jueves, 29 de noviembre de 2007

Sentada en la vereda, huyendo de los recuerdos

La anciana se levanta a las cinco porque el sueño simplemente desaparece, como desapareció alguna vez su hijo mayor con esa muchacha del barrio y se fueron lejos de un día para el otro. Con sus dedos temblorosos y arrugados abre la cajita que abre todas las mañanas, saca una pastilla y la deposita en su lengua. Se prepara un café con leche y unas tostadas, y se da cuenta que cada día le cuesta más trabajo desarmar las tostadas con sus dientes que ya perdieron toda fuerza. El café con leche la hace entrar en calor y tomar coraje mientras la noticia de que una bomba cayó en Irak se apodera del televisor.
Se sienta frente al retrato de su marido y lo contempla. Reza un rosario como para no perder la costumbre. Piensa en el pasado, lo ama, lo extraña. Doce años ya… cuánto tiempo. Luego llena el plato del gato que le brinda compañía y la mantiene segura. El mismo cuerpo peludo y ronroneante que a las seis de la tarde se posa sobre su falda y disfruta de las caricias.
La anciana abre las ventanas, humedece el trapo gris, e inclinándose hacia abajo para ponerlo en el estropajo siente el dolor de espalda que la hace sufrir cuando se agacha. El trapo va y viene, recorre todos los rincones de la casa y se lleva consigo toda la tierra, todo el polvo que los recuerdos tormentosos dejan cada día. Con otro trapo recorre mesas, muebles, baño. Luego enjuaga ambos con una generosa cantidad de agua y detergente, eliminando hasta lo más profundo todo recuerdo hiriente que queda dentro de su ser.
Se coloca los zapatos negros, el batón a medio uso, abre la puerta de la calle y se asegura de cerrarla con la traba al salir. Camina dos cuadras y se da cuenta que la rodilla comienza a dolerle cada vez más cerca del lugar de partida. Saluda a Don Mario, el dueño del almacén, carga en un par de bolsas medio pollo, medio kilo de papas y media docena de bananas. Paga con los pocos billetes que carga y emprende el regreso a su hogar.
Antes de llegar se encuentra con su vecina, a quien cariñosamente le da un “buenos días”. Destraba la puerta, entra y comienza a cocinar. Mientras almuerza, la televisión anuncia un robo a un banco cercano, un motín escandaloso en Salta, una persecución policíaca en el medio del Gran Buenos Aires. Mientras lava los platos escucha de un incendio forestal que lleva tres días ardiendo en los Estados Unidos.
Se sienta en su sillón-hamaca con una aguja debajo de cada brazo y un ovillo celeste al que el peludo felino observa con un fuerte deseo, pero ya sabe que no debe tocar. Piensa a quién le regalará el saquito que está tejiendo. Decide dárselo a algún niño del Hogar que hay cerca de su casa y piensa si será aquel niño tan valiente como su esposo. Qué bien que le vendría al mundo un hombre como fue aquél valiente soldado que no ve desde hace doce años. Enciende la radio, pero para escuchar que un hombre y su hijo se ahogan pescando. La apaga. La novela que ve todos los días ya casi empieza. La mira con atención y luego sigue con el tejido mientras un ojo comienza a lagrimearle por el esfuerzo y la interrumpe el teléfono. Un lejano familiar al que no frecuenta desde hace ya muchos años, ha fallecido. Simplemente decide no asistir al último adiós para no llamar a tantos recuerdos oscuros e hirientes que la atormentan desde detrás de cada lápida.
Riega las plantas, merienda otro café con leche, ahora con galletitas de agua, mientras la televisión por fin anuncia una buena noticia: ese actor que estaba internado ya volvió a su casa y se encuentra en perfecto estado de salud. Mira el reloj, son casi las seis de la tarde. Hierve un poco de agua, la coloca en un termo viejo que casi no mantiene el calor, yerba, azúcar, abre la puerta, saca la silla, se sienta y mira a la gente pasar mientras toma mate. Se olvida de la época en la que vive; piensa que todavía es seguro estar sola en la calle, con la puerta de la casa abierta. De tarde se olvida de todo peligro. El felino no tarda mucho en subirse a su falda y empezar a ronronear. Ella se sienta a observar a la gente, a los autos, a las casas. Cada día un edificio nuevo construyendo una ciudad muy alta y dejando su casa vieja, despintada y descascarada cada vez más abajo. Cada día la gente camina más apurada. Y los que manejan lujosos automóviles cada vez van más rápido, con autos más nuevos, y calles más transitadas. Un perro al que se le ve el dolor y el hambre en las costillas pasa por delante de ella y no nota la presencia del felino. Luego pasa uno bien alimentado, con un colgante con su nombre y una correa hasta un hombre que usa las zapatillas que aparecen en la tele durante los cortes del noticiero. Gente que va, gente que viene, pasan, algunos saludan, otros no. Mucho para observar. La anciana no se aburre de ver lo mismo todos los días. Absorbe a bocanadas los últimos rayos de sol y trata de evitar los recuerdos dolorosos mientras la noche se acerca. Prefiere ver a la gente pasar por la calle y no el rayo de sol que se filtra por la ventana del comedor exactamente de la misma forma que se filtró doce años atrás, esa tarde que no quiere recordar. Prefiere ver al sol esconderse tras los edificios y no sentir el peso del atardecer desde adentro de la casa. Prefiere escuchar a la ciudad respirar y no las noticias de la televisión. Las tardes en la casa la deprimen, los recuerdos la atormentan. Entonces espera que el sol se despida por completo y recién ingresa de nuevo.
Se da un baño, se pone el camisón y lee la revista que enseña nuevos puntos de tejido. Los pondrá en práctica al día siguiente, cuando tenga que esperar que empiece la novela. Llena el plato del gato y recalienta el pollo con puré de papas. Cena y contempla el portarretrato de sus dos hijos, cada uno viviendo en un país distinto. Y se acuesta luego de tomar otra pastilla para, al día siguiente, seguir la rutina e intentar escaparse de los recuerdos dolorosos, sentándose en la vereda a las seis de la tarde, con su única compañía sobre la falda.

