I'm a Venezuelan Literary Translator and mother of two living in London. I love life so my passions and interests are endless. Some of them, in no particular order are: running, writing, Literature and Philosophy, politics, cultural diversity, people (all sorts of them), languages, dogs, Venezuela and my house.
Falling in love with a Literary piece, in the form of poetry or fiction, is, to a certain extent, just like loving an actual person. I have fallen in love with many books and texts throughout my life and some of them have managed to find a permanent place in my heart. Sometimes, I find … More Why I love Literature
Have you ever fantasied about being stuck in a lift with someone famous? I mean, only you and that person? I do it all the time, to the point of imagining the whole scene from beginning to end. It’s really naughty. I will share it with you, but please don’t judge! I already know I’m … More Naughty Fantasies of a Hopeless Nerd
I have just finished Socrates’ Defence, an account of the infamous trial against the Greek philosopher, unjustly accused of morally corrupting the young in Athens and of impiety. The text was written by none other than Plato, Socrates’ loyal pupil and witness at the trial that ultimately sentenced his teacher to death by drinking poison. … More Thoughts on Democracy inspired by Socrates
My dad is my oracle. I wonder how much he knows (or actually ignores) how important his advice has been for me throughout my life. Advice of the best sort, passed on not only in the form of gentle remarks or strong imperatives, but also always -invariably- illustrated by his example. This has to be … More A very personal celebration of Writing
For the last couple of weeks I’ve been intermittently consuming high doses of television. First, on the airplane to and back from Houston: a daunting 9-hour flight strapped to an uncomfortable seat, no sleep and few things to do. Then, at home in London, resigned to the dictatorship of the jet lag, which invariably turns … More Another stream of consciousness, this time on exile
I’m suspended in the air, flying between London and Houston. Two influential and wealthy worlds connected by an invisible line described by the trajectory of a Boeing 777. World news, facebook updates and social commitments all vanish for a period of about ten hours. I’m living within the narrow limits of this temporary non-territory and … More Reflection on an Airplane
I’m celebrating my fifteenth wedding anniversary this week so I thought I’d dedicate this blog post to marriage as a way of marking the occasion. I won’t say anything funny nor ironic this time, even though, indeed, two of my all time favourite mechanisms for coping with the challenges of everyday coexistence with my dear … More A little note on Marriage
When Chavez won his second term presidential elections in Venezuela in December 2006, I had been working for a couple of months at a civil organisation called Súmate, monitoring the Electoral Council’s procedures in the run up to election day and motivating voters to exercise their right. On election day, I was sent to Súmate’s … More A view of Brexit from my Venezuelan eyes
The recent murder of Yorkshire MP, Jo Cox, has struck a powerful chord in me; so strong that it is still resonating, still prompting me to search for answers that could relieve the frustration left by the significance of such a tragic event. It is not that I’m not familiar with this sort of aggression … More In honour of Jo Cox MP
A couple of weeks ago, I was walking with my kids back to South Kensington station after a morning visit to the Science Museum when we stumbled upon a London Underground musician who was playing a famous Brazilian tune which I have known since childhood. “…Mamá yo quiero, mamá yo quiero, mamaaaá yo quiero mamá…” … More On Happiness, Wisdom and Descartes