as it couldn't be otherwise

and as good spaniards do, wherever they are, on such a date as today's
i shall celebrate the coming new year with good spanish wine, jamon and some grapes,
in the good company of mother and sis
the place, will put the exotic add on

a week on holidays

a week on, the mind stops wandering the same old paths and begins to be influenced by the new sights, smells and tastes
a week more and i won't remember a thing!

how does it feel to be back into the real world?

grrrrrreat!!!

the funny thing is that all those foreigners around me are thinking that this is weird.....
if only they knew......

chennai

noise, traffic, humidity, people, all multiplied by a 10000
and the best dosas in the world

final count down

holidays, india, family, here i come!

on cowardice

they say that it's at times of crisis when you know what people are made of
it is a shame that it is also when you can get most disappointed by some
as cowardice can be understandable under certain circumstances
except when it means leaving someone hanging left to dry
then, it cannot be forgiven or forgotten

after

a good cry
a hot bath
a good chat
a lovely dinner
a bottle of wine
a frank discussion
a good night sleep

after

i'm feeling much much better
thank you very much

broken cord

today, the cord, after too much tension, broke

last night dinner

with guest from Germany, Seychelles, Italy, Spain, Mali, Belgium, Tanzania, Kenya, UK, Austria and Uzbekistan

maybe the key to international decision making is around good food, drinks and some dancing

no company in the world

when you live in no man's land there are a certain amount of inconveniences
we've already talked about mobility, security or non existent leisure activities
not to mention the lack of food variety or shopping! options

now here i am, thrilled with my imminent travel back to the real world
day and night dreaming about the sheer joy of walking around without armed guards, of eating wonderful food delights, of shooooopppping and the rest of normal things we take for granted
for this, more serious business also be taken care of, such as flights, accommodation or insurance

insurance.....halas! no no my dear, you can't! not because you've become incapacitated but because you are in a place that doesn't officially exist, and if it does it's somewhere where no company in the world would want to cover you for, so there you go, welcome to the land of the landless, even if you are travelling outside

just be very very careful and you'll be fine....inshallah

a propitious spot

she had the feeling of having been floating for a long time, if she thought of it, she couldn't really remember the point when she started feeling that way, but she knew it was long ago, maybe even two years ago
she looked around and saw the people surrounding her moving their life-chess pieces, like in her own life, randomly and strategically, with more or less luck
having accepted the fact that control in life is ultimately a misleading and false concept, she couldn't help wishing even a little bit of power over her life-chess board
she was learning to be a good swimmer, to follow and be led by the current until a propitious spot arrived, a place where she could rest her head for a while, recover energy and dive again

distance weights

like a ton of bricks

unlike any other holiday destination

an amazing lobster, a deserted sandy beach for yourself, and the warm waters of the red sea
what else could you ask for? it's like a fantastic holiday destination
that destination being somaliland, there are a couple of caveats

many houses are still destroyed from the looting and bombing that occurred years ago
the majority of the sleepy town of Berbera inhabitants still live in makeshift houses or squatting the ruins of old buildings, including those constructed by the russians
wrecked cars, lorries and other vehicles still lay where they were left, many many moons ago
and despite being a port, the locals much prefer meat to fish or seafood

this is post-conflict somaliland, which in some years to come could, inshallah, become a fabulous holiday destination

london beauty salon

The London Beauty Salon is in Hargeisa. It one of the best known salons in town and women of all ages go and spend, like everywhere else in the world, a fair amount of time and money.

In this particular one, women not only get their hair done up for weddings and special occasions, but they also offer a variety of services. There is the beautifying service, with hair, nails and make up and the addition, the henna in both feet and hands, simple and inspirational designs that last for about a week or so.

The is also the rental service where you can rent anything from hair extensions, to wedding and maid of honour dresses, and the accompanying jewelry.

All and all, it suits the customers, the local economy, the beautiful women and the results-watching men.

contagious good mood

i had had him in my head a few times
his broad and always-there smile
his fabulous and enormous hair
his high spirits and contagious good mood

i had had him in my head a few times
receiving news from him
simply made my day!

taza y media

que buenos los proverbios, en este caso el de, no querias taza? taza y media
una, que queria hacer derechos humanos en lo que llamamos 'el terreno', y aqui que me vine con mucho animo y ganas de aprender
pues nada, que recientemente los grandes senhores governantes decidieron que en realidad esa historia de los derechos humanos no merecia mucho la pena, que mas bien era un poco como tener moscas alrededor de tu comida constantemente y decidieron dar un golpe de estado, nunca mejor dicho, contra nuestra modesta oficina
total, que nos cerraron el chiringuito, de patitas en la calle desde hace dos semanas; y no te quejes que te mandamos de vacaciones a un sitio con barrotes si no tienes pasaporte extranjero, o decidimos hacerte persona non grata y te desvanecemos pa siempre
asi que en conclusion estoy en un pais no reconocido por nadie, o sea que no existe oficialmente, trabajando para una organizacion que ya no existe
teniendo en cuenta las circunstancias, sin mayores problemas de seguridad, esperemos que todo esto no me de problemas existenciales

hours and hours that turned into days

ok, so after talking for hours and hours that turned into days, and even more than a week, a peak was reached where they couldn't go back anymore and were finding it impossible to move forward
what to do? tension rising, solutions scarce........ they didn't have it, but they decided to buy some time, to postpone, to take some breathing space, to try different paths, to look for alternatives, to let ideas and possibilities mature in the head.....
we all wish you best of luck!!
thanks for the support, they say

as usual, the balance

in this particular time bubble where time goes slow and fast at one and the same time, a breeze of fresh air coming from the outside world has put mine into an even more parallel universe

the time left behind heavy as a rock, the decisions ahead equally heavy; still trying to find the balance between individual growth and partnership plans, which like finding any balance, is rather difficult

the will strong, a path shall be found
we hope

stories to tell

we people working in this field, we all have stories to tell
they are other people's stories, their life accounts and the things that happened to them

we hear them, the bravest among us directly from the person, the rest via other means
they are not easy lives, they are not easy stories to tell or hear, they are not easy to swallow

we store them in our memory, voluntary and involuntarily and don't let them out often
they are real stories about humanity, the worst and best woven together irremediably

we recount those other people's life stories when we feel our audience will understand
they are inevitably, those working in this field with stories to tell

toujours

Hier le moineau s'est envolé. Porté par la fragilité de ses ailes.

Repose-toi bien moineau, ou que tu arrives. Ici, on t’aimera toujours.

on age

getting old is most certainly not synonym with becoming a grown up

Government Led “Coup D'état” against Human Rights Organisation

Hargeysa, Somaliland, October 27, 2007 (SomaliLand Times) – [..] Shuro-net is the biggest human rights organization in the country, […] An organization of this size and magnitude holding an extraordinary AGM is bound to attract the attention and interest of the government, civil society and the local media. What was unusual in this meeting was that the group’s board of directors and executive committee were not present. Moreover, the group’s 70 member-organizations were not present in Wednesday’s extraordinary AGM in Ambassador Hotel. The meeting was even made more bizarre by the fact that it was chaired by the vice-chair of the national state-government Human Rights Commission, Mrs. Lul Hassan who is not a member of the umbrella group of members.

defenders of rights

upholding, protecting and defending human rights for all is risky business
the courage and undeterred will of human rights defenders to keep on fighting, to follow the legal and due processes regardless of the obstacles and threats, to continue demanding justice should be celebrated
demanding their respect and dignity bothers those who didn't do their homework, who claim to respect and uphold those ideas and ideals but feel they do not need to implement them
human rights are a goal but their respect in the process is the only way to attain them
and it starts now

the ultimate balancing act

being an adult, you can have your own place, choose your own life style, live by your own rules, and take your own decisions

adulthood however is also about a your own continuous act of juggling

juggling realities, yours and those of others

juggling wishes, yours and those of others

juggling priorities, yours and those of others

juggling with time, yours and that of others

on fair trials

when you work on human rights you worry about issues regarding fair trials, justice and their importance
so when you are accused but not told for what, "trialed" in absence, and sentenced without recourse or even getting a word edge wards
even if it's in your personal life, for nothing life threatening or even important
you are reminded about their relevance and somehow reinforced in your commitment to continue fighting for them

today's battle

she was feeling little and belittled by the circumstances surrounding her
she was trying to raise her voice as much as she could in the hope that someone would listen
she was wearing an armour too heavy and clumsy to allow her to express herself differently
she was fighting the armour while trying to get reach others, in the hope of getting some help
she was positive she had to win this battle and yet her energy wasn't sufficient
she was trying and trying to cry for help, her voice quieter and quieter as time went by
she was feeling tired, and little, and lonely
she was sure she didn't know how to speak the simple language others did
she was determined to learn a new language and rid herself of such a clumsy armour
she would try when her energy came back, today's battle was lost

food poisoning

normally people get food poisoning in restaurants, bars or other establishments
whereas me, i get it in my own house, from food of my own making
now how silly is that?!

