Day 19 – Religion

Religion has dramatically changed from the generation of our parents, to what we teach our children. Personally, being Catholic was presented as the important thing to do, after working in my household. As a very young child, my parents, particularly my mother, insisted on attending church every Sunday, ensuring we gave a "proper" amount of contribution to the church and was adamant about my baptism and first communion. With this, came the changing of Titi (aunt) and Tio (uncle) to Padrino (Godfather) and Padrina (Godmother) which was made clear the important distinction between the two and the respects to pay for both of them.

Then, life happened. We hit hard times and the recession of the 80s effected us in more ways than one. Our neighborhood noticeably became run down and worn out, our building suddenly wasn't as up kept as it once was and for me, my father could no longer afford to bring home a treat to every night after work. In fact, one day my father explained that he no longer had work to go to.

How does this effect religion you ask? Well, first what doesn't effect religion? During this time, I was finishing up my first communion and I remember no longer having to sit through all 2 hours of service because though we wanted continue attending church we didn't want to face the humiliation of having to pass the basket, having nothing to offer. So we left before they were passed. A shortcut in religion, if you will - not the best lesson to learn at my impressionable age (no fault to my family).

Years later, despite many reasons why I shouldn't bother to care about it, I find myself realizing that at the most difficult times of my life, I found comfort in prayer. I remember once in HS, during a drama that obviously consisted of a boy that didn't like me back, my prayers for that semester started the same: "I know I haven't spoken to you in a while, but I really need your help..." Its funny how we consider finding solace in a higher being requires an exchange of value of some sort - whether its contributions in a little envelope with a cross on it, an hour a week half listening to a sermon or even daily conversations repeating a bunch of words that most people never bother to read into beyond its face value.

What worse, is that even though my generation (hello 20-somethings) still have the remnents of religion and what it can bring to our lives, many of us offer religion as an option to our children. Though my nephew was baptized and did his first communion like me, as his opinions begain to grow, the importance of religion in his life was no longer forced upon him. Now don't get me wrong, I see both sides of this: (1) I appreciate the comfort prayer has given me, even leading me to research more and going back to church briefly during a slightly more serious traumic time in college, however my religion was given to me as an identifier and then as quickly as it was a big part of my life, it proved to be expendable in the face of hardship, lowering its value. (2) If we force religion to much on our children, how much would they be willing to rebel once they realize, God isn't going to help them get into the school they want to go to, or help them pass a test, or hit the game winning homerun?

How do we give them an option of what to believe, belief in a structure and accepting guidance of the moral character of a seemingly unrealistic and unattainable perfect higher being - while attempting to get the main point across of most religions: you must believe in yourself.

After all, if no one else, the first person that answers you when praying or meditating, tends to be you. Religion is there as a guide, but it's up to you to live your life.
Z

This post is part of the 2010 Latino Heritage Month - 30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 18 – Latino Art

Not sure how to approach this one --- not what you would call an art buff but I do like to support Latino artists when I can!

Most Latino art that I'm familiar with come from the architecture and symbols of communication from Tainos and other indigenous peoples from Central and South America. 

However, taking a second to talk a bit about art by Latinos - it's interesting to see what people classify as art these days. Paintings? Sculptures? I remember my art class in elementary school quite clear. The attention paid to effort over skill, creativity over memorization - you don't find this much in schools anymore. What my nephew is bringing home is much more drills, repetition and the only art that survived the age of technology (much to my dismay, believe it or not!) is writing.

And trust me.. the art of communication has not been mastered yet by many people, particularly those in power. Perhaps that just my life?
Z

This post is part of the 2010 Latino Heritage Month - 30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 17 – Why I love Latinas (or Latino Men)

This is a dangerous post for me because there are plenty of pro's and con's about Latino men. Whether its my dad, my brother, my best guy friend or one of my lovers/boyfriends - thinking about it, they do have some things in common.

