Tita, ¿dónde estás?

¿Dónde estás?

¿En dónde estás?

Busco la luz de tu mirada
en las tinieblas que han invadido,
que se han instalado,
que habitan,
tus ahora marchitos ojos.

El tiempo pasa
y tú te vas acomodando en otro lugar,
un lugar de sombras, inaccesible,
desconocido, cerrado.

Tú,
cada vez más lejos de mí,
de nosotros,
de este mundo.

Yo,
sin poder comprender,
menos aún aceptar,
el que no estés, estando.

La misma pregunta
resuena en mi cabeza:
"¿Cómo estás aquí...
si ya te has ido tan lejos?"

Sobre la belleza y su desnaturalización

Hay una canción de Alexander Acha que me encanta, se llama "Te amo". Ésta, al inicio dice:

"amo toda tu figura; modelo de lo increíble; belleza y virtud en una..."

y cada vez que la oigo pienso que a mí me parece que belleza y virtud son una misma cosa. Aunque en realidad, el concepto de "belleza" es todavía más relativo que el de "virtud", y generalmente, mucho más parcializado y materializado.

Me puse a pensar en lo que es la "belleza"; por lo general, la reacción inmediata es relacionar la belleza con lo físico, lo material. Y con la mujer, principalmente.

Hoy por hoy, aún sobreviven algunos estándares locales y culturales de lo considerado "bello", pero la globalización está conquistando rápidamente al mundo entero, y es probable que pronto se pueda hablar de un concepto "universal" de la belleza, es decir, de la belleza física, y principalmente, de la belleza física femenina.

Para mí la belleza está en todo: se trata de un concepto no sólo relativo sino también super abstracto. Abarca todas las dimensiones conocidas: lo físico, material; lo espiritual, emocional; lo humano, lo animal, lo vegetal; lo perceptible, lo imperceptible; lo visible, lo invisible; lo conocido, lo desconocido...todo.

Yo, personalmente, no encuentro una contradicción bipolar entre lo bello y lo feo, sobre todo porque ambos conceptos son (insuperablemente) relativos. Además, hace algún tiempo que la persona más bella que conozco me enseñó a eliminar la palabra "feo/a" de mi vocabulario personal, sobre todo cuando me refería a personas. Y tenía mucha razón...definitivamente.

Envuelta por esta reflexión interior, entré a youtube e introduje la palabra "belleza"; los vídeos que salieron me sorprendieron mucho- principalmente por tratarse, en gran parte, de vídeos de concientización acerca del peligro de la palabra "belleza", refiriéndose a la versión globalizada y universalizada de la palabra, especialmente (pero no únicamente) por las revistas de moda y por Hollywood.

Me puse a pensar entonces en lo mucho que se ha transformado el concepto de la belleza a través de la historia, variando -obviamente- en cada contexto histórico y ubicación geográfica; entonces, me di cuenta de cuántos factores afectaron en cada momento al concepto: religión, cultura, clima, época, moda, necesidad, geografía, ideología, política, arte, música, cine...y la lista continúa.

Resulta así que el concepto de lo que es "bello" no es sólo relativo, sino también extremadamente versátil. Peligrosamente versátil incluso.

De cualquier manera, las cosas son diferentes en este siglo XXI. Con la globalización de la tecnología y comunicación se están rompiendo todo tipo de esquemas, y me atrevería a decir que el mundo se encuentra bajo un fenómeno que lo cambiará por siempre (y no me refiero al cambio climático): la homogenización.

Todo cambio tiene ventajas y desventajas- hay que explotar las primeras y cuidarse de las segundas. Es necesario mantener bajo control esta "homogenización" de la que somos sujetos, sobre todo cuando se trata de aspectos que afectan nuestras vidas personales e interpersonales tan directamente como el concepto de la "belleza"- y puede sonar estúpido darle tanta importancia a una cualidad tan abstracta y tan absolutamente subjetiva como la belleza, pero no lo es.

Los seres humanos somos más vulnerables de lo que quisiéramos ser, o aceptar. Lo que los demás piensen de nosotros nos importa, en diferente medida, pero de manera segura e inevitable. Muchas veces inconscientemente estamos intentando complacer a nuestra comunidad, a nuestra sociedad, y constantemente estamos comparándonos con lo que -en ese momento- es considerado "bello", el "modelo ideal". Para visualizar esta idea encontré varios vídeos, entre ellos:



La campaña de Dove por la "verdadera belleza" es sólo un ejemplo de cómo está afectando a la gente, especialmente a las mujeres, la creada "imagen universal" de lo que es la belleza, la imagen sobre la cual todos somos juzgados como bellos o feos. La existencia de este tipo de campañas así como la gran cantidad de vídeos que se encuentran en la web acerca del "efecto photoshop" (de cómo la belleza idealizada que vemos en las revistas no es real y es por tanto imposible intentar alcanzarla), así como los millones de vídeos de apoyo y concientización disponibles online acerca de desórdenes alimenticios como la anorexia y la bulimia, cada vez más comunes, todo esto- significa que la deformación y la estandarización del concepto de la belleza, que es naturalmente libre, abstracto, subjetivo y relativo, tiene graves consecuencias sobre la gente, sobre nosotros.

Christina Aguilera escribió "I'm beautiful" hace unos años, y creo que con su video captó muy bien lo que ha sucedido con el concepto de lo bello, y el problema que generalizarlo y estandarizarlo representa, pues lo malo de crear estándares es que siempre se excluye, y eso es incorrecto cuando no existe una base justa para hacerlo. Repito: la belleza es abstracta y subjetiva, no existen normas o requisitos aceptables. De ninguna forma.

Creo que no soy la única que piensa que crear estas normas sobre el concepto de la belleza, y peor aún, intentar hacerlas generales, está muy mal. Existen esfuerzos e iniciativas que abarcan desde lo musical, hasta lo didáctico, lo literario, lo práctico...desde el entretenimiento de Disney y Pixar, con "Shrek", hasta el mismo Hollywood, con "Penelope" por ejemplo; desde la industria musical, con incontables ejemplos; asimismo, la campaña de "Dove" muestra el interés de productos comerciales en romper las normas creadas y permitir que la belleza vuelva a su estado natural.

El mensaje central de esta elaborada y posiblemente no correctamente transmitida reflexión personal es: la belleza está en todo lo que existe, incluyéndome a mí y así a cada persona. La belleza no debe de verse como un reto a alcanzar; lo que debe verse como una meta es el potencializar y explotar al máximo la belleza que ya traemos con simplemente existir. Y yo me refiero a la belleza que es sinónimo de virtud (porque creo que esa es la que verdaderamente importa).

Buenas noches.

YouTube Symphony Orchestra

The YouTube Symphony Orchestra is truly a fantastic idea:

Traditionally, auditioning for an orchestra means appearing alone onstage in a nerve-jangling performance before grizzled veteran musicians. In the Google way, it means posting on the company’s video-sharing site, YouTube, for online judging by the professionals and then, ultimately, the YouTube universe.

