My Name is Armando

Hey, this is my homepage, so I have to say something about myself. Sometimes it is hard to introduce yourself because you know yourself so well that you do not know where to start with. Let me give a try to see what kind of image you have about me through my self-description. I hope that my impression about myself and your impression about me are not so different. Here it goes.

I am a person who is positive about every aspect of life. There are many things I like to do, to see, and to experience. I like to read, I like to write; I like to think, I like to dream; I like to talk, I like to listen. I like to see the sunrise in the morning, I like to see the moonlight at night; I like to feel the music flowing on my face, I like to smell the wind coming from the ocean. I like to look at the clouds in the sky with a blank mind, I like to do thought experiment when I cannot sleep in the middle of the night. I like flowers in spring, rain in summer, leaves in autumn, and snow in winter. I like to sleep early, I like to get up late; I like to be alone, I like to be surrounded by people. I like country’s peace, I like metropolis’ noise; I like the beautiful west lake in Hangzhou, I like the flat cornfield in Champaign. I like delicious food and comfortable shoes; I like good books and romantic movies. I like the land and the nature, I like people. And, I like to laugh.

​I always wanted to be a great writer, like Victor Hugo who wrote "Les Miserable", or like Roman Roland who wrote "John Christopher". They have influenced millions of people through their books. I also wanted to be a great psychologist, like William James or Sigmund Freud, who could read people’s mind. Of course, I am nowhere close to these people, yet. I am just someone who does some teaching, some research, and some writing. But my dream is still alive.

This is a brief introduction of myself. If you are interested in knowing more, just get in touch. Do not expect too much, and keep your sense of humor.

Socrates Café

Do you have a hunger for deeper understanding of yourself and the world? Do you value deep, honest and respectful dialogue?

Socrates Café’s are gatherings around the world where people from different backgrounds get together and exchange thoughtful ideas and experiences while embracing the central idea that we learn more when we question, and question with others. At the Socrates Café, we get together for a monthly discussion of a life question that interests or challenges us. We arrive on the night, pick a question we would like to explore and then launch into 90 minutes of facilitated dialogue. To give you a flavor for the types of questions that we explore, here are some recent examples:

- “Why is there a gap between ideals and behavior?”
- “Should drugs be de-criminalized”
- “What does it mean to be a good friend?”.

No philosophical background needed. This is about our own philosophies of life and not necessarily what the great philosophers and academics has said or written. It is not a debating club or a platform to proselytizing. Instead, we place the emphasis on questioning, open mindedness and challenging our own assumptions while listening to and respecting the views shared by others.

We meet on the 1st Tuesday of each month in McAllen city centre promptly at 7:00 pm and wrap-up about 9:00 pm.

If you think this might be for you, or even if you are not quite sure yet, why not come along and give it a try. It would be great to see you.
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Socrates Café: A space where ideas and dialogue can flourish.

A Socrates Café to speak only Spanish, will also be organized, in addition to the English version.

If you are interested in attending this event, please get in touch.