martes, 27 de noviembre de 2007

Desencuentro de miradas

Yo aquí, vos allá, tanto tiempo sin vernos. Hoy te cruzo por la vida, pero muchos metros, mucha gente, mucho ruido, mucho alboroto nos separa. No querés interrumpir a quien te habla, pero sentís que desde acá alguien te mira. Yo no quiero interrumpir a quien me habla, sólo te miro y vuelvo a mi conversación. Siento que desde allá alguien me observa, alguien sabe de mi presencia. Miro para allá otra vez, quiero saludarte aunque sea con una sonrisa que se pierda entre tanta multitud. No quiero interrumpir tu charla, así que fijo mis ojos en mi interlocutor. Siento que de nuevo me observás, miro nuevamente y otra vez mirás a tu interlocutor.
La multitud fue empujándonos, el ruido se hizo más fuerte, el alboroto nos separó una vez más. Y ya no te encontré donde estabas, y otra oportunidad se fue. Otro desencuentro de miradas, ora vez extrañándote, otro tiempo sin vernos, hasta que la casualidad decida volver a encontrarnos.

lunes, 26 de noviembre de 2007

I need to wake up

Grrreeeeaaat song
Grrreeeeaaat lyrics
Grrreeeeaaat film
Something we should all be conscious about and start making changes!

Song: I need to wake up
Artist:
Melissa Etheridge
Soundtrack of the film:
An Inconvenient Truth
Lyrics: here
Film site: http://www.climatecrisis.net/

domingo, 25 de noviembre de 2007

Reaction to My Interpretation, by Mika

The first lines of the song My Interpretation, by Mika are:

“You talk about life,
you talk about death
and everything in between
like it's nothing.
And the words are easy”


Maybe Mika knows somebody who thinks like that, maybe he doesn’t, but I got stuck with the phrase and I though a lot about it. Reading the whole lyrics, the song is for a girl, and this girl thinks about life and death and everything in between like it was nothing. And is it really nothing? For me, life is a lot, and so it is death, so everything in between too! But here the girl talks just because the words are easy and she doesn’t feel that they mean much.

If life is nothing… then why are we here? I am now in front of a computer, writing this because I am alive… i.e. life was given to me and all I do is because of that. If I hadn’t got a life, I wouldn’t exist and anything would be possible for me. So is life really ‘nothing’? I think it’s everything!

And after living we all reach death… which is something also very important. It’s a sad moment for everybody around who is staying alive and is the end of our life on earth. Even if we believe there’s another life or not after we die, it is the end of a life and in my opinion, it’s something very important too.

Then the ‘everything in between’ is our whole life. All we do and we are on that period is our life and what goes since the moment we are born and when we die. If the ‘everything in between’ is nothing, then why should we live if we ain’t gonna do any good to the world, we won’t change anything… Should we just pass by, doing ‘nothing’ and feel okay after that? How will people remember us if our life is just ‘nothing’?

