Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Cracks
Don't step on a CRACK
or you'll break your mother's back
Or so it is told...
According to Urban Dictionary:
"This is an old children's game: anyone who trod on the cracks between the paving stones was out, until only one player was left, he or she was then declared the winner." Even though it is a children's game, the belief in the superstition persists today. Although it may be more of a subconscious effort, stepping on a crack is something we all avoid once in a while. I decided to test the superstition. Take a look: |
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48 hours later
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As you can see she has no injuries, thank goodness!
Redesign and Object
If you could enhance any object, what would it be?
Well for me, this was an easy answer: my contact lenses.
First of all, I am not a fan of contact lenses.
1. I have always had dry eyes, and since I have to wear contact lenses to workout, this can be a problem.
2. I also think that contact lenses could simplify rather than complicate one's life. If I have to stick something in my eye and have it with me all day, then it better be amazing.
Since I am a strong believer in the will of the mind, I have sketched out a contact lens that does the following:
- The contact remoistens itself whenever it senses dryness.
- The contact also has micro technology that assists the capability of telekinesis.
(Thus, with a little practice, you could actually move objects with your eyes)
Contacts of the future.
Smell the Roses
Today, I visited the grave of a girl who lived to be 1, Leslie Snow. This gravesite was particularly interesting to me because of its attention to detail. The steps have an imprint of the family name, and there is a large monument in the middle made of stone with flower decorations carved within the stone. I was surprised to see that little Leslie had but a plaque for her grave. In contrast, the others surrounding her grave were embellished with a variety of ornamentation. Thus, I thought it would be nice to give Leslie a rose as decoration for her own grave.
Visiting the gravesite had me thinking about my own funeral. However, I would take a different approach completely. Because my goal in life is to travel the world, my last wish would be to have my ashes spread around the world. Hopefully my family could take a part of me in their travels and spread the ashes for me. In my opinion, this would be a great way to pay me respect.
Leslie reminded me that life is short, and that we must be grateful for every day we have on this earth.
Something to hold onto
LUIS FELIPE ALVARADO
(1887-1946)
My Great Grandfather.
He was born in a small town called Suaita, Santander Department in Colombia. The population in Suaita was about 2,691, located 200 km north of Bogota.
The origin of his name comes from Spain. Specifically from Pedro de Alvarado (1486-1541), a Spanish conqueror with Hernan Cortez. He was a Spanish conquistador and governor of Guatemala. He participated in the conquest of Cuba, in Juan de Grijalva's exploration of the coasts of Yucatan and the Gulf of Mexico, and in the conquest of Mexico led by Hernan Cortes. He is considered the conquistador of most of Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras). His descendants probably moved to Colombia.
Luis Felipe Alvarado married to Juana Rodriguez and had three daughters and two sons. In Suaita, he had a small farm where he cultivated sugar canes. Later he moved with his family to Bogota, where he rented a large two story house with ten rooms and dining room and kitchen. He transformed this house into a factory of handmade rugs. He invented and built by hand all the machinery and equipment to make the rugs. At that time there were no electric drills or saws. Slowly he created a large manufacturing plant with about thirty employees. It later became the largest factory for handmade rugs in Colombia, which he called “La Bella Industria”. In 1940, he invested in a ranch where he raised and bred cows (about 250). In 1944 he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. In 1945 he sold the ranch.
He died at the age of 59 in 1946.
Besides being a self-made Carpenter, my Great Grandfather had a hobby.
He loved poetry.
