What was it you wanted?:.

About a month ago I bought an Amazon Kindle and my first e-book purchase was the first 4 books in the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, excellent choice =). I needed something to read for my next vacations and since I had already watched the 'A Game of Thrones' show, I knew this was something worth looking at.

The only problem is that when I find something I like, it becomes an obsession, and this time was no different. I've just finished reading the second book and let me tell you, this is a great story, but you have to make sure you have enough the time to read it, otherwise you'll end up like me, barely sleeping at all when you have to go to school early in the morning =).

Anyway, vacations are just around the corner and now I'll have enough time to recharge batteries and prepare myself, because now I know that, winter is coming!!:.

I've done this before,
and I will do it again.

Lift me off the ground:.

Nearly two months after my arrival in Grenoble, things finally seem to be settling =). I got payed, I have a new home, and most of all, paperwork is no longer the main concern in my life!!.

But not everything is perfect, along the way I lost some good friends. First, my hard disk, and then my loyal Macbook white =(. Anyway, now more than ever I realize that it's not a good idea to have dinner in the same table where you work, specially if you mix beer, milk, and sodas...

In the early days I used to walk all around the city to go from my home to the university, just like in the old times, and though I still managed to do it, I got very tired by the end of the week, maybe the time has passed for me to do that on a daily basis.

My new home wouldn't be complete without a proper chair, and that's basically what I was looking for the last couple of days. It's important to know that many years ago, when I was starting college I was in a similar situation, I needed a good chair where I could perform magic =). And so I bought a particular model that up to this day is still in my bedroom back in Mexico city. Anyway, when I moved to Barcelona I decided to look for the exact same model, eventually I found it and it served me good for a couple of years. This time I was going to do same, but there were some logistic problems and there was no way I could bring it back home without losing my arms, which by the way almost happen when I bought the chair in Spain (but I'll leave that story for another time). Today, I found a very similar one in another store, and I can finally say that, for now, I feel like home =).

The leaves, they fall to my feet,
at home, they mean nothing to me.

Waiting for a ride in the dark:.

I'd like to share some thoughts and impressions from my first week in Grenoble. First of all, I think this will be a prolific experience and I'm really looking forward to learn and share all that I can during my stay here.

Ok, I really don't know where to start, because there are plenty on things I do like and obviously some other that I don't. So, let's begin with the positive things, among them, the mountains!!. It's a fact that everywhere you look you see a mountain, and that's great, it gives you a sense of nature-awareness that I think will be even more impressing once the snow starts coming. From what I've seen, people here really love their mountains, and do all kind of stuff like trekking, bicycling and are now getting prepared for snowboarding, skiing and that sort of things for when the snow finally comes. I'll definitely have to try some of those activities out =):.

I also like the fact that's relatively safe to be here, you can walk yourself home at night, or wander around the city early in the morning, and you don't feel particularly threatened or anything. To be honest, there's always someone running by your side in the street, so you're not really alone at anytime. Anyway, a little precaution is ok.

I don't like the way traffic lights work here!. There's always a moment when both pedestrians and cars have the red light, and you don't know what to do!. I mean, it's not like for a couple of seconds, it's a long time in which no one is allowed to continue their way. And if you just stay there, you see how other people just come and pass to the other side of the road, leaving you wondering if you're just been naive or fool for following what the traffic light says.

Like in any country I've been, having to do paperwork and deal with bureaucrats is simple the worst thing humanity has to offer!!. Ok, I'm not being totally fair here. I must admit that my level of French is not very good yet, so it's a little bit difficult to communicate in a mixture of spanish-english-french with the people around me, specially when you have to deal with these bureaucratic affairs. Some of the school personnel has actually been very helpful and understanding, so yes, paperwork is a nightmare but people can be kind when you're in need =). Having said that, I do think that for a top-level international institution, you can ask for basic english communication skills in the administration personnel...anyway, this is something you must live as part of the whole international experience, it can be difficult, maddenning but in the end it's also interesting and you actually end up learning and practicing your communication skills =)..

This post is pretty long now, I'll continue my experiences in another one. Au revoir!:.

Following the neon signs,
waiting for a roar!.

Lucky:.

A few days ago I was having dinner with some good friends, when it suddenly hit me, it's been 10 years since I finished high school!. At that time, I had to leave Texcoco to come live with my grandparents in Mexico city, so I could study at the university. It was a great change in my life, and I'll never thank enough my grandparents for their support, not only then but through all the time I've been here.

Once I finished school, they let me stayed with them during the year or so that I worked in Mexico, and when the time came for me to work abroad, they wished me luck and reminded me that I could always come back...and I did =).

