Amor a Distancia

Bad Article? Bad Attitude, Mary Carr!

2014-02-15T04:30:00.001-08:00

By Danielle Mc Mahon

As I had my coffee and my breakfast this morning I decided to have a look through Thursday's paper. There are certain sections of the paper which I skim over, having no interest in their content whatsoever. There is one columnist who I flick past every time I read the paper, the picture above the headline puts me off every time, not to mention the fact that the page is full of uptight politics punctuated with ads and other insignificant articles. I know one should never judge a book by its cover but sometimes you just can't help it. I read the headline which took up most of the page and was so taken aback by the contradiction that I felt compelled to read the entire article. 'Just look in the office fridge and you'll see how the new poor are forced to scrimp on the bread line'
Having read three sentences I knew I was right to skip past this particular column each day. This article was about the recession and how it had hit people hard, they were now bringing their lunch to work with them as they could no longer afford to slip out to Marks and Spencer and buy their luxury sandwich, they have been reduced to actually having to make their own lunch and bring it with them, imagine, the absolute horror. I read on, slightly amused and also slightly bothered by the fact that this lady was actually writing about how her middle class friend was struggling so badly, she was finding it difficult to pay her health insurance payment each month and , wait for it, had to cancel her home insurance policy.
Having lived in a third world country I felt bothered by this woman, she came across as obnoxious, elitist and just unbearable. I read on as she started to complain about taxes and all the while telling of her friends agony that her upper middle class life had been demoted and she was now merely middle class, like the majority of people in this country.
Speaking from the point of view of somebody who has seen extreme poverty up close I was enraged. As you drive into Mexico City the mountainside has been swallowed by makeshift houses, shacks and millions of people literally living on top of each other. These people live on ten pesos a day (55 cent of a euro) feeding a family of four. These people may not have electricity, running water or be receiving an education. This is poverty, seeing these people as they come down from the mountains to wash car windscreens in the city to earn enough money to provide what they can for their families, that is having 'to scrimp on the bread line'
There has been so much talk of recession in this country in the past years, people have no idea what it truly is to live on the edge, to suffer at the hands of poverty. Yet here we are, reading articles just like this one feeling sorry for a middle class woman who cannot pay her health insurance each month. Darling, I hate to break it to you but poor people cannot afford health insurance and looking in the office fridge is not an option as often they do not have a job.

'Cos we are living in a homophobic world and I am a homosexual!

2014-02-07T06:56:00.001-08:00

Today I woke and went straight to Google. I smiled when I saw the rainbow of colours appear, a clear sign of support for the gay community and what they are living in Russia at this very moment in time.
As a lesbian in today's world, I am obviously up to date with everything that is happening with regard to gay rights and equality across the globe.
I have watched over the past few years as this theme became the centre of a social and political storm. I have read the articles, the studies, seen the pictures, watched the videos. Most of this observation was done with tears in my eyes or a lump in my throat. I am not a member of the gay community who goes to parades or fights for rights, the reason I avoid these things is because they make me nervous.
It is shocking that in this day and age people are being tortured, discriminated against and even beaten to within an inch of their lives because of their sexuality. How is that in an age where we have come so far in terms of technology, science, medicine and even education that we are so socially and morally corrupt. I do realise that there are so many open minded and accepting people but for one of these people there is another who is abusive, homophobic and dangerous.
Today we have made the world a rather microscopic place, travel is so common, people move from place to place and there are many different types of people. Religions, ethnicities and cultures have been mixed to create so many unique and beautiful new experiences which are shared so easily throughout the world.
Yet, homophobia is alive and well and homosexuals have become the prey.
I was delighted to see so many countries shed their conservative overcoats and free themselves of the laws which were holding their societies back, however with this joy came sadness as I watched and saw so many protest against growth and equality.
The world watched as America passed the law allowing same-sex marriage and so many rejoiced thinking that this would help the world, that the rest might follow suit. Months later we are watching as young gay teens in Russia fear for their lives and are living in hell just because they love somebody of the same sex. It feels so ridiculous to see those words typed as I cannot comprehend how they can make sense in the twenty-first century.
My wife and I got married last year in Mexico City. It was the most beautiful day of my life and one that I will cherish with all my heart for as long as I live. I felt proud to be standing in front of a judge as she spoke of the commitment we were making and how lucky we were to have found each other. The love in the room as we said 'I do' was overwhelming. Being surrounded by people who shared our happiness and supported our love was a powerful experience. I have read about many gay people, both celebrity and not, who have made the choice not to get married until it is legal for same sex couples across the globe to do so. I was not of this mid set, not because I am a selfish person but simply because if every same sex couple held off on their right we would be keeping the naysayers happy.
Since coming back to this tiny island I have felt rather differently about being a lesbian in today's society.
Mexico is a third world country, the majority of the people are severely impoverished, inadequately educated and also they are good and holy Catholics. You now have an image of the Mexican people as being perhaps a little closed mined, correct? This is absolutely not the case! Same sex marriage has been legal in Mexico City since 2009. The gay community is alive and well in Pink Zone and it is not uncommon to see same sex couples walking down the street, holding hands, kissing, going about their lives unscathed!
Now picture this, my home land, a first world country, people live middle class lives, the majority are generally well educated and the number of good and holy Catholics is starting to dwindle. You are picturing people who are a little more open minded, correct? Once again this is not the case. Two weeks ago as I stepped of the Luas holding the hand of my beautiful wife I was horrified and really very upset to hear an a voice behind us shout out 'What's this, two fucking lesbians!!' I didn't turn around, neither did she, instead we picked up the pace and walked silently, no longer holding hands all the way to our destination. I cannot lie, I had to fight back the tears, not solely because I was saddened, although I was, but because I was scared. For the first time in my life I felt scared and intimidated because of my sexuality. The reason neither of us turned around was because we were not sure what was going to come at us. I am not attacking Ireand, definitely not, there is a large gay community here too but I feel that homosexuality is something which is not completely accepted here yet.
I am not afraid to be who I know I am, I am not afraid to show my love for my wife but some people, and indeed institutions, are absolutely terrified by the entire of concept of homosexuality. As a result these people and institutions are making life a living hell for homosexuals in some parts of the world. When did this become okay?
Did we learn nothing from people like Nelson Mandela in his fight for equality? Have we begun to suffer from a sudden bout of amnesia and forgotten about World War Two and the horrific consequences suffered at the hands of inequality?
Each time that we, as a human race have struggled with the idea of equality and human rights the person, or people, who start the revolution are those who are not afraid to face their fears to overcome their oppressor.
Consider this post my way of standing up for myself, for my wife and for the rest of the homosexual community. It is at times like these that society has to stand tall, shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart and simply fight for the cause.

