a esa dama mirandome desde lo alto. Y esa diferencia me intrigaba. Como dices esa es la parte irracional que tiene el amor, el ansia por ajustar algo a tus deseos.
Y a mi en lo particular me pega esa sensacion de estar hechizado, hechizado
como lo puedes ver en la mirada del caballero de la foto de abajo...

Algo tiene el enamoramiento que nos lanza los brazos para atras y tal vez por eso es la version que mas me gusta. El esta cayendo, ?a donde? ...

al pasto...como nos explican aqui...

Y es que de ahi, a veces, no pasas...
Por eso, dejame intentar un boceto de lo que serian mis pensamientos, en el caso del caballero, al descubrirme abandonado,
sin piedad...

Digamos que el viento sopla y con el
empiezo a escuchar unas palabras y una musica...

"Asi es la vida de caprichosa
a veces negra, a veces color rosa
Asi es la vida jacarandosa
Te quita te pone te sube te baja
y a veces te lo da"

Y empiezo a pensar que a veces la vida te da esa claridad para darte cuenta que has estado viviendo como un idiota y te has preocupado por cosas sin sentido.

Y que coraje da! ?Porque tenia yo que haber sufrido tanto? Tan facil que es decir "Nada es tuyo, nada es mio y como compartimos los amigos, como repartimos los recuerdos de este amor" No importa cuanto haya durado. Un dia, dos anyos, una mirada. Yo te encuentro, tu me encuentras y tal vez porque tu estas ovulando y yo estoy que me hago, y no exactamente de miados, te sigo recordando. O tal vez no fue la quimica la que nos traiciono sino ese tono de voz que empleaste para hablarme y ese detalle que tuve contigo.

Y a veces tu ya tienes otro y yo ya tengo otra. O los dos no tenemos a nadie, I feel so lonely, I'm waiting for you
But nothing ever happens, and I wonder I wonder how, I wonder why
Yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky y lo unico que pude ver es que, a igual que a Narciso, nos puede ocurrir que Eco nos saque de nuestro ensimismamiento. Pero ?que son las palabras de Eco sino nuestras propias palabras reflejadas? Hace falta ver a Eco como quien es, no como quien dice ser. ?Pero alguien tiene la paciencia que Narciso no tuvo?

Y asi, me empezaria a reir y con el cielo ya oscuro, pero con estrellas, me quedaria dormido hasta el siguiente dia, arrullandome, moviendo los hombros y sintiendo la sabrosura de un merengue...

"Cuando tu me besas
me siento en el aire
por eso cuando te veo
comienzo a besarte
Y si te despegas yo me despierto
de ese rico sueño que me dan tus besos

"Besame suavecito,
sin prisa y con calma
Dame un beso bien profundo
que me llegue al alma
Dame un beso mas que en mi boca cabe
Dame un beso despacito
dame un beso suave

"Suave, Tus labios tienen
Suave, Ese secreto
Suave, yo beso y beso
Suave, y no lo encuentro
Suave, un beso suave
Suave, es lo que anhelo
Suave, un beso tuyo
Suave, es lo que quiero"

Ay! Y el nuevo dia me encuentra, en el museo de la ciudad de Bristol, viendo, con total felicidad, al original de la pintura de Dicksee, no la de Waterhouse.

La bella dama sin piedad...

