A nice deed

Be a Hero

2012-01-24T21:20:00.000-08:00

DC Entertainment has launched an initiative that involves two of my favorite things in the world: Humanitarian Causes and Comic Books. The situation in the horn of Africa is dire, so please, at least this time, be a hero.

Seu Jorge & Ana Carolina

2010-09-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite Brazilian singers, Ana Carolina e Seu Jorge together in a beautiful song called E Isso Ai.

Matisyahu Is Performing Tonight in SLC

2010-08-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

Matisyahu is one of those artists that can move, inspire and cause you to dance at the same time. He'll be in town tonight and below is one of my favorite songs from his repertoire. Enjoy

Cool Cover of INXS' "Tear Us Apart"

2010-07-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

Beck demonstrates its genius again by gathering St. Vincent's Annie Clark, Liars and the Brazilian legend "Os Mutantes" for a cover version of this song. Enjoy.

Record Club: INXS "Never Tear Us Apart" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

What an African Girl Can Teach Us about Self-Worth

2010-07-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

The Nicest use of an Iphone

2010-06-17T12:09:00.001-07:00

Virtual Choir- Amazing

2010-04-19T14:28:00.001-07:00

What a Cup of Hot Chocolate Can Do

2010-04-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

When I went to college they diagnosed me with ADD. That gave me a sense of relief because it explained some eccentricities in my personality, like becoming obsessed with a particular subject. I have previously told my humble readership about one of them, I would like to tell you about another one. It originates in the fruit of the Theobroma Cacao plant, which was utilized by pre-Columbian civilizations in the form of a bitter drink and made its way to Europe and therefore to the rest of the world. Yes, my other obsession, my kryptonite, my weakness, the object of almost daily revere, and after my wife and daughter, the sweetener to my very existence is none other than Hot Chocolate.

Ever since I was a child I loved the smell of Chocolate tablets melting in heated milk and watching my mom smile at us children while stirring the drink. The sensation of the thick sweet liquid pouring inside my mouth would warm up my life and make me beg for more, even if a stomachache would come as the result of excessive consumption, it was always worth it. Hot chocolate would most of the time be associated with good times in my life. Sir James M. Barrie wrote: “God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December”. We didn't have seasons in Venezuela (it's a nice tropical country), but hot chocolate would usually give me a bit of spring during any time of my life, even during a hard one.

Later on in life, I had the daunting experience of hunting for a job in Manhattan, which produced in me a state of melancholy that would only be cured by ingesting the divine elixir of the Italian Hot Chocolate (a good imitation of Cioccolata Densa) of Max Brenner, made out of Venezuelan cacao (I might sound biased, but it's the best). When drinking the magic brew my mind would be transported back into Caracas and make me feel the warmth of home with relatives; my whole being would be filled with a happy sensation that was harder to come by while experiencing unemployment. It was so creamy, as creamy as my mother's hot chocolate, so rich, so engaging. I could indulge in its consumption only once a month, OK maybe once every two weeks, hmm... make it once a week. Since then I knew that in the United States there was something better than the mediocrity they sell in the pouches of Swiss Miss (which I consumed in the office while employed because the alternative would be coffee, which I don't drink).

After moving to Salt Lake City about two years ago, my wife and I walked into a local chocolate store which had been recommended by co-worker, the name of the store? The Hatch Family Chocolates. I was pleasantly surprised to see there an old acquaintance from college, Steve Hatch. Steve, is the accomplice in crime to Kate Masterson in the TLC show The Little Chocolatiers.

I have had the pleasure of knowing them for a while, and I can honestly say that Stave and Kate are the real sweet deal both in person and on screen. They are hard-working, honest, amicable people; they never act as celebrities (which they've become) but as cordial human beings. This entry is not about their show (in all honesty, I don't have cable, and I've only seen the pilot), this is about one of their products. People around here know the Hatch Family Chocolates better because of their sweet and tempting confections, but this blogger? this blogger has an obsession, remember? Those pieces of visual and culinary art they display in their counters, the rare and masterful edible crafts that Kate and Steve would design and put together, those were not my primary objective (OK, I'm also enamored with their candy, but I don't want to get off topic here). My goal was having a sip of the Italian Hot Chocolate I knew they sold, that day I accomplished my objective.

I experienced once again that same joy I had in New York City, and the taste of sultry chocolate filled my tongue again, letting me feel the rich texture of the liquid. I knew that there were people out there (besides my mom and the guys at Max Brenner) who could sell a good, creamy, and fulfilling cup of hot chocolate. I've been a faithful customer since then.

But more importantly, having that cup of hot chocolate at the Hatch's store made me dream again; it reminded me of the dream I had of one day opening my own hot chocolate café and share the joy with the rest of the world. This week, (after having another cup of hot chocolate at the Hatch's) I decided that if I want my dream of a place in which I offered a hot chocolate that would make people melt just like I melted when I have the Hatch's brew, and come back for more just like I usually do, then I better create it. Furthermore, just like Steve and Kate offer a variety of chocolate goods in their store, I better find a way to diversify the product.

It was then that I decided to start a quest, the quest for MY OWN HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPES, even if it meant that I burned and wasted several tablets of my precious Chocolate de Tasa from Venezuela's Nestle's brand “Savoy”. I started last night by boiling two cups of water with two cinnamon sticks and
melting half a tablet of my “Chocolate de Tasa”. I added Half a pint of Heavy Cream and a teaspoon of Corn Starch (hey, I wanted creamy, OK?). I knew that I would need more sweetness and more flavor, so I added a teaspoon of Cinnamon Sugar (it's the sugar I had at hand while the brew was boiling) and with the intent of giving it zest, I added a pinch of salt, and a pinch of Chile Molido (Cayenne Pepper).

