Tag: memories

FAQs: ¡JungleBoah regresa a la Jungla!

¿Qué?: Después de pasar la mayor parte de mi vida adulta en el sur de California, me voy a mudar a mi Venezuela natal. Específicamente, aquí. Llegué a SoCal después de recibir una beca académica del gobierno de Venezuela. Después de terminar mi BS-ICS en la Universidad de California, Irvine, regresé a Venezuela para conseguir … Continue reading “FAQs: ¡JungleBoah regresa a la Jungla!”

¿Qué?: Después de pasar la mayor parte de mi vida adulta en el sur de California, me voy a mudar a mi Venezuela natal. Específicamente, aquí. Llegué a SoCal después de recibir una beca académica del gobierno de Venezuela. Después de terminar mi BS-ICS en la Universidad de California, Irvine, regresé a Venezuela para conseguir empleo en mi especialidad según lo acordado. Incapaz de encontrar empleo, regresé a SoCal, donde ya me había enamorado de la hermosa Mik. Nos casamos y trabajé para un par de empresas antes de fundar Intra Automation Software & Systems Inc. presstando servicios de hardware, software y programación a identidades interesadas en el campo de los negocios. Tuve la suerte de pasar la mayor parte de mi vida adulta en un excelente matrimonio que produjo dos seres humanos sobresalientes: nuestros hijos, Xavier y Sasha

¿Cuándo?: Lo antes posible, muy probablemente antes de finales del mes de Agosto.

¿Por qué?: Uno de mis restaurantes casuales favoritos es el Lost Pier Cafe en Aliso Beach. Si alguna vez visitastes esta playa, probablemente recuerdes que fue el hogar de uno de los muelles más inusuales y hermosos de SoCal (era cuadrado y tuvo que ser derribado debido a daños estructurales). Lo que probablemente no sepas es que hay un sendero que termina en Marina Hills, en la hermosa Laguna Niguel, donde residí durante varios años con Mik y donde nuestros hijos crecieron en una hermosa casa que pude comprar; ¡La verdad es que todo en SoCal me recuerda lo que he perdido! ¡No quiero convertirme en un anciano reflexionando sobre lo que he perdido!

¿Volveré a Estados Unidos y a SoCal? Lo más probable es que no, solo en caso de una obligación de negocios.

¿Espero que familiares y amigos me visiten? ¡Un rotundo sí! Aunque Venezuela ha estado gobernada por una brutal dictadura socialista durante los últimos 27 años, las cosas están cambiando rápidamente y solo puede ser para lo mejor. La isla de Margarita fue una parada regular para muchos cruceros por el Caribe y tiene un aeropuerto internacional.

También quiero proporcionarle amor y afecto a mi madre mientras vivamos juntos todo el tiempo que ella quiera (y que yo se que ella corresponde mucho a mis sentimientos). Por supuesto, tengo varios familiares y amigos en Venezuela y una media hermana en la isla de Margarita que me ayudará con parte de la logística de mi mudanza. Mi mudanza no sería posible sin el amor, el afecto, el apoyo emocional y financiero de mi prima-hermana Anabella y mi maravilloso hijo Xavier.

Es hora de escribir no solo el último capítulo de mi vida, sino un nuevo libro y necesito un cambio de escenario para lograrlo.

𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍; 𝑨𝒍𝒐𝒉𝒂!

FAQs: JungleBoah is Going Back to the Jungle!

What?: After spending most of my adult life in Southern California, I’m moving back to my native Venezuela. Specifically, here. I came to SoCal after being awarded an academic scholarship by the government of Venezuela. After finishing my BS-ICS at the University of California, Irvine, I went back to Venezuela to get employment in the … Continue reading “FAQs: JungleBoah is Going Back to the Jungle!”

