Letters to America (and to that little piece of land called 'The Rest of the World')

Day 15 of Movember

2010-11-15T05:56:00.002Z

I know... For the past 10 days my MOsista duties have been neglected. My sincere apologies but -you will see- I've been busy with Life and Awesomeness.
I had been writing my posts from my computer at school during breaks but we've been told to limit the use to educational purposes only. Still not sure if my blogging is educational so I decided not to risk it and leave this for my laptop at home.

But then , of course, Life interfered by taking me away from the computer or by sending all sorts of welcome and, at times, totally unwelcome distractions while at it. Truth is, I lose focus easily but I'm working on it and I intend to get better at concentrating on the task at hand.

Anyway, I also mentioned Awesomeness as an excuse earlier on and I wasn't exaggerating one bit: my life is full of wonder and my name should probably be changed to Alice. You can blame social media for that ( I guess you can call it my 'White Rabbit'): ever since I joined Twitter one-and-a-half years ago I've been chasing that white rabbit through incredible worlds new to me and I have met fascinating people who are helping me embrace and enjoy this random, chaotic existence of mine.

Like Alice, I've had my core values and principles disputed by a few, tested by some, praised by others and thankfully reinforced by many. I've been at mad-hatters tea-parties but managed to avoid serious burning (and flying saucers) Met Red and White Queens and Cheshire cats. Now I wonder if my trial is approaching. Not that I'm worried to lose my head... that may have happened awhile ago.

Two wonderful universes appeared before me behind those misterious doors I dared entering: that of the global fight against cancer is one of them. The Drive, Joy and Hope embodied in each and every one of the survivors, co-survivors and advocates I've met in the last year fill my heart with awe and this little Alice wants to grow up to be like them. Wouldn't you?

I mentioned 3 roles in the world of cancer: with 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women who will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime... which one will you play? Very likely, at least one of them so wouldn't it be better if you chose advocating and helped reducing the chances to become one of the other two?

Please join the fight. Start today by supporting the MOvember efforts. You won't regret it.

Day 4 of MOvember

2010-11-04T19:36:00.007Z

Last night, I told @MOvember on twitter that today's post would be oustanding ( yesterday's lacking length and substance, maybe) but, as it turns out, today's may be even worse.
I'm extremely tired, sad and preoccupied with a dear friend's health: tired because I went out last night ( not asking for pity here) and slept very little; sad because I just heard of 11-year-old Shannon Tavarez's death from leukemia and preoccupied because it is of new pre-cancerous cells ( my friend is already an amazing cancer survivor) we are talking about here.
So no jokes today. All I want to ask of you is to discuss cancer, all cancers ( well, maybe male cancers in particular) with your loved ones and encourage them to get involved, to join the fight. Remember to mention AWARENESS, EARLY DETECTION and DONATIONS (both of cash for RESEARCH and, more importantly, of BONE MARROW)

Help save other lives. Tomorrow it could be yours in need of saving.
We are 2 days too late for Shannon and time is ticking for so many others

Day 3 of MOvember

2010-11-03T20:29:00.002Z

3 is the magic number... or so the song goes.
I'm writing this from my school desk, during lunch break... and this is what I call DEDICATION!!
Well, you are all worth it, specially if you are a MO bro with an itchy upper lip. I love you. I truly do.
If I sound a bit nuts today is because I've looking for information on Testicular Cancer to add at the end of this post... if you catch my drift ;)
(Some hours later...)
Remember boys: with all the info out there, your excuses for not taking better care of yourselves are just BOLLIX!!!
I must run. Going out for some... ehem.... donors!!?? ;)

Day 2 of MOvember

2010-11-02T19:51:00.004Z

Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain...rain. Then again, this is Ireland and spirits remain high in spite of the low-pressure front's efforts to rain on my parade.
On day 2 of MOvember I have to report that I'm a little bit wiser than yesterday... yet a lot more ignorant than I suspected (around the same time?) and ...guess what!!??: SO ARE YOU!!
Anyways, I thought I would share some random facts on Prostate Cancer here in Ireland:

Irish Cancer Society consumer research has shown that only 20% of Irish men know that they have a 1 in 3 chance of developing cancer during their lifetime and only 26% go to their GP for regular check-ups. Research also tells us that an Irish mans life expectancy is almost five years lower than that of an Irish woman

The Irish Cancer Society revealed some 2,758 new cases were confirmed in 2009, a rise of 85% over a decade.

