YES, ALSO TWITTER

I finally decided to sign in and get a twitter account. Well, 2 accounts. I had been very reluctant to join twitter but I somehow managed to find personal benefits (they're clearer when it comes to companies and their marketing, PR and advertising management). It's practical to have a tool to share quick thoughts and images+thoughts, as well as content, directly, instead of having to include or attach it in an email which might get sort of forgotten in the inbox since forwarded content is normally not a priority.

@yolda_gn 
more serious/professional-like and academic contents

@_sumireneko_
tweets about curiosities, personal thoughts (and news?), hobbies, etc.

I though that, by having 2 separated accounts, it'd be more comfortable for followers, since some may have no interest in personal issues. An viceversa....there might be followers who might not like to follow more "serious" contents. Having these 2 accounts I can also follow different kinds of account profiles to re-tweet contents.

Last but not least, my aim is not having huge amounts of followers but sharing content with followers who care. I do prefer quality to quantity.

IDEAS COLOURING FEELINGS COLOURING IDEAS: SOMETHING ABOUT AFRICA

It’s not been a long time since I started developing a greater interest in Africa. Back in 2002 or so, at university, we did study a bit about Nigeria, focusing on contemporary politics and some issues concerning its society and history (it’s all linked, indeed). I enjoyed it but that was all. I later focused on Asia, in which I’ve been really had a keen interest for many years (why does the East –not only the farthest east- attract me?) and enrolled in a 2—year master course on Asian (and also Oceanic) studies.

Less mainstream

I tend to be especially receptive to information about less popular issues (i.e. the dimensions beyond mainstream culture and mainstream topics) since I’m not exactly very conventional. By “not very conventional” I mean questioning settled beliefs, actions, conventions and not following them if there’s a better or rather rational, healthy or beneficial option (it doesn’t mean being an outsider or a radical follower of whatever).

So, I found myself with colourful, intuitive ideas that formed feelings about those rather-unknown fields, dimensions, issues. And, these ideas and feelings brought an increased curiosity, which made me seek information and other ideas. 

Knowledge is dynamic and it’s quite impossible to acquire 100% knowledge about something (or is it?). Concerning Africa, I went for geography (in fact, we had studied quite a lot of world geography at school, lucky me) to refresh blurred data I had about the continent. Then came cinema and literature, and also languages. I also took part in a language volunteering program (helping learners of Catalan) and my partner was a guy from Senegal. Ah...and the latest, yesterday (February 6th) I went to a book presentation by Mactar Thiam Fall (books on Wolof language in relation to Catalan) which included a short documentary.

Shapes, colours, scents

The shape of the feelings I had initially sort of changing after having watched some movies and reading African literature, but the colours remain. Geometrical patterns in brilliant colours, movement, simple lines, some kind of purity, the ultimate causes of a broad smile.  It somehow feels like digging into oneself and feeling the warm and bold scent of the soil from some forgotten and uncorrupted place.

However...

Of course there are also some negative ideas and criticism, as it happens with most places we read about. But here I just wanted to focus on positive ideas and feeling.

LA PLATEA ESDEVENIA LLAC

En la xerrada donada pel Lama Thubten Wangchen en la seva visita a Granollers (23 de gener de 2014, al Centre Cultural La Caixa), els darrers moments van compactar l’auditori i, alhora, el van fer fluid, com si ja no fóssim éssers diversos amb alguns interessos comuns. Els 2 mantres que es van cantar van fer que aquell espai esdevingués una mena de llac. Ulls tancats per percebre una altra claror.

Mantra de la compassió (Avalokiteśvara)
Oṁ Mani Padme Hūṁ









Mantra de la saviesa (Mañjuśrī)

Oṃ A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhīḥ

Una sala de butaques.

Canviaven els cossos i canviava la percepció de tot plegat. 

Sense temps, sense espai. 

Un llac.

