All posts by dia

Culture, Ear Holes (music), People, Photos

Mary (Necessary)

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Wow. We went to the Mary J. Blige concert in Virginia Beach last night and it was one of the top 3 performances I’ve ever seen. I own every MJB record, every version of every song. To see her live has been on my Mondo Beyond list for a while and it was worth the wait. I was 19 the year her first album dropped (What’s the 411? 1992) and it is to this day one of the top 5 albums of my lifetime. Me and my 3 roommates listened to this CD for literally the entire first semester of our 2nd year at UVA. Picture us: a black, a white, a philipino and a 1/2 mexican chick all coming of age to one of the most influencial records in hip-hop/soul history with the CD on permanent “repeat” mode. Yeah, it was that good.

It was quite simply an experience. She sang with all of her heart, you could tell she loves to perform and that her work is so obviously the story of her life (heartbreaking, inspiring, soul mending). The closest performance I’ve seen in recent years is Erykah Badu at the Sugarwater Festival in Charlotte last summer. It was the kind of night you don’t want to end (and its 2am so that is saying something).

So tell us…what is the best/most memorable concert/performance you’ve ever seen? and what made it so special?

*photo by Michael Kurman

Eye Holes (books/film)

Bookworm

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A regular commenter on this here blog recommended this book to me about a month ago (Thanks S!). I picked it up and couldn’t put it down, it is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It was the perfect band-aid for my return to reality blues-a mix of travelogue and Oprah-esque self-discovery (from a male perspective). The premise is that one of the brothers gets dumped literally days before his wedding, but since everything is paid for, the jilted groom and family have a party anyway. The groom-not-to-be takes his brother with him on the already paid for two-week honeymoon, and it takes them on a two-year journey around the world. He falls in love with himself, his brother and la pura vida (the pure life) and you probably will too.

Honeymoon with my Brother: A Memoir 

Funchilde - isms, Life. Love. Laughs.

So Fortun(ate)

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Someone stole our family dog.
The (brand new) washer in The Dupe unit B is on the fritz.
The airconditioner in The Dupe unit B is dying.

BUT, I got the best fortune ever after chowing down on some very yummy chinese food with friends.

“You will be traveling and coming into a fortune.”

I can live with that.

Life. Love. Laughs., Quotes, Travel

Hampton, Virginia: Welcome Back

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[1] Yes, life DOES take VISA!
Diagnostic to determine that Shorty Rock (my car) cannot be fixed? $78
Installing alarms on The Duplex due to weekend break-in? $700
Still feeling like the luckiest chic on the planet? priceless.

[2] Jorge left Andrea and I in Cuernavaca one Jack Daniels drenched morning at 4am to head on to Acapulco with a bunch of random new-found friends. I didn’t cry. Mostly because he was tipsy and kept naming the 3 frogs on my t-shirt after the three of us in a hiccup-riddled state of inebriation. Andrea and I caught a bus back to El DF (Mexico City) where we had to split up and head to different bus terminals to get to our respective destinations (Ecuador for her, Guanajuato for me). We both cried as we hailed separate cabs at the station, clutching hands and starting sentences we couldn’t finish. Finally she just got in her cab and that was it. I’ve since heard from both of them and they are well. No longer the stars of this here blog and the center of my international social life, but no less missed.

[3] I was startled to find that I was both excited to get home to the states and blue to be leaving the life I’d been living the last 3 months. Even after being back for a month (I got back in early June) I am still equally excited about being home and anxious to get back to Latin America. Though I’m enjoying focusing on some of my non-travel related goals, I am also plotting my return to Mexico (October depending on the free-lance contract situation). I am also realizing that though I dubbed this my “one year off”, that I’m falling in lurve with the lifestyle itself and one year won’t be nearly enough.

[4] Dream Big. If there is something you dream of doing, something so crazy you don’t even say it out loud but you often think “If I could do X….” then get started, life waits for no (wo)man and you deserve your shot at bliss as much as anyone. Good luck, God Speed and Stay Tuned. It really wouldn’t have been the same without you.

“I’d rather die on my feet than live a lifetime on my knees.”
– Emiliano Zapata

Culture, Eye Holes (books/film), Laughs, Mexico, People, Travel

Cuernavaca: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

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I was deathly ill for the trip to Cuernavaca, so I don’t remember much but here’s the run down.

The Good: Because I was quarantined for three days, I had ample time to finish reading The Chronicles of Narnia (774 pages!), 100 Years of Solitude, and The Memory of Running (a new personal favorite).

