A short dance

You advance and take the floor, extend me your hand and ask for a dance. I gently refuse. Dancing with you would be dangerous. I am sure I would like it. However, our rhythms won’t match, I know it. I will step on you

You take a stroll around the room and I do too. We find other partners.

We meet again. Again you ask. Again I refuse.

The songs play by and we are delighted in each other’s company while listening, I watch you dance and you watch me in turn. You are a good dancer.

You ask me again. We are friends, you say, it will be ok if you step on me. I go for it. But the song stops suddenly.

When you walk out of the room away from where I am standing on the dance floor waiting for the next song, you step on my foot instead.

Graffiti

The other day I was going to buy some stuff I needed, a Saturday morning, and all of a sudden I see a group of teenagers just spray painting this wall.

Two blocks away from my house there is this big big white wall that always has some crappy graffiti on it. Somebody hired these kids and gave them each a space of about2 or 3 meters long to make a mural, so there was this bunch of kids just freely expressing their minds with what they like best. It was so cool to see how happy they looked!! Usually painted graffiti on walls is illegal, but this time, they were HIRED for it! Just thinking about it I got in a better mood and it made my day!

Tropical Christmas

In theory winter is here. 

In theory.

In Mérida there are only two different seasons: hot or too hot. I grant you that this year we had not so hot also.

Usually winter involves bad rainy/snowy weather, lots of cold, freezing wind; but also twinkle lights that let their colors pour over the white, delicious pine smell that lingers in the cold air, tasty warm drinks with or without alcohol, wisely spiced up to heat you from within.

Here in the tropical Mexico, we have sunny days, some rain, heat and fresh ocean breeze. We do have also the twinkle lights, but no color games over the snow. We also have Christmas drinks: we have some warm (not hot) chocolate. I have never tried a better one than the one people get around here. Regarding smell, we get fresh tangerines around, since they are in season, everybody eats them between meals.

The fun part is that in my house, we all love Christmas and it comes up on November 3^rd, right after day of the dead. Even my baby (the 7year old dog, Liza) has a seasonal sweater J, you know, for those rough days when the wind goes down to… mmm… 18°C?? jijiji, my baby is not used to those winter winds. 

All in all, a tropical winter is quite nice because I get to go to the beach, and enjoy the sun, wear spaghetti straps on my new year’s eve dress!!!, beautiful sandals with skinny heels without having my toes frozen!!! True, I love the snow and how the twinkle lights play over it, and also the very hot drinks, the spiced wine and all that. 

However, tropical Christmas is quite recommended, and once you try it, you will want to repeat it

Bedroom Redecoration

I came back from München to my beautiful hot Mérida. My bedroom was as I had left it. It needed a change.

Just so you are up to date, I get bored with the state of things quite quickly.

I decided to bring some color into my daily life, so I picked one wall and took it from peaceful graceful nice white to bright green. This green is more than apple green, or lemon green, comex (paint brand) calls it “Pueblo Green”, like people here in México have in little towns (pueblos); full of color and spark, with that quaint side of life they go about their day. I thought it would be appropriate.

I chose this color so I could combine it with the other color I love so much: PURPLE!!! By the way, I love red and purple, anything in/with/on red or purple makes me very very happy and puts a silly grin on my face. 

I went to get the paint, got my brushes, my ladder, newspapers and tape and set to work. It took me two days to paint the wall because I added a little something to it: little daisies and butterflies scattered all over the wall. Needless to say, the butterflies are purple.

At first it was such a revolutionary thought for my family and friends that they all felt the compulsion to express their sincere, honest, well intentioned, yet unwanted opinions. 

Nobody was keen on the idea, but I didn’t care and went on with my project. Now they actually like it. Some people still have reservations and say things like: I wouldn’t do it; I wouldn’t put that in my room, it is not my personal taste. However, when I tell them that it is MY room, My taste, MY style, they seem to say: well… now that I think about it, it does go with your personality and vivacity.

Now I have settled into my room with its new look and it has several cool features. 

In the panoramic picture we can appreciate, from left to right, the bathroom door conveniently concealed by my chat noir poster, my “boudoir” with a fantastic mirror and beauty magic tricks, coffee station, TV, bookcases with all the necessities for entertainment, a nice hanging sun-moon-and-stars, around the world postcards board, office area, nice chill-out chair, PURPLE sofa (notice my baby, the dog, on the sofa, she is always there) reading lamp and my hamaca.

There are also some other stuff that are shown in the other pictures.

Now this is my layer, my cave, my haven. I love my room and even though I don’t get to spend much time inside it, the time I do, I truly enjoy it.

I hope everybody gets to enjoy their personal spaces as much as do. 

The turkey race

This year I have decided to do and have different/crazy/fun/new/old things and adventures.