As for the pro's - Latino men depending on how they were brought up can be the most caring about family. I find this as pro even if it does make them overprotective as well, but I can say that the way my dad eyed guys near me, back then was embarrassing, now endearing. Thanks old age. (ha)

In fact I know this is something some females do not appreciate. I was standing in line and a girl behind me was talking to her older lady friend about her boyfriend. Her boyfriend wouldn't drive her somewhere because he wanted to drive his mother and he figured she can take the bus instead. She was so upset at this notion! Her reasons were actually valid - she has paid for the gas, she had paid for the trip in general however her reasoning is what struck me as odd: "I know it's his mother but I am just as, if not more, important than her, how dare he." Later on I saw she was Latina which shocked me considering most of my Latina friends, myself included, would be bending over backward to impress their boyfriend's mom - wouldn't they??

As for con's ... well there are some areas of machismo-ness that I can live without. Though not limited to Latinos, this trait seems to be present in the men in my life. I was talking to my friend who is presently with child, who was joking that her spouse was making inference to having their next round of kids. As she is barely 3 months, she was puzzled! She wasn't even thinking about their next child and then he joked "Next time, I'll do better... I'll give you twins" as if it wasn't masculine enough that they were only having one baby! Even my other friend, while discussing his future children, expressed the hope that he would not have a girl first. After lengthy discussions so I wouldn't slap him across his face, his hope was more than he raised an independent woman and he felt having older brothers would help his daughter have more protections. Its these small thoughts that make me both love and  dread Latino men.

Overall though, these are my men and I am more comfortable around them than anyone else. Wouldn't trade them and any future relationships I have for the world! Especially if they can cook...

Ha,
Z

Day 16 – What Do I know about Tainos

I don't want to go to into a history lesson because we have libraries for that! Tainos however are the native inhabitants of Puerto Rico and probably one of the more well known peoples of indigenous kinds. 

Here are some interesting facts (subject for debate):

• Formerly referred to as Arawaks
• A peace treaty signed in 1533 in the Caribbean between Taino Kasike Guarokuia (Enriquillo/Henri) and a representative of the King of Spain was recognized as the “first international treaty in the Americas between Indigenous people and Europeans" in a resolution by over 100 delegates to the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Treaty Conference, held in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories on Oct. 28, 1998. 
• Both women and men painted their bodies with dyes (roucou). The men wore head dress (colourful) and jewelery through in the lips and the nose.
• Tainos introduced hammocks to the European settlers
• The Tainos as far as we know had no system of writing. What we know about the Tainos comes from archaeological finds, rock and stone art. They were artists and they made a number of drawings in caves.

Though I'm sure there are more fun facts, overall the Tainos are a peoples that we Latinos respect greatly, particularly Puerto Ricans.
 Z

Day 15 – Latinos in Movies

Movies are pretty great ... I am one of those people who can watch a movie over and over again, especially if I love the movie. I have the privledge of getting to watch many movies courtesy of my sister's Netflix and we make it a point to watch movies by Latino directors and Latino actors.

A few of my go to movies:

Y Tu Mama Tambien

Amores Perros

Maria Full Of Grace

Motorcycle Diaries
This last one was particularly close to my heart. This is a movie about a young Che Guevara and how his trip around South American defined who he was going to be as an adult. I saw this when it was still an independent film at the Wescott Theatre in Syracuse with my housemates at the time. Such a great movie and can really attest to how much he wanted to feel connected to the people he eventually dedicated his life to helping.


Hope you enjoy these movies as much as I do!
Z

Day 14 - Favorite Latino Musician

This is such a hard post because there are so many musicians I haven't even explored! So I'll give 3 of my favorites in no particular order!

First of course - Marc Anthony. Let's be serious, my mother is Puerto Rican and my sister knows every single song ever by him. Growing up, I wasn't particularly interested in getting to know this salsa soul however, his album of hits dropped while I was in college "Desde un Principio" and one day at my aunt's house, they played the album straight through and it was like Marc Anthony took my hand guided me into the light. The 2 additional songs not in this album, "Palabras Del Alma" and "Tu Amor Me Hace Bien" are the other two songs that have an impact on me and serve as a pleasant reminder of two past relationships. Many of us associate songs with particularly people and these are 2 of mine. I owe Marc Anthony a lot since I learned a lot of Spanish through his songs, as did my sister when she was younger.

