Alarmas

Acabo de salir de una reunión en la que hablábamos de los mensajes de alarma que enviamos a los operadores de nuesto equipamiento. Tratábamos de definir cuáles de los acrónimos y abreviaturas serían reconocidos por un operador. Algunos fueron fáciles, como "DC" (corriente directo) y "H2O" (agua). Otros fueron más polémicos, como "mgmt" (management/gestión, aceptado) y "vlv" (válvula, rechazado). Esto es parte de un esfuerzo más grande de mejorar la experiencia de los operadores con nuestros sistemas de control. Nuestra meta es reducir dramáticamente el número de mensajes con los que se tiene que lidiar y asegurarnos que los mensajes estén comprensibles.

La lista

La mañana pasó rápidamente, con una reunión a las 8:00 y otra a las 9:30. Normalmente hago una lista de tareas a principio del día, pero hoy estaba demasiado ocupado. Lo haré al volver a la oficina. La principal razón para hacerlo es asegurarme de trabajar en las tareas más importantes y no olvidar compromisos que he hecho. También me gusta indicar en la lista qué tareas he completado, dándome un sentido de satisfacción. Esto me recuerda de un dicho — Si quieres que se haga algo, dalo a una persona ocupada. Es decir, hay personas que saben bien completar tareas, incluso cuando se parecen muy ocupadas.

Un chat

Anoche platiqué con una colombiana que busca un voluntariado en el que pasaría un año en el Reino Unido cuidando a personas descapacitadas. Sería una manera de mejorar su inglés y realizar un buen trabajo a la vez. Le pregunté si había tenido experiencia en tal tipo de trabajo. Indicó que en el colegio había cuidado a "abuelos", algo que le gustó mucho. "Muy bien," dije, "por tanto eres un buen candidato."

Hablamos también de su gusto por libros de amor y el hecho de que había leído "Alice in Wonderland" en inglés y no lo había hecho yo. Dijo también que le gustaría leer la serie "Twilight". Le reprendí con buen humor que no fuera literatura refinada, algo que admitió sin vacilación.

The Rosie project

When I was told to read this book, never had I thought that I was going to set off on a journey towards the most longed feelings. The author, Graeme Simsion, tells us an affectionate and intelligent story sets in Melbourne, in which a geneticist, Don Tillman, a middle-aged autistic man, approaches a romantic relationship with Rosie, a student of psychology.

Don has barely friends. He feels that, somehow or other, is wired totally different to the rest of people. His inability to follow social protocols and feeling love, joined to an exhaustive adherence to schedules and phobias, make him difficult to find a couple. This is the reason why Don, helped by his best friends Gene and Claudia, a married couple of psychologists, designs a questionnaire addressed to help him to find the perfect partner. That is the beginning of what is called “the wife’s project’.

In the search of the perfect woman, none of them appear to be suitable for him. After some unsuccessful tries, Gene introduced him Rosie, a woman that is, in all lights, unsuitable for him since she does not fulfil the demanding questionnaire requirements. During a date, Rosie tells Don that she is in the search of her biological father so, being him a geneticist, feels the need of helping Rosie by testing her possible fathers’ DNA samples.

Don does not have a glimmer of hope to find a partner and, as a consequence, decides to put aside the Wife’s project and gives more consideration to a new project, the Father’s project. During their time together, Rosie becomes remarkably perceptive about Don. He finds everything fascinating and feels relaxed and acts differently when spending time together. As time goes by, they get to know each other and understand that they both are in love in spite of being so different.

I must confess that I have found this book warm-hearted and gripping, a really page-turner and, as my friend Matt says, ‘unputdownable’. I strongly recommend its reading since it shows us how two people coming from different backgrounds and different outlooks on life, are deeply inside very similar each other. Everyone needs to be loved, to have the feeling that they are necessary to the others and doubtlessly, in most occasions, a little effort must be done so as to pursue our soul mate.

