Where in the world: Bogota

In August 2005, I wrote a blog entry about Cartagena, in that post, my good friend Luis Largo (one of the best AIESEC trainees the country has had) asked me to write someday something about Bogota.

I am currently in Bogota, it is my 8th or 9th visit in the last 8 months... my second visit in the last 3 weeks... and I belive it is fair enough to write something about this great city.

Bogota is everything the Colombian tourism board says: "the risk is that you will want to stay". It has an absolutely amazing weather, the most stunning views (on the contrary of what many will think... you want find palm trees and tropical stuff, it is a full mountain / valley view, with high altitude vegetation), amazing places and incredible people

Days in Bogota go by in the office... so there is not much to tell, although I have a spectacular view from the office (see right)...

Nights in Bogota have been amazing (thank God I don't live here or I would have a severe case of many things... haha)

Food is great, party environment is amazing (doesn't matter which day of the week is), music is fantastic and everyone  is just so charming!

So... recommendations:

- Eat: there are just too many options! (zona T, zona G and Usaquen areas will never let you down)

- Party: you need to go to Andres Carne de Res in Chia on a Friday or Saturday (if you are not here over the weekend, the Andres DC spot is also cool for a weekday options)

- Visit: Monserrate, La Candelaria, Catedral de Sal, etc

Hope you get to like it as much as I do! :)

Le llaman la crisis del cuarto de vida

Te encuentras a ti mismo desafanándote de la multitud más que en cualquier otro momento de tu vida. Te empiezas a dar cuenta de que hay un montón de cosas sobre ti, de las que no sabías y que quizá no te gusten. Te empiezas a sentir inseguro y te preguntas donde estarás en un año o dos, pero luego te asustas al darte cuenta que apenas sabes donde estás ahorita.



Ves tu trabajo y quizá no este ni un poco cerca a lo que pensabas que estarías haciendo, o quizás estés buscando algún trabajo y piensas que tienes que comenzar desde abajo y te da un poco de miedo pues ni idea tienes por dónde empezar. O ni idea tienes de qué haces en lo que estas trabajando ni a dónde te llevará, ni cómo continuar con lo que haces actualmente. Y extrañas la comodidad y seguridad de la escuela, de los grupos, de socializar con la misma gente de forma constante.

Pero te empiezas a dar cuenta que mientras algunos eran verdaderos amigos, otros no eran tan especiales después de todo. Te empiezas a entender a ti mismo y sobre lo que quieres y lo que no. Tus opiniones se vuelven más fuertes. Ves lo que los demás están haciendo y te encuentras a ti mismo juzgando un poco más de lo usual porque de repente lo comparas con lo que tu quieres para tí y adicionas cosas a tu lista de lo que es aceptable y de los que no lo es. Te sientes seguro y luego inseguro. Ríes y lloras con la más grande fuerza de tu vida. A veces te sientes genial e invencible; y otras, solo, con miedo y confundido. De repente el cambio es el enemigo y tratas de aferrarte al pasado, pero pronto te das cuenta que el pasado cada vez se aleja más y más y que no hay más que hacer que seguir avanzando o quedarte donde estás. La confusión puede llegar a ser mucha pues también el futuro lo podrás ver cómo el enemigo, y te paralizas.

Te rompen el corazón y te preguntas como alguien a quien amaste tanto te pudo hacer tanto daño. O quizá te acuestes por las noches y te preguntes por qué es que no puedes conocer a alguien lo suficientemente interesante como para querer conocerlo mejor.

