miércoles, 29 de junio de 2011
Water lilies in Salamanca/ nenúfares en Salamanca
He vuelto a Salamanca, cuna de Castilla. La ciudad universitaria es una ciudad de edificios de oro que reflejan las colinas solitarias y secos de la esa meseta, una llanura alta, y me siento inmediatamente en el sitio perfecto con esta ciudad noble e histórica. He notado que este año, he tomado menos fotografías, y me he quedado boca abierta ante el patrimonio cultural impresionante de esta ciudad, a pesar de que he conservado toda mi estimación por su belleza.
Mis clases y profesores son excelentes, y mis compatriotas en el programa son exactamente tan amistosos y positivos como los recuerdo del verano pasado. Después de tres días ya a la universidad otra vez, ya me siento una toca de tristeza y nostalgia al saber que mi tiempo aquí será corta.
He ido a correr todos los días con un grupo de colegas a las ocho. Corremos a lo largo de un circuito en un sendero de tierra de un kilómetro en una bonita centro multideportivo justo bajando la colina de los dormitorios. Ayer, después de nuestra carrera habitual que de unos ocho kilómetros, a mis compañeros y yo estábamos enfriándonos y charlando en español por la entrada al lugar. De repente, un hombre con una gorra de béisbol y auriculares, casi me derriba, y añade en Inglés con accento Americano, “get the fuck away” (Vete a la mierda) Los tres nos quedamos asombrados. Por un instante, tuve el impulso de correr tras él y hacer algo--no sé que-para vengar mi honor. Sin embargo, el impulso se me fue, y dentro de un par de momentos, me había recuperado lo suficiente como para decir a mis compañeros, "ese tipo no sabe nada de mí-a quien le importa que diga?"
Al día siguiente, yo estaba en una de mis clases y el profesor estaba hablando sobre el movimiento modernista en la literatura latinoamericana, y la palabra "nenúfares" o lirios de agua, y me recordó la historia que había oído en la India sobre la simbología de esas plantas. En la antigua India, la nenúfar era considerada una planta sagrada, ya que tenía la habilidad singular de hundir sus raíces en agua sucia y estancada para producir la flor más limpio y más espléndida imaginable. Esto, por supuesto, es una metáfora de la forma en que debemos vivir nuestras vidas. Incluso en un mundo que parece lleno de la suciedad de la ira y la amargura, el odio y los celos, podemos actuarnos como el nenúfar, y hacer de nuestra vida una cosa de belleza.
I have returned to the city of Salamanca, the cradle of Castilia. In this city of golden edifices reflecting the lonely, dry hills of this high plain, I feel immediately familiar with this noble and historic city. I have noticed that this year, I have taken fewer pictures, and stood openmouthed in front of the cultural patrimony of this city, even though none of my appreciation for its beauty has been lost.
My classes and professors are excellent, and my compatriots in the program are exactly as friendly and positive as I remember them to have been. Three days into the experience, I already feel a bit of sadness and nostalgia knowing that my time here will be short.
I have been going out to run every day with a group of colleagues at eight o’clock. We run along a one kilometer dirt loop in a lovely multisport center just down the hill from where I stay in the dormitories. Yesterday, after our usual run covering about five miles, my companions and I are cooling down and chatting in Spanish by the entrance to the place. Suddenly a guy in a baseball cap and headphones comes barreling through, almost knocks me over, and adds in American English, “Get the fuck away!” The three of us were astounded. For an instant, I had the impulse to chase after him and do something—I don’t know what—to avenge my honor. Within a couple of moments, however, I had recovered enough to say to my companions, “that guy doesn’t know anything about me—who cares.”
The next day, I was in one of my classes and the professor was talking about the modernist movement in Latin American literature, and the word “nenufar” or water lily, and it reminded me of the story that I had heard in India about the symbology of is plant. In ancient India, the nenufar was considered a sacred plant as it had the singular ability to sink its roots into the most dirty and stagnant water to produce the cleanest and most splendid flower imaginable. This, of course, is a metaphor for the way that we should live our lives. Even in a world where things seem filled with the filth of anger and bitterness, hatred and jealousy, we can act as the water lily does, and make of our lives a thing of beauty.
viernes, 10 de junio de 2011
La naturaleza en la obra de Gaudi/ Nature's Influence in Gaudi's work
La obra de Antoni Gaudí fue profundamente influenciada por su infancia en el campo, que el había pasado explorando el mundo natural. Como su salud frágil no le permitía jugar como otros niños, él desarrollo el poder de su intelecto increíble estudiando cada detalle del mundo natural que lo rodeaba.