In my mind I was ready to fail, after all it was my first attempt. I prepared for the experience by popping in a lactase pill, to avoid one of those post-hot chocolate stomachaches (yes, I'm lactose intolerant, who knew?) After burning at least 15% percent of my taste buds along with my wife, I was quite pleased with the result. My concoction had flavor, zest, sweetness, and a modest creaminess (it wasn't as creamy as I had pictured it), but the most important thing is that I had created it, prepared it and liked it. I was able to go to sleep feeling like an artist once again, and knowing that I had created something new. I called this new creation Gonz's Proto-Hot-Chocolate 1.0, or simply “El Hummer”, because of the humming noise I made when I tried its zesty flavor.

Thank you, Hatch Family Chocolates for inspiring me, and bringing back not only happy memories, but one of my dreams.

For those who are interested here's the recipe for 2 cups of “Gonzalo's 'El Hummer' Hot Chocolate”

2 Cups of water
2 Cinnamon Sticks
½ a Tablet of Chocolate de Tasa (if not found a 60% Cacao bar should do the trick)
½ pint of Heavy Cream (Half and Half should do it too)
A teaspoon of Corn Starch
A pinch of Salt
A pinch of Chile Molido
A teaspoon of Cinnamon Sugar

Boil water with the sticks in. Add the Chocolate in pieces, and the corn starch, start stirring (you don't want any lumps in your chocolate). Add the cream, and finally, the bits of Salt and Chile. Serve and enjoy.

On Buddy Passes, Fasting, and Soul Food

2009-11-18T13:10:00.000-08:00

Do you know what the best thing about flying with a buddy pass is? Being pleasantly surprised because you were assigned a seat in First Class. Do you know what the worst thing about a buddy pass is? Being unpleasantly surprised because you were bumped from your flight after you had an assigned seat. Both instances occurred to this blogger last week after visiting relatives. The tension of the moments prior to boarding, or not boarding for instance,became particularly taxing, especially since it would take me three days after to arrive my original date of departure to arrive to my final destination. This should not come as a surprise, since I was travelling in a weekend from the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport located in Atlanta, Georgia, the busiest airport in the entire globe.

There was one more particular aspect of my trip which made it particularly interesting, and a bit taxing. Despite the fact that I was travelling in First Class, I did not experience "First Class Food"; in fact I declined to have it when offered during that flight. No, it did not look unattractive, it did not smell funny, on the contrary, I am sure I would have been quite satisfactory. Instead, it was me, I was involved in something special, which is part of my belief system. I was fasting.

In my church we have the custom to fast for a day as a congregation once a month and donate the equivalent funds of two meals to the needy. It is a great way to avoid being absorbed in today's materialist and superficial values, while doing something good for someone else. Furthermore, speaking in personal terms, when I fast I feel closer to my true self, with the universe, with mankind, and with God. I highly recommend the readers to experience what fasting can bring into their lives (just be wise and don't starve yourself to death).

My mind and heart were at peace while the whole airport ordeal, thanks to my fast, however 24 hours since my last meal were coming closer, and despite my will and mind-over-matter approach towards fasting, I was one weary traveller. The next available flight to my final destination was hours away, and I knew that it was still possible to have to stay in Atlanta that evening, which actually happened. Given my circumstances, I knew I needed to gather enough sustenance to withstand the rest of the ordeal without turning into an ogre (my wife says I get cranky when I'm hungry, the rest of my family agrees, go figure). The dilemma came then, given my low tolerance to gluten, the omni-presence of fast food places in the airport, and the lack of appeal that such places' food inspired. Which food place would be worthy enough to end my fast that day? Ok, I was being a bit pretentious but, sometimes you just have to maintain standards about the food you eat.

That day I knew I would end up eating in a franchise restaurant, but I thought that the best way of increasing the odds of ending the fast with a decent meal would be asking the airport's information personnel. I approached a young lady about a good sit-down restaurant in the airport. After her attempt to inquire about my preference in food (to no avail), she asked a question I had never been asked, having lived only in the Western and Northeastern States while in the US:

"Do you like Soul Food?"

That really lit the curious epicurious in this blogger.

"I've never had it. Where can I go?"

"You gotta go to Paschal's"

And with that, I headed for the place. It was evident that it was a step above fast food, given the hospitality, the ambiance, and more importantly, the smell of the food. Something that called my attention was the fact that the decorations of the place made reference to the history that involved the name Paschal's. It turns out the founders of the chain in which the founders James and Robert Paschal's original restaurant in 831 West Hunter Street became the meeting place of several historic figures in the African American History during the XX century, among them one of my favorite musicians, Dizzy Gillespie. This was a chain restaurant, but I still felt I was experiencing something more, something good.

The readers will probably think of me silly, but I was really excited that I was going to have my first taste of "Soul Food". I wanted a dinner that was robust enough to break the fast, in all honesty I wanted to eat meat, but not in abundance, I also wanted good mixed flavor, something sabroso. So I simply decided to go for the meatloaf, and I was grateful I did, for it was fulfilling, but I must say that the flavor of the meat, depended too much on the very tasty and enhancing sauce that came with it. I wish I could say more about the Meatloaf as the main course, but this was one of the rare occasions in which the sides were so superb, that they overpowered the chili. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, in this case it was the cornbread mini-muffins (which I wished they were not "mini"). They were so moist and full of flavor that I could not help to moan in pleasure when I ate them; a word of warning to the reader, given the fact of the strong impression that the cornbread had in me, and the fact that I would have wanted to have more , and more of them, I can confidently say that they can be both seductive and addictive.

I finished the main course and the cornbread (obviously) thinking that if this was soul food, I could have more of it anytime, in fact I wanted more of it. My server came not a moment too soon with the question:

"Are you ready for the dessert?"