on time management

granted, there aren't the shops, the bars and pubs, the museums, the lovely walks on the southbank, the theatres, the newspapers... the many wonderful things London offers
however there are some stiking similarities in funky Hargeisa, at least when it comes to my own life
the same reality of meeting after meeting, many emails with minutes and action points from those meetings, a forever getting longer to-do list at work...
accumulated news to read and catch up with, emails to send to friends and family, and a healthy social life that offers you more than you can actually do out-of-work
in conclusion, the same feeling of: there are so many things to do and so little time!!
is it a time management issue or it is me?

and just like that

it's October
already!?
still!?
what a time bubble!

things you learn, people you meet

They say you learn something new everyday, today i learnt about the Bahá'í Faith

According to Bahá'í teachings, religious history has unfolded through a series of God's messengers who brought teachings suited for the capacity of the people at their time, and whose fundamental purpose is the same. Bahá'u'lláh is regarded as the most recent, but not final, in a line of messengers that includes Abraham, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad and others. Three core principles of Bahá'í teachings are often referred to simply as follows: the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of mankind. Many Bahá'í beliefs and practices are rooted in these priorities; but taken alone these would be an over-simplification of Bahá'í teachings.

They continue to be persecuted for their believes, for instance Egyptian Bahá'ís are unable to obtain government documents, including ID cards, birth, death, marriage or divorce certificates, or passports, all of which require a person's religion to be listed. They also cannot be employed, educated, treated in hospitals or vote, among other things.

Freedom of thought, conscience and religion; opinion and expression; and association
Articles 18, 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

an end to political correctness!

when you are in a completely foreign land you realise your standards are not so anymore
a middle terms needs to be found at all times between your standards and those of others, it's about humanity, respect and sharing time and space with people

standards are culturally specific, dependant on the economic, social, religious context of individuals and societies
standards include what is rude or polite at the table, at a social gathering, how you are dressed, how to greet.....the lot

you of course adapt, to the best of your skills, abilities and will to the situation; make space for things, allow others.... in much the same way others do it for you, the joys of coexistence

it comes a point however, where regardless of empathetic good intentions, political correctness and coexistence needs, you feel like putting your foot down and telling very clearly to some people that what they do it's RUDE, RUDE, RUDE, regardless!

reflections of one self

on a spiralling down moment i found myself reflecting upon my moves, past, present and future
much to my surprise i found myself realising that a set of circumstances, voluntary and involuntary choices, had made me loose a key life companion and attitude

somewhere down the line i must have dropped it....
i remember having it, i remember using it, i remember.....
i remember a house where it wasn't welcome, maybe i left it on the doorstep!

on a spiralling up moment i found myself promising to get it back, like i had it in the past, like i'm practising in the present, like i will in the future
i shall get it back! my initiative that is

beautiful penetrating eyes

a woman meets a man of penetrating eyes. she feels something inside her, a poweful force that tells her to follow him and his penetrating eyes
she comes from a place where if you set your mind to it, you do it, period, no questions asked, and so she follows her instinct in search of those beautiful penetrating eyes
she travels for many days and asks many questions before one night she sees the penetrating eyes again, staring right at her
she follows them, like a light in the night. she already loves them. she already loves him.
he is a powerful warrior from a proud tribe. he is a proud man with beautiful penetrating eyes.

she leaves everything to live with him, eventually leaves him to write a book about it and then someone makes a movie about it. it's called the white masai.

volcanos

it's a life time effort and a life time skill, putting a lid to the volcano like eruptions

the list in your head

you make a list in your head, you write it down from time to time, in different pieces of paper and then, one day, you find several pieces of paper with lists of names, many of which coincide from paper to paper, except they might be in different order
you make a mental note to make sure you set time aside to actually, eventually, finally, sit down and write to these names, which belong to a bunch of lovely people that happen to be your friends and family
you make the effort, find the time, sit down, write down, communicate and when you go to your address book to find their contacts, a cold shiver runs down your spine, as you realise that the names in all those list you wrote down were only a third of the bunch of lovely people you really want to be communicating with
you make yourself the promise to make the effort more often, until you realise you are doing it for the n time
you make yourself the promise to find the time more often, until you realise that it's virtually impossible to have a job, a relationship, a family, a life and be in contact with the huge bunch of lovely people you encounter, no matter how much you miss them, no matter how much you want to stay in touch
is it just me???!!!

telephones lines

my life feels like a serie of telephone-lines-dependant relationships

his oyster

he was young, curious, open minded, intelligent, kind hearted and very good looking
he wanted to be an engineer but there was no such a course in his hometown
he had no money or access to it to be able to go to another country to do the studies of his choice
he lived in a place where his government did not and could not provide a studies' grant
he didn't have a passport or enough connections in the right places to get one
he decided to study what was available as a mean to help his extended family
he just needed an opportunity to make of the world his oyster

in fact he still does

let's talk about sexual politics

even just a month in, if i shared 'notes' with other women around, our lists would probably coincide down to the comma
a clear list with names and surnames for the octopuses, the vampires, the sharks, or the bees of this cosy colony

passive resistance

someone told me once that in chinese the word no doesn't exist, that whatever you ask for, the answer will be yes
just think about it for a second, think business contracts, political agreements: everything you say, you propose, you suggest is met with a yes
in theory it sounds fantastic, it would make you, anyone feel great and clever, except.....you might become suspicious, as you know for a fact that you have limitations and by plain logic you cannot be right all the time

round here they also answer yes to everything: proposals, comments, projects, opinions.....at least, like it happens with the chinese (as far as my limited knowledge goes), in appearance
you have to pay careful attention to the intonation and not just to the yes or, you will find yourself thinking that you have successfully put your point across, only to find out later that actually your message not only didn't get across, but was even resisted

i understand the logic of passive resistance, we all practice it to a certain extent and most definitely at some point in our lives
what escapes me is the logic of hiring someone to give professional advice and passively resist any advice given

things that you can't find

they either don't exist or they exist in such little numbers they don't amount to something worth counting
they are the ones that make the difference between what we call developed and underdeveloped
they include (the lack of) a sewage or a rubbish collection systems, a drivers licence, an established road conduct or street lighting, health and safety on construction work or food processing
they also include other things like atheism, women with trousers or set prices to name but a few

things that you can find

The sanity walk, that late afternoon walk that it's keeping me sane (I should not speak for others) it's full of surprises. I have been feeling too lazy and keep on making the mistake of not taking my camera with me, which I now regret. Today the list of bizarre, interesting encounters that grows each day had its newest addition: a tortoise. He (that's what we believe) was in the middle of the road, its shell worn out like old wood, feeling shy with the three strangers (us) that curiously looked on. He decided not to come out and say hello. I cannot blame him. He seemed to have the same opinion as the rest of people who we normally cross. They all look to us like we were freaks, i guess it's the combination of being white, female, wear trousers, and uncovered hair. It seems they are compelled to shout HOW ARE YOU? However, if you ask the question back, hardly none knows what to answer. Salam aleikum works a lot better (wa-aleikum-as-salam is what should be replied). The ones that are not bothered at all about our (or anyone else's as a matter of fact) presence are the camels. The goats don't seem terribly bothered either. And absolutely nobody, animals or humans, winks about the presence of what is left of a rusting anti aerial tank, its big cannon now resting peacefully on the grass.

the dilemma: the principle or the system

it's not that i don't understand it
i understand i am white, come from a relatively priviledge background and earn my salary in dollars as opposed to somaliland shillings
i understand that me being here it's business, for the very same reasons
i am more than willing to be 'cheated' upon, for the very same reasons
but i still find it totally unfair to be expected to paid double the real price all the time

i am not good at haggling, i don't like it, not even feel comfortable with it
in fact i rather pay what they are asking for rather than haggling
but paying double the price on a colour basis constantly, i also find against my principles
so i haggle, sometimes paying what they want, sometimes what the real price really is
in all cases i leave with a very uncomfortable feeling,
should i go against my principle and play the system or should i follow my principle against the system?

fridays like sundays are for recovering

yesterday was an exhausting day
a whole day workshop
sweating blood and tears to get somewhere productive

facilitating motivational challenge is like walking on eggs
they are good, they know what they want and how they want it
they are missing some tools but not the will

a sanity walk, a bit of yoga and a party
10 hours sleep, a late breakfast and some emails
feeling recovered and energised, like a new woman!