D.M

By Danielle Mc Mahon

A Bright Light in the Big City

2013-11-02T13:02:00.001-07:00

I have totally abandoned all things technological and literary in the past few days as I have been struggling with the idea of being home and unemployed. I know this is the story of many people of my age as my generation are struggling with the reality of graduating from University and really being qualified to do nothing. Having being employed for the past two years or so I think this transition from useful to useless has been particularly difficult.
Yesterday after a quiet Halloween night in gossiping and baking, I had a rather frank conversation with one of my best friends in Mexico, a straight talking, sensible yet adventurous girl who has an excellent head on her shoulders and tells you what you need to hear, not what you need to hear. This conversation lifted my spirits and made me realise what I have been afraid to admit, perhaps I am home but feel as though home is no longer just that, home. I had created my own home just J and I and suddenly I am under my mother's roof living in a world which I had left behind.
After this conversation as I walked past a beautiful Cathedral in the middle of the city I decided to enter. Anybody who knows me will realise that the thought of me setting foot inside a church is enough to make the heavens scream, as I am a total non-believer. However, having said that, I have always found churches to be beautiful and serene places, a safe haven in a crazy world, it is almost as if it offers you shelter from everything which is happening around you as the silence embraces you.
I entered the cathedral and looked around at the devoted few who were praying rosaries or just praying out of their necessity to feel close to something. Seeing all these people and feeling the atmosphere of the church around me with the added element of the absolute silence, I suddenly began to feel emotional and I really cannot explain why.
I walked slowly and silently to the candles, candles which had been ignited by the hopes of different people. These candles are so weighed down with symbolism that their light seems to penetrate all of your feelings and have a mesmerising effect on you. I suddenly found myself reaching for one of those little white candles and lighting it with tears in my eyes. I stood for a couple of minutes and watched as the flame of the candle gathered momentum and was eventually lighting, fuelled by my hopes and my needs. I began to think about so many things as a traffic jam formed in my mind. The thoughts whirled, firstly memories of lighting candles for special causes with my Gran, secondly going to church with my Grandfather (RIP) and then a whole slew of feelings and thoughts relating to myself, to J, and to our situation and how much I am longing for it to get better. I found myself drawn into the flame as it hypnotised me.
I finally managed to break the spell and wander back out into the city, onto the streets so full of noise, of people and so many other things.
I felt relieved leaving the Church as I felt that I had now exhausted all possibilities, I had entered a place of worship to seek help from a Church which openly condemns my lifestyle, but never the less those few minuets of clarity were so comforting and in that moment all I had were my hopes and expectations and I was me, by myself with my flickering light. For those couple of minutes I was not being judged or watched or talked about or observed. I was just me with a handful of hopes in my pockets and a bright hopeful light in the middle of a big city.

