I really don't know if living outside of México for a while made me look at some things in a different way. Now that I am back in this wonderful country, I have found some things that get my attention and I wonder if those things were always there or I just notice them. For example, I was driving back from Mexico City last weekend and I found a billboard advertising "Corona Familiar"! Yes, Corona (the beer!) for the whole family!!!
Isn't that kind of weird? or am I freaking out for something so little? I wasn't able to take a picture of the billboard but here is a picture for you. (As you can see, the beer is bottled in a large container, of course, to have enough for the whole family!!)
My wife and kids are in Oaxaca having a good time and visiting the abuelos. So, I am here by myself enjoying the peace and silence around an empty (and I really mean empty) house. The grad school people wanted to have a taquiza (a get together where you eat tacos) on Sunday. I wasn't too happy with the idea of coming to school on Sunday, but... ok... besides, I am all by myself with nothing else to do and who can say no to tacos, right? After a long night of TV (TV is much better with cable) I got up on Sunday, got dressed and went to the office. As soon as I arrived to the front gate the guard asked me where I was heading. I have an event to attend today sir. - Oh that's right, please come in, they have been waiting for you for a good while!! what??? I thought!
I ran into the office... nothing. I ran into the auditorium... nothing...I went to the terrace... nothing. Dinning hall... nothing. Nobody was there! Did they leave? I don't think so, besides I don't see a trace of a "taco maker" around here. So I decided to go back to the gate and ask the police officer where were these people. In the basketball court he said. They came from Celaya Guanajuato to talk with the basketball coach.... oops.. aren't you....? sorry... excuse me... who are you then?
Well, the taquiza is this coming freacking Sunday! I guess I should start following Andrea's advice and have my own schedule book and no to rely so much in assistants. The only good thing about all this is that I got to eat 1lb of paella that I bought on the way back home.
My family and I have been now in San Luis for 3 weeks. It has been great. I have just found out that the love for tacos can be inherited because Mia and Kika go crazy every time we drive by the taco place we always go to.
Finally!! We got our house last week. It is not very fancy or anything like that, it is actually kind of old and we have been working a little bit on it during our free time. (I have more tools now than ever before). We were supposed to get the house the last week of August, but of course... we are in Mexico now and that last week of August kind of became the second week of September. The real estate´s people excuse: We are working on it so we can give it to you in great shape. The only problem here is their operational definition of great shape!! (no electric power, lousy paint job, and the worst of all.. the oven... oh my God.. we had to use industrial solvents for that).
I do would like to say that I am not complaining (at least not anymore). We have decided to take it as a family project and work on it little by little. We are having a great time. Like I said, I have been eating like crazy and lost some weight which I think is just too good (the secret: no free refills in MX). When we go out Mia and Kika can´t stop celebrating every time a loud motorcycle or bus drives next to us. In conclusion, so many good things, too many new things, too many people we miss.
Pues ni que decir, estos últimos días han estado muy moviditos con lo que respecta a los acontecimientos en la UDLA. La verdad es que ni que pensar, hay demasiada información y demasiados sentimientos encontrados. He tratado de sentarme a leer y entender que es lo que esta pasando, pero los puntos son divergentes y confusos, además de que el cariño a personas afectadas y a mi alma mater limitan mi imparcialidad.
Todos los días llego a esta oficina a leer el blog del Dr. Gerardo Esquivel para enterarme, en resumidas cuentas, de los últimos acontecimientos. En fin, que tristeza que todo esto este pasando. A donde fuimos a llegar. Una de las mejores universidades privadas de Latinoamérica viendose afectada por el interés de unos cuantos.
A título personal, el cierre del periódico estudiantil La Catarina por parte de la rectoría como represalia a ciertos artículos representó un retroceso enorme para la UDLA. Qué cosa es eso? El Granma??? Ahora dicen que la acreditación de SACS está en riesgo (lo cual implicaría perder gran apoyo de instituciones en E.U.). Que el USAid piensa retirar sus apoyos. Y la 63a graduación? ni que decir! En fin, ojalá todo se solucione por el bien de la UDLA y todo lo que esto representa.
It's been a while since the last time I posted anything in this blog. Well, I didn't have time to do so. I was working on getting my dissertation and final defense ready. Well, it happened! I just became a Dr. last Monday March 26th. It wasn't easy, but I did it. Now, the new challenge..... getting a job! (U.E. - Unemployed).
Most people who know about it ask me how I feel. The truth is that I don't even know how I feel. I guess I don't even know if you are supposed to be excited or something like that. It may be due to all the papers that I have to start to put together...who knows.
Anyway, I am happy for all the people who helped me and put their hopes in me. All those people who never doubt that I was capable of doing it even when I wasn't sure myself. Isela, Mia, Ericka, Papás, Mario, Ed, Wendell, Ean, Pelin, Nat, James, etc. I know I am leaving some out, sorry, but to all of you.... Thanks.
By the way, a friend of mine just showed me this little clip. I found it interesting...
En este video Chomsky habla de la naturaleza represora que en ocasiones ha mostrado el Gobierno de México. Al comentar esto, toca en parte el tema de lo ocurrido en Oaxaca y hace referencia a la falta de estructura de este movimiento.
