Endless Stream of Empty Dreams

Angels Crest

2011-12-29T13:13:00.036-05:00

Leslie Schwartz

Nestled at an altitude of approximately eight thousand feet, Angels Crest is more than a small, snowy town hidden on a mountainside only noticed by the outside world during tragedy; it is a place filled with real people with strong ties to their past despite struggling to manage not-so-perfect-lives. The town is mainly inhabited by working class citizens rooted in the pioneering and resilient spirit of their ancestors, who have resisted severe climatic hardship to settle at the location they call Angels Crest.

Although some people may struggle with broken relationships, alcoholism and their innate differences, they tend to sympathize with each other, especially in the face of tragedy. A recent case in which a three year old boy died in the woods due to a parent negligence, affected most Angels Crests residents and also drew the attention of many out-of-towner following media coverage on the subject.

Angels Crest foundation dates back to 1889 and its name originated in honor of five babies who survived harsh conditions in one of the worst winters in history in which there was an accumulation of about twenty feet of snow. Settlers and their livestock died by the numbers because they were trapped in the snow and their wagons could not keep moving forward due to the snow accumulation.

People perished as they were exposed to extensive cold, starvation and disease. It is said that angels stopped at the summit of the highest peak and watched over the newborn children through the whole winter. The settlers therefore named the peak, Angels Crest. The locals are really proud of their legacy and how they have evolved from such withstanding tradition.

Unlike some small tourist towns in the mountains where beauty rests on the glitziness of the Christmas lights decoration year round, Angels Crest does not have the incense and soap scented stores, which are so characteristic of such places targeted at tourism. Instead, it basically grips one’s attention by its simplistic atmosphere, emptiness and relentless silence.

For an outsider driving through town on the Main road, there is nothing exceptionally remarkable about the place and what they see are basically cars parked in the driveways of small houses and some toys scattered on the lawns here and there and little else. From a visitor’s observation, it is fair to say that Angels Crest is not be a fast paced, growing town but children are still born and raised there. Even though the population may appear static, there are children behind scattered toys which in turn could mean that the town is alive and the population has continuity.

Most of the buildings congregated along Main Street, predominantly from the nineteenth-century era, harbor businesses in town. There is a diner, a Laundromat, a bar, a dentist’s office, and a hardware store. There is also a Sporting Goods Store and a pawnshop. One may be able to tell what kind of behavior and lifestyle locals would likely have just by observing the physical aspect of the town, the sizes of the houses, location, and accessibilities to other big centers and the type of trades there are in the area.

The existence of a Sporting Goods Store in such a small town may suggest that men are inclined to partake in outdoor activities such as seasonal hunting and fishing. Pawnshops may indicate that some people have the habit of using personal objects as collateral to borrow money.

People look into such options when they are faced with some kind of financial constraint and are forced into converting valuable objects into cash. Obviously the drawback with that kind of trade is that it benefits the pawn shop itself most of the time as opposed to the individual. In some cases the borrower never goes back to claim their possessions.

It is fair to assume that money does not flow abundantly among the residents of Angels Crest as it does not seem to have much activities going on. The town does not look as though there is the potential to attract much investment which would cause the local economy to grow and generate employment and consequently establish more substantial cash flow.

One of the most popular places in Angels Crest is Angie’s diner. That is usually where people would go to socialize, engage in conversations and where information would get disseminated among the residents and outsiders. Ever since the news of a three year old boy who disappeared in the woods outside the town of Angels Crest became known to the outside world, Angie’s diner turned into a popular place for reporters and other people who come to town to get more information about the boy and the details of the family’s ordeal. Angie’s is described as a cozy and friendly place and it is suddenly filled with more people than usual due to the developing story. The place became a strategic spot connecting Angels Crest to the outside world.

People from all around have reacted to the news of a young boy who disappeared in the woods after the father recklessly leaves him sleeping unattended in his truck, as it becomes the focus of some news media. However, no one gets as moved emotionally in this community of three hundred and fifty five more than those who were directly hit by the disturbing fact, the parents themselves.

As the chances of finding the boy alive had become improbable with each passing hour the incident escalated into a tragedy and re-ascended old wounds among the main characters involved in the plot. In the face of all the commotion around the boy’s tragedy, Angie, the diner’s owner, becomes very uneasy as she has to deal with a growing number of outsiders who come to Angie’s to gather more information related to the case.

Since the media is covering the developing story more people learn about the details of the facts which led to a tragedy. It was almost dawn on December first when Ethan drove his son Nate up the mountain with the intent of showing him the woods up close. This was an opportunity for him to have a close encounter with the divinity of the forest. Hunting was one of Ethan’s passions and he wanted Nate to enjoy the forest as much as he did. He could barely wait until his son came to an age in which they could go hunting together, him and Nate.

But for a boy at the age of three the most he could do was to get him to observe the woods for the time being. It was close to day break and the skies looked overcast as he headed for the mountain with Nate half asleep in the back seat. As he drove up the winding road, heavy clouds and the fragrant scent in the air indicated that snow was about to fall at any moment. Ethan’s thoughts drifted away as he tried to sort out issues related to Nate’s custody.

Discreetly, a gloomy light tinted the night sky and slowly turned the landscape into a magical place as he arrived at his favorite spot, the old Angels Crest trailhead. He stopped the truck to observe nature and hear the sounds of the forest while Nate slept heavily in the back seat. Suddenly he spotted a few deer over the rise and he was filled with excitement. His fatal attraction for the things of the forest and lack of experience as a parent overshadowed the responsibility he ought to have as a child custodian.

He felt the strong urge to follow the animals just to see where they were headed. He then, with a certain degree of hesitation, left Nate sleeping in the truck and followed the animals. His heart was heavy as deep inside he knew it was not the right thing to do, but he was convinced that nothing would happen to Nate if he stepped away for just a few minutes.

As it turned out he was away just long enough to create a time and space void between him and his son. He was so excited to be able to follow the deer so close but at the same time he could not take his mind off Nate. He was worried and a little guilty about leaving him unattended like that but he had no doubt that Nate was going to be fine and certainly would still be sleeping when he got back to the truck minutes later.

Although a mixed feeling of excitement was finding its way into his head as he moved further and further away from where the truck was parked, he just felt he could not miss that rare opportunity to be so close to those bucks. Without realizing he moved so far out, he lost sight of the truck and momentarily also lost track of time.

He suddenly came to his senses and realized he was away for almost fifteen minutes. He took his focus off the animals as he knew he could not observe them indefinitely and thought of Nate. He started to get really worried once he realized he was away for too long. He rushed back towards where the truck was parked. He was glad he was able to track the deer for so long without being spotted by them and was happy as he satisfied his impulse but now all that mattered was Nate’s safety. As he reached the valley’s crest his heart begins to beat heavily as he noted that the trucks’ door was wide open. He soon would find out that the consequences of his decision would turn his life upside down.

Ethan would take the rest of his days trying to cope with his loss and to recover from the guilty feeling he would carry inside as a consequence of a split second decision. Ethan experienced agonizing moments once he reached his truck and found out that his son was nowhere to be seen. The anticipated snowstorm had started right at that moment and that enhanced his sensation of despair. He looked all around in disbelief and called his son’s name loudly for several minutes. No answer was heard. He realized Nate woke up while he was gone, managed to free himself from the seat and got himself out of the truck somehow.

The boy got lost in the woods and was eventually found dead by his friend Glick more than a mile away from where Ethan’s truck was parked. With each passing day, Ethan experienced a growing psychological burden which he would not be able to recover from. It eventually led him to a point of no return. It is hard for one to begin to understand the full extent of the suffering expressed by the regret and guilt that Ethan’s harbored after the incident took place. No matter how hard one tries they will never be able to fully describe what goes on in his mind and the intensity of his grief.

People from the community were devastated by the news of the tragedy and they had mixed feelings in regard to Ethan’s situation. Ethan was a liked person and the townspeople felt really bad for him. He was given custody of his son for being considered the most centered and responsible of both parents. But at the same time he was young and inexperienced and obviously did not fully understand the scope of his responsibility as a parent.

Even though his love and caring for Nate was apparent he could not get away from being held responsible for what was considered a reckless act. He was aware that according to the established rules he was going to face trial and potentially spend time in prison if proven guilty. In his heart he totally accepts the fact that he deserves to be punished. However, no matter how long he stays in prison it will never surpass the punishment he inflicted on himself starting on the day Nate disappeared in the woods.

The news of a lost boy in Angels Crest reached Judge Jack Rosenthal through his car radio as he was driving aimlessly on a narrow iced-patched winding road towards the mountains. Jack was feeling completely off centered emotionally and his deep negative thoughts were only interrupted by the periodic swerving and sliding of his black Mercedes which caused his body to experience a rush of adrenaline.

He was completely disoriented and especially disturbed with the image of Marty, his son who became a drug addict, entering the house the night before accompanied by his stripper girlfriend and stealing Adele’s Jewelry and his coin collection. He was in shock to witness his son, that he once loved the most, was able to commit such an act. He felt that his life had apparently become meaningless and out of purpose. He was so small that he wished he would vanish from this world. First he lost his wife Adele to cancer just six months before. Second, his son Marty, the youngest and the brightest of his children had deviated from the kind of life he had hoped for him and became a drug addict and outlaw.

It was by chance that Jack heard the news on the radio about a boy lost in the woods for a few hours, near a town called Angels Crest, apparently located in the same area he was driving by. Something impulsively locked his attention onto the intriguing story and he felt he should make himself available to help in the search for the boy. He turned his car around and followed the road which led to Angels Crest.

He had nothing to lose by stopping by and trying to help the family. He had to put his mind on something constructive and stop thinking about his own situation otherwise he would go insane. Maybe by taking the focus off of his problems and help others it would ease his suffering. As he reached Angels Crest he changed his mind set as he become more observant of the surroundings and realized how beautiful things could be in a simplistic way.

He momentarily thought about Marty and metaphorically drew a parallel of his situation with the lost boy in the woods. It felt like the story of this boy was in a way the allusion of his own situation in which his son Marty had followed a path into a dense forest of uncertainties and was stripped from his dignity and swallowed whole. That is basically what drugs did to him. The same way that a father lost his son in the woods, he lost Marty to a life of drugs and other wrongdoings.

Jack’s situation was in a way similar to Ethan’s and in fact they had a lot in common. They were both successful in their trade and executed their duties well. Jack was a well to do individual and had prestige. Ethan was a hardware store owner and lived a relatively good life.

They both met in the face of tragedy. They were both devastated by what happened to their sons and shared the same guilty feeling and self-blame for not handling things appropriately to prevent tragedy from happening. They both took on the responsibility for what happened to their sons even though Ethan’s pain was even greater because his son actually died whereas Marty was alive albeit living a miserable life of drug addiction and poverty somewhere in Hollywood.

Jack impulsively headed to Angels Crest firstly because he was completely out of control. He had no real purpose driving up the mountains despite his decoration of words which implied that he may take his own life. He was very upset and going through emotional distress but he is a man of strong faith and it does not seem that he would have the courage to take his own life.

He made the sudden decision to head into Angels Crest likely because he was unconsciously sympathetic with the families affected by the boy’s tragedy. He, in a way, felt the same pain and was capable to understand the extent of the family’s suffering despite the fact that he did not know them. Maybe by joining the search effort he would grow out of that situation and it would help ease his anguish and the awful sensation of defeat.

Both men seem reserved and tend to keep to themselves. They usually tend to be on the sidelines when faced with a crisis situation. Jack tends to rely on a divine power and hope things will resolve pacifically according to God’s will. Ethan is not religious and believes in the divinity of the forest and seems to be empowered by it. In a way they are both drug addiction enablers.

When Marty was at the age of thirteen he started to show traits of a deviant personality and that created a lot of friction in the relationship with Jack. Their communication deteriorated significantly and Jack reacted irrationally quite a few times in the face of the disappointment and frustration he felt in dealing with his son. His negative behavior was really conflicting with what jack and his wife had projected for him.

With each situation it became more apparent that Jack had lost control over Marty. From then on Jack became afraid of him and what he might do. (Schwartz 93). Jack regretted not being able to handle the situation differently back when he was very little. Jack’s abrasive reaction to Marty’s behavior may have contributed to Marty having become even more deeply addicted to drugs.

Ethan’s ways of handling the situation could potentially characterize him as a drug addict enabler as well. The initial attraction Ethan and Cindy had for each other faded away after Nate was born. Ethan little by little got fed up by the unpredictability which came with Cindy’s drinking habit.

He also longed for a strange desire to be in solitude and live a life of regularity which was not possible in Cindy’s company. Ethan became gradually more withdrawn and would usually keep to himself. He drifted away from her even further and involuntarily fed her addiction as she found shelter and comfort in her drinking.

Jack hated the fact that he always acted at the wrong time when dealing with his son. Even during the worst case scenario, when Marty was caught after he sneaked in the house in the middle of the night with his stripper girlfriend to steal Adele’s jewelry and his coin collection, his voice was barely above a whisper. He basically froze and acted out of fear and just let Marty get away with the stolen items.

He could have called the police even after the fact to file a report or strongly demand that he drop the items and leave the house immediately using a convincing tone. But that was not his style. He did not do any of that because he was afraid of what Marty may have done to him.

He was probably also afraid that if he went to the police the media would probably blow it out of proportion and that would have affected his image as part of a religious community or as a public figure.

But above all and despite of all the anger and frustration and hard feelings, deep inside he is a father who could not ignore the fact that this was the son he once loved dearly. So, instead of doing something about it he disregarded the seriousness of the event and would rather just keep it quiet. This is probably also a sample of how he always operated when dealing with Marty ever since he was a child.

He never had the nerve to address any issues accordingly in dealing with Marty. Jack lacked the authority and lost the respect of his son. It is easy for one to imagine that Marty was a spoiled kid who always had access to nice things and never really worked hard towards being self sufficient because he always had everything easily available.

Ethan Denton and Judge Jack Rosenthal are two very distinct characters whose paths would not have crossed if they had normal and happy lives; the chances they would know of each other would be very slim under normal circumstances since they only met by chance in face of tragedy.

Coincidently, they mirror each other in many aspects. Angels Crest townspeople and outsiders sadly followed the tragic story of a three-year-old-boy who was found dead after disappearing in the woods for hours.

They also learned the fate of his father, who eventually ended up taking his own life as he could not cope with the loss and all the guilty feeling which followed the child’s death. While the town of Angels Crest will eventually return to its sameness and relentless silence; people will remember the drama of the boy who was lost in the woods for many years to come.

Work Cited

Schwartz, Leslie. Angels Crest, Fiction/Literature. New York, NY:

Anchor Books, a Division of Random House, Inc, 2005. Print

Crouch End

2011-12-18T17:25:00.012-05:00

Crouch End, a District on the outskirts of London is the center stage of a horror story by Stephen King. It is located in a Valley in the North part of London near Finsbury and Archway. The town name comes from Latin “Crux” which means cross or crossroads. Crouch End is portrayed in the story as a surreal place. Its deserted streets combined with the fact that the narrator is superstitious and very unfamiliar with the surroundings enhance the impression of a mysterious place.

Other factors which contribute to exacerbate the tension and help to characterize the place as creepy are the circumstances in which the main characters suddenly find themselves. First they find out on the fly they do not have the address to the place they are headed for and second they are abandoned in the middle of nowhere by someone who they trusted to drop them off safely at the desired location.

To make things a little more complicated it is almost nightfall and there is no public transportation to take them back. The old brick buildings around the town and creepy outdoor signs also characterize it as not a desirable place to be.

Despite the initial unpredictable events the main characters Doris and Leonard Freeman are completely unaware of what awaits for them. According to people’s accounts that section of London and in particular Crouch End is the center of supernatural activities and for long it has been considered the stage of all kinds of strange things.

It is said that the place is dominated by some phenomenal forces which cannot be fully comprehended by the human reasoning. It seems like the barriers of the dimensions of this world are somehow entangled with another of an evil nature.

Throughout the years a number of bizarre incidents have been reported to the Crouch End Police but the cases ended up being filed away for being considered inconclusive due to its odd nature. “There are enough stories to curdle your blood and some to make you sick of your stomach at this place”, says Vetter, a police officer who has been with Crouch End police force for many years.

PC Ted Vetter and Fernham recall the story of Doris Freeman, the desperate young American girl who came in to report the case of her missing husband after they got stranded there, years ago.

According to Vetter’s recollection of facts in a conversation with Fernham in 1974, Doris was emotionally disturbed as she reported the incident which ended with the disappearance of the husband. She described the streets as having some human presence as they arrived and that gave them the initial impression of normalcy.

But their unusual behavior after an attempted contact made them change their minds very quickly. They all looked unfriendly to some degree and that reinforced the perception of a surreal atmosphere. However, it was hard for an out-of-towner to be able to tell exactly what it was that made them so strange.

Lonnie went to London with Dori for vacation and had planned to visit a lawyer called John Squalls’ which he had some business association with but had never met in person. The couple is lucky to find a cab willing to take them there after they were turned down by a number of drivers. It was late afternoon and the sun was about to go down when they finally hopped into a cab and headed for Crouch End.

According to Dori, Lonnie realized he lost the address to the lawyer’s residence. However, the driver was nice enough to suggest that he would make a stop at a phone booth so Lonnie could call someone and get the address.

They appreciated the fact that the driver had treated them nicely unlike other people they came across in London. They proceeded to Crouch End and anticipated meeting by Mr. Squales in person shortly.

The scene took place on a late August day and despite the wind was blowing intermittently the weather was uncomfortably hot. The sun changed suddenly from an unusual orange appearance to a reddish cast of evening as it began to settle down between the buildings once they got closer to their destination.

Clusters of nice buildings of some new development were observed from the distance. As the cab dashed by it left behind images of a constant changing landscape and the sun became a solid orange ball right above the horizon again.

Doris had a strange sensation that they were riding around in circle for a long time suggesting she lost awareness of time and space. A sudden change of mood marked their approach to Crouch End.

Dori become very apprehensive with some not so welcoming messages chalked on a roadside board that read: “Sixty Lost in Underground Horror”. The landscape changed sharply. The houses were predominantly old and made of brick.

Watchful eyes looked out the houses windows and observed their presence. Kids playing on the streets gave them a false impression of normality but they acted weird and Doris became fearful and worried about the whole thing. She was very sensitive and could not stop wondering why her mood was so affected once she approached that place.

The driver then spotted a call box by some restaurant and Lonnie stepped out to make the call. Doris got unease and stepped out of the cab as well after few moments. Wind was blowing and whipping her skirt around and some paper trash on the side of the street. While Lonnie was on the phone Doris closed in.

She was uneasy about the surroundings which appeared very surreal to her eyes and gave her a thrilling sensation. For their surprise the cab driver was gone. They get very upset but decided to search for the address on foot.

It did not take long for them to find out that they were not just stranded there but just about to live their worst nightmare which would lead to the unexplainable disappearance of Leonard.

“My Papa’s Waltz”

2011-11-09T21:44:00.013-05:00

Theodore Roethke

Roethke's "My Papa’s Waltz” is an intriguing poem which leads people into two distinct lines of thoughts. Despite some may think that there is some kind of abuse going on, others are led to believe that the poem is purely an expression of affection between the son and his father.

The poem does reveal that there is a certain physical proximity

between the two but I am inclined to believe that the action is

purely a manifestation of fraternal love.

I can see how the father’s behavior could be interpreted as inappropriate especially coming from someone who is nearly drunk. It seems that the father has not seen the son the whole day and he arrives around son’s bedtime.

Lines fifteen and sixteen validate such a scenario. He probably comes home after stopping for a drink or two with friends and once he gets home he wants to fulfill the role of father and he plays with the child for a little while.

In “…I hung on like death:” in the first stanza sounds like the boy is simply taken by the moment of excitement and he is having a great time with the father. It does not appear that the boy is struggling or annoyed by such horseplay.

On the first stanza it seems like the father is holding the child while he makes dance like movements around the kitchen. “My mother’s countenance” and, “Could not unfrown itself” on lines seven and eight, give me an impression that even though the mother is not too happy and comfortable with the fact that the father is a little drunk, she sympathetically observes the father moving around the kitchen holding the boy as if she supports the father and son interaction.

Despite the “whiskey on your breath” he is not described as being totally drunk and out of control; however, his emotional state seems to be, up to a certain degree, undoubtedly affected by his drunkenness.

By making the use of the word “Papa” in the title, the speaker reinforces that this is an affectionate relationship between the two. If the mother did not interpret such action as an unacceptable behavior she would definitely not just frown and display countenance or approval. Instead, she would be very upset and strongly apprehend the father, if by any reason she realized his actions were viewed as misbehavior.

This may not be the sort of scene that the mother sees on a regular basis and even though the father caused some disarray in the kitchen she did not interfere with his horseplay because she saw a value in the father’s initiative to play with her son.

When I read the last stanza I understood that all the fuss is about putting the boy to sleep as he must be very active and it is already late for him to go to bed. On line thirteen, “You beat time on my head”, makes me think that the whole experience is beneficial to the boy as those little things may influence him positively. Such memories would probably be with boy for as long as he lives.

What I gather from reading about Roethke’s life is that he had a great admiration and respect for his father. His literary carrier was largely inspired by his early years of experience working closely with the father at the family owned greenhouse doing different tasks. It seems like this poems reflects largely on such experiences he had in the early years of his life.

Also, one thing I thought was critical in interpreting this poem is the fact that his father comes from a culture at a different time in history and his behavior may not have been considered as unusual back then.

I can understand how easy it is for some to interpret “My Papa’s Waltz” poem and characterize the father as an outlier and child abuser in today’s society. I would imagine that it would be very hard for a person to act like he did and not be apprehended in any form if that scene happened today, especially because he was under the influence of alcohol.

According to critic Karl Malkoff, Roethke’s father was a man who inspired him greatly. He was perceived as a symbol of strength, admiration and respect and such characteristics become evident as one reads though the lines of “My Papa’s Waltz”. That reinforces the theory that the speaker is not describing a scene of child abuse but capturing a moment of interaction between the son and a father.

The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

The Road Not Taken

2011-10-30T00:30:00.015-04:00

“The Road Not Taken” is one of Robert Frost’s most popular poems in which he metaphorically compares the journey that an individual makes through life with that a traveler makes on a road. In this beautifully written poem, Frost, speaking through the voice of a narrator, captures the reader’s imagination and leads him through some moments of reflection as he is faced with a difficult choice which will significantly impact his life and mold his future.

In the literal sense he is traveling on a road until he comes to a fork in the beginning of the poem. He spends a long time looking in one direction, but decides to follow the other road as it looks more appealing to him. Although he realizes they look “really about the same”, he wishes that at some point in the future he may be able to go back and follow the first as stated in line thirteen.

But then, in line fifteen he instantly dismisses such thought as he realizes that is simply unrealistic. He just cannot go back in time and restart on a different path as he knows that his choice leads him to a multilayer of decisions which in turn will define who he has become. Finally, he sees himself in the future sharing with others that taking the road less traveled by “…has made all the difference” in his life as it is described in line twenty.

The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference." 20

Some events which evolved in the life of Frost which contributed to writing this poem may have been rooted from the necessity to move to England and the decision to dedicate himself entirely to poetry. He moved with his family in September of 1912 at the age of 38 to Beaconsfield, England and eventually to Dymock in May of 1914 motivated by the fact that he wanted to be a poet fulltime.

Other facts which led him to make such a decision were that he became discouraged with his activities as a farmer in New Hampshire and the fact that his teachings at a local college was barely enough to meet ends need.

As it turned out he arrived in London in the midst of a poetry revival movement and he benefited largely from it. The “Georgian Movement” was in favor of realism and a more open language and against the existing Victorian poetry tendency.

Even though he never really was part of such a movement he ended up meeting many intellectual writers such as, Wilfred Gibson, Lascelles Abercrombie and Edward Thomas. The latter eventually became one of his dearest friends (Hart).

By biographical accounts, Edward and Robert used to go for long walks in the English countryside and those walks were a source of inspiration for Frost to write this poem. (Hart). According to Michelle Lee’s words in her Poetry Critical Essay, it is believed that he started drafting this work in 1912 and only finished it by 1915 (Lee). At that time he was back in rural New Hampshire.

By exploring “The Road Not Taken” in depth, Critic William George points out how the poem is actually narrated by a middle-aged man mocking his younger self in the beginning of the poem and his older self at the end, as cited in Lee’s Critical Essay. (Lee)

Frost points out in his biographical work that this poem was meant to be an ironic commentary on Edward’s romantic nature as quite often he showed regrets for choosing one road and not the other when they were walking together (Lee).

However the speaker may very well be representative of two characters, that of his friend Edward and his own, despite Frost’s claim that Thomas is the narrator and the only speaker in The Road Not Taken”.

The speaker apparently comes down a road and stops momentarily at a fork to decide which way to go. Obviously that fork is a metaphor for choice and the view he has of the road ahead is as limited as his ability to fully understand the consequences which will result from choosing to follow a given path in life.

Eduard Thomas, a very well know critic and prose writer became a very close friend of the Frost family. He decides to come with the whole family and spends the month of August, in the summer of 1914, in a cottage near where Robert and few other poets lived in the countryside town of Dymock in Gloucestershire, a hundred and twenty miles west of London.

