Not In Cuba Anymore

Here's your chance to keep learning more Cuban phrases and popular sayings.

"Dime con quien anda y te dire quien eres."
Lit: Tell me who you hang out with, and I'll tell you who you are.
Meaning: You are influenced by the people you spend time with.

"Lo cogieron fuera de base."
Lit: He got caught off base (baseball reference).
Meaning: He was surprised or caught doing something wrong.

"Querer bailar en casa del trompo."
Lit: Wanting to dance in the whipping top's house.
Meaning: Don't try that one on me. Been there, done that,

"No hay peor ciego que el que no quiera ver."
Lit: There's no one more blind than he who doesn't want to see.
Meaning: Said about someone who doesn't want to accep the facts.

"Me tocó bailar con la más fea."
Lit: I had to dance with the ugliest girl.
Meaning: I had to come to terms with an ugly situation.

"Cada loco con su tema."
Lit: Every crazy person to his or her own problem.
Meaning: To each his own.

"Me dieron gato por liebre."
Lit: They gave me a cat instead of a rabbit.
Meaning: They sold me something fake.

Want to read more Cubanisms? Check out:

Cubanisms #4
Cubanisms #3
Cubanisms #2
Cubanisms #1

As soon as Ellie began crawling, we knew that our bookshelf was in danger. More specifically, we knew that our books were in danger. So, Elena and I emptied out the two bottom shelves and filled them with Ellie's books. Every day she pulls all the books off the two shelves and plays with them. Sure, it gets messy with all the books on the floor, but the benefits outweigh the messiness.

We began reading to Ellie very early on, before she even knew what anything meant. And although she had no idea what we were saying, research shows that babies do pick up on rhythm, tones and inflection in their parents voice. Recent studies also show that the more words a baby is exposed to, the more prepared the baby will be to read on his or her own. "Studies have also shown that children who were read to as newborns have a larger vocabulary, as well as more advanced mathematical skills, than other kids their age." (Go to source)

In essence, reading to your child is one of the most helpful things you can do. Elena reads to Ellie every night before putting her to bed, and I read to Ellie often during our playtime. Ellie's a very active girl, so when she's playing the reading doesn't last long, but it is definitely beneficial. When she takes the books off the shelves, she many times opens a few of them and looks through them.

Imagination and Intelligence

Reading played a huge part of my childhood. Once I learned how to read, I would spend hours immersed in adventure books that transported me to exotic locations. I would see myself flying on magic carpets or finding lost treasures. This is to say that reading and imagination go hand in hand. One of the greatest mind of the 20th century and in history was Albert Einstein and he had many great things to say about imagination. You can google "Einstein quotes" and surely will find something about imagination. Of course, imagination leads to creativity. Simply put, creative people use their imagination to create. It is their imagination that fuels the passion and desire to create something amazing.

One of my favorite quotes from Einstein is this one:

"Creativity is intelligence having fun."

I think that's very true. But there's more to it than just intelligence. According to a study conducted by Anne Cunningham of the University of California in Berkeley, reading is the best way to exercise your brain. Essentially, the more you read (and by this I don't mean People magazine), the more vocabulary you acquire, thus making you more knowledgeable and also better in abstract reasoning skills. Reading is the like P90X for your brain. There also studies that suggest that reading is a great way to fight Alzheimer's. The New York Times has a great article on CEO's of large corporations that link their success to reading. Other studies show that reading only six minutes can reduce stress by 68%. Reading fiction can also make you a better person, by making you more empathetic and aware of others around you. The benefits of reading are enormous.

Why We Read

I think that C.S. Lewis said it best:

"We read to know we are not alone."

Books have been my loyal friends for many years. In books I found characters that were as almost as real as the people around me. In books I found many of my feelings and complex ideas perfectly put into words. In books I found that I was not alone, that others out there have experienced similar things in their lives.

