http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/rss Esphiritu's latest journal entries Lang-8 Inc. Wed May 22 23:03:21 UTC 2013 Wed May 22 23:03:21 UTC 2013 Lang-8 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Lang-8
A few days ago I got into an argument with someone and it resulted in a injury. Part of one of my teeth fell out. I never get into argument, but this time was an exception because this person began to yell at me. That made me so angry that I started to answer back. It was the most irrational squabble I ever had.

I realize now that I fell into a trap because he is a misbehaving person. I fell down to his wretched level of dealing with things. At that moment I lost control of myself and also started to scold.

Now everything has gotten back to its usual color, because the few days after this physical confrontation was miserable. A sense of wrath and impotence settled over me during those days. However, now I feel better because I decided to quit that job and have a new beginning somewhere else.

I'm not a flower child, but that workplace isn't the best place to work in. In fact, I had been planning this decision since a year ago. This event just was the straw that broke the camel's back.


I'm gonna write about my future plans in another entry.

Posted at Wed May 22 03:15:03 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/270425541449199563020785803304775084884 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/270425541449199563020785803304775084884 Esphiritu Wed May 22 03:15:03 UTC 2013
- Comme c'est (Que c'est) extraordinaire !
- How extraordinary!

Merci bien !

Posted at Fri May 17 03:07:07 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/292278312019963149901443693097496741541 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/292278312019963149901443693097496741541 Esphiritu Fri May 17 03:07:07 UTC 2013
I think most of the changes that Lang-8 has implemented in its layout are good. They have improved the site's main navigation so that newcomers can understand readily how to use this site. They launched its new homepage a few months ago. It has now a more contemporary looking two-column design. To me it seemed overwhelming because I couldn't find, for instance, the settings page amidst in the ocean of links. Now, all the navigation system is on the top. To me this seems more intuitive and easier to use. All of those tiny tweaks have enhanced my experience and satisfation with the service. I congratulate Lang-8's team most warmly.

However, there is one tweak in the interface I dislike. It concerns the layout fonts. Each font has a distinctive "flavor" and to me the new layout font seems too robotic. I would prefer a warmer, a more human layout font such as arial. The arial has an ambience that is friendly, yet elegant. Moreover, that font is eminently readable: it is neither too small nor too orate. Selecting the right font it is an important aspect for web design. It is also related to the issue of web accesibility. I feel the Lang-8 staff should consider the needs of people with visual disabilities, like me.

One change I'd like to see is an audio recording of each corrected entry. This might help some learners improve their listening/pronounciation skills. By actually hearing the written words, memory retention might be enhanced. I believe that would make the learning process more interactive. Additionally we could know better our correctors, because I'll admit, I'd to hear most of their voices.

Posted at Thu May 16 01:45:48 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/113216269598647628277027751578567679588 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/113216269598647628277027751578567679588 Esphiritu Thu May 16 01:45:48 UTC 2013
This has added up to a few questions. What the hell is going on? Is because it has become a routine? Is it normal to feel this way after having studied three or more hours every day for almost a year? When will it stop?

I'm going to attempt to modify the schedule when I study or...,mmmm ,uh-oh, nothing else comes to my mind right now, but eventually this situation has to change.

[C]

Posted at Mon May 13 03:04:29 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/281472230023315799083162314147719939749 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/281472230023315799083162314147719939749 Esphiritu Mon May 13 03:04:29 UTC 2013
On the one hand, I'm aiming to finish school this time around and I'm definitely going to do my best to achieve it. I play for keeps, but on the other hand I don't have the gall to neglect my language studies. Therefore I'm planning on setting apart at least three hours to study English and French. This week I took a shot at it but it was difficult because I'm up to my ears in work, and, only could make the effort needed to stop falling further behind in reviewing my decks on Anki. To race to stand still. Either way, I'm gratefull that my life has changed.

[C]

Posted at Fri May 10 23:43:10 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/126599563540773617163319220621741629028 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/126599563540773617163319220621741629028 Esphiritu Fri May 10 23:43:10 UTC 2013
Since I'm aiming to finish school this time, I will likely spend less time on this website. But, I'll definetely take a shot at it. Now I'm thinking that my languages skills won't improve anymore and they might diminish. That makes me feel a little bit worried because I've been spending way way too much time on it. I refuse to lose everything I've gained. Oh! If it were different, I would be happier. I'm allowing myself to spend two hours reviewing my vocabulary on anki and another hour reading a book. That's it. I hope I can fulfill this plan.

Adiós!

[C]

Posted at Tue May 07 16:28:24 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/47363165575125845106501352627412534949 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/47363165575125845106501352627412534949 Esphiritu Tue May 07 16:28:24 UTC 2013
I have a question for you. I'm having trouble with two American slang phrases and I want to be sure that I've grasped them correctly.



