Archivi categoria: Opinions

Category about my personal opinion on different subject matters.

A mi hija, recuerdos de tiempos especiales en su cumpleaños

Querida hija,

recuerdo claramente el 11 de enero del 2019. Vivíamos en un apartamento en el centro de Dübendorf y tus abuelitos guatemaltecos con tu tío habían viajado cientos de kilómetros para conocerte. Nos despertamos muy temprano; mi maleta con mi ropa y tu ropita por estrenar lista en la puerta. Muchos nervios, muchas emociones, muchos besos y abrazos entre nosotros, pero al mismo tiempo, mucha paz mental y espiritual. Era la hora justa. Había llegado tu momento, 40 semanas y 1 día: íbamos al hospital a hacer que nacieras porque estabas muy cómoda en mi vientre y no querías salir de allí. Yo, en cambio, no veía la hora de tenerte entre mis brazos y ver tus ojitos por primera vez. Y así fue. Fue como ver el sol después de un día gris.

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Parenting: a gift, not a right

Whatever your civil status may be, you might find yourself thinking that the next best thing in your life must be to have a child. The reasons can be infinite, even for no reason at all. Throughout my life, not very short but not very long either (I’m currently 35), I have heard both women and men of all ages and from different cultures, backgrounds and social status give different reasons for wanting to become a parent:

I have a career already, so now I need a baby;
I’m not successful at work so I should become a parent instead;
My marriage is coming to an end, and a child might help me save it;
My marriage is wonderful and I should have a child to keep it flourishing;

I have been married for so long and people keep asking why we have no kids so it’s time to have our first;
Everyone is having a baby, I think I should too;
I’m getting old and my eggs are getting old so I don’t have time to waste;
I have lots of pets, why not a child?;
I feel lonely and a child would keep me company and busy;
I’m a woman and that’s what I’m required to do;
I have a medical condition and my fertility is at risk so I need a baby now;

My family expect me to have a baby;
My partner wants a child otherwise we’re splitting up;
I have traveled the world, it’s time to settle down and have a family…
which comes to the reason I struggle most to comprehend: to have a family.
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Black Lives Matter indeed: a personal reflection

I’m not white, yet I wasn’t immediately drawn to the Black Lives Matter movement. I’m ashamed to admit I’ve always being adamant about racism in the world: I think it will always exist, so why try to fight a losing battle?

I grew up in a highly racist country, Guatemala. But here, racism is mainly against indigenous people. Our racial battle is not a black and white one, but anything versus indigenous. It doesn’t matter what shade of brown or black your skin may have as long as you’re not indigenous. Even ‘white’ indigenous people, individuals with very fair skin (indios blancos), are nonetheless discriminated against simply because they are indigenous. It is so bad, it is even an insult in common chapin (Guatemalan Spanish): ¡No seas indio! ¡Qué indio! ¡Tan indio! ¡Sos un indio! Which translates to: don’t be indigenous, because if you are, well…it means you’re stubborn, you’re uneducated, you’re ugly, you’re ignorant, you’re simply the wrong kind.

The movement back home should be called Indigenous Lives Matter.

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Ricardo Arjona, el Circo Soledad llegó a Suiza

Ricardo Arjona en vivo en Suiza

Jamás pensé jamás soñé pasar una noche mágica con los versos del poeta Ricardo Arjona en la tierra de los Alpes, adonde emigré hace casi un año y medio. Chapina como el maestro, verlo tan cerquita y corear junto a él significó volver por poco más de dos horas a mi tierra del Quetzal, viajar cientos de kilómetros hasta mi casa y revivir las emociones de aquel primer concierto en el Teatro Nacional de la ciudad de Guatemala, cuando junto a mis hermanos lo vi en vivo por primera vez en el lejano 1999. Sólo los que vivimos tan lejos de nuestra tierra natal podemos entender la magnitud de tan rara y exquisita oportunidad: Arjona en Europa, un sueño. Piel de gallina, voz cortada, y ojos empapados de emoción: esto fue el Circo Soledad. Cómo él mismo afirmó en su cuenta de Instagram, Suiza fue “cantar en lugares que nunca sospeché”. Pues, no eras el único a pensarlo.  Continua a leggere

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Grüezi Diego und Nicole!

It is snowing, but it is not winter. It is summer in my heart. Today is April 26: a memorable day. It started at 7:06 when I turned my alarm off and decided to ignore it; it was raining earlier today, and my bed was as warm as a bun fresh from the oven. Cozy.

I didn’t rush. I took the usual bus and hopped on the usual train for work. Always on time, public transportation here is super. And oh the lake! Everyday, I go across the Zürisee on tram number 5. Typical Swiss tile roofs complete the panorama my eyes caress. Continua a leggere

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Tornare a casa

Lago de Atitlán

Lago de Atitlán

Sono passati più di due anni dall’ultima volta in cui sono stata a casa mia. Non casa a Milano dove vivo da oltre 7 anni, ma parlo di casa-casa, dove c’è mamma e papà e tutto ciò che mi rappresenta; quel pezzetto di terra che noi locali chiamiamo el país de la eterna primavera, che anziché essere punto di riferimento è un punto di domanda sulla cartina, in quanto conosciuto solo allo straniero un po’ hippie e tanto avventuroso: Guatemala, il mio Paese natale. Continua a leggere

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25 aprile, Arrendersi o Perire!

Oggi più di altri giorni bisogna riflettere sulla soluzione finale che i nazisti, e i fascisti in Italia, hanno messo in atto, guidati dalla mente folle di Adolf Hitler e degli altri suoi seguaci. Estremisti, terroristi, fanatici …hanno potuto massacrare milioni di persone innocenti, senza scrupoli e senza pietà, ma nessuna gabbia, catena, muro o camera a gas potrà mai uccidere la nostra vera libertà.

Perciò ‘arrendersi o perire’ perché si può essere derubati di tutto ma mai della propria libertà!

Never again

Campo di concentramento Dachau – ‘Mai più’

Perché non ci sia un altro ‘giorno di liberazione’ ma la piena libertà di essere semplicemente chi siamo e di vivere, vivere pienamente come chi anche se dietro le sbarre durante le guerre non ha mai smesso di sognare.

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