La Playa

Ok, so Christmas in Venezuela was not all that bad. Things worked out well. Alan and I managed to get out of Cuidad Ojeda and escape to the beach. In fact, we went to one of the best beaches in the country: Parque Nacional Morrocoy, Cayo Boca Seca. The only way to get there is by boat. We also passed by Coro, Punto Fijo and Maracaibo.

Christmas Doom!

I will be in Venezuela for Christmas this year. I will be staying in a little town called Ciudad Ojeda. Ciudad Ojeda is the most un-touristy, boring, hot and sweaty town of the entire country. I grew up in this town and my mom still lives there. Part of me wants to visit my mom. But, a larger part of me is dreading Ciudad Ojeda. I really hate that town, and I have spent a good part of the last 8 years of my life avoiding it. Originally my plan to visit Venezuela was built around nice beach towns and historical locations. I planned to avoid Ciudad Ojeda, and Zulia state, entirely. Unfortunately, there has been a change in plans due to events that are out of my control. Now I must stay in Ciudad Ojeda for 12 days; my Venezuelan vacation does not feel like a vacation anymore.

I have this horrible feeling that a life-altering event is going to happen once I get there. I sense that a higher (universal?) (evil?) power is sending me there, to my doom, despite my better judgment and fighting it is pointless. There is nothing I can do to get out of visiting Ciudad Ojeda. I do not have high hopes for a Merry Christmas. I know this sounds a bit dramatic, but it is how I truly feel.

To make matters worse, my husband is coming with me. I don't want him to see the horrible little town and the horrible little house where I grew up and spent some of the worst years of my life. It's embarrassing. On the other hand, I don't think I could survive the trip without him... so I am sort of glad he is coming.

Thanksgiving

A time to share delicious food.
Holidays don't get much better than this.

Jessica

For the last couple of days Alan's cousin, Jessica, has visited us. Jessica is from Minnesota. Since this was her first visit to California we did A LOT of touristy activities, which included visiting the Cal Academy of Sciences, the De Young Museum, the Monterey Aquarium, San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf, and plenty of shopping. In between these activities we managed to get in a Thanksgiving meal and some pictures.

Thanksgiving Music?

I endured about an hour and a half of non-stop Christmas music earlier this week, while eating at The Cheesecake Factory. I was upset about the presence of Christmas music since Thanksgiving had not happened yet. Over the course of an incredibly large plate of pasta I pondered about the subject of holiday music, and I realized that there was no Thanksgiving music. Why is there no Thanksgiving music? You would think that presidential turkey pardons, being with family, giving thanks, obscene amounts of food, pilgrims, Indians, sharing, etc, would all be wonderful subjects of songs. However, that I know of, there is no market for Thanksgiving music. Instead there are non-stop jingles about a fat man in a red suit jumping down chimneys.

I can't help but wonder that Thanksgiving music does not exist because it is not associated with commercialism. Christmas music helps get everybody in the mood for buying gifts, which is why retail stores and commercial establishments encourage it so much. In contrast, Thanksgiving music would mostly get people in the mood for eating with family. Hum...

The Things We Laugh About

For the record, my husband is a clean man. He picks up after himself and helps with chores. He tries his best to keep up with my OCD-cleaning habits. That being said, nobody is perfect. Yesterday Alan gave me a mild panic attack.


After walking into the house yesterday evening, and being struck at the front door with an uncharacteristically pungent, cheesy odor, I knew something was terribly, terribly wrong. I immediately asked Alan what that funky smell was about. He replied, from the apartment's back room, that he didn't know what I was talking about. Thus, I set out to find the culprit. My search led me to Alan's feet. Since I couldn't throw the offensive source away (which was my first impulse), I asked Alan to wash his feet. Alan declined, stating that he was in the middle of some important online game that he couldn't quit. I have seen him play this game before, and I knew it could be hours before he was finished. I couldn't imagine even 5 more minutes with the horrible stink. I insisted. "Please", I said, while laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

He finally washed his feet or, I should say, rinsed. There was no soap involved. I was laughing loudly and nervously at this point. Alan started laughing too. "Who doesn't use soap when they wash their feet?", I asked. "Go WASH your feet!" "with SOAP", I bellowed. Between laughs, this was his reply:

"You know what, I have never washed my feet the entire time we have been together."

The above quote is something you never wish to hear from your husband. Especially after being together for almost 5 years. The laughing stopped. I was so shocked I was paralyzed. Words could not explain my disgust. This, from the man I love? Apparently yes. And I still love him. And after he really washed his feet, with soap, we laughed some more.

Awesomeize

Awesomeize. verb. Describes the action of receiving or giving something awesome. Examples: "I was awesomeized by his lecture." "I awesomeized her with my present." "I awesomeized everyone at the party." "She is in the process of awesomeizing."

Over a Year!

I haven't eaten meat in over a year! October 2009 marked my one year anniversary.

Wow.

Denial

Denial doesn't make things go away
Denial doesn't make situations better
Denial is what cowards live in
Denial hurts those around you
Denial only causes more pain
Denial is for the sad and lonely and weak
Say NO to denial in your life
Responsibility is so much more dignified.

Things to be Excited About

This month has really tested my patience with life. However, I do have reasons to celebrate: Alan's birthday is coming up. I'm planning a birthday party for him and I'm really excited about it. Plus Halloween is just around the corner. Halloween is one of the best cultural inventions of America. During Halloween you get to play dress up, express yourself in unconventional ways, and eat all the candy you want. I especially love the candy-giving part of Halloween. It feels very gratifying to make little kids around your neighborhood happy. When else do you have the opportunity to give candy to total strangers? When else do you get to make art out of pumpkins? When else can you pretend you are a super-hero with magical powers?

