I know you're better off this way:.

Happy holidays!!:.

I know these words,
They only serve to twist the knife,
But I will try to make them heard.

No place in the world that can compare:.

I don't usually buy any presents, but this year is different. I found the perfect gift for my little sister, and in a couple of days she'll be glad to see it, she'll love it!!:.

These streets will make you feel brand new,
Big lights will inspire you.

And I guess that's something:.

Every year my family raffles the dishes to be served on Christmas' and New Year's dinner, and this time I turned out to be the lasagna master!. I intend to prepare both vegetarian and meat versions, so this weekend I practiced with my mother's awarded vegetarian recipe, with very decent results. I'll just add some minor fixes, let us hope I don't ruin it:.

So I better wise up,
and take it quick.

Soy un instante aquí:.

One of my goals for next year is to finish on time the master degree. In order to do that, I'll have to start working on the thesis as soon as possible, which is great because I really want to make the most out of the time I've bought for myself, pursuing that goal of one day becoming one of the best architects out there!!:.

Soy un extraño aquí,
contra esos nuevos voy.

Habrá que declararse un inocente:.

There are many things I'd hate to be, but the worst among the worst would be a bureaucrat!!. It seems like their only goal in life is to make life harder to everyone else, what a waste:.

No es bueno hacerse de enemigos,
que no estén a la altura del conflicto.

Y así ha sido toda la vida:.

This time of the year is perfect to make an analysis of what we've done so far, and also to laugh and learn from our errors. For instance, two years ago I came back to Mexico for Christmas and I was supposed to go back to Barcelona on January 1st, the problem was that on the the eve of New Year's dinner I lost my wallet, with my work permit in it. This was pretty bad because the airline asks for it before letting you get into the plane!!, so I ended up celebrating new year's on the police station, asking for some paper to prove that I had lost that other damn paper...worst night ever!!:..the good part was that a couple hours before I went to the airport, someone found my documents, not the wallet but the documents, phoned my sister and made my day!!:..

Las promesas están donde te las dejé,
pero hoy no puedo volver a lo que antes fue.

I wanted to control it:.

This time last year I was coming back from a trip to London, and getting ready for what would be my coldest vacation ever, backpacking across central Europe. I mention this because now I'll be having vacation with my family in a Mexican beach. I know what that means, it's going to be really hot in there, but it's OK, because even though I rather be cold than hot, I do enjoy spending time with my family, that's one of the reasons I came back!!:.

Why would I stand for disappointed looks?
Fully grown but I'm all on tender hooks

Que hay que regresar:.

Well, yesterday I finally finished my first semester of the master degree. While I was waiting to get my last grade I got to hang out for a while with some other colleagues studying both the Master and Phd courses, and it was really great, I mean, to watch Youtube videos, IT Crowd episodes and talk about programming and TV series with people that find these things interesting is really cool!!:. [edit from the future: Just because she likes the same bizzaro crap you do, doesn't make her your soul mate]

I almost forgot, here's a link for an article describing my last Software Architecture Project, any comments will be greatly appreciated: MvcArchitectureView

Cada día un poco más despacio,
pero sin embargo, siempre vuelvo a comenzar.

Six months off:.

Few day ago I made a list containing the best 27 songs of the decade, the truth is I left so many damn good songs, so today I'll add another 13, for a grand total of 40!!:.

• The Birth and Death of The Day - Explosions in the Sky
• Sea Within a Sea - The Horrors
• Alone In Kyoto - Air
• Just Like Honey - The Jesus and Mary Chain
• Turn - Travis
• Tenía Tanto Que Darte - Nena Daconte
• Walk On - U2
• Como Camarón - Estopa
• I Wonder - Kanye West
• Vaquero Galáctico - Porter
• La Última Noche del Mundo - Austin TV
• Special Needs - Placebo
• Keep The Dream Alive - Oasis

Remember me when you're the one you always dreamed

Time so slowly turns:.

It was weird to hear in a radio show that specializes on so-called classical rock music, songs that bring back so many good memories because they're from my time!!. The fact that they're considered classics is a sign that in few years now I'm going to be suffering what Homer Simpson suffers now, what his father suffered, the change of the onda!!:...I think that as long as The Killers are not considered classics, I'm OK:.

But what if they should fall,
by someone's wicked way.

Don't let it blind you:.

Today I have two final project presentations. Let us hope it all goes according to the plan!!:.

No one behind you
Watching your shadows,
You gotta be stronger than the stories.

I breathe as hard as I can:.