this is how it (doesn't) work

in order to find out what to do, you read
you read as many documents as you need to
but here is the catch
each time you pick up a document, you cannot tell which version it is, whether it's the latest, the one approved and agreed or the latest working draft
so you think, ok, i'll pick up another document, maybe this one will guide me better
except it doesn't, cos there is always another version and nobody seems to know which one it's the good one

i knew this was going to be my ultimate patience challenge

the sanity walk

i walk the 10 mtrs between my house and the car, i seat in the car to the office
i walk the 10 mtrs between the car and the office, i seat in the office
the way back is the same, the other way round
i can walk the 30 mtrs between my house and someone else's house, i seat in their house
the way back is the same, the other round
i walk between my room, the bathroom, the kitchen, the lounge, i seat in the sofa, i seat for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner

my life it's very very very very similar to that of other expats
so we have decided to go for a walk everyday, just an hour long, going to nowhere in particular, just in the oppossite direction to town, where the nomads come from, sometimes with an armed angel-guard to keep us, sometimes just us
we crave for open spaces, fresh air in our faces, the feeling of stretching our legs, of a bit of exercise and the break of sweat in our foreheads
we have decided to call it 'the sanity walk'

adjusting

my body is getting used to altitude and a new diet: 1200 mtrs, meat and watermelon
my mind is adjusting to this new very different reality: being driven around or escorted by armed angel-guards
my rutine is more or less already defined: driven to work, driven home, lunch, walk, dinner, TV, bed; some days crazy town market
my communications are still an issue being sorted out: having a landline a dream approaching reality, internet at home a dream
my work is still trying to balance out expectations, experience and expertise: the gap between written objectives and unwritten realities too wide
my network is still being filled: from the mix of countries, colours, languages and religions that three continents can provide

Limitations and constraints

Being new to a place means having limitations
Being new to a place like this means having extra limitations
In my case
there are limits to personal freedom, due to political and religious constraints
there are limits to mobility, due to (lack of) knowledge and security constraints
there are limits to personal interactions, due to language and cultural constraints
there are limits to communications, due to availability and connectivity constraints
there are limits to photographic possibilities, due to technical and cultural constraints

there are however, some photos I would like to share with you

good and bad days

you can think you do not have expectations, convince yourself that that is the case, but when it comes to it, we all have them, it's a human trait
you can think you know what it's normal, what it's polite, what is welcoming, what is correct, what is beautiful; and of course their opposites
you can think....

last time i felt this way I was 11 years old and didn't speak a word of english; at that time i felt awful for a month, the time I was in a complete foreign reality, without my 'normality'
that experience, although hard to live, changed my life and it was for the best

I now have far more experience, good analysis skills, enough space to take perspective on things and a bigger sustaining circle, there are however, some days better than others

How to explain, how to describe..

We live in a world made of parallel worlds, they run next to each other, the majority of times without touching each other
The length and depth of my ignorance blatant with every step; my parallel world never touched this one before
As my parents taught me, you do what you see and respect the local tradition; so here I am, fully covered, fully veiled, ready to learn


Hargeysa, what to say, how to describe it?The houses are one floor, there are very few buildings with two, three or four-maximum floors; many huts, made of any material the owner got old of, namely boxes, tree branches, bags, clothes. These huts are normally occupied by men chewing Qat, in what seems to be one of the main social problems facing the country.

The businesses are very small: a photo shop, a barber shop, a supermarket, a market stall, a pharmacy, a restaurant. The big businesses are the telecom company and the hotels, which cater for the many expatriates around.

It is a country of nomads and the main source of income used to be livestock exports; nowadays is diaspora’ remittances, which may eventually dry out, when as it happens in many occasions, the children severe the links, their country of origin became another one. In the capital however, there is from what I can tell, very little nomadic movement, although goats rumble freely across town, in what seems at times suicidal ways when they cross the roads.

Ah! The roads (not sure they should be called that)….they feel more like a bumpy ride. Although the colonial past is British, and therefore have UK-like plugs they drive on the right hand side of the road. Drivers must be alert at all times to both, the holes of all sizes and shapes (some of them could fit a person in them) on the ground and, to other drivers, honking being the road’s language. The cars, the great majority are 4x4s, come from China and Japan, with some exceptions that come from the UK, with what that means for the wheel’s position. The mini buses which work as official transports, that is if you don’t count the back of trucks or anything that can carry a human being, all have Chinese words on the side, and some terrible looking decorations on the side mirrors (I have yet to discover the use or reason).

It’s a 98% Muslim country. It is nice to hear the call for prayers. They call 5 times a day, although of course I don’t hear the one at 5am. Women are fully covered, the niqab being the preferred outfit; otherwise large and long dresses, accompanied by large and long scarves/ sarongs. Some men, the least, cover their heads. Many, both men and women, don’t shake hands with people from the opposite sex. The working week is 6 days, 8am to 2pm. The weekend is Friday.

My first hours

My research on the internet proved successful. I was prepared and had no expectations. It’s a poor country; a brownish colour landscape with bits of greenery and as usual the most colourful part is women’s dresses.

I was met in the airport by the organisation logistics man who managed to get me out of all queues in a nano-second. My luggage had arrived, in its totality and, safe; my relief as big and long as the journey.

I was taken to my Villa. That’s right; I have a villa in a compound, which at the moment is occupied by me and some passing travellers. At the end of the month it will be full of my organisation’s colleagues, each occupying a nice and big villa, fully equipped (TV, microwave, fridge, stove, hot water…) and in fact, bigger than some of my previous houses. The newly constructed compound has 7 villas, a woman who cleans them and a security guard with an AK-47, the people’s gun!.

tutto bene, tutto posto

despues de cuatro dias de viaje, tres aviones, dos hoteles
despues de hacer monton de filas, colas y esperas
despues de encontrar gente de monton de sitios
despues de haber perdido la nocion del tiempo, el espacio y el calendario

finalmente

he llegado!
he llegado a mi nueva casa, una villa entera para mi sola
he llegado a mi nueva ciudad, a descubrir toda
he llegado a un pais con sus costumbres, comidas y particularidades

finalmente he llegado

y tengo tanto por descubrir!

sin contar las horas

salida: domingo
llegada: miercoles
horas de vuelo: relativamente pocas
horas de espera: renuncio a pensarlo
numero de paradas: 4
ganas de llegar: montones

las peores horas son aquellas que te alejan de tus seres queridos
sin aun ver aquello que se aproxima;
el saber que es solo una etapa ayuda a llevar la carga,
ahora solo debo convencer a la aerolinia de que compartamos esa carga!

sum

20 min by car
125 euros fee
50 min of wait
5 min consultation
2 euros parking fee
20 min by car

at least my teeth are fine!

less and less

preparations arriving to an end
few hastaluegos ahead, even a party

less and less things on the to-do list
less and less days to final destination for a while

new acquientances arrive via email
new names without faces who render a hand to a blind future

less and less things on the to-do list
countdown starts

Glam up

confronting separation ahead is always a tough issue
you know the date is approaching, as steadily as time goes by uninterruptedly
you prepare your leave, you continue with your chores and little routines there is nevertheless something in the air, something that tells you 'this might be the last time in a while that i...........with my love'

memory is a funny thing
the majority of times we have memories of events, places, times and people that bear little connection with those moments we try to make a special occasion from
we remember a smell, an intense look, a soft skin, a light touch, a tight embrace; we remember how we felt, and very little of the candles or the expensive dinner

yet, it is very nice to go prepared for the Marinsky theatre to Thai restaurant in Brussels

y hoy que hiciste de provecho?

pues charlar via conexion de internet con un par de ex-colegas y grandes amigas
leer un blog de alguien que se fue donde me voy
charlar via telefono con otra gran amiga a la que la tecnologia le pica
leer el periodico, edicion digital
vegetar en mi sofa con mi laptop
y perder cantidades ingentes de tiempo en facebook

creo que ya basta por hoy

because we love you

unas lo dijeron cuando me anunciaron la sorpresa de su llegada
otras no lo dijeron cuando no me anunciaron la sorpresa de su llegada
en ambos casos lo sabia

todas mediterraneas, todas profesionales, todas ocupadas
todas llegan para estar juntas juntisimas
en esos ultimos momentos previos a mi inminente llegada

para hablar, charlar, cotillear, reir, llorar, abrazar, besar, pontificar, expresar, aprender, comer y beber, beber y fumar, compartir, discutir, comentar, narrar, dialogar, explicar....

sunny summer days in town

strolls on quieter than usual streets
visits to empty museums with full on air-con
lunches in understaffed snack bars
coffee and tea in lovely hidden squares
fruit and vegetables from the local market
mediterranean dinner washed with wine

the challenge

How do you do to prepare for the unknown? One could answer that you simply take it as it comes, and that's pretty much what life is about. I would certainly agree with them. My question however, is a more practical one. It has to do with the limitations of the physical body. Mens sana in corpore sano.
My aim, keep both healthy. My knowledge, (like everybody else) I get negative and grumpy when ill or uncomfortable with situations. My unknown, what will i find when i arrive. My questions, tho not necessarily in order of importance, do i buy a water filter for 2,000 or for 50,000 litres? do i take high heels? my pillow? a thermometer? nail polish remover? My limits, my own and the airline's luggage allowance.