Daniel J. Wakin for New York Times (December 1st, 2008)

This special project proves not only that YouTube is evolving into a more serious video sharing website but, most importantly, that it is actually becoming a significant global tool for communicating and sharing relevant information and knowledge. Everything from political debates, authors@google, pledges and promoting of all sort of causes, films and documentaries...you can find there.

YouTube's content is quickly becoming of a better quality and substance, and I'm glad to see it being used for the amazing cause of music. This project, the YTSO (YouTube Symphony Orchestra), represents a wonderful opportunity for musicians all over the world, giving them a chance to make themselves noticed and the possibility of winning a spot in the YTSO Concert in Carnegie Hall in New York City in April. Being in this concert surely represents some high-quality networking and who knows what else- a career in the music business perhaps? Anyways, if I were a musician I'd say it's worth a shot.

Classical Music isn't as popular as it should be these days...I think it's enough to say that I know more about Britney Spears career than Tan Dun's. And I think I'm not being judgemental by saying the quality of both these styles and artist varies enormously...classical music needs to be revalued and appreciated- and I think this project is giving us all the chance to do so, making this gender of music more accessible and bringing it to a commonly visited website.

I invite all musicians to audition...this is a great opportunity!!!

YTSO

P.S. There was an article about the YTSO in the New York Times today. To read it Click Here.

I don't care what you say. I'm gonna be a horse when I grow up.

“Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything.”

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. quotes (American Writer, b.1922)

Disappointment is defined as "the feeling of dissatisfaction that follows the failure of expectations to manifest" according to wikipedia. And tonight, under a beautiful-round-yellow-full-moon (probably looking the most beautiful i've ever seen it)that's exactly how I feel. Disappointed.

I realise I'm a very lucky person. There's not nearly enough reasons for me to be sad or feel bad about in my life. I'll confess I feel very selfish and guilty when I'm feeling down because I know there's so much pain and suffering -the real kind- going on in the world that I feel like I don't deserve a single tear and end up feeling stupid.

Still. I'm a small little person with the weight of her own world on her shoulders, and tonight it feels heavy. I'm getting older. Age has brought me many wonderful things...time has gone through me, leaving me with many lessons learned...and even though I have the certainty I'll always be too naive to know as much as I could, I've earned some knowledge through this twenty-four years...and I can say that knowledge, as much as it sets me free, it makes me ache. Sometimes I wish I knew a little less, I wish I'd seen a little less, I wish I'd heard a little less...

But tonight isn't about the world and how we need to fix it and so much of the work isn't getting done...I feel disappointed about that everyday. Tonight is all about me (old-selfish me). I'm disappointed because I'm 24 years-old and need to grow up. I'm disappointed because I'm not doing a very good job.

I'm a grown-up who's holding on to her previous self. The reason is clear: being a kid is so much easier, not to mention funner; you get to believe you'll get what you give; you think being in love with two boys at the same time is -not only possible- but that it can actually turn out ok; you get to imagine you'll end up with that (very cruel if I may) pre-Shrek disney-world-created image of prince charming, who will not only give you what you ask for, but more, much more; you imagine you'll be -the one- able to fix the world; you actually believe your grandparents will see you graduate from high school, college, get married, have children...and you actually think that not only will they be there, but that they'll always be those caring and loving creatures, the sweetest you ever knew, forever; you believe all those you love will be around always, to celebrate with you your achievements and cry with you your loses, always by your side.

But the grown-up reality is a bit different: you should always give, but shouldn't hold your breath while waiting to receive in the same way (if you did you would probably suffocate); hearts get broken and frustration strikes over and over again; prince charming turns out to be an ordinary person with as much qualities as flaws (just like yourself); the world and its reality (realities) turn out to be far more complicated and messed-up than you could have ever imagined; your loved ones pass away, and before they do, they change...those who used to protect you and take care of you start to need your protection and care, as they start to crumble; people leave, forget, stop caring...they miss birthdays, graduations, funerals...and you find yourself alone, as you always were but never knew.

Yep...growing up is hard. Life is tough, but only as tough as you allow it to be. I need to learn to appreciate people as they are, seeing in them my own reflection, and maybe then I'll be able to take life as it is, while enjoying the ride. Stop expecting...start accepting. That would be a good start.

I always knew life was wonderful...I just had a different concept of what "wonderful" was. But I'll be ok, who says one can't adjust? I'll find magic in this new world of mine. I just need some time.

Sharkwater

This film really shocked me- not only was I completely clueless about how endangered sharks currently are, all over the world, but I was also unaware of how important they are to life on earth.

I had never been specially fond of sharks, but I couldn't help feeling outraged and saddened by how savagely human beings are acting in the ocean, not respecting life under or above the water. We're acting irresponsibly and unconsciously (and I say "we are" because if "we are" witnessing it but not preventing it "we are" allowing it and therefore "we are" also responsible).

How wrong shark fishing/finning is (specially in the amount and ways it has come to be done commonly) isn't just about the terrible effects it will cause (and is already causing) on human life and all other forms of life on earth, but mainly about the complete lack of principles, respect and conscience it shows. What have we become? We respond only to money. Wherever there is money, we shall go. Whatever brings money to our hands, we will do. No matter how and where, no matter who and when...money calls the shots around here.

We're supposed to continue to evolve as humans, not turn into monsters (I think?). We must choose another path. Happiness isn't in having. We have forgotten all the basics, we are blinded by the desire to own, and we forget one simple but fundamental truth: one cannot own, one cannot be, one cannot anything, if one doesn't exist. We will cease to exist if we don't start acting responsibly towards ourselves and others...people, animals, the environment.

Let's wake up from this terrible nightmare we have created for ourselves and start changing things around here, shall we?

Pledge to save sharks. See the movie and tell your friends that saving sharks from shark finning and extinction is something you're concerned about. Your pledge will make a difference. Click here.

In spite of it all..."I'm yours" (world)

did anyone get the title? haha it doesn't matter. I love this song... I could sing it all day long, with all my heart (every time).

Well you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks
Now I'm trying to get back
Before the cool done run out
I'll be giving it my bestest
And nothing's gonna to stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some

But I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love love
Listen to the music of the moment, maybe sing with me
All - ah peaceful melody
And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved love loved love loved

So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours

Scooch on closer dear
And I will nibble your ear

I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and laughed
I guess what I'm be saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons
It's what we aim to do
Our name is our virtue

I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours

Well no no, well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours
Please don't, please don't, please don't
There's no need to complicate
Cause our time is short
This is out fate, I'm yours

12 años "El Periódico"

Hoy la prensa anunciaba los doce años de existencia de "El Periódico". En ocasión de ello Jose Rubén Zamora, presidente del diario y guatemalteco empedernido, incluyó un especial titulado "Los demonios del Estado de visita en casa: crónica de un allanamiento".

El especial es de hecho una breve reflexión de desahogo personal y sentida denuncia (24 intensas páginas). Se trata principalmente el allanamiento que fue realizado en junio del año 2003 en casa de Zamora, en presencia de su familia y como un acto de abuso de poder, ilegalidad y que resultó -no extañamente- en impunidad, incapacidad y negligencia del (patético) sistema judicial guatemalteco(el hecho se dio durante la presidencia de Portillo, nuestro inocente ex-Presidente y al parecer -sólo en Guatemala es esto posible, o más bien, y lamentablemente...no sólo aquí- próximamente diputado, porque aunque parezca una imposible pero no última burla y bofetada a la cara del pueblo guatemalteco, aquí con conectes se hace lo que se quiere).