QUÈ PENSA UN MITJÓ REAPAREGUT? (CONVERSES AMB MITJONS)

La mirada adreçada a un mitjó acabat de trobar i que agafem per una punta (inici o final, és indiferent) acostuma a ser sostinguda i va ben maridada amb una pregunta retòrica: On havies estat? Cap mitjó ha respost cap pregunta (i molt menys aquesta) fins la data actual. I ara tampoc ho farà, és clar. És el nostre estat d’ànim i l’actitud que ens predomina en el moment concret allò que determina la resposta hipotètica del mitjó. En dies positius, el mitjó (Subjecte Tèxtil) adquireix una personalitat juganera o potser fins i tot hi veiem cert desempar i ens desperta llàstima. En dies de mala lluna, en canvi, el Subjecte Tèxtil esdevé una criatura malèfica que es proposava fer-nos la guitza i que ha provocat la pèrdua o desaparició del seu company.

La realitat es modifica quan li concedim certa personalitat o entitat pseudo-humana a determinats objectes, quotidians o no. És un pas per valorar-los, tot i que hauria de servir per ser conscient del cost de la seva adquisició i el valor de la seva utilitat. Hi ha, no obstant això, el nefast perill de venerar-los o de crear-nos ídols (fet ben perillós si pel mig hi ha el valor de marca).

Més enllà de l’esmentat valor que podem atorgar a costos i utilitats hi ha l’exercici de prendre consciència del moment, del present, de la nostra posició i del rol de tot allò que ens envolta (o de què ens envoltem). Parlo del concepte de “mindfulness”? Doncs sí. Però també hauria de fer el salt mental per referir-me a la vacuïtat. És possible també observar fixament el mitjó retrobat, fer-li les preguntes pertinents, i acabar en un estat meditatiu que ens porti a copsar la vacuïtat. 

POSITIVELY PICKY

I thought about different moments and contexts after reading some posts on creativity and variables affecting it. It seems (see links below) that those we are surrounded by affect us....i.e. if they’re creative and productive, we’ll be prone to be creative and productive as well (I guess it might not really work well with those with a lazy nature and no interest in creativity...I guess). It happens for sure too with motivation.

At work...

I have many good memories from the years working as consultant. I felt lucky to be working in teams with productive and motivated people. The atmosphere in general was very positive and we were eager to help each other. I couldn’t really (still I can't) understand when friends and relatives told me about bad atmospheres and relationships at their workplaces....why do some "enjoy" acting in conflictive and lazy ways and having negative attitudes?  Unfortunately we can’t really choose the places we end up working at nor the people we’ll share many hours with. But what if we try to be the positive variable, the positive influence (the motivator, the enthusiast, the creative one)...no matter if we end up being some kind of outsider or the odd one out?  I firmly believe in what the articles I read say and I believe in positive features and attitudes being contagious. Besides, if I feel I'm doing something right, social acceptance is secondary. It should be something secondary if we're acting towards improvement for all.

Personal relationships....

Many kinds of relationships and many people come to my mind. Some people remained somewhere in the past, some other relationships changed, some others came back. Nothing is mathematical when it comes to personal relationships and it makes little sense (or none?) to rationalise them, since emotions lie on their basis. I’ve always preferred quality over number and those who know me know that I wouldn’t be a facebook enthusiast nor would boast about how many contacts-friends or whatever I might have.

Back to the influence of those among us in our productivity and creativity, I’m really sure that I’d rather avoid those who might bring me to stagnation, to “plain” and “shallow” conversations, who are full of prejudices or who just don’t “think forward” and ask themselves questions.  It might sound like I’m a demanding and picky person but I just know that those sort of personalities would do no good to me. They are likely to make me feel bad (emptied, useless, numb, lethargic) and sad (somehow, as the consequence of those feelings I just mentioned). I need challenges, getting the most of the short term and learning always new things, and questioning things and that applies also to my personal relationships. And sometimes I end up feeling ok after some people fade away in the past or some relationships change just because it means that some negative effect goes away.  Ah...and it’s not related with being a well educated person....it’s all matter of attitude.  I admired one of my grandfathers, who had always a particular sense of humour, thought about possibilities and improvement, accepted challenges, and so on. He just didn’t go to university but was an intelligent and clever person who managed to grasp reality in a particular way. ..and spread something positive affecting other people’s attitude, motivation, productivity.  