The intention was to spend time together and exchange their vast knowledge of literature and poetry in particular. The place where they stayed when they first arrived in Dymock in may of 1914 had a gorgeous countryside view, as Frost’s wife, Elinor, describes in a letter to the sister, as being a lovely country with meadows covered with yellow daffodil flowers. From a hill within a few miles from their cottage one has a breathtaking view of the winding Severn River and the Mountains of Wales (Hart)

What I gather as the significance of the title “The Road Not Taken” is that we all look back and wonder about other possible outcomes if we had decided to follow a different path in life. We always wonder what it would be like if we had decided to do things differently and followed another direction.

The title of the poem suggests that the speaker is regretful of his decision and wishes he had taken the other road. The speaker looks back at the scene where he made his fateful decision and wondered about the road not taken. The poem is simply an ironic commentary on the autonomy of choice.

At the time of that decision, the roads have the same claim as they are in appearance “really about the same”. They both “equally lay… In leaves no step had trodden black” However, there is a twist and a contradiction when looked at from the perspective of someone who is in the future talking from experience.

The speaker simply concludes then that,” the one less traveled by” was taken and that made all the difference. Even though he is happy with the outcome of his choice he sounds a little regretful that he could not go the other way.

Frost makes the use of this metaphor to show that a choice impacted his life. In "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood", he compares a decision to two diverging roads. Travelers who face two diverging roads are just like when people have to face a decision in life.

At the very end of the poem, the speaker says "and that has made all the difference" in line twenty meaning that the choices he made in the past caused an impact in his life and determined who he became as a result from it.

I gather that the scene occurs either in the spring or in the fall based on the” yellow wood” reference. That description lends itself to a yellowish tone from the buds of the trees or the covered fields with daffodils which is so common in spring in the region of England he was settled or he simply meant the leaves in autumn.

Two themes in “The Road Not Taken” are individualism and romanticism. When it comes to making a decision and following a journey through life, the individual is on his own and he must choose carefully as he cannot follow two paths at the same time or go back and follow a different one once he has acquired all the knowledge and experience gained from choosing one.

He simply has to face the consequences of his choices. In this poem, Frost not only identifies with his romantic side but he also brings out, in an ironic way, the remarkable romantic nature of his closest friend Edward Thomas (Lee).

“TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood” does not only expresses his emotions of being in contact with the outdoors but also reviews his restlessness as he is faced with the challenge of finding his place in the world.

The poem consists of four stanzas of five lines each and the rhymes are masculine. This is basically an Iambic form as it is one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one. However, variations called Anapestic with two unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one is also present.

The tone of the poem is somewhat murky as the traveler expresses some grief due to the possibilities that the necessity of making a choice is left unfulfilled, as we can see from the words used in the poem such as "sorry" and "sigh" in lines two and sixteen.

The speaker’s initial assessment was that as far as he could tell the second option looked more appealing to him as stated in line eight, “Because it was grassy and wanted wear;”. But he comes to the conclusion that they are both alike in “Had worn them really about the same”.

From his statement on line six, “Then took the other, as just as fair” after he spent some time analyzing his first option it appears that he is fooling himself as he does not have all the facts for either choice and he indirectly admits that despite the fact that he may regret his choice along the way, he must pick one.

Because of this, I sense a tone of self-doubt as he is insecure about the outcome of his decision as he is not sure about what lies ahead and of what his eyes see and his mind can interpret.

In line two, “And sorry I could not travel both” there is a tone of regret because he knows that if he had followed the other path he would have accomplished great things in life as well. However, he cannot stand there doing nothing and must move on.

The poem refers to actual and figurative roads. No matter which road we take there is always a chance that we will find ourselves wondering about the one we did not choose. The fork splitting the roads into two metaphorically presents the factor of choice in line one.

Then in lines four and five we are faced with the unpredictable future. We can only predict our journey for as long as our eyes can see and from then on it is unknown. In line six the speaker spends a long time observing one road but despite its appealing looks he decided to take the other one instead which looked just as fair.

That is a metaphor for sudden decision. Lines thirteen to fifteen present a metaphor for self doubt as he questions whether he may be able to take both roads. He then concluded that he will never be able to come back here at the starting point.

In line twenty he concludes that his life has changed for the better because of the choice he made in “And that has made all the difference. “The Road Not Taken” voices universal dilemma as one will inevitably, at some point in the course of their lives, wonder about an imaginary scenario in which certain decisions were handed differently in their past.

But then again, the speaker realizes that as an individual he must follow only one path and deal with whatever consequences lie ahead. Deep inside he knows that The Road Not Taken is just a distraction which takes his focus from the things that he needs to accomplish.

Work Cited

Hart, Linda. “The English Years of Robert Frost.” Contemporary Review 290.168.

(2008):200+.Literature Resource Center. Web. 20 Oct.2011.
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA182929986&v=2.1&u=mlin_c_quinscc&it=r&p=LitRG&sw=w

Lee, Michelle, Ed. Poetry Criticism. Vol.71 Detroit: Gale, 2006. From Literature Resource Center.
Work Overview, Critical Essay.

Intriguing and Insightful

2011-08-05T18:59:00.006-04:00

Image of PIA13845 North America Nebula in Different Lights taken by Spitzer

Space Telescope - Courtesy of Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Photojournal

Throughout the history of mankind, people have debated whether the universe is the product of random chance and time or the executed work of a higher entity. Despite that, the idea of creationism has prevailed for centuries. However, for the past hundred fifty years the scientific community has pushed to find evidences that the origin of such a complex design has nothing to do with a supreme being contradicting the core value of most religions of the world.

Charles Darwin in “Descent of Man” for example, causes one to reflect on the possibility that all species including, man, is the result of a long evolutionary process which started from some pre-existing lower form. In his brainstorming he also considered the question of how such evolution took place and the importance of every single race’s uniqueness.

While evolutionists contest that there is no evidence of the existence of a creator based on the fact that it cannot be perceived by any physical means, the creationists rebuff such claim saying that the human mind also cannot be tested by any form of scientific equipment but we all know that the invisible realm we call “mind” exists. The same way the mind exists so does the creator, asserts the creationist.

Despite evolution and creationism being considered touchy subjects it is important for students to be exposed to both theories as part of an intellectual exercise. I can imagine that it must be very challenging to teach evolution to students who are grounded on the idea that man is a creation of God.

In fact, about ninety percent of Americans believe in creationism of some form, according to an article published in 1999 by Dr. Jerry Bergman entitled “Teaching Creation and Evolution in Schools”. But, regardless of what each individual believes, students’ intellect can be stimulated as such exercise would prompt them to deal with questions which have evoked the deepest thoughts with regard to human origin.

One positive thing about discussing both topics is that people can be better prepared when defending their own views. It becomes more difficult to accept the idea of creationism with an educated mind. Because individuals that accumulate knowledge tend to rely on what is scientifically reasonable even when there is no hard evidences to prove or discredit one concept or the other.

One important factor about teaching or learning the concepts of evolution or creationism is to understand the psychology which lies behind people’s beliefs. What exactly motivates them to see what they see and do the things they do? It is important to understand where they come from when they defend a certain point of view.

In the end, one’s opinion almost always reflects the environment in which they were raised. Parents play a very important role as well as the influence of friends, community and other elements of our surroundings such as, the media, academic environment and just about anything we come in contact with in our journey through life.

Regardless of people’s cultural differences, human beings have always struggled to understand the beginning of mankind. The fact is that there are a lot of emotions linked to our personal belief system.

Only in an environment of openness, in which diversity of opinion is encouraged and respected, can teaching such a subject flow positively. The reality is, despite all of the theories which offer possible scenarios for the origin of biological life, the question of how we got here is still unanswered.

The fact is that we do not know for sure how it all started. Even though science may offer an explanation and point us in a given direction, early history of the universe and the beginning of biological life are too shady.

Because of that it is fair for people to hypothesize and draw their own conclusions and embrace whatever truth they find reasonable according to their acquired knowledge, values and beliefs.

Obviously, it is important to consider the opinion of other people who have invested their time and resources looking for answers, such as Darwin. I totally disagree with the type of teaching which leans towards imposing an ideology on others.

I was raised in a Christian home and as a child I was led to believe that the universe was created by an omnipotent God who is both superior and in control of all things. No matter how much I have learned and changed over the years, all the information relayed to me during those early years will be with me for as long as I live.

I still perceive the presence of a supreme being just by looking around and observing the works of Mother Nature and the miracle of life. I sense the presence of a higher entity every time I have the rare opportunity to look up at the clear skies far away from urban areas and observe the many bright objects sitting up there seemingly motionless.

It makes me speechless as I reflect on the beauty and complexity of the universe which will remain a mystery for me until the end of my existence. But then again, this perception of a higher presence is dictated by emotions and not reasoning.

Despite believing that such unknown energy influences our surroundings, we are conflicted with the teachings from bible scriptures, as there are many gaps and unexplainable events throughout the course of those readings.

When one thinks reasonably, based on their human experience, it is very difficult to accept the concept of creation. Deep inside it is kind of hard to believe that things appeared suddenly as if touched by magic. There has got to be more to it. It is easier for us to pictures things being modified and taking new shapes and form through the course of time.

Another thing which would cause one to be skeptical is the fact that the bible, one of the oldest books of the history of mankind, has been written by many different people, in different occasions and those writings have been revised many times over and subjected to reinterpretations for centuries.

One may be inclined to believe that the wording in the bible may have been tweaked or modified in the course of history. As science has progressed, the idea of creationism has been confronted. In order for one to believe in the unexplainable facts the bible presents takes faith.

But as it turns out faith is blind as it is harbored on emotions and does not rely on any scientifically proven consensus. The controversy around creationism and evolution will always exist.

I believe in the evolution concept in the sense that the universe is a constantly changing environment as it suffers the influence of time because that is what I experience as a human being. On the other hand, I find it quite difficult to believe the theory that humans evolved from a lower form such as apes for example.

Both creationism and evolution concepts cast many doubts and I do not blindly lean to either side. I look at both theories with a critical eye and despite my doubts; I cannot deny that they are both intriguing and insightful.

The reality is that the controversy over creationism and evolution will go on indefinitely or as far as we lack solid scientific evidences to prove one way or the other. Although the idea of evolution gains new grounds with the advances of studies in several fields such as, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Geology, and Thermodynamics, there are still many unknown facts in which science cannot uncover.

While the debate goes on, teaching evolution in schools is inevitable and necessary. I find it important that students deal with both sides of the equation as an intellectual exercise. I also find it important that people respect each other’s opinion.

According to this metaphor from the bible found in 2 Peter 3:8-9, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day”, what is a long time according to our human experience could mean a fraction of a second to the creator of the universe and all things in it, and vice versa.

My understanding is that from a creationist perspective time is simply meaningless and the accomplishment of the design of the world may have taken millions of years and may not have happened in a flash like we were made to believe.

But then again this is the reasoning of a human mind and the fact of the matter is that we simply do not know the answer and the question of the origin of the world will remain a mystery long after many of us are gone.

Palm Oil - A Symbol of Pride or an Instrument of Greed?

2011-07-06T00:39:00.023-04:00

Courtesy of Justin Mott, The New York Times

"A worker collects Palm Oil fruit in a Malaysian plantation".

Igbo people considered palm oil one of their finest commodities according to Chinua Achebe’s fictional work “Things Fall Apart”. “Things Fall Apart” was published for the first time in nineteen fifty eight and portrays the conflict between European colonialists and the indigenous people of Igboland just before the colonization was officially declared. According to Achebe’s narrative palm oil was commonly used by the Igbo villagers. In addition to serving as an important food ingredient it was used to pay respect to each other and also to reverence their gods during some religious ceremonies. The passage “proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten” really entices one to reflect on the importance of the cherished oil in the lives of Igbo people. In trying to understand the meaning of the metaphor I imagine that palm oil, utilized in this context to symbolize all foods, was as vital to them as the eloquence of words which should be used as an instrument of interaction among the Igbo communities.

It appears that outstanding agricultural harvesting and a sound verbal communication were two important factors which could lead one to reach success and ascend on the Igbo social ladder. Despite the fact that the yam was highly regarded as one of the most important cash crops for the Igbo farmers, palm oil always held a place of importance for that society as well. In fact, for the longest time, it has taken the lead as a symbol of prosperity not just for that particular region of West Africa but also for other countries which had favorable climates. Palm oil used to be transported in the slave merchant ships both as a valuable trade commodity and also as an essential part of the slave’s diet. Throughout the history of mankind, palm oil’s role has changed from simply being considered as an eatable ingredient or as an object used to show respect and friendship. It has become a highly regarded component used in industrialized foods and as a raw material for other industries such as cosmetics and bio fuel which millions of people around the world are becoming increasingly dependent.

Historically, societies are inclined to look for resources elsewhere if there are shortages at home or with the intent of increasing their economical power. Achebe highlights the effects of colonization of Nigeria by the British in the 1900’s through his literary work. When the imperialists first established themselves in Igboland many local communities did not accept what they considered an invasion of their sovereignty. Some communities fiercely resisted the colonial rulers under the leadership of a movement called Ekumeku. This movement was formed in 1898 to fight against the collapse of Igbo customs and traditions and against the imperialists who were causing such harm by advancing to the interior of Nigeria to explore their resources. The Anglican missionaries had an important role in paving the way for the British as they were the first ones who took the challenge to venture inland. Based on what they witnessed the imperialists took the necessary steps to consolidate the British domination of the land. Some of the main factors that prompted the British to colonize the country were marked by the end of the slave trade in the early 1800’s, the desire to expand its commerce of manufactured goods in Africa and other parts of the world and also to boost palm oil production which was already a highly attractive commodity at the time and especially needed to attend the requirements of industrial processes back home (Metz).

The exploration of palm oil was in fact a strong subject of interest of British imperialists who long had knowledge of tales from people who had sporadically visited the West Africa tropical region since the 1500’s. They decided to take action and push colonization of the land, which would eventually be called Nigeria, as the British saw the potential for West Africa to become one of the biggest oil suppliers of the newly established markets created by the British Industrial revolution. Despite their ambitious plans, the oil market did not show any significant improvement for quite some time as they had to overcome a number of adversities during the implementation of experimental plantation projects. One of the drawbacks was a low competitiveness of the West Africa product compared to the high quality oil which started being produced in Malaysia. British colonialists decided to provide logistics and training support to local farmers in order to boost the quality and make the product become more competitive internationally. Eventually, the imperialists started investing more resources and British-run plantations were established in Central Africa, and also in Southeast Asia, and slowly the investment started to pay off and show more significant results. Palm oil was considered a very important raw material used to make lubricants for machinery, candles, and for food components in Europe at the time (Berger).

West Africans had been familiar with oil palm for thousands of years as the plant was native to those regions closest to the tropics, especially in humid forest areas along river banks. Long before the British colonialists came to Igboland, many farmers were producing oil from palm but their methods were laborious and counterproductive and most of its production was either meant for internal consumption or exchanged with other necessary merchandise in neighboring villages. Only a small portion was exported outside the country through merchant slave ships. The European-run plantations established in Central Africa after the 1900’s eventually presented better quality oil compared to other local plantations which were not well structured. Another factor is that the workforce that headed the plantation projects was better trained and used better equipment. Palm oil plantation initiative was a prominent business and despite it having some up and downs in the beginning, eventually rendered significant gains for companies established in Africa. Despite that, symbols periodically change its meanings according to society needs. As societies are constantly changing their values and patterns of behavior, one would expect that certain symbols would eventually die out and become irrelevant. However, this has not been the case with palm oil which has been around for hundreds of years and represents today one of Nigeria’s main sources of economics. Palm oil can be used for a number of applications in different industries such as food, cosmetics and bio fuel. These factors alone may not have been the only reason that the European decided to colonize Nigeria but they are certainly some of the most important factors. (Berger)

Even though oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is native to West Africa it has spread to different areas such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Colombia where the environment was considered favorable. Palm oil has also been produced in Brazil obviously at a considerably lower scale compared to countries considered major players such as Indonesia and Malaysia which are known to produce about 90% of the world production. In Brazil palm oil was initially produced in the state of Bahia and most recently plantation projects have expanded to other areas such as the state of Para in the Amazon region (Fisher). However, Bahia has been known to cultivate palm oil since the times of colonization. It is a place where the African culture is remarkably alive due to three hundred years of slave trade activities during the colonization of Brazil by the Portuguese. Bahia is located in the northeastern region of Brazil, right on the Atlantic coast, and its population is predominantly black as it was a “second home” to millions of Africans who were traded as slaves and transported across the Atlantic Ocean.

Most of these slaves came from the West Africa coast starting around the 1550’s which was right after Portugal established its colony in Brazil. It is estimated that more than three million slaves made their way into the country from the 1600’s to 1900’s (Wikipedia, Slavery in Brazil) Their final destination was to work in the sugar cane mills and coffee plantations and also in gold mining activities in the provinces of Bahia, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro. The main port of entrance of these people from Africa was Porto Seguro in the Province of Bahia which was considered a strategic geographic point between West Africa and Brazil. From there they were relocated to farmers from other inland provinces. Obviously, the Portuguese carried Palm oil and other supplies such as the yam and taro as these items were considered essential to the African diet. Palm oil plantations are known to be introduced to Brazil in the early 1700’s (Brazil: A culinary journey, by Cherie Hamilton) as the slave trade was expanding and slave carriers criss-crossed the Atlantic from the east coast of Africa to either Brazil or America.

Interestingly, the influence of the African culture in Brazil was a lot stronger compared to that of the United States. In an attempt to gain a better perspective on how palm oil and other cultural elements became so unique in the lives of northern Brazilians and not so much in America, I continued reading a little more about the dynamics of the adaptation of the African element in both Brazil and the United States. Historians claim that the number of people traded as slaves in Brazil reached 38% of the total number of slaves acquired on the West coast of Africa while the number of people who came to the United States was close to 6%. The considerable higher amount of slaves transported to the northern region of Brazil may explain why the African culture is thriving there and more specifically in the state of Bahia. On the other hand, authorities in the US had much tighter control on the amount of slaves traded on American soil to work in the southern States plantations. The black population in the United States does not appear to have memories of the cultural identity of their ancestors. This is mainly because they were in significant smaller numbers compared to the contingent sent to Brazil.

Another factor is that in Brazil there were laws which prohibited family members to be separated while this did not exist in the US. Also, slaves were kept from expressing any aspect of their culture. The Portuguese also prohibited slaves to speak in their tongue and express their culture as they were primarily concerned with productivity. Apparently they were unable to control the slaves behavior at its fullest especially when they were gathered at the Senzalas (slave quarters) during off hours. The fact that the law allowed family members to remain together contributed enormously to the retention of their memories. Under such circumstances it was inevitable that many aspects of the West African culture such as; religion, art, music, dance and culinary had better chances to survive in Brazil, despite the fact that in the early years they could only express themselves hidden in the woods as it was considered illegal to have such manifestation publicly. Brazilians owe a lot to West Africans for contributing enormously to the formation of their cultural identity. Some of the most expressive elements which have strong African influence are, Carnival (samba), Capoeira (a mixture of fight camouflaged as dance from Angola), Camdomble (Religion from Yoruba African tribe), and the inevitable role of palm oil in a wide variety of foods which helped to preserve the memories of the African culture so remarkably well (Brazil-travel-guide.com)

Muqueca Baiana - Courtesy of AnaToscano
"A traditional Bahia's seafood stew made with plenty of palm oil and coconut milk".

When palm oil was first introduced in Brazil, as a result of the slave trade, there were no great expectations in terms of making it a highly profitable crop. The main purpose of it was to use it as a food commodity to those populations which arrived from Africa. Since then oil palm had been cultivated in Bahia but such activity has always maintained a low profile in terms of international market competitiveness. Today the production of palm oil has not reached impressive numbers in that country and it still imports half of the oil it utilizes for bio fuel purposes. For many decades soy bean has been the most representative oilseed crop produced in the country and its production has ranked second largest in the world market with the United States ranking first. Another focus of Brazilian economy is bio-fuels. The country started producing ethanol from sugar cane in result of laborious research done in the 70s as an alternative to fossil fuel.

Thanks to the Brazilian government, who had the vision of developing bio fuel technology at a time fossil fuel prices were relatively low, Brazil has become the leading force in renewable crop energy. Now both the private sector and the government are focusing more closely on the production of bio fuel from Palm oil as well. Many of the lessons learned from the challenges faced by cultures of soybean, sugar cane and the experience of the large palm oil producers from Indonesia and Malaysia have taught entrepreneurial groups that the best way to go is to be positioned according to increasingly consumer demand and be focused in producing according to environmentally sustainable guidelines (Payne). The baseline of a sustainable development approach of agriculture is to respect the environment and manage to address social issues accordingly.

In an era where the world has become exceedingly dependent on renewable energy there have been claims that cultivation of palm oil has caused great ecological impact, especially in Asian countries. For a long time the world has heard the outcry of environmentalists who claim that industrial scale grown oil palm is largely responsible for destruction of enormous areas of forests and such activities have cascaded into greater environmental and social problems. It appears that countries in Latin America such as Columbia and Brazil are doing their homework and exercising caution so that the mistakes made by Asian countries are not repeated in Latin America. Despite that, there is always room for abusive behavior on the part of producers who would use palm oil as an instrument of greed and not refrain from taking short cuts in order to make substantial investment returns. Despite the fact that Brazil has a history of deforestation in parts of the Amazon area, there are still millions of hectares untouched which must be preserved at any cost. Industrial cash crop plantations tend to be more closely controlled especially if there is an enormous financial risk and credibility is involved.

Since 2004 sustainable practices have been reinforced by an international organization called The Round Table on Sustainable Palm (RSPO). RSPO’s body was formed by a number of stakeholders with expertise in many different areas and although they may also be part of different industries, they all have one thing in common, which is the concern for social and environmental aspects in dealing with palm oil. In order for products to be commercialized abroad they need to be certified by RSPO as environmentally and socially sustainable (Osava). Even though it will take many years before Brazil makes headway into the international marketplace, both the government and interested groups have implemented very tight guidelines to ensure that growers follow the rules in order to avoid roadblocks as a result of environmental and social concerns of violations. Planters need to comply with such laws in order to meet high international standards as this will be the only way to make the product appealing to customers abroad. Many interested stakeholders are on the move and taking aggressive steps to make Brazil one of the major palm oil suppliers in the next few decades (Osava).

Even though consumers are more aware of the implications of how the environment responds to the way humans behave, there are certain things we cannot control. The world population has expanded a great deal over time and all of the decisions we have made in the course of history have significantly impacted the environment and therefore, our quality of life. Human activities have depleted a great deal of the natural resources in the course of time and the prospect of the future is not very positive. Societies have to rethink the condition of humans, reassess their interests and accept that they live on a vulnerable planet. With the growing demand of food the forest areas have slowly been replaced by cash crop plantations and livestock fields in order to attend the needs of highly populated urban areas. Palm oil, regarded as one of the greatest commodities of mankind highlights this situation quite well as more than 50% of all manufactured goods we consume on a daily basis is known to be made with it. In an era in which we recognize that the planet is suffering enormously from environmental imbalances it is important to treat it with respect and preserve its integrity so that future generations will have the ability to enjoy it the way we did.

References:
Metz, Helen Chapin,”Figure1.Administrative Divisions of Nigeria as of August 1991” April 1992
http://www.workmall.com/wfb2001/nigeria/nigeria_history_introduction.html
Nigeria Introduction – Flags, Maps, Economy, Geography, Climate, Natural Resources, Current ISS

Berger, K. G., Martin, S. M. “II.E.3. - Palm Oil”
http://www.cambridge.org/us/books/kiple/palmoil.htm
The Cambridge World History of Foods, published by Cambridge University Press

Nigeria Commodity trades
http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/12.htm
Igbo people – the Portuguese were the first to have contact with Igbo people

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Igbo.aspx

Osava, Maria, “Brazil to expand palm oil plantations on 32 million acres of degraded land”
http://deforestationwatch.org/index.php/Key-Papers/Brazil-to-expand-palm-oil-plantations-on-32-
Million-acres-of-degraded-land.html?show=1
Deforestation Watch, 2011

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Knopf, 1995.

SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Things Fall Apart.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 17 May 2011

Countries and Their Cultures, “Igbo”
http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Igbo.html

Bahia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahia

Historical Geography of Nigeria, “A Basic Chronology for Nigeria’s Historical Geography”
http://www.uni.edu/gai/Nigeria/Background/Standard17.html

Nigeria, the Colonial Economic Legacy, Early British Colonialism
Helen Chapin Metz, ed. Nigeria: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of
Congress, 1991. http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/53.htm

Fischer, Rosa Maria; Bose, Monica; Borba, Paulo da, “A quest for sustainable economic and social
development” AlohaBay.com
Brazilian Agropalma Family Agriculture Project
http://www.alohabay.com/planet/palm_oil.html

Brazil-travel-guide.com
http://www.brazil-travel-guide.com/Black-In-Brazil.html

The Afro-Brazil
Africans in Brazil: Some highlights

Wikipedia, “Slavery in Brazil”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_Brazil

Brazil-travel-northeast.com
“History of Carnival in Brazil” http://www.brazil-travel-northeast.com/history-of-carnival.html

Payne, Nathaniel
“Brazil Is Poised to Become the Global Leader in Sustainable Palm Oil Production”, Finance & Investment, justmeans.com, Nov 2010.

http://www.justmeans.com/Brazil-Is-Poised-Become-Global-Leader-In-Sustainable-Palm-Oil-Production/37164.html

Enemy Forces

2011-04-20T22:07:00.006-04:00

According to Karl Marx, one of the greatest modern thinkers, Bourgeoisie and Proletariat are two major enemy forces which have greatly influenced the history of mankind. Marx believed in the overthrow of capitalists by workers whom he referred to as the proletariat. Such forces represented a major class conflict as the Bourgeoisie, or capitalists, are driven into building a disproportional wealth at the cost of exploiting cheap labor and subjecting the workers to such extreme conditions that they resembled slavery.