looking like a clown

so they tell me i leave on the 30th
so i prepare as best as i can to live in a contient i've never lived before, in a country i've never set foot in
to top it off it's not only 99.95% Islamic country but one that doesn't even officially exist

i prepare medically, dentally (see elephant woman) and mentally
i buy clothes to the specifications, one here, one there, some old, some new
i put them all in my sofa and, surprise!! individually fine, a rather random together

i face some though challenges ahead me: culturally, food, language, attire, religiously
i mean to be taken seriously by colleagues, superiors and government officials
i shall face them looking like a clown, albeit a totally covered one

back like...

the elephant woman

i had my ipod full volume but i couldn't help hearing it,
the noise of my tooth being cracked
once, two, three! went under the drill

i take three pills every four hours
for the next three weeks
one for each of three removed

i used to be wise, even though i was young
now i'm older and no wiser anymore
they didn't leave a single wisdom tooth

alive and kicking

travelling, visiting, moving
seeing friends, relatives and cities
chatting, talking, discussing
my past, my present, my future
their past, their present, their future

too many words come out of my mouth
too little words left in my fingers

missing inspiration

all of a sudden inspiration left me
a million things to think of
a million emails to send
my future clearer at the end of the tunnel
my life still being planned in two weeks slots
my mental and physical energy devoted away

mythological accomplishment

in a flash visit to paris one could
visit a bookshop in St Michel after a wonderful lunch in an outside terrace; things that you don't want to miss are a good bordeaux, 'un carafe d'eau' and of course a good friend
have a coffee in another terrace (if not overpriced be suspicious) looking hare krishnas and hen parties go by
visit somebody's flat, it's always cooler to get to see how real parisians live; it also helps kill the myth of living in paris
go to chic restaurant with pink tables and a wonderful menu, where you can dismiss your previous mythological accomplishment

you HAVE to

Great, bellisimo, fantastico, une plaisir
what a movie, ce figo, que pasada, quel bel film!


a leer: cosmofobia

on generosity

travelling and commitments have kept me away from blogging and got me thinking about generosity

when you look up generosity in wikipedia it says: Generosity is the habit of giving, it can also be spending time, money, or labour, for others, without being rewarded in return, and a guiding principle for many registered charities, foundations and non-profit organizations
In the more cynical spanish version it also adds "En realidad, la generosidad es el peso que se saca uno de encima para sentirse agusto con uno mismo, y de alguna forma, es un sentimiento egoista." basically arguing that generosity is about how one feels after giving and so, somehow is a selfish feeling.

definitions always miss the human touch, i would like to think that generosity is also:
avoiding a conflict on a happy occasion
understanding when to deprioritise one's feeling for someone else's
washing the dishes in somebody's house, without even receiving a thank you (my fault)
accepting and paying a fair share when it's time to
giving someone feedback when required or due
calling and emailing someone and telling them you've miss them
smiling and being helpful for everybody to feel better
waiting until the right moment when someone is ready to listen

keyboards or the love for travelling

the thing with travelling is that you want to email your friends, keep in touch with people
nowadays there are internet cafes just about everywhere, or you visit friends and basically use their computers
the annoying thing that they never tell you is that each language has a different bloody keyboard
and so you can actually spend double the amount of time and effort to write a message....
having said that, i'm off, i'm tired, i've had to re-write every other word,

the cutest turtle

he had a little chubby neck, hands closed in a tight fists, tiny winy fingers and legs that didn't get straight
he was very curious, and moved his head around trying to see everything around him with huge grey blue eyes
he had me mesmerised, capable of a million faces for the few moods he had had time to experience
he was two months old and looked just like a turtle, just it was the cutest turtle you'll ever see

next 7 days

next 7 days, 7 cities and more than 7 friends
next 7 days, 4 airports and many non green miles
next 7 days, a decision to make between 2 options
next 7 days, with the best company in the world
next 7 days, a beginning of a truly new era

how do you like....

mali as a possibility then?

une fois, deux fois

tu essayes par email, une fois, deux fois
tu essayes par téléphone, une fois, deux fois

finalement, il t’appelle une fois, deux fois
tu entends l’écho de la ta voix une fois, deux fois

il t'assure qu'il est désole, une fois, deux fois
il te fait parti de sa frustration avec la bureaucratie, une fois, deux fois

finalement il te propose un autre entretien, une fois, deux fois
tu entends l’écho de tes penses une fois, deux fois

longing for this moment

as time approaches i become restless
i have been longing this moment for what seems ages
it occupies my mind, my wishes, my body
the clock never runs faster

as time approaches i become preoccupied
i have been longing this moment for what seems ages
it brings the certainty of more
the calendar of my wishes postponed

as time approaches i become happy
i have been longing this moment for what seems ages
it gives a sense of trepidation to my days
the summit is always the hardest part

so beautiful

I was listening to this conversation
Noticing my daydream stimulated me more
I was crumbling with anticipation
You better send me home before I tumble down to the floor

Youre so beautiful but oh so boring
Im wondering what am I doing here
So beautiful but oh so boring
Im wondering
If anyone out there really cares
About the curlers in your hair
My little golden baby where have all your birds flown now

Somethings glistening in my imagination
Motivating something close to breaking the law
Wait a mo before you take me down to the station
Ive never known a one whod make me suicidal before

She was so beautiful but oh so boring
Im wondering what was I doing there
So beautiful but oh so boring
Im wonderingIf anyone out there really cares
About the colour of your hair
My little golden baby where have all your birds flown now

simply red

where i get my tips from

a previous DW

this and future sundays

there are several steps to take before reaching a decision but on this particular sunday, spent sunbathing in shorts in a terrace, catching up with friends over the wires, reading newspapers and magazines, recovering from a dancing night out
i think about future sundays, those that alhought still only a possibility are there to be considered when, due to the where, this particular sunday will only be a dream

some key points to consider:
sunday, considered a holiday in most countries of the world and as part of the weekend; only countries influenced by Islamic (or Jewish) culture often have Friday (or Saturday) as a weekly holiday insteaad
in some countries an interpretation of the Islamic law requires women to cover either just legs, shoulders and head or the whole body apart from the face
in some parts of the world, good phone lines or internet connection are at best work in progress
there are many places around the world where you cannot read newspapers from other parts of the world
in the Muslim world, consumption of alcoholic beverages is sometimes forbidden according to Islamic Law

por casualidad y coincidencia

hoy, las ideas que ayer parecian confusas, entremezcladas, aturdidas han encontrado aire y espacio, y la verdad es que me siento mejor
ayer, las preguntas que me parecian imposibles de responder ayudaban a las respuestas de hoy, y la verdad es que me senti mejor

hoy, por casualidad y coincidencia, hable con los hombres de mi vida, y la verdad es que me siento mejor
ayer, por casualidad y condicencia, hable con la nuevas mujeres en mi vida, y la verdad es que me senti mejor

hiding from me

i am in shock, i'm in quasi total panic
i suffer from a tight stomach, while clenching my teeth equally tight
i feel like a zombie who didn't realise daytime had arrived
i have an urge to hide, today i'm not answering the phone
i want to think but i can't, a million questions to ask but i don't dare
i seek my friends and they are not around
i begin to see a clear sky sk(e)yping the world
i find friendship from those far away in world-forgotten places
i hear their voices encouraging me, against all odds
i know about the voices of those close to me, weighting down on me
i prepare for other's questions with no answers at hand
i postpone the moment of stopping hiding from myself

holy shit!

how do you like a job offer in Somaliland?