Personality Assessment

I am currently finishing an Organizational Behavior class for my MBA program. The class includes writing a 10 page paper about my personality patterns and leadership-style trends. In order to complete the paper, I took 11 personality assessments (half online and half in class). Most assessments, especially the online ones, seemed full of hocus-pocus and were just trying to sell me something. However, there are definitely some interesting trends that emerged from all the assessments. For example, I apparently should have focused my career on becoming an engineer, or joining the military, or become a farmer. These career options were a pretty consistent trend among many of the assessments.

I don't know how those three very different careers kept coming up on my assessments, but they make sense. After all, I still have my dream of owning a miniature-cow farm one day.

Some of the free online assessments I took are here, at Quintessential Careers.

Pictures of This Weekend

Crushing Grapes at Bouchaine

Listening to Music at SoloVino

Eating a Burger and Chili-fries

Tasting Wine at Beringer's Redwood Grove

Wine-O-Weekend

It feels like we were gone for at least a week. But, in truth, it was only a weekend. Calistoga has that magical power, which makes time warp and hours fly by in blissful glee. Here is what Mr. Husband and I did this weekend:

- Friday: After half a day of work, we frantically ate lunch, packed and drove to Calistoga. We arrived to our hotel, the Calistoga Village Inn, around 4pm. The hotel turned out to be a little farther away from the main strip than we would have liked and, unfortunately, our hotel room sucked. It smelled like someone had gone bonkers with the cleaning supplies. The entire room was drenched in the fake-clean smell of "flowers" that makes your insides churn and head hurt. The shower was so tiny Alan couldn't stand up in it without hitting his head. We quickly were informed that one of the inn's main pools was out of commission. Overall, the inn was a bit more run-down-looking in person than in its website pictures. We were not impressed. However, we are currently in harvest season, which means most hotels in the area are full and booked months in advance; we knew we couldn't change hotels without paying premium prices, so we decided to make-do. After complaining to management about our hotel room we got bumped to a better, larger room, with a whirlpool tub... and received a steep discount. In the end, the hotel worked out well since it was relatively economical and we didn't spend much time in it anyway.

Once we were settled in, we set out to dinner at Hydro Grill. After dinner we went swimming in mineral waters and received relaxing massages at Golden Haven Spa. By the time we got done with our massages we decided to out to town again, and ended up eating a second dinner at the famous Calistoga Inn. We finished our second dinner with cappuccinos and a decadent piece of chocolate-peanut butter cake, (which tasted like a large reese's peanut butter cup) covered in chocolate syrup. By the time we got back to our hotel we were happily bursting at the seams.

- Saturday: We woke up reasonably early, had breakfast at a nice, little cafe and set out to Vincent Arroyo winery, where we did some wine tasting and purchasing. Beringer Vinyard followed. While there we received an amazing tour of the Beringer Rhine House and tasted some more fantastic wines. The Rhine House has stained glass windows worth about 89 million dollars! By the time we left Beringer we were starving, so we decided to stop by this cute burger joint that we saw off the side of the road near the town of St Helena. At Taylor's Automatic Refresher the burgers were good, large and filling.

By the time we were done eating there were only few wineries left open for tastings in the area. We stopped by V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena, which was close by. We discovered that this was not the weekend to visit V. Sattui; it was packed to the brim with families, babies, and people, people, people. We didn't feel like fighting our way to the tasting bar (or listening to babies cry), so we split for our beloved Calistoga. While wondering around Calistoga in search of wine, we stumbled across a wine-bar "grand opening" in the downtown area. The SoloVino grand opening included great food and live music in an intimate setting, for FREE, with your modestly priced tasting. It was wonderful. From there we went to Golden Haven Spa for an evening swim and a detoxifying mud bath. Both of which were awesome. After drinking and eating and swimming and being detoxified, we were in the mood for a light dinner this time. Bedtime came soon after, because wine tasting and mud baths make you sleepy.

- Sunday: We went back to Hydro Grill for a hearty brunch and then wondered around Calistoga shops looking for interesting art and odd trinkets. Alan found a nice zippo torch accessory at A Man Store. Then we went to St. Helena, where we marveled at all the different types of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and designer shoes that exist in the world. Around 1pm we drove south to Bouchaine Winery, near the city of Napa, where we met up with my family for a wine tasting/grape crushing party. There was live music, generous pours, wonderful people, and -of course- great wines at Bouchaine. After the party we were were pretty exhausted, and we headed back home to Sunnyvale.

Sometimes, in the hectic mess of our daily grind, I wonder why we live in California. California, with its overstuffed highways, menacing wild fires and insanely priced real estate. However, a quick weekend getaway to California's wine country, full of history and world class wines and gorgeous landscapes, always manages to remind me of why I live where I do. I love it here, and I wouldn't exchange it for anywhere else in the world. (Except maybe Paris.)

Completely Gratuitous Photos of Alan and Me

Pictures taken by Ian Elliott Photography

I'd Rather Have Rain

It has been sunny, hot and parched in California for as long as I can remember. I seriously cannot recall the last time I witnessed a good thunderstorm. Usually I love California's weather, but lately I've been missing the freshness and greenness and good sense of cleanliness that comes with rain. I think everybody has; California's water reserves are in trouble because of the looming and dooming drought, which been stressing everybody out for the last couple of years. This land has been way overdue for a downpour. In fact, it could use a series of downpours. Today it finally rained a little bit. My backyard was moistened by a light sprinkle of a rain, which is a good start. But a light sprinkle is not going to cut it.

Maybe if I do a rain dance it will help materialize a big, wet storm. I'll use sticks, feathers and loud shrieking noises, coupled with a few well placed dance moves. If the Gods will look favorably upon it, I'll even consider offering a sacrificial chicken. The neighbors might think I'm crazy, but I don't care. I'd rather have rain.