Los ligues y las citas de una noche te empiezan a parecer baratos y emborracharte y actuar como un idiota empieza a parecerte verdaderamente estúpido. Y pareciera como si todos los que conoces empiezan a casarse, y quizá tú también ames realmente a alguien, pero simplemente no estás seguro si estás listo para comprometerte por el resto de tu vida aun. Atraviesas por las mismas emociones y preguntas una y otra vez, y hablas con los pocos amigos que están abiertos sobre los mismos temas simplemente porque no terminas de tomar una decisión. Te empiezas a preocupar por préstamos y dinero y el futuro y por hacer una vida para ti. Y mientras ganar la carrera sería grandioso, ahorita tan solo quisieras sentirte compitiendo en ella. Lo que puede que no te des cuenta es que todos los que estamos por ahí de los 23, 24 ó 28 y 29 años nos identificamos en alguna parte de esto. Estamos en nuestros mejores momentos y nuestros peores momentos, tratando de descifrar quienes somos de la mejor forma que podemos.

Y cuando oímos decir que la vida realmente empieza a los 30's nos preguntamos ¿y qué hago con todo este tiempo que he vivido? Si ahora resulta que todavía ni he empezado. Pero las cosas toman sentido cuando se comprende que la vida no es un juego sin responsabilidades, que no podemos vivir en una eterna época de estudiantes donde nuestra mayor responsabilidad era pasar el examen y conseguir dinero para el reventón del fin de semana. Que ya no habrá vacaciones largas de verano, ni tanta energía para seguir desvelándose sin sentido sólo por el puro gusto de seguir en el desmadre.


Nos vemos en el espejo y estudiamos las nuevas arrugas en la cara, la piel menos fresca, las ojeras, la calvicie, las bolsas de grasa.

Y habrá quien tome las cosas negativamente y se deprima y quiera que el tiempo no pase. Y habrá quien siga viviendo sin enfrentarse a sí mismo ni mucho menos al mundo por muchos años más. Y habrá quién disfrute cada etapa de la vida y vea al futuro con buenos ojos y se sienta bien de estar vivo y de crecer y madurar. Siempre habrá buenos días y habrá malos días.

De cualquier forma el sol sale todos los días, y es gratis y para todos.
Te empiezas a dar cuenta que algunas personas son egoístas y que a lo mejor, esos amigos que creías cercanos no son exactamente las mejores personas que has conocido y que la gente con las que has perdido contacto resultan ser de verdad tus amigos, incluso de los más importantes para ti. De lo que no te das cuenta es que algunos de los amigos de los que te has alejado se están dando cuenta de lo mismo y que la mayoría de ellos no son malos o deshonestos realmente, pero están tan confundidos como tu. Y que algunos de tus actuales amigos empiezan a ser aburridos pues sólo les interesa la fiesta y en realidad no puedes platicar con ellos de cosas más interesantes. Entonces prefieres juntarte con los que te sientes más identificado y a desafanarte de los que te estorban.

I know what you did 9 years ago...

The last post made me remember that first encounter with a couple of my own "kindred spirits" (kindred spirirt n. a person who shares beliefs, attitudes, feelings, or features with another)

I've gone through the roads down memory lane... and this is what I found...

As my english friend would say... "I don't need to tell YOU that you are my kindred spirit"
Wherever you are guys... happy 9th anniversary hahaha!!

When passion means action

You meet different people across your life on earth, some of them you "click" with... other are just a good and/or random memory inside your head... some of them remain in your life forever, some of them come and go... some of them, you hear about their deeds in the newspapers... some of them are "normal" human beings like you and me... and some of them... go through life, unrecognized... but truly, they are silent heroes...

Exactly 9 years ago... in a hotel lobby in a remote Central American country (not mine... but pretty near!) an Icelander with amazing piano skills gathered a whole bunch of young adults around a piano and got them singing for 10 days in a row the following song...

"We are the world,

we are the children

we are the ones who make a brighter day

so lets start giving

there's a choice we're making

we're saving our own lives

it's true we'll make a better day

just you and me"

There are 2 girls in this planet I love with all my heart... one of them is for me, one of those silent heroes I am telling you about... she has had more jobs in the last 10 years than anyone I have ever met... for the corporate world, that would mean "lack of stability" but in real life and in her field that is heroism

She has devoted her life to save the children, to attend children in need, affected by the social conflicts the world has inflicted them in, from India, Kosovo, Central African Republic and now Haiti... the world for her is just a conjunction of airports... and she is, where she is most needed... most of us, in our late 20s, early 30s, think of life as a race for building a future... a future meaning a good house, a nice family and a social condition... for her, the future is now... the future is every single child that she takes care of, that she give love to, that she lends a hand to... the future in her eyes goes through the eyes of the children she touches, and that is the most noble act a human being can offer...

