A couple of weeks ago, two things happened at work that I thought about a lot, but didn't get a chance to talk over with anyone else to see if they found a similar significance in the events or if I was just blowing them out of proportion. Tonight, however, while reading fned's blog, I felt a definite sense of déjà vu and simply had to blog about the parallels in her experiences and my own.
Fned states:
"I recall a few months ago reading a monthly report sent by a British manager to his French boss. The mail was detailed but not overwhelming in description, contained praise and recrimination where called for; mentioned areas for improvement and pinpointed subjects that needed to be addressed before they became problems. I remember thinking « Wow! What a great report! It provides all the necessary information and yet remains simple and clear for someone who’s not on hand locally ».
In my case, it happened like this:
One of my students needed to write up a presentation his boss would make at an international board of directors in English. So we used the class to do it and we came up with what I thought were three very powerful slides. They were "detailed but not overwhelming in description, mentioned areas for improvement and pinpointed subjects that needed to be addressed before they became problems."
That was on a Friday.
Fned continues:
The French boss later forwarded that same report to his own Boss after having deleted 75% of the text, keeping only the strictly essential of the message (past events, new developments, next steps) all in a series of concise and brief bullet points.
In my case:
The next Monday, my student greeted me by showing me the final version of his presentation, which his boss had gone over and "forwarded to his own Boss after having deleted 75% of the text, keeping only the strictly essential of the message (past events, new developments, next steps) all in a series of concise and brief bullet points" in a single slide.
PRETTY CLOSE!
Fned contends that she can't help "feeling that somewhere in that example was a very subtle indication of the differences in how corporate information is conveyed from one country to the other."
In my case (a situation of Americans, Mexicans and Germans working together), I thought, hmmm, it must be an international phenomenon... the higher up you go, the more concise the information must be...
But no matter how you see it, it does seem that the highest level of an international corporation will never really be abreast of the realities they are facing. By the time they get the information, it is so edited that they never really see what the people who are actually working on those projects are facing. Makes me wonder!
The other event was what fned described as "how the first person is used (or not used) in communicating." She gives the example of English speakers using the first person "I" or "we", thus implicating the person in the message. She says that the French use "on" which could be interpreted as "we" but not necessarily including the person actually communicating the message!
I would like to add that Spanish speakers have an even more ambiguous way of getting around pointing the finger. In Spanish you can use "se" to say that something "was done", without shedding light on who actually did it. This of course is the passive voice and is used in English too, but sparingly! Key information needs to be more precise. You might say: IT WAS DECIDED that... but only if you begin with something like: WE had a meeting, during the course of which it was decided that...
In Spanish you can start by saying: A meeting was had, and it was decided that... and we are left with a question in our minds as to WHO HAD THE MEETING????
As a translator, I have battled with this issue time and again. Sometimes I have to call a client to ask for clarification on the who, what and where of things because of what I perceive as rampant (ab)use of "se".
In conclusion, I have to agree with fned that it gets really tricky when you want to translate meaning from one language to another!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Pictures by request
The trip was lovely so here are some pictures!
First Jeanne picked me up at the airport and we went to Lulu's Jailhouse Cafe. She'd heard they have the best homemade southern cooking, and they sure did!
Note those huge chicken fried steaks, the mashed potatoes and fried okra - not to mention the homemade rolls!!! WHOA!
After stuffing ourselves and still having to ask for doggie bags - how could we ever have finished all that food? - I told Jeanne I was going to need a nap so we found a place along the highway where a river runs through, spread out a blanket and got some shut-eye under a shady tree...
It was very nice, but in the end, we had to check out that water and it was cold!! DELICIOUSLY COLD and crystal clear. The picture doesn't do it justice, but I couldn't take any pictures when I was actually in the water. This was right before we decided to change into shorts and jump in!
After the swim, we continued the way until we arrived at the rendezvous point with my sibs and went to see Drew play in his band! They were really rockin'!
And we rocked with them in our own fashion!!
Finally we got to the home of our wonderful padres and naturally, one of the first things we had to do was sit down and play some Mah-Jhong! (spell it anyway you like... this is the way I spell it!)
The next morning we were up early and decided to get in some exercise before going to our cousins' house for lunch.
It was a good thing we did take that trek... Lunch was out of this world!!
And we even got in a good cousins picture!!!
The next day was the big birthday bash! It started with some earings...
From there it went on to all sorts of gifts until the birthday girl was just surrounded by gifts!
But then it was time to get ready for the surprise lunch, and was it ever FABULOUS!We had arranged a lunch at the hotel where Mimi first worked 60 years ago. The hotel was so impressive. Mimi says it's changed a bit over the last 60 years! Here you can see the entrance to the dining room (I had the buffet and it was all so mouthwateringly delicious...)
Guess there are no pictures of our meal, because we were too busy eating it! However, we did get this gem of the birthday girl blowing out her 80th candle on a couple of yummy eclaires!
