Thứ Ba, 31 tháng 7, 2007
9 meses y algo de Akihabara
Hoy hace 9 meses que salí de mi casa en Inglaterra con una mochila a la espalda. Podría haber tenido un hijo en el mismo tiempo, o haber terminado un curso en la universidad, o no sé...
Unas fotos de mi último paseo por Akihabara para celebrarlo.
Unas fotos de mi último paseo por Akihabara para celebrarlo.
family on display
Last week Bryan, Alex, Sam and I traveled to North Carolina for our annual family reunion. For some reason, we seemed to attract more attention than I remember getting recently. (Maybe Sam's noisy squawking and running in all directions contributed...) Anyway, all during the trip, a lot of people (strangers) commented on how beautiful our kids are. At first I didn't really think much about it, because of course they ARE beautiful. But then, while walking around Blowing Rock and the mall and other public places, I kept overhearing conversations springing up around us that had to do with adoption. I began to suspect that we are being noticed more because of our "blendedness" as a family. It's the old "living in a fishbowl" phenomemon we were warned about. You may think you are just out doing normal things all families do, but like it or not, you attract attention, and you might as well get used to it.
One man approached us in the airport and said his daughter and her husband were considering adoption. He wanted to know how much it cost. I usually love talking to people about adoption (shamelessly promoting it, of course), but I am starting to balk at the "cost" question especially when it is being discussed directly in front of the kids. I want to be honest - yes, adoption does involve fees - but it seems pretty tactless to quote numbers - like putting a pricetag on your kids. And really, if you just met someone who had required infertility treatment to have a child, would you ask them (in front of the child), "So, how much did you wind up paying?"? I read one adoption magazine article that suggested, when asked how much you paid to adopt, to ask the questioner how much they paid for their house! I haven't done that yet but some day I may find the nerve. For now, my answer to the "cost" question is something like, "After the tax credits, it costs about as much as having a baby in a hospital" and "A substantial part of the fees go to support other kids in orphanages who are not adopted."
That said, it still saddens me that adoption fees are often high enough to be out of range for a lot of decent hardworking families. I bet a lot more kids would be adopted if the fees were lower. Once I read that for every healthy baby that needs a family, in the US there are 25 couples looking to adopt. No wonder international adoption is so popular. I also read that before Roe v. Wade, the demand for adoptable babies was pretty much equal to the supply. I'm not sure what adoption fees were back then, but it would be interesting to know.
One man approached us in the airport and said his daughter and her husband were considering adoption. He wanted to know how much it cost. I usually love talking to people about adoption (shamelessly promoting it, of course), but I am starting to balk at the "cost" question especially when it is being discussed directly in front of the kids. I want to be honest - yes, adoption does involve fees - but it seems pretty tactless to quote numbers - like putting a pricetag on your kids. And really, if you just met someone who had required infertility treatment to have a child, would you ask them (in front of the child), "So, how much did you wind up paying?"? I read one adoption magazine article that suggested, when asked how much you paid to adopt, to ask the questioner how much they paid for their house! I haven't done that yet but some day I may find the nerve. For now, my answer to the "cost" question is something like, "After the tax credits, it costs about as much as having a baby in a hospital" and "A substantial part of the fees go to support other kids in orphanages who are not adopted."
That said, it still saddens me that adoption fees are often high enough to be out of range for a lot of decent hardworking families. I bet a lot more kids would be adopted if the fees were lower. Once I read that for every healthy baby that needs a family, in the US there are 25 couples looking to adopt. No wonder international adoption is so popular. I also read that before Roe v. Wade, the demand for adoptable babies was pretty much equal to the supply. I'm not sure what adoption fees were back then, but it would be interesting to know.
Thứ Bảy, 28 tháng 7, 2007
La soledad del viajero
Me pregunta mucha gente si no tengo miedo a la soledad. ¿Cómo voy a tenerle miedo?
Mi soledad es tan omnipresente en ciertos momentos que se ha convertido en algo tangible.¿Cómo voy a tenerle miedo si ha sido mi compañera durante tanto tiempo? Si ha estado conmigo cuando no había nadie más a mi alrededor. Si no me ha dejado solo en nigún momento.
Mi soledad me hace compañía. Me ayuda a dormir en lugares en los que no podría conciliar el sueño, me anima a seguir cuando pierdo el ánimo, me conforta cuando me desespero...
La soledad no es la única que me ha aliviado el camino, hay muchas otras personas sin las cuales no habría podido seguir mi viaje o no habría sido lo mismo.
Muchos no están aquí, pero se lo merecen..., lo siento...
Pero, bueno, este post es sobre otra cosa, así que un saludo muy grande soledad y gracias por todo.
