The World Seems Crazier than Usual

Lately, people have been pointing out all sorts of insane things from the news.

1.  Five teenagers went on a rampage through a school in Sydney, Australia with baseball bats and machetes.

2.  The Olympic torch is having a rough ride through the world, because of Chinese policies in Tibet.

3.  A group of teenage girls in Florida beat another senseless, so they could be on YouTube.  One can be heard saying “we only have seventeen seconds left, make it good,” and in the holding cell, their biggest fears were not being able to go to the beach and missing cheerleading practice.  These are the least of your concerns at this point.

4.  Absolut vodka showed an advertisement with the American Southwest being returned to Mexico.  I wondered why I only saw the Mexican flag flying this morning.  You though Swedes were good at geography.

Well, here is a day for you.  You go to the Olympic Torch Run and when you cheer the runner, you are mauled by Free Tibet protesters and your face is all over the Six O’Clock News, beaten and bruised.

You go into your favorite watering hole to drown your sorrows, where you order an Absolut.  You have not heard that piece of news and you now cause a barrroom brawl.  You stagger into the parking lot to be kidnapped and beaten by teenage girls.

I am glad I woke up from this nightmare.  I am going back to bed to try and get some sleep.

Eastern European Origins.

    I know, better late than never.   In the previous post, under things Mexican, I mentioned my friend Elizabeth and her tutoring me in Spanish.  I am always curious as to why people come to the United States.

Elizabeth left the Mexican city of Torreon with her kids for a better life in the United States.

My parents families left Eastern Europe for a better life in the United States.  I never forget where my family came from and more importantly WHY they came.

Just so you know, dear reader, I visited Eastern Europe in 1999 and plan to visit again in 2009.    (My father is a chemist and has colleagues there I grew up knowing).  Walking in Warsaw and Krakow was an unnerving experience.  People looked at me as though they had seen a ghost.  (Separate post coming up, The Ghosts of Poland).

Besides the weather, I would not want to live in Eastern Europe.  Fascinating to see,  would be tough to live in.

So yes, I am an American.  I would do for this country what needs to be done (see separate post on Lee Iaccoca).

Grateful to be in USA

Last Wed. when Elizabeth was tutoring me in Spanish, I asked her about leaving Mexico. What she (and another Mexican American I know) both said, was, “they are proud of their heritage, but happy to be here and be able to come for a better life.

I will not criticize their system. It is so different and built in from the culture.

Most who came to the United States brought our culture with us, but certainly did not want to return to where our families came from. Next time, I will comment on seeing Eastern Europe, where my family came from.

I am reading Lee Iacocca’s latest book about leadership and he speaks about his Italian American immigrants.

Writing Poetry in Spanish

    I am still learning and one of the denizens of Jimmys Diner is tutoring me.  I cannot get over it.  Tonight I wrote my first two poems in Spanish.  I am going to read them at a party on Sunday.  I eventually want my Moriarty book translated into Spanish since I have a Hispanic character, (namely his wife).

Also, while I expect people in the United States to speak English, I expect to be able to function in Spanish in Mexico.  It is only fair after all.  When in Rome etc.

Things Mexican

After all, if you live in Tucson, it is only an hour drive away.

I’ll be adding stuff as we go.