jueves, 3 de diciembre de 2009

De Navidades y la leyenda de la vaca en el matadero


 

Antes me podía quitar las canas con una pequeña pincita. Eran una o dos canitas si mucho al lado de la oreja cerca adonde van las patillas por ambos lados. Ahora me pasaría mínimo una hora en ese dilema; es una situación fútil, nada que hacer me estoy volviendo viejo y las canas como el rio hacia al mar deberán seguir su curso.

Vivo posiblemente en una de las ciudades más peligrosas del mundo; una que posiblemente está ligada a una situación de un conflicto muy fuerte y que parece reflejarse en el pensar de la gente. Es un total estado de normalidad en medio la violencia que puede definirse como una patología de carácter psicológico. Amnesia colectiva.

Toda sociedad supongo amortiza sus golpes de diferentes maneras, pero esta sociedad no llega a entender su situación porque prefiere obviar la realidad y ponerla en la parte de atrás de su subconsciente.

Es como una fabula metafórica en la que la sociedad es como un corral adyacente a un matadero en el que se encuentran miles de vacas esperando su turno. Es un roceso lento y las vacas escuchan el rumor que por ahí están matando a algunas; Adicional, en los corrillos se escucha decir que han matado hoy a unas cuantas decenas pero como no es una matanza general sino lenta y paulatina ninguna vaca se cuestiona la situación a manera de preocuparse; simplemente están matando a otras, a aquellas, esas, unas vacas lejanas, las que se hicieron allá atrás, las que debían algo. No es con nosotros. Inexorablemente, llega el momento del turno a las escépticas. Como el corral se ha llenado nuevamente de vacas, las nuevas arman corrillos y hacen correr el rumor: Han matado a unas cuantas, pero tranquilizarse que son aquellas, esas, unas vacas lejanas, las que se hicieron allá atrás, no es con nosotros.

jueves, 20 de agosto de 2009

The Potluck Dinner

I am running a potluck dinner today. Not many people know what it is despite the careful explanation. Sharing. It's all about sharing I say. I hope it will be fun.

The class on redundancy


 

So I am up there sitting in the front of the class taking a lesson from some clown lady who has less knowledge about the subject than me about making charro bean burritos. I sensed there are so many wrong things with what she is saying but I remain calm. I am sure the myriads of perfectly plausible explanations never cross their minds and I am alone fighting in the front lines. The first world mentality cannot win against the pseudo-market friendly third world mentality. I decide to shut up and just listen; maybe I'll learn something about the way the middle class thinks here. Maybe.

That doesn't last too long and I am again finding myself looking for things to entertain myself. The apps on my phone are way overplayed and I can't seem to find other distractions. Except, of course, looking at the girls around me. One is kind of cute sits in the back, has that ready to get married look. Another girl about the same age I am –later found out- sits next to me usually and we have coffee breaks together. Now the class is about her not the little town clown talking in front of me. This girl is not too bad looking either. I haven't asked her if she's got a boyfriend, but you would think she'd volunteer that kind of info no?, so today, during the coffee break I asked her out to comedy theater. A bit hasty on my part, but she mumbled a yes. That kind of yes you get from politicians' empty promises. I am not sure whether she wants to go out or just being nice. Who cares though right? Well, I found later on my way home that I do, I broke up with my last girl over 6 months ago and I am getting out of touch with the dating game. To be honest there are too many ugly girls around wanting to date and I am not that desperate to waste my time with one of them. Sorry for my superficiality.

I wish also I could build my house a lot faster –I am building a house on a small lot nearby-. This living at home has too many strains on my free will and mentality. Things are bound to change, I know it. I can't stand routine much less repetitive behavior for long. I like what I have right now, but it is not enough, I know it full well. Changes are being implemented, but I surely don't want to end up making the wrong decisions. Travelling a lot has helped in the past but I want changes within more definite boundaries so I am slowing down the pace. I am looking for the kind of changes that can only happen after you root in one place for a little while longer.

We'll see how things go. I'll keep my blog updated. I am hoping some Mbudu (like in "About Schmitt" the movie) is reading my blog through his $100 dollar solar-powered laptop in Africa, and finds my life a bit interesting. I'd like to imagine him as an assiduous reader of my blog postings. Watch out for those lions on the way home Mbudu, there are possibly more stories coming.

martes, 21 de julio de 2009

Las Manzanas

It's not always easy to find a good apple in the tropics.

As a kid I disliked apples. They tasted like a vegetable to me. That is because in the tropical cities where I lived there weren't any good apples.

I only liked green apples; they tasted more like the real thing. Back when I was in college I used to eat at the dining hall 4 or 5 apples a day. They were free, always available and a good snack to take with you. I learned to recognize the juicy ones from the "mushy" or matured flavored ones. I learned how the pointy red apples had more juice than the dull or flat crown looking ones. Apple science 101.

I like apples; again, it's just not easy to find a good apple in the tropics.

viernes, 17 de julio de 2009

Ten things I’ve learned in life and travelling


 

  1. There are no bargains in Latin America, none, zero, period. You may find a bargain from time to time but to be safe just pay average price.
  2. It's not you, it's me is actually false, it is actually and obviously YOU.
  3. People who are nicer and culturally interesting don't usually cliché themselves into stereotypes. They simply don't care.
  4. You studied psychology or philosophy basically because you couldn't do math and science. Stop telling people otherwise.
  5. If you studied languages you probably wasted 5 years in college and a lot of money. The most basic waiter in major European city can speak more languages than you, and he, in fact, has read more than you.
  6. If point 5 applies to you the sooner you face the previous fact, the faster you'll come to realize you need to study something real that can actually pay the bills.
  7. A lot of dumb people go into teaching.
  8. People, who say openly how lucky or happy they are, usually are feeling exactly the opposite.
  9. No matter how liberal or sophisticated they want to seem to be or how they want to play it, all women want basically the same. (And men do as well).
  10. Don't blame me if you disagree, I am entitled to my opinion, and I basically couldn't care less.