Organizing Astronomy Activities

Wednesday and Thursday were organizing days for me. The School of Mathematics in Chilpancingo was invited to the activities of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). In 1609 Galileo Galilei turned the telescope he build, towards the Moon. For the first time a human being saw the craters in our satellite and other details in nearby planets. A new era started.

UNESCO invited all countries of the world to participate in the activities of the IYA2009.

A meeting was scheduled for December 10. When I arrived, a regular size crowd of young people with a few older men, were surrounding the building I wanted to go in. I asked what was going on, and was told that they wanted teaching positions in this State of Guerrero. I told them my concern was Astronomy, and they responded that I should join their movement, and I said that they should join mine, the Astronomy movement. Eventually I talked to the organizers of the Astronomy meeting. Since I couldn't go in, these government workers inside the building told me from inside, that the meeting was being rescheduled, and that they would email me later.

Is it possible to observe the sky with telescopes, when these future teachers are asking the very same government to let them teach?

I don't know the answer to that, but as I have always done in this country of mine, I will continue to pursue scientific activities, keeping my eyes open for any eventuality. I could've requested these young people to let me in, but then, what if they decide that I cannot go out? I rather play it safe.

The next day I went to Puebla, a five hour ride in the middle of the night. I was invited to talk about the work I'm doing now. At dawn I started to walk in the town where my children were born and my wife and I took them around receiving all kinds of compliments on their good looks; this brought memories; I felt nostalgic. The nice restaraunt at the Zocalo where my wife liked to eat, "La Princesa", and she was treated with so much attention, is not there anymore. Downtown is going through a gentrification stage that erases all the places I had such good times in.

Eventually I found my way where the talk was going to be. I talked to my old buddies, they were very happy to see me, old students and colleagues, even the janitor was pleased to see me! I was overwhelmed. I felt like coming from the dead to the joyous reception of the people that had missed me in my absence, I was hugging my friends and kissing the women on the cheek, as we do in Mexico. I used to kiss my father until I reached puberty; after that I stopped, only to continue with that custome once I was more secure in my identity. We are a warmth seeking and giving bunch.

The talked went well, they were interested, and there were questions.

Later I talked business, they are going to help us organize these IYA2009 activiites. Also we are going to collaborate; both schools have math education programs. I hope we can help them, and they can help us. Two universities working together are better than working apart.

Who cares about Astronomy? I do, and the late Luis Rivera Terrazas that hired me at Puebla did.

Our time through this life is finite, but while we are around, we can choose to look up to the skies, like Galileo Galilei did four hundred years ago.