Yours is Not Disgrace

In 1972 when I was twelve years old I bought The Yes Album. No friends of mine at that age considered this type of music, they even thought I was in drugs, Ha! they were wrong. I still listen often this music and prove myself I was right, these musicians are the best!

Switch Off

Last Saturday night we switch off our lights for more than an hour following the Earth Hour activity, my kids were very enthusiast so they prepared candles and brought cards to play, we usually talk a lot but doing it in that penumbra ambient turned in a very pleasant moment. My children are 11 and 12 years old so they look at the world from their very own perspective, for them the most simple experience is transformed into something totally new. They have helped me to see the world in a very different way.

Semana Santa in Antigua Guatemala II

We were again at Antigua this Sunday and the city was full, as the Semana Santa is coming there are more procesiones and more activities luring thousands of visitors, all is like a party here.

Imprescindible VI

Quizá porque mi niñez
sigue jugando en tu playa,
y escondido tras las cañas

duerme mi primer amor,
llevo tu luz y tu olor
por donde quiera que vaya,

y amontonado en tu arena
guardo amor, juegos y penas.

Yo,
que en la piel tengo el sabor
amargo del llanto eterno,
que han vertido en ti cien pueblos

de Algeciras a Estambul,
para que pintes de azul
sus largas noches de invierno.

A fuerza de desventuras,
tu alma es profunda y oscura.

A tus atardeceres rojos
se acostumbraron mis ojos
como el recodo al camino...

Soy cantor, soy embustero,
me gusta el juego y el vino,
Tengo alma de marinero...

¿Qué le voy a hacer, si yo
nací en el MEDITERRÁNEO?

Nací en el MEDITERRÁNEO...

Y te acercas, y te vas
después de besar mi aldea.
Jugando con la marea

te vas, pensando en volver.
Eres como una mujer
perfumadita de brea

que se añora y que se quiere
que se conoce y se teme.

Ay...
si un día para mi mal
viene a buscarme la parca.
Empujar al mar mi barca

con un levante otoñal
y dejar que el temporal
desguace sus alas blancas.

Y a mí enterrarme sin duelo
entre la playa y el cielo...

En la ladera de un monte,
más alto que el horizonte.
Quiero tener buena vista.

Mi cuerpo será camino,
le daré verde a los pinos
y amarillo a la genista...

Cerca del mar. Porque yo
nací en el MEDITERRÁNEO...

Nací en el MEDITERRÁNEO...

Nací en el MEDITERRÁNEO...

Water Pistol

From the Extreme Objects series, this water pistol is one of my latest bronze sculptures, its dark patina is chosen to resemble a real gun.
This work pretend open up points of view against violence, here i copy
an excerpt from Should Children Be Given Toy Guns? by Philippa Rowlands.

"Parental Guidance:
The toy is only part of the problem. The other aspect is the failure of parents to educate their children in the negative aspects of guns. Children are open to the “hero worship” of guns and the power they posses. Children are observing their world all the time looking to see what works and what doesn’t. What they sadly see is in many aspects of the media is that violence works. Violence is power. More and more often this violence is no longer stylized and children are more likely to look at the violent solutions they see as a “real” alternative. Parents need to stand up and educate their children from a very young age. If children are going to be allowed to have toy guns and watch violence on television then they need to have parental input, explanations, discussions and a strong understanding that that violence is not an answer and that real violence cannot be retracted. A child can “come back alive” from a toy gunfight, but a real gun or any other violence cannot be undone. Too many parents believe that this concept is somehow inbuilt into their children. This is not so. A child often needs to be taught the difference between imagination and reality especially when they are very young."

Obscuro Package

This is the handsome package of our new Obscuro flavor.

Just Like a Drummer

New Café P11 Obscuro Flavor!

Our new Café P11 Obscuro flavor is already available. The same perfect blend with all its intense exotic aroma with spicy fragrances of aromatic wood, orangy citrus and notes of leather, now with a slightly darker roast for those who like the full-bodied taste of strong coffee.

Buy it at:
www.cafep11.com

Total Eclipse of The Moon

I found in my archives a set of photographs of the total eclipse of the moon held on February 20, 2008. These were taken with a 80-200, 2.8 Nikon telephoto (more data upon request) and the help of a tripod and a clear sky. The series included here were taken at 20:30'51, 20:33'29, 20:36'31 Guatemala City time. Each year occur 0 to 3 lunar eclipses (partial or total) and they are free, so find out if the next one is at your backyard.

Read more at:
www.nasa.gov

The Why Cheap Art? Manifesto

A very kind coffee blogger sent me this manifesto. Saludos Mike!

Change of Sight

No words are necessary.

Woodrow Wilson House

The design of these customized cabinetry is part of the contribution of Guatemalan Architect Hugo Arrué to the renovation of the Woodrow Wilson house in Princeton, N.J. between 2003 and 2006.

After being President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910 and New Jersey’s Governor from 1911 to 1913, Woodrow Wilson became the 28th U.S. President from 1913 to 1921. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919 for his contributions to ending World War I.