The work of Antoni Gaudi was heavily influenced by his childhood in the countryside, which he spent exploring the natural world. Since his poor health did not permit him to play as other children did, he was able to develop the power of his incredible intellect to study every detail of the natural world that surrounded him. As he grew up and became an influential architect, he maintained these roots. In his design of the Sagrada familia, he studied the physical properties of the natural world as well as the natural laws of mathematics and geometry in the design of his temple. In fact, in order to build the cathedral, he assembled a series of weights attached to strings and studied the shapes that gravity made as it pulled the weights to the floor. In this way, it could be said that the cathedral with its soaring turrets and towers was actually built upside down. In the same way that a tree has roots as deep as it has branches above the ground, so too is the architecture deeply rooted in the natural world.
Después de convertirse en arquitecto, mantuvo estas raíces. En su diseño del Templo de la Sagrada Familia, estudió las propiedades físicas del mundo natural. Estudio detalladamente las leyes naturales de las matemáticas y la geometría en el diseño de su templo.
De hecho, con el fin de construir la catedral, ató unos hilos a pesas y estudió los efectos de la gravedad en formar una red. De esta manera, se podría decir que la catedral con sus torres fue construida al revés. Como un árbol tiene raíces tan profundas como la altura de sus ramas, también Gaudí demostró que también es profundamente arraigado en el mundo natural.
The work of Antoni Gaudi was heavily influenced by his childhood in the countryside, which he spent exploring the natural world. Since his poor health did not permit him to play as other children did, he was able to develop the power of his incredible intellect to study every detail of the natural world that surrounded him. As he grew up and became an influential architect, he maintained these roots. In his design of the Sagrada familia, he studied the physical properties of the natural world as well as the natural laws of mathematics and geometry in the design of his temple. In fact, in order to build the cathedral, he assembled a series of weights attached to strings and studied the shapes that gravity made as it pulled the weights to the floor. In this way, it could be said that the cathedral with its soaring turrets and towers was actually built upside down. In the same way that a tree has roots as deep as it has branches above the ground, so too is the architecture deeply rooted in the natural world.
jueves, 9 de junio de 2011
Dos Pasiones/ Two passions
La gente de la ciudad de Barcelona es conocida por destacarse en dos cosas: la arquitectura y el futbol. El video abajo combina esos dos artes en una escena tan casual, tranquila y natural que me comunica el placer de trabajar en algo que te fascina.
De Vuelta a Cataluña/ Return to Catalonia
Un año después del primer viaje, llego al mismo puerto de entrada - Barcelona. Camino por los mismos pasillos del aeropuerto y cambio el dinero en la misma ventana. En camino del aeropuerto a la ciudad, hablo con el taxista. Discutimos los triunfos más recientes del equipo de fútbol, y la importancia de "la Masia", la cantera ilustre de Barcelona. Después de un vuelo de 20 horas sin dormir, llegamos al piso que será nuestro hogar durante los próximos días. Después de una ducha refrescante, salgo con mi familia a un mercado y recogemos algunos nísperos y pedazos de tortilla, que llevamos de regreso al apartamento para devorar, y luego echo una siesta de dos horas. La ciudad es tan impresionante como siempre, con colores vibrantes, gente elegante, y calles movidas.
A year after the first experience, I arrive at the same port of entry--Barcelona. I walk along the same hallways through the airport and change money at the same window. On the ride into the city, I talk to the taxi driver. We discuss the football team’s most recent triumphs, and the importance of “la Masia”, Barcelona’s illustrious youth academy. After a 20 hour sleepless flight, we arrive at the apartment that will be our home for the next few days. After a refreshing shower, I go with my family to a nearby market and pick out some loquats and slices of tortilla, which we take back to the apartment, devour, and then take a two-hour siesta. The city is as impressive as always, with bright colors, elegant locals, and bustling streets.
A year after the first experience, I arrive at the same port of entry--Barcelona. I walk along the same hallways through the airport and change money at the same window. On the ride into the city, I talk to the taxi driver. We discuss the football team’s most recent triumphs, and the importance of “la Masia”, Barcelona’s illustrious youth academy. After a 20 hour sleepless flight, we arrive at the apartment that will be our home for the next few days. After a refreshing shower, I go with my family to a nearby market and pick out some loquats and slices of tortilla, which we take back to the apartment, devour, and then take a two-hour siesta. The city is as impressive as always, with bright colors, elegant locals, and bustling streets.
Etiquetas:
De Vuelta a Cataluña/ Return to Catalonia
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