martes, 21 de octubre de 2008

Writing en (la) NYU


Hace 2 semanas empezé un curso para mejorar mi escritura en inglés en NYU (New York University). Dentro de la escuela de Continuing Studies (School of Continuing and Professional Studies), uno se puede anotar en cursos cortos o certificados y sentirse un estudiante universitario mas. (Pili está haciendo su programa de inglés en el American Language Institute de NYU )
A diferencia de los campus de otras universidades, que están alejados y concentrados en una zona (como la Universidad de Columbia), NYU tiene sus sedes en el corazón de Manhattan y distribuidas por toda la ciudad (Vean el mapa) Si bien los edificios principales están alrededor de Washington Square, en Greenwich Village, hay clases que se dictan en Downtown, Midtown y Astor Place, para nombar algunas.
Fundada en 1831, NYU es una de las universidades privadas más grandes de USA y una de las mayores empleadoras (más de 16.000) de la ciudad de NY. Su color oficial es el violeta, asi que si en su paseo por la ciudad ven banderas, buzos o hasta un colectivo pintado de ese color, seguro que están ante alguna de las sedes de la universidad.
Vale la pena visitar la biblioteca (The Elmer Holmes Bobst Library) y sentarse en Washington Square a respirar un poco del espíritu universitario.
Comparto con Uds. la primera de mis historias, ya corregida (in english, of course)

15 minutes - Written by: Fausta Ballesteros
Time is a relative concept. That is nothing new. Some minutes feel like hours and some hours or days run as fast as seconds. Fifteen minutes that changed my life. That's my story. All I can remember feel cloudy, like a dream, but I can tell it's true. Four spots of bright lights in the ceiling. Ten or twelve people talking and walking around me, dressed in light blue clothes all covered with nose caps and hats. And myself, like the viewer of my own movie, lying in a stretcher at the centre of the scene.

We arrived at the hospital at 6 am the day before to induct the labor. Forty weeks had gone thro since we had found out that I was pregnant. And finally, after 9 months and relocation to NYC, Maximo was ready to born. Our parents were going to become grandparents for the first time. Our brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts. And Augusto and I were going to become Dad and Mom.

The day was longer than I could have imagined. It was 5 am, and I was rushed into the operating room. The baby was not able to come down, something was keeping him trapped, forcing the doctor to perform a C-section on me. Everything happened so fast that by the time I realized where I was, a whole team of doctors and nurses were surrounding me and I had already received the epidural in my back. Then the nurses pulled up a white tent, like a high building, from my neck down so I couldn't see my entire body.

I did not feel pain at all even though I could sense the tools and the doctors working on me. My mind was focus in something else. I was waiting for a sound. I didn't know exactly how it was going to be. And if it was going to be loud or soft or sweet. But I knew I had have to hear one cry to be sure everything was all right. My husband was by my side. As in any difficult moment, his face appeared relaxed, but I imagined that he was as anxious as me. His sweaty hands were holding mine. It seemed that our minds were connected through our fingers and that our pulses served as a clock counting the minutes.

On the other side, the doctors were talking but I was not hearing. All my organs were waiting for a signal, alert like guardian dogs. I was preparing myself to finally met Maximo. We were going to see each other. We had been feeling each other for the past months. I had been talking to him, feeding him, sleeping with him, but I didn't t know his voice... Maybe only under these circumstances a baby ‘s cry make you smile. I couldn't forget that cry. My heart started beating as loud as the baby and the only thing I wanted to do it was to hug him and see him. Finally, my husband brought my baby to me, all bundled in, and I fell in love for the second time.

The waiting felt long but it was worth it. Even though the whole labor happened in only 15 minutes

10 comentarios:

Anónimo dijo...

Fau: estoy tratando de encontrar las palabras correctas para definir lo que sentí cuando lei lo que escribiste...

si bien por estar a full en la office no puedo detenerme a identificar las palabras correctas, no quiero dejar de decirte que fue un texto emocionante y al cual de alguna manera me pude transportar..

Espero que sigas escribiendo!!! me gusto mucho

Mer

juli dijo...

Hola Fausta, cursamos algunas materias juntas en la Austral hace unos cuantos años ya. Te escribo para decirte que me encantó eso de enamorarse por segunda vez... nunca lo había pensado de ese modo... muy lindo el texto. ¡éxitos! Juli.-

milii dijo...

ah bue...estoy llorando jaja, escribis muy bien, muy grafico todo, me imaginaba cada detalle..
un beso grande y si la verdad que maximo nos enamora a todos con sus caritas y sus gestos..
un beso grande fau, EXCELENTE

Anónimo dijo...

Estoy llorando a mares...!! Esta muy bueno tu primer articulo en ingles, Fau!! Un beso enorme y nos vemos manana.

Flor

Anónimo dijo...

HOLA FAU ME HAS HECHO EMOCIONAR CON TU ARTICULO ESTA MUY BIEN ESCRITO Y ME RECORDO TODO LO QUE PASAMOS ESE DIA PRIMERO LA ANGUSTIA Y LUEGO CUANDO OIMOS EL LLANTO DE MAXIMO CON MARITA NOS ABRAZAMOS Y NO PODIAMOS PARAR DE LLORAR DE ALEGRIA, SIEMPRE TE DIJE QUE ME GUSTABA TU ESTILO DE COMUNICAR LAS COSAS Y NO PORQUE SEA TU MAMA, MUY BUENO CARIÑOS PATY

Anónimo dijo...

No soy la excepcion,mis lagrimas salen a borbotones!!!!
Fau,esas marcas indelebles de amor que deja la llegada del primer hijo,esa experiencia tan nueva y tan tuya,es lo que nos hace decir VALE LA PENA !!!la eleccion que hicimos de traer al mundo un hijo.Lo vas a renovar en cada hijo de manera siempre distinta y siempre UNICA!!Porque cada hijo es una estrella con diferente brillo.
Es la APASIONANTE vocacion de ser MAMA.
Doy gracias infinitas por haber compartido la llegada a nuestros corazones de mis dos AMADISIMOS NIETOS.
Me encanto como lo transmitiste.
Besos de la abuela Marita

Kary dijo...

Fau,
Tenes un don muy especial. No todos pueden expresar sus sentimientos y actos de una manera tan dulce. Se que por sobre todo, es el amor que sentis (que crece dia a dia) por tu familia lo que te inspira y te hace la mujer que sos hoy. Como siempre te felicito por la familia que tenes!
Muchos besos.

Court Jester dijo...

Fausto, you and Augusto are blessed, and that never stops.
I hope your child is a girl, but if not you will be one of the rare Mothers that is able to raise a real man.

Thank you for this beauty.

(There is single word of great honor in Arabic - In English it means "Father of many daughters")

Anónimo dijo...

Hola Fau. Te re felicito!!! No se bien como escribirlo (ese es tu don, no el mío) pero me hiciste emocionar... te quiero mucho!!!!

Pau

Anónimo dijo...

me hiciste llorar!!
Ana y Ulises...