In conclusion, I still can’t understand how someone can talk about life and death and everything in between like it was nothing. And the words to describe those concepts that are really meaningful and for me are everything are not easy! We can’t just describe life or death with simple words. They’re concepts that go far beyond what we can express or understand.

Anyway, it's just "my interpretation", isnt it? :)

sábado, 24 de noviembre de 2007

La Gota de Sangre

De una pequeña abertura salían partículas de un rojo oscuro con mucha furia y se iban apilando una, otra, cada vez eran más; y formaron una gota de sangre. Cuando tuvo peso suficiente, ésta comenzó a rodar desde su hombro. Lentamente fue bajando, sin prisa ni apuro, descendía a su ritmo. Descendía por aquel brazo moreno y venoso, por aquellos músculos ocultos y sin fuerza, que nunca buscaron pelea. La gota rodaba y a su paso le hacía cosquillas. La sentía dentro de él, sentía las cosquillas como un profundo dolor. En el hombro no, en su corazón, en su mente, en su honor. La gota de sangre que había recorrido su cuerpo y tan bien lo conocía, se encontraba en la palma de su mano. Quiso limpiársela en el jean sucio y rotoso, pero no lo hizo. Esperó unos segundos más y dejó que aquella gota roja atraviese su dedo mayor y caiga, ayudada por la fuerza de gravedad, sin que nada la detenga, al suelo frío, seco y vacío. Dando vueltas en el aire y despidiéndose de su dueño con cierta nostalgia, la gota de sangre chocó con el mundo y se desparramó sin forma alguna, quedando así como un cadáver que pasa desapercibido. Se llevó consigo el dolor, la humillación, el honor y el pedacito de niño que quedaba todavía dentro de aquel cuerpo huesudo. Detrás de ella venían muchas gotas más siguiendo el mismo camino y listas para tener el mismo destino. Pero ya nada importó. Ninguna fue tan fuerte, profunda y dolorosa como aquella primera e injusta gota de sangre.

Dados

Aquellos cubos de seis lados que decidieron su destino.
Esos cubos que lo llevaron a la perdición.
A la humillación.
A la separación de su familia.
A la pérdida de todo lo que tenía.
Esos dados que decidieron su destino.
Esos dados que decidieron caer del lado equivocado.
Esos números inciertos que nunca debieron haber tocado.

Aquel vicio que lo llevó a la muerte.

[Foto sacada de Internet]

miércoles, 21 de noviembre de 2007

My blog and its new beginning

Now that classes are over and we only have to sit for the last two exams – thanks to Charlie, because we should have three :P - I want to give an end to the first period of my blog and an introduction to the one that’s almost here.

This blog was created for our English class to practice writing in order to do well in the IB exams. The idea of working online and investigating a new method so close to technology really caught me from the very first time! I like a lot writing, designing, using technology, so this new opportunity was incredible for me! I’ve learned a lot about the three subjects just mentioned thanks to the blog. Now I find it easier to express myself in English, I know more or less how to deal with the HTML codes, I gave a good design to the outfit of this, I’ve investigated about a lot of things to write about, I read a lot, I made new friends, I learned how to analyze texts in details and I’ve improved in a high level my quality of writing. And all this thanks to Charlie’s crazy and so productive idea of working online! It might have sound strange the first time you told me about this new method you wanted to implement at school, but I was really caught by it. And you can see how I got involved from the very beginning!

At the beginning the blog was exclusive for school assignments, reactions to texts or books read at school, or copying and pasting old pieces of writing I already had. The blogosphere wasn’t as complex as I thought it was. It wasn’t something difficult to understand, and it started absorbing me – in a good way. I became a fanatic of changing colors and designs of the website and each time I wrote more, about more varied topics.

Everything had to be in English! That was something good in order to learn more because I had some pieces I liked a lot, but I had to translate them to post them! But at the same time, there were moments I wanted to write in Spanish because I had the sentences made up in my mind in Spanish… so I couldn’t post them on the blog… But anyway, the blog was a very good way to do homework enjoying it a lot.

Little by little, it started turning to Spanish. I posted two entries in Spanish. Then my profile was changed and I wrote it in my first language. Then some titles… Now it’s half English, half Spanish… but it’s still good! I like to have things as they started and not to change everything.

So now that there are no more classes and we are not obligated to write twice a week - although I never felt it was an obligation but a pleasure, a way of letting myself out, expressing, relaxing – my blog has been trough some changes in labels in order to continue alive.