Staring Genocide in the Face

Staring Genocide in the Face

a documentary to see

with a pinch of salt as it's addressed and narrated for a US public

still, it's worth seeing, this is another but much less famous Iraq

is it because they are poor? is it because they are black? is it because the Sudanese government is a good client for arms? is it for all of the above?

want to see more: see what it looks like on the map

evil smile

the culture of fear

life is scary, so terribly scary, there is insecurity all around
there is crime and danger round the corner regardless of where you live, it's just a matter of how often you'll suffer from unwanted encounters
this mentality creeps into people so easily, you only need to hear Le Pen or Sarkozy talk, there is always a certain danger that systematically comes from the outside, a stranger, a foreigner...
people react to this highly insecure world we live in in different ways, normally according to their circumstances and pocket size
families with money find the logic of buying a 4x4 car (the bigger the better) for the city explained and excused as it apparently gives them security, or more precisely a sense of security
in other parts of the world people who cannot afford a big fat and highly consuming car, get hold of an AK-47 as an alternative means and tool to providing them with security
do you you feel safer?

so in my little world, taking into account the very strong beliefs i hold against big fat cars for the city and AK-47s in general, my idea of security is a lock on the door and an antivirus
the discourse is still the same, you need to be protected against other people who want your information (why would i be of interest to anyone?), your bank account and money (you're having a laugh! not MY bank account, they would cryyyyyy), more.....
having bought into this insecure discourse i find myself spending over three hours trying to upgrade my antivirus with my heart in my throat as you have to uninstall first in order to install the new version (ohMyGod, what if a terrible virus would enter at precisely that time? my life! would be over!)
but it pays off, after that time i go to bed tranquil as i know my computer is safe and sleep like a log, not out of peace of mind, but rather out of exhaustion after those three hours of tension (ohMyGod I'm unprotected)

"je savais que

le bien comme le mal est affaire de routine, que le temporaire se prolonge, que l’extérieur s’infiltre au-dedans, et que le masque, à la longue, devient visage. Puisque la haine, la sottise, le délire ont des effets durables, je ne voyais pas pourquoi la lucidité, la justice, la bienveillance n’auraient pas les leurs"

Mémoires d'Hadrien

lo dejare en tus manos

Puedes querer el alba
cuando ames. Puedes
venir a reclamarte como eras.
He conservado intacto tu paisaje.
Lo dejare en tus manos
cuando estas lleguen, como simpre,
anunciandote.

asuncion de ti

people

come to your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime

for you

herman dune

it took just two moves

three girls sitting around a table, chatting to the sound of music and the taste of beer
two men see their opportunity, they don't know each other yet approach within seconds from each other

one goes straight to the girl of his choice, his charms in full flow, his best smile, his best show
the other sits at the table, in less than a minute, within two moves he is forced to leave

why you may wonder?
he did actually sit uninvited, but that wouldn't seem such an outrageous move, would it?
his second move however, in fact his first chat up line was: you look like a psychopath

although we cannot be at this point in time, terribly sure as to what the true aim of this man really was, we hope however he wasn't hoping to have a shag

ms blue

the other day i bumped into ms beige
i met ms beige in another life
i always knew her in beige
she made her life sound beige
she did her job professionally, yet beige

she had changed job not long ago
her new life made her happy
so happy in fact that she had gone wild
nearly totally crazy in her joy
to the point that she now was ms blue
marine blue that is

travelling

the more you travel
the more you feel country-less
the more you feel at home everywhere and nowhere
the more you know your home is in somebody's arms

My! salon

he remembered me and i was thrilled, like a little girl
we joked about this and that, mostly about men
he played around with my hair and i let him do, like a good girl
we got on very well, in a nice friendly manner
he got me a glass of champagne and i felt great, like a posh girl
we did business as usual, with fabulous results

the thing

the thing with respect is that it goes both ways
the things you say but also how you say them

the thing with trust is that it goes both ways
the things you do but also how you do them

the thing with willingness is that it can disappear
the things you put up with but also why you do so

interviews are always difficult

interviews are always difficult
you need to prepare for all sorts of questions from your skills and abilities, to past experiences, strengths and weaknesses...the lot
you need to prepare your outfit, to know where you are going in order to dress appropriately, in a style that it's professional but adapts to the job requirements

interviews are always difficult, but some more than others
like the second one
like one for two positions at the same time
like one in a country you have never set foot on
like one in a muslim country for a white european female
like one in a country that doesn't officially exist but does anyway

interviews are always difficult, but some definitely more than others

hagamos un trato

[..] hagamos un trato
yo quisiera contar
con usted

es tan lindo

Benedetti

it's fishing time

i knew it would happened this way
reaching the point of desperation, exasperation, exhaution and beyond
arriving to the thicker-than-thick skin in a chilled contemplatory mood
and zas! they would start calling, being interested, wanting me
creepy doubts would arise, selfish desires would flourish, unknown wants would appear

......now that i was beginning to enjoy the river flow.....it's fishing time!

three turns

three wrong turns and i was totally lost

the first at the roundabout, not any but one with 5 lines inside
the second on a tunnel, where there were no signs inside
the third on another tunnel, this with a bifurcation inside

three right turns and i got there

.........but only after hitting the highway in the exact opposite direction to destination

como llegar

Me encantaria saber como llegar al equilibrio

al equilibrio

entre nuestros fantasmas y nuestros alientos
entre lo que debemos y queremos
entre dar y recibir
entre el tiempo de otros y el propio
entre los sueños y la realidad
entre el futuro y el presente

efecto uruguay

adicta al dulce de leche
enamorada de Benedetti

dépaysement

"J'y étais poussée par mon goût du dépaysement"

Mémoires d'Hadrien

Buika

"[..] me da ganas de sentir la madre patria en el centro de la tierra"

it's a matter of honesty

you may not have a lot of resources in your organisation,
fair enough, you do what you can with what you have
you may have an unclear policy, which leaves you in an akward position,
fair enough, you do what you can with what you have
you may have a lot of work to do and everything is terribly important
fair enough, you do what you can with what you have

but it cannot be that whilst demanding respect from other you don't respect those who you treat
but it cannot be that whist working for a better world you dont' respect those who you treat

and respect means doing what you've said you'd do, or saying nothing so that you won't have to,
it's matter of honesty
with yourself and with others, about your limitations or those of the organisation you represent
and it boils down to the simple things,
like doing what you preach

jobless over the telephone (2)

they call an hour late, it's the time difference plus, summer time change, difficult to get it right
they are friendly and have a french accent
i was nervous and now i'm calm, gone from calm to panic and back a few times in that hour
i am cool and swap languages at ease
they like me
i know it

thinking of you

across the miles

happy moments

life is made of
the sum of moments

i want to grow old with happy memories
sum of precious moments

such as

a gorgeous breakfast
of a sunny spring morning
in a newly decorated terrace
with the best company you could think of

the boys, the girls

the boys are standing next to the bar, staring in complete concentration at the TV station
nothing else matters, nothing at all, there is a football match and that's all the counts
they shout, scream, comment, pat each other's back, share beers, it's fun

the girls are sitting around a table at the end of the bar, far from the TV at high volume
football doesn't really matter, it's not even a team I like, what's the point?!
they are chatting, sharing useful tips like women do, share beers, it's fun

mid match, the boys come back, the girls keep on chatting
what are you talking about?, dresses and shoes for our friend's wedding
oh! how boring, let's talk about something else, excuse me?
their presence requires acknowledgement, they cannot be bothered

but it gets me thinking: what an expectation?! what a sense of entitlement?!
it never ceases to surprise me.....

l'heure des confessions et explications

vous avez deux nouveaux message te dit la voix métallique du répondeur, premier nouveau message, 30 mars a 12.14
"oui, X, c'est -lsa, (voix de jeune femme) je t'appelle parce que j'ai besoin de parler avec toi, en fait, j'ai besoin du ajsfpdoifhwetghaspdugfy (français très rapidement), je suis a Paris et j'en besoin avec urgence, rappelle moi dans +33...."
deuxième nouveau message, 31 mars a 17.46
"c'est -lsa, je t'ai laisse un message, il est super urgent maintenant que je recoi fjsoighqwheig'asdnghiy (français aussi), tu peux me contacter a +33..."

j'arrive de l'aéroport, depuis 72 heures de voyage, écoute les messages, appelle le numéro et laisse un message

on me rappelle
"oui, je voudrais parler avec X si possible"
X n’est pas ici
en fait, je viens de recevoir un message dont je comprends rien
mmmmmmmmmm (click click click, c'est mon cerveau ça)
vous êtes qui?
Elsa
mmmmmmmm (l'heure des confessions et explications est arrivé) oui..je suis désolée, ehhh, en fait, je viens d'arriver, j'ai pas dormi...et quand j'ai écoute votre message j'ai pense, plutôt, j'étais convaincue que c'était un message d'une copine espagnole a X. Vous voyez...ehhh, elle s'appelle Alisa et c'est pour ça que je vous ai laisse un message en espagnole....
ahhhh (dans sa voix plutôt ???????????????????????????????????????)

jobless over the telephone

they shoot question after question (read from a paper)
you answer breathless with examples thought in nano seconds (good enough?)
they are polite, professional and smile over the phone from time to time (a good sign?)
you are a humorous professional with jet lag (is that pushing it?)
they don't have any more questions after an hour (thanks god! or whoever)
you are bloody tired after monologuing for an hour (i need a break...or a holiday)
they ask you whether you have any (mmmmmmmmmmm)
you ask a couple thought last minute (ufffff)
they tell you they'll let you know (ok)
you can only wait (can you hear my fingers tapping?)

solo para tus ojos con lentes

.......el final de nuestra adiccion novelesca, ademas de varios capitulos se pueden ver alli donde se ponen todos los videos en la web....