First Jeanne picked me up at the airport and we went to Lulu's Jailhouse Cafe. She'd heard they have the best homemade southern cooking, and they sure did!
Note those huge chicken fried steaks, the mashed potatoes and fried okra - not to mention the homemade rolls!!! WHOA!
After stuffing ourselves and still having to ask for doggie bags - how could we ever have finished all that food? - I told Jeanne I was going to need a nap so we found a place along the highway where a river runs through, spread out a blanket and got some shut-eye under a shady tree...
It was very nice, but in the end, we had to check out that water and it was cold!! DELICIOUSLY COLD and crystal clear. The picture doesn't do it justice, but I couldn't take any pictures when I was actually in the water. This was right before we decided to change into shorts and jump in!
After the swim, we continued the way until we arrived at the rendezvous point with my sibs and went to see Drew play in his band! They were really rockin'!
And we rocked with them in our own fashion!!
Finally we got to the home of our wonderful padres and naturally, one of the first things we had to do was sit down and play some Mah-Jhong! (spell it anyway you like... this is the way I spell it!)
The next morning we were up early and decided to get in some exercise before going to our cousins' house for lunch.
It was a good thing we did take that trek... Lunch was out of this world!!
And we even got in a good cousins picture!!!
The next day was the big birthday bash! It started with some earings...
From there it went on to all sorts of gifts until the birthday girl was just surrounded by gifts!
But then it was time to get ready for the surprise lunch, and was it ever FABULOUS!We had arranged a lunch at the hotel where Mimi first worked 60 years ago. The hotel was so impressive. Mimi says it's changed a bit over the last 60 years! Here you can see the entrance to the dining room (I had the buffet and it was all so mouthwateringly delicious...)
Guess there are no pictures of our meal, because we were too busy eating it! However, we did get this gem of the birthday girl blowing out her 80th candle on a couple of yummy eclaires!
Monday, October 13, 2008
For my Mother on her Birthday
Time moves. Whether you understand that to mean that time itself moves, or that time moves us, the fact of the matter is that from one moment to another, things change. I like to think that Life is a circle. You can look at Life however you want, but I see it as being circular. So that as time moves, it takes us around and back to ourselves. (the wheel of time?) We may go around more than once. The circle may become concentric or expanding, but we are always going round and round.
So, let's look at the number 80. That's a pretty circular set of digits. There's the zero, the big one, and there's an eight, which is made up of two circles. Is there any divine meaning in the number 80 with reference to Life then? Perhaps not. Maybe the meaning is more symbolic, the number for today. Because today, this very day - the meaning is clear: Happy 80th MOM! This one's for you.
The circles in the number of your years make a lot of sense when I think of you Mom. The two circles in the 8 symbolize your movement as wife and mother. You can draw it as two separate circles, or you can draw it in zigzag fashion, like two "s"s back to back. In your case, I'd say definitely zigzag, because you've always managed to keep us all intertwined. Back and forth, to and fro, we all move around and with each other. As we've grown with time, the zigzagging lengthens out and slows down, but it always unites and seamlessly comes together, and that's how I see you Mom; a woman who has always united the parts of her life into a perfect unit of completeness.
But wait - do you think I'm assuming that a woman only exists as wife and mother? No, no! Don't forget the big 0. The circle of Life! That one goes around and around, as we travel around inside it. In my Mother's case, it goes smoothly and with grace and balance. That's the Libra in you Mom! And the circle itself is HUGE! It has always tended to expand rather than contract. Your zest for life has kept you from limiting your circle. It's made you open to learning, becoming, enjoying new experiences, and to encouraging others to learn, become, enjoy new experiences, and applauding us when we do!
It's hard to put into words all the love and wonder I feel, how blessed I know I am, whenever I think about my mother; how I relish the fact that she is my mother. From the time I was little, I always knew she was a special mother. And today, I must say, after listening to my kids' reflections on the topic, that there's definitely a ripple effect: "Mom-ness" effortlessly expanding into "Mimi-ness"!
So here's to you Mom. I am so thrilled and honored to be here with you and my Dad and my sibs on your 80th to celebrate all our love for you and our best wishes for a wonderful, happy happy birthday!
So, let's look at the number 80. That's a pretty circular set of digits. There's the zero, the big one, and there's an eight, which is made up of two circles. Is there any divine meaning in the number 80 with reference to Life then? Perhaps not. Maybe the meaning is more symbolic, the number for today. Because today, this very day - the meaning is clear: Happy 80th MOM! This one's for you.
The circles in the number of your years make a lot of sense when I think of you Mom. The two circles in the 8 symbolize your movement as wife and mother. You can draw it as two separate circles, or you can draw it in zigzag fashion, like two "s"s back to back. In your case, I'd say definitely zigzag, because you've always managed to keep us all intertwined. Back and forth, to and fro, we all move around and with each other. As we've grown with time, the zigzagging lengthens out and slows down, but it always unites and seamlessly comes together, and that's how I see you Mom; a woman who has always united the parts of her life into a perfect unit of completeness.
