Far too long...

I keep saying I'm going to make this happen and it rarely every does... but, still this is a good exercise of the mind.  I'm going to try something new... given that this is somewhat of a diary anyway, I'm going to try and go week by week and just give blips and thoughts... hopefully, it keeps me interested.  Facebook or Twitter don't allow me to post thoughts like I can on a blog, probably why I keep coming back to this... I'll try again:

This Week:  has been vacation week for me... still trying to refinance the home, in the most economical way possible... hopefully we can close early next week and make things happen... Galaxy game was yesterday, decent game. As usual I had a blast and it was interesting to see beckham throw his jersey at LARS.  Does he want forgiveness?  Just a good gesture?  I'm not sure what his train of thoughts were but it was a very peaceful/olive branch gesture. I liked it....Still reading a Dance with Dragons. The going has been slow, but my short attention span means I read in spurts now.

Upcoming:  i'm going to the avalon (hollywood) on Friday, can't wait!  Zedd's the guy i'm going to see but most of the DJ's fit my style. Saturday is Six Flags and Sunday the Galaxy play another  meaningless friendly against the power that is Manchester City (rolling eyes). These tix are part of my season tix and I love watching live soccer so i'll go. but man i'd rather have gotten a free tix for a concacaf champions league game instead.

Web Stuff:  here's an article I found fascinating:  Immigrants, don't boo U.S. Teams  by a Mexican-American (American-Mexican) that reflects much about what I think in regards to soccer and nationalities.  I disagree on a few points... I think  you can be here and root for mexico if you want... at one point he does mention that the son of the immigrant has a choice...to go or stay... here's a direct quote:

If he stays, he ought to try to be more grateful to a country that has given him "everything" that he has. It's immigrant etiquette. Good manners intertwined with good citizenship. Were he to choose to go back to Mexico, he could cheer for whatever team he wanted.

I agree that the person should be grateful, but If he stays he doesn't have to root for the USA, perhaps said person SHOULD want to...but you don't HAVE to.  I do agree, however, that booing the national anthem and the overall disrespect shown to the US players in this game...IN the US, is embarrassing. And yes there's a sense of anger in that for me... it hurts to see it sometimes and it was refreshing to see this article written by a person of Mexican descent who does see it as embarrasing.

A student of mine brought up an interesting point: that many view these games as a chance to boo the "bad guy"... the "man"....the US team represents "the man" that is trying to hold back the immigrants and many who go to these games are subject to bad lives and THIS is the way to vent and get it out, a sort of "this is your fault America and at least our soccer team can beat you!" ... it's a point I hadn't really thought of before and I'll certainly chew on it a little, because it's a refreshing take on a controversial topic.

Last thing on this topic is this from the article:

Yet, something here is amiss. The Mexican immigrants of today are noticeably different from the Mexican immigrants of a few decades ago. They're more defiant, more entitled and more intent on preserving their culture and maintaining their love for a country they left behind -- one that hasn't always loved them back.

There is a soccer connection there somewhere... I don't completely agree with that statement, but I can say that I know the students I am teaching (the majority of them of Mexican descent)... and I WOULD label them as defiant and entitled and I do see a STRONG desire to maintain a love for a country that their parents left behind...Perhaps the entitlement and defiance is teenager's folly (fair enough) and the above statement seems to be more of a social argument and the author did take careful note to say that his article did not mean that he thought there was an erosion of American culture occurring.   After seven years of teaching I am noticing an erosion...of what? I'm not sure yet...things are different and, overwhelmingly, the demographics I'm teaching do not seemed very concerned about the direction this country is heading; and they are far less concerned with showing any love the US Mens National Team... instead they show it to other teams (Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala) perhaps as part of that defiance? Or simply following the cultural traditions of their family?  But why the disdain for the US? Why boo the national anthem? Why even boo the US team in the US. I can only go back and chew on my student's take because I certainly can't imagine the students at my school rooting for other teams because the US has not given them opportunities; My school is a small charter school where hard work (if you choose to undertake it) pays off...  I only hope that there is a sense of gratitude for the opportunities that are present here in this nation; opportunities that I, also a immigrants son, have done my best to take advantage of.  I do owe this country my loyalty... that is my opinion... I do not root for El Salvador because my allegiance is to a country that I have grown up in and I know has given me opportunities to succeed.  Not everyone has had that opportunity and perhaps not everyone feels like this country is great; Perhaps the US is just a big bully and the joke's on me... time will tell.

Last Notes:  Nothing crazy... I hope that my sports juju is running high... I so desperately want another star... I want to buy abelton live... free trial first?... i'm excited to go to Oregon and Vancouver.


that's all for now folks,

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