Second, though not in order, would have to be Juan Luis Guerra. Many of his songs were played throughout my childhood as my mother cleaned the house and cooked dinner. Even as I cook dinner, I find it helpful to have music playing and typically it ends up being Spanish music. The song the stands out the most for me probably the most mainstreamed, don't judge - "Burbujas de Amor." My family lives in the uptown side of Manhattan and the rest deep in Queens or near Bay Ridge Brooklyn so the drive on weekends to visit were long and boring to a 5 year old. I remember this song being my favorite because of the soft beat and soothing voice. Later on in life, it became one of my most listened to tracks when mellowing out or trying to fall asleep since I have a thing about sleeping with some type of background noise. Overall, he is a staple in our culture and I am happy he was introduced into my life.

Lastly, I will mentioned Shakira. Besides how gorgeous she is and how much of a unique voice she has - I am most inspired by her hit "La Tortura." Released in 2005, I remember when I first heard the song - the video played in MTV's early morning cycle of music videos and I was so confused as to what was happening. At this time, I was taking classes over the summer at Syracuse and was enveloped in my own bubble of academics and standing near a fan trying to escape the summer heat. A all Spanish song because played on mainstream media, reminiscent of Ricky Martin's "Living La Vida Loca" but not as Spanglish. It went on to become one of the most popular Spanish tracks in the world and obviously a milestone for our Latino musicians. It was a defining summer for me on many levels but this song was definitely a highlight and a significant moment in our history.

Whew! That was hard to limit.. maybe there will be a part 2...
Z

Day 13 – Afro Latinos you see everyday

*Note: a bit behind on my blogging.... life interrupted this wonderful experiment but hopefully I can get back on track...

Few things funny about this title:

1. Maybe people will be confused with what Afro-Latinos mean... and possibly laugh.
2. Another term I use that can be compared: Blacktino
3. Folks who fit the description of what an Afro Latino is ... may not take nicely to the term or feel it even necessary

What I've learned about Afro Latinos is pretty clear - it is clearly a term of self-identification. I don't think anyone has ever seen it as "cop-out" to not being one of the other, but merely just a recognition that there is more to them that meets the eye. Frankly I think we run into this type of folks everyday and not even realize it. Not all darker skinned Latinos experience the need to prefix the Afro in describing their culture because of a well rounded knowledge of the Spanish Language. Those who do not know that language end up having to identify themselves as Blacktino because they don't want to lose that side of them.

In talking to some proud Black folks, I have noticed a trend of rolling eyes or even snickering at the term Afro Latino - and not even in a malicious way. They just feel it's redundant in its definition or even unnecessary. I have always agreed that people are better in collaboration than division however being Black and being Latino may have its similarities in struggle, culture and history but its unfair to group all of us together in one lump sum.

And is the point of my post. When you think about the term Afro-Latino, it's the in between of 2 sides - one side of completely separating the two culture and forcing you to choose one, and the other side of eliminating the difference all together. Why should it be one or the other? I see them every day struggling to place on this scale they fall into...

- Z

Day 12 – Do I speak Spanish?

I was just chatting with my sister about this ---- it kind of annoys me if I say something in Spanish a certain way and someone answer back in the way THEY say it. For example "... y habichuelas rojas.." "frijoles?" ... "-_- si...." (Those beans were definitely red by the way ...) As if to say I said it wrong - and maybe they didn't mean it that way  but sometimes they do.

Second story:

Person A: "Quieres con-con?" 

Me: "Huh?" 

Person A: "You don't know what con-con is?.." 

Me: "No... mom, what's con-con?" 