But wait - do you think I'm assuming that a woman only exists as wife and mother? No, no! Don't forget the big 0. The circle of Life! That one goes around and around, as we travel around inside it. In my Mother's case, it goes smoothly and with grace and balance. That's the Libra in you Mom! And the circle itself is HUGE! It has always tended to expand rather than contract. Your zest for life has kept you from limiting your circle. It's made you open to learning, becoming, enjoying new experiences, and to encouraging others to learn, become, enjoy new experiences, and applauding us when we do!
It's hard to put into words all the love and wonder I feel, how blessed I know I am, whenever I think about my mother; how I relish the fact that she is my mother. From the time I was little, I always knew she was a special mother. And today, I must say, after listening to my kids' reflections on the topic, that there's definitely a ripple effect: "Mom-ness" effortlessly expanding into "Mimi-ness"!
So here's to you Mom. I am so thrilled and honored to be here with you and my Dad and my sibs on your 80th to celebrate all our love for you and our best wishes for a wonderful, happy happy birthday!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Shivering with anticipation!
I am shivering! Literally! I'm sitting here drinking a concoction I made up of rum and mango juice! Just trying to calm myself down! HOW THINGS DO HAPPEN!!!
FIRST: My working schedule will soon be cut down!
I've been wanting to cut down on my working hours. I realize that with the world coming to an end in Financial crises that will sooner or later reach us too, this is probably not a wise move, but I just had to set things in motion. On Friday I learned that as of our next bimester - starting in 10 days - my hours will be drastically reduced, as I had requested. I was filled with a mixture of excitement and dread! Can we really afford to live on less?
SECOND: Someone might buy my car!!!
I have to sell my car. I love my car. It's a Crossfox and it's the funnest thing I've ever driven in my life. I drive a lot anyway, but with this car, I LOVE going places. But it's not really my car, you see. The company lets me rent it for a year, but now the year is up, and I either have to sell it, or turn it in. They made us a sweet deal if we sell our cars this time, so I put some ads in different online car-sales pages, and tonight, I GOT A CALL!!! I'm so excited - and filled with dread too! I'm not good at selling things! I hate having to "talk up" the thing I want to sell... but the guy who called was really nice, and when he laughed at my evident inexperience at selling over the phone, I responded by saying that the truth is, I don't really want to sell the car. I love it too much! (Maybe that could actually be a good strategy!)
THIRD: A publishing company may be interested in publishing my book!!
I have been trying to get my book published. I signed on with some online agents, who've been super nice and kept in touch, but nothing came up - UNTIL TONIGHT! A few minutes before the prospective buyer of the Crossfox called, an e-mail came in saying that a publishing company may be interested in my book!!! Now that was totally unexpected (did I mention that it's been 10 months since I signed on with the agency?) In fact, I was still going over the whole format that I would have to fill out if I want to try to publish thru this company when Samo called me to the phone to deal with the potential car-buyer!!!
FOURTH: I am going to fly to Texas in five days!!
I need to start getting my act together! We're going to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday and my sibs and I are all excited about doing this. But it seems like the date is getting closer and closer and I need to think clearly and get stuff ready for my trip! (here I pause to take another gulp of my mango-and-rum!)
FIFTH: We have lots of tomato plants!!! Not to mention peas, lettuce, cilantro, basil, and epazote...
A couple of months ago, I was determined to get my tomato garden growing, but it turned out that I mistook the tiny plants coming up for weeds, and PULLED THEM OUT!!!
I know that now, because, when I never got any tomato plants, I decided to try again in planter boxes, and now THEY'VE ALL COME UP!!! In fact - I've got way too many for those planter boxes and will need to do some serious transplanting when I get back from my trip.
SIXTH: Bella's on the mend!
A few days ago, I noticed that poor Bella - our 6-yr-old Labrador - seemed to be in agony. She has very sensitive skin and has had all sorts of problems over the years, but always before - Anto was here to tend her. But now he's off on his venture and I've got to do it, but I always seem to be pulled 7 different ways, so, though I knew I would soon have to deal with Bella's dilemma, I was letting it slide. This morning however, as I was cruising along on my way to get fruits and veggies, I spotted a roving Veterinarian. I jumped out of the car and waved him down. I asked if he made rounds to people's houses, and he said yes. He agreed to make a stop at our place that afternoon. Turned out she needed THREE SHOTS, and one more tomorrow, plus a good bath with a certain shampoo, plus another back-up pill she'll be taking for awhile... I feel good that she'll be better soon - but I hope Car and Samo will remember to give her her meds and take good care of both her and Nemo while I'm gone.
