I was surprised to read the article my friend Greg sent me today.

“This week, teachers from remote rural villages in Peru are gathering in several regional cities to learn how to do their jobs via One Laptop per Child (OLPC) machines distributed to their pupils. Peru is now engaging in the world's most ambitious OLPC deployment: some 400,000 machines are headed to the Andean nation's poorest and remotest schools--about 6,000 schools in all. The first 25,000 of these machines are now being inventoried in a Lima warehouse and are poised for shipment to the interior.”

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/editors/22041/

400,000 OLPC in PERU!!!

I've heard and read people criticizing this project so much since it launched... But to see something like this happening in my own country, where there're so many people lacking access to better tools for education, as well as "inspiration" to keep going, I can see this as something that could help us move forward. Hopefully it will :)

Read more about their pilot program in Arahuay, Canta:

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Peru/Arahuay

Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight.

This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.

Un nino japones llega a USA. Es primer dia de clasds y la maestra presenta a Susuki a los chicos de sexto grado. La maestar dice: "Empecemos repasando un poco de historia americana. Quien dijo: Denme la libertad o denme la muerte?" La clase calla, excepto Susuki: "Patrick Henry, 1775" "Muy bien, Quien dijo: El gobierno del pueblo, para el pueblo no debe desparacer de la faz de la tierra". De nuevo, ninguna respuesta de la clase, salvo Susuki: "Abrahan Lincoln, 1863".

La maestra dice: "chicos, deberia darles verguenza. Susuki es nuevo en nuestro pais y sabe mas de nuestra historia que ustedes" La maestra alcanza a escuchar un susurro: "A la mierda con esos malditos japoneses!".

Enojada pregunta: "Queien dijo eso?" Nuevamente Susuki se levanta y dice : General Mac Arthur, 1942 y Lee Lacocca, 1982".

La clase queda muda y un chico dice: "Voy a vomitar" La maestra irritada: "Quien dijo eso?" y Susuki dice "George Bush padre al primer ministro japones, 1991"

Un alumno furioso grita al japones: "Chupame esta!" Susuki, saltando en su silla, le dice a la maestra: "Bill Clinton a Monica Lewinsky, 1997"

La maestra se desmaya, cunde el caos. Mientras los chicos se arremolinan alrededor de la desvanecida profesora, uno de ellos exclama: "Mierda, Y ahora como salimos de esta?"..Susuki reponde:"Bush, inmediatamente despues de la invasion de Irak, 2003"

Por ultimo, un nino le grita al japones, "Porque no te callas?" A lo que Susuki responde: "Juan Carlos, rey de Espana, en Chile, 10 de noviembre de 2007, a Hugo Chavez, presidente de Venezuela"

QUE BUENAAA!!!!

I read that Vayama.com was rated as one of the top websites to find cheap airfare so I gave it a try (since tix are so freakin' expensive for xmas) Anyway, what i found was this really great user experience with very helpful UI, like the ability to pick my departure and destination cities on an interactive map:

The results have a "Map it" option which allows you to see the route on a map..BTW this feature makes a HUGE difference when you're trying to find the best deal and the best/shortest route at the same time...

and selecting your seat is also cool,not a huge difference form other sites but the arrows are a nice thing to get an idea of how big the plane is...

Anyway, I totally recommend using this site if you're looking for good deals and a nice experience. :)

This is one of my favorite clips from Planet earth...what an amazing bird!!!

Isn't he cute? :)

Officially my favorite store ever.

I was walking around this gorgeous park in Barcelona "Park Guell" by Gaudi and the place is full of tourists, people taking pics (like me), walking around, people selling stuff and tons of school kids on guided tours. And then, as I walk towards this area, I see this super cute couple sitting on a bench..totally into themselves, giggling, smiling, grabbing each other's hands...like teenagers! it was the most amazing scene I've seen in a long time... and all I can hope is that someday I will be like them!

Only in Germany!!! 

