DEMAC WOMEN

Mujeres DEMAC

 I have noticed that the people around me took their time to reflect, have quit the routine and the pressures of everyday life to bring on the memory of their lives.  For example, I have asked them questions such as: do you remember the meringue man? And have you felt the thrill in their voices? I think that deep down, we all experience joy when digging in our box of memories. This strengthened the bonds with my siblings and childhood friends. I am almost 50 years old and I have worked in many different countries and positions –even for embassies like the Dutch one in Dubai, and the American in India– as an interpreter, Spanish teacher, specialist in the diamond industry in Holland, and I have also made a constant and modest humanitarian contribution in different spaces. For the last 29 years, I have spoken two or three languages, whether for work or personal reasons; that is why the fact that I wrote in Spanish from Mexico was really valuable to me, I re-identified with my mother tongue, remembered who I was, and now I know that I am a Mexican amidst Globalization. I became aware that my past and my language were and are the walls of my house, due to the fact that I have had to fight through the years something now called dyslexia. I am deeply grateful to my sister, Doris, and my invaluable friend, Oscar, who kindly read the manuscript firsthand, gave me advice, accuracy on some data like the name of the streets and other corrections, because memory is wrapped by the dust of years, but they have the valuable gift of remembering and pointing out mistakes kindly. Kees, for his unconditional teachings of the use of computers; Alexander, my son, who is my source of inspiration, and each one of the people mentioned and omitted who have been part of my life, but especially God, who taught me to love Him above everything. I must say how I found this call, it was almost like fantasy. I will tell it just the way it happened. It was May, 2007, I had arrived in Kasakhstan Republic for eight months, and I was faced with the need to serve others by acknowledging- from the occidental point of view- that I could contribute with something, ideas at least, for the people of the new emerging Republic, independent just for 15 years.  Faced with the multiple human needs in my social and cultural surroundings, open to new ideas, I found a nich for what I like: creating answers and making proposals.  I like ideas so much that I am not shy when giving them. I attended a presentation by an organization called Camp-Nong, devoted to developing humanitarian jobs sponsored by the United Nations. Called for finding different ways of helping promote felt crafts made by Kazakh women, ethnic and returnees from China – since historically, that part was taken from Kazakhstan. I thought of several options: promoting their crafts in the local airline, and eventually selling the products onboard, designs that could be useful for the company. I wanted to become more familiar with the crafts made of felt that the organization favors and promotes, and one day I went to visit the Refugee Camp where they are. There were four people there: a Russian-English interpreter, a worker in the organization, another Russian-Kazakh interpreter, and myself. Most of the houses we visited had no electricity; however, there was one that did, and it had a TV, but they did know Mexico through the soap operas that reach up to Tibet. There, I contacted one woman in particular, I found out about her and her needs, just to understand, and I showed her my interest towards what she had to say. She came to the organization headquarters in the city of Almaty, to present the needs they have for electricity and water, and that I, being Mexican, could help or favor them. This I heard from the organization when I was about to eat lunch, so I leaned towards my plate, and praying and meditating I thought –My God, what am I doing here? What must I do? Is this how I can be of service to you? As an answer, I had a vision: a hot-air-balloon falling on my plate. After lunch, I checked my email and found the call for Demac Awards, which had come through the Mexican embassy in Lebanon, and then I thought – this is the hot-air-balloon! I’ll get down to business and write all I have to say. Once I finished the autobiography, I plan to write an article that I had started about these Kazakh and Chinese returnee women, meaning to raise awareness on their needs and those they have in their voice. Thanks! Demac, for the interest in what Mexican women have to say about ourselves, our lives, and for strengthening our language.

Miriam Ortega

Author of the text Between Alpha and Omega

Participant in the 2007-2008 DEMAC Awards Contest

This call got to my hands thanks to my daughter, and when I first read it, the first thing I thought was how little interesting my life would be to others, I put it away.

Then, I reflected about how the vital thing in this invitation was not just that my personal story could contribute to others, but in telling a story that will help me sort out some inner conflict and understand some situations that came up throughout my life. The changes I experimented were first: breaking the barrier or silence, expressing through oral language those things I repressed for years, second, realizing that I can write- a concern I had for quite a while- not just for me (as therapy), but also, that I can do it for others, I still have a lot to learn in that respect.  Thanks DEMAC for the opportunity you offer women to express themselves and share experiences.

Norma Velasco

Author of the text The Attic

Participant in the 2007-2008 DEMAC Awards Contest

Participante en el concurso Premios DEMAC 2007-2008