Mom: "Oh, it's the same as pegao"

Person A: "Ugh... you made her a Puerto Rican"
(con - con/pegao - the slightly burned rice that gets stuck to the bottom of the pan when you make rice a certain way)

Like I've said before, I'm not a fluent Spanish speaker which already makes me feel bad - but this conversation happened when I was younger and already annoyed at the fact that people don't get that people can't just pick up a language past a certain age. Then to have something like this happen, is not motivating or productive. She made me into a Puerto Rican?? Nationalism is real, and I think its wonderful to be proud of where you came from BUT you cross a line when you put another Latino nation down and make yourself higher.

The above conversation happens all the time even to fluent Spanish speakers. The great thing about our people is that we look so different from each other, act so different but despite small hiccups our Spanish is one of the few things that connects us as a people. Yet we still choose to align ourselves with whether you say "habichuela" or "frijoles" / "con-con" or "pegao" / even the way you curse can draw scoffs and even prejudices.

The fact is Spanish is beautiful language and considered skill in this country who is rapidly because a bilingual nation. So instead of criticizing each other, we should use this connection to our advantage.

Apologies if I spelled any Spanish words wrong..
Z

Day 11 – Latinos in the Media

As broad as this topic is, one point still sticks out in my head when it comes to anything about the media - we are responsible for what gets plays on TV, radio and print. The media is owned by a handful of billionaires that got around the system and owned all outlets in which information gets dispersed in this country. What's being displayed in the media has to satisfy the owners of the media corporations including Time, Disney, Viacom, etc. of course - but rest assured that if ratings are high enough they will show anything that will draw audiences.

Which leads me to my point - can we blame anyone but ourselves for the slightly risen but no where near as accurate place in the media? For a while we only had Univision and Telemundo for our Spanish speaking audiences, but recently with the rise of the new age Latino and more importantly the English native Latinos these networks were not as satisfactory. Watching shows on some younger generation networks like mun2, SiTV and MTV Tres - I can't help but notice how far away we are from being recognized as a real brand. Many of these shows are arguably a Latino version of some show already in existence. 

Again - these are the shows that we are in to - Reality TV, competitive TV (i.e. project runway, top chef) - and this is whats shown on TV. It's still very standard that the Latinos that I see when I walk out of my apartment, onto the train, into downtown Manhattan, are not the Latinos I see on these shows. Not even the ones on "our" networks. Are we just not popular? Even George Lopez's show seems to take a rating hit not because he's Latino but because after the spice of a stereotypical Latino has died down --- you realize thats all you were drawn to. Once he tries to be serious or deep, that's no longer as entertaining... Even Mencia became old news shortly after his stint with fame.

So where does that leave us? The only other source I can be proud of is print - great Latino authors are being recognized for their talents like Junot Diaz and Julia Alvarez, paving the way for young Latino writers. It sucks though that print is also changing with the move to digital media and digital book reading (i.e. kindle, nook, iPad, etc.) for these authors however it also gives a new opportunity to our youth - start a blog, get your story out there. There are about 2 to 3 sterotypical Latinos that get exploited all the time when there are about 100 more kinds of Latinos still unheard of --- (did you see Soledad O'Brien's special? Yawn~)

As with most things, nothing is set in stone and we have the power to change the media given to us. So press on my Latino family - the fight isn't over yet.

~Z

Day  10 – Talk about a Latino Musician in pop music

This will be a short post.

I like JLo. There I said. I think she's pretty. She's made some catchy tunes I wish didnt stick in my mind so often. Her movies are pretty bad but they are good enough to veg out to.

However - I don't respect her as an artist, and definitely not as a Latina. I think she's sold out a little too much over the years to gain any respect from me. In fact there was an article in the Daily News today talking about her - http://bit.ly/90g69l - basically saying she has never given back to a school she attending that even her mother worked at. Frankly, maybe they treated her or her mother not so nicely - so why would she give back? However, this is one of the many news stories that come out about JLo saying she doesn't give back to where she comes from. Which wouldn't be a big deal if she didn't rep the Bronx and being Puerto Rican so hard.

Lets talk about her marriage to Marc Anthony. Everyone knew you two were in love way back when. Seems you're late to the party huh?