Frequent urination, inability to urinate or a burning sensation when urinating are the symptoms which indicate it is time to seek medical help. These symptoms are due to an enlarged prostate gland but are coincidentally associated with prostate cancer only if the tumour is large. Most cancers of the prostate are initially too small to cause any symptoms.

For more information visit MOvember or Action Prostate Cancer

Also, I'm happy to inform that the first annual prostate cancer seminar will be held at the O’Callaghan Alexander Hotel, Dublin 2 on Saturday, November 6th, 2010 from 9.00am. Register here

Finally, please don't forget to visit my MOspace and leave a kind message and/or a donation, however small.
Thank you :)

1st of MOvember... again!!!

2010-11-01T15:10:00.004Z

Yes, yes, yes. It is the 1st of MOvember and the Face of Men's Health in Ireland is about to take a turn... for the hairier.

This year is somehow different for me with no Glam Parties to report from, no red carpet or free booze but the same old buzz that has seen me jumping up and down with anticipation and jealousy (green envy) for the last three months as our American and Canadian friends (foes for the month) geared up for the occasion with tales of gatherings and good times.

Let the Games begin. May the best MO in Ireland be crowned in Dec and may the best MO sista become the rightful queen.

BUT... whatever you get up to, don't forget to talk about Prostate and Testicular Cancers. Get the men in your life to visit their GPs and discuss screening (if over 40 or if suspicious of something 'not being quite right' with their general health)
We love our boys. We need them healthy.

P.S.: If you wish to donate, any contributions will be greatly appreciated. All proceeds go to the Irish Cancer Society

Odds

2010-09-01T15:13:00.002+01:00

I don't know if you are the type that has to read anything containing a text, any text, put in front of them. I am. I read the cereal box info while having breakfast. I read facial cream directions while doing my business in the bathroom. I read every sign put up in a public place if I'm around... You get the picture.
Most of the time, it's not even a concious decision. I'm half-way reading it by the time I catch myself in the act. I just HAVE TO do it in case I'm missing out on something valuable to me.

In computers, if you know the Scribus program, you will be familiar with the sample texts it uses to help you configure your choice of a lay-out for a newspaper/magazine type of page. For each language, there is a different text- or so I gather from the ones I can make out.

Well, when I first used Scribus I, naturally, came to read the sample text in English I was using to create an in-shop fashion magazine for my doomed clothing company as a farewell memento for my colleagues. At the time, I remember thinking I should find the book that text came from: I was intrigued about the type of books the Scribus programmer would have chosen to include in his program. This particular one seemed interesting enough.

But I went about my business as I had an impending deadline: the closing date of a business after 25 years of trading. Sad and uncertain days ensued. Days of too much time in one's hands and nothing much to do but read. Glorious reading to keep me sane -much needed reading as the days went by and insanity loomed.
I forgot about Scribus and its sample text but one day I decide to download Acrobat Reader and see which PDFs might be available for free. I went for Alice in Wonderland, a favourite of mine I had only read in Spanish before, and Dracula, a book I'd never read despite having lived in Bram Stoker's city of birth for over 9 years.
Logic had me turning to Dracula first -the novelty of it being too powerful to resist. As I opened the PDF file, there it was: the long time forgotten now sample text from Scribus. Spooky?? Wait until I tell you that the 'One city, one book' campaign by the Dublin City Library, which runs every year during the month of April, started the following day. Do I have to tell you which book featured that year? I guess not ;)

Eco House

2010-08-03T12:54:00.003+01:00

Tiny feet running around -Wipe the silly smile off your face. This isn't about children- . Little jumps. Bathroom. False ceilings. Creepy noises. Squeaking. Rats. Old house by the Canal. Old woman. Forget pest control. A subtle invitation to abandon ship. Hell no! Old woman travelling. Girl left to face the ... rats. Mata-hari eyes through the kitchen vent. No. Not the kitchen, please! Nightmares. Silence next. A dying ground for a poisoned rat? Honoured. First comes the smell. Crescendo. Disgusting flies. One. Three. Six. Windows closed. A fly struggles inside a ceiling-lightspot. Mistery solved: the vent. Smell diminuendo. Old woman returns. Rice grains in the bathtub, moving. Escaping through the gaps in the skylight: maggots. No point in throwing up. Let the old woman deal with them. She does. Episode never mentioned. A dried-up corpse above their heads.