I will keep on posting stuff written by me, by other authors, songs, videos, pics, reflections, whatever! I will post in both languages: it will depend how the inspiration reaches me… :P jaja! And this will still be alive, showing my inner self, my art, my thoughts, my world. So I can still say – or write - “Welcome to my world”.

And now’s the turn to thank you, Charlie! Look what you’ve done! This blog is all thanks to the desire you’ve always had to go forward, to walk together with technology, to always teach more and try to make the best of what we’ve got. It’s mostly thanks to you that I write nowadays, that I enjoy analyzing texts, that I understand texts better because I analyze them, that I am so fan of technology and of blogs. This year was incredibly productive and I’ve learned like in no other. I’ve learned not only about the subject, grammar, language, or whatever, but also about life, about society, literature, my own self and so many other things!
Thank you so much dear Charlie!!! You’re great!
I really appreciate you.

martes, 20 de noviembre de 2007

Hoy estoy cerrando un ciclo

Cerrando Ciclos
De Paulo Coehlo

Hay que saber cuándo una etapa llega a su fin.
Cuando insistimos en alargarla más de lo necesario, perdemos la alegría y el sentido de las otras etapas que tenemos que vivir. Poner fin a un ciclo, cerrar puertas, concluir capítulos, no importa el nombre que le demos, lo importante es dejar en el pasado los momentos de la vida que ya terminaron.
¿Me han despedido del trabajo? ¿Ha terminado una relación? ¿Me he ido de casa de mis padres? ¿Me he ido a vivir a otro país? Esa amistad que tanto tiempo cultivé, ¿ha desaparecido?
Puedes pasar mucho tiempo preguntándote por qué ha sucedido algo así. Puedes decirte a ti mismo que no darás un paso más hasta entender por qué motivo esas cosas que eran tan importantes en tu vida se convirtieron de repente en polvo. Pero una actitud así supondrá un desgaste inmenso para todos: tu país, tu cónyuge, tus amigos, tus hijos, tu hermano; todos ellos estarán cerrando ciclos, pasando página, mirando hacia delante, y todos sufrirán al verte paralizado. Nadie puede estar al mismo tiempo en el presente y en el pasado, ni siquiera al intentar entender lo sucedido. El pasado no volverá: no podemos ser eternamente niños, adolescentes tardíos, hijos con sentimientos de culpa o de rencor hacia sus padres, amantes que reviven día y noche su relación con una persona que se fue para no volver. Todo pasa, y lo mejor que podemos hacer es no volver a ello.
Por eso es tan importante (¡por muy doloroso que sea!) destruir recuerdos, cambiar de casa, donar cosas a los orfanatos, vender o dar nuestros libros. Todo en este mundo visible es una manifestación del mundo invisible, de lo que sucede en nuestro corazón. Deshacerse de ciertos recuerdos significa también dejar libre un espacio para que otras cosas ocupen su lugar.
Dejar para siempre. Soltar. Desprenderse. Nadie en esta vida juega con cartas marcadas. Por ello, unas veces ganamos y otras, perdemos. No esperes que te devuelvan lo que has dado, no esperes que reconozcan tu esfuerzo, que descubran tu genio, que entiendan tu amor. Deja de encender tu televisión emocional y ver siempre el mismo programa, en el que se muestra cómo has sufrido con determinada pérdida: eso no hace sino envenenarte.
Nada hay más peligroso que las rupturas amorosas que no aceptamos, las promesas de empleo que no tienen fecha de inicio, las decisiones siempre pospuestas en espera del momento ideal.
Antes de comenzar un nuevo capítulo hay que terminar el anterior: repítete a ti mismo que lo pasado no volverá jamás. Recuerda que hubo una época en que podías vivir sin aquello, sin aquella persona, que no hay nada insustituible, que un hábito no es una necesidad. Puede parecer obvio, puede que sea difícil, pero es muy importante.
Cerrar ciclos. No por orgullo, ni por incapacidad, ni por soberbia, sino porque, sencillamente, aquello ya no encaja en tu vida. Cierra la puerta, cambia el disco, limpia la casa, sacude el polvo.
Deja de ser quien eras, y transfórmate en el que eres.


Haciendo alusión al ciclo que no quiero que termine, y sin embargo el tiempo me está ganando. Tengo que cerrar el ciclo, tengo que dejar cosas atrás.
... Aunque no quiera.

sábado, 17 de noviembre de 2007

Away from the sun

Song: Away From The Sun

Group: 3 Doors Down

Video:


My analisis/reaction:
The song is about someone who lives in the dark, what means that he is not happy, suffers a lot and is feeling depressed. What the character wants is to find some light, to see the colors again and get out of that darkness in order to feel okay and live again. When we feel depressed we see everything dark, we don’t appreciate the colors of life and we want to come back to life again. And this is clearly shown in the lyrics of the song.