The first one:

- It can't be helped. I'm guesstimating that it means: "Nothing can be done to help the situation".



The second:

-It couldn't be helped. --> "The situation could not have been avoided".


Please tell me if these meanings are correct or if not, what do they mean?

Thank you in advance!

Posted at Fri Mar 15 05:06:36 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/38075211784075790236281280635039516325 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/38075211784075790236281280635039516325 Esphiritu Fri Mar 15 05:06:36 UTC 2013
Today I'm really angry at my telephone company because I haven't had service for almost a week. Therefore I can't access the Internet at home. Right now, I'm using a public connection service at a stationery store. It's the second time in six months that this has happened and it’s very annoying because we have to fork over a lot of money every month for this service. I already went to the company to complain about it and they only told me that the service would be restored as soon as possible. Well, three days have passed and my telephone line is still dead. I guess they are busy fixing other telephones because when I went there another costumer was complaining about the same problem. There is no excuse for this. When someone charges a lot of money, the service should be excellent. However, unfortunately this isn’t the case. Just because there is only one company that provides the service to the entire city doesn't mean we have to put up with this kind of insult. Therefore, bad service, high-end prices and total indifference define a colossal fraud named Telmex.

[C]

Posted at Wed Feb 13 17:21:20 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/266121347584075870210399787650470513086 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/266121347584075870210399787650470513086 Esphiritu Wed Feb 13 17:21:20 UTC 2013
Work seems to be absorbing my time more and more because lately I haven’t been able to post any entry on Lang-8. On the one hand I’ve been neglecting my studies and this break helps to feed off my imagination and creativity and makes me eager to go back to my studies. On the other hand it has forced me to socialize and meet a lot of people. Although I don’t like the idea of stopping my studying even for a few days, to earn some money and go out of my prison makes me feel heartwarming and in a great mood. These days have been full of color and movement, which is a good thing because most days, when I don’t work, nothing really happens. That routine is almost unbearable when days pass quickly and become weeks and I’m still working in the same place and don’t even go out of home one once.

This week a lot of things happened and now I feel the desire to go out more and to socialize because shyness that settled over me so frequently when it came to meet new people has almost disappeared. And so I’m very happy about that. As I already mentioned in an entry, the plan is to go out every day and meet at least five girls and because of that I’m reading and watching some videos about how to approach women. Of course it’s a lot of more easy to talk about it than to do it, but I think that if I take adequate preparation things will turn out a lot better. I already started meeting new girls this week and it’s a lot easier than I used to think it was. Although they are married and with children, therefore some of them are not too open to chat with me because they think I’m flirting with them. In some ways I am because they are good looking, but that’s not my goal.


Posted at Mon Feb 11 16:04:57 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/266027256851599943635091252082154377125 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/266027256851599943635091252082154377125 Esphiritu Mon Feb 11 16:04:57 UTC 2013
Saturday, February 9, 2013. It's four ten (4:10)

I think without any doubt that one of the best football players is the Argentin Lionel Messi. Recently he won the award as soccer’s Best Player again and this is the fourth straight time he won this badge. Although I was disappointed when I heard the news because there are other players who deserve the prize too, like the Spaniard Andres Iniesta who was also dominated/awardee to win the Ballon d’Oro award. In fact I think Iniesta deserve the prize more than Messi because although he scored 91 times in 2012, overtaking Gerd Muller, who had 85 goals in 1972, he actually won nothing either with the national Argentin team or the Barça. Meantime Iniesta has won everything, including the most important competitions, two Eurocups and FIFA World Cup 2010. Besides he has played an important role to achieve those triumphs. I think it’s a little bit unfair that they members of the FIFA only consider how many goals someone scores rather than how many cups are lifted.

However, both of them are excellent players and to see them in the football camp is a privilege. I hope they can win both the Spanish football league and the UEFA Champions League. Although I can’t see most of the Barça’s games because the local T.V. doesn’t broadcast them, I try to watch the sport news or to read on internet about what happened in the game. But when I see them play is really exciting because I’m not accustomed to see that level of skill.

Posted at Sat Feb 09 22:10:03 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/154196396155545042470765556403383428446 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/154196396155545042470765556403383428446 Esphiritu Sat Feb 09 22:10:03 UTC 2013
Thrusday, February 7, 2013. It's a quarter to four.

Some parts of the city where I grew up have changed drastically, specially the suburbs. Some years ago it wasn’t as populated as it is now. Therefore a lot of supermarkets, malls, cinemas and places have been put up where you can hang out with your family. When I was a child, we my sister and I often complained about there wasn’t anything interesting around our neighborhood. We used to go to a nearby park where we spent most evenings and that was all. After sometime there wasn’t the same thrill as the beginning. There is now a lot of places where we can go to, either close to our neighborhood or far off.