Once again, we have lists popping out everywhere, telling us the best albums, movies, books, blogs, anything!!. Well, now it's my turn, here's my humble selection of the best 27 songs, not only of the year, but of the decade, in no particular order:

• All These Things that I've Done - The Killers
• Hoppipolla - Sigur Rós
• Dry Your Eyes - The Streets
• First of the Gang to Die - Morrisey
• The Golden Path - The Chemical Brothers
• Homecoming - The Teenagers
• Walcott - Vampire Weekend
• Someday - The Strokes
• Reckoner - Radiohead
• Best of You - Foo Fighters
• Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
• Swallowed in the Sea - Coldplay
• One More Time - Daft Punk
• Mar el poder del Mar - Facto Delafé y las Flores Azules
• Putita - Babasónicos
• Tears Dry on Their Own - Amy Winehouse
• Honestly - Zwan
• Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Evil - Interpol
• Never Had Nobody Like You - M. Ward
• With Arms Wide Open - Creed
• Y llegaste Tú - Banda el Recodo
• Huele a Peligro - Banda Limón
• Ganas de Volver a Amar - Trono de México
• Mi Credo - K-Paz de la Sierra
• I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Coco Freeman
• Mr. Brightside - Jacques Lucont's Remix

The whole world a blur,
But you are standing.

To share with all:.

Today I attended a presentation of a soon to be PhD, and I have to say that I was really disappointed by his work quality. This only proves that some titles are just used to show off, but in practice, they mean nothing at all!!.

Don't get me wrong, not everyone pursuing a postgraduate degree is in the same situation as that guy, but the fact that I've run into a couple of them in this semester is something to think about:.

Hang onto the things that you're supposed to say
Billions of stalks that open to your breath.

There's a possibility I wouldn't know:.

This week I finished my first semester classes!!. I still have two more weeks for final exams and projects presentations, the good part is that most of what's left to be done is practice, not just theory:.

My impressions so far:

• Comparing myself to how I used to be about school matters five years ago, final grades don't bother me that much anymore. Instead, I keep thinking of ways to implement academic ideas in the real world:..
• It's better to avoid pre-afternoon courses:.
• Not all PhDs deserve that title:.
• Sometimes, 5 minutes of an off topic conversation are better than 3 hours of class in a row:.
• You could pass through a postgraduate program without having real hardcore courses, what a shame:.

By blood and by me,
You walk like a thief.

In my eyes:.

Yesterday I went with my family to watch New Moon, the second part of the twilight saga. I have to admit that I found it interesting, far better than the first one. The thing that I liked the most was its soundtrack, simply amazing!!.

I read the book few months ago, and the truth is I also liked it, because sometimes you can actually feel despair and sadness all over the place, well, next Wednesday it's 2012's turn, I have high hopes for it!!:.

Your hearing damage,
Your mind is restless,
They say you're getting better.

It just becomes me:.

The other day I read an article named 7 Signs I Knew I Was Born To Be a Programmer, I laughed a lot but the truth is that the author had pretty good points in there. Anyway, I was thinking about this because for the last couple of weeks I've in that mood where you wish days were longer, when even while you're dreaming you are thinking of ways to solve what you couldn't complete during the day, and in the morning the first thing you want to do is continue where you left, and improve what you've done so far!!:..for me, this is how you know you're doing what you were born to do:..

But I can still let it go
And I can still learn to grow

We might not care about:.

Last Sunday I played soccer with some old friends, it was really great!!:..

The architecture analysis tool I've been working on for the last weeks is finally taking shape. I've managed to write an eclipse plugin to be able to perform the analysis directly on the working project, besides the command line and ant task, I still have 3 weeks to add functionalities:..

There's another important project for this semester, the query optimizer. Today I'll add the location management, but the rumor is that the professor will limit the project's goals, well, today we'll see if that's really true:.

And though really all these moments are just in my head
I'll be thinking about them as I'm lying in bed
And I know that really it might not even come true
But in my mind I'm having a pretty good time with you.

There's danger:.

Next Wednesday I have to make a presentation about Modeling and Querying History of Movement in Moving Objects Databases. The subject is very interesting, but I have to admit that sometimes I don't follow the theory right away. Our reference book doesn't just show you the proposed models or ideas, they give the rationale behind all that, sometimes with more mathematical rigor than I'm used to. I like that you get to see the flaws in previous approaches, and that if you really want to understand the theory you have to focus, really focus!!:.

The sun comes up,
and life begins.

And so long to devotion:.

I wish I had the time to go to the Campus Party, but final projects won't let me, the good part is there'll always be another chance!!:.

It's getting interesting out there, my time will come:.

Send my condolences to good,
Give my regards to soul and romance,
They always did the best they could.

All the way to the Garden State:.

Next Sunday I'll meet with some old friends. It's been a while since the last time we had one of those mythical Xbox nights, I'm really looking forward to it!!:.

Lately I've been much more asocial than usual, I could blame it on final projects, but if truth must be told, that's my nature!!:...and I like it that way:.

Don't you know that your life could be lost?

Good times for a change:.

My voice hasn't recovered yet from last Saturday, best show ever!!:.

Patterns and databases for everybody!!:..I'm starting to feel the pressure but I'll manage to finish on time:...