2005-08-26T22:19:00.000-06:00

Como dijo un dia una amiga:

> 1. Si te guias estrictamente por la imagen pues efectivamente ella esta a
> sus pies (esto es broma, of course).
>
> 2. Creo que esto de la dama sin piedad viene porque el quedo cautivado
> por ella y no pudo darle el beso que tanto deseaba, pues se murio antes.
> Por eso creo que habla de la falta de piedad, seguramente el sentimiento
> de perdida, de nostalgia, de ausencia fue muy profundo, podria decir que
> inolvidable.
>
> 3. Ahora bien, posiblemente ella sabia que estaba muriendo y lo unico que
> le pedia era que la llevara a su gruta. Otro motivo para la falta de
> piedad, lo enamoro sabiendo que moriria, auqnue esto tal vez son
> atribuciones mias, pues no quedan muy claros los sentimientos de ella.
>
> Estan bonitos tanto la imagen como el poema, sobre todo este ultimo, me
> parece muy profundo y tal vez refleja la clase de amor con la que
> siempre uno suenia: profundo, absorto, incondicional, alejado de todo,
> aunque la realidad puede ser diferente, como lo fue para el. Y no estoy
> hablando de desamor, sino que para mi el amor tambien tiene que ser
> racional y no solo emocional, pero no por ello uno deja de tener sus
> fantasias, no?

Evident by nature

2005-08-25T00:51:00.000-06:00

These days I have discovered what is evident by nature but hidden by fate. I am realizing that friendship is something that only comes with time and requires a continuous feedback. Like a flower in a pot it needs to be watered.

I may have the usual custom to call people I only have met some days ago friends. It is a polite custom and I don’t regret it. But sometimes I need a distinction.

All our relationships start in the same way, I would say. You hardly know someone and a common interest brings this person and you together. Expectations are created and they are not always the same.

Example: She, who has a boyfriend, meets this guy who is single. Both like each other. Months later she thinks about him as a nice, smart, charming friend and, by the way, she is nice, smart and charming. Because of these three virtues of her one night he tells her by email (technology has changed old rituals…for bad?) he has fallen in love for her. She feels and says thank you but “let’s be only friends”

But inside my friend (she) there is also the feeling of a “spoiled friendship” with this guy. But I ask her if that was really a friendship. I mean, she is using the polite way to name a new relationship with someone, doesn’t she? In my opinion there is nothing spoiled on their relationship. There are only different expectations that they should be aware of. She is expecting a new friendship since the beginning. But is that what he was expecting?

Humans I want to believe feel attracted naturally by other humans. If a human is single, that attraction always means the possibility to form a partnership, to fall in love. So he, the acquaintance of my friend had different expectations growing than her. Of course, the fact that my friend has a boyfriend for some people may be a reason to limit and control his expectations. But that is not always true. Then, he only reveals his long time growing feelings when my friend’s boyfriend leaves for a long trip.

Attractions. There are different levels of attractions. There are attractions by sight, by smell, (by touch?) by getting to know someone better and better and like them better and better every day. The more instinctive attractions determine “one night stands” and affairs, the more rational ones determine partners and spouses. Am I right if I think that a good combination of both will bring a happy long lasting partnership?

There have been periods of my life when either the instinctive attractions or the rational ones have driven my amorous life. There have been only a few occasions where I have experienced a good balance of both of them and have been corresponded. Unfortunately not enough balanced as to last up to now.

This is my epiphany, pour innocent me. An affair lasts what our rush of chemicals in the body last. A future friendship or partnership, to start with, takes time to take off. Not being able to see this clearly has caused me some confusion, some rush in my partnerships and some anxiety for not finding “the right woman”

Weather forcast

2005-08-06T14:40:00.000-06:00

It's all about chemistry...

2005-08-06T06:42:00.000-06:00

...what takes you to sign a guestbook.

Virtual...insanity

2005-08-02T19:30:00.000-06:00

Oh! How much I would wish you were listening to what I am... dancing now!... turn in your chair...wave your body and arms because this is...