In the video there is a boy with a lot of stones hanging from his body, with a lot of weight, who has to climb the mountain and in order to do it, he suffers a lot. The video is very touching and it made me think about a lot of aspects in life and how we react towards them. It also made me remember of Sísifo, who I posted about here.

The boy in the video goes up the mountain three times. He has to face a lot of obstacles and different types of pain but he doesn’t care and he goes on and tries to reach the top.

The first time we see the boy going up with all the weight of his life on his back, we see that in the top of the mountain there’s a pink flower. It is almost the only color we can see in the video clip and it symbolizes that the boy wants to live again, to reach the flower and to see the colors again. Then the image of the flower disappears when the man shouts at him and makes him go back again. When we want something there is always another thing that opposes and won’t let us reach it so easily. So, this man represents that force that is always playing against us. The second time he goes up, after falling because of the man, the image of a woman appears up in the mountain. Maybe she is his mother and the evil man is his father. Maybe the boy has some problems in his family and he sees his parents like that. But the image of the woman disappears, the same as the flower, because the man takes over again and makes him fall down once more.

When looking at the boy falling down, rolling, bouncing with the dry soil and the rocks we can feel his pain. It is a very moving image to see him suffering like that. And when the other boys throw stones at him or the girls laugh at him, we want to be there and make them stop. It is all very cruel.

After so much suffering and effort the boy finally sees the sun going up and it fills him with hope, strength and pride to start climbing again. The woman appears and the man, the girls and the other boys don’t. He reaches the top, the sun is up for him and he feels so happy that the evil characters don’t show up again.

The video shows some aspects in life that makes us reflect about our acts. Sometimes we laugh at others like the girls laugh when they see the boy suffering. And sometimes we realize it’s not good to laugh but we don’t do anything, like the odd one in each group: maybe because our help will be useless because there’s a powerful force that doesn’t let us state our point and won’t listen to us, or maybe because we don’t want to be punished if we rebel or fight against the establishment. And sometimes we make the punishment others have to suffer harder, like throwing stones and making the weight they have to carry heavier, like the group of boys.
What is really worth highlighting is the boy’s strength to go on, his self reliance and strong desire to reach what he wants. He doesn’t feel completely frustrated as he goes on climbing once more although people laugh and shout at him, or throw more rocks. He doesn’t give up so the sun goes up and he finally can reach the top of the mountain. The video clip starts with a gloomy atmosphere, very dark, with little light, and finishes with the sun light taking over the whole scene.

viernes, 16 de noviembre de 2007

Graduation Song


A friend told me about a great song with great lyrics and it is worth posting it in here. We have no more classes, we only have to sit up for the exams next week and I'm really sad. I don't want to end up this period of my life and I don't want to leave the school, where I had my happiest times. The last year and a half were the happiest in my life and it was mostly thanks to people in school.

I don't want to finish school!! And this is a good song with very moving lyrics.

Group: Vitamin C
Song: Friends Forever (Graduation Song)

Video:



Lyrics:

And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives
Where we're gonna be when we turn 25
I keep thinking times will never change
Keep on thinking things will always be the same
But when we leave this year we won't be coming back
No more hanging out cause we're on a different track
And if you got something that you need to say
You better say it right now cause you don't have another day
Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down
These memories are playing like a film without sound
And I keep thinking of that night in June
I didn't know much of love
But it came too soon
And there was me and you
And then we got real blue
Stay at home talking on the telephone
We'd get so excited, we'd get so scared
Laughing at ourselves thinking life's not fair
And this is how it feels


Chorus:
As we go on
We remember
All the times we
Had together
And as our lives change
Come Whatever
We will still be
Friends Forever

So if we get the big jobs
And we make the big money
When we look back now
Will our jokes still be funny?
Will we still remember everything we learned in school?
Still be trying to break every single rule
Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?
Will Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan?
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly
And this is how it feels

Chorus

La, la, la, la:
Yeah, yeah, yeah
La, la, la, la:
We will still be friends forever

Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?
Can we survive it out there?
Can we make it somehow?
I guess I thought that this would never end
And suddenly it's like we're women and men
Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round?
Will these memories fade when I leave this town
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly

Chorus x3



Tamy, thank you for making me know the song!!