See, the life I've had
Can make a good man bad.

Seems like heaven ain’t far away:.

Hello Seahorse!!:...The Killers!!!!:...I'm wordless, and this this time I really mean it!!:.

It’s good to have you with us,
even if it’s just for the day.

No te aferres:.

Just a few more weeks before this semester is over, which also means I have less time to finish my final projects:..the good part is they're interesting!!:.

Last Monday I went with my brother to Mixquic. I wanted to see for myself what this tradition was all about and I have to admit that I liked what I saw. The city is well prepared to attend all the visitors because beside the cemetery tradition, they also had quality live performances. The band I liked the most was Tloke Nahuake, they are a mixture between Austin Tv and pre-hispanic music, but it wasn't just the music, some aztec dancers were performing while the band was playing, and the effect was simply amazing!!:.

Totally worth the visit:.

Y sin más nada,
¿por qué?, no sé,
pero fue así, así fue.

I never really told the truth:.

...

We'll be fine, I'm sure,
If we can just ignore it.

An incredible eight foot heap:.

...

And I'm not only among,
but I invite who I want to come,
So I missed a million miles of fun.

You mind not saying:.

Japanese exam tomorrow:.

あしたのごご　にほんごのテスト　です

Beetles and eggs and blues,
and pour a little everything else.

Todo vuelve a comenzar:.

Considering Spotify is not yet available here in Mexico, I stick to the next best thing, Grooveshark. Today they released a new version, upgrading the user interface and making huge improvements to the search algorithms, all in all I was really impressed. It's not yet as good as Spotify, but they're certainly heading in the right direction!!:.

I do have a complaint, the new widget height is oversized!!:.

Todo vuelve a colapsar,
todo vuelve a ser normal,
sólo hay que entender,
que nada es por siempre.

Estoy buscando ese momento:.

Years keep passing by and programming still passions me the most!!:.
Two interesting projects to be developed during the next 5-6 weeks, I'm ready!!:.

Speaks to my heart
Speaks to my soul.

Well, who hasn't been there before?:.

About a month ago I watched online District 9, and I was disappointed in the end because I felt the movie could've been a lot better. I mean, the initial story was good but there were too many flaws in the plot for me. Anyway, this weekend I went with a friend to watch it properly, in an IMAX cinema, and this time I changed my mind. The movie is really great, combining amazing effects, great sound, and the action keeps you from noticing most of the flaws in the plot, it definitely was a good way to spend 3 hours of my weekend!!:..still, it's not fair to compare it to The Matrix:.

If it makes you happy,
It can't be that bad.
If it makes you happy,
Then why the hell are you so sad.

But there's something:.

As part of one of my final projects I'm planning on developing a project to perform some basic architecture recovering. The aim is to identify the correct placement of the different components of a working project into the different layers of the reference architecture being used. It's interesting because there's a lot of uncertainty involved, and though there are several tools out there that perform software architecture analysis and recovery, none of the ones I've tried give you a definite answer. Mine won't either, but with some luck, by the end of the year I'll have something decent enough to be useful outside my academic environment!!:.

It might not be the right time
I might not be the right one.

Desconfío que me entiendas de verdad:.

Yesterday I went with my family to the traditional rural fair held in Chapingo university, and it was simply amazing!!. Excellent food, great music, mostly duranguense, and of course, a lot of crafts, original crafts!!:..This is certainly something worth experiencing by yourself if you want to get in touch with the different shades of mexican culture, the sad things is that it ended today, so we'll have to wait another year to experience something like this without traveling far from home:.

Que antiguo me parece,
que pidas algo serio de mí
Ahora que nos empezó a gustar.

Are you writing from the heart?:.

What a week:...just one more exam to go:.

Even in my best condition, counting all the superstition,
I am riding all alone,
I am running all alone.

All my vehement desires:.

I've never been much of a fan of school exams, or for tests in general for that matter, but I have to admit that sometimes the pressure makes you want to understand things at a deeper level, and in the end that's what really counts, not a number to show off.....well, time to go back to my notes:.

べんきょうしましょう:.

I believe in someone
What are we gonna do?

Desapareces te vas y vuelves:.

I'm at that critical point in the Japanese learning curve where you are no longer making huge progress, but rather have to stop for a while to digest what you've learned so far, risking the former interest won't be enough to go forward....The truth is I like the way they express ideas, the writing system is intriguing and the culture in general is great, so I think I'll continue mastering this language!!:.


In the unlikely event of someone needing an implementation of the Baum-Welch algorihtm, you might take a look here: http://code.google.com/p/baumwelch-itesm/. This was my first opportunity to program something useful after four months of inactivity, so I tried to make it as good as possible, then again, there's always room for improvement:.

Amanece en alma
Atardece en tí.

And you know how it feels:.