I said that only some parts of the city have changed because the city center has barely changed over the last 200 years. The only changes that have been made are those that earthquakes have caused. There are strict guidelines that rule the procedures of building, retouching and demolition of those buildings because most of these buildings are considered Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. So, there are buildings quite old that are even uninhabited because of the danger that represents living there. They can’t be even demolished in order to rebuild. Therefore we all live in a mummified city. I think it’s okay but the only problem with this is that our city can’t express different moments of our history. We are living in buildings that were put up back in 1800’s. Of course they have a historical value that most foreigners really appreciate and enjoy when they visit Oaxaca. Along those lines the same happens to Jerusalen where they supposed to build only with the famous Jerusalen rock.


Posted at Thu Feb 07 21:46:17 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/272883512451898395631643186842246449598 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/272883512451898395631643186842246449598 Esphiritu Thu Feb 07 21:46:17 UTC 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013. It's eleven o'clock.

Yesterday night I tried to listen to an audio conversation in French with my iPod, but suddenly felt a little frustrated because there was anything I couldn’t understand. That made me wonder what kind of learner I am and it definitely must be the visual that stirs my curiosity and imagination. I don’t know if it is that way because I’m male, but when I try to learn a new word, it has to be written down in order to my brain get used to it and retain it. Of course my brain can remember words that are spoken specially if there is an emotional element involve. Like a joke or something like that. Another thing I’ve realized is that I need to review the same material several times before mastering fully and completely and each time I review the material there is something new that the previous round it passed inadvertently. I wish I could understand and retain the information in the first round.

When I was in school, during most classes, usually tried to pay attention to the teacher, but it was difficult for me to focus the whole hour that lasted the class. Almost everything distracted me from the class and my brain started to ramble, and once I regained concentration, had already lost track of what they had been saying. Although this is a serious problem, I realized that there were other students with the same problem. One of my closest friends once told me that the same problem happened to her and because of this she usually sat down at the front of the class and took a drug that helps her pay more attention. I don’t know if it’s a genetic thing or because of our education but definitely this problem hinders our life as students.

Posted at Wed Feb 06 17:08:24 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/277567738910979732436138450975246162775 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/277567738910979732436138450975246162775 Esphiritu Wed Feb 06 17:08:24 UTC 2013

Over the years I was in prep school there were many girls who went out with me. Not at the same time of course. I don’t remember all of them, but I think they were twelve or thirteen maybe. It was a great era when I was feeling a lot of energy and sensations that now seem to have disappeared. In those days, I didn’t care much of studying but have fun. Many of the girls I used to go out with were so crazy, but they really fascinated me. I remember one who was very special to me. She was fun, likeable and beautiful. Our relationship lasted about a year in which there was a lot of fun and we used to hang out as of the classes ended. We went to the park or to the movies or just chatted because we didn’t need money to have fun. I really fell in love, but my recollection of why we broke isn’t very clear. Now that I think back on it, it should have been a misunderstanding. After broking, I was desolated, brokenhearted and terribly sad because I was really head over hills for this girl. I couldn’t overcome this loss even though there were other girls in my life.

Although years passed I was still obsessed with her and thought that this feeling would never disappear. I was so naïve at that time. All in all they were wonderful years. However, I wish I could live again those years to be more fearless and intrepid about the girls that I liked. Because if there is something I regret now, it is the fact that there were many other girls whom I liked, but I didn’t dare to meet them. A curious thing happens to me almost always when I meet an interesting woman, I don’t know how to act, or what to say.

Posted at Tue Feb 05 16:22:53 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/99772233934215159429334787991529580107 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/99772233934215159429334787991529580107 Esphiritu Tue Feb 05 16:22:53 UTC 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013. It's ten to eleven.

I want to begin this year with good habits. So today I feel like writing, but there isn’t anything special to talk about. There is only one thing I happen to think of, and that’s my French learning. Over the last month I’ve been studying it more consistently than ever, I think I’ve passed the most difficult barrier a novice learner has to face: to make his studying a habit. Of course there is a large road in front of me, but I think the first step is done. When I think back when I was learning that same level of English a sense of nostalgia settle over me and if English was a big challenge at that time, now French has come to replace that thrill. Although I haven’t been able to master enough English to be able to listen to real English and to speak it so well. For some reason my French learning is very different from my English learning. I learn faster and more easily because now I have tools that some years ago were unknown to me when I started studying English.

I have goals that I must accomplish for six months and then I’ll reclaim my goals because I want to master enough French to be able to travel to Canada. For now I have to immerse myself in my grammar books. A fact that I dislike a little bit, but it’s worthwhile to do it. Although it’s vacation time here in Mexico, I want to work harder these days to accomplish my goal as soon as possible. Of course I can’t write anything at all in French, but eventually I will.

Posted at Tue Jan 15 04:54:19 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/211371344484907809576641932443649304139 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/211371344484907809576641932443649304139 Esphiritu Tue Jan 15 04:54:19 UTC 2013


Would you say that the next sentence means different things in different contexts?