"Oh, yeah, I want the cobbler", Yes, this blogger had seen what my neighbors were having and the cobbler seemed a common trend among them, which caused me to promptly state my craving for the dessert. Oh, the cobbler, the cobbler! It was how a dessert was supposed to be, sweet, but not extremely sweet. The thin sliced peaches allowed this blogger to enjoy the flavor of both the fruit and the caramel. Bravo, for the Cobbler! All hail Soul food, you can add this Latino to the ranks of your food-lovers. And finally, thank you Paschal's for allowing this hungry traveller to go on in his journey not only with sustenance, but also with the satisfaction of tasting an aspect of the African American culture that was simply new to me.

Favela Biking

2009-10-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

Below is a video of one of the most creative ways of putting city slums at the center of the attention. It was filmed in Brazil, but it absolutely reminded me of the 'cerros' in my homeland.

Can Fun Change Behavior?

2009-10-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

My wife, the fun junkie, sent me the video below. It makes you wonder about how a little bit of wholesome fun can affect your life for the better. Enjoy.

Relief for Samoa

2009-10-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

Both Samoa and American Samoa have been battered by earthquake and Tsunami. Below more details.

Care to help? Here's how:
http://www.samoareliefwave.org/info.html

Latinos in Utah

2009-09-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of attending a very special event last week. It was the launch of a campaign called "Utah Latinos, A Proud Legacy" , which preceeded the launch of a book portraying the life of prominent Latino figures in the state. It was simply refreshing to see the media showing Latino faces as success stories and contributors of the community, instead as a detriment to it. Among the figures included in the book was Magistrate Samuel Alba, whom I personally met that evening. Some of the readers might remember that this blog was started right after my naturalization as a U.S. Citizen, and that this ceremony was presided by Magistrate Alba, of whom I made mention on the first entry to this blog . It was a great joy to thank him for being part of one of the greatest days of my life.

Kudos to DPR Communications and its president Lorena Riffo-Jenson, for spearheading this wonderful campaign.

On Creativity, Failure, and Persistence

2009-09-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever encountered doubts about yourself when creating something good? Has the shadow of failure been looming over your efforts and trying to discourage you from reaching your goals? If so, then you are probably normal,sorry. While there might be some of us are less prone to feel those Apparently, these feelings are inherent to our existence. It is up to us to let such influcences drag us down or help us build our lives positively.

Graphic artist Brent Brown with an excellent teamof designers from BYU convey an interesting concept in the amazing video below. It reminded me of the importance never giving up and always trying to find the good and the beautiful, even in failure. I hope you find it as inspiring as I have. By the way, hold on the end.

F is for FAIL from Brent Barson on Vimeo.

A Visit To Smoke House

2009-09-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

Some of you will remember that five months ago this blogger and his wife were blessed with a baby. Well, last week I had the joy of taking our baby to meet the Venezuelan side of the family. Needless to say, we had a blast and mom made sure we would be spoiled (especially the baby). She had my sister JG to cook a family special: Pernil (That means pork leg for the Spanish challenged).

JG excelled in her tasked and by far surpassed my expectations. What is that with home cuisine that leaves humans feeling content with life?My taste buds were received such a great treat that I just had to have pork, a decent pork dish again. Thank goodness, I had that chance again.

After a visit to the dentist in Provo, Utah, I simply needed to fill up my being with good sensations, lest I started convulsing in discomfort. I remembered that there was some sort of Barbecue restaurant in the vicinities of UVU, and after taking University Parkway I had little trouble finding the place. Meet The Smokehouse Pizza & BBQ .

Despite the lame picture (and a website that makes no justice to the place) I can tell you the atmosphere is quite nice. The service was quite cordial (cordiality is not hard to find in Utah County) and it was comfortable enough to want to stay at the first sight.

Now, for obvious reasons I did not go for the Pizza, so I will not be able to give an opinion on this, but with little hesitation I went for the Pulled Pork Plate. The pork was well cooked, obviously slow-smoked, of robust taste and yet of soft texture (for which I was grateful given my recent visit to the dentist). I chose Baked Beans, Coleslaw and a Dill Pickle to accompany them, and I must confess that I did not experience any hint of disappointment. The spicy sauce on the table was spicy enough to enhance (not to overcome) the flavor of the pork, just as it should be. The food was just right, I had to meet the owner.

Jared introduced himself to me and told me that the style he and his wife pursued when opening the restaurant was Southern, (despite the presence of thin crust Pizza in the menu). Was the food authentic? I don't know, you would be asking a Venezuelan about Southern Cooking. All I know is that it was good, I had to have one of their desserts, the Ice Cream Covered Brownie, to top it all. Yes, satisfaction was present, a then Jared told me something that left me with a warm feeling inside: most of their menu is based on based on recipes from mom, and all of it was made from scratch, which in Utah county eateries is a rarity. That is certainly the definition of Homestyle Cooking.

Hmm, that taste of home again that leaves your soul at peace and fills your mind with good memories. For that day, I had achieved fulfillment and peace at lunch time, not bad. The pulled pork from The Smokehouse might not have been as good as JG's pernil, but it came quite close, close enough to make me think of home again.

If You Go To El Paso

2009-08-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

This week I found myself in an immigration court of a detention center in El Paso. No, I was not detained, I was the legal interpreter for the inmates (you'd think that a legal facility El Paso, Texas would have enough Spanish interpreters, apparently that's not the case). In either case, I'm just grateful for the gig, especially in this type of economy.

A day in court can be...draining (yes, it's an euphemism, I know) so after returning to the hotel and hitting the stationary bike for some meager 20 minutes (I'm not in shape ok?), I decided to have a taste of the local food. When asked about a good Mexican restaurant, both hotel attendants said emphatically: Carlos & Mickey's . With two witness bearing testimony, and agreeing on such account, I had a verdict. So I dictated a Voluntary Departure to 1310 Magruder Street, and waived my right to appeal. I was being delivered to the designated port. On the way there you can see Juárez, Mexico at about a mile or so. I was so close to it that I could read a humongous writing on the mountain that said: "Juárez, La Biblia Es La Verdad, Léela"

Given the level of violence of the recent years, the advice could come dandy for Juárez, or the rest of us for instance. The point is I was right next to the border, and if I was about to have for dinner a failed attempt of to imitate Mexican food (i.e. Tacotime, Taco Bell etc.) I was going to have to open a chain of fake-Chinese restaurants just to exacerbate the lack of authenticity.