I started to go to the gym! I know… that is pretty extreme. However, I decided to take it even further, so I entered the turkey race! In this race there are three categories: 10km, 5km and disabled. If you win the 10km track you win a gigantic turkey, hence, the turkey race. This is held on the 23^rd of December or the Sunday previous to Christmas, so you can cook your turkey for the family reunion. I entered the 5km race.

training sessions

I must mention that I joined the gym a little over a month ago. I decided to enter the race the Monday before it, because having no appropriate training whatsoever is the optimal case for running a race. I said running? Sorry, I meant power walking. So, one week before I stared the training for this “race” and spent the entire week sore and going to Christmas parties.

right at the start

On the night before the event, my brother had his housewarming party so I went. And I left very late. I had a total of 3.5 hours of sleep. Still, I woke up, sort of, got dressed and got my super trained butt to the race.

proof that i finished

I did pretty well: finished, in less time that it took me any day that precious week on the treadmill. There was this trio of women which I assume were right out from the party like me. I started thinking of them as colleagues, sisters in arms until they started looking at me and trying to go faster. Once they had passed me they would look back and snigger!!! SNIGGER!!! Then they would walk instead of power walk, and since I was keeping pace the whole time, not faster not slower, then I would pass them, one minute later, they would repeat the same exercise and SNIGGER once more. That was a bit disturbing, given that I had never seen these three women in my life. And even if I had I wouldn’t have socialized with them, I mean, one had a leopard print hoodie; the unsightly sweater I have ever laid eyes upon. It was painful every time they passed me because I was forced to visually digest such ugliness.

In the end, a little over 100m before the end line, I heard my fans (colleagues from the gym, we were sort of team, a support team I guess ) yelling my name and chanting my praises, so in order to please the masses I ran the last 100m of the race. The best part was that like 2m before the end, I saw that ugly piece of garment again, so I had the delight of running ahead of it right before it managed to get those chubby toes across the line. That was satisfactory.

All in all it was a nice and fun experience. I would recommend it and repeat for sure

my fans

The last of the 20's

This year I turned 29! Most people don’t care about that much and spend a whole year in utter fear of the inevitable 30^th birthday. However, I feel differently about this. For me, it is my last year of 20’s, my last year of young madness. This is my last year to accumulate crazy exploits so later in life I can say: in my twenties I…, or when I was twenty-something I did this and that. Afterwards I can only have womanly madnessJ

This year I want to accomplish several things, mostly “crazy” things. I will call this year the year of “I never have…”

I already had a good start, last Friday I ate for the first time fried grasshoppers!! I must admit that they don’t taste half bad. I was feeling very brave, but when I tasted them, I realized it wasn’t much of a sacrifice. Nonetheless, I have eaten grasshoppers. 

Also, last Sunday, I “ran” (more like power walked) in the turkey race in my city. They have for disabled, 10km and 5km. I did the 5km track. If you win the 10km track you win a turkey, and since it is right before Christmas, it fits perfect. I finished in less time than it took me in training and wasn’t so far behind! I enjoyed this event a lot. People laughed at me when I told them I was going to do this, mostly because I have never characterized myself by being an athletic person, normally, I am the fan, an awesome fan at that, but no active participation in the actual sport activity

I want to jump from an airplane, but given that I just started working two weeks ago, I have no money for this sort of journey. This year I will also become an aunt and hopefully be great at it. I will master a third language (maybe also a fourth, both are underway). I will do small little daytrips around my city. I will dance at least once a month and watch the sunrise in the same frequency.

Many more adventures await me this year, I don’t know yet what they will be, so if you have suggestions, realistic ones, please give me some

I am really excited about my 29^th year, my last of the twenties!

Birthweek 2012

So… long time no read

That time of the year has come, that time when we take one week and celebrate my entrance into this world, at least I do J

I like to celebrate my birthday for a week, but don't think it is one week of crazy endless partying. It used to be. Not anymore. I usually do it the week with my birthday on the middle, but since it covers the 15th of December, here, where I live, it is customary to start Christmas celebration from that date on: office parties, friends parties… all the Christmas goodness that we all love. So this year I had my birthday at the end of the birthweek J

 I started with a nice little road trip to the beach. But not just any beach, SAN CRISANTO!!! This is an almost virgin beach that is beautiful any time of the year, even in the dreadfully hot tropical winter that we experience here. We stayed at these rustic Mayan-style huts. They actually belong to the town. So we stayed there and we had a BBQ, beer, wine, shooting stars and the fresh night breeze of the Gulf… jealous much? Well you should. It was wonderful.

Next day we drove back and I went around town with my brother. Monday I went to my first day of work! That is RIIIIIGHT!! I have a job now! Yeiiiii. Tuesday, it turns out there was delicious food at the office and that night, the Christmas party at a very nice restaurant. So, on the very first week at my new job, I already got to go partying with everybody, it was very nice.

