Sunday, October 22, 2006
Halloween 2006, "trick or treat"
Falta poco mas de una semana para la celebracion de la fiesta de Halloween y Minneapolis, y todas las ciudades de Estados Unidos, estan rebosantes de la decoracion tipica para este evento.Calabazas, "fantasmas", imitaciones de tumbas, jardines repletos de zombies, Draculas, buhos, brujas o cualquier tema relacionado con la muerte o "el mas alla". Desde luego la calabaza, llamada por aqui Pumpkin, es la reina sin ningun genero de dudas. Las calabazas la puedes encontrar de todos los tamanyos, colores y formas, aunque a las mas pequenyas las llaman squash.
Las puedes comprar en todos los mercados, en tiendas especializadas, de verdad, de plastico de goma, con luces incorporadas. Aunque los mas divertido y comun es comprar pumpkins y dejar que los ninyos las vacien y decoren, el llamado "carving".
El origen de esta fiesta (texto de la wikipedia) se remonta a los celtas. Los celtas celebraban el año nuevo el 1 de noviembre: encendian grandes fogatas y sacrificaban animales para ahuyentar a las brujas y a los espíritus malignos. Ese dia los espíritus podían salir de los cementerios y apoderarse de los cuerpos de los vivos para resucitar. Para evitarlo, los poblados celtas ensuciaban las casas y las "decoraban" con huesos, calaveras y demás cosas desagradables para que los muertos pasaran de largo asustados y así evitar ser desposeídos de sus cuerpos por los espíritus de los muertos. La fiesta fue exportada a los Estados Unidos por los emigrantes irlandeses en el siglo XIX y, curiosamente, fue en Annoka, Minnesota, el primer sitio donde se realizo un desfile para Halloween. Los ninos se disfrazan y van de casa en casa diciendo "trick or treat", que traducido viene a ser como "regalo o travesura". La gente les abre la puerta y les da chucherias y caramelos. Si no abres, te expones a alguna travesura...
Esta ultima y la primera foto las hemos hecho en el barrio (realmente, hay vecinos que se lo han currado!!)
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Halloween en Duluth
Esta semana la estoy pasando en Duluth (Ana). Jose se bajó a Minneapolis el domingo, después de nuestro bonito paseo por la costa norte y yo me quedé "encadenada" a un Core-Scanner de Fluorescencia de Rayos X que tienen aquí en el Large Lake Observatory de la Universidad de Minnesota. Este equipo proporciona la composición geoquímica de los sedimentos, te dice cuánto calcio hay, cuánto hierro, etc. y es muy útil para conocer qué procesos han actuado en un lago. Por ejemplo, un aumento de azufre y hierro puede ir ligado a una mayor cantidad de materia orgánica o un aumento de calcio puede indicarnos que el lago era más somero, las aguas más concentradas y precipitaba carbonato. Estamos analizando un sondeo muy largo (72 m) que sacamos en Villarquemado, Teruel, en una antigua laguna, hoy desecada. Para mayor interés, aquí tenéis un abstract que presentamos en la conferencia de AMQUA en Bozeman este verano. En la foto veis el aspecto de la pantalla del ordenador mientras recoge los datos y un ejemplo de una sección ("churro de barro") de Villarquemado. 
Duluth está ya totalmente preparada para Halloween... No sólo la gente tiene ya decoradas las casas, sino que todas las mañanas el día empieza con una niebla que se deshace en jirones que le da un aire muy fantasmal a toda la ciudad (y al campus en particular...). El edificio donde estoy yo se encuentra en el campus antiguo que tiene un aire tenebroso, con unas ruinas de edificios ya inexistentes (abajo a la izquierda), un pequeño arroyo y los árboles otoñales (abajo a la derecha).
Paso la mayor parte del tiempo en el laboratorio, analizando las secciones del sondeo de Villarquemado, pero espero impaciente que entren en cualquier momento Frankenstein o el Conde Drácula a hacerme una visita!
Por favor, ampliad la última foto y mirar a través de las ventanas....