Munich - 42 finalists (men and women) from 26 countries are competing to see who has the most wonderful butt...

Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere ran their
latest prank at Abercrombie & Fitch, a trendy retailer on
Manhattan's 5th Avenue. The store fetishizes the shirtless male -
with a mural, a bronze statue, and a live model at the entrance -
so Charlie brought 100 shirtless males to the store. (These were
fans of Improv Everywhere who answered Charlie's call to enter the
store and remove their shirts at a certain moment.)
Store security didn't appreciate the commentary on their employer's
brand. Charlie writes:
After about 15 minutes, the Abercrombie management decided it was time to kick us out. Security employees started approaching all of our men and asking them to either put a shirt on or leave. They informed us that the model was a paid employee and his state of undress didn't justify ours. So despite the fact that the store constantly bombards you with the image of the shirtless male,Abercrombie still maintains a "No Shirts; No Service" policy. Some agents protested that they were trying to buy a shirt, but the staff countered with the not-so-logical, "If you put on a shirt then you can buy a shirt."

... Two agents were actually stopped while in the process of checking out! They were waiting in line for 10 minutes to buy some $45 shirts, only to be grabbed at the register. One of them was in the process of handing over his credit card as he was nabbed and informed he wasn't allowed to make a purchase!

Starting November 12, One Laptop Per Child will be offering a Give 1 Get 1 Program for a brief window of time in North America. For $399, you will be purchasing two XO laptops—one that will be sent to empower a child to learn in a developing nation, and one that will be sent to your child at home

http://www.xogiving.org/

Uhmmm... Apparently "Krispy Kreme" is that good over here...look at the freakin' line! the last time i was here it was the same thing and we thought there was an event or something but apparently it's just that good.

People like to take baths on their roof... fashionable :)

Especially cus they can overlook at the cemetery...

Internet cafes have booths that are very private and even used as a cheaper place to sleep overnight...it's cheaper than staying at a hotel...

And...we had great shabu shabu!!! thanks to Akemi and Sachiko!

You think you're cool with your new iphone? HA! come over to Tokyo and check out what real cellphones do! People just do everything with them..watch TV, share videos, take pics and videos...you name it. And that applied to ALL ages. Check out these pics:

I bet you're wondering what is it that they're taking pics of....i wont tell! I love the woman with her cel behind the guy...

Even Harajuku girls...

And moms with their sons..

The back story: under the control of warden Byron Garcia, inmates in the Philippines get their dose of exercise by performing Michael Jackson's "Thriller" from 1983

how sad... she didn't say A thing!

you're probably the best example of why 1/5th of Americans can't locate the US in a world map...

As you may have heard, Peru was hit by an 8.0 Earthquake on the Richter scale this past Wednesday. The epicenter was located in the Pacific Ocean about 150km from Lima. The earthquake lasted for more than 2 minutes, affecting mainly the towns of Pisco and Ica with a death toll of more than 500 people and at least 829 injured.

At least 17,000 people were displaced by the earthquake and wide areas of the country are without power, telephone service or road access. News agencies reported a powerful aftershock on Friday morning off the coast of Pisco measuring 5.5.

As many Peruvians across the company and far away from home, we’re trying to join forces and help as much as we can.

If you would like to help, there are several options we’ve gather from friends and other trustworthy sources:

1. You can make a donation directly to the nonprofit organization American Red Cross (links to Peru earthquake effort)

2. Through www.peru.com  (in spanish but pretty easy to understand): This is a secure and easy way to donate Money. You can choose the amount, click “agregar” (add to cart) and pay (pagar). http://secure.iquiero.com/donaciones/

Images from disaster:

Thank you very much

Why would these things even exist???!!!

I just don't understand why would people participate in a competition about this, eating food as fast as possible, not enjoying it and then probably throwing it up.....when there are so many people DYING because they have no food at all. This just shows how selfish and idiotic people can be.

But the worst thing is, people go see these people compete and cheer them! And TV stations broadcast the whole event...how sad.