e!

Addicted to TV

2008-10-26T20:24:00.001-06:00

When I was in high school or in University, I didn't like to spend much time watching TV. Since my sister got sick last year, and spent a lot of time at our house, plus, I didn't have a job those days I became addicted to TV.

So here are my favorite series:

ALIAS, this is my favorite series.

And the
rest, in no particular order:

Private
Practice:

Grey's
Anatomy

Life on Mars

Six
degrees of separation

Sex and the city

The ex

DirtySexyMoney

Brazil'z next top model

Eli Stone

The Tudors

Brothers and Sisters

Desperate Housewives

To bad they shot down Bigshots

and Cashmere Mafia

I'm stuck with Lipstick Jungle

And also from the Travel Channel (latin american)

- Anthony Bourdain (no reservations)

- Más que una fiesta

- Top 5 Latinoamerica

- Globe Trekkers

My name is Ethel and I am addicted to TV.

test

2008-10-26T20:16:00.002-06:00

test

Gadget and sofware reviews

2008-10-22T03:47:00.003-06:00

When you are buying stuff on internet, sometimes is not that easy to find a place where you can rely on the information they are posting about the thing that you want, or you can only see the information on the site of the seller and sometimes that is not helpful because, obviously, they will talk wonders about their own products.
There is a site called gadgetadvisor.com and I was looking at it and I liked it because it shows you reviews, cool articles and useful information about hardware, software and gadgets, that’s exactly what I liked about this site, the variety that they have and also that they review on cool things, for example this Logitech universal remote http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/gadgets/logitech-harmony-advanced-universal-remote-control, or top extensions for Firefox , http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/computer-software/recommended-firefox-extensions (in here I found the list of the cool things that firefox has and they review) or even online backup service http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/tech-news/evaluating-online-backup-services This is stuff that even when I am not that geeky, I can understand =D.
What a great idea.

Electroencephalography 3

2008-10-17T16:06:00.001-06:00

So I got back my results of my electroencephalography. Nothing. It says I have nothing abnormal in my head. So the headaches I am having and the migraine crisis I had about 3 months ago have no apparent reason.

I have to say that I was a little nervous about both the test and the results. The test was very funny because that they you have to wash your hair with soap, not with shampoo, of course I was not very happy about it, especially because I had to do it twice (since the test was reschedule). Then they put you to relaxation, almost sleeping, then they flash some lights in your face at different speeds, etc etc etc.

It wasn’t so bad... and thank God I have nothing =D.

Electroencefalograma 2

2008-09-26T09:46:00.000-06:00

hmmm
It has been reschedule for Wednesday, October 8th...
=(

Electroencefalograma

2008-09-26T06:24:00.002-06:00

I don't really know why I am writing this. I shouldn't be because, to a certain point, I am a little bit ashamed of this.

I woke up at 5:00 this morning, started to do things that would keep me awake such as playing with the computer, eating, etc. All this because at 9 am I've been scheduled for an electroencephalography.

I had my first migraine in 2001, the day before I started classes at the University. I had few migraines the following years but this year I had 2 migraine crisis. One of them made me loose the ability to see and touch small things and my ability to say exactly what I was thinking, I was only able to babble. That only lasted for about 30 minutes or so, I have no idea because I lost track of time, but I was scared.

I am not scared now...

I am just wondering what's going on in my brain.

Espanich or Inglich?

2008-09-23T15:17:00.000-06:00

Spanish or English?

I prefer to write in English, I don't know exactly why, but it feels easier, even if it's not my first language and I only learned English until recently.

The reason why I starte this blog mostly in English is because I wanted to share my trips and aventures with my fellow AIESECers, but now, I feel more like writing in Spanish.

So I guess I will write in both languages, depending on the subject.

El encierro no es bueno.

2008-09-21T09:52:00.002-06:00

HMuchas veces nos quedamos en casa viendo tele, sin hacer nada productivo. Eso no es bueno.

Muchas veces nos encerramos en nosotros mismos, nos cerramos a las oportunidades, nos cerramos a los consejos que nos dan, no cerramos a escuchar, nos volvemos ciegos. Eso tampoco es bueno.

Muchas veces la gente nos agrede y nos dice cosas que pueden herir, sin embargo, podemos decidir si nos tomamos eso con rencor o, como decimos aquí "pan para mi matate". Lo tomo por "el lado amable" aunque duela.

El punto es aprender.

Hay que aprender de los errores propios y también de los errores de los demás porque uno no va a vivir suficiente para equivocarse tanto.