What?: After spending most of my adult life in Southern California, I’m moving back to my native Venezuela. Specifically, here. I came to SoCal after being awarded an academic scholarship by the government of Venezuela. After finishing my BS-ICS at the University of California, Irvine, I went back to Venezuela to get employment in the field as agreed. Unable to find employment, I returned to SoCal where I had already fallen in love with beautiful Mik. We married and I worked for a couple of companies before founding Intra Automation Software & Systems Inc. providing hardware, software and programming services to interested parties in the business field. I was lucky to spend most of my adult life in a great marriage that produced two outstanding human beings: our children, Xavier and Sasha

When?: ASAP, most likely before the end of this month of August.

Why?: One of my favorite casual eateries is the Lost Pier Cafe at Aliso Beach. If you ever visited this beach, you probably remember that it was home to one of the most unusual and beautiful piers in SoCal (It was square and had to be torn down because of structural damages). What you probably don’t know, is that there is a trail that ends in Marina Hills in beautiful Laguna Niguel where I resided for several years with Mik and where our children grew up in a beautiful home I was able to afford; The truth is that everything in SoCal reminds me of what I have lost! I don’t want to become an old man ruminating of what I have LOST!

Will I return to the US and SoCal? Most likely not, only in the event of a business obligation.

Do I expect family and friends to visit me? Most resoundingly yes! Although Venezuela has been saddled with a brutal socialist dictatorship for the last 27 years, things are quickly changing and it can only be for the better. Margarita Island happened to be a regular stop for many Caribbean cruises and is home to an international airport.

I also want to provide as much love and affection to my mother while living together for as long as she wants (and who I know reciprocates the sentiments, very much). Of course, I have several family and friends in Venezuela and a half-sister in Margarita Island that will help me with some of the logistics of my move. My move wouldn’t be possible without the love, affection, emotional and financial support of my sister-cousin Anabella and my wonderful son Xavier.

It’s time to write not just the last chapter of my life but an all-together new book and I need a change of scenery to accomplish that.

𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍; 𝑨𝒍𝒐𝒉𝒂!

🙏 I’m Thankful Because…

…my extraordinary parents gave me and my sister excellent DNA to pass along to future generations, along with great love and values that have served me well throughout my life.

..I grew up in a small town in Venezuela, with my beautiful sister, where I learned to forge long standing relationships with family and friends.

…my strong spirit and imagination that comes from a maternal Spanish ancestry as my mother’s family chose Venezuela when my grandfather was exiled during the Spanish Civil War. I keep in touch with my maternal relatives (godmother-aunt and first-cousins) on a daily basis.

…I won a Venezuelan academic scholarship that allowed me to study Information and Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine and that would define my adult life as a ‘Californio’,

…I still keep in touch with my high school friends (In Venezuela the professors come to your classroom and one gets to know a good part of 40 classmates fairly well during crucial teenage years); We have a WhatsApp group and post all kinds of stuff on a daily basis.

…I achieved two great adventure feats in my youth with some of my best friends: Climbing the most difficult peak in my country, Pico Humboldt (snow in the tropics where the Andes begin) and crossing the Pacific Ocean on a racing sailing boat from Hawaii to California.

…I was fortunate to have several beautiful girlfriends prior to my marriage, many of whom I still keep in touch with.

…I have great friendships with my UC Irvine College Buddies; We didn’t take any classes together but know each other because most of us were in sports teams. We have kept our friendships throughout all these years and even though we are scattered all over the US, we keep a daily SMS thread and have an ABT (All Boys Trip) once a year were we proceed to mostly make fun of each other for several days of great camaraderie.

…I had an idyllic marriage for 37 years to beautiful Mik (alas now my  ex-wife) that brought into existence two outstanding human beings:  My techy-artist son Xavier and my bona fide model daughter Sasha.

…I had my own software development and computer business (Intra Automation) a few years after college and during the computing heydays.

…I am still alive after suffering a catastrophic skiing misfortune that almost cost me my life and left me severely handicapped. I wouldn’t be alive without the love and attention of my ex-wife Mik and the support of family, friends and complete strangers.

