viernes, octubre 30, 2015

Fall in love with Fall


The word "fall" should not be interpreted as "going down," but simply starting the best time of the year.


Most places will get relief from the oppressive summer heat.


Deciduous trees show their best shades of yellow, orange, and red before they go dormant. 


Or at least that's what happens if you happen to live somewhere these trees grow. For those of us who don't, driving a couple of hours in order to see this is definitely worth it.


New Mexico can truly be "The Land of Enchantment," if you know where to go and when to go.


domingo, septiembre 13, 2015

Escape al Desierto


A veces necesitas ir al desierto y desconectarte del mundo.




Fuera de algún pájaro o insecto que pase por ahí cerca se “escucha” silencio total.




No sé si es el sol, el calor, el saber que es un lugar naturalmente seco o las tres cosas, pero después de un rato empieza a darte sed.



Son pocas las sensaciones más placenteras que el saciar la sed con agua o refresco bien frío.




lunes, septiembre 07, 2015

The Cave of Wonders


As you walk into the cave you expect to see all those piles of gold and jewels. Instead you only see stalactites and stalagmites.



The temperatures were supposedly 56°F (13°C), however it did not feel that cold. That was probably because the air was stagnant. Ironically, the only place with a foul smell was the entrance, as it is where bats live.



Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico seems to be the place where some Disney movies were inspired.



domingo, agosto 16, 2015

Life is like a dream


Stephen King wrote about life being like a movie on his novel "Revival," I would say it is more like a dream. Unlike a movie, you cannot playback your life.



We do have more control over life than we do in our dreams, but at times it seems like you want to communicate with people and you feel like you're talking to the wall, no matter how hard you try. Sometimes things don't turn out to be as you expect, and sometimes it seems like it's too good to be true.



Scenes may change, as well as most of the people around you, especially if you move to a different country. Even if you continue living, working and/or studying in the same city, life can feel quite different from one year to the next. It often feels like you're listening to the song "X&Y" from Coldplay (go ahead and do it if you haven't done so).



You might wake up and feel sick, or simply find out that it was just a dream. Many of us are neither ready nor willing to wake up just yet, but we are hoping that when we do, we'll live a much better life than we've ever dreamed of, one that will never end, even if we initially have to wake up sick before we feel better than ever before. If after this life we all had to go to hell, as it is implied in the novel "Revival," then what would motivate people to be good? Luckily, this novel is just fiction.

martes, agosto 11, 2015

Misión cumplida... casi


Todo empezó en el verano del 2013, estaba haciendo la tesina de maestría. Cada vez que mandaba avances, la asesora me pedía corregir diez cosas. Al corregir esas diez cosas me regresaba el trabajo y me pedía corregir otras nueve cosas distintas. Me recordaba a la asesora que tuve en la tesis de carrera, solo que esta no era fastidiosa ni me amenazaba con no graduarme. Al mismo tiempo, estaba esperando el permiso para empezar ese trabajo en Estados Unidos que tanto soñé. Le di prioridad a la mudanza de Monterrey a Odessa, Texas y dejé la tesina pendiente. El trabajo es verdaderamente absorbente y no tengo la energía envidiable de mis colegas españoles, así que me enfoqué en mi trabajo. El verano pasado no me convenía regresar así que en algunos días estuve aburrido sin hacer nada, una semana en Nueva York, unos días en Dallas, carnes asadas… Este verano regresé a Monterrey, acabé la tesina sin necesidad de ir a asesoría y las cosas se dieron para que las correcciones fueran mínimas (con otro asesor, por supuesto), así que tengo la maestría terminada.  Muchas veces me pregunté si la asesora anterior fue tan perfeccionista que el nuevo asesor batalló para encontrar correcciones.


La cirugía de los ojos salió, a un costo mucho menor que en Estados Unidos. Adiós lentes. Dos tratamientos dentales pendientes ya quedaron. Ya no tengo metal en la boca.


Me da tristeza ver que la familia de mi mamá esta deshecha, pero a la vez tranquilidad porque no hay nada que pueda hacer para unirla y en mi familia está todo bien. Pude ver algunos amigos, aunque la mayoría ya vive fuera y/o están casados. Creo que la gente se está dando cuenta que en Monterrey no es fácil tener el nivel de vida con el que te habías acostumbrado. Me gustan mis cerros, mi ciudad con sus edificios (cada día más bonita), pero a la vez siento que me quedan menos razones para quedarme. Al tener pocos amigos que sigan viviendo ahí y a la mitad de la familia deshecha no me deja las mismas ganas de ir a Monterrey que tenía antes. Lo que sí me queda claro es que el hecho de no ver a algunos amigos en mucho tiempo no significa que no sean amigos y a los que he vuelto a ver nos volvemos a saludar con el mismo gusto de siempre.