- Troy must not be at work today.


This doubt cropped up because on one hand my grammar book says that when you use the negative modal -must not- you want to express a prohibition or can also express a logical assumption.

Prohibition: You must not leave your engine running while filling up at a gas station.

Assumption: It must not be raining yet, since no one has a wet coat or an umbrella.

And on the other hand it also says that the modal verb -must not- can be used to express a negative certainty in the present tense.

Degree of certainty: Troy must not be at work today. (He was out sick yesterday, and his office is empty)



So, it seems to me that this sentence can be interpreted differently if the context changes. What do you think?





Posted at Mon Jan 14 04:47:16 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/160355181991828667780261077301277746763 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/160355181991828667780261077301277746763 Esphiritu Mon Jan 14 04:47:16 UTC 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013. It's a quarter past ten (10:15)

One of my favorite movies that I’ve ever seen is True Grit. It stars Jeff Bridges, Matt Demon and Josh Brolin. It’s the story of Matti Ross, a fourteen year old girl, whose Father has been killed by his own servant who after committing the crime escaped to wild land controlled it by outlaws. She is determinate to capture the servant, Chaney, and to make him pay for this crime. For this purpose she looks for the help of a federal sheriff, Cogburn, who is the most merciless sheriff in the town. At first he decline to pursue Chaney, but after a few days he assent. Matti’s plan is to accompany Cogburn into wild lands, but he is used to work alone. Therefore he leaves the town without the girl, but she is determined to go with him. When she reaches him at the outskirts of town, the sheriff isn’t alone. There is another cowboy whom Matti don’t know, but she right away notices that he is pursuing Chaney too. His name is LaBoeuf, a Texan cop whose duty is capture alive or to kill Chaney because Chaney’s head is wanted by a lot of states for various crimes he committed.

Therefore they, Matti, Cogburn and LaBoeuf, begin an adventure with unknown perils in wild lands. Apparently by the same motive, but, indeed, for different reasons. Matti for her father’s death, the sheriff for the money they offer for Chaney’s head and the cop for he wants to be promoted as sheriff. So, they dog the only clue of Chaney and travel for days. They have an opportunity to capture him, but he manages to run away. Then after considering all, a Texan cop wounded, no food and no clue to trace, they decide to give up. When everything seems to be telling them it was a failed quest, they come across an invaluable opportunity to capture Chaney, but with a terrible end.

Posted at Tue Jan 08 04:20:00 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/227213514556894266530576634134693226946 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/227213514556894266530576634134693226946 Esphiritu Tue Jan 08 04:20:00 UTC 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013. It's twenty to ten (9:40)

I haven’t written lately because I decided to take some days off and to break my normal work routine. I’d planned on taking only the weekend off and resuming my language learning activities last Monday, but on Sunday night a friend of mine sent me a message to celebrate her birthday. Although I didn’t have any plans for the night, it was difficult for me to decide whether to go or to stay at home because she sent me the message with enough time for me to take a shower and have a decent dinner. I had to decide quickly. So I took a cold shower then hastily dressed. I arrived downtown on time, but had to wait for her for about thirty minutes. Although she texted many dudes, only two showed up.

We hung out for a couple of hours in a bar and then decided to dance somewhere else. Since the night was quite cold, the beer was chilly and I was talking at the top of my voice because of the loud music, my throat developed a rasp. I continued to drink/I drank on. Therefore the next day I had an awful hangover. I couldn’t utter a single word because my throat felt like sandpaper. I began sneezing and coughing. So, that day I couldn’t do anything at all. For the next two days it got worse. I didn’t feel like writing or studying. I could reluctantly read a few chapters of my book during those days. A sense of ennui settled over me.

Finally, today, I woke up feeling a little bit better, and having exercised for about an hour and am starting to feel in a good mood while writing.

[C]

Posted at Sat Jan 05 03:42:02 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/295286243562743955085785884778537635027 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/295286243562743955085785884778537635027 Esphiritu Sat Jan 05 03:42:02 UTC 2013
Thrusday, January 3, 2013. It's seven o'clock.

I’ve always liked pets but right now it’s difficult for me to take care of one. Although cats are also popular in Mexico, I’ve only ever had dogs. I don't only consider them pets, but rather friends. My first pet was a little female dog that we took care of since she was a month old. She was always very special because when we tried to feed her kibble she wouldn't eat if; we had to feed her all kinds of meat instead. When we tried to give her kibble, she only/just ignored us and move on her favorite activity: sleeping. She even refused to sleep in the garden, in the little house we built just for her. She preferred sleeping with my sister in her bedroom. In fact, she owned our house. She did what she wanted to do. As she was our first pet, we didn’t know how to teach her good habits, so her behavior was a hodgepodge. After many years we had to put her down because she was quite old and she couldn’t control her basic instincts and also because we moved out unexpectedly. I was in charge of this cruel act. Every time I think back on it, I can’t help feeling badly. I loved her so much.