I'm gonna miss so many people, so many things!! I'm gonna miss so much all of you!!!
Thank you for the great moments spent together!!!

sábado, 10 de noviembre de 2007

A Night of Insomnia

I had finished dinner, brushed my teeth and was lying in bed, with my body turned to my right side, all under the blankets, except for my head. I prayed, as every night, and I checked that all the lights were off. I could only see two little squares of light: the orange one, telling me where the light switch was, and the red one, of the mosquito device. The tic-tac of the clock never stopped and sometimes I could hear a car passing by. I could still smell the burnt piece of bread of the sandwich I had had for dinner coming from the kitchen.

I had a lot in my mind. From one day to another, my cousin Agustín was not around anymore. And as God had taken him without forewarning, He could take anyone else just in the same way. It was twelve o’clock and I needed to be rested for school the following day.

I thought about what I had done that day: my grandmothers, my godmother and the Lizondos came home for a barbecue. I remembered sitting next to María and talking about The Little Prince, school, her work. Then the doubles tennis game with friends that we lost, the Coke in the drugstore and then our victory in the volleyball game. It had been a sunny Sunday. Just the same as the one years ago back in my old house.

Green grass, yellow leaves in the old and tall eucalyptus trees and two white chairs in the middle of the garden. The autumn sun was shining and a comfortable breeze made the trees sway a little bit. It was not a big garden, but square, a little surface covered with grass, a small pool and a powerful and invisible force that made things bigger: maybe love, happiness, bonding, comfort. In one chair a little girl of about seven years old and in the other a woman. Grandmother and granddaughter contemplating the bright blue sky, the shining sun, and talking.
Conversation went easy. Grandmothers have always so much to tell… What we ask, they answer; whatever happens to us, they know, they’ve been through it all. Grandmother talked, granddaughter listened. Both looking at each other and enjoying the sunny autumn afternoon. A green tangerine was in the old woman’s wrinkled hands. One finger got into it and softly, with all the sweetness possible, the tangerine got an orange-white colour. The green pieces of the crust that protected it from the cold, painful bumps and the world’s indifference were now peacefully lying on a plate on the floor.

Grandmother taught while granddaughter learned. Grandma made the classic ‘hens’ with the tangerine and the little girl, paying a lot of attention, tried to do the same. She did her best, but difficulty grew stronger and frustration managed to beat her for a while. The girl couldn’t do the ‘hens’ but she was still happy; she was sitting under the sun eating a tangerine and learning. The breeze caressed the girl’s hair softly, but the sun and the company kept her warm. The first ‘hen’ of the afternoon was about to be eaten. The granddaughter took a deep breath of happiness and the acid tangerine touched her tongue as she swayed like the trees in her rocking chair. Her eyes went small and glazed for a little while, but acid depends on the situation – and this one was sweet. After some ‘hens’ her mouth felt the acid taste but she didn’t mind bacuase it was so nice and warm out there.

Those white chairs in the square garden, the green grass, the yellow leaves and the breeze blowing softly never got out of my mind. Feeling warm in the mid autumn sun is mostly the same as feeling love having acid in your mouth; a comfortable and kind of acid taste.
Owls outside my window and the idea of death were wondering round my mind and didn’t let me think about the happiest times I had had. It was difficult to avoid that thought, that sense… The really faded photograph-images of my grandpas appeared. Then a big black and strange shadow engulfed my grandma while Robbie Williams sung in my head: ‘With the blink of an eye the Lord came and asked you to meet. You went to a better place but He stole you away from me’. But I can’t sing this completely yet, as He didn’t steal her away from me – and I am so thankful for that! She knows how to make ‘hens’ with a tangerine, she loves me, I love her, and she still has a lot to teach me, I thought.

I was feeling very tired… after a whole afternoon playing tennis and volleyball, I couldn’t understand how I could still be awake. I yawned… but I didn’t fall asleep. People I miss, people I love, people I admire, and people I haven’t seen for ages. How I need Micaela, how I’d like to see Tomás, to hug, to talk to my cousin once more. The owls making strange noises outside my window, but then silence again. My past, my present, my future. My plans, my dreams, fate, life and pains. A whole life represented in front of me, with images, sounds, smells, memories... my life.

How I hated insomnia nights. I would be sleepy the following day; I wouldn’t pay attention in class… Suddenly the ideas in my head came and went, ran from one side of my head to the other. So I scribbled some words in my blue notebook such as love, peace and the ones adults mention very often nowadays: war, pain and death.