It's good to be positively picky. Yes.

Some links on the topic:

--Being Around Smart People Makes Us More Innovative | Psychology Today

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/finding-the-next-einstein/201309/being-around-smart-people-makes-us-more-innovative

--Why Your Friends Shape Your Happiness, Creativity, And Career | Fast Company | Business + Innovation

http://www.fastcompany.com/3021184/leadership-now/why-your-friends-shape-your-happiness-creativity-and-career

--Why Our Creativity Depends On Who Surrounds Us | The Creativity Post

http://www.creativitypost.com/business/why_our_creativity_depends_on_who_surrounds_us

ORDINARY LIVES REACHING DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS

Talking with a friend about movies made me remember scenes from classical Japanese movies. I didn’t expect to be exchanging opinions with somebody about Ozu Yasujiro’s movies and, in general, Japanese cinema in the 1950es. I remembered some characters and the atmospheres portrayed. I kind of liked the aura of simplicity that transcended the story, as well, as some kind of beauty that scented the daily lives of the characters. I wonder if the same stories, filmed in western culture settings would have been the same. I don’t really think so.

Then, these days the media talk about Tokyo Kazoku (東京家族) in cinemas. This modern film, by Yamada Yoji, was described as a remake, very positively by many critics (and not so positively by others, obviously). It all made me think again about the feelings mentioned above. Even though the action takes place in modern Tokyo, I do believe there’s still something that can reminds us of the atmospheres and characters in the classical Ozu movies. I sort of idealise the 1950es simplicity in general because, from today’s perspective, people seemed to give a different value to things and to other people. True... Societies  back then were much more conservative, but there are many precious things beyond conservative-liberal values (much more beyond prejudices, inequality, discrimination, etc.) which are hard to find nowadays in the way we treat things and people. Those old movies brought always to my mind the expression “物持ちがいい”　(ものもちがいい, mono mochi ga ii), which refers to handling and keeping something carefully.  I’d say that there’s some of it to be found in the film by Yamada...but there’ll be for sure a lot that reminds us of rush-throw when useless-replace-violence-shallowness coming from the younger characters and the westernization since the context is radically different. Would Ozu have kept the essence of his films if he was to film something nowadays? What a hypothesis. I guess I’ll end up watching Tokyo Kazoku...

L’AMPLITUD D’ONA, LES CRISIS I TROBAR RODES ADIENTS

Fa no gaire vaig encetar un llibre preciós, Absolutely Small, de Michael D. Fayer, sobre física quàntica explicada per a no avesats en la matèria i defugint l’ús de formulacions matemàtiques complexes....Clar, això no vol dir ni que el llenguatge sigui planer ni que sigui senzill. SI quelcom és complex en la seva essència, aquesta qualitat romandrà encara que fem servir unes altres paraules.

Les explicacions sobre les ones (en totes les seves variants) m’ha fet pensar en l’aplicació del concepte d’amplitud d’ona als cicles econòmics. Quant de temps entre punts àlgids de l’economia d’un estat i els punts més crítics de depressió-crisi? Es tractaria d’una amplitud d’ona expressada en anys. No m’aventuro, però a pensar en la freqüència i a extreure’n conclusions relacionades amb el sistema econòmic capitalista i les seves dinàmiques. És potser un tema en què pensar més aviat quan hi hagi bonança econòmica. Potser.

Havent llegint un article a La Vanguàrdia sobre patinadors nocturns per la jungla urbana vaig recordar la sensació d’esdevenir lleugera anant sobre rodes en moments d’inèrcia i els instants en que l’equilibri queda suspès en un canvi de postures i de forces. Impuls-moviment, impuls-moviment. Res no sembla constant i en la lleugeresa del cos sembla esvair-se la pròpia dimensió física mentre les ones dels cicles de l’economia segueixen el seu curs. Sobre rodes, un cop agafat l’impuls pot ser més fàcil anar de la part baixa de l’ona fins un altre punt àlgid. Cal trobar les rodes adients, les que millor ens funcionin o que millor s’ajustin a les nostres característiques físiques i no físiques. S’hi troba també l’equilibri per no caure, i endavant.

