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...