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Highway 61
Este fin de semana lo hemos pasado en Duluth. Los lectores asiduos del blog recordaréis que ya habíamos estado aquí al principio de nuestra estancia en Minneapolis para que Ana asistiera al X International Paleolimnology Symposium en junio. Pero encontramos un Duluth muy distinto... Totalmente invernal: el viernes nevaba copiosamente cuando llegamos y esa noche la nieve se heló y caminar por las aceras era toda una odisea. Y esto no es más que el principio!! Por suerte, el sábado salió un día soleado y pudimos llevar a cabo nuestros planes: alquilar un coche y marchar hacia el norte por la carretera 61 que bordea el Lago Superior. Dicha carretera (abajo veis una foto) está considera como ruta "escénica" y además tiene muchas connotaciones musicales para los amantes de Dylan, ya que tituló un album con el nombre de esta ruta (suponemos que pasaría por allí muchas veces ya que nació en Duluth). Es realmente un sitio espectacular. La carretera circula continuamente a unos pocos metros del lago y se puede parar en muchos puntos para admirar acantilados, playas de cantos, faros, etc.
En el camino, entramos en varios Parques del Estado. En el primero, Gooseberry Falls, vimos unas cascadas de agua y dimos un paseo de un par de horas la mar de agradable.
A medio camino de Grand Marais está el famoso faro de esta zona que pertenece al parque de Split Rock Lighthouse. Es un faro que construyeron en los años 20 debido al intenso tráfico de barcos en el Lago Superior, principalmente para dar salida a todo el hierro que se obtenía en Duluth y alrededores a partir de la taconita. Los marineros decían que esa era una zona muy peligrosa para la navegación por las tormentas y lo recortado de la costa y por eso levantaron el faro. De hecho, el 10 de noviembre de 1975 se hundió el barco Edmund Fitgerald y murieron 29 marineros. El faro dejó de usarse en los 60-70 cuando la tecnología marinera avanzó lo suficiente como para que no fuera necesario y entonces fue declarado monumento histórico nacional. No vimos el interior, pero las fotos desde las playas cercanas con la puesta de sol son impresionantes.
Por último, paramos en Tetteegouche, otro parque un poco más al norte que tiene una playa de cantos preciosa con un arco de piedra. Nos volvimos muy contentos a Duluth, habíamos pasado un día muy completo disfrutando de los paisajes de la costa norte del Lago Superior.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
La globalizacion y "Piedra, papel o tijera".
Ayer fuimos a ver una pelicula en Coffman Student Center de la Universidad de Minnesota, este centro es una de mezcla entre el Interfacultades y el Colegio Mayor Pedro Cerbuna de Zaragoza. La pelicula se llamaba "The devils wears Prada". Esta pelicula proviene de la novela del mismo titulo escrita por Laura Weisberger y es una especie de parodia del mundo de la moda. Aunque ni la novela ni la pelicula pasaran a la historia del cine, la verdad es que nos entretuvo.
Al salir del cine fuimos con Ruben y Mayuri (companyera japonesa del departamento de Ana) a cenar y tomar unas cervezas en Dinkytown. Cuando estabamos dando buena cuenta de las cervezas, se acerco una camarera-animadora del bar para ofrecernos participar en un juego. El premio era tentador: mas cervezas gratis. Tras arduas explicaciones de la pobre mujer en el idioma de "los hijos de la Gran Bretanya" , conseguimos entender que el Rock, paper and scissors respondia a nuestro entranyable juego infantil "Piedra-papel-o-tijera" . Caray, pensabamos que era un juego tradicional espanyol, poco menos que inventado por nuestros abuelitos, y resulta que lo conocen en EEUU!! Pero nuestra sorpresa no acabo alli: Mayuri tambien conocia el juego y tambien pensaba que era original del Japon!! En Japon se conoce como jan-ken-pon.
Segun la Wikipedia, el juego de Piedra-Papel-Tijeras fue inventado en la China. Pero si buscais informacion en otras web-sites, ocurre lo que os podeis imaginar, segun donde buscas encuentras diferentes origenes, vamos que no hay como contrastar la informacion. Según un libro llamado Wuzazu (五雜俎 o 五雜組) escrito por Xiè Zhàozhì (謝肇淛) al final de la era Ming, los señores de la guerra del periodo Han tardío jugaban algo llamado shushìlìng (手勢令), que vendría a ser lo que conocemos como Piedra-Papel-Tijeras. No hay registro del juego en Occidente hasta que se tuvo contacto directo con los asiáticos. Para los que no conozcais el juego o querais recordarlo, pinchar aqui "reglas del juego".
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Mujeres al poder...
