Primero te deseo que ames, y que amando, también 
seas amado. Y que si no lo fueres, seas breve en 
olvidar. Y que olvidando, no guardes resentimiento. 

Deseo, pues, que no sea así, pero si así es, que
sepas serlo sin desesperar. Deseo también que tengas
amigos, aunque malos e inconsecuentes, sean
valerosos y fieles, que por lo menos en uno de ellos puedas confiar sin
dudar.

y porque la vida es así, deseo también que tengas
enemigos. ni muchos, ni pocos, pero en la medida
exacta para que, algunas veces, te cuestiones al
respecto sobre tus propias certezas. Y que entre
ellos, exista por lo menos uno que sea justo.

Deseo, después, que seas útil, pero no
insustituible. Y que en los malos momentos, cuando
no reste nada mas, esa utilidad sea suficiente para
mantenerte de pie. Deseo además que seas tolerante,
no con los que se equivocan poco, porque eso es
fácil, sino con los que se equivocan mucho e
irremediablemente, y que haciendo buen uso de esa
tolerancia, sirvas de ejemplo a los otros.

Deseo que, siendo joven, no madures demasiado
rápido, y que siendo maduro, no insistas en
rejuvenecer y que siendo viejo, no te desesperes.
porque cada edad tienen su placer y su dolor y... es
preciso dejar que ellos transiten dentro de nosotros.

Deseo, a propósito, que seas triste, no todo el año,
sino apenas un día. Pero que en ese día
descubras que la risa diaria es buena, la risa
habitual es sosa y la risa constante es insana.

Deseo que descubras, con la máxima urgencia,
por sobre todo, que existen oprimidos, maltratados e
infelices, y que están a tu lado. Deseo también
que acaricies un gato, alimentes un perro y oigas el
canto de un pájaro Te despiertes triunfante con su
canto matinal , porque, así, te sentirás bien por
nada.

Deseo también que plantes una semilla, por más
minúscula que sea, y acompañes su crecimiento,
para que sepas de cuantas muchas vidas está hecho un
árbol.

Deseo, mas aún, que tengas dinero, porque es preciso
ser práctico. Y que por lo menos una vez por año
coloques un poco de el en tu frente y digas "Eso es
mío", sólo para que quede bien claro quién es el
dueño de quién.

Deseo también que ninguno de tus queridos mueran,
por el y por ti, pero si se muere, tu puedas llorar
sin lamentarte y sufrir sin culparte.

Deseo por ultimo que tengas una buena pareja
y que se amen hoy, mañana y en los días siguientes,
y que cuando estén exhaustos y sonrientes, todavía
haya amor para recomenzar. Y si todo eso te ocurre,
No deseo mas nada para vos....

Victor Marie Hugo

En una de mis poleras encontré esto....

"A onça pediu ao gato para lhe ensinar a pular, e o gato prontamente lhe ensinou. Depois, indo juntos para a fonte beber água, fizeram uma aposta pra ver quem pulava mais.

Chegando à fonte encomtraram lá calango e, entao, disse a onça para o gato:

- vamos ver quem de um só pulo pega o calango

- vamos disse o gato

- Só voce pulando adiante, disse a onça

gato pulou em cima do calango, a onça, pulou emcima do gato.

Entao, o gato pulou de banda e se escapou.

Logo a onça desapontada disse:

-Assim é que voce me ensinou? principou e nao acabou........

o gato respondeu:

Nem tudo os mestres ensinam a seus aprendizes"    ---- Contos populares

Batizado - 17-18 marzo - 2007

Antiguos escritos. Primeros pasos. una cápsula del tiempo.
http://cosasquepasanatodos.blogspot.com/

He aprendido que a las personas hay que observarlas menos..
y escucharlas más.

No Siempre Hay una Explicación

"Por la noches, pareciera que se moviera con el viento,
y sólo lo notas cuando rompe el silencio, 
su pequeña figura, crece con las palabras..
poemas, escritos y teorías universales 
Todos frutos de una mente iluminada, si el hombre sabe de qué habla.
Es capaz de describir emociones con detalles y colores,
toma sus acordeones, saxos, guitarras y tambores..
Negro! cómo aprendiste todos esos sabores?
Es la pregunta que nunca ha sabido responderme,
a pesar de todos esos dones."

I had never suspected that I will end up doing this

Response with a Motivaional letter to Vidyn Media

"Dear all,

My name is Gonzalo from Chile, as a general information I can tell that my profession is Industrial Engineer and currently I am 30 years old.  Now a days, I Just came back to Chile after one year from a lifetime trip throughout Asia, basically from Indonesia  and  East Timor  up to Mongolia. Over here I am writing a book about my experience.