Last week I skipped a class to attend a family reunion, and yesterday I skipped another one!!:...as they say, the hard thing is to do things for the first time, even then, this is not my style, I'll take these cases as just some RuntimeExceptions!!:.

Talking about something else, as of this weekend I'm 26!!:..

I spoke about wings,
You just flew,
I wondered, I guessed and I tried,
You just knew,
I sighed.

Six days a week:.

Last Saturday was crazy, I had never seen so many people together, but the show was totally worth it!!:.

The Mexican International Conference in Computer Science is being held at my school this year. I'm definitely going to attend to some of the keynotes, the Software Engineering Track is specially appealing. If you happen to be around the area, I truly recommend you do the same!!:.

And if you're lucky
On the seventh day
She'll wear nothing.

D'arbres tan indiferents:.

Music festivals are important all around the world. The UK has tradition, Europe has vanguard, and Mexico has duranguense!!. I'm telling this because I was planning on going to one of these festivals, here in Texcoco, but unfortunately I miscalculated the date, thinking it would be the next week, and now I won't be able to go....

The good part is that today I'm going to see an amazing show at the Zócalo!!:.

De carrers abandonats, de pel·lícules només,
de matins difuminats.

I feel it all:.

I can't believe it, we're actually experiencing a The Simpsons episode in real life!!, specifically Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington, the one where Krusty becomes a congressman and The Simpsons get the approval for a new law by placing their Bill under a bill giving orphans American flags.

In our Mexican version, the government is trying to create a new tax, by saying they'll be using those resources to fight poverty. They're lying!!, if they were to do that, they would charge more taxes to those who have more. For instance, Mexico's top 50 enterprises payed an average of only $141 pesos for IVA and ISR last year (http://bit.ly/1bnBxg), 141!!!...just like @sergioaguayo says, this is immoral!!:.

We're not that stupid anymore, no more taxes!!:..

I didn't rest, I didn't stop,
Did we fight or did we talk?

Como el chile verde:.

It's a shame I won't be able to go to Texcoco to celebrate the Independence day, but at least, this year I'm celebrating in Mexico!!.

I'll have dinner with my grandparents and then it'll be time for some esquites at the Tlalpan center!!:.

¿Qué mas quieres?
¿Quieres más?

Beating like a hammer:.

It had been more than five months since the last time I went to a stadium, but today I gladly accepted a free ticket to go watch the Pumas at CU. It wasn't a particularly good match, but we were in the Pebetero section, along with the hardcore fans. People singing all the match, most of them with passion, fairly good music, though with too much Argentinian influence, and a good chat with my brother's friend, helped me get a good Sunday's afternoon!!:.

I get wherever I'm going,
I get whatever I need,
While my blood's still flowing,
And my heart still beats.

I ain't never had nobody like you:.

It's funny how things work out. It's been some time since the Chinese characters got my attention, and I was looking forward to start learning Mandarin this semester, but in the end I was forced to change my decision, and I had to enroll at Japanese. Japanese's writing systems are based on Chinese characters, and as a beginner I'm learning the most basic among them, hiragana, which uses simplifications of these characters, and what's more, concepts are replaced by sounds, which is more familiar to what we're used to. I think this is a better approach than starting right away with Chinese characters, named kanjis, and so far I think I've managed to learn a thing or two. It's funny how a language can change the way you express ideas, it's not just words, but also the way you think!!:.

I trusted liars and thieves in my madness,
Honey, I was wasting away in the room,
But now that I been through that hell,
I got a story to tell.

Bajo la lluvia y bajo el sol:.

There are two courses that I'm enjoying the most this semester. One of them is DB related, and one of the good things about it is that the teacher is an expert in this area, but he's also very versed in CS in general, so every now and then we have some discussions about algorithms, objects, performance, etc. I'm telling this because in trying to keep pace with him, there are times I simply can't, mainly because I'm too rusty in some topics, like algorithms analysis. It's people like him who encourages you not to settle with what you (think you) know!!:.

Se prometieron no crecer,
No se por qué, me convenció,
Hace tanto de aquello.

As people won't fly through the storm:.

After this weekend I'll be back to where I started, without any money!!, but it's OK, it's been well spent. I won't have to worry about the tuition for a long time:.

Thanks to the independence celebrations, for the last weekends I've had the chance to eat amazing traditional food...those 'Chiles en Nogada' were terrific!!. And this has just started....mmm....=):.

My grandmother is looking forward to attend to the 'El Greco' exhibition at Bellas Artes, I think we'll go this weekend:.

Get up off the floor of the leaving line,
No one's ever gonna ever ask you twice.

Redactant informe tràgic:.

Four years later, I'm taking a new exam:.

Batiscafo katiuscas
fas un atles visionari.

And We Can Have One Hell Of A Night:.

As I always say, that moment when you understand something you once thought of as incomprehensible, might as well be the reason why we are here!!:..it's simply amazing!!:.