Marx believed that the only way for equilibrium between these two forces would be through a revolution. The Bourgeoisie were mainly represented by a group of people that owned the means for production including; factories, machines, land and capital. They basically held the power and dictated the rules of society at according to their will and their needs. The proletariat on the other hand was the exploited worker who struggled through harsh conditions in order to survive. Marx believed that at some point the workers would get themselves organized and stand up against the oppressors in a bloody revolution. The consequence of such an uprising would be a classless society free of exploitation and people’s talents would be utilized and compensated fairly. They also would receive services and goods according to their needs.

Such concepts were mainly advocated by Anarchists and Communists and can be seen through developments made during the Industrial revolution which took place between the 1800s and 1900s. This revolution started in England and spread throughout other western nations, including the United States. Obviously, during that time, many new opportunities spread throughout society and capital started to flow down to the continuously growing middle class. However, the capitalists had a much better prospect of doubling their investment at a faster rate while most of those who worked in industrial process, in urban areas, struggled very hard to make a living. During that time there was a huge gap between capitalists and the workers who were treated inhumanly. They worked many hours in the factory production lines for considerably low pay and little or no benefits. They also struggled in rural areas. The capitalists would quickly build their empire and distance themselves from the working class who lived almost like slaves.

Many things have changed throughout the history of mankind; however, regardless of government systems, there has always been inequality and a certain level of dissatisfaction for the people of society. Economic inequality has always existed and will likely never be rectified. The reason for that is because people are different. Some people have resources and others do not. Some develop an intellectual ability and are actively engaged in a process of growth. Others may not have such ability or the will to compete. Under such circumstances it becomes extremely hard for the latter to ascend on the social ladder. Despite this, people in this society have unique opportunities today to develop themselves and reach their highest aspirations provided they have the willingness to cope with adverse circumstances. In this country, people are encouraged to grow and prosper and the middle class is quite robust. This is no comparison with the newly born capitalism of the early years of the industrial revolution. We live a much better life today as society has grown dramatically; however, class conflict is always going to be present no matter how developed a society is.

Karl Marx stated that class conflict is the key to human history. He arrived at that conclusion after doing a study on society throughout history during the industrial revolution. When Marx made such observations, capitalism was only in its beginning and he was moved by the way workers were so mistreated by employers and how they lived in such precarious conditions. People’s wages were barely enough to eat and life expectancy was about thirty to thirty five years. Society has changed dramatically since then and now we live in a different capitalism age. As part of a developed nation we are privileged in many respects but the conflicts are always going to be there. As society has continuously changed and become more dependent on technology over the years, people’s expectations and needs have also changed overtime. Labor has become more specialized and capital has been distributed throughout the whole society. In a highly competitive environment there is constant struggle for the survival of the fittest.

A Look at More’s Utopia

2011-03-01T11:24:00.004-05:00

Thomas More’s Utopia work published in 1516 describes an imaginary place in some Atlantic Island in which the people live under some sort of ideal socialist structured regime. Such society is organized in a way that everything is arranged as uniformly and predictable as possible. Its residents are hard working and everyone produces for the common good of the whole community. All the goods and services produced are distributed evenly and fairly among its people. The land has no currency and its residents have no desire or the need to accumulate wealth.

In Utopia there is no crime, no robberies, no competition and everyone is a winner. They have at hand just about anything they need in order to have a decent life. They wear basically the same style clothes and their houses are constructed the same way. In Utopia there is no such a thing as privately owned property and everything belongs to the state. They share everything they produce and are happy with the system and the way it works. All activities there are monitored to ensure that every single resident is a contributor but also to ensure that people get their fair share of whatever they produce.

Utopia is portrayed as some sort of paradisiacal place or a heaven on earth. It is a society which everyone is happy because there are no social conflicts as one helps each other out. At first sight, this concept sounds like the kind of scenario many of us would envision ourselves in and a solution for the world problems. No corruption, no poverty, no crime, no hanger and a safe haven for the children who would grow without the influence of drugs or crime. I can also see why people would not be under stress in such lifestyle. All of that sounds fantastic and may falsely lead us to believe that it is a perfect scenario which would be beneficial to all people.

In a way I believe it is, however, that system also presents some imperfections which could pose a threat to mankind. It would basically make us alienated and locked inside a box. First of all, it inhibits imagination and creativity, as people would just accept the ordinary as normal and act mostly like robots in a production line. They would not have any motivation to grow and become outstanding in something. There would be no competition and people would not be tempted to try doing things differently because they would not have any advantages and the motivation for doing so.

I can imagine that the only factor which make Utopian resident happy and satisfied is the fact that they have never being in a position of making comparisons. This is all they have experienced in life and it works for them not just because this is a great system but because one becomes alienated and do not think that there is any other way of doing things.

I can see how such a scenario would fulfill some kind of higher purpose for certain individuals. That may be a place in which they would have the chance to detach themselves from the reality of this world and from the earthly influences and invest part of their time into some divine objective. I think of Utopia as being a very restricted religious community of some sort.

I do not think that the Utopia concept would be achievable by any means just because we operate differently as human beings. Some people are inevitably more productive than others and we work in different pace. Consequently results are going to be impacted.

Apparently there is no such a thing as conflict in Utopia. However that is one of the most important aspects of a free society. It has been that way from beginning of times and nothing will change that. In a free society like ours we encourage creativity. And that is the water divider between the rich and the poor. It makes us excel in the arts and incite us to solve problems in many different ways.

Paradoxically, as some humans develop themselves and build a higher life they naturally distance themselves from the least privileged ones. Such separation is inevitable but it compounds into a chain reaction of social problems. Despite of certain inconveniences of living in a free society I would not change for the idea of a perfect place such as Utopia. It sounds like an extremely boring place to be at even though it could present certain advantages.

The Arab Revolution – A Sleeping Giant Awakens

2011-02-25T01:46:00.017-05:00

Egypt's revolution

Most of us have witnessed reports of political turmoil in the Arab world which started in Tunisia with the Jasmine revolution and caused the ousting of long-time Tunisian ruler, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. This unrest advanced to Egypt in much greater dimension eventually causing its ruler, Hosni Mubarak, to step down in recent weeks and surrender his power to the military until an election can be held and another leader can be chosen by the people of Egypt as a first step in the transition from a totalitarian system into democracy.

Opposing groups from other countries of North Africa and the Middle East such as Yemen, Jordan, Libya and Bahrain have understood that this is a unique moment in history for them to make a move and do all kinds of demonstrations to try to oust their governments and push for a better quality of life and a more open and fair society.

What these societies are echoing in one voice in the Arab world and Africa is that there is distrust in their governmental institutions. One may think that such institutions were established with the sole purpose of protecting the interests of all citizens, when in fact they are not suitably structured to fulfill such expectation.

Due to an overspread state of corruption, these states are basically unable to provide their people with the basic freedoms necessary for them to grow as individuals and help them to reach their aspirations to produce better and higher lives for themselves and their families.

For very long, the people have realized that these totalitarian government systems are flawed. These opposition groups representing populations of those countries are simply demanding what they believe they deserve by right: a more respectful life for all citizens, institutions which are not corrupted, and more focused on the interests and priorities of their citizens than those of themselves.

All of the anti-government demonstrations of these few past days in North of Africa and Arab countries are an indication that people are fed up with the status quo and they are willing to fight and to do whatever it takes to promote changes in government system.

These ongoing developments are reminders that the political scenarios of the world are constantly evolving as people from distant cultures become more integrated and more aware of their rights. The internet has created a major impact in these events and it has been used as one of the most important tools to disseminate information among the people; to organize themselves and call for demonstration acts. People have also been able to watch pro-democracy uprisings events on satellite television and communicate with other activists through internet social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Individuals from every corner of the globe have a much better understanding of their government’s policies and how these policies have affected them overtime. They are also aware of what is going on in different countries and they cannot help making comparisons to their own. All of this is possible because technology has shortened the distances significantly and people are getting more educated on events at a very fast pace as they can access news media in real time from just about any place on the globe very quickly.

The events occurring in the Arab world are indications that people cannot be fooled for too long anymore in this information era. People know what is going on, what works for them and what does not. All the chain reaction manifestations occurring in that part of the world lead us to believe that the people decided to face the fear which has inhibited them for so long and they finally vowed to fight for their rights. Obviously whatever result from those uprising actions will come at a price. It is certain that many lives will be lost as it has happened over these past few weeks. It is expected that government security forces will keep on trying to obstruct any kind of anti-government demonstrations.

With the world watching all the action in the Arab world up close, it seems that some of these governments are still inflexible and all of these developments are making them very nervous about the possibility of losing the power which they held for so long. Despite that, many hope that some of those governments will follow the path that Tunisia and Egypt took and be willing to compromise and maybe give democracy a chance. One of the low sides when dealing with totalitarian government is that such systems are usually corrupted at all levels and the taxpayers do not usually see their resources being utilized on projects which would benefit them and in a way to promote the well being of the country’s population.

For the most part, large amounts of such resources end up in the pockets of officials who occupy privileged positions with the government or of companies which interests are directly lined up with those who represent the government body. Such a vicious cycle results in a very disproportionate build-up of wealth by those privileged individuals while the common citizen, the majority, struggles usually in conditions of extreme poverty.

In order to be in control, such systems always base themselves on force, sometimes with acts of violence. In addition to this, fraud is always present in their tactics to maintain their power. A very clear example of this is how the Libyan government has reacted in the past few days in the face of the huge anti-government acts by demonstrators in Tripoli and other cities in an attempt to overthrow President Moammar Gadhafi who has been in power for the past 41 years. There have been reports of disproportionate power been used against the demonstrators by that government in order to contain the acts against the interests of the state.

In the face of what is going on in the Arab world these days I draw a few comparisons with the Antigone drama written in 442 B.C by Sophocles. One can easily detect the insecurities reveled by King Creon when his authority is questioned or challenged by Antigone who acts against the established order, but for a cause which is greater than herself. In this case, King Creon is represented here by those rulers who, not surprisingly, are very uneasy about the actions of a population which publicly challenges the sense of order imposed by them. Antigone is the personification of the anti-government demonstrators, who for the safeguarding of human rights and restoration of civil liberties which are considered noble causes and much like what Antigone wanted to attain.In the play.

Antigone is found guilty and dies as a winner for sticking with her convictions. Creon is a proud man and goes ahead with the plan of punishing Antigone.In the end Antigone comes out stronger even though she lost her life but Creon is disgraced by his own arrogance and inflexible views. Since those pro-democracy demonstrations have erupted weeks ago in the North Africa and Arab world, hundreds of people have lost their lives fighting for something which certainly will impact the lives of the future generations.

Roughly, once this whole thing settles it is possible that it will bring a sentiment of stability for the region and better conditions for those populations. The only way to attain this is by the realization that the status quo is not working for the people and something must be done about it to correct what is not functioning properly. In light of the facts, one hopes that the events which unfold right now will have a happy ending and will go into the history books as one of the greatest developments in history for the Arab world.

Marriage and Cohabitation

2010-12-14T01:04:00.011-05:00

Historically, marriage was meant to be a permanent institution only dissolved in extreme situations, by death of one of the spouses. Cohabitation was not a common practice because society viewed it as unacceptable behavior. That was the expectation for individuals who lived decades ago. Back then, marriage may have provided some sort of emotional and financial stability especially for women who were not allowed to articulate themselves so easily because they were expected to do house chores and were committed to taking care of the family. The down side of that is that as a married woman they were completely dependent on the husband for their needs.

Also the number of people who risked living together before marriage was infinitely smaller compared to today’s standards. People were literally locked in the idea that marriage was something meant for life and they would be less likely to cohabitate as it carried a negative label which would harm their reputation and compromise the ability of finding a good marriage eventually if such relationship did not work out. Even though marriage was viewed as the ideal scenario in the eyes of society, it always has had its shortcomings; especially during the early days. For the most part, women had to conform to the idea that men were in charge. They were the ones who made important decisions and the wives did not have many options in the relationship.

The husband was the breadwinner and provided for the whole family and the wife’s main role was to bear and raise children, teach them certain principles, and take care of the house. However, they were not entirely happy with such routine and at some point they decided to get organized and break away from the cycle of dependence and take more responsibility outside the home environment.

As a society, we have been through constant behavioral change and women’s liberation is just one example of it. One important event in the history of this country was women becoming engaged in industrial work in order to cover for the lack of available male workers during World War I.

A large number of men were absent as a result of leaving this country to fight the war. During the feminist movement in the late sixties, women made a series of claims which eventually caused a variety of social and cultural changes. Such changes put women in a very privileged position.

It impacted family relations, religion, the place of women in society, the relationships between men and women and gendered language. Those were very positive developments which transcended all expectations they had in previous years.

After such developments women finally came out of seclusion and took a more active and responsible role in society. Soon they executed jobs which once were only held by male workers. They were also more engaged socially and felt they could do whatever men did. They became more liberal with regard to sex, went to bars and drank and smoked in public places with friends all without the fear of being tagged negatively. Suddenly men and women were seen as equal.

Or at least in the sense that women were doing the things which once were attributes of men only. They were equal in the sense that women suddenly had opportunities which they never imagined could be possible. They became educated, grew financially and contributed enormously to the family budget and society growth. Roles changed and suddenly women realized they could exercise the same rights men did despite the fact that they

were still considered a minority group.

Back in the sixties and seventies the instances of cohabitation were not as significant because it ruined women’s image if they lived with some guy who may or may not eventually marry them. That was not a desirable position to be in and certainly not the position a parent would like to see their daughter in.

Today people may still be uneasy about it but, in the eyes of society, it has become tremendously more acceptable because women have developed themselves and become more independent. They are professionals, have jobs and make their own money. They are capable of carrying on with their social obligations without the interaction of men in their lives if they so desire.

There may be women college students who may not be financially independent but will seek to split the costs of living while they have the benefit of sharing an intimate life. Cohabitation is a form of trial marriage in which people will have a taste of what married life is like without the prospect of staying in the situation forced by a legal document.

The number of people cohabiting has soared over the past few decades; however, so have the number of divorces and statistically, people who have cohabited before marriage have a higher likelihood of filing for divorce than people who have never cohabitated.

Trends of divorce and cohabitation relationships are inversely proportional to the rate of marriages. The number of people getting married is significantly lower compared to the number of those filing for divorce and those who cohabitate. People are definitely becoming more conservative when it comes to getting married.

Maybe one concern people have faced with the idea of marriage is that if things do not work out right they will have to spend substantial amount of money with legal fees in order to undue the marriage formality. Or maybe another concern is that they will have to split their capital and that may limit their position of power. In short, living in a complex society such as this, we are constantly bombarded with information and we face all sorts of challenges and decisions.

We are put to the test every single day and sometimes the pressure is too great to bear. We change our moods, may become off centered and that may affect our partners and subsequently our marriages. Big problems may cause serious disagreements in the life of a married couple and potentially lead to divorce. It seems that some people are not too optimistic and anticipate high odds of a marriage ending in divorce. It is sad that more do not grasp the romantic view that marriage is something which can last their entire life.

Class Conflict and How to Fish

2010-11-23T01:09:00.006-05:00

The gap between the rich and the poor in Brazil, one of the most promising of emerging economies today, is so vast that the population representing the middle class becomes an insignificant statistic. For the most part the individual is either filthy rich and controls much of society or he is dirt poor and lives in conformity with the established system.

Among the “have nots” there are different kinds. One could be simply poor and trade his services for a certain level of comfort. Those who earn minimum wages struggle to meet basic needs and on the very bottom of the ladder are those who are extremely poor. Those usually do not make any wage and live in extreme misery and abandonment.

Growing up in a big city like Sao Paulo, it was not uncommon to be in close contact with people in such circumstances. They lived completely disengaged from society and roamed all over the place, especially in downtown areas. It was literally impossible not to notice them. The shocking reality is that most of those people were children of both sexes.

Some of them were begging others trying to sell all kinds of stuff to drivers at the traffic lights as their vehicles came to a full stop. Not surprisingly a few of them were just preying on people and waiting for an opportunity to steal their belongings. That was a very sad and scary picture. What led them to end up living on the streets like that is one thing that I could not help thinking about.

Almost three decades have passed since I left Brazil and the situation has not gotten any better. I see it on the news sometimes. Yes, it is true that Brazil has become an attractive market for foreign investment and the country is much better off today economically compared to decades ago; however, that status does not impress me. The country’s wealth is still retained by a very select group of people and the poverty rate is astonishing.

That trend translates into more people roaming the city streets, begging or hassling drivers at stop lights or waiting for an opportunity to steal someone’s watch or a pair of sneakers. That sounds awful and it kind of hurt my pride but it is a fact and it happens more often than one can imagine.

During my younger years I do not remember things being so bad. I had never heard of people scavenging dumpsters looking for leftover foods. Maybe there was but because the media was not as efficient back then those things were not as visible to the public eye as it is today.

Recently I saw a scene on the news in which a few people defended their space in a landfill as if they were in a goldmine. They looked for anything that may be converted to money, such as, scrap of metal, soda cans, corrugated boxes, and anything which appeared to be useful to them.

In other scene, individuals were scavenging the garbage in search of food. To get to the point, it is obvious that these people either did not have choices in life or did not have the strength to fight for something better. While lack of opportunities leads some people to do unimaginable acts such as this to survive, others simply follow a path of illegality in order to get the things they want.

People are generally considered a given society’s best asset, provided they are educated and have good support from the system. However, how can society expect anything good from an individual who has a bad start in life? It is possible that such an individual will lead an antagonistic life and pose a serious threat to the community. The probability that an individual with such a profile will turn to crime is actually quite high. One way or another he will eventually become a charge to the state.

Who is to blame? According to Karl Marx the roots of human misery lay in class conflict. And class conflict is the very essence of society. Throughout the course of history we have learned that smarter people manage to establish themselves in life and build economic mobility for themselves and their generation much easier than a person who has fewer resources. We all know that historically, inequality is what makes society what it is. This will never change.

However, an ignorant individual with no family struture roaming around the city will serve no purpose to society either. On the contrary, it creates an environment of instability because when people have nothing to lose they will endanger the lives of themselves and others and create an environment of fear. They will turn to deviance in the blink of an eye and will not hesitate to take someone’s life for very little.

With regard to the situation of children being exploited and marginalized, especially in cities such as Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and others, there is not much that can be done on the part of federal government to minimize the problem. It is primarily an issue which needs to be dealt by local authorities and affected communities.

Society should mobilize itself and become more proactive in educating and supporting individuals to exercise their rights of citizenship. The state should be more forceful and educate people to have a better planing when the subject is bringing children to this world. There is a chance such measures might minimize the problem of children roaming on the streets and end up being a public charge.

Education is one factor which will motivate and help people to have a sense of purpose in life. While it helps boots one’s morals it also pushes individuals to become part of solution and not the problem. Eventually they will be engaged in society’s growth process and not simply be considered as a bad statistic.

Another factor to consider is that the elite do not run the country by themselves. They dominate because they own the capital and industrial processes. However, they are very much dependent on the support of people of technical expertise who meet a certain level education and professional training in order for them to generate revenues and grow their capital.

People with no family structure, lack education and do not have any kind of guidance in a competitive society like the one we live in, are counterproductive and more likely to become dependent on others and on the system. The odds that individuals with such profile will be involved in wrongdoing and become a charge to the state are much greater.

I tend to believe that individuals who are engaged in a path which gives them hope they will become motivated enough to keep doing whatever they need to do to improve their quality of life. If they feel they have a shot there is a stronger possibility they will embrace the cause and be less tempted to turn to deviance.

The price of ignorance is very high indeed and society suffers when large portions of its population live in poverty and illiteracy. Teaching the least privileged “how to fish” and letting them hold a place in society may be a positive alternative in which it would be beneficial to everyone.

Maybe as a result crime statistics would be reduced. Maybe there would be fewer children living on the streets. Maybe there would be no reason for extreme measures of repression. Who knows one day children may even be treated more like children and not viewed as potential offenders of the elite’s established order.

Work Cited:
Henslin, James M., Sociology “A Down-to-Earth Approach” - Thinking Critically – Open Season: Children as Prey

Heredity or Environment? How much influence does each have?

2010-11-05T13:50:00.015-04:00

It is unquestionable that heredity plays an important role in dictating many aspects of who we are. That is particularly true in regard to our physical characteristics and genetic predisposition. But such a role falls short compared to how powerful the environment is in the process of a person’s development in the course of their life. The environment is responsible for shaping and defining an individual’s perception of one’s self and the world around them.

Besides influencing one’s behavior, external factors can also affect an individual’s health and interfere with their natural biologic course, potentially leading them down a totally different path. For example, people who develop a drinking pattern during youth may eventually suffer from alcoholism. Such conditions may cause their biological clock to tick faster and cascade into an early death, compared to an individual who has moderate habits and lives more conservatively. The way in which one is exposed to their environment will definitely affect their quality of life in later years.
This reasoning also holds true when we take into consideration the environmental aspect on the impact of social behavior. Being connected with other individuals in a social setting is important as it reflects on our ability to think, express emotions, and react to situations on a daily basis. Without this kind of interaction with social groups it would literally be impossible for us to acquire knowledge, incorporate certain basic concepts necessary to our survival, and developing language skills. In other words, we would live just like animals responding only to instincts.. Socialization is the very essence of humankind existence.

Despite the fact that researchers have struggled for years to pinpoint to what degree or percentage heredity and the environment influence an individual’s life, there is no question that heredity alone would not make us what we are today if it was not for the influence of our surroundings. Our lives would be dull without the values and meanings of the symbols we have created for ourselves as part of a group and society.

Individuals are also influenced by undesirable external factors for which they may or may not always have control. The climate, pollution in the air, highly processed foods, chemicals in the food chain and living in a highly demanding society are examples of factors which can affect one’s behavior and well being to some degree throughout the years. It is quite possible that a combination of these factors may throw one’s health off balance over the course of their life. Despite the great ability that one has to adapt to certain changes, to what extent can one overcome the pressures imposed by the complexities of modern society? These are questions which do not have easy answers.

When an individual’s health is off balance for a long time it could lead to a chronic condition and depending on that condition could potentially influence heredity too. Allergies are typical example of how the human body can become weak over time. It has turned into such a common condition that millions of people worldwide suffer from it. In contrast to that, human beings are also living much longer than ever before as a result of new technological discoveries.

Heredity or the environment, how much influence does each have? Each individual’s genetic makeup or genetic predisposition is unique and may encompass the temperament, gender and color of one’s hair, etc. Other characteristics are theorized to be shared by all humans. Such shared characteristics are the main ones that differentiate humans from other species. Heredity not only reveals many aspects of an individual’s identity, it is also the starting point of a journey called life and it is the knowledge acquired as a result of the interacting within a group or within society which makes all individuals unique and special.

Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

2010-04-19T15:57:00.007-04:00

As the world has become increasingly globalized, diversity in the workplace has become a dominant subject in our society. One of the reasons for that is because people and services are moving at a very fast pace around the globe. Companies have broken all frontiers and gone long distances to make their products available to consumers. They also seek ways to reduce costs by transferring some operations and key people overseas.
The constant flow of professionals and services to and from different countries and, the growing diversity of staffing prompts organizations to recognize the value and the need for maximizing and capitalizing on a multicultural workforce in order to match the competition and succeed as a business. [Gorham, 2009] The bottom line is, the workplace is changing, evolving and diversifying very quickly and managers seek to educate themselves in order to follow such trends. [Green, 2002.
Businesswise, a well trained professional would take great advantage from understanding basic aspects of differing cultures, beliefs, and behaviors of employees and of potential customers. That understanding may give an edge in terms of communicating more effectively [Gorham, 2009]. Being aware of diversity aspects may help one to treat people more fairly and manage potential conflicts related to diversity more wisely. A well managed diversity workforce has the potential to yield higher productivity and competitiveness, prompting an organization to increase its ability to capture new market opportunities and, ultimately, lead the company to increase its margin of revenues [Green, 2002]. With that in mind, companies have become more proactive in terms of managing a workforce with multicultural differences to ensure that everyone is treated fairly with respect and dignity. [Green, 2002].

