No dejes que mi vida Se desperdicie en cosas que la pena no valdrán. Afanes ya no mas.

Translation - Do not let my life be Wasted by things That will not be worth the trouble.  No more toil

Patience

Hello all.... so what I am going to share with you today is a video that really made me reflect on a lot of my wrong doings as a son, as a friend and just as a person. We live in a fast paced society in which we expect everybody in answer ASAP, to be on their feet. We forget, that some where in our past, someone had the patience we can't give others, with us.

I hope this video makes you all reflect... patience is a virtue, and more than just a virtue it can really show someone how we truly feel and how much we truly do love them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kckeoENihKM

Have a great weekend

ACM

Music From Guatemala

Hello all

So, when I lived in Guatemala I knew very little about Guatemalan Music, but once I moved away from my country, somehow I began becoming more interested in this somewhat dark aspect of Guatemalan culture.

I will not talk extensively about this, but today I was listening to one of the great Rock Artists of Guatemala - Ricardo Andrade (QEPD). I can't tell you much about his origins, his life, his background. Nor can I talk extensively about his music as I am sure there are many people out there who know much more than I do. I will not be arrogant and write a wiki article on him. But I do want to express my eternal gratitude to him and recommend that all of you who are interested listen to his songs - most of them are on YouTube.

Everytime I hear his songs, his emotions and thoughts are palpitable. He has a unique voice that is fantastic for story telling.

Below are some songs I like (other people may like others and that is OK, dont hate me for liking what I like).

• El Norte
• Mujer
• Una Charla con Dios
• Un Dia Gris
• Tan Vacio
• En Medio de esta Fe (perhaps my favorite)
• Porque la extraño tanto

I hope you get a chance to enjoy these songs! there are many more bands I've come to like and will post similar blogs about them as I feel the need to!

Enjoy your week and remember "Solo una cosa vuelve un sueño imposible... el miedo de fracasar" (Only one things makes a dream impossible... your fear of failure)

Ha pasado ya bastante tiempo desde que he tenido el placer de estar con uds pero el tiempo es de lo que mas hay en esta vida pero es lo mas dificil de aprovechar.

Pero en fin, basta de escusas y vengemonos por el tiempo perdido. Como ya sabran es Semana Santa y mas que ser un feriado para muchos espero que todos los lectores hayan tenido tiempo para refleccionar. Hemos tomado por hecho esta semana como un tiempo para despejarnos de nuestras realidades cuotidianas pero les animo a sentarse y pensar lo que estamos "celebrando" (lo digo entre comillas por que siento una mezcla de emociones al llamar Semana Santa una celebracion).

Para mi, ha sido una semana de refleccionar en que formas he fallado como humano. No critico a nadie mas que a mi persona. Quiero invitarlos a participar hoy y mañana en este ritual. Pensemos, y mejoremos!

The Chapines

Well... this is blog one. I have succumbed to the temptations of having a blog, party because of boredom, partly because I thinks its about time people hear what I really have to say. "Sin pelos en la lengua" as we say in Guatemala, (it translates literally to "without hair on the toungue"... YEAH).

So, I am conflicted and have no clue what to write my first blog on. So I guess I will talk about Chapines.

For all my "gringo" friends out there... a chapin is what people call Guatemalans. Why, you may be asking yourself, call such a lovely group of people chapines? Well, the concept is quite simple, back in the day (and I do mean back in the day)... Guatemalan women wore this traditional shoe that had a cork sole. Not only was this style of shoe very elegant but it also made people look very tall (as the sole was large). Back in the good old days when Central America was one, women only used this in rich, and urbanized cities, the biggest of which was Guatemala. And therefore from that Guatemalans are called Chapines.

But Chapines and Chapinas are more than shoes...being a Chapin is being able to joke about your situation, regardless of how bad and crappy it may be. A chapin is happy with his reality, we sweat happiness. We are hard working, in the field, in the city, in school and in work... we dont run away from responsability, instead we say "whatever we can do to help" with a smile and go about doing it....we are simple and down to earth people. We dont use the "tu" form of spanish (its just gay).. we use sounds (psst psst), or the VOS and we use it proudly. We are the home of the mayan culture and so many other things that never cease to impress other (and ourselves). We never give up, we never back down ... NO NOS AHUEVAMOS Y QUE PISADOS!

I just thought I should rant about my country, the beautiful people that live in it, the wonders of the way we speak, the way we act, the way we work, the way we live...

I hate hearing what people have to say about my country...even within people within Guatemala. People everywhere have forgotten what it is to feel pride in their countries. They have forgotten what it is to sing your anthem and think about all the people who have lived before you and died fighting for your freedoms, for your identity. People have forgotten what it is to feel goosebumps down your spine everything you pledge allegiance. Is Guatemala perfect? Maybe not for you... but I would not live anywhere else, I would not call myself anything other than a Chapin!

In conclusion... SOY CHAPIN Y GUATE ME LLEGA...(I'm a Chapin, and I love Guatemala).