DM

The Winds of Change

2013-07-23T09:59:00.002-07:00

My, my, my, what a weekend it has been, emotional roller coasters, great news, big decisions. I will start with the world news first admitting that I was actually quite excited to hear about the birth of the Royal Child, a bouncing baby boy 8lbs 6oz, according to an announcement placed outside Buckingham Palace both mother and baby are doing well. I suppose the next thing to obsess over with be the baby's name and of course the first pictures. I actual found myself wondering, whilst I was reading about the crowds of people camped outside the Maternity hospital, what kind of life this little person if going to have. I know there have been royal children born before and tehy all survived but I feel that maybe with social media and the fact that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have become an iconic couple, this child will be more in the spotlight than any royal child before him. Nevertheless and wish the new parents and their baby boy all the best in life and I hope that our gossip hungry society does not make it too difficult for them. This weekend was quite an emotional one as the prospect of once again living in a long distance relationship became quite likely. Needless to say the emotions which were flying about were ones of despair, sadness and anxiety but they have now all be swept away due t the arrival of the happy news that 'amor a distancia' was not going to be an option! Extremely excited now for our return to my island to experience life together from a different perspective and with different surroundings. This are really wrapping up now, classes have finished, final exams have been done, final presentations presented and flights are in the process of being booked, the biggest and most exciting thing left to do is walking down the isle and signing that precious piece of paper that will join us together forever. This experience of living and working abroad has been one I will never forget and always cherish, I feel it changed me so much and although there were some difficult times I benefited me so much. I met some many amazing people and experienced so many of the amazing things that this country has to offer and now it is time to hop on a plane and return to my home land and experience all that it has to offer. D.Mount

The City of Freedom

2013-06-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

The majestic feeling as you wander throughout the streets, one more face to add to the millions. Nobody notices your differences, your similarities, no body cares who you are, who you are with, who you love. A city where a billion names are spoken each day and yours could be ignored, a city where freedom of expression and of speech are things which are taken seriously, and given to its inhabitants willingly. You do not have to fight to be heard here, when people want to listen they will, you do not have to hide who you are either people appreciated your choice to be free.
The clouds in the sky offer a soft and welcome release from the hot sunshine we live beneath here. The showers of rain, which cool the Earth, are drops of divinity rarely found here in the desert. The tall buildings provide you with the shade you need to walk in peace and coolness, enjoying the immense sights of Mexican culture and history as it buzzes all around you.
The heart of the city beats as strongly as ever full of vibrant characters and life, reenactments of traditions long passed come back to revitalise this hub of culture and liveliness. The omen of the gods falls upon the city now as it begins its slow descent into the ground, superstition and belief provide a background for this mythology as the work of the Spanish withers and slips away.
The joy of arriving to such a place if only for a few days, is liberating in ways that you cannot possibly imagine, the freedom to dress how you like and have nobody care, the ability to hold the hand of your same sex partner and be smiled at as opposed to receiving a hurtful glares. It is these simple things that make this ever growing hub of life, the capital of this fair country, and why it creates a love in your heart that you cannot dismiss.

One, Two, Three....POPE!!!

2013-03-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

When Emeritus Pope Benedict announced the fact that he would be denouncing his title as Pope of the Catholic Church, I heard many people talking about their hopes that the conclave would perhaps elect a young pope to bring some life back into the church and inspire the younger generations to return to god and to their religion.
I am not a religious person whatsoever and I really have little regard for the pope and his duties and I find the church to be an antiquated institution that shot itself in the foot by maintaining its archaic ideals and ridiculous social expectations and limitations alike.
Having said that I respect the choice of people to believe in the church and to have faith in its powers and in the power of their faith also. I also appreciate their hope and the ideas that they have expressed about wanting to rejuvenate the church and bring the younger generations back to their faith. Although a respect these ideas and hopes I must say that I also find them very naive. Nowadays it is difficult to get younger generations to be passionate about one topic in particular, it is also difficult to preach to a generation which has been brought up differently, who have more freedom than ever before, more access to the world and more possibilities than ever before.
I am going t talk about two areas in particular, the first the idea of gay-marriage and the church's negative stance on the matter.
Speaking from the point of view of a lesbian woman in her twenties I am obviously a little more than biased, however I think it is fair to say that the majority of young people that I know have family members, best friends, co-workers who are gay and who they care about a lot. I find it hard t believe that the church, even with its best efforts could persuade a generation , where the ideas of self - expression, freedom of speech, freedom to think, freedom to just be are so plentiful, that an institution with a reputation as tarred as that of the catholic church to come back to a religion that goes against the ideas that have developed. The church is effectively asking people to take a step backwards to forget about human rights and equality no matter what your sex and go back in time to a place where these things where forbidden, where society was on lock-down, they are asking that the struggles of thousands be forgotten and cast back into a dark space in the corner of your mind as you make your connection with god.
the second issue is the idea of equal rights for men and women, i hear regularly, people of older generations giving out and complaining about how young people no longer want to enter into the priesthood that there are a shortage of priests and that the older priests are now dying out. Then, I ask, why does the catholic church continually deny women from joining the priesthood, why do they continually reinforce the idea of chastity, of loneliness by maintaining the rule that priest cannot have sex or get married and have families. I think that a lot of young people who are still faithful and perhaps would like to join the priesthood will not do so because they do not want to live a life of loneliness, they do not want to give up their right to have children, to have love, to share their lives. Younger generations would be far more likely to commit themselves to the catholic religion (if they were that way inclined), if they could share their lives with someone that they love. I also think that this would help reduce the amount of child abuse within the church also.
I have hope that one day these things will change within the church and that the powers that be will realise that by maintaining their archaic values and old fashioned ideals they are preventing the very thing they want, to have more people, in particular younger generations, come back to the church and back to their faith.
For now we will just have to watch nd see what this new pope will do and hope that the realms of politics and religion do not overlap as a step back into the past is not something that any of us want.

D.M

'I am woman hear me roar!!!!'

