I have been away on a trip... Caracas was the destination... The capital of my country... Yes, Venezuela... I went there to assist to my mom´s phd Graduation... Which was nice and all that jazz, I hadn´t been there for over a year, and it was really nice to see my family again... We have our problems, like every family, but in the end, I really miss not seeing them frequently... Specially since I´m kind of like the prodigal son around there... They always say that my grandma has only eyes for me... Well... Had...

This brings me to the first major event around this past week... My grandmother passed away this last monday 4th of february of the year 2008 at 11:55 pm... An old lady indeed, but she was still strong and going... I left my grandmas house at sunday in the afternoon, 2 of my college friends had arrived in the city and we were going to stay somewhere else... I took a photo of her (The last photography anyone ever took of her in living) and I said my goodbyes, like usually with her she blessed me with every saint there is to be known... She told me I had become a great man and then let me go on my way... I told her to take care since the weather had been really cold the last few days, and I know how much she hated cold... It would be the last thing I would ever say to her...

At monday on 6:00 am, my father called me from home... He told me he was coming to Caracas, since my grandmother (his mother) had died... They had already decided not to tell me until morning, they saw no point on ruining my night... That same day I had scheduled to start 2 courses on illustrator and flash with Adobe Certificates... They told me I had to attend and after I got out I would go to pay my respects to my grandmother...

Needless to say I spent the entire course without even paying attention... It took me by surprise, just a day before she was great... Her own doctors appeared on the funeral crying, saying that she was alright in every medical way possible...

Her sons, my father included, all had their hearts crushed... I can only imagine what they felt, I loved my grandmother, but she was not my mother, I loved I truly do still love her and will always keep her in my heart, but my pain cannot be compared to that of my uncles and ants, and the one of my dad... His face... His face seemed as he had fought a thousand wars... Just hopeless...

After those days I was still on the course, and went on until friday... My 2 friends had never been in Caracas before... I decided to show them the city... I know my way around... We went out, we drank, we laughed, but most of all, they made me strong, they were there on a moment that no one else was... Because in the end, not any other friends of mine even heard about my grandma dying and if they did, they never called... Which is alright, I know how weird those situations are... But trust me on this one guys... It never hurts to show you care...

We took the subway, we walked, and we took the bus, we went to drink, to the movies and to shop, we ate at a place called "Don Corleonni" and they really seemed like an italian mafia runned restaurant, but they had great food and they started enjoying having us around... My girl was around in the city doing the courses with us, but she was almost never around, I guess that happens when your family isn´t really aware that there is a world outside suburbia... We stayed toguether for a week but we bonded even more than we have in the last 3 to 4 years we have had been knowing each other...

We met great people, and I visited old friends too, special thanks to Chris who openned his house for us, and well to miss Carmen and Karen for putting up with 3 loud bastards like us... Btw... Tom and his friends will be a refference for next trips

I took great photos... of everything I saw... Which I will have posted in ~SirChajs account in a few days, since I just got home and I truly just want to rest for a couple of days... BTW... Earlier this morning, when I was still in Caracas, my camera fell down, which resulted in my 50 mm f/1.8 canon lens to break (cheap piece of shit... Meh...) So if anyone´s got around an extra 80 dollars and is thinking about making me a present... There you have an idea of what I could be interested in

I guess with this summary of general events... What I´m trying to say is that... I close the door on this trip, I will hopefully be back to the city that watched me come on my vacations as a kid, to the city that showed me what is a metropoly, to the city where my grandmother used to hum a song as she was giving food to the birds that posed on the window of the appartment, to the place that made me a better man, and showed me what this country is about, to the heart and to the soul of who and what I truly am... As my home will always be Maracaibo, I can say my soul and drive, my reason to fight and die will always be in Caracas... For there is where my family legacy is... And that special place is worth fighting for...

I will always remember those young days on which my grandmother bathed me, and told me stories about the bible before going to bed... For she has been one of the persons that has made me feel truly loved, and I´m going to stop right now, since I´m actually not able to control my tears right now... Rest in peace Grandma...

Love... Your niece...

btw... This is the pic of her... Which I already decided to never modify digitally...

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