herencia latina

si en vez de latinos fuesen anglosajones no cabria siquiera la discusion
pero heredaron lo mejor y lo peor de los mediterraneos
en un continente con un indebido aunque entendible sentido de la inferioridad

y por lo tanto todavia quedan dudas de si el estuario del Rio de la Plata es el mayor del mundo
o simplemente un estuario mu mu grande

en mi modestia opinion una cosa es segura, si fuesen anglosajones era el mayor del mundo
pero como buenos latinos amantes de pelear con el vecino la realidad es un poco mas complicada
"Si el estuario "del Plata" fuese considerado como un mar, entonces cada Estado tendría soberanía sobre una franja del mismo; en cambio, al tratarse de un Río los Estados tienen soberanía sobre todo el espejo de aguas del mismo. Por otro lado, en el caso de tratarse de un río cambia la consideración jurídica del derecho internacional y se considera al río parte del dominio fluvial, o sea de las aguas interiores de un Estado, por lo que la soberanía no puede ser limitada por el derecho, ni siquiera para el paso inocente."

total que al final lo resolvieron "en 1961 con la declaración conjunta argentino-uruguaya, el Tratado del Rio de la Plata donde se estableció que “el límite exterior del Río de la Plata”, divisorio de las aguas con el Océano Atlántico, es la línea imaginaria que una Punta del Este (Uruguay) con Punta Rasa del Cabo San Antonio (Argentina)"

claro que ahora se pelean por otro rio......que incluye boicots, piqueteros, alegaciones de corrupcion y sobornos, prejuicios por ambas partes..... la herencia! que dura!

numbers

the journey took three days and involved three elements
four countries and two continents
two different seasons and four different languages

the grass is always greener

if you are young, you want to be older
if you are old, you want to be younger
if you are here and now, you want to be there and then

carpe diem
akuna matata

enjoy the now, the future will come
inevitably, whether invited or not, whether ready or not

grupos y grupitos

los seres humanos se agrupan, es una necesidad, como comer o dormir
se podrian crear tantos grupos como seres humanos, pero algunos en realidad vienen dados
los grupos a los que no se elige pertenecer, como una nacionalidad, una religion, una casta, o una clase, son los que nos causan mas problemas identitarios, con nosotr@s mism@s, o con otr@s
nadie eligio a sus padres, donde estaba su madre a la hora del parto, la religion que sus antepasados decidieron o les impusieron, con cuantas razas se entremezclaron por gusto o por fuerza
y seguimos como bob@s sin perdonar a otr@s semejante falta de opciones
nuestro discurso de manera automatica y natural se llena de 'nosotr@s', o de 'aqui se hace asi', se marcan distancias, se crean barreras, muchas veces sin intencion o darnos cuenta
al final siempre hay alguien que se siente extranjer@ en su piel....

retail therapy

always a good way forward

what I haven's worked out exactly is how to make someone else smile over the wires

any suggestions appreciated

sonrisas y lagrimas

a phonecall in the night
a tear shed over a red wine glass
a poem written when the city sleeps
a restless night fighting humidity
a grey sky with no blues in the horizon
a bunch of emails with love in their letters

definitions

you are wandering the streets on a rainy evening, looking for a place to eat
you don´t have any particular preference as to what kind of food
you come across a cute restaurant where other couples seem to be enjoying their food
you look at the menu and something instantly attracks your attention
you sit down, menus are brought to you, you choose, you order

we want white wine: sorry we don´t have any left; you order red
we want this and that: sorry we don´t have that and i am not sure we have this; you choose something else

the wine arrives, not the one you ordered, they didn´t have it anymore but another one: same same but different; you have it
the food arrives, not the one you ordered, they kinda adapted to the ingredients they had available; you have it but you think:

then call it something else!!!! definitions and dictionaries are there for something!

two sides of the same story

a car, running a 100 km/hr and very loud music
inside two girls singing top of their voices
outside is dark, the lights of other cars flashing

all of a sudden a knock
one of the girls hears it, the other doesn´t
so they keep on driving, it must have been my hearing..

after a while, more knocking!!
this time, my friend grabs my arm with a terrified look in her face
i look at her in complete amazement, her reaction so shocking and sudden

zombies and monsters in the dark of the night???
we stop, we look around, inside, outside, the booth, the floor...
aduuuhhh, histerical giggles when the speaker knocks again

so we keep on driving, with the music slightly lower

i want.....

i want a lovely huge house hanging from a cliff
swimming pools with painted suns in hanging balconies
crispy white walls where blue suns and moons salute the traveller
views of the sea, the sun and the moon
the traveller finds peace and inspiration in this artist´s realm

i want to be an artist painting murals in big walls
design bizarre objects and sculptures in all the colours of the rainbow
travel the world making friends here and there
soak other cultures, cultures and languages
and make my house a centre of art, peace and inspiration

vaya semanita

de playa, de sol, de viento, de mar, de rio,
de relajo, de lecturas, de culebrones,
de asado, de marisco,
de paseos, de deberes
de cruces, de posibilidades
de roces, de abrazos
de charlas, de futuro, de pasado, soñado, compartido....

different and cool

instead of having a cake with candles i had asado uruguayo
instead of getting presents i saved a penguin from dying
cool innit?

nuev@

un transporte nuevo, el BuqueBus, tranquilo paseo por el rio de la Plata, tan ancho como el mar
una ciudad nueva, la Genoa sureña, tranquilo paseo por la rambla costera, tan cerca del mar

por fin

72 horas mas que yo tardo mi maleta en llegar
72 horas en las que cambié de estación, vestida de invierno en el verano sureño
72 horas sin cremas y desodorantes, duchandome cada tantito para mejorar las apariencias
72 horas de generosidad y amistad, en pantalones tres tallas la mia y chinelas de plastico
visitando La Boca, Palermo, San Telmo, viendo mercaditos, tangos y evitas, disfrutando de bife, papas y malbec

aca se deci vos

y todo suena suave, aunque en realidad se coman las palabras o mas bien se les entremezclen en la boca, toda la frase, asi que salen sin mucho pronunciarse, con un acentillo estupendo, un poco italiano
los italianos en cambio me dejaron sin recambio, de muda o zapatos, quizas empiecen a llamarme la olorosa, con un acentillo estupendo, un poco italiano

off

one day
another day
yet another day
and finally, today, i'm off

i might write or might not
you might miss me or might not
we might be in contact or might not
in any case, as of today, i will be away

on holidays
yeah yeah yeah
from where i will come back older for sure
wiser i'm not so sure

los numeros bailan

portada de periodico de gran tirada
gran foto de mucha gente con banderas
primer parrafo del articulo asociado a la foto
[...] reunio en la plaza [..] a 337.000 personas segun el calculo del periodico, 342.000 segun la delegacion del gobierno y 2.125.000 segun la representacion oficial de la comunidad donde se celebraba el acto

Puntos clarficatorios: la representacion oficial de la comunidad es del partido de la oposicion, convocante de la manifestacion

chicas y burbujas

when you reach a certain age you realise that you begin to have limitations, physical i mean, imposed by your body, at a rythm other than your wishes or plans
you are also suposed to become a bit wiser, well that's how the theory goes
so knowing all of this, you hook up with your girlfriends and you are super lucky, one of those beautiful crispy sunny weekends so why bother going out, you seat on the terrace, open the first bottle of prosecco and warm up to the sun, the bubbles and the frienship
you then open a bottle of champagne, because, what the hell, it's sunny, it's the weekend and we're together!
you then realise that you forgot to eat and of course, you're slighlier more pissed than you thought
so the girlfriends move to the sofa and have a bodily imposed two hour siesta
when you reach a certain age, you realise you begin to have limitations, physical i mean

por nosotras

por vosotras señoras

cacao mental

en realidad, je ne sais plus, in che lingua, will next sentence be

very lady like

I'm sure there is a manual somewhere that explains with intimate details how a lady is supposed to behave in different contexts throughout her life. I imagine it also has a general rules chapter with details that go from the eye movement language to personal hygiene. I am positive that due to some general circumstances beyond my control like when, where and to whom I was born, and some personal characteristics and beliefs of my own making, I could be the epitome of how NOT to do it to become a lady.

Sunday afternoon, a sunny day in a typical european winter. A big park, the trees bare, the soil wet under a carpet of leaves. Groups of boy scouts, same uniform but different scarfs playing to their parents joy the game of 'the more the mud, the better'; couples of all ages with their dogs, with their children in prams, bicycles, skates... you name it; sporty people jogging in stripy leggings, same uniform but different colour combination. A typical winter sunday afternoon.

I was in one of the accessorize-free couples walking in the park, well prepared for the chilly wind with several layers of clothing, onion style, happily enjoying the shy sun after what seemed many moons of rain. As well as observing my fellow park goers I was also trying to eye the place where you unequivocally need to go when you are in the middle of a park. As the incredibly nonexistent facilities didn't materialise, I had to resort to find a tree wider than my behind in a relatively quiet walk path and rush to do a nano second pee. 'Very lady like' is what the jogger that saw me must have thought.

Musica y lectura

Isabel Allende, Ines del Alma Mia..

