Some times art is too complex for me....

I must confess that I do not have much knowledge about art, so some times it is hard for me to analyze some paintings, sculptures or other types of art masterpieces. When I was an eight grader, there was a school course related with art. In Art Education classes I had the change to learn about Art History and the most important artists. However, I think those classes did not make a huge different in my artistic vision.

However, there are many pieces of art that I like. Among the painters I like the impressionists, and Claude Monet is my favorite. I put a picture of “Les Coquelicots a Argenteuil” (Poppy at Argenteuil) because it is my favorite Monet’s paintings. Truly, I do not know about either shape and trace or feelings expressed through the painting, but I like this canvas because it reminds me my father’s farm.

Additionally, I love the techniques of the impressionist painters because their canvases look like a picture; as if the painting keeps all the sensations that the image has.

Maybe in the future I might be able to learn more about painting technique, maybe I will see new varieties of art, but I always go to love the impressionist style.

An afternoon at the museum

The last Friday afternoon after the IIEP’s Potluck I went to Old Capitol Museum with Eun, Joy and Nayeon. It was a short walk throughout the museum, I think. It only took one hour; however, it was quite interesting.
Generally they do not have a tour guide but one of the pretty girls who work there gave us a tour and explained us the main characteristics of Old Capitol. She mentioned that the Capitol was the first government building in Iowa and it was settled in that placed because it is the highest point in Iowa City, but when the amount of counties increased and Iowa City was not the middle of the state of Iowa the government moved on to Des Moines.
She started the trip in the office of the university’s president and she told us it was the first place in the university that has a restroom. Then, she took us to the governor’s office where also was the desk of his assistant. One common thing in those spaces was the design of the devices that they used to use in their daily activities.
But also it was amazing what they had to do for keeping the currency under control because there were many different currencies during those years. On the other side, it was interesting when we went to the library because it is amazing that many books are from many years ago. After the library the guide took us to the Iowa Supreme Court where many outlaw people were convicted. It was strange that the jury used to be behind the judges to protect their identities and avoid any retaliation. (I think I missed the chance to judge my trip mates for taking me off from the potluck where there still were delicious foods and many IIEP friends)
Then we went to the House Chamber in the second store, where the Iowa’s constitution, which it has been kept almost without any variation, was redacted. Finally, we went to the Senate Chamber that is nowadays the place of piano concert.
It was good going to the Old Capitol Museum because you can see many historical stuffs and how was the place in the past.

Many years ago… I almost forget it!

Well, I didn’t bring with me any photo. Most of the photos when I was 10 year old are in the family photo albums; however I put a He-man picture because I’m sure he was the hero in vogue during at that time. Maybe it will be hard for me to find the right kind of adjective to describe myself but I’m going to try.
Since I was 5 or 6 years old, I was far away to be a shy and quiet boy. Generally, I used to be pretty active. Every weekend the family used to go to the farm and share all the weekend doing different farm labor and enjoying the nature.
Those days in the farm when I was 10 years old were wonderful for me because I could choose between many activities like horse riding, fishing, walking in the farm and even helping in the work with the cows. Certainly, I was a restless boy, so I just need space to start my own adventures.
During my weekdays in the school, I used to go pretty early to there because my brother was in middle school and in Venezuela the middle school and the high school start at 7 am. There were a couple of friends who had also older brother in high school so we joined us to play soccer or baseball before class. However, sometimes I forgot to do a piece of homework and I take advantage of this time to complete it.
After the school, my father picked us up and we go to home to lunch. Fortunately, my mom always had delicious food and some dessert for lunch; therefore, the lunch always had an especial hue. My brother and I used to eat fast because if we finish the lunch before my father finished his nap, he took us to my school for one of my favorite activities, soccer. Fortunately, I have practiced many sports during my life and that has created such a weird love for sports.
My grandfather also had a farm where he raised goats, so if I didn’t have enough fun in my father’s farm some weekends I could created war’s stories with my brother in the goat farm. We used to fight with the enemy and throw rocks like grenade and hike the hills looking for the enemy. But not all was fun, most of time I help my aunt to do cheese… well, sometimes I watched more than I helped but she didn’t let me help her, so it wasn’t my fault I think. Or maybe could the fact of I used to eat the curd and we got less cheese have influenced in her attitude? I have to ask her.
Many times I got in trouble and my mom spanned me. I don’t regret for it, indeed, I really think she was extremely patient with me. But I wasn’t a bad kid, a just wanted to know the world and do something interesting.

High school graduation's trip!

When I graduated from High School, me and my most of my classmates, and friends, went to a Graduation's trip. Commonly in the 90's, in Venezuela the students of private schools used to organized a final trip to celebrate the High School's trip. During this time, the friends can share very intensive emotions and remember the good old time, at the end, this may be one of the last time that you can see them.

In our case, we were very expecting about the trip because to reduce the cost of the travel we started to save the money for the trip two years ago; moreover, I have been sharing with my classmates since 8 or 9 year ago, even some more than 12 years. So the group was pretty close and say "good bye" should be an important event. But also, the destiny of the trip was Curacao Island, which is one of the Netherlands Antilles, therefore, for most of us (Including me) was the first time that we are outside of Venezuela.

Although, there were some problems with the trip's logistic and the first night was exhausting when we arrived to Curacao it was awesome; almost a week of parties and beautiful beaches. However, one sunday, after a party, we decided to see the sunrise at the beach. It was nice but a little tiring. This beach is different to others that I have seen (it is in the blog picture); it is between two small mountains, the shape was like a small narrow gulf and the sea bed change sharply from 6 ft depth to 30 ft more or less. However, the place is nice for snokeling the bottom and the colors and kind of fish were amazing.