Wednesday, after the gym, two friends and I went to this park where little food stands come up at night. We ate ESQUITES. What is that? You may ask. Well, it is a Mexican snack made out of corn and we put all sorts of stuff in there: sour cream, soup cheese, chili powder, lemon and salt. I know it sounds gross but wait until you try it! And we went right after the gy, so we wouldn’t feel so bad about eating such deliciousness.

Thursday was family day. We stayed at my place and ate and talked, and ate some more, had cake, ate again… until like 2 am!

On Friday I went to the ballet to see the nutcracker, which happens to be one of my favorites J

All in all, it was a great birthweek. There were laughs and smiles, presents, adventure, stars, friends… it was awesome! I hope you also had an amazing time during my birthweek!

Now you know for next year!!

Guilty Pleasures

According to all-knowing Wikipedia a guilty pleasure is something one enjoys and considers pleasurable despite feeling guilt for enjoying it. The "guilt" involved is sometimes simply fear of others discovering one's lowbrow or otherwise embarrassing tastes.

For some people is a terrible music choice, I must admit that I have some of my own like some songs of the backstreet boys.

There are other kind such as terrible movies that lack in quality, plot, humor. Here, I have none ;), I only like great movies, It just happens that I watch them according to my mood.

I should say that some of my favourite guilty pleasure is excentric taste in shoes. I was looking for the tradittional high heels, the ones that women have been wearing for decades, only I wanted them in shiny red!! yes, shiny shiny red aaaaand... i got them!!! with the matching purse!

I also have others like pretty paper to write letters in, and below this parragraph I share my joy with you, that my mom brought me some from Vegas just a few days ago, christmas motiff!! jijiji. Some lucky people will be receiving them these holidays.

The biggest guilty pleasure I have is coffee, I have a serious addiction. I have set up a coffee station in my room!!!

what are your guilty pleasures?

Auf Wiedersehen schönen München!

So, I am back home in Mérida and I left my beautiful Munich once more, not to return in the foreseeable future. I left my heart, my friends, my favourite places and all that jazz..

The cool part is that yesterday, the 18th of october, 2011, my residence permit expired and so I cannot come back to Europe in six months, SIX MONTHS!!! I know... such a long time, I don't think I'll survive :S

So, yesterday, equiped with my brother as a chofer (cuz I broke my glasses while biking and can't drive just yet), went to this restaurant in my city called: bierhaus and got some togo german beer. Then I went to costco and got the "chips" version of brezn, so... a gigantic USA size bag of pretzels. After that, I went home, served some of my HB dunkel for my mother and brother (whom could not drink cuz he is on antibiotics right now, so.. more for me jijiji) and prosted to this wonderful ending!!

Auf Wiedersehen meine schöne München, bist zum nechsten mal!

We give it all

So... in order to keep our minds sane and the people around us with working hearing sense, some of my friends and I have a reoccurrent karaoke night.

On wedenesdays, after practising all week (obviously), we go to this thai karaoke place. They hate us, at least that is my belief, but we go every week and order tea, without missing it or caring much for the terrible service.

In this place it is certain that you will get at least two songs. I must say that it is almost empty most of the times but it is a popular place in munich and there is always at least one table.. so, not so bad for an everyday karaoke place.

The fun part is that sometimes we go by themes: cheesy and bad (britney spears), or maybe just cheesey (backstreet boys), sometimes we go by oldies like madonna and (yes, someone tried) queen. There are also the signature songs like losing my religion, mr roboto, i will survive and so on. Sometimes we like to sing in group, as most of us are karoake loving cowards that love to go up there but not by ourselves, so we go for a group ensemble like... barbie girl and so on. 

I must say I love this karaoke evenings. There is the hard core group that (almost) never fails to attend, and the +1's, the extra guests and so on.. we are always trying to get new people in the this addiction for the sake of our fellow city habitants.. cuz then, what happens if we don't let ourselves go every wednesday??? we go around town singing deafly to the tunes of the shuffle in our ipods, and that is not good for anybody.

There is the project of having one week of pure karaoke, between the thai place and the multiple irish and australian pubs... but... well... for now, that is only a dream; it has to be carefully planned with strict strategy to work out everybody's life and commitments to the vocal intensity this requires.

The funnest part of these karaoke nights, is that, for the scarce 4 or 5 min on that tiny-badlighted-with-terrible-sound-stage, we are stars and give it all, to high and low, difficult, creepy or simply bad lyrics, to the terrible background videos of women or couples walking around strange cities no one has ever seen..WE GIVE IT ALL!!!

Then, the thai waitress gets a hold of the mic and starts singing from the shadowy shady corners of the kitchen, in thai, 2 or 3 songs in a row (once it went to 7), to the delight (sarcasm noted) of the whole restaurant... oooohhh.. this place is awesome.