Virtual insanity....Jamiroquai

Oh yeah, what we're living in (let me tell ya)
It's a wonder man can eat at all
When things are big that should be small
Who can tell what magic spells we'll be doing for us
And I'm giving all my love to this world
Only to be told
I can't see
I can't breathe
No more will we be
And nothing's going to change the way we live
Cos' we can always take but never give
And now that things are changing for the worse,
See, its a crazy world we're living in
And I just can't see that half of us immersed in sin
Is all we have to give these -

Futures made of virtual insanity now
Always seem to, be govern'd by this love we have
For useless, twisting, our new technology
Oh, now there is no sound - for we all live underground

And I'm thinking what a mess we're in
Hard to know where to begin
If I could slip the sickly ties that earthly man has made
And now every mother, can choose the colour
Of her child
That's not nature's way
Well that's what they said yesterday
There's nothing left to do but pray
I think it's time I found a new religion
Waoh - it's so insane
To synthesize another strain
There's something in these
Futures that we have to be told.

Futures made of virtual insanity - now
Always seem to, be govern'd by this love we have
For useless, twisting, our new technology
Oh, now there is no sound - for we all live underground

Now there is no sound
If we all live underground
And now it's virtual insanity
Forget your virtual reality
Oh, there's nothing so bad.
I know yeah

Of this virtual insanity, we're livin in.
Has got to change, yeah
Things, will never be the same.
And I can't go on
While we're livin' in oh, oh virtual insanity
Oh, this world, has got to change
Cos I just, I just can't keep going on, it was virtual.
Virtual insanity that we're livin' in, that we're livin' in
That virtual insanity is what it is

Futures made of virtual insanity - now
Always seem to, be govern'd by this love we have
For useless, twisting, our new technology
Oh, now there is no sound - for we all live underground

Living - Virtual Insanity
Living - Virtual Insanity
Living - Virtual Insanity
Living - Virtual Insanity

Virtual Insanity is what we're living in

5x2

2005-07-10T18:47:00.001-06:00

5x2 A movie by François Ozon ... still a thorn in my heart.

Interview magazine met Valéria Bruni-Tedeschi (Marion)

some extracts here...

5x2 is based around five moments in the life of a couple, Marion and Gilles, told backwards in time. What do these five moments mean to you?

They are the different stages of a love story. And at every stage, I feel that Francois was able to direct us to the heart of what mattered: the heart of what it means to meet someone, to get married, have children, separate. Stephane Freiss and I play concrete human beings who are also archetypes. He is Man. I am Woman.

.....

The music was right, it was what I wanted to hear. I wanted to make the film in the same way Marion wanted happiness.

....

And the idea of having Italian songs to provide a kind of punctuation to the film? Is that a homage to your origins?

Not really, I cannot claim that. There's something romantic, something kitsch and ironic in those Italian songs. It injects some humor into the film, and provides a different way in. There is also a great deal of hope in those Italian songs, a longing for love and being loved. That desire for love, that naiveté were another reason for my accepting the part. From the start, one feels Gilles and Marion married not opportunistically, nor out of boredom but because physically, they suited each other: they fell in love, like a proper couple, dreaming of a bright future. They are in no way cynical. Whatever the setbacks, the harshness of experience and all the negative examples, the film says that it's right to launch out into the Utopian folly of love, in the belief that it can work. This film is quite the opposite to films about love stories that go wrong. This one is about love stories that start out well

.....

Is that why François Ozon cast you as the couple in 5 x 2?

Yes, I think there was something very obvious in the screen tests we did with a scene taken from Ingmar Berman's "Scenes From Married Life". We were asked to play a man and a woman angry with each other, but still connected by a shared past and a long history of love. The couple is at war, in the process of separating, and yet you feel "Maybe they shouldn't separate." Which is true at the beginning of François' film too.

.....

Gilles seems more fragile than Marion. Do you think that's true in most couples, is it something that relates to our times?

I can't answer that. I don't know how to make generalizations and I understand nothing about how couples function. In my personal experience, perhaps men are more cowardly than women, more cowardly and less able to take the initiative, to take the bull by the horns, confront things, to speak and be there when things turn difficult. It's true that men have a horrible habit of running away. At the same time, I feel slightly artificial saying that. I feel like I'm saying what one's meant to say, but at the same time I'm not so sure. And I certainly didn't set about my work in that perspective. I didn't set out with theoretical considerations about love, I set out to serve the story. With one basic premise, which is that Marion wants to be happy. That was my starting-point.