mammoths and hairdressers

2010-08-01T20:21:00.004+01:00

A foreign city. Darkness. Rain in buckets. Soaked feet. Narrow streets. Open doors leading to a patio. Mammoths. Unisex hairdressers advertising male cuts for €16. Two strangers go in. Three languages spoken at that improvised Tower of Babel. Boy needs a haircut. Girl seats on spare chair. Hair is washed. Boy is quiet. Scissors next. Boy instructs girl. Girl instructs hairdresser. Boy looks serious, focused. Girl thinks she's never been waiting at the hairdressers for a boy before. She might never do it again. Fishnet tights and a short dress. A pull in the fine mesh. Girl plays with it and smiles at the boy, reassuringly. Hairdresser's doing a good job. Boy remains silent. He is quiet, maybe shy, and looks sad - not at all the girl's type but she's at the hairdressers with him. Girl wonders what that means. Job is done. Boy asks the girl what she thinks. She wants to run her hand through the recent haircut and kiss him. Girl smiles: ' I love it'. Rain is taking a break as a boy and a girl walk out into the dark, narrow street holding hands.
It happened a hundred years ago. It happened today.

Iniesta, the man from La Mancha

2010-07-12T08:25:00.001+01:00

Looking for some way to pay hommage to the man of the hour, I've come accross this sweet documentary where Iniesta himself talks about his origins.
Fuentealbilla, in Albacete, is the small village were he spent most of his childhood and where he started playing football from a very early age.
I really enjoyed this intimate portrait of a quiet, humble man who has taken us all to the top of the World for at least four years. I hope you do, too
P.S: This is part 1/4. Watch the rest, too, if you have a chance. ;)

ESPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAÑA!!!

2010-07-08T19:20:00.002+01:00

I have stolen this video from the blog of a Twitter friend (@spanishcycling). It made me laugh a lot. I hope you like it, too.

The Queen of Spain pays a visit to the Spanish Football Team after the match to congratulate them. See what happens

Still looking for a four-leaf clover

2010-06-18T00:15:00.000+01:00

I found a four-leaf clover once and I read somewhere the odds stand at 10,000/1. The funniest thing, at the time, I wasn't even looking for one. It was the summer of 1997. I had just qualified as a leader for outdoor activities and I had helped create a non-profit dedicated to provide more access for young people to such activities. It was our first weekend away in an idyllic location and we were taking a break from teaching orientation techniques to the group.

I remember laying on the grass, face down, trying to cool down in a hot summer's day while we listened to all kind of silly jokes from our CEO, a showman and a great entertainer at all times. 'Not a care in the world' is how one could best describe the general mood of that assembly.
Then, out of the blue, our CEO claimed he would give 5,000 pesetas (around $37 today but not too bad a sum back then) to whoever found a four-leaf clover.

I didn't have to move, not even an inch: from my face down position I could clearly see the most perfect four-leaf clover, standing less that a foot away from the tip of my nose. I told so to my sister, who was sitting next to me but she would not believe me so I stretched my arm and grabbed it. I stood up and moved slowly towards our CEO, asking him to repeat what he had just said. He was more than happy to. He even said it louder, this time. I simply smiled and produced my treasure. He went pale. Pleople cheered.

He never gave me any money, of course, but... who needs 5,000 pts when you own a four-leaf clover??!!

That same day, on our way back to the hostel, the whole group walking in front of me went over, stepped onto and totally missed a 5,000 pts note on the path leading to our accomodation quarters. In total disbelief, I picked it up and, as no one ever claimed it, I got to keep.

For nearly two years I kept the clover in my wallet. Showed it to people upon request and I, jokingly, made it responsible for whatever bit of good luck that came my way. Then, one day in early spring as I searched for a book in the library at Bath College, my wallet was taken from the front pocket of my backpack.

There was next to nothing in there: twenty-three pence, if memory serves, was all the cash. No bank cards. Not even any ID papers, that could have proven difficult to replace abroad, inside. Just twenty-three pence, the keys to my house and a four-leaf clover I would never get to see again.

It had been payday at work: $238 (a week's wages) had been sitting in a white envelope next to the wallet in the pocket of my backpack. They were still there when I returned to find my wallet gone.Still, I was distraught by the loss of my lucky charm.

My boss in Bath, when I was about to leave for Ireland, had a silver pendant specially made for me in the shape of a four-leaf clover because the jewellers in town didn't have any pendants with that design.I choose to believe he never used that design again and that my pendant is, therefore, unique. I still wear it most days and, certainly, whenever I feel a bit superstitious

Today, as I walked along the Canal on my way home, I realized I continue to search for that elusive 1/10,000 real four-leaf clover (mine was a 'trifolium repens', it seems). I walk staring at the grass. I even slow down at times to take a closer look. I have been doing it ever since mine was stolen but I never really wondered why I keep doing it. Not until now. I don't think I have an answer, either.