SEVENTH: I have to turn in two big translations this week!
I'm sposed to be working on that stuff NOW!!! What am I doing here blogging away???? SHIVERING!!! (but not so much, now that I've finished my mango-rum cocktail which was absolutely DELIISHHHHHUS, btw).
FIRST: My working schedule will soon be cut down!
I've been wanting to cut down on my working hours. I realize that with the world coming to an end in Financial crises that will sooner or later reach us too, this is probably not a wise move, but I just had to set things in motion. On Friday I learned that as of our next bimester - starting in 10 days - my hours will be drastically reduced, as I had requested. I was filled with a mixture of excitement and dread! Can we really afford to live on less?
SECOND: Someone might buy my car!!!
I have to sell my car. I love my car. It's a Crossfox and it's the funnest thing I've ever driven in my life. I drive a lot anyway, but with this car, I LOVE going places. But it's not really my car, you see. The company lets me rent it for a year, but now the year is up, and I either have to sell it, or turn it in. They made us a sweet deal if we sell our cars this time, so I put some ads in different online car-sales pages, and tonight, I GOT A CALL!!! I'm so excited - and filled with dread too! I'm not good at selling things! I hate having to "talk up" the thing I want to sell... but the guy who called was really nice, and when he laughed at my evident inexperience at selling over the phone, I responded by saying that the truth is, I don't really want to sell the car. I love it too much! (Maybe that could actually be a good strategy!)
THIRD: A publishing company may be interested in publishing my book!!
I have been trying to get my book published. I signed on with some online agents, who've been super nice and kept in touch, but nothing came up - UNTIL TONIGHT! A few minutes before the prospective buyer of the Crossfox called, an e-mail came in saying that a publishing company may be interested in my book!!! Now that was totally unexpected (did I mention that it's been 10 months since I signed on with the agency?) In fact, I was still going over the whole format that I would have to fill out if I want to try to publish thru this company when Samo called me to the phone to deal with the potential car-buyer!!!
FOURTH: I am going to fly to Texas in five days!!
I need to start getting my act together! We're going to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday and my sibs and I are all excited about doing this. But it seems like the date is getting closer and closer and I need to think clearly and get stuff ready for my trip! (here I pause to take another gulp of my mango-and-rum!)
FIFTH: We have lots of tomato plants!!! Not to mention peas, lettuce, cilantro, basil, and epazote...
A couple of months ago, I was determined to get my tomato garden growing, but it turned out that I mistook the tiny plants coming up for weeds, and PULLED THEM OUT!!!
I know that now, because, when I never got any tomato plants, I decided to try again in planter boxes, and now THEY'VE ALL COME UP!!! In fact - I've got way too many for those planter boxes and will need to do some serious transplanting when I get back from my trip.
SIXTH: Bella's on the mend!
A few days ago, I noticed that poor Bella - our 6-yr-old Labrador - seemed to be in agony. She has very sensitive skin and has had all sorts of problems over the years, but always before - Anto was here to tend her. But now he's off on his venture and I've got to do it, but I always seem to be pulled 7 different ways, so, though I knew I would soon have to deal with Bella's dilemma, I was letting it slide. This morning however, as I was cruising along on my way to get fruits and veggies, I spotted a roving Veterinarian. I jumped out of the car and waved him down. I asked if he made rounds to people's houses, and he said yes. He agreed to make a stop at our place that afternoon. Turned out she needed THREE SHOTS, and one more tomorrow, plus a good bath with a certain shampoo, plus another back-up pill she'll be taking for awhile... I feel good that she'll be better soon - but I hope Car and Samo will remember to give her her meds and take good care of both her and Nemo while I'm gone.
SEVENTH: I have to turn in two big translations this week!
I'm sposed to be working on that stuff NOW!!! What am I doing here blogging away???? SHIVERING!!! (but not so much, now that I've finished my mango-rum cocktail which was absolutely DELIISHHHHHUS, btw).
Friday, September 26, 2008
Happy Birthday to Sam the Man!
With it officially still being his birthday, I'd like to devote this blog entry to Samo. Sam the Man.
So Sam, it's finally your turn! Hard to believe that 15 years have gone by since you joined our family. Sometimes you lament the fact that by the time you got in on the act, the family had slowed down its pace as far as those restless traveling years. This may be true, but on the other hand, when you think about it, you've been lucky to have so many older sibs who doted on you from the moment you came into the world. You've been carried around in so many loving arms, you've had more support than any of your older sibs - which I realize could also be seen as more people trying to tell you what to do!
But look how you've come out of it, now that you're a high school student: here you are, with more criteria and a broader understanding about life and human nature than many I'll bet, since you've had examples of all types of personalities, and attitudes, as well as a variety of human strengths and weaknesses to examine during your growing years. It's made you a very discerning person, someone who can see things others miss because they're usually focused on only one dimension, whereas you have a sort of 3-dimensional way of looking at things - in, on, and around!