500 000 people

2005-07-04T18:39:00.000-06:00

That's approximately the population in Helsinki .

After arriving by ferry to Helsinki from Stockholm J and I visited the city, including a trip to Suomelina island "the Nordic Gibraltar" as it was on its days of splendour and war. We spend more of the time there, walking, enjoying the good weather, visiting the museum and even an old WWII submarine. This was the highlight of the trip, so old, so narrow and of course a weapon of war. I know, wars are stupid, killing other humans is barbarian but...how nice artefacts they have produced. Now an historical and recreational place, the whole of the island is devoted to the old fort...to war.

My friend and I said goodbye at 18h after meeting her boyfriend. They had a midsummer celebration ahead the next day, which is a big thing in Scandinavia . From my part and after checking in the hostel I was lucky enough to find a place where to dance Salsa! It was incredible...the atmosphere, the people, the behaviour is very similar to what I have experienced in Bristol . As always there were people I liked to dance with and people with it just didn't work.

The highlights of the night were three:

M, an English mate who has been living here for years gave me a good bunch of impressions about the Finnish culture. For example he considers the Finns more alcoholic and colder than the English! (I suppose that is why at some point during the night a drunk guy approached me to tell me "Not smiles!" Unfortunately he didn't answer to me when I asked him "Why?" with a smile.) M said that if someone has a problem they leave that person alone, that they can be aggressive but it takes time to them to explode.
A friendly Finnish girl I enjoyed dancing with and chatting.
A Russian girl who was too shy or to proud to dance but insisted on talking. I almost had the impression that that old couple that she introduced me as her “friends” were her parents!

Nordic summer

2005-06-29T18:35:00.000-06:00

I'm back from the north.
I went to Stockholm for a conference and to Helsinki for some days off.
My first impressions of Stockholm were a remembrance of...Den mark, ha! Yes! Scandinavian big cities are very similar in many aspects in my humble opinion. They look and feel clean, ordered, relaxed. People, as in any city is moving all around but at least they don't look as stressed or hurried like in other cities. Let's just consider that my impressions are from summer time...probably there's another story on winter. At least I heard more than one foreigner being surprised for the change in mood of people during summer. While in winter they are kind of grumpy and silent in summer everybody is friendly!

If it were enough to stand, without the words

2005-06-09T18:31:00.000-06:00

Inman: This doesn't come out right. If it were enough to stand, without the words.
Ada: It is, it is.
Inman: Look at the sky now. What color is it? Or the way a hawk flies. Or you wake up and your ribs are bruised thinking so hard on somebody. What do you call that?

Inman: You are all that keeps me from sliding into some dark place.
Ada: But how did I keep you? We barely knew each other. A few moments.
Inman: A thousand moments. They're like a bag of tiny diamonds glittering in a black heart. Don't matter if they're real or things I made up. The shape of your neck, that's real. You were always carrying a tray.
Ada: You wouldn't come inside.
Inman: I wouldn't come inside.
Ada: I had to carry a tray to come out and see you.
Inman: The way you felt when I pulled you to me. That kiss- which I kissed again everyday of my walking.
Ada: Everyday of my waiting...

To L

2005-06-05T18:27:00.000-06:00

Hi L! On these days I have seen other people's pictures but nobody seems to have captured a rainbow with their camera. What about you?

In one postcard to my sister I told her that rainbows in Ireland are rare because of the gold that is associated to them. Of course there are many kinds of gold... :)

For example, when in Killarny Youth Hostel I was sitting outside after a brief rain I saw a rainbow. At that moment I was a bit sad and trying to alleviate that I wanted to play Frisbee...with nobody around to do it, ha, ha! But the sight of the rainbow was beautiful enough to make anyone happy and I was not the exception.