Conclusion

It makes me sad when people say they hate reading. I think for the most part it means that they just haven't found a book in a subject they're interested in. I usually ask those people what are their interests and hobbies and suggest finding books that cover those topics. But for those who truly hate reading, I ask that you be wise and don't pass that apathy down to your children. Instead, encourage them to read and read to them.

Every person has phobias and pet peeves, but in our house, Elena and I have made it clear that we won't pass those things down to our children. For example, all of my life I have been a picky eater and have only gotten better after marriage. As much as I dislike certain vegetables, I am aware of their nutrition and health benefits, so I would never encourage Ellie not to eat them. On the contrary, since I want what's best for her, I want her to eat healthy and nutritious foods.

It works the same way with reading. Do you yourself and your kids a favor and read.

Have you ever heard of dyshidrotic eczema? I hadn't until I was afflicted by it. Essentially, it's a skin condition that has no known cause but plenty of theories. It could be induced because of stress or sweat, or a bunch of other reasons, but no one knows for sure. What everyone knows is that it sucks. It is a horrible thing to have to deal with.

For me, it all started one evening when my hands where unusually itchy. When I woke up the next morning, I had small blisters all over my hands and feet. Dyshidrotic eczema shows up in the palms of hands and soles of feet. However, besides dyshidrotic eczema, I'm pretty sure that I was afflicted (and still am) by another kind of eczema. My elbows, arms, back and thighs were covered by a very itchy rash. This all made it very painful to move around. My hands and feet are getting better, but now a new rash appeared in my forearms. Don't worry, I'm seeing a dermatologist in a few weeks.

While this was going on, I was very down, depressed even. It just seemed that my hands were never going to get better. On top of that, it looks horrible and it makes you not want to see anyone. Fortunately, I was blessed with the best wife in the world, who not only encouraged me and assured me I was going to get better, but who also put lotion all over my body every night for a few weeks. For 10 days, she also wrapped my hands with Glass Press and Seal, so that the steroid ointment and lotion would be most effective. On top of that, she changed Ellie's diapers and did all the household cleaning. I helped here and there with a few things as my hands got better, but wipes, or dish soap are known irritants that only make the dyshidrosis worse. I'm very thankful to my awesome wife and I'm looking forward to being able to function and help again.

One particularly frustrating thing about this condition is that there are no pictures showing the progression of the condition. This was frustrating because I wanted to know if my hands were getting better, and if things got real bad before they got well. While things may look different for every person, I'm sure that there are certain similarities in the condition's progression. So, in an attempt to help others who are dealing and will deal with dyshidrotic eczema, I started taking pictures of my hands. If you are a squeamish person, then please don't read anymore. But for all those struggling with this crazy thing, just know that it does get better, even if it looks bad in the beginning.

Below you'll find a few pictures of my hands in different stages. My hands are not completely healed yet, but they are getting better and better.

Did you know that I can fly?



I'm having too much fun with After Effects :)

Did you know that I'm blogging a thriller/adventure novel for free online? It is called Jim Davis & The Mysterious Manuscript. I'm having a blast writing it. Hope to see you there. The link is below:

Jim Davis & The Mysterious Manuscript

Hello all! January 2013 started off with a lovely visit to my family down in Florida. It was nice to see them and to see the beautiful and crazy city of Miami. Unfortunately, on my way back I caught the flu. I was miserable for almost a week, but thankfully Elena was very kind and gracious.

Then, a week after being free from the flu, I caught the stomach virus that is going around. Well, Elena caught it first, then I got it. It was pretty awful too. I thank God that through all this Ellie has remained immune to it all.

So yeah, just a quick update. Oh and, I hate this cold weather.

The fact that things in this world, and specifically in this nation, are getting worse is no surprise to anyone. Moral bankruptcy is not an epidemic on the fringes anymore, but it is a prevalent disease in our society. Not only are our moral values distorted as a whole, but our views on what's important are completely twisted.

