Rediscovering My Voice: A Decade-Long Journey of Change, Ambition, and Hope

 I haven't wrote in a while, a little over a decade. I guess things change, almost 40 at this moment and finally fulfilling my job ambition in academics (even if is only been three years - four in January of 2024) since day one. A lot has changed even with the difficulties as  I have my own voice fully to express myself and I have a solid network of friends who are more like family and family members that are close to me as wheel.

I been in my own classroom for the last year an half, not necessarily per se my own classroom as I am a lab monitor but I have my space, my rules and my own kids which is something I treasure. I had the chance for the last two years to shadow other teachers, sub and learn from them. I am writing because today I finally reached that point in life that I am comfortable with my own skin, even in times that is difficult to be happy with yourself.

What is happiness? I don't know, it change from everyone to everyone, for me "Is to be able to live and be myself without having to hide myself to fit in the societal expectations" is simple and is something I pass to the students. Is quite surreal even a year and half later to have my own space and is something that daily I am proud of.

Albeit, within those expectations from society we forget that we were kids once and we grow old to become just part of an engine that keeps a difficult time for younger generations. I am not going to go in an analysis of self by systemic approach because that is an eternity, an eternity that last in the blink of an eye. I learned in that concept of eternity that we kindness can bring a lot to the table of expectations, same with boundaries because are linked to our well-beings in an individual and social levels.

Social levels that are interlinked within the different classrooms around the globe, one person in the entire campus in the thousands that are around the globe can make a difference in someone's life, someone's who is young and probably have no support at home - we essentially become some sort of extended family for the kids, a lease family for the time they are in the school but an impression that can last forever, for good or bad - 

It breaks my heart and soul daily to know how difficult a lot of the demographics I proctor have and will have in life; I can't be mean to them at all, just myself without putting a facade who is not who I am, myself who can reach them and can help to create a change.

I will write more, little by little as I paint. I haven't wrote consistently in 12 years because I couldn't find myself, I couldn't find a new voice that wasn't linked in sorrow and now is a voice linked to hope.

Brief Essay of President of Colombia - Gustavo Petro

Gustavo Petro is a prominent Colombian politician who has made a significant impact on the country's political landscape. As a former guerrilla fighter, union leader, and senator, Petro has been a vocal advocate for social justice and political reform. In this essay, I will explore Petro's political career, his policies and ideas, and his impact on Colombian politics.

Gustavo Petro was born on April 19, 1960, in Ciénaga de Oro, a small town in the department of Córdoba, Colombia. He grew up in poverty and experienced first-hand the injustices of Colombia's unequal society. At the age of 16, Petro joined the guerrilla group M-19, which fought against the Colombian government in the 1980s. After the demobilization of M-19 in 1990, Petro became a union leader and was elected to the Colombian Senate in 2006.

As a senator, Petro was known for his fierce criticism of Colombia's political establishment, which he accused of corruption, clientelism, and human rights abuses. He also championed causes such as workers' rights, environmental protection, and peace negotiations with guerrilla groups. In 2010, Petro ran for president as the candidate of the Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA), a left-wing coalition of parties. Although he did not win the election, Petro's campaign attracted significant support from young people, social movements, and progressive intellectuals.

After his presidential bid, Petro returned to the Senate, where he continued to push for political reform and social justice. In 2014, he was elected mayor of Bogotá, Colombia's capital and largest city. As mayor, Petro implemented a series of policies aimed at reducing inequality, promoting sustainable development, and fighting corruption. Some of his most notable achievements include:

• The implementation of a subsidized public transportation system for low-income residents, which reduced travel costs by up to 70%
• The establishment of a public healthcare system that provided free medical services to over 2 million people
• The creation of an anti-corruption agency that investigated and prosecuted corrupt officials
• The promotion of urban agriculture and renewable energy projects to reduce Bogotá's carbon footprint

Despite his popularity among some sectors of Colombian society, Petro also faced fierce opposition from conservative politicians, business groups, and the media. His policies were often criticized as too radical, too expensive, or simply unrealistic. In 2018, Petro ran for president again, this time as an independent candidate. Although he made it to the second round of the election, he was ultimately defeated by the right-wing candidate Iván Duque.

Petro's impact on Colombian politics goes beyond his electoral results. He has been instrumental in shifting the country's political discourse towards the left, and in challenging the traditional parties' monopoly on power. He has also inspired a new generation of progressive leaders and activists who are fighting for social and environmental justice in Colombia.

In conclusion, Gustavo Petro is a key figure in Colombian politics who has played a significant role in the country's recent history. His political career has been marked by his commitment to social justice, political reform, and environmental sustainability. Although he has faced significant opposition and criticism, Petro's ideas and policies have resonated with millions of Colombians who are demanding a more equitable and democratic society.