An engineer writing a Book? At least to me sounds weird, and I had never suspected that I will end up doing this. When I was a child I grew up watching documentaries of National Geographic  Channel and Jacqes Cousteau, one of my super heros. I remember It was my favourite time during the day, until my mother who is PE Teacher, put me in a Squash court, as she couldnt stand that I was spending long hours watching TV. At the gym, I meet Iván, and we became fierce enemies  in the court , but very good friends out of it. Fortunately, I made very good relationships with my peers in general and also I learnt lessons for life: hard work, in every aspect mentally and phisically as a clue of success. Since then, that philosophy has led my life.

Over the years, I commenced my studies at Uni at Engineering school. For me, it was a good challenge for my mind. But, because it was really hard to follow the squash level of Iván - who is an incredible player by the way –and the rest of the team and at the same time Uni was so demanding, I decided to step out of the game. I didnt want to play without proper training, and the distance and Schedule didnt fit to my new student life. But my body was used to hard routines, so I got into martial arts. As a southamerican, Capoeira was the one. Thanks to it, I traveled to Rio de Janeiro . Brazil, where I was living in the “favelas” (slums)  while training. Incredible experience and encouraged my extreme curiosity of the world. I continue with my studies and I became engineer. I moved to Santiago de Chile to work. This city is not very different to the rest of the major cities of the world, except for one thing: it is surronded of amazing summits of the Andes. Here was my first time where I reached the top, and my first time where I took my camera. Since then I havent stopped. Every weekend was a different expedition, sleeping under the snow or dealing with intense hot weather at the mountains in summer time. I was adicted to the movement itself, and the beautiful moments that I could catch in my camera.

But weekends wasnt enough, and during my  holidays, I made my trip to Peru and Bolivia. Ancient cultures and amazing markets blew my mind. Moreover, the pulse of the mountains were constantly in my chest and in 17 days, I manage to explore part to Patagonia. Torres del Paine, Fitz Roy, and the amazing wind of the Pampas were my favourites by far. I finished that trip in Ushuaia. According to argentinians, the end of the world. To my believe and geographically talking is in Chile, Puerto Willians!

I came back to Santiago and I sat in my desk, wishing  and praying for  my curiosity finally would have stopped. But it was imposible to cope with the office lifestyle, suffering in the desk, calculating risks for insurance companies and realizing that the most exiciting moment of the day was when we had to decide what to lunch and where. It was something that told me that I was in the wrong place.

I talked to my boss, quit my job, sold my motorbike and moved to New Zealand. As the subprime crisis affect me directly due to my fund saving where in stocks, I travelled with a really little money. Working at the orchards test my body, persistence and patience. I won the battle. I bought a car and lived in it. Surfing down South Island and living in constantly movement was  my daily routine. A routine that I didnt want to stop. I decided to create my own National Geographic Channel, and I wrote the world as I saw, with words and also with light, which means... photographies.

Lately I have been extremely lucky, and in that ocassion I performanced in some ads for TV, so I could make an extra money. It wasnt big money, but I decided to travel throughout Asia. Iniatially for 2 months. Ended up in 5 months. How come? Eating in local markets, sleeping in cheapest places, on the street sometimes. Looking for alternatives, talking to the locals and exchanging transportation and for good pictures and conversations.

While in New Zealand, all these money things happened really fast, and in just one week I bought a flight ticket to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Without any plan I followed my dreams. See orangutans, so Sumatra was the place. Then diving in Thailand as Jacques Cousteau and crossing to Myanmar, to another planet. Amazing culture, incredible markets and extraordinary people. Cambodia and its dolphings on the Mekong River was a great relax to the next adventure. But the final destination and big challenge had a name: Mongolia. Flight to Beijing explore the great wall and then train, jeep and even hickjacking  to Ulan Bator – Capital of Mongolia. The Gobi dessert, their camels, nomads, wrestlers, archery,wild horses, wolves, and eagles. All that I wanted to see since a I was a little child. Closing the tour in Dili, East Timor. Guerrilas and tough faces which reflected that, too much to do in order to help, playing capoeira with the youth in an NGO – an experience for my soul. I wish I could have stayed longer.