2013-03-08T17:46:00.002-08:00

As a tribute to all of my fellow women out there on this International Women's Day I thought I would post a few inspirational quotes from some the finest women of our times, enjoy!!!

Women have always been the strong ones of the world. The men are always seeking from women a little pillow to put their heads down on. They are always longing for the mother who held them as infants. - Coco Chanel

After all those years as a woman hearing 'not thin enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, not this enough, not that enough,' almost overnight I woke up one morning and thought, 'I'm enough.' - Anna Quindlen

“For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.” ― Virginia Woolf

“In politics, If you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.”
― Margaret Thatcher

“There is more to sex appeal than just measurements. I don't need a bedroom to prove my womanliness. I can convey just as much sex appeal, picking apples off a tree or standing in the rain.”
― Audrey Hepburn

“Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.”
― Yves Saint-Laurent

“The great question that has never been answered and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is 'What does a woman want?”
― Sigmund Freud

D.M

Video killed the radio star!

2013-02-27T11:36:00.001-08:00

Have you ever had one of the moments where you are wandering around listening to music on your ipod/mp3 and suddenly a really epic song comes on and suddenly your imagination kicks in?
I had one of those moments on Monday as I was driving to work. The road which takes me to work is kind of outside the city, it is sort of abandoned and the sun is always shining, there are a lot of empty fields and with the windows rolled down and music on you could really be driving anywhere.
anyway, the song 'Atomic' by Blondie came on as I was driving, I had not heard that song in so long and it always reminds me of my brother (long story). Suddenly I was driving a cute little vintage convertible (red) with the roof down and my hair flowing in the wind (an impossible task). My life has become a video set and I was the star! The music kept playing and I started to sing along, after-all there was nobody around to see me, and I was making my very own music video. Once the song had finished I was transported back to the real world and I continued driving very happy with my 3 or 4 minuet video shoot. If only it had really been recorded, that would have been amazing....

D.M

Born with a silver spoons in their mouths...

2013-02-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

For the past two years I have been working in a private school in the city. Last year I had only nine students who were all very dedicated and down to earth, the worked hard and were interested in learning. This year I have two groups of students each group with fifteen students. One of my groups who are 7th graders are pretty much impossible to deal with. For the best six months I have been battling against them and I have yet to win the fight!
I was watching today as they were sitting their exams for this bimonthly period and I began to wonder why it is these particular children turned out the way they did. I have often heard the phrase 'born with a silver spoon in the mouth' but I have never really met people who truly demonstrated its meaning.
At this moment in time in this country it is obligatory to give a child a passing grade of 6 in their exams, in primary schools you CANNOT fail a student and in the school where I work this rule applies in secondary school too. As a result I have a bunch of students who have the most basic level of English taking a course which is made for students with a higher intermediate level. The majority of these students cannot even present themselves in English, still struggling with the difference between 'Tengo (I have) 12 años' and 'I am 12 years old'. However, I am given the books and told to teach them and at the end of the bimonthly period instructed to give failing students a 6.
These children do not listen to any authority figure and when told to be quiet they continue talking ignoring completely the person who is talking to them. This brought me to the question, why are so many children nowadays like this? When I was in school and I was told to be quiet I shut my mouth and stayed quiet for the remainder of the class, if not the day because I understood that in school when a teacher gave out to you, told you to be quiet or do something you did it and respected what the teacher was telling you. i also remember clearly that when this happened it was normal to avoid eye contact with the teacher because you felt ashamed. These children do the complete opposite. Fore example, yesterday having told one of the boys to take out his book and study he sat with the book closed on his desk talking to his friend across the room, when I started to stare at him he merely stared back at me until I finally won our little staring competition. When the contest was over I asked him to open his book and he did not move, i proceeded to inform him that unless he has x-ray vision it would be very to study the contents of a closed book. At this point he opened his book and continued talking to his friend as if nothing had happened, needless to say today when he took his exam he failed, not that it makes much difference because his parent will just pay extra for him to continue on tho the next grade of junior high.
It makes me sad and it makes me angry to see that education has become something which can be bought and that young people today who have the funds to pay for their education lack any type of motivation to do well in school. They do not take pride in their education as generations before them did and I think it is a shame that one of the most precious things in this world is being wasted on children like these.

Rant over :)

