Tag Archives: mexico

in english

Nowhere’s perfect, neither am I

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So, after a year in Belgium, I came back to Finland.  I started noticing certain things about the place that I had already gotten used to and don't really like, such as the amount of drunken teenagers on weekends, the fact that public transportatio, although good, is rather sparse (which is fine in summer, but in winter is no laughing matter) or the relative scepticism of most public officials.  This all reminded me of when I arrived in Brussels, as I was not used to the dirt and the beggars in the streets.  Don't get me talking about Mexico City, which is sadly renowned for its insecurity and pollution.

However, I remembered that it all depends on how much you make out of things yourself, and whether the pros outweigh the cons.  There's always two sides of a story, and there is always something good that can be found.  In Brussels it's multiculturality, in Helsinki it is nature and safety, in Mexico City its vibrance and cultural life, to give just a few strong points.

It's all a matter of making do with what is there, what you have and be determined to have a good time wherever you are.

en español

Inteligencia de sistemas

He estado leyendo una colección de ensayos que tocan el tema de una rama del estudio de sistemas y la filosofía llamada "inteligencia de sistemas" y no pude dejar de pensar en la sociedad mexicana, que es un gran (y muy retorcido) sistema.  Cuestiones como "el que no transa no avanza" o el típico fulano que le compra un ensayo a alguien para sacar una buena calficación son, si no típicamente mexicanas, sí sintomáticas de un sistema en el que algo tiene que estar definitivamente mal para que funcionen.

Como buen dijera el ingeniero que todos llevamos dentro: "¿Y ahora cómo lo arreglamos?"  Favor de no confundir con "¿Cómo nos arreglamos joven?".

in english

Football, like life, is full of surprises

You may have read that previously I was not very convinced about Hugo Sánchez’s handling of the Mexican National Team.  My suspicions were confirmed last Sunday when Mexico lost the final of the Gold Cup against the States (their second goal looks just like that Maxi Rodríguez goal from last summer).  Since the Copa América was just around the corner, the panorama couldn’t be bleaker, since Mexico had to play against Brazil and 5 starters were out: 3 because of fatigue, 2 by injury.

You can imagine my surprise this morning when I read that Mexico beat Brazil 2-0, even though more than half of the team was composed of usually bench players.  Nice performance. =D

Mexico – Brasil Copa America Resumen Goles

The only sad thing to read is that some sectors of the press say that the performance was better since those who were more identified with the previous Mexico coach and bitter Hugo Sánchez enemy Ricardo Lavolpe were not included in the squad.  I really hope that’s not the case.

in english

A year ago today…

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Mexico lost against Argentina in the World Cup.  Probably the best-played match in Mexican World Cup history, but it wasn’t enough in a very dramatic game.

Goles Argentina – México

After the game, I talked with an Argentine friend about his impressions of the match.  He agreed with me that the teams shouldn’t have met at that stage of the tournament, since Mexico should have won its group.

The current situation in the team is far from what was shown in that game.  Hugo Sánchez is now the coach, but in the end he still doesn’t seem to have much of an idea of what he wants to do with the team.  There have been some problems in the locker room and they have lost some matches that should have been won.  The only reason the team plays in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup tonight is because all the other teams in the region are worse than us, but of course if Mexico loses agains the U.S. there will be hell to pay.  I really hope he finds a way.

en español

Sobre visas, permisos y cosas peores

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Un amigo me comentó que ahora que se muda de regreso a España, los requisitos de visita se han puesto mucho más estrictos, incluso para nosotros que no necesitamos visa.  Uno está totalmente de acuerdo en que los países libres y soberanos tienen derecho a proteger sus fronteras de la manera que mejor le parezca, pero los requisitos me parecen francamente excesivos (especialmente la parte sobre necesitar una carta certificada por la policía española en caso de alojarse con algún conocido durante su estancia)

Entre eso y lo tardado que se está convirtiendo renovar mi permiso de residencia en Finlandia (aunque he vivido 6 años en el país, no tengo antecedentes penales, tengo trabajo en el cual ya me están esperando, pago mis impuestos puntualmente, hablo el idioma y me voy a casar con una local) no me cabe la menor duda que en cuanto me sea posible voy a conseguirme la nacionalidad, porque realmente es un dolor de cabeza.  Los que son ciudadanos de la Unión Europea no saben la suerte que tienen.

Lo que más me preocupa es que antes de mejorar, la situación se ponga peor.  Según he escuchado, en Francia ya van a empezar con lo mismo que está haciendo España.  Ya le tienen mucho miedo a los inmigrantes y están agarrando parejo…

Cómo me gustaría que Tlatelolco se pusiera las pilas y aplicara el principio de reciprocidad así como lo hace Itamaraty: si los estadounidenses se ponen tan difíciles con las visas para mexicanos que se les pidiera lo mismo, y que si los españoles empiezan a pedir cartas y demás que se les haga lo mismo cuando intenten entrar al país.