Much to my pleasure, that was not necessary. For starters, the ambiance reminded me of the old Hacienda houses I have visited both in Mexico and Venezuela, and almost inmmediately a waitress approached my table. I asked what the people usually asked and without hesitation she replied: "The Fajitas". Now, paying almost $13 for a plate of Fajitas to me was a bit too much, ( yes I can be cheap) but I decided to trust her as an expert witness. While waiting for my order they delivered a bowl of corn tortillas with red salsa on the side. After breaking and consequently dipping the first tortilla in the salsa, I placed it in my humble tongue, and then came to the realization of two things:

In this restaurant I was not going to experience the typical bland taste of most of the so-called Mexican Food places in the US.
Given the behaviour of my stomach during the previous court procedures, I better went easy on the chips and salsa

The waitress brought a sizzling plate with stripes of meat and chicken that were surrounded by onions and peppers, along with a dish for the corn tortillas. Not quite impressive, until the first bite. The seasoning of the meat was everything a meat needs to be "sabrosa" (sorry, there is no translation forthis one, "tasteful" doesn't cut it). The chicken's taste was strong and yet elegant, I could see why they priced the fajitas at that mark (I still think it as a bit pricey).

So If you go to El Paso, want to taste good Mexican food, and are too chicken to go to Juárez, you will not be dissapointed with the taste of "Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey's".

Blatant Plug-in For One of My Articles

2009-08-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

This one is about Displacement in Iraq. Hope you find it interesting: http://www.diplomacyandpower.com

Dare to Create

2009-07-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

It is so easy to let cynicism permeate our lives that we could lose the confidence to try to build, to write, to paint, to compose, in a word, to create. I was having some challenges in finding motivation, and sometimes creativity does not come into our minds and hearts as easy as it is to blink. But every now and then one finds one of those cosmic jewels that simply inspires and motivates to utilize one's abilities to do something positive. The video below is one of those jewels. Meet Dieter F. Uchtdorf, of the First Presidency of the Church to which I belong. I hope the video motivates you to do something creative as well as it motivated me, or even more.

Chronicle of a Jump to Parenthood

2009-04-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

For some reason I failed to previously inform my legion of readers that La Reina, my wife, was pregnant. The elation and the joy of finding out this beautiful event were followed by recurring feelings of that dual anxiety that causes one to want the baby to arrive as soon as possible and at the same time being afraid of such arrival. These feelings were ever–present despite all that time in which one is supposed to engage in preparations for the coming of the baby. Such preparations included a “Third Trimester” class at the hospital, which included real-life videos of births and other situations that instead of making one feel more confident, ended up exacerbating the pre-baby neurosis.

The nine months were fulfilled and the due date came and passed, adding exponentially to the intensity of my anxious state. Nevertheless, in the midst of my mental commotion and inability to remain calm at the sight of me changing a single diaper, from the eastern skies came a one of those beings with superior knowledge and skills in the arts of welcoming a new life into earth. It came with the specific mission to help these two less evolved humans (my beloved wife and this blogger) transition into this new stage of our existence. Yes, it was my mother in law, whose knees I was tempted to hug in an act of pleading and despair at the first moment I saw airport, like wanting to say: “Thank heavens you’re here, please tell me what to do, you sure know what to do, please tell me”. All that accompanied by irrational and uncontrollable sobbing.

I can only imagine the great lack of confidence she would have felt in the moron that married his daughter had I decided portray such a scene. I repressed my impulses and went for the calm, warm and joy-filling abrazo that us Latinos know how to give. She always appreciates those.
Having my mother-in-law visiting was much helpful. She came, she diagnosed, she prescribed, and she helped us tackle the many tasks that were involved in getting ready for the sweet arrival. She is the type of people that likes to tackle the problem, identify the solution, get it done, and then do everything in her power to help others dealing with similar problems. She descends, after all from a lineage of pioneers that crossed the plains and founded settlements around the Southwestern territories that are now part of the states of Arizona, California and Utah. Needless to say, La Reina has inherited such attributes, and I admire her for that.

The day of my mother-in-law’s departure was coming soon and I started to pray so our baby would arrive before her grandma would finish her brief visit. The insecurities were still there along with the anxiety, but then something happened. In what is most surely an answer to my prayers, these negative feelings ceased, as if The Master had ordered the tempest inside this blogger to be still. The only feeling that was left was the love, and the welcoming of the new member of our family. I silently prayed again: “Let her come, Father, let her come”. My wife does not know this, but maybe that was the reason why an hour and a half later her water broke. Soon we were on our way to the hospital.

Unfortunately, I did not pray for specifics, which meant that no contractions were there, and therefore, very minimal cervical dilation. She was hooked on Pitocin in a matter of minutes, and the not-so-sweet wait started. Contractions, contractions, and more contractions made their way into my wife’s womb, and discomfort was quite a nuisance by 6:30 am. The fact that three different nurses had handled La Reina by then, and that she had been having contractions for three hours gave us the impression that we had waited enough and that and the baby’s arrival was at hand, but Alas, by that time she had dilated only 3 cm. My wife’s expression of disappointment spoke volumes, and my intolerance for witnessing pain in others was starting to show given the intensity of the contractions. 9:00 am came and La Reina’s pain had increased…a lot and my inability to just take it away was consuming me. This time we were sure the baby was about to pop-out…it just had to! C’mon!