From Africa to Haiti... (amazing coinciden)... That song is yours girl... you are a heroe for me! and I am sure you are a heroe for all those little ones you have cared for...

Generation Y

Today I am not going to be original, but I want to talk a little bit about today's editorial in my local newspaper...

Marvin Galeas (a really admired national journalist and writer) wrote about the following blog: http://www.desdecuba.com/generaciony/

Irony of ironies... freedom of speech in the country with most restricted freedoms: Cuba.

"Generation Y" is a blog that has shaken like no one else has in the last couple of years the prolonged communist regime of the Castro brothers, she even got beaten to death by a pair of big army bullies because of it... and even though she was invited to work in Spain, she returned to the island... her island, she even destroyed her passport to avoid being extradited.

She was named one of the most influential persons in the world by Times Magazine, she won the "Ortega y Gasset" award and she even got president Barack Obama to answer, in the White House's official website, 7 questions she asked him on her blog.
( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yoani-sanchez/presidemt-obamas-answers_b_363553.html )

What makes this blog different from thousand other about the Cuban regime in cyberspace? First of all, there is not a single insult in it, she writes about the real life, daily life in Cuba, the small things that matter and that make life in Cuba different… she is witty (don't take me wrong) but she does it in a clever and entertaining way.

It's interesting how her blog is banned in Cuba (to the small privileged class that has access to internet) so she finds really amusing ways to publish it every day… and for all of us to whom internet is almost a commodity, it's a blog worth following

Twilight done!

So... I finished the 4 twilight books in 7 days... yes... just couldn't stop :)

The last 2 Twilight books take a the novel into a different twist, by book 3 you are part of the Cullen family, you understand each of their characters, you have known them all your life as the "next door neighbor" and you think nothing new can actually happen.

Long lost love is now recovered... but there is a hard conflict all of us human beings face at some point in our lives...

Can you be in love with 2 people at the same time?

I believe you can... I've seen a lot of people face that dilemma... and it's not just about liking two guys at the same time and not being able to decide between them... I am talking about real true love for two different individuals... definitely a complicated plot (but my good friend out there would agree)

Now, what to do? poligamy is not an option this days! :) and you can't go fooling around back and forth between two hearts and souls...

Since there is no simple answer to this dilemma (and you can't actually turn into a vampire to forget the other soul in question) then I'll just leave it as an open question (my good friend, again, would agree!!)

A must read... I am even thinking of re-reading them!

What's up with the "Twilight Saga"

I am reading the Twilight books...

I know that with that comment alone I just lost 80% of any male reader interested in my blog! :)
However, I am writing about those books in what I believe is a different way of looking at what is in it... and this is just my opinion.

So in order to expose all my statements I must says the following:

"Yes, I too love Edward (not Robert Pattinson - or whatever his name is) but the Edward character"

The Twilight books (as I like to call them) are more than just a teenager love story, in fact, I believe I wouldn't have been able to understand this books if I was one... this books are for people that have actually experience real love and also real loss... the emotional, the physical, the painful love...

Some books are great because the writers have ways of describings sceneries, characters, even personalities that allow you to imagine the situation as if you were actually living it (learning real medieval history like this is the most amusing way to learn!)... however in the Twilight books, the write is absolutely amazing in describing feelings, which is something I had never experienced by reading a book.

To feel lightheaded when the story turns into a romantic series of lines and Romeo and Juliet phrases (this is the easy stuff, who hasn't felt that way!?), to know how it feel when Bella says she feels like she has a hole in her chest that actually, physically hurts... I know what that means, I have felt that way! to feel complete... to feel protected... (even if the guy is constantly wanting to suck her blood! :)...)