Por desgracia, la SRE prefiere quejarse sobre estupideces como Big Brother Australia (que sí, tal vez ofende, pero no es ni para darle importancia).  Para eso me gustaban…

in english

Gilberto Bosques, Mexican hero

You probably already know about Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist who saved thousands of Jews from certain death during World War II.  He was not the only one.  Other famous and not so famous individuals involved were Raoul Wallenberg, Algoth Niska, Chiune Sugihara, Traian Popovici or Gilberto Bosques.

A veteran of the Mexican Revolution, before the beginning of the war he worked as General Consul at the Mexican Embassy in Paris.  When Hitler conquered Paris, the Embassy was moved to Marseille, and Bosques was left in charge.  He gave thousands of visas to Jews, resistance fighters and Spanish Civil War refugees to escape to Mexico, and even went as far as organising lodging for thousands of them in two castles near the city of Marseille.

Eventually, however, he was imprisoned by Nazi Germany for a year with the rest of the Latin American diplomatic corps at Bad Godesberg, not only for helping "enemies of the regime" but also because by that time Mexico was also at war with the Axis.  He was freed in an exchange of prisoners between Mexico and Germany before the end of the war.

Why aren't these kind of heroes remembered at school, instead of more dubious individuals such as Pancho Villa?

More information here.

in english

Sateluco forever

In Mexico City, there is a special brand of people, who work in the city, but live outside the limits of the Federal District.  If they don’t work in the
area, which after all is one of the largest industrial zones in Latin
America, they live their early mornings and late evenings listening to
the radio in their car while being stuck in the Periférico, the local
12-lane ring road, jokingly referred to as the largest parking lot in
the world.

Being a suburban boy means that, when growing up, crossing the city limits towards el D.F. was a day-long excursion, whereas going to the south was more like being in another city.  When coming back, being greeted by “las torres de Satélite” was comforting, as you knew you where in a familiar place.

Where I grew up, you would meet people at the mall (Plaza Satélite, the first one and still one of the largest in the country) for a cup of coffee to catch up with life.  Now that they all work, you assume they’ll be there after 7.  Funnily enough, this area of the city until recently didn’t have a very strong identity like Coyoacán and la Roma, being relatively new (developed since the 1950’s, but with large-scale urbanisation until the 1970’s).  That is a status that an organisation called “Satelín Torres” wants to revert, trying to give a memory to this part of the city.

Although considered by the rest to be a cultural wasteland, where people sleep, shop, eat and generally aspire to the middle class ideal and if they are interested to go to a museum or a concert they’ll cross to el D.F., it has spawned a number of rock groups.  Café Tacuba is of course the most renowned, but many other bands of the current indie movement come from this part of the city.

I started thinking about all this as I realised that it is my destiny to be a suburban guy, as I’ve lived in Espoo, suburb of Helsinki, for most of my time in Finland and that’s where I’m headed when I move back.  Furthermore, it feels really familiar, as instead of el Periférico they have Länsiväylä and instead of Plaza Satélite and Mundo E they have Iso Omena and Tapiola.

The time in Brussels has been an anomaly, more than the rule.

in english

FIFA date wrap-up

Mexico 0-1 Paraguay

Painful last-minute defeat at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City for el Tri.  The national team is usually next-to-invincible at the mythical venue of two World Cup finals.  Paraguay avenged losing to Mexico in Monterrey a couple of months back, and played their typical catenaccio style.  According to the press, the Mexican midfield quickly ran out of ideas, so they didn't create a lot of chances.  That the main starters didn't play this game didn't help, either.  The next match for Mexico will be this weekend at the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Cuba.

 

Finland 2-0 Belgium

The sinivalkoiset beat the Diables Rouges / Rode Duivels at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki.  Both teams were trying to bounce back from a series of disappointing results, and Finland showed the goods.  The Finnish press were especially worried since stars Hyypiä and Litmanen were missing, but newcomers such as the Eremenko brothers showed their worth.  In Belgium, on the other hand, they are disappointed at the weakness of a team that has lost 5 straight matches.

en español

Ponchito

Hoy estaba divagando un poco y me topé con la ya bastante antigua página de los personajes de Andrés Bustamante, cómico mexicano, en Ponchito.com.

Dueño de un humor fino y no tan vulgar y gastado como el de otros cómicos como Eugenio Derbez, es sin lugar a dudas mi favorito.  Lástima que no he visto sus programas en mucho tiempo, aunque algunos de sus sketches con personajes como el Dr. Chun Ga, el Hooligan o el profesor Greco Morfema están disponibles en YouTube.

in english

Handling uncertainty

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I hadn't noticed how flexible I tend to be regarding uncertainty, and how much of that is due to my upbringing.  Don't get me wrong: I don't like knowing whether my plans will work either, but I don't let it worry me, since I'm too busy doing those things I can actually do.

Maybe it has to do with growing up in a society where not everything is provided "as is", and you have to learn to improvise as you go.  The problem with Mexicans is that they (we) tend to improvise too much, while others are much more inflexible.

Makes things interesting, that's for sure.