I need to stop going to bed at 5:00 a.m.
Damn papers!!!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
more sad readings...
Again, reading for my school project, I found this...
"Can there be a society without sadness? Can there be a culture without menace? Can the flow of experience, no matter how fantastically different is its cultural elaboration of loss or how serene, optimistic, or trivial its historical configuration of that which must be endured, escape suffering?"
Chapter 5 on Writing at the Margin by Arthur Kleinman
Again...como le dije a la strega, este research me va matar...
"Can there be a society without sadness? Can there be a culture without menace? Can the flow of experience, no matter how fantastically different is its cultural elaboration of loss or how serene, optimistic, or trivial its historical configuration of that which must be endured, escape suffering?"
Chapter 5 on Writing at the Margin by Arthur Kleinman
Again...como le dije a la strega, este research me va matar...
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Suffering...
I am reading this chapter, cause I’m doing something for a class next week, and I’m going to do my paper on suffering/illness experience/ HIV/AIDS; and I found this interesting, among many other things:
“Suffering is voiceless in the metaphorical sense that silence becomes a sign of something ultimately unknowable. It implies an experience not just disturbing or repugnant but inaccessible to understanding. in this sense, suffering encompasses an irreducible nonverbal dimension that we cannot know-not at least in any normal mode of knowing-because it happens in a realm beyond language. The quality of such suffering remains as blank to thought as the void opened up by a scream.”
David D. Morris, in the Chapter About Suffering: Voice, Genre, and Moral Community in Social Suffering.
My research is so uplifting...
“Suffering is voiceless in the metaphorical sense that silence becomes a sign of something ultimately unknowable. It implies an experience not just disturbing or repugnant but inaccessible to understanding. in this sense, suffering encompasses an irreducible nonverbal dimension that we cannot know-not at least in any normal mode of knowing-because it happens in a realm beyond language. The quality of such suffering remains as blank to thought as the void opened up by a scream.”
David D. Morris, in the Chapter About Suffering: Voice, Genre, and Moral Community in Social Suffering.
My research is so uplifting...
did you?
Watch the debate?
I thought it was awesome how Obama slammed Mccain every now and then with his: "That's not true", 'I didn't say that"...
But overall, it wasn't great great...I know the Sarah Palin debate is going to be more awesome!!! I personally want to see what she has to say...
Let's see how the bulldog with lipstick measures up with the big boys...
man i wish, Hillary would've won or something...I mean, at least VP...
I thought it was awesome how Obama slammed Mccain every now and then with his: "That's not true", 'I didn't say that"...
But overall, it wasn't great great...I know the Sarah Palin debate is going to be more awesome!!! I personally want to see what she has to say...
Let's see how the bulldog with lipstick measures up with the big boys...
man i wish, Hillary would've won or something...I mean, at least VP...
Friday, September 26, 2008
Sixty five
it's 65 degrees right now! :S
-----
I have to go to campus in an hour or so... I can't seem to start writing for my domain statement for this next Monday...and the paper i have to hand in next Wednesday...
it's 65 degrees...
---------------------
On another note:
I actually don't care that much. I grown cold, a bit out of touch with certain things these past several years and yeah...conversations are not supposed to alienate friends, they are to enrich your friendship, so no necesito resucitar a Miguel en otra persona. He was a good friend, things happened, but still...you're no Miguel, though you have been trying to be for quite some time now. And with that, you're dead.
-----
I have to go to campus in an hour or so... I can't seem to start writing for my domain statement for this next Monday...and the paper i have to hand in next Wednesday...
it's 65 degrees...
---------------------
On another note:
I actually don't care that much. I grown cold, a bit out of touch with certain things these past several years and yeah...conversations are not supposed to alienate friends, they are to enrich your friendship, so no necesito resucitar a Miguel en otra persona. He was a good friend, things happened, but still...you're no Miguel, though you have been trying to be for quite some time now. And with that, you're dead.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The sims
In the newer Sims expansion (don't know exactly which one) they will randomly tell you if they feel like they had a good week, with hopes that you change it or keep it that way...
I feel exactly the same way...I had a great week and I hope it keeps up that way...
Laters...
I feel exactly the same way...I had a great week and I hope it keeps up that way...
- It started getting cold, so not good!
- I went to PAHO yesterday and met with two people, and it went great! One of them even offered me a job...another one :S... anyway, that's awesome cause PAHO is part of the World Health Organization, which is affiliated with the United Nations... Awesomeness for my CV (resumé)...