After a while, I tried to sleep again, unsuccessfully. Tomás walked through the door and sat down on one side of my bed. We talked for a while and slowly, my mind got tired and the story turned boring. Then I didn’t remember what I was telling my friend, so I started over. After a long chat, I finally fell asleep peacefully. But an hour or two later, the clock that had been bothering all night started to bother again, loudly this time. I got up and looked through the window at the shy sun that was rising from behind the city. Grandma must be up already, doing the cleaning-up of her house or having breakfast. Maybe she is watching the news on TV: war in Iraq, violence in Tucumán, hurricane in México; and definitely thinking of the future awaiting us.

This is one of the pieces of writing I sent for the English IB A2.

viernes, 9 de noviembre de 2007

Sísifo’s myth

Reading some pieces of writing I’ve been finding in the Internet, I read about the myth of Sísifo. He had been an evil man on earth so he had to be punished. The gods thought that there was no punishment harder than the nonsense and hopeless work, so he was condemned to push a rock up a hill and when it reached the top it would fall down and he would have to push it again. He suffers pushing the rock, his tense body, all covered in sweat, his hands full of dirt, and both hands pushing sometimes helped by his shoulder or his foot. He walks the same path thousands of times and finally reaches the top once more. But the stone starts falling down and in only a few seconds is back from where he will have to push it up again.

What Sísifo shows the world with his myth is that destiny comes and when it does, people should solve and face it as humans, suffering with it or enjoying it if that’s what may come. Sísifo shows he is stronger than the rock. The happiness of this strong man consists of that. He is the owner of his destiny. The rock is his rock. His heart is fulfilled by the effort that taking the rock up the mountain requires.

So, the importance isn’t in pushing the rock but in how we do it. It doesn’t matter how many times we take the rock up and it falls down again. What matters is to know that each time we do it in a different way. The rock can feel different things according to how we push it, how much effort we do, how strong we get time after time. After each time the rock falls down the hill without valuing the effort one does to lift it up, we grow stronger. Each climbing pushing the rock teaches us something new. And this was how Sísifo reached happiness pushing the rock over and over again knowing that it would fall down anyway.

miércoles, 7 de noviembre de 2007

Sun / Rain

We all know the famous phrase that says "After every storm the sun always comes up again". That means that after every difficult situation we have in our lives, we always find happiness or comfort. The phrase shows that everything passes and we don’t have to be so sad about something because after that, everything will be ok again.

The sun and the rain are very common symbols in literature and I’ve heard another phrase using them but with a different meaning. It says: "I’ve sure enjoyed the rain, but I’m looking forward to the sun". It shows another way of looking to the times of adversity and the ‘rain’ let’s say.

It’s true that none of us like feeling bad and all what the ‘rain’ involves. We all prefer feeling ok, not suffering and enjoying what we are living. But things are not always like that and in our lives there are always bad times to live. If we didn’t have those hard times, how would we know which are the good ones? Anyway, when we suffer, we grow. With every fall, we learn. So, we might not want to live under the rain while we’re under it, but afterwards, when the sun is up again, we think back and realize that we’ve taken a lot of good points of it. We’ve grown up, we’ve learnt.

viernes, 2 de noviembre de 2007

Stem Cell Research

The use of stem cells is the new advance in science and they are produced by embryos, which are destroyed in order to take these cells. They can replace every type of cell in our body and this is how scientists assure that most diseases can be cured. Biologically, this discovery is wonderful; even paralyzed people will be able to walk again by replacing the damaged cells in the spinal chord. But there is controversy on the issue: is it morally or ethically right to kill embryos?

Undoubtedly it is a great discovery and many lives can be saved, but at the same time there is a moral issue involved. Apart from paralysis in the spinal chord, there are other diseases that can be cured, such as diabetes, Alzheimer and heart problems. That is why, for a sick person the use of stem cells is a great advance in science; they know what it feels to be sick, and it is for sure that they want to be treated. But beyond those great and remarkable results, embryos are potential individuals. And if we kill what is likely to become a person in order to save another life, we are depriving someone’s right to live.

As far as I’m concerned, stem cells are, for sure, an incredible success in science, which shows that we are really improving health treatment. But the fact that embryos have to be destroyed is worth considering. We can’t just discard them because we are trying to save another person, or doing research. This issue is closely related to the controversy over abortion or euthanasia, so I think that it will be as difficult to solve as those issues are. When human life plays a role in the matter, we have to be careful with the choices we make. So, if you are alive, you have the right to live, why should you kill a life that is just beginning?