I was following with my eyes all the extension of the rainbow when precisely, in one of its extremes, I saw a person. No, it was not a leprechaun! It was C walking in the road, coming back from visiting the town. She sat down in the bench and we had a little chat. Unfortunately she didn't want to play Frisbee.

In the postcard to my sister I also told her that Ireland is a magic land...and I was convinced about that because, while sitting and chatting with C a dog came from nowhere. And this dog turned out to be a Frisbee catching one! I had great enjoyment with him?, her?!!

So the lesson I learnt from all this happenings was that rainbows really get you to the gold, and gold have many faces! Faces like... a friendly face, an intelligent and charming dog …Everyone different, everyone with a colour, like in a rainbow, but all lovely in their own way.

I hope you are having a nice and not too hard work week!

Window

2005-05-28T18:15:00.000-06:00

Window

I know what you are looking for

it's the same story I am looking for

for everybody wants a story

Perhaps we don't see

through the same window...

Do you see sunshine or heavy clouds?

Maybe we are not looking...

at the same time

in the same way and place.

But we know what we want to see

maybe it's not what everybody

says it should be,

but it's our real story

and now it seems to be there

outside...

(I look through the window

and know that my story is there,

...maybe with you...

however

are you there?)

------------------------------------------

Expect the unexpected

2005-05-26T18:14:00.000-06:00

How Realistic Are Your Expectations of Marriage?

You scored 86% correct!

Below are your complete results, but did any of the answers in this quiz catch you by surprise? Do you disagree with any of them? If you're not already following it, check out the Repair Your Relationship workshop for a five-step program full of proven marriage-saving strategies. Whether you're on the brink of divorce or simply interested in improving your relationship, this workshop will help you create a new set of expectations for a happier marriage.

You scored correct answers to questions: #1, #2, #4, #5, #6, #7
You scored incorrect answers to questions: #3

Question #: 1 Conflict and anger are signs that your relationship is failing.
Your Answer: False
The correct answer: False
Answer explanation: All marriages, even the best marriages, have their ups and downs. It's impossible to live under the same roof with another human being for any length of time and not disagree now and then. People in loving marriages understand that conflict goes with the marital territory. It's more than unavoidable, it's necessary. People need to let off steam and air their differences. When they don't, they're in for trouble. In fact, the single best predictor of divorce is the constant avoidance of conflict!

Question #: 2 You're more likely to divorce if you have different likes and dislikes and interests, and come from different backgrounds.
Your Answer: False
The correct answer: False
Answer explanation: Research shows that people who stay together and are happily married are no more similar than those who divorce! They come from decidedly different backgrounds, hold different beliefs and have sharply different interests. But what separates those who have successful relationships from those who don't is that they learn effective ways to deal with their differences and handle conflict. They nurture the interests they do share and try to develop new ones from time to time. Successful couples believe that life would be incredibly boring if their spouses were mirror images of themselves. Instead, happily married people learn to appreciate their differences, find ways to grow from them or simply make peace with them.

Question #: 3 In healthy relationships, major disagreements always get resolved over time.
Your Answer: True
The correct answer: False
Answer explanation: Research shows that approximately 60 percent of what couples argue about is unresolvable! If you eavesdrop on couples' arguments as newlyweds and then again after they've been married for 25 years or more, you might be surprised to find that much of the content is the same. However, the way in which people discuss these heated issues does change over time. People tend to mellow a bit, which makes a huge difference in how their partners react to them and vice versa.

Too many people think that their marriages are in trouble because they continue to argue about the same things for years. But the truth is that this is very common. If you have been thinking that in good marriages people eventually find mutually satisfying solutions to all major problems, you've been fooling yourself. This just isn't the case.

