Because every day is Earth Day....

I came across a list of “50 easy ways to help the environment” and I thought I would share the ones I think are easily applicable in either a dorm or our homes. Please notice my attempts at adding witty comments at the end of each one (they are in bold). I will not be translating this into Spanish…way to much!

1. LIGHTBULBS MATTER Switch from traditional incandescent lightbulbs to compact fluorescent lightbulbs (C.F.L.). If every American household replaced one regular lightbulb with a C.F.L., the pollution reduction would be equivalent to removing one million cars from the road. A 30-watt C.F.L. produces about as much light as an ordinary 100-watt bulb. Although the initial price is higher, C.F.L.'s can last 12 times as long. C.F.L.'s are available at most home-improvement stores and at bulbs.com. – OK, we get these for FREE. Change the light bulb on your desk lamp, it’s easy. Or, don’t use a desk lamp.

2. DITCH PLASTIC BAGS Californians Against Waste (cawrecycles.org), a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, estimates that Americans use 84 billion plastic bags annually, a considerable contribution to the 500 billion to one trillion used worldwide. Made from polyethylene, plastic bags are not biodegradable and are making their way into our oceans and waterways. According to recent studies, the oceans are full of tiny fragments of plastic that are beginning to work their way up the food chain. Invest in stronger, re-usable bags, and avoid plastic bags whenever possible. You don’t need a stupid Stanford bookstore bag when you buy textbooks, instead just bring your backpack and start getting used to carrying them around! And if you’re buying skittles, don’t get a bag, please.

3. RINSE NO MORE According to Consumer Reports, pre-rinsing dishes does not necessarily improve a dishwasher's ability to clean them. By skipping the wash before the wash, you can save up to 20 gallons of water per dishload. At one load a day, that's 7,300 gallons over the course of the year. Not to mention that you're saving time, dishwashing soap, and the energy used to heat the additional water. I have no clue as to how water efficient hobarts are….

4. FORGET PRE-HEATING Ignore cookbooks! It is usually unnecessary to pre-heat your oven before cooking, except when baking bread or pastries. Just turn on the oven at the same time you put the dish in. During cooking, rather than opening the oven door to check on your food, just look at it through the oven window. Why? Opening the oven door results in a significant loss of energy. Hmmmm, I’m attempting this over snack bake next week….

5. A GLASS ACT Recycle glass (think beer bottles, jars, juice containers) either through curbside programs or at community drop-off centers. Glass takes more than one million years to decompose; Americans generate almost 13 million tons of glass waste a year. Glass produced from recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20 percent and related water pollution by 50 percent. Go to earth911.org for local recycling information. Stanford has recycling and compost bins EVERYWHERE. It’s the easiest thing you can do.

7. HANG UP YOUR DRYER It goes without saying—clothes dryers are huge energy gluttons. Hints to reduce energy use: Clean the lint filter after each load (improves air circulation). Use the cool-down cycle (allows clothes to finish drying from the residual heat inside). Better yet, abandon your dryer and buy some drying racks, if you don't have a clothesline. Generally, clothes dry overnight. This is harder because people feel like their clothes will get stolen….at EBF a couple of people dry their clothes on the stairwell…..

9. GREEN PAINT Most paint is made from petrochemicals, and its manufacturing process can create 10 times its own weight in toxic waste. It also releases volatile organic compounds (V.O.C.'s) that threaten public health. (V.O.C.'s are solvents that rapidly evaporate, allowing paint to dry quickly.) They cause photochemical reactions in the atmosphere, leading to ground-level smog that can cause eye and skin irritation, lung and breathing problems, headaches, nausea, and nervous-system and kidney damage. The best alternative? Natural paints. Manufactured using plant oils, natural paints pose far fewer health risks, are breathable, and in some cases are 100 percent biodegradable. Remember: Never throw your paint away. Check out Earth 911's "Paint Wise" section for re-use programs in your community; earth911.org. We are currently re-painting some walls in EBF, have we looked at this?