The general feeling toward stay at home parents is that they somehow gave up on life. "You stay at home with your kids? What happened to you?" That seems to be the sentiment, although for the most part those people don't have the guts to at least say it outright.

It seems that "getting ahead" and a "career" are more important than raising your children. How many countless of men and women neglect time with their family in order to get a promotion, or in order to make that extra grand?

I'm not saying that careers and dreams are inherently bad, but I am saying that if you put those things ahead of your family, they can become a bad thing.

In today's society, the men and women who are considered to be successful are those who have a "career." Those who have chosen to stay at home and raise their children are considered to be a abomination.

But in the end, what is truly going to matter? Children grow very quickly. When you are in your deathbed, looking back at life, what will you wish you had done more of? I never heard of anyone wishing they had spend more time at the office, or wishing they had scheduled one more meeting. No, in the end, selfishness and greed won't matter. In the end, what will truly matter is the time you shared with your loved ones.

Investing your life in the lives of your children and spouse is one of the most blessed things you could ever do. Our society may value money and careers the most, but experience teaches us that what life values most is time well-invested.

For all of you thinking the world is going to end on December 21 because of what the Mayan calendar supposedly predicts, here's what truly happened.

A couple of days ago, Elena and I went to the Blind Tiger. No, this wasn't a safari expedition. The Blind Tiger is a restaurant/brewery in Topeka. I must say that the waiting area is not inspiring, but once my name was called and we entered the dining area, I really liked what I saw. The lighting was perfect, not too bright to blind you (like the poor tiger), but not too dim that you couldn't see your plate. The atmosphere, as a whole, was welcoming. The place was completely packed.

Unfortunately, they sat us next to a raucous group of middle age ladies who were louder than my entire Cuban family (and that's saying something). They were loud, obnoxious and used crude language throughout the night. Our waitress was apologetic, but powerless. After about a half hour, maybe a bit more, they finally left and I could actually carry a conversation with my wife that didn't involve yelling.

Did I mention they have a brewery? I had the best beer I have ever tasted in my life. I don't know if they bottle and sell it, but if they don't, they should totally do it. I would buy dozens. It was that good. The food was good, too. But the beer, the Capital City Kolsch was amazing. The beer won the 2012 Gold Medal, and I'm sure it could win more Like I told Elena that night, if Michael Phelps was a beer, it would be this one. Just give the beer all the gold medals already.

December 14

"The Hobbit"

Need I say more?

December 21

"Zero Dark Thirty"

If you ever never saw "The Hurt Locker," then stop what you are doing and go rent it. If you have, then you'll be happy to know that Kathryn Bigelow's next film is about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. Bigelow and her writers met with CIA and Department of Defense officials, so this movie is going to reveal things none of us know. It will be awesome!

December 28

"Les Misérables"

This comes out on my birthday and I'm really excited to see it! Elena said we'll go see it then as a treat to me!

Hello! I've started a new writing venture! It's a mystery/adventure novel and what's best is that you can read a chapter every week, for free. Check it out!


Link 1:

http://israelwrites.3owl.com

Link 2:

http://israelwrites.wordpress.com

Yes, her accent is pretty funny, but the video is pretty cool. You know you have always wondered why the Big Mac on the pictures look better than the ones you get at the store.

We all know that Hollywood and trashy books over-romanticize love and relationships. Many people (read, mostly teenage girls) see this "perfect" guy in the big screen, who always does the right thing and who always says the right thing and then wonder why their significant other can't compare. Sorry girls, but there's a reason why they call all this fiction. But then, every once in a while, a book or a movie comes along that just takes things to a whole other level of ridiculousness. Yes, I'm talking about the Twilight saga.

This whole series just takes romanticism into the realms of creepy and disturbing. And why are girls swooning over this? A few examples, but oh, there are so many.

