Words In My Years

Maybe this time I'll keep it up

2012-01-14T22:55:00.000-04:00

I never finish any writing I start. I've had notebooks and notebooks half filled with first sentences and first paragraphs of all the stories I would one day write. I never have . I started this blog and never continued it but I want to chronicle my next adventure, its titled: An European Leap of Faith. I won’t be taking my computer with me, so I’ll be doing it “old school” style which means I’ll probably never type it up and update this blog. But I’m going to start now and maybe someday I’ll finish it.

So far I have:

a) A Time Frame

I leave Santo Domingo April 10 return May 12

b) A Route

Santo Domingo – Rome – Naples – Rome – Florence – Venice- Budapest – Vienna – Prague – Barcelona – Santo Domingo

c) A Budget

I need US$5000 if I want to sleep in a room by myself and about US$3500 if I want to sleep in a room at all

d) Plane tickets:

Santo Domingo – Rome

Venice – Budapest

Barcelona – Santo Domingo

I’m still missing a couple of things. The next step is to buy the ticket Prague – Barcelona and to try to secure free housing in as many places as I can by March 10. I’m giving myself a month before the trip to have my free lodgings settle before I start making reservations and/or paying in advance. Then, I will need to decide where I will be sleeping at each stop and I making all the bookings in advance so that I don’t have to carry much money.

At this point people keep asking me if I’m really going to this month long trip alone. I am and I’m afraid, I won’t lie, but I’m more afraid of not doing it, than of what might happen if I do it alone.

Writing Prompts

2010-05-24T15:13:00.000-04:00

Im trying to find ways to make myself write. I never thought it would be so hard to make myself do something i actually enjoy. I dont understand!!!!

Today im taking a prompt from The One Minute Writer

What song would I teach the world to Sing?

Details in the Fabric by Jason Mraz

Calm Down, Deep Breaths

And get yourself dressed instead

Of running around

And Pulling all your threads saying

Breaking yourself up

If its a broken part, replace it

If its a broken arm than brace it

If its a broken heart than face it

And hold your own

Know your name

And go your own way

Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way

And everything will be fine
Everything will be fine

Hang on
Help is on the way
Stay strong
Im doing everything

Are the details in the fabric?
Are the things that make you panic?
Are your thoughts result of static cling?
Are the things that make you Blow
Hell, no reason, go on and scream
If your shocked, its just the fault
of faulty manufacturing

Everything will be fine
Everything in no time at all
Hearts will hold

This song always makes me feel like everything will be fine no matter how bad things seem in my life.

Another Year, Another Candle

2010-04-28T23:54:00.000-04:00

Today i spent all day helping a friend run errands for her son's fourth birthday.

The theme is motocross, and he knows exactly what he wants. He chose the colors and the cake; he even had a magazine to show the cake lady exactly what he wanted!! He is four!!!

Kids these days are smarter than ever.

I dont even remember what i liked when i was four and pretty sure my mom

used to spend very little money on my birthdays that young.

These days it’s a whole other ballgame. There are ten thousand themes to choose from

anything from hello kitty to that annoying girl Hanna Montana.

You go into a store and they have everything you need, im surprised

we didnt find any toilet paper but im sure it exists.

Anyway my point is why do parents make such a big deal about kid’s birthdays

when they are too young to ever remember it? Honestly my friend and her ex payed

the same amount I owe in credit card bills (which is a lot trust me) When i was young

all my birthdays where small because my Quinceanera was going to be Huge!!!

What do kids do for quinces now? Hire a Pop Star? Do parents take on loans to make that party?

I’m not a very maternal person so maybe I just don’t get it, can someone please explain?

Tomorrow I'll post a picture so that you can see what a really really expensive cake looks like

P.S Blogger was being stupid so this post looks weird!!

I think the Disney Gods are punishing me for dissing one of their own

Im sure it counts...

2010-04-27T20:10:00.000-04:00

I found a new website called Get Glue and its like Crack!! I cant put down the pipe!
Ive spent all afternoon writing comments on it. That counts as writing right?