Quien no tenga un viejo para que lo aconseje, que se compre uno.

Uno de cipote es tonto...

I wondered today...

2008-09-14T00:32:00.004-06:00

Lately I started wondering if I had the right to be loved.

I've been in love a couple of times...

There is this one guy.

I dated on and off for about 5 years since 2001.

I really care about him.

I really loved him.

I spent my time writing letters and finding cute gifts for him.

I know he loved me.

We never wraped up our relationship.

Now that he's back (not with me, but in the neighborhood) it feels like if we have some sort of unfinished business.

Like if we never ended it.

We never fought.

I was sure he loved me but, for some reason, I needed to be more sure (I don't know how to explain this feeling, I guess it was just a teenager's insecurity).

I am sure he still cares about me.

But he is with someone else now.

So do I have the right to fight for him?

I saw him.

I kept my distance.

I felt.

I wished...

I wondered...

We talked.

I asked myself why did I let him go?

As we talked, I changed that question to: why did he let me go?

Why?

I guess we both did.

If felt terrible not to be able to hug him.

Not to have the right to hug him.

It felt sad not to have the right to be loved.

Will I ever fall in love and be loved again.

I wondered today.

Excitement

2008-09-10T08:53:00.000-06:00

So www.quebuentrip.com (Such a good trip!) is almost ready, the launch will be on September 15^th 2008, the site will be both in English and Spanish, and even other languages when it is posible.

It will be a blog about traveling in El Salvador, Central America and maybe even further: adventures, friends, feelings and lots of fun!!!!

OMG I am so exited!!!!

Ps, and I just can’t hide it

Balls of fire in Nejapa - video

2008-09-09T20:52:00.002-06:00

Here is the video of the ball of fire in Nejapa =D
I hope after watching this people don't get scared of coming to El Salvador
ahahahahaha
remember, it was a show, and they do it every year

related: http://ethel.nomadlife.org/2008/09/balls-of-fire.aspx

Que buen trip

2008-09-09T17:49:00.003-06:00

I am super super happy =D

The launch of my website will be on Sept 15th

In the mean time, let me share with you my registration =D

Balls of fire!

2008-09-07T19:13:00.007-06:00

I've never been to Nejapa before, I didn't know where to go, but on August 31st at 8 pm: Estela (from here), László (from Hungary) and Laura (from the UK and who arrived 3 days before the event) were already in my car.

I took the car, didn't tell my parents where I was going so that they wouldn't be worried.

We got there. We met one of the organizers and we were amaze, exited and happy to be there.

We were lucky enough to meet with the Major of Nejapa, he explained the meaning of this tradition, he told us there as two versions:

The first version says that the devil was throwing balls of fire at Saint Jerome the Doctor while he was praying, this Saint is the patron of Nejapa.

The second versions states that Nejapa was originally situated in the slope of the volcano and when the volcano made its eruption, the villagers had to run and established the town in the location where it is right now.

Either of those versions is good enough depending on what you believe in =D

Here are some pictures

All of a sudden, a ball of fire came bouncing directly to us and hit Laura!!! What are the odd of being attack by a ball of fire after 3 days of being in the country? Thank God she's fine, nothing actually happened to her. She says the ball rolled up her belly and then fell down again and nothing happened to her.

Another funny thing was that I was so exited to see a friend of mine that I haven't seen in a while, I was standing at at some sort of stage, to be able to see the show when I saw my friend, I jumped out of the stage and started walking and just when I was about to shout Monge!, I realized it wasn't him! jajaja thank God I realize it before I shout.

TOEFL

2008-09-04T09:34:00.000-06:00

I wanna make this test.

Any recomendations??????????????

please!!!

Nothing but you

2008-09-02T19:52:00.002-06:00

This song by Paul Van Dyk always got my attention, I could feel it in my heart every time I heard it in the radio.

So, last Wednesday he was here in El Salvador and I couldn't go to the conference because I got a surgery on Tuesday.

I wrote "I wanted to go to the concert" as nickname on my messenger, and a friend of mine sent me links for videos of Paul Van Dyk on youtube.

And I saw that one:

Nothing but you.

And the video touched me so much (at least the way I interpreted it), The girl is there, just there, the guy sees her, probably every day, and she's there, then suddenly, and he does nothing. Then, she's there again, just being there, and there's another guy, and they see each other, they met, they kissed, and spend special moments together.

Then she's there again, sees the guy (the first one), the guy sees her and again, does nothing. And the girl leaves.

I feel like him. And I just have to make a move before (the girl) in my case: the guy leaves.

besos!!!