12. PLAY IT COOL Avoid placing your air conditioner next to a TV, lamp, or other electrical appliance that generates heat. A heat source will confuse the unit's thermostat, causing it to misread how hot the room is and make the air conditioner run longer than it should. You can also program an air conditioner to start running 30 minutes before you arrive home (as with heating). There is no need to cool a home if no one is in it. OK, Stanford needs to learn to turn off the heaters and fix the knobs on a bunch of them, because many run on high all of the time.

13. FOOD MILES MATTER Food is traveling farther than ever. Once upon a time people ate seasonally—artichokes in the winter, cherries in June. Now you can buy most fruits and vegetables practically year-round. The average American meal contains ingredients produced in at least five other countries. The transportation of food and agricultural products constitutes more than 20 percent of total commodity transport within the U.S. To help reduce CO2 emissions (released from trucks, airplanes, and cargo ships), it's best to buy food that's in season, organic, and grown locally. Go to ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets to find the farmers' market nearest you. Our KMs already do a great job at this

14. GO VEGETARIAN ONE DAY A WEEK To produce one pound of beef requires 2,500 gallons of water—that's 40 times more water than is used to produce a pound of potatoes. Before buying beef, think about the immense cost of energy used to raise cattle and to transport meat to your supermarket shelf. Besides all this, cows consume enormous amounts of antibiotics and are a prodigious source of methane, which is the number-two greenhouse gas; livestock are responsible for almost 20 percent of the methane in the atmosphere. Not even football players need steak 7 times a week.

15. BUY EGGS IN CARDBOARD CARTONS Cardboard egg cartons are normally made from recycled paper, which biodegrades relatively quickly, and are also again recyclable—Styrofoam or plastic cartons take a much longer time to biodegrade and their manufacture produces harmful by-products. Jesus, never even though if this before

18. TAKE SHOWERS, NOT BATHS The average American household consumes about 60 gallons of water a day from showers and baths. To reduce this number, take quick showers and install a low-flow showerhead that uses fewer than 2.5 gallons of water per minute, as compared to about 5 gallons with an older showerhead. Baths are relaxing, but it can take 50 gallons of water to fill a tub. Fact: There is no correlation between shower length and cleanliness.

19. STOP THE WATER By leaving the water running while you brush your teeth, you can waste 150 gallons of water per month—that's 1,800 gallons a year! Turning the water off while you brush can save several gallons of water per minute. Also pay attention to this water-saving principle while shaving or washing your face. Easiest thing on this list

22. DON'T BE A BUTT TOSSER About 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered worldwide each year—making them the most-littered item. The myth that cigarette filters are biodegradable is just that, a myth. Although the filters do eventually decompose, they release harmful chemicals that enter the earth's land and water during the decaying process. There is nothing earth-friendly about the breakdown. If you must smoke, carry a 35-mm. film canister to store your used butts in until you can properly discard them. People should stop doing this not just because Jim Olsen threatens us.

23. DON'T JUST DUMP Envelopes come in huge quantities for free every day. If you are careful when opening letters, you can use the envelopes again by simply putting a label over the original address. This saves money and trees, while reducing waste. Try to re-use jars and plastic containers—for example, when taking your lunch to work. (Doing so prevents waste, and making your food at home is less expensive than the alternative.) Ask your office manager to buy re-usable mesh coffee filters instead of bleached paper ones, which may contain dioxins. They are tree-free and should save your company money. I had never thought of this before, sweet!

25. GROW YOUR OWN GARDEN In 1826, J. C. Loudon wrote in An Encyclopaedia of Gardening, "For all things produced in a garden, whether salads or fruits, a poor man that has one of his own will eat better than a rich man that has none." To start a vegetable garden costs nothing but a few packs of seeds and rudimentary garden implements, and it saves enormous amounts of money, to say nothing of the food miles and the packaging that go into supplying you with fresh fruits and vegetables. Of course, a vegetable garden is only productive for part of the year, but it is amazing how long that growing season lasts and how much you can produce from one small patch. Yay!