#1-Edward watches Bella sleep

Hey, remember that guy in your science class? Yeah, well every night after you fall asleep  he sneaks into your room and watches you sleep. Now how in the world is that romantic? A real, reasonable person would react by calling the cops and screaming off the top of their lungs. If you are one of those girls who for some reason (read, mental disorder) found this romantic, let me know and I'll hire some guy to sneak into your room and watch you sleep. You let me know if you find it romantic then.

#2-A 20 year-old falls in love with a baby

The world has changed. Thanks to the invention of computers and the web, came the creation of blogs. Anyone is the world is capable of having their own blog and sharing their thoughts with the world. Overall, I think this is a great thing. The more people talking, the more chances of us understanding each other. However, my problem arises when some of these "bloggers" somehow become famous, get their blogs turned into books and call themselves authors. Granted, there are some very talented people who started as bloggers and now have become book authors, but the majority are not.

Writers are artists and art is not something you can mass produce. No one can teach you to be an artist. Sure, you can hone your skills, you can learn techniques, but the innate spark that made you want to create has to be there first. There must be something inside of you that completely obsesses you, something that says, "If I don't write, I can't make sense of things. There's something missing." It is that spark, that joy that you feel when you put down words on a paper, or a computer screen that allows you to improve and get better.

Not everyone who learns how to write their name, or a blog is truly a writer. Talent is key. But there's also that unnameable quality, that thing that you can't really articulate but that you feel whenever you read something that is truly amazing. Sure, yeah, there's the language, the idea, the characters, the plot, but there's something else, something that makes it a work of art, something that escapes definition and just is.

For instance, the same could be said about photography. Thanks to smart phones and cheap digital cameras, everyone thinks they are a photographer. There's nothing wrong about taking pictures of your family and your friends and make memories, but the problem comes when some of those people think, "I have a camera, so that means I'm a photographer, let me make a watermark." Sorry, but that's now how it works. If you don't have that innate talent, that unique voice, then it doesn't matter how many lenses you got, you are terrible, or in vernacular, you still suck. Lenses and good cameras will only get you so far. Like I said, unless you have that yearning passion, that obsession and the innate talent, then you may be popular, you may even be rich, but you're not an artist, not in the true sense of the word, not in the way that matters.

These are all upcoming movies in November that I want to see (hopefully in theathers). Enjoy the trailers and maybe see you at the movies!

November 2

"Flight"

This has Denzel Washington in it. Simply one of the best actors alive. Enough said.

November 9

"007 - Skyfall."

Javier Bardem as a villain? He's another wonderful actor, plus the action in any Bond movie is pretty great.

November 16

"Lincoln"

I'm super excited to see this movie. The cast is amazing and of course, Steven Spielberg directing makes it even more fantastic!

November 23

"Silver Linings Playbook"

This movie seems interesting, funny and inspiring! Great actors, including Katniss Everdeen, I mean Jennifer Lawrence.







"Hitchcock"

This just seems like such an interesting movie! Alfred Hitchcock changed the history of cinema, so I'm very curious about his life story and this movie covers part of it.

I write to make sense of things.

We live under the illusion that every single one of us will live to be a hundred and die in our sleep, after having said our goodbyes and making peace with the world. At times, we get glimpses of this fallacy and it feels like a bolt of lightning reanimated our sleeping minds. Twelve years ago, on October 1st, I received one of those wake up calls when the car I was traveling in crashed against another one, launching me against the windshield, losing layers of skin on my forehead and losing my teenage sense of invincibility. After the accident, life became immediate, with words such as "friends" and "family" taking on a deeper meaning, like roots in an ancient tree.

Then a couple of days ago, also on October 1st, a cousin of mine passed away in an accident. He was only 43. He leaves a young daughter behind, a little girl who will no longer be kissed or hugged by her dad. He leaves behind a family who loved him. Tragedies such as this one serve to remind us of how fragile life is. They serve to remind us that we... "do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." (James 4:14)

We are just here for a little while. When you stress out so much about money and bills that you lose sleep, remember that we are only here for a little while. When you work so hard that you neglect time with your family, remember that we are only here for a little while. When you live your life not thinking about eternity, remember that we are only here for a little while. Life is short; eternity is forever.