In a broad sense, diversity means acknowledging, respecting, accepting and valuing the differences people have with respect to factors such as gender, race, age, sexual preferences, religion, and physical and mental capabilities [Green, 2002]. In a society like ours in which we are constantly in contact with people from different origins and unique backgrounds, we are all touched by the subject of diversity both at a personal and professional level. Diversity is a concept that has gone far beyond the scope of moral or legal aspects and has become a business necessity. [Gorham, 2009]. The presence of women and minorities in the workforce has become remarkably large in American society. That is an example that illustrates the important role that cultural identities have played and further shows that these identities must not be ignore [Esty, 1995]

An organization may be in a position of some competitive advantages if it manages to overcome any internal issues related to diversity. Some of those advantages are: increased productivity, fewer lawsuits, and retention of business, increased market capabilities, creating a pool of talents and becoming an employer of choice. All of these are possible when employees feel they are respected, included and valuable contributors to the company’s goals. In other words, there is a strong possibility that people may be at their best in terms of creativity and productivity if they feel they fit and are considered an important asset to the organization regardless of their position or duty . Treating people right may be a key factor to boost both the organizations and the employee’s morals. The chances of meeting company’s goals will increase dramatically [Esty, 1995]

Despite of all the positive aspects, diversity also has its drawbacks because managers and supervisors do not always succeed in creating a healthy and productive environment in the workplace. Despite the desire to create an atmosphere in which everyone is happy and feels appreciated and valued, that task is not always an easy thing to accomplish. There are many questions posed by the subject of diversity that are not always easy to answer. Some of those questions are: What is considered fair? Is it fair to treat people who are different exactly the same way? Or, because they are different should they be treated by different standards? What would those standards be in the first place? A number of questions such as these have been addressed by government regulations of equal opportunity and affirmative action in trying to get to a common ground which would be satisfactory to everyone. In short, there is no easy answer to these questions. Satisfying every individual needs and expectation while at the same time meeting the organization’s goals might represent the greatest challenge for supervisors and managers to overcome [Esty, 1995]

Regardless of the area of work, developing some degree of cultural competence has become essential for any individual. Demographics have shown that there is a rapid change in our society and according to census data, nearly half of all those in the United States will be from a non-white, non-anglo culture by 2050 [Kier, 2010]. Those who have the knowledge and ability to work within an increasingly diverse society will be in the best position to compete for employment. Cultural knowledge and awareness, multi-lingual ability and a true skill in working with people from other cultures will be sought after. It is important for all of us to read about the many cultures that make up our communities, to get to know people of other cultures, to ask questions in order to learn more and to develop an honest interest in becoming culturally knowledgeable. Diversity in the workplace has proven to be a challenge to manage from both a business and an individual perspective, but it can also be very rewarding for the organizations of the world as well as their employees in the long run.

Works Cited

Esty, Katharine, Richard Griffin, and Marcie Schorr Hirsch, “WORKPLACE DIVERSITY – A Manager’s Guide to Solving Problems and Turning Diversity into a Competitive Advantage, 1995

Green, Kelli A., Mayra Lopez, Allen Winsock, Karl Kepner, “Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and Required Managerial Tools” Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, Publication #HR022, June 2002,

Gorham, Richard, “Cultural Diversity in the Workplace”, Strength in Diversity!

Kier, Mary, “The Diversity Edge”, Cook Associates, Inc., Executive Search,

Additional Reading Material:

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Harsh Conditions Prompt a Large Number of Brazilians to Return Home

2010-04-07T11:08:00.018-04:00

For more than two decades a growing number of Brazilians have made America their home away from home and Massachusetts has become a predominant arrival destination for many of them [Ludden]. For the past few years; however, that cycle has changed and a significant number of that population have decided to leave this country and head back home. Even though there is a combination of factors which have prompted them to go back, the most significant one was the decision of homeland security to crack down on illegal immigration.

Towns largely populated by Brazilians, such as Framingham and Marlborough [Mineo], were affected by this crack down right after federal lawmakers killed the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act bill [Wikipedia] presented to Congress in May 2007. This bill would have favored thousands of illegal immigrants around the country including a large number of Brazilians settled in the New England region. The bill caused many disagreements and it was never voted on by members of congress which caused great disappointment amongst the undocumented Brazilian population [Mineo].

Other factors which are believed to have contributed to such reversal migratory phenomenon were lack of employment opportunities in a slowing American economy, devaluation of the American currency compared to the Brazilian Real, widespread anti-illegal immigrant sentiment and signs that the Brazilian economy has been improving consistently over the past few years [Rocha]. The latter may have been favorable to returning immigrants who would improve their chances of getting established as business owners or of finding positions in the construction industry or putting to good use their other acquired qualifications. Many people were convinced that the positive economy indicators in Brazil may have translated into better opportunities for them and their families in the long run [Pina].

According to Fausto da Rocha, an executive director of the Brazilian Immigration Center based in Allston, MA, it is estimated that about 3,000 Brazilians headed back home in 2006 and about 5,000 to 7,000 in 2007. “In Brazil the economy is booming. There are 160, 000 new jobs being created every month and the cost to live in the United States is too high”, says Rocha. The reality is that the cost of living in America has increased dramatically over the past few years which has made life more difficult for both documented and undocumented immigrants alike [Ballou]. Brazilian consul general in Boston, Mario Saade, also agrees with the fact that a number of people have left the country and one explanation for that trend may be the failure of the immigration reform bill in 2007 combined with a stable Brazilian economy [Ballou].

Even though there is no statistically significant evidence which would validate the claim of a Brazilian Exodus, different sources such as, the Brazilian consulate, immigration and church officials, business owners and many professionals in the service industry, in and around the Boston area, all agree that such migratory reversal phenomenon has in fact occurred. Their daily experience and interaction with large numbers of people from the Brazilian community over the years has made this apparent.

One factor which has contributed to the discouragement felt by Brazilians living in the Framingham area, and may have contributed to the decision for some to leave the country, is the fact that there is a widespread anti-illegal sentiment among some groups of individuals in the community. For one reason or another people seem to be bothered with the overwhelming Brazilian presence in the area. According to Ms.Ilma Paixao, a Brazilian American Association Head based in Framingham, these groups are set out to intimidate the Brazilians not just because of their residence status but mainly because of their success. “As long as we Brazilians were just cleaning houses or working with construction, no one seemed to mind” says Paixao, as reported by NPR radio staff, Jennifer Ludden in coverage on Brazilian Immigrants in October, 2005 [Ludden].

Due to the fact that many of new immigrants send money back home to support their families, the devaluation of the dollar also played a role in the decision for many to return home. According to Francisco Neto of Marlborough in an interview with the Globe in 2008 [Ballou], the decline of the dollar has cut in half the value of the money he sent home on a monthly basis. He estimated that in 2003 the $700 he wired to his family was worth 2,450 Brazilian reais and as of as January 2008 that amount was cut down to 1,225 reais [Ballou]. By today’s exchange rate, that same 700 dollars would be worth 1,238 reais. These numbers show that for the past two years there has not been any significant change in the dollar value. The exchange rate for the Brazilian Real was last updated on April 2, 2010 by The International Monetary Fund. [CoinMill]

Any immigrant who lands in the United States without proper authorization papers will face harsh conditions here because number one, he or she cannot roam freely looking for work throughout the city and two, he has to forget his area of expertise and accept whatever he is offered for at least some time in order to survive. In most cases those people rely on the various connections they may have and will do a lot of activities that the mainstream population would naturally refuse to do.

Those activities may include, house cleaning, work in restaurant kitchens, nursing homes, construction and landscaping. Most of those working illegally accept that they are here just passing through and they make every effort to save every penny in order to secure a better condition back home. They are usually uneasy and live with the expectation that at any point they may be caught by the police at a routine traffic incident and eventually end up detained and deported by immigration authorities. That is likely the profile of most Brazilian people who have left the country.

The population of Brazilian people in Massachusetts is not entirely made up of illegal immigrants. According to the 2000 census, there was a population of 212,636 Brazilian people living in the United States at the time, which represented 0.7 % of the entire foreign-born population of 31 million [Lima]. That number, of course, did not take into account a large number of Brazilians that may have neglected to respond to the census. It is however a measure which demonstrates the presence of the Brazilian population in the State of Massachusetts, even today.

According to the census Brazilians contributed more than $ 1 billion to the regional product in their annual spending and over $ 295 million in state and federal taxes. That includes the revenue collected from a large number of undocumented immigrants who are unable to claim a return because in most cases they do not have a valid social security number. Such contributions translate into more than 9,500 indirect jobs for the local economy. Brazilian businesses also account for annual sales of more than $ 272 million and directly employ 2,756 people and create another 1,756 indirect jobs [Lima].

Economics is usually the single most important factor driving a sequence of events to take place. Tougher immigration policies, lack of opportunities and a declining local economy added to other difficulties forced many newcomers to reassess their situation. Many reached the conclusion that it was not worth continuing to live under those circumstances. Also, because the majority of these people did not really have time to create roots here, it become easier for them to decide to go back as they wished. In the end the economy very soon will become stable again and a few thousand people leaving the country today will very soon be replaced by other people determined to live the “American Dream” at any cost.

Work Cited

Pina, Michael. “Once Eager for U.S., Brazilians Going Home.” Posted Aug 20 2008.
Gate House News Service. http://www.wickedlocal.com/woburn/news/x1669088191/Once- eager-For- U-S-Brazilians-going-home

Ballou, Brian R. “Hardships in Massachusetts spur Brazilian Exodus”, posted Jan 8 2008.
Boston.Com
(Maria Sacchetti of the Globe staff contributed to this report).
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/08/hardships_in_mass_spur_brazilian_exodus/?

Elizondo, Gabriel. “Living the American Dream in Brazil.” Posted Aug 2008. Al Jajeera.net.
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2008/08/200881884358873790.html

Mineo, Liz. “Brazilians Getting One-way Ticket Home” posted Sep 30 2007. Wicked Local
Framingham.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/framingham/homepage/x428370669Wikipedia,

Wikipedia. “Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_Immigration_Reform_Act_of_2007

Ludden, Jennifer. “Brazilian Immigrants Face Anger in Boston”, posted October 23, 2005.
npr.org,
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4970801

CoinMill.com - The Currency Converter, Brazilian Reais (BRL) and United States Dollars
(USD) Currency Exchange Rate Conversion Calculator,
http://coinmill.com/BRL_USD.html#USD=700

Lima, Alvaro. “Brazilians in the U.S. and Massachusetts: A Demographic and Economic Profile”
Posted November 2007. The Mauricio Gaston Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston
http://www.gaston.umb.edu/articles/Lima_&_Siquiera_demo_braz_2008.pdf

Moral Development and the Concept of Right and Wrong

2009-12-16T21:30:00.014-05:00

Morality describes the principles that govern our behavior. It is such a complex issue because its development lies on a variety of factors such as gender, culture, religion, government systems and ethnic background. In principle, it is an important aspect of our lives because it impacts the choices we make in our everyday life. As we strive to survive in a world of growing complexity we are constantly faced with the question of morality. As part of society where we have to live by a set of rules, we learn to adjust our expectations based on a model of conformity to these rules. Such rules are important because they are intended to ensure impartial treatment and harmony among all people. In short, morality has to do with fairness and survival in a world of many conflicts and ruled by indifference.

Lawrence Kohlberg, a Psychology professor in both Chicago University and Harvard University specialized in research on moral education and reasoning, created the theory of stages of moral development. According to Kohlberg, moral development sustains that moral reasoning, the basis of ethical behavior, has three levels of two identifiable developmental stages each. He determined that the process of moral development was mainly concerned with justice, and that it continued throughout the individual’s lifetime.

During the Pre-Conventional level the children would associate right or wrong based on whether they are rewarded or punished. In stage one moral development is defined by obedience and punishment orientation in which the child reasons about how he can avoid being punished. In stage two he guides his moral choices towards satisfying his needs.
At the conventional level the adolescent defines right behavior as that which pleases or helps others and is approved by them. A recognition of what makes a good citizen and the importance of looking up to authority are some of the various abstract social virtues incorporated to them in mid-adolescence stage. Both forms of moral reasoning require an ability to think abstractly about values such as “duty” and “social order”.

The Post conventional level of moral reasoning pushes the individual into a more deeply abstract form of thought. He reasons about the meaning of abstract principles such as “justice”, “freedom” and “equality”. At that point the individual has more solid moral standards to decide what is right and wrong. He realizes then, about the gaps which exists in what he views as morally acceptable and what society has determined to be legal.

In a large sense, teaching morality is quite challenging because each person lives by different values and has a different view of what morality is, depending of his or her environment and upbringing. But individuals can be conditioned to develop a certain pattern of behavior to reflect the code of ethics of his parents and the environment he belongs to. Some of the core values and beliefs that a given person acquires in early childhood and through their teenage years are preserved throughout his lifetime. At a young age, the individual will learn from his parents his first lessons of “right and wrong” and “should and should not” and it does not take long before he perceives the consequences of choice and behavior. As he grows through his teenage years and reaches adulthood, he develops awareness and concern with the larger society and reasons more abstractly about right and wrong.

One can imagine how chaotic societies would have become if we did not have to abide by certain principles. Without such a sense of order, chaos and conflict would have resulted and we would be left to our own devices and desires. Without such a sense of control, the strongest individuals would have destroyed the less privileged in order for themselves to benefit. Since early years in history of civilization, man has adopted rules meant to ensure fair play and provide individuals with certain basic protection. Societies have adopted codes of ethics in order to create an environment of mutual respect among its citizens. That increases the odds of individual’s survival and the integrity of the group.

We find ourselves constantly debating the subject of morality as advancements in technology and scientific knowledge become bolder. Some of the topics that become increasingly conflicting are: genetic research, abortion, fertility methods, sexuality, ecological conservation, racism, euthanasia, warfare, drug use and human rights, just to name a few. Establishing boundaries for moral behavior have become even more challenging as human choices and responsibilities have grown dramatically over the years in response to growing scientific developments. This is so because the human mind has not been able to process all the new information with the same speed with which it is presented. Besides, we humans are naturally fearful of what is different and act conservatively in regard to change.

Morality exists to gauge and standardize our behavior. It has to do with the survival of the species. We can discuss the validity of various people's ideas of morality, but the underlying reason for morality is to provide society with order and stability. Morality tells us that it is not acceptable to kill people simply for the sake of killing. Morality protects a person's right to his possessions. If there were no morality, then people would be free to do as they wish which could mean that some would not be stopped from committing crimes such as, stealing, murdering or raping. Society would succumb and eventually cease to exist if there was no establishment of rules or order as a result of our morality.

Computer Science Sets the Pace for Advancements in the Area of Medicine

2009-06-12T01:11:00.019-04:00

It is a fact that computers have caused many changes in every aspect of our lives. In the areas of Life Science and the Health Care industry the utilization of computer applications has created a major impact on the way the work is performed in labs, clinics and hospitals all over the country. Powerful computer applications have played important roles in ongoing research projects such as Genome and Stem Cell. These projects may lead to treatments or even cure of certain health conditions which have challenged the scientific community for years.

Thanks also to computer sciences many innovations in the Health Care Industry have helped to reduce operational costs and increased efficiency on different fronts. [1] The use of computer applications has definitely changed the way professionals look at human biology and health care over the years.

The utilization of software applications has made it possible for scientists to develop new approaches in order to target diseases in a much more aggressive manner. The contribution of computers is vital and it extends from the work performed by technicians at the lab bench, all the way to the medical clinics and emergency rooms. With the use of applications, professionals have been able to identify and address issues in a way that had not been possible decades ago. One effect of all the technological growth in recent years is that life expectancy has increased significantly as people have managed to live longer than ever before.
A great accomplishment in Life Sciences in recent years, which would not have been possible without the use of computers, is the genome project. The benefits that mankind stands to gain as a result of that study are immeasurable. The Human Genome Project’s goal is to elucidate the information that makes up the genetic blueprint of human beings. It consists of sequencing the chemical bases of DNA and subsequently storing that information in a database for future scientific references. The information from this database will be used over time by the scientific community to target diseases which have puzzled scientific minds for decades. In order to compile the genome database, powerful software applications have been used to perform complex mathematical operations in various phases of the process. [2]

Stem Cell Research is still in its preliminary stages. Despite all of the controversies raised over the subject, the scientific community strongly believes that stem cell therapy has great potential to revolutionize the way human diseases are treated in the future. Medical researchers are excited about the prospect of using technologies derived from stem cell research to treat diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and a number of other debilitating illnesses. [3] At this time, there are a number of projects in progress and some cell therapy already exists despite the widespread uncertainty about the social and ethical challenges. Companies like StemSoft Software Inc. have an important role behind the scenes as it provides software solutions and technical support to organizations and physicians in order to meet the clinical and research high standards. [5]

The Stem Cell Studies would be virtually impossible if it was not for the use of computers. According to Mike Wininger, a graduate student from Rutgers University who had been involved in Graduate studies in Asia, “Merging statistical pattern recognition and computer vision to cell imaging, I am addressing the problem of cell sorting with novel quantitative methods. By processing hundreds of cell images and extracting salient parameters of cell size, morphology and structure, I seek to rigorously and objectively determine a stem cell's status…” [4].

I have been working with biopharmaceutical research and development activities for the past sixteen years. The scope of my work encompasses the use of microorganisms as hosts to produce certain proteins which will be used in vaccine formulation. I participate in the preliminary stage of the process where the final product will eventually end up being injected into humans. In order to guarantee the success of the whole operation, people in my group have to work in synergy with other groups and we all rely heavily on computers to make our product. Most of the instruments I use in the lab have a built in computer which perform a specific task during the process. Some examples of such instruments are spectrophotometers, pH and conductivity meters, centrifuges and biochemistry analyzers. Each instrument will help me monitor the culture and build a profile of the cell growth.

The Health Care Industry has also benefited in many ways due to computer availability. Electronic medical record systems allow medical practices to manage all the information collected for their patients electronically, therefore protecting the safety of the information and improving the efficiency of medical practice. [1] [2] Implementation of electronic medical records has contributed to the reduction of organization operational expenses by eliminating in-house and off-site storage costs, as it drastically reduced the amount of paperwork generated for patients. It cut down the cost of buying paper for keeping records and paper for making copies. It also eliminated potential confusion related to interpreting professional’s handwritten instructions and it reduced the amount of people utilized to perform cumbersome tasks.

The internet has been a continuous source of information and diagnostic resources for physicians. It also has helped patients gain a better understanding of his/her health condition as people get more engaged in reading about health issues pertaining to them. Reference databases such as MEDLINE and Stat Ref. as well as drug databases have proven to be great resources for doctors and health professionals. Doctors will refer to these reference databases to make sure they choose the appropriate medication, correct dosage and avoid drug interaction. But despite all of these developments in Health care, there is still a lot that must be accomplished. [7]

President Obama’s stimulus package is putting aside $29 billion for health care technology and the development of electronic healthcare records. It is believed that doctors will be more empowered to make decisions when it comes to diagnosis and subsequent treatment of a given health condition if they have a more centralized system in which they can access every bit of information pertaining to a patient’s health history, according to NextGen, a Health Care Information System company which has offices in different states. [6] It is evident that the new stimulus bill will help every physician in America to burst their IT capabilities and that may translate into providing better care to patients all around the country.

Computer Information Technology has revolutionized the Biomedicine and Health Care industries and has caused a major impact for human quality of life over the past few decades. Besides being a great ally in the fight against life threatening diseases, computers also have contributed enormously as a diagnostic and prevention tool. With the help of computers, new systems have been implemented to make the work of scientists, doctors and health care professionals more dynamic and efficient.

Works Cited

[1] Illinois Institute of Technology, http://www.iit.edu/~marajos/CS485/project/emr.html
[2] Educational Facilities of the Michael Smith Labs, The University of British Columbia, www.bioteach.ubc.ca/human-genome-project-biology-and-computers-together/
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell#Treatments
[4] Mike Wininger, National Science Foundation, http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111169&org=DGE
[5] http://www.stemsoft.com/.
[6] NEXTGEN, Health Information System, http://www.nextgen.com/stimulus/?_kk=healthcare%20stimulus&_kt=011447d5-3d26-4083-8b55-b1f4a52a043b&gclid=CPf3vuDnk5oCFUpM5Qodn3MnNA
[7] Computer Concepts, June Jamrich Parsons/ Dan Oja, 11th Edition.

Discrimination, the Basis for Denial of Basic Rights of Minority Groups

2009-04-30T09:22:00.012-04:00

Throughout the history of civilization, different groups of people have had the need to migrate to new locations in search of better resources. For ancient men that could mean finding a place where they could hunt and work the land to produce the means to satisfy their basic needs.While this phenomenon could be prompted by harsh conditions of their natural environment, other antagonistic forces like war and religious and ideological differences have been a major factor for those migratory motions to occur. [1 Univ. of Calgary]
Even though these migratory movements happen for a legit cause from the prospective of the individual or groups who migrate, they are historically faced with hostility by native inhabitants. Natives may see the newcomer as a potential threat to their freedoms.

Despite societal advancements throughout the centuries, humans carry a trait of resisting what is different and can be dominated by fear that a newcomer may influence their environment in a negative light and deplete their resources. [2 Doherty].

Because this country has a long history of being very ethnically diverse, discrimination has been a reason for tension and overtime prejudice has become the basis for the denial of basic rights for minority groups. [3 Helpme]

The United States of America is a nation made up of immigrants. People from every corner of the globe have continuously landed here in search of freedom and certain opportunities to improve their life standards. Most people came here willingly; however, some were forcibly drawn into slavery, such as Africans and Native Americans.

The 1920’s marked the boiling point in which discrimination was openly expressed and subsequently caused a lot of tension. Minority groups suffered most at the hands of those concerned with preserving the long established White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (W.A.S.P.) values that were an integral part of American life at the time. [3 Helpme]

African Americans were the most discriminated group through the act of segregation; however, other ethnic groups suffered with such policies as well. People from these groups were separated from whites in most public places, including restaurants, trains, parks, theaters and even cemeteries. [3Helpme]

African and Native Americans were the ones who suffered the most hardship due to discrimination. African’s came here as slaves for southern plantation owners and Native American’s was stripped from their own habitat and relocated to secluded reservation areas in result of the greedy white man driven westward in search of wealth.

African American’s lived in moments of hope after the Civil War and the ratification of the 13th amendment which freed them from the hands of the southern masters. Unfortunately, the political power and social protection condition envisioned by the black people never materialized and the cycle of discrimination and fear continued.

Criminal organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Knights of the White Camellia conspired to maintain an environment of oppression and fear among black people for years. Those organized groups targeted the few who started to succeed in the climb of the social ladder in an attempt to discourage others from following the same path.

Black people were forced to keep to their “rightful place” meaning the very bottom of the social ladder and stripped from any basic rights, just like the Native Americans. Blacks were subjected to segregation and kept from the political scene by not being allowed to vote. Many civil rights advocates were threatened and in many instances ended up being lynched.

The civil rights bill was passed by congress in 1866 under which discrimination against black people was made illegal by the constitution. That was a starting point for blacks to pursue other rights as citizens.[4 Everything2]

The Gilded Age and westward expansion was marked by a lot of corrupt politics, exploitive businesses, social inequalities and Indian genocide.[5 American History Notes]. Millions of indigenous people were massacred and others driven away by settlers who moved west in search of gold and other opportunities.

Eventually, the remaining groups surrendered and were confined to reservations which they considered prisons. Stripped from their basic rights and dignity, their only hope was to one day be able to go back to where they came from and live the kind of life they once had before the white man came into the scene. [6 Foner, p.30]

During a speech made to dignitaries including President Rutherford Hayes, Chief Joseph, the leader of Nez Perce Indians tried to convince the authorities to grant his people freedom by allowing them to go back to where they came from.

”…When I think of our condition of my heart is heavy. I see my men of my race treated as outlaws and driven from country to country, or shot down as animals”,…”we only ask an even chance to live as other men live. We ask to be recognized as men. We ask that the same law shall work alike on all men…Let me be a free man” [7 Foner p.33].

One difficulty in granting Chief Joseph’s request is that freedom from the Native American standpoint conflicted tremendously with white man interests and Chief Joseph died without ever seeing his people set free from the conditions in which he considered the same as those of a prison. [6 Foner p.30]

One ethnic group which experienced harsh acts of discrimination is Asian Americans. They did not take full advantage of the expansion of rights resulting from the Civil War and Reconstruction according to Frederick Douglass, an Equal Rights Activist who advocated for the Asian American population. “ There are clouds, wind, smoke and dust and noise, over head and around and there will always be; but no genuine thunder, with destructive bolt, menaces from any quarter of the sky…I want a home here not only for the negro, the mullato or the Latin races; but I want the Asiatic to find a home here in the United States, and feel at home here, both for his sake and for ours”, said Douglass in his 1869 speech in which he challenged the social observers and politicians by condemning anti-Asian discrimination acts and advocated for the acceptance of Chinese immigrants into the mainstream American life. [8 Foner, p.20] [9 Black Past]

In 1882 Chinese immigrants were barred from entering the United States temporarily by the Chinese Exclusion Act, a United States Federal Law. [10 Foner, p.68]That caused a big reaction among Chinese advocates. Some critics of the law considered it as nothing less than the legalization of racial discrimination. [11 Wikipedia] Saum Song Bo, a Chinese-American writer contrasted the treatment his group was receiving with the celebration of liberty which took place after the United Stated received the Statue of Liberty from the French as a gift to the American People. [10 Foner, p.68]

“Liberty is holding a torch which lights the passage of those of all nations who come into this country. But are the Chinese allowed to come? As for the Chinese who are here, are they allowed to enjoy liberty as men of all other nationality enjoy it? Are they allowed to go about everywhere free from insults, abuses, assaults, wrongs, and injuries from which men of other nationalities are free?” [10 Foner, p.69], said Bo in a tone of protest against the government’s measure.