This is why reading it now makes much more sense than being 13 years old and reading it... you just can't related to what's going on... you can't understand at 13 (even if you are precocious kid!) the complex webs built around relationships, love, loss, etc.

And now I understand a comment a good friend of mine said when he talked about forbidden loves... not forbidden by society, distance or whatever... but forbidden by your inner strings, your own limitations, even though sometimes the word forbidden invites to do the contrary...

I reccommend this books to any of the skeptics out there... the ones that believe they are just some chick flick crap... it took me 2 years to decide to read them... I was reluctant, had enough with the wizard kid to get involved with vampires this time... but believe me... my expectations were exceeded! I am re-reading full chapters just to understand deeply the meaning of each line

So I have just begun Eclipse... lets see how it turns out!

Being Foreign - The Others

"Nowadays, you might rather say that the more you know of other countries, the more inclusive of all humanity your values will become"

My friend Digs, to whom I hadn't recconnected in a while taught me an important lesson in social anthropology today... he taught me that life is full of choices... you can't live in the past or in the future... and to decide how you want to live, you need to start making cost / benefit decisions, since you can't have it all (Can you?)

I truly reccommend to read this article from the Economist, it is about what it takes to be an expat, to choose to have the life of a foreigner, whether a threadbare student, an overworked manager or a trailing spouse... but more than just explaining the differences between living as a foreigner or as a local, the article distinguishes between the decisions you need to make to be happy with the status you have chose for yourself...

For example, some give up a wealthy senior management position for having a peaceful life and be able to see their children grow up and raise them theirselves... other choose to live abroad and full their lives of experiences and give up having the same good old friends and fridays of wings and beer... and it doesn't matter which kind of life you choose... you have to make the best of it because at the end, the decision you made was well worth it... even if it was because one of your parents needed someone to take care of them or if "life" made plans for you that you were probably not ready for...

Doesn't matter how it was... or why you took the decision you took... don't look back... make the best of it now.

Porque uno de cipote es tonto

Disclaimer: this is going to be a bilingual blog... some things are more fluid in english and some are in spanish... so excuse me for the confusion...

-------------------------

Hace un par de minutos estuve leyendo un cuaderno que me encontre tirado con apuntes hechos por mi madre en 1979... esos apuntes comenzaban con un pequeno verso:

Enero de 1979.

Jamas crei volver a verte
dude mucho saber de ti
cosas de la vida, cosas de la suerte
y sin embargo, no se si fue asi

Muy triste me senti hace dias
cosas que pasaron sin pensar
y ahora vuelvo y en mi melancolia
vuelves en mi mente a reposar

Eres muy dificil, no puedo comprenderte
y no creo que me puedas conocer
somos muy distintos, jamas he de entenderte
y a pesar de eso, te estimo mas que ayer

En fin son cosas de la vida
que se nos presento a los dos
no se lo que paso ni pasara algun dia
olvidarlo todo con un adios?

Quien hubiera pensado, licenciado,
que asi ibamos a terminar
despues de que nosotros habriamos cambiado
este mundo en un sueno sin final

No pienses nada, no estoy diciendo nada
nos conocimos, nadie nos presento
hay personas que asi se agradan
y terminan en que se yo

Y ahora? que ha sucedido?
no me agrada hablar por C.V.
siento que me he aburrido
pero no de xuc40 (?) ni de ti

Por lo tanto, pedazo de gente
si quieres saber de mi
coge el telefono... no es nada indecente
todo es que pongas un poco de ti

Este cuaderno de apuntes comienza con este poema y termina con paginas arrancadas del final de la historia... igual como la historia verdadera...