D.M

The Perks of Being a Watcher

2013-01-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

In the whirlwind that was Christmas and getting home to see my family I totally neglected the poor blog.
Now three weeks back to the working routine again I thought it was time to re-enter the blogoshpere and see if my fingers had something interesting to type!
I was reading through an old-ish post last week 'The Perks of Being a Reader,'perhaps it might be a good idea to write a post-viewing opinion to follow on from the pre-viewing one.
While as was at home over the Christmas season we decided one night to pluck up the courage to watch the movie and see for once and for all what it was really like and how it compared to our pre-viewing judgments.
The movie has not been playing for even a minute and we had to make a pact to stay quiet and not be bitchy until we had seen it all. This was not an easy past to conform to!
As the movie played and we were introduced to the characters it was fair to say that my opinion of the casting choice did not become any less doubtful. However, I must admit that the cast members did grow on me in a strange way.
Towards the middle of the movie I had to switch off any images I had of the book and almost disassociate it with the book completely as I was slightly bothered y the fact that some things were not portrayed as they should have been, by the fact that Patrick was not like he should have been and that one of the most important parts of the book (Michael's suicide) was totally forgotten about excepting a quick comment which was not nearly sufficient.
Once I turned off the automatic comparison which was happening in my mind I found myself enjoying the movie much more. At the end I was captivated and very much involved in the story-line, the moment of truth came when I turned back on the automatic comparison and start to discuss the movie with J in a vary detailed fashion.
If you were to compare the movie to the book I might be able to give it a very generous six out of ten. However, if you were judging it purely on its merits as a movie then an eight and a half out of ten could have possibly been reasonable.
It is my opinion that people who had already read the book would have been bitterly disappointed at some of the things which were not portrayed as they should have been. People who had never read the book and had that alternative state of mind would have enjoyed it for its quirky oddities and unique characters (not as unique as in the book mind you!) and the people who had never read the book and did not have that type of mindset would have walked out the cinema nodding their heads and agreeing 'that wasn't bad...'
Perhaps I am being very harsh but that is what I feel that reactions would have been, or should have been.
Having said all of that I did enjoy the movie and I would recommend it to people that I know would appreciate it for its magic and beauty.
My fears of it becoming a teen sensation have subsided since the viewing and I think it is safe to say that Charlie and his letters will remain a treasure with rights reserved for those who have the disposition required to love and appreciate 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' in all its beauty.

D. Mount

Everybody's Gay....

2012-11-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

Today with my 14 year old students I had a rather strange conversation.
I was helping my students with a physics project that they are doing and one of the girls suddenly blurted out 'everybody is gay,' I laughed feeling immediately awkward as none of my student know I am gay and we began to talk about this topic.
She began to tell me that, in her opinion, everybody has to pass through this 'gay stage' of life and that at some point we will all pass through the 'gay station' never actually buying a ticket for the gay train!
I was suprised by her attitude as in this society, the one in which she has been raised, homosexuality is not something that is openly expressed or readily accepted.
We continued with this conversation and the three students involved in the conversation were all very open minded and willing to admit that yes, they are aware of the fact that they will probably pass through a 'gay phase.'
They all seemed terribly surprised when I told them that about ten percent of the population are gay and that in the classroom there had to be at least one gay person.
I then saw the other side of this open minded coin when another student who for me stands out as being a lesbian, aggressively responded that she was not gay and would never pass through that stage in her life.
I began to wonder if these conversations make her nervous because she is terrified of being discovered or because she still has not accepted the fact that she is gay.
When I was that age I knew that I had feelings for the same sex, however, I tried my hardest to fit in and did all the appropriate things for a teenage girl my age, there was no way you could have known that I was gay.
With the re-election of Obama in the States and the hope that inspired for women and the idea of equal rights for all, I was filled with hope because I hope that one day kids who are gay or lesbian or are bisexual and are confused, can feel free to accept themselves and be open about how they are instead of trying desperately to hid themselves constantly.
I also wonder if this type of world in which everybody is free and equal will ever exist?
We have made many developments but we also seem to have taken many steps backwards.
I also wonder how a free world would be?
If we were all open and all the taboos, stigmas and labels were erased how would we all co-exist?
Would it be the same or would the idea of individuality be lessened to the point where we were all just the same?
So many questions and so few answers, but I will watch and see how it all works out from my permanent seat on the Gay Train.

D.Mount

A little post of nothing

2012-10-30T18:23:00.002-07:00

One month and two weeks, six weeks, forty two days, one thousand and eight hours, sixty-thousand, four hundred and eight minutes, three million, six hundred and twenty eight thousand, eight hundred seconds.

That is the amount of time until I see my family for the first time in one year, five months and ten days.

The emotions: excitement, nervousness, happiness, impatience.

'There's no place like home'

D.M

The Perks of Being a Reader

2012-10-29T12:51:00.001-07:00

Being an original Perks of Being a Wallflower fan, I am naturally waiting with baited breath to see the movie which has yet be released in Mexico. I have been tempted so many times to watch it online just to tame the curiosity which rages inside but every time I have held back the urges and decided to wait to go and see it on the big screen.

I have, however, watched the trailer a couple of times, read interviews with the director (author) and cast, seen the images and heard all the gossips and excited talk which surround this must awaited for release.

I first read about charlie and his peculiar ways in 2009 when my girlfriend gave it to me for Christmas, two months after we started going out. She gave it to me and I instantly did the unthinkable and judged it by its cover. I lime green, battered cover which was worn having been handed from reader to reader, a faint stain made by a cup or glass graced the first page and I was captivated instantly. I love my books to be in good condition but I also love to have a book that looks like it has lived the experiences that it is going to introduce you to and 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' did just that. I read the first page which was dedicated to me, with love and hope that this book would change my life as it had changed my girlfriends.

I began to read it that same day and I read all night and into the early hours of the morning finishing the book and thinking 'WOW'. I instantly clicked with the character of Charlie, the experiences that he lived, the type of people he was surrounded by, the unrequited love, and all the problems that are associated with being a misfit trying to deal with the horrors of teenage life.