Nevertheless, after checking, the nurse informed us that dilation was at 4.5 cm; in other words, we were not even half way there. This put La Reina in a tough spot. We had been planning on a natural birth despite the traumatizing and otherwise very censorable video on natural births they had shown us previously, but the pain was too much. Resigned, she turned to me and asked if I would object to the use of epidural. Object? I was not having those piercing contractions every minute and a half! “By all means, go for it baby!” and thus the anesthesiologist was summoned into our odyssey.

I have to give it to this practitioner. My wife barely felt a sting, thus erasing any sight of comparison between the dreaded contractions and the fore mentioned injection. My wife was able to finally get a break and her contractions stabilized, my mind was at ease again.
Six thirty arrived and with it a dilation of 9.5 cm. The obstetrician came into the room, calmed and observant, but with an attitude that communicated the question: “Y’all ready for this?” It was pushing time. The nurse asked me: “Dad…” (apparently the name Gonzalo does not stick very easily in these Anglo-Saxon communities, go figure) “Do you prefer waiting outside?’ I was informed that in the past they had to carry out soon-to-be fathers that had passed out. I had seen the revolting birthing videos, I had heard the terrorizing stories, I had been witnessing my wife’s pain for hours, and for some uncanny reason, I knew I had to be there with La Reina; so I declined. “Are you sure?’ replied both the doctor and the nurse, to which I told them that I would be man enough to leave the room should I not possess the stomach to go through the whole ordeal. I proceeded to chug the contains of the bag of potato sticks my wife had purchased for my sustenance, and then I became a man with a mission, I was going to make everything in my power and will to help my wife bring this new life and reduce the trauma of her doing so.

“Ok, Dad, grab her leg” Said he nurse while grabbing the other leg. What an awkward command, if must say so.

“Now pull it towards you, raise it and bend her knee towards her chest”

Ok, now this was beyond awkward.

“Now, Mom, I want you to give me a push while I count to 10. Here we go, One!, Two!...”

Soon I became good at that, so good I was pushing both of my wife’s knees towards her chest (I can’t describe how weird it is to have written this). I took so much ownership of this unbelievably embarrassing task that I started doing it in Spanish:

“Vamos ,Reina” followed by ”Un!, Dos!, Tres!”… , (you get the idea) I had become the Venezuelan version of that Bill Cosby segment on child birth.

Two hours had passed on hard labor and the progress towards delivery had been minimal, my wife was exhausted. Apparently the baby’s head was not quite there, so the debate was this time about going or not with a C-section. But before more could be said, deemed the doctor, a lot more pushing was to be done, and then a little more. Meanwhile, my family in Venezuela kept calling my cell to monitor the birth. After declining the fourth call I had to send them a clear message meant to appease them:

“We are pushing, there’s still a lot more pushing to be done, we’ll call you”. That did it.

The doctor decided to assess the situation. After each set pushing the baby’s heart rate was stabilizing, so he was going to try to turn the baby into the right position, while La Reina pushed a little more. Micomium (that’s baby feces in the placenta, gross and disturbing) had been present, for which it was deemed necessary to bring the New Born ICU personnel to make sure that the baby would not breath any of it. He also deemed necessary to bring another anesthesiologist, so when adding the nurse and myself, we were seven people in one room in some sort of a delivery party while my wife laid in bed with both legs stretched out like the clock’s needles at four forty and with half her body naked. The scene was simply surreal.

And then again:

“Aqui vamos Reina…Un!, Dos! Tres!".. .

This time I could see the baby’s head.

“We’re almost there, one more time”…said the doctor again while reaching for forceps. I dared not watch how he used them, but after one more count, a tiny human head emerged from my wife’s womb, it was quite pale, and hairy, and elongated towards the back. It unavoidably looked like the head of that space creature “Alien” of the Sci-fi movies. Immediately, from that tiny head came the sweetest moaning I had ever heard.

“Don’t push!", ordered the doctor and added after hearing the baby’s moaning he said: “That’s a good sign”. Another move from the doc and the baby, our baby emerged in full with another moan that signaled her official arrival to this world. She was received at that very instant by the New Born ICU personnel, who started taking care of the baby immediately. I went to La Reina’s face, and while embracing told her (in Spanish): “She’s here Reina, she’s here”

With tears in my eyes I turn to the table where our baby was and the male nurse of the party gave me a reassuring thumb up while saying “We’re looking good here”. Seconds later in my arms I had the most moving and loving sight in front of me, the final result of my wife’s pregnancy and labor, the reason for feeling both hopeful and anxious, the very person that would alter our lives forever…our baby girl.

“Ya estas aqui” I repeated to her trying to reassure her and soothe her after the wild ride of her arrival. In my arms I was holding the most precious gift I could have received. My whole being was filled with joy, excitement, exhaustion, and that elusive feeling that gives meaning to our existence…love, simply love. I looked at my worn out wife, who managed to still look gorgeous despite the ordeal and she gave me the smile of comfort. Life was good.

How many experiences and emotions in one day. We had left my home as husband and pregnant wife. We returned as parents.

From here, after seventeen hours of labor, five different nurses in four different shifts, three NBICU nurses, two anesthesiologists, one obstetrician, and dozens of other personnel involved in my wife and daughter's well being, I only need to give my salute and gratitude to the personnel of Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, and to all of you whose prayers accompanied us during these moments. And as I contemplate my new life as a daddy, I really have to say…

Hooray for Parenthood!

Utah Tap

2009-03-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Ok this is the last day of this UNICEF initiative in the state of Utah, but this is an example of creative ways to gather funds for great cause. In either case I wanted to let other people know about the Utah Tap project. If you see this entry after March 28, 2009 you can still go to http://utahtap.org/ and donate. The video below should give you an idea of what it entails.

Cheers,

Utah Tap :: Here's to the World from Mike Morris on Vimeo.