Overall, she is Latina, so for me - I should support her when she does good, but I definitely feel ashamed when she doesn't.

I do wish her wish on Idol, but I'd probably tune in to see Steven Tyler more. Just being honest!

Thanks all!
Z

Day 9 -  Talk about Music related to your culture

The first time I heard reggaeton, I thought to myself... really? This is a bad version of reggae.. get me Bob Marley ASAP. The first reggaeton I ever heard was Baby Rasta - Mi Nena. My then boyfriend had me listen to it in dedication. Back in those days I didn't care yet, to attempt to improve my Spanish so I had no idea what it all meant.

I bring up reggaeton because many people that I have conversations with about it, say the same things I said before --- it's a bad version of reggae and it has really perverse lyrics. Frankly, yes, many of the popular songs (thanks Daddy Yankee - Gasolina) of reggaeton are about sex, drugs and alcohol. But one could say that same about reggae and hip hop, can't they? Chris Rock had a bit about how woman would dance to any song with a hot beat at a club because even if the song was about something crude, "they ain't talkin' 'bout me!" This reasoning doesn't make it right. The truth is, no one really cares about the lyrics to a song because people hold themselves to a higher standard than to let some 19 year old rapper effect the way they behave - but when it's spanish...suddenly it's vulgar and inappropriate? I don't buy it.

After a slew of conversations, and realizing I reacted to reggaeton so many years ago in the same manner I now feel offended by, I decided to listen to the song again. Chorus: "Eres mi nena mi nena mi nena, la que yo quiero, y por ti muero,me desespero." Loosely translated: "My girl, my girl, my girl, the one that I love, and for you ... I'd die for. I'm desperate [for your love]"

Not always about sex, drugs and alcohol huh?

But the video is sooooo out dated and goofy he he he he! Gotta love the 90s...

Enjoy~
Z

Day 8 - Latino Racism

So I've been up since 6AM, and was at work until 8PM and still working. I'm in a particularly fuzzy mood however racism is a pretty controversial topic, and Latino racism is pretty extensive. It can be racism in the way we look, the way we speak, the way we even walk.

Sometimes when I'm interviewing candidates, I can't help but look at someone's name and see what origin I can pick out. For me, I know that as soon as I walk into that interview room, it's absolutely all about the energy, qualifications and skills. But looking on the flip side... if I apply for a job, will someone judge me on my name? Would I even be asked in?

I've been told that I have a slight accent when I speak. Then they are surprised to learn I don't speak Spanish fluently. For a while, I got offended by this because my first language is English and I didn't like being stereotyped for a skill that I didn't even have! Now, however, I do think there are words that I say that I realize I say in a way that was directly taken from the way my parents say them, or even my Latino teachers growing up. Though I appreciate that I can say certain Spanish words with the right accent, it makes me stress when giving a training or on a client call at work. I wonder if my clients have less confidence in me because of these little hiccups I have in my "accent."

The last thing I will say, is the stereotypes I project to my own people. When I walk home at night, I can't help but walk a little faster if I see a particular person dressed/acting/walking a certain. Oversized jeans, baggy sweater, cap ... talking loudly, hissing and catcalling ... walking with that little limp that makes me want to kick their knee to make the limp real ---- I know that not everyone who acts this way is dangerous. In fact, most of the people I've met who act this way, I realize are doing it for appearances sake to fit in. So where does that leave the rest of the population who can't tell who is just trying to fit in, and who is looking for trouble?

In the same vain, I have gotten particular looks when I walk around holding a Starbucks cup. As if to say because I'm buying "their" drink (read: non latinos... non black.. come on, don't make me say it) ... I'm somehow losing my right to be in my neighborhood.

Racism may never go away, however thinking something based off of first impressions is one think... projecting that on a whole group of people is quite the other.

Sleepy now!
Z

Day 7 - Post a picture about your culture and explain its significance

The Chakana

I am still learning a lot about this particular symbol, but as I was researching more about my Ecuadorian ancestry and came across this symbol. It has so many interpretations but it really spoke to me because of the connections to the symbols & interests that have already shaped my life over the years. So here are a few quick bullet points about this symbol.