A little color never hurt anyone!

2010-04-26T17:10:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I wrote a description for my blog and spent all day downloading templates. I love the new look and since I've decided I wont be cutting my hair until December this way I can change something in my life as many times as I want!!

I also added my Shelfari bookshelf wich I think anyone who loves reading needs to get. Its easy and free and you can keep track of all the books you’ve read or ar planning to read. There are thousands of groups you can join and its easy to make new friends. So if you love reading join Shelfari

Take Two

2010-04-25T03:28:00.002-04:00

Life happens. You make choices that that change your course and sometimes, if you’re lucky, they change your life. After coming home from Haiti all I wanted to do was cry. Cry for the ten year old girl who lost hearing on her left ear because no one knew she had an ear infection. Cry for the limping father who didn’t want anyone to clean the open wound on his leg until someone helped his two month old little girl who lost her mother. Cry for the many Haitian volunteers that even when living in tents would show up every morning to see what they could do to help. Cry for the rain that fell on my tent while many others didn’t have the luxury of a roof. Cry for the smiling children who sang while waiting hours just for a chance to eat some crackers.

Haiti marked me. My experience there is tattooed on my soul and nothing I write can ever express all I saw, felt or learned there. There aren’t enough words in any language that can truly help me describe my experience. I won’t try to, all I can do now is live, enjoy my life, appreciate all I have and try to nourish my soul with all the joy I can get to feed it. Haiti taught me that living your life, enjoying it for what it is, only happens when you truly appreciate all that you still have. I have a lot. A lot to smile about, to laugh about, to cry about, to write about. So from now on I will just write.

I started this blog as I way to help me get back to writing. Ever since I was a little girl all I ever wanted was to be a writer. I wanted to put on paper the characters that lived in my head and had a story to tell. I wanted to re write the ending of my favorite Telenovela, or my favorite book, or my favorite movie. I wanted to live through my words all I had yet to live. Years later I still want all those things and my biggest failure has been to neglect this simple act that brings me joy. I set myself a goal that I won’t be able to meet now. So this is me starting over. I will not write five hundred words a day anymore. I will try to write every day with the understanding that life happens and that someday's are worth five hundred words, others a thousand and others merely ten.

A good friend told me that the point is just to write.

Haiti: The Journey There

2010-02-11T14:49:00.001-04:00

Day 1

28/1/2010 to 29/1/2010

Maybe the trip shouldn’t count as a full day, but I feel it deserves its own entry. The schedule time of arrival at the meeting place was ten pm. I got there thirty minutes late and the organizers where still registering the volunteers. We where suppose to leave by eleven but in the Dominican Republic being on time is never a reality. In the end we finally left around midnight. We got a lecture from a priest/psychologist about handling stress (it wasn’t a very good speech at all) and we waited to see if more of the volunteers who signed up would show up. They didn’t , only 12 of the 20 did.

During the lecture a Haitian national that studies psychology in Santiago told us that based on what he had seen while in Haiti ( he worked for the red cross from January 13 until the 20^th) right after the earthquake the death toll will be larger than anyone can imagine (he actually said 500,000!!) He said the rescue efforts focused on the buildings and houses in the main areas but that little help was reaching the small communities. By the time those far away places are finally reached the death toll would probably be higher than expected because some of those deaths could’ve been prevented with a faster response.

Our exodus from Sto Dgo was slowed by the Escogido celebrations. It was annoying (Licey Campeon!) but I understand their shock at such a feat, like someone said on twitter “the last time they won Luke Skywalker still didn’t know who is father was”.

By 2:30 am I was up. Sleeping on a bus is not something I do well. I played with my aunts BB for awhile until we reached Jimani. There we waited a lot then finally got our vaccination shots before getting ready to cross the border

Daylight came as we crossed to a place I was both anticipating and dreading. The drive to Leogane was longer than expected due to traffic but the biggest surprise to me was the lack of chaos on the streets. The TV made it seem like I would find Armageddon there, but I didn’t. I found tent camps everywhere, most of them made out of sticks and curtains or sheets; but mostly it was clean streets full of military personnel and lots of traffic. We saw a lot of broken down homes but they didn’t impact me as much as the colorful buses and how I finally saw a country where most drivers where as crazy as in the Dominican Republic. In the end I went back to napping until we reached the camp in Leogane. Little did I know then that what I would experience in the grounds of the Hospital Cardenal Leger would change my life forever.