This time it happened with Hiragana, ひらがな, and though I'm still in the very basics of the Japanese language, I like the way things are going:.

Can't Read My, Can't Read My,
No He can't Read On My Poker Face.

I don't practice Santeria:.

No classes today, so I even got the chance to run a bit at the Tlalpan forest with my sister. It's definitely harder than running at school's gym, but I enjoyed it!!:.

There's just one way back,
And I'll make it.

It's fading fast:.

I didn't plan it that way, but I spent most of the weekend at the Teatro de la Ciudad. On Saturday I went with my family to see the first two episodes of the Trilogía Mexicana project. The first play was about Nezahualcoyotl, it wasn't bad but it could certainly be better. The second one was the reason we were there, it was about Moctezuma II, and we really enjoyed it. It was partly an opera, and the plot was really good, it's a shame its season ended this Sunday.

On Sunday I went with my grandmother to see Jorge Saldaña and Los Panchos, playing songs for the elderly. It was different from what I usually hear, but I liked it, at least for the first two hours!!:.

Both days the audience shouted slogans against the bad government and some even praised for AMLO, it makes you think if we're not that far from social rebellion!!:.

I didn't know things were supposed to be this way
I wasn't told of this before, it's all right.

And now that no one remembers your name:.

It's a shame, but for the second time I have a lame Theory of Computation teacher. I have nothing against him, he seems to be a good guy, it's just that software engineering will never mature into a formal science if we don't start treating it as such, and the fundamentals for this change of mind lays precisely at core concepts of courses like this. Damn it, if we don't take it seriously, who will?:.

You forgot about our little secret,
Oh yes, I want to have it all.

You get what you need:.

Today I saw what could have been a great movie hadn't it been plagued with nonsenses, District 9. The idea is appealing, what would happen if an alien ship were to land in a third world country, and even more, what if the aliens were forced to live in a ghetto for the next 20 years?. The problem is that there are too many inconsistencies in the plot, some situations are just ridiculous and they could certainly use less special effects in favor of more realistic stories. It does have some good action scenes, and it'll help get your mind off for a while, but don't expect anything else:.

You can't always get what you want,
But if you try sometimes, well,
You just might find,
You get what you need.

So needless to say:.

I was planning on studying Chinese this semester, but there was a last minute change and now I'm enrolled at Japanese, I'm starting tomorrow!!:.

Say after me,
It's no better to be safe than sorry.

Though the troops were battle dressed:.

Today I finally made it to the gym, I can only hope tomorrow I'll still be able to walk!!:.

I think I'm starting to understand what these proofs are all about. This is the last one before going to bed (should you find any error, please let me know):

Teorema: A x (B – C) = (A x B) – (A x C)

Demostración:
Sea (x, y) cualquier par ordenado del producto cartesiano A x (B – C). Por la definición de producto cartesiano, x ∈ A y y ∈ (B – C). Por la definición de diferencia, y ∈ B, pero y ∉ C. Por la definición de producto cartesiano, (x,y) ∈ (A x B) y (x, y) ∉ (A x C). Por la definición de diferencia, (x, y) ∈ (A x B) – (A x C). Es decir, A x (B – C) = (A x B) – (A x C).


This I studied a few years ago, but even then I didn't fully understood the concepts. As I previously said, this is a chance to redeem myself!!:.

Well there's a riot going on
Student demonstration time.

Tell me off so I can turn off the lights:.

Need a break?:..go visit La Familia del Barrio, simply amazing!!:.

I could tell that you could tell that I was taking my time,
But I was thinking of ways to get you staying the night.

Sunday comes and all the papers say:.

Last Saturday I went with a friend to the Cineteca Nacional. I was hoping I could see one of the films of the German exposition, 'Reprise' sounded particularly good, but it was really crowded, so I'll have to go next weekend:.

I'm struggling with my first homework, but hey, that's what I asked for!!:.

Can money pay for all the days I lived awake
But half asleep?.

The stranger sang a theme:.

Today me and my grandmother tried a new recipe, Milanesas a la Paprika. They were good, but not so much Paprika-flavored, we shall try again!!:.

Yesterday I saw The Hangover movie, totally worth it if you fancy a good laugh:.

But I can’t seem to recall
When you came along
Ingenue.

Forget but not forgive:.

Good day catching up with an old friend. I should have known better, a family menu is meant for more than two people!!:.

Today I also had my last course for the week, Software Testing and Quality Assurance, and, though the professor seems to be biased against Agile methods, these concepts are fundamental for the development of software engineering into a formal science.

And I could write it down
Or spread it all around,
Get lost and then get found
Or swallowed in the sea.

Nothing's ever built to last:.

Years ago I took an Algorithms Analysis course, and it always bothered me that I didn't feel like learning at all. It was a combination of a bad teacher and lack of commitment on my part, but the good news are that as of today I'm starting a course on Theory of Computation, I'll redeem myself!!:.

