Internet above 10,000 ft

I am surprised to see that Delta has started this new Internet service on board. So I am posting this while flying to San Diego... isn't it cool? It just made me create a new post to talk about it, this is awesome!

Go green!

Green is the new black. Society knows. I know. Do you know? Whether if you like being trendy or not, it is important to take action to preserve the Earth.

The following is just some of the stuff that I do. You probably know a lot more, but I wanted to do my bit here:

1. Simply recycle. This is the basics. Keep at least three different trash containers at home: one for the organic waste, a second one for plastic and cans and another container for paper. Glass needs to go on a separate bag too. I know it changes from one country to another, but just do it, no excuses here.

2. Go organic: organic food is not only good for you, it is good for the environment and it helps the local economy. Hence, it is good for everyone. Period.

3. Do not throw used vegetable cooking oil away. Recycle it!: that 1 l. of olive oil that you throw down the kitchen sink can contaminate up to 1,000 l. of water. However, if you recycle it, it can turn into soap or biofuel.

4. Cars are not that cool. Try to walk, ride a back or even use public transportation everytime you can. Since it can be a hassle at some places like California, try at least to carpool. Or get a hybryd car. Oh and this will help your economy too.

5. Drink tap water: I heard there is a big campaign in Norway encouraging people not to drink bottled water. Think of all the plastic waste (and the money, again) that you can save.

6. Use tote bags when you go grocery shopping. So you don't use the paper/plastic bags from the market. And if you do, read #1 again.

7. Save on energy. Use a blanket to keep you warm if it is not freaking cold in the winter, turn the TV off when you are not watching it, etc. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of the old incandescent ones. Did I mention money here?

8. Wait for the dishwasher and the washing machine to be completely full. It is such a waste of water otherwise. And a waste of time. And a waste of money. Clear?

9. Do not wear fur. Watch one of those videos where animals are killed for this purpose and you will know what I am talking about.


These are just some simple steps you can take but there are way more than these. Just check the Internet. And help the Earth and yourself.

Kids... they can be so right!

I found this extremely funny and wanted to share with you, so I took some time to translate it. It's an article from a Spanish newspaper where kids answer to different questions about love and relationships. So good!

KID MATTERS
The following is a survey made to children who are ten years old or younger:

1. How to decide who to marry:

"You should look for someone who likes the same things as you do. If you like to watch soccer, then she should like that you like it so she can bring you chips and beer" (Alonso, 10 y.o.)

2. What's the best age to get married?

"The best age to get married is 23, because you will have known your husband for at least ten years" (Paula, 10 y.o.)

"There is no best age to get married. You're stupid if you want to get married" (Francisco, 8 y.o.)

3. When is the best time to give the first kiss?

"When the man is rich" (Patricia, 7 y.o.)

"When you kiss a girl you have to marry her and have children with her. That's how it is" (Enrique, 8 y.o.)

4. What do your parents have in common?

"They don't want to have more children" (Laura, 8 y.o.)

5. What do people do on the first date?

"On the first date people tell lies, so they can get a second date" (Martin, 10 y.o.)

6. What would you do if your first date was a disaster?

"I'd go back home and pretend I'm dead. Then I'd call the Media" (Jose, 9 y.o.)

7. Is it better to be married or single?

"Girls are better off single, but boys need someone to clean the house" (Ana, 9 y.o.)

8. What needs to be done so marriage is a success?

"You have to tell your wife that she's pretty. Even if she looks like a truck" (Ricardo, 10 y.o.)


#5 is my favorite!

You can see the original here

I am myself and my circumstance

"And when you're fifteen, don't forget to look before you fall
I've found time can heal most anything
And you just might find who you're supposed to be
I didn't know who I was supposed to be at fifteen"

I was listening to Taylor Swift's Fifteen (yes, I gave up on this one) and right when I heard these verses I started to wonder if the girl is even right. When I was young I had my whole life planned, I knew what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be. But do I know who I am supposed to be now that I am way older than fifteen?

I guess not.

I didn't foresee that uncertainty regarding my life and my persona would get bigger the older I got. Maybe we are not as powerful as we think we are and plans and willings are not enough. As
José Ortega y Gasset, Spanish philosopher, said, "I am myself and my circumstance". Does that mean that fate plays a big part in our lives? I want to think that I have control over mine but honestly, how many doors will close for us and how many will open? How will we know if our plans meet the circumstances?

Oh life... but hey, isn't it exciting?

"It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions," Jim Rohn


Sometimes I wish I didn't have to make decisions. As if only one option was possible, so I could not blame myself if the latter was wrong. I find it hard sometimes to deal with the resposibility of chosing one thing over the other.


But I just know I have to get off that fence...

Forever young, I want to be forever young...

Oh, summertime... why does it feel so unseasonal this year?

In an attempt to feel the essence of summer I buried myself under a bunch of books that I plan to read before summer ends. It's probably a lot, but not having Internet at my beach house probably helps. As well as the fact that almost all my friends from the summer town are either working or studying, so I'm pretty much by myself. I took it as time to meditate, relax, and get a wonderful tan. Oh, and did I mention books? There's not better moment in time to read than while watching the sunset at the beach, if you haven't tried it, please do so.

One of the books that I came across is Deepak Chopra's Ageless Body, Timeless Mind : The Quantum Alternative to Growing (1993).

My mom got me this book when she found out about Chopra's centers in La Jolla, CA. Since it talks about aging, I thought it was not the proper time to read it... not yet. But then I realized that time passes by faster than we think and that some positive thinking would help. I love how he talks about the power of our minds when it comes to getting old and controlling our body's most basic physiological functions. As our inmune system improves when we fall in love, or weakens when we are depressed, our bodies, our "matter", can be affected positively if we have a positive attitude.