Con razon a uno le dicen los papas (cuando uno todavia es cipote) que no sea impulsivo, que piense las cosas, que madure, que conozca el mundo... despues uno conoce el mundo y ya no les gusto mucho la cosa y le piden que asiente cabeza, que trabaje para ser alguien grande, etc, etc... pero eso es lo maravilloso de ser padre (y hasta ahora que soy madre lo entiendo)

Las relaciones son tempestuosas, asi como fue la relacion de mis papas... y yo que me quejaba que mi hija era dramatica!! :) si lo que no se hurta se hereda!!

Pues bien... quiero re-comenzar mi blog escarbando en el baul de los recuerdos... no solo en los mios, sino en los de mi familia, mis amigos, los desconocidos con los que uno se cruza de repente... a ver si al ver para atras, uno descubre un poco mas de lo que uno es ahora...

Si a alguien le interesa leerlo... pues bienvenido! y si no... pues es algo que algun dia leeran mis hijos y diran... "mira mi mama... estaba un poco choyada no crees!"

Existencial dilemma

One day in Paradise, Eve called God:

Eve: I have a problem.

God: What's the problem Eve?

Eve: I know you have created me, given me this beautiful garden, wonderful animals and a snake with whom I can laugh my ass out... but I am not entirely happy.
I am alone and I'm sick and tired of eating apples all day long.

God: Eve, in that case, I have a solution for you. I will create you a Man.

Eve: A man? what's that?

God: A man is an imperfect creature, with many glitches, that sometimes cheats, conceited... he will sure give you trouble. But he will be faster and stronger and he will like to hunt and kill stuff. He will have a simple aspect, but since you are complaining I will make sure he satisfies your needs. He will excel in childish stuff like kick a ball and he will need your constant advice to act accordingly.

Eve: sounds good (raising her eyebrow ironically). What's the catch?

God: you will have one condition. As he will be arrogant and narcicist, you will must make him think, I created him first.

Mother Nature's Adventures

They say no son/daughter comes with a instructions manual under the arm when they are born, they don't even come with bread, so you can't expect much... however it is true that when that baby is born, you automatically change your cassette, turn it to side B, rewind it to your childhood memories and BOOM! you have become a father... your own father... or someone elses... or sometimes the cassette is blank... because there is no real fatherhood memory to portray.

As your kids grow you start to wonder how is even remotely possible that child is still alive, specially when you caught them climbing a tall staircase with absolutely no protection, or how many time they have been bitten by mosquitoes, flees or any other weird insect... and when you have a daughter like mine... that can't stand still for 5 minutes (unless of course Barney is on TV) you really wonder... either mother nature loves jokes or she is making me pay for all the mischief I did during my life to my own parents.

No wonder my mom says that grandsons/granddaughters are "the revengers" because they make you pay all those little itsy bitsy things you thought you would get out with!



My cassette is somewhere in between... but I am starting to feel like my mom... hehehe I surprised myself telling Ana Paola the other day:

- "Young girl... do not talk to me like that because I am your mother and you must respect me!"
(Manuel started laughing his ass out...)
Ana Paola looked at me and said back:
- "Do you agree?"

Jokes... yeah mother nature is a killer joker!

Stubborn mind!

In Digs' honor

The Wife-Carrying Championship

SONKAJARVI, Finland (Reuters) - Finishing upside down clinging to a man's back may not be the most graceful way of winning gold, but it sure helped Sandra Kullas and Margo Uusorg to the world wife-carrying crown on Saturday.

Men raced along a 250-meter track, complete with pools and hurdles, with the men running or walking and carrying the women on their backs.

The winning Estonians received laptop computers and Kullas' weight, 49 kg, in beer.
(Reuters)

For some reason... I read this article and the only idea that crossed my mind at the time was "Devrim... Devrim... screwed up Devrim..." hehe I wonder why...

Unsensitive joke of the day

Ode to the geese!

Geese, dear geese thank you very much
for your feathers, their softness
for being so delicious to touch...

Geese, dear geese thanks for my pillow
for making it comfortable
and make me sleep like a willow

Geese, dear geese I will thank you once more
this time for my underbed matress
that I won because of the score.