Nunca fui de muchos amigos pero sigo abierto a la posibilidad de seguir haciendo amigos acá en Odessa, y a lo mejor a que se atraviese esa chava con la que quieres estar todo el día el resto de tu vida. Mientras tanto, tengo planes de seguir viajando siempre que se pueda.


viernes, junio 26, 2015

Feels like home to me, sort of


After living in Texas for almost two years and going back home to Monterrey to spend the first summer since I left almost makes me feel like "I'm home." On one hand, I've seen some friends and family, but on the other hand many friends have left, and some family members are dead, even though they still live (extended family issues). No big deal, everything else is fine, right? Wrong.



On both sides of the border, powerful people have been using their power against society. Here in Mexico, our politicians keep stealing and raising taxes. In the US, every time the right and left fight, they either win or lose, but society often loses in these battles. People in Texas can now carry guns in public and in universities, and same-sex marriage is now legal all accross the US. My main concern is not same-sex marriage, but children raised by two moms and two dads. Just like abortion, evil has prevailed in those kinds of decisions. Here in Mexico, abortion is legal in Mexico City as well as same-sex marriage. Both of these could become legal nationwide.


I have noticed that people in general are becoming increasingly liberal, even among "conservative Texans." Does that mean that I'll follow the trend? No. While most liberals will think that most of these changes are good, the truth is that dysfunctional families are also increasing, along with junk TV, is that just a coincidence?



Rather than having the left and the right fighting, they should find some common ground. If same-sex people want to live together, let them do it, but let adoption be done only by a married copuple (consisting only of a man and a woman). Talking about adoption, making it easier for couples to adopt, instead of aborting, have male biological parents take responsibility for the child, or have the child sent to adoption if the mother does not want it. If a woman was raped, the govenrment should help her take care of the child and help with medical expenses (if the biological parent does not have the means to do it) whether she wants to keep the baby or send it to an adoption center. 



There are lots of things to complain about, but also a lot of things to be thankful for. A liberal society has decreased the amount of religious people (as well as their religious practices) but it is good to know that there is a final destination which I believe that'll make the happiest moment in life feel sad. 



The fact that there are lots of places to travel to while I still live, but thinking about a much better "ending with no end" will help me deal with this. What can motivate someone who only thinks that life will be over when you die? Is this the reason why people have become liberal? Have many liberals lost faith in God and just want to enjoy the moment? They probably think that the body that ages with them may not allow them to enjoy as much after they grow old. Other liberals who are still religious probably just follow the trend. Do we have good liberal people? Absolutely, and the fact that you call yourself christian and/or conservative does not make you a good person.

sábado, mayo 30, 2015

I Set Fire To Rain


When Accuweather first said that they were launching a channel that would focus on weather and not "fluff," they meant to say that The Weather Channel has been adding lots of "fluff" to their content. 


I do agree with them somehow, but I also agree with TWC on the fact that "It's amazing out there!"


domingo, mayo 24, 2015

¿Por quién votar?


A tres semanas de las elecciones en Nuevo León muchos estábamos ansiosos por ver los resultados. La mayoría (espero yo), con temor de que gane Ivonne Álvarez del PRI. Además de ella, tenemos a Felipe de Jesús Cantú del PAN, a “El Bronco” como un disque nuevo ciudadano o a Fernando Elizondo, un no tan nuevo ciudadano.

Hasta en las pasadas elecciones he votado por candidatos del PAN desde que voté por primera vez en las elecciones presidenciales del 2006, a excepción de las elecciones intermedias del 2009 donde voté por Tatiana Clouthier como candidata independiente. Nunca he pertenecido ni pienso pertenecer a ningún partido político. Creo que entre los partidos políticos el PAN ha sido el menos corrupto y el que más gente honesta ha ofrecido, aunque con muchos resultados qué desear. Por ejemplo, hasta ahora, no he sabido de ningún alcalde panista de Monterrey que haya hecho un gran trabajo o que no haya hecho cosas cuestionables éticamente. Por otra parte, desde que empezó Fox en el 2000, ha habido muchos avances en cuanto a la libertad de expresión.

Llegamos al punto donde casi casi un ciudadano puede gritarle al presidente: “hijo de puta” y lo peor que harían sería sacarlo del lugar. Ahora que regresó el PRI con Peña Nieto pareciera que han tratado de callar noticias que pongan en juego la popularidad de muchos políticos. Incluso sería difícil creer que MVS despidió a Carmen Aristegui cuando les ha dado buen rating y junto con su equipo de trabajo han sacado a la luz noticias como la de “La Casa Blanca.” 

Si todos los partidos han dejado mucho qué desear, entonces ¿se vale no votar o anular el voto con el pretexto de Denisse Dresser de que “votar por el menos malo es como escoger la fruta menos podrida del mercado cuando debemos exigir al mercado que ofrezcan fruta fresca?” Todo podría indicar que si así fuera el caso, el votar por un ciudadano es la solución.

El hecho de ser ciudadano no garantiza la honestidad, aunque pudiera quitársele algo de poder y dinero a los partidos políticos. Viendo algunas cosas que hizo Fernando Elizondo cuando fue gobernador interino, como el reducir la deuda estatal y agilizar el trámite de la licencia de conducir (la tienes en cinco minutos y no en un mes como era antes) me da más confianza que un exPRIísta que hizo crecer la deuda del municipio de García catorce veces. Por otra parte, el partido de Movimiento Ciudadano (que sin ser él militante aceptó a Elizondo como candidato) quiso anular la candidatura de Fernando Elizondo cuando estaba de candidato por el PAN hace seis años.

Concuerdo con Fernando Elizondo con el hecho de que las encuestas no son confiables (porque si lo fueran, esperaríamos ver que todas arrojaran resultados similares), pero según sus sondeos las encuestas no le favorecen y decide declinar a favor de “El Bronco.” Esto se hizo supuestamente con un acuerdo legal en el que Elizondo no va a ser remunerado y va a ser jefe de gabinete. 

¿Puede ser todo esto un engaño de parte de “El Bronco?” Puede ser, pero espero que si gana, meta a la cárcel a todos los políticos corruptos, empezando por los Medina que se han enriquecido “inexplicablemente” con propiedades en San Antonio, General Terán, Las Misiones y Calzada del Valle. Espero también que cancelen el proyecto de Monterrey VI. Si se sanean las finanzas estatales y el dinero se invierte en obras que necesitamos ya esto es ganancia (que en un futuro debe ser lo que se espera).


Ojalá que este sea el despertar de una sociedad más atenta a lo que hacen sus gobernantes y que a todo político corrupto se le aplique la ley igual que a cualquier otro ciudadano. No sé si es mejor opción “El Bronco” o Felipe de Jesús Cantú, pero viendo que no tiene posibilidades de ganar probablemente votaría por Jaime Rodríguez. 

Afortunada o desafortunadamente no puedo ir a votar por cuestiones de trabajo, así que al menos tendré la conciencia tranquila de haber hecho todo lo que está en mis manos. 

martes, mayo 12, 2015

Butterbeer


This is not the one from Harry Potter. This was part of the ingredients needed to bake a delicious chocolate cake. I can make it better, as I had to improvise with the ingredients that I had. I wonder which flavor would JK Rowling approve for her novel, or if the one they sell in Universal Studios tastes just as she imagined it. Rather than putting frosting, I feel that ice cream makes a better combination.


domingo, abril 05, 2015

Things you might want to know about me


There are things that I rarely say because most people probably don't care, but even if they did, it might be a little selfish to talk too much about myself. If you are reading this you either got here by accident or you really want to know more about me. 

Most people know I LOVE chocolate. In fact, I eat it every day. Most of the chocolate I take is a chocolate multi-vitamin and multi-nutrient shake from Omnilife. It is the only thing I can take in the morning when I am not hungry. As this shake does not taste like commercial chocolate milk, I add dark cocoa and sweeten it with Splenda. The best chocolates that I've tried are butterfingers, Hershey's drops with almonds, Hershey's cookies & cream, Ritter Sport with hazelnut (milk and white), and M&M Crispy.



As I am a scientist, I constantly make experiments. The picture above shows chocolate-chip cookies sweetened with fructose. The latest experiment was preparing hot chocolate using assorted chocolate varieties as shown on the picture above. As most of the fat went to the top I was able to remove it, put the leaner mix on the fridge and have cold chocolate milk to drink. The one before this was chocolate syrup made by mixing dark cocoa and honey. Some extra water was needed in order to reduce its viscosity. It tasted good but I still need to measure the right amount of ingredients in order to make it a recipe. No scientific method rigor here as this is just for fun. 




Before I started making experiments with food, I tried mixing substances at home, hoping to achieve something like they did on the movies and cartoons (like mixing a blue and red liquid and getting a yellow mixture as a result). All of the curiosity behind this made me study chemistry, but I would probably be a food industry engineer if I had to get a 2nd degree (or maybe even weather science).