A Chakana is an Andean symbol of the Incan civilization. Derived from the Quechua word "chakay," meaning "to cross" or "to bridge," a chakana is a 3-stepped symmetric "cross" with a hole in the center of it. Quechua is a language spoken in Andes of South America, including Ecuador!

• Corresponding to Incan mythology, the cross incorporates the three Incan tiers: Uqhu Pacha, underworld of death, Kay Pacha, world of the living, and Hanan Pacha, celestial world of the gods. there are twelve steps that surround the Chakana. 
• Its speculated that each of the twelve steps is said to represent the present day calendar year
• The four points of the inner cross can represent the four directions, North, South, East & West, as well as the four elements, Earth, Air, Water & Fire.
• It is also a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, which was one of the most important constellations in the Incan system. This constellation held great significance as it is comprised of four main stars, each correspnding to the cardinal points of the compass.
• The circle in the middle can be seen as representing the circle of life

The most facinating to me is the archeitural and mathematical implications of this symbol:

"Without a doubt, the chakana is most important of the inca symbols, but it hold another secret; The mathematics use keys to calculate numbers, like the PI number, PI is an irrational number with a very good approach to the value of the square root of ten, it is commonly use today, so the mathematicians theory is that the chakana was the equivalent of the PI number for us; The chakana as a geometrical figure, hold values and constants, that explain the fundamental mathematics so well, that it is hard to believe that it has been around us for more than 4000 years."

And I love math!!!!!! =D

 ~Z

Day 6 - Poetry

I wrote this some time ago... though not entirely relevant to Latino Heritage Month, still my best work with rhythm!

Inhibition
With jubilant expressions
Faced with tedious missions
Placed in uncomfortable positions
Summing up the various competition
Tired and drenched in wasted ambition
Independence dominating inconvenient additions
Taking on fictious propositions
Battling unsustainable visions
Circling in an endless repetition
Repeated starts with failed ignitions
Visible scars bleed enigmatic wishes
Smiling through noticeable tension
Oblivious of seething passion
Subconscious vengeful reactions
Disregarding innate undeniable affection
Completely unaware of deserved accreditation
Content through naive elation
Stepping stones of incomplete revelations
Leading to a process of liberation
Mild pauses to relieve temptation
Celebrating in bundles of sensations
Combination of erratic relations
Deceiving connotations
Robbing the mind's naive menial fixations
Don't expect any expectations...

~Z
Matoaka

Day 5 - A story about growing up Latino/a

There was a time, my mother said, that I didn't want to identify as anything. Why do I have to be a girl? Easy, God gave you the organs of one. Why do I have to be a little girl? Because you're still little and have a lot to learn. Why do I have to speak Spanish? How else will you learn who you are if you don't know where you came from?

As a Latina, there are plenty of characteristics people are ready to pick on. Thighs, butt, lips, skin tones. There was always one that always drove me crazy and made me both proud and ashamed. My hair.

My hair. I don't buy into this good hair, bad hair concept - however every hair dresser my mother ever took me to would remind me to thank God that I had the hair I had. Remember at this time I didn't know about my genetics so I was still self identifying as Dominican / Puerto Rican. For those who don't know, I have thick, straight with waving tendencies, black hair. Resembling the feature of my Ecuadorian people.

While most of the girls in the salon had rollers and relaxers in their hair, my hair didn't need all that. I wanted it of course - because it just seemed like the thing to do. Like a female right of passage. I couldn't of course because "I didn't need it." All I needed was a good cut and blow. But the catch is - for so long none of these women would cut my hair the way I wanted them to. Either they cut my bangs too short, or my layers too thick, or not thick enough, or they burned my hair. It's not their fault of course, but the truth of the matter is, they didn't come across my type of hair too often. It is what it is. As much as it embarassed me when women would come touch my hair like a side show attraction, it also put me in this weird position of suddenly I'm in a "luckier" position because of it. It made me feel uncomfortable, not glamorous.