In my opinion, the research with stem cells that need to sacrifice the embryo shouldn’t be done. The only way I approve the research is with the stem cells that can be taken from the umbilical chord when the baby is born. They are not as efficient as the ones in the embryo, but taking them doesn’t steal the possibility of a person to develop.


References:
- 60 Minutes. Report by Ed Bradley. Feb. 26, 2006
“Dr. Hans Keirstead believes that embryonic stem cells are a medical milestones seen only every 100 years, and he hopes to conduct clinical trials on humans.”

An improvised and short comparative commentary

There are three songs that just came up to my mind… The first two express clearly what is going on in our world nowadays. And the other one is a kind of hope, of the world we really want to live in.

Black Eyed Peas
WHERE IS THE LOVE

What's wrong with the world, mama

people livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
but we still got terrorists here livin'
in the USA, the big CIA
the Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
but if you only have love for your own race
then you only leave space to discriminate
and to discriminate only generates hate
and when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
badness is what you demonstrate
and that's exactly how a n**** works and operates
N**, you gotta have love just to set it straight
take control of your mind and meditate
let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all.

People killin', people dyin'
children hurt and you hear them cryin'
can you practice what you preach
and would you turn the other cheek.
Father, Father, Father help us
send us some guidance from above'
cause people got me, got me questionin'
where is the love (Love).
Where is the love (The love)
where is the love (The love)
where is the love, the love, the love.

It just ain't the same, always unchanged
new days are strange, is the world insane
if love and peace is so strong
why are there pieces of love that don't belong
nations droppin' bombs
chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
with the ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
so ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
so I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
in this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in
makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
a war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
the truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
if you never know truth then you never know love
where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
where's the love, y'all.

Chorus

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
as I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
most of us only care about money makin'
selfishness got us followin' our own direction
wrong information always shown by the media
negative images is the main criteria
infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
kids act like what they see in the cinema
yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
whatever happened to the fairness in equality
instead in spreading love we spreading animosity
lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
that's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
that's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
there's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
gotta keep my faith alive to lovers bound.

Chorus

Simple Plan
CRAZY


Tell me what's wrong with society

When everywhere I look, I see
Young girls dying to be on TV
They won't stop till they've reached their dreams

Diet pills, surgery
Photoshopped pictures in magazines
Telling them how they should be
It doesn't make sense to me

Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what's going on?
Tell me what's going on?
If you open your eyes
You'll see that something is wrong

I guess things are not how they used to be
There's no more normal families
Parents act like enemies
Making kids feel like it's World War III

No one cares, no one's there
I guess we're all just too damn busy
And money's our first priority
It doesn't make sense to me

Chorus

Is everybody going crazy?
Is everybody going crazy?

Tell me what's wrong with society
When everywhere I look I see
Rich guys driving big SUVs
While kids are starving in the streets
No one cares
No one likes to share
I guess life's unfair

Chorus



So, then where is the love? How do we pretend to find love if we are terrorists, we only care about money, we hate, we discriminate, we fight, we kill, we are in war? We never stop, we don’t think, we don’t meditate what we are really doing. Kids learn wrong values, don’t know how things really have to be, and they’re our future. So is that the future we want? Teachers are not enough to educate the society. Parents, values, and the external world teach too and if those are failing, then our future is failing. So where do we want to find the love? On earth, on this earth, in our planet? If we go on like this, I don’t think so…

Both songs mention activities, ways of acting in which we are failing, the society is going wrong. The first one centres on an external view of human beings like wars, terrorism, education; while the second one talks about internal aspects of people, such as physical appearances, indifference towards others, mentality. They both transmit the idea that the world is not ok, each one on its focus.

The last song is in Spanish, but it’s really good and relates to the theme.

Serú Girán
MUNDO AGRADABLE

Quiero despertar en un mundo agradable
quiero darme libertad
ya no quiero dar lo que no tiene sentido
sólo quiero aquí estar.

Todas las personas pueden mejorar
todos los caminos pueden ayudar
Si estás así, si lo deseás.
Este es mi sueño y el de muchos más
ésta es mi casa donde quiero estar

calmar mi sed, viajar en paz.

Necesito darme un espacio en el tiempo
ser muy claro al hablar
sin informaciones que castiguen mi centro
sólo quiero alcanzar.

Todas las ideas pueden mejorar
todos los proyectos pueden ayudar.
Si estás así, si lo deseás.
Este es mi sueño y el de muchos más
ésta es mi casa donde quiero estar
calmar mi sed, viajar en paz.