Rejection, the Opium of the People

Maybe Mr. Marx wasn't specific enough when he coined the phrase "Religion, the opium of the people". He did not mention rejection in the writing where this famous quote is embedded. Without rejection, I do not think religion could exist. Without rejection, and the entailing feelings of sadness and inadequacy, religion would not be appealing to the masses. Why would anyone need religion if you thought that you were perfect, if everybody -including yourself- loved you just the way you are, if you wanted for nothing? Rejection from privileged class, rejection from peers, rejection from society in general, rejection in all its forms is what drives people to religion, a safer haven from the confines of this rugged, finite world.

Thus, it would follow, that rejection is at the root of the opiate which soothes the masses. It is the common bond that peoples share. It is what drives people to mask themselves behind illusions and fantasies. Internalized rejection is what prevents the working class from revolting and claiming their stake in society. Religion is merely a manifest symptom of internalized rejection.

Just a thought...

My Microwave Works

Last night I had a hard time sleeping. Everything kept waking me up. As a consequence, I woke up earlier than usual this morning, groggy and uncomfortable. For my first order of morning business, I stumbled toward the kitchen to heat up my heating pad in the microwave. As soon as I went to press "start", the microwave turned off in a huff. I thought I broke it. After all, microwaves are capricious creatures. Somewhat sad and cold, I went back to bed. 

Later that same morning, after my shower, I realized that none of my kitchen appliances were working. Not even the fridge. I started to panic. What did I miss? Had my beloved kitchen turned against me? Was I in the Twilight Zone? Eventually I figured it out: turning on the microwave blew out a fuse. (What are the odds of that?!) I had to fiddle around with the fuse box until the flow of electricity in my kitchen went back to normal. Then, as I waited for my toast, I tested to make sure that my microwave wasn't broken. 

Veronica Mars

I spent the better half of last week watching the TV show Veronica Mars. The show is about a young female detective who solves unsolvable murders and mysteries. Veronica Mars is addicting and girly and fun. But, now that I have watched every single episode available to mankind, including the failed 4th season pilot, I suddenly have a sense of emptiness in my life. I think some nachos and piña coladas are in order.

The Cake

I made it from scratch, and it was amazing.

Orange zest cake with apricot mousse filling and butter-cream icing.

Tall, Large and Delicious

On August 22, 2009, Alan and I hosted a little cocktail party for family and close friends, in order to celebrate our recent marriage. We skipped most of the wedding fluff (like having a ceremony, and having me wear a big white dress) and cut straight to the party part. There was hors d'oeuvres, flowers, wine, champagne, dancing and a big wedding cake.

I made the wedding cake. Against all advice that I received, from everyone, I decided that I would really love to make a big cake. I have always loved making cakes. (For those of you who don't know me, I am constantly trying to feed everyone cakes and cookies and pies.) This celebration was an opportunity to make the biggest cake I've ever made in my life. After weeks of deliberation and trying out different recipes, I decided to make a three tier orange zest cake, with apricot mousse filling and buttercream icing. It was tall and large and tasted delicious.

Everyone had a lot of fun, especially me.

Kobayashi Maru

Being a vegetarian is such a struggle. Every day I am confronted with tasty meats, sausages, steaks and stews (...and lets not even talk about Hawaiian pizza). Sometimes I feel like I can't take it anymore. I just love food so much, I don't want to miss out on any tasty meals. I crave meat and I can't control my cravings. There is a constant torment going on in my mind, in my heart, in my tummy. Is being a vegetarian worth this anguish? Is this what drug addicts feel? Am I really making a difference in the world and the environment by not eating meat? Am I healthier now? I just don't know.

I have positioned myself so that if I eat meat again, I will feel guilty for breaking with my convictions and embarrassment for my lack of follow through. If I don't eat meat, I will forever bemoan what I am missing out on. No matter what I do, I can't win. I did not know that I would be signing up for this when I decided to become a vegetarian.

Julie and Julia

Julie and Julia is a new movie by Nora Ephron. The movie tells a story about Julia Child, her modern-day fan Julie Powell, and how both their lives were improved by french cooking. I saw the movie this evening. (I had been looking forward to it for weeks!) In my opinion, the movie raised some interesting questions. For example:

- Is it narcissistic to blog?

- How does Julia Child's beef bourguignon taste?

- Life is short and meat tastes good; why am I a vegetarian?

- How difficult is it to graduate form Paris' Cordon Blue Cooking School?

- Is there really nothing better than butter?

I don't know the answer to any of these questions. All I know is, I really wish I were in Paris right now, drinking wine and eating brie.

What are Fajitas?

Over the weekend I attended a fun, backyard BBQ with some new friends. The main dish served was fajitas. Eventually the question surfaced: What ARE fajitas, exactly? The lively discussion that followed led to some interesting ideas, which I have thus documented:
- Fajitas are like burritos, but without the beans and rice.
- Fajitas are burrito- wannabes. (I wish I had a burrito.)
- Fajitas must be the burrito of poor people, who cannot afford rice or beans.
- Cole is no longer in charge of planning menus.

Monday Bake-Day

Lately I have taken to baking. I like baking bread, cupcakes, brownies, cakes, and pies. I usually pick one day a week to focus on my baking creations, Monday.

Here is a picture of my latest experiment: A blueberry pie. Summer Deliciousness!

Underwater Modeling Adventure

I love photography; it is an enchanting way of expressing yourself and representing the world to others as you see it. Here is a picture of me that a very talented friend of mine, Gwen Coyne, took. More of Gwen's pictures (of me and other delightful subjects) are on her Flickr page: HERE.

Five Days. Not One Dime.

