Inspiring

What to do with $37bn? Easy -if you ask Warren Buffet- donate them to charity. Yesterday's announcement about Buffet's donation of 85% of his fortune is not only inspiring, but it also brings back some hope to a nation full of selfish millionaire-celebrities of the likes of Donald Trump, and the not-so-rich-but even-more-pretentious Paris Hiltoneske characters plaguing the TV screens and reality shows of this country.
I must recognize that I have even began to like a man I could not stand until very recently, Bill Gates, who has also announced his early semi-retirement from Microsoft to dedicate most of his time to his foundation (which will be receiving a large chunk of Buffet's money). I am pleased to see Gates and Buffet lead by example, and I am hopeful that their selfless actions might inspire those who literally don't have a clue about what to do with their millions -other than to keep them under lock for generations-.
It's a step in the right direction, a big, powerful step charged with a profound message to the haves of this country. All that's left to see is whether they'll follow...

$334 Million

I enjoy art, but when I hear that someone spent $135 Million on a painting, I can't help but thinking about the futility of today's world. Klimt's Adele Bloch-Bauer I is beautiful, sure. But seriously, what is wrong with people? Together, the three most expensive paintings in the world are worth $334 Million Dollars...what do you think?

Birthday BBQ/Pool Party

Although it is today, I celebrated my birthday yesterday. I had some friends over, we had great food by the pool, and I met a neighbor who showed up with a bottle of tequila! Tiffany got balloons and decorated the pool... Ah! And by the way, you can see my pictures from Bogota by clicking here. And if you're interested, see what my high school looks like, or check out what happened at my 10 year highschool reunion. Shut up, I know I'm old....

Here or There?

Today was a strange day. I had lunch with my sister's best friend, whom I had not seen in a year and a half. We caught up with each other's lives and shared a bit of advise about many things. Since we met at a restaurant in downtown Bogota, when she left, I walked around for several hours, taking a lot of great pictures, remembering old places and streets I had walked on several years ago.
An Andean music band was playing at a plaza, right by the street market, so I sat and listened for a while. You see, Andean music is not really 'Colombian', though it is heard often, mostly because of the influence of Peruvian and Ecuadorian migrants (or perhaps artists and hippie travelers), who set up small shops and sell Andean crafts in the city. I had a wonderful time, and realized that I do miss this town. (Strangely, it was the music that made me feel a bit nostalgic, which is odd, because as I said, it's not really considered something I, being Colombian, should long for).
While taking pictures, I felt like a tourist in my own city, and I found a striking resemblance between some scenes I had seen in Mexico City and what I was now witnessing in Bogota. Oddly enough, I never noticed those similarities while in Mexico; it was only here when I came to realize how similar our parks, plazas, and people are. (Obviously the colonial architecture is similar)....can you guess which were taken where?
I'll post some more once I'm back in San Antonio with a better internet connection.