The Bad: I had such a bad fever that I had to put on every item of clothing I had brought with me when I went to bed. I haven’t had a fever like that since 1977. It was that bad. A Canadian nurse that we ran into said there was some type of virus going around.

The Ugly: I sweated through ALL of my clothes in two days and had to stumble around in my exhausted stupor to find a llavanderia (laundry) to have all my clothes washed when my fever broke (3 days later).

When I was finally fit to move among the living, I caught up with Andrea and Jorge at the local spot on the Zocalo only to find that I shouldn’t drink because of the virus. So I watched everyone else drink the (literal) buckets of beer served at the expat hangout. Jorge and Andrea were with 5 others that I didn’t know but was quickly introduced to as the “third amigo” I feel bad saying this but this bar was my least favorite place we had ever been to and I realized it was because it was PACKED with Americans! I mean there were even a dozen African Americans in this place, it was like little Chicago up in there. Fortunately Andrea got us the hook up (yet again) and this dude gave us wrist bands for free drinks before midnight at the club down the street if we made it there by 10:30.

The Good: Andrea’s hook up got us free drinks and we didn’t have to stand in the line outside!

The Bad: Jorge’s idea to spring for the VIP lounge and a bottle of Jack Black at a club whose tagline is: “The Sunny Place for Shady People.” There was no way anything good was going to come of this.

The Ugly: Getting dry-humped and kissed by a VIP interloper (Edgar, pictured above), who I then determined to be rather cute and fairly intelligent so I quickly foisted him off onto Andrea. They made a connection and hung out for the next 3 days until it came time to say tearful goodbyes and she cursed the city of Cuernavaca and its men.

*Bonus: What the hell kind of dance is that Jorge? 

 

Life. Love. Laughs., Mexico, Travel

Oaxaca Mexico: We’re Still Talking About This?

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Okay, I know I’m like the worst blogger ever. I despise it when my favorite bloggers go on hiatus and my continuous *click*refresh* yields nothing new. BUT I’ve been on the move.

Oaxaca was so much fun that I have been dragging this story out for like 3 weeks now I think. Just to put us all out of our misery:

We danced, danced and danced some more (well, Paul did anyway)
We bought drinks until our pockets held only lint
We stayed out until it was so late that we debated going to breakfast
We drank the prettiest cappucino ever made
I talked literature, music and travel with The Crush under the stars
The impossible curls, smile and baby brown eyes of The Crush
We watched bootleg movies
Visited The Crush at work
We drank the best.hot.chocolate.ever on a beautiful rainy evening
We watched locals dance in the zocalo at midnight
We sang more karaoke
We took Salsa lessons ($5.50US for 1.5hrs-video here of Andrea)
Received roses (no, these are not from the crush)
Danced with The Crush and The Crew
Drank the worm
Fell in lurve with the Moon
Laughed, laughed and laughed some more
Caught a cold

And…we left for Cuernavaca, holding out hope that The Crush could join us, but college boys gotta work hard for the money.

Family & Friends, Life. Love. Laughs.

Pop Rocks…(A shout out pt. ii)

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In honor of Father’s Day, the Top 5 Reasons my Pop Rocks!

[5] He’s the original “Funchilde.” He created Funchilde, Inc. back in the early 70’s with a bunch of friends so that they could throw parties and play music and make a little money while they were having a good time. I count this as the source of my passion for music as well as the ignition for my entreprenuerial flame. The first concert I ever went to was with him. He took me and my sister and brother to see the SOS Band in Germany and I couldn’t have been more than 8 years old. My Dad has more music, in more formats than anyone I know. From Reel-to-Reel to his iPod, that dude can hook you up with everything from Hall and Oates to Destiny’s Child.

[5a] My parents have always been social people. I definitely get my sense of humor, outgoing personality and positive outlook from my Dad. He (and Mom) took us EVERYWHERE with them. To this day, their love of travel is a part of me. He’s been from Saudi Arabia to Greece and knows no stranger. They taught us how to work hard and play hard, how to party hard without getting out of control, and to know when to cut our losses with friends/foes and lovers. Dad encouraged us to try new foods and experience new places and people and to treat everyone equal. That as long as we were given respect we should show it. That warmth of spirit is why he’s like a black Dr. Phil. People tell that dude EVERYTHING!