A pesar de padecer de la enfermedad crónica del optimismo, junto a una infección -que no se me quita- de ingenuidad, me cuesta tanto, por mucho que me esfuerce, absorber la "realidad" de Guatemala. Vivimos en un país que recién cumple poco más de una década de encontrarse "en paz", y a todos nos gusta creer que las cosas han cambiado, pero a veces me pregunto si algún día cambiarán. Me pregunto si es siquiera posible.

Recientemente han llegado a mí dos frases que se han quedado grabadas en mí y me hacen daño, pero me obligan a des-censurar mis ojos. Jose Rubén Zamora se refiere a Guatemala como

"este laberinto perfecto, es decir sin salida, que llamamos Guatemala"

y yo en ella aún distingo el -bastante débil- brillo de la esperanza, manchada de sufrimiento y decepción. Así mismo, en el maravillosa novela "Con Pasión Absoluta" de la autora guatemalteca Carol Zardetto se reflexiona acerca de los múltiples complejos e históricos problemas que aquejan a nuestro apesumbrado país, y se lee

"Si la razón dominara nuestras emociones, sin duda todos los largaríamos del país, encargando al último en salir que apague la luz..."

Sin duda alguna el periodismo libre es de fundamental importancia para el progreso y el combate de los males enrraizados que por años han estado a punto de derrumbar el árbol -una vez verde y fuerte- de nuestra querida y maltratada Guatemala.

El trabajo -nada fácil o seguro- de todos y todas las periodistas que luchan y se arriesgan todos los días con el afán de llevar la verdad a los hogares guatemaltecos y construir, de ella, una nueva nación que sea democrática y consciente, debe de ser aplaudido y agradecido.

Felicitaciones a "El Periódico", a todo su staff y a su valiente y trabajador Jose Rubén Zamora.

Yes, you can...YOU DID!!!

Congratulations elected-President Barack Obama!!!

I'm happy with the results of today's presidential election- the world needs change, we need change. And this particular and historic moment will hopefully bring GOOD change to the United States and to the rest of the world, a present world were huge global problems are waiting to be solved.

I like to think this problems will soon be solved (or begin to truly be solved), and hopefully they will in creative, innovative and clever ways. That will be the start of new/better times.

The election of Barack Obama really sends out a strong message to me. Change is happening, change is possible, and that's a good thing, because change equals (at least to me) opportunities and hope.


--- I must also say that McCain's defeat speech was very classy.

La desmoralización de la sociedad

Estas últimas semanas las he pasado en un estado mental y emocional algo "x" ("x" como en una ecuación, como algo indefinido). Sin razón alguna, o más bien por diversas razones, tan abstractas como concretas, me siento bastante frustrada y confundida. Una de las razones, una que es más colectiva que particular, es la condición moral que la sociedad guatemalteca refleja.

Cualquiera que sabe algo acerca de la situación de mi país sabe que las palabras a las que comúnmente se le asocia se resumen en derivaciones o consecuencias de las siguientes: pobreza, corrupción, impunidad, exclusión, centralismo, oligarquías, racismo patriarcal...entre otras (nótese que me refiero en este caso exclusivamente a los aspectos negativos de Guate).

Las consecuencias de una historia nacional repleta de errores políticos han probado no ser únicamente económicas y sociales (dimensiones fundamentales de la vida de las personas que definen no ineludiblemente pero sí significativamente su destino) sino también culturales y peor que eso, morales.

Asumir que las complejas realidades políticas, sociales, culturales y morales de nuestra sociedad no están fuerte e inevitablemente relacionadas es no sólo incorrecto e irreal, sino también ingenuo y absurdo, pero hay que admitir que, por suerte, existe un cierto nivel de independencia entre las primeras tres y la moral. Es decir, con fuerza de voluntad, una persona puede superar la realidad política, social o cultural que la rodea y tomar la decisión consciente y -exclusivamente personal- de vivir bajo las normas morales que considere válidas, aún si éstas resultan no ser congruentes con el contexto en el que vive.

Con tristeza soy testigo de la realidad moral de la sociedad guatemalteca a inicios del siglo xxi. Todos y todas las que aquí estamos lo somos, aunque voluntaria o inconscientemente evitemos tomar el tiempo de reflexionar acerca de ello y de aceptarlo. Esto lo sé porque la inmoralidad a la que me refiero se manifiesta de mil y una maneras todos los días y nadie de ella escapa. Y no me refiero a inmoralidad en términos religiosos, sino puramente éticos, universales, humanos.

Las relaciones que hacen funcionar esta sociedad, las de naturaleza familiar, de amistad, profesional-laboral, política, comercial, etcétera, parecen encontrarse bastante corrompidas o bastante al borde de estarlo. Es preocupante.

Los guatemaltecos y guatemaltecas necesitamos recobrar la costumbre de procesar las decisiones que tomamos, grandes y pequeñas, por el filtro de la moral, de la ética universal, la más básica humana. No se trata de algo secundario, sino de un asunto importantísimo, vital, que hemos olvidado y desestimado, restándole importancia, ignorándolo, y que está llevando a nuestra sociedad a condiciones nunca antes conocidas.

La vida humana hoy por hoy, en Guatemala, no vale más que una laptop, o incluso un celular. Cada vez se hacen más comunes -y socialmente aceptables- el asesinato, el robo, la infidelidad, el tráfico de todo tipo de mercancías -incluso la mercancía humana (no sólo en forma de trata de blancas, sino también en forma de adopciones ilegales prácticamente comerciales), la corrupción en todas sus formas y niveles (desde la que se da en las aulas de los colegios hasta la que se da en el Congreso de la República)...la total indiferencia, la inconsciencia y la inmoralidad se han convertido en los pilares de esta nueva sociedad que estamos construyendo, pilares que se sostienen en el terreno del temor, la falta de interés -traducida en conformismo y aceptación del status- y la desesperanza. Nos hemos convertido en seres humanos des-humanizados, en seres insensibles, a-morales.

Como joven guatemalteca, veo con los ojos llenos de lágrimas mi realidad nacional y sé que no esta no es la sociedad que quiero, y menos aún la que merezco, la que merecemos todos.

El cambio nunca es fácil, pero siempre es posible. Yo sé que no quiero esperar, pero también sé que mi fuerza, aunque grande, es limitada. Nuestro futuro, el propio, el de nuestros hijos y hasta el de nuestros nietos, está en las manos de todos y de cada uno. Yo sé que puedo, pero no puedo sola.

´

Yet another nation's independence dream

I'm walking the streets of Madrid in a hot summer afternoon and life is beautiful. And then, there it is, staring at me...the frightened look of a boy that couldn't be over the age of fifteen in a poster that expressed the feel of yet another nation that, in the 21st century, dreams of becoming an independent state.