I don't know what my cousin Javier's standing with Jesus Christ was. I hadn't talked to him in a little while, and especially not about deep things such as faith. He was certainly aware of my beliefs and we did talk about it in the past. Only God knows what happens in the final seconds of one's life on earth, only He is merciful enough to receive someone's repentance and accept him into His kingdom. If death is like a dream, then we all know that a few seconds dreaming seem like a 100 waking hours, certainly enough time to make amends. But I don't know these things with certainty, for this is a mystery. I can only speak of God's grace and mercy.

My cousin Javier was like any of us, he had flaws and virtues. What I remember most about him was his excitement when discussing a topic he was interested in, how he would open his eyes wide, arch his body back and then lean forward and gently touch you in the arm. He had a bigger-than-life personality that demanded notice when entering the room. Many times, when I was driving around cars that would often refuse to run, he would pick me up in his tow truck, saving me stress and money. But what many people didn't know about him was that he was a cinephile. The man loved and knew his film history. Thanks to him, I learned to love film, to see it as an art form. I learned about Fellini, Godard, Rossellini and many others. I always looked forward to new recommendations from him and then telling him my experiences watching those films.

One of his favorite films, which later became one of mine, was 8 1/2 by Federico Fellini. The movie is about a director facing a deadline to finish a movie, while at the same time juggling his personal life. Fact and fiction blur together in this wonderful film, where at the end, the protagonist's movie remains unfinished. Unfinished, that's the best word to describe Javier's life. He was too young and had still too much to accomplish.

We are only here for a little while.

If you haven't read the books, or at least seen the movies, then you won't get this reference. But the other day, Ellie was on the changing table while Elena was changing her.

"Such pretty eyes!" Elena said, smiling at Ellie.

I got closer to Ellie, held back laughter and said.

"You have your mother's eyes."

Elena instantly knew the Harry Potter reference and we both started laughing. I love my home.

So Elena and I went to the library book sale, put on by the Friends of the Library, and it was quite spectacular. There were thousands of books to choose from, which was definitely overwhelming, but in a good way.

There's always a rush when going to the book sale. There's this side of me that wants to get there before anyone else does, to get the "best book" before that person in front of me does. It's a fun challenge, a competition of sorts that I'm sure many others participate in silence, as well. They also had baked goods for sale and naturally we also made a stop by that section.

It was great to see people of all ages, including our little Ellie, mesmerized by the energy of all the book lovers. I can't wait for the book sale already! I wish there was another one soon.

In the end, we acquired over 20 books and one way or another, I will make time to read them all.

Yesterday Elena and I celebrated our two-year anniversary. We had a wonderful time and I can't wait to spend 60+ anniversaries together. She is my best friend and the love of my life.Since I don't have the old blog active anymore, here's The Proposal

----
A single comment on a blog changed my life forever. Almost 5 months later, I'm engaged to the woman of my dreams, the woman I always prayed for. We have only seen each other in person for about 13 days, but we knew early on that we would get married, that we were meant to be together.

"When you know, you know." People always told me that, and now, when it happened to me, I know that this is true. The proposal itself took some weeks of preparations. All the details had to be right. Elena loves riding bikes, going on scavenger hunts and adventures, and she has a love for gnomes. A perfect proposal to my love had to include all these things. Also, for every clue she got right in the scavenger hunt, she would get small prizes, leading to finding the gnome, and the main surprise; the ring. So, I bought small prizes to give her, plus I practiced getting down on one knee a couple of times.

The clues had a riddle and pictures (that I took a week
earlier) to guide her along the way. It was a challenge and a risk to plan such a thing in a place where she had never been before, but my love is a smart girl. The pages were burned along the edges to recreate an ancient map, because that's how gnomes do it.