Finding joy in a cookie

2009-02-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

I know I've been lacking on my writing commitments. I hope I have not disappointed my slew of faithful readers , which I estimate to be able to count with one hand. This estimate is based on the overwhelming quantity of comments I receive after each post (from 0 to 0.5), I do not even want to mention my numbers from Google Analytics. It has been a bit hard to find the right inspiration with my new job, and you would think that in this type of economy a new job should be plenty of inspiration, especially a job in the currently battered financial field. I just started working in Morgan Stanley Bank (which has performed formidably well in this recession, all things considered). It has been interesting to witness the moves that the market performs (mostly downwards), plus the increasing number of margin calls placed in the last few days. All that, and being submerged in tones of paperwork that deals with loans and securities, makes it particularly difficult to write in an uplifting tone.

But today after work my spirits were lifted to new heights. Those who know me personally know that despite my low tolerance to gluten, I believe chocolate chip cookies to be the invention from the western civilization that can only be equalled by modern printing in relevance. Feeling the softness of a moist cookie, contemplating its circular shape, the smell of a recently baked batch, the humming noise of my voice expelling a grunt of pleasure after the first bite. Oh yes, cookies take my sensory experiences to a whole new level.

Today La Reina (that's my wife) took me to a place in town that made me feel like a kid in a candy store. In fact it was a candy store, well... sort of. It was a cookie store, but not any cookie store, this was a gourmet cookie store. It is called "The Dough Girl" it caused such an indelible impact in me that I am afraid that I found another weakness for my not so impervious nor sculptural physique, as well as another stumbling block to reach the goal of completing a triathlon this year. But oh, what a glorious stumbling block; I just had to write about this store. I was so fascinated by the different flavors that I had to have four different cookies, and then the store founder and manager (I think her name was Tami) added an extra one. Hey, I did not eat them by myself... only mostly by myself, I'm a weak man OK?.

The store has started with a strong branding campaign, with retro themes that revolve around the name of the store as well as bold tones of red. By the way, all the different cookies are named with female names. So instead of calling a chocolate chip cookie a chocolate chip cookie, it is called "Trudy". My favorite so far? Margo, a mix of chocolate, cinnamon, and mint in perfect and fascinating equilibrium, which I can only describe as palatable synergy (and this is coming from a humble chocoholic who does not like mixing chocolate and mint). A word of warning, when describing the Dough Girl flavors make sure you clarify you are talking about cookies, the whole girl name thing can be a bit awkward. Final word, richness is abundant among these baked creations, so consume slowly and preferably in company of a loved one.

Now that's technology

2009-01-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

If some of us believe that technology can't make our lives a little easier just ask Farmer Wu Yulu, above who lives in a village at the outskirts of Beijing. By the way, he built the robot himself.

Plunging into 2009

2008-12-27T12:01:00.001-08:00

This incoming year brings many unanswered questions and uncertainty. Instead of being consumed in hesitation and despair, it is my wish that we all receive it with the thrill to tackle all the challenges we might face and look forward to overcoming them; I wish that instead of fearing the swim in unknown waters, we embrace courage and hope. Happy 2009!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

To my readers,

The picture below is from China's International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. Enjoy the season

Where The Streets have a name

2008-12-03T15:24:00.000-08:00

VS.

My favorite rock band has been U2 for a while. Needless to say, Bono has become quite iconic in global causes and I look forward to meeting him in person one day. My favorite rock song "Where the streets have no name", produces in me not only the automatic release of great amount of endorphins, but also the desire to simply live a good life and help others do so. A British rapper called Mike Skinner (a.k.a. "The Streets" ) has released a very clever version below. My thanks to Daren in the UK for letting us know about it. Enjoy.

A message from Queen Rania

2008-12-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

Her majesty, Queen Rania of Jordan has a message worth telling. I hope you like it.

Un pedazo de mi tierra

2008-11-19T10:43:00.000-08:00

The Venezuelan song embedded below is called "Tonada de Luna Llena". It is from Simon Díaz, whose "llanero" falsetto and syncopation can only be equalized by Caetano Veloso. Needless to say, I love it, and the images below evoke the fondest memories and feelings. Enjoy.

Miriam Makeba: 1932-2008

2008-11-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

The great Miriam Makeba, world famous singer, and FAO (UN's Food and Agriculture Organization) Goodwill ambassador has passed away. Her music moved thousands, so did her work. She will be remembered not only because her 1979 hit: "Pata-Pata", but the love, fervor, and dedication to the cause of racial equality.

Happy Festival of Lights!

2008-10-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

This is for my Indian friends. All the best!

After the ride

2008-10-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

I just wonder what was going on through cosmonaut Sergei Volkov's mind at that moment. Probably something like: "Man, that was good", or rather "Человек, который был хорошим".

Today is Blog Action Day: 10 Ways To Fight Poverty

2008-10-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

Poverty is an underlying variable that touches the safety of every country on the earth. It represents a direct an imminent threat to the security of human beings around the globe and represents a complex and challenging issue to tackle. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (or MDG's) include halving the world population who live under $1 per day by 2015. Do you think it's possible? Can one do something about this scourge? What if it was possible to reduce it? What if it was possible to eradicate it? What if you could do something about it? What if I tell you that there are thousands of people who are working on this goal, waiting for a way to bring together the power of good into actions that will improve the lives of people around the globe? They just want you to do something. Here are some suggestions of the many I could give you.