Hoy 7 de Octubre, hemos podido encontrar en el diario "Washington Post", un articulo que habla sobre el "final de la Espanya machista". Esta noticia esta ubicada en primera plana, y aunque posiblemente este articulo exagera un tanto el cambio del papel de la mujer que se esta produciendo en nuestro pais, hemos constatado que cierta parte de los americanos tienen real interes por algunas de las medidas que ha tomado el gobierno de Zapatero, entre ellas la presencia masiva de mujeres en el ejecutivo actual. En Espanya tambien algunas empresas privadas como IBM, Microsoft o Google tienen a mujeres ocupando los puestos de maxima responsabilidad.
En Estados unidos, personajes vivos que despierten real interes entre el gran publico y que aparezcan en los medios de comunicacion son; el golfista Sergio Garcia, el tenista Rafa Nadal, Pau Gasol en menor medida y posiblemente y con un nivel de popularidad muy por debajo de los anteriores Zapatero. Este despierta curiosidad entre los democratas que tienen cierto interes por lo que ocurra en un pequenyo pais europeo llama Spain. Hablando solo de deportes, nadie conoce a Fernando Alonso, nadie sabe nada acerca de una medalla de oro en baloncesto....................
Firmado por: Molly Moore.
"Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero's cabinet members are women -- the highest proportion in any government in Europe.
New divorce laws not only make it easier for couples to split but stipulate that marital obligations require men to share the housework equally with their wives.
To draw more women into the armed forces, the government is shrinking the height requirements for women entering the National Guard and opening child-care centers on military bases.
Not even the royal family is immune: Zapatero wants to abolish the law giving male heirs first rights to the throne.
The push for gender equality in one of Europe's most macho cultures comes as both internal and outside forces are creating seismic social shifts: Spanish women are taking greater control of their own lives by waiting longer to marry and having fewer children. The European Union is exerting more pressure on members to enforce equality. And the growth of high-tech businesses with a greater sensitivity to hiring women is expanding job opportunities.
The chief executives of Spain's IBM, Microsoft and Google operations are all women. In many cases, they are not only hiring more female employees than traditional industries, but they are attempting to make the workplace more family-friendly.
Microsoft chief Rosa Maria Garcia, a 40-year-old mother of three, said she has mandated that no company meetings be scheduled before 8:30 a.m. or after 5:30 p.m. -- a revolutionary move in a country where workdays routinely stretch until 9 or 10 p.m.
Despite the advances, Fernandez said, "There is resistance. We have a long way to go."
Business organizations are attacking the proposed quotas for women on corporate boards. Some Catholic Church officials denounce decisions allowing gay couples to marry and liberalization of abortion laws as "demonic." Despite new laws cracking down on domestic violence, the number of women murdered by their partners has escalated this year -- in part, some sociologists believe, because men are striking back even harder at spouses who dare to report abuses to police.
Many men scoff at the law's efforts to legislate home life.
"Just because Zapatero says by law men have to do dishes, men are not going to do dishes," said Alberto Fuertes, a stocky, square-faced 37-year-old owner of a small factory. "That's ridiculous. It's totally absurd."
Spain's first female vice president, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, and the Socialist government are leading a cultural shift toward gender equity. (By Paul White -- Associated Press)
-- When Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega graduated from law school in the 1970s, Spanish law prohibited her -- and any other woman -- from becoming a judge, serving as a witness in court or opening a bank account.
A recent government-sponsored television advertisement showed a man meticulously washing his car and admonished that if a guy can clean his auto, there's nothing unmanly in helping his wife pick up around the house.
Some women also take potshots at Zapatero's reforms and the women he has promoted to help him run the country.
After Zapatero filled eight of his 16 cabinet positions -- including the vice presidency -- with women, "the first thing they did was have a picture taken dressed up in party dresses and full of furs," sniped Ana Pastor, a member of the lower house of parliament and one of the most senior women in the opposition Popular Party. She was referring to a controversial photo spread of the female cabinet members in the Spanish edition of Vogue two years ago. "The vice president of the government, Fernandez de la Vega, is known as Fernandez de la Vogue."
Zapatero, elected in part on his promises to improve the station of women, has said his mission is to make up for lost time.
"One thing that really awakens my rebellious streak is 20 centuries of one sex dominating the other," Zapatero said shortly after his election. "We talk of slavery, feudalism, exploitation -- but the most unjust domination is that of one-half of the human race over the other."