Para quien no lo sepa, vuelo a Madrid en Agosto.
Espero ver a tod@s a l@s que quiero ver y que me quieren ver.
No se durante cuanto tiempo estaré allí, en mi ciudad, pero espero pasarlo en grande.
Mi soledad es tan omnipresente en ciertos momentos que se ha convertido en algo tangible.¿Cómo voy a tenerle miedo si ha sido mi compañera durante tanto tiempo? Si ha estado conmigo cuando no había nadie más a mi alrededor. Si no me ha dejado solo en nigún momento.
Mi soledad me hace compañía. Me ayuda a dormir en lugares en los que no podría conciliar el sueño, me anima a seguir cuando pierdo el ánimo, me conforta cuando me desespero...
La soledad no es la única que me ha aliviado el camino, hay muchas otras personas sin las cuales no habría podido seguir mi viaje o no habría sido lo mismo.
Muchos no están aquí, pero se lo merecen..., lo siento...
Pero, bueno, este post es sobre otra cosa, así que un saludo muy grande soledad y gracias por todo.
Para quien no lo sepa, vuelo a Madrid en Agosto.
Espero ver a tod@s a l@s que quiero ver y que me quieren ver.
No se durante cuanto tiempo estaré allí, en mi ciudad, pero espero pasarlo en grande.
Thứ Sáu, 27 tháng 7, 2007
O2 portatil
Me acabo de comprar una botellita de oxígeno en una "convini".
No ha sido baratita, pero tenía que comprarla, menuda frikez...
Ésta tiene "sabor" a cherry blossom, cerezo, pero las hay de café, de menta, de yo que sé...
Bueno, me voy a poner a respirar aire "puro".
Buenas noches.
No ha sido baratita, pero tenía que comprarla, menuda frikez...
Ésta tiene "sabor" a cherry blossom, cerezo, pero las hay de café, de menta, de yo que sé...
Bueno, me voy a poner a respirar aire "puro".
Buenas noches.
Thứ Năm, 26 tháng 7, 2007
Lo que trabajan l@s japones@s
Madre mía…
Estoy trabajando hasta 13 horas al día, no me da tiempo mas que a comprarme millones de cosas en las “convini stores” y a darme una vuelta por Tokio de vez en cuando.
Como para caerse...
Incluso nos da tiempo a pasar unas horitas frikeando en el lugar más friki del mundo, Akihabara...
Estoy trabajando hasta 13 horas al día, no me da tiempo mas que a comprarme millones de cosas en las “convini stores” y a darme una vuelta por Tokio de vez en cuando.
Para ver la Tokyo Tower por ejemplo
13 metros más alta que la Eiffel de París.
Cartel de bienvenida rollo videojuego antiguo.
Godzilla ataca Tokio de nuevo, aaarrrrgggg...
Vistas.
Como para caerse...
Incluso nos da tiempo a pasar unas horitas frikeando en el lugar más friki del mundo, Akihabara...
Thứ Ba, 24 tháng 7, 2007
La censura, ¡qué mala es!
Ahora que estoy fuera de China me puedo arriesgar un poquito más y criticar.
Pues sí, hay cositas que criticar.
China es uno de los países que más he disfrutado y de mis favoritos de todos los que he estado, y he estado en más de 30, de momento...
Una de las cosas que menos me ha gustado ha sido la omnipresente censura.
De hecho, no se puede acceder a blogspot, wikipedia (a veces funciona), flickr (las fotos no cargan) y muchísimas otras cosas más, como por ejemplo hacer búsquedas de "Tibet" y "Repression" dan un resultado de búsqueda nulo.
Siempre se puede hacer un apaño, yo uso navegadores anónimos, como Anonymouse.
Lo único malo es que ni con eso puedo acceder a los comentarios de blogger y no puedo contestaros ni poner comentarios en otros blogs, pero bueno...
Pues eso, que odio la censura con toda mi alma, no me parece bien que alguien me subestime de tal manera como para opinar por mí y decidir qué es lo que puedo leer, ver o escuchar.
Que conste que China no es el único lugar donde se practica esta fea afición de censurar, muchos otros países la practican en mayor o menor medida.
Y si eres un censor y estás leyendo esto, espero que te busques otro trabajo o que te pudras.
Ahí queda eso...
Thứ Bảy, 21 tháng 7, 2007
Tokyo, Akihabara, Harajuku, Yoyogi...
Para mi gusto, Tokyo, es la ciudad más impresionante del mundo.
Un día en Tokyo es como un viaje a otro planeta y a otra época.
Acabas reventado de la cantidad de información visual ya auditiva que satura tus sentidos.