Word count: 470

Day 15: Following your heart

2010-01-28T20:07:00.001-04:00

The past couple of days I've been getting ready to go to Leogan, Haiti, to help with the logistics of a medical camp. My family has been very supportive, a little worried but they understand my desire to help. After the first couple of days I stopped looking at the graphic and I've chosen to only read stories of survival and courage. Survival. I am not trying to pretend things in Haiti are anything but horrendous. I understand that right now the entire country is covered in grief, in blood, in tears, in fear. I understand that but I choose to focus on the opposite end of this tragedy.

I choose to celebrate the seventeen year old girl who was rescued fifteen days after the earthquake

I choose to celebrate the French rescue team that is still searching for people alive instead of removing bodies, even though the official rescue efforts have been called off

I choose to celebrate Elisabeth, a 23-day-old baby, is rescued from the ruins of a house in the devastated town of Jacmel rescued 8 days after the earthquake

I choose to celebrate all the work many Dominicans are doing not because they have to but because they can

I choose to celebrate my brother who went to Haiti on a one week trip and chose to stay an extra week because they needed the help

I choose to celebrate all the people that are opening their homes to those who have none

I understand that as a whole what I will encounter will probably be so painful ill find it impossible to describe but I as I see it this is my chance learn what I am truly made of. I have always been a very loud, very opinionated person but this is the first time I can put my money where my mouth is. I used to dream I would change the world, I used to dream that I would make a difference but I've never done anything to actually turn those dreams into a reality. This is an opportunity for me to grow, a chance to discover the real meaning of hope and an opportunity to learn more about myself.

Obviously because of this trip I’m taking I won’t be able to post regularly (not that I've been doing that in the first place) but I am taking with me a blank notebook and two pens. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep writing every day while I'm there. When I come back ill try and type up all my experiences if I can. In the meantime I leave you with these inspiring words…

"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when?"

Rabbi Hillel

"Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it."

Groucho Marx

Word Count: 523

Day 14: Life Keeps getting in the way

2010-01-26T19:16:00.001-04:00

Life keeps getting in the way in more ways than I thought. I refuse to give up this project even when it looks like I already have.

This super long weekend I had to work and even though I am very disorganized in my personal life my work related events run like clockwork. I am very anal about the pre cooking process and how timed my mise en place should be. Due to this obsession I spent Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning shopping for everything I would need for an event I had scheduled for all day Monday.

Sunday night all hell broke loose.

My client calls me up and lets me know that everything we had planned will need to be rearranged. The first coffee break will just be cheese, muffins, a variety of breads, coffee, tea and Juice. I didn’t have muffins or a variety of breads, so I had to run out Monday morning, an off day, to get it. The lunch was changed twice before finally settling on what I had first offered minus one dish. The last dish was to be used for dinner and we would need to add two salads and an upgrade to the dessert.

The entire day was chaos. I ran late all day and to top it all off at the last minute I had to add an extra item because of the guest couldn’t eat eggplant!! It was not a good day for me. I am grateful I’m a fair enough cook to pull it off without anyone puking or hating everything, but I still did not have fun.

This has officially turned into a rant and I don’t like the fact that is my second one in less than two weeks. I guess I whine a lot more than thought. I shouldn’t be complaining at all. I understand how blessed I am, specially lately.

My brother left for Haiti last Saturday. He is working at a campsite providing food and health care to anyone that goes there. Yesterday he finally wrote an email and even though he didn’t go into much detail he let us know that the people of Haiti are going through so much and that every little thing helps. So if anyone is able to get off work for a week please contact

CAMPAMENTO COMISIÓN DE SALUD DE LA PLATAFORMA DE AYUDA A HAITÍ DE LA SOCIEDAD CIVIL DOMINICANA

La Comisión de Salud ha establecido un campamento médico en Puerto Príncipe que está necesitando personal:

SE NECESITA VOLUNTARIADO!!:

-Personal Médico: Médicos generales, psicólogos, pediatras, ortopedas y ginecólogas.

