Chichipanguanorrea 3.0

From Brazil with Love: Cuca Fresca!

Picture by Luis Pérez

A corraleja is a typical celebration from the Colombian coast regions where people gather in a place similar to a bullfight ring and fight several bulls. The difference with a bullfight is that there is no matador in corralejas, but anyone can jump in and fight the bull. And the bull is never killed. It is very dangerous and lots of people get injured. But you can stay off the ring and just watch the whole thing while you listen to a live band and drink alcohol.

Yesterday I went to a Corraleja with my friends from college and it was very fun to watch but also disturbing to see all these drunk guys fighting the bull and doing it for money or alcohol. They would ask the crowd for money after doing different dangerous tricks like jumping on top of the bull, and they will also show you their wounds and ask you for money to pay the hospital.

After the corraleja was over we went outside the ring and listened to a vallenato concert by Silvio Brito and stayed there until 11pm dancing and drinking more aguardiente. Finally a friend took me home and my sister was having a good bye party since she will be moving to Virginia next week to pursue a PhD.

It has been almost a month since I wrote my last post two days before my birthday. I have to thank everyone who made it to my birthday party. It was really fun. I also want to thank all the friends and family members that sent me happy birthday wishes through emails, instant messages, phone calls, etc…

So what does it feel to turn 30 years old? I got to tell you that it feels really good. Someone told me recently that when you turn 30, you are now officially an adult. You can no longer excuse your stupidity by saying things like: “I was young and I didn’t knew any better!”. It also feels great that many people don’t think I’m 30, so I can pretend to be young and stupid if I really want to. But honestly, playing the grown up mature adult role suits me better.

My parents gave me Garmin nüvi 200 GPS for my car as a present. It is a really cool device and I’ve been playing with it a little bit. I really want to do a road trip to see its full potential and I’m also curious about Geocaching. I also got from my friends in Austin a really nice gift: a $220 certificate from Amazon which I’m still planning to spend. I’m debating between buying a lens for my D40x, a DVD recorder, an Airport Express or a bunch of toilet paper.

Thirty years ago, on June 8, 1978, Intel Corp. introduced its first 16-bit microprocessor, the 8086, with a splashy ad heralding “the dawn of a new era.” Overblown? Sure, but also prophetic. While the 8086 was slow to take off, its underlying architecture — later referred to as x86 — would become one of technology’s most impressive success stories.

computerworld.com

How would you celebrate if you were an X86? What would you do if your 30th birthday was coming soon, like in 22 days? How would you celebrate this memorable/tragic event?

I’m turning 30 years old this coming June 28th. I’m excited and scared, but none the less I want to celebrate big time! I’m considering throwing a big party at my house and invite as many friends as possible. I need to start working on the evite and the party logistics. As far as alcohol I already have a big bottle of Aguardiente Antioqueño and a big bottle of Chivas Regal and I’m also considering buying a keg of NXNW beer.

Only 22 days to plan this memorable/tragic event. I’ll keep you posted of my progress. If you have some cool ideas, make sure you drop a comment.

Update - June 11th
The evite was sent last weekend. I invited over a 100 people knowing that about half of them would not be able to make it because they live in Colombia, Germany, Canada, etc… Currently 29 people are coming to the party and 4 are tentative. I will arrange what to buy later, once I have a better estimate on the attendance.

A tribute to the Greatest Corona Man Ever…

Have you signed the online petition yet?

The president of the colombian political party Polo Democrático Carlos Gaviria was one of the speakers invited to the XXVIII Annual ILASSA Student Conference. His speech was basically a critique of the current government because it claims that Colombia has a strong democracy while he considers that many aspects of Colombia’s situation (like the high percentage of poverty) are clear signals that Colombia doesn’t have a democracy but instead what he refers to as a sudo-democracy.

I think Colombia does have a democracy, but it has many flaws. As he recognizes, there is not a country in this planet with a perfect democracy and Colombia by no means is close to have that.

Even recognizing that Uribe has many flaws I sincerely think Colombia is better today than how it was 6 years ago. And after hearing Gaviria today, it gives you the impression that this is not the case and that Uribe is the devil itself following a master plan to be a dictator. I honestly believe that this is not the case, and I definitely don’t want Uribe to be reelected again.

This coming February 4th: join us in the mobilization against FARC.

It is really sad to see how the “Colombianos en UT” group have changed the main objective for the mobilization. Here is the text they sent through the “Asociación de Colombianos en Austin”:

Please join us Monday, February 4 2008 10:30 am at South First and Barton Springs: we will march to City Hall.

Position of “Colombianos en UT” in reference to the “Un Millón de Voces Contra las FARC” March February 4 2008

We march against, and manifest our rejection of all crimes against humanity committed in Colombia over the last five decades by all of the different parties involved in the internal conflict of Colombia .

We march to say:
NO MORE Guerrillas (FARC, ELN, EPL…)
NO MORE Paramilitaries (AUC, ACCU, CONVIVIR, Aguilas Negras,….)
NO MORE complicity of government officials with illegal armed forces
NO MORE abuse by elements of the armed forces
NO MORE massacres
NO MORE kidnappings
NO MORE forced displacement
NO MORE targeted assassinations
NO MORE extrajudicial killings
NO MORE forced disappearances
NO MORE arbitrary detentions
NO MORE impunity for military and paramilitary officials
NO MORE death squads
NO MORE state sponsored terror

We march for PEACE as long as it is dignified and just. We march for LIBERTY and JUSTICE for all Colombians.

Please join us Monday, February 4 2008 10:30 am at South First and Barton Springs: we will march to City Hall.

http://www.colombiasoyyo.org/

Please distribute widely

This is clearly a mistake. It causes the mobilization to lose its focus. It causes that people identifies them selves with some of the points of the protest but not with others. It dilutes the clear message that started it all: NO MORE FARC. .

Update
I’m glad to inform that the original objective of the mobilization has been reestablish.

Designed by JD

Chichipanguanorrea 3.0 staff wishes you love and joy during these holidays and an amazing new year 2008. This time we are very sorry we could not hire neither Ugly Santa nor Ugly Elf, but we put together this beautiful christmas tree to keep the holiday spirit alive and we hope you enjoy it (specially if you are a ‘millionaire‘, a ‘devil‘ or a ‘powerful‘).

Last 3rd of November was my 6th anniversary living in Austin. I moved here when I was 23 and although 6 years aren’t much time for many people, so many things had happen to me, good things I must say, that it seems a long time.

I came here with one bag full of clothes and my CD collection. Now I have a house full of furniture, electronics, kitchen-ware and lots of other things I probably don’t need. Its funny how you get used to and addicted to all these things. How could people survive before the Roomba was invented?

As a big coincidence, two years ago it was posted in this blog an article about my 4th anniversary in Austin. There was a long list of people I have met over here. I’m sure that list is much longer now.

The question now is: what is next? What are the next 6 years going to bring? Where am I going to be by year 2013?

I don’t have answers yet. Do I need an answer? Should I just keep enjoying my day-by-day the same way I have done it for the past 6 years? It seems to have worked out just fine.

I think I’ll think it over a beer!

I’m a terrible blogger. I promise I will publish Halloween pictures soon. Expect the Devil and the Punk coming back!

But just in case you care: life is good and I’m doing fine.