One friend ad me were doing snorkeling in the right side of the beach and because we were watching the sea bed, we did not realize that we were going out of the small gulf. It was frightening when we realized that we can not see the beach and also that we had to swim against the current because the waves stroke the mountains and provoke that part of the wave go to the gulf and another push you out the gulf.

Though I knew my swimming skills, I must confess that I was really worried for me but more for my friend because I did not know if he would be able to swim against the current. Certainly, I think that an adrenaline's stroke help me to swim as fast as I never have done and my friend could swim as fast as me (maybe he found to follow my vortex he still is tiny, so I could serve like a shield against the waves). Fortunately, we just had to a point in the mountain where we knew that there were two big rocks where we can rest.

Truly, when we came into the rocks, we were out of breath and, of course, frighten. We watch each other but we just could smile to express our feeling. After that, we swim to a similar point in the another side of the beach and rest for a while. From there we continued to the beach and rest a long long time.

The experience was really scary, and because we still meet regularly we use to remember funnily this time with smiles; but also, we reflected about how different may be the trip if we had not been able to do that huge effort. Fortunately, The Lord wanted we are here to share the experience.

Maybe not so original!!!!

Mainly, in Venezuela the people have a particular way to cook. Certainly, the kind of food the Venezuelan people cook are the same that in other places in Central America and the Caribbean; but with the touch of the Spanish heritage. Usually, we eat rice, beans, meat, vegetables, some fruits; nicely combined to avoid the monotonousness.

The most common dishes in Venezuela are compound by carbohydrate; for example, rice with beans and chicken or spaghettis with ground beef. Also, in breakfasts and dinners is frequent eating bread (like baguette) and arepa, which is a kind of bread made from cornmeal, but the texture is different to Mexican cornmeal. Sadly, I have a strong tendency to be overweighted and some relatives had have problem with diabetes, so i have to keep distance with the carbohydrate.

There was a time during my years in college that I weighed like 300 pounds; and even I am like 40 pounds over my ideal weight, I try to eat as balanced as I can. Generally the vegetables and meat are the base of my diet, so I always try to combine in order to have a funny diet. Fortunately, 3 years ago I started to change my eating habits and lost like 60 pound; therefore, right now I am trying to improve my habits again and feel better.

One of the secrets in diet is that you have to have option because eating always the same makes the people lose the interest in the healthy food. Once trying to amply my range of vegetables, I decided to attempt with a recipe with spinach. However, the spinach is one of those vegetables which lose the texture easily, and the most of the food with spinach that I had tasted were a little sticky.

Even though, I could not let this beat me; so I was determined to create my own recipe. Truly, I do not think the recipe is pretty original; absolutely, it is a version of the lasagna. But, it has my special touch and is really tasty, so I decided present this recipe in my blog.

Ingredient: 1 pound of spinach, mozzarella cheese in slide (approximately 12 slides), 1 pound of ground beef, parmesan cheese, one mid-size onion, pasta sauce, cummins, oregano, basil and pepper.

Directions: Firstly, we have to prepare the sauce. Personally, I used to saute the onion (previously chopped) and the ground beef, and add pepper, cummins and salt. Let there for 10 minutes and add the sauce. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 minute approximately. Finally add the oregano and the basil and turn off. Secondly, take a mold previously greased and floured, and place a lay of mozzarella cheese. Over the cheese lay spread the spinach leaves and cover the spinach lay with the ground beef sauce. Put a little of parmesan cheese and alternate spinach lay with mozzarella cheese lay and sauce lay. Finally, cover the mold with aluminum foil and put in the oven between 15 and 20 minutes. You can serve alone or with caesar salad.

Well, I hope you like the recipe.

My special someone.....

Well, it is really hard for me select a special person.... There are many people who have been special among my life. However, talking about the most special person in my life; definitively, it got to be my mom. why should my mom be????...........

The most of time, we can blame the society's culture for the way we are or act... why did I say that?... Generally in my country, the men are not raised to be tender or close to our feeling... so, it is hard for us expressing our thought or feeling. However, there is not reason to doubt about how special my mom is, so I should not do that question. Otherwise, there is bunch of reason to say my mom is my special someone.

Firstly, I can say thousands of reason why my mom is special one, however, I may be tiredly long. Mainly, the most important reason is that my mom has always been trying hard to make a better person, no matter how old I am, she always is showing me the way to do the thing right. Amazingly, she does not try to impose her believes or attack the way you think; my mom always presents examples from our life, making you reflect about your position and see how the other can be affected by your acts. Unfortunately, for me, she is so kind and smart (I think that "smart" is right word) that delicately makes I start to question my believes myself; sadly, the 99,9% of the time she is right so I am in disadvantage.

At the end, there are reason in excess to say the my mom is my special someone but this is the main and most important reason.

"There are two sides to every coin"

The proverbs are pretty wise, yet sometimes the meaning can change since one society to others. In this case, I selected this proverb for the reason that this means that you should always consider all the aspects of the situation because of you can see one side and suddenly the situation can flip and show you the bad side or vice verse.
Mainly, I think most of time many people do not care about the consequences that they can bring for other persons and ourselves; therefore we can damage people, even persons who we love. In conclusion, we should be careful of the implication of our acts to predict what can happen and avoid hurt other persons