The Kurds (Kurdish:کورد) are an Iranian-speaking ethnolinguistic group mostly inhabiting a region that includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey and which is often referred to as Kurdistan. Kurdish communities can also be found in Lebanon, Armenia, Azerbaijan and, in recent decades, some European countries and the United States (see Kurdish diaspora). They speak Kurdish, an Indo-European language of the Iranian branch. The origins of the group and its relationships with historical entities and names are complex and disputed.

(Wikipedia)

The largest part of the Kurd population lives in Turkey (10.6 to 15 million) followed by Iran (4.8 to 6.6 million), Iraq (4 to 6 million), Syria (0.9 to 2 million) and many more also reside in Asia, the Caucasus, Europe and America. They are pretty spread but still manage to keep a collective identity alive.

The (sad) truth is that this kind of dream tends to carry blood. There has been, and continues to be, blood spilled over "Kurdistan".

I wonder if things will ever be different...if the world (us, people) is/will ever be able to handle things differently...my guess is: yes. Let's hope the Kurds shall be as lucky in the near future and make history, while also proving me right :o)

my first -and hopefully not last- lecture!

Last Tuesday I gave my first lecture ever. It was pretty exciting, although I felt a bit nervous at first.

The subject was very extensive and that made it scarier. "The Political, Economic and Social Situation of Central America and The Caribbean". I felt pretty confident talking about Central America, but not so much when it came to the Caribbean, for two reasons: a) The Caribbean includes over sixteen countries (it depends on the criteria taken into account), while Central America only six or maybe even seven (if you include Panama). I'm Centralamerican, and my education has always been a bit Central America-centric, if you know what I mean. And b) The Caribbean is much more heterogeneous and diverse than Central America is. Finding similarities between Guatemala and El Salvador and making generalizations of it was a lot easier than trying to do the same between Cuba, Haiti and Puerto Rico.

Anyhow, I was excited about this lecture and happy that I had been asked to do it. I stood in front of about 30 seminarians and one nun for over an hour and basically didn't stop talking. A lot of questions raised and the result was an intense discussion and a profound reflection of over 35 Latinamerican souls about the reality we are part of and our commitment to transform it.

At the end we all felt worried, frustrated and, most importantly, committed. I felt this was a good first lecture.

Ingrid Betancourt was finally set free!

I'm so happy. Today is a memorable day for Colombia and the rest of the world. An outstanding woman, among about fifteen other people, got her life back today.

Ingrid Betancourt was kidnapped by the Colombian FARC guerrilla over six years ago. Recent photos, a letter and a video gave no hope of her survival. I have no doubt this was an incredibly tough experience to survive...I imagine even she wondered, for the over two thousand days she was kept captive in the middle of the Colombian jungle, if she was going make it.

I can't even imagine how horrible it must be to have your life taken away from you in such a cruel and radical way. If you're killed you no longer care, for you are dead. But to be kidnapped...and for so long...it must be the most frustrating experience. Especially for such a person: a prepared woman full hope, strength and the will to make things change in her troubled country. God, it frustrates me to even think about it.

I'm so happy for her and the others (and their families and friends) and I hope that they will recover from this as much they possibly can. I hope Ingrid Betancourt does, and if she does, I know she can make great things happen. I'm hoping for it with all my heart.

July is here! and, I'm happy I'm a woman!

And just like that, July comes upon us with its heavy rains and beautiful afternoons! Every time a new month begins, I feel excited, it's like a little New Year's Eve for me. Related to that is my next thought, which is...I'm glad I'm a woman.

I was talking to a good friend on the phone the other night. We talked for a long time, just like we used to when we were in high school. The subject was pretty usual amongst girls: we were talking about love and about boys...about loving boys. I was pointing out how I thought that when it came to relationships, and life in general (except for the -could be- natural impulse that men have to play the role of the "providers" and "protectors" that even now, that women are emancipating and changing the way traditional families and societies work, it's almost inevitable and must be a huge source of stress throughout their lives), being a man was much easier -maybe I mean simpler- than being a woman: I find myself, and the rest of women, to be extremely complicated. Complicated in different ways and levels, but complicated all the same.

Being a woman implies a lot of rules and expectations. There is a pressure on all women to be true to the idea that the world has created of what a woman is and/or how she should be: what she should think and want, how she should look and behave...this isn't always easy to deal with. And even though today there is a universal effort to make men and women live and work in equal terms and have the same opportunities, this is still far from being a reality.

Being a woman also entails a lot of physical and emotional challenges. Hormones are a real Judas, if you know what a mean.

Anyways, while I continued making my point, I started to see how being a woman, in all its complications, is a blessing. And I'm not saying that being a man isn't, but you see, if you're a woman you will not doubt me when I assure you that a woman's life is filled with magic. We pay attention to the smallest things in everything, we get excited about practically anything, we make each day a magical journey and fill it with emotion, imagination and excitement.

So...I'm happy July is here and I'm happy I'm a woman. I'm conscious about its privileges and complications, and I wouldn't want to experience this world through other eyes than my own. I live in my own world. I love my own world.

Religion vrs God

Religion is a mechanism through out which people intend to connect to God.

God is humanly indecipherable, but generally speaking, God is everything that is good.

We humans only know love and kindness through ourselves, through our human relations. Therefore, I think it would be correct to describe God as everything that is good in ourselves: truth, love, respect, compassion, solidarity, kindness.

History shows Religion has been the cause of many God-opposite human actions. In the name of God, people have done all sorts of injustices and cruelties for centuries, and continue to do so.

Why must we all try to impose our beliefs onto others? Who ever said diversity was a bad thing? Why do so many believe so? Why is diversity so hard to accept and embrace through respect and tolerance?

Modernity came upon humanity with secularism and technology, "making life simpler". It's impressive that we yet continue to fight the same fights and behave in the same intolerant judgemental ways, even though we've seen the same ending play over and over again: suffering, hate, unhappiness. The exact opposite of what all humans are after one way or another.

It seems like Religion is once again becoming an existential issue in human lives, other than a social, traditional, cultural, historical mere coincidence no one has control over. And it is dividing people, instead of uniting.

I understand that people turn to God in the search of comfort, consolation and hope. This are tough times and we humans are being challenged in several ways and levels.

We need God. And if we look for it in each other's kindness we'll find God, a universal God that:

- is all love
- is all tolerance
- inspires us all to struggle to overcome all challenges and difficulties
- awakens in us the urge to never stop trying to understand and forgive
- makes us want to never stop trying to be happy no matter what
- reveals the pointlessness of hate and resentment

I know that's the God I want to believe in. And I'm not saying that Religion is a bad thing at all- what I'm trying to say is that Religion should never be confused with God. It is human-made and therefore imperfect. We should never confuse the point of Religion, which is to bring people closer to God (God being everything that is good). Religion is not bigger than God, and God should not be antagonized in the name of it. It's simply not logical is it?

Dream and/or Nightmare?

Immigration. South-North/East-West.

I've been an immigrant, and I'll tell you, it didn't feel like it was a good thing. I've always been a bit naive, and when i moved to Spain en 2005 i expected the experience to be something like the one i had had in Minnesota, when i was 13 and then when i was 15, as a middle and high school exchange student.