- Is it still raining back home?
- I have a lot of work now...
Laters...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
everything keeps coming along...
All right!
I got a job!
well, a part-time job...but it's still pretty exciting...I only have to work 35 hours per month...
And now...to my meeting tomorrow in D.C., hope everything goes well!
I got a job!
well, a part-time job...but it's still pretty exciting...I only have to work 35 hours per month...
And now...to my meeting tomorrow in D.C., hope everything goes well!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Today was...
One of those weird days where everything goes really well, and you feel OK with yourself...(is this happiness?)...
Not that anything happened in particular, but I had a great day. I'm making friends I guess...
The professor gave me a reading (I actually volunteered) to discuss two weeks from now, that responds to Oscar Lewis atrocious accounts on the culture of poverty, while he did his research in Puerto Rico. So great! I'll get to give my insight on that reading, which I'm really looking forward to.
And then...my roommate gave me a gift!!!OMG, she gave me these Theory Trading Cards (Link here) which are awesome...
My life is turning out for the better...at least for now... Now, on to that Wednesday meeting in D.C.!!!
Not that anything happened in particular, but I had a great day. I'm making friends I guess...
The professor gave me a reading (I actually volunteered) to discuss two weeks from now, that responds to Oscar Lewis atrocious accounts on the culture of poverty, while he did his research in Puerto Rico. So great! I'll get to give my insight on that reading, which I'm really looking forward to.
And then...my roommate gave me a gift!!!OMG, she gave me these Theory Trading Cards (Link here) which are awesome...
My life is turning out for the better...at least for now... Now, on to that Wednesday meeting in D.C.!!!
The power of song...
An here it goes...
Artista: Fangoria
Album: Arquitectura Efímera
Canción: Retorciendo palabras
No, no pretendas tener la razon, no me vengas pidiendo perdon,
no me digas que ha sido un error que lo sientes.
En fin, de que sirve un futuro ideal, construido en terreno ilegal
un pasado que me hace dudar del presente.
Y yo, me defiendo atacandote asi, retorciendo palabras de amor,
intentando que quieran decir lo que yo no me atrevo.
Y yo, me sorprendo diciendo que si, retorciendo palabras de amor
intentando que hagan por mi lo que yo ya no puedo.
No, no te inventes un nuevo color, transparente como una traiccion
camuflaje para una ilusion de mi mente.
Por fin, los milenios son un decimal, un trocito de tiempo fugaz
algo efimero y bien poco mas sin ningun valor.
Y yo, me defiendo atacandote asi, retorciendo palabras de amor,
intentando que quieran decir lo que yo no me atrevo.
Y yo, me sorprendo diciendo que si, retorciendo palabras de amor
intentando que hagan por mi lo que yo ya no puedo.
Los milenios son un decimal una suma de cifras de tiempo sin mas,
voces nuevas presentes futuras pasadas que van retorciendo palabras de amor
construyendo edificios que no duraran, un diseño de algo fugaz,
arquitectos de frases que me hacen dudar y que intentan decirme que no se lo que quiero.
Y yo, me defiendo atacandote asi, retorciendo palabras de amor,
intentando que quieran decir lo que yo no me atrevo.
Y yo, me sorprendo diciendo que si, retorciendo palabras de amor
intentando que hagan por mi lo que yo ya no puedo.
Construyendo edificios que no duraran, un diseño de algo fugaz,
arquitectos de frases que me hacen dudar y que intentan decirme que no se lo que quiero.
Artista: Fangoria
Album: Arquitectura Efímera
Canción: Retorciendo palabras
No, no pretendas tener la razon, no me vengas pidiendo perdon,
no me digas que ha sido un error que lo sientes.
En fin, de que sirve un futuro ideal, construido en terreno ilegal
un pasado que me hace dudar del presente.
Y yo, me defiendo atacandote asi, retorciendo palabras de amor,
intentando que quieran decir lo que yo no me atrevo.
Y yo, me sorprendo diciendo que si, retorciendo palabras de amor
intentando que hagan por mi lo que yo ya no puedo.
No, no te inventes un nuevo color, transparente como una traiccion
camuflaje para una ilusion de mi mente.
Por fin, los milenios son un decimal, un trocito de tiempo fugaz
algo efimero y bien poco mas sin ningun valor.
Y yo, me defiendo atacandote asi, retorciendo palabras de amor,
intentando que quieran decir lo que yo no me atrevo.