Leadership Lessons

2008-08-28T20:39:00.003-06:00

from Obama.

This is not a post about whether I support Obama or not (I am not even USAmerican). But I do admire a lot about he and his campaign.
First, things like have the creator of facebook in your campaign team, a person who reinvented networking (from my point of view), to having the support of stars like Opra... I mean, this is huge!
Just watching his speech, I mean this guy is talking. What I liked about his speech the most was that he is proposing "change" and stating that changes are needed to face 21st century's challenges (without 20th century's bureaucracy)
I also like the part when she shows respect for McCain, and saying that he would never question McCain's patriotism because he knows McCain loves that country as much as he does.
Well there are more things that I liked about his speech and his stand and his campaign. I just wish either of the candidates for president of my country would have this kind of leadership. And even when I have my favorite, I don't recognize a leader in any of those.

sight.

Viva la vida

2008-08-25T22:38:00.002-06:00

What a song!!!

- Coldplay Lyrics

ay no que me pasa?

2008-08-25T00:15:00.002-06:00

Fue la lluvia lo que secó mis lagrimas
haciendome creer que me protegía,
y yo le creí.
Fue el camino que me llevó lejos
el que me trajo de nuevo al principio,
y yo lo caminé.

Ese beso tan esperado,
ese abrazo tan deseado
y ese olor...
Esas manos que me acarician
y que dicen que me extrañan, (porque chatea)
esas manos me tientan y me tocan

Todo eso lo soñé, lo quise siempre
lo deseé siempre
Caminé el camino que me llevaría a él... (al beso)
y lo volvería a caminar
y esperaría de nuevo
ese beso

y volvería a estar ilusionada

imaginando el momento en el que llegaría

ese beso

y llegó.

Pensando ingenuamente que el deseo moriría en el momento mismo de beso
en el momento de la lluvia, en el momento del placer...
estando segura de que después de tenerlo no lo querría más,

y que me alejaría con la mayor frialdad
me dejé llevar...

Y no fue un beso, fueron más
y no fue una caricia, fue mucho más
y ese olor quedó impregnado en mi piel
como si nunca me hubiera dejado de abrazar
y estuviera aquí

pero no está más.

Y esa ilusión que tenía que morir con el beso
se recuerda en la nostalgia que trae cada gota de lluvia
y en cada paso del camino, de la vida
y el olor... ese no se va nunca.

Patience

2008-08-24T22:44:00.004-06:00

this is something that I don't have. And I was hoping that something will happen in my life very very soon. Turns out that I have to wait... it is frustrating, it made me feel sad.

I believe in God, and I believe he has a plan for all this, there is a reason for me to be waiting... I guess I will have to wait for the answer... but I don't wanna wait...

sight...

keeping myself from going insane

2008-08-16T09:24:00.003-06:00

Reading the articles about our representatives at the Olympics in the local newspapers, I ended up in this article about a Salvadorian who is training and will start showing results in the next Olympic cycle:

http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/nota/nota_opinion.asp?idCat=6377&idArt=2713762

At the end of the article says that she’s phisically strong and that she needs to become mentally strong. It also says that: this strength comes from experience and from continually having contact with great sports players.

That is the same for the rest of the aspects of our lives.

If we don’t develop our experience, if we don’t put ourselves in a position in which we could interact with those who are great at what we’re good at, if we don’t challenge ourselves; how are we going to grow? How are we going to develop this mental strength? How are we going to keep ourselves from going insane?

Anthony Bourdain's show

2008-08-15T11:03:00.004-06:00

I had been wanting to post about my favorite TV shows since a long time ago. For many reasons I didn’t do it before. Now there is something is worth sharing; something that I must share.

Two nights ago I was watching one of my favorite shows: Anthony Bourdain, NO RESERVATIONS. But this time they changed the title, it was Anthony Bourdain, IN BEIRUT. The show was shot in 2006. Tony was in Beirut when the 2006 war started.

It starts by showing the first restaurant and the first few places that they visited. But that same day, the Hezbollah killed and kidnapped Israeli soldiers and they show in the cameras how they are celebrating in the streets, shooting automatic guns and waving the yellow flags.

The facial expression of the host (not only Tony's, the Lebanese guy that was guiding Tony too) changed immediately.

I normally watch the show while I am working, chatting or just fooling around on internet, but this time I turned off my computer to keep focused.

Tony and his crew stayed for around 10 days in a hotel without being able to get out. They would go to the terrace and just watch the bombings from there. Going inside to watch the news. Watching how the French, the British and other nationalities were leaving the scene. And waiting for their own rescue.