It is understandable the frustration the Chinese-American felt with regard to the government’s decision to stop Chinese immigration. On the other hand, the government was concerned with the growing numbers of Chinese immigrants gathering in the cities as the gold rush was over. Many of them were forced to move to the urban areas of West Coast cities and compete with locals for job opportunities which were already scarce even before the Chinese workers started to arrive.

During the twentieth century, the United States was the epicenter of immigration as millions of people from Europe, Asia and Latin America landed here in search of opportunities. Among these newcomers there were approximately one million Mexicans who crossed the border with the vision that they would find the solution to their problems in the United States. [12 Foner, p.82]

No matter what the driving force was which led to the phenomenon of migration, it seams that economics have always been a key factor to motivate people. Economics has led masses of people to come to America. The majority of the people who came here in search of opportunities could hardly anticipate the dimension of obstacles they would face in order to make their dreams come true. Immigrants have always been the subject of prejudice and faced difficult times while attempting to participate in the mainstream of American life regardless of background.

Racial prejudice has always existed and it will never go away as long as distinct groups occupy a common geographic space. Prejudice rests in a prejudgment based on ethnical background, color of skin, religion, without any knowledge of any relevant information about the person’s character and behavior. In article 97, Frederick Douglas, an advocate for Asian-American rights points out in his “Composite Nation” speech that, “…In any struggle the good things of this world they (White Americans) need to have no fear. They have no need to doubt that they will get their full share. But I reject the arrogant and scornful theory by which they would limit migratory rights, or any other essential human rights to themselves, and which would make them the owners of this great continent to the exclusion of all other races of men”. [8 Foner p.24].

Many government laws have been created to discourage the public display of discriminatory acts. Still there is a tendency for certain races to look down on other cultures and position themselves as superior. There is a tendency, however, that an educated mind is less likely to underestimate the abilities of a person to attain success in life based purely on his physical make up or where he came from.

It took many generations for most people in this country to reach the consensus that all races of the world have equal possibilities for achieving the highest level in intellectual, social, economic, cultural and political development provided they are presented with the right opportunities. Racial differences are entirely attributable to geographical, historical, political, economic, social and cultural factors and they have to be respected. History has proven that exclusion is wrong and it represents a setback for any society.

During the period of this country’s formation and development prejudice was quite a common occurrence, especially in the 1920’s. Minority groups suffered tremendously from prejudice especially from those who wanted to preserve the old and traditional WASP values. Eventually laws were made to attenuate this grave problem and slowly minority groups started finding their place in this society.

Although discrimination still exists to this day, people are more discrete and likely to come to terms when faced with conflict related to social and racial differences. This is, in part, because the laws of this country protect individuals from any discrimination acts.

Citizens are given equal opportunity to flourish as human beings and participate in the country’s business provided that the individual does not take illegal shortcuts in order to accomplish his goals.

The United Stated is a highly diversified nation formed by people from many different cultures. The opportunities that immigrants find here are unmatched by any other nation. As I look back in history and reflect on the conditions of early immigrants and ethnic groups, I have to recognize that despite all of the controversies and difficulties, this was and still is the land of opportunity for millions of people who have taken the risk and made America their home. [13 Foner, p.132]

Work Cited

[1Univ. of Calgary], University of Calgary, “Early Migration to the Americas”, www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/migrations/

[2Doherty], James H. Doherty, “The Historical Roots of Discrimination”, http://www.humanrights-germany.org/print/issues/eng/ethn/page03.htm

[3Helpme],"Racial Discrimination in America During the 1920's." 123HelpMe.com. 18 Apr 2009.

[4Everything2], “African American and Native American discrimination from 1864 to 1954”, http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1463139,

[5American History Notes], “The Gilded Age”, http://www.stegen.k12.mo.us/tchrpges/sghs/mruch/WestwardExpansionandtheGi ldedAge.htm

[6 Foner, p.30], Chief Joseph, “An Indian’s View of Indian Affairs” (1879) America’s Gilded Age, 1870-1890, Eric Foner, Article 99, p.30

[7Foner, p. 33], Chief Joseph, “An Indian’s View of Indian Affairs” (1879), Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, Article 99, p.33

[8 Foner, p.20], Frederick Douglas, “The Composite Nation” (1869); Voices of Freedom, Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, Article 97, p.20

[9 Black Past], BlackPast.org, http://www.blackpast.org/?q=1869-frederick-douglass-describes-composite-nation
[10 Foner, p.68], Saum Song Bo, Chinese-American Protest, from American Missionary (1885), Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, Article 108, p.68

[11 Wikipedia], Chinese Exclusion Act, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act

[12 Foner, p.82], Manuel Gamio, “Manuel Gamio on a Mexican-American Family and American Freedom (ca.1926); Voices of Freedom, Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, Article 112, p.82

[13Foner, p.132], Randolph Bourne, “Trans-National America” (1916), Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, Article 123, p.132

The Concept of Free Speech and the Internet Environment

2009-04-15T09:51:00.005-04:00

As part of a free society, citizens are left to their own decisions and have the choice to do whatever they please, as long as they do not break the law or interfere with someone else’s liberties. Despite the perception that in a liberal society we are free to express ourselves in a very open manner, we still have to abide by certain rules and be cautious not to interfere with other people’s privacy.

The same rule applies for free speech. A citizen is not really free to say whatever comes to mind without taking into consideration the fact that other people may be offended by such remarks. One thing one should keep in perspective is the fact that there are always consequences resulted from our actions.

In regard to free speech on the internet it gets even more complicated because the Web offers a vast array of ideas based on different cultural values, religious beliefs and social differences. When we put all these elements together what we see is a head on collision with the concept of free speech. Such conflict quite often results in some kind of censorship. [1]

Each human being has a unique way of expressing his perception of the world. Depending on the context of one’s ideas and the material exposed on the Web, he may be restricted in certain areas to protect the viewer’s interests and values. Three countries that have such strict rules about what can be viewed on the internet are China, Saudi Arabia and Ira.

“The Great Firewall” of China is a typical example of how strict the government can be in regard to the subject of free speech. “There are Internet police in China. They have websites, lots of them. They engage in law enforcement duties. They also investigate websites. It is also, in my view, safe to assume that they investigate and arrest dissidents…” says Nart Villeneuve, Internet Censorship Explorer. [4]

In both, Ira and Saudi Arabia, there is a concern on the part of authorities that immoral material content from the Western world may reach its citizen’s homes and that represents a serious threat to the Islam traditions [2]. Besides those three countries, Australia is known to have the most restrictive Internet Censorship regulations among the Western world countries.

One of the greatest concerns in the US is the danger of exposing children to pornography. In that regard, the parents play an important role in preventing their children from being exposed to such materials. [1][2][3]. There are many ways in which the implementation of Web censorship can take place. The most widely used methods are through firewalls, Internet filters, blocking, PNS Poisoning and Internet zoning.

Censorship can happen at different levels. Parents may restrict their children from viewing certain material which they consider inappropriate. Government agencies can block certain pages they consider to be a national security risk.

A growing number of people have become increasingly unsatisfied as they reinforce that Web censorship “ignores free-speech rights and violates the civil liberties of internet users” over the years [1]. I realize that when so many different cultures, beliefs, and ideas cross the line in this vast environment which makes up the Web, it is unavoidable to compromise freedom and free speech.

I personally believe that the internet is a great tool but it needs to be used wisely considering the vast array of options presented to me. In regard to free speech I am always entitled to express my ideas freely as long as I obey certain rules.

I find it important to give careful consideration to proper use of language or imagery to avoid present and future annoyances. Despite the internet being considered a great vehicle for exchanging of ideas, one will always have to deal with the fact that free speech has its boundaries and it could mean different things for different people.

Work Cited

[1] http://www.infoweblinks.com/content/webcensorship.hml, Infoweblinks, “web censorship”
[2] Infoweblinks, “china finds freedom behind great wall”[3] http://opennet.net/studies/saudi, Infowebliks “internet filtering saudi arabia in 2004”[4] http://www.nartv.org/2005/07/13/why-exaggerate/, Nart Villeneuve

Who's Stealing my Signal?

2009-03-30T19:05:00.005-04:00

Wi-Fi technology has made it possible for a growing number of people to gain access to the internet for free as long as a laptop with an 802.11b or Wi-Fi network card is installed and positioned within 300 feet of the broadcast location.

Many hotspots scattered all over the major cities in the US have made it possible for people to access the internet from places like airports, conference rooms, lounges and cafes.

Hotspots have also found their place in suburban areas where many residents are unable to afford the main NSP's (Network Service Providers) charges. Free WLAN’s can be established as long as a computer is set up to transmit the signal to nearby wireless units.

The broadcaster pays for the high speed or DSL signal from a NSP’s and then retransmit it with the help of specific software. This kind of behavior has raised some concern among the main NSP's who do not agree with that approach and refer to such free services as “parasitic networks”. However, the broadcasters claim they do it purely to help people within their communities who can not afford the high service charges.

NYC Wireless, one of the groups who broadcast the internet signal, rebuffs the allegation made by some NSP’s and bristles at the term “parasitic networking”. They point out that the high access rate charges applied by the service providers are the true parasites. NSP’s such as Verizon, AT&T, Time Warner and others feel they have been taken advantage of and sustain that those networking groups are violating service agreements and they have become more forthcoming in cracking down on those networking groups by seeking legal action against them in an effort to try to stop their work.

Besides New York City, there are 20 free internet access points in Seattle and many others scattered all over the country. Coffee retailer Starbucks is one of the groups that has increased its rollout of Wi-Fi hot spots as this appears to be a commodity which helps to attract more customers to the business.

Most free network groups do not see benefits in the work they are providing at the present moment; however there is a potential they will do better in the future as they seek for nonprofit organization status with the government. As a nonprofit organization they can legally establish fundraising programs in order to cover the operation expenses.

According to John Patrick, former IBM vice-president of internet technology, “The advent of Wi-Fi is about to change all of our lives in a major and positive way. I will go further. Wi-Fi is one of those grassroots phenomena that will soon become as ubiquitous as the PC itself. The latest laptops have Wi-Fi antennas built into the lids, while the wireless access points, which send and receive the Wi-Fi signals, now cost less than $100. The issues, which are many including security and privacy, business models the scalability of the infrastructure. Looking back at how the internet evolved from the early years there are many similarities with what is going on at this early Wi-Fi stage. The emergence of the Wi-Fi is a grassroots trend that is irreversible”.

While WLAN’s offers the commodity for people to use the internet for free at specific locations, it also requires that the user takes extra security measures as a result of going wireless. There is always a concern that hackers may be using the signal to gain access to one’s computer and steal confidential information.

It seems that free WLAN’s movement is picking up fast as more people are becoming adept to the idea despite all the controversy with the big network companies. While operators are now working under the radar of most consumers and wireless providers, the trend poses questions for those seeking to charge for a service that these volunteer organizations see as essential as water.

Software Piracy and its Consequences

2009-03-07T12:17:00.024-05:00

As the software industry has become more diverse and sophisticated over the years, it has played a significant part in adding value to companies and individuals alike. The use of software applications has revolutionized our world in many ways as they have been used as critical tools to accomplish the most simple tasks to the most complex operations in daily life. The use of software has also helped individuals and companies manage their time more efficiently.

Thus, as software industry grows every individual who makes use of their applications, whether for business or for pleasure, benefits from it. While most people respect and abide contract agreements for the applications they use, there are those who just ignore its clauses of copyright protection and violate the laws therefore committing the act of piracy, despite the benefits available to them.
According to SIIA, an anti-Piracy organization, industry loses about $11 or $12 billion each year due to piracy. About $2 billion of that comes from North America. Piracy rates have reached 25% of sold applications in the US. That means that for every four copies of software, one is acquired illegally. SIIA fights fiercely against acts of piracy based on agreements it has with US and foreign country governments. According to SIIA, Asia hosts the greatest number of individuals who engage in piracy acts.

Despite efforts on the part of interested parties and tough government legislation, the problem of piracy is far from being eliminated. There is an alarming number of people out there who do not hesitate engaging themselves in such acts regardless of the consequences it may incur. More still needs to be done by law makers, software industry and developers in order to discourage the cycle of breaking copyright protection laws.

People have different motivations for taking the risk and engaging in piracy acts. Those who copy software from a friend for his own use are as guilty as those who copy it with the intention of illegally reselling and profiting from it. Software piracy is just one aspect of copyright infringement. There is a wide range of products which are indiscriminately reproduced and sold in the market as if they were the original brand.

Using, reproducing or profiting from an intellectual property without an abiding agreement is considered illegal. According to SIIA.net, “Anyone who uses, copies, distributes, or displays (in whole or in part) someone else’s copyrighted content without authorization may be violating the owner’s copyright rights. Such violations can result in a lawsuit and money damages, and in some cases, criminal prosecution with jail time”.

Software piracy is considered theft and those caught in the act of piracy should be held accountable. In order to prevent that kind of crime, software companies should be more proactive and take some responsibility as well. By releasing a more affordable version of their products people may be discouraged from making copies and selling them for profit. The way things are the software piracy problem is far from being controlled. It not only harms the developing companies which may fall short from its projected revenues but also consumers who rely on such products to execute their projects. As those companies become limited in their resources, they may be forced to cut their research efforts and compromise the quality of their products.

Tracking Technology and Privacy

2009-02-22T05:30:00.014-05:00

There are many tracking devices imbedded in a vast array of products that we consume nowadays of which everyone may not be aware of. Such products can range from cars to cell phones and even children’s toys and food. Most of those items carry tracking applications for different purposes such as to provide statistical data, manage inventory and to monitor geographical positioning among others.

While many of those applications are used for legitimate reasons, they can potentially be instrumental for abusive uses and act against public interest. It is undeniable that many such technologies offer, to some extent, a certain commodity to consumers and to organizations alike; however, there is a great danger that they may eventually be used by unscrupulous organizations or individuals to invade people’s privacy and even commit criminal acts. The question is to what extent those technologies will be beneficial or detrimental to the general public.

According to an article on howstuffworks, “Some of the current technologies being used to create location-tracking and location-based systems include: a) Geographical Information Systems (GIS), used for large scale location-tracking systems integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. GIS is most often associated with a map [1]; b) Global Positioning Systems (GPS), facilitated by a constellation of 24 to 32 orbiting satellites are used to send microwave signals to GPS receivers on earth’s surface. An individual receiver picks up to those sources with a considerably small margin of error. c) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Those are thin battery-less microchip which can be attached to just about any surface such as, vehicles, cattle, consumer goods, and literally any moving object with the purpose of tracking its geographic location as it moves around; d) Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) are devices which use frequency such as 802.11b”.

Most commonly, one or more technologies are converged to create one product. An example of that is a system called OnStar developed by GM which utilizes GPS and mobile telephone systems. A new feature of the product permits the safe recovery of a vehicle by authorities in case it is stolen. A law enforcement agent will be able to send a signal and cut the engine power off and the vehicle will slow down until it comes to a complete stop. That ensures a safe recovery and prevents dangerous chases according to Onstar Developers.

“Some inconveniences about tracking technologies is that when chips being embedded in your ID cards, your clothes, your possessions, you are effectively broadcasting who you are to anyone within range, the level of surveillance possible, not only by the government but by corporations and criminals as well, will be unprecedented. There simply will be no place to hide”, says Bruce Schneier, a security expert at Counterpane Internet security, Inc.

There are many ways in which abusive use of tracking technology can take place. Wiretapping may be a classical way to follow a person’s footsteps. But the internet has become very popular to that end as well. The use of spiderware and adware which are cookies obscurely deployed to gain access to one’s computer and relay information about the user’s routine to a third party, are examples of that. The cell phone combined with GPS can potentially be used with the malicious purpose to tracking someone’s whereabouts without the person’s knowledge.

A behavior which may be viewed as abusive consists of implementing RFID to monitor the performance and conduct of employees in the workplace. What follows is a quote from an article published at law.bepress.com by William A.Herbert, Deputy Chair and Council for the New York State Public Employment Relations Board, in which he expresses his concern about such measures:

“Various federal and state laws have been proposed and enacted to place restrictions on both governmental and private use of human tracking technology. Increasingly, public and private employers are utilizing human tracking devices to monitor employee movement and conduct. Due to the propensity of American labor law to give greater weight to employer property interests over most employee privacy expectations, there are few current limitations on the use of human tracking in employment”

Even though new technologies continuously open up a large array of possibilities for consumers, it is inevitable that it will also bring new ethnical and safety concerns for society. Tracking technology is not different and despite the fact that it has proven to be useful and may be used for justifiable reasons, it also poses a threat to individual privacy and integrity as some applications may be used for dubious purposes. As these applications get more sophisticated, we as a society may have to revisit and redefine the meaning of privacy as we could more often become an element of interest in illegimate data plots.

How About Trying a Cup of Kopi Kuwak for a Change?

2009-01-30T17:59:00.001-05:00

As a person of habit I do not miss an opportunity to have a cup of hot coffee in the morning. As I can not always have the luxury to sip my “cafezinho brasileiro” (the Brazilian version of the espresso coffee) I settle for a café latte from Starbucks or a Panera Bread hazelnut coffee. As much as I enjoy the black stuff pure or combined with milk, I would definitely live without it if I found one day that I would have to pay as much as fifty bucks a cup, or about seven hundred per pound. Somehow, based on the cost factor alone I would not be able to enjoy coffee as much as I do now.

There is more to it than just pricing. One particular product is called Kopi Kuwak, an exotic coffee produced on the Islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi in Indonesia. What makes it so special is the way it is processed. The ripest and the reddest Arabica coffee berries are eaten by an animal called the Asian Palm Civet, which lives in tree tops and is commonly found in that region. The berries pass through the animal’s digestive system and are easily broken down by the action of acids and other enzymatic factors. The beans whithin the berries are not digested and are eventually expelled in the animals feces.

Those beans are then harvested in the field in a very meticulous way by qualified professionals. They are washed, then roasted and ready to serve. Eventually the product will end up in the cup of some privileged individuals, who can afford to have such exotic pleasures.

From the perspective of my culture that is something quite “different” and hard to understand. I have great respect for the person who enjoys this rarest coffee delicacy. All I can say is that knowledge makes all the difference in the world. If somebody offered it to me without giving me the history behind it I might have drunk it and enjoyed it as much as I would enjoy drinking my regular Starbuck’s coffee. I do not think I will be willing to try it any time soon but if I change my mind I will let you know.

Racial and Social Inequality

2009-01-19T23:02:00.012-05:00

Contrary to what one would think, many of us are unconsciously racist. At least that is what a study published recently in the Journal Science says, according to an article that came out on CNN Website last Thursday. The study suggests that in general, blacks are largely perceived in a negative light by non-blacks who consider themselves tolerant and egalitarian.Just for the record, the study which was conducted by Dr. Kerry Kawakami, an associate psychology professor of York University of Toronto, Ontario, used blacks and non-blacks as subjects to conduct her experiment.

One comment made by Dr. Kawakami with regard to the study is that “Some people might think that they are very egalitarian and they don’t have to deal with their prejudice, and that is not related to them at all, when in actual fact they may hold these hidden biases”. In general when one thinks of prejudice there is an immediate association with the color of the skin. However, prejudice is an evil of multiple faces which encompass more than just the color of the skin. What I gather from Dr. Kawakami’s study is that regardless of what one says about himself with regard to racism, there is still a tendency to behave in a discriminatory way. It appears that people just do not let this tendency rule their behavior so much because it is not politically correct and is perceived as an unacceptable behavior by society.

Exteriorizing racist views even in a humorous manner could easily get someone into trouble and lead him to face unwanted consequences. In that light, I find it wise to always respect differences regardless of whether I am agreeable with them or not. In industrialized nations where a vast majority of citizens have higher education and better standards, prejudice attitudes are attributed more towards ethnical than social differences. It appears that in every society that has migratory history there may be hostile behaviors associated with racism. It is natural that humans will be in conflict when faced with something that is considered abnormal or different. I may be wrong but, in regard to Dr. Kawakami’s experiment; color of the skin was the main factor that drove the study. I assume that subjects were hand picked to match a certain criteria.

Is it possible that the people involved in the study have higher education, hold a decent job, have family and live a regular middle class life? According to National Urban League’s report, an article on Racial Inequality, publicized by ABC News in March 2008, in real life“…blacks were much worse off than whites across a range of economic indicators, including measures of employment, poverty, housing, income and wealth”. Inequality definitely intensifies the drama of racism even farther.

As I was reading through those articles I started thinking of how the problem of racial inequality affects other societies specially those from developing nations around the world. Factors like, social status, religion and ethnic differences all contribute to discrimination the subject of exclusion. Dr. Kawakami’s experiment was conducted in a totally controlled environment and looked at racism at a mild way. From such an experience one can just get a glimpse of the problem of intolerance. From a global standpoint, the most serious examples of intolerance is due to social differences. It is known that poverty levels have grown dramatically as the world population has sky rocketed over the years and that has contributed largely to all kinds of issues in urban areas such as: high crime rate, drug dealing and the creation of parallel power, inability of governments to provide health care and other basic needs to citizens, just to name a few.

According to Global Issues, an entity that deals with Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues, “nearly a billion people around the world entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names”. That is especially true about countries from Southern Asia , sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Such uncontrollable growth usually leads to disastrous outcome for those societies. The inability to fight inequalities has put them in a state of emergency as they metaphorically grow a monster in their own backyard. A monster made of hatred and distrust which may turn each citizen into a victim, regardless of social status. Exclusion literally hurt the poor and the rich alike and there is no easy way out.

Morumbi Slums, Sao Paulo, Brazil

When I see masses of people who live in total disbelief of society’s ability to create mechanisms to relieve them from a profound state of misery makes me wonder how exactly we made this destructive path? What kind of corrective measures can be taken? How can the situation be reversed or at least minimized? More education, dissemination of information, more structured legal, justice and law enforcement systems, more aggressive government incentives to social programs? All these items may be a good starting point and may be in place already in many countries but, are these enough? The fact of the matter is that whatever is being done currently falls short of resolving the mounting problems of inequality. The situation is complex and there is no quick fix to address all the burdens that modern society has to face.

There is no cheap solution either. It may cost a fortune for the local governments and other institutions to take a course of action to put a plan into action that actually works. However, such cost is infinitely less than the high price society has to pay for the burdens of illiteracy, ignorance and complete exclusion. I really believe that the major obstacle for making the world a fairer place for every citizen comes down to one thing: the unwillingness on the part of all parties that are in the position to make a difference in the process of change and the unwillingness on the part of a vast majority of individuals who are affected by it. I am a believer that things can turn around when there is good will and when multiple voices strike the same tone. I believe that change can only take place when each single individual gets bothered enough to get involved and do something about the issues.

The world is nothing but a perfect and romantic place. We are governed by good and evil, as we strive for our own survival. We treasure our uniqueness but we can not forget that we live in a world of diversity. Each individual is unique regardless of the color of his skin or social status. Blacks and whites and everything in between have to coexist in order to protect common interests. It is important to learn to be tolerant and willing to compromise for the benefit of all. That is true in regard to ethnic or social differences because in the crevasse of inequality, every single citizen is a loser. There is no safe haven for anyone. The apparent success of the rich is overshadowed by the fear he carries inside. His home becomes a bubble surrounded by layers and layers of security systems. The poor are victimized many times and in multiple ways. Pistols suddenly find their way to the hands of children. Lost bullets become a reminder that life is too shallow and meaningless. And the cycle of human tragedy goes on and on until it becomes almost natural. That is my greatest fear.

The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge

2009-01-11T14:57:00.002-05:00

"The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge is one of Boston's beautiful post cards. This cable-stayed bridge was built during The Boston Big-Dig Project and it was named after the civil rights activist Leonard Zakim".

Changing For The Better

2008-12-03T12:23:00.002-05:00

Technological and scientific developments have resulted in tremendous lifestyle changes throughout the history of mankind. Despite many significant historic developments of the past century, these changes have appeared more rapidly over the past few decades. Such changes are necessary and essential for human survival and I personally have been affected by them, as I constantly have to adjust to new circumstances. The use of computers in my daily life has made it possible for me to use my time more effectively at work and otherwise. Only in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined that someday I would be processing bank transactions without the need of standing in line or being helped by a bank teller. Computers and their applications have been instrumental at promoting change in our society’s way of thinking and behavior. They have become important tools for improved communication, decision making and discoveries in many different fronts. Several scientific fields, such as agriculture and the life sciences in particular, have been affected by such technological changes.

With such powerful tools at hand, scientists have made significant advancements in the field of agriculture by addressing the problem of food shortage as the populations of the world increases sharply every year. Consequently, there has been a need for improved strategies as there is a close correlation between population growth and food consumption. More resistant crops have been introduced in the fields as an option for farmers to overcome problems that may compromise the quality of their harvest and product cost. Companies like Monsanto have been established worldwide as a resource for local governments and private sectors. These companies evaluate specific environmental trends of a particular area and introduce grains that are resistant to certain diseases in order to bust quality and productivity. In light of these and many other promising discoveries, there have been heated discussions over the safety of such products. Many argue that genetically engineered foods are not proven to be safe for human consumption and could potentially trigger some kind of mutation in the human organism. That would become a very serious public health issue but the companies have rebuffed such allegations and sustain that their products are safe.