Sources:

• Biography of Gustavo Petro on the official website of the Colombian Senate: https://www.senado.gov.co/el-senado/senadores/213-gustavo-petro-urrutia
• Gustavo Petro's platform for the 2018 presidential elections: https://www.gustavopetro.com/programa-de-gobierno/

Ducktales 2017 a Retroactive Entry

    I finally had the opportunity to start watching the reboot of Ducktales after the cancellation of the show a year later. Part of it came with using the student discounts I have access to some services, and I decided to use it with audiovisual entertainment, so I got the bundle with Hulu and Disney + which I have no complains.

    The reason for my interest in Ducktales 2017 was mostly Nostalgia, but also because a lot of mid-thirty something Millennial's and Gen X were saying the show was too woke, without even thinking on how the 1980's where made exclusively to sell merchandise instead of focusing on the writing of the show, I guess is the same applied to the Nickelodeon teen aimed comedies and even so the ones that were in ABC and NBC every Saturday morning like California Dreamin' and Saved by The Bell.

    Looking at the episodes through Disney Plus, is interesting to see more closely related aspects of the characters that were in the original Barks/Rosa works in which the family were dynamic and less television archetypes of infantilized version of their own selves which is refreshing to see a product that is more focused in the writing and less in the idea of selling merchandise.

    The departure of what the 1980's was it's clearly there but it brings elements from the old version adapted to contemporary times such as the evolution of Gizmo Duck or even Gyro as a character with more depth than the absent minded professor from the 1980's. It's easy to see that the generation that grew watching the 87's version brought their own ideas tot he reboot for 3 seasons and that's what make the show fascinating.

     It's interesting to see the characters re-imagined but also adapted to contemporary times in which there is an emphasis in the scripts instead of selling toys, and that change gives a depth to the characters such as Webby in which she wasn't the damsel in distress but an assertive character that had depth, same with the triplets in which each weren't a carbon copy of each other but overall it was so cool to see Donald and a connection to the comics that wasn't able in the 1980's show.

    Going on the writing the nods to the original they were everywhere, even with Gene the Genie in the Donald's fantasy episode where everyone is transported to a sitcom setting after being trapped in an scenario that looks extremely similar to the 1990's movie, but been able to keep the series own pace and own mythos such as introducing the Rescue Rangers as a science experiment and Darwing Duck been an actor turned vigilante.

    Which all of that add a component of dimensional within the characters and the show itself. Good writing is the key within making a show interesting regards if the animation is avant-garde or Hannah Barbera style. Writing where there is representation lays, when there is a well written show even if is on a superficial level, it can bring fans and amass fans from different generations.

A Letter to Frans

     This has been the hobby I had taken the longest to recover, my blog, my writing, the first thing that ever made me happy; I been happy again with my hobbies and they usually involve audiovisual but writting is the one that has taken me the longest to recover. A while ago I started to write more throughly and thoughtfully, quality over quantitty which it reached me better and same is applied to my photos and illustrations which is better to do something that is deeply personal and meanigful than to lose yourself within the mass commercial market.

    During the last six months I've been back in somewhat of the instructional side of education as a substitute and a paraprofessional and my goal still the same, I will get my own classroom one day, working within the academics side has fullfilled once that void that I felt it was a darkness that I wasn't comfortable with, a void in which I couldn't find myself, why I said that phrase? Because as humans we have to be at peace even within the void in our personalities, is an inherent side of humanity and I am peace with that now.

    Being creative is an essential part of my persona and working in that academic side has helped me to reconnect with that creativity but it took certain steps to work in the parts that were missing which were the literacy ones. Since we are moving out and it will be more restrictive with my connectivity since will be in the countryside, I thought that it would be an enjoyable time to start writing again and postpone videos until we get a booster and the Internet lines go to the county we are moving it make me think maybe I should restart the idea of getting published and finish my manuscripts.

    Writing is always my first joy, it helped me to communicate and I extend it to the blog which became a release when I need it to speak during the moments I was being silenced but I lost it the moment I wasn't being silenced by anyone but by my own self, part of maturing as a writer and as a creative person in general is to understand the environment mold us, but also that we are our own personas, of course nobody can't let us dictate on how to live our lives that's up to us and is up to us if we see beyond the veil of madness.

    The world needs art and I don't know on what generation artist will have a comfortable living, in the meantime we need to keep expressing ourselves because we need art, art is a tool of communication and a tool to reach people, art itself is language and language is art. I am probably going to write more often, mostly one article every month minimum, one entry every two weeks, mostly whenever I am off from school and from work which at this moment they have become one and the same.

