Opciones

"Estaría bien ir a platicar o algo, te propongo tres planes entre el 16 y 18 de dic. para que escojas cual y cuando:
1. Ir a correr o caminar a chipinque en la mañana
2. Irnos a rapelear a la Huasteca una mañana
3. Nos damos una vuelta por el Marco, el Mune o no se si todavía haya una expo de fotos en fundidora que está interesante y todavía no he visto bien.


¿Qué sabe de mí? que las tres le digo que SI

dates = desastres

¿qué piensas de una niña que en su date habla de política?

you are

A pain in the ass
(y me preguntas como lo puedes traducir)

Soliloquios y desengaños

Releo las letras que me has escrito.
A pesar de que me escribes en la lejanía puedo verte pronunciar cada letra, cada pensamiento.
Leo y releo cada renglón, palabra por palabra.
Me convenzo en que tu carta no cambia en cada leída… no descubro nada nuevo.
Intento descifrar algo más que quizá nunca escribiste
Reviso el énfasis, cada punto, acento y coma. Y nada.

Terminar de leerla me hace quedarme con un sabor de boca a deseos de verte,
Y verte pronto.
Y estar contigo.

Me rio, me siento tonta
¡Como insisto en darle cuerda a este sueño de un amor no sustentable
que ahora está de moda!

Y al imaginarme tus ojos frente a los míos
Tan reales, te digo: “aunque no somos inseparablesQuiero mantenerte hoy
en mis pensamientos
y seguir, todavía, aun que esporádicamente, apareciendo en los tuyos”

¿Qué tan fuerte es la ley de la atracción? ¿El clic? ¿La química?
¿Qué tanto engaño, invento, teatro? ¿eres en verdad tu… o son sólo ganas de amar?

Ni Juan, ni las Gallinas

Siempre creí que era un simple dicho.
Pero no, hoy heme aquí vacía: sin Juan y sin las Gallinas.
Justo cuando creí tenerlo a puño cerrado,
Airosa por el capricho de tenerlo….
Y hoy que no esta, me sorprende que me cueste….
Y que este pesar no es por el capricho de haberlo perdido.

Ilusa

Bastantes quejas ha hecho el partido convergencia, y esta bien. Accountability para el gobierno.
Pero a cabo de leer una nueva, una advertencia por las fallas pesadas de la ley electoral y que probablemente presentara impugnaciones basadas en estas fallas.

¿Fue la falta de tiempo, lo mal hechos que son?
Fue a propósito, fueron candados intencionales para permitirse jugar el juego a su favor. Así como para no poder sancionar a Madero sin un Tribunal Supremo por ser funcionario público, así como dejar que los candidatos se den de alta hasta el último día del registro para tener 90 días de campaña, y es también por beneficio a los intereses de cada partido que se aprobaran las candidaturas conurbadas.

No es por falta de tiempo, ni necesariamente mal hechos, los legisladores trabajan para beneficio y en servicio de su partido.

- Ana

LOVELY SNAPSHOTS

de las últimas 500 fotos de México.

Y por que amo REUTERS...,
- Ana

Con marihuana en la cabeza

Me despierto. Parece que mi país se levanta cada día con el pie izquierdo.

Abro el periódico, es lo mismo o peor:
17 Degollados. En Chihuahua implementan toque de queda. Matan a un funcionario público por no querer ceder al narco. 124 muertos en una semana. Condoleezza Rice visita México para coordinar ayuda contra el narco. 22 muertos: 15 sicarios, 5 policías y dos civiles. Desarticulan red de narcos y lavado de dinero en Colombia. Periodista es agredida por hablar en contra del narcotráfico. Harboe y expertos en narcotráfico se reunieron en México. Detuvieron a 25 sospechosos a los que se les aseguraron dos escopetas, un rifle AK-47; ocho cargadores, 556 cartuchos y algunas dosis de cocaína, marihuana y metanfetaminas. "Subestimamos el poder del narco" admite Medina Mora. De1976 a la fecha han fallecido en la lucha contra el narcotráfico 512 miembros del Ejército y Fuerza Aérea y por lo menos 39 marinos de la Armada de México, en un promedio de 25 a 30 elementos al año, la mayoría en decomisos o captura de traficantes.