After that we had two more dogs, another female dog and a male one. They were certainly charming; she was quite noisy and grumpy and he was so naughty that he sometimes got on my nerves. They passed away for natural reasons/natural causes, but they had full and complete lives. Now, we have no pets and therefore our home feels empty. We only have a parakeet, that makes enough noise for five dogs, but it doesn't provide the kind of company/companionship a dog shares with you. We’re now thinking of getting another dog, although we’re not completely sure if we want to or will be able to have one because it is a big responsibility.

[C]

Posted at Fri Jan 04 01:01:37 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/99231445940491088349828431714866577106 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/99231445940491088349828431714866577106 Esphiritu Fri Jan 04 01:01:37 UTC 2013
Wednesday, January 2, 2013. It's ten to six (5:50)

Over the last year that I’ve been working as a photographer, money (is something that) has become a tribulation for me because I’m now aware (of the fact) that it’s very volatile. During most of my life it wasn’t so important, but now, knowing how much effort is necessary to earn it, it has become an important topic. Not only has it become important, but it’s also essential for everyday life. Unfortunately, my job is not very profitable, so I haven’t been able to move out of my parent’s home and be completely independent. That is something I would like to change in the near future. My mother sometimes even helps (me) pay my expenses. Especially for my medicine. For these reasons I’m planning on going to school next year to get a degree because in today’s competitive world only those who have a profession are successful. The idea of starting from scratch isn’t pleasant. And so interesting years are coming, with hard work, but it’s the only way to get ahead.

Some years ago I read a book about how to administer money. I don’t remember everything but something the author suggests is outlining a budget and allotting a certain percentage of money to different things, and trying to not exceed that percentage. The most important category/thing is saving. We have to put at least ten percent of our income into it. The remaining income would be split up among a list of items, such as transportation, food, household items and so on. The list is quite long but it’s something along those lines. Then we have to never exceed the budgeted/allocated amounts for each category. That way we can see clearly where our money is being spent. To control the way we spend money and also to have savings give us a sense of security. Another crucial thing is to get rid of charge accounts because they make us shopaholics.

[C]

Posted at Wed Jan 02 23:54:10 UTC 2013
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/239469607247020134179583295090222579410 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/239469607247020134179583295090222579410 Esphiritu Wed Jan 02 23:54:10 UTC 2013
Saturday, December 29, 2012. It's twenty to eight (7:40)

This morning I went to an appointment at my doctor’s because my bottle of medicine is almost empty. This time around, I got there late on purpose because on other occasions he’s made me wait for about an hour before he saw me. But as always I had to wait. As I waited for the doctor I met a woman who is also a patient. She is about thirty-six years old and very pleasant. She began asking me what was wrong with me and although at first I considered her presumptuous and indelicate, I realized that it was okay since we all were there because of an illness of some kind. And so I started telling her what my symptoms were a few months ago and having explained how I am feeling now during treatment, she told me her experience over the last two years with the sickness. As we discussed our sicknesses I felt very comfortable although I’d never talked about it outright with anybody before. To meet and share experiences with people who have lived with a similar condition was very good because now I’m aware of the fact that there are other people struggling as I myself am. It also made the time pass faster. Unlike other appointments this one was very pleasant.

As for what the doctor told me it wasn’t really new. Although this time around he scheduled the next appointment for four months in the future. This made me happy because I’ve had to see him every other month and each time I had to pay his fee. Although it’s not really expensive but my income is very diminished when I have to pay for the medicine and his fee at the same time. And although, my mom sometimes has helped me pay my expenses, I don’t feel comfortable anymore receiving money from her. But I have to admit that that’s the only way I can afford it.

[C]

Posted at Sun Dec 30 01:45:23 UTC 2012
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/196338008221688974607109451328884264147 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/196338008221688974607109451328884264147 Esphiritu Sun Dec 30 01:45:23 UTC 2012
Thrusday, December 27, 2012. It's half-past eight (8:30)

Recently a famous personality/person died in an airplane accident and it seems like this mishap has increased the singer’s popularity. Now everywhere one can hear the music of this person and watch special programs on TV about her. Who was she? It wasn’t until the mishap happened that I knew who she was. Of course I’d heard her music from time to time, but never paid attention to who the singer was. She sang popular Mexican music and she was quite famous among fans of this kind of music. Of course the only one happy with this unfortunate event is the heir or heiress because her music is now sold like fresh bread as a result of the artist’s death. This event made me remember a quote that I read somewhere and it goes like this: If you want to be really famous, die. I think this saying is kind of true because there have been writers who spent their lives trying to build a good reputation and as soon as they passed away they become quite famous.