-Traductores y Apoyo logístico (que sean proactivos, con capacidad para coordinar, ofrecer todo tipo de soporte, que busquen soluciones a situaciones de búsqueda de alternativas).

INTERESADOS:

Por favor enviar su nombre, cédula y pasaporte (dominicanos, si tienen y extranjeros obligatorio), e-mail, teléfono formación y área de apoyo en el que puedan ser útiles) a los siguientes correos electrónicos:

n.camino@codetel.net.do
estibalizladron@yahoo.es
Chelsea.mcguire@gmail.com

I will follow my brother later this week and even though I won’t have internet access, I’ll take my notebook and lots of pens so that I can try and write my five hundred words every day I’m there. As soon as I’m back ill try to type everything and post it.

Tomorrow I have to get everything ready but I’ll try to post again before I leave. If not, be well, laugh hard, love without strings and enjoy every moment of your life.

Word Count: 576

Day 13: When Life gets in the way

2010-01-22T16:32:00.001-04:00

So life happened and I missed two days. The world didn’t end and today I have a desperate urge to write, plus the guilt of not posting two days in a row is eating me up, but the delay was unavoidable.

First I had a wedding to attend. I love weddings especially when I like the people that are getting married. The trouble with weddings for me is that I just hate getting ready to go to one. The part I detest the most is finding the right dress. I hate shopping. I know it’s unnatural for a girl to hate this practice but I do, what can I say? I was traumatized when I was younger and now I can’t find any pleasure in the task. I can window shop as much as the next girl but trying on clothes makes me break out in hives. I love the process of looking at dresses and checking out the latest trends just so I can mock the ones I don’t like, but every time I try something on the joy disappears dress by dress. In this particular case I was lucky, I found my dress on the third store I visited and then everything else easily fell in to place. I had a great pair of shoes at home and the earrings and bracelet where easy to find.

The wedding was beautiful, the bride and groom radiant but the star of the night was the food. I have never eaten so well at a wedding party. We got there late, so we missed the ceremony but we didn’t miss the canapés. This first round my favorites where the dates stuffed with blue cheese and walnuts wrapped in bacon, the lobster ceviche and the chistorras wrapped in puff pastry. In the second round, the cold table, the shrimp where so perfectly cooked I couldn’t stop eating them, the lamb & mushroom voulavent was such perfection I could’ve eaten just that all night, and the lobster & corn empanadas where so good I only had the chance to eat one. After that came the hot buffet, between the Cochinillo and the Red Snapper I don’t know which one was better. The dessert table was so pretty and tasty that I didn’t even have room for the cake. I hear it was good. For a person that loves to eat as much as I do this night was a great one. I wish everyone has the chance to have a dinner like this, where the food is so amazing you’ll remember it for years to come. I feel sorry for my friends though because even though they looked beautiful and in love in this wedding the food was the most memorable part about it.

The next day I was ready to get back to writing but I slept in. I woke up late and had lunch with a friend at her recent obsession. Later I went to her house for some chatting and bonding with friends and their dogs. I of course I’m not a big dog fan, and that’s why every one of my friends has one and they all feel the need to rub up against my leg or cuddle next to me while I take a nap.

After surviving some Tiki love, I went to dinner at an amazing French restaurant called “ Louis Phillipe” (c/ Casimiro de Moya #50 809.682.95551) with some great friends I hadn’t seen in awhile and laughed and ate and drank to my heart’s content. It was a perfect weekend of good food, lots to drink and great friends, therefore I can’t regret missing these past two days.

I have realized that my project might not be as regular as I hope it could be, because sometimes the rest of the world gets in the way, so I will make some adjustments to the concept and give myself some leeway to make this work. In this country we have about thirteen holidays, so that means I have thirteen times where I can take a break. I guess now I only have eleven times but that’s ok, I'll try to use them wisely

Word Count: 697

P.S If anyone knows the exact number of off days please let me know

Day 12: The Wait is Over...