26. BUY RECYCLED PRODUCTS There has to be a market for products made with recycled goods. Support this movement by purchasing recycled goods—you will save virgin materials, conserve energy, and reduce landfill waste. Recycled paper products include toilet paper (which is no longer scratchy, like it used to be), copy paper, paper towels, and tissues. Look for garbage bags and bin liners labeled "recycled plastic," and buy recycled toner cartridges for your fax machines and printers. Fact: recycled toilet paper is better for your butt.

31. TURN OFF YOUR CHARGERS Most cell-phone chargers continue to draw electricity even when the phone isn't plugged into it. If your cell-phone charger averages five watts per hour and is plugged in all the time, that means a total of more than 40 kilowatt-hours every year, or about 93 pounds of CO2. The same problem applies to your other electronic equipment—your laptop, iPod, digital camera, and BlackBerry. Unplug all your chargers when they are not in use. Use a freaking power strip and turn it off!

32. RECYCLE YOUR BATTERIES Although the number of electrical gadgets that use disposable batteries is on the decline, each person in the U.S. discards eight batteries per year. Overall, Americans purchase nearly three billion batteries annually, and about 179,000 tons of those end up in the garbage. Batteries have a high concentration of metals, which if not disposed of properly can seep into the ground when the casing erodes. Avoid disposable batteries by using your outlets whenever possible. If you can't do without batteries, use rechargeable and recycled ones. You should also have your batteries collected and recycled. Go to rebat.com for a list of companies that participate in battery reclamation. Did you know Stanford recycles batteries?

33. TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER WHEN YOU LEAVE AT NIGHT While computers do require a power surge when you first turn them on, they don't need enormous amounts of electricity to function for lengthy periods. Also, you can set your computer on "sleep" mode, which uses about three watts per hour, if you are going to be away from your desk for more than 15 minutes. Again, suuper easy

34. GET INVOLVED Recycling at home doesn't get you off the hook at work. If your office doesn't recycle, or recycles only paper, find out why. If you work in a small office, call your local authority to discover what recycling equipment and services are available. These may include storage containers and compacters as well as collection. If you work in a larger office, ask your building-services coordinator why there are no recycling facilities and whom you would need to speak to about starting a recycling program for paper, glass, metal, and plastic. For more information, visit earth911.org.

35. PRINT DOUBLE-SIDED American businesses throw away 21 million tons of paper every year, 175 pounds per office worker. For a quick and easy way to halve this, set your printer's default option to print double-sided (duplex printing). This has the added advantage of halving the paper pile on your desk. To further cut your paper wastage, make sure you always use "print preview" mode to check that there are no overhanging lines and that you print only the pages you need. Other ways to cut down on paper before you get to the printing stage include using single or 1.5 spacing instead of double spacing, and reducing your page margins. Oh ResComp

38. RECYCLE YOUR NEWSPAPER There are 63 million newspapers printed each day in the U.S.; 44 million, or about 69 percent, of these will be thrown away. Recycling just the Sunday papers would save more than half a million trees every week.

39. PLANT A TREE It's the simplest thing in the world to gather acorns, chestnuts, sweet chestnuts, and sycamore seeds in the autumn, plant them immediately, and forget them until the following spring. The success rate for acorns is not as high as for the other three, but in a good year about 40 percent germinate into oak trees. There's little that will stop the others from growing into healthy trees within the first year. Start saplings in Styrofoam coffee cups, which can be split with a knife so that the roots aren't disturbed when you plant them outdoors. Keep the saplings for four or five years, then plant them in your own garden, offer them to friends, or return them to nature. It may seem like a very small contribution, but if 5 percent of the U.S. population were to germinate one tree in one year, there would be almost 15 million extra trees absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. For more information, visit arborday.org. Plus, it’s really fun!