[4] He’s the black Emeril Lagasse. All of us can cook. You already know that cooking classes are one of my passions. My Mom, sister and brother can all cook the staples like nobody’s business. From fried chicken to potato salad, those three can burn. My nephew makes a mean 5 cheese and macaroni, and has won an award for his “Eclair Cake.” Dad is the risk taker in the kitchen. We all love watching the cooking channel and we forgive him his Rachel Ray crush (WTF?) because he does most of the cooking. From crab stuffed flounder to his clove spiced holiday ham, that dude can put his foot in it! AND he’s our favorite bartender! I love coming home to visit and the nights we sit up drinking his apple martinis or long island iced teas, debating some issue and calling each other names while he plays DJ, fries up some fish and mixes up another batch. That dude deserves a beer.

[3] His stock portfolio is beating mine. He can pick ’em yall. I feel a little bad because he is a “tech nerd” like my brother. My mom is an envi-sci geek (cum laude, no less) and I’m the business guru. But he has picked some winners that are making my stock portfolio look like a crackhead’s checkbook. His strategy: he buys stock in the products he likes/uses. That dude uses his noggin.

[2] I still think he’s a Superhero. When I was little I thought my Dad was the biggest, strongest guy in the world. When the movie Jaws came out, I was probably 6 years old or so and they took me to see it. Afterwards my mom asked me how big the shark in the movie was. I looked around for something to illustrate the ginormity of the shark and said wild-eyed and using my hands to make my point: “it was as big as Dad’s LEG!” I guess its all about perspective. That dude is a man’s man.

[2a] My Dad is the kind of guy that will get down to a kid’s level and PLAY. I still love the fact that my Dad bought me hot wheels cars and racetracks, cap guns and a 3 foot long Wonder Woman puzzle. He didn’t let my gender dictate my fun. I ran, played t-ball, soccer and climbed trees, and built a CO2 car. My Dad is still pretty intimidating at 6’4 and I still think he can fix anything from my car to my computer. That dude is my #1 go-to guy.

[1] He loves my Mom. Yall know how I feel about HER. So, it follows that anybody that keeps that chic happy is alright with me. They are a testament that good times and bad times can be weathered together. Their marriage isn’t perfect, but it is perfect for them. They make me believe that love is possible. Not that Hollywood stuff, but the nuts and bolts, “don’t make me kill you”, “you’re the best thing that ever happened to me”, “these kids take after YOUR side of the family” kind of way. That dude is part of the glue that keeps us together.

Here’s to you Dad!

People, Photos, Travel

Oaxaca Mexico: I have found my people…pt. vi-x

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Wow. Who knew there were like dozens of brown folks all over Mexico? We ran into this good looking group of Morehouse and Spelman students Wednesday night while having dinner and drinks on the Zocalo (there are more of them in the city). What a great group of students from two of the best colleges in the US. They are all staying with Mexican families and taking classes at the local University. The prospect of early morning classes did not stop them from inviting us out to party. Debauchery ensued.

Efosa (20, GA) John (20, NC); Jessica (19, MD); Eric (20, AL) and Robert (21, GA).

Wednesday: To be continued… 

 

Culture, Mexico, Photos, Pie Hole (Food)

Oaxaca Mexico: Still Cooking (in & out of the kitchen)

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So in a fit of intelligence, I checked my schedule and realized I didn’t actually have to work until Thursday. I took the advice of Travis (commenter extraordinaire!) and finagled my way into a cooking class ($70US for one-on-one, hands on style class). So that is what I did Wednesday morning. Despite Tuesday night’s activities, I was clear-eyed enough to make it to Casa Crespo at 10am (what is up with these morning cooking classes?). Carlos was my host and the owner of this small B&B/cooking school. He is so multi-talented that I began to feel like a poorly educated underachiever with no focus and no goals. Then he started pouring the beer and that feeling went away. Seriously though, dude is an accomplished artist, tourism geek, world traveler, B&B owner and chef (and some other stuff I’m forgetting)! It was just the two of us and we had a ball. We walked (seemingly uphill both ways) to the local market where he took me to all of the stalls and talked about various veggies, techniques and peppers. The colors were vibrant and got me excited about the day’s class and meal. Well, this didn’t pique my appetite, but it sure caught my eye.

Oh wait. I totally got hit on by my cab driver. It was so funny that I couldn’t even be offended. These guys have balls (pardon the pun). We are chatting (in spanish) and he starts asking about my boyfriend/kid/housing situation and I ask him about his girlfriend/kid/housing situation. He has a girlfriend and loves the regular sex but wishes there were more of it! We were both just laughing and laughing at this, I told him that maybe she was tired and he said that maybe he needed a back-up and looked pointedly at me. I told him that I was old enough to be his older sister and that I was taking a break from romance. He told me to give him a call when my break was over. I had tears streaming down my face yall. It was one of those times where you only spend 5 minutes with somebody but you make a totally humor-filled, in-the-moment connection that you both recognize as special and fleeting. After he pulled away from the curb I wanted to shout: “well done young man, well done!” but I figured I was already running low on “cool points” for the day.

