Merigoesaround

Don't want to turn this blog into a diary. No, no and no. But I just thought of my grandma who died almost 4 months ago and had some seconds of sadness. I enjoyed every second with her and thanks to Saturnina (what a name, right?!) I have those strong roots in the deep sweet Spain I often talk about. Here a piece of those memories turned into picture.

I am wondering... This economic/political definition of transition countries. In between developing and developed. When is it over? If I might focus my career on those countries, are they going to "transit" so fast that I'll be unemployed in 15 years? And why developing countries never turn into transition ones? NO "transit" for them? Aren't we all in transition?

...and I am happy. The trees, the yard, the river...". A classmate told me. Ursu, again you! And I agree. The last couple of months have been excitingly happy. I have enjoyed being in other places, I do not remember being unhappy anywhere...but the speed at which great days go by here is extreme. I wish the day had 30 hours. (we could even have longer parties...!!!) I am trying to finish this stupid assignment of having to analyze an education sector assessment. A 'critical review of a sector assessment' the assignment says I need to do. But hold on, I am analyzing a perfectly ok piece of paper that I indeed wish I had written. As my friend JW told me many times, 'you are really opinionated'. Yes, I am. I am sure I can write 7 pages with my opinion on how the World Bank assesses Turkey's education system. For TOMORROW!! I should have planned better. But this week has been crazy with "Why are so many countries poor?" paper. This Haussmann's growth ...

I am thinking about the results of elections back home, in Catalonia. My mum gave me the hint on how to read this election's results. She moved to Barcelona almost 40 years ago, from deep rural (and lovely!) Spain. She lived Franco times from the distance of a peaceful, non-revolutionary tiny village of Zamora's province. She moved to Barcelona looking for a new life, like other thousands of people living in more deprived areas of the Peninsula. Mum voted in the first democratic election for equality and justice, for Felipe Gonzalez Socialist party. Mum is a socialist. However...and this is really important, after 40 years living in another region of Spain that has given her (and ME!) all kind of opportunities that she would have not even imagined back in her little village...this election she was indecisive about whom to vote. "I am not sure", she said, "I think I should vote for Convergencia i Unio (CiU), the moderate center-right nationalist coalition. It is g...

Yes. We do have receptions...and poor, highly indebted students take advantage of them (I am not indebted, but I enjoy the salmon like the rest) Last week we had a free-food night hosted by the Dean at the JFK library (each ex-president has a library named on his memory). The place as such is nothing special: it has a nice view on the Charles river and a very, very big, big American flag hanging from the ceiling. Hereby the same Halloween suspects formally dressed. (there is not only free food...but also free wine. Building the Kennedy School spirit!!)