ALGORITHMS ARE HERE

Having studied and read quite a lot about SEO I ended up trying to figure how its philosophy transcends marketing and computers. Optimization is always welcome and it’s linked to much better outcomes when it’s done without tricks or doubtful methods.  

Beyond search engine algorithms, there are other hidden algorithms in the analogical world. We change and so does life’s algorithm. In this case it’s also better that it keeps being kind of unclear, mysterious. Just having some hints about what matters to it to bring us some or other results, is enough. As in SEO and Google Panda, Google Penguin and more recently, Google Hummingbird, it’s better to focus on doing things right, focusing on what we aim in a honest way, doing things right and ethically.

Yes...algorithms can be beautiful and priceless since they can make things better and make us thrive and also get positive results.

SUN RIVER AFTERNOON

It’s possible to create parallel dimensions just for us and for our theories.

We can belong to wherever we want to.

***

There wasn’t anything above us but we pretended to see something up there.

Aren’t we free?

Don’t we have a bondless imagination together?

Isn’t our own dimension flexible and expandable?

***

Parallel and synchronized creatures next to a river on a sunny spring afternoon,

Grey high-heeled shoes and dark violet pantyhose do go with t-shirts with metal band names.

Some other day we became outsiders and also foreigners.

HOME AMB BIGOTI I DONA AMB SABATES DE TALÓ (ALT)

Només una representació estètica de l'oposició entre masculinitat i feminitat? Es pot anar més enllà cavalcant per reflexions que prenen elements de teories filosòfiques, artístiques, místiques i fins i tot religioses. La clau rau en el fet de ser concebuts com a contraris i en el concepte de complementarietat.

Accentuació d'idees associades a una imatge

La idea subjectiva que es pot tenir d'un bigoti o unes sabates de taló pot variar molt entre individus i va sovint més enllà d'allò que culturalment hi ha associat (fet que a més varia de cultura a cultura). Com a part d'una identitat però també per gaudir d'una sensació associada (no deslligada de feminitat-masculinitat) es tria optar per bigoti/sabata de taló, segons el cas (dins de la concordança femení-sabata de taló i masculí-bigoti...ja que a la inversa les reflexions anirien encaminades cap a una altra banda, és clar).

Expressió d'essències i complementarietat

I ara resta només sumar els dos éssers en condició de dues entitats que es complementaran en tant que expressions de dues dimensions oposades (masculí/femení). Allò que es complementa esdevé, en la seva combinació, una unitat.

I esdevenint unitat ens sublimem

Primer perdem les nostres identitats, perdem feminitat i masculinitat i esdevenim part d'una dimensió diferent, pròpia. Tot i que no ho pugui semblar, el camí cap a aquesta dissolució des de l'accentuació d'una imatge-identitat no és necessàriament llarg.

HOPE AND TURNING POINTS

Beyond the image of a graphic showing a change in a trend of no-matter-what, we often face turning points which don't show up as turning points. We (usually) don't represent mentally events in any graphic and we're little prone to make calculations with them so as to get a more "rationalised" daily life and structured theories about ourselves.

There might be a change, a sudden situation, a problem, something we receive or lose. That is something either good or bad comes and decides to bear some consequences. Decisions and chance aren't mathematical...or is there some kind of rule/principle/being/force/energy tidying up all we experience and end up doing? I believe that there's some reason behind everything, something sort of karmic or based on laws of cause-effect. I'm not talking about justice, which might be something human rather than a ruling principle behind things and events, but about our ability to observe and find an order, theories, some kind of guide along the path we walk along.

What does define our degree of awareness toward turning points? Personally, I've been mentally analyzing turning points in these last years (and even in my whole life) but I don't focus at all on "possible" present turning points (or possible turning points to come). These are bad times for hope and I don't like planning or trying to foresee or forecast anything. I can just think about short term plans, events, etc.

