The Empanada Eating Contest

Hoy mi hijo hizo una mezcla extraña entre algo bien gringo y algo bien tico (o centro/latinoamericano). Cuando su papá nos preparó empanadas con queso (delicatessen por estos lados) y nos sentamos a comer, Inti dijo: me gustaría estar en uno de esos concursos donde gana el que come más empanadas más rápido...

Traté de imaginarme el concurso... Una especie de feria soleada (ni siquiera mi imaginación acpeta el invierno), alguien con un micrófono o altoparlante dando las bienvenidas/instrucciones del caso, las personas concursantes, indiscutiblemente gringas, sólo que en lugar de un hotdog o un pedazo de pizza o una hamburguesa, tendrían una empanada de queso/frijol/papa en la mano.

W-e-i-r-d.

Except maybe this contest already exists somewhere... Maybe in some bordertown in Arizona or Texas or Caliornia or something... Maybe it's the most normal thing folks that side of the border have ever seen.

Or maybe my son will be the first person to win such a contest. I already warned him about the inevitable empache, but he seems to think it's impossible for him to ever grow to hate empanadas...

De los anales de la imaginación...

Llega...

"And Our Common Humanity Shall Reveal Itself"

Ó

Un presidente gringo...

... Que, a pesar de la histórica y tácita unión entre estado y religión, en su discurso inaugural habla de su país incluyendo a los ateos

... Que a pesar de la histórica arrogancia de su país para con el resto del mundo, en su discurso inaugural se rehúsa a comprometer ideales en aras de la denfensa nacional, le recuerda a la gente la importancia de la diplomacia y el entendimiento entre naciones, argumenta que el poder por sí solo no protege ni otorga el derecho de hacer lo que les de la gana.

... Un presidente que en su discurso inaugural habla de la importancia de la humildad como una de las bases que fundaron su nación.

... Un presidente negro que habla de la diversidad sin miedo, planteándola como una oportunidad y no como una debilidad.

Igual que la primera vez que lo escuché cuando todavía nadie creía que iba a poder contra Hillary, igual que cuando pensé que no llegaría a ningún lugar político con esa manera tan honesta y esperanzadora de hablar. Así sonó hoy, cuando ya era presidente.

"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself"