Whoa... the Anthem... in Spanish!
I have my reservations... it's my language, after all. But well, I think it is a beautiful rendering nevertheless.
Here it is:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12521196/
viernes, abril 28, 2006
jueves, abril 27, 2006
martes, abril 25, 2006
Ok.. I can’t read any longer, I’m sick of Milton and Burton… soOoOo… here’s what’s happened in the last few weeks :
Visited Grandma and Grandpa Joe a few weekends ago. It was amazing. The trip was a little hard on me, but it was definitely worth it. It had been almost a year since I had seen them, and it was a refreshing little trip. I was supposed to have stayed for the weekend, but ended up missing Monday and Tuesday .. hehe… couldn’t help myself. I got into a little bit of trouble, but nothing serious… I think it was worth it.
I got to hear a lot of stories. Grandmother is from Guadalajara, and her grandparents owned a ranch and a beautiful beach house, to which she and her other cousins would go to during the summers. She and my great aunts and uncles would get on a donkey and go to the sea and spend hours and hours swimming and eating watermelon. They would make a few cuts on the watermelon, throw it to the sea, and then wait for the waves to bring it back. Grandma says the watermelon would have a wonderful bittersweet taste. Salty.. yet sweet.. bright red watermelon....
Grandma told me her grandmother’s donkey would take some of them to the shore, then go back to the ranch on its own, then bring more kids… then go back on its own… I can totally picture the donkey cab.. hehe.. the old, quiet little animal, with a couple raggedy seven year olds on its back and a huge watermelon hanging at its side…
Grandmother’s apartment is right in the middle of downtown, so we had lots of places to go to. We walked a lot, talked a lot, laughed a lot. Grandmother is one of those people that you can’t help but fear a little. She has lived a full, tough life. And yet there is something loving and privileging about her manner when she is with any of her grandchildren. Her company gives me a strange sensation… a combination of respect and intimacy that would normally make no sense to me. I pray God will allow me the honor of her company many more years.
More recently and much closer to Dallas, the chartering of a new Alpha Psi Lambda chapter has been under my jealous care. I think my Dean of Pledges might end up hating me after this semester, but I know he needs to be pushed a little, and it will help him to have someone who loves him challenge him. He has done a great job with our own chapter’s pledges. They have completed their process and are now full members of Alpha Psi Lambda. The group is growing, and I am very proud of all of them.
School is almost done with. One last full week of class, then finals. Then one week of freedom, and then graduation. Can’t wait to see my family. Not really looking forward to finals. I have three papers left, and no major exams before finals. Yay to freedom!
Might be visiting some seminaries in the next few weeks… if I get a hold of my pastor. I’m pretty much set on Harvard, though. After talking to my family, my pastor and some elders, my professors, and even some alumni and staff from Harvard, Wesley, and St. Paul, I’ve decided that it is the best option. Now I just have to get those extra funds : ) I have already sent my letter of acceptance… so it is almost official.
Mom has completely recovered. She is her happy self again, and the entire family’s life has returned to normalcy. Dad and Misael went to LA last weekend. Hope they got me some goodies ! hehe… Uncle Daniel and family might come for graduation. The grandparents could not be convinced to travel. Not after the scare Grandpa Joe gave Grandma and me…
The boy and I went to T’s apartment for some Chinese today… that was lots of fun : ) Im trying to see as much of the boy as possible : ) Gotta take advantage of it while he's close by..
Visited Grandma and Grandpa Joe a few weekends ago. It was amazing. The trip was a little hard on me, but it was definitely worth it. It had been almost a year since I had seen them, and it was a refreshing little trip. I was supposed to have stayed for the weekend, but ended up missing Monday and Tuesday .. hehe… couldn’t help myself. I got into a little bit of trouble, but nothing serious… I think it was worth it.
I got to hear a lot of stories. Grandmother is from Guadalajara, and her grandparents owned a ranch and a beautiful beach house, to which she and her other cousins would go to during the summers. She and my great aunts and uncles would get on a donkey and go to the sea and spend hours and hours swimming and eating watermelon. They would make a few cuts on the watermelon, throw it to the sea, and then wait for the waves to bring it back. Grandma says the watermelon would have a wonderful bittersweet taste. Salty.. yet sweet.. bright red watermelon....
Grandma told me her grandmother’s donkey would take some of them to the shore, then go back to the ranch on its own, then bring more kids… then go back on its own… I can totally picture the donkey cab.. hehe.. the old, quiet little animal, with a couple raggedy seven year olds on its back and a huge watermelon hanging at its side…
Grandmother’s apartment is right in the middle of downtown, so we had lots of places to go to. We walked a lot, talked a lot, laughed a lot. Grandmother is one of those people that you can’t help but fear a little. She has lived a full, tough life. And yet there is something loving and privileging about her manner when she is with any of her grandchildren. Her company gives me a strange sensation… a combination of respect and intimacy that would normally make no sense to me. I pray God will allow me the honor of her company many more years.
More recently and much closer to Dallas, the chartering of a new Alpha Psi Lambda chapter has been under my jealous care. I think my Dean of Pledges might end up hating me after this semester, but I know he needs to be pushed a little, and it will help him to have someone who loves him challenge him. He has done a great job with our own chapter’s pledges. They have completed their process and are now full members of Alpha Psi Lambda. The group is growing, and I am very proud of all of them.
School is almost done with. One last full week of class, then finals. Then one week of freedom, and then graduation. Can’t wait to see my family. Not really looking forward to finals. I have three papers left, and no major exams before finals. Yay to freedom!
Might be visiting some seminaries in the next few weeks… if I get a hold of my pastor. I’m pretty much set on Harvard, though. After talking to my family, my pastor and some elders, my professors, and even some alumni and staff from Harvard, Wesley, and St. Paul, I’ve decided that it is the best option. Now I just have to get those extra funds : ) I have already sent my letter of acceptance… so it is almost official.
Mom has completely recovered. She is her happy self again, and the entire family’s life has returned to normalcy. Dad and Misael went to LA last weekend. Hope they got me some goodies ! hehe… Uncle Daniel and family might come for graduation. The grandparents could not be convinced to travel. Not after the scare Grandpa Joe gave Grandma and me…
The boy and I went to T’s apartment for some Chinese today… that was lots of fun : ) Im trying to see as much of the boy as possible : ) Gotta take advantage of it while he's close by..
domingo, abril 02, 2006
Whither would you soar?
'The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth.' "Whither would you soar?"
Isn't this so insanely true? It makes me want to check my shoulder blades.
When Father was a young boy, not older than 8, Grandmother told him, with a very motherly, loving intention of appeasing his discontent at being just a little too skinny, that his pronounced shoulder blades were but small angel wings, in the process of breaking open. My Father believed this little “Chinese tale” as we often call this type of lie, and was terribly disappointed when, after a few years of patient wait, he asked Grandmother about his wings and saw in her blank expression the truth: she did not even remember her story.
For some strange reason, this story has always made a hero, not a wounded bird, out of my Father. At least in my eyes.
My family’s children do not –and never have- believed in Santa Claus or the Easter Rabbit or any strange character of the sort. And yet, whenever we wish to accept it, we will all gladly say we do believe in magic.
I do wonder what I would have answered to Reisz' question...
When Father was a young boy, not older than 8, Grandmother told him, with a very motherly, loving intention of appeasing his discontent at being just a little too skinny, that his pronounced shoulder blades were but small angel wings, in the process of breaking open. My Father believed this little “Chinese tale” as we often call this type of lie, and was terribly disappointed when, after a few years of patient wait, he asked Grandmother about his wings and saw in her blank expression the truth: she did not even remember her story.
For some strange reason, this story has always made a hero, not a wounded bird, out of my Father. At least in my eyes.
My family’s children do not –and never have- believed in Santa Claus or the Easter Rabbit or any strange character of the sort. And yet, whenever we wish to accept it, we will all gladly say we do believe in magic.
I do wonder what I would have answered to Reisz' question...