For a palliative approach:

Promote the work towards fulfilling MDG's by joining organizations like The Interface Foundation, or Millenium Promise: These are some of the organizations that are passionate about getting to that elusive finish line of ending poverty.
Donate to organizations that go to the poorest and most devastated places in the world like the World Food Program, International Federation of the Red Cross, and Stop Hunger Now among others: This applies mainly at the occurrence of crises overseas (genocide in Darfur, Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Earthquake in Peru) In my personal research I have seen how the WFP and the IFRC are usually the first international relief organizations that arrive to the scene when great humanitarian causes take place. These organizations are efficient in delivering aid and partnering with others where needed around the world.
Help in your local food bank, or homeless shelter: Hey, there's poverty also in your neighborhood, open your eyes to reality and you will find it.
Ask in your social circles for opportunities to help someone in need: It's time to use your network for something other than self-interest. Your community or religious leaders, school teachers, neighbor, co-worker, even your parents and siblings might know of a good opportunity to make a positive impact. Have the courage to ask and then do the deed.
Make sure that what you are giving is of value and will meet the need: Whether it is time, goods, or knowledge, add value to the one receiving the aid, otherwise you might not solving a problem or meeting a need, but actually making the situation more difficult. If Paulina's house in the Phillipines just got flooded by a monsoon, she might not need a shipment of can openers of which I had too many in my store. Be willing to excercise some sacrifice in order to help others (i.e. in my church we fast once a month and give the equivalent of the meals not eaten to the poor and the needy).

For more long-term solutions:

When delivering aid, do not focus solely on poverty, but have a higher goal to reach: It is good to identify the porblem, but that is only the beginning. Instead of simply acknowledging (or for instance, assuming) that this person or group is flat out starving, try to think of them as individuals with the potential to survive and strive for a better standard of living. Then your mind will start picturing ideas about how to help optimally that person or group. I usually adopt"Self Reliance" as a target when delivering help. Sometimes we are so passionate about the problem that it is hard to focus on the solutions. By applying the Self-Reliance paradigm we will be wiser in our giving and think more efficient ways to help the poor instead of just funneling money.
Help entrepreneurs overseas: By joining Microfinance initiatives like Kiva, (of which I am part of a lending team), Microplace, or Trickle Up you will be helping the engine of local economies around the globe. Make sure that you feel comfortable with the type of business you lend to or support. In my particular case, I choose to support the enterprises that I think will make the greatest impact in the community.
Sponsor local Microfranchising ventures around the globe: This is an emerging initiative that is having success around the world with many local entrepreneurs. for more info visit David Stoker's Microfranchising Blog or the Center for Economic Self-Reliance's Microfranchising Website
Support Fair Trade Initiatives: Around the world there are many whose efforts in producing good quality products are hampered for a lack of markets in which to trade them. Fair Trade initiatives help those local producers grow and help the local economies of their communities, as well as their countries.
Offer your will, time, and expertise in your field of experience to someone who can use it to survive (Yeah, it's the' teach a man how to fish thing'): This is the most important tip of the day. Be willing to give of yourself to help someone in need. Sometimes we feel so average (or below-average for instance) that we think that we have nothing to offer to anybody. But believe that there is something you know, that your neighbor does not, and believe that such knowledge can make a positive difference. Even if helping others turns harder than we thought when we give ourselves to a good cause our life adopts a new meaning, it has a better flavor, a better feel to it.

It's time we all do something. Don't have much money? That's OK, since many times money is not the solution, but dedicating one's time, talents, influences, networks, and heart to a noble cause. Now let's do some good!

Not feeling good? Hope this helps

2008-10-09T18:35:00.000-07:00

When I feel down this song helps me keep going. Hope it does the same thing for you. The video is from designer Tamara Gildengers Connolly, founder of Ascender Studio. Enjoy

Scott Lazerson

2008-10-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

I was watching a Shakira concert the other day, and while she was introducing one of her guest singers, Alejandro Sanz. She described meeting Mr. Sanz as a one of those cosmic gifts that one rarely has in life. Well, I think I received one of those cosmic gifts not too long ago. Thanks to a common acquaintance, I met on Monday a gentleman by the name of Scott Lazerson.

While enjoying a great plate of Gnocchi alla Pesto in my favorite Italian restaurant in Utah During his professional trajectory, Scott has been in leadership roles of many different philanthropic organizations like American Indian Services, The Larry King Cardiac Foundation, Friends of the Arts Foundation, The Rose Foundation, Women Beyond Cancer, etc.

His leadership role does not only reside in being a board member, I consider him a social entrepreneur, able to produce amazing results in his endeavors. In 2007, Scott created the International Philanthropic Summit, which according to him "brought [him] to a new level in the world of philanthropy". What did he mean by that? well, the results were an attendance of over 600 to hear leaders of the field speak about “The Globalization of Philanthropy”. Most importantly, five different charities were able to receive $250,000 of cash awards. He refers to these types of result as "fortuitous cooperation".

Above, Scott with one of his acquaintances, Eva Longoria

Fortuitous? Unlike the rest of us mortals, Scott's acquaintances range from the common student, to Hollywood celebrities, to world leaders. He possesses that demure that draws you in whatever good cause he might be involved with, because you know he not only believes in the cause he's involved with, he lives it. For him is not just another philanthropic cause, for him is a "crusade". He speaks passionately, but respectfully, you know you are not being manipulated, but invited to do good, and for the right reasons. This is the type of attribute (or gift maybe?) that I'd like to have, The Gift of Synergy. The gift of inviting different sectors of society, and put them to work in the best and most efficient causes.

In his latest venture, Scott leads The Interface Foundation which at no cost helps humanitarian causes to reach a greater projection and exposure. Interface (or "i:f") connects those who are making a difference in the world, with those with the leverage to help them make a greater impact. One of the most recent projects is with Stop Hunger Now, whose work is directly involved with the UN's Millennium Development Goals. Want to see synergy? Click on the video below.

Philanthrocapitalism

2008-09-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

In my professional life I have gravitated between the private sector and the non-profit sector. My last gig was managing two Emerging Markets indexes for Standard & Poor's . In my position, I had the displeasure to witness the Pakistani market take a nosedive after Benazir Bhutto's death, but nothing compares to last week. If there has been a tough week for the Capitalist system, this was it. The Wall Street credit crisis has managed to do something that neither the Great Depression, nor two World Wars managed to do, which was taking down Lehman Brothers , shaking the basis of the Capitalist system to its very core.