Siento algo en el estómago, peor que la acidez del café, que aun así me gusta tomar cada mañana. Y aun así sigo sin moverme de mi país acribillado. Como si pudiera leer el café, prefiero mirar el negro vacio de la taza. Y me quedo pensando…

Legalizar la droga ¿sería la solución? Y esto no es idea mía, sino una propuesta a solución que he escuchado por parte de mucha gente y un debate político.
Y me da risa la ironía, siendo un país de pequeñas reformas… (Porque eso es lo que hacemos: reformitas) queremos de pronto saltar a lo grande, y adoptar leyes que en otros países se han adoptado, Holanda por ejemplo. Y aquí entraría en debate si el poner una ley “avanzada” nos hará una sociedad “avanzada” o todo lo contrario.

Me imagino el día en que se legalice la droga en México:
Me despierto. Parece que mi país está decayendo. Los jóvenes “el futuro de México” se la truenan por todo, por nada y por si acaso. El índice de deserciones en las universidades es cada vez mayor, y cada vez mayor los jóvenes que “no se ubican en esta vida” no tienen aspiraciones, ni metas, solo de viajársela. Las madres de familia dejan con mayor confianza que sus niños salgan tranquilamente a las calles porque saben que en cualquier esquina pueden adquirir la droga como parte del combo “tostitos + coca y coca a precio de combo lonche”. La violencia no ha dismunido, pero es otro tipo de violencia, y la esperanza es lo último que se aspira en las calles de este país.

Adoptar la droga en un país en el que no hay educación para el consumo sería una marihuanada. Un compañero de intercambio de Holanda me dijo que claro, es normal drogarse de joven pero un holandés que a los 25 años se sigue drogando es una persona considerada causa perdida o es un homeless por gusto. Que tendríamos en México ¿millones de vagabundos, desempleados por gusto?

Para legalizar la droga nuestros diputados y senadores tendrían que tener marihuana en la cabeza, somos un país que no está preparado en términos de responsabilidad. Sería además declarar nuestra derrota en la lucha contra el narcotráfico.

Esta vez Enrique Krauze no me asombra …
Enrique Krauze considera que la "guerra" que libra México contra el narcotráfico no se ganará hasta que se legalice la droga en los países consumidores, aunque reconoce que es una decisión difícil, que a corto plazo tendría resultados "devastadores".

Devastadores.
- Isabel

¿Quién me va curar el corazón partío?

Siempre he pensado que, para bien o para mal, el corazón es el órgano mas cicatrizable (si la palabra existe) que tenemos. ¡Claro: depende de la herida!

Científicos del Instituto Tecnológico de Massachusetts descubrieron y desarrollaron un bioparche para sanar las heridas del corazón causadas por infartos o daños de razón congénita.

Este soporte de células de músculo cardíaco es el primero con las mismas características estructurales mecánicas del tejido del miocardio. Estos parches se pueden implantar con un soporte de polímero biodegradable.

El soporte tiene aún limitaciones por resolver, como el grosor de la malla, que es demasiado fino para reconstruir un miocardio entero. Una de las expectativas de estos científicos en conjunto con el equipo de Harvard-MIT HST (health science and technology) es crear una biblioteca de soportes para cualquier tejido del cuerpo.

1. microfotografía de estructura de celda. ! Tiene forma de panal de abeja!

- ana

Terceras historias

Aprovecho este espacio para darle presentación a una colega que nos deleitara con algunas historias dentro de este espacio.

Su nombre Isabel tiene todo lo dulce que su personalidad no tiene. Es alta, ¿complexión?… de superioridad. Siempre pulcra y arreglada, vestida a diario como un ejecutiva independientemente de cuál sea su misión. El sonido de sus tacones y el olor de su perfume son la estela que deja al caminar; sus pasos finos y determinados atraen la atención de quien la ve pasar inevitable es voltearla a ver. Va contra el viento sin un sólo cabello fuera de lugar, la cara limpia, labios rojos, ojos grandes, siempre atentos a todo, pero dentro de ellos y en compás con sus labios hay detrás siempre una risa burlona, se que piensa mucho más allá de lo que le estoy diciendo y se ha llegado a burlar en su interior de mi.

Sé que su trayectoria profesional es larga; si está casada, viuda, soltera no lo sabemos, y tampoco se sabe nada de su vida pasada, cosa que en lo personal me intriga mucho, ya que a pesar de los menudos cafés de confianza que nos hemos tomado el tema nunca ha salido.
Pienso a veces si es de este mundo y pienso también si me equivoque en haberla invitado, pues seguro de nosotros se estará burlando. Pero su humor negro, sarcástico, su experiencia, su sonrisita burlona, su belleza inmutable dará a nuestro espacio mayor riqueza y sazón. Isabel será quien cuente las terceras historias.