2010-01-19T19:29:00.001-04:00

It arrived at ten seventeen am. I know that for a fact because I was setting the kitchen timer for a soufflé I was making for lunch and I looked at the radio clock sitting on top of the unplugged microwave. The doorbell rang as soon as I pressed start and for a second I though the noise was from the timer, but when it kept ringing I realized it was the door. I took of my apron as I walked towards the main entrance and tossed it on the sofa before I opened the door. The mailman greeted me with his usual cheeriness and asked about my family as he handed me all the mail that had been sent to us that day. I said my goodbyes distractedly as I browsed through the packages , searching for the one thing I’d been waiting for. The Wait was over. I can’t remember how many times I imagined myself in this same place, holding this same piece of paper waiting for the information inside it; but dreaming it and living it are two different things.

I stood there for about forty minutes, dazed, staring at it, holding it as if at any moment it would vanish. I only know it was about forty minutes because the timer beeped and that’s how long I had it for. I shook my head as I put the closed enveloped down and walked back to the kitchen while retying my apron. I opened the oven and found that my soufflé, for once, had risen. It was a tempting golden color, fluffy and smelling like melted sugar and chocolate. I transferred the hot plate to the stove top where it could sit and cool, then went back out to face a past I longed to understand.

I finally ripped the envelop open and took out the papers inside and read. “The information requested is unavailable” was all it said. I was numb, for a second I thought it was a joke. I couldn’t believe that after all the stress and worry I would just get a rejection. Or is it an omission? I didn’t understand what it meant. I'd been searching for this information for so long, going through the right channels, filling out all the required forms, spending hours on hold how can this be? What do I do now?

This little moment in time was just a small exercise in fiction that might turn into something bigger or it might turn into nothing at all. Overall I’m happy that is longer than my last attempt at writing something that had nothing to do with the world outside my head. This project is sometimes easier and sometimes harder than I thought it would be. There are days when the words flow and there are days where getting each word out is harder than pulling teeth, but each day helps me get back a passion I thought id lost. My writing juices are finally waking up and with any luck soon all my entries will deal with fiction instead of reality

Word Count: 515

Day 11 : Lazy Day

2010-01-18T17:03:00.001-04:00

I love lazy days. There is nothing better than getting up late and staying in your pajamas all day. This Sunday I did nothing but watch Tv and eat all day. I was planning on doing so much on Sunday, but I woke up with a headache and kind of cranky so I just stayed in bed until my dad came and asked me what we were having for lunch. I've learned over the years to just cook something instead of putting up a fight so I went to the kitchen to see what I could find.

Pasta is always my first choice on days like this. You only need a can of sauce, a couple of extra stuff to throw in (sausage, bacon, mushrooms) some salt and pepper to taste and entire family has a full meal in less than 30 minutes. My family eats a lot, really, a lot, especially when my niece and nephews are here, like today. So I made a pound and a half of penne and fed all the hungry family members bugging me. For myself I reheated some left over Chinese food. I love left over Chinese, is one of my favorite things to eat.

After lunch we all sat around the TV to watch three hours of American Idol Season Nine auditions. The auditions are my favorite part of this show. This year looks like it’s going to be a good one because in only two shows I already have a lot of people I like. I loved the guy with the skinny jeans and the shaggy hair, the Latina girl from Berkley, the country girl who jumped bridges, the sixteen year old that spoke Portuguese, the police officer, the Italian guy, the sixteen year old with the twelve brothers and someone else but I don’t remember know.

After American idol ended I started getting ready for the nights entertainment, The Golden Globes.

I have to say again that I barely saw any of the movies and TV shows nominated, and that’s why my winner list from yesterday was more wish list than prediction. My favorite part of every award show is the Red Carpet, the clothes. I am not a girly girl, I don’t salivate over brands, and if I have some extra cash ill never spend it in clothes, but I love Red Carpet Fashion. Yesterday’s show was boring in every way. Nothing on the red carpet stood out in a good way. There were some dresses I thought where ok, but nothing I absolutely loved.