42. WALK OR BIKE Always consider alternatives to driving, especially for journeys under two miles. It's better for the environment to walk, cycle, or even take the bus than to hop in your car. Currently, only 2 percent of employed adults walk to work in the U.S. Walking adds to life expectancy, is safe, helps with mental and physical health, and, best of all, is completely free. Cycling is another way to get around and has recently become more popular, what with more bike paths and cool new gadgets like L.E.D. lights for riding in the dark. New kinds of folding bikes have been specially developed for the commuter. Surprisingly, recent studies have shown that bicyclists in cities are less exposed to air pollution than people in cars and taxis. I know I’ve driven from EBF to the housing office because I was lazy. That is going to stop.

46. DISCOVER YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT If you think you're already pretty green, determine your carbon footprint: a measurement of how your lifestyle choices affect carbon emissions. Your footprint will take into account your habits, the food you eat, your gas and electricity usage, your car and air mileage. Your score will be compared to the average figures for your county. These online tests aim to help you estimate your own carbon emissions and calculate how much of the planet's resources are required to sustain your lifestyle. They may motivate you to make changes, helping you set simple goals to reduce your negative impact on the planet. To learn about your carbon footprint, go to carbonfootprint.com/calculator.html. Pretty cool stuff

49. RE-GIFT GIFT WRAP Help cut down on the consumption of paper and plastic by re-using wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, and gift bags. These items should be good for at least one more wrapping. If you are feeling creative, use old calendars, pages from magazines, or even newspaper to wrap gifts.

I'm lucky :)

Hace poco me comentó un amigo “Ceci, no sabés como te envidio, ya que estas en Stanford y Silicon Valley. Yo ya no aguanto mi país, quisiera vivir allá”. Su comentario me dejó reflejando….tanto que hasta ahora (varios meses después), escribo algo:

Cada vez que regreso a Guatemala la situación está peor. Entre la violencia, la corrupción, el tráfico, la contaminación y hasta los pésimos coros en misa (ningún coro canta como los de aquí) verdaderamente Stanford parece el paraíso. Sin embargo, ver todo eso simplemente me motiva a regresar a ayudar. No me creo Madre Teresa ni creo que pueda yo cambiar Guatemala solita, pero si no lo intento se que voy a haber desperdiciado todas las bendiciones y oportunidades que he recibido, las mismas que me celaba mi amigo. No saben cuantas veces he contemplado tomarme un año libre de la Universidad para regresar a Guatemala y no solo voluntarear, sino irme a meter con instituciones públicas. Porque la caridad, por más buena que sea, no va a cambiar un país tan violento, inestable y corrupto. Hace poco pasé una hora viendo pasajes para Haití, pero eso es una historia diferente…..en fin, el comentario de mi amigo me hizo reflejar que, aunque la lógica dicte que me debería quedar por aquí cuanto más pueda, no puedo parar de pensar en regresar a Guatemala y hacer algo, no se que, pero algo. Tengo u proyecto de reciclaje pero esa es una historia larga….Espero que estos sentiemientos no sean solamente algo que digo por decir, sino que verdaderamente me ponga a trabjar.
Verdaderamente estoy agradecida por estar aquí. No solamente porque mis maestros son los que escriben los textos que usan en otras universidades ;), ni porque facebook está aquí cerquita y conozco personas que trabajan en google, en realidad estoy más que todo agradecida por las personas que he tenido la oportunidad de conocer. Stanford lo que hizo fue presentarme una diversidad de personas, creencias y perspectivas incredible, y gracias a Dios eso hizo que la “burbuja” en la que vivía explote. Más que nada yo creo que estos tres años en Stanford me han hecho crecer como persona. Los valores y creencias por las que me guío y que mi papas siempre fomentaron en mi casa no han cambiado, pero si ha cambiado mi habilidad para entender a los demás, y mi curiosidad por aprender. He conocido a personas de mi edad que están haciendo cosas verdaderamente increíbles, y eso es algo que me abrió los ojos y me inspira muchísimo.

