El Gran Bilbao

It's pretty amazing to see how many people out there in all corners of the world

are constantly creating and taking on new and really cool initiatives.

Inspiring.

The other day, I got to learn about a cool project "Gastrologging"

initiated, nada y mas y nada menos que by two brothers from the Basque Country,
aka HOME SWEET HOME.

The project is pretty much

a compilation of all those things

that I live for,

but if I had to put it in a few words, 

it's a visual log of

surfing and gastronomy,
and what best scenario

than the Basque lands
with its sea, its food and its people.

The project includes 6 short movies
covering the Basque Bay.

To not make the entry extremely long
I will just share one of these chapters

for its sentimental value.

"El Gran Bilbao"
my home.

Even my little beach village

Algorta (Getxo)
is on it.

 

Muxuak!

Sil

"The meaning of life is that it stops" -- Franz Kafka

This post is for those too many out there 

- you know better than no one who you are -

who are going through tough times, excessive skepticism, 

and existential crisis.

I believe that eventually,
the dots do connect.

So,
Please:

Continue to breathe.

Don't give up. 

Re-invent yourself.

And do not forget that

You are not alone.


Love,

Sil

"Jump from the book,
you're not obliged to swallow anything that you despise"

V-Day

Noe asked me to do something about my absence

and clean the dust that the blog has been accumulating due to its lack of use.

My apologies. 

The thing is that in a short period of time,

I've been forced to generate

a decent amount of new ideas for other projects

and all in all, my brain feels squeezed.

In light of V-Day: Valentines' Day,

I will be traditional and feed that sentimental and romantic side

that exits in all of us,

and share a few words from F. Scott Fitzgerald,

who always keeps me wondering:

"I'm not sentimental - I'm as romantic as you are.

The idea, you know, is that the sentimental person thinks

things will last - the romantic person has a desperate confidence that they won't."

I will also feed that revolutionary and nonconformist side

that also exists in all of us,

and talk about a different meaning of the V-Day
(Victory, Valentine and Vagina Day).

Yes, you read correctly: V a g i n a.

You can read more about this V-Day in its web site

but basically, 

it is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls.

On Feb. 14th, 2012, they launched a major campaign to raise awareness on the issue:

ONE BILLION RISING.

The campaign ends TODAY.

TODAY, women and men all over the world are celebrating
and adding a new meaning to the V-Day

and are raising their voices and their hands to end gender-based violence worldwide.

Experience LIVE the rising worldwide in: http://onebillionrising.org/

It's definitely an inspiring way to celebrate V-day.

Love

brings pain

but also happiness.

Let's not close our hearts to it.

Un beso,

ME

"Very YOU," as Luisen would say

Is my post for today

Pretty, right?

Not sad

Not dramatic

Not nostalgic

Just right.

Hi!

Hi everyone,

long time no write.

Not a fan of these long breaks but things pile up

and it's not always easy or comes out fluid to sit down and do some e-sharing.

Got back 10 days ago. It's been extremely "cold"

typical of winter but shocking when you least expect it.

I have come across a few quotes that I want to archive and share today.

They say it all:

"IT'S ABOUT MISUNDERSTANDINGS BETWEEN PEOPLE AND PLACES, BEING DISCONNECTED AND LOOKING FOR MOMENTS OF CONNECTION. THERE ARE SO MANY MOMENTS IN LIFE WHEN PEOPLE DON'T SAY WHAT THEY MEAN, WHEN THEY ARE JUST MISSING EACH OTHER, WAITING TO RUN INTO EACH OTHER IN A HALLWAY."  - Sofia Coppola explaining what Lost In Translation is about (American screenwriter, film director and producer)

"THE SIGN OF INTELLIGENCE IS THAT YOU ARE CONSTANTLY WONDERING.  IDIOTS ARE ALWAYS DEAD SURE ABOUT EVERY DAMN THING THEY ARE DOING IN THEIR LIFE." - Vasudev (Indian yogi)

"SOMEDAY YOU WILL FIND THE RIGHT PERSON, AND YOU'LL LEARN TO HAVE A LOT MORE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF. THAT'S WHAT I THINK. SO DON'T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS. IN THIS WORLD, THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO ALONE, AND THINGS YOU CAN ONLY DO WITH SOMEBODY ELSE.  IT'S IMPORTANT TO COMBINE THE TWO IN JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT." - Haruki Murakami (Japense writer) * recommended.

"WHY ARE WE SO FULL OF RESTRAINT? WHY DO WE NOT GIVE IN ALL DIRECTIONS? IS IT FEAR OF LOSING OURSELVES?...UNTIL WE DO LOSE OURSELVES THERE IS NO HOPE OF FINDING OURSELVES." - Henry Miller (American writer and painter)

Pick, choose and take as needed.

Happy 5th week of the year.

Sil

Getting ready to take off

Today, in one week, at this exact time, 

I will be sleeping in my UWS loft....

(fingers crossed)

Wow

So much and so little has happened in the close to 8wks

that I have been in Spain.

It hasn't been easy.

It still isn't.

I keep giving myself encouraging messages

'cause that's what we are supposed to do

to not fall in darkness

but it's never easy

to accept and let go.

I will miss my walks with mom and Pia on the beach

the comfort of being at my parents'

the easiness of being in your own country 

the warmth of old-friends.

I will regain my life

in chaotic New York City

and add another lesson learned

to what already feels a heavy school-bag.

There we go...

2013

Cheers to the year ahead and another chance to get it right!