When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try,
Something inside this heart has died.

Esta letra no la protestaré:.

So far I've had good classes at school. I can tell I'm a little bit rusty, but nothing serious. I still have two classes left this week, we'll see how it goes:..

Excellent game against the damn gringos!!:..a month ago I didn't believe in the mexican team, I actually thought that they would be defeated here in the azteca stadium, but I have to admit that for the past two games they've been playing fairly good, and now they've proven me wrong, good for them!!:.

Este pez ya no muere por tu boca,
este loco se va con otra loca,
estos ojos no lloran mas por ti.

En su espacio y en su tiempo:.

I wanted to see what the Twilight hype was all about, so last week I read the first book of the series. It has nothing to do with HP, the plot is way too romantic, it was definitely written for a feminine audience. Nonetheless yesterday I read the second book, and I liked it far more than the first one, though it's still not in HP's league:..

Today I'll attend to my first master course, Uncertainty Systems, AI we meet again!!:.

Fuiste polvo, polvo eres
Piensa que el hierro
Siempre al calor es blando.

The battle will be over:.

For as long as I can remember, every time I came to my grandparents' house I slept in the same bed. It's very soft and I really like it, but the truth is that after using it for some decades, the time has come to change it, so today I went with my parents to buy a new one. This might sound like a little change, but it's the first one in a series of new beginnings for me!!:.

Tomorrow I'll start a new semester...I'm ready!!:.

From that day when we shall lay down our burden,
And study war no more.

How we like to sing along:.

Last Thursday instead of taking a bus I walked my way back home from school. It took me 40 minutes, which is great because several years ago I tried the same thing, but that time it took me a couple hours before I finally got home. This is not something I'm planning on doing on a regular basis, but it's good to know I can do it!!:.

When the days they seem to fall through you,
Well, just let them go.

Un ambiente diferente y la vida por delante:.

Today I finally enrolled at school, though I have to admit that some of the courses I'll be taking were not among my first options. The good part is that I'll be taking classes with one of the best teachers I've ever had, ralozano. Part of the bad news is that I can't help noticing that the reason why there are not many options available is that bferro is no longer here:.

Well, rolling rolling!!:.

Lo intento porque siento,
porque vivo en movimiento.

Si la quieres:.

Today I saw the film that defeated 'Waltz With Bashir' at the Oscars last year. It's Departures, an amazing Japanese movie. I didn't finish it because my grandmother came to watch it with me for like five minutes, and she liked it, so I thought it would be a good idea to share it with my family this weekend.

Later today I went to the Lumiere cinemas to watch Terminator 4, for the second time. I liked it more than I did the first time, though I still think the plot could be better:.

Y me muero al tener que admitir
Que te ves bien con ella.

Y con su aroma me fui embriagando:.

Today we cooked the famous Pescado Empapelado. It's still one of my favourite dishes of all times!!:.

Considering tomorrow it'll only cost 22 pesos to go to the movies, I'm going to watch Terminator 4. I already saw it online, but I'm looking forward to spending more time with my brothers:.

A primera vista supe que era especial,
Y me dejo suspirando.

Lo digo porque quitaste el disco:.

Today I started practicing with the Pinyin representation of the characters I've been studying lately. For this I installed some packages in Ubuntu, and I'm impressed by how comfortable it is to write using this system. I know I need further studying before I can master these radicals, but so far I like the way this is going:.

No te gusta la música?
Sí, mucho.

Sin importarnos como es el final:.

A few weeks ago the Xbox 360 support team refused to fix my machine, forcing my entrance to the dark side!!. Now I'm able to play pirated games, something I had been trying to avoid for a long time. Anyway, this week I completed Gears of War 2, though not in the toughest mode. In general, this is a good game, but I can't help noticing that the story is not as convincing as it should:.

Next week I'll finally enroll at school!!:.

Transformaremos mundos,
Inventaremos mares que cruzar,
Si nos perdemos nada pasará.

Hoy te llamarán por tu nombre:.

Today I went with my family to the Teotihuacan exposition at the MNAH, and we really enjoyed it!!. We spent the afternoon at the zoo, and I have to admit that after an hour or so I was very tired. Four months ago I was able to walk all day, but I guess this is one of the consequences of my new way of living...I'll have to change some things:.

Before going back home we went to the Huellas de la Vida exposition. It's surprisingly good:.

Y vuelas libre a donde tu mente lo pide,
no más dolor de rodillas,
no tienes que disimular esta vez.

The ideal architect:.

The ideal architect should be a man of letters, a skillful draftsman, a mathematician, familiar with historical studies, a diligent student of philosophy, acquainted with music, not ignorant of medicine, learned in the responses of jurisconsults, familiar with astronomy and astronomical calculations.

Vitruvius, De Architectura (25 BC)

Y el mundo es un salón:.