My favorite's of the night where surprisingly enough the sparkly dresses. Tony Colette, Jen Garner, Thirteen & Cuddy from House all sparkled and looked really good. The worst one was definitely Patricia Arquette; she always wears weird stuff and let’s not even mention her husband, WTF?!!

Over all I didn’t find anything truly horrendous or offensive but neither did anything pop as the best.

In general the show was boring; Ricky Gervais did nothing for me. The Best acceptance speeches belonged to both Monique & Robert Downey Jr; the worst to Meryl Streep, I usually love her but yesterday i didnt get a word she said. Award season has officially begun on a blah note; let’s hope next week’s Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAGs) are less safe, clothes wise.

Word Count: 532

Day 10: Pretty Golden Spheres

2010-01-17T19:14:00.001-04:00

Tonight the Golden Globes are on so I’m getting together with some friends for a viewing party. In honor of this event I will post who I want to win an award. I haven’t seen many of the nominees but I don’t care, I’m making my winner list.

So my version of “And the winner is” goes as follows:

Best Television Series – Drama

Out of all the nominees I've seen four and a half seasons of House and two episodes of True Blood. I'm not down with the whole vampire thing so my Globe goes to House

Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical

Glee!!!! But let it be clear I’m not dismissing the other ones it’s just that this is the only one I've seen and really really like it.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Hugh Laurie, House. Refer to Category #1

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Since the only one I've seen is Anna Paquin in True Blood (twice!!) that’s my pick

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical

I only know the nominee from Glee but since I think Mr. Shue is an oblivious wimp Ill pick Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock he is the only actor I enjoy from the list

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical

Yeah yeah her chances are slim, my these are my Golden Globes so Lea Michele, Glee

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for Television

My favorite character on the show Barney!! Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother. Eventhough I still resent him for being gay!! He broke my heart when he came out!!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for Television

Jane Lynch, Glee and that’s how Sue C’s it!!

Best Picture, Drama

Any Picture not named Avatar is fine by me!!!!!!

Best Picture, Musical/Comedy

My Globe goes to Julie & Julia. I saw the Hangover but my favorite thing from that film where the pictures at the end so there!!

Best Actor, Drama

This one is tough since I haven’t seen any of the movies I have to decide between my love for Colin Firth, The Single Man or George Clonney, Up in the Air. I wont . Either can have it. A la garata con puno!!

Best Actress, Drama

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side. I really really loved that movie

Best Actor, Musical/Comedy

I'm going to say Joseph Gordon-Levit because I don’t think hes ever won anything and he should!!!

Best Actress, Musical/Comedy

Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia. She did an uncanny Julia Child

Best Director

Anyone But James Cameron. His ex wife would be nice.

I'm stopping there because it’s not as fun when you know don’t know any of the nominees and all the categories left are the boring ones.

Let the awards begin…….

Word Count:502

Day 9: The Importance of Friends

2010-01-16T20:47:00.006-04:00

I am a very lucky person. I am not shy and because of this everywhere I've lived I've been able to meet a lot of people. Meeting people is one of my favorite things to do in the world, and so far I've been very blessed. My Facebook friend counter is pretty high to prove it,(jaja) ,and although I’m sure there are people out there who don’t like me I can usually fit into any group. I have been blessed by so many chances to meet new people under many different circumstances, giving me the opportunity to learn so much on how to be better person.

I have learned, that courage can wear the latest trends or the dirtiest rags, that laughter can come in a suit, that hugs are always better when freely given and that having people to love is the best thing in the world. This is a love note to every friend I have, I don’t feel like I have to name names because you know who you are. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life, I love you.

Every friend plays a different role but all are important. I have the elementary-high school friends that keep me grounded by reminding me that they have material to blackmail for they knew me when I was going through the awkward stage. Then I have the friends I met during my college years that met an improved version of my high school self but that still have enough on me to ruin my life if they wanted to; Just kidding. The friends that knew you way back when, are the ones you usually don’t talk to everyday, or party with all the time, but when a crisis strikes they are the first ones you run to and it’s as easy as it use to be before “the real world” came along.