Question #: 4 In healthy marriages, both spouses have the same definition of what it means to be loving.
Your Answer: False
The correct answer: False
Answer explanation: No two people define love in exactly the same way. What it takes for you to feel loved is probably fairly different from what it takes for your partner to feel loved. Why? Your definition of love springs from a number of factors: your upbringing, your culture, your gender, and your life experiences in general. Since you and your spouse have had different life experiences, you will undoubtedly view love differently as well. Although this, in and of itself, is not problematic, it will become a problem if you fail to honor and accommodate your partner's point of view.

If you and your spouse have spent years debating about love definitions ("If you loved me, you would want to spend more time with my family" versus "If you loved me, you would want to spend more time alone with me on weekends," and so on), stop wasting time. You're both right. To have a loving marriage, you have to put yourself out and love your partner the way he wants to be loved.

Question #: 5 People just fall out of love.
Your Answer: False
The correct answer: False
Answer explanation: Some people believe that they need to divorce their spouses because they've fallen out of love. First of all, people don't just fall out of love. If love dwindles, it's because the marriage wasn't a priority. The number-one cause for the breakdown in marriages in our country is that people don't spend enough time together. They take their spouse and their marriage for granted. Work, kids and other obligations become more important than spending time together. When this happens, during the little time people do spend together, they end up fighting. This distance and alienation sometimes fool people into thinking they've fallen out of love.

Second, love isn't just a feeling. It's a decision. Happily married people understand that if they engage in activities that bring love into the marriage, they will feel loving. There is no major mystery here. You both decide on a daily basis whether you're going to spend time together regularly or do your own thing, forgive each other or hold grudges, accept each other's weaknesses or point fingers of blame, apologize when in error or smugly stand your ground, be generous and giving or put your own needs first.

Of course, we're all human and our ability to be loving and kind to each other ebbs and flows, as do our feelings for our partners. However, wise people don't allow negative feelings or the absence of loving feelings to make them question their commitment to their spouses. They just understand that they're going through a rough time and that soon, they will decide to do what it takes to evoke feelings of love again, in themselves and in their spouses.

Question #: 6 An affair doesn't have to ruin a marriage.
Your Answer: True
The correct answer: True
Answer explanation: There is little that is more devastating than to discover your spouse has been unfaithful. Most people take to heart the promise they make to forsake all others. The connection, closeness and intimacy and trust you feel with your mate is very personal, something that is meant just for the two of you. This is why infidelity feels like such a violation.

But affairs happen, and when they do, the repair of the marriage is no easy task. Sometimes those who have been hurt swear they will never recover. They're convinced that they will not be able to forgive and move forward in the marriage. And although it's completely understandable why people feel this way, it's also true that the future doesn't have to be as bleak as they are anticipating. Most people survive infidelity and can, in fact, make their marriage stronger once they work through the issues infidelity has brought into their lives.

Question #: 7 Most people are much happier in their second marriages because they've learned from their mistakes.
Your Answer: False
The correct answer: False
Answer explanation: Although it's true that some people learn from their mistakes in their first marriages and are able to develop happier second marriages, this is by no means the rule. In fact, 60 percent of second marriages end in divorce.

One of the reasons that there are more divorces in second marriages is that people enter their second marriages with the bad relationship habits they learned the first time around. They simply find new partners with whom they can do that old familiar dance. In addition, step-parenting issues make second and subsequent marriages challenging. But there is another reason why second marriages aren't necessarily better than first ones. Unless you understand that marriage doesn't make people happy, you will spend the rest of your life trading in marital partners for new ones. Happiness is a do-it-yourself job you can't rely on another person to fulfill you. Unless you feel satisfied with your own life, you will not be able to determine whether your unhappiness stems from personal or relationship issues.

www.ivillage.com

Go toora loora toora loo rye aye (Cold mountain)

2005-05-17T17:39:00.000-06:00

Just some more notes about Cold mountain the movie. This morning I was having a look in the bonus material of the DVD. It includes a concert night with the music of the movie where people involved (including actors) sang, played, recited and read.
And that's the point I wanted to stress. I am impress by the movie on its artistic side. I don't know about definitions of spectacular movies my dear seagoddess but Anthony Minghella (same director of The English Patient) and his staff put their heart on the movie.