I mentioned Superstition before when I don't consider myself a superstitious person, yet I search for a green talisman in a sea of clovers. Would my luck change if I found a second one? I don't think so. Should a self-confessed atheist have any hope for a bit of magic in her life? Probably not but I suspect I will continue searching for a four-leaf clover till the day I die.

The Dublin Writers Festival 2010

2010-06-11T12:05:00.002+01:00

If you know me already, chances are we met after I volunteered at some event you are connected to somehow. That is pretty much what I do these days (tomorrow marking 15 months of unemployment) and, I'm happy to report, the experience is always unique and very rewarding. I could not recommend it enough.

The latest in my agenda was the Dublin Writers Festival that took place last week.

The best thing about being on Twitter is how people can echo your cry for help in real time so, if you have any last minute hiccups, it is very possible that someone out there can solve your problem straight away.

The Festival counts on a base of volunteers, mainly the same people every year but, sometimes, prior engagements lead to vacancies and opportunities for newcomers. And that is how I got involved with this Festival: @darraghdoyle tweeted the need for volunteers and I jumped right in.
The program was packed with writers, poets and singer-songwriters and I got to work four out of the six days it lasted (although you cannot really call it work since it is more like a treat... you get to meet wonderful people and have lots of fun along the way)
The highlights for me: meeting Ian McEwan and Steward Brand... and attending Neil Hannon's (*sigh) intimate interview with John Kelly (...and we got the coolest t-shirt!!! ;))
Definitely, signing up for next year... if they'll have me!!

''This Time's A Charm''

2010-06-10T15:28:00.010+01:00

How does a grown-up man afraid of needles become a four times (five times now, actually) cancer survivor? Well, Donald Wilhelm's book, 'This Time's A Charm', answers that and many other questions which may arise as one gets to know about his extraordinary battle against Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
After a 'persitant sinus infection' misdiagnosis becomes the grim reality of Cancer, Wilhelm applies his professional mental skills to set up the strategy that put him in charge of his own treatment key issues, the quest for the right oncologist being the first step. Armed with all the information available and tons of 'attitude', he navigates through recurrences and 'intermissions' for five years, learning but also teaching others along the way.
Physically, we witness a young body going through unbearable pain and suffering, yet resilient. Mentally and emotionally, there is lot of growing up happening within those pages and the newly acquired wisdom is selflessly shared with the rest of us.
A compelling read, Donald's book is full of honesty, humor, useful information for the 'newbies' (both survivors and co-survivors) and, above all, bucketloads of PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) to face the challenges all cancer survivors and their loved ones encounter after diagnosis.

You can buy the book at Amazon

http://www.thistimesacharm.com/

Watch here an interview where Don talks about his book.(Added 10th Sep)

Day 21 of MOvember. Rain ...and a guy with a round, pink, fluffy bag hanging from his neck

2009-11-21T11:35:00.006Z

Yeap. It's crazy weather out there so I thought it was about time to write another post.

I got a new FB message from LIVESTRONG UK this morning and, as I went to write a 'thank you' note on Nick's page, I realized I had not really mentioned him on my previous post about the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit in Dublin.

The main reason why I didn't has to be that I didn't meet Nick O'Hara Smith at the Summit. Of course, I noticed him, though... Who wouldn't? This guy was carrying an enormous, round-shaped, pink bag across his shoulder... WTH for? (I wondered)

Then, I got to read the black lettering message at the front of it: The Testicular Cancer Tour 2009. (Got you!) OK... so that bag was a giant testicle... Hmmmm. Odd people come in all sorts and sizes, I thought, but I was definitely intrigued and amused to see this guy walking around amongst all those other delegates, including Middle-East princesses, wearing a more 'formal' attire, to say the least.

Luck had me staying at the conference long enough to get my explanation: Nick's story was chosen to be told on stage (and, eventually, it was the overall winner)

Nick lost his testicles to cancer but, as if that wasn't bad enough, he didn't get hormone replacement treatment for a few weeks after that. Testosterone Deficiency is a very serious condition that can lead to muscles weakness, osteoporosis and severe depression. In Nick's case, after a few medical blunders that shouldn't have happened, his depression and moods swings almost cost him his life, literally. Nick tried to commit suicide but, fortunately for all of us who met him since, he failed.

Ever since, Nick is committed to spread the word on Testosterone Deficiency, the importance of Hormone Replacement Treatment and raise awareness on all types of Cancer, with Testicular-Cancer-symbol giant, pink, fluffy bag as his 'in your face' banner.