The Blizzard

Más de mil vuelos se han cancelado. Las escuelas están cerradas. La gente se queda en casa en vez de ir a su trabajo. ¿Qué pasa? Una gigante tormenta invernal se dirige al noreste del país, incluso de las ciudades de Nueva York y Boston. Esperan 20-30 pulgadas de nieve en Nueva York, con vientos hasta 50 millas por hora de velocidad.

Lo maravilloso es que no veo ninguna señal de la tormenta donde vivo, en el sureste del país. Tenemos algunas nubes de color gris, pero la temperatura está cerca de 10 grados. Quizá la única indicación de la inminente tormenta en mi vida sea que he visto pocos correos electrónicos de mis colegas en Nueva York. Junto con el hecho de que es un día de fiesta en la India, donde tengo muchos otros colegas, ha resultado una mañana bastante tranquila.

La palabra en el título, "blizzard", quiere decir una gran tormenta de nieve. Me pregunto de dónde viene.

I Love You

Every time I kiss you, I feel that don't seem enough,
every time I have got you, I go crazy.
And every time, when I look at you, every time,
I find a reason to go on living.
...
It is like to discover the universe.
I love you, I love you
and you are the centre of my heart.
...
like the earth to sun.
Every time the night goes to her hair,
I feel jealous from every white star.
And every time, when dawning , every time,
I feel caught from your look a little more.
And every time, between your embraces , every time,
it wakes a song and a kiss is born.
lyrics

I Snuck in a Party

He didn't invite me
but I went to,
around the corner, I waited the moment
that no one looks at me
to step into inside.
It was my chance,
some go inside,
others are going out
and while a racket happens
I sneak within.
I snuck there and appeared in your party,
Coke for all and snacks,
a lot of pretty women
but no one of them alone,
colored lights,
I will have a fun,
I wondered
Who might introduce me to him?
I wondered
What can we talk about?
I saw her to pass and hid,
with her transparent dress,
she was provoking people.
She saw me and approached to me,
it was love at first sight
and she fell  in love.
Lyrics

Pasos para reducir la propagación de la gripe en casa

(Una traducción de un folleto en la cafetería)

Al cuidar a un familiar que está enfermo con la gripe, las maneras más importantes de proteger a ti mismo y a los otros que no están enfermos son:

Guarda al enfermo fuera de otros todo lo posible.

Recuérdale al enfermo cubrir las toses y frecuentemente lavar las manos con jabón y agua o desinfectante para manos a base de alcohol, especialmente después de toser y/o estornudar.

Haz que todos en casa laven las manos con frecuencia, usando jabón y agua o desinfectante basado en alcohol.

Pregúntale a su médico si familiares en contacto con el enfermo — particularmente los que tienen condiciones crónicas de salud — deben tomar medicamientos antivirales como Tamiflu o Relenza para prevenir la gripe.

Popular Phrases from Pope Francis

It isn't necessary to believe in God to be a good person. Somehow, the traditional idea of God is not been updated. You can be spiritual but not religious. It is not necessary to go to church and give money. For a lot of people, nature can be a church. Some of the best people in the history didn't believe in God, while a lot of the worst acts were done in his name.
Pope Francis.

Toledo

Yesterday, we have been visiting Toledo at southern of Madrid. I recognize I love medieval cities, Toledo is an important medieval city where you can see a lot monuments and old buildings. It is an important factory of medieval weapons and armours.

Plus, you can see a great Cathedral, a mosque and a synagogue, and the whole old city is walled with a medieval wall as a castle, of course.
The most curious characteristic of this city and others in Spain is in seeing a mixture of cultures in its architecture. It shows a coexistence among Christians, Jewish and Arabs peacefully. In spite of some try to demonstrate that they are destined to live in war.
In the photo, you can see a important synagogue decorated with arabic arches that finally was become in Christian church. I could see an olive tree dedicated to Palestina too. Finally the Asian presence was an evidence with a lot of Chinese tourist. :)