I haven't read much of it yet but I just liked how he considers human beings and their interaction something more than mere chemical reactions. There has to be something else out there.

I love life!

Sorry for the lack of updates but my life has been pretty hectic lately.

I barely have time to write something right now, but I just wanted to share my love to life with you. My dad went to hospital this morning for a checkup and the doctor found a couple of polyps that were removed instantly. At first I was scared, since those polyps need to be examined to check whether they are malignant or not. But then the doctor said that no matter what happens, the polyps are gone and my dad will be alright.

I realized that, no matter what, we need to stay positive and enjoy life to the fullest.

“Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.” - Horace

Thanks doctors for taking care of my dad. And thanks God for giving us LIFE.

There might be some light at the end of the tunnel

Translation has always been a bit underrated. It's not a major degree in many countries, people tend to think that studying languages is enough and companies are definitely not willing to pay for translation services when "there's someone at the office who studied in England for two months and can translate what I need with no extra charge".

Hence, my disillusionment. I have been job hunting for the last two months and the job offerings are just ridiculous: "Native of English, Spanish and German needed" (all three?), "Minimum required: ESO level (equivalent to Middle School level in the US)". Seriously? Is the World joking?

However, and this is good news, I found this Recommendation on the Legal Protection of Translators and Translations and the Practical Means to improve the Status of Translators written by the UNESCO in 1976. Too bad it's just a recommendation, but it has some good points that I wanted to share with you:

About the importance of Translation:

"Noting the extremely important rôle played by translators and translations in international exchanges in culture, art and science, particularly in the case of works written or translated in less widely spoken languages,"

About Translation training (no, knowing a language does not make you a translator):

"11. Member States should recognize in principle that translation is an independent discipline requiring an education distinct from exclusively language teaching and that this discipline requires special training. [...]"

I recommend that you read the whole text here.


Hopefully Translation will get the recognition it deserves soon enough. Just think for a second about all the things you would have not been able to get to know or to do if it wasn't for translators (some easy ones: the Bible, instructions for a gadget made in Japan, etc.)

I really hope I did my bit here.

Really?

Michael Jackson died?

I'm in shock... Rest In Peace Michael.



ps. Farrah Fawcett also passed away yesterday... RIP you too Farrah.

No comprendo...

Maybe learning a new language is not that good at the end haha:

A New Language Barrier: Why Learning A New Language May Make You Forget Your Old One


Story of my life... And although I'm just exaggerating a bit (I love languages!) I thought this was interesting and you might like it.


pd. I might start a new blog in Spanish, I'll keep you posted.

Coffee and words

I truly am a coffee addict. It is not only its bitter flavor and warm aroma that amuse me, but the moments that coffee usually involves. Most of the time a good cup of coffee is accompanied by friendship, love declarations, tears or philosophical conversations. All these make coffee times definitely worthy for those who seek the beauty of life behind the most simple things.

Starbucks knew about this and created "The Way I See It": a series of inspirational cups for restless minds and hearts. Here's one of their quotes:

The Way I See It #17:

"The world bursts at the seams with people ready to tell you you're not good enough. On occasion, some may be correct. But do not do their work for them. Seek any job: ask anyone out; pursue any goal. Don't take it personally when they say "no"- they may not be smart enough to say "yes".

--Keith Olbermann, Broadcast journalist and host of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann.


Such a good quote for this specific moment in time. Thanks Starbucks and coffee for making my days nicer :)

Yes I had a dream I stood beneath an orange sky...

I just decided to spend the day at the beach and thought that I'd love to share the sunset with you.

Oh la música

When I was on the train heading to Granada and listening to my iPod, this song suddenly played, and it made me go back to California and feel what I felt when I was there. My mind flew away and I was in San Diego again, driving my car while watching the sunset in La Jolla Shores Dr.

All my life I have been trying to find a way to "store" memories and feelings... and then I found music.

Can society be mass produced?

I have always felt intrigued by the human being, and mostly, by how difficult it is to measure it both as an individual or as a group. I guess that is one of the reasons why I love living abroad so much. You get to know a different culture, different costumes and different people. All of them have something you can learn from. And everyone is worth getting to know, because everyone can enrich your life with new perspectives and ways of thinking.

However, I have been back home in Spain for longer than a month and I am impressed by how different I am from the rest and, specially, by how different they make me feel because I simply do not do "what everyone does."

I am starting to think that society may be mass produced. Or maybe that's not society?

Prologue: Let your heart keep time...

Allright. So there is an explanation for everything, even for this kind-of-emo blog title.

A few weeks ago I was talking to my friend Jessie and mentioned her how I wanted to get a tattoo that expressed everything I feel. Something related to going away or settling down, because I feel that my life, at this point, is like a crazy rollercoaster with an unknown destination. I was born in Spain, lived in England some years ago, and now that I have been in San Diego for almost two years it's time to go back home. I might be coming back to San Diego in October... or I might not. So that is why I wanted to get a tattoo related to that, because I have different "lives" spread all over the word.

And Jessie came with the great idea of dandelions. Dandelions' seeds are dispersed everywhere and then germinate, giving life to new dandelions, in different places.

And the whole title is a line the Audioslave's song called, of course, Dandelion. I don't think there is much science about it, I just liked it.

That's it. I still don't know what I will make of this, but knowing myself it will be some kind of a Pandora Box, or maybe a place where I will try to keep everyone updated with my "crisises" (who will bring me Frozen Yogurt while I'm in Spain?), or... I don't know, let's experiment :)