Y yo, me sorprendo diciendo que si, retorciendo palabras de amor
intentando que hagan por mi lo que yo ya no puedo.
Los milenios son un decimal una suma de cifras de tiempo sin mas,
voces nuevas presentes futuras pasadas que van retorciendo palabras de amor
construyendo edificios que no duraran, un diseño de algo fugaz,
arquitectos de frases que me hacen dudar y que intentan decirme que no se lo que quiero.
Y yo, me defiendo atacandote asi, retorciendo palabras de amor,
intentando que quieran decir lo que yo no me atrevo.
Y yo, me sorprendo diciendo que si, retorciendo palabras de amor
intentando que hagan por mi lo que yo ya no puedo.
Construyendo edificios que no duraran, un diseño de algo fugaz,
arquitectos de frases que me hacen dudar y que intentan decirme que no se lo que quiero.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
I found...
people...
I talked...and they were listening...
and they talked...and it was interesting...
and all was OK...
I'm beginning to like this place more and more...
(now I only need to work on my nervousness/excitement for tomorrow night...)
I talked...and they were listening...
and they talked...and it was interesting...
and all was OK...
I'm beginning to like this place more and more...
(now I only need to work on my nervousness/excitement for tomorrow night...)
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Marylander
This is long...so sorry for the grammatical/syntax mistakes (I just couldn't go over all of that again...)
It’s been almost a month since I moved here (and I have this weird obsession with recaps). If you are going to stop reading now, and want a summary here goes: So far, so good.
I live in a nice apartment near the University, though it is on the ‘terrace’ level, which means I’m below the lobby (supposedly is not a basement!). The university is 4 miles away, and it took me almost an hour to walk from there to here one particular Friday night. I’ve been trying to get engaged with campus life as much as I can, so I won’t feel I missed out on anything.
I even went to a football game...which I left at halftime, cause I didn't understand all the crazy pauses every two seconds, so, yeah, that was that. I went to the Latino Graduate Student Association, and didn't feel Latino enough to belong in that group... I dunno, I think I'm going to go the the meetings, but their whole experiences seem so much different than me, even though we're all 'Latinos'...like a Russian speaking to a Yanomami from Venezuela. I went to the LGBT event, and found out that it was just like another informative event from the graduate school, full of people behind their tables trying to 'inform' and 'recruit' people to their organizations. Two things that I found interesting: Gay Jewish organization and Church Chaplains organizations... Maybe this is due to my ignorance, but, it was surprising nonetheless...
So lately I've been coming to the University to study cause I can't read that much in my room with all the distractions. This is a nice change, cause the campus is very student friendly.
I can sit in the McKeldin Mall, under a tree and read my day away; or got to the 7th floor of the library and find complete peace and quiet. In the end, as much as I hate myself for spending money, when I could be cooking, I eat some Panda Express from the Student Union....then my classes, which are at 6:00 pm. My professors are über cool, and it shows that being a graduate student, specially a PhD one, has it's perks. The professors treat you with respect, and almost as if you were their colleague. More than one time I have encountered the Graduate Chair around campus and he always stops to ask me how am I doing, how are my classes, etc. Though I might be wrong, but it seems like it's a sincere engagement from his part. Of my cohort, I'm the only student that has dark skin though...which makes me think, is Anthropology still a white thing here in the US? Are the only ethnic anthropologist the ones that come from other countries? Anyway...
As far as my relationship with my roommate, everything has been ok until the moment. We get along well, and why shouldn't we? We have everything separate: room, bathroom, miscellaneous stuff...
I don't have a car, and that sucks...cause rearranging your schedule around the bus, can be a pain. Especially when you want to have a decent night life. So right now, until I meet new friends that have cars, my nightlife is restricted to 1:00 am, and that's cutting it short, cause at at that time the last bus leaves the metro station. Oh the metro...living near Washington D.C. is the best. The metro is very handy and accessible. I have already been to D.C. a couple times, and expect to go some other times in the near future.
Another great thing are the concerts and the music scene. I'm going to a Yelle concert in October, already went to a FREE Julieta Venegas concert, and obviously looking forward to many more. In my little island/home, Julieta Venegas would've charged a lot for a concert, and Yelle (a french singer) would'nt come at all.
The only thing is that... this is a new start, and like new starts, you kinda begin alone... Your friends are in another place, and though I know I'm here for a specific reason (which is to study) I can't put out the thoughts that want to go back. Though I won't! Everything here is nice, I just need to keep adapting... Everything happens for a reason (I hate that phrase) so this is the time to reinvent myself an have fun doing it.