In order to keep myself entertained, sometimes I give myself challenges. For example, I might challenge myself to make a wedding cake, do 350 sit-ups, or spend 5 days without spending a single dime. Of the latter I am actually particularly proud. I wanted to see if I could, consciously, avoid any type of situation that would entail spending money for a period of no less than 5 days. Today was the end of my fifth day. I drove less, went to the public library, baked bread, ate homemade meals and watched movies. Success!

When was the last time you spent a week without spending money?

We Accidentally Eloped

When the Mexican wedding plans were still in full motion, I discovered that our official Mexican wedding license would need six months to be translated, signed, sealed, and approved in the USA. For practical reasons, Alan and I thought that six months was too long to wait in order to recognize our marriage in our country of residence. Therefore, we decided to have a small ceremony in the USA to make things legal before our big Mexican celebrations began.

Alan and I thus planned a "Secret Wedding" in order to quietly legalize our marriage status in the USA. We did not want to make a big fuss about it, or spend any money on it, because our "real" wedding was supposed to happen in the Caribbean. Our USA wedding day was conceived, planned and executed in less than two weeks on the tiniest wedding budget you can imagine. We invited a handful of close friends, most of whom would not be able to attend the wedding in Mexico anyway, to act as our witnesses. I made my own bouquet. And, on Sunday April 5th, 2009, we tied the knot officially and legally and in writing, till death do us part.

I could not have asked for a better day to host a Secret Wedding. The ceremony was held in the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, in the garden of old roses overlooking the bay. The weather was perfect, sunny and warmer than expected that morning. Except for our presence, the garden was practically empty. Our friend Ian acted as photographer. Prathna was our minister. The ceremony itself lasted about 5 minutes. And then, the day's debauchery began. We took many, many pictures as we rambled about the beautiful botanical garden, surrounded by the sweet smell of flowers and sparkling morning dew. Since this was not our "real" wedding, there was a lot less pressure involved; we just let ourselves have fun and be silly. At 11am, we all went to brunch at the Clairmont Hotel in Berkeley, where the food was copious and fabulous. We drank mimosas. We laughed. After eating to our heart's content, and sharing our first dessert as a married couple, we finished the day by returning to the lovely Redwood Grove of the UCB Botanical Garden, where we took even more pictures.

Alan and I had a lot of fun on April 5th. From that day forward we were, indeed, married. We just didn't tell anyone. After all, it was supposed to be a secret... but then the big Mexican wedding was unexpectedly canceled... The cancellation was such a huge disappointment and caused me so much stress that, after all was said and done, I didn't have the will to plan and execute yet another big wedding extravaganza. So, our small Secret Wedding turned out to be our only wedding, which means Alan and I accidentally eloped. We didn't mean to elope, but sometimes life throws you curve-balls.

Good Wedding Advice

I received some good advice over the weekend. The advice was as follows: "If you are invited to a wedding celebration, just go!"... After all your friends are married, you won't have any other celebrations quite as joyful to attend. Then the funerals start. So, if you have the means, even if it is inconvenient, you should celebrate love, family and friends at every single wedding you can.

So, here I stand, ready to follow this wise advice. If you invite me to a wedding, rest assured that I will attend.

The Good Life

Today I woke up to snuggles and the smell of fresh coffee, made by my new husband. I decided to eat breakfast in bed, which consisted of a brownie, a cookie, a handful of ripe, sweet cherries and -of course- coffee. While eating breakfast, I reminisced about yesterday's modeling adventures and underwater photo shoot. I also browsed the Internet for news sources and funny stories. It is now 11am, and I'm getting ready to go the the gym.

I have the good life.

Spaghetti Ice Cream Maker

Do you love eating ice cream, but are bored of traditional "balled-up" ice cream presentations?
Do you dream of having ice cream qualify as a "main meal"?

Do you like spaghetti?

How about we make your ice cream look like spaghetti!
YAY!

The Husband Unit

He is away on business, in Switzerland. I miss him.

Yoga is Intense

I have wanted to take a yoga class for several years, since I was an undergrad student at UC Berkeley. I just never had the time. In my previous life, as a fully employed HR Manager/grad student at SJSU, I was not able to indulge my time-consuming whims. I am happy to report that with my new found freedom from corporate America, and my shiny new YMCA gym membership, my dream finally came true. I took my first yoga class. Boy am I sore all over! Everything hurts. My lower back is revolting and I have muscles that ache that I didn't even know existed. Yoga is as awesome as I expected it to be and I am definitely going to continue taking classes, but it is INTENSE.

Happy Fourth of July!

(Photo from Alameda's 4th of July Parade)

At my father's annual 4th of July BBQ, while surrounded by mountains of ribs and potato chips and macaroni salad, I realized that one of the most significant things that makes us American is our food and the way we eat it. Americans have greasy, unhealthy, unapologetically calorific food, which is eaten with urgency and pleasure. This gastronomic culture is embedded in our history to such an extent that the average American citizen might not even realize it is there. Here is a link I found called "This is Why You're Fat". The website features meals that are distinctly American in creation and execution.

THIS IS WHY YOU'RE FAT

In which other country could you find Krispy Kream hamburgers, deep fried- chocolate covered Twinkies, or bacon embedded waffles a la mode?... Isn't it great to be an American?

Fun Times

A couple of weekends ago, Dad, Karen, Alan and I went on a Napa River cruise boat, which concluded in a wonderful lunch and wine tasting at the Acacia winery in Carneros. The river cruise was amazingly relaxing and peaceful. We had a great captain who pointed out marshlands, birds, local history and future Napa River projects as we joyfully wondered along. It was great to see Napa from such a different perspective. The following lunch at Acacia was hardy and delicious; it featured cold slaw, sweet corn on the cob, heirloom beans and a wine-infused peach-biscotti dessert. And, the wine... Well, lets just say that I fell in love with the Acacia 2007 Chardonnay. I usually don't even like Chardonnays. (Dad got me a bottle of it. Yay!)