I'm a VERY picky eater. I don't like chicken, eggs, beans, or any other creature that either swims or flies. I can only eat "meat" as ground beef, burgers, and maybe a turkey suasage or pepperoni. All these foods as well as pork, venison, dogs, cats or any other walking animal make me want to throw up. It is a feeling that I can't explain as no one has ever felt it for me. If we talk about fruits and veggies, I eat green lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, avocados, corn, potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, cucumber, nopal, onions, chives, garlic, olives, beet, apples, bananas, grapes, strawberries, melon, watermelon, as well as DRIED cherries, DIRED blueberries, and DRIED cranberries. Except for papaya and coconut I can generally eat other fruits and veggies that I dislike without feeling nauseous. 




I'm even picky with candy, which I love. My favorite candy flavors are generally sour cherry, sour green apple, sour grape, and sour watermelon. I used the word "generally" as natural and artificial flavors have different varieties, and I dislike some of them. For instance, I love watermelon flavor in Pour Patch candy, but hate the Jolly Rancher watermelon flavor.




As you can tell, I have a sweet tooth. My favorite dessert is ice cream. H-E-B or Blue Bell homemade vanilla and several chocolate combinations have been among my favorites. Melon as well as cookies & cream cream flavors that are only sold in Mexico are also good.


If you know me, you should know that cooking and baking are two of my hobbies. I often share my sweet experiments, but usually keep the salty ones to myself as that is what I eat for lunch (on weekends or on vacations) or dinner.


As I've talked too much about food you might think that this is my favorite topic but IT IS NOT, it just happens to affect me every day. When there is no love, I need a reason to get out of bed every morning, something besides those kids who are anxious to be in my class and willing to learn. I am looking forward to a trip to Europe in about fifteen months, unless a girl makes me want to change to a better plan. After Europe, it'll be somewhere else (or maybe somewhere else in Europe), and yes, I'll keep traveling as long as time and money allow me to.



I am a chemist as I have a bachelors degree in chemistry. I have not (and will not) get a masters or PhD in science. Why? Because through my thesis project I discovered that repeating experiments and being held accountable for things that may not come out as expected is not my hobby (not if your whole life depends on it). I have been amazed by the outside world and what lies above us since I was a kid and I have always been looking for answers. Becuase of this I was considered GT (a different type, perhaps, as I was never considered a GT becuase of my grades). In fact, I struggled with math at times (especially in high school and college). As science is the most interesting subject at school, I feel I need to motivate those kids to be the future scientists that we need, or at least have them say just like The Weather Channel says: "It's amazing out there."




What I never imagined was that I would one day teach math (after taking college math, middle school math is a piece of cake). Even though I would prefer science, I still like it (especially when students learn). I do wish I had more time for myself, though.


I am not a morning person, but at the same time I love to sleep and take naps whenever possible.




I am a religious person (far from perfect), however, I would never say that I am a role model. I was born and raised Catholic, and I will continue to be. I've seen what has made me believe firmly in my faith until I either die or lose my mind (don't ask), so I will never change religion. I believe in religious freedom, as long as people don't transgress the rights of others. If no one else came up with this first, this is my favorite self-quote:


"Science, math, and religion ARE NOT democratic; what most people think it's right is not necessarily correct, what most people do is not necessarily the right thing to do."

Because I started learning English in kindergarten, I've learned enough English to teach classes in this language. I've been told that I have a little accent, others say I don't have an accent. Perhaps because of this I was able to get a teaching job in Texas, a job I couldn't find in Monterrey, Mexico due to my lack of experience. I am grateful to those that gave me the opportunity to work here. At the same time I can say I took no one else's job as teachers are desperately needed in Odessa, Texas. Teaching has been quite an adventure, I will never stop learning.



I feel like I've got a split soul. Part of me wants to stay here in Texas, but another part of me feels like going back home and visiting friends and family. The adopted-Texan part of my soul wants to move to a bigger city that will have non-stop flights to Monterrey (this will not be anytime soon, as I feel I need to pay back to the community for several years before I do).



I love traveling and going to places that I've never been to (and going back to nice places that I've been to). I love photography even though I'm not a professional. 




Now that I think about it, most of my hobbies and likes are connected: traveling, nature, weather, space, cooking, baking, and reactions are all related to science, and I love taking pictures of all those. All the pictures in this entry (and most of the pictures in my blog) were taken by me.




Why am I typing this in English? First of all, I need special characters to type in Spanish (which my American keyboard does not have). We are also being asked to have all of our students write in all subject areas, so I might as well "practice."



These are the things I might not tell you but I've talked too much about myself. I might have more things to say if you ask (I do not guarantee an answer, though). Do I know you? If so, I would like to know more about you, when can we meet?