Of course being a teenage foreign exchange student isn't the same as being a university exchange student, and of course it isn't anything like being a middle-aged unemployed desperate undocumented immigrant. But I still imagined my year-stay in Spain would be different. I didn't know many Spaniards and was very unaware of the impact that undocumented immigrants, especially African undocumented immigrants, had already had in the average Spanish mentality and in their attitude towards foreigners.

I don't know about the "being an immigrant" before my time, but for what i read in history books, it was never such a great thing, but it was also never as un-great as it is now.

With Silvio Berlusconi (Italy's Prime Minister) talking about a "project" that would make illegal immigration a crime punishable with jail time (up to 4 years)and the U.S. Immigration Forces operations multiplying and strengthening the measures against undocumented immigrants, being an immigrant seems anything but appealing. The other day I hear on tve (Spanish tv) Spanish professionals talk about also punishing illegal immigration with jail time. And it's not like other European countries like France, Germany, Sweden and Great Britain, haven't already adopted similar measures. They have. The question is: is this the smartest thing to do?

Every sovereign country has the right to choose who to let in and for how long. We each make our own rules (based in a few universal principles). That's the way it works. The problem is, that as simple as it is, this are very complex times- and we need to come up with new, fresh and smarter solutions. We need to look at the bigger picture. It isn't even a question of "humanity" or "solidarity" (although it would be nice); it is about being able to coexist in peace and contentment in this world that continues to prove itself to be completely co-dependent and on the verge of disaster.

Harsh immigration measures clearly have "collateral damage". This damage might make the effort not even worth it. Countries have every right to fight illegal immigration, but they shouldn't do it in ways that intensify xenophobia and racism. This is a high price to pay that can surely lead to bigger problems.

People need to understand that even if undocumented immigrants are acting outside the law, illegally, they are not criminals. Most of the people that take this chance, leaving their homeland, their family, their identity and overall their lives, they are solely doing it in the hopes of giving their family a better life. I mean, do you think that anyone would want to leave their own home to go to a strange country, to live in hiding, constantly scared and excluded? I don't think so. Most illegal immigrants are nothing but hard working people trying to make a decent living, most times not even for themselves, but for their loved ones. It hurts me to see them made out to be criminals and thieves...it isn't fair.

Last month 389 Latinamerican undocumented immigrants were caught by immigration forces while working in Postville, Iowa (U.S.); 287 of them were Guatemalan. They were abused and mistreated. Most of them have been deported back home, and 42 of them remain in prison, after a 5 year-long sentence was dictated on them for the the offense of falsification of documentation and theft of identity. The sentence was later reduced to 5 months thanks to the efforts of Guatemalan Lawyers trying to help.

Day by day, Guatemalans and other Central and Latinamericans pay quantities that go over 3,000 euros to get -illegally- into the U.S.; most of them are caught on the way, and those who make it are aware that there's no safe place, since they can be caught while in the supermarket, the street or at work. Last year 23,062 Guatemalans were deported from the U.S.

So much for the American dream...it's more like a nightmare.

Official Democrat Presidential Candidate Obama?

It seems so...! Good for him!

Graffiti series: what Guatemalan people are saying today (III)

"No más muertes" = "No more deaths"

No explination needed for this one...

wet and hungry

it has been raining for days and it's not expected to stop any time soon. i have nothing against rain -especially on a lazy Sunday-, but the truth is that with every drop my heart aches thinking of all the people that are endangered by the rising rivers and the loosened soil. Guatemalan homes, especially in the rural areas, are not exactly what you would call safe or strong. not at all.

as the saying goes, "it's raining over wet soil" (I'm not sure that's the correct translation), because there are so many other issues Guatemalan people are concerned about right now...the number one being their empty, mistreated, unsatisfied stomachs.

i can't believe that oil prices continue to rise in times like this, when there are so many problems the world has to deal with. now food, as pretty much everything you can buy, is getting more expensive, and as more people drop under the poverty line, the people that have been there for a while see their life conditions worsen, when not even they could imagine it possible.

I'm sad and worried. I'm giving all the sweaters and coats i don't need away. this rainy season comes in particularly strong in particularly weak times. a friend told me on Sunday (as he tried to cheer me up) that when the word "crisis" was written in Chinese it was composed of two characters, one of which represents danger, and the other opportunity. it got me! it seemed pretty reasonable, especially after witnessing all that is being made and achieved in the name of the universal cause of stopping global warming and "saving the planet" (=saving ourselves). and just now, as i looked it up (or should i say: "as i googled it") i found that this is a "misconception" or "etymological fallacy"...! oh well, i don't care, I'm sticking to my friend's version...i like it better. i believe it actually makes sense.

a still uncertain ending

the man in charge of the elevator said with a sigh "another day of clear roads" as we were going up to the 19th floor of a crystal see-through building. "no buses today. again" (...) "diesel has gotten too expensive".

this happened on Friday, and the situation has only gotten worse. national police pick-up trucks drive around the city filled with people whose route buses are either charging too much or temporarily out of service. the elevator man told me: "I wouldn't ride in a police pick-up, even if it's a free ride"--- I guess he was old enough to remember what riding there meant during the Internal Conflict years, especially the early 80's.

guate city out of fuel

I'm a bit late in reporting the news, but I wasn't able to find the time to write in the last couple of weeks. Sorry

During the week that went from May 5th to 11th the situation in Guate City was pretty tense. Due to nonconformity to the City's Mayor Álvaro Arzú Policy on heavy transport vehicles transit hours restrictions (established as an attempt to reduce traffic on rush hour) vehicles transporting fuel and gas to the city were kept out by a heavy transport pilots' strike for almost the whole week.

Whilst in 2004 the restrictions were set from 6.00 to 8.30 and from 17.00 to 20.00, they're currently set from 5.00 to 9.00 and from 16.00 to 21.00. Pilots argue that they're forced, by the Mayor's Policy, to travel exclusively during night hours and that this increases the risks of being assaulted or having accidents. They are not happy.

People in the city panicked and, of course, were fast to get to the next gas station to fill up their cars' tanks. By Monday night gas prices had already raised and by Wednesday, you couldn't get gas anywhere. It was chaos. Some public collective transportation routes were suspended because the buses had no gas, and many people were unable to use their cars for the same reason.

Pilots and Government weren't able to find an agreement and on Thursday 7th President Colom decreed a "Contingency Plan" applying to the whole country, which according to Wikipedia "is a plan devised for a specific situation when things could go wrong" but in simple words it means that the Government is given more power over the citizenship rights, for a specific period of time.

And it worked, because by Friday you could fill up your car's tank in basically any gas station in the city. Anyhow...the controversy continues and I've already had a few people advise me to fill up my car's tank again, since rumor says this week the same problem will re-appear.

Pilots want no restrictions at all. This is not possible. Traffic in the city is unbearable as it is--- nevertheless, they must be heard and listened to, by the citizenship and by the Government. Guatemalan people...we tend to demonize any popular claim, but we mustn't; the heart of our so very desired Democracy is in popular participation and in the politization of the citizenship (I know, "politization" isn't a word, but hopefully it helps explain what I'm trying to say). In the Pilots case, it's true that they're put in a vulnerable position by this specific Guatemala City's Policy. Albeit, it is a necessary measure. Perhaps some other arrangement can be think of: more security on the roads, a better pay, an agreement with their customers (who argue about their products' arrival time)...no?