Once more I'm in a similar situation, I'll be leaving home for a long time. However, there's a big difference this time, my grandparents' health is not as good as it used to be. But that's a subject for another post, today I'll enjoy my last sleep here, my second-home, and tomorrow we'll enjoy breakfast. I'll also take the opportunity to thank them again for all their valuable help, time and patience =):.

Lucky

La vie est I'art le plus authentique:.

La semaine dernière j'ai reçu de bonnes nouvelles, ma long séjour visa a enfin été approuvée et maintenant je suis en train d'aller à Grenoble, en France!. J'ai déjà acheté mon billet d'avion et un camarade m'a réservé un studio pour mon arrivée la semaine prochaine.

Ce n'est pas la première fois que je vais être loin de mon pays pour un longtemps. Il y a quelques années, je suis allée à l'étranger pour plus de deux ans pour travailler à Barcelone. C'était une bonne expérience, mais aussi plein de beaucoup d'erreurs. Cette fois será différente!!.

Maintenant je sais que c'est une mauvaise idée de vivre comme des sans-abri, sans laver bien votre vêtements, manger malbouffe toutes les week-ends et sans nettoyer votre chambre. Semble logique, mais quand vous êtes seule c'est facile d'oublier tout et de vivre comme des animaux =):.

Pleine ou vide, c'est toi qui diriges ta propre vie,
aime-la, jouie-la, danse-la,
mais fait d'elle le meilleur film qu'il soit!.

Something that we don't determine:.

Hace ya bastante tiempo conocí a un cuate en Barcelona y durante las primeras conversaciones clásicas sobre qué nos gustaba y demás salió el tema de la cerveza. Yo le dije la verdad, no me gustaba mucho su sabor y él estuvo de acuerdo conmigo, el sabor de la cerveza no era algo que fuera mucho de su agrado. Unos días después coincidimos para una fiesta de la ciudad y durante las horas que estuvimos juntos lo vi tomarse dos o tres cuagamas de la cerveza local =). Al final de la noche me hizo una confesión que hasta el día de hoy no se me ha olvidado, me dijo: sé muy bien lo que te dije hace unos días y también sé que pensarás que soy un mentiroso, pero la verdad es que no me gusta el sabor de la cerveza, lo que me encanta es su efecto!!:.

Menciono esta pequeña anécdota porque es verdad que con la cerveza, y con algunos otros placeres de esta vida, se suele tener una relación un poco complicada, al menos yo la he tenido. Al inicio su sabor no es agradable, durante mi adolescencia y parte de mi juventud su sabor me resultaba bastante desagradable. Es cierto que algunas veces disfrute de sus efectos, pero no era ni por asomo ese gran elixir que algunos, como los míticos Homero Simpson y Bender Bending Rodríguez, decían. Llegué incluso a cometer el sacrilegio de dejar una Guinness a medio acabar en la St. James's Gate Brewery, porque su sabor me resultó demasiado amargo....en retrospectiva me atrevo a decir: pero qué tontería!!.

Con el tiempo, vas descubriendo las bondades de los diferentes tipos de cerveza, que si clara u obscura, que si con mezcla de no sé qué ingredientes o que si con denominación de tal o cual región, y muchas veces todo se reduce a la esencia de la confesión de alguien que ha probado las delicias, no sólo de la cerveza sino de muchos placeres en la vida: muchas veces lo importante no es el sabor o la presentación de las cosas, sino lo que llega a provocar en tí =):.

I love you so
but why I love you, I'll never know.

Turn on the bright lights:.

Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais aujourd'hui je me sens libre =):.

I had seven faces,
thought I knew which one to wear,
but I'm sick of spending these lonely nights,
training myself not to care.

Some say we walk alone:.

I wish The Dark Lord would have won!, there, I just said it!. He was the best of his kind, master of all worth mastering, he even reinvented his soul, his very nature!. His actions were portrayed as evil, but that's only because they were told by someone who couldn't understand them.

Let's get another thing straight, he was not defeated by some prophecy-powerless-unskillful boy, how could it be, it's not as if faith or prophecies have anything to do with what we can or cannot do, just our actions!. No, he was finally defeated by another great mind, the only one who could ever had the chance to be his equal, Dumbledore. The elegance and simplicity of his plan, well, breathtaking!. A true master of his craft, the way he acted and made others act, the way he made them think they were acting on free will.

In a sense, he was just like The Dark Lord, they knew there wasn't such thing as good or evil, in the end all that really matters is what you want!. Unlike everybody else, they didn't need justifications, no one to tell them what to do or think next, they just accepted the greatest truth of all: I'm free to do whatever the hell I want to do!.

=):.