So if, in your travels, you come across and odd looking fellow carrying such a prop around his neck, don't call the Police... call your loved ones, instead, and ask them when was the last time they had a medical check-up... and don't forget to thank Nick for his awesome, selfless work.
To read Nick's awesome story told in his own words, click here or go to http://www.voicesofsurvivors.com/ where you can find his and many other's amazing stories in different documentary formats.
...and don't forget to visit his Movember page https://www.movember.com/uk/donate/your-details/member_id/156117/ for donations. He's growing a great MO just to save your, or your loved ones, life

Day 14 of Movember... a cold day and a warm heart

2009-11-14T16:22:00.002Z

I woke up this morning (or rather this afternoon, since I was up until 5am) to this wonderful article on Maya Angelou latest book. What an amazing way to start my day.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/nov/14/maya-angelou-interview

I've always been a great admirer of Dr. Angelou, although I must confessed I've only read her poetry, up until now (fact that should, and indeed will, be corrected some time soon).

The day we got news on Twitter of her being very ill and close to death, I got very upset. Extraordinary people like her are a rare breed and their passing always means a great loss for Humanity. Fortunately, the rumors were not that close to the truth and Dr. Angelou intends to stay with us for a while longer.

This is the complete poem by James Weldon Johnson, a verse of which she recites during the interview. Enjoy

The glory of the day was in her face,

The beauty of the night was in her eyes.
And over all her loveliness, the grace
Of Morning blushing in the early skies.

And in her voice, the calling of the dove;
Like music of a sweet, melodious part.
And in her smile, the breaking light of love;
And all the gentle virtues in her heart.

And now the glorious day, the beauteous night,
The birds that signal to their mates at dawn,
To my dull ears, to my tear-blinded sight
Are one with all the dead, since she is gone.

Day 13 of Movember ... and I've been drinking coffee!!!

2009-11-13T18:45:00.006Z

I cannot drink coffee (well, it's caffeine what I cannot take, really, having to include tea and coke in the 'no go' zone) Coffee gives me palpitations and insomnia (severe, in both accounts, unfortunately)
It wasn't always like that, though: I used to have a couple of double expressos in the afternoon, almost every day. In Spain, pretty much every business closes at lunch time for three hours, so the afternoon coffee and a game of cards with friends are the best alternative to taking a nap in the sofa. Coffee in Spain is good (as good as Italian or French, may I add) and having to give it up was as hard as trying to get my eating habits straight, this time around.
By the time I moved to Ireland, I was caffeine free. However, my habit of going into Cafés for a wee chat (for several hours, sometimes) with friends or to read a book in a rainy day was very much still there... so I guess I can be an advocate for Cafés and Coffee Houses as much as any of you, coffee addicts,reading this.
And yes, I've been drinking coffee today. I felt I had to since I was attending a conference on Dublin's Café Culture. It was great: sociologists, librarians, journalists,Dublin City Council Plan developers, Café owners, baristas and coffee enthusiasts gathered for three hours to talk about three hundred years of coffee drinking in Dublin.
The Dublin Cafe Culture Project was born as a result of the closure of Bewleys Cafe and the campaign that resurrected it. Volunteer coffee enthusiast power the movement.
The main speaker was Professor Kieran Bonner, Professor of Sociology at St. Jerome's University, Ontario, Canada. He spoke about the Café as Third Place. I wasn't familiar with the term 'Third Place'(or indeed First or Second) It seems that our home and work space would be the other two, generally in that order ( as in 'where we spend most of our lives') with the Pub being, until now, the main Third Place.
Prof. Bonner told us about the first two being 'exclusive' environments preventing our interaction with strangers and the possibility of random meetings (to me, what makes Life interesting). He also said that Third Places, apart from being the facilitators of such exchanges, level all cultural backgrounds and social status, becoming a democratic space to discuss ideas.
(His speech was truly insightful and I should be able to get access to a copy in the next couple of weeks, so I might come back to the sociological aspect of cafés and pubs, then).
Next, Glynis Casson, acting for Hugh Oram, talked us through the story behind Bewleys Oriental Cafés. Born a few years after the Great Famine as a quaker, non-alcoholic, reaction to the traditional socializing in pubs, Bewleys Cafés became a focal point for the Arts, with many of the greatest Irish writers and poets being regular customers and even mentioning them in their works.
Today, only one of the three Bewleys Cafés remains, rescued by a campaign that mobilized Dublin citizens into saving the emblematic building, back in 2004, and the needed cash injection provided by Café Bar Deli, the new tenants since 2006.
Then, Máire Kennedy, Divisional Librarian at the Dublin City Library and Archive, talked us through the history of Coffee Houses in Dublin, which I found truly fascinating, also. Here's some of the info she shared with us today:
Apparently, the habit of coffee drinking first became popular in Europe early in the 17th century. In their heyday, the fashionable coffee houses of Europe served as well springs of gossip, political intrigue and faction. Serving coffee, tea and other refreshments, they provided newspapers and pamphlets to their clientele and also acted as meeting places for local clubs and societies.They were also a favorite spot for members of book trade, where deals were made and contracts negotiated.
Dublin's earliest coffee houses weren't open until the end of that century, remaining popular throughout the 18th century. The fashion also spread to county towns and in 1698, coffee houses were to be found in Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Clonmel, Wexford and Galway.
Coffee Houses would be located on the drawing room (first floor, airy and well lit rooms)of a house having a well established business on the ground floor, many times this being booksellers or newspaper printers. The clients of the Coffee House would then have free access to the newspapers. Many establishments prided themselves on the range of papers and information slips which they held, a custom which continued into the nineteenth century.
It was then that the decline of coffee houses as informal news exchanges started and it was not until the 1970's, over a century later, that the fashion for coffee drinking in specialised cafes and coffee shops was re-established.