Capítulo Uno
Soy Inés Suárez, vecina de la leal ciudad de Santiago de la Nueva Extremadura, en el Reino de Chile, en el año 1580 de Nuestro Señor. De la fecha exacta de mi nacimiento no estoy segura, pero, según mi madre, nací después de la hambruna y la tremenda pestilencia que asoló a España cuando murió Felipe el Hermoso. No creo que la muerte del rey provocara la peste, como decía la gente al ver pasar el cortejo fúnebre, que dejó flotando en el aire, durante días, un olor a almendras amargas, pero nunca se sabe. La reinajuana, aún joven y bella, recorrió Castilla durante más de dos años llevando de un lado a otro el catafalco, que abría de vez en cuando para besar los labios de su marido, con la esperanza de que resucitara. A pesar de los ungüentos del embalsamador, el Hermoso hedía. Cuando yo vine al mundo, ya la infortunada reina, loca de atar, estaba recluida en el palacio de Tordesillas con el cadáver de su consorte; eso significa que tengo por lo menos setenta inviernos entre pecho y espalda y que antes de la Navidad he de morir. [...]


Catalina entró a mi servicio en la antigua ciudad del Cuzco, joya de los incas, en la época de Francisco Pizarro, aquel corajudo bastardo que, según dicen las lenguas sueltas, cuidaba cerdos en España y terminó convertido en marqués gobernador del Perú, agobiado por su ambición y por múltiples traiciones. Así son las ironías de este mundo nuevo de las Indias, donde no rigen las leyes de la tradición y todo es revoltura: santos y pecadores, blancos, negros, pardos, indios, mestizos, nobles y gañanes. Cualquiera puede hallarse en cadenas, marcado con un hierro al rojo, y que al día siguiente la fortuna, con un revés, lo eleve. He vivido más de cuarenta años en el Nuevo Mundo y todavía no me acostumbro al desorden, aunque yo misma me he beneficiado de él; si me hubiese quedado en mi pueblo natal, hoy sería una anciana pobre y ciega de tanto hacer encaje a la luz de un candil. Allá sería la Inés, costurera de la calle del Acueducto. Aquí soy doña Inés Suárez, señora muy principal, viuda del excelentísimo gobernador don Rodrigo de Quiroga, conquistadora y fundadora del Reino de Chile.

c'est vraiment genial

si vous n'avez rien à faire je peux vous recommander une activité que vous occuperez pendant des heures
vous mettez des vêtements noirs ou bruns dans la machine à laver et vous mettez aussi un tissu kleenex
vous chercher partout en ville une brousse de velours ou un rouleau collante
et vous passez votre après midi a enlever les petits morceaux de papier de tous votre vêtement
c'est chouette!

loving it

last thursday when i arrived it was raining
it continued over the weekend with the exception of a record 5 min sunshine on sunday morning
today is wednesday and it's the third day on a row that rains non-stops

a walk in the park anyone?

on equality

self importance

Maladie qui affecte plus les hommes que les femmes mais qui est également letale pour les deux

feeling broody?

well, go to a one year old birthday party and you'll see
fantastic decoration, fabulous cakes, lovely presents
parent's friends, parents with children, childless friends
and the best, the conversations: "uhhhh look (clap clap clap) he took one step"
forget about the yet-again Italian government collapse, the Oscars, the Beckhams or football!
mine said mamma last week, mine pooooooed green this week, mine is five weeks old
and you think: "gosh, get me out of H-E-R-E"
and then you reconsider: "that'll be ME sometime in the future!"
cos you realise Everybody does it, so it must be for a reason, an uncontrollable parental instict that forces you to dribble over children's bubbles
and you conclude: "well, until it's my turn, i pass"

obvious but hard

Truth is Freedom
Freedom is Truth

toilet wisdom

war for peace is like fucking for virginity

my take

took a train and met up with the girls, to celebrate my 7th anniversary in my loved city
took the tube many times, to compensate for last year's living in zone 1 (hardly any required)
took a ride down memory lane with some eXs, completing a circle with fun and tears
took a train to the suburbs to give a surprise, spoilt last minute but worth it
took nothing but tissues out of a box and belongings out of many forgotten bags

the power of mental barriers

mental barrier starts:
"oh! i can't be bother to do..."
"this is so sad.... i am so sad"
"i feel terrible.."
"surely i can't possibly ...."
"gosh, awful day.."
......conclusion: you won't do it
......repercusion: you feel guilty
......solution: you do it feeling like an idiot for not having done it on the first place; having taken triple the amount of time (from feeling like not doing it, to doing it and all the time it took thinking about it all); having stopped doing other things because you were either thinking, not doing, feeling guilty or doing it.....

final conclusion: just get over them from the start!

We agree

There is this arts centre I quite like and also dislike. Despite being voted "London's ugliest building" according to a BBC poll in September 2003, is still officially designated as being of special architectural, historical or cultural significance. But further to the site, they do theatre, art, dance, education, music and films....As they undergo their 25th birthday, they wanted to know, after thousands of films have been screened in their cinemas since their opening, which were the public's 25 favourite.
And ladies and gentlemen, the highly cultured attendants of such prestigious insitution agree with me, in at least one, the winner, which gave us this famous quote:

"In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed — they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

En ninguna direccion

Yo en realidad, me considero una tia moderna y bastante avanzada tecnologicamente. Cuando las circunstancias lo pedian, y dando la espalda a mi natural espiritu rebelde y un poco suspicaz, me arme de valor y me compre un movil. Cuando me compre mi super dupa portatil, una mujer muy sabia, muy valiente y a la que admiro mucho me dijo que una vez lo tuviese, no iba a saber como habia sobrevivido hasta ese momento sin uno. Oye, pues dicho y hecho, aqui estoy, enganchada total.

Hay uno que se me escapa, de hecho, yo nunca he visto uno, de cerca quiero decir. Los he visto apostados en los tableros de otros, generalmente de esos carros pretenciosos, obscenos y anti-mundo, conducidos por señores con complejo de inferioridad o con un aparato minusculo o por señoras con suficiente laca en el pelo como para desafiar las leyes de los vientos huracanados o con una inseguridad ciudadana propia de un discurso de derechas. Tambien los he visto en los tableros de aquellos que hacen del carro su vida, o mas bien que dependen del carro para vivir, en estos supongo es un aparato practico, util y que hace la vida diaria mas facil.......pero a costa de que? Como otros aparatos a los que debemos agradecer su existencia a la inteligencia militar, el aparatito del cual hablaba Maruja Torres en el articulo del mismo titulo, el gps, a mi en realidad me da un poco de miedo. Llamadme irracional, llamadme fan fan de Surveiller et punir de Foucault o la teoria de la conspiracion, o lo que sea, pero hay dos cosas principales por las cuales no solo no me gusta sino que ademas me disgusta profundamente el aparatito en cuestion, porque como bien dice Maruja : Por el simple hecho de utilizarlo se les comunica a todos los servicios secretos que corresponden dónde nos ubicamos nosotros, por un si acaso; aunque un movil o incluso una cuenta de internet a fin de cuentas en eso son iguales....
Pero la segunda, es en realidad la mas importante. Ahora que nadie salvo los marcianos se sabe el numero de telefono de nadie gracias al movil, todos estos aparatitos, si si nos hacen la vida mas facil pero [..]

así, poco a poco, pero inexorablemente, vamos dejando de
discurrir. Y se nos ayuda a transcurrir sin más. De aquí para allá y de allá
para aquí. Que es de lo que se trata.

Por eso, llamo a la rebelion de los mapas y los libros!

Si usted desea unirse, no tiene mas que firmar en 'Comments'.

ῥυθμός

Un ritmo no tiene por qué ser una secuencia de sonidos repetitivos. Su característica fundamental es que marque el tiempo, sea con variaciones o no.
Varios deberian encontrarse y acompañarse, para hacer musica, juntos
..... como la vida misma

.....

ville blanche

l'hiver, la neige, le froid

je suis contente

je suis dedans

tranquility

being put in on place, breathing in deeply, recovering from a big effort
taking time to fulfill that need for a break that everybody but you can see

and you finally give yourself the chance
to take a break from the next step
to plan pleasure rather than a routine
to find the what, allowing time to flow until the when

being tranquil

en mi nuevo hogar

esta nevando!

Time

There are two distinct views on the meaning of time.
One view is that time is part of the fundamental structure of the universe, a dimension in which events occur in sequence, and time itself is something that can be measured. This is the realist's view, to which Sir Isaac Newton subscribed.
A contrasting view is that time is part of the fundamental intellectual structure (together with space and number) within which we sequence events, quantify the duration of events and the intervals between them, and compare the motions of objects. [..]This view is in the tradition of[..] Immanuel Kant, in which time, rather than being an objective thing to be measured, is part of the mental measuring system.
The question, perhaps overly simplified and allowing for no middle ground, is thus: is time a "real thing" that is "all around us", or is it nothing more than a way of speaking about and measuring events?