Dialogue and true compromise from the Government. That's what this country needs!

It's kind of ironic that all over the city -starting last week I believe- you can find Government payed billboards that appear as something like a crossroad where one way says "Chapuces" which means, in popular slang, short-term solutions, something apparent, not real. The other way says something like "real solutions". And it shows we're (Guatemalans) taking the road that leads to "real solutions" with Álvaro Colom's Government. I don't know about you, but it seems to me that the "Contingency Plan" was a bit of a "chapuz". I don't pretend to understand anything at all, but that's just the impression it gave me. Oh well...

Anyways...hopefully this problem will soon be solved and we'll all live happily ever after. Mmm

Here's some of the Government's Propaganda I just mentioned:

you, me, the world between

LOVE is so natural and yet so indecipherable. maybe not all love is right. maybe love makes mistakes sometimes. no...i don't really believe that. how can love ever be wrong? why it pops out of the most unlikely and unexpected situations, places, moments and people, no one will ever know. i don't expect to. i just wonder...

there is one thing i do know. only good things can come from love. so, i guess that's the truth that breaks the possibility of love ever being wrong. it can't be wrong: love can never be wrong.

the Internet and people's morbidity

I just saw Diane Lane's latest movie: "Untraceable". Regular movie, but interesting subject. In www.imdb.com (a must stop before watching any movie...international movie data base)the tagline says: "A cyber killer has finally found the perfect accomplice: You."

It's quite sick but sadly, very believable. A few people are kidnapped (one at a time)and slowly killed in very cruel ways, this being transmitted LIVE on the web. The more people that go into the site, the faster the person dies. And this being publicly known, people still go into the site and watch.

I know this could easily happen. In Guatemala, and probably everywhere. Every time there's a car accident traffic gets crazy mainly because people stop to watch or drive by insanely slow. There appears to be something disgusting and yet fascinating about blood and human suffering/cruelty.

I've had friends recommend and send me via e-mail videos of people being killed, Iraqis being tortured and executed, US soldiers being murdered by young boys...all sorts and levels of cruelty and inhumanity, that people are interested in watching, some would even pay for it.

CRAZY!!! Why would anyone want to watch anything like it??? I can't understand.

Guatemala: Never Again!!!

It's easy -especially for my generation and the younger ones- to forget, or rather ignore, what the internal conflict that held Guatemala back for over 36 years was. It is easy to take "peace" for granted and think of Guatemala as nothing but a third-world country, ruled by violence, poverty, inequity and injustice.

I do, sometimes. I allow myself to become overwhelmed by what I see everyday as I step outside the door, and I forget I am living in a young democracy that has a long (long, long) way to go, but that has already walked a while.

I am not saying, by any means, that Guatemala's current situation is acceptable at all. New challenges arise day by day, and there's a lot of work to do, starting by changing ourselves, Guatemalans, our sense of responsibility and our self awareness of power.

10 years ago, Monseñor Gerardi was killed. He was killed because he dared to defy our country's reality and decided to change it. He broke the silence and helped other Guatemalans to do it also. Guatemala: Nunca Mas (Guatemala: Never Again) was the product of a lot of a lot of work and courage. It was released on April 24th, 1998 and Monseñor Gerardi was found killed at his home two days later.

He died, but his work lives. His faith in the power of truth has liberated us and allowed our country to move on. We must forgive, not forget. Never forget.

Africa

I've always felt something special for Africa. Always wanted to go, see, smell, taste, learn, live, listen...Africa. Just the word "Africa" makes me feel something, does that happen to you?

Of course it is inevitable to feel a sort of compassion and resentment towards Africa's situation today (and ok, for at least the past couple centuries...). Behind that, much deeper, there's a definite feeling of respect and love for the complex and incredible reality Africa is. I talk about Guatemala being a place of contrast...but Africa really blows your mind: each African country and Africa as a whole reality. You can't find more contrast than that I think, in so many ways!

I've only ever been to Morocco. There is much much much more for me to see, and I will. I have a very dear friend whose name is Gaia; she's an Italian, beautiful, smart, clever, noble, incredible young woman. And she adores Africa. She's been there many times and even learnt Swahili. She carries around her neck a silver-made map of Africa her mom had made for her -and is bothered by the fact that Madagascar isn't on it-. She will dedicate her life to that continent (a continent that is so much more than a place in the world). I am sure she will achieve great things, but I am also certain that there's enough work for a million Gaias to do in trying to improve Africa's current situation.

I don't know why I got the urge to talk about Africa today, I just did. There's so much to say, so much I don't know, so much I can't even begin to understand...

Africa, Africa...

It's world book day today!

The main aim of World Book Day (WBD) is to encourage people to explore the pleasures of books and reading.

Someone wise once told me he felt old people were like books. So full of knowledge and interesting stories. I agree with him...I feel every person is like a book.

There are so many great books out there, just imagine how many more there would be if every person decided to write their own life's story, or to share a bit of their imagination...it would be great. And if more people took interest in reading whatever books appeal to them (there's something for everyone out there)...we would be less ignorant and therefore more tolerant and loving. We would be wiser.

A book is a great companion. A notebook ain't all that bad either. Nowadays, people read more and more from their computers and iphones, so maybe this day will some day be named "reading day" instead of "book day". Modern times...it's wonderful the way information is more accesible to everyone everywhere. Anyhow: NOTHING can ever replace a book. A book is a book.

Read up---and for those who can and like to: write up! There is so much to learn from a good book. A book can change your life!!!

Ok. Happy book day!

I know. Enough with earth day, book day, pencil day...I will stop- until Mother's Day, May 10th.

stop! it's a red-light

or isn't it?

i would say this is sort of dangerous.

1st avenue and 18th street zone 1. it's been like these for at least a few months...

it's earth day today!

"Thirty-eight years after Earth Day began as a series of grassroots "teach-ins" about environmental conservation and pollution, April 22 has become an occasion to focus attention on human-generated climate change and the policies around it -- a topic not on the public mind in 1970." Deborah Zabarenko, eleconomista.es

It is important to keep the planet in mind in our daily rutine. Love and respect it, and eveything on it!

Happy earth day!

a good woman, street crime and underwear

This is my Nana. Her name is Elena Sinay and she's been in my family ever since my mom was in high school. She's seen my mother build her own family, she's known my brothers, sister and me since we were firstborns. She works and lives at my grandparents. Before Coki passed away, almost three years ago, he asked Nana to take care of Tita-- and she has. It hasn't been an easy task and it certainly isn't getting any easier. But she does it, as well as it can possibly be done.

She's amazing. She can't read or write, never went to school. She always worked, worked, worked...until she fell in love. She got married, got pregnant and 3 months after, her husband was ran over and passed away. She's lived and worked chez Coki and Tita ever since. She's an amazing cook, a wonderful mother, a devoted woman who's suffered much and still manages to laugh at practically anything you say. Her strength never seems to run out.

