Borders of Computing: Miami
MIAMI--I'm not in Latin America yet, but I've certainly gotten greater exposure to the region in the last 24 hours than I had in the 33 years prior.
Since I arrived here last night, I have met with local leaders, a former government minister, top nongovernmental leaders, and students. I've had the opportunity to hear speeches from Microsoft officials, a Brazilian mayor, and an Argentinian senator. It's all part of a Microsoft conference of Latin American politicians and non-governmental agency executives known as the Government Leaders Forum.
Among the people I caught up with were these Brazilian techies who I wrote about two years ago when they won Microsoft's Imagine Cup. They've taken their invention to use technology to guide the visually impaired and are starting a company to bring it to market, with $500,000 in funding from the Brazilian Government.
It was great to meet them in person to follow-up on their story and I look forward to posting more about their endeavors.
I've been meeting and listening more than writing today, but that should change Friday. I'm scheduled to cover two speeches by Bill Gates, one at the Government Leaders Forum and another at a meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank.
I'm also traveling to a senior center here in Miami, part of the city's effort to close its own digital divide. I will have more to say about Miami and its projects, which include wiring the city's parks, putting computers in senior centers as well as a program known as Rights of Passage that offers all sixth grade public school students the opportunity to earn a free computer for their family.
But first, I'm off to experience another important part of Latin American culture--Cuban food.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
We aren't 'latinoamericanos' 'cause we speak Spanish or Portuguese, or where ex-spaniard or portuguese colonies. We're latinamericans because we share a common culture thread, that's not entirely derived from the European root, but more of the mixture of two races (normally european and native).
That's the reason why Miami was engulfed by Latin American almost 50 years ago. When the Cubans came they didn't "melt" into the pot as others inmigrants did. They mesticied the atmosphere, combining freely spanish with English.
Don't worry. We 'latinos' aren't for conquest. We have suffered years upon years of this. We have learnt to combine without integrating.
So the next time you leave Miami, don't say Goodbye; just say 'Hasta Luego' (See you in another (undefined) time), since in the mist of Latin American, time is measured in a different way, and its better to promise to return without an specific date, rather than state something with no room for hope.
Hope to read more articles from you in a further time. Hasta Luego.