Walking to the Horizon

Random things I like from Europe...

noreply@blogger.com (Janeth) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:31:00 +0000

After leaving San Juan, Puerto Rico I started my journey through Europe. I went from San Juan to Frankfurt to Nurnberg to Erlangen, a couple of days later to Prague (I will always love Prague!) and then to Berlin (this city won my heart!). After I left to Brussels and Dworp and now I am in Rotterdam.

I have to say that every single city has something amazing, but the simple fact of being in Europe makes me realize some small things I enjoy. Here my list of cool things from Europe.

Random things I like from Europe

Sparkling water
Breakfast (fruhstuck)
Orange fanta
Riding a bike (or trying)
The traffic lights in Berlin
The windows not fully open
Ikea
Czech beer
MC offices in Belgium and Czech (thank you for hosting me there!)
Potato salad
Prague itself!!
Highways in Germany
My favourite house in Dworp
Belgian chocolate and waffles
Trains stations
The peeing kid fountain in Belgium
Fries with mayo
Dutch cheese
The landscape going from Czech to Germany
The fairy tale architecture
The diversity of languages and learning about them
The chocolate cake at the bakery in Brussels :p

I don't use plastic bags!

noreply@blogger.com (Janeth) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:17:00 +0000

Wow, I just realized there is actually people reading ;) thanks!

Well, right now an issue that is going over and over my head is the fact that here in Mexico people over use plastic bags for everything, and not only in Mexico, same thing happens in Puerto Rico and even when EPA (Environmental Protection Agency from the USA) has a great speech about recycling plans and so on, Puerto Rico is just swamped in garbage.

This issue is quite important for the young people in the island, specially for the AIESECers. We are trying to put our "one cent" with our project Re-Action and it goes further the recycling topic, it involves a CSR strategy for companies.

Anyway, this was not meant to be a Re-Action ad, it is just that at the moment I am just thinking on how I can do something about it...

In the meantime, for those who received Puerto Rico bags in Macedonia, use them wisely for grocery shopping and avoid plastic. I am a real freak about this, once I ended up in an argument with a cashier for not wanting the plastic bag hehe.

Also, I just found this really cool initiative in Buenos Aires, Argentina "No Uso Bolsas Plásticas" (I don't use plastic bags). If you know of other cool initiatives let me know.

Enjoy June and consume wisely!

Walking to the Horizon

noreply@blogger.com (Janeth) — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:36:00 +0000

When I first thought about the idea of my blog I thought about this title. This blog took its name from a signature in an e-mail I received that was also borrowed from the Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano.

The original quote says:

"La utopía está en el horizonte. Me acerco dos pasos, ella se aleja dos pasos. Camino diez pasos y el horizonte se desplaza diez pasos más allá. Por mucho que camine, nunca la alcanzaré. Entonces, ¿para qué sirve la utopia? Para eso: sirve para caminar."

"Utopia is on the horizon. I move two steps closer, it moves two steps further away. I walk another ten steps and the horizon runs ten steps further away. As much as I may walk, I'll never reach it. So what's the point of utopia? The point is this: to keep walking"

I like the idea of the walking part, it is not the utopia what matters but the process you go through and the things you make, change and contribute while walking towards it. I would like to share my walking in this space. Hope you enjoy it.