Also only when these kinds of accidents happen do they make me consider that life is so fragile, so ephemeral that I begin to think that I must make every day count. To do something worthwhile on this earth would give me a sense of purpose and maybe would help others because it’s a fact of life that at some point I’ll be dead. Although this fact is true, and there is nothing to stop it, I don’t like to talk about it. I guess it’s because one can talk about other people's death, but not one’s own. It’s simply a taboo for me. When that day comes, I hope to have lived fully and completely so that I won't regret of anything. Something inside my heart tells me that I’ll have lived a long and happy life when that day comes. Meanwhile I’m going to look for the things that make me happy.

[C]

Posted at Fri Dec 28 02:25:08 UTC 2012
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/271704495179189432746212145665836853689 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/271704495179189432746212145665836853689 Esphiritu Fri Dec 28 02:25:08 UTC 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012. It's twenty to eleven (10:40)

Today, December 21, is special for most Mexicans for one reason, and for my family for another reason. The first reason is because today is supposed to be the last day of humanity according to the ancient Mayan legend. The Mayans had a calendar that ends today. The end of this calendar has caused people to speculate for years about what will happen on this day. We aren’t a hundred percent sure what the end of the Mayan calendar will entail. Some people claim it is the end of the world as we know it. As a result, a lot of books were written about the topic or even films have been made feeding off this idea. Therefore speculation has grown over the last few years. Others claim that the ancient Mayans only estimated the end of an era, which lasted five thousand two hundred years (5200). They also said that this event didn’t necessarily mean there would be a cataclysmic or catastrophic event of some kind. But the theory was so strong that some people started buying groceries in a panic, preparing themselves for the end. Others went to the archaeological Mayan monuments in Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, to receive new energy from the new sun. Certainly nothing has happened as of now.

The second reason why this day is especial to my family is because today is my sister’s birthday. However, I can’t be with her because she lives in Pachuca. My mom traveled to Pachuca last night to spend the holidays with my two sisters, which means I’ll be alone for ten days. Although I like the idea of being alone for a few days, the problem is that I have to manage to prepare my meals by myself. Of course I would've preferred visiting my sisters, but I need to work these days. So it was difficult for me to decide what to do whether to go on vacation or stay at work. I’m going to call her tonight to congratulate her for two reasons. First, it’s her birthday and second because she is pregnant. She had been looking forward to being pregnant for a long time, but because of her job she couldn’t be. Therefore she is pumped up about that and I’m also excited about having another nephew. This year has been a great year for her. She at last bought a house, finished school and is pregnant.

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Posted at Sat Dec 22 04:43:42 UTC 2012
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/55407963215385339325814374234546219438 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/55407963215385339325814374234546219438 Esphiritu Sat Dec 22 04:43:42 UTC 2012
Thrusday, December 20, 2012. It's twenty past eight (8:20)

Today around midnight a friend of mine and I went to see _The Hobbit_, a movie I had been waiting for a long time. Having enjoyed the book soem years ago, I was eager to finally see the movie on screen. In fact _The Hobbit_ was the first Tolkien book that I read shortly after, Peter Jackson’s _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy was released. After that, I started reading _The Fellowship of the Ring_, but didn’t finish it, so my knowledge of the story is sparse. However, I did read _The Hobbit_ in its entirety and can say that Peter Jackson’s team did a good job filming the movie. I think the movie was faithful to the plotline in the book. Only few things were slightly changed. For example, the scenes with Radagast the Wizard are highlighted more in the movie - the book merely mentions him in passing. Another example is the brief introduction to the dwarfs’ land at the beginning of the movie. I don’t want to spoil it, so won’t say anything else. I think the movie on the hole was good, although it’s very long. It lasts two hours and fifty minutes, but if anyone wants to feel immersed in magic, it’s definitely worth watching.

However I think it’s crazy to make three movies based out of such a small book. It seems like they want to make a lot of money. However, many Tolkien fans such as me are quite happy because we hope the story will never end. We want more. I don’t know why, but although the movies are quite good, there is more thrill reading the books because as one reads them, it feels as if you were reading history. I almost believed in this alluring myth. Of course I read the books in Spanish because at that time my English wasn’t as good as it is now, but I’ll eventually read them in English.

Another thing I think is very important because it conveys a lot, is the music. There was nothing really exciting or new in the movie because I think they tried to retain the essence of _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy.

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Posted at Fri Dec 21 02:25:11 UTC 2012
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/220125909864528292101347165900010138030 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/220125909864528292101347165900010138030 Esphiritu Fri Dec 21 02:25:11 UTC 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012. It's half past ten (10:30)

The reason behind this obsession with words and literature is mainly because I was raised in a soundless world. My mom, whose personality I inherited, hardly ever read a book or interacted with people because her education wasn’t good, either at home or at school. She is an illiterate person because her family was so poor that they could only afford to send her to elementary school. For me that is unfortunate because she had a big influence over me as a child. Therefore I’m withdrawn, shy and a self-conscious. That fact made me kind of angry because I’ve seen people, who are more out-going, are happier and more successful. I have to admit that I’m not happy with my personality. In some ways I blame my mom, but I also have to understand that it wasn’t her choice. She wasn’t as lucky as I was to go to a university and receive that level of education. I wish I could change my personality and talk to anyone at any moment. Have nice conversations and make a lot of friends.