So say I walk alone,
barefoot on wicked stone tonight,
will you leap to follow?
will you turn and go?.

Face to face:.

...es interesante ver cómo hemos cambiado. Esos rasgos de analizar y calcular, puede que fríamente, comparado con la inocencia o inmadurez de hace muchos años. No sé, interesante cómo nos vamos adaptando y las formas que encontramos para hacerlo.

Gracias por todo y de verdad espero que cumplas tu sueño de vivir, amar y disfrutar en Canadá =):.

Wherever you go,
wherever you land,
I’ll say what this means to me,
I’ll do what I can.

El tiempo a mí me puso en otro lado:.

Normalement je parle de mon présent et l'avenir, mais ce soir c'est une bonne occasion pour parler de mon passé. Comme certaines personnes le savent, bolitapop était le nom que j'ai utilisé pour longtemps. Pendant cette étape de ma vie, j'ai appris beaucoup de choses, visitait endroits magnifiques et aussi rencontrai des gens très intéressant. Une de ces personnes a été Sherinny.

Je l'ai rencontré dans l'université, et progressivement nous sommes devenus plus que des amis. Après l'université, c'était évident que nous voulions des choses différentes et chacun a pris un chemin différent. Bien que je ne le regrette pas, peut-être que la façon dont j'ai fait ça n'était pas la meilleur.

Le plus important est que merci à cette expérience, j'ai encore une passion pour le cinéma, l'Europe centrale et le Nestea de pêche. Il y a aussi des héritages négatifs, comme ma fascination avec des zombies et des films d'horreur, mais c'est un sujet pour un autre jour.

Je parle maintenant de cette question parce que j'ai déjà lu une entrée similaire dans son blog. Après tout, peut-être qu'un jour nous puissions parler face à face et sourire à nouveau =):.

El cine, las traiciones, los enigmas,
mi padre, la cerveza, las pastillas,
los misterios, el whisky malo,
los óleos, el amor, los escenarios,
el hambre, el frío, el crimen, el dinero y mis 10 tías,
me hicieron este hombre enreverado.

While my blood's still flowing:.

Ok, today I want to ramble about the subject that has been on my mind for the last months: the French language.

Before I started studying it, like many people, I had a biased opinion towards the language. I thought it would be very difficult to use, due to its guttural nature, it's writing also seemed daunting, and most of all, the speed at which french people seem to speak is shocking. But as many things in life, if you try to understand something from its very basics, you eventually realize it all makes sense.

I've been studying with an approach that doesn't rely on teaching you grammar rules, instead, you infer them from small conversations and guided exercises. It's all based on the way children learn, and it's great. It's no secret that in order for this, or any other, approach to be effective, you really need to put effort and time. But unlike children, we also have another tool at our disposal: abstraction!.

From the very beginning, you start recognizing similarities with other romance languages. I had previously studied Spanish, English and Catalan, so many things in French already seemed familiar. As you progress, you also recognize patterns in the way things are pronounced and written, and you understand it's not as chaotic as you thought it would be. You start using it and you like the way you sound, obviously not like a french native, but strange and interesting =).

So far my strategy has been focused on learning enough grammar and vocabulary by my self, but now I'll pass to the next level, practice the language and challenge myself with other people. I know this is the only way to master anything in life.

In brief, after 5-6 months of studying French, I can tell you it's a great language, daunting at first, but always interesting. I never thought I would stop almost all of my activities just to learn a new language, but I don't regret it =):.

My regrets are few,
if my life is mine,
what shouldn't I do?

Pick me up and turn me round:.

Last week I received excellent news, the opportunity of studying a PhD abroad is getting closer =).

To be honest, I have mixed feelings. First, I'm not yet fluent in the French language, and that could be a serious problem. Then, there's the thesis' topic, cloud computing. It's not my area of expertise, but I have to admit it's one of the most relevant topics nowadays, so chances are there are a lot of areas of improvement there, which ultimately means I'll have the opportunity to deal with many interesting things.

That's my real motivation, I just like to deal with interesting things =). I'll need time to catch up, but I'll have enough time and proper guidance, let us hope I'm up for the challenge!!

I love the passing of time,
never for money,
always for love.

That's what she said:.

Today two things will mark the end of an era. First, I'll attend to the graduation ceremony for my Master's degree, and second, the 7th season of 'The Office' will come to an end. I know that the second event might sound trivial, but I've been a huge fan of that show since I first watched it in 2007.

In the beginning, I liked 'The Office' because it really portrayed the boredom and awkwardness that you find in any traditional company. People are usually unhappy, they just go to work, expect to do the less amount of work they can, and then go back home and start all over again. The problem is they get used to it, and then one day they realize they're 40, they wasted their lives and there's no way they can change now...