In 1896, Wilson asked architect Edward S. Child to design this house when he was a faculty member at Princeton. Since then the house has been transformed, and more recently his current owner decided to make a significant renovation keeping the original spirit of the building while upgrading it to modern life requirements (where possible).

The cabinetry was executed by resembling traditional icons of the house and by adding a little bit of modernism to it. High craftsmanship and quality materials (including certified wood) were used due the historical value of the property.

In 2006, the whole project won the Princeton Preservation Award and the State of New Jersey Historic Preservation Award for that year.

The Coffee Flower

This is the flower of the coffee tree, impeccable white and very aromatic, they grow in clusters at the base of the leaves enriching the entire plantation with their perfume. After a few days they will become in green coffee beans.

We Salute Santana!

Great concert tonight at Mateo Flores Stadium!

Read more at:
www.santana.com

Close Ups with Bellows

I have testing the possibilities of bellows attached to my 35mm camera and although the deep of field is very very short (as any macro shot) the final image is very good. You get best results with large lenses rather than short ones.

Read more at:
nikonians.org

Principles of Design II

Each day i realize more and more that learn the design process is something that should be obligated in any career at any school, no matter what expertise they may teach. The reason is simple: design is part of everything, from the form a law is applied, the way a light directs traffic, the cap that tops your pen, the location of emergency doors in a ballroom, to the size of the can to keep your coffee fresh from first to last cup. Indispensable. If you have not begun, is time to start to learn about the design process.

H Chair

Contempo chair made of 35 continuous sections, assembled by pressure, designed by Guatemalan Alejandro Estrada. Built by Piegatto.

Read more at:
piegatto.com

Consumption Anecdote by Heinrich Böll

An American businessman was standing at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.
“How long it took you to catch them?” The American asked.
“Only a little while.” The Mexican replied.
“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” The American then asked.
“I have enough to support my family’s immediate needs.” The Mexican said.
“But,” The American then asked, “What do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, señor.”
The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.”
“Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own can factory. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But señor, how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied, “15-20 years.”
“But what then, señor?”
The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO (Initial Public Offering) and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”
“Millions, señor? Then what?”
The American said slowly, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos…”

Read more at:
davidreport.com

Fortunate Son

Pacífico Salvadoreño

A recent paint from the Guatemalan master Moisés Barrios, in this series the artist portraits the life at beaches of Guatemala and El Salvador, plastic inflatable beach toys included.

Palacios de Gobierno

These three Latin American government palaces have architectural lines in common, they share their Spanish heritage and a taste for eclecticism too. From above; México, Guatemala and Argentina.

Good Things About Coffee

I want to share these good things i found in the net, i am not sure if they are true but i live a lot more happy with coffee than without it. Hey! you my tea drinkers readers.

- Coffee contains antioxidants that help prevent cancer and heart disease.
- Studies indicate that regular coffee drinkers are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
- Drinking two cups daily could reduce the risk of colon cancer by 25% and halve the risk of gallstones.
- Emerging evidence suggests that coffee may help manage asthma, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities.
- Coffee helps to prevent prostate cancer.
- Decaf coffee has been found to provide the same stimulative effect as regular coffee, without the caffeine.
- Coffee is also regarded as a good social drink. You can chat with your friends in a coffee house. You may even know some new friends in the coffee houses.

Saturday Ride

Last Saturday i went for a ride in the trails near my home, still feeling a little hurt due to the fact that a car hit me 2 months ago. At 6,000 feet over the sea level the air is thin and fresh, ride my bike or jogging into the woods makes my mind fly away.

Couleur Café

Semana Santa in Antigua Guatemala

If you like espectacular cultural traditions you can't miss Semana Santa in Antigua Guatemala, cobblestone streets surounded of color and magnificent procesiones, all in a small XVI century town with historic buildings, museums, restaurants, boutique hotels, shops and a spring weather all year round. Incredible!
We were there today and i got these colorful pics.

You are What You Shop

Once upon a time there was a "You are what you eat", then came "You are what you wear", Peter Gabriel says in a song "You are what you see", and i can add "You are what you shop". But be careful with that!. Can we resist shopping and still be happy? We have the power to choose what we want and what of those things could make us really happy from those that don't. Think about it.

Time of Opportunities!

Ancient Chinese motto: Crisis is Opportunity

Designing Coffee, Part 4 (Final)

Having chosen the coffees and the roasts we will use, we began again to do the same, measure the percentages of each variety, grind them, weigh them, and cupping again, we also made some tests on a espresso machine to verify how the blend performs under this system. At the very end we finished with two blends, the last round was tested with french press cafeteras to help us choose a winner. Now i have the new Café P11 blend for the next months until i decide to change it.

Live Jam

Jonathan (guitar), Alex (bass) and me (drums) recorded this song last year, I edited it to make it shorter. I miss those jam sessions, hope you like it.

Designing Coffee, Part 3

Cupping is a matter of sense (what is in the cup), feeling (what you like and what you don't) and memory (you have to remember what is in each cup). Cupping for designing a new formula is another story, here we are not just judging for what it is, but for what we want to achieve as well.