I read the book twice more as I flew home from Mexico on New Years eve and found something new each time. When I returned home I slept with the book under my pillow, brought it with me everywhere I went, and read it 4 more times as I wandered through the university campus feeling a little bit lost.

Charlie, Sam and Patrick accompanied everywhere I went. I spent a lot of time thinking about how our teenage years affect us and how they have the potential to shape us into the adults we are.
Now, as the movie is set to be released I wonder if this epic novel of our times will become nothing more than a movie to replace Juno as the top alternative film of recent years. If Charlie will become the new Edward Cullen as the teenage heart throb and if Sam will now become more than just that sensitive girl who guided Charlie through so many experiences.

From what I have seen of the trailers Charlie is not the awkward soul I imagined him to me and Patrick is way too openly gay. This novel was an epic tale for all the 'Patricks' in the world, the gay boys dating the most popular jocks and hiding themselves so cleverly and suffering every stop of the way.

Perhaps I am being far too judgmental, considering the fact that I have not yet seen the movie, but this book is a treasure I hold close to my heart and I worry for its safety and well-being as it is released to the general public to be turned into 'just another teen movie'

I feel pretty and witty and gay!

2012-10-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

The pressure has finally landed on my shoulders. The pressure I did not think would land. Having taught in the seem school for a year, achieving goo results with my students I am now drowning in a sea of ridiculous rules, expectations and struggling against the tide of the most ridiculous educational system I have ever seen.

Bringing in this new system was supposed to be innovative but when you have a group of twelve year old who can barely say the names of the body parts correctly it is a little bit difficult to teach them literature, critical analysis, independent thinking, science, geography and biology through English.

This marvelous cocktail mixed with a dash of homesickness is doing wonders for my mood, as you can imagine, today is only Monday and I am already counting down to Friday.

The worst thing is and possibly this most effective evidence of my loathing for the system is that on Saturday I will be having surgery to remove a wisdom tooth. When a school system and work load cause a dental extraction to be the highlight of your weekend, there may be something wrong!

On the other hand I have students in another school are fantastic, attentive, interested, fluent in English and willing and wanting to learn, they brighten my day and make me laugh even when the idea of laughing or smiling does not appeal to me!

I am also so fortunate to have the love of my life by my side, healthy, happy and always supporting me and helping me work, inspiring me to do my best even though it may be tough some times.

Without this gorgeous girl I would be lost. Just like I was 3 years ago before I met her.

I have also been thinking a lot about how accepting the people in a work place would be if they new that my co-worker and I were gay? I read some true life stories on line, I have seen how accepting my girlfriends work place have been but still I wonder whether or not they would be so accepting where I work?

Today one of my students asked if I was available, I told her 'No', she proceeded to ask if I was in a relationship, I replied 'Yes', naturally in a classroom of gossipy girls the questions started and all I wanted to do was scream HER name is J, she is the love of my life and she is the most beautiful person in this world!

I had a similar experience later that day with my other students who wanted to know what is my type, of course they meant what type of boys, or should I say men, I always answer that I have no type. Today they asked who is your favourite artist...physically, I felt it would be inappropriate to say Pink and reveal my true rainbow colours so I said nothing.

Anyway this begs the question, how accepting are people of gay co-workers?

D.M

Carpe Diem

2011-10-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

Death is something which will touch us all at some point in our lives. Death at any age is a difficult concept to grasp and is the most terrifying thing in the world for the majority of us. Life is precious and many of us take it for granted. However, when a tragic event such as the death of a young person occurs we are instantly hurled into a whirlwind of feelings and thoughts.

When we hear about the death of a young person or we lose a young person close to us it seems to provide us with a thirst for life, to enjoy the many experience which life holds, to see all the wonders this earth has to offer, to be the best we can achieve and to somehow live life to the fullest. I have come to find that death has this effect on us for two reasons; the first is that we desperately want to experience everything because the death of a young person makes us realise that nobody is beyond the cold, hard grasp of death's hand, the second is that we feel a sort of responsibility to live all of the experiences that our fellow young adult has been denied because of the ominous death.

Death also makes us appreciate our family and friends so much more also. We can often take them for granted and do not realise how important they are until we see another family cry for a loved one who has passed away, This feeling is never more terrifying than when you are a young person because you are still so close to your parents, often when a young person dies they are still living with their parents and seeing a mother cry for her lost child is a feeling which we instantly project onto our own mothers further intensifying our sensitivity to this tragic event.

I did not write this to be morbid or indeed to point out all the sadness which goes hand in hand with death but merely to express the feelings of many many young hearts in my home town where two young lives were taken far before their time this weekend.

Life is beautiful and we should enjoy to the full as much as we can, the sadness and other such emotions when will accompany us on our path through life will try to taint this beauty but in its attempt will further fuel us to make the most of everyday, every experience, and most importantly our family and friends.

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die.

D.M

'When true simplicity is gained...'

2011-07-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

"My Mama told me, 'Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get.'"

This quote is from a movie, which I can say with confidence, is one of the best I have ever seen.