Due to prices of crude oil and natural gas and their environmental concerns, governments from industrialized nations have searched for ways to replace these sources of fuel into renewable, safe and environmentally acceptable alternatives. The utilization of sugarcane and corn have proven to be the best sources for producing Ethanol as an alternative fuel source opposed to the status quo which has the disadvantage of polluting the environment in addition to being very costly. The Brazilian government, for example, has followed that path very successfully after more than three decades of exhaustive scientific studies on the production of Ethanol from sugar cane. Currently every single small vehicle engine is adjusted to use a mixture of 25% Ethanol and 75% gasoline. The country’s agro fuel production has soared and shown very significant indicators as Brazil, at this time, is exporting its technology to many different countries. Most of the Ethanol production from Brazil is sold to the United States and Europe. This is an indication that all the initial investment made by the government really paid off. There has been a growing concern on the part of environmentalists that the vast areas being used for sugar cane plantations may restrict the production of foods which eventually may drive the cost of other products up.

There have been many new developments in the Life Sciences field as well. Life expectancy has increased dramatically as a result of advanced studies in the medical field. New treatments of chronic diseases such as Cancer and Aids have given people suffering from such diseases more time and the ability to live longer. The most astounding for me is the ongoing studies in the field of stem cell research. A new window has opened for potential discoveries of new drugs that will treat or even cure certain diseases like diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Another development of significance is the human genome project in which the purpose is to identify human genes and sequence the base pairs which make up human DNA to be used as a data base for facilitating medical research. Computer software application is one key element for the success of many of these projects and it is used for performing complex calculations.

These are just a few examples which illustrate how fast the world is changing and the way computer technology has become a key element in the course of such changes. Despite being a natural course of human existence, changes are commonly viewed with skepticism and fear. That may be based on lack of knowledge and may not be backed up with substantial evidence to prove this antagonist point of view. Companies have become more proactive in preparing themselves to deal with both legal and ethical issues which could surface in response to those actions. Such issues would be certain to arise especially if the subject in question is public health. Some hot topics which have raised questions have to do with new methods utilizing genetic engineering for producing foods and drugs and the possibility for them to become a cumbersome health threat far greater compared to the benefits they claim to produce. Cloning and stem cell research are leading to such great medical achievements which will aid in the cure of genetic diseases but have become very touchy subjects and created great resistance from lobbyists.

I embrace change as a natural course for my own survival and the survival of future generations. It is common for me to feel uneasy when trying new methods and ideas with which I am unfamiliar. For example, as identity theft was on the rise I always felt uncomfortable using the computer to pay bills or to make any purchases online. Suddenly I am doing just that. I very rarely write a check or feel the need to go to the bank as most operations can be done online. I still have to deal with a certain level of discomfort as the chance for people to steal my identity has not gone away, but the benefits of my behavior change are far greater than the discomfort I have of being exposed to a criminal act. This scenario may apply to many other situations. In order to meet the demand for food and energy as the world population grows, scientists have to present solutions that represent change and which in turn will impact people’s behavior. Because such changes may act against people’s beliefs and values, such proposals will always face resistance from interest groups no matter what the benefits will be. Thus, what is viewed as uncomfortable or offensive by some may be viewed as inevitable and necessary by many others. In short, we are either struggling to find the best conditions for surviving in a continuous changing environment or fighting to preserve existing circumstances for fear that the change may be more harmful than beneficial. Regardless of how we feel about change, technological and scientific advances are inevitable and will continue to change our world.

The Tightrope Walker

2008-11-12T19:01:00.000-05:00

A scene from my childhood that I will never forget was a tightrope walker performing his piece in a circus. I was just about twelve years old and that was the first time that I ever saw such a performance. I was really impressed with the artist’s ability to move his body in the open space with only a tightrope under his feet and an open umbrella used to keep his balance. I was excited but fearful that he could miss his step and fall. Somehow he kept moving right along until he finally made it to safety. The audience applauded him very enthusiastically. I was excited but also relieved. I look back and review that moment at the circus as I try to define the meaning of “learning”. As a kid I was really impressed to see that performance but never thought of what it took for the artist to reach such a level of excellence. I realize now that no matter how talented someone is, it takes years of practice to be able to perform such skill, let alone doing it in front of an audience. Learning in that case is very intense. Considering that learning is a very subjective matter, I can only express how it applies to me. Learning is a process that evolves from motivation or necessity. In either case, I need to be willing to sacrifice myself in exchange for some kind of compensation later which may be professional recognition, or simple pleasure. Some important factors of learning are motivation, repetition, concentration, discipline and hard work.

Motivation is the driving force in the process of learning. Just having the desire to learn something does not do much for me. I must be convinced that I will benefit somehow from the experience. I must ask myself the following questions several times before engaging in the learning process: Why is it important? What are the benefits? What I am accomplishing with that experience? Where is it going to take me? Once I answer some of these questions satisfactorily it becomes the fuel for me to move along with the plan. I then willingly accept the commitment of working towards the desired goal. Motivation could also be based on others experiences or influenced by someone else’s opinion.

Learning is a continuous thing in my day-to-day life on the job. In order to perform my work in a satisfactory manner, I need to be as consistent as possible. Consistency comes from repetition which plays a very important role in giving me the confidence required to deliver the results that the company wants; however, because clients are constantly changing, so are the projects and processes. Just when I get comfortable in doing things a particular way, it is time for me to move on to something else. Learning for me is a gradual thing. I only become better at something when I am continuously exposed to the job at hand. Initially, I learn to get a grasp on it and eventually I am comfortable enough to focus on the details. In other words, learning never really stops and repetition is one key element of it.

When it comes to concentration, I draw a parallel with the scene of the artist who performed the tightrope act in the circus. Similarly to him, I also walk a fine line under the attentive eyes of an audience. When performing my experiments, there is no room for distractions, as for the tightrope walker performing in front of the crowd. His shaky and timed step on the rope resembles the careful considerations I have to take before moving on to the next process step. Each detail is important and I need to focus just like him. Experience gives me an edge but it is not a guarantee of absolute success. There is always a discomfort I have to deal with associated with learning a new process from scratch. That feeling comes from the fear of messing things up and causing downtime and spending valuable company resources. For that reason I need to concentrate twice as hard when performing new tasks until it becomes second nature.

Discipline and hard work are both important factors. The expression: “no pain, no gain” literally applies for just about anything I do in life. It implies that if I am not willing to go through the discomforts associated with learning, I would never be able to reach a satisfactorily level in terms of knowledge and skill. When learning, I need to plan accordingly and be able to track my progress over time. As a kid I marveled at the artist’s great performance. I never really thought of what it took for him to reach his level of success. No doubt, his performance was the finished product of his hard work, commitment and self-determination.

I clearly understand that, in a broad sense, learning has always been the natural path for human survival. Despite technological advancements and how they have made my life easier, ultimately, learning rests with my mind’s ability to process and assimilate the information presented to me. In order for me to learn my brain needs to be stimulated and motivated. At work, I am constantly engaged in learning new processes and ways to improve existing ones. Learning is the only way for me to succeed not only as a professional but also as an individual. Perhaps my understanding and thirst for learning will enable me to someday walk the tightrope of my own life as graciously as the gentleman from the circus that I saw so long ago.

The Workplace

2008-11-05T21:21:00.001-05:00

It is close to eight thirty when I pull in to the company parking lot. I walk out of my brown Toyota Camry carrying my backpack and holding a still warm cup of hazelnut coffee in my left hand. I am not in a hurry. I approach the glass building’s main entrance at a slow but continuous pace. I think of the things I must do today. I need to get to my desk, finish my coffee and check my email for any instructions from my supervisor before I can go to the lab area. I reach for my security card inside my pants pocket. I swipe it through the reader, hold the tempered glass door firmly with my right hand and, in one stroke, pull it hard to get it open. I step into the foyer, a rectangle literally made of glass. I swipe the card again to open a second door and to gain access to the premises. I hear two consecutive clicks as I go in. Both doors lock behind me one after another. I am inside the forty five thousand square foot, partial glass building located at ninety nine South Street in Hopkinton. This is the installation of Lonza, a Swiss based biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing company which it commonly referred to as Lonza Biologics Inc. This is the place I have spent a good part of my life over the past two years. The outside of the building looks anything but unusual. In fact, it may go unnoticed by many commuters who drive by South Street on a daily basis. For me it has significance. I depend on it and its resources to generate income for supporting my personal needs. The company depends on me to produce and deliver quality work. We are partners as long as we have a common understanding and a contract in force. This is also the place where I have the opportunity to come across many talented individuals from different departments.

The rectangular shaped building has one of its short sides facing the street and the adjacent long side facing the shipping and receiving area which also has an independent driveway. The main entrance is on the opposite side of the building, facing the parking lot, about forty feet from the corner which is conveniently accessible from the parking lot. As I go in the main entrance I am faced with large black letters on the wall which when put together read: Lonza. They are positioned about five to six feet high from the floor. The walls are painted with a semi-gloss, off-white finish. To my left I view the long hallway which separates the offices and cubes, along the glass wall facing the parking lot, from the laboratories. There are twelve rectangular, fashionable fluorescent lights each hanging from two metal rods which extend about one foot below the white drop down ceiling tiles. They all seem to be perfectly aligned. At the end of the hall there is a door which gives access to the cafeteria. To my right, the hallway continues for about twenty to thirty feet and then turns at a ninety degree angle following the path of more offices and cubes all along the front of the building. As I start walking to the right headed for my desk, I am facing the largest office on the corner. That is the office of our research and development manager, Dr. Chris Dale. I walk by it as I make a turn going left. This side of the building is facing the street. I keep walking and pass by more offices and cubes on my right. There are three offices starting from the corner and a cluster of six gray cubes. They are all conveniently arranged in a way that three people sit facing each other with a partition between them. The cubes are positioned back to back in a space between sets of two offices. There are four clusters of cubes following the same arrangement and nine offices on the front side of the building. All of the offices are occupied by senior position employees.

On my left there are four glass windows, each one of them with a view to the inside of the lab areas. There is a large conference room also on the left, close to the door which is the main access to the labs. In the space between the windows, I see four file cabinets and several shelves filled with documents. I also see a color printer, two copiers, a water cooler and three recycle bins lined up along the wall which divides the office area from the labs. My desk is in the last cluster of cubes located along the hallway. I sit in the middle cube with my back turned to the wall facing the shipping and receiving area. As I reach my desk, I put my backpack away, turn my computer on and read my email as I sip my almost cold coffee. With my email read and my coffee gone, I am finally prepared to go to the lab.

I enter the door by the conference room to gain access to the lab area. There is a small hall of about fourteen by five feet and another door at the other end of it. Once I open the second door there is a rest room and a shower on the left hand side. I pass through a doorway and I am in the locker room and changing area. The walls are a light green color with trim painted a darker shade of green. I open my locker and grab my personal protection equipment including a lab coat, safety glasses, shoe covers and gloves. I put them on, walk towards the door and swipe my security card on the reader to access the hallway that connects the locker room with the entire lab area. As I come out of the locker room, I see two double doors at both ends of the hall. They can not be accessed from the outside and can only be used in case of emergency. All of the labs have the same finish, an off-white tone of green on the walls and a darker shade of green on the doors and trim. I follow the main hallway toward the dock area. I pass by lab 142, the protein purification lab on the right. Then I reach the fermentation lab, room 143, the lab where I work most often.

It is a huge lab space and measures approximately fifty feet long by twenty feet wide. The room has all of the equipment necessary to carry on the fermentation process. The biggest piece of equipment is a stainless steel biological flow hood which is an environment I use to manipulate items which must be kept from getting any kind of contamination. There is an incubator shaker, a bulky piece of equipment which looks like a horizontal commercial freezer. It is used to grow the first and second stage culture of cells until it they reache a population necessary to inoculate the fermenter vessel. There is also a white minus eighty centigrade freezer used for storing retain samples and a four degree deli box used to keep solutions cold. The flow hood, shaker and freezer are all positioned against the right wall by the sink. The double glass door, four degree centigrade deli box is slightly bigger than a refrigerator and it is placed at the end of the long bench on the left side. On top of that bench are other smaller pieces of equipment such as: a pH and conductivity meter; a vortex, an piece of equipment used to mix samples; an Eppendorf micro centrifuge, used to separate cells from supernatant, the liquid portion of the broth; and an analytical scale, used to measure the weight of cell paste. There is also a spectrophotometer, which measure the intensity of light that goes through a sample and translates it into a number giving me the concentration of cell mass in the culture. Another piece of equipment on the bench is a YSI Chemistry Analyzer which I use to measure the concentration of residual methanol in the culture. The culture of yeast metabolizes carbon from two different sources: Glycerol and Methanol in order to synthesize our protein of interest.

The two main pieces of equipment in that lab are fermenters model SF-116 made by New Brunswick which are located side by side right in the center of the room. They are sitting on top of two stainless steel benches which are parallel to the side walls. These vessels have the capacity of a ten liter volume and are made of a stainless steel. They have been used to produce the Botulinum toxin protein in yeast cells which will be utilized in the manufacturing of a vaccine. In the ceiling, above the equipment, there are some stainless steel drop down feed lines hooked up to the fermenters with clean air, clean steam and potable water (pure grade water). In the back there are cylindrical canisters with Nitrogen and an Oxygen gases. They are used for calibrating the probe that measures the mixture of oxygen and air concentration during the run. A rectangular glass window on the front of the vessel allows the operator to visually see the culture during the process with the help of a halogen light attached to the back of the fermenter. Some of the parameters which control the fermentation process are, agitation, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen concentration. The growth of cells and equipment behavior are closely monitored throughout the process. Two computer screens are used to track the profiles of the fermentation. It is the operator’s responsibility to observe and troubleshoot any abnormality that may occur during the run. The whole process takes about seventy two hours. The combination of pipe connections, gauges and wires connected to the reactor give an impression of a very complex operation, but in short, it is quite simple. All of these items are in place to provide the right environment and to monitor the growth of the culture which ultimately will produce the desired material and help me to secure my job for the time being.

In order to produce and deliver the product desired, I do not just rely on equipment optimum performance and my individual expertise to operate them. I need to comply with a series of regulations and company policies. Above all, I need to demonstrate the ability to work together with other scientists and learn from their experience. My contribution is just a small portion of the entire process. I have to ensure that things go smoothly on my end in order to guarantee the success of the entire group and ultimately for the company. On many occasions I have had the opportunity to work in collaboration with different departments and learn about the many different processes we carry out in the research and development department. The more I learn the better I am able to perform my job. That gives me an edge in securing my position until it is time for me to move on to a different professional endeavor. Considering I am not planning to go anywhere soon, I have to treat the place like my own home.

Unexpected Visit

2008-10-15T12:17:00.000-04:00

It was spring of 1982 in Sao Paulo City. In two weeks I was going on vacation. I was very excited with the prospect of traveling to my birthplace, I town called Itororo in the northern state of Bahia. I had not been up there for about ten years and I really missed my cousins. Since I left Itororo with my family at the age of eight, I had only been back three times. I was so excited, I could not stop thinking about the upcoming trip. I had everything already planned out. I intended to travel by bus on the 18th of October and would celebrate my birthday there with my relatives. I was going to be twenty three on October 22nd and I anticipated that it was going to be very exciting, but as it turns out, life has its surprises and I do not always get things exactly the way I plan. The road which led me to my destination was longer than anticipated and filled with elements of surprise. Periodically my mind has drifted away and brought back the memories of that experience, but despite of all of the shortcomings, I ended up having a great vacation that year.

I worked at a clothing manufacturing company called Glu’s at the time, located in Sao Paulo for three and a half years. I held the position of office aide and the company was relatively small with no more than thirty staff members onsite and half a dozen field representatives. I really enjoyed the time I spent working there. I had a good relationship with my co-workers and the customers as well, but among all of the people that I worked with, Tony was the person I had the best connection with. We played soccer together and at times he would invite me to go to his house for dinner. I would say we became friends. Tony held the position of sales representative and spent most of his time visiting clients. He used to show up at the company once a day for limited time. He was very concerned with the work ethics and treated his clients and friends very fairly and with respect. He was in his mid thirties, had a great sense of humor and an impressive ability to persuade people to see things his way. I really liked his style. One Friday we both went for lunch and I discussed him about my vacation plans. To my surprise he was also scheduled to take a vacation the same week as me. Not only that but he was also going to the same region. He was headed for Pernambuco, a state located further north from where I was going.

He mentioned briefly that he did not see his mother for many years and he wanted to persuade her to come to Sao Paulo with him. “This is not really a vacation. It is something I’ve got to do.”, he said in a quite serious tone. I could tell how important that it was to him. “How are you getting up there?” he asked.” I responded I was planning to ride the bus mainly because of the dangers we face on the road especially if driving alone. He then mentioned that he was going to drive by himself but he was joining a group of thirteen people who were all traveling together for safety. “There will be a group of five cars, all headed for the same region” he said. “Why don’t you come along and ride with us?” he asked. ”Well, I need to think about it” I said. “There is nothing to think about, just say yes or no.” Tony said in a resolute tone. “I cannot promise I will drive you all the way to your hometown but I can drop you off at a bus station when we arrive in Vitoria da Conquista” he said. Regardless of whether I was going to ride the bus or not, I would have to get off at Conquista station and swap buses anyway. That was not a bad idea after all. Certainly it would be better than riding alone on a bus all the way from Sao Paulo. I then decided to accept the offer to ride with him.

I was filled with anxiety prior to my departure. At 7:30 am on October 19th I was dropped off at Tony’s house where everyone was supposed to meet. I would travel with him until Vitoria da Conquista and then, I would take a bus to Itororo for another hour and a half. We left Sao Paulo at eight in the morning as planned. I did not know most of the people I was traveling with but soon enough, I made friends as everyone agreed to travel in different cars every time we stopped at a service station or rest area. Each individual had a different destination and at some point we all would go our separate ways. We would have to travel more than twelve hundred miles before people started to reach their destination. There were a couple of incidents in which one person had trouble with their car and everybody would stop and help. The incidents involved a flat tire and an over-heated engine.

I was really tired by the time we stopped at a hotel. The time was almost nine pm. We had arrived at a town called Teofilo Otoni in the state of Minas Gerais. By then we had traveled more than six hundred miles. From Teofilo Otoni I had another two hundred and forty seven miles to go to get to Vitoria da Conquista. Tony and I talked about many things as we spent all that time traveling together. He expressed that he was very thankful that I decided to go with him and keep him company for the long journey. I was also thankful that he was willing to take me along. We talked about family, future endeavors and inevitably we brought up our work.

I asked him about his mother. He told me that going to Petrolina was a long shot in trying to find her. He had not seen her for more than twenty years and the prospect was not great but he had some leads and believed it was worth to try. That sounded like an adventure out of the pages of a book and I listened to him with a lot of interest. How could someone be away from his parents for so long and why after all these years did he decide it was important to find her? As we kept talking , he started opening his life in a way that he may not have been willing to do in any other circumstances. He told me he was the son of a single mother and he never heard from his father. In fact, he had two brothers which he had never met. He was basically in search of his own identity and it was very important for him to find out where he came from. At the age of seven or so, his mother gave him away to a family from Sao Paulo because she didn’t have the means to raise him. During his youth he was angry and could not find room for forgiveness but that changed as he matured. I was thrilled with his story and was very curious to find out how it would unfold.

In a way I sympathized with his situation because our stories had some similarities. I was also born in the northeast and because of some family problems, my parents got separated. At the age of eight I went to Sao Paulo with my mother and siblings. I also had a hard time dealing with the psychological aspects of my parent’s separation. For some time I blamed my father for not trying to work things out and thought he could have prevented all the suffering we went through as a result of that separation. Many years had passed when I finally recognized that going to Sao Paulo was one of the key elements needed for my personal and professional growth.

After driving almost five hours since we left Teofilo Otoni, we were finally approaching Vitoria da Conquista. Soon I would be on a bus headed for my hometown, I thought. However, Tony tried to convince me to go with him all the way to Pernambuco. He was feeling very uneasy about the prospect of not finding his mother and having to come back all by himself. Initially I thought he was joking, but then I realized that he really meant it. “You’ve got to be joking. This is my vacation man, I have the intention of spending it with my relatives”, I said. But he did not seem to give up so easily and used many arguments to convince me to go with him. He guaranteed he would cover all of the costs If I could just spend a couple of days up there with him. Then he would drive me to Itororo after two days. I was not convinced that he would do all this driving and spend just a couple of days up there, especially if he ended up finding his mother. “Worst comes to worst and I get held up there I will put you on a bus to Itororo by tomorrow night, how is that?” he said. There was a battle going on inside me. I did not feel like going the rest of the way with him but faced with such a strong pressure I ended up saying yes almost against my will. However, I did take into consideration whether or not he would meet the conditions he proposed as I did not have extra cash to cover this unforeseen expense.

By the time we stopped for lunch, it was almost two pm. He was so afraid that if we stopped in Conquista for lunch I would bail out and not enter his car to continue the trip. We all stopped at some barbecue place in a town called Feira de Santana. At that point I was more familiar with everybody as we had continuously swapped cars during the trip and had the chance to get to know one another. They were all professionals based in Sao Paulo who traveled like this every year to visit their families in the northern states of Brazil.

At eleven pm I finally arrived in Petrolina, Pernambuco. I was exhausted from the trip. All I cared about was taking a shower and going to bed. First we need to find a hotel to spend the night. The next morning I would go with Tony to help him find his mothers whereabouts. “Excuse me. Do you know any good hotels in this area?” Tony asked a person who was passing by. We ended up checking in to a Hotel called Grande Rio which was considered an above average hotel. I was dead tired. Soon after we checked in, I took a shower and crashed. The next day we were up by eight in the morning. We had breakfast and checked out of the hotel. I was really shocked when I found out how much one night for two people cost. I could not believe Tony spent all that money when all we needed was to take a shower and sleep. But I could not interfere with his decision. He knew what he was doing.

It was about nine thirty by the time we left the hotel. Now the challenge was to locate Dona Maria, Tony’s mother. I could not stop thinking that my vacation was being placed on hold until this was over. Tony was relying on an address that one of his relatives gave him before leaving Sao Paulo. He was confident that the address was the key to finding his mother. It was the address of a lady that lived in Petrolina who had had some kind of connection with Dona Maria for a long time. As soon as I left the hotel with Tony we followed the only lead we had. It took us a while to find the address considering we were not familiar with the place. We finally located it. It was a very simple house located in the suburbs of Petrolina. I parked the car as I was the one doing the driving. Tony got off and walked towards the front entrance while I waited for him. Five minutes later he came back very excited. “That lady thinks she knows where my mom is but she has not heard from her for about six months or so” he said. The house owner, an obese lady in her mid fifties named Silvia, invited us in for a coffee. She was very curious about this unexpected visit from a son who had not seen his mother for so long. She was very cooperative and decided to help us out by volunteering one of her sons to guide us to the place. I found out that the place was about sixty miles away. We were going to head south on a winding dirt road for approximately two hours.

It was October 20th and I was feeling quite uneasy with the prospect of spending my birthday in the middle of nowhere among strangers. Maybe it did not really have anything to do with my birthday. The fact is that I had built a high expectation to be with my relatives. “If it was not for that incident I would have been there by now”, I thought. I tried not to show I was upset about that and just hoped for the best. I just decided to give Tony a break for I realized he genuinely needed my help. Otherwise, he would not have insisted so much for me to come with him. Half an hour later I left Silvia’s house in the company of Tony and Valdo, Silvia’s son. We headed out on a dirt road south of Petrolina.

Valdo, our guide, was 18 years old. He was soft spoken and had a very thin mustache. He seemed to be quite familiar with the area. His father was a truck driver and periodically he would ride with him. We drove for about one hour and I noticed Tony was getting very anxious as we approached the area where his mother supposedly lived. Valdo reported to us about the drought conditions the region had gone through in recent years. I learned that the year of nineteen eighty three happened to be one of the worst droughts in the history of northeast Brazil. Many people and animals died as a result of extensive periods of dry conditions. Tony expressed concern on his face and his silence was a confirmation that he was familiar with the situation. The scenario of poverty and misery was intensified drastically by a combination of factors: environment natural conditions and lack of interest on the part of politicians and the private sector. I was aware of the situation in the region from media sources but the experience of being there to witness all of it was a thrilling experience for me.

I saw the suffering stamped on people’s faces as we passed by open bed trucks loaded with peasants being carried away to hospitals and shelters in nearby towns. I did not have a good feeling about finding Tony’s mother in “good spirits” at that point but I hoped I was wrong. We had been driving through a region called the Polygon of Drought for about two hours. The car was covered with some red dust which was lifted by other vehicles coming in our direction. That left a trail of dust that rushed onto our direction as we kept driving. I could not believe my eyes. The combination of intense heat, dust and very dry vegetation gave me the impression I was driving on a desert. We were on top of a hill when Valdo asked us to stop the car. “I need to go” he said. Everyone got out to stretch their legs and relieve themselves. There was no gas station, rest area or anyplace we could go for that matter. The restroom was wherever place our eyes could reach. Good thing we had plenty of water bottles in the car. “How far do we still have to go?” I asked. “Not far at all, we are five to ten minutes away” Valdo responded. “Do you see that house on that hill on the other side? Asked Valdo. “That is Dona Maria’s.” Tony seemed very excited with the news. Soon after we all got in the car and started going down the hill. Valdo spotted Dona Maria from a distance and pointed her out to us. We could barely see her because it was still quite far away. I estimated about a quarter mile. As we approached, Tony asked Valdo, “Are you sure it is her?” ” I am positive“ he said. Tony rehearsed a little drama and asked Valdo not to reveal to her who he was. “I wonder if she will be able to guess who I am.“ said Tony.