I won a geese feathered underbed cover for my bed.
Thanks to all the geese for making it... and thanks
Portugal for making me win it! I love betting when I win it!

Some thoughts on personal grooming

I grew up as a very relaxed kid, teenager, etc... at some point I am not sure if I missed a part of my feminine life... or if I just decided not to pursue it because it would take just too much effort and I prefered to go to sleep.

However, in the life of every young woman (specially growing in latin america) there are many things you need to take into consideration before going out of your house... things such as:
- did I shave my legs?
- did I shave my underarms?
- are my earrings matching what I wear?
- are my shoes matching my pants or my shirt?
- am I wearing enough make up?
- did I cover that huge zit in my cheek with makeup?
- are my nails well done?
- should I wear polish or color?
- does this pant my make ass look big? do I want my ass to look big?
- are boobs looking even? should I accomodate them better?
- do I have facial hair?
- should I remove my facial hair?
- is my bikini line "in line"?
- razor, wax or laser?
- am I fat? does this clothes make me look fat?
- is it a bad hair day?
- loose or pony tail? blow dried or messy look?
- I STILL LOOK UGLY!!!!

Well, for some reason... 90% of this problems were not part of my life... took life as it came, wore makeup only for going out at night on weekends, shaved if I was going to wear skirts, and the rest... it just didn't exist.

10 years, 20 pounds and $500 dollars later... here I am... trying to "improve" my life style...
I just spent half of my salary in an entire laser treatment to permanently remove unwanted body hair throughout my body... YEAY no more shaving or waxing!!!!! (you are welcomed to ask...) pedicure, manicure and an entire set of hypoallergenic make up to complete it, together with a full month of massages to compliment all this grooming...

And guess what... life is exactly as it used to be... only a little bit more complicated... I believe I did need some grooming... oh women!

Ice capuccino with skimmed milk and no sprinkles

My favorite choice for coffee.
-When? Thursday afternoon
- Time? 3:30 pm
- Place? the office
- Mood? "get me out of here"
- Solution? Sit down in a coffee shop with a good friends, chat our lives out or just stare out the windows making random suggestions for amusement.

Yes... even in my wildest daydreams this could be possible.
Found Suzanne in Available status on MSN and decided to chat for a while... while Hopster let me be online and not disconnect itself every 10 minutes or so.
Amazingly... and as it usually happens with people that are so alike... she was in the same mood I was... so we decided to go for some coffee... a virtually coffee meeting...

It just took two cups of coffee, a couple of strangers (probably tourists) thinking "why is she taking pictures with an empty chair... crazy new yorkers", a 30 minute phone call to a US 1800 number (yeah... I have a direct US 1800 number hehe) and lots and lots of random stuff to talk about... plenty....

After that... there was no chance I was going back to work... grabbed my stuff and off I went.

Thanks girl for having such a random afternoon with me

.

I want to give you my life

I'm engaged.I knew this day would come someday and now that it has come, it has been hard to adapt to the new idea and to all the consequences this decision implies.It was not a perfect day. Mother's day in El Salvador is celebrated on May 10th, it was a day full of celebration to my different mothers and a hasty day at work as well. Not a gift, nor a congratulations card... nothing. I felt a little gloomy and sad about it... at the end of the day, my boyfriend and I went to my mother's place to put Ana Paola to sleep, he noticed I was not feeling myself and so he decided to “talk about it”.

We sat down at the living room and when he turned to face me and started “talking” I saw in his face a smile I had rarely seen on him, and his face was glowing. He said: “you are sad because I didn’t give you anything on mother’s day, however I do have a gift for you” and then he kneeled down… I don’t know what kind of face I made when I saw him doing that because he just started laughing and so he started:

• “I want to give you my life, which is my present for you today, I want you to take it and take care of it. I want us to be together forever because you make me a better man, because I am happy with you and I want to know if you want to do this with me; Will you marry me!?”