Well, while Capitalism's hub and raison d'être is self-interest, there is the parallel to this idea, which is 'Philanthropy'. It derives from the greek vocables that mean "love towards men", in other words, love for others. Can these two notions co-exist? Furthermore, can these two practices interact effectively? Can Capitalism be applied in a way destined to the benefit of mankind? From this very questions emerge a whole discussion that is taking place in The Global Philanthropy Forum. Some of the participants are Michael Edwards, which is vocal in his skepticism about the subject, Matthew Bishop, who coined the new term in the work: Philanthrocapitalism: how the rich can save the world remains hopeful.

What's your opinion? is Philanthropy doomed by Capitalism, can it actually help it?

Well, here's my two cents, a very predictable one given my professional background. Along with the many considerations and changes that both the current philanthropic and markets need to experiment, and with the risk of looking foolish and simplistic, I am a believer, I think that Philanthrocapitalism is more beneficial, rather than deleterious to humankind. Hopefully this will ignite another discussion.

You can find this entry also at : thehumanlevel.blogspot.com

Un Comienzo

2008-09-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

Hola Mi Gente,

Last week was an interesting one: Ike started pounding on Texas, (leaving some of my relatives with no power, by the way), another spat of my country of origin (Venezuela) with the current US administration came about, and another anniversary of 9-11 , but something good happened in my life last week, specifically on September 10, 2008. This day, that after a tedious (euphemistically speaking) 5 year process, I took the oath as Citizen of the United States of America. It was not an easy decision to make, given that a great part of my identity resides in the fact of being Venezuelan, so after lots of prayer, some lack of sleep, my parents and in-laws advice, and finally, the great love and long-suffering support from my wife (to whom I'll refer to as La Reina), I felt that it was the my mind and heart felt peace with the decision. By the way, for those of you Español-challenged, Reina means "Queen", and yep, she is quite worthy of the title!.

Now that peace did not come until a few hours before the naturalization ceremony. Between the anxiety of having an identity split into two lands and heavily-condimented mexican food the night before, I was deprived from sleep for most of the night. At 6:20 am (MST) I received a call from my parents, who knew a bit about my predicament, and how hard that decision had been. It was important for me to get their approval on this issue, especially from my dad, the staunchly faithful Chavista. I needed to know that they were OK with this, that despite the many bouts that Chávez would have with the US government, I would still be accepted, that it would not matter. And it was quite naive of me to think that it would matter, after this was simply "Amor de Madre, Amor de Padre", a father and mother's love. My parents were always supportive of this decision, but that morning my mom told me that it was my duty now to represent Venezuela by applying the good values they had taught me throughout my life, even in this nation I was adopting. My dad not only re-emphasized his support, but he told me an old phrase (whose author escapes me) that they say in my country

"No importa donde se nace, sino donde se lucha" ("It does not matter where you are born, but where you fight").

That one hit home.

I went to that ceremony knowing that God that brought me here not to be selfish, not to be idle, but to fight the good fight, and maybe enriching the lives of those around me. I had come here to serve and share that inheritance ("La Herencia" as we would say) with this new nation, The United States of America. My mind was at peace, my heart was too, and a beginning...un comienzo had come into my life.

The ceremony was a long one, but it also was one very heart felt. United States Chief Magistrate Judge Samuel Alba, who came from Mexico was the presiding officer. He had come as a child to the United States with his family, following the different crops of the western United States. He knew the experience of being an immigrant, he lived it. Hundreds of immigrants like me, were sitting there that day; they had gone through much trial to get to that ceremony, and it was finally happening, it was an achievement, to some the greatest of their lives. It was quite a humbling experience, after all, I did belong to this nation.

Before the ceremony concluded, the presiding judge told us that it was now our duty as citizens to exercise our right to vote and to participate in the local and general elections . Not only this, but also to go and serve our communities and our fellow Americans. He also told us to go "celebrate" this important occasion. So in the spirit of obedience to the Law, and the respectable public servants who exercise it, La Reina and I decided to go to a nice Italian restaurant to fulfill the judge's dictum. We enjoyed not only the best tomato soup that our palates ever had in our frail existence, but also a divine plate of Three-Cheese Ravioli in butter-squash sauce.

Unfortunately, I had to drop off La Reina to work afterward, but while driving back home I was listening to the show "Talk of the Nation" National Public Radio (http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=5). That day's show included a segment called "This American Moment", with Junot Diaz as a guest, the Dominican author who wrote The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I was still emotional from the ceremony, i just wanted to share how good I felt with somebody, so I decided to give it a try and see if they would air my phone call; well, to my pleasent surprise, lo and behold...another miracle... they did. I was so enthralled in excitement that I probably sounded like a total moron at the beggining of the call, so I will not give you the link to today's podcasting of the show. my mind blanked, no previous order of ideas, no strident point to shout to "The Nation", but I was left with simple emotion. Despite my predicament, this gave me the opportunity to do something we Latinos are good at, which is speaking from the heart, and to my joy, what came was something good, it was the message that my parent gave me that morning, it was the message that Judge Alba had told me that morning too, it was the desire to participate, to inspire, to motivate, to serve.

I'm pleased to say that Junot the guest and Neal Conan, the show's host were very appreciative of my comments and congratulated me for my becoming a citizen of the United States. I might have been a listener before, now I'm a fan.

That day had a theme, and I decided to adopt it into my life, and the life of others. So echoing the call of judge Alba, my parents, and many others before me, I invite you, wherever you may be, to serve your fellow men, to make your community, and even the world a better place by simply doing those small actions that inspire others. And that's what this blog is all about. It's about people who engage in good causes that elevate humankind to a higher level, to a NICER one, even if they seem to be as simple as affecting only one life. I hope I can reflect examples of individuals and organizations that are trying to do that. Your comments are most welcome.

Un gran abrazo,

Gonzalo A. Peña