Our boat was the maroon one.

After exiting the Acacia winery the four of us decided to visit Bouchaine, Dad and Karen's favorite winery. At Bouchaine the wine was delicious, the pours were generous and the surroundings were to die for. I love visiting the wine country.

Bouchaine has a Horse Shoe game for visitors to play.

Picnic and Chocolate Souffles

Today Ian came over to visit. Alan, Ian and I ate homemade pancakes for breakfast. Then around noon we set out for a picnic. The three of us went to Deer Hollow Farm in Los Altos. We decided to go there under the promise that there would be live farms animals to observe and a barn with picnic tables. Deer Hollow Farm is located in the Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve in Santa Clara County, which is really close to where we live. The location was beautiful and there were lots of families, joggers, chickens and blue jays. However, we did not know that we would have to carry our over packed, difficult to carry, picnic basket for about a mile before we reached the intended barn.

(As you can see, Alan was not happy to carry the basket for so long.)

We were quite exhausted from carrying the picnic basket by the time we reached our destination, but we were very determined to eat some cheese in a 100 year old barn. After about 30 minutes of walking, we finally were able to sit down in the shade and eat our brie, apples and crackers. The simple food we ate was delicious and the location was very relaxing. Unfortunately though, it was too hot and we were too tired to drink the wine we had lugged.

After the picnic Ian left. To kill time in the afternoon, Alan and I set out to make chocolate souffle. I read this article a couple days ago about chocolate souffle by Mark Bittman and I was dying to try to recipe. Chocolate souffle seems like such a grown-up, sophisticated, Frenchy thing to make, and I had never tried a souffle before. So, we did it. It was surprisingly easy to make. And tasty :)

They deflated pretty quickly (the picture above was taken after they deflated), but I was proud of our souffle. We made them in ramekins that we received as a wedding gift from my aunt Indra and uncle TK.

I Dream of Fortune

Yesterday, during my routine walk around Shoreline Park, I prayed for peace and good fortune. I prayed from the heart. I was admittedly a little sad because I have not had much luck job hunting. Then, last night I had a dream with a fortune teller. I rarely ever wake up being able to remember my dreams, which makes this dream even more extra special. Here is my dream:

All the sudden, my friend Gwen appeard and led me to the beach to see a fortune teller. The fortune teller was sitting behind a small table, nestled in a small beach-hut made of sticks, which was standing precariously over the white sand. When we entered the hut, I told both Gwen and the the fortune teller that I had no money, but they both said that I shouldn't worry about the lack of funds, and that I should just have my fortune read. (Even in my dreams I am unemployed!) The fortune teller was an old lady, with brown skin that had absorbed a lot of sun over the years, and a wide mouth. She handed me a deck of cards that I have never seen before.  She told me to cut the deck and then pick three cards. I started shuffling the cards a lot; she got impatient and told me to just pick three cards already. So, I quickly picked three and, without looking at them, handed them to her. 

First Card: The fortune teller looked at me and told me to eat vegetables. She told me to eat lots of beautiful vegetables. She didn't explain why I should eat vegetables, but she said I should make sure to pick beautiful ones. To make her point, she went to her kitchen and brought back a gigantic onion, and a big celery and dumped them in front of me. "Like This" she said, smiling proudly over her big, unblemished vegetables. 

Second Card: As soon as the fortune teller touched the second card, I was distracted by the sight of my grandmother swimming in the ocean. Nana Teo is my grandmother from my mother's side. She loved the beach. Nana Teo was born, raised, and lived her life to the end in a little beach town called Carupano, in Venezuela. She was a feisty old lady, and she spent a lot of time taking care of me when I was growing up. But, in the dream I felt that she was still alive; I forgot that she had died. I could see her, clearly, swimming and relaxing on the beach. She looked beautiful. Every now and then she would look over to where I was, and then continue swimming. Nana Teo ignored the fortune teller. The fortune teller then told me that my grandmother was "still around", that she came "back and fourth" and spent her time in the other realm "with Nostradamus". I understood that Nana Teo was looking over me, maybe even protecting me. 

Third Card: As soon as the fortune teller saw this card she smiled, and proclaimed "You will have a boy". 

Then, I abruptly woke up from my dream to the sound of crows squawking loudly next to my bedroom window. I currently have a crow problem. They are nesting close to my bedroom window and they squawk annoyingly at early hours of the morning, throughout the day, and until night time. The crows could not have squawked at a more inopportune time, as I was about to ask the fortune teller to elaborate on the third card. Although, in retrospect, maybe the fortune teller knew the crows were going to wake me up shortly, which is why she hurried me when I was shuffling the cards at the beginning. I guess I'll never know.

Food Minimalist

I love a good food discovery! Food discoveries brighten my day and inspire me to cook delicious meals. Today I have discovered Mark Bittman. He is a journalist for the New York Times, with his own food column, and an author of several cook books. I have watched several of his cooking shows and he is hilarious, vegetarian friendly, and super minimalist. Love, love, LOVE!

Being with Myself

I took this quarter off from school because I needed the time off in order to travel to Mexico. I ultimately didn't end up traveling to Mexico. School doesn't start again until June 22. And then, in May I abruptly lost my job.  At first I was afraid and a little paranoid about being unemployed. I didn't know what I was going to do with myself. I have never been unemployed before. I always have had several work and school related projects to work on at the same time. I have never even taken a summer off; I always went to summer school. I have always been super busy, trying to achieve my super achievements and trying my hardest to be a super-me. I cannot remember ever having so much free time! 