    I can't shoo your darkness away, nobody can't, is you only who can work through it, much like I did with mine. We can't change the world, we can help reaching one person at a time. I know the family isn't perfect, far from perfect or even remotly ideally accepting but there are people there who can listen and they are nice to speak with too because is always good to have someone who we know for a long time.

    People change, sometimes is hard to accept after any sense of agression, sometimes some people don't change and we have to accept that, we need to accept that a lot of times we are not going to see them again and know the wound can open sometimes and will never close.

    I will write something later, it just feels better to have written something that is not for work or school after a while.

New Donk Architectonical and Small Social Analysis

I've been enjoying Mario Odyssey because it is such a beauty masterpiece towards details that borderline in nostalgia for older Millennial's and individuals who value retro gaming; albeit, for me the enjoyment with the game is the small details to everything - why I am saying this? - The game is a visual delight that has influences on fashion and architecture, the game is a lovely piece of art that is interesting to analyze from different perspectives because it is wonderful and enriching.

New Donk City - Metro Kingdom - is probably in my opinion one of the most amazing levels in any Mario games, but at least for me the best level is Bowser's Kingdom because it's simply spectacular and visually stounding that portraits the Edo Period and is like walking in a small piece of interactive art albeit the Metro Kingdom has that 1980's and 1950's nostalgia that reflects in the inside advertisement, the incorporation of Pauline and brief cameos of the Donkey Kong Family

I like to think as New Donk (Metro Kingdom) is as Manhattan, it does look as the main economic hub of the planet where the different kingdoms are located. Much like the real Manhattan, the Metro Kingdom seems to be an epicenter of the different cultures that surround it but opposite to the real NYC, Metro Kingdom borderlines much on the sci-fi The World Inside  with the idea of tall structures that could shelter an entire group of population without even the necessity of going to the lower levels

The urban landscape of Metro Kingdom is extremely similar to Manhattan, not only in the design of the buildings which mimics splendly the different New York styles but also it contains the Art Deco and the emergency stairs that are located in the turn of the century buildings. Much like Manhattan the streets in Metro are East to West and there is one big avenue that goes North to South which all the streets have references to the Donkey Kong Family, there are plenty of business and fashionable stores that also mimic old school Nintendo games and characters.

Much like the real New York, there is a plenty of good amount of bagel stores, fashion (who all seem to be set with business suits) entertainment and outside recreation within the use of green spaces. There is a lot to do within the city/ kingdom and the detail is so amazing because there are even the yellow cabs that are part of the imagery of NYC.

One of the main characteristics of Manhattan are the large numbers of office buildings which is what essentially the kingdom forms about the entirety of the skyline; albeit it makes me wonder if there is also a Lower and Midtown Metro Kingdom, since is a city that is wide an open; but much like the real Manhattan, the New Donk City Hall pays homage to the Chrysler Building and the Art Deco details.

Other architectural landmarks include Rockefeller Center (begun 1931), a group of more than 20 lofty buildings; Madison Square Garden Center (1968), containing a noted sports arena; UN headquarters (1947–53); and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, a complex of several theaters. Also of interest are City Hall (1802–11), a Federal-style building with French Renaissance detail; the tall Woolworth Building (1913), with Gothic-style detail; the Seagram Building (1958), an office tower clad in bronze and bronze-colored glass; and Grant’s tomb (1897), the sepulcher of President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife. In the 1980s, a number of innovative skyscrapers, such as the IBM and AT&T buildings, and the World Financial Center were constructed, and in 1986 the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Midtown, near the Hudson R., was opened. Manhattan also is known for its many large residential buildings. Among its many notable religious structures are Saint Patrick’s Cathedral (1879; towers, 1888), the seat of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of New York; Trinity Church (1697, rebuilt 1846); the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (begun 1892; towers still incomplete), the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world; and Riverside Church (1930), another large Gothic-style structure.

Residential areas mimic quite well the real world, there are different species around; since it's a game it doesn't really focus on the segregation or demographic per se, a lot of the other species seem to go to the different kingdoms to explore and do business; albeit seeing with detail there is some form of multiculturalism that is inside the Metro Kingdom whenever the place goes back to normal is probably one of the most interesting places around the game

Asocoyeros Recordando la Historia

 

La generación que creció en los 90 y las dos primeras décadas de los 2000, al menos en la Costa Caribe Colombiana podrá recordar la pagina de asocoyeros, fue una de las primeras paginas de chismes y al mismo tiempo una de las primeras paginas en denigrar a personas; era un secreto de boca abierta en la que todos sabían de la pagina pero nadie hablaba de ella.