CODIS LINGÜÍSTICS

Sense adonar-nos sovint desenvolupem lèxics propis a partir de la deformació del llenguatge acceptat. No parlo de col.loquialismes sinó de l'assignació de nous significats a sons i paraules que seran compartits i compresos per grups reduïts de persones.

Al desembre de 2005, quan geocities encara era operatiu i hi tenia allotjat un web, vaig compilar una sèrie de definicions d'aquesta mena en el que va ser el primer DICCIONARI DE YÒLDIC, BIXÈS i BIXUYÒLDIC. Vet aquí unes mostres.

Bisectrijament n. acció de bisectitzar. Es diu d’allò que produeix una reacció sensorial inesperada. [sin. Acció de quedar-se perplex]

Cruixent adj. Expectant | feliç.  somriure cruixent  es diu d’aquell somriure que sembla imposible d’esborrar. estar cruixent. Estar expectant, amb poques possibilitats de reaccionar a estímuls extern donat un exagerat estat de felicitat o excitació amb nerviosisme.
Facinerositat –n. emprat per designar accions, fets  i coses negatives resultat d’una acció d’un individu o individus amb mala conciencia. Facinerositats gàstriques- molèsties estomacals ocasionades per algun factor extern o intern. Aplicat sobretot a l’acció dels àpats copiosos.
Fer discoteca – fer pampallugues. E.g. Aquells llums fan discoteca
Figament (de cames) - es diu de l'expressió o sentiment de feblesa per subjugació a encants o bellesa d'algú (aplicable a coses)
Gelat d'anxoves – es diu d’allò amb carácter imposible, però, tanmateix, un individu, personalment, li atorga un carácter semi-possible.
Hipotenús/a. Adj. Característica d’allò que s’ha vist afectat per un bisectrijament. E.g. L’home maco es va quedar hipotenús.
Iii (i^x). Id. i Adj. Hola, com anem? | bonic | agradable | atractiu | misteriós | sinuós | em sap greu | trist.
Llegao? (arc.) pron. interrogatiu que denota estranyesa. [sin. Què??]
Pa calent. Id. Ocupació laboral, home atractiu ||sinuós. pa calent integral. Id. El mateix però quan a la situació, individu o cosa se li ha calculat una integral.
PaRt DeL DaRreRe (ein sexys Hintern). N. Eufemisme per la part del darrera del cos humà. Aplicat a l’home preciós gairebé en excluiva, tot i que se’n preveu un ús generalitzat amb el temps.
Quadrament (a quadres) adj. Bisectrijament. També es diu quadratura
Sinuós/a veure pa calent

SENSE TRACES, SENSE PETJADES

Aquests dies estic gaudint de la lectura del llibre de D. Dreyer sobre el córrer Txi (hauria de ser Qi, però, tot i que romanen transcripcions pre-pinyin per a molts termes filosòfics), tot i que la filosofia de fons no em ve de nou, ja que havia llegit sobre taoisme i d'altres filosofies orientals on és present el concepte de Qi.

Fluir i no imposar-se, no forçar. Al marge de la utilitat de l'aplicació dels principis tai-txians al córrer, molts punts d'aquesta filosofia em fan pensar en com de nocives són algunes dinàmiques de la societat moderna (per no parlar la política i les seves aigües brutes i pudents). Fins i tot aquesta perspectiva es podria aplicar a la medecina, a partir d’una prevenció basada en canvis d’hàbits abans que no pas intervenir massivament amb medicaments o tractaments de diferent tarannà.

Les noves tecnologies ens fan deixar restes de la nostra presencia i identitat arreu, però en una gran majoria de casos es cerca deixar empremta, deixar rastre, que quedi clar que som o hem estat presents. Vet aquí les xarxes socials i la generació d’informació i la infoxicació. Diria que són pràctiques que disten de ser éssers que flueixen silenciosament, seguint un corrent harmoniós amb l’entorn. 

I el tema identitari, sobre el qual no és la primera vegada que escric, es podria contraposar el concepte no-identitat (tou, fluït, suau, com aigua) a la defensa de trets identitaris (no necessàriament polítics únicament). Al cap i a la fi, voler etiquetar és trencar harmonies i silencis fluïts, voler defensar a ultrança o atacar identitats, tampoc és harmoniós sinó una imposició, un acte d’exercici de força.