As the car got closer, I was able to have a better visual of the scene. I saw this tiny lady in her late sixties, weary faced and dressed in ragged clothes. She looked visibly uncomfortable with our impending presence. There was a man with her who appeared to be a lot younger than her. She was scooping some water from a pit and dumping it into a drum sitting on a garden cart. The water looked very muddy and I wondered if they used that for drinking and cooking. We got off the car and Valdo greeted the couple. “Good morning Dona Maria, It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.” said Valdo. He also looked at the man and nodded. Apparently, Valdo did not appear to know the man by the way he greeted him. “Hello Valdo. We are still here, suffering”. She did not make any eye contact while she spoke. She looked embarrassed and visibly uncomfortable. Then Valdo asked her, Dona Maria do you recognize these men and pointed to us. “No, I do not” she responded point blank. “Are you sure? Take a good look at them.” said Valdo. Then she made an effort to look at us and took a guess. “Are they health inspectors?” She asked. Valdo insisted on intensifying the drama a little further. “Dona Maria, one of these two men is Antonio, your oldest son.” She was in shock. She dropped the dish she was holding and then let out a very nervous laugh. She held her cheeks with both hands in a display of deep surprise. She looked at both of us and initially appeared confused but then she recognized her little boy on the face of Tony as he removed his sunglasses. They both looked silly for a brief moment and appeared not to know what to do next. Then Tony approached her and they hugged intensely. Tony could not contain himself and sobbed silently. I confess that I was emotionally touched by that scene. This was not just an encounter of a mother and a son. It marked the end of twenty three years of separation between them. It was something very special for them and for me a lesson of love.

After a few moments of quick updates I followed them back to Dona Maria’s house by foot. It was a tiny shack on top of the hill made of mud. She shared the modest house with Joao, the man I met when I first arrived. The little hut had only two tiny rooms, a kitchen and a bedroom. There was no furniture besides a wood stove in the kitchen and a poorly handcrafted bed in the other room. I was really shocked to see how they lived. How could they manage to survive in such a precarious place? I thought of the contrast of life style between Dona Maria and Tony. He lived a very comfortable life, drove nice cars, and ate in the best restaurants, while his mother was nearly starved to death. I kept those thoughts to myself and did not dare ask him why he waited so long. At the same time I had great respect for him for taking on such a courageous act to come in search of this missing link of his identity while he still could.

I felt somewhat relieved that Tony was able to locate his mother so quickly but the day was coming to an end and I needed to head back to Petrolina so I could get on a bus to Vitoria da Conquista. I was unsure how I was going to go back. It was apparent that Tony needed time alone with his mother to mend things up. They surely had plenty of things to talk about. My best bet was to ride back in one of those open bed trucks with Valdo. However, I found out that the next transportation would not come until the morning of next day. That meant I was trapped there and my trip back to Vitoria was delayed another day. Tony felt really bad about it and in an apologetic tone tried to fix things up. I realized that not even he knew how this thing was going to turn out. Valdo and I ended up spending the night with some of his relatives at a farm five kilometers away from Dona Maria’s home.

It was nine in the morning of October 21th when I finally took the transportation to Petrolina. It was an indescribable experience to ride on top of that open bed truck along with another thirty or forty people. Every five to ten minutes a cloud of red dust approached us and rushed into our faces and lungs as the cars would periodically come towards us. Sitting on a wooden bench was not fun either. As the truck hit any depression on the road, I was lifted from my seat continuously until my bottom started to get really sore. That was one of the worst commutes I ever had. I was really relieved once we arrived in the city of Petrolina. By the time I arrived back at Valdo’s house, it was about one pm. All I had in mind was to find that bus station and take off but I was covered with dust head to toe and needed to take a shower as well as eat something before I went anywhere. Silvia was kind enough to let me in to take a shower and eat some lunch.

It was eleven pm when I finally took the bus headed to Conquista, Bahia. I was feeling quite tired and slept through the whole trip. I arrived at about seven in the morning and then I bought another ticket to Itororo, my final destination. I arrived at eleven am on October 22nd. I got off the bus, took a few steps and breathed deeply. I felt that I had just landed in paradise. Being back in my hometown was one of the best presents I’ve ever had for my birthday. I spent some exciting moments with my uncles and cousins for the next twenty days while I was in Itororo; however, that is a different story for another occasion.

I met with Tony about a month later in Sao Paulo. He had a hard time convincing his mother to come and live with him and his wife. She only accepted the offer because she needed to seek health treatment but he had to assure her he would take her back as soon as she was recovered from her health condition. I learned from Tony a year later that he granted her wish to be taken back to home (I called it ground zero of misery), as she could not adapt to life in the big city. He kept giving her continuous support to make sure she lived a decent life and visited her whenever he could.

Despite all of the shortcomings, the unplanned visit to the Drought Polygon added value to my life. I got a better understanding of the region and the struggle the local peasants go through during the drought periods. Despite the fact that I was drawn into that adventure literally against my will, I recognize it was a good opportunity and the only one for me to come in close contact with elements I would never be able to otherwise. The dust on my face, the smell of death, intense heat and lifeless landscape were some of the elements which invaded all of my senses and left images imprinted on my brain in such a way that the media and the books could never do.

About "Sister Flowers", An Essay Written by Maya Angelou

2008-10-11T11:39:00.002-04:00

Mrs. Flowers was a very important reference in the life of the narrator Maya Angelou. She was portrayed by Maya as being a person who was kind, respectful, highly educated and a source of inspiration. She was a well to do, elegant and highly sofisticated person who had the ability to touch the lives of people that belonged to her community. I dare say that Mrs. Flowers was one of the main people responsible for allowing Maya to flourish and reach higher ground. Mrs. Flowers had an unimaginable power over Maya and over time became a great influence in her life. She was highly supportive and helped Maya to break the walls which may have prevented her from growing as a human being. Maya lived a decent working, middle class life but was going through a moment of vulnerability when she first met with Mrs. Flowers. It is evident that despite being a good student and having some financial support she was going through very difficult psychological problems. Mrs. Flowers was instrumental in her life and appeared at a time of despair. She taught Maya great lessons, as Maya was totally open for absorbing her teachings. Maya really needed a helping hand and Mrs. Flowers provided the extra push necessary for Maya to grow. A few passages in the text, such as, “I met…,the lady who threw my first life lines” and “She was one of the few gentlewomen I have ever known and has remained throughout my life the measure of what a human being can be”, really validate the importance that she had and represented for Maya. These statements translate all the emotions of a person who saw in Mrs. Flowers a living picture of high standards and kindness. I really enjoyed reading this essay. As a reader, I could visualize Maya’s struggle in her teenage years and ultimately reaching maturity and becoming nothing else but a personification of what Mrs. Flowers represented to her.

Inside a Post Card

2008-09-22T16:20:00.001-04:00

Driven by the desire to have a break from my weekly routine and stress, I started going away more often starting last summer. I really enjoy going sightseeing. Something about exploring the unknown exicites me no matter how insignificant the place is. My favorite scenario is driving on rural roads where I have close contact with natural elements. In order to choose a destination, I do a quick search on the internet to find key places of interest. Then I make arrangements for the trip along with my wife. Most places I go are located in Massachusetts and neighboring states. The fun part of it is that I am usually not in such a hurry to get wherever I intend to go. I like to take my time and not follow a schedule. I usually stop several times especially if I am traveling on a secondary road and I see a scenic area or anything that captures my attention. It is not uncommon for me to stop along the way at places like flea markets, street fairs or craft shops. I find sightseeing to be very educational. I learn a whole lot about cultural values, history, and also about the environment as a result of those short trips. They are also a fun way to get familiar with my surrounding.

One factor that I always take into consideration is the traveling distance. I try not to exceed the limit of a two or three hour drive. The reason for that is because they usually equate to a one day trip. I generally leave on a Sunday morning and by nightfall I am back home. A couple of days before the trip I go online and print directions and also get a sense of the time it will take to get to my destination. I read any information I see online so I can get some perspective of what I should look for once I am there. Based on the distance information, I have a better idea of when I should leave in the morning and the best time to return. I also like to take some precautions to minimize any kind of annoyance while I am on the road. Previous to my trip I usually take the car to a service station and have all the fluid levels and tire pressure checked. One thing that I find really useful is to have a valid AAA card. As my car gets older, my level of confidence in it decreases. I drive a 2000 Toyota Camry and any eight year old car is expected to have problems arise more often. I also carry some cash in my wallet and do not rely entirely on my debit card. I never know when I may have some issue which could prevent me from using it. If I am a few blocks from the house it is easy to handle but it could spoil my weekend if I am a distant away. On a number of occasions, I end up checking into a hotel to spend the night but that does not happen too often. Another thing I find really useful on theses day trips is to have a road map in the car just in case I need it. Once all these items are checked on, I am good to go. My wife and I then hit the road early on Sunday morning.

Driving is always fun. I love driving long distances as long as I have a companion to talk to. I am particularly fond of driving on rural, winding roads. Those are the best! I love to watch the scenery. It feels like being inside a post card at times. It makes me very excited to drive in areas with some peculiar landscape. My eyes keep moving restlessly in an attempt to capture every single image that comes into sight after every curve. Each place I go is unique. One place is like no other. This past summer, I was traveling through a farming area in Vermont when a large number of cows and horses grazing in a field caught my attention. The scenario was really phenomenal, not just because of the animals, they just happened to be there, but each element in that landscape contributed to such a rich picture. Different tones of blue tinted the mountains on the horizon. A cluster of pine trees heavily populated the base of the mountains. A vast area of field dominated most of the scenario. I was so thrilled that I had to stop the car and take in the scene for a while. It felt so peaceful.

Over the past few months I have been in different places: Newport, RI, Gloucester, MA, on the coast, and Amherst and Northampton, MA, both located on the Pioneer Valley in Western MA, just to name a few. The furthest place I went this summer was Woodstock, VT. It is about a three hour drive North of Worcester, MA. I was particularly impressed with the covered bridges found in that region. I also thought the architecture of houses and churches were somewhat different than what I am used to seeing. As I was traveling on Woodstock Road I could not help but to stop at Quechee Gorge Village. There I was able to samp different styles and flavors of the prestigious Cabot cheese. I also tried some of the corn on the cob cooked over an open fire at a country store just a few miles up the road.

Shelburne Falls, MA is another place I visited in the spring and really thought it was worth the trip. The town itself is very small and there is not much there, but the scenery is absolutely incredible. I was really astonished when I saw the glacial formation called Glacial Potholes. I also went to see the Bridge of Flowers which is walking distance from the Potholes. I thought it was neat to learn that the Bridge of Flowers was actually built in 1908 to be a trolley crossing the Deerfield River. Eventually progress forced the trolley to be phased out and it officially became the Bridge of Flowers in 1929.

Among the many things I gained from sightseeing, the awareness of my surroundings and also a sense of appreciation for the environment were the most impressive. I often learn new things about the cultures and historic facts that I would otherwise not come across. Each time I visit a certain town or a tourist site, I get thrilled by something I see. By the time I return home I feel more energized. The experience helps me to recuperate from stress and gives me motivation to get through another week or another month. Some of those experiences are simply unforgettable. How could I not be inspired and seduced as I come across the dance of colors such as that in a place like Newport? I will always be amazed when I stand at the foot of the white giant, Killington. Shelburne Falls, with its bridge of flowers dressed with simplistic beauty, moves me. Moments of reflections take me back to a roaring Flume Gorge and its glacial boulders. The way some of these places captures my imagination just reinforce that sightseeing is an insightful and rewarding experience in my life.

A Definition of Freedom

2008-04-20T12:52:00.001-04:00

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary freedom means “The absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice of action”. However, regardless what the dictionary says, the arguments of freedom are quite diverse and opinions differ according to a wide variety of factors such as: race, age, gender, social status and the environment. At first glance the word freedom sounds positive, powerful. It is so powerful that often it is used by politicians to deceive and mold public opinion in support of their actions and to benefit themselves. The Iraq war is a classical example of that. Freedom may be the right I have to exercise the power of choice. The question is how much power I actually have when for every decision made there are consequences. The constant thought of possible implications is a factor that impacts my ability to make choices. That makes me feel as free as a bird inside a cage. In short, freedom is not really free.

The first idea that comes to mind when I think of the word free is to be of constraint of something. I recognize that I am always free to shape up my thoughts and develop myself seeking knowledge and understanding the nature of the environment around me. I am in control over my actions. I can change my attitude, my religious beliefs and my physical appearance. I can carry myself however I please and it is nobody’s business if all of a sudden I decide to grow a beard or long hair. I am free to change my job, buy a new car or take a vacation in the Bahamas or in Hawaii. Even though I may perceive the possibility of doing these things as freedom, deep inside I know that accomplishing these and many other things is just an illusion or wishful thinking because in reality I am locked in a complex set of rules. I have responsibilities with my marriage, my job, the mortgage, and many other obligations. I cannot really do any of these things without consequence. Is this really freedom? The controversial thing is that no one put a gun to my head and forced me into signing a contract holding me to these rules. I simply elected to engage myself in them, perhaps willingly driven by the thought that these commitments were necessary and beneficial to me.

I am free in the sense that I have self determination and the ability to make a sound judgment of what is achievable and what is not. I can only go on vacation if I plan ahead of time and allocate sufficient funds to cover out of ordinary expenses. In order for me to go on vacation my employer would have to release me for a period of time that would be convenient not only for me but also for the company. I wish I could buy a new car but I am aware that that is not the wisest thing to do at this moment. The extra car payments would put a burden on my already tight budget. I have to be very careful and consider all the possibilities which will result from my actions. In choosing an alternative I should consider the benefits and inconveniences such choice would bring upon me. It was my choice to come to the “land of the free” and live the American dream. I recognize that the advantages of being here today are enormous. But I pay a high price for that. The years I spent away from my family created a big void between us. Among the things I miss the most is gathering around the dinner table on Sundays with my mother, siblings and nephews and engaging in conversations with them. Over time a natural sense of disconnect has developed resulting from my absence.

In trying to gather different meanings of the word freedom I read some articles I found on the internet about the Brazilian slavery which happened from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. Brazil had the record of being the last Western nation to retain slavery when it was finally emancipated in 1888 by Princess Isabel. Slavery only ended after mounting pressure from the British government and intense abolitionist movements within the country forcing Brazil to end the cycle of slavery trade that last for three centuries. I can comprehend that for a person who lived through slavery, the word freedom had a very special and powerful meaning. Abolishing slavery was a necessary and wise thing to do mainly because it became less profitable and riskier for traders to transport their “product” across the Atlantic as the British vowed to intercept and confiscate any transporting vessel with African slave headed for Brazil. The country was forced to open the doors for immigrants who came mainly from Europe. That was a signal that human trade was coming to an end and freedom was on its way for those who were physically exploited and psychologically diminished for so long.

Emancipation from slavery brought serious consequences for the former enslaved population who had to be acclimated to the condition of common citizens. They had difficulty getting used to the new set of rules and obligations that “free” people had to live by. They had problems finding jobs and making a living on their own because the land owners were not willing to pay a salary to them. Suddenly there were thousands of people roaming around the cities with nothing to do. Some of these individuals chose to go back to the rural areas where they came from and keep on living as “slaves” in exchange for food and a place to sleep as they could not find work opportunities in other areas. Even though freedom from slavery would prove to be positive thing to happen to the Brazilian society in the long run, for the first few years it brought serious consequences to the government, society and the former slaves themselves who had to adjust to their new reality as free individuals.

Freedom is not really a license to do whatever I want to do. I am free as long as I abide to certain rules and responsibilities. It is hard to find an absolute and precise definition of freedom. I may be free, but that freedom is set by a number of limitations. In the democratic societies where people are said to be free and are protected by laws, there are inequalities. People may not have the same experiences of freedom. Do the poor enjoy the same freedom as the rich when they lack resources and opportunities? How much freedom do the wealthy really have when they live with the fear of losing their status or with the expectation of becoming richer? Are the uneducated or illiterate people free when the number of choices they can make is very limited? Are people who are afraid to take on responsibility free? None of the mentioned above is free and this shows that freedom has many faces. Political freedom usually comes to mind when I use the word, but that is only one aspect of it. We may be politically free but, psychologically, we can be slaves. I really believe that what is important is to lead a free life is to be free in spirit so that none of the restrictions I have to undergo in life will be able to make me feel dependent. Whenever possible I will fight for freedom in that light.

Believe It or Not

2008-04-19T00:23:00.001-04:00

The scene took place in Itororo, a town of approximately ten thousand people located in the northeastern state of Bahia, Brazil. The year was 1967 and I was eight years old. The house was probably built by slaves at a time when region was mostly farmland some two hundred years back. It was bought by my daddy’s father, for a bargain at least twenty years before I was born. He lived there for awhile but spent most of his time on the farm. Periodically, it was used by some family members as a resting place as some of my uncles would ride long distances on horse back to go to town in order to take care of personal or family business. It was a common scene to see a jeep parked alongside one or two horses in the back yard. Some people stayed overnight while others spent the weekend whenever they needed to do any shopping or other errands in the city. The memories I have of the house are still crystal clear and they do not seem to go away so easily, despite the distance in time. Even though I enjoyed going to town to see new things and people, I was never particularly excited about the prospect of spending the night at the house. It always gave me the creeps because of the association I made with ghosts or phenomenon I was never able to explain. I hated that house and found, it particularly difficult staying alone or sleeping alone in there.

The house was located on the dead end of a parallelepiped stone paved street where we could barely hear the distant noise of cars passing by on the main road. The approaching sound of a trotting horse passing by would break the silence periodically. The steps were continuous and cadenced and it sounded like music to my ears, despite having just one note. Whoever was riding it was in no hurry to get anywhere. That rhythmical sound of horseshoes hitting the stone pavement was quite loud as it passed by the house but soon decreased in intensity and finally disappeared leaving behind only silence. The house was built with considerably largebricks covered with stucco which would periodically come loose. Eventually the stucco would fall off, leaving patches of horizontally aligned bricks exposed. Despite the appearance, those walls were as strong and thick as that of a fortress. All the windows were painted white with marine blue shutters. They were huge
and appeared to be extremely heavy. They needed to be opened often to let the sun and fresh air to prevent bad smell from humidity and mold growing. There were a total of ten windows around the house. They were all the same size and had the same characteristics.

The uniqueness of architectural design reveled it to have been built by some influential figure in the region during the slavery time, probably some wealthy land owner. Looking at the house from across the street I could see the six cement stairs which led to the front door through the porch on the right side. On the sides of the stairs, two nicely crafted metal handrails painted black ended right before the two lion sculptures. They looked intimidating and caught the attention of those who were not familiar with the neighborhood. The outside walls, once painted in yellow, faded away and became discolored. The severely peeled marine blue finish on the eaves intensified the need for maintenance. In the front and back yards a few patches of grass struggled to survive among a variety of wild weed species. Castor bean, with its large palmately-lobed leaves, dominated the scene. In general the exterior and surroundings of the house looked abandoned.

In contrast with the outside, interior of the house was quite modest but pleasingly up kept and clean. Just inside the front door was the living room, a quite spacious area. The first image that always kept my attention was a faded black and white weeding picture of my grandparents hanging on the wall in which they looked young and exceedingly joyful. An old brown couch was placed on the right side against the front wall and a few chairs were facing it separated by a dark stained wood coffee table sitting in the center of the room. There was another table in the corner with some artificial white lilies and a few framed pictures of relatives and some of my grandfather long time friends. The scenario did not change much in the sense that everything looked simple but harmoniously arranged throughout the whole house. Looking up from any of the rooms we could see laths of wood running down from the roof top to the gutters making the base for rows of colonial tiles. The tiles were arranged nicely and formed a beautiful mosaic on the roof. I could see some old stains on it probably caused by water leaks. Due to the roof being made of ceramic and because the house had no ceiling, the sound produced by thunderstorms was amplified enormously creating a continuous rumbling noise from the raindrops that made it sound as if we were inside a giant percussion instrument. That draws a picture of how intense storms are in the region. I was really scared every time it rained but not nearly as scared the prospect of living there. Each time we went to town with my parents I would count the minutes to leave. However, at some point the same year of 1967, my grandfather requested that my father take care of the property for awhile because he already had his hands full with his farming business. He had cocoa bean plantations in the region at a time the business was really promising. Because of that he went to Itororo very rarely. I did not find the news of moving to the house very encouraging but at my age I did not have a say in the matter and had to go wherever my family went. The house was very unique and mysterious like no other in town.

Despite being a child of such a young age at that time, I was able to recollect in detail all of my experiences while living in that place. I remember an instance in which my father was not home and we were just about to have dinner. We were all sitting around the rectangular, dark finish wooden table in the dining room at around seven pm. The food was on the table and we were ready to eat. Suddenly we heard a continuous knock on the front door. Initially we did not know what to make of it. My mother gave it a shot and tried to guess who might have been calling at that time. “Could it be your daddy? He told me he would not be able to return until Friday” she asked. Then she stood up and went to answer the door. She looked a little frightened when she came back. “Who is it mom?” asked my younger brother, Val. She was quiet and just tried to put on her best face so as not to show she was worried. She just shook her head sideways and pressed her lips together giving an indication that no one was there. A few minutes later there were more knocks. This time a little louder. I followed my mom towards the front door. We looked through the curtain. Not a single person was on the porch either. That was very intriguing because for a person to knock on the door and manage to get away without being seeing was nearly impossible. The heavily fortified brick fence walls were at least ten or twelve feet high all the way around the house and it would take a man of extreme physical abilities to be able to knock on the door and then jump the fence before anyone could see him. We were not surprised. That was not the first time this type of thing happened. During the first few experiences we strongly believed that someone was playing a trick on us. “Who would do such a thing in their perfect mind? Who would try to scare us and for what purpose”, asked my mother. A number of other people who had stayed in that house reported having the same experience. This scene repeated every other night at dinner time. Even though my mom tried to be in control of the situation I could tell she was scared.

It was also quite common to hear the sound of somebody knocking on the front door at the time we were in bed and nearly falling asleep. The knocking would not stop and increased in intensity at times as if somebody was trying desperately to enter the house. My mom would check on us. “Mintas are you OK?” she asked. “No, I am not mom, I am very scared.” , I said. “It’s nothing, do not worry, nobody is going to hurt us”, she said it in such a way that her words would no be consistent with the expression on her face. She looked visibly disturbed. Those were troubling moments for me as for my siblings, Val, Duda and Celi and my mother as we all witnessed the same experience. The knocking went on for quite sometime, maybe for ten minutes or even longer. They were scattered but very distinctive. We could hear it clearly as we were into deep silence. By now we were well familiar with that routine. My mom did not make any effort to get up and go check on the door and at some point just decided to ignore it. Then, unexpectedly we heard the squeaking sound of grinding metal as if a key was turning in the door lock. The door sounded to be swinging inward as if somebody was applying a slight force to it. I could hear the short high-pitched sound that, like a musical instrument, changed its tone as the door moved inward and back. That sound was normally produced by the increased tension on the hinges because they were so old and dry. During the daytime it was shadowed by other noises in the environment but at night it became more audible. Then some approaching foot steps of boots with heel spurs walking towards the dining area. At that point I was scared to death. I could clearly hear the clicking sound of heel spurs as the footsteps progressed towards us. I covered my face with blankets even in the 38C heat of the summer. We then heard the sound of a chair being dragged as if somebody was going to sit on itat the dinner table. It made a squeak sound of wood being scratched on the cement floor. It was then that we could hear the sound of paper rustling . It seemed like somebody was handling paper documents. At that point, I was speechless and sweating profusely from the heat inside the blakets. The noises went on all night long and sometimes it was impossible to get to sleep.

On another occasion we heard some thump followed by an outcry in the kitchen. This time I was totally alert. The noises started to become more disturbing than before. Even though it sounded a little indistinct, I could tell somebody was sobbing. Then I heard a bunch of dishes being thrown on the floor with a lot of force. I could hear the bits of shattered porcelain flying all over cement floor. I sensed this appeared to be the works of some mad person. I was so scared that night that I started feeling a tingling sensation all over my body. The next morning we went to check and just like in the previous occasions things were in perfect order and nothing was touched. Not a single dish of broken plate was found on the floor and the door was found locked as we left it the night before. The most bizarre thing is that whoever was inside the house would witness the exact same events. In the morning we would check with one another to find out if it was the imagination of one person. But it was always confirmed that everybody witnessed exactly the same event.