Mi amigo tenía razón que Stanford es un lugar de envidiar, pero estaba equivocado también, ya que Stanford no es un lugar al que hay que ir para escaparse de la realidad de un país, es un lugar al que hay que ir para aprender, exprimir hasta no poder más, y crecer como persona para poder regresar y cambiar ese país que muchas veces es frustrante. Así en un futuro a nuestros nietos les van a decir los gringos “Cómo te envidio, quiesiera vivir en Guatemala”.…..cambiaría el conocer a Messi por ese sueño!


Not that long ago a friend made a comment that stuck with me for a long time “Ceci, you don’t know how much I envy you because you go to Stanford and you live in Silicon Valley. I want to leave my country as soon as possible, I can’t take it anymore and would love to live there”. I finally have the time now to discuss what I reflected on after he commented on my “good fortune”.

Every time I go back to Guatemala the situation is worse. Between violence, corruption, traffic, contamination and even the terrible choirs at church (really, no one choir there is pretty), Stanford truly seems like paradise. However, seeing all of that simply motivates me to go back and help. I don’t think I’m Mother Teresa and I also don’t think I can change Guatemala by myself, but I do know that if I don’t try I will have wasted all of the blessings and opportunities my friend was so jealous of. You have no idea of how many times I have considered taking a year of and going back to Guatemala not to volunteer, but to somehow get involved with politics. Because charity, as great as it is, can only go so far, and in a country rotting with corruption and instability, we need long lasting change. Not long ago I looked at plane tickets for Haiti, but that is a different story…..anyways, my friend’s comment made me reflect that even though logic dictates that I should stay here as long as I possibly can, I cannot wait to go back and do something. I don’t know what, but something. I’ve been recently working on a recycling project, but more on that later….I hope that these feelings aren’t just something I say and then forget about, I hope that I actually begin working towards changing “the Guat”.
I am truly grateful about the opportunity of being here. Not only because my teachers are the ones that write the textbooks everyone else uses, or because facebook is right here and I know people that work at Google, but because of the people I’ve had the chance to meet. What Stanford did was expose me to a diverse set of people and perspective, and thankfully that popped the comfortable “bubble” I was living in. More than anything, I think these three years at Stanford have made me grow as a person. The values and beliefs my parents instilled in me when I was younger haven’t changed, but what has changed is my ability and willingness to understand others and my curiosity and desire to learn. I have met people my age who are doing incredible things, which is something eye-opening and inspiring.

My friend was right, Stanford is truly an enviable place, but he was also wrong because Stanford is not somewhere where people should go to escape the reality of a country, it is somewhere where people must go to learn, make the most of everything and grow as a person in order to return and change a country that seems so frustrating. Then, in the future, “gringos” will tell our grandchildren “I envy you so much, I wish I could live in Guatemala”….I would trade meeting Messi for that dream

Decepción en Milán

Inter 3 Barcelona 1

Desde el momento que le tocó a el Barca viajar en atocar hasta Milán (15 horas en bus), tenía un mal presentimiento sobre este partido. El Inter es un equipo fuerte, y simplemente nos plantearon un mejor partido que otros equipos. Es decir, nos jugaron al contragolpe y les funcionó. Aclaro, no estoy diciendo que jugaron"mejor" porque creo que casi nadie en el mundo puede argumentar en contra del hecho que el Barca es el equipo que "mejor y más espectacularmente" juega. El Inter, sin jugar de una manera más bonita, creativa o fluida ganó, y al final eso es lo que importa. Aunque es lindo que tu equipo te haga disfrutar con su fútbol tan seguido.....Lamentablemente el Barca no pudo desplagar su mejor Barca como sí lo hizo en la ronda de grupos....como "hincha" siento frustración porque yo se que el equipo es capaz de jugar mejor y que fácilmente nos podríamos haber llevado el empate.