No se porque después de casi 14 años desde que viví en Cartagena me llego a la cabeza sin son ni ton el nombre, tenia mi buen tiempo que no me acordaba pero por alguna razón después de ver uno de los tráiler de Gossip Girl me hizo recordar esta pagina; y la razón es porque hasta el dia de hoy nadie sabe quienes la manejaban, que de por si la premisa es similar a Gossip Girl.

Es algo extraño pensar en Asocoyeros, porque es algo obsoleto para los estándares de hoy en donde el anonimato realmente no existe y en 20 años ha habido un cambio en ciertas actitudes debido a la incorporación de la tecnología pero hay otras actitudes que todavía reflejan el pensamiento que había en Asocoyeros, aunque hay una cosa que me di cuenta quitando los chistes y las actitudes machistas de la pagina, el contenido de por si es una de las primeras paginas que contiene el pensamiento Caribe y el orgullo corroncho de la region, es algo interesante a nivel cultural porque en 20 años realmente no ha habido otra pagina que retrato el pensamiento popular como Asocoyeros.

En lo que la pagina que todavía me llama la atención que la ruta dirige a la Universidad de los Andes, cuando por conocimiento popular la pagina estaba hospedada en Geocities (el difunto servicio que vino antes de Google) y la gran mayoria de la gente en Cartagena lo usaba ya que tenia una interface sencilla de usar.

Revisando la pagina después de casi 20 años ya que sigue activa, me doy cuenta que de por si no es nada elegante, es un reflejo de la generación de la WEB 1.0. en la cual no se necesitaba algo elaborado para destacar, la pagina tiene una buena cantidad de dibujos hechos en MS-Paint que parece que fueron hechos por un niño de 5 años; pero la pagina tuvo tanta acogida que si uno busca en Google todavía hay historias que llegan alrededor del 2005 que se muestra la fuerza de la pagina, y no en un aspecto positivo ya que de por si era uno de los primeros ejemplos donde había extorcion sexual.

De pronto el recuerdo para muchos se hace grato porque esta asociado en un momento de sus vidas en la cual no había una distinción entre el daño que uno puede hacerle a alguien y solo se veía como un momento para hacer burla; pero después de 20 años estoy intrigado con el legado de la pagina ya que quedo en el colectivo del imaginario publico.

Si alguien conoce a los creadores me encantaria saber mas de la historia de Asocoyeros, pueden dejar un mensaje y respondo lo mas pronto posible.

Rocko's Modern Queer Life

 

Anyone in the last 30 years who likes cartoons, probably had a glimpse of Rocko's Modern Life; the show was extremely subversive for being a Nickelodeon show as the channel was aimed to toddlers and barely to adults, even on the nighttime block it was as clean as Disney Channel albeit within their rooster of programming back in the 90's they had so much subtle messages and coding about queer life, intersectional feminism and acceptance that Disney themselves lacked on those subjects.

As Nickelodeon started to explore entertaining aimed to adults in the early 1990's, Joe Murray pitched the idea of Rocko which he created sometime around the 1980's as a comic book format but never gained momentum; but, at that moment in the early-mid 1990's the explosion of risque cartoons that borderline in the satirical aspect of modern society were something fresh, something new as not even The Flintstone's could execute something as wonderful as the Nicktoons; but the Nicktoons were a product of their time much like the Hanna Barbera cartoons.

There are so many interpretations towards how queer the show is, a lot of the characters sided with different sides of the rainbow as being fluid; I can only think of Heffer and Rocko being somewhat heterosexual life partner's but also flirting with each other a lot. The show itself doesn't have a preset of relationships besides the Bigheads and Filburt with Dr. Hutchinson but that doesn't mean they strictly are committed to one another, but rather there is some form of polyamory and I can't stop thinking about it. It was sublet but it was there, there was this implication especially after the birth of Filburt kids and there wasn't any jealously or anything negative, it was accepted in the universe of O-Town.

The turning point of the show, came in 2019 after 23 years of being off air with the Netflix special Static Cling where the Bigheads child came to live on their true authentic self as a transwoman and the reaction Ed to his daughter Rachel was a sequence not common to see on cartoons or television, there was denial but also acceptance in to knowing that we can't as parents make our children a reflection of our own ideals and shattered dreams but instead we need to make them grow in to decent people and that they will know they will have a home to come if something bad happens, and that was probably the biggest twist but lesson in the entire show.

Rocko's Modern Life reflect sometimes the absurdity that is the human experience, not only that it also shows diversity and a honest approach in life that we can't cling to the past but rather we can learn from it, because we have memories of what we associated with happier times but happiness itself comes from living, just living every day to the fullest and that's the aspect of the entire show that made it so appealing.