Bienvenida Isabel.

Pestañeos

No puedo evitar cerrar los ojos, es lunes. Me pesan, me pesan los ojos, y de pronto pierdo la conexión con el trabajo. Necesito pararme -pienso - pero ya me he parado bastante, caminado por los pasillo que cada vez se llenan de gente nueva, algunas personalidades destacables, reconozco a los que ya han sido materia de carrilla por la unidad: Johny depp o Jack Sparrow, Neo de Matrix, la chisquiada, Úrsula (si se parecen lo juro) en fin! no se les ha escapado nadie.

Regreso a mi escritorio, y los ojos me vuelven a cerrar.
Es un lunes normal, es ya casi mediodía y Julio como de costumbre, empieza su repertoire, esta vez son canciones a una mujer mayor que el (40 y 20, señora de las cuatro décadas, etc) pero hoy no reacciono, no me río, no le aplaudo, no le pregunto nada.

Jorge ha tenido que salir de la oficina, el teléfono esta medio muerto, pasan algunos compañeros a saludar y nos quedamos un rato platicando, Lydia que vuelve a pasar por la oficina insiste en que mi lugar es el lugar de reunión, porque la puerta está abierta y siempre hay gente aquí contando algo pero yo no lo busqué !lo juro!, intento avanzar en el trabajo pero me doy por vencida, y quiero contarte lo que he pensado de mi lugar de trabajo.
De frente tengo un pasillo, un elevador y a lado del elevador el descanso de unas escaleras, que conectan los seis pisos.

Por el pasillo durante el día pasarán unas 40 personas aproximadamente, diferentes estaturas, preocupaciones, ideas, ritmos, oficios, acentos, algunas voltean a saludar, otras se paran a preguntar algo, platicar cualquier cosa, otras arrojan una sonrisa, otras pasan cabizbajas o demasiado a prisa, otras canturreando, otras se esperan en el descanso para hacer alguna fuerte declaración. Ya he escuchado dos, de las cuales no he hecho en la oficina ningún comentario.

Y como este blog permanece sepultado...
Una era de un jefe a un empleado, que había escuchado ciertos comentarios de compañeros suyos (del acusado) de su manera de hablar, y de levantar ordenes cuando no le corresponden. El joven jefe característicamente sereno, permaneció sereno, lo que me causó gracia fue la respuesta balbuceante del acusado. Y no escuche continuidad del caso. Nada de esto lo ví, porque generalmente tengo la persiana a medio cerrar, pero las voces las reconocí. Y la segunda, la acabo de oír, una declaración más personal con mezcla laboral, una advertencia de una mujer a un compañero suyo sobre otro colega que al parecer esta lleno de telarañas me reservo a omitir más comentarios y especificaciones del problema, nunca se sabe por donde pueda caer la verdad, pues siempre cae por su propio peso y a su debido momento.

Sin más por el momento y con los ojos un poco más abiertos me despido de ustedes colegas,

- Julia

Nuestra Independencia

A las siete de la tarde visitamos la plaza, estaba montado ya el escenario, los andamios para juegos pirotécnicos con las caras de Miguel Hidalgo y Morelos; los changarritos estaban colocando sus mercancías: en las mesas de ventas se lucían pasteles, churros, gelatinas, champurrado, tacos, hot y corn dogs, enchiladas y claro, miles de productos chinos (pulseritas, brochesitos, aretes, lentes). Vendían también collares y pulseras con piedras oxidianas traídos desde el DF compre uno.

Juan Carlos, Gabriela, Bernardo y yo dimos la segunda vuelta a la plaza casi vacía y compramos un elote.

Para las nueve ya estaba todo montado, unas 300 personas caminaban por la plaza o eran parte del público de la banda del pueblo que tocaba sus rancheras en el pódium frente a la Iglesia. Policías circulaban por el lugar, y constantemente tres granaderas de la PFP también cruzaban entre el gentío.

Después de darle unas tres vueltas a la plaza decidimos cenar de una vez por todas antojitos mexicanos: enchiladas, mi platillo favorito. Estar sentada me hizo sentir el frio hasta en los huesos, seguía corriendo esa brisa que moja más que la lluvia.

Subió al pódium un tal Fernando a cantar, ¡qué voz! Cante desde el público la serenata, México lindo y querido, cielito lindo. Después subió el mariachi y me puso la piel de gallina, cantando México en la piel, el viajero, cruz de olvido. Entonces quiero retirar lo dicho, quiero replantearme mis planes de dejar a mi país, siento la patria en la sangre, la patria que antes en los días del enojo y rebelión contra lo que somos no tenía valor, y sigo cantando con todas la fuerzas.