Thanks for reaching out...I know you care!
It’s been almost a month since I moved here (and I have this weird obsession with recaps). If you are going to stop reading now, and want a summary here goes: So far, so good.
I live in a nice apartment near the University, though it is on the ‘terrace’ level, which means I’m below the lobby (supposedly is not a basement!). The university is 4 miles away, and it took me almost an hour to walk from there to here one particular Friday night. I’ve been trying to get engaged with campus life as much as I can, so I won’t feel I missed out on anything.
I even went to a football game...which I left at halftime, cause I didn't understand all the crazy pauses every two seconds, so, yeah, that was that. I went to the Latino Graduate Student Association, and didn't feel Latino enough to belong in that group... I dunno, I think I'm going to go the the meetings, but their whole experiences seem so much different than me, even though we're all 'Latinos'...like a Russian speaking to a Yanomami from Venezuela. I went to the LGBT event, and found out that it was just like another informative event from the graduate school, full of people behind their tables trying to 'inform' and 'recruit' people to their organizations. Two things that I found interesting: Gay Jewish organization and Church Chaplains organizations... Maybe this is due to my ignorance, but, it was surprising nonetheless...So lately I've been coming to the University to study cause I can't read that much in my room with all the distractions. This is a nice change, cause the campus is very student friendly.
I can sit in the McKeldin Mall, under a tree and read my day away; or got to the 7th floor of the library and find complete peace and quiet. In the end, as much as I hate myself for spending money, when I could be cooking, I eat some Panda Express from the Student Union....then my classes, which are at 6:00 pm. My professors are über cool, and it shows that being a graduate student, specially a PhD one, has it's perks. The professors treat you with respect, and almost as if you were their colleague. More than one time I have encountered the Graduate Chair around campus and he always stops to ask me how am I doing, how are my classes, etc. Though I might be wrong, but it seems like it's a sincere engagement from his part. Of my cohort, I'm the only student that has dark skin though...which makes me think, is Anthropology still a white thing here in the US? Are the only ethnic anthropologist the ones that come from other countries? Anyway...As far as my relationship with my roommate, everything has been ok until the moment. We get along well, and why shouldn't we? We have everything separate: room, bathroom, miscellaneous stuff...
I don't have a car, and that sucks...cause rearranging your schedule around the bus, can be a pain. Especially when you want to have a decent night life. So right now, until I meet new friends that have cars, my nightlife is restricted to 1:00 am, and that's cutting it short, cause at at that time the last bus leaves the metro station. Oh the metro...living near Washington D.C. is the best. The metro is very handy and accessible. I have already been to D.C. a couple times, and expect to go some other times in the near future.
Another great thing are the concerts and the music scene. I'm going to a Yelle concert in October, already went to a FREE Julieta Venegas concert, and obviously looking forward to many more. In my little island/home, Julieta Venegas would've charged a lot for a concert, and Yelle (a french singer) would'nt come at all.
The only thing is that... this is a new start, and like new starts, you kinda begin alone... Your friends are in another place, and though I know I'm here for a specific reason (which is to study) I can't put out the thoughts that want to go back. Though I won't! Everything here is nice, I just need to keep adapting... Everything happens for a reason (I hate that phrase) so this is the time to reinvent myself an have fun doing it.
Thanks for reaching out...I know you care!
Monday, September 15, 2008
DISTURBED!
I am so not concentrating on this report I have to give out today... I am nervous...
I can't concentrate!!!!
I can't concentrate!!!!
you may yet find stuff
hidden in unexpected places...
I am surprised that life sometimes still throws me these mean curve balls...but I have paid my dues damn it... I deserve to be happy (whatever that means) and be at peace with myself. Though the adaptation process has been a little weird, it hasn't been hard. And I'm more than ok...
Life as an adult started very sudden for me, but that's an old story now. I'm looking forward to what tomorrow may bring me... even if it's not that pleasant.
currently listening: Ghost by Ladytron
I am surprised that life sometimes still throws me these mean curve balls...but I have paid my dues damn it... I deserve to be happy (whatever that means) and be at peace with myself. Though the adaptation process has been a little weird, it hasn't been hard. And I'm more than ok...