There are two major learning points in Tony’s reflection. He starts saying that was uncertainty was killing them. He asked if he could use the kitchen and cook something for his crew. So he went to the kitchen and prepared his crew meal. The crew wouldn’t stop recording in tape what was going on. So in periods when things are definitely going wrong, doing that what you’re best at keeps you from going insane.

The other interesting part is at the end of the show, when he says that he used to think that the world could come together at a dinner table and that was the solution to all the world’s problems (or something like that). But then he says that at some point he kinda lost faith and started thinking of all the "bad people" and the world and all the harm they do.

And then he hopes he’s wrong. He hopes that the world is full of good people. The kind of people that welcomed him in every city he’s been to.

I hope that too.

I believe that.

no title

2008-08-13T19:02:00.001-06:00

While the eyes of the world are in Beijing and the eyes of the AIESECers are in Brazil (International Congress 2008 and the 60^th anniversary celebration), Russia is invading Georgia, Salvadorian troops are in Iraq and going soon to Haiti and another bomb in Lahore (Pakistan), etc, etc, etc...

Being an AIESECer (and I already said, I will always be) you cannot escape from feeling concern and worried about what it’s going on the other side of the world.

As far as I know, a bomb destroyed the AIESEC office in Georgia, one of their most recent achievements. I am still trying to know if any AIESECer got hurt in the bombings at Lahore.

And I wonder: how can I go on with my life? How can I drive to work every morning knowing that there is something (or a lot of things) wrong in the world, when everything I learned in AIESEC was that I had to do something regarding this issues... and then I feel powerless... then I question myself if it was true everything I believe in… all the sh!t about Peace and fulfillment of human kinds potential...

It sucks not being able to do something about things that matter. It sucks not being creative enough to find out what I can do.

In the mean time, I stick to the causes I identify myself with, or the causes that I feel that have a positive impact in society (such as Fusal, I really like what they do). See? I still believe.

Ok, now I get it, the problem is not “what I believe in”, the problem is doing things so that you won’t feel powerless.

Falling in love???

2008-08-12T23:40:00.004-06:00

and why not raising in love?

have you ever wonder why we fall in love? why don't we raise in love?

My friend Dey posted about his issue today, and it's so true, I never thought about it... at least not this way. But it is true, if we are in love, we rise above, we can touch the sky and the clouds and we feel closer to God. We rise. We grow.

When we love, we grow, because we realize that our heart is capable of this kind of feelings, because we realize that something can be big, unexplainable, real and rewarding, all at the same time.

It's so funny that when you are a teenager and you fall in love (or you think you fell in love) the world seems to end if the other person doesn't love you back... but the truth is that the unconditional kind of love truly exists, and the feeling is totally different to that selfish feeling from high school.

Se siente chivo estar enamorado... si no te corresponden... esos ya son otros 5 pesos...

Federer ends with Arevalo's dream

2008-08-12T21:35:00.005-06:00

... or so they say:

I certainly hope not!

I would like to quote here a piece of the link below

En ningún caso el duelo reflejó la gigantesca distancia que separa el número uno del helvético del más allá del 400 que la ATP fija de su rival. El primer tenista de El Salvador en disputar una competición olímpica no rehuyó el cuerpo a cuerpo. Su anecdótica presencia, atípica en cualquier competición de tenis de alto nivel, fue acogida con simpatía por el público del Centro Olímpico de Tenis, que jaleó cada acción meritoria de Arévalo.

The match didn't reflect the gigantic difference between the #1 and the 'more than 400' according to ATP. The first Salvadorian Tennis player in disputing an olympic competition didn't run away from this. The crowd welcomed his not-so-typical presence with sympathy and encouraged every well done action by Arévalo

Well, more or less... I have difficulties translating

Anyway, I really hope his dreams doesn't finish here, there's more to come =D

CHEERS!

http://www.elmundodeportivo.es/web/gen/20080812/noticia_53518888771.html

Roger Federer vs Rafael Arévalo

2008-08-12T17:18:00.002-06:00

I woke up this morning, went straight to the bathroom, started brushing my teeth and I remembered about the match!!!!

I turned on the TV and started getting ready to work while watching it. Then I drove to my office and I rushed to turn on the TV that is near my desk.

I think Rafael Arévalo looked very good and played good. I hope he realized that now he has the responsibility to continue and realize his dream of being in the first 100 of the world.

Have confidence in yourself Rafael, because the whole country will be expecting great things from you.