Category Archives: in english

in english

What a difference two weeks make!

I wrote before that Chivas sacked their previous coach "Chepo" de la Torre and put Efraín Flores in charge.  With the same men, my team has not lost a game since and just trashed Necaxa 5-1 last night.

Besides deciding to bring the game to the opposite team instead of playing only on the counter, he has shown great vision in giving more responsibility to youngster Sergio "Gauchito" Ávila.  The kid has answered with some great performances and determination to seize his opportunity.  Now let's hope he does what is expected of him as Sergio Santana hasn't been that good playing in the hole between the strikers.

in english

Hamburg

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Hamburger Rathaus

Originally uploaded by Chiva Congelado

Had I not gone to Finland to study, I would have ended up in Hamburg. After all this time, I finally had the opportunity to visit the city. It was interesting to have a glimpse about how different would my life now be For starters, I wouln’t speak Finnish nor be married with my wife, but would probably have much better German language skills. I would have probably adapted to German culture instead. Those details would have made a rather different me (or maybe not).

In short, you build your life every day, so try to make it the best it can be.

in english

Facebook etiquette

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A few guidelines about Facebook etiquette:

  1. If I don't know you, I won't add you.
  2. Even if I know you, if I don't know you well enough I might not add you.
  3. I don't want my Facebook profile look like the worst MySpace nightmare, so I won't accept invitations to become a zombie or to get a stripper name.
  4. If you're a friend I know through work, I'll add you if we're actually friends offline (or good friends online).  For professional relationships please use LinkedIn instead.  Adding me because you met me once is a no-no, unless we actually got along pretty well.
  5. Use common sense with what you put there.

Ok, there it is now, I've been trying to post this for a while.

in english

Denmark is Flat


Denmark is Flat

Originally uploaded by Chiva Congelado

Was in Denmark & northern Germany this week for a couple of days. It was really interesting that after crossing the border the landscape did change, with more spruce and birch trees on the Danish side. Definitely did look more “nordic” than Germany, which of course should be the case.

And the language, to which I had been exposed before, is seriously incomprehensible. Written is quite OK, but I really don’t know what they do with their mouths. And they know it ;-).

in english

The absurd in Mexican news

Two news stories that have convinced me that absurd is the flavour of the day for Mexican news:

  • Roberto Madrazo, former Mexican presidential candidate, was found cheating at a marathon in Germany and subsequently stripped of his over 50 year old category triumph.  Once a crook, always a crook.  And to think that this guy wanted my vote.  The news in English, German and Spanish available.
  • Taco Bell is trying to enter the Mexican market again.  That's like the American Budweiser trying to enter the Czech Republic.  I will be really surprised if they actually have customers.
in english

Family in Finland

As much as I might sometimes encounter barriers here, I don't want to give a lopsided view about my experience in Finland.  I am very aware that nowhere is perfect and neither am I, and furthermore, I really enjoy my work, have very good friends, and I'm even part of a family here.

That's truly what this post is about, because, as my family back in Mexico would say, I truly landed in a soft sport when I came here, met my wife and after some time was pretty much adopted into her family.  I cannot be grateful enough for that, since through them, my friends and of course my wife I came to know, love and integrate here in Finland.  With them I've shared my successes and they celebrate them as much as my blood family does.  They have even asked me to enter their family records which of course is an honour.

This is probably what makes it a little confusing, because for those that know me I am "one of them" but certain sectors of the general public tend to see me with suspicion.  I'm not going to change that, so I should stop caring and move on.  😉

in english

Citizenship laws in Finland and France

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I met Ceronne briefly during my last quick trip to Paris.  Unfortunately I couldn't chat with him longer since I was on the move, but as usual it was a pleasure.

He commented that, after finishing his masters, he had a small discussion with a social worker who told him that in two years he would be able to apply for French citizenship.  I congratulated him, and he mentioned that the process works in such a way that his 2 years as a masters student in France are taken into account in the process.  This is beneficial for both parties since the person in question gets an incentive to stay and the country another educated taxpayer.

With this information, I started to think about my own situation, which compares unfavourable with his.  Even though I have lived 6 years in Finland, my three years as a student don't count, and neither do two of my years working as I had a B-class residence and working permit for some reason I don't understand.  Only one year would count, but I moved to Belgium for a year so I would have to start from scratch, which means that I would be eligible in 4 years (or after 10 years altogether of living in Finland).  It would be even longer but I am married to a Finnish citizen now, who has been my companion for the past 7 years.  When I compare my case to that of a certain discus thrower, for example, I further lose hope.

For my Finnish readers out there, even though most of the posts in this blog are in English, I do speak Finnish.  Furthermore, I will be taking the official language examination soon, if only to have a paper that proves it.

The worst part is when my Finnish friends and acquaintances ask me when am I going to become a citizen of the country I live in and my only answer is not anytime soon, if ever…