AWARENESS+MINDFULNESS. MINIMALIST RUNNING SHOES AND AN ANALOGICAL WAY OF LIFE

Over a week ago, an injury was back to my left thigh-groin. It developed gradually and thus wasn't as painful as the previous time, around May 2012. This time it kept me just 4 days away from running and the recovery is being much faster than then (I go running daily). I decided to give try to some other kind of shoes, remembering what I had read a long time ago about barefoot running and almost-barefoot running (using minimalist shoes). Most of the time I've been using specific running shoes (in fact, more expensive than the previous pair) I've had either an injury or some kind of slight pain (usually on my knees). With the previous shoes it was a bit better, but with them I was prone to fall down. 

What if I try some shoes that allow my feet a better contact with the ground? Why not feeling every step and the ground more? I didn't have in mind to buy some other expensive minimalist shoes and I don't dare to begin running barefoot in almost-winter and in urban circuits (dirty and potentially dangerous ground)....so I went for some not-so old canvas shoes I had at home (5 euros at some summer sales in 2011 or so). It felt good on the first day and I didn't felt a sore leg after the running session, as it was during the recovery using my previous running shores. And that kept being so on the following days. I felt how my feet were behaving differently and I felt working some muscles differently than before (calves). It'll be hard for me to go back into cushioned-padded-technical-specific-and-so-on running shoes, with a thick sole....I feel now running requires a bit more effort (an study proved a higher metabolic effort when running barefoot-minimalist) but it's ok.

It's just my personal case, though...The transition was very easy and now I feel much better...But that might not work for many people, maybe. I recommend to get more information on the topic and get medical advice.

Making things simple, being more aware of the self and everything around...It's quite coherent with the process of becoming more "analogical". It's everyday harder to reach me via cell phone (I often don't bring it with me and it's almost always off but when I have to go to Barcelona or go somewhere by car....even in such cases I could keep it off and just turn it off in case I need it or feel I could need it). I try to sit at a computer just when I need to (check something, writing papers and stuff for university, practising languages, checking and writing emails...). I prefer to feel autonomous and appreciate every moment without interferences. Is it that necessary to be almost 24h connected? Is it that healthy to have to check one's cell phone every few minutes? Does it make much sense to meet somebody and end up each checking and using his or her own smartphone and interrupting the talk (i'm not talking about necessary calls or messages from work which need to be attended)? Isn't it better to focus on the present moment we're living and on the person we're sharing a moment with (and shut down phones but when we're expecting an important call)?

some links about barefoot and minimalist running:
---Biomechanics of Foot Strikes & Applications to Running Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/5BarefootRunning&TrainingTips.html
---Barefoot Ted's Adventures 
http://www.barefootted.com/
---Correr descalzo… ¿es natural o es una locura? http://www.sportraining.es/2012/07/25/articulo-correr-descalzo-es-natural-o-es-una-locura/
---Nacidos para correr descalzos, según y cómo. (I) Orígenes de la Barefoot Manía y las zapatillas minimalistas. http://carrerasdemontana.com/2012/04/11/nacidos-para-correr-descalzos-segun-y-como-pros-contras-y-tecnica-del-barefoot-running/
---Nacidos para correr descalzos (II): Barefoot Running. Argumentos a favor y en contra de zapatillas minimalistas.. http://carrerasdemontana.com/2012/04/13/nacidos-para-correr-descalzos-ii-barefoot-running-argumentos-a-favor-y-en-contra/
---Nacidos para correr descalzos (3): Cómo correr descalzos. Técnica del barefoot y zapatillas minimalistas. http://carrerasdemontana.com/2012/04/24/nacidos-para-correr-descalzos-3-como-correr-descalzos-tecnica-del-barefoot/
---Running barefoot is better, researchers find
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2010/01/27/running-barefoot-is-better-researchers-find/
---Tackling The 10 Myths Of Barefoot Running
http://www.podiatrytoday.com/tackling-10-myths-barefoot-running
---The Barefoot Question 
http://www.runnersworld.com/barefoot-running-minimalism/barefoot-question

GRANDÍSSIM PUNSET!

