Yin Yang

I RECENTLY CAME BACK FROM A TRIP TO GUADALAJARA AND LEON.  I KILLED TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE ON THIS TRIP:  I GOT TO SEE MY MOTHER AND MY FAMILY, AND I DID SOME BUYING FOR THE STORE!  WHEN I GET TO RETURN TO MEXICO OR WHEN I TRAVEL TO OTHER COUNTRIES I AM REMINDED OF HOW I BELONG TO TWO COUNTRIES.  I AM FROM HERE AND I AM FROM THERE.   WHEN YOU IMMIGRATE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY YOU PAY A PRICE, THAT PRICE IS CALLED NOSTALGIA.  I GET NOSTALGIC FOR WHAT WAS FAMILIAR, TO THE POINT THAT I ROMANTICIZE IT!  AND YOU KNOW WHAT?  THAT’S PERFECTLY FINE WITH ME!  IT’S AS I WANT TO REMEMBER MY COUNTRY.  WHEN I GO BACK AS I RECENTLY DID, IT STRUCK ME HOW AS MUCH AS I LOVE IT, I’M NO LONGER QUITE “FROM” THERE… IT IS BOTH FAMILIAR AND FOREIGN.  SIMILARLY, I COME BACK TO THE STATES AND I FEEL AT HOME, YET MY ACCENT, MY DIFFERENT CHILDHOOD, ALL THAT REMINDS ME THAT I AM NOT “HOME.”

THE TRUTH IS, I BELONG TO BOTH PLACES.  I’M SURE MANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT THAT’S LIKE.  THE SAME FEELINGS CAN ARISE WHEN YOU MOVE FROM ONE STATE TO ANOTHER.  YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT SHARED COMMUNITY/CULTURAL HISTORY WHEREVER YOU ARE.  I COULD LOOK AT THIS LIKE FACUNDO CABRAL SANG “NO SOY DE AQUI, NI SOY DE ALLA,”  “I’M NOT FROM HERE, I’M NOT FROM THERE.” THIS WOULD BE THE GLASS-IS-HALF-EMPTY APPROACH.  INSTEAD, I FEEL SO FORTUNATE, I AM FROM HERE, I AM FROM THERE.

WITH THAT SAID, I’LL TELL YOU SOME THINGS THAT I DO SO LOVE/”DIS”LOVE ABOUT MY TWO COUNTRIES.

FIVE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MEXICO:

1.     ME…LOL!

2.     THE WARMTH OF THE PEOPLE.

3.     THE MUSIC FROM MARIACHIS/ ESTUDIATINAS TO THE SYMPHONY.

4.     THE FOOD AND TEQUILA!

5.     THEIR ABILITY TO RECOVER AFTER A DETRIMENTAL PRESIDENTIAL TERM.

6.     THE BEAUTY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE- THE MOUNTAINS, THE ENDLESS SKY, THE OCEANS.

FIVE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THE UNITED STATES.

1.     THE MEN WITH BLUE EYES… LOL!

2.     IT’S ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT.

3.     NEW YORK, DUH!

4.     THE SENSE OF ORGANIZATION IN THE COUNTRY.

5.     ME… LOL… (YOU HAVE ME HERE AND YOU HAVE ME THERE)!

SEVEN RANDOM THINGS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES THAT I LOVE OR DON’T LOVEL:

1.     I LOVE THE BEAUTY OF PARIS, SO LADEN WITH HISTORY AND ROMANCE!

2.     I DON’T LOVE THE OVER CAST SKIES OF ICELAND.

3.     I LOVE THE MEN IN CHILE.

4.     I DON’T LOVE THE POLLUTION OF ROME.

5.     I LOVE THE VIBRANT JUNGLE IN COSTA RICA.

6.     I DON’T LOVE THE STRUGGLES OF THE VILLAGERS IN CENTRAL AMERICA.

7.     I LOVE THE FRIENDLINESS OF THE PEOPLE IN GUATEMALA!

FIVE THINGS I DON’T LOVE ABOUT MEXICO

1.     THE CORRUPTION

2.     THE INJUSTICE

3.     THE BORDERS

4.     THE DISPARITY

5.     THE TRAFFIC

FIVE THINGS I DON’T LOVE ABOUT THE UNITED STATES

1.     THE CORRUPTION

2.     THE ICE ON THE ROADS IN THE WINTER

3.     THE DISPARITY

4.     THE RACISM

5.     THE IMPLICIT (OR EXPLICIT) VIOLENCE IN POP CULTURE.

I POINT OUT SOME OF WHAT I DON’T LIKE BECAUSE, AS CLASSIC CHINESE PHILOSOPHY EXPRESSES, YOU CANNOT APPRECIATE THE YIN WITHOUT THE YANG.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE YIN AND THE YANG IN ALL MY WORLDS!

AS ALWAYS, I LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON MY BLOG.  PLEASE WRITE ME AT MY PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS, GUADALUPEGOLER@HOTMAIL.COM