Una muestra de lo que se puede ver en un día cualquiera sin esforzarse muchoÑ
Un día en Tokyo es como un viaje a otro planeta y a otra época.
Acabas reventado de la cantidad de información visual ya auditiva que satura tus sentidos.
Una muestra de lo que se puede ver en un día cualquiera sin esforzarse muchoÑ
Thứ Sáu, 20 tháng 7, 2007
Minimonjes en Shichuan
Unas fotos de unos monjes muy jóvenes y muy simpáticos que pululaban por el monasterio de Litang, en la provincia de Shichuan en China.
El de la gorra, pese a guapo, no es monje...
Éste parece un jedi. Era el más pequeñajo de todos. Mu salao.
El de la gorra, pese a guapo, no es monje...
Éste parece un jedi. Era el más pequeñajo de todos. Mu salao.
A currar como un perro y a cenar a Shibuya
Ya estoy en Yokohama. Todo a ido de gloria.
El hotel está genial.
Parece ser que nos espera un mes de infarto, así que nos vamos a dar el gustazo este finde y sin ir más lejos, ahora mismo nos vamos a Shibuya a cenar, eso está en Tokyo, pero se llega en 25 minutos, de echo Yokohama se suele considerar como un barrio más de Tokyo.
Me voy a poner de sushi y sashimi hasta que me duela algo. En China he comido demasiada comida frita a ver si aquí la puedo evitar un poquito...
Abrazos y a seguir conectad@s.
El hotel está genial.
Parece ser que nos espera un mes de infarto, así que nos vamos a dar el gustazo este finde y sin ir más lejos, ahora mismo nos vamos a Shibuya a cenar, eso está en Tokyo, pero se llega en 25 minutos, de echo Yokohama se suele considerar como un barrio más de Tokyo.
Me voy a poner de sushi y sashimi hasta que me duela algo. En China he comido demasiada comida frita a ver si aquí la puedo evitar un poquito...
Abrazos y a seguir conectad@s.
Thứ Tư, 18 tháng 7, 2007
Razones de peso, Yokohama
Otra de las razones de peso, que ya se ha confrmado, es que me voy a Yokohama, a trabajar un mesecito en un juego.
Estoy en Beijing dispuesto a comerme el ultimo Beijing Duck antes de volar a Tokyo.
No puedo decir que juego es porque puedo terminar en la carcel, lo de los videojuegos es algo que va a reventar, ya sacan mas pasta que todo Holliwood y toda la musica y los alquileres de videos, asi que os podeis imaginar la seguridad que implica sacar un videojuego importantillo.
Por cierto, es increible la de Spanish que hay en Beijing. No veo a nadie en meses y de pronto en una tarde en Beijing me encuentro un monton...
Estoy en Beijing dispuesto a comerme el ultimo Beijing Duck antes de volar a Tokyo.
No puedo decir que juego es porque puedo terminar en la carcel, lo de los videojuegos es algo que va a reventar, ya sacan mas pasta que todo Holliwood y toda la musica y los alquileres de videos, asi que os podeis imaginar la seguridad que implica sacar un videojuego importantillo.
Por cierto, es increible la de Spanish que hay en Beijing. No veo a nadie en meses y de pronto en una tarde en Beijing me encuentro un monton...
first overnight away in 2 years
So, last week I went to DC for 4 days and 3 nights for a team meeting. I was somewhat apprehensive about leaving the kids, since I've never been away from them overnight. Even though I leave them 3 days a week to go to work, it seems different not to be greeting them first thing in the morning, and not to be kissing them goodnight.
The good news was, they seemed to do just fine. My first day back home they both kept within close range of me and wanted to be held a lot, but by the second day back they seemed to be back to normal. Oh, and Alex didn't urinate for 18 hours that first day. A little scary. Of course I can't prove there's a connection between my absence and her withholding, but...it's pretty interesting.
The bad news was that Bryan admitted he felt more relaxed while I was gone. Oh. I didn't think I was that anal, but he says I'm "uptight" since the kids came along. Probably true. I suspect this comes from my criticism of his feeding them hot dogs a lot, putting pots in the "wrong" cupboards, not soaking dishes, and letting them wear their pajamas all day. I think I've probably always subconsciously assumed the role my mom had, which included being in charge of everything involving kids, the kitchen, and laundry. I think it's hard for me to share this stuff with Bryan and let him do it his way. I remember my sister in law telling me she had to learn that "Daddy's way works too." Anyway, I'm trying to un-tighten myself but when you've been a perfectionist this long, it's an uphill battle.