No me gusta alegar de los árbitros porque muchas veces el Barca se ha visto beneficiado por los árbitros (por qué no admitirlo, el partido contra el Chelsea, por ejemplo, aunque ya nos habían pitado un partido completamente en contra a la ida, pero todo esto es argumento de el año pasado y ya perdido....) pero honestamente que arbitraje más malo. Las pocas veces que Messi juega mal se pueden atribuir a 1. Que le corten inteligentemente los espacios y lo presionen sin darle un centímetro (lo que hizo el Espanyol) o 2. Porque lo están masacrando en el campo y el árbitro no pita nada. Se comió un penal claro a Messi y varias faltas que no vieron ni la amarilla, por ejemplo, cuando Cambiasso (si mal no recuerdo) le fue a patear la cara. Encima el segundo gol llega después de una falta clara sobre Messi y queda Puyol con la tarjeta (que encima se pierde el partido de la vuelta gracias a la tarjeta). El tercer gol es claramente posición adelantada, y todavía tiene el descaro de sacarle tarjeta a Dani Alves al recibir la falta....les dejo el video en que se ven estas acciones para que juzguen ustedes....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIsa0tm9Ixs&playnext_from=TL&videos=ONEV4oCxDuU&feature=sub

Ahora, a pensar en el partido de la vuelta! Yo confío 100% en el equipo y en el poder de 98,000 "hinchas" alentándolos, y, para un equipo que tiene tantos jugadores con hambre de gol, un 2-0 no es imposible. Obviamente espero que Pep plantee un partido en que los jugadores salgan a disfrutar y que busquen no un 2-0 sino un 5-0 si es posible. Quiero la final en el Bernabeú y estoy segura que quien gane esta semifinal sera campeón de la Champions. Visca Barca!

Barcelona vs Espanyol - "El derbi"

ACLARO: ESTOS COMENTARIOS LITERALMENTE REFLEJAN LO QUE PASABA POR MI MENTE MIENTRAS JUGABAN! NO ME CREO NI ANALISTA NI COMENTARISTA, SOLO FAN DEVOTA.!

PREVIA

Día de fútbol! Hoy: el derbi catalán. En los últimos años este partido se ha tornado más violento que otra cosa. La rivalidad contra el Madrid opaca ésta, que vale la pena mencionar ha existido por mucho más tiempo. Recuerdo que entre los últimos encuentros ha existido polémica por los árbitros (un gol tardío de Messi les dió la victoria hace dos temporadas) los fans ya que no hace mucho los ultras del Barca le tiraban bengalas a los del Espanyol, y los jugadores…ojalá que el juego de hoy sea un buen espectáculo de fútbol y una victoria para el Barcelona!

SENSACIONES PRIMERA MITAD

11 inicial de sorpresa, un 4-4-3 con Maxwell en el ataque junto a Messi y Pedro. Lo mal que tiene que estar Henry para que Pep prefiera a Maxwell…Bojan de seguro no por cuestiones de tamaño, ya que el Espanyol es un equipo grande y fuerte, de seguro Ibra entra en la segunda mitad para conseguir algunos minutos antes del juego contra el Inter. Empezó el Espanyol con mucha presión, el Barca no estaba tan cómodo como siempre. Pasaron los tres minutos y Xavi y Messi no aparecían….Pedro como siempre tratando de presionar arriba.

Piqué impresionante durante toda la primera parte, contundente y de los pocos que no se “calientan” cuando el rival comienza a alegar. Al minuto 20 el Barca todavía estaba apostando por el pelotazo y no por los pases, estaban incómodos pero el Espanyol tampoco creaba ocasiones. Me llegaban imágenes del partido en contra el Depor y el cláscio, en el que subía Pique con tranquilidad hasta el medio campo o más, pero en éste juego el Espanyol presionaba muy arriba, y bastante fuerte (les faltaron algunas amarillas). El Espanyol creaba todas las ocasiones y el Barca nada…que frustración! Pasaron 35 minutos hasta que el Barca comenzó a generar sus famosos rondos cerca del área del rival, y hasta el minuto 40 llegó la segunda ocasión (la única otra fue un centro de Pedro que podría haber sido gol al principio del juego). El “cañito” de Messi a Nico Parejo en el minuto 43 tampoco se me olvida jaja y de la que nos salvó Valdés en el minuto 44! Valdés al mundial!!!