Llega la banda de guerra haciendo valla para la llegada del presidente municipal, del balcón del palacio ya está todo listo, solo esperamos que den las once. No sabes el efecto que los tambores y las trompetas tienen en mí. Todo vibra, mi corazón se ensancha, me siento mexicana, me siento enamorada de mi México .

Marca el reloj las 10:48 pm después de una lectura, el presidente municipal levanta el tono de voz: ¡Viva México!, ¡Viva nuestra Independencia! ¡Vivan los héroes que nos dieron Patria! ¡VIVA MEXICO! ¡VIVA! ¡VIVA MEXICO! ¡VIVA! ¡VIVA MEXICO! ¡VIVA!

Con el gesto de saludar entonamos el himno nacional, después escuche el himno de Coahuila y despedimos a la bandera.

Minutos después la plaza se llena de humo por los fuegos pirotécnicos, pero literalmente nos llenamos de humo.

Aun que no sean realmente las palabras que pronuncio el cura Hidalgo no importa, festejamos nuestra independencia. ¿Qué recordaran / celebraran los españoles en estas fechas?

Y me pregunto, ¿no debemos los mexicanos de hoy independizarnos de la inseguridad, la apatía, la falta de tenacidad, la indiferencia, la cultura paternalista, la ignorancia, nuestro sistema ineficiente, el partidismo, la impunidad, la ingobernabilidad, la violencia y la desesperanza?

Armémonos de valor para liberarnos de lo que hoy nos hace mas esclavos y miserables.

Independicémonos de lo que hace apenarnos al decir "soy mexicano".

PRODUCERS BUT NOT CONSUMER? (day three)

Third Day
9: 30 am
I woke up without the need of my mobile’s alarm!! The balcony doors where open. Fresh air and warm sunlight rays enter through the doors, it’s beautiful!
Everything hurts, specially my back. I had no idea why it could be. I had a donut for breakfast which normally wouldn’t be my first choice, but I hadn’t many options from where to choose.

18:00
Unfortunately, since the group was really slow, we couldn’t leave the hotel until 12:30. While waiting for the group to be ready to depart from the hotel I went downtown to buy a tooth brush, hand cream and other items I needed. While I was there it started raining. The breeze was so cold that I started to feel my throat hurt because I didn’t wore my pull over. I returned to the hotel and waited until everyone was ready. Meanwhile I read my homework assignments.

Today’s tour was at Casa Madero which is one of the most important wine producers. It all started thanks to its founder Don Lorenzo Garcia, a visionary man who realized about the advantages of Parras valley: the weather and its height above the sea level. Don Lorenzo left the Indians aborigines and asked King Phillip the second the “real merced” of the land, term used at the time for the granting of lands and titles. He received the land on August 18, 1597 to start Hacienda of San Lorenzo, the main producer of wine and brandy at Parras known as Casa Madero. Unfortunately one of the policies of mercantilism was that the only producer of wine or cultivator of vid could be the metropolis. The only ones aloud to produce wine where the small vineyards and wine cellars.

A general characteristic of the haciendas is that they passed through different owners. In 1893 it was bought by Don Evaristo Madero, the grandfather of Francisco I.Madero (Mexican president around 1911 – 1913)
Evaristo Madero was another visionary man who studied and lived in France. He had contact with the best technicians in grape and wine-growing from Spain and France. He brought to México modern machinery for processing and implementing the most modern technology. All this led Hacienda San Lorenzo to become an important wine and brandy producer.

If Mexico is the third most important producer of wine, why do we tend to drink more agua ardiente and tequila than wine? (well, actually I have a lot of controversial questions like this one, for example if we export crude oil why do we have to import it from USA, but anyway that will be another blog discussion) The answer to this and many questions about the difference between European countries and Mexico can be found on our culture, and of course history, which define us. It’s possible that this european habit was acquired in the year XIV when the “ peste negra” happened and water was so polluted that people started making wine part of their diet, while in American colonies only specific social classes could drink it.

After visiting Casa Madero, we went to hotel Rincon Del Montero which I totally recommend. In fact I was a little disappointed when I found out we weren’t going to stay in there. The good part was we visited the place and it reminded me a lot of childhood games and moments with my sister and my brothers.
The hotel had around 200 rooms. It costs around $1,305`` pesos per night which is worth it since it has a golf camp, bike rental, swimming pool, horses you can ride, a tennis court and eat at any of the restaurants in the hotel.