Of course that could be partly due to the fact that you're a Libra - a sign which fits you perfectly. Balance - that's what you're all about!
And you know, that goes for the physical (the way you're a "natural" at any sport you take on) as well as the mental and emotional levels. I know we sometimes get on your back when you react too feverishly about something ("la vena! la vena!" remember?), but most of the time, you're the one who keeps the rest of us in line!! How many times have two or more of us been in an intense debate over an issue accelerating to the level of potential explosion, only to be brought back to earth with one of your perfectly centered observations. You are blessed with insight and irrefutable logic and those are two wonderful things to have!
When you were younger, I remember writing you a birthday message in which I likened you to a private detective. You would find things others believed lost, or you knew where something was when someone was looking for it - even if there was no reason why you should have known. You just seemed to always observe the order of things and file it all away in your mind so that when others needed information pertaining to one thing or another, you would have it! Over the years, you've developed that asset even more and have stepped in to become someone Car and I truly count on. We love knowing that our "baby" is a go-getter and always ready to help when needed.
Happy Birthday, dearest son of mine! Thank you for filling my life with all your zest and energy and letting me be part of your explorations... by bike, through music, with English; you've shown me that you can persevere through it all... do you realize how far you've come?
Now all you've got to do is be ever ready and willing to reach for your goals as they appear! That's my wish for you.
By the way, if you're thinking that one of those goals is driving, please take pity on me and be gentle... At least you get to start up the engines and warm them up! We've got a whole year to get to the point of solo driving, right?
So Sam, it's finally your turn! Hard to believe that 15 years have gone by since you joined our family. Sometimes you lament the fact that by the time you got in on the act, the family had slowed down its pace as far as those restless traveling years. This may be true, but on the other hand, when you think about it, you've been lucky to have so many older sibs who doted on you from the moment you came into the world. You've been carried around in so many loving arms, you've had more support than any of your older sibs - which I realize could also be seen as more people trying to tell you what to do!
But look how you've come out of it, now that you're a high school student: here you are, with more criteria and a broader understanding about life and human nature than many I'll bet, since you've had examples of all types of personalities, and attitudes, as well as a variety of human strengths and weaknesses to examine during your growing years. It's made you a very discerning person, someone who can see things others miss because they're usually focused on only one dimension, whereas you have a sort of 3-dimensional way of looking at things - in, on, and around!
Of course that could be partly due to the fact that you're a Libra - a sign which fits you perfectly. Balance - that's what you're all about!
And you know, that goes for the physical (the way you're a "natural" at any sport you take on) as well as the mental and emotional levels. I know we sometimes get on your back when you react too feverishly about something ("la vena! la vena!" remember?), but most of the time, you're the one who keeps the rest of us in line!! How many times have two or more of us been in an intense debate over an issue accelerating to the level of potential explosion, only to be brought back to earth with one of your perfectly centered observations. You are blessed with insight and irrefutable logic and those are two wonderful things to have!
When you were younger, I remember writing you a birthday message in which I likened you to a private detective. You would find things others believed lost, or you knew where something was when someone was looking for it - even if there was no reason why you should have known. You just seemed to always observe the order of things and file it all away in your mind so that when others needed information pertaining to one thing or another, you would have it! Over the years, you've developed that asset even more and have stepped in to become someone Car and I truly count on. We love knowing that our "baby" is a go-getter and always ready to help when needed.
Happy Birthday, dearest son of mine! Thank you for filling my life with all your zest and energy and letting me be part of your explorations... by bike, through music, with English; you've shown me that you can persevere through it all... do you realize how far you've come?
Now all you've got to do is be ever ready and willing to reach for your goals as they appear! That's my wish for you.
By the way, if you're thinking that one of those goals is driving, please take pity on me and be gentle... At least you get to start up the engines and warm them up! We've got a whole year to get to the point of solo driving, right?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Birthday for a dreamer
Today's Lu's birthday. He isn't here to celebrate it with us, but I'm sure he's celebrating the event in his most preferred style - at the beach, windsurfing, hanging out with some very special people all day, perhaps making and sharing shrimp cocktails or some such seafood delight while listening to some great music in his combi. That's how I envision him anyway. From what he said when he called last night, the weather has been cooperating where he is, seemingly to be able to give him his true birthday wish! And if such is not to be, he'll be OKAY with whatever does happen.
So Happy Birthday Lu Len. This one's for you:
I remember when you were conceived, can you believe that? Yep, we were in Texas and had just gotten over a separation. Your dad played a trick on me and it worked and I had to return to him and the next thing I knew it was the xmas season and we were back together, though shakily, and then I was pregnant, and your dad was dubious about the wisdom of having another kid, until I told him after a couple of days that I knew it was a boy. From then on, he was all for the pregnancy, believing me in my total certainty that you were going to be a boy!