One of the most dazzling events happened one day when I woke up in the middle of the night and saw some lights moving slowly on the roof top above my head. There were three of them initially. They kept moving from one side to another continuously. It did not quite look like the effect of a flashlight because it did not have a rim on the outside. The focus was intense with perfectly defined circles about five inches in diameter. Those strange lights kept switching to all spectrums of different colors. They were so beautiful and I was very attracted to them. I just could not take my eyes off of them no matter how hard I tried until I finally fell asleep.

One of the happiest days of my life was the day my father came to the conclusion that we could no longer live in that house and we had to move on. I finally woke up from the nightmare of discomfort and fear that I had experienced for one year three months and seven days. It did not seem like that energy, or god knows what that used to visit us, was doing it with the sole purpose of disturbing us in any way. At times it sounded like a human going about his everyday customary life. One might say that somehow we crossed paths involuntarily and we invaded each other’s privacy...or not. Well, let me stop right there as I have neither the authority nor the competency to analyze these incomprehensible phenomenon. As incredible as it might sound, that experience affected me enormously. It took me years to overcome some of the psychological burden that it caused me. Sharing this ghostly encounter is certainly not the most comfortable thing for me to do and regardless of the judgment one may have, this is a true story about real people who survived the adversity of a real place.

A Matter of Distraction

2008-04-18T23:56:00.002-04:00

Throughout the years I have learned that if I do not have clear objectives in mind I would certainly be susceptible to involvement in someone else’s plans as opposed to my own. On a few occasions in the past I really felt I was part of someone else’s dreams and that was not the greatest feeling I ever had. By living life without a clear purpose I was exposed to all sorts of distractions. At some point I realized I had to drop everything and start over to give my life a new direction. That was particularly true at a time when I was much younger and facing many adverse circumstances in my life. Today I have a different view for what was once considered important. Maybe this comes with age. As I grow older I tend to be more selective and make decisions based on mistakes of the past.

I arrived in this country in August of Nineteen Eighty Four with one thing in mind: I would take any opportunity possible to make a better life for myself and to help my family if I could. I did not really have a defined plan on how I was going to do that. I did not have a recipe to achieve success. I just had a gut feeling that being a person of good character and morals would eventually lead me to become successful if I had the right attitude and worked hard enough. I was not exactly sure what I was going to do to support myself during that time. I had a very difficult task ahead of me. I needed to get used to the new land’s language, customs, and rules. I also needed to acquire different skills to make a living. I had to reinvent myself literally. I did not know what the future would hold for me but I trusted my instinct. I would accomplish something better than the opportunities I had before. Shortly after I arrived I went to Winston Salem, North Carolina where I spent one year then I moved to the town of Amherst, Massachusetts. After that, I moved to Boston where I have lived for the past twenty years. The last eight years I spent with my brother Ad and another friend of ours Mike. I shared with a three bedroom apartment in the East Cambridge area with them. Life was good in Boston, but far from great. I was not particularly happy with what I was doing for a living and wanted to do something else. Ever since I landed in this country I made a living doing the kind of work that I was not really proud of. I was a shuttle driver for a while. Extremely boring! I also did construction work for sometime. The money was good but unpredictable and intellectually degrading. Then I had an opportunity to work for a small publication firm selling advertising space for business targeted at the Brazilian communities. Eventually, I landed in the Biopharmaceutical Industry where I have worked for the past fourteen years. Today I live a decent life and really enjoy what I do. In that regard, I consider myself successful. But I had to face many challenges along the way. I have had up and downs in the course of my personal and professional life. But I tend to look at the bright side of things. There is always a lesson to be learned from every single experience I have had.

Throughout the years I have had a collection of stories. I have been through all kinds of different situations. Some were good and some were regrettable. I wish they never happened. The event that follows is something I did because I was distracted .enough not to see that a dear friend would expose me to a disturbing situation. The event happened in the summer of 1992 while I was living in Cambridge. It highlights how it is possible to get into danger even when in the comfort of my own apartment. By saying yes to a friend, I put myself in a very odd and regrettable situation. I just wish I had never been there. I would have been spared of all the trouble if I had simply said no to an invitation. The event started when I got back from work. It was almost six o’clock. My brother Ad was already home with our roommate, Mike. They were sitting in the living room drinking beer and chatting. The TV was on but no one was really watching anything at that time. I greeted them, dropped my stuff in my bedroom and walked straight to the kitchen. I opened the fridge, grabbed a beer and went to the other room to join them in the conversation. We joked and laughed and talked about different things for a while. We seldom sat down together and talked due to always being on the run taking care of personal things. Something about that night was different. We were all relaxed, laughing and really enjoying ourselves. I was drinking my beer slowly and a momentary silence fell over us as we did not have much more to talk about.

Ad was staring at the TV screen as something caught his attention. Mike broke the silence by talking about a workshop he and his girlfriend Justine had taken recently at a hotel in Danvers. He described it as a very exciting experience. It offered key elements for him to become a better citizen and enhanced his interpersonal relations. It also helped him to become more organized with his personal life and increased his performance at work. In general his life had improved dramatically, by his accounts. He kept on and on and on with that conversation. This guy was really changed. I had never seen him so motivated and excited. Now I was listening to his experience with interest. This training must have been something really significant to transform him that much, I thought to myself. I was very receptive to his talk and decided to pay close attention to it. Who knows this might also be a good opportunity for me. Often I would interrupt and ask questions as I wanted to learn more about it. He patiently clarified all the doubts I had. It took me a while to realize that he was pushing for me to go to that seminar. He invited me to go see a presentation. It sounded something very positive so I accepted the offer. He said there was a group of people joining them for the next session. The fact is that Mike used all the words that I was dying to hear to persuade me to be part of that thing. He knew exactly where and when to push the buttons. He knew exactly how to conduct the conversation to make me interested. The fact is he was trained and prepared to convince people to show up for that workshop. Naturally, if I was told the plain truth I would change my mind very quickly and would have declined going there. I agreed to go to the seminar with him. But then, there was a little problem. Up to that moment I had not heard anything about cost. Suddenly I became hesitant and told him I would make a decision in a couple of days and would get back to him with a definitive answer. I went to bed that night kind of intrigued as I could not stop thinking about the conversation we had that night.

The seminar was going to happen in two weeks. I had to pay five hundred dollar for it, half of that amount up front and the other half on the day of the seminar. I was a little turned down as I did not have that kind of money to spare. I felt like not joining specially because of the cost. He then used all the tools he had available to prevent me from giving up. He showed up with his girlfriend the next day and she used her charm to ensure I did not back off. They used all kinds of arguments to prevent me from changing my mind. I agreed to pay half of the money upfront and then pay the remaining balance at the office the day I was going to take the seminar. With that, I was locked in and had no way to back out. Mike agreed to give me a ride to Danvers the first day to make things easy for me. Once I learned the way to get there I would drive my car.

I was a little nervous as I did not know what to expect at that first training. I also had no clue what Lifespring really was, except for what I was told by both Mike and his partner. I later learned that Lifespring was a large group awareness training program. Still, that did no help me much. I was also told that the workshop was going to be presented in the form of lectures, discussions and a whole lot of group exercises. In short, I was not really sure what I was paying for but I had already decided to take the risk. I trusted Mike very much and we had been friends for a number of years. In fact he was one of the very few friends that I really trusted. I just bought the plan that the seminar was going to be a very educational experience in my life. I had no doubts it was going to be beneficial in many ways.

I showed up at about 8:30 am on the day of the training in the company of Mike and Justine. The seminar was going to start at 9:00 am. I was introduced to one of the staff members at the reception. She was very friendly to me and put on her best face to make me feel welcome. “You are going to have one of the best experiences of your life”, she said. I hope so, I replied to her as she was preparing a name tag for me. She also asked me to sign an agreement waving any action for damages in result of that training. That was just a standard procedure according to her. I thought about what she said before. What does she mean by “the best experience of my life”? I just had to wait and find out for myself. This is very powerful stuff. Just be patient, and have your mind open for the ride. Soon all my questions were going to be answered, I was told. All of a sudden my stomach started to get a little upset. I was getting a little scared actually. Despite people pretending to act as normal human beings, something was a little odd about that place. It was not just the way they talked, it was the whole scenario. There was an effort on part of people to show that this was a very exciting place to be. I saw a group of men nicely dressed in black suits and ties. They looked serious and polite but were not engaged in conversations. They seemed cold as statues. They acted like security guards or maybe they were something of higher order, who knows. Some people were hugging and kissing and whispering in each others ears, but not like lovers do. It was more like friends who love each other dearly. The trouble was I was not used to seeing this kind of behavior everyday. There is nothing wrong with people hugging and kissing. Whatever was happening there was a little beyond the limit of what I would usually see on a regular basis. Maybe it was just me. I was probably over reacting, I thought. “C’mon, just relax”, I thought to myself.

Mike seemed to know everybody. He talked to a whole lot of people. He seemed very comfortable in the environment. I was holding back from him and everyone else because of what was going through my mind. I had already paid the remaining balance right after they checked me in. After a few minutes I was escorted to join a group of people who were already waiting by the door on the furthest side of the room. They all were going to take the workshop. My friend and his partner had no access to that area at all so they left right after I passed through the reception area. We were all standing in that room. The time was 8:50 am. I noticed a group of people talking as if they were very intimate. I was not sure if they were staff members or if they were former participants in the program. They were talking very enthusiastically. The room got filled very quickly as all the registered participants were instructed to approach the area. I could tell there were fifty people or more. One of the staff members walked to the front of the room and started a brief introduction by thanking everyone for taking the courageous decision to be there for what she described as one of the most important resolutions of our lives. At that time we were introduced to all the ground rules. Among a few things that were considered not acceptable was arriving late for each training session. Under no circumstance a participant was to walk in that room late. Unless he or she had a very justifiable and convincing reason for doing so. Every day of the training we were supposed to enter the room in a very methodic way. We would form a single line outside first and then after an alarm sounded, we would be escorted in by staff members. We were told to fill all the seat rows starting from the first one by the stage. This was supposed to be the routine every day of the training. No empty spaces between one participants and the next was allowed. This also meant that none was supposed to save space for another person. No cell phone, chatting, smoking or chewing gums during the hours of the training were allowed. She asked that if anyone would like to go to the restroom at any given time, one would have to lift his hand and wait to be escorted out by one of her assistants. No one was allowed to be wondering around during the whole training. These were all part of the ground rules and everyone agreed to follow them unconditionally. Once we “willingly” agreed to them, they became official and were referred to as “our rules”. We were then escorted to the main training area. We did it as orderly and respectfully as we were told. We quickly filled all the rows of seats. That reminded me of a group of jurors entering a court room before the session starts.

It was a spacious and nicely arranged conference room. Chairs were placed in semi-circle formation facing the stage. The room was a complete silence. Some of us made some funny looks but no one dared to chat. I man frowned his face. I though he meant to say, now what? I looked at the stage area and then all around the room looking for the presence of the trainers. No one was there except for us and those people nicely dressed in suits. They were all aligned along the wall by the main entrance behind us. These were the same cold looking people I saw outside. There were five men and three women. Their expression did not change a bit. It was clear now that they were there to assist on the training. But why are there so many of them, and why they seem to be so indifferent. These were some of the questions were going through my mind at that moment. All the suspense started to give me the creeps. Beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling called my attention. As I was looking up I almost did not notice someone walking to the stage from a side door. I looked at my watch. It was five past nine.

A nicely dressed woman approached the stage and introduced herself as Nancy O’Connell. She was the person who was going to guide us throughout the three day workshop. She was probably in her late forties. She talked about her education background and all the experience she had acquired throughout the years. She held a PhD in psychology and had very extensive experience in giving seminars to groups of people all over the country, before she joined the Lifespring organization. She had a pleasant character and was highly articulate. She also presented the group of people in the back as the “guardians”. She told us they were there to help us keep our ground rules and also to ensure we were all comfortable. She told us funny stories and some of us laughed hysterically. Gosh! This lady is in the wrong business. She would have made a great comedian. She really had the ability to entertain people, I thought. That was an ice breaker for me. I was really feeling kind of intimidated in the beginning and not knowing what to expect. By irradiating the audience with such positive energy, she really made me feel more relaxed. By the end of the first day some of us already showed signs of tiredness even though the activities were highly interactive. I would imagine that one of the objectives of the first day was to make us identify with one another and feel comfortable. That would set the ground for the things to come in the next couple of days. I learned from Nancy that we were a group of seventy five people from different walks of life. There were lawyers, teachers, construction workers and college students among us. While she hoped that all the participants would make it to “graduation day”, she guaranteed that not all of us would succeed because the training was very demanding. That had very little to do with academic background. The success of it depended highly on each person’s ability to concentrate and absorb the material being presented, according to her. We were encouraged to cooperate to the fullest extent to take advantage of the program. She briefly touched again on the ground rules subject and reminded us that it was extremely important that we followed those rules.

The workshop started out with a lecture on human behavior and then it was followed by a game that always led to the next lecture. All the activities touched on the psychological aspect of human behavior and people were systematically challenged to participate in the discussions. Initially the focus was on failures and disappointment but later in the training it turned into self glorification. Some of us were very confrontational and uncooperative to the process. I saw some people being escorted out of the training floor for behaving “inappropriately”. Some people started to crack down psychologically. There was an instance in which a couple of people arrived a few minutes late after the break. They were humiliated in front of everybody. A lady broke down in tears. Each one of them had to speak into the microphone and explain why they were late and answer other embarrassing questions. Somebody else in the audience did not contain himself and laughed. I do not know why someone would laugh in such circumstance. I believe he did not mean to make fun of anyone. It was more like a manifestation of anxiety. “Why are you laughing about?”, “Do you think this is funny?” In the end that person was also embarrassed. “I am not just talking to him. A lot of you have the same habit”. Do you realize how not being on time can affect your life negatively? She would turn to everyone else as if there was no difference between the late comers and the any person sitting in the audience. The point was we all had failures no matter who we were. This kind of scene was a common setting throughout most of first and second day. Nancy sounded very mean at times. I was sure that was a purpose for her to treat people in such a harsh manner. I was momentarily uncomfortable and tired and felt like dismissing myself from the training. But leaving the floor was not that simple. I would probably be asked to go to the stage and explain in front of everybody the reasons why I was leaving. I did not want to go through that discomfort either. The best bet was just to go through that thing all the way to the end. There were good and bad things about it. I can not deny that some of the messages from the lectures were highly motivational and helpful. But I was intrigued on how our emotions were manipulated so easily. It was clear that in order for the workshop to be successful the trainer needed to fully capture the attention and imagination of the participants. During those sessions there was an atmosphere of law and order. Time was critical for anything we did I realized the training was a highly controlled exercise.

As the workshop progressed into the third day the sessions became more intense. It was almost impossible to sit there just like an ordinary observer and not being affected by what was going on. It felt as if we were being hypnotized and people were acting a little odd. Most of us became extremely vulnerable as people would share their most intimate secrets. Experiences shared by other members would shake everyone down. Some people would hug intensely to demonstrate support. This was a moment where we were walking on a psychological thin ice. One of the participants jumped on the stage and confessed in front of everyone that he was gay and he wanted us to be the first to know. He suffered enormously by being in the closet all his life. All of a sudden he had a sense of relief. Then the racial issue came up when another person shared that a number of occasions he was mistreated because of the color of his skin. He shared that he once reacted violently when someone called him “niger” at a club. A bad fight was started and just ended when the police arrived. That brought him some trouble. I could tell he was still resentful over that. “You know what, said the trainer, you are a nigger”. “You were born and will die a niger!”. “You niger”, Said the trainer very loudly. The black guy just froze and had no immediate reaction to that. Suddenly he put his hands on his face and sobbed like a baby. My god, this is crazy, I am out of here, I thought to myself. But despite of what my mind wished my body would not cooperate. The trainer went on with her lecture. “It does not matter what other people call you John. “Do not allow other people to dictate how you should live your life”. “Keep on walking on that path you always going to feel miserable and small”. Stop that thinking right now”, she demanded. “Do not let the color of your skin to prevent you from achieving greatness”. Many people would go and hug him while he was still drying his tears. It was obvious that all the exercises were designed to expose people’s grudges, break them psychologically and then reward them with nice words of encouragement, hugs and kisses.

There were two incidents that affected me the most during that training. While doing one of the exercises, I fell and hit my face violently on a chair. I lost consciousness momentarily. I was taken outside by an assistant to wash my face and have some fresh air as I felt a little disoriented. I looked my face on the mirror. I had a bad bruise on my left eye. I was offered to go to the hospital to be checked on but I did not feel it was necessary and declined the offer. I was escorted back to the training floor holding an ice pack half an hour later. Half way through the third day something clicked on my head and I began to observe that the whole program was a parallel of the Christian Gospel. I had a Christian education in my early years and that realization shocked me. I looked back to the previous exercises and I could see it clearly now. They all mimicked some important biblical events. The only aspect that differed from the bible was the fact that while it preaches eternal life and glorification to Christ and God, the Lifespring program gave emphasis to glorification to life and self. At that point I realized that this thing had to be a cult. If I was a little defensive all along the training that realization made me totally shut down. After that moment I basically dragged myself to stand there until the end. I became disturbed with those findings but I never disclosed to anyone what I saw and how I felt from that experience until now.

Soon after I took the basic course I was contacted several times by the Lifespring people to sign up for the level II workshop. I declined immediately and gave no explanation why I would not join. The truth is even though I played along with the training, in my heart I never accepted those teachings as a role model for my life. I was not able to see how I was going to be able to apply any of that in real life. I learned later that during the Level II, I would have to make stronger commitments to the organization and bringing new participants to the circle was a must. Someone insisted I went back. “Man, what a waste of talent”. “You could have made a great leader here, but if you insist in living inside your old box no one is going to force you out”, he told me. The conversation was left there. I never heard from them again. Recently I was browsing the net and found this statement from a writer who had taken a seminar very similar to Lifespring;

“…Most people assume they would know if they were being brainwashed. They think it involves great force, or some obvious, epic struggle in which the mind slowly and grudgingly succumbs. But mind control only works when the subject cooperates. And cooperation requires that a reasonable person not know what's happening. You have to lead her where you want, but she needs to think she's going someplace else”

While some of the Lifespring teachings contained positive messages, the approach was wrong and misleading. By signing up to the program I put myself in a situation of danger and discomfort. It took me quite a few weeks to recover from some of the psychological burden of the training. Overtime, it became obvious that once people were committed to the Lifespring way, they would be instrumental in bringing revenues for the organization. As they became psychologically locked in the system, they were forced to enroll as many people as possible to the program. After that experience I became very suspicious of any invitation to go see any kind of presentation especially from people that I consider friends. If it is something I am not looking for, it is probably something I can live without. Whether there is a product or good idea behind the concepts someone is trying to impose on me, it is certainly a distraction that I can prevent from becoming a very disturbing experience.

A Great Pastime

2008-04-18T22:38:00.001-04:00

I like most sports but I am really passionate about soccer. I really enjoy watching live matches on TV on weekends. But the experience of being actively playing is what I find mostly beneficial. One reason that makes me so fond of soccer is the fact that it helps me to stay in shape besides giving me the opportunity to interact with other people. I usually play soccer with a group of enthusiasts every Sunday morning at a nearby field during the spring and summer. In the fall and winter I play inside. Although, we are all from Brazil, soccer is mainly the factor that brings us all together. The habit of playing the sport continuously over the years, has kept me highly motivated. It feels very odd when for any reason I have to skip my practice. It does affect my mood. I realize the sport plays an import part in my life.

How this passion for soccer started and what did drive me to be so motivated is not so hard to comprehend. I basically grew up in an environment where soccer was the favorite pastime of a large portion of the male population. It was almost impossible not to be influenced by it. I watched it on TV, played at school and with other kids in my neighborhood. The truth is; the majority of us Brazilians do embrace the sport with enthusiasm. To highlight such passion I recollect an unforgettable experience I had while visiting Brazil during the 1994 World Cup tournament which ironically took place in the USA. At the time, I saw the Brazilian national team end up making it to the finals and become the champions playing against Italy. How sweet! I was watching that match on a large screen at a bar in the outskirts of Sao Paulo city with my cousin Jo, his wife Paula and a few friends. The place was crowded. Some were customers but the majority of us were there mainly to watch the game. I was thrilled just like anyone else. The adrenaline level was very high as the game approached the end of second half. The match ended up tied and Brazil won during the penalty kicks. Victory came at last. Once the game was over we went insane. We rushed out and hopped into my cousin’s car. Then, we headed downtown with the sole purpose of joining other people to celebrate the event. There was a wave of cars coming from all directions. All of a sudden there were hundreds, perhaps thousands of people. All were sharing the same sentiment. Some were waving our national flags, singing, laughing and screaming in a manifestation of pure happiness. The streets quickly got clogged with cars and pedestrians and despite the fact that it was a friendly demonstration; it was quite hard a task for the police force to be in control of the situation. I was amazed with the whole thing as if I had not seen it before.

A few days later I returned to the USA but could not help thinking about all the excitement I had during the previous weeks. I almost forgot what it was like in Brazil during the World Cup tournament. On my flight back home I started browsing one of those courtesy magazines it is offered in the plane. Almost by chance I saw an article on soccer history and started to read out of curiosity. I was intrigued to find out that in ancient times a close version of soccer was played by the Egyptians and it also attracted masses of enthusiast people to the stadiums. It made me think that this passion for sports goes back a long way. It is probably as old as mankind itself. I learned also that it was not until the early nineteenth century that a game played with feet and hands started becoming popular in England. Eventually, it branched out into two different sports: soccer and rugby. Rules were then introduced and both became regulated sports as we know today. Soccer is regulated by an organization called International Federation of Association Football, most commonly known as FIFA, and it is widely played by people all over the world. Every four year, I have opportunity to watch a live broadcast of the World Cup tournament and so does millions of soccer fans around the world.

Ever since I moved to the USA, I have always had the opportunity to play the sport with other soccer fans. Most of them are either from Boston or Worcester area. Lately I have been practicing at a place called Friendly House every Sunday morning from 8:00am to 12:00pm. The indoor style I play is called “futsal” which means “hall football in Portuguese. The ball we use is smaller and it does not bounce as much as the one it is used in the field. What I particularly like about the indoor soccer is that it is usually challenging. I play in a relatively small space compared to a field. Because of the reduced space, I need to use quick and more precise movements in order to receive and pass the ball more efficiently. Such quick movements make me work out more intensely. I find it essential to control my breathing in order to reduce the stress and gain better control of myself. The more control I have higher the odds of helping my team to win the game.

Victory does give me a level of satisfaction. But I have learned to appreciate the sport so much that, it just transcends the winning and losing perception. When I am watching a professional match, I like to observe closely: individual talent, creativity and the strategy used by each team. It is fun to see how it all comes together when every player is tuned in the game. When I am out there playing I put my heart into it. All my worries are put aside and I concentrate only on that activity. I feel strong; my self-esteem is high and I am very stimulated. Soccer is also a great way for me to socialize. It helps me stay in shape as I push myself to the limit continuously. Adding it all up this is just something I recognize as a rewarding experience.

2008-04-17T18:08:00.014-04:00

The Blog

In exploring a theme behind the title’s name, I looked at how the idea of the pursuit of the American Dream could be construed as a shady and highly misinterpreted concept. The wellness and economical mobility is not suitable for all simply because each individual is made differently. Some have the drive and use creativity in search of opportunities while others have no talent and lack the motivation to be engaged in the process. The dream is symbolic in that regard and not a privilege to all.

Another way to look at it is that we all have dreams regardless of who we are and where we come from. They are the powerhouse of our lives as they give us motivation and a sense of purpose. As human beings, we all strive to make the best of ourselves but in the process we have to abide to a complex set of rules in a highly competitive environment. We may lose the sense of humanity as we strive in a mad race to reach success. I find that the more sophisticated we become, the more limited we all are. That is just the nature of things and I have to keep on playing the game according to the rules. Despite the seeming endless stream of empty dreams, I recognize that life is really worth living and I shall embrace those dreams as the fuel of my own existence as I realize they set the stage for me to reach higher ground.

Images

All the images used to illustrate my texts were downloaded from the web. If you claim to be the owner of any of them and believe it is inappropriately used, please send an email to acouto6368@charter.net and I will promptly remove it.

2008-04-17T17:23:00.011-04:00

The Author

Aramintas Couto lives in the metropolitan area of Boston, Massachusetts and has been working in the biopharmaceutical industry for the past sixteen years. At the moment he holds a position with the Research and Development Department of a Swiss based company located in Hopkinton, Mass. He passionate about sports and enjoys reading. Blogging has become one of his latest pastime.

"When I first thought of starting this blog I had no idea what I was getting into. I recognized that this would be a great tool for me to continue exercising my writing skills. I had the desire and motivation to do it even though I had not factored time into the equation accordingly. Despite that, in the end, things fell into place and I ended up accomplishing the things that needed to be done.

I recognize that as a writer I am an individual who starts following a path without knowing everything that that path requires. The road has so many turns that I just do not know where it will ultimately lead me. The fact of the matter is that I am not a professional writer and in order to compose my writings I struggle quite a bit.

As a blogger, I do not express myself from the standpoint of an expert or even from scientifically proven methods but rather, from the perspective of the regular individual who speaks from his past mistakes, successes and from interactions with the external world. What I hope to accomplish here is to be able to give room to my imagination, express myself and have some fun".