After visiting the hotel we returned to Hostal Del Faro to rest a little while since at night we would be celebrating the Mexican Independence day!

I ll tell you more on next post
Cheers!

PD: thanks ankinson!

Introducing the Oasis (day two)

1 45 pm

We arrive, the hotel is named Hostal del Faro, it’s a very beautiful one, with lots of colonial details, and with the charm of the old Mexican houses with a garden in the middle and the rooms all around it.

Our room is not yet available because yesterday a wedding took place, so plenty people actually lodgedin here. So as weddings are the most intense Mexican parties until now 3 pm people start to awake and eat breakfast. My sister and I we look too as if we attend a wedding: without a single drop of makeup, with the hair all messed up, but who cares! Actually I think it already changed (my hair) I’ve this theory: my hair changes every time I leaved Monterrey, because I just don’t fit in that city that I feel more comfortable anywhere else; don’t misunderstand me I love Monterrey, but in a different way. I don’t want to live in there for example (what a women dilemma) So, yes it is messed up no pony tail, no straight style but it is behaving in a cool way.

We went out of the lobby of the hotel, and walked a few meters (since Parras downtown is too small around 10 or 8 blocks) and stopped in a modest restaurant, single hamburgers (globalization huh!) that’s what we’ve eaten.

I met Juan Carlitos, he is 14 with baby blue eyes, big eyes lashes, and a kind of pink girlie lips. He lived in here for two years, he admires this place because of the tranquility mood that predominates in the town: “we are never in rush in here” of course I appreciate that too. We talked a few and I found him already an interesting guy, mature for his age, very intelligent, he is kind of a diplomat, he uses a vocabulary not usual for a guy of his age, he wears the same pair of shoes his father uses, he is funny. He explained us while we eat how the water system works in Parras: they called sequia, are the canals where water runs from the water hold backs and people has an assigned date and hour to use it, stopping the way through the canal, it surprises me this culture of responsibility and community share in the town, specially a Mexican town.

He told us about the day when he was a kid and was playing with his cousins in his grandparents house: they stopped the canal when it wasn’t their assigned date to do it and they watered their grandparents plants and fruits, they owned a huerta, of course they got into serious problems.

4 30

After a few drinks, we went to visit Santo Madero (San Tomadero, as a joke) Santo Madero is a small mountain, with a capilla in the top, over a rock. The interesting thing is that the first kind of rock is stalquilla and on the top it was a different kind of rock like a maritime rock, unfortunately I don’t know the scientific name, but I am sure it wasn’t per se a land rock. My father told me that the entire valley used to be just water, and that it dried up. And Juan Carlos told me that all the vegetation in there was planted on purpose it didn’t grew naturally, an interesting data.

Next to the capilla there was a small room fulfilled of photos, certificates, rosaries, even socks or clothes, and a lot of Thank you notes to the Santo Madero, because the miracles conceived. It called my attention how too many thanked because they could finished their career or studies they wanted. I don’t know for me was rarely, I remember that when I was little I used to go to a church where people did the same leaving thank you notes or petitions, - I know I shouldn’t read them nobody wrote them for me, but I was curious - most of them where healthy related. Sometimes we look for things as natural to have them, while others see them as a blessing.

6 00
Our second visit was to Perote, is the other important viñedo house, the owners are form the same family, cousins but anyway they are the competition, we visited the hotel and the bodega where the wine is made, the owner received us and show us everything told us about the fermentation process and at the end he gave us different kind of wines to taste. My recommendation: the Jerez dulce, I bought a bottle.
He told us that if we waited until 8 he’ll show us a bat cave. - I thing we will not see the show unfortunately not everyone is interested. - In Perote we found another pond with clean and running water, we walked to find where it came from and we found a human made cave, we asked later and the owner of the Perote told us that we shouldn’t trespassed if you tried to get through it you could get drowned by the quicksand.
I found an interesting data about Perote: The Perote name was The Perote was an hacienda since 1593 as a concession from Felipe II Spanish king to Jose Aslor y Virto de Vera (a second marquess), to this extended land they named San Lorenzo de la Laguna, (nowdays many of this territories are cities: Torreon, Durango, Ciahuila) This land was divided in equial parts to Leonardo Zuloaga and Juan Ignacio Jimenez. With the French invasion the hacienda was expropriated and the adquired by an English man named Fernando Chapman, he renamed as The Perote because of a legendary character: an indigenous irritla native form Parras, who lived 400 years ago, he was known as don Pedrote, its a he and his tribe robed from the mountains near the town. But since Chapman couldn’t pronounce the D letter he renamed Perote. He (Chapman) reinvented too the fame of the wine bodegas that worked since 1865 processing the most delicious wines, brandy’s and aguardientes, of high quality reaching international standards.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped in a mezclilla store named La Campana. Mezclilla a.k.a jeans. As I mention is the other industry that maintains Parras economy. I looked for ones but I wasn’t lucky. They have a 100 size jeans outside. No client of such size I guess.
We tasted the campechanas, a typical desert.