I know your name came out kind of strange - your first and middle name make up such a turbo-charged combo. They're each packed with history and significance - and maybe together, they have had some influence in turning you into the person you've become. Let's analyze this.
Your first name is for the first name of your paternal grandfather - though when you think about it, that wasn't really his first name at all! But he adopted it, just as he adopted the whole being behind the name. So you're carrying that in your personal history and maybe it's had something to do with the way you have tried on different personalities, ideas, styles, etc. throughout your life so far.
But let's not forget your middle name - after the person who's life and work made such a difference in the world as we know it today. The creativity of his overwhelming, wide-sweeping musical approach had much to do with the 60's consciousness-raising intentions to save the world! Could being his namesake make you prone to absorbing his philosophy, musical awareness, anarchistic disregard for convention, and total immersion in love?
Whatever the reasons that have come together to make you who you are, the fact of the matter remains that you are one unique individual, someone who lives on the outskirts of the norm, poised at the edge of reality, submerged in the "what if?" of Life's possibilities, attuned to both the blatant and the subtle elements of music, art, and taste buds, ever-attentive to the fine line between inflexibility and possibility when it comes to questions of mechanics, electricity, and the sciences.
On first sight, many have noted a physical likeness to Jesus of Nazareth. Others simply find you attractive, though "hippy-ish". Your sibs criticize you for your lack of interest in grooming and choice of apparel. But underneath your clothes (as Shakira would say) you are quite a man. Maybe later on, you'll develop self-pride in your physical appearance; at any rate, who am I to fault you on your complete disinterest in the subject when you probably got it from me?!
Throughout your school years, you were boy wonder. Yesterday, I was looking for a paper I needed, and I found a whole folder of your certificates and diplomas, and marveled at some of them: Award for 'Student of the Year' in kindergarten! First in the city in an electronics project in Jr. High, first in the zone in science, best average of your grade, etc., etc. Somewhere along the way, you became disillusioned with school... maybe it was the year that you went to that parochial school.
And then, you entered the university, full of fascination for philosophy. What turned you against it? Was it really the fact that there was nowhere to go with such a degree, or that the faculty and the student body kept shrinking semester after semester? Or were you afraid of having to actually decide on and write a thesis? I can understand that - it must be mind-boggling to have to write a thesis on something related to philosophy!!! I mean, philosophizing on paper over philosophical questions has got to be one of the scariest prospects imaginable, in terms of theses. It could lead to an interminable amount of writing!!!
So you didn't finish school - you opted for deep reading on your own time, while looking for something else to do as your main activity. And you never lacked for projects!! Remember the windsurf board that you studied about, engineered, built and used? Remember the photography phase, where you took some incredible shots around these parts, and of people you knew, and then studied them and tried to get to a more professional level? Most of all, remember all the projects you carried out around the house and on the different vehicles?
Speaking of vehicles, this latest project of yours - your Lety dream-van - really took it out of you. I couldn't believe it when you brought her home for the first time - a totally useless old combi that would need more work than anyone would ever want to have to do to make her serviceable again. But you were adamant, and you actually did end up driving her!!! You worked like a slave or like a blind worshipper over her, and before you left, she was running!
So what do I wish for you LuLen? I wish you a life that is always filled with ideas and projects and dreams; I wish for you good talks, good wine, good deeds and good vibes among good friends. I wish for you a new insight into what you yourself want for the future. Most of all, I'm just grateful that I've gotten to have you in my life these past 26 years. Loving you and having your love have made the day-to-day something extraordinary and not to be taken lightly.
Before I close: some special LuLen moments:
One of your first words - when you were only 2 years old, being able to recognize and separate the VW Bug from any other car and denominating it: the "Tíjilil".
Following Car around whenever he was doing engine work and learning how to handle tools (one of which you dropped down the patio drain) when you were 3.
Running around the house EVERY DAY between 4 and 5 in the afternoon, making motor sounds and rambling on and on with a whole spiel about: "La mesa es la novia del Meso", "El Plátano es el novio de la Plátana", etc. etc....
Making that film documentary (spoof?) of our household that had us all practically peeing in our pants, especially when you opened the door to CLo's room!
The time you fixed the carburator on the drive up from Yucatán with the help of a Trucker I flagged down (I think you were about 11).
Learning how to drive so that you could be Car's driver at age 14.
Making all those weird noises - animal farm style - and being able to quote any line at random from any movie you've seen.
I could go on and on, but I'll save some stuff for next birthday.
Have a happy birthday LU and many many more!
So Happy Birthday Lu Len. This one's for you:
I remember when you were conceived, can you believe that? Yep, we were in Texas and had just gotten over a separation. Your dad played a trick on me and it worked and I had to return to him and the next thing I knew it was the xmas season and we were back together, though shakily, and then I was pregnant, and your dad was dubious about the wisdom of having another kid, until I told him after a couple of days that I knew it was a boy. From then on, he was all for the pregnancy, believing me in my total certainty that you were going to be a boy!
