Monthly Archives: November 2007

mexico mágico

After almost 4 years I am visiting the land that saw me born, fed me in my first years and offered me my basics. You know after crossing the Atlantic Ocean, I felt I MUST come in here. Actually, I shouldn’t let pass so much time between visits.

With all its chaos it should be admitted that México is a chaotic – non understandable but magical land. And between a busy and nice agenda, I want to share you some information:
(click on the picture if you want to look at it in bigger size)

– One of our avenues is Revolución. As you can imagine in a metropolitan area of approximately 25 million persons to find 8 lines streets just in one direction is common, and it doesn’t imply that the traffic improves. However sometimes you can find space between red lights.


dsc09767.JPG
– In Mexico is a fact that you can eat a different dish every day for more than 365 days. But I will not talk about dishes yet. By now, I want to share ingredients. Here one of the vegetables’ stands in one mobile market.


Mex - verduras
From the same market the stand of oranges (20 oranges for 30 pesos ~ aprox. 2 euros) I am an addict of orange juice!!!


Mex - naranjas
– The Popocatepetl , magnificent volcano.


popocatepetl
– I am very proud of my manzanita because it is able to connect via modem to the internet. 😉

back in the american continent

even that was not Mexico my first stop back in the American continent. And it was my first time in Canada, it felt I am back in the American continent, everything is in BIG size! (the following pictures are not big, but you can click on them if you want to see the details 😉 )

Just in brief, because I didn’t report on time these happenings. I would like to share that my first outstanding impression of this land: to find OFTEN public phones. They will be usually next to the bus stop, at least in Montreal. This is interesting while you are coming from Filand. Especially if we recall that sometime ago the Helsinki Sanomat reported that the public phones disappeared in Helsinki area.


Montreal public phones at buss stop.
Also, the architecture in Montreal is interesting, especially for the stairs.


Houses in Montreal
And they use interesting “tends” for their cars in winter (in order to do “less” snow work).


Montreal house garage
Without a doubt, Montreal is a city with its own personality. I want to thank A LOT to my host (JP Botha) for a great time in this region of Canada.

highlights from last week

1. Slow down. I had said it, our information society goes way to fast. My brain needs more time for digest things and I am slow, I need time for implementing. I though I was strange for that, but now after my flight to Canada was delayed, due to weather conditions, and I was “stuck” between airports, I realized does not matter how much technology and development we have or how busy we are, you have to be patient until you can move out again. = Take it easy.

2. Communication. I know I am not the best using my mobile phone, but I need to be connected independently where I am. Which means, first thing I will do in January, a logical phone contract (which includes world wide connectivity, and data transmission).

3. Keep on track. There is inner joy after the Future Game Conference, that what we are doing of game research at EdTech it’s in a correct track, we also have a lot of potential in different areas. 🙂 At the end of the day all this effort will pay off, but still is a way to go!

4. Practical. Be practical and enjoy 🙂 But in some places of our globe that is not that simple. Wondering why in the Canada, USA and Mexico, we have this trend to make things in big, which at moments turns to be unpractical, or this huge fever of shopping?! it makes no sense. However, what it had drived me nuts: taxes. Yeap, why in Canada and in the USA, if I am not mistaken, don’t leave the full price for the products since the beginning? Oh my!!! if anyway you pay a whole price (no other option), why they do not display the price of a product with tax in the label?! and do not surprise you with another sum at the cashier!!!.

Anyway, there is much to talk and short time to write 🙁 but before keep on living, I wanted to summarized my learning experiences from last week for sharing 🙂 . Way to much information for all my senses, in all levels, I am honestly overflow… but I keep smiling, and trying to do my best 🙂

Now, I am off for tonight! (being the one, from our research group, which is complete behind schedule, taking into account that there is people in Taiwan, Korea, Finland, Tanzania, South Africa, etc. for sure, being in Canada or Mexico, I am at the end side of the planet’s time schedule cycle according to our reference, then… good night!