I didn't realize that I am being handed a rare opportunity in life. An opportunity to treasure and enjoy: I get to be with myself. I don't have any kids to take care of, or any major responsibilities that demand most of my time. For the first time in a very long time, I can relax and get to know myself a little better. I am really enjoying having some time off. It sort of feels like I am on vacation. I am far from board. And, where before I never had time to do little self indulgent things (like take longs baths), now I can. I can take my time to watch movies that I have been meaning to catch up on, read books that I have wanted to read, catch up with friends, cook myself healthy meals, give myself a manicure, go on long walks, and think about where my life is headed and what I really want to do with my career. I actually have time to be grateful for the small things that make me happy, like watching a hummingbird gracefully swoop around flowers at the park. I don't feel rushed. I feel like I have more inner peace now that my life's daily pace has been slowed down. I actually feel more "human". 

I think I'm going to make myself a cappuccino.

State of Affairs

May has come and gone. I haven't blogged as much as I had hoped because I am still getting used to the new rhythm of my life. I needed to get a grip on things before I could write about them. I expected May to be a better month than April. I wish I could say that May lived up to my expectations. I cannot believe I spent the morning of my 25th birthday dealing with California's incompetent EDD Unemployment Center. However, I am proud to say that I am doing well and my job search has led to some promising leads. I am discovering new joys and learning how to set a more realistic and healthy pace of life for myself.

Follow Up
to "Miserable Monday Madness"

I wanted to follow up on the previous post of April 22, 2009.

1) So far, the migraine was a one-time-only event. I think it was due to some weird Thai food I ate the day before.
2) I did well on my final and I received an A- in my Financial Management class. Yay! (Who knows how I would have done if I had presented the final without a migraine?)
3) I got my tuition reimbursement. Double Yay!!

Viernes Negro

Strangely enough, an influenza derived from pigs ruined my wedding. I found out about it last Friday. I must be one of the few, privileged, wannabe brides who can actually say that a short-lived, quasi-pandemic called "swine flu" ruined my wedding. The wedding was ultimately canceled because the Iberostar Tucan resort, which was itself unaffected by the illness, was forced to suddenly close down due to low occupancy rates, since nobody wants to travel to Mexico because of the swine flu scare. With the resort closed, the wedding was no longer.

I cannot tell you how much distress planning a destination wedding has caused me. When I received the final news from the Mexican resort rep, I felt like a cosmic force had punched me in the stomach and taken the wind out of me. It was like I had received the final blow, meant to knock me out, after a long, hard struggle with wedding planning, coordinations, an unexpected economic recession (which affected guests ability to attend), and difficult travel agents. I spent 1.5 years researching and planning and piecing everything together only to have a global, pig-induced pandemic ruin everything. All of this for a wedding that I initially swore would be easy to plan and drama-free. I cannot imagine a wedding filled with more international drama than mine. And the worst part is: I got no satisfaction from it, whatsoever; the wedding isn't going to happen.

My misfortunes, however, do not end here. On the same day that I found out about my wedding, I was laid-off from my job. The economic recession took my job a month shy of my third year anniversary with the company. The company was forced to downsize because too many of its clients went out of business without paying their mounting bills, among other business-related calamities. Just when I thought that the recession was starting to get a little bit better. Just when the rate of job losses in the country was starting to decline. Just when I thought the worst might be over, this happens. I cannot say that the news was totally unexpected, given the economic circumstances, but I was not entirely psychologically prepared to be working one day and not the next.

To top things off, on the Friday that all of these events occurred, I was in the middle of battling a horrible cold. I have been sick and unable to breath through my nose for about a week now. I usually never get sick with colds, much less colds that last over a week. I went to the Dr, to make sure I didn't have swine flu (with my recent string of luck I would not be surprised if it were) but it wasn't. Its just a cold. I probably got sick because of all the stress I've been dealing with as of late.

So, here I am. Unemployed and weddingless. You would think that I would be more upset about it all, crying and depressed and stuff, but I'm not. I'm actually fine. I'm a little more resilient than what I thought. I feel like I have been given a new chance; I now have a second chance to plan a better wedding (with less international drama) and find a better job. I feel upbeat about my prospects and I am grateful for all the free time I can now enjoy.

For The First Time

I never really thought that having a sister was something that I was "missing out" on. I've always enjoyed the fact that I only have a brother and that most of the family in my life are guys. Today, for the first time, I really wished I had a sister. Someone who isn't a guy, who isn't too sick or too tired or too busy to hang out. Someone around my age who loves me unconditionally and who I could talk to about things relevant to my life. Someone I can count on to be there for me. Somebody to do silly, girly things with. It sucks not having a sister.

Great Bridal Shower Idea!

At my bridal shower a table was set up for guests to write Haiku poetry on origami paper. The instructions for writing Haiku and folding the paper into different shapes was provided...

These were the two that I loved the most:

A MORNING COFFEE

FOG AND SUNLIGHT WRAP AROUND

A DEEP BREATH OF PINE

BALD SPEECHLESS EYES WIDE

BABIES LIKE SMALL ALIENS

HIDE THE LASER GUNS

Today I was Showered with Love

Kentucky Derby

I went to a Kentucky Derby party this afternoon. It was a swinging good time. Everyone was dressed up for the occasion and, of course, wore big hats. I love big hats. There is something enchanting about a well worn hat. There were also Mint Juleps, the quintessential Kentucky Derby drink. 

Unfortunately, I lost all my bets. I thought Mr. Hot Stuff would win . How could a horse loose with a name like that? But I was wrong... Mine That Bird won. Mine That Bird had 50-1 chances of winning. Who would have guessed! There were at least 100 people at the party and only ONE person bet on the winner. 

May is for Yay!