During the height of the sexual revolution in the United States and other parts of Europe, Spain was just beginning to emerge from decades of dictatorship under Generalissimo Francisco Franco and a legal system that did not recognize rights for women. Domestic violence was considered a means of disciplining wives rather than a criminal violation, and many jobs were closed to women.
Despite advances in government opportunities for women, the Spanish private sector remains one of the most chauvinistic in Europe. Women sit on less than 5 percent of corporate boards and overall earn 30 percent less than their male counterparts. It remains common practice for companies to fire pregnant women, according to women's organizations and victims.
"The culture and tradition of machista is very deeply ingrained in the mentality of everyone," said Carmen Bravo, secretary for women's issues for Spain's largest labor union, known by the initials CCOO.
Fuertes, whose small factory makes mattress covers, said he has no problem hiring women -- all 11 of his employees are women, most between the ages of 46 and 55.
"The older generation of women are used to working hard," said Fuertes, balancing his 2 1/2 -year-old daughter on his lap after returning home at the end of a recent workday. "If I hire a 36-year-old, the problem is that she's going to take a lot of days off to take her child to the doctor. She knows her rights and knows I can't do anything about that."
At home, Fuertes said, it's not Zapatero's laws, but his working wife who has persuaded him to share in the cooking and cleaning.
At his parent's home, "My father crosses his arms and says to my mother, 'Bring me my coffee,' " Fuertes said. "My mother does everything -- she irons and cooks and cleans. Women now don't want to be like their mothers."
And if Alba, his daughter, grew up to marry a man like grandpa?
"I would not be happy," said Fuertes, as his toddler nestled against his chest. "It would go against everything I've tried to teach her." "
En Estados unidos, personajes vivos que despierten real interes entre el gran publico y que aparezcan en los medios de comunicacion son; el golfista Sergio Garcia, el tenista Rafa Nadal, Pau Gasol en menor medida y posiblemente y con un nivel de popularidad muy por debajo de los anteriores Zapatero. Este despierta curiosidad entre los democratas que tienen cierto interes por lo que ocurra en un pequenyo pais europeo llama Spain. Hablando solo de deportes, nadie conoce a Fernando Alonso, nadie sabe nada acerca de una medalla de oro en baloncesto....................
Firmado por: Molly Moore.
"Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero's cabinet members are women -- the highest proportion in any government in Europe.
New divorce laws not only make it easier for couples to split but stipulate that marital obligations require men to share the housework equally with their wives.
To draw more women into the armed forces, the government is shrinking the height requirements for women entering the National Guard and opening child-care centers on military bases.
Not even the royal family is immune: Zapatero wants to abolish the law giving male heirs first rights to the throne.
The push for gender equality in one of Europe's most macho cultures comes as both internal and outside forces are creating seismic social shifts: Spanish women are taking greater control of their own lives by waiting longer to marry and having fewer children. The European Union is exerting more pressure on members to enforce equality. And the growth of high-tech businesses with a greater sensitivity to hiring women is expanding job opportunities.
The chief executives of Spain's IBM, Microsoft and Google operations are all women. In many cases, they are not only hiring more female employees than traditional industries, but they are attempting to make the workplace more family-friendly.
Microsoft chief Rosa Maria Garcia, a 40-year-old mother of three, said she has mandated that no company meetings be scheduled before 8:30 a.m. or after 5:30 p.m. -- a revolutionary move in a country where workdays routinely stretch until 9 or 10 p.m.
Despite the advances, Fernandez said, "There is resistance. We have a long way to go."
Business organizations are attacking the proposed quotas for women on corporate boards. Some Catholic Church officials denounce decisions allowing gay couples to marry and liberalization of abortion laws as "demonic." Despite new laws cracking down on domestic violence, the number of women murdered by their partners has escalated this year -- in part, some sociologists believe, because men are striking back even harder at spouses who dare to report abuses to police.
Many men scoff at the law's efforts to legislate home life.
"Just because Zapatero says by law men have to do dishes, men are not going to do dishes," said Alberto Fuertes, a stocky, square-faced 37-year-old owner of a small factory. "That's ridiculous. It's totally absurd."