He then popped out from his pocket a key holder and took the keys out and gave me the steel ring attached to it, my temporary engagement ring… “take care of it, save it and remember the first ring I ever gave you”

BUAAAAAHHHHH!!! I can’t recall the exact moment when I started crying… I just know I cried. I couldn’t believe it… I even got to think he was joking… I think I even asked “are you serious?”

So I’m engaged… wow… that means a lot. Funny how the world works…really funny!

Quarter of life crisis

I am not sure how many times I have tried to write... and not to write about this.

Finally decided to do so. However... the tone in which the writing goes keeps changing according to the moon, stars and PMS...

For the last couple of months, I've been hesitating trying to find out what was my purpose on earth... besides populating the world and earning money. (well money is always part of it).
For some random reason... I was expecting to find the moment that would take me out of the quarter life existencial crisis I was in... that bright start that would hit earth, enter my room and my fairy godmother saying: "welcome to your real life"

It may sound kind of stupid... but I really was expecting the transition stage of life to end... at some point... how? I don't know... I just wanted to have peace of mind once again.

So here I am... no lightning struck... no supernatural signal coming back to earth to tell me the crisis is over... but still... I woke up today and said... cool, let's go to work again... besides... easter week and the beach is only one week away... so what the hell.

There goes my quarter life crisis... until next PMS arrives.

Disclaimer on previous entry

Disclaimer note:

I want to thank Brodie and Oriana (and any other that could have influenced this decision) for the opportunity of chairing AXLDS.
It was definitely tough... and I would never chair again (realized I like faci roles much more!) however I got out of that conference a great deal of lessons in life... which made me realize how happy I am with the current life I have... and how thankful I should be for having this life and the people in it.

Chairing an international conference

I believe my AIESEC life was abruptly ended by some inevitable facts of life.

Still my RAM memory kept sending random messages of "what would have happened if"?
- What would have happened if I applied to AI?
- What would have happened if I applied to a traineeship?
- What would have happened if I lived abroad?
This kind of questions were constantly represented in my subconscience.

almost 2 years after quitting AIESEC... I got offered the opportunity to chair Americas (now SSGN) EXPRO and LDS.
I thought: "wow! my answers prayed, a time to get back all that AIESEC spirit and find my path in life" (I swear I thought that)

I didn't care if I missed 4 important family events... or if those 10 days abroad meant 10 actual vacation days I wouldn't be able to recover. All that mattered was the chance of a lifetime to re-gain the passion for doing something that excited me.

AXLDS came and went off.
And I didn't find a solution to my life.
But I realized... I was so glad AIESEC was over!

Something like: "you want to dance another roll call? during plenaries, breaks, lunch and even during parties?!??" "...jeeze"

The best part of all was on the last party, a random delegate approaches me and says:
- "so... chair... it's our last night at this conference... are you ready to "enjoy" it? I can help you with that if you don't know how to"
- "aaahhhh my young foolish padawan... buy me a beer and go back to play"

Background music:
Barbara Streisand - "Memory all alone in the moonlight... I can smile happy your days..."

It was finally over. Thankfully!

Hello! Hello! HOOLAAA!

Saturday February 11th:

- Hop into a plane for 2 and a half hours... then wait for 2 hours more... and hop into a plane for 1 more hour.
- Destination: Monterrey
- Where the f$%&?: a city with the highest income per capita in Latin America, along with the most vivid night life, an active student life with one of the most prominent mexican universities along with the same proportion of neuron-less population...

- Result: definitely worth to experience.

Sunday February 12th:

Remember my list of 10 things I had to do before dying?












It only took... $150 and 48 hours... the rest was... the sweetest thing.

Pictures soon!

'Tis the season to be jolly!

No no... not christmas... any season is a season to be Jolly...

1 Month and 13 days since my last posting...

A brief "let's catch up" update.

- "Mexico lindo y querido"
Part 4: meet the parents.