May is one of the most most awesome months of the year. I'm so happy we are in May already. I couldn't wait for it to arrive. Yay! It even rained today, which I think is wonderful. I love the rain. Rain cleanses the earth, takes away the bad and helps beautiful things grow. April brought with it so much bad, what with the pig flu and all. May represents a new start. I am ready.

First Chickens, Now Pigs

According to both CNN news and BBC online, there is a new outbreak of the flu: the Swine Flu. Swine flu typically affects only pigs, but some sick pigs gave it to humans in Mexico... and now there are sick humans spreading the pig disease everywhere. The influenza is particularly worrisome because humans have no immunity to it; it is a completely new strain of flu that the medical world knows nothing about. There are 68 people dead in Mexico already, mostly in the capital region. There are reports of cases in California and Texas of the same strain of the flu too. WHO officials are worried this Swine Flu may become a world pandemic.

Schools, museums, libraries and universities are closing in Mexico's capital region to help contain the spread of the influenza. In other words, Mexico is shutting down.

This is devastating news. If the disease is not contained, many people could become sick, die and -of course- my Mexican wedding will need to be canceled.

Here are links to online articles: CNN. BBC.

I can't help but to think that if there were more vegetarians in the world this never would have happened, because we would not need to raise so many pigs for slaughter. I'm also worried about people eating pig meat that was unknowingly contaminated with the flu. I'm sure that can't be healthy either. Does Mexico even have pig-meat control for this type of disease? I doubt it...yet more compelling reasons to not eat meat. I'm sure PETA is having a field day with this outbreak.

Beware: McDonald's Iced Coffee = CRACK!

I have reached the conclusion that McDonald's Ice Coffee must be laced with crack-cocaine for it to be so addictive. Once you have had one you are hooked. Once you have had one you will crave its sugary goodness, especially on hot days. Once you have tasted the coffee, full of sweet, sweet caffeine, there is simply no way you can resist having another.

Reasons why this beverage should be considered an illegal drug:

1) The burst of energy you get from this beverage is outstanding. Forget Redbull or Monster or other energy drinks. They are child's play. Have a McDonald's Ice Coffee and you will be jittery with energy for hours.

2) You will get a (sugar) high out of this world.

3) Its cheap and easy to obtain.

4) They sell it on every corner. 

5) Its only a matter of time before some young kids OD on McDonald's ice coffee and die from a heart attack. 

6) It is highly addictive.

7) There are withdraw symptoms if you try to break the habit. These withdraw symptoms will appear if you have tried the beverage as little as two days consecutively.  The symptoms include tiredness, fatigue, irritability, inability to concentrate and a massive headache. The headache will be so bad you will think you have a brain tumor. 

I know all of these things from personal experience and in-depth research into the subject matter. 

You have been warned.

Miserable Monday Madness

I admit that voluntarily eating a homemade plate of black beans for breakfast and another plate of black beans for lunch did not contribute to my overall well-being on Monday. I probably should have foreseen that. But, it wasn't like I had much of a choice. Beans were all I had so beans I ate. Aside from the two culinary indiscretions and the subsequent intestinal calamity that they engendered, these are the elements of Monday that made my Monday miserable:

1) Normally I like my job and work is OK. However, work was particularly tedious on Monday and I had to stay working late to complete a task that ultimately proved not necessary to complete. Because of my commitment to work I was running late... and almost didn't arrive in time for my final exam later that evening. I hate being late, especially when it is for something important. Tardiness really stresses me out.

2) There were problems at work associated with my tuition reimbursement. I followed all of the necessary instructions to receive the reimbursement... Apparently, some paperwork that I had turned in was now "missing". Confusion followed. Nobody knew what, where, when or why. This caused me a fair amount of distress.

3) I had a horrible migraine all day long, which progressively got worse during the day's course. By the end of the day I could barely keep my bloodshot eyes open. My head hurt so much I felt nauseous. Tylenol did not help.

4) I had a big final exam for my Financial Management class at San Jose State. The exam started at 6:00pm. I was under a lot of pressure to perform well on this test. I had studied for it all weekend.

5) I arrived at San Jose State to discover that the vending coffee machine was broken. This vending machine is NEVER broken at school. I was counting on this machine for a much necessary pick-me-up. But -of course- the one day I decide that I'm going to use it, when I could really use some caffeine in order to help me get though this test and possibly help alleviate my headache, it was not working.

6) When I arrived to my classroom I was met with an unpleasant surprise: the air conditioner was out of order. We were in the middle of a heat wave, with temperatures around 42C. I had to present my final after a long and stressful day at work, with an upset stomach, a migraine, and oppressive heat. I felt like throwing up several times during the test. I could barely concentrate and I ultimately do not think I did very well.

In conclusion, my Monday was a disaster on many levels. I hope to never repeat it.

Yay for Car Maintenance!

Finally, after months of procrastinating about getting my car tuned up, today I did it. Today I took my car to the service center to get its tires rotated and oil changed. My little toyota feels happier, or maybe its just me...

Buffets, Easter and New Diet

I have no self control when I'm hungry and there is a delicious buffet available. And even if I am not hungry, if there is a buffet available I can't help but to eat. I simply can not get enough if the food is good! Here are some examples to support my claim.
Example #1: A couple of weekends ago I accidentally ate fowl at a buffet because I was so carried away in the heat of eating that I didn't realize there was chicken in the curry. When on my second plate of the curry I realized my mistake. It caused me much embarrassment.
Example #2: Last weekend I went to a buffet brunch and totally stuffed myself.
Example #3: Yesterday I went to an Indian buffet and drastically overindulged in naan bread, garbanzo beans, curry and samosas. When I left that Indian restaurant I was so stuffed that I could not walk straight. I was walking like a 9 month pregnant lady with swollen ankles, holding my belly as if it were a soon-to-rupture-food-baby.
Yesterday I realized that there was a destructive eating-pattern emerging in my behaviors. I realized that I have a problem. A problem of buffet-proportions.


