Ana's Bookstore

Ana's Bookstore
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4/19/2009

Boiling the Odds

Being a writer and living in another country is not an easy task (see my essay about immigration that I once shared on my first message that I posted on this blog) and being a foreigner is never a piece of cake, yet it has so many compensations that it's quite worth the working process. When we first arrive to another place that's outside our spectrum we may feel quite vulnerable and alienated, but once we share more similarities than odds it changes the perspective, thus giving us the liberty to have a brand new start. I don't know though how one may come to terms while speaking other languages and blending into other cultures, we all have our particularities and our ways as to find strenght and faith in our own limitations and extreme situations we may face on the way when dealing with what's different, distant and exotic for us. The most recent cases of a Vietnamese immigrant who killed thriteen people in a citizenship class because he got frustrated for losing his job, and the discrimination one may suffer for being an immigrant can be examplified by that man who killed Chilean immigrants inside their own homes in Pensacola. Society always failed into introducing an odd character, the ugly duckling, rather mocking about its lack of skills (which is probably because he didn't learn what the others know since they were born, or it was not in his system, but yes, one day he may even surpass that and surprise us!) Now it's Susan Boyle (the singer who astonished everyone by her lack of attractiveness and her beautiful voice) that is in the news, showing how much it costs to be different. Examples, there are plenty!! But for me being an outsider and different from others has always blessed me with bliss in many levels. Writing in another country gives me even more insightful moments. And I can always have that eye that sees from the outside, from another point of view, and yet being able to belong to the places I live at the same time... it's quite an adventure that makes me move and be moved in a constant exchange of experiences. But for that to happen one must be strong inside and humble enough to let go of some matters of the ego and simply think: "What can I offer to others??" And then what one takes is much more than one may expect. All in all it is always Paradise (and no parasite) to just get up and dance.

4/14/2009

Face it!



What does that do to you? Can you feel a sense of accomplishment, or some sort of serenity inside of you while watching that? Can you feel as if you belonged to them all? Or is that just me who wants to be inspired by great artists?? I feel Art in motion with much emotion. Elation!!

While watching this video I feel inspired by the amalgam of artistic displays that Philip S. Johnson constructed so well while combining music and images in a fusion of styles, colours and rythms, so much in tune with all the manifestation of cultures around the world, making them dance as one.