Just because I was surprised I didn't have to teach them this in Chile

I did have to teach the Hail Mary and the Our Father, in English, to the children.  I was basically translating the former on the spot, since I had completely forgotten the translation I did of it back in middle school.

But I was very surprised I didn't have to tell them Psalm 23.  Also surprised that, try as I might, I can't find any of the aforementioned in Hindi, though I know for a fact there are Catholics in India.

So, in case anyone was wondering, here is a rough translation of the Psalm in Spanish.


El Señor es mi Pastor
Nada me faltará
Me hace descansar en verdes pastos
Él me guía a arroyos de tranquilas aguas
Confortará mi alma
Me guiará por sendas de justicia por amor de su nombre
Sí, aunque ande en valle de sombra de muerte,
Yo no temeré mal alguno
Porque tú eres conmigo.
Tu vara y tu cayado me infundirán aliento.
Tú preparas mesa delante de mí en presencia de mis enemigos.
Tú unges mi cabeza con aceite
Mi copa está rebosando
Ciertamente el bien y la misericordia me seguirán todos los días de mi vida
Y habitaré en la casa del Señor por siempre.

Applying myself/Globus

So.  I am trimming down my list.  It looks like UW-Madison might be on the list of schools that I'm actually applying to.  We'll see.  If their department actually says something more than "I don't know," that is.

I say this truthfully: I am quite the globetrotter.  Granted, most of my travels have been to visit family members, immediate or extended or distantly extended that are flung far and wide across the world, or else conferences that my dad has gone to that have taken him across the Atlantic.  But I've been to five continents and ten countries, counting the US.  And I'm not done either.

Nor am I particularly proud of being a US citizen by birth.  I know I should be.  I know every country has its own things to be proud of and be embarrassed about.  And I know that, given the circumstances right now, this citizenship is one of the best ones to have.

But the more I've traveled, the more I've realized that Americans, naturalized or born, become spoiled or think they're entitled.  The rest of the world does not have nice giant supermarkets.  The rest of the world does not always have central heating or cooling in their homes.  The rest of the world can't always buy everything for cheap.  The rest of the world has a much more rigorous education system.  Well, at least in Asia and in a large part of Europe.  I can tell you for a fact that the South American education system is horrible in just about all the disciplines, and I'm willing to bet quite a bit of Africa is the same.

The ones who are born/mostly raised here grow up American, and in general, end up getting less education than their parents wish them to have.  My two cousins are prime examples; neither of them went on to graduate school when they clearly could have.  Those who are not born here will forever encounter some kind of obstacle that doesn't happen to people who are born here.  Then they get angry when it takes them longer to do the same things.  At least, most of the men I've seen do.  And I've always thought I'm kinda manly.  They think they're entitled.  Usually, they are.  But sometimes, they're not, and they don't get it.  And then their kid points that out, and then both parents get mad, and then it's bad.

But yeah.  People outside need to realize that the good ol' US of A is not the kingdom they think it is.  People inside the US need to realize that they'd probably be a lot smarter and more humble if they lived elsewhere for an extended period of time.

And I've decided that I am working at least two schools in Boston into my list.  And I'll go to a school in Boston.  Even if I haven't opened the application yet.  It's decided.