On a completely different note, I finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife (the greatest things about this trip to DC: time to read, and seeing Phantom of the Opera at the Kennedy Center). The TTW was a fun read - at least, fun at first, and then it got really sad, but I guess that's just art mimicking life. It was well written, very evocative, and got me thinking about appreciating the everyday stuff of life. The other book I just finished, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, was very fun to listen to (I listened in the car) because of the reader's accent(s). As my friend P. says, "It makes you LOVE Botswana." True. I would love to have Mma Ramotswe as a friend. She's one of the most lovable characters I've ever met in a book.
Well, tomorrow we fly out to NC for our annual family vacation. Sam hasn't been on a plane since his airlift out of Korea, and I'm dubious about his tolerance for being confined that long. I'm bringing crackers, cereal, dried blueberries and cranberries, new books and toys they've never seen, dental floss to pull out and unroll (cheap, but Alex liked it last time she was on a plane), the Magna-doodle, a sticker book, and crayons. Oh, and a box of band-aids, that should be a big hit. Alex's new favorite book is "Doctor Dan, the Bandage Man." First published in 1950, it features a very 1950's looking mom and kids putting plain band-aids on their toys and each other. It doesn't seem to matter that there are no Dora or Tigger characters on them - Alex shares that universal toddler trait of band-aid love.
Guess I'll go start packing.
The good news was, they seemed to do just fine. My first day back home they both kept within close range of me and wanted to be held a lot, but by the second day back they seemed to be back to normal. Oh, and Alex didn't urinate for 18 hours that first day. A little scary. Of course I can't prove there's a connection between my absence and her withholding, but...it's pretty interesting.
The bad news was that Bryan admitted he felt more relaxed while I was gone. Oh. I didn't think I was that anal, but he says I'm "uptight" since the kids came along. Probably true. I suspect this comes from my criticism of his feeding them hot dogs a lot, putting pots in the "wrong" cupboards, not soaking dishes, and letting them wear their pajamas all day. I think I've probably always subconsciously assumed the role my mom had, which included being in charge of everything involving kids, the kitchen, and laundry. I think it's hard for me to share this stuff with Bryan and let him do it his way. I remember my sister in law telling me she had to learn that "Daddy's way works too." Anyway, I'm trying to un-tighten myself but when you've been a perfectionist this long, it's an uphill battle.
On a completely different note, I finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife (the greatest things about this trip to DC: time to read, and seeing Phantom of the Opera at the Kennedy Center). The TTW was a fun read - at least, fun at first, and then it got really sad, but I guess that's just art mimicking life. It was well written, very evocative, and got me thinking about appreciating the everyday stuff of life. The other book I just finished, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, was very fun to listen to (I listened in the car) because of the reader's accent(s). As my friend P. says, "It makes you LOVE Botswana." True. I would love to have Mma Ramotswe as a friend. She's one of the most lovable characters I've ever met in a book.
Well, tomorrow we fly out to NC for our annual family vacation. Sam hasn't been on a plane since his airlift out of Korea, and I'm dubious about his tolerance for being confined that long. I'm bringing crackers, cereal, dried blueberries and cranberries, new books and toys they've never seen, dental floss to pull out and unroll (cheap, but Alex liked it last time she was on a plane), the Magna-doodle, a sticker book, and crayons. Oh, and a box of band-aids, that should be a big hit. Alex's new favorite book is "Doctor Dan, the Bandage Man." First published in 1950, it features a very 1950's looking mom and kids putting plain band-aids on their toys and each other. It doesn't seem to matter that there are no Dora or Tigger characters on them - Alex shares that universal toddler trait of band-aid love.
Guess I'll go start packing.
Thứ Hai, 16 tháng 7, 2007
Estatua de Buda desde Lhasa
Tuvimos la suerte de encontrarnos con una procesión que venia desde Lhasa portando una estatua de Buda que, al parecer, es de las más poderosas del Tibet.
Una de las mil cocinas de unos de los mil restaurantes que frecuento.
Muy rica la carne de Yak...
Banderitas con oraciones Budistas Tibetanas puestas en zonas de mucho viento para que éste las transporte lejos, lejos, lejos...
To también pues unas cuantas a ver si pasa algo :P
Los monjes esperando la estatua.
A punto de llegar.
Un crio con su incienso.
Un monje orando con arroz en las manos.
Esperando un milagro.
Rezando a la estatua.
Y rezando...
Una de las mil cocinas de unos de los mil restaurantes que frecuento.
Muy rica la carne de Yak...
Banderitas con oraciones Budistas Tibetanas puestas en zonas de mucho viento para que éste las transporte lejos, lejos, lejos...
To también pues unas cuantas a ver si pasa algo :P
Los monjes esperando la estatua.
A punto de llegar.
Un crio con su incienso.
Un monje orando con arroz en las manos.
Esperando un milagro.
Rezando a la estatua.
Y rezando...