For those reasons, and many, many more, I was so sad and upset when last week I went to my grandma's and found her a bit off. She had been mugged by a man right in the middle of the street. He didn't only take her money but also her dignity and self-confidence. She's over fifty and has been alone for most of her life, and a man in the street not only insulted her but also touched her in a very disrespectful way. Why? For not much over a 100 quetzales (about 10 euros).

No, that can't really be the reason. Of course not! The real reason anything like this happens in Guatemala is because it can happen. We are so helpless. But not for long, not for long. Things will eventually change. We will make them change. Us, Guatemalans.

In the mean time, being as cleaver as we are, we try to make things work. The picture below shows old women's underwear with pockets (so that they can put their money somewhere "safe"). It is both funny and sad. But no one can deny, Guatemalans are creative!

Feminicide in Guatemala

Feminicide is a word that doesn't oficially exist yet...a new word for a crime that has forever existed.

A lot has been said about Feminicide in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, a town near the border with the United States. Even a movie starring Jennifer López just came out, "Border Town" I believe is the name of it.

Yes, a lot has been said...but not much has been done. Certainly not enough-

My bringing Ciudad Juárez up has a reason: it is usually the place that comes to mind whenever feminicide is mentioned. Perharps not for long...maybe soon, Guatemala City, or Guatemala in general, will come to mind when people hear this "new" and "strange" word. And people will be hearing it a lot more in the time to come. That is, if things continue the way they're going.

A law just passed Congress last week: a law against Feminicide. This means a lot. Wasn't easy, nothing is easy when it comes to Congress...but especially not this. And the fact that it happened, worries me even more than it pleases me.

Woman=Victim. For years and years I've been hearing all about how Guatemalan Poverty has a female, indigenous, old face. And I trust that, I've seen enough to prove it. But now, women are again the face to put to another word: victim.

It is no secret Guatemalan society is male-chauvinist, and that goes both for urban and rural society/culture. Both "ladinos" and "mayas" share this tragedy- and yes, I mean TRAGEDY. Women have been kept from public life, and that has had a high price on our country's development. Discrimination is an every day meal, against mayas, against garífunas, against xinkas, against peasants, against poor people, against old people, against women...being "in" in the Guatemalan eyes isn't an easy thing at all.

But this isn't just about discrimination: this is about brutal violence against women because they are women. Women are being killed everyday because of their gender, because of the way they look (all women who wear skirts and make-up are prostitutes), because they're "weak" and "stupid" in their opressor's eyes...but above all, women are being killed because they can be killed. They're being killed because they're unprotected. The killer can not only abuse and kill any girl he chooses (of course it is a lot easier when it is a lower class girl/woman) but also get away with it without punishment or remorse. It is unbelievable.

Not long ago my aunt told me about a 13 year-old girl who got raped (as most girls that live in rural Guatemala do) and decided to go to Justice. She knew who had raped her (as most do) and accused him. Of course, nothing ever happened. She died a few months back submerged in a horrible depression. The guy who killed her (he did, in a way)worked for my dad as a cowboy. He wasn't even called to court, not once. I begged my dad to fire him, but to be honest...I don't know that he has.

I once said: "being a woman is tough". And now I add: "and dangerous".

The forgotten people of Guatemala (part of...)

Guatemala is a place of contrasts. It is clear to anyone who knows anything about my country. So many poor people...so frustrating and sad. So shameful.

First year of university, I was involved in a project in a sort school-nursery in zone 3, Guatemala City. It is a low class zone: lots of chicken buses, beggars, a large graveyard and the biggest city dump. Thousands of people live in that dump, literally live from the garbage- eat, sleep, work and survive off it.

I used to go twice a week. I was there to give them Catechism(I go to a Jesuit University and I was there through them) but after going a few times, I learned that wasn't what they needed. They needed to play. They needed to learn to have fun. They needed lessons on love and hope. And especially- they needed intensive lessons on dreaming.

I'm not a teacher, but I love to be around children, to share with them. But being with this group of children was hard. They were bitter old people, abusive, vulgar, very closed to new people, distrustful. It took a while before they started to open themselves to us (my friend Lizbeth and me). They stopped jumping every time I tried to touch them, to hold them. They started asking for us, started caring.

The project was called "La Escuela del Cinco". Sadly, by the end of the year it was closed and I haven't seen any of them for over 3 years. I sometimes wonder...what has become of them, how they are...who they've become. I wish so much for them and hope they kept dreaming and hoping, just like we did together.

Here are some pictures I have from those days...


And a video I found on youtube

Elvia Barrios

"La Elvia" has worked for my family for about ten years. She's one of the sweetest and kindest persons I know. She is also really funny: just now, the earth trembled as we were talking in about love and music in the living room. She was so scared, she started asking God to forgive our sins. Little did she know, I have none. hahaha

i wonder where i can get one JUST LIKE IT...

ok i really have got to go to sleep but first i just wanted to quickly comment on this picture i found at a guatemalan social magazine: ok, it's no secret Guatemala is filled with cheap copies of trendy brands such as abercrombie, puma, lacoste and lately...hollister. but this is too much!!! a pullover which is both puma and hollister...now THAT IS COOL, hahah



good night

hope! there is hope! about family, prejudice and the congress...

I must admit I had a rather negative prejudice on Congresswoman (for twelve years now) Zury Ríos-Montt de Weller.

Daughter of General Efraín Ríos-Montt, who governed in the early 80's and is responsible for some of the worst Human Rights violations committed by the State of Guatemala in the whole Internal Conflict (1960-1996), I had an issue with her being in guatemalan politics for so long, and with her being a politian in all. I felt that it was, somehow, wrong. I felt she had no right to, after all that her father had done.

I met her yesterday. She really impressed me. She came to my International Law class to talk about Parliamentary Diplomacy, since she studied, amongst other things, International Relations and has been in the Foreign Policy Commission of the Congress several times. She is very well prepared, she has studied hard and had a lot of experience. She proved to me she knows how to do her job and how to win people over. Before I realized it, I was smiling at her.

This experience definitely opened my eyes to how easy it is to judge and make assumptions about people without even bothering to look a little deeper. She's in no means impeccable, but at least now I know for myself that she's a passionate and dedicated woman with dreams, hopes and love for her country, just like me!




Congresswoman Zury Ríos-Montt de Weller, me and Congressman Mario López Girón

Ingrid Betancourt

I've been meaning to write about her in such a long time...she's been all over the news lately--- and all over my mind.

Some days her release seems possible, some others, it all seems hopeless. I can't even begin to imagine how her family, her friends and all the people who love her must feel. How they must ache.

And her!!! How long must everyday seem...how hard to find the will to keep going...how frustrating, how sad, how disappointing, how challenging not to lose your mind. The anger, the desperation, the hate...

It is so incredibly unfair for people to steal -literally steal- someone else's life like that. And it is not just her, and it is not just the FARC guerrilla...sadly, there are many, many more cases all over the world.

I hope, and pray, for her and everyone who is in a similar situation to recover their lives. SOON. Please...

Not funny: Chinese fur farms

I've never been pro-fur but I was never really against it either. I usually find myself in a grey neutral place trying not to judge people too much (not too hard anyways...), and this was the case with animal fur.

But I knew I wouldn't wear it. Never. Not me. And after watching this video (which I didn't entirely...I couldn't) I am pretty much against it. At least against fur coming from Chinese fur farms.