After that we returned to the hotel and then back to plaza, in front of the municipal president palace.

A cumbia music group livened up the plaza and the people. JC told me that all Sundays are named as Domingos Familiares, the government established as a cultural program, (of course it has economic benefits) all the people gathers there, some to sell their merchandise all kind of merchandise: cakes, cds, flags, churros, elotes,Tostitos, antojitos mexicanos, etc; and the others spend their money in there. It was raining too little when we left the hotel, but it started to rain harder so we returned. Now we are waiting to buy something to eat.

Bernardo has just offer me a cigarette and it is quite irresistible to smoke it in our balcony, with the sound of the rain and the fresh air. So I guess that until tomorrow you’ll read more about the trip.

Enjoy.

Introducing the Oasis (day two)

1 45 pm

We arrive, the hotel is named Hostal del Faro, it’s a very beautiful one, with lots of colonial details, and with the charm of the old Mexican houses with a garden in the middle and the rooms all around it.
Our room is not yet available because yesterday a wedding took place, so plenty people actually lodgedin here. So as weddings are the most intense Mexican parties until now 3 pm people start to awake and eat breakfast. My sister and I we look too as if we attend a wedding: without a single drop of makeup, with the hair all messed up, but who cares! Actually I think it already changed (my hair) I’ve this theory: my hair changes every time I leaved Monterrey, because I just don’t fit in that city that I feel more comfortable anywhere else; don’t misunderstand me I love Monterrey, but in a different way. I don’t want to live in there for example (what a women dilemma) So, yes it is messed up no pony tail, no straight style but it is behaving in a cool way.

We went out of the lobby of the hotel, and walked a few meters (since Parras downtown is too small around 10 or 8 blocks) and stopped in a modest restaurant, single hamburgers (globalization huh!) that’s what we’ve eaten. I met Juan Carlitos, he is 14 with baby blue eyes, big eyes lashes, and a kind of pink girlie lips. He lived in here for two years, he admires this place because of the tranquility mood that predominates in the town: “we are never in rush in here” of course I appreciate that too. We talked a few and I found him already an interesting guy, mature for his age, very intelligent, he is kind of a diplomat, he uses a vocabulary not usual for a guy of his age, he wears the same pair of shoes his father uses, he is funny. He explained us while we eat how the water system works in Parras: they called sequia, are the canals where water runs from the water hold backs and people has an assigned date and hour to use it, stopping the way through the canal, it surprises me this culture of responsibility and community share in the town, specially a Mexican town. He told us about the day when he was a kid and was playing with his cousins in his grandparents house: they stopped the canal when it wasn’t their assigned date to do it and they watered their grandparents plants and fruits, they owned a huerta, of course they got into serious problems.

4 30

After a few drinks, we went to visit Santo Madero (San Tomadero, as a joke) Santo Madero is a small mountain, with a capilla in the top, over a rock. The interesting thing is that the first kind of rock is stalquilla and on the top it was a different kind of rock like a maritime rock, unfortunately I don’t know the scientific name, but I am sure it wasn’t per se a land rock. My father told me that the entire valley used to be just water, and that it dried up. And Juan Carlos told me that all the vegetation in there was planted on purpose it didn’t grew naturally, an interesting data.

Next to the capilla there was a small room fulfilled of photos, certificates, rosaries, even socks or clothes, and a lot of Thank you notes to the Santo Madero, because the miracles conceived. It called my attention how too many thanked because they could finished their career or studies they wanted. I don’t know for me was rarely, I remember that when I was little I used to go to a church where people did the same leaving thank you notes or petitions, - I know I shouldn’t read them nobody wrote them for me, but I was curious - most of them where healthy related. Sometimes we look for things as natural to have them, while others see them as a blessing.