With time, the show lost some of its original scent, and some even say it should've ended a long time ago. This is why this particular season finale is so important, it's the goodbye of 'Michael Scott', main character and world's best boss =). The show might not live long without him, but let's not worry about that now, let's just remember some his best moments. 

Good luck Michael!!

Non, rien de rien:.

Cela fait trois ans que j'ai décidé d'écrire toujours en anglais, mais maintenant je dois changer de langue parce que je veux étudier en France et j'ai besoin de pratiquer le français. Bien que mon niveau n'est pas bon, je pense que je peux améliorer avec assez de pratique.

C'est intéressant que les raisons pour changer de langue sont très similaires. Il y a trois ans, j'ai cherchais une occasion pour étudier une maîtrise, et maintenant que je l'ai fini, j'ai des plans pour un doctorat. L'éducation est encore important dans ma vie =):.

Non, je ne regrette rien,
Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait, ni le mal
Tout ça m'est bien égal.

Even if I could hear what you said:.

Ok, today I want to ramble about a simple subject that has bothered me my entire life: why should we greet women different from the way we greet men?, it's so silly!. Let me explain, here in Mexico when you greet a guy you usually shake hands, but when greeting a woman you're also supposed to fake a kiss in the cheek, well, to be honest some people, specially the old ones, actually perform the kiss...

I've never understood why we have to do this, I mean, why make distinctions?, aren't women supposed to be our equals?. Well, I do believe we are, and so I almost always greet everyone the same way: a little 'Hi' and a handshake, and if the handshake can be avoided, perfect!, to me it doesn't matter if you're a child, a man, a woman or whatever.

Of course, most women are used to the traditional convention, this sort of special treatment, and so when I don't do it, it kind of feels strange. I've seen all kinds of reactions, there are those who get offended, those who laugh, those who force the tradition, and my favorite, those who don't care. I specially like this last group, they are truly acting like equals =):.

I'll make you laugh by acting like the guy who sings,
and you'll make me smile by really getting into the swing.

Quiero verte yo:.

I've made my mind, this will be my last month of rest!. 

I've spent the last three months learning French, and though it's been interesting, now I need another motivation in my life. Historically, the only thing that has really mattered to me, besides my family, is programming, so that would be the natural choice. The plan of studying a PhD abroad is also open, but I hate just staying still, waiting for things to happen. I've already started looking for some positions in the industry, we'll see how that goes. 

I'm in no rush, I value my time =):.

No importa lo que digas,
no importa lo que vea,
yo creeré en mi sueño!

I don't think straight with nothing to prove:.

It's been a while since my last post. Let's see, I just attended to an international conference in Puebla. I mainly came here because a few months ago some colleagues and I got a paper accepted in this conference, and though it was not my turn to talk about it, I thought I could be here as moral support, or something like that. This was also a great excuse to travel and visit both Puebla and Cholula. All in all, this was a great experience, I had a good time with one of my colleagues (vivan la pasita y los molotes!!) and I really enjoyed the architecture of both cities =):.

I really needed this time off, because for the last month I've done nothing but study french, and I came to a point where I felt I wasn't really learning, I was just forcing my brain. If we're to believe the HF guys, this is something really, really, bad.

Continuing with academic matters, during these months I got another paper on MDSD accepted in an international conference, held in Aguascalientes. I wrote another version of the paper based on my thesis work, and this time we'll try and submit it to a big conference in the US, let us hope it all goes as planned. To be honest, I've also started to reconsider pursuing the PhD right now. Will it really be my best option for the next 3-4 years?.

Every single night ends up the same,
I don't say much at all,
but I bring up your name.

No tratemos de correr antes de andar:.

I've always had a passion for languages, it's amazing how they shape your thoughts and, to some extent, who you think you are. Right now there's a possibility I'll go study abroad, specifically to a french speaking country, which is why I've been studying French on my spare time for the last couple of weeks.

I'm using the Rosetta Stone approach, and if you haven't heard of it before, let me tell you it's great!!. They try and teach you not by translating words or sentences from your native language, but by letting you associate images, colors and sounds to concepts, just the way you learned your first language =). It's an interesting approach, if you ever find yourself trying to learn a new language, I would recommend you give this software a shot!!:.

Esta noche estamos vivos,
sólo este momento es realidad.

You could leave or live with it:.

Some say life is just a little bit of history repeating, and to be honest, the more I grow old the more I think they are right. Anyway, though I've done nothing but rest for the last couple of weeks, now I should really start thinking about what I want to do for the next few years.

Well, I guess there's no rush, this cycle is not over yet =):.

I was never much of a romantic,
I could never take the intimacy.