Today I felt like going to the city center, maybe because it's been a while since I went there without having a reason to do so. First of all I went to the Museo Interactivo de Economía, and tasted a delicious coffee from Puebla, then I moved to the Museo de Betlemitas, one of the army's museums, and even though it's not a big building, there are some statues of pre-hispanic warriors totally worth seeing. My last cultural stop was at the Palacio de Iturbide, currently hosting part of the Banamex-collection, here the painting I liked the most was Vendedora de Alcatraces!!:.

Yo que era un solitario bailando
me quedé sin hablar
Mientras tú me fuiste demostrando
que el amor es bailar.

En danzas paganas:.

I'm about to finish the first volume of the Fun with Chinese Characters series. I truly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Chinese language in general!!:.

I hope I can finally go to the MNAH this weekend, there's an interesting exposition on Teotihuacan that I've been postponing to go for some time now. Considering I'm on a low budget I'll have to go on Sunday, free entrance!!:.

Dormido entre la hierba,
ya soñaba con tus manos
Cuando bailaba entre las tumbas,
sentia tu mirada

Desire is hunger:.

This week I finally got my Xbox back from the repair center, but the problem was that I also got a letter explaining me that they won't repair it because the damage is not covered by the warranty. It didn't took me by surprise, I had long lost hope on any Microsoft product, so I'll do what I first thought when it broke, sell it on ebay as a damaged product!!:.

Today I payed for my first semester at the master program, let us hope it's worth it!!:.

With love we sleep,
With doubt the vicious cycle turns,
And burns.

Das bin ich, das bin ich:.

Yesterday I watched HP's new movie and I really liked it!. I had my doubts about the dark nature of the movie, considering what other fans were saying, but then I realized that the way dark magic is combined with romance in the plot is at least interesting, it serves to keep the non-fans interested throughout the movie:..

Ich bin jetzt, ich bin hier, ich bin ich,
Das allein ist meine Schuld.

Porque yo vengo con apetito de obrero:.

Great weekend resting by the pool, just like an EJB!!. I had to drive half the way back to Mexico, quite an experience considering I had never driven in an important highway:.

Quick summary: I ate some delicious camaronillas, got hit by a mailbox, had wonderful pizzas for dinner, got addicted to Yoli, swam with my cellphone (ruining it), read HP1 and had breakfast like there was no tomorrow!!:.

This week I'll watch HP's new movie, there's a chance I'll go see it with a former friend, to be honest, it would be great to see her again:.

Yo no lucho por un terreno pavimentado
Ni por metros cuadrados, ni por un sueño dorado.

The good old days, the honest man:.

I love the daylight around 7-8 pm, you can actually sense the nature of the place where you are. For instance, Tlalpan has this particular shade of sepia, Barcelona had an amazing blue, and the place where I am right now, Acapulco, has a dark blue variant. This, at least for me, is like taking a quick view to the place's soul:.

The restless heart, the Promised Land
A subtle kiss that no one sees
A broken wrist and a big trapeze.

Para no cometer el mismo error:.

Tomorrow I'll go with my brother to Acapulco. It might not sound fair, but while he's doing some tests for his job, I'll be resting at the beach!!:..I'll catch up with him at night, we'll see what to do then:.

Today I saw an amazing report on the violence caused by the narcos here in Mexico. It's divided in two parts, with chilling names, Corrido para un degollado and Alfombra Roja para los muertos. You can watch it here: http://bit.ly/4ypHB9:.

Pero ya es muy tarde
El mal ya esta hecho.

Pero pase lo que pase:.

Today I saw two gore movies, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and its prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. I found the prequel to be more interesting than the original, maybe because of the special effects, but neither of them is particularly good.

Talking about something else, I'll probably go on vacations to a mexican beach, though, truth be told, I'm not a beach-weather-fan, I prefer cold over hot:.

Damn Canadians, from now on you'll need a visa to go into their territory!!:.

Me callo porque es más cómodo engañarse
Me callo porque ha ganado la razón al corazón.

Y luego imaginé:.

Great weekend celebrating my sister's birthday and graduation!!:.


Ya ves, ni me quejo ni me quejaré
Mi ser, mis recuerdos y alguna canción
Son hoy mi premio de consolación.

Where a smile is not required:.

Today I updated to Ubuntu 9.04 and the system's overall performance is very good. I'm actually considering not replacing my machine this summer and stick with my loyal Thinkpad for another year and a half, there are just some minor fixes to be done:.

You might call it existential crisis
I simply call it the bravery
Of emptiness.

Something is about to give:.

I must admit that my progress with chinese characters has been rather slow these days, I'm around 122 right now. I know I can do better!!:.

I've taken the opportunity to go out with my little sister to show her around some historical sites of Texcoco. For instance, the other day we visited a nearby barrio, San Diego, where we bought some delicious ice creams for 2.50 pesos!. Yesterday we visited a historical city entrance, the Ahuehuete, and we even had the chance to see a train pass by, which was very good because she had never seen this happen in Texcoco:.