…I am able to maintain a good standard of living and a rewarding professional life, even though I live alone, because of all the help from my caregivers and assistants.

…even with my disability and my mature age, I once again have found what makes life worth living: Romantic Love.

Courtesy of https://www.vecteezy.com/free-png/yin-yang

𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍; 𝑨𝒍𝒐𝒉𝒂!

Dusk: My Favorite Time of Day

Courtesy of https://explorebajacalifornia.com/things-to-do-in-bahia-de-los-angeles/

I know; I should like dawn as it promises many possibilities! But I always liked dusk better which should mean that one has taken advantage of the day.

It all goes back to one of my favorite literary elements from William Shakpeare’s Macbeth:

Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,
Till thou applaud the deed. 
Come, seeling night,
Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day;
And with thy bloody and invisible hand
Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond
Which keeps me pale! 
Light thickens; and the crow
Makes wing to the rooky wood:
Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;
While night’s black agents to their preys do rouse.
Thou marvell’st at my words: but hold thee still;
Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill.
So, prithee, go with me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth

💞 Bellaka is 30!

Sri & Sasha

Her nickname is a play of words in Spanish: Bella which she undoubtedly is! And Bella-ka (proper spelling is Bellaca) meaning deceitful which she was as a teenager, especially to her parents. The fact of the matter is that Sasha has grown even more beautiful and is always concerned for the well-being of family and friends. I don’t think that her teenage nickname applies anymore. I’ll have to come up with a better one; it will undoubtedly be based on bella!

Her age and the fact that one of my celebrity crushes is making ads for insomnia products has got me feeling pretty old.

By the way, she’s turning 31 tomorrow!

𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡; 𝘼𝙡𝙤𝙝𝙖!

Picture disclaimer: No child was hurt during this antiquated but effective tooth removal procedure and the adult was obviously having lots of fun.

¡La Mar Picada!

Courtesy of https://www.lapatilla.com/

Mis tres tíos maternos siempre la llamaron “La Mar” y no lo gramáticamente correcto “El Mar”. Y tenian razón: La Mar es femenina, es temperamental; Puede obsequiarte exquisitos regalos o puede desencadenar su furia contra ti.

Desde niño siempre oí a mis familiares decir “Debe ser que ha bajado Serafín”, cuándo iba al litoral desde mi ciudad natal de Caracas y la mar estaba picada.

Mis tres tíos maternos: Paco, Pin y Tolin inmigraron a Venezuela junto con mi tía Titi y una niña sin sobrenombre pero llamada con diversos nombres por familiares y amigos: Mi Madre. Escapaban juntos a sus padres de la tiranía de Franco; Mi abuelo peleó en la guerra civil de España, en el lado perdedor y el nuevo gobierno le dijo: Puedes vivir en cualquier parte del mundo menos en España. Mis tres tíos emigraron a Venezuela ya siendo jovenes y nunca perdieron su acento español a diferencia de mi tía y mi madre

Mi tío Serafín siempre se ocupo que la empresa de su hermano mayor operará eficientemente, lo que la hizo crecer exitosamente. Lamentablemente, esto le sirvió muy poco a la hora de retirarse, cuando de verdad lo necesitaba y claramente lo merecía.

Lo que más le gustaba a mi tío Serafín era salir a pescar con su hermano menor, mi tío Juan, en su pequeño y austero cayuco (“La Victoria”, nombrado como su madre) anclado entre lujosas lanchas y yates en un magnífico club de playa, al lado de Naiguata. Me acuerdo tener que ayudar a mi primo Juanin a achicar y revisar “La Victoria” para que estuviera preparada para su padre, mi tío Juan, y nuestro tío Serafín. También me acuerdo cuando estando en Caracas, y se aparecían mis tíos Serafín y Juan con sendos refrigeradores portátiles, repletos de pescados qué compartian con mi madre y otros familiares.