3 years before his death he wrote this poem:
Se Fue La Juventud
Se fue la juventud el árbol seco
Dejo caer sus pétalos floridos
Sobre su tronco carcomido y hueco
forman las aves majestuosos nidos
Allà cantan su amor y sus anhelos
cuando aparece el sol en el oriente
Allà le dan calor a sus polluelos
y levantan a Dios su limpia frente
Pero, ay! del árbol desolado y triste
cuando el ave fugaz levanta el vuelo
cuando en los nidos el amor no existe
cuando ruedan sus hojas por el suelo
El árbol y mi vida son iguales
volaron ya mis aves y mis amores
de mi ilusión los ricos vendavales
han arrancado sin piedad mis flores
Like my Great Grandfather, I am ambitious, caring, and passionate. We both crave success for our future and know that hard work is needed to succeed in life. However, in life one must know how to express oneself, and both my Great Grandfather and I did/do this very well. He, with his writing, and I, with my music. I did not know much detail about my past until now, and suddenly everything made sense.
My family is made up of hardworking ambitious and passionate people. That is why we are the way we are. It is in our blood to do more than what is expected of us, to feel the satisfaction from our work. We are driven to be the best that we can be.
I only hope that I can be as great of a person
and accomplish as much as he did, in this world.
Life Seen Through Colors
Infancy
Sheer Wholesome White
A time where everything is new
New Awakenings Aqua
A time where distinctive shapes begin to take form
Youth
Deep Rooted Red
A time with salsa, Colombia, jugo de mora, y fiestas
Vibrant Youthful Yellow
A time with playgrounds, kites, and biking
Adolescence
Obsessed Grassy Green
A time where obsessions include frogs, running, and carelessness
Dramatic Breathtaking Black
A time where emotions run deep through art, music, and dance
Young Adulthood
Clean Simple Salmon
A time with fun and new exciting endeavors while also being conscious of youth
Opulent Grandiose Gold
A time with ambitious goals, and dreams of riches and prosperity
Mmmmm....
I have been thinking and eating lately...
If I could eat anything, what would I have for my last meal?
This may be tough for some people to answer, but for me this was an easy one.
Mamita's cooking. (my mother)
Let me start off by saying that my family is from Colombia, so my mother has that background in cooking traditional Colombian food. However, what is wonderful about my mother and her cooking is that she always puts a twist on it.
You could say it's Colombian with a twist.
But mainly, it's cooking from the soul.
Fresh Green Salad
Beginning with my ultimate favorite: fresh mozzarella, romaine lettuce, spinach, sliced cherry tomatoes tossed in a simple olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper mix:
Calories: about 70
Garbanzo/Bacon Soup
To start, I'll take you through the enticing steps of one of the most delicious entrees you may ever experience; I will start be explaining its contents:
chopped turkey bacon:
Serving per entree: about 40-50 calories
The Process
Then my mother makes sofrito to give the soup a bit of sabor latino. Sofrito is a mixture of garlic, green onion, yellow, red, and orange peppers, tomato, and olive oil sautéed in a pan. While that is cooking, there is a pot filled with tons of goodies: chicken broth, garbanzos, carrots, and water. The sofrito is mixed in the pot filled with garbanzos, and this boils until the beans are soft.
Calories: about 210-225
Once nice and soft, mi mamita blends it all together!
Mmmm....
And most importantly: SHE ADDS THE BACON.
The Final Product
So now what we have is a harmonious mixture of the creamy garbanzo soup with hints of pepper and onion, and the salty bacon that adds that hearty home-cooked feel. Finally, it is topped off with fresh-cut green onions to give it that tangy taste.
Total Calories: about 275
For Dessert
That last thing I would ever want to eat for dessert would have to be fresh berries in a greek yogurt. The berries are bright and light with a punch of sweetness, while the yogurt soothes the throat with its calming sensation. Plain perfection!
Calories: about 140
Por favor necesito mi tinto!
Last but not least it is very common in Colombian culture to end a meal with un tinto (espresso). It cleanses the palate and honestly guys, it helps digest the food you just devoured.
Calories: about 5
A meal of a lifetime.
Calories: who cares.
“I feel the end approaching. Quick, bring me my dessert, coffee and liqueur.”
Anthelme Brillat-Savarin's great aunt Pierette (1755-1826)
Anthelme Brillat-Savarin's great aunt Pierette (1755-1826)
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