You can read more about the history of Dublin Coffee Houses here:
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/pages-in-history/dublin-coffee-houses/index.xml

The last speaker of the day was Dick Gleeson, City Planner for Dublin City Council, who gave us an overview of the current and future developments involving Cafés and Coffee Houses as an integral part of the city fabric.
The conference ended with a Q&A round where the concerns of small, independent café owners and other member of the public were raised (including the need for extended opening hours as someone visiting Dublin, not long ago, pointed out to me )

And so you know, my beloved coffee addicts, it was never about the coffee, really, but about the company people kept in those places. In fact, Dublin coffee only got any good when the Italian arrived with their expresso machines, just a few years ago ;-)

Day 11 of Movember, Remembrance Day

2009-11-11T12:00:00.001Z

My second youngest brother is a soldier. He has been one for the past 13 years. It is hard for me to imagine what life as a soldier must be like, specially for a man who used to have a very sensitive soul as a child and a teenager. I know the reasons why he joined the Spanish Army to begin with: he was lucky enough to get sent to the High Mountain Infantry squadron in the north of the country for his, back then still compulsory, one year Military Service.
He loved it there: the great outdoors and all the sports they got to practise (skiing, climbing, abseiling, scuba diving... ) enticed him to stay put. The fact that the only thing waiting for him back home was a job that kept him indoors from before sunrise until after sunset made the choice even simpler. All he had to do was sign up for 2 more years...
I don't know if, back then, he envisioned himself as ever been in the middle of difficult, conflict (or even war), zones but, as he moved to Pamplona Military HQs after that first year, he started having a taste of what living in constant danger means. ( I remember all too clearly when his own sub-liutenant was blown away by an ETA bomb, Pamplona being part of the terrorists domain, back in the first few years of his career).
I've been worried about his welfare ever since but I only started to worry about his soul (altough I'm not religious, I prefer that word to any others when refering to 'heart and mind' issues) when he started to do 'his job' as a 'peacekeeper' with the UN forces first in Kosovo, later in Afghanistan.
He spent, altogether, one and a half years in Kosovo (three separate missions) and, even if he experienced hardship and the death of some friends, he was always able to talk us through his experience and he shared photographs and stories of Love and Friendship bonds created with the population they were trying to protect and help back on their feet. ( My brother's name is Jesus and everyone at the Base joked about the fact that, just like THE Jesus, he was always surrounded by small children: telling them stories, teaching them Spanish, cleaning their runny noses... )
My dearest brother doesn't speak about Afghanistan. He spent ten months there ( two missions) and, if he ever mentions anything, his comments come out resentful, fearful and even xenophobic at times. That person is not my brother; he cannot be. My brother is loving and caring and trustful... or is he? I fear to ask if he ever killed anyone... but isn't that in a soldier's job description?
War does bad things to good people... NEVER FORGET. NEVER AGAIN (and it keeps happening every day of the week...)

Day 10 of Movember

2009-11-10T23:52:00.001Z

Today I sat to reflect on the journey that brought me to my beloved, cancer-striken, community of friends (both on Twitter and Facebook) and has me growing a painted-on moustache on my avatars to raise awareness on Prostate Cancer.