Forrest Gump is the tale of a boy who growing up was rather unfortunate. Below average academically, Forrest was rejected and bullied by the other children, all except one, a beautiful little girl named Jenny. Forrest goes through life being jeered at for being stupid, being ridiculed against for his innocent and simplicity and loses the majority of the people that he loves due to tragic circumstances. Despite all of this Forrest maintains his beautifully innocent outlook regarding love and never lets the people who discriminate against him break his confidence. The tragic events which occur in Forrest's life are just that, tragic, but also he is surrounded by beauty. He witnesses some of the most prestigious moments in history and performs extremely admirable acts and maintains his humility, saved by the buffer zone which is his innocence.

Watching this movie I felt inspired, since the beginning of time the foundation of brilliance and discovery has been based in thought.

The age of the roman empire saw the emergence of some of the most incredible minds, followed by the age of enlightenment, the renaissance, the age of exploration, the era of shakespear, byron, keats and shelley, when intelligence was a sign on power and the deeper you were and the more you thought the higher your status within society.

However seeing how the character of Forrest, in the movie, dealt with grief, with loss, with the tragic and the euphoric I began to wonder if we have just been kidding ourselves all along, perhaps the true beauty of life lies within the things which require no thought at all.

Things as simple as feeling the summer breeze brush against your skin, seeing the leaves of the trees change from season to season, falling in love, sharing your life with the people whom you care for most, enjoying the simplest things in life and never taking anything for granted, and above all, never thinking about where these miracles of life come from.

Many of us study in university and spend three or four or five years of our lives, in my case, analysing our history and trying to understand it, or theorising the poetry, drama and texts of the greatest literary minds which ever lived. What if Shakespeare just wrote for the sake of writing, what if history is a complete falsification of events and the world has always been just as it is, what if?

The complexity of life can be damaging, we take many things far to seriously and much of the pain, both emotional and physical, which we experience is caused by ourselves and our over developed ability to think. Would life be simpler if we were like Forrest Gump and just took life as it came?

Has innocence become a thing of the past?

Has it been replaced by over thinking and cynicism?

I hope not because I am of the opinion that the true beauty of life lies within the simplicity and beauty of an innocent mind.

"I adore simple pleasures. They are the last refuge of the complex."

Oscar Wild in 'A picture of Dorian Gray'

Forrest and Jenny.

Forrest Gump Trailor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvhzyRWOlx8

Forrest Gump Novel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Gump_(novel)

Dani M

Decisions.

2011-06-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in our lives we are faced with difficult decisions one which have the potential to be truly devastating, many of us avoid these situations completely, become emu like and bury our heads in the sand.
so what happens when you can no longer bury your head in the sand? Then you must make the decision.
the most common fear we feel whilst making a decision is whether or not we are making the right decision and guess what...we will never now if we have made the right or wrong decisions as we only get to make one and the other options which we debate never come to fruition they remain forever the other option, never more.
how do we over come this fear of making decisions?
Can we ever over come it?
Would losing the fear make the decision making process easier?
Hind sight is a fantastic thing and so is decision making, if you make the right decision.

D.Mount

Together Again

2011-05-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

After three months of waiting, we are finally back together. The happiness I felt when I saw you at the airport was immense and my heart skipped a beat.
This weekend was amazing, even if I was exhausted, to be able to look you in the eyes and tell you I love you, to sleep next to you, to have you right there beside me to talk to, hold hands with, share every minute with, was amazing and now we are home and I have officially moved in, which is beyond amazing!!
I am soo happy and delighted to be here and the move was completely worth it, this happiness is worth more than anything else in the world and being with you everyday is amazing!!!
I love you so much!
thank you for the support and for being so amazing.

D. Mount

Making HIstory!!

2011-05-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

What a crazy yet amazing last day in Ireland!
First waving at the Queen and getting a perfect view of her from so near,
Then and excellent lunch with my family and Shaz,
Then a bonding moment between my relatives and I.

I have finally finished packing and I am sure there are so many things I have forgotten but I can get my mom to send the things I really need which I think is nothing!

I cannot wait to see you tomorrow!! my sunshine!!!
I love you bby so much!!

Peek ah Boo!!

2011-05-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

WHO ARE YOU!!!!??????????????????????/
I'M your bestest dingilly do!!!

Hahaha :D tired and death brain :P

I love you amor!! one day!

J.Mount

History in the Making.

2011-05-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

This evening I watched as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England began her key note speech in Dublin castle in Irish. She began with the line, 'Uachtarán agus a cairde', in English, President and friends, she followed this bold and historic statement with a speech which was hopeful, inspiring and an honor to watch, as was the speech given by our own President.
To watch as the Queen makes are journey around Dublin City and tomorrow comes to my home town I am proud to be Irish and I am proud to see how far we have come and the progress we , as a country have made. Both the Queen and the President in their speeches spoke about cultural and economic unity between Ireland and the Untied Kingdom but above all both of these powerful female figures stressed the point of equality between the two states, something which would have been unheard of so many years ago.
the Queen extended her sympathies to the families of those who fought for England in the first world war and also to those who died fighting for independence this showed a recognition of the significance of this visit and also an understanding of how much we sacrificed for our country.
Today I watched as history was made right in front of my eyes as the Queen spoke words of friendship in a language which was once condemned by our English colonizers, these past few days are a turning point in relations between Ireland and Great Britain. I know it will not solve the problems of the conflict between north and south but the first step of Queen Elizabeth on Irish soil yesterday was a step forward into the future where perhaps the troubles could be solved and Ireland could be a peaceful nation once again.