Then there are the random people that come into your life through a chance meeting. They are friends of the cousin of the sister of the girl you use to room with. Those are the magic surprises life brings into your life. People that you can’t ever imagine not having in your life even if you’ve only known each other for a year or so. People were the connection was so automatic and intense it feels like you’ve known them forever.

I have both types of friends and the fact that I can count on all of them for anything makes me a one of the richest human beings in this world.

This is a note of thanks for all the laughter we’ve shared, all the tears you’ve put up with, all the loud squeals when something good happens, all the shared hopes and all the secrets fears. Thank you for your support, especially in the past year, when at times I thought I’d never get out of the black hole I was in. If it wasn’t for your constant love and support I don’t know if I would’ve made it out as happy and at peace as I am today. Thank You.

Word Count: 520

Day 8: A Day of Cooking

2010-01-16T01:26:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my father, on December thirty of 2009, I got a client for New Years Eve. The client loved my food and called me two days ago to see if I was able to do a dinner party for them Friday January fifteen (today). I of course said yes.

With every client the first thing I do is find out how many people will be eating. Second I ask if there are any food allergies or anything that the host/hostess doesn’t like. Then I ask them what type of gathering it will be, drinks and appetizers, a formal sit-down dinner or an informal family style night. After all that information is exchanged I then proceed to create personalized menu options they can choose from. They can choose one of the set options I give them or they can mix and match from all the options and create their own menu.

On Wednesday night, I sent them three options. On Thursday morning they repl ied saying they chose number one. The informal family style dinner was only for seven but they asked me to cook for eight because they love left over’s. I didn’t complain and started to prepare for my day of cooking.

The menu they chose was as follows:

Dates, goat cheese and cashews salad

Rosemary & Lemmon Chicken

Bacon infused rice

Penne Pasta with a Portobello Mushroom Sauce

Bread Pudding topped with Brandy Mascarpone

As with every event I have to cook for, the first thing I do is set up my shopping list. After I know what I need, I figure out what I already have so that I can use it. Then I go to my different suppliers and gather all the ingredients still missing. When everything that will be used is in my kitchen I set up my prep list and get to work.

I am lucky enough to have two amazing parents who believe enough in me to let me live in their house for free (again) and promote my work to all their friends. So in my parent’s kitchen I started cooking today’s meal. Usually I would only do the basic prep then spend the last three to four hours at the client’s home finishing the meal. Tonight the hostess only wanted me to put the finishing at her place. In this special case, I pre cooked almost everything at home (I made the pasta at their house) then took it in disposable containers to their place.

I got there an hour and a half before dinner time. I found the serving plates I would need and started setting up with the great help of my new assistant (High five, high five!!). When all was said and done I had a happy host & hostess and five people id never met before who all left with my contact info. It was a hectic day but in the in the end a very productive one.

Maybe next time ill figure out a way to write down my five hundred words before I start cooking instead of waiting to for the day to end

Oh well January sixteen will have to live with two posts, the fourteen says it’s no biggie…..

Word Count: 536

P.S Proof reading before posting is your friend. Thank God for the Edit button!!!!

Day 7: Diary of a Mad Woman

2010-01-14T20:11:00.001-04:00

Today was a better day at the volunteer center. I got in late, around ten thirty in the morning, and already it was fuller than last night. Because of a previous engagement I could only stay until two pm but I am grateful I was able to help. Thankfully we got a lot of water and medicine, in today’s donation effort and hopefully the next few days will only mean more supplies for the people of Haiti.

I always prided myself in being a well informed person that can be rational in the face of ignorance, that can be calm in the face of adversity and that can be willing to drop anything in order to help people with bigger needs than my own. I finally realize that I am only capable of helping others but that I can’t abide ignorant people or stay calm in the face of something I consider unjust.

