Tag Archives: yo

Attached to people, not places

My fiancée commented once that I was probably more “international” than she was (if there is such a thing) even though she has lived in 3 other countries besides her own, and in my case it’s one less. I wouldn’t mind moving from country to country that much, as long as the job is interesting, the pay and the quality of life are good and we are together (which of course entails her filling her requirements list as well). However, she referred to a valid point: I’m not attached to the places themselves anymore, but to the people in them. A place is just nature, buildings and maybe a nice view or two, but the people I know (and the people I love) are really what is important.

One example are my feelings to the place where I was born. Even though I consider myself to be healthily nationalistic I don’t have an urge to go back and settle there, but just to see my family and friends. The same is the case with Finland. I’m very grateful for my experiences there, but it’s a place as good as any, what is important are the friends and family there. Belgium is the same story: if it fills the criteria detailed in the first paragraph I’d stay after my studies are finished, otherwise I’m willing to search for something somewhere else.

The problem with freedom, as a friend says is that “you don’t know what to do with it”. I hope that’s not my case.

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Reinventing myself

The first time I had to reinvent myself was when I entered high school. After a junior high of mostly pretty lousy experiences I had decided that it was time for something else. There I became much more social, and formed many friendships I still preserve to this day.

Later on, I moved to Finland to study engineering. That was reinvention number two: from a upper middle class hijo de papi to an immigrant student in a country far away, with different people and a new language. That went quite well, I’d say. During my studies I was fortunate enough to get a job.

While working, and especially after I graduated, I had to become a business person. That was my third reinvention, as at work I usually was working with people with whom probably initially I didn’t share very much, as they were in a different stage in life than I was. However, that went very well and I still keep in contact with many of them, even after my latest reivention.

This last one was coming back to study again, again in a different country (Belgium this time). After 3 years, I came back to writing papers, student parties and being with people my age. So far, so good, I am learning a lot, get along with everybody and have found some new interests and things I didn’t know.

After this, I don’t know what will happen. I know I need to get a new job (there are some clues on that one) and I will get married. That will be the next reinvention.

As the song goes: every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.

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Closing Time: High school memories

On a day like this when I’m meditating about life, the universe and everything, my iPod had the nerve to play Closing Time by Semisonic.


The lyrics are especially touching given what happened afterwards. Phrases such as “time for you to go out, go out into the world”, “time for you to go back to the places you will be from” and “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end” are as relevant to my life now as they were back then even though I have more experience now.

Every time I hear this song memories come back like a torrent. My high school friends, my feelings at the time, the Model United Nations we were involved in, the work that went into it and the closing ceremony of the last one I was part of, exams, classes, parties, crushes, relationships created, broken and repaired, trips, and the expectancy of entering university and the work that went into trying it in another country.

With this song and Time of your life by Green Day I can just sit down and replay all those moments in my mind.

I can’t believe it’s been 8 years since I graduated. A lot has happened since then. I reinvented myself and the experience gave me the wings I needed to try something else.

¡Un abrazo a todos ustedes, sin importar donde estén!

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14 de Febrero

El Día de San Valentín es una fecha que odié por muchísimos años. En el tiempo que viví en México, exceptuando un plazo de 6 meses, nunca fui demasiado afortunado con el sexo opuesto, dado que normalmente las que me gustaban a mí no me correspondían o viceversa. Además, durante la mayor parte de mi adolescencia la verdad es que fui bastante torpe en mis relaciones con el sexo opuesto (estaba muy verde) así que naturalmente cada vez que llegaba este día estaba yo con unos nervios o una depresión de absoluto espanto. No fue hasta que tuve mi primera novia, a eso de los 16 años, que pude medio superarlo, aunque después de terminada la relación, volví a la misma tónica.

No fue hasta tiempo después, ya en una relación más formal, que pude pasar página y entender que es un día como cualquiera. El amor no es cosa de un día, el de verdad es de toda la vida.

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I’m confortable here

Basically because I blend in with the general population. Unlike in Finland, people don’t usually stare at me in the street.

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Today I remembered a high school quote

Heard from one of my English writing teachers:

“Yes, but, and this is a big, big but…” at which point, given that his hand movements resembled a homonimous word with an extra t, everybody laughed.

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I’m not an Arab or a Turk, but so what if I were?

I was talking with another person when he made a comment assuming that I was Spanish. When I mentioned I am Mexican, he apologised profusely. I defused it with a comment saying that usually people think in Europe that I’m either Arab or Turk, because it is the truth.

Although there is some people that try to take advantage of the social security system available in this country, I believe they are as hardworking as anybody. I am taking Dutch lessons with them and they’re pretty OK, and I’ve noticed that they have many businesses that even open on Sunday (something almost impossible in these parts).

Of course not all of them are perfect and culture shock for their communities and the host society is not uncommon, but I believe it has to do with people sticking to the labels of “Turk”, “Arab”,
“Flemish” or “Walloon”, instead of noticing that we’re all “Human” with a capital H, regardless of how corny it may sound.

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My current mood

“Always in motion is the future”
-Yoda

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Political Compass


I found this from Ceronne’s blog, and just had to take the questionnaire. What about you?

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Meme: video(s) of my place(s) of origin

Checking Ceronne’s blog, I found this meme, the idea being of posting a video or videos representative of your place of origin. Given that some were already used, I decided to go for Ingrata, by Café Tacuba (which has the added bonus that the group and part of the shooting are very close to the places where I grew up).

In the case of Helsinki, even though it’s not my place of origin, I was there quite a few years, so I guess it qualifies. Below “Sinä lähdit pois” (even though I was searching for a song about the airport called “Helsinki-Vantaa” that would bring me better memories but I guess it’s not in YouTube just yet).

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