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.

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.

The tide is right

Under different circumstances I think it is easier to thrive.

Here it comes, here it goes again…..

Posting is such a blessing. I am not even sure I know why I do it but I know it relaxes me somewhat to express my opinions.

The major part of this year is gone and I am starting to look towards the final reviews of how the year went for me. I can say many things about me and how everything has shaped out to be for my move back home.

Things are looking well, I will prepare a review and post it. Something more interesting than this post for sure.

Mixed reactions

Yes, it has been quite a month. I have had the opportunity of realizing that I am surrounded by good people, from them depends the huge break I have taken from life. I am grateful for that. On the other hand I have run again into some very dislikable people. I have learned to deal with those unpleasant experiences, understanding this has helped me a great deal.

I have consolidated things on the personal front, a big mess that I have not been able to quite fix over many years. With the break that the personal front allows, I feel that it is time to get on to business, to push the economics side forward and make more money. I want to buy land and move on to buy my way out of this unsound world, away from the consequences that years of poverty and oppression have turned the tropical people that surround me into.

I like to travel. It pulls me away from all this mess. As the time gets closer to travel again a new opportunity to put everything on hold until better times arrive comes. I like that feeling; it makes me feel new again. I hope things get better, much better than better towards great. Things are good, but they can always be better. This is a gift poverty gives you, once you can catch a break from it you have a chance to run as far away from it that she can never find you; a chance to run so far ahead from poverty than the break lasts for the rest of your life. This run is only complete if my family is with me, this lift, being selfish for the sake of my family's well-being, is a great feeling.

I am nonetheless happier, honestly way happier than I had been over the past many years that I don't even remember when I was this normal, probably during childhood.

Happiness cannot be faked, it is a feeling that has to be genuine otherwise it is a lie to oneself, a lie that has a high cost to one's conception of reality. One cannot talk oneself into being happy, it is a feeling that can only be felt through a genuine stimulation of the mind, a process of experiencing nice things, a sense of well-being that has to be true in perception. Deceitful happiness brings terrible sadness.

I have stopped caring so much about the news. The thieves and crooks have taken over democracy and the people are asleep watching. Let them sleep while the big fat rat eats their children's supper.

De picaros y otras costumbres…..

Oh Brother where art thou?

Dice Pastor López, “lleva compadre tu cruz, y no se la des a nadie, y no se la des a nadie que todos ya llevamos una cruz…..”

Antes que nada termino ganando en una semana un tanto caotica; gano porque me doy cuenta que la gente en realidad no cambia, los malos siempre serán malos, los picaros siempre trataran de aprovecharse de otros y ese tipo de personas, supongo siempre estaran alli para hacernos mas inteligentes, para darnos cuenta que siempre estan al acecho malas personas en sitios donde la pobreza abunda.

Me paso con una compañera, tal vez ella siempre acostumbrada a abusar de otros, nunca nadie le había puesto los puntos en las íes. Se los puse yo, se enfado y me insulto. Parece ser que lo que no sabía ella es que no todos somos idiotas y que mi conciencia no vive prevenida como la de todos los demas. Lo que soy sere, y jamás soltara un ápice contra los picaros y avaros que rodean nuestro mundo.

Estas malas personas no son en realidad malas, pero si están habituadas a ciertas cosas que las hacen más vulnerables a causarles danos a otros. Las aíslan de las oportunidades. Tienden a ver a personas no como ejemplos que evolucionan sino como personas que se creen superiores a ellos. El conocimiento no es una cuestión para creerse superior pero si en muchas ocasiones hace que la gente en su percepción lo vea de esa manera.

Afortunadamente en las sociedades modernas se han creado reglas para el respeto de la convivencia. Donde estos individuos no pueden tomar ventaja de otros sin antes pagar las consecuencias. Conductas civiles ayudan a protegernos a todos de estos individuos.

Como comer Jamon Iberico/Serrano

Lo mas probable es que nadie en tierras americanas tenga la molestia de enfrentarse a una paleta ibérica armado de un cuchillo barato y un plato de cocina. Pero si algun dia sucede aquí escribo una guía practica de cómo enfrentarse a esa pata para sacarle el mayor gusto a ese jamoncito, ojala siempre sea ibérico de bellota.

Por Jose Maria Pascual, Segoviano afincado en Madrid hace 20 anos. Modificado per moi Jorge Velez.

El cuerito cafecito se quita, solo se deja el jamón y la parte blanca que es el tocino; el tocino es lo mejor, casi más que el jamón. Eso no se tira (Lo blanco), se pasa vuelta y vuelta rápida por la sarten y esta de “vicio” y crudo también con jamón, entrevetado un poco de jamón con un poco de tocino.
Todas las partes amarillas o de otro color que no sea blanco o del color del jamón se quitan; Luego se corta en finas lonchitas; Todo esto se va haciendo a la vez que se va comiendo porque si no se seca; la parte que se quede seca de día para otro lo que se tiene que hacer es con el mismo tocino con corteza que se vaya cortando se va untando sobre el jamón que quede para otro día.

Voila!