Life as an adult started very sudden for me, but that's an old story now. I'm looking forward to what tomorrow may bring me... even if it's not that pleasant.
currently listening: Ghost by Ladytron
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Gay
Why does someone have to identify with being a homosexual just because you feel attracted to someone from your own sex... I mean, does straight people are identifying themselves as straight. even though there are like a million different ‘straight’ persons? I mean there are the ones that like really feminine bitches, fat girls, black dudes, asian people, latino thugs... and only homosexuals...
sexual tendencies and attraction are a great thing, but... why the need to identify?
------
and another thing...
always with the bad rap... is it so wrong to say something nice... or nothing at all?
sexual tendencies and attraction are a great thing, but... why the need to identify?
------
and another thing...
always with the bad rap... is it so wrong to say something nice... or nothing at all?
and so it is...
yeah he was... a positivist...
this is sad, and unexpected!
Listening to: That's not my name by The Ting Tings
this is sad, and unexpected!
Listening to: That's not my name by The Ting Tings
Positivist???
So I'm reading one of the books as part of my reading assignments...
and the author, just blatantly blurts out...i'm a positivist!!!!
WHAAT??
I need to read keep on reading, because I may be wrong on what I think it entails on being a positivist, but I mean...in this day and age?? and anthropologist??? this is scary...
The book is: Research Methods in Anthropology by H. Russel Bernard
and the author, just blatantly blurts out...i'm a positivist!!!!
WHAAT??
I need to read keep on reading, because I may be wrong on what I think it entails on being a positivist, but I mean...in this day and age?? and anthropologist??? this is scary...
The book is: Research Methods in Anthropology by H. Russel Bernard
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Internet
though taken for granted, one can not be surprised at the ubiquity of Internet nowadays. I mean, not even this post could be possible without it, but like almost everything, you don’t think about something until you lose it, or don’t have as much as you would like to. Oh my, I think this transitioned to something other, but oh well.
My reading list for class... oh gosh, I haven’t even started to read it all. I did start to read, but oh god it’s so much. At least, one of the required readings for the Methods class, I already read a good chunk of it from my seminar class. Writing Culture: The poetics and politics of ethnography, is a very good book, though at times it’s heavy with the same posmodern jargon they are trying to dispel from discipline (anthropology). Quite a heavy undertaking if you ask me! I’m actually proud that I already read this, cause that means that our professor in undergrad taught us well, and some deep actual stuff. I should never think less of my education at the University of Puerto Rico.
Currently listening to Ghost from ladytron, awesome band. I wish that now that I’m in the US, I can catch a concert or show. (Cause next week there is a FREE Julieta Venegas Concert in D.C.). Also, Leave de Glen Hansard (which is the Once movie soundtrack).
My reading list for class... oh gosh, I haven’t even started to read it all. I did start to read, but oh god it’s so much. At least, one of the required readings for the Methods class, I already read a good chunk of it from my seminar class. Writing Culture: The poetics and politics of ethnography, is a very good book, though at times it’s heavy with the same posmodern jargon they are trying to dispel from discipline (anthropology). Quite a heavy undertaking if you ask me! I’m actually proud that I already read this, cause that means that our professor in undergrad taught us well, and some deep actual stuff. I should never think less of my education at the University of Puerto Rico.
Currently listening to Ghost from ladytron, awesome band. I wish that now that I’m in the US, I can catch a concert or show. (Cause next week there is a FREE Julieta Venegas Concert in D.C.). Also, Leave de Glen Hansard (which is the Once movie soundtrack).
Friday, September 05, 2008
Favorite Books and what not...
On my recent trip to Europe, I took Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov with me, to read on the bus rides. Well, not so much as Impressed, but more like I fell in love with the series. I read the next book in just 5 days (and that was in Madrid, while I was still on vacation). That came as no surprise because a few years ago I read I Robot and fell in love with Asimov's writing style. The interweaving of different stories, while maintaining the stories chronicity, is a refreshing take on this ever so charged and overloaded plots that we encounter almost everyday in movies and television. What was surprising (but not unexpected) is to find out that Asimov, was indeed the father of sci-fi. You can see the visions, imagery and the 'futuristic' technology you see from star wars to Star Trek on his works, done a long time before this was all developed. Even the Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy (which I also dearly love, for it's absurdist tendencies) makes subtle allusions to Asimov's work. Again I say, Indeed the father of sci-fi.
Sadly, I haven't had much time to read on that lately, as I just moved here for grad school. I guess that happens...now, on to Neon Genesis Evangelion (which I'm watching for the third time!!!)
Sadly, I haven't had much time to read on that lately, as I just moved here for grad school. I guess that happens...now, on to Neon Genesis Evangelion (which I'm watching for the third time!!!)
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