I all started around Spring time...

Being unemployed since March 12th, and having far too much time in my hands, I decided it was time to take a second look to that thing called 'Twitter' which had miserably failed to get my attention from the moment I had signed on, two months earlier. At the time, I had refused to become a 'celebrity stalker' and I had no friends on Twitter at all, so the whole thing was utterly pointless.

In April, out of pure boredom, I decided to start following some of the celebrities to see what the fuss was about: Ashton and Demi, Oprah, Ellen... All too soon I found myself creating a list of celebs I wanted to find on Twitter and also adding some other people they followed.
I can't remember how I got following Lance Armstrong but it wasn't by my own accord. Someone famous was following him and, given that I always enjoyed cycling (the sport; I'm dangerously too close to the definition of a couch potato, myself) I jumped on board his followers list just before the Tour of France 09.
The Livestrong band on his avatar caught my eye straight away. I had no idea what a Twibbon was back then but I noticed that the people he followed had the same thing on their pictures, so I went to check the link on his profile and I think I read this:
'At the Lance Armstrong Foundation, we unite people to fight cancer believing that unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything.'
After checking the work of the LAF, I decided that following all those other guys sporting the yellow band in Lance's profile could only be a good thing. I can tell you it was early days, in a way, for Doug Ulman: only a few thousand followers back then, if memory serves me. He even DM me about the following each other thing. I admire him for getting up to 39,500 before giving up the whole, polite, 'I follow you back' thing.
Those days changed my life. By the time the Tour was over, I had become a Livestrong convert (even if my heart had split over the team Astana issues) and it was only natural that I wanted to volunteer for the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit.
I missed the early days of enrolment because I was in Spain, so my volunteering got limited to 'breakfast greeter' on the last day. I remember standing by the watercooler, wearing my yellow t-shirt and the now 'all familiar' wristband, pointing out to people where the breakfast room was and watching Adam Garone, Lynn Lane, Doug Ulman, dr Gupta... pass by me. Doug was the only one I recognized, of course, since I wasn't following any of the rest, yet.
Then, Jonny Imerman ( http://www.imermanangels.org/ )came to get water and we got talking. He was incredibly nice to me, thanking me for volunteering ( I didn't know him, either, but I assumed he was part of the organizers) and we had a good laugh about breakfast being the last thing in the mind of many delegates who had been in the pub until late the night before.
By 9.30 am my duties were over and I was told I could go home. I asked if more help was needed and was told that I could stay for the last morning of the conference and help out with luch if I wanted. How lucky can someone get? I sat with another volunteer at the back of the room, amazed at the opportunity that I had been given: 500 delegates, 65 countries, were making history in the fight against Cancer... and I was witnessing it.
At a point, a minggling, storytelling exercise was in need of extra people to complete some delegates' tables and the volunteers were dragged into action. I ended up sitting at one of those tables and I met Lynn Lane as a result of the wonderful chaos that followed when hundreds of people tried to tell a 60 sec story at about the same time (and got moved around a bit, too, adding to the confusion).
His story really moved me and, of course, I immediately recognized the importance of his work through http://www.voicesofsurvivors.com/ : documenting Survivorship, and spreading the word far and wide, bring the ever so important Hope to new fighters and those dealing with a recurrence. I'm sure that's the reason why such a new organization got invited to the Summit by Livestrong ('...knowledge is power and attitude...' ) I also met the wonderful Suzanne Lindley (
http://www.beatlivertumors.org/ ) and Pam Schmid the same day.
Lynn gave me a band, too. His is blue, a reminder of him being a Prostate Cancer Survivor, and I have been wearing both bands ever since I got them (at a wedding, recently, my camera lens wore them) and I keep telling anyone who will listen what they represent.
After the Summit, I started following many of you, wonderful tweeps and beloved twisters, including Marie Ennis O'Connor (first on Twitter and then in person ) and through her I got to know the work of http://www.europadonnaireland.ie/ on Breast Cancer, too, and I'm hoping to volunteer for them whenever they might need me ( I think Marie and her advocacy deserve a post of their own so I'm leaving it at that, for now)
The final stop of my story are Adam Garone and http://www.movember.com/ . We never actually met in Dublin. The watercooler episode is the closest we ever got but I followed him on Twitter and he's been the one who got me into the MO universe. Once again, I'm so moved by the power of few: just a group of friends who got together to raise awareness on Prostate Cancer and male depression...and boy have they done it!!
Today, Movember 10th, I feel very proud to have become a MO sista and an advocate for all the above non-profit orgs and I love considering so many of you as my dear friends, too