Quin anunci més gran! em fa molta gràcia el final, amb en Punset dient "aaai". Gran personatge....L'he anat seguint en diversos "Redes" i estic llegint 2 llibres seus (fa temps ja en vaig acabar un). A hores ara deu ser el culpable de nombroses addiccions a la divulgació científica i, és clar, al coneixement científic. Gràcies ha l'endinsament en les dimensions punsetianes, vaig llegir "El ladrón de cerebros" d'en Pere Estupinyà. Quina meravella també! Ambdós autors empren un llenguatge proper i alhora rigorós i curós i fan que costi molt deixar el llibre en qüestió en "standby". Aix...Bé, ja m'havien agradat les ciències i sovint, si topava amb un documental sobre ciència em quedava una mica adherida a la pantalla. Des de fa anys també anava seguint el "tres14" i el "quèquicom".

La fotografia és del 5 de novembre de 2011...ja fa temps, ja....feta amb el telèfon mòbil, al caprabo (bé, llavors encara era eroski, crec) de Granollers-polígon El Ramassar.

GHOSTS OF PROCRASTINATION

The word is not really used even though it does exist in Spanish (procrastinación) and it spreads its tentacles over quite a lot of spheres. The worst piece of daily news on the media nowadays is not just the crisis and unemployment rates, but also corruption and a severe lack of values. I’m not talking about religion but values for cohesion as society and to become better human beings who lead a more harmonious and productive life in community. Not some many decades ago effort, endurance, solidarity, sense of community and so many others were very important. When did they start fading away? Why do younger generations see things from another perspective and behave so differently?

Somehow procrastination has settled down and seems reluctant to move. Important things are not no longer seen as important and I believe I’m not the only one who feels that too many people focus on irrelevant things, actions, thoughts and leave those more important matter for later on or for never. The term procrastination is not really known here and in fact, I dare to say, that it’s the normality, some sort of cultural issue. Just remember Larra’s articles and the “vuelva usted mañana “ (come back tomorrow”).

Sense of duty, pleasure of getting things well done, importance of self-improvement, solidarity, effort, perseverance, patience.... Instead of being too passive, idleness and only enjoying the present and immediate future, forgetting about “building” something for the future or behaving thinking ahead it’d be better to work on something which will bring results sooner or later. Better for each individual and thus, for the society.

SELF-FORWARD

The circumstances might not be the best ones (they aren't...but at least now my health is finally much better) but there are always many reasons and impulses to move forward. Even when dreams blur and when what we aim for is not so clear, the key is to keep being active, receptive. Being physically active is also the right tool to have onelself fully balanced and better prepared for the coming times (coming days, coming weeks, coming months and even coming years). Anything positive will be useful, all efforts are useful, even if they don't seem to be fruitful in the short term.

A brand new year is not much more than a brand new month, a brand new week and even a brand new day. Just some mindfulness and awareness, look at oneself and the "beginning-of-something"-effect will help to be able to improve something or many things.

This 2012, in my case, began positively, after quite a bad 2011. Getting up early (very early, in fact) as always, studying, organising things at home, housechores, physical activity, interesting readings, some documentary film....and even setting new goals. I'm already thinking about starting some new undergraduate studies. After many years since I graduated on Political Science, and then did a Postgraduate-Master program (2-year long) on Asia and Pacific, in 2010 I started with Advertising and PR studies (undergraduate). There are not many subjects left to finish and keep as motivated as when I started and keep enjoying all lessons, papers I write, discussions on the net, bibliography I come across and read....And, why not something more? why not going further? As time goes by we're more able to see our strengths and those things we really really like and are suited for. I'm about to enrol on Psychology....I might not be old when I graduate but now is the time to begin and we never know in life. Psychology and advertising (marketin) match pretty well....and both are very compatible as well with some fields within political science.