Raices: En Su Retrato de Colores
By Micaela Clementina Anaya

One story is this mother and daughter duo obviously talking sh!t about me and were envious of my hair as I got it cut. I could feel my mother getting ready to curse the sh!t right back at them but then, as my hair dresser was putting the finishing touches on my hair, she turned to this mother/daughter duo and said (in spanish, so I'm paraphrasing) "You may think she's lucky with this hair, but her hair is as dead as a chinita, so she won't be able to have pretty hairstyles and get a man as easy as her (pointing to the daughter)." They looked at each other in validation.

Guess I'm lucky that wasn't my only inspiration in life huh?

We didn't go back to that salon. You can't win them all... 

Happy Birthday Michelle! :)

- Z

Day 4 - What Latino Blog I Recommend

The Alchemist,
movie to come out in 2011

Looking at my Google Reader (and double checked Bloglines, while I still can RIP) I realized quickly... I don't have many Latino Blogs that I follow... most people I know have heard/read Latinegro's blog so that recommendation is set. The Coffeehouse (ahem) has been inactive under protest.. ha. Many of the blogs I read focus around technology or education which are probably two of my biggest passions. (I won't mention the entertainment gossip blogs... those don't count!) That doesn't mean that I don't appreciate Latino writers or blogger - but have you tried to read 100 blogs a day?? It's so time consuming. Lately I've also been trying to read more news oriented blogs focused around business and politics - I have a decent amount of career goals ahead of me soon ;)

The only other blog that falls under this category I would recommend is Paulo Coelho's blog. He has been one of my favorite writers since college and I've read nearly every one of his books. He's someone who has the ability to make you view life in a way you never thought you could. He tugs at your heart strings about love, friendships, families and quality of life. I'll leave you with this recent post that really stuck with me:
 
A man knocked at his Bedouin friend’s door to ask him a favor:

“I want you to lend me four thousand dinars because I have a debt to pay. Can you do that for me?”

The friend asked his wife to gather together everything they had of value, but even so it was not enough. They had to go out and borrow money from the neighbors until they managed to get the full amount.

When the man left, the woman noticed that her husband was crying.

“Why are you sad? Now that we’ve got ourselves in debt with our neighbors, are you afraid we won’t be able to repay them?”

“Nothing of the sort! I’m crying because he is someone I love so much, but even so I had no idea he was in need. I only remembered him when he had to knock on my door to ask me for a loan.”

- Why are you crying? Paulo Coelho Blog

Day 4! HOLLA! ;)
Z

Part of the 30 Day Latino Blog Challenge

Day 3 – Favorite Latino influenced ;) food

Pernil Asado

 There are plenty of foods I do not eat. I hate chick peas. Mustard can die slow. Don't even get me started on sea food. I respect people's choice to not eat meat, or even be vegan. I do. In Syracuse, the first dorm I lived in, Flint/Day, was known as the place to go for the best salad bar, the most in vegetarian/vegan options of any dining hall and so many types of bread! But, I am someone who cannot live with meat in my life - my favorite is pork - chuleta, pernil, masita de cerdo, sandwich cubano. I could eat it all! When I was younger beef was my favorite but my parents decided to stop cooking it (trying to be healthier in diet) and my stomach grew increasingly intolerant. However, I'm grateful for the shift because red meat is pretty harsh for the tummy. Of course, who doesn't love chicken and turkey burgers are a delightful alternative to red meat.

Chuleta Frita

I hate to admit it, but being away from home and in Syracuse made me realize that the world did not live off of rice, beans, a side of meat, and depending on how Papi felt that night, a bonus of peas, sweet corn, or if we were really lucky tostones or maduros (fried or sweet plaintains). I was genuinely freaked out to find no rice, no meat resembling the cooked meat I grew up with... what was I going to eat?! Pasta for 7 days? Burgers for 7 days .. (yum, but hello freshman 15)?

