e!
There´s always something else to learn...
Sometimes, you find yourself in the middle of nowhere...
and sometimes, in the middle of nowhere you find youself.
Keep trying, keep going!
WELCOME TO MY BLOG!!!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Leadership Lessons
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.
Labels: leadership
Monday, August 25, 2008
Viva la vida
ay no que me pasa?
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
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,
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.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Patience
Labels: Patience.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
keeping myself from going insane
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?
Labels: Bit of reflection
Friday, August 15, 2008
Anthony Bourdain's show
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.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
no title
While the eyes of the world are in Beijing and the eyes of the AIESECers are in Brazil (International Congress 2008 and the 60th 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.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Falling in love???
Labels: love
Federer ends with Arevalo's dream
... or so they say:
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 ArévaloWell, more or less... I have difficulties translating
Labels: Olympics2008, sports
Roger Federer vs Rafael Arévalo
| 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. =D |
Labels: Olympics2008, sports
Monday, August 11, 2008
Changing the title…
| … and blogging more often. Every day that passes and I don't write something in this blog I remember Monge saying "25 years x 365 days x 24 hours… that's a lot of time… for sure you have something to say" Well, I've come to this stage of my life when I am leaving AIESEC, an organization that has given me and teaches me so much… but I have to let go… It's being hard, but rewarding at the same time… so I decided to change the title of my blog (and probably the template will change too) because even when I am not in the learning environment anymore, there's always something else to learn. Being a leader in AIESEC, that was amazing, having the opportunity to inspire and empower young people to develop themselves to have a positive impact in society… and I've learned so much… but I've realized that the learning never ends. (I am still learning English, by the way) This blog is about what I learn every day, from every aspect and I intend to share with anyone else who also wants to learn. That's why I changed the title. =D ps, I've also realized (thanks to Monge) that I do have a lot to say (even if my blog has only few readers) plus I feel happy blogging =D |
Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
Labels: Changes
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Hiking: Volcán de Izalco.
I went hiking yesterday with Andres, one of my best friends and a person that I appreciate a lot, I would love to say that I took him to the volcano (because he’s from Guatemala and he came to visit) but to be honest, HE took ME hiking, he’s the expert (he’s been to the Kilimanjaro and going to Mont Blanc soon).
Yes, this post starts exactly the same as the previous one, but this post is about something different, this post is about how I consider that life is exactly as climbing a volcano... ok, maybe my life is like climbing this volcano.
We arrived at Parque Los Volcanes at 11:10, the guard told us that the group (that leaves every day at 11 am) left 10 minutes ago and that we should hurry to catch up. While I was putting all our stuff together, Andres was putting on all his hiking gear: shoes, waistcoat, something for his knees, a thing that controlled his heart bit, sticks and a backpack with a very cool water bag incorporated that allows you to drink water through a straw without stopping.
Now, why is climbing this volcano similar to life: Many reasons:
First off all, even though when he’s the expert, he let me lead the way, because he knew that if he was in front of me, we would have go too fast and I would have been tired. He stayed behind me most of the time, so that I would learn. He had our food and water in his backpack, I only had my camera in my pocket, and a stick in my hand, so that I would focus on walking.
Before actually climbing the volcano, you have to go down on the Cerro Verde hillside, and because you are going through a forest and focused on walking, you rarely see the volcano.
Once you are down, you see it, you see your objective and in that moment, you decide whether going after it... or chicken out.
As I started climbing (and after we took the fist pictures) that’s when I started thinking about my life and how similar it was to climbing the volcano: the road is VERY difficult, but also very easy sometimes. There are some points in which you cannot see the rest of the road, but if you walk few steps forward and pass a stone, you will see that you are still on the right way. There are other spots in which you have to choose whether taking a difficult shortcut or staying in the not-so-difficult long way. There are moments when you fall. There are many moments in which you have to stop just a little bit and drink water just to be able to keep going. There are moments when you see other people half way through and they cannot continue because they are too tired, but at the same time, there are others who already made it to the top, and you decide to stay with the first or go after the second group. And there are moments when you definitely need to rest.
Half way, my legs were shaking, my heart beat was very fast and the worst part is that (because Andres was wearing the thingy around his vest) I could hear his heart bit so normal! Damn it! I was almost dying and he was breathing normally. But he encourages me to finish what I’ve started.
So I walked and walked and drank water and walked and walked and walked. At some point I was desperate and inpatient so I was going as fast as I could and then... We were at the top: I WAS AT THE TOP OF THE VOLCANO!!!!! IT FELT SO GOOD!!! I was so proud of myself! It was so rewarding!
Again similar to life: it’s so good enjoying your success and when you are at the top, you have to go around it! (I mean around the crater). But then, it was time to come back down. This time Andrew leaded the way, apparently it was safer this way. I felt many times and then, the most difficult part: climbing the Cerro Verde... sh!t, I was so hard! But I made it through (I had to) and once we were done, Andres finished his life lesson stretching up our muscles.
My whole body hurts today, but I know it was worth it.