GASEL·LITAT (ésser gasela)

Començar a córrer amb regularitat va ser en bona mesura fruit de la sensació de sentir-me recuperada d'una malaltia cap allà l'estiu de 2010 (en concret, per terres helmàntiques). Després de molts mesos, de massa temps, en què el cos es trobava limitat, amb els pulmons a mig gas, amb les cicatrius i una capacitat pulmonar molt minvada, a més de dolors, per fi vaig poder tornar a pujar escales àgilment, caminar estona sense haver-me de seure per descansar, etc. Per aquell temps havia llegit una obra de Murakami Haruki (What do I talk about when I talk about running)...i em va fer pensar molt en gaudir d'algun esport un cop em recuperés. Tot va anar enllaçat.

Sentia llavors una barreja d’enyorança per la sensació de córrer i de necessitat de trencar amb una etapa de limitacions, dolors i frustracions. Cörrer com a sinònim de deslliurar-se d'un pes i deixar-lo ben enrere.

La gaselitat també equilibra els ànims i acaba per donar solidesa a la valoració de l’esforç i l’empenta per millorar, per reptar-se i superar-se. I després d’una altra etapa de problemes de salut, la millor medecina va tornar a ser el córrer amb regularitat...en bona mesura per prescripció mèdica. I ara ja pot fer boira, ja pot ploure i fer molt de fred, que seguiré. Les gaseles i antílops i guepards despertem d’hora, encara en la foscor emprenem les nostres carreres, dibuixant una mena de sentiment de col·lectivitat que ens acaba per donar seguretat. Quina fortuna poder disposar d’un bon recorregut (Granollers - Canovelles - Les Franqueses - La Garriga), ben condicionat, sense gaire trànsit i amb natura. Dic gasela en tant que també és una bestiola vegetariana.

ENTFERNUNG DER GRAUEN WOLKEN

Nach vielen unangenehmen Tage muss etwas anders kommen. Nach der Seltsamkeit, sich selbst am Spiegel verwirrt und grau zu sehen, sollen klarer Linien, Formen kommen, aber auch die Möglichkeit, sich selber anders zu erkennen, als niemandem, als Kraft, als Bewegung.

Es war eine Lange Zeit ohne Helligkeit, in der ich zu viele Geduld brauchte. Woher kommt Geduld? Wer weißt...Aber sie konnte mir begleiten. Irgendwie, große Veränderungen waren und sind nicht so schlecht und sie brachten manche Ideen mit zurück. Eine Idee bedeutet nicht das gleich im Laufe der Zeit, im Laufe unseren Erfahrungen. Genau wie Bücher wie lesen wieder, oder Filme wir zweimal sehen.

Das Niemandwerden, um sich ins Helligkeit zu stellen, um freier zu sein. Leider waren manche Buddhistische Ideen schwächer geworden in den letzten Zeiten aber nie ist zu früh und nie zu spät Etwas wichtiges und positiv (für sich selbst und die anderen Kreaturen) zurück zu haben. Es ist schrecklich wie wir uns kontrollieren lassen von so vielen Tendenzen, Gewohnheiten, Ideen...Wir, traurige Tiere ohne eigene Füße.

Aber der Tag, in dem wir wieder Füße haben könnte alles möglicherweise kaputt gehen. Weg sein.

SWITCH!

Strange times. Bad times for stability are not necessarily bad times if we're able to switch ourselves positively, to have a more creative look at ourselves and think carefuly about our possibilities and potentialities. What if stability froze us? what if stability made us lose some strength, impulse and thus value? what if stability switched us off?? It's time to switch ourselves on.

Coincidence...People take the streets and the situation at the company I had been working for some years lacks projects for employees and the several of the existing projects might no last much longer, so there was a goodbye (it's a pity because people there was very nice until the end and work was stimulating). Farewell in a sunny Wednesday.

Once I get my health back completely I'll finish the switching process....But meanwhile, there are things to do to keep improving myself for future switches....keep studying (end of semester coming soon), keep learning languages (go on with Russian and boost my Japanese....), keep thinking and rethinking constructively....and trying to be more creative. It's a pity not to have taken more advantadge of all available tools. Once I'm healthy again I'll go back into running sessions, which I badly miss....and need.