SENASIONES SEGUNDA MITAD

El principio muy parecido al de la primera mitad…mucha presión del Espanyol y las pocas veces (2 si mucho) que se “prendió” Messi no había nadie más arriba….Xavi fallando pases, que raro. Al minuto 56 entró Keita por Milito y Henry por Touré, lo cual movió a Maxwell de regreso a donde pertenece, Keita en la posición de Touré y Henry en la punta con Messi y Pedro. Nooo tarjeta roja a Dani Alves! Y encima los asquerosos son los del Espanyol y a Maxwell se le van las pelotas…que vamos a hacer sin laterales que suban?

Henry vive dormido, al minuto 80 no había sacado ningún buen centro…la mejor ocasión fue el pase de Messi a Xavi, están dormidísimos! Minuto 82, entró Ibra…a ver que puede hacer en 10 minutos! Por lo menos va a crearle más trabajo a los centrales del Espanyol. Desborde genial de Messi que para Niko Pareja…pregunta, está Nico convocado por Maradona? Porque debería!

Bueno, terminó el juego en empate. Un juego entretenido, en que el Barca no ha sido el de siempre, le ha costado muchísimo, y el Espanyol ha salido a presionar. Los hinchas del Espanyol se van muy contentos, todavía tenemos el liderato, hay que ir poquito a poquito pero un juego como este no se puede repetir…y por la cara de Pep creo que está de acuerdo!

CONCLUSION

Un equipo con más calidad nos ganaba…..pero el Espanyol por más que presionó no logró aprovechar las ocasiones, mejor dicho, no supo aprovechar las ocaciones….si el Madrid, o algún equipo con más talento nos planteaba un juego similar…..la pregunta es ahora si el Inter va a plantear un juego parecido (es decir, a presionar) o si le va a jugar de tú a tú al Barca. Yo creo que, porque no tienen un equipo que esté acostumbrado a desgastarse tanto ,van a tratar de jugar de tú a tú, lo cual beneficia a ambos equipos y, esperemos que, como en la primera ronda, beneficie más al Barca.

Mejor jugador del Barca: Gerard Piqué

Peor(es): Messi, Xavi, Maxwell

Como película de Disney..."Dreams really do come true!"

Hace una semana me enteré que un sueño que he tenido desde hace unos 6 años por fin se va a volver una realidad…voy a conocer a Messi! Los que no sepan quien es Messi pueden parar de leer mi blog desde ya porque estoy segura que el 80% de mis “posts” van a ser relacionados al Barca o a Messi.

Mi tío Tomás, a quien de ahora en adelante voy a llamar Santo Tomás, es en este caso mi hadita madrina (los que lo conocen por favor imagínenselo vestido en un tutú). El se encontraba en una reunión (me imagino) cuando los representantes de Samsung Panamá le ofrecieron una entrada VIP a un partido benéfico que va a organizar Messi a mediados de Julio (esperemos que justo después de ganarle la final a Brasil....) y al escuchar “Messi” comentó que su sobrina tenía una pequeña obsesión con dicho jugador y que si existía la posibilidad de conseguir otra entrada. Quiero aquí hacer notar que la perseverancia es clave ya que la única razón por la cual mi tío pensó Ceci = Messi es porque he hecho el ridículo en muchas actividades familiares hablando de Messi, me pongo mis camisas del Barca todo el tiempo aunque a mi mama no le guste, y estoy segura que hablo tanto de Messi que mis papás le alegan a mis tíos en sus “cenas de hermanos”.