In our family, turkey is not the meat of choice for holiday - Pernil is the centerpiece for our dinner. For the past 2 years or so I've taken the chef's hat and have made our holiday meat. It has been important to me for the past few years to extract cooking knowledge from my mother so that I can continue the tradition. No offense to the turkey, but there's something about the smell of roasting pork shoulder in a house that beyond amazing!

Hungry now...
Z

Day 2 – What Latin American Country/Island I would love to go to.

Blogging everyday has already proven to be a challenge so I may have to start blogging in advanced and scheduling these bad boys...

It would be easy to say Ecuador (given my last post) since this is where my birth family is from ---- however I think I would rather go with an acquaintance or even by myself! I view traveling the way I view living with someone ---- it's just not recommended to live with friends... the bad side of people's habits and tendencies come out QUICK. For me, I think staying in one place for too long is no bueno! I'd rather just take a month or 3 off and visit every country in South America! It's just such a different world down there and every country is so different I feel like I'd be in heaven to get it all in one gulp :)

Besides South America, I would have to say Cuba. And yes, it's totally because of the risk and the thrill of being in a forbidden country! Why the hell not! I learned late in life that you cannot always believe what you see in the media or even in textbooks - therefore the antagonized politics of Cuba is one that I love to debate about for hours & learn more about. In fact, my blog may even be blacklisted by the government as we speak~ However, Cuba's history and culture is a fascinating one, and I can only imagine how beautiful their land and beaches are!

Anyway, my coworker and soon to be blogger (hooray!) will be leaving us to fullfill her life long dream of traveling the world in October! She will be traveling through South America until the holidays and then head to Europe and Asia after the New Year. I'm so EXCITED for her and extremely jealous she will be traveling all throughout South America. HOPEFULLY I can get my life together and do some traveling soon as well! I may even have to track her down over in Amsterdam ;)

Day 2 DONE!
Z

Day 1 - What I love most about being Latino...


For me to explain this would require a separate blog with multiple entries.. in fact committing myself to this 30 day challenge, is in itself, a clear indication on how much I love the culture I come from and grew up with. Though I have to say, as a kid, I would not have always agreed with that statement. The best way I think for me to explain this entry is to pose this question - what if you found out you weren't Latino? I actually did encountered this question not so long ago, and it definitely changed the way I viewed everything.

I had joked for a long time that there was no way I could truly be part of my family - I looked different, acted different (my mother commented recently that of course my blood pressure is low because nothing ever bothers me, unlike her and my father who scream about the firmness of a tomato), and generally felt different. When my mother finally confirmed my adoption, and my sister gave the look of confirmation... the thought was out there, even if it was only for a moment - what if the culture I had represented for so long is not in fact the culture that belonged to me? At that point, I felt pretty horrible to think that I wasn't Latina and that everything I held near and dear to me wasn't rightfully mine. It was pain in my heart that I cannot describe and I suddenly realized how much of my culture surrounded me in my day to day ----- I had Puerto Rican & Dominican flags all over my apt, I was president of the Latino org on my campus, my alarm was set to play Marc Anthony and Don Omar ---- even some of my personal emails had "DRPR" in it... This was a classic example of you don't know how much you love something until it's taken away from you...

Turns out my blood has the spirit of Ecuador, so though I don't have Caribbean blood, I still have Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic attributes. I cook a mean pernil and could eat mangu all day... Sometimes there is no other word I can think of to say but coño ... and lets face it.... there's a feeling that we Latinos get when we hear the congas that we don't get when we hear Jon Bon Jovi (though amazing in his own right!).

If you ask me today, I am Ecuadorian, Puerto Rican and Dominican (I change the order depending how the person I'm talking to, and if I want to piss them off... mu ha ha). Yes I am all three. Don't try to tell me otherwise or my blood pressure will in fact rise as one poor soul learned the hard way... ~=|

Anyway, between the music, the food, the comradery and even the controversial histories of each country there's a lot to love about being Latino. I hope you have one in your life! Ha~

- Z