Now I’m trying to immerse myself in a more verbal world. One with books and writing every day to force words to flow inside my brain. I think talking to people is also important; therefore right now I’m planning on going out in the morning every day for this purpose. I especially want to meet a lot of women because I tend to shy away from pretty women. I sometimes wonder if there have been other guys like me and wonder what they have done to change, if they have changed. I find it so difficult to approach women and to start conversations mainly because of the fear that I'll be rejected, or that I won't be able to say anything in front of them and will look like an idiot. That fear has to change into self-confidence some day.

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Posted at Thu Dec 20 04:35:39 UTC 2012
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/240322065985817999914986058349181643182 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/240322065985817999914986058349181643182 Esphiritu Thu Dec 20 04:35:39 UTC 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012. It's a quarter past eight (8:15)

Hi Jose!

I’m very happy to be able to say hello again. Forgive me for my tardy answer to your e-mail. I’ve been very busy these days, therefore haven’t been able to get to my e-mail lately. To be honest I never thought that you would answer my last e-mail because of the tension between us. But first of all, I would like to thank you for your nice words. They led me to believe that this friendship is very unique and can overcome any problem that might show up. I've been looking forward to knowing about you for so long. I tried to contact you through e-mail and Facebook, but you seem to be out of touch. It was very surprising to see your e-mails in my mailbox. I was told that you are in school in Puebla City. I’m glad to know you still are studying because it’s essential to get a university degree.

Second, I’d like to tell you a little bit about my life at this moment. As you may already know I dropped out school last year because I couldn’t put up with the life I was having in Acatlima. I made a decision at a bad moment and now I regret it. There is nothing I can do now however much I regret. My life is changing in a favorable way. Things seem to be telling me that there will have be good years coming. I’m planning on studying foreign languages next year and although I would have liked to start this year, I wanted to take some time off.

Finally, I want you to tell me what’s going on in your life. I hope you’re doing well. Thanks again for writing me.
Best regards


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Posted at Wed Dec 19 02:16:19 UTC 2012
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/26027576448593187989537371825445513646 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/26027576448593187989537371825445513646 Esphiritu Wed Dec 19 02:16:19 UTC 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012. It's a quarter to eight (7:45)

One year has passed since my mom had surgery on her gallbladder. She is healthy now, but before they operated on her, she had bad days with a lot of pain in her abdominal area. She couldn’t get rid of the pain even though she took pills and got a shot. She tried to sleep it off but that didn’t work. I remember a night when she couldn’t fall sleep at all because of the pain. The next morning she got up and decided to go to work. She thought that the pain would soon disappear, but it didn’t. In fact it was getting worse. So, she went to the doctor, but he only gave her a pair of shots to manage the pain because she’d previously/already been scheduled for surgery. So she needed to wait until the operation day. Finally the day came, and she was admitted to the hospital. The next day the doctors operated on her without any inconvenience/complications. Due to her surgery, my youngest sister came from Pachuca to help me to take care of our mom for the next few days. My sister usually stayed with her in the day for twelve hours and I took the remaining twelve hours. The hours passed very slowly and she seemed to never recover because other patients came in and out of the hospital and my mom still lay in bed in pain. But everything has to come to an end. She was released from the hospital after eight days and even though she was still in pain, there was a faint smile on her face.

After this experience, I've started thinking that the worst place to be is in a hospital and it also led me to believe that the best way to avoid being there is to eat healthy food and to exercise. At least if one doesn’t have a car accident or something like that.


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Posted at Tue Dec 18 01:49:36 UTC 2012
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/60373142562322351928863379182968613294 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/60373142562322351928863379182968613294 Esphiritu Tue Dec 18 01:49:36 UTC 2012
Saturday, December 15, 2012. It's nine ten (9:10)

I was listening to the radio the other day and a fashion expert said that men can only use three accessories; glasses, a watch and a wedding ring. Right now I use two of them, glasses and a watch, but my glasses are something I would like to change about my appearance because they are so ugly. I’ve been using glasses for five years now. Before then my vision was really good, but because of the overuse of computers now I have a visual disability that hinders my life. I need to use them all the time otherwise I can’t see anything, neither distant objects nor nearby ones. Although I’ve become accustomed to using them, sometimes I wish I would see without them. I’ve considered changing them next year, but because they are expensive I need to save money first. Another accessory I use all the time is my watch, which my sister gave me on my birthday some years ago. In fact, I’ve got four watches, but I use the one she gave me.