Day 9 of Movember

2009-11-09T13:53:00.000Z

I woke up this morning to a terrible headache and bad nausea, that being part of my daily routine for the past 2 months almost to the day, but I already encountered a couple of wonderful little details that are making my day a lot brighter:
First, I got an email from a good friend of mine in Germany. I must say it wasn't a personal one but one of those that get forwarded about a million times... However, this is a beautiful one written to honor women and you cannot go wrong with that.
Then, I see this info about Movember donation figures around the world and my face lit up... We are close to €5,000,000 when it's only midday of day 9 WOOT!!! People are amazing. So much generosity in these tough times...
The figures for Ireland are very good, too, so far... More than 5,200 MO bros and sistas who have already collected + €120,000 Thank you, Ireland.
Sadly, my contribution hasn't moved since my first, and very generous, first donation but I have faith people hitting my Movember 09 photo album will eventually like something there. I've had over 200 hits in the last few days... that would make a cool €2,000 going to Movember. Remember I'm paying all printing and postage charges out of my own pocket so all your money goes to Action Prostate Cancer.
Here is the link again:
http://www.myartprofile.com/irlanda/gallery9524
Please help make my day even better

I was born on August 31, 1972

2009-11-07T19:57:00.000Z

1972 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. According to measurements of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest ever year, as two leap seconds were added during this year, an event which has not since been repeated. (I knew I was very special for a reason)

On August 31, at the Summer Olympics in Munich, American sprinters Eddie Hart, Reynaud Robinson and Robert Taylor were scheduled to run in the quarterfinals of the 100 meter dash, which their coach, Stan Wright, said would take place at 7:00 pm. Shortly before 4:15, the three men were watching a television feed to ABC Sports, and realized that the quarterfinal heats were taking place at that moment. Hart and Robinson arrived too late, and Taylor arrived in time to run his heat without preparation. Coach Wright took the blame for the mixup, which happened when he relied on a 1971 schedule. (Ironic that this happened in the longest year ever...Where are the important time-management skills, coach!! LOL)

To add to the grief, still in Munich and in front of 65,000 people, West Germany beat the United States, 7-0. The referee was Marco Antonio Dorantes from Mexico (That should put a few of you off tacos for a while!!!)

But Bobby Fisher came to the rescue by becoming Chess World Champion after he defeated the soviet Spassky. Hurray!!!!

On a more serious note, on this day, U.S. weekly casualty figures of five dead and three wounded are the lowest recorded since record keeping began in January 1965. These numbers reflected the fact that there were less than 40,000 American troops left in South Vietnam by this time and very few of these were involved in actual combat.

Also, making the front page of the main Spanish newspaper, Romana Bañuelos, who worked as a Treasurer under Nixon's Administration between 1971-74, talks about the end of marginalization toward 'chicanos' at an event taking place in Houston,Texas (Check out her inspirational story)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romana_Acosta_Ba%C3%B1uelos
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1972/08/31/001.html

And finally, a one minute long video on what was going on the day I was born

http://www.getback.com/video/august-31-1972/3037442

P.S: I share my birthday, amongst others, with Chris Tucker, Richard Gere, Van Morrison and fellow twitterer Queen Rania of Jordan, who was probably still having trouble with potty training, at the tender age of two, the day I was born.

Movember 7th... and we are up and running!!!

2009-11-07T17:49:00.000Z

Hi, everyone,

First things, first: The first week of the month formerly known as November is coming to an end. Great things happening for Movember IRL, including their presence at the 'Toys 4 Bog Boys' show, taking place this weekend at the RDS in Dublin. From the time I spent with them yesterday, I gathered that many people knew about Movember already (Last year, their first in Ireland, they raised + € 364,000 for Action Prostate Cancer) so the word is out... and it's spreading!!!

I'm counting on all of you to help raise awareness on the importance of screening for early detection. It's all about saving lives... I'm also asking you to donate. The money goes to research into more efficient ways to check for prostate cancer and how to treat it, counselling and support to those affected... Please, help.

To compensate your generosity, I decided to give you something back in return:

If you donate €10 to Movember through my mospace, I'll print and send you a 8''x12'' copy of any of my 'Movember 09' pics on display here http://www.myartprofile.com/irlanda/gallery/9524 You can find all links there (any other donation amounts are also welcome) Thank you, so much.

And I would like to say a very big and very special 'thank you' to my first and generous donor: Jody Schoger. She's given me hope my idea might just work ;-)