6 00 pm

Our second visit was to Hacienda Perote, is the other important viñedo house, the owners are from the same family of the Casa Madero, cousins, but anyway they are the competition, we visited the hotel and the bodega where the wine is made, the owner received us and show us everything told us about the fermentation process and at the end he gave us different kind of wines to taste. My recommendation: the Jerez dulce, I bought a bottle. He told us that if we waited until 8 he’ll show us a bat cave. - I thing we will not see the show unfortunately not everyone is interested. - In Perote we found another pond with clean and running water, we walked to find where it came from and we found a human made cave, we asked later and the owner of the Perote told us that we shouldn’t trespassed if you tried to get through it you could get drowned by the quicksand.

I found an interesting data about Perote: The Perote name was The Perote was an hacienda since 1593 as a concession from Felipe II Spanish king to Jose Aslor y Virto de Vera (a second marquess), to this extended land they named San Lorenzo de la Laguna, (nowdays many of this territories are cities: Torreon, Durango, Ciahuila) This land was divided in equial parts to Leonardo Zuloaga and Juan Ignacio Jimenez. With the French invasion the hacienda was expropriated and the adquired by an English man named Fernando Chapman, he renamed as The Perote because of a legendary character: an indigenous irritla native form Parras, who lived 400 years ago, he was known as don Pedrote, its a he and his tribe robed from the mountains near the town. But since Chapman couldn’t pronounce the D letter he renamed Perote. He (Chapman) reinvented too the fame of the wine bodegas that worked since 1865 processing the most delicious wines, brandy’s and aguardientes, of high quality reaching international standards.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped in a mezclilla store named La Campana. Mezclilla a.k.a jeans. As I mention is the other industry that maintains Parras economy. I looked for ones but I wasn’t lucky. They have a 100 size jeans outside. No client of such size I guess.
We tasted the campechanas, a regional desert.

After that we returned to the hotel and then back to plaza, in front of the municipal president palace. A cumbia music group livened up the plaza and the people. JC told me that all Sundays are named as Domingos Familiares, the government established as a cultural program, (of course it has economic benefits) all the people gathers there, some to sell their merchandise all kind of merchandise: cakes, cds, flags, churros, elotes,Tostitos, antojitos mexicanos, etc; and the others spend their money in there. It was raining too little when we left the hotel, but it started to rain harder so we returned. Now we are waiting to buy something to eat.

Bernardo has just offer me a cigarette and even do i rarelly smoke it is quite irresistible to smoke outside in our balcony, with the sound of the rain and fresh air. So I guess that until tomorrow you’ll read more about the trip.

Enjoy.

- Ana

Road trip (day one)

I am right on my way to my most expected trip, it is not like the most magical place I've planned to go, but it is something. Besides meeting a small but special town my only desire is to rest. To clarify my mind, to change my point of view, to read without no rush, to sleep at my desired hour, to talk, to meet new people and to know better the ones I already know, and last but not least to endlessness write on my scripts.

This road trip is not that long as I wanted to I'll be out of the city just for three days, but actually I'm already delighted with it: the view, mountains, green fields, well even do suddenly desert type of representations appear, like just right know vegetation suddenly has changed! Big dust runners are visible through my window. On the next way of the road valley, mountains are the last part of the desert scenario, and a very cloudily but shinny sky inspires me.

Things we haven't missed: road trip music and time to take a nap from which I've recently got awaken. I'll upload for you a small part of the video. We are actually arriving to Parras. I can see through my window that at our sides are the viñedos specifically the Casa Madero ones.

I'll post here the video of the road way I am passing through right now.

Yes, our destiny it is in fact Parras Coahuila (I know It is not that far) and the town it not like the most wonderful place, but it is known as the "Oasis of the desert".

For the ones that don't know a single thing about this place I'll tell you: Parras was founded in 1598 with the original name was Villa de Santa Maria de las Parras, because of the land fertility. It was until 1868 that the name changed to Parras de la Fuente to honor the lawyer Juan Antonio de la Fuente who defend Mexican sovereignty against French invasion during the second empire.

Parras is known as "Oasis of the desert" because of his geopolitical advantage? (Okay, enough reading security and geopolitics) the key of Parras is his location with lots of advantages. Parras is located at the south of Coahuila state, and that area is an extended freatic cloak? (mantos freáticos) So, the weather is mostly dry in the south and southeast of the municipality, even do in winter temperature really decrease and sometimes it hails. The magical thing is the rain during the months from April to October, because thanks to the mineral spring from the mountains that surrounds Parras ( Parra, Hojase;al, Playa Madero and El Laurel) that supply water to the region making the grapevine and nut trees fertile. Parras has also presence and weigth in the international environment known because of their wines and the jeans. I'll tell you more about this latter.