Now, lest ye loyal readers who don’t know me think I’m some man magnet, let me assure you that I am not. Well, not really. I haven’t posted any pics of me mainly because I’m “growing my hair out” into its natural state and this requires that I wear a bandana/headscarf 24 hours a day and I just can’t embarass my momma like that and have pics of me in a bandana all over Mexico, floating around the web. I WILL say though (and any of my exes who are reading this I need you to keep your lips zipped)…that I have a certain allure…my chubby charm as I call it, seems to attract both men and women and believe me, I am the least “saxxy” person I know in terms of flirtation/dressing provocatively, yada yada yada. What I DO have is a nice rack (well, I do) and a great sense of humor, a contagious smile and an air of unattainability that men seem to want to investigate. Either that or I give off some pheromonal scent that attracts the male beast in the 15-21 and 45-65 age groups. I don’t know what it is, and I’m not all that interested in finding out. But if you are a female in need of an ego boost or international romance, you need look no further than the men of Mexico.

Okay, back to the cooking class: Tortilla Soup (we fried up our own tortillas strips!), Salsa Verde (Green Salsa), Chicken Enchiladas, Salsa Roja (Red Salsa), Fresh Guacamole, Tortillas Con Carne (pork) and Flan (from scratch!). We drank so much beer and giggled so much that we were barely able to eat all that we cooked. I said barely. And doesn’t this make you question your optimist/pessimist philosophy? Me in my apron and favorite Pink Polo shirt. I recommend a visit to Carlos at Casa Crespo when you get here and try to get cabbie #OX45787. Whether you get “lucky” or not, he’ll probably make your day.

Wednesday: To be continued….

Culture, Mexico, Photos, Travel

Oaxaca Mexico: What Had Happened Was…pt. iii

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Tuesday was a total “chill out” day. I didn’t have to work, I was set in terms of being able to access my clients via skype and internet so Andrea and I decided to head up to Monte Alban, a Zapotec ruin (and UNESCO World Heritage Site) about 10km outside of Oaxaca. We walked about 2 miles to find the place that sold the bus tickets (35 pesos=$3.50 US/ 30 minutes). The ride up was beautiful and gave us a chance to see the area around Oaxaca. But the best part was the little boy who sat in front of me (pictured above). He seemed really curious. His mom/guardian looked dead tired and she was indeed asleep within moments of the bus pulling off. This little guy’s face was just so solemn and joyless that it broke my heart. A few of us were taking pictures out of the windows and I took a chance and snapped his photo. I immediately showed it to him and the smile that broke out on kid’s face when he saw his picture would have melted the sun. It was one of those moments that made every mile I’ve traveled, every dime I’ve spent, and every corn tortilla I’ve eaten worth it.

The entrance fee to Monte Alban was another 35 pesos and you had to dodge the locals selling tours. One guy wanted to charge Andrea and me 100 pesos ($10US) each! $20 for a tour of an archaelogical ruin? I don’t think so. If he had said $5 I might have gone for it, but I felt like this was one of those times you get reemed on prices because you are American or European. Plus, it was just some rocks, what kind of tour do I need? (kidding.kind of.). The Zapotecs lived in this once large city from about 500 AD until about 750 AD. They had to have been about 4 feet tall because all of the doorways were so low. BUT the steps on the pyramids were steep as hell! This is how most people climbed down, including me (no shame in my game). Andrea told me the story of a friend of a friend who was traveling earlier in the year and visiting another ruin with steeper/higher pyramids. Dude FELL and broke both legs and an arm! Que Horror! Anyway, we spent 2 hours getting fried while scrambling up and down pyramids for great panoramic views of Oaxaca. I also liked the carved rocks. How the hell Jorge spent 8 hours here on Monday I couldn’t even begin to imagine. I have to admit this was a bit of a workout too. We had to take a break at the top of one pyramid. I had to keep reminding myself that Oaxaca is almost at Lake Tahoe level altitude-wise, and we were several more hundred feet up snapping pics and trying to imagine a 1500 year old city filled with 25,000 people of an average height of 4.5 feet.

We finally got off the mountain around 3pm and were starving. We walked the 2 miles back to the hostel and calculated that we’d walked about 6-7 miles in 85 degree heat and we deserved a nap and a beer. I felt the way this dog looked! This traveling stuff is hard yall!