This horrible tragedy that has befallen the people of Haiti is not a joking matter. It is real. As we speak, people are homeless, fathers & mothers are childless, children are listless as they wander the destroyed streets of the only home they’ve ever known. Yet all over the country you hear the snide comments underneath the pleas of help. I can hear them loud and clear and it shames me to the core that my fellow Dominicans can be so petty at a time like this.

I know I am not a typical Dominican person, my family is not religious, my parents don’t think the most important role I’ll ever have in life is to be a wife and mother, I don’t care about the in crown or the latest clothes so maybe the things that affect me seem strange to the rest of the world; but as usual I don’t care. I can’t stay quite in the midst of all the stupidity I've encountered in the past two days.

I can understand that not everyone is as emotional or intense as I am and maybe because I’m both to the nth degree everything affects me more than other people, yet I am proud of that. I am not a hypocrite that sends out cans of food while condemning and entire country based on the color of their skin. I am not building with hands to later destroy with words. I don’t stand around preaching to God while saying that “Haiti is cursed...because of a pact they made with the devil”

I hope I am not alone in my anger. I hope I am not alone in my shame towards those radio personalities that want to focus so much on how great we are for helping but that we must help over there. I am not saying we need to open the borders but I don’t believe we can condition our help. Do you condition your love? The people of Haiti need everything, as their neighbors we should be willing to do for them all we want them to do for us if we were in need.

Word Count: 511

Day 6: A Chronicle of Grief

2010-01-14T09:49:00.002-04:00

I am volunteering at one of the first centers that opened to receive all donations for the devastated country of Haiti. Today I am writing this as I wait to inventory the medicine that is donated. I don’t want to judge my fellow Dominicans because the earthquake only happened last night and right now is only five twenty so people are still at work, hopefully the slow response is due to the workday.

The anti-Haitian sentiment that has permeated this country for so long is quiet, no one is bashing our neighbors today but unfortunately not many are helping either. Let’s hope that before my shift ends I can see the goodness of my fellow Dominican.

Its six fifteen and so far only a German man has come in, he thankfully donated 60 packs of 60 bags of water. Right now an American woman who came to volunteer has gotten the center to set up a PayPal account so that more people outside of the Island of Hispaniola can donate easier

Its six forty five, nothing has come in. I really hope is because there are so many open places where people are going to drop their donations that they don’t make it here. I feel like crying. There is Haitian-Dominican coming into the center to hear any new news, it’s sad to see them coming in but not many people are coming to donate.

Seven pm Price Smart called they will donate 3 containers with non perishable foods; the donation is valued at six million pesos. A local pharmacy Etnopharma came in and left five boxes full of medicine and medical supplies!!! My heart is getting lighter. I’m going to be optimistic and say that before I leave a lot more donations will be coming in.

Yay we just got another big donation from a transport company. Three more containers of food. Its seven forty six pm.

Its eight ten right now, we are starting the process of closing down the center and maybe

I’m to much of an idealist but I was expecting a better response, maybe it’s the fact that I’m one place and I’m not really aware of the rest of the places where people are going to donate and everywhere else is packed with donations I really hope.

I’m so sad, is so hard to believe that everyone isn’t as heartbroken as I feel, that everyone isn’t interested in making a difference as small as it might be for the people of Haiti.

I can’t help but think of Edma, an employee I use to have when I opened my restaurant in Bavaro. He was my best employee, helpful, eager to learn, polite and today I kept thinking of him and what he must be going through right now. The anguish of not knowing if their families are alive, the impotence of being so far away and not be able to help his own people. He is the reason I am here today. I am so grateful to him for all the great work he did for me once that the least I can do today is lend a hand in the effort to help the people of Haiti.

Word Count: 534

P.S this was posted on January 13, It had to be reposted today due to some style errors. I did not skip a day :p

Day 5: Of Brothers & Earthquakes

2010-01-12T23:12:00.004-04:00

I have to admit that when the first earthquake hit I felt nothing. I was in the bathroom getting ready to take a shower. Then my brother almost breaks down my door, screaming, yelling at me to put some clothes on and get out NOW!!