La historia se pone mejor. No solo voy a ir a verlo jugar, lo cual para cualquier fan del fútbol, sea del R.Madrid, Barcelona o Boca Juniors es un honor porque Messi va encaminado a ser una leyenda, y estoy segura que va a ser uno de esos jugadores los cuales uno recuerda toda la vida y le dice a sus nietos “Yo vi a jugar a Messi” así como es común escuchar algún viejo orgulloso de haber visto jugar a Maradroga o Pelé, sino que existe la posibilidad que vaya a una cena con el y otras personas! Aviso: si llega a pasar lo de la cena yo le doy un beso. En serio. O, y esto me da muchísimo miedo, voy a estar callada por primera vez en mi vida! Hay y no se que ropa ponerme! AAAAAA! Estoy segura que la noche de la cena va a llegar mi tío/santo/hadita madrina con la ropa perfecta, Messi y yo nos vamos a enamorar y vamos a vivir felices para siempre….y en 20 años mi historia se documenta en una película jaja…

Para terminar, solo quiero agradecer nuevamente a mi tío/santo/hada Tomás y a los que siempre creyeron (Gaby, mi hermana Camila, Allie, Chichi, Jess, Blair, Anne, Crista y Neto) y tranquilizar a todos los lectores que creen que estoy loca, ya que 1. No creo que lo de la cena se vaya a dar y 2. De seguro no me dejan ni ponerle un dedo encima! Igual, soy la persona más feliz de este mundo!

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About a week ago I found out that a dream I’ve held on to for 6 years is finally coming true….I’m meeting Messi! Those who don’t know who Messi is can stop reading my blog because I can assure you that 80% of the posts will be related to Messi or Barca.

My uncle Tomás, who from now on shall be known as Saint Tomás, is in this case playing the role of my fair godmother (those who know him please picture him wearing a tutu). He was in a meeting (probably), when the representatives of Samsung Panamá offered him VIP tickets for a charity soccer game that is being organized by Messi and will be held in Panamá in mid July (hopefully just after Argentina beats Brazil in the final of the World Cup…..) and when he heard “Messi”, he mentioned that his niece had a little obsession with said player and if there was any chance he could get another ticket. Here I want readers to notice that perseverance is key, because the only reason why my uncle formed the association Messi = Ceci, is because I have ridiculed myself in family gatherings while talking about Messi, I wear my jerseys all of the time even though my mom doesn’t like it, and I am sure I talk about Messi so much that my parents have complained to my aunts and uncles in the past during their monthly dinners.

The story gets even better. Not only do I get to see him play, which for any soccer fan, be them Madrid, Barcelona or Boca Juniors supporters, is an honor because Messi i son his way of becoming a soccer legend, and i am sure he is going to be one of those players that you remember your whole life and tell your grandchildren “I saw Messi play”, just how old people today reminisce about watching Maradroga and Pelé, but I might get to go to dinner with him and some other [less important] people! Note: if this happens I will try to kiss him. Seriously. Or, and this is scaring me, I will be quiet for the first time in my life! I don’t know what to wear! AAAAA! However, I am sure that night my uncle/saint/godmother will arrive with the perfect outfit, Messi and I are going to fall in love and we are going to live happily ever after….and 20 years from now my story will be a Blockbuster hit….haha

To finish off, I just want to thank my uncle/saint/godmother Tomás and everyone that always believed I would meet him (Gaby, my sister Camila, Allie, Chichi, Jess, Blair, Anne, Crista and Neto) and ease the Readers that think I am crazy because 1. I don’t think the dinner thing will happen, and 2. I am sure they won’t even let me get closet o him! Still, I am the happiest person ever!

Chauuuuu

Cessi

Hola/Hello

Hola internautas! Les doy la bienvenida a mi blog, en el cual espero poder escribir por lo menos una vez a la semana y discutir fútbol, noticias de mi querida Guatemala, tecnología, mi vida en Stanford, etc. Es mi primer blog, así que voy a tratar que sea interesante, y le quiero agradecer a la "Chichi" porque me inspiró a comenzar este ambicioso proyecto. Ma y Pa, una nueva manera de mantenerse al tanto de lo que estoy haciendo y como me siento!

Hello internet! Welcome to my blog, where I hope to be writing at least once a week and discussing soccer, news about my dear Guatemala, technology, my life at Stanford, etc. This is my first blog ever, so I am going to do my best to keep it interesting; I want to thank "Chichi" for being an inspirational blogger. Mom and Dad, this is a new way you can keep up with what I am doing and how I am feeling!

Chauuuuu.....Cessi