I guess there is a big difference between fur coming from animals being practically tortured to fur coming from animals who are being...how to say it..."well treated"...it's hard to be completely ok with animals being killed, but it's pretty common. For meat, all the time...and we eat it, don't think about it. And I guess that if you kill an animal at least you should get as much as you can from it, including fur if possible. This sounds cruel, but that's the only way this is somehow acceptable.

I struggled with the idea of posting this video on my blog. When I say I couldn't watch all of it, I mean it. I wanted to cry and puke at the same time. It really gets to you.

Maybe posting it is fair to those animals.


Pledge to go fur-free at PETA.org

Ken Lee

Ok- this isn't about making fun of anyone. I am sure I would be ridiculous trying to sing in Bulgarian. But...I MUST admit this video is hilarious! Pretty creative girl Valentina Hassan, actually.



"Without you" is one of the most romantic songs ever...! Mariah Carey's interpretation isn't half bad either



Valentina Hassan's first performance was great. A lot of people made fun of it, including me I admit, but if you don't pay too much attention to the lyrics, you see she's totally in rhythm. Afterwards, she learned the lyrics better



V. Hassan even got her own radio version of "Ken Lee". What a success!!!



Good for her!

Marilyn Monroe and Chopsticks

"The Seven Year Itch" was directed by Billy Wilder (1955) and it was a huge success.

Great movie on naivety, love and fidelity. Loved Marilyn Monroe's performance. She's just beautiful!

This is probably my favourite part of the movie:

Grafitti Series: What Guatemalan people are saying today (II)

"Free Ramiro Choc"


Key: Land


Ramiro Choc is a peasant leader that used to promote direct action (private property invasion) as a mean to getting land ownership for "the people". Land ownership is a historical problem in Guatemala. HUGE- huge problem.

Choc was arrested on February 14th. Since then, 29 police officers were held by peasants for over 33 hours, 4 Belgian tourist were kidnapped for a couple of days, and many protests have been organized, all in demand of his release.

A complicated issue and land, once again, is forgotten in the negotiations. Today, the issue is the release of Ramiro Choc. What will it be tomorrow?

Land. Land. Land.

Capadocia

An accident, an unlucky coincidence, a bad decision made in no more than a second...

Capadocia is a great HBO series that does a good job at showing how not everything is right or wrong...and how in a matter of seconds your life can change completely. Gotta be careful!

Capadocia has a strong and clear message: there is a dark side to everyone, just like there is a complicated, pure, kind side to every person. Life's unfair and unpredictable, but in the end, it's always up to you.

Also, everyone deserves a second chance.

p.s. Loooooooove the theme song!!! Makes me want to cry every time...

a bottle left behind...Part II

On January 5th I wrote my second post on this blog about "a bottle left behind" that I did not know what to do with.

I think it's about time to put an end to this insufferable uncertainty all you millions of people who read this blog have been in since I talked about this particular bottle and didn't ever say whatever happened to it.

Tonight is the night! Ready? Ok.





Yes. We drank it.

Cheers!

Wise, wise woman

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (17th Century Colonial Mexico)

Being a woman is tough- I'm not complaining, but only those who are can understand on how many levels this is true.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz knew it. And she also knew how to put it in words. The following fragment from her very well known poem "Hombres necios" approaches one of the difficulties women deal with. It's a good one!

Hombres necios que acusáis
a la mujer sin razón,
sin ver que sois la ocasión
de lo mismo que culpáis:

si con ansia sin igual
solicitáis su desdén,
¿por qué queréis que obren bien
si las incitáis al mal?

Combatís su resistencia
y luego, con gravedad,
decís que fue livianidad
lo que hizo la diligencia.

Translation:

You mulish men, accusing
woman without reason,
not seeing you occasion
the very wrong you blame:

since you, with craving unsurpassed,
have sought for their disdain,
why do you hope for their good works
when you urge them on to ill?

You assail all their resistance,
then, speaking seriously,
you say it was frivolity,
forgetting all your diligence.

This is so true and well expressed, at least to the social reality I know, which is the Guatemalan; it is probably also true to the Latinamerican social reality in general. Actually, this is very much present in every culture and location in the world. Am I wrong?

What this poem points out is the inconsistency of the tastes and censure of men who denounce in women what they themselves have caused. I'm no feminist, but it is clearly unfair, no?



Here's another one of her thoughts I like:

Decirte que nací hermosa
presumo que es excusado,
pues lo atestiguan tus ojos
y lo prueban mis trabajos.

This is not a proper translation, but something close to it:

Telling you I was born beautiful
is needless I presume
since your eyes witness it
and my work proves it.

Every woman should be able to say this and truly believe it. Well, every person really.



Night Night

Giovenezza...!

"Quant'è bella giovenezza
Che si fugge tuttavia!
Chi vuol esser lieto, sia;
Di doman no c'è certezza."

"How beautiful is youth
youth which is so soon over and gone;
let him who would be happy, seize the moment,
for tomorrow may never come."

-LORENZO DI PIERO DE' MEDICI

Graffiti series: what Guatemalan people are saying today

I've decided to make graffiti a regular on this blog. In zone 1, the centre of Guatemala City, there's enough to keep me occupied for a while.

You could say graffiti gives expression to thoughts, feelings or demands that are somehow forbidden. The words or kind of language used hold a lot of meaning. Graffiti calls to intervention. A tool, a complaint, an expression...all of them.

Here's one-

Key: Abortion is illegal in Guatemala


"WE DECIDE" ("we" in the spanish feminine form)


"LEGAL ABORTION"

Building Roads to Modern Times

Piles of rock,
your insides.
I go through you.
You once allowed me,
I have abused you.
You're all around,
agonizing.
How much you give me,
how much I take.
I destroy you.
"Development" I tell myself.
What a fool I feel like.
You must be sacrificed.

Ateles fusciceps

My heart shook
as I realized it was me;
I had done this to you.
And there I stood,
heavy breathing.
How vulnerable you looked.
How helpless you were.
I could not protect you
and yet,
I had enabled you to protect yourself.
I saw how progress for me
meant death for you.
Mixed feelings made their way through my skin
as I walked away.

Roberto González Goyri

Roberto González Goyri is a Guatemalan sculptor and painter who passed away last year. He could turn anything into art.

He created the print in the image above inspired by Federico García Lorca's art: words. Beautiful, no?

www.youtube.es/elecciones08

Technology can be very helpful in making democracy a reality. Thanks to it, the power of information is now more widely shared and access to it has become significantly easier. It's a great thing transforming the world in ways we hadn't even dreamed of.

Communication between any government and its "people" is fundamental at all times, but the "people's" greatest opportunity to be heard comes during election preliminaries: candidates are then willing to listen, it is a moment to speak up. YouTube's groundbreaking initiative in Spain elecciones08 proved the significant role technology can play in democracy today. 600 user questions were submitted to the elecciones08 channel; 600 people were able to speak directly to their candidates and express their needs and concerns. 53 of those questions were posed on TV in interview series & TV promotions that reached an audience of over 30 million people.

It's the first time Spaniards got an opportunity like this, and they used it. Good for them.