"azucar, café, escalofríos después". *

Julio Cortazar's El Otro Cielo.

“la estupidez del día”;

“mi patria secreta”;

“mi único reposo verdadero”;

“me tendía la taza de café con la sonrisa de las novias arañas”;

“bebí dos tazas, sin azúcar, saboreando y oliendo a la vez, quemándome y feliz”

"The stupidity of the day": what coffee helps us all take without major complaint.

"The secret homeland": exists only when your coffee is still hot. And within it, you will never feel homesick, for it's not a place, it's a state.

"the only true rest": synonymous with that homeland earlier mentioned (To remind: a state, not a place).

These three quotes just made me think of coffee when I gathered all.

The last two name coffee literally, so the topic is inevitable:

It is a bit weird to think of a spider offering a cup of coffee to anyone, isn't it? But anyway, I do not know which is the smile of spider brides. I imagine it a bit hypocrite, cynic, malicious. If I liked spiders, I might think otherwise. But I dont. I prefer scorpions. 

The last quote is the most familiar: I have had lots of cups with no sugar. Most of them consecutive.

A special feature of coffee is that it usually smells better than it tastes. This is why some of us feel so lucky and happy when going through our very city, and a very strong coffee aroma appears, going around and coming around, even entering cars and buses, pleasing everyone. Everyone who enjoys coffee, of course.

The last words of the quote are even more familiar: Who hasn't burnt when having a coffee? Isn't it part of the ritual?

I take from two to four cups a day. It's its bitter flavour what attracts. But, as I said, it usually smells better.

When properly shared, it might taste even better. 

New Words: "Ignominia", "Aquiesencia", "Grog".

Quotes:

“nos prometíamos amistad eterna y muerte a los prusianos”

“se estaba tan bien con las copas llenas”

“ella empleaba solemnemente esas palabras con un ignorante, delicioso respeto”

“estuve a punto de hacerlo, y ahora no soy más que uno de los muchos que se preguntan por qué en algún momento no hicieron lo que habían pensado hacer”

“la expresión de siempre, hermosa y ausente y alunada”

“hubo algunas semanas – por fijar un término, es tan difícil ser justos con la felicidad”

“hasta sentir poco a poco que lo noche era también mi amante”

“una expresión distante y a la vez curiosamente fija, la cara de alguien que se ha inmovilizado en un momento de su sueño y rehúsa dar el paso que lo devolverá a la vigilia”

“gracia. gestos casi esquivos. puro deseo”

“su manera de mirarme entre codiciosa y desconfiada”

“la más buena y codiciosa de las mujeres. Jamás se me ocurriría hablarle de lo que verdaderamente cuenta para mí”

“falsa indiferencia”

“tanta infancia en la cara”

“tantas cosas y tantos besos”

*"Hojas de té", by Los Tres.

"(S)laughter is our best medicine"

Bram Stoker's "Dracula"

“Tenga siempre presente que la risa que llama a la puerta y pregunta: “¿Puedo pasar?”, no es auténtica risa. La risa es reina; llega cuando quiere y como quiere. No pide permiso a nadie, no espera a que llegue el momento apropiado. Simplemente dice: “Aquí estoy””

It might seem a bit strange to remark a quote about laughter from Dracula. It is actually a very dark book, seldom related with death, lots of blood, and dark, curious, and unbelievable situations. He who believes will of course consider them real; although some things are real whether we believe them or not.

But anyway, I particularly liked this quote. I might seem like a very serious lad, but I do enjoy having good laughs.

Mostly, I enjoy staring at people when they laugh. I tend to focus on their facial expressions, and then conclude on their sense of humour, if they happen to have any. It helps me choose potential mates correctly. Mine is a bit dark, nasty, or bully, some may say. I usually laugh at people, and not always laugh with them. I know this is wrong, but there might be a cultural explanation. All nations express their culture through their kinds of humour. English humour, for instance, is rather particular, and much different from the American one, which I consider a bit shallow and senseless, with a few exceptions, of course.

I believe that laughter is one of the best ways to free our minds. It is a good exercise; I know it has many health benefits. Depending on the situation, I have noticed several kinds of laughs: nervous, conspiratorial, tender, mean, scary, repressed, humiliating, shrill and loud, deafening and massive… the list may go on eternally.

It was Dracula who stated this in the book. He talked about laughter as if it is a queen, though he never really laughed during the entire book.

The title of this entry is a joke, played by Heath Ledger’s Joker. He added an S to the word laughter, changing its meaning radically, but originally, gracefully, and amusingly. Well, it made me laugh, which is something.

I hope I can get that kind of humour some day. Just to make people laugh to death.

New Word: "Evanescente"

Quotes:

“Me contento con ser como los demás, de forma que nadie se pare al verme, ni deje de hablar al oírme”

“La vida, al fin y al cabo, consiste en esperar algo distinto de lo que hacemos; y la muerte es lo único en lo que justamente podemos confiar”

“Las damas de honor alegran la vista de los que esperan la llegada de la novia; pero cuando ésta aparece, pierden todo esplendor para los ojos deslumbrados” 

“Todos los hombres están locos en mayor o menor medida; pues, con la misma discreción con que trata a sus locos, debe tratar también a los locos de Dios… que constituyen el resto del mundo” 

“Son maravillosos los engaños que nos ofrecen los sueños”

“A veces creo que estamos todos locos, y que despertaremos a la razón atados a una camisa de fuerza”

“A pesar de nosotros mismos, creemos que las cosas serán como deberían ser, y no como sabemos que serán. El transcendentalismo es un faro para los ángeles, pero una insignificancia para el hombre”