I read an article in a magazine some days ago that men now are using bags like what women use. This really surprised me because I never thought that men could use such a thing. I imagine that these bags are more masculine and are made with leather or something like that. I admit that using them could be useful from time to time because we men have to put our world inside a wallet, but I don’t think men need to use them all the time like women do because men don’t carry as many things. So, I don’t know if I would use one. At least here in Mexico men usually use either backpacks or portfolios.

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Posted at Sun Dec 16 03:09:42 UTC 2012
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/12620485850529813818930410833006537134 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/12620485850529813818930410833006537134 Esphiritu Sun Dec 16 03:09:42 UTC 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012. It's six ten (6:10)

I’ve been very frustrated these days because I haven’t made much effort to improve my French lately. This isn't from any lack of personal desire, but rather because I find difficult to learn French and English at the same time. Part of the reason is because the grammar and vocabulary of English and French vary somewhat. French and English have many deceptive similarities. Although I’ve studied both languages for over two years, they seem so difficult to master. I don’t know how much time has passed since the last revising my Lang-8 entries, but it surely has been weeks. Now I’m planning on studying French at night because I’m usually lazy at that time. A sense of ennui has settled over me so frequently that has habitual. Watching TV from eight pm until I fall sleep.

This is an awful waste of time! I remember when I was in university I usually started studying at the same time at night and finished at three or four in the morning or even at six. Although I was usually like a zombie the next day at least I made use of the time. Now that routine has disappeared and laziness has come to replace it. Oh! I don’t know what to do. I have to manage to improve both languages, English and French. I sometimes happen to think I’m plotting against myself because I have to admit I shy away from hard work and find any stupid excuse to avoid studying.


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Posted at Sat Dec 15 00:12:31 UTC 2012
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/40670336246633701774188170387760589230 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/40670336246633701774188170387760589230 Esphiritu Sat Dec 15 00:12:31 UTC 2012
Thrusday, December 13, 2012. It's ten to four.

During most holidays, my family used to go on vacation to my father’s hometown to escape the terrible noise of the city and also to relax. It’s located in the northern part of the state and it's a two-hour trip by car. It has been a while since we last went. I think maybe twelve or thirteen years. I remember my mother dressing us in overcoats, scarves and gloves because of the terrible weather there when we went for a walk. We also hiked/went hiking because the village has a lot of hiking spots. Sometimes we even took a car and went to more distant places, which were absolutely gorgeous. I especially remember a place with a waterfall and a small lake with incredibly blue water. Although it’s quite cold year-round, people used to swim in the chilly water.

After the town was given the label “Magic Town”, more and more tourists, both Mexicans and foreigners, went there because apart from hiking, there are fishing spots, biking routes and places to practice other extreme sports. I really miss going there, but we haven’t gone since my father’s death. Now, only a few of my relatives live there because some have passed away and others have emigrated. I hope to go back there.

As for the food, it’s very appetizing. They cook traditional dishes, which are very flavorful and spicy, and they bake bread. Their bread is very famous because it is quite soft. It almost melts in your mouth. One of my uncles was a baker and I used to help him prepare the bread dough. Though right now I can’t remember how to bake bread.


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Posted at Thu Dec 13 22:51:31 UTC 2012
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/216793371157169162332545562065905887662 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/216793371157169162332545562065905887662 Esphiritu Thu Dec 13 22:51:31 UTC 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012. It's half past eight (8:30)

Since last Wednesday was my 28th birthday, this weekend some relatives came to our house to have a party. They were my uncle, his wife, his two sons Cesar and Ernesto, and Cesar’s son. I was very happy to see them because I hadn’t seen them in a long time. Cesar, who is the same age as I, is my closest cousin and friend. We used to hang out as children and do a lot of things together. We even went to the same school. He has a good sense of humor and is very friendly and energetic. I considered him lucky because he always had good-looking girlfriends. That fact has made me kind of envious and jealous. But his life changed a couple of years ago when he was in a motorcycle accident. A doctor said that only a miracle could save his life. He was unconscious for two months. After he regained consciousness, the doctor said the odds were more positive. He would survive but he would have life-altering injuries.

Now he has a mental disability. His short-term memory is damaged. But his recollections of the past weren’t touched/affected. He can’t work at all or do any exercise except walking. His only income is the monthly allowance the company where he worked gave him after the accident. But he hopes to work for another cousin as a janitor in a gym so that he can afford his son's and his expenses. He lives with his son in his parents’ home because his girlfriend left him as soon as she knew he was going to have a disability of some kind after the mishap. Despite that fact, his love for life hasn’t changed.


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Posted at Tue Dec 11 02:28:18 UTC 2012
]]> http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/144325623202882813746979683276893956526 http://lang-8.com/242829/journals/144325623202882813746979683276893956526 Esphiritu Tue Dec 11 02:28:18 UTC 2012