My blog and my camera became my very good friends. The former, is way popular that I have ever expected. A journalist contact me and I am working to convert this web project in a book. Just amazed about life. I still havent finished to write in my blog though. It is keeping me busy, learning  and enjoying the process. (http://www.onthelivingroad.com/)

Watching the Project that you guys are filming is something that I  have always dreamt, when Iván told me that my name was on the list, just didnt believe that it was happening. Be part of the team would it fantastic and extraordinary. It seems to me like a tale story with happy ending (not like the happy ending in Thai massage! Dont give me wrong!).

Sincerely,

Gonzalo Díaz Valdés."

Ciudad Malvestida

Camino por las calles y siento claustrofobia...
A pesar de las interminables cuadras, pareciera no haber salida
Las pequeñas plazas, delimitadas por el constante paso de los autos
fallan en su intento por oxigenarme.
Miro hacia el cielo, y me pierdo en edificios
Me escondo bajo la tierra, masas de seres humanos se agolpan en trenes hacia el infinito
Cómo escapar de las leyes de una gran ciudad, de su soberbia, falsedad y narsicismo.
Dónde están esos rincones, donde la vida es verdadera. Ahí donde en la esquina se venden las mejores marraquetas, las pichangas de futbol se juegan en la calle a los cien goles y las bicicletas adornan las puertas de entrada de las casas.
Dónde estas Santiago querido, tus motes con huesillos, organilleros y artistas. Tus cuadros pintados por viejos callejeros conocedores de tus balcones, esquinas y fuentes llenas de besos, libros y cuchicheos.
Dame un espacio para construir mi vida, embriágame con tu arte y sedúceme en cada vuelta de una esquina, No eres más que una mujer malvestida,  sáquete esos trapos cargados de lujos, estándares y codicias...y deja que tu esencia enamore nuestras vidas.

Todo proceso por muy metódico que sea,
si se le agrega una cuota de pasión, perseverancia, perfección y locura
se torna en un proceso creativo,  en arte puro.

Diferentes

Disfruto de la soledad
me destruye el vacío interno.

Qué Saben los Relojes y Calendarios

Qué saben lo relojes y calendario del paso del tiempo,
Si los segundos, a veces contienen años
y los instantes fugaces, emociones que perduran una vida entera.

Was it real?

...Are you real? did we actually travelled together thru the transiberian? are you seriously from NZ? was I walking barefoot all the time? how long my beard was? was I shoting pictures everyday? we spent your b-day together...with Pablo?? blue starfish are for real? have we been in Timor Leste? That country does actually exist? How did the milk taste in mongolia? and the camel cheese? how often we used to smile? What was the temperature in Gobi desert? is it true that there was a glacier? how did we manage to speak with the nomads? how many times did we sleep ont the street? were we scared? did we ride motorbikes? is it true that we tried to escape from the police? Manu was a human being or another invention? what about Kupang, their market, mama Bende, the children dancing with us... was it real ? were we traveling light? was I always lost as I refused to read maps?...why wellington wasnt windy? why writing in english is getting so hard? why i havent touched my camera? why do i have to wear shoes? where I have been, how long...a year, seriously? lots of things that doesnt make sense.

Here are my answers:

1. Yes I am real (at least I think so)

2. Technically it was the trans-Mongolian which is part of the trans-Siberian and yes we were on it (we nearly both got dragged off it crossing the border into China.

3. Yes I am from New Zealand - it is a real place,

4. Yes you often refused to wear shoes and walked in bare-feet however my feet will always be tougher than yours and I will always offer you my jandals when you are struggling to walk over stones, you will always refuse :)

5. Yes everyday you took at least one photo except in Cambodia where you lost your motivation for a bit, occasionally it was annoying when I was walking with 20+ kilos on my back but now that I have all your photos the pain seems worth it.

6. Yip we spent the day in Bali for my birthday with Pablo and you brought me brownie cause it was my birthday.

7. Blue starfish are real - there are lots in Komodo National Park.

8. Yip we got to Timor-Leste eventually after a painful wait for our visas and an even more painful 12 hour van drive.

9. It is very new (only 10 years old) but it does exist.

10. It tastes revolting - it's warm, salty, sour milk, that tastes like someone left it in the sun for about a week and emptied 1/2 a cup of salt into it.

11. We smiled a lot but there were also days that I didn't want to smile or couldn't.

12. The temperature was somewhere between freezing cold (at night and I was pleased to have my sleeping bag) and boiling hot as we wondered through the sand dunes.

13. I'm not sure it was a glacier but there was definitely a large chunk of ice there.

14. I think I just smiled at the nomads and you communicated through broken English and hilarious hand movements (you were much better at that than me).