D. Mount

2 days!!

2011-05-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Mi amor, we are 2 days appart officially! x) well 3 but friday doesnt really count! :P
Im super exited and Im getting everything ready! :D I booked the hotel already!, is kool for the price, and is very close to reforma wich is grand, and also the check out is at 1pm :P so we have time to go and have breakfast on saturday and then come back for the luggage. I love you with all of my heat mi amor!! x) and Im so exited to be with u again, to feel u again , to have u in person again!
I have a bussy to last days mi amor :P just like u im pretty sure :D I have to wash and clean the room so u love it and also make a little lugagge for the weekend... I cant wait to see u!! x) Oh Gosh!! butterflys in my tum tum...
Ok mi amor, I hope u had a good night and that u have a fantastic day today ok :D enjoy it so much!!! see u on friday :**:

Documentary....yes, I did watch a documentary!!

2011-05-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

This may give you the shock of your life but today I watched the best documentary!! I missed the start but I arrived in time to catch most of it, my dad was watching it and I was cooling down after my run and I decided to watch tv with him.
The first part was about the Hawaiian people who regard surfing as something sacred and are at one with the water and surf huge waves!! It showed a clip of an elite big wave surfer, these people come to Hawaii to surf in these waters surfing waves of up to 30 meters which is immense and terrifying!!
The next part showed this team of young Filipino guys who make there living by fishing, they deep sea dive to place huge nets under water but these guys dont have proper diving gear, they go down with a mask and a thin tube which has oxygen supplied through a compressor which is rusty and falling apart and could break at any moment causing the guys to die instantly! So they dive 40 meters below sea level and secure the net on stones, they then herd the fish into the net and end up in the net as well they then get out and guide the net slowly back to shore without coming up too fast and suffering from decompression syndrome, it was so fascinating to see these guys put their lives on the line to do this job which pays them barely enough to survive.
The next segment was the most fascinating, it was about a tribe who have adapted to live at the sea in huts in the middle of the ocean and on boats also, they rarely touch land! Any way there was a guy in this tribe called Soobline who is an underwater hunter. This guy every evening goes out to hunt his food, he sails out to the middle of the ocean and does a series of relaxation techniques focusing on breathing techniques to make sure he is totally calm he wont enter the water until he is, he then prepares his harpoon, take a final breath and gets into the water, he swims down 20 feet to the sea bed and starts to walk on the sea bed, at this point and with the pressure of the water it is almost impossible to keep your body weighed down and the amount of air your lungs can hold is only one third of its normal capacity but this guy stays on the sea bed, he eventually catches a fish and then he makes his way back up slowly after being under water for 2 and a half mins, but he can and has stayed underwater for up to 5 mins!!
I couldn't find the actual documentary but I found the page about it and the second link is a youtube clip of the part with the guy how hunts underwater!!
Hope you enjoy it mi amor!
I love you so much.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rrd81

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgRpwESWPLM

D. Mount

3 days...

2011-05-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

hey amor, i finished college today, i got paid and weare 3 days away from beeing together... im not gonna lie i havea lot of emotions. Maybe cuz Im a bout to have my period but also because I guess I worried a lot about ur confortness and safety, and of course ur happiness. Last time u were in Celaya we were on vacation having fun and just doing whatever, Now somwhow Im scared of how is it going to be. I dont want you to feel lost or abbandoned or out of place and it freaks me out :S I guess it will change once u are here and u will addapt to everything. I love you, but the least I want is you falling into a depression because u dont like it in here :C So mi amor.. lets make this whole change worth it and learn spanish the best u can, so we can leave in less that planned or u can addapt easier and feel less strange, or something, og gosh! Im so worried. Im sorry amor :C hormones... Oh well mi amor, I love you with all of my heart and I cant wait to see u. We'll figure out everything after the weekend te amo!

J. Mount

End of an Era...

2011-05-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

Today I finished college, as I placed my pen on the table and handed up my script I could hardly believe it, as I walked across campus i could not comprehend the fact that I wont be back on that campus again for classes or exams or seminars! After three years of commuting to one place everyday during the week and handing in essays, writing exams, attending lectures it is hard to believe that just like that in the space of a few minuets that place is no longer a part of your life.
It still had not registered with me that I am free from college, that I did it, I completed it, but I have, I did it and i am delighted.
The highlights of my freedom so far has been the simple action of buying a book. This is was such an exercising of my new found freedom as this is one of the first books that I will read in almost three years that I will not have to analyse, or mark pages for reference, or write an essay on, or memorize for an exam, this book is just for me, to read and enjoy and take me time with, not have to rush towards a deadline and that for me is such a great sense of freedom.
I am glad that i stayed and that i finished it, I'm proud of myself for doing it and thankful for everybody who inspired me to keep going, I do not regret staying there as I have learned a lot about myself, what I like, how I work, the type of person that I am and I have gained so many skills both academic and emotional!
Now I have completed it and I'm so happy, now only three more days and I will be back in your arms.
I love you

D. Mount