I know your name came out kind of strange - your first and middle name make up such a turbo-charged combo. They're each packed with history and significance - and maybe together, they have had some influence in turning you into the person you've become. Let's analyze this.
Your first name is for the first name of your paternal grandfather - though when you think about it, that wasn't really his first name at all! But he adopted it, just as he adopted the whole being behind the name. So you're carrying that in your personal history and maybe it's had something to do with the way you have tried on different personalities, ideas, styles, etc. throughout your life so far.
But let's not forget your middle name - after the person who's life and work made such a difference in the world as we know it today. The creativity of his overwhelming, wide-sweeping musical approach had much to do with the 60's consciousness-raising intentions to save the world! Could being his namesake make you prone to absorbing his philosophy, musical awareness, anarchistic disregard for convention, and total immersion in love?
Whatever the reasons that have come together to make you who you are, the fact of the matter remains that you are one unique individual, someone who lives on the outskirts of the norm, poised at the edge of reality, submerged in the "what if?" of Life's possibilities, attuned to both the blatant and the subtle elements of music, art, and taste buds, ever-attentive to the fine line between inflexibility and possibility when it comes to questions of mechanics, electricity, and the sciences.
On first sight, many have noted a physical likeness to Jesus of Nazareth. Others simply find you attractive, though "hippy-ish". Your sibs criticize you for your lack of interest in grooming and choice of apparel. But underneath your clothes (as Shakira would say) you are quite a man. Maybe later on, you'll develop self-pride in your physical appearance; at any rate, who am I to fault you on your complete disinterest in the subject when you probably got it from me?!
Throughout your school years, you were boy wonder. Yesterday, I was looking for a paper I needed, and I found a whole folder of your certificates and diplomas, and marveled at some of them: Award for 'Student of the Year' in kindergarten! First in the city in an electronics project in Jr. High, first in the zone in science, best average of your grade, etc., etc. Somewhere along the way, you became disillusioned with school... maybe it was the year that you went to that parochial school.
And then, you entered the university, full of fascination for philosophy. What turned you against it? Was it really the fact that there was nowhere to go with such a degree, or that the faculty and the student body kept shrinking semester after semester? Or were you afraid of having to actually decide on and write a thesis? I can understand that - it must be mind-boggling to have to write a thesis on something related to philosophy!!! I mean, philosophizing on paper over philosophical questions has got to be one of the scariest prospects imaginable, in terms of theses. It could lead to an interminable amount of writing!!!
So you didn't finish school - you opted for deep reading on your own time, while looking for something else to do as your main activity. And you never lacked for projects!! Remember the windsurf board that you studied about, engineered, built and used? Remember the photography phase, where you took some incredible shots around these parts, and of people you knew, and then studied them and tried to get to a more professional level? Most of all, remember all the projects you carried out around the house and on the different vehicles?
Speaking of vehicles, this latest project of yours - your Lety dream-van - really took it out of you. I couldn't believe it when you brought her home for the first time - a totally useless old combi that would need more work than anyone would ever want to have to do to make her serviceable again. But you were adamant, and you actually did end up driving her!!! You worked like a slave or like a blind worshipper over her, and before you left, she was running!
So what do I wish for you LuLen? I wish you a life that is always filled with ideas and projects and dreams; I wish for you good talks, good wine, good deeds and good vibes among good friends. I wish for you a new insight into what you yourself want for the future. Most of all, I'm just grateful that I've gotten to have you in my life these past 26 years. Loving you and having your love have made the day-to-day something extraordinary and not to be taken lightly.
Before I close: some special LuLen moments:
One of your first words - when you were only 2 years old, being able to recognize and separate the VW Bug from any other car and denominating it: the "Tíjilil".
Following Car around whenever he was doing engine work and learning how to handle tools (one of which you dropped down the patio drain) when you were 3.
Running around the house EVERY DAY between 4 and 5 in the afternoon, making motor sounds and rambling on and on with a whole spiel about: "La mesa es la novia del Meso", "El Plátano es el novio de la Plátana", etc. etc....
Making that film documentary (spoof?) of our household that had us all practically peeing in our pants, especially when you opened the door to CLo's room!
The time you fixed the carburator on the drive up from Yucatán with the help of a Trucker I flagged down (I think you were about 11).
Learning how to drive so that you could be Car's driver at age 14.
Making all those weird noises - animal farm style - and being able to quote any line at random from any movie you've seen.
I could go on and on, but I'll save some stuff for next birthday.
Have a happy birthday LU and many many more!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Decision by Intuition - how does that feel?