Did you watch the movie "Family Jewel" with Sarah Jessica Parker (I know Digs pukes to listen this name) I am pretty sure that was the vivid example of my "meet the parents" saga... well thankfully... it was nothing like that...

We had a pretty cool Christmas... a pretty relaxing / hectic / tiring christmas... traveling with children that can't sleep past 8 am is not good. I needed vacations from my vacations.

Thankfully the in law relations were great... so things seem to be moving on pretty smoothly.


- "Happy Anniversary"

January 9th... celebrated the first year together with my boyfriend... 1 year and counting.


- "We want you to be our slave..."

No more money, but a great deal of responsibility...
I have been semi-promoted at TACA... my boss word's when communicating changes to the relevant parts of the organization:
"Due to the great job she has realized in the last 2 years, we are making her our official slave" (or something like this) the thing is I was taken away from everything that involved day to day basic functions (monitoring fares and all) to a more strategic position (a.k.a the power point factory) that will enable me to grow inside this organization and gain better skills for future managerial positions ... (this is how they sold me out)
Yeaaayyy!!


- "However I will give you extra holidays"

After this... he asked me to send him the number of days I would be going for holidays this year. I started writing down all the weddings, concerts, events and all I had to attend... with the result that... from the 17 days I have a year... hehehe I summed up to 21 days of vacations... (and that was only until august)... oops.
My boss grinned as in "you smart ass" and said nothing... which meant: "just because you are my only slave... but don' t tell the others"

Which means this year looks pretty nice in terms of traveling:

1. February 10-13th: U2 concert in Monterrey Mexico... I have down at the field tickets.
2. March 24-26th: Wedding in Mexico of some of Manuel's friends
3. April 11-17th: easter week in Argentina
4. April 28-30th: Another wedding in Mexico
5. May 19-25th: Egypt 2006 - MCPs & AI 01/02 reunion
6. August 14-21st: My cousin's wedding in Germany + small tour through the french wine countryside.

Cool huh??


- "We want to invite you to an international conference"

After almost 6 months of my posting "Can someone send me to an international conference" and given the great nomadlife community members... I received an email from AI 2 weeks ago, inviting me to chair Americas Expro and LDS in Colombia...

YUUUUUPIIII..... I am going to an international conference... wooww woooww wooww... and I am chairing... which its much better... (won't tell you yet why... in case any delegate reads this before the conference and realizes my readon to say it).

Talking to Suzanne... I said... "finally I have what I need to close the AIESEC chapter in my life..." and she said... "or... you will realize you will never be able to close it" - damn.

But I am going to an international conference... I will miss my eternal roommate , some back massages offered long long time ago , WACK... , and of course... "Mientras sigo viendo tu cara..." but I will certainly have stories to tell all that bunch or weird AIESEC delegates :)

So... adjusting my travel plans:

2. (March 24-26th: Wedding in Mexico of some of Manuel's friends) NOT
2. March 22nd - April 1st: AXLDS in Colombia.


- "Once a year we celebrate..."

Tomorrowwwwww tomorroooowwwww.... tomorroowww is one day aheadddddd....
Tomorrow... is my birthday...
2 dozens worth birthday...
The 24th... wow...

When I was 13... I thought by the time I was 24 I would already have children... (oops... I already do)
Ok... when I was 13... I thought by the time I was 24 I would be a housewife... (not happening... not even by the time I turn 30)

So wish me luck... another year of life to come... am excited...

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So as you see... in 1 month 13 days... a lot can happen... hope to keep you more updated and put out some pictures of my birthday (even if its just family and a cake).

While this happens... "Carpe Diem" it's way much easier!

TACA Christmas Party

Second year in a row I organize my VPs Christmas Party.
Votes approved a beach venue... for second year in a row... so I was mandated to get the most at the best value possible.

Here are the results:

U2 in Mexico

Tickets go on sale tomorrow!!!!
U2 here I come!!!!!!!

February 12th... Monterrey... time to rock!