The good news is that climbing it wasn’t so bad, even for a person who is not in a good physical shape like me.
Next stop: El Camino del Inca. But I have to be in shape!
Labels: El Salvador, friends, Trips
Volcan de Izalco (fotos)
Turistiando (just being a toursit)
The trip started on Thursday, he arrived at around 1230 and I took him to Faisça do Brasil, a restaurant that (even for a person who doesn’t like meet, like me) is a most when you are in San Salvador. The funny thing is that when I saw Andres in Guatemala about a month ago, I told him he was a little bit over weight, but just a little bit, so he’s been on diet ever since hahahaha! But we ate so much!!!!!Then we hit the road. We went to San Blas, La Libertad (http://www.puertolalibertad.com/), and even though I spend most of my vacation days in there, with Andres in there, everything seemed different. We went to El Tunco, we saw people surfing, smoking pot and drinking/taking “sun in a can” (tomando sol en lata). We wanted to party that night but something better happened. We sat there facing the ocean and we talked, and then we enjoyed each other silence. Because that’s the thing, we can talk to each other, we know what is right and wrong about each other but we don’t judge. Because our friendship is based on the respect that we have for each other.
We went back at around 8 or 9. Yesterday, we woke up at around 9 am, took a shower and headed to Izalco. We climbed it, we came back, we climbed the Cerro Verde, we took millions of pictures, we ate sandwiches and pupusas (first the sandwiches and later, the pupusas) and suddenly it was over. We were at my house again, burning CDs with each other pictures and he went back to Guate.Pictures coming soon (hopefully)
Labels: El Salvador, friends, Trips
Sunday, August 03, 2008
last post as President of AIESEC in El Salvador
There are so many things that I would like to say, there are millions of things that I regret I didn't do, there are so many emotions going through my body at this moment.
I was talking to another MCP 0708 just a moment ago on messenger, we both feel nostalgia, we both feel that it was not enough being an achiever (0708 generation) we wanted to be part of the legends (generation 0809).
But at the same time… and this is going to sound weird… we both felt tired…
Some years ago a very good friend of mine told me I don’t wanna be part of AIESEC anymore, I am sick of this organization… Well sick is definitely not the word that I would use to describe this feeling, but there is this feeling… the feeling of being tired, “being there, done that”, the feeling of satisfaction because you’ve learned, because you’ve achieved, the feeling of frustration because you didn’t meet your own standards, that I could have done more.
(We MCPs have this joke that your successor is your child, so I have a son now, his name is Stefan Katz, he’s SwisSalvadorian, he’s stubborn, he’s motivated, he’s committed, he’s stubborn, he’s tall, he’s white, he’s nothing like his mother… he’s something else…)
There is another feeling, the feeling that I am sure most mothers feel when their kids are giving bigger steps, the feeling of running after them when they fall because they are just learning how to walk, but at the same time, a good mother will let their kids fall, and will encourage them to get up, instead of the “too much love” reaction of helping them get up… that only makes them cry louder.
More feelings
I definitely would love to see all the MCPs of the generation of achievers, last night I spoke with Hajo, today I spoke with Kelly, man guys I wanna see you so bad!!!! Really!!! Hajo it was so nice hearing your voice once again, knowing that you are having an amazing experience in Oman (Oh! Man!) Kelly, you are finding your own path too, and so are the rest of us.
With Kelly we were saying that it was so funny that when we started our term we were so eagerly saying to the whole world WE ARE MCPs, in our msn nicknames, on facebook, you name it… but as we reached the end of the term, that seemed to be less and less important, and now, the new team is doing the same thing!!! Jajajaja.
We also commented on “the day after” the day when you realize you don’t have superpowers on the system (www.MyAIESEC.net) anymore, you don’t have access to the MCP tools; you cannot check the wikis, the forums, nothing! Not being able to send the welcome to Monday anymore and, as crazy as it sounds, you are sad because you are not receiving 100 emails per day! She went through this already, mine will happen on Thursday… let’s see how that feels like.
Another funny thing is that even though many people are telling me not to leave, I shouldn’t leave AIESEC, etc. etc. etc, is that I know that in less than 3 years nobody will remember me! Jajajajaja! That happened to me already! When I was in Cordoba, now days nobody knows who I am in that LC, but I was the one who started with 7 members (and they have 70 now) I was the one who believed in that LC and let the whole city be part of my life… it feels a little sad knowing that you are not part of their lives anymore…
I cannot finish this post without mentioning a person who’s been with me even when she hasn’t been actually with me: Bea, MCP ESAL 01, is the person I know I could come to when I had any difficulty in AIESEC and she would give me strength… thanks Bea for sharing your experience with me and let me learn from you, I can only hope that someone could learn from me so I that I can, somehow, give back
This post wasn’t supposed to be that long…
My term wasn’t either…
But it was, and it was great!!!!!!!!!
I am free now, I am what I am, I am what AIESEC has made out of me, I am Ethel, I am an AIESECer, and I will always be.
Regards,
Ethel Nuila
proud MCP 0708
Labels: AIESEC