Yesterday morning at the Language School, the subject turned to decision-making. I was doing this particular dynamic with one of my tutorials: a business-related maze in which the student organizes an event on the basis of decisions made from beginning to end of the planning process, and the resulting success/failure of the event is determined by points scored from each decision made along the way. I had already done the same dynamic in about 5 or 6 other classes, and in each case, the student in question had their own reasoning process for coming to their conclusions, which inevitably created some differences in the options they chose and the scores they got at the end.
This particular student, a young woman named Emma, really impressed me with the way she made her decisions. She would read the four options for resolving each dilemma, think for a moment and then quickly say "A" or "C" without explanation. So of course, this being an English class, I would ask her why she chose that option, and each time, her analysis of the situation included a new slant on what others had stated in their analyses. In one particular case, the reasoning behind the option she had chosen, which was one that most of the others also chose, was completely unique and downright exciting to see.
Suffice it to say that she ended up racking up the most points I'd ever seen and the results showed her to be excellently skilled at pulling off an extremely successful event. So I asked her how she came to her decisions and she answered, haltingly (because she still needs more confidence and help with the correct grammatical structures to express herself well) but in very comprehendible terms, "I have learned over time to listen to my intuition when I need to take a decision."
"Intuition? What's that?" I asked. "Well I feel it right here," she pointed to the area of her diaphragm, "a kind of ... inside" (she made spidery movements with her fingers against her diaphragm). My eyes opened wide and I said, "I don't have that!! I've never had that feeling. I've never understood what intuition is, although my husband is always talking about his power of intuition."
At this point, she explained that, according to her understanding of the human brain, left-hemisphere-dominant people (like this student and my husband) are usually more prone to planning and keeping things scheduled and in order, while right-hemisphere-dominant people (like me) are more spontaneous (prone to chaos??). That's why left-brain people can usually feel their intuition coming into play.
"Oh, so that's why I don't have any intuition," I lamented sadly. "Not necessarily," she said, eyes sparkling (she really is a beautiful woman). "Maybe it's simply that we left-brainers have to stop to listen to our intuition, while you right-brainers live by your intuition. That's why you don't feel it kicking in. It's a permanent fixture!"
"WOW!" I said, and was speechless with all the new input. In fact, I'm still contemplating the whole idea! Guess it depends on what you believe as far as right/left hemisphere traits, the dominance of one or the other in people, the concept of 'intuition', etc. All I can say for sure is that, when it comes to making decisions, I always try the different tricks I've learned to help me through the process, and none of those tricks include intuition. My one aim is not to regret whatever I decide, though I've got to admit that there are some decisions that I do end up regretting (and that's a topic for another blog entry)!
Maybe I just need to understand the concept of intuition better!
This particular student, a young woman named Emma, really impressed me with the way she made her decisions. She would read the four options for resolving each dilemma, think for a moment and then quickly say "A" or "C" without explanation. So of course, this being an English class, I would ask her why she chose that option, and each time, her analysis of the situation included a new slant on what others had stated in their analyses. In one particular case, the reasoning behind the option she had chosen, which was one that most of the others also chose, was completely unique and downright exciting to see.
Suffice it to say that she ended up racking up the most points I'd ever seen and the results showed her to be excellently skilled at pulling off an extremely successful event. So I asked her how she came to her decisions and she answered, haltingly (because she still needs more confidence and help with the correct grammatical structures to express herself well) but in very comprehendible terms, "I have learned over time to listen to my intuition when I need to take a decision."
"Intuition? What's that?" I asked. "Well I feel it right here," she pointed to the area of her diaphragm, "a kind of ... inside" (she made spidery movements with her fingers against her diaphragm). My eyes opened wide and I said, "I don't have that!! I've never had that feeling. I've never understood what intuition is, although my husband is always talking about his power of intuition."
At this point, she explained that, according to her understanding of the human brain, left-hemisphere-dominant people (like this student and my husband) are usually more prone to planning and keeping things scheduled and in order, while right-hemisphere-dominant people (like me) are more spontaneous (prone to chaos??). That's why left-brain people can usually feel their intuition coming into play.
"Oh, so that's why I don't have any intuition," I lamented sadly. "Not necessarily," she said, eyes sparkling (she really is a beautiful woman). "Maybe it's simply that we left-brainers have to stop to listen to our intuition, while you right-brainers live by your intuition. That's why you don't feel it kicking in. It's a permanent fixture!"
"WOW!" I said, and was speechless with all the new input. In fact, I'm still contemplating the whole idea! Guess it depends on what you believe as far as right/left hemisphere traits, the dominance of one or the other in people, the concept of 'intuition', etc. All I can say for sure is that, when it comes to making decisions, I always try the different tricks I've learned to help me through the process, and none of those tricks include intuition. My one aim is not to regret whatever I decide, though I've got to admit that there are some decisions that I do end up regretting (and that's a topic for another blog entry)!
Maybe I just need to understand the concept of intuition better!
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