Then... Today was Easter. In my family, Easter is known as a Thanksgiving-type celebration that involves bunnies and chocolate eggs instead of turkeys and pilgrims. In other words, its all about the food. I tried to control myself a little better today than yesterday. But Easter is a holiday; how can you expect to have self control about delicious food and buffets on a holiday? There were artichokes and barley and squashes and cheeses and breads and crackers and fruits and salads and grilled vegetables and lots of deserts. All of these items were worthy of eating by (even the pickiest) kings and queens. Certainly the Easter Bunny would want me to feast?!!? Against my better judgment, I had second helpings of homemade pies and scrumptious upside down pineapple cake.


Unsurprisingly, now I feel sort of disgusted with myself. I feel too full. I am gaining weight. Something needs to change: This Easter was my LAST buffet overindulgence. As of this very second I am starting a new diet. My diet involves avoiding buffets. And, if for some reason I am forced into a buffet-situation, I will only eat ONE plate. Just one. One plate should be more than enough for me.

Feeling Better

I had a great weekend.

I Feel Unsupported

I wish my family were more supportive about the wedding. I wish they could all attend. I wish I didn't feel so guilty. I wish this nightmare would end. 

Pushing Upward

Flowers, originally uploaded by A Morld of Wonder.

Today I discovered a park in Palo Alto: The Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden. It is gorgeous and full of all sorts of flowers, especially tulips. (I suspect the tulips are in abundance because of the month of March.) The garden is free to enter and poke around in! I could have sat for hours staring at all the pretty colors. The garden has strategically placed picnic tables; I can't wait to  return and have a picnic there.

This garden is proof that Palo Alto is truly a magical place. Here is its website for more information: http://www.gamblegarden.org/

International Wedding = Ridiculous Situations
A story of my new found hatred for UPS

Alan and I are getting married in Mexico this May. I have a good friend in Mexico and she will be a bridesmaid for the occasion. Being the organizing planner-freak person that I am, I bought matching bridesmaid dresses for all my bridesmaid peeps and sent one to Mexico for my friend.

When I went to the UPS store, I asked if there would be any problems delivering the dress to my friend in Mexico. They said that they could deliver the dress without problems for the fee of $81 dollars (almost as much $ as the dress). I also insured the dress for the amount of $100, just in case. I've sent international packages before and I've never had problems with customs departments, so I really didn't worry about this aspect of my shipment. This was my first time shipping something to Mexico. I giddily stuffed that dress into an envelop and sent it along with my hopes for matching bridesmaids to Cuernavaca.

A day after the shipment was supposed to have arrived I checked the UPS tracker number to make sure everything was OK. As it turns out, everything was not OK. The dress had been stuck in the Mexican customs department (The Aduana) for the last three days. I had to make several phone calls to find out what the problem was, since UPS did not know and/or was not aware of the situation. - At this point, UPS starting sliding down my shit-o-meter. - My friend had to call and be called several times, in Mexico, in order to find out that someone would need to pay various "taxes" in the amount of 40 billion pesos, or approximately "$450 dollars", in order for the shipment to be completed. However, if she let the Aduana cut the dress to shreds they could re-package it and finish sending it for free.

$450 DOLLARS TO DELIVER A $107 DOLLAR DRESS, ON TOP OF WHAT I PAID TO UPS.

OR SHREDS.

I was horrified when I found out about the amount of money required to finish sending the dress. My jaw literally dropped and remained open for a good 15 sec. I could not believe that UPS didn't warn me about this. I thought UPS told me they could deliver the package without problems. $450 extra dollars IS A PROBLEM! I can only imagine that the Aduana offered the latter solution to ensure hilarity was associated with this horrible situation.

The next day I called UPS to complain. I had been misled. I paid them to provide a service, to deliver a package to my friend. They did not complete the delivery or warn me when my dress was detained. In addition, I would have NEVER sent the dress had they told me about how ridiculous the custom's taxes were going to be. I asked for my package to be returned and a refund. Given the situation, I thought I was being reasonable.

Apparently, UPS cannot give me a refund because Mexican Aduanas are not their responsibility. They told me that I had sent the package at my own risk and that they were not responsible for knowing how much the Aduana would charge. I was livid! I wanted to cry. How could they not know? How could they not have warned me! They are UPS. They send packages all over the world, everyday. You mean to tell me they have never sent anything to Mexico!!! You mean to tell me they had no idea the Aduana was going to try to rape my wallet over a dress? At this point, UPS was reaching critical mass on my shit-o-meter. Then it got worse.

I asked UPS about obtaining the insurance money I had signed up for; my dress was being held ransom by the Mexican government and I was being extorted. There was no way I could pay and there was no way for me to get my dress back. I believed this would qualify as a situation covered by insurance. UPS told me that they could not pay the insurance money because they had not "lost" my dress. I started to explain the meaning of the word "lost" but I stopped myself. I could tell I wasn't going to get anywhere. UPS didn't care if my package was delivered or not. UPS didn't care about the contents of my package and they certainly didn't care about me.

UPS actually had to nerve to offer to ship the package back to me as long as I paid for shipping again. They were unable to deliver the dress, so they wanted to charge me again. What on earth made them think I would want to give them more money? They wronged me. They should just give me back my dress.

Fortunately, not all was lost. I learned two good lessons from this three-way with the Mexican Government and UPS:
1) The moral of this story is that you should work at the Mexican Aduana because you will soon be filthy rich and posses many pretty dresses. I think I've found my new life calling.
2) You should boycott UPS for being slimy bastards.