Did I waste it?
Not so much I couldn't taste it
Life should be fragrant
Rooftop to the basement.

A summer's disregard:.

Last Friday I was shocked by the news of my best teacher being sacked from school. Shame on you ITESM, he is more than a teacher. Because of him a lot of us feel this passion for software engineering, he made us think outside the box with the Head First approach and changed the way we saw this way of living, in a nutshell he is the reason why I think programming can be developed into more than craftmanship!!:.

For what it's worth, I've already complaint with the school's headmaster:.

And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change.

But everything looks perfect from far away:.

Today I saw two amazing movies, Cannibal Holocaust and Waltz with Bashir. I saw the latter months ago in Barcelona, but I didn't want to miss the chance to watch it here in Texcoco, with my parents and Nati. And for the former, I was attracted by the impaled-girl poster when I first saw it in my last roommate's movie collection. Both are excellent recommendations:.

108 characters!!:.

But it's thoughts like this that catch
my troubled head when you're away,
when I am missing you to death.

All things pass into the night:.

Quiet days here in Texcoco. Nothing like reading news while listening to birds singing along the river, followed by an evening walking in the city center eating some delicious esquites:.

90 chinese characters learned, 86 more to go!!:.


You told me, I've seen it all before
I've been there,
I've seen my hopes and dreams lying on the ground.

Get your act together:.

Last Friday I went with bk to a book auction held in the Auditorio Nacional. There are lots of options and chances are you'll find something you like at an amazing price. For instance, we bought a Dilbert book for 20 pesos!, a little bit more than a euro. The auction ends on July 2nd, try and find some free spot on your agenda and save a book from be destroyed!!:.

I won't be hasty, I'll give you a try
If you really bug me then I'll say goodbye.

Y empiezo a pensar:.

I spent half of my day playing around with my soon-to-be partner. It has the perfect size and, though I cannot say the same about its weight, its looks and speed are simply amazing!!:.

59 character so far, 117 more to go:.

Sé bien que no pedí permiso,
pero sé muy bien que tu lo harías también.

After a while you'll forget everything:.

For the last couple of weeks I've had plenty of free time, and since school doesn't start for another month or so, I've decided to invest my time by giving chinese characters another chance. I'm using the first volume of the Fun With Chinese Characters series. You can actually see some of the Head First principles applied here, pretty cool considering this book was printed in the early 80s!!:.

I know the territory - I've been around,
It'll all turn to dust and we'll all fall down,
And sooner or later you'll be screwing around.

Just for one day:.

Each day I'm getting closer to my new partner. All reviews are satisfactory and weeks pass by without anyone finding a major issue with it, so all that's left is to decide where to buy it. I could do it online, but I'll probably wait to see if there's any offer at the laptop-fair next semester.

Years ago I took a class that shocked my world as developer. I'm looking forward to meet with that class teacher again, thank him for his insights and, with some luck, be able to share some knowledge!!:.

And the shame
Was on the other side
...we can beat them.

But nothing is changing:.

One of the first things I did when I came back home was to pay back my school credit, but because of school bureaucracy it wasn't till today that I could see a debt-free account...freedom!!:.

As a human I thirst all the wealth,
all the gold, all the toys, all the joys.

Is this the kind of life you want?:.

In this age of programmers' underestimation and slavery it's good to see that some people are actually doing something to change this. Recently I've been in touch with some members of a little company named IluminaTI, TI standing for Technology Innovation, whose purpose is not to exploit it's members but rather acknowledge their value. Some might say that traditional companies state the same in their missions, but in reality for most of them we're just a thing, not a being. If I were not about to start a full-time master degree, I would definitely work with them!!:.

This new way of thinking has gained momentum thanks to companies like Google, and smaller ones like Fog Creek. It's great to see it can be successfully applied here in Mexico:.

Do we ever try?
We're keeping it automatic
I'll be listening until you fade.

Exsonvaldes

I got the green light:.

Lately I've been reading a book where you can really feel the author's passion for computer science. Every now and then he can't help praising for the solid, beautiful, and pervasive foundation of computer science, the elegant and useful models and abstractions that have been created over the years, and more like that. It's Elements of Computation Theory by Arindama Singh, and if you have some time to spare, I truly recommend you give it a look.

It’s funny how you just break down,
Waitin' on some sign.

Is all that you can't say:.

Last Wednesday I went with a couple of good friends to the Mexico-Trinidad y Tobago match and, as expected, I spent half the time cursing the damn players!!, but the night out was worth it if only for the tacos we ate before finally going home...tacos Charly!!:.

Sometimes I think school bureaucracy is evil. Even though I had the admission interview earlier this week, they won't let me continue with the admission process until someone formally notifies them the interview result!!...

Years gone by and still
Words don't come easily
Like sorry.