Como acertadamente dijo una de mis dos hermosas primas (sus únicas hijas: María Fernanda ‘Nanda’ y Verónica): “Paz a su alma y a celebrar con Juanito Chipiron, el Whisky que pidió en el Hospital”.

¡QEPD Querido Tío Pin!

¡Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo!

Sent via WhatsApp

Just as I have pointed out in years past, most Spaniards and Latin Americans won’t wish you a “Happy New Year” but a prosperous one. I guess if you have a prosperous year, it will be a happy one. After the hardships of 2020, we all deserve a prosperous 2021.

Very few days of 2020 have been great; And they have all involved seeing family and friends, specially my mother and sister, and my children (even if it was on video) and their respective boyfriend/girlfriend. Alas, I won’t be physically seeing them for the holidays because of the coronavirus, like a majority of people around the world. I’ll be happy with group video calls, hopefully including one with my college buddies.

This year has not been kind to me: It all began in May when my Mom (who started living with me since 2019) had her flight to the US cancelled, from a visit to her native Spain, because of covid-19 restrictions implemented one week before her return flight. Then on 9/11 my divorce from Mik became final after 37 years of wonderful marriage, and alas 2½ years of legal separation. Unfortunately, I lost a step-brother in my native Venezuela (QEPD Pablo Jose) and a close friend who had retired to his dream home in Dana Point (RIP Vince) to covid-19. I also lost my dear mother-in-law (RIP Faye) who thankfully passed away peacefully in her sleep.

But even though 2020 was an awful year, I also had some great days: Every Monday morning I have a video call with my Mom in Spain and my Sister in Venezuela. I had lunch with my Daughter and her boyfriend on Thanksgiving, and then had an unexpected video call with my Son (who lives in NorCal) at the end of the day. I was also introduced to his beautiful girlfriend. Just last week, I had a Zoom call with some of my high-school classmates; We set up a WhatsApp group and have been posting all kind of messages. Even though I keep in regular touch with three of them, I had not been in contact with most of these people in 45 years —As opposed to the US, in Venezuelan high schools, you stay together with about 40 people in your ‘section’ and the professors come to your classroom; You develop life-long friendships with most of these people—

Even though I conduct most of my contract work via emails and phone calls, I have a cherished ‘drop-by’ routine when I visit the Irvine office of Spireon in the middle of the week, seeing everyone shortly, and meeting with the engineering and managerial staff for Intellectual Property matters. So the WFH reality has not really impacted me but I realize what a hermit I’ve become. I live by a wonderful Town Center, and I used to run errands or just be outside almost daily, on my wheelchair (I’m handicapped with restricted use of my hands and arms because of a skiing misfortune). Now I just go outside once or twice a week, when is completely necessary and almost always acompanied by one of my caregivers. For work, I also conduct a quarterly IP Committee meeting and had not been able to schedule them; Just a few days ago I was able to conduct a productive Zoom meeting and get IP matters back on-track for the year.

When my old company PROCON (PROtect & CONnect) got acquired by a VC several years ago, my old friend and CEO was ousted and he formed a new company (Advantage Automotive Analítics) that currently competes in some markets with Spireon. His new company is also in Irvine and I would visit its offices every couple of months since I have many wonderful friendships with ex-coworkers, who ended up working at AAA. My old boss is also responsible for my new career in IP from being a “glorified hacker” to CIO (Career Is Over!) I miss visiting AAA and even though one could qualify these visits as akward, that’s another routine that I enjoyed and was not able to do in 2020.

I currently live by myself and none of my lifestyle would be possible, without my wonderful caregivers. I usually have daily help from 9am to 3pm but what gives me great flexibility, is to rely on a night caregiver that transfers me to bed and helps me with my end-of-day routines. She is outstanding as are all my other caregivers!

When I compare my situation with other people who are even able-bodied, I realize how grateful I should be. Even though 2020 has been an awful year, I am thankful for my health, my family and friends, my caregivers and my co-workers; And for everything I have been able to accomplish this year.

But I am looking forward to a prosperous 2021!