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