Moreover, without any future events, how do you measure time?
I know the answer, do you?

las pequeñas cosas de cada pais

mi casa es el epitoma de estilazo, limpieza y orden, en realidad estoy por llamar a elle decoration
tal que viento huracanado he ido pasando por todos los rincones de la casa ordenando, limpiando, decorando
las grandes compras de ikea estan montadas, embalaje en su bolsa amarilla [amarilla para papel, azul para plastico y latas, blanca para basura general; que solo se pueden dejar en la calle para ser recogidas los martes (azul, blanca y amarilla) y los viernes (blanca), pero eso si, a partir de las 6 de la tarde. En inglaterra aprendi como hace colas en orden, aqui voy a aprender como se rige una sociedad que lleva el orden, la Organizacion (si si con mayuscula) y la cuadratura en la sangre]
el domingo como buenos ateo-agnosticos la dedicacion mudó a la proxima mudanza via rellenar solicitudes eternas para la gran familia de naciones unidas y semi-disfrutar de Smoke (la peli), semi porque si los doblajes en español son duros, al ViveLaFracophonie son terribles

my many facets

modern housewive
maru-paño-en-mano
madam bricolage
glam girl
party animal
sex goddess
interior designer
pilates freak
lady of leisure

and THAT only this weekend

get off my street.....

i'm walking down a street with my ipod on, you are looking funny at me but i'm Serious
i'm walking to the rythm of a song you cannot listen to
i'm dancing to the bongos of Da Lata but you cannot dance either

get of my street.....or i'll move my hip, and in one sudden move, you'll be off the street

a curiosity about Pilates, the man

Joseph H. Pilates was born in Germany, in 1880, to parents of Greek and German ancestry. His father was a prize-winning gymnast of Greek origin and his mother a naturopath of German origin. His name was originally spelled by its Greek derivation "Pilatu" but was changed to Pilates. This caused him much grief because, as a child, older boys taunted him calling him "Pontius Pilate, killer of Christ".

today I discovered

who was my partner in another life. I also discovered that in fact i was a gay man in another life, which would explain a number of things in this one.....

En honor a los animos electronicos

La amistad, enamorarse, viajar
salir, divertirse, el amor
reirse, ser madre, crecer
romper con la rutina, jugarse, bailar.....

Todas la cosas buenas de la vida despeinan.
Y eso te queda muy bien.

temps modernes....

....veulent dire que quasi la premiere chose que tu fais quand tu arrives dans un nouveau pays est de passer entre 1 et trois heures a etablir la connexion internet qui te rapprochera un peu plus au monde. En teorie, on te donne un cd (souvenez vous ce sont temps modernes) qui devrait te faire franchir les etapes "tres facilement"; ils ne disent pas qu'ils l'ont dessine pour les idiots, mais c'est exactement comme ça que tout le monde se sent a la fin du cd. Bien sûr aussi, je suis puis têtue qu'eux et j'ai reussi

the time has arrived

to be faithful to my blog title
to take my many bags in a train
to the first destination of my new life era
to change location, language and life
to think about the future in less immediate terms
to begin a plan that will take me

around the world

saturation point

to quote my parallel life

nearly 12 hours later....

i'm still packing, choosing, throwing
i'm sick of thinking, deciding, despairing
i'm boxed up, suitcased up, binlinered up

i'm oxfam's shop next favourite person
i'm the queen of keeping
i'm becoming the queen of throwing

i'll get there.....

sleepless

estaba buscando una cara de dormida y me encontre con esta, que me dio una alegria pal cuerpo, asi que pense compartirla

para que algunas se consuelen

why would i have...

three shoe boxes with: (some highlights of the bizarre combination of contents)
a cassette (yes my friend) with recordings of my own voice (yes my friend) when I was 5 years of age
a notebook my granma gave me in 1999 (yes my friend)
two little pots of shoe polish
a collection of conference badges
three differnt types of tape
and those lovely earrings, flower-clip and peineta (yes my friend); my only excuse is that it was carnival

(out)law

One minute you are having a panic attack over tax returns, P-x, P-y and P-z (where did they all come from?, who was the weird person that named them?) wondering what is the fine line between a law abiding citizen and an outlawed. In a eureka moment (out of sheer desperation) you try your friend google, find a number that looks like they could be a bit more clued up than yourself, you call and a very helpful man tells you in plain english when and how mr and ms P met, had babies and when do you need to remember their anniversaries.
Next minute you are having it large, next to your fireplace, having a smoke, feet up and big big smile in your face: the manners and peace of mind of a tranquil law abiding citizen.

reencuentros

emocionales, emocionantes
cosas que se perdieron, cosas que se fueron, cosas que quedaron
reflexiones, lecciones, recuerdos
heridas en forma de corazon, tensiones en forma de lagrima
amor y amistad, pasado y futuro, futuro y pasado...... en forma de balsamo

Os presento a Mr Fonollosa

Y La Rambla de Santa Monica 4

La ciudad esta llena de caminos.
Todos son buenos para escapar de ella.

No importa a donde vaya. En cualquier lado
hay sendas que conducen a otra parte.

El lugar nunca importa. Es otro sitio
- otro siempre- el objeto de mi viaje.

Mr Fonollosa

stress over the wires

phonecalls about someone ill, with an ex or a coward lover
no stress policy applies, only cos it's my new motto, to estate agents who don't understand the word email, ex colleagues in search of advice and mini cab drivers who are always late

perfect recepie to avoid a good sleep

dinner 1: have huge amounts of drunken cheese washed with vast amounts of dry dry white wine
dinner 2: (in the following 24 hours) ingest a cow size argentinian stake with heavy garlicky side dishes
3 am wake up with Ghandi's flip flop in the mouth guaranteed

para marcianos

northern exposure

if music is the pathway to the heart as voltaire suggested
speech is the pathway to other people
live in silence and you live alone

love and pain and beauty
they all seem to go together
like one little tiny confusing package
it's a messy business life, it's hard to figure
full of surprises, some good and some bad

balacing act

a precarious external equilibrium but a solid internal one
butterfly effect from a stressful phonecall, a planed holiday, an operation and a business trip
the balancing act of wishes and duties, opportunities and possibilities

new year's motto working to perfection

new year, new life, no plans, no stress
each day is a surprise, so far all wonderful
relaxation, key to effective communication
healthy mind in a healthy body
homelessness and joblessness are simply great

la journee d'hier

tardios despertares, susurros, cafe, deporte, comida, comunicaciones locales, nacionales e internacionales, barbas, peleas, citas, el metro a hora punta (no mas si se puede evitar), moqueta salmon, (en la) mansion vernon, pizza, conversaciones inteligentes, marcianos, musica en el metro, brasil, samba, caipirinha, portugues, cumpleaños, mujeres fuertes y bravas, ojos, mamas danzantes, birra, divorcios, casamientos, muerte, criaturas, futuro, mañana, autobus, zainos y cama

I like the word curiosity

"It evokes "care"; it evokes the care one takes of what exists and what might exist; a sharpened sense of reality, but one that is never immobilized before it; a readiness to find what surrounds us strange and odd; a certain determination to throw off familiar ways of thought and to look at the same things in a different way...; a lack of respect for the traditional hierarchies of what is important and fundamental."
Michel F.

it's all about the feeling!

un vino y una cerveza en una casa de muñencas
una cerveza a dos, y entre las dos
historias, sonrisas, lagrimas, opiniones, deseos, besos, recuerdos, visiones, canciones, poemas, problemas, soluciones, animo, reposo, ansiedades, tranquilidades, consejos, preguntas, respuestas, sueños, realidades, preocupaciones, certezas, planes, ideas, risas, suspiros, abrazos,
y cariño, mucho, a montones
un espacio, que espacio, que lujo, que guay

melanzane

la prima volta, un po troppo de fromaggio pero non mala
penso un piccolo eccesso de parmigiano pero sono encora orgogliosa del mio laburo
ho imparato d'un cuoco eccellente, pero lui non era presente eh?!
eh monsieur, penso poso essere una buona avversaria... on fait quoi la prochaine?

realisation

it's the little things that actually take time

oxymorons

ETA acknowledges putting the bomb that killed two people, but is still fully committed to the truce
the (so called) People's Party won't go to a demonstration against the bombing, because it would 'create division'

is it me, or is there something odd here??

4.30 am

having received news of the imminent move of my flatmate, a certain level of anxiety entered my cold infected body, increased the levels of pain and rendered me wide awake from 4.30am til about 6.30am. Infinite mental lists of where shall i put this, and the other; my worldly possessions! i shall be generous and place them where they can be useful to others; others shall be equally generous and leave me clutter their attics! it's good to have friends, very very good. And it was this simple realisation that allowed me to fall back to sleep