The hunt

At first, she had to locate the seventh tree to the east, there she would find the first clue. There was a small shovel and with it she would dig to find the clue from Gnomie (the gnome). I asked her to turn around, close her eyes and count to five. Then I gave her a kiss as the first prize.

Originally it was going to be a bottle of water, a Florida brand, but we had to drink that earlier because, well, we were thirsty. This clue, then led her down a unpaved road. There was a picture of Gnomie standing on it. A nice walk down the path took her to where the second clue was. It was hidden behind some bushes, next to a clearing by the lake. My love found it quickly and was excited for the next clue. The prize: She turned around, closed her eyes, counted to seven and then I gave her a copy of the movie Amelie. One of her favorites, which she didn't have.


The third clue was a bit tricky, for it was glued to a half-foam ball and was floating on the water, right next to a beware of the alligator sign. No worries, I haven't seen a gator there for years and the clue was right by the shore. For the prize, she turned around, closed her eyes and counted to ten, then I gave her an invitation to dinner with me (not Gnomie) at a fancy restaurant.

The third clue spoke of transportation to arrive at the final destination. My love thought it meant driving in my car. However, right next to where we were standing, there were two bicycles beneath the "Beware of Alligator" sign. To Elena's amazement, I unlocked the lock, and we rode down a beautiful trail that led to a beach. It is an amazing sight. At one point you are in what seems to be a jungle with a very narrow paved road, but once the trail ends, the sun light greets you with the sight of the bay and a beach.

At last, we arrived at the final destination. There was a beach chair with a towel covering something. Elena, my love, looked around for Gnomie and found him hidden in a small palm tree. Once she found him, I asked her to turn around and to count to 12, so that she could receive her final prize. At 12 seconds, she turned back around, opened her eyes and saw me down on one knee with an engagement ring. "Will you marry me?" I asked.

She said yes.



We celebrated by uncovering the wine and two glasses that were hidden beneath the beach towel. It was a beautiful moment. I will never forget it. I still can't believe I'm engaged! I have waited all my life for someone like her! Elena and I are not perfect people, but we serve a perfect God rich in mercy and grace. I had no idea that by clicking on her blog, I would be marrying her in the fall of this year. The hardest part is being apart until we get married. Fortunately, as I mentioned, the wedding is going to be very soon. And God will continue to show us His grace and mercy because of His goodness.

Our lives feel like a movie. And maybe they are. Maybe this is all a movie with many plot twists and characters and God as the director. I believe ours is a wonderful romance film written and directed by Love Himself. With every passing day Elena and I love each other more and more. Isn't that how love is supposed to be? Isn't love supposed to be an immeasurable thing? Who says there is a limit? Does God have a limit? Isn't God love?

Love, love and love. Love Doesn't Let Go.

Libraries are one of my favorite places on earth. I worked for the Miami-Dade Public Library System for nearly five years. Being around so many books and movies and other resources, was just wonderful, especially since I love to write. Writing a book on the ancient Maya? You can find resources at the library. Want to find that documentary your professor required, you are likely to find it at the library.

The Topeka and Shawnee Library does not disappoint. I'm usually there at least twice a week. Erin at the Reference Desk can vouch for that.

It's funny though, as much as I enjoy reading and writing, I never went to a library until I started to work there. When I was a little boy, in Cuba, my mother would take me to a bookstore a couple of blocks away from our house. There is where I fell in love with adventure stories, like Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon, or his lesser known The Mysterious Island. But, alas, I never set foot in a library, except for the one at my high school, but that was just to print a homework assignment.

I don't know why it took me so long to go to a library, but once I did, I have enjoyed every moment, even its colorful cast of characters, which seem to show up no matter where a library is located. If you have children, don't wait too long to introduce them to the magic of books and libraries. I know Elena and I won't.