- Ana

Junk crosses the plastic soup

I know, it might sound a little illogical or nonsense, but imagine this:

Researchers looked up through the Pacific Ocean to calculate the pollution; results: Mass plastic fragments in every fish, plankton, whatever. They presume this plastic mass is as large as the United States.

"What looked on the surface like clean water,
when you pulled it up, it looked like plastic soup. It was disgusting."
Charles Moore (The Algalita Marine Research Foundation)

Two eco-mariners built a very peculiar boat, want to now mad of what? JUNK
15 thousand plastic bottles, and a Cessna 310 (an old small airplane fusselage)

They departed from Long Beach (California) June 1, 2008 and after sailed 2, 000 miles (4 184 km) and expended 87 days in that JUNK Marcus Eriksen and Joel Paschal arrived 27 August 2008 to Alai Wai (Honolulu)

Their main objective: call attention to this pollution problem. Did you know that it is more difficult to pollute the ocean than pollute the air, imagine how polluted the Ocean is even do we do not see it clearly if we are now suffering the consecuences of a polluted air.

The problem is that this amount of plastic has doubled its dimension in the past two decades.

So let’s make this trip worth it and stop polluting our oceans. Let’s think in alternative solution, since recycling doesn’t make any difference why do we continue producing and consuming plastic?

If you are more interested here are some helpful links:
http://junkraft.blogspot.com/2007/05/who.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9959995-54.html

- Ana

आना

SE SOLICITAN LECTORES

A cabo de caer en la cuenta que hace una semana se debió celebrar el primer aniversario de este blog.

A cabo de caer en la cuenta que la actividad y las visitas del blog son como una fiesta de cumpleaños en la que ni los amigos aparecen.

Me encanta escribir en esto, cada día le voy agarrando más gusto, y nunca me había importado que nadie me lea.

Pero hoy... me siento tontamente sola.

Hoy... se solicitan lectores.
INFORMES AQUI.

- La Juliana Isabel

Groupie #1,239,000

I was just thinking of you; in fact I was fighting to maintain you far away form my thoughts. I went slowly going upstairs, watching my steps, I raise my gaze and there you were standing right in front of me. In front of my classroom! You looked at me with your pretty I-don’t-know-how-to-describe-them eyes.

You smiled and looked at the person next to me: my teacher; gave him an explanation.
I entered to my classroom, take my always seat.
You entered too after talking to the professor. You ve decided to take extra courses just because you were “interested”.

You must be happy now, you’ve accomplished your will.
You wanted me so badly as your groupie # 1,239,000 .

Boy, let me free!, get out of my space, my territory! I was fully concentrated in my courses, schedule, activities… Damn it boy! You’ve stolen my peace, half of my thoughts and quite a small piece of my heart. Happy now?

- Julia

Nuevas Alternativas

Algo teníamos que hacer ya. Energía eólica en MONTERREY.
Se esta analizando el caso y parace que esta por cerrarse el trato. Una empresa fracesa instalará siete torres de energía eólica que generarían energía eléctrica a la zona poniente del área meropolitana. La inversión es de varios millones de dólares desgraciadamente no se sabe exactamente cuanto son esos "varios"

Estas torres ecológicas y de primer mundo van a robar el viento que corre de la huasteca, y son en México, primeras en su tipo, a excepción de las que tiene la empresa Holcim Apasco en Coahuila es sólo una torre y le proporciona energía a toda la planta y a las oficinas adminisrativas.

¿Cuáles son las ventajas?
1. El viento es un recurso inagotable
2. No produce emisiones de CO23. Una simple turbina de un mega vatio MW en un año reemplaza más de 1 500 tons de CO2 y 6.5 de dióido sulfúrico, 3.2 de óxido de nitrogeno y 60 libras de mercurio. (neat)4. Crea estabilidad por que reduce la dependencia de combustibles y sus variaciones de precio.
5. Elimina la dependencia de recursos extranjeros (aun que la tecnología no es nacional, al menos sólo se invierte y punto, termina relación)

Pero hay muchos temas que quedan bailando:
1. En México no existen leyes que permitan que una empresa extranjera venda este recurso a particulares o empresas por lo que la CFE la comprará ( no se crea competencia, permanece el monopolio)
2. El flujo constante de ingresos a terratenientes.
3. El aumento en la recaudación de impuesto territorial.

El primer paso ya esta dado, por lo demás habría que estudiar la Constitución y reformar lo necesario. ¿Algún día tendremos una Constitución visionaria, más que re- reformada?

- Ana