15. Plenty of sleeping in airports and absolutely in one train station.

16. Not sleeping at the train station, but I think that you were scared when that Cambodian guy was driving us to the boxing - but you felt bad for doubting him and brought him a beer :)

17. Yes lots of motorbikes - we even came off one once but I managed to injure myself worse just by walking on a Dili street. 

18. Haha yes we did.

19. Honestly I don't know he was such and interesting man but I hope I never meet anyone like that again.

20. Kupang market was amazing the fresh fish was awesome, saying goodbye to Mama Bende actually made me sad, the children danced and then asked us for money, haha.

21. Some days we traveled light other times we had way way way too much stuff.

22. Yes you have a terrible sense of direction and even when you tried to read a map you often got it wrong, reading it upside down etc - thank goodness you have other talents.

23. I don't know but it is making up for it today and blowing an absolute gale outside!

24. I don't know but I hope you pick it up again soon I would love to see some photos of Chile, but it's often hard to take photos of things that seem normal to you. Maybe you need to look at Chile with fresh eyes to see what you can take photos of.

25. You never HAVE to wear shoes - maybe you shouldn't and teach Chileans the magical joy of walking in bare-feet everywhere- I try to do it at least 3 times a week.

26. You should write a list and yeah it was about a year.

I hope that helped you make sense of some of it.

Cornete en la Pera

Un combo bien puesto en el mentón es bastante particular. No te duele donde te pegan, sino que en el lado directamente opuesto; dado que éste fue ascendente, lo sentí seco en la oreja opuesta. De hecho, pareciera como si escucharas la explosión de una espinilla atómica a todo color en tu oído., no sabes donde estas parado y con cue'a cachai quien te lo pegó. Luego de eso, es cuando te baja la sangre mapuche vietnamita camboyana y sólo piensas en devolverle un puntete en las weas, hasta ahí todo bien, el tema es que ni las piernas ni las manos te responden... creo que un escupo hubiera sido lo óptimo. Mañana, tomaré sólo sopas.

3 de marzo del 2011.

Squash y Semenjanzas

Ya es lunes, 2:45 am y no puedo dormir, mi cabeza me bombardea de ideas en mi estado somnoliento e inexplicablemente me hace retroceder en el tiempo. Los veo a uds. entrar a la cancha con el nerviosismo previo y expectación de cada partido. Veo nítidamente a Don Juan contagiándome de su  entusiasmo,  escucho los bombasos de paralelas llegando al fondo de la cancha disparadas por el Búlgaro Rojas,  los "oooh" del público con Piérart sorprendiendo con su talento, veo esos nicks de dos muros inesperados ejecutados por Magic Fuenza, y veo la determinación y perfección en el juego de Max. Me veo a mí también, perdiendo dos a cero, cambiándome polera para entrar al tercer set, con la convicción que no será el último..mi mano derecha, tiene sangre al igual que mi rodilla izquierda.

Escucho a Horacio González en la premiación, diciéndome que el squash es igual al ajedrez. Es un deporte de estrategia, posición, de pensar en la  jugada más que buscar el punto en cada golpe. Con esa idea me quedé y mucha gente así lo piensa. De hecho esa es la leyenda urbana:  squash es el ajedrez de los deportes con raqueta.

Me acabo de dar cuenta que no estoy de acuerdo, al entrar a la cancha necesitas algo más que eso. Si lo piensas, en un partido cuando te falla la cabeza, aún lo puedes ganar a puro corazón; en el ajedrez en cambio, eso significaría  un jaque mate seguro.

Yo diría que el deporte hermano es el Salto con Garrocha, tu rival pone la vara, tú con tu raqueta debes alcanzar su nivel.

Abrazos, Gonzalo.

21 de marzo del 2011

Buenos Recuerdos

Me gustaban esos tiempos cuando las decisiones importantes de grupo se decidían jugando a la ¨matita¨. (más grande se jugaba en las matitas que tb era entretenio), y los colistas se enfrentaban en un duelo a muerte y siempre polémico ¨Cachipún¨, cuya emoción por el desenlace usualmente se extendía hasta la tercera..

Así de Simple

logré concretar objetivos impensados..., justo después que dejé de pensar" GDV

Violeta se fue a los cielos; y Yo me enamoré de ella...

Cuota

Encontré que en la honestidad hay una cuota de egoísmo, así como en el egoísmo existe aún más honestidad.

La Paradoja de los Sueños

- Tengo muchos sueños, y  no me dejan dormir..paradójico ¿no?
- Repta: Esos insomnios no se combaten.