Well, I have to confess that at the beginning I didn't appreaciate the movie as much as after looking at the bonus material. But let's say that's a risk of our times where we are used to millions invested in spectacular movies. It was listening the director, the actors, following the process of making (in the documentary) and finally the special selection of music, what gain me in favour of the movie.

So the movie is worth to see and the music is part of it. Southern music of USA, a song composed by Sting, T bone burnet as executive producer... Directors I like have always paid attention in the music:

David Lynch-Angelo Badalamenti

Peter Greenaway-Michael Nyman

Win Wenders-U2, Nick Cave, Lou Reed, David Byrne, etc.

Emir Kusturica-Balkans music of the No Smoking Orchestra

Kristof Kieslovsky-Zbigniew Preisner and the music of Blue, White and Red

And there's more...last night I came back from a show of traditional Irish music where everybody had opportunity to shake the body and try dancing in groups. I like and practice salsa but this was different and I think that it's the social part of it. Dancing in groups is good to reaffirm your sense of society. Then just think in the Civil War, a nation torn and the music there to try to keep people together.

Gosh!

2005-05-13T17:35:00.000-06:00

Time passes at the speed of light! I am glad I am not a physicist otherwise I would have some regrets about being methaporical. In any case, Monday is gone and still have load of things to do.

A second (again in methapor) to relax and comment about Cold mountain, the movie of the book with the same title by the same director of The English patient.

I couldn't stop watching it from the beggining to the end yesterday night...including the commentaries section. As they said it's kind of a USA Odyssey. This guy Inman had a destiny to fulfill, let's say give a child to Ada. In his journey he conects his life with other's lives and necessarily changes them for good and for bad.

To be in tune with the Civil war, a quote by Lincoln I friend sent me: "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

5/05/05

2005-05-04T17:38:00.000-06:00

"The major problem - one of the major problems, for there are several - one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.

"To summarize: it is a well known fact, that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem.

"And so this is the situation we find: a succession of Galactic Presidents who so much enjoy the fun and palaver of being in power that they very rarely notice that they're not.

"And somewhere in the shadows behind them - who?

"Who can possibly rule if no one who wants to do it can be allowed to?"

Chapter 28 The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Spiderman

2005-05-01T14:50:00.000-06:00

?Por que tengo esta doble vida? ?Por que no me limito a ser Peter y ya? Yo tenia suenyos y planes. Pero la culpa es mas fuerte que todo.

Cada vez que trato de llevar una vida normal y hacer lo que todo mundo hace la culpa no me deja. Quiero cumplir con mis citas y mis tareas, tener una vida donde pueda distinguir cuando es tiempo para trabjar y cuando es tiempo para disfrutar. Pero la culpa no me deja!

Cada vez que oigo una sirena o veo un crimen la culpa me recuerda que en el pasado yo no hice lo apropiado. Cada sirena cada crimen que evito es una oportunidad para borrar el pasado. !Pero no se borra! !No se borra! Por mas esfuerzos que haga.

Y esta obsesion se esta comiendo mi vida, la vida de Peter, por la obsesion de este bicho en el que me he convertido.

Books and beds

2005-05-01T14:46:00.000-06:00

I am not the best person to ask about books these days...close your eyes and try to think what is besides my bed...ok now that you have thought something check below...

In one side I have tens of postcards of the places I have been and paper and envelopes...from time to time I write to friends and family as the inspiration comes to me.
On the other side I have:
A book-guide to make the best paper airplanes in the world. (Including sheets to tear out and fold)
A book-essay about the film director Wim Wenders
The 5 books of the Trilogy that started with the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.
Have you seen the movie?

What is besides your bed?