Spain's first female vice president, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, and the Socialist government are leading a cultural shift toward gender equity. (By Paul White -- Associated Press)
-- When Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega graduated from law school in the 1970s, Spanish law prohibited her -- and any other woman -- from becoming a judge, serving as a witness in court or opening a bank account.
A recent government-sponsored television advertisement showed a man meticulously washing his car and admonished that if a guy can clean his auto, there's nothing unmanly in helping his wife pick up around the house.
Some women also take potshots at Zapatero's reforms and the women he has promoted to help him run the country.
After Zapatero filled eight of his 16 cabinet positions -- including the vice presidency -- with women, "the first thing they did was have a picture taken dressed up in party dresses and full of furs," sniped Ana Pastor, a member of the lower house of parliament and one of the most senior women in the opposition Popular Party. She was referring to a controversial photo spread of the female cabinet members in the Spanish edition of Vogue two years ago. "The vice president of the government, Fernandez de la Vega, is known as Fernandez de la Vogue."
Zapatero, elected in part on his promises to improve the station of women, has said his mission is to make up for lost time.
"One thing that really awakens my rebellious streak is 20 centuries of one sex dominating the other," Zapatero said shortly after his election. "We talk of slavery, feudalism, exploitation -- but the most unjust domination is that of one-half of the human race over the other."
During the height of the sexual revolution in the United States and other parts of Europe, Spain was just beginning to emerge from decades of dictatorship under Generalissimo Francisco Franco and a legal system that did not recognize rights for women. Domestic violence was considered a means of disciplining wives rather than a criminal violation, and many jobs were closed to women.
Despite advances in government opportunities for women, the Spanish private sector remains one of the most chauvinistic in Europe. Women sit on less than 5 percent of corporate boards and overall earn 30 percent less than their male counterparts. It remains common practice for companies to fire pregnant women, according to women's organizations and victims.
"The culture and tradition of machista is very deeply ingrained in the mentality of everyone," said Carmen Bravo, secretary for women's issues for Spain's largest labor union, known by the initials CCOO.
Fuertes, whose small factory makes mattress covers, said he has no problem hiring women -- all 11 of his employees are women, most between the ages of 46 and 55.
"The older generation of women are used to working hard," said Fuertes, balancing his 2 1/2 -year-old daughter on his lap after returning home at the end of a recent workday. "If I hire a 36-year-old, the problem is that she's going to take a lot of days off to take her child to the doctor. She knows her rights and knows I can't do anything about that."
At home, Fuertes said, it's not Zapatero's laws, but his working wife who has persuaded him to share in the cooking and cleaning.
At his parent's home, "My father crosses his arms and says to my mother, 'Bring me my coffee,' " Fuertes said. "My mother does everything -- she irons and cooks and cleans. Women now don't want to be like their mothers."
And if Alba, his daughter, grew up to marry a man like grandpa?
"I would not be happy," said Fuertes, as his toddler nestled against his chest. "It would go against everything I've tried to teach her." "
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Bricolaje en la granja
El domingo estuvimos de bricolaje en la granja... Ayudamos a limpiar los tablones de madera que provienen de la "antigua granja" para poder usarlos en la nueva como suelo. Es curioso ver como en este pais en que tantas cosas son de usar y tirar (embalajes, envases, etc.) hay a la vez gente que valora mucho las cosas viejas y estas se recuperan, se restauran y finalmente se reutilizan. Cosa que nos parece estupenda por lo que tiene de reciclaje y por el resultado final que suele ser bastante mas interesante que si se hubiera comprado nuevo!! Fue un trabajo duro, pero merecio la pena por dos cosas. Primero, por ayudar a unos amigos y pasar un dia con ellos y, segundo, por ver como las cosas sucias pasan a limpias con el esfuerzo. Puedo asegurar que no ocurre asi en el laboratorio donde estoy trabajando. Toda la semana la he dedicado a limpiar botes, envases, taperwares, etc. que estan limpisimos antes de empezar pero a los que hay que hacer un tratamiento intensivo con acidos para evitar la posible contaminacion de las muestras. Vaya, que llevo una semana limpiando cosas limpias y ya tenia ganas de hacer algo "que se notara".
Al atardecer acompanyamos a guardar y dar de comer a los caballos de unos amigos (el de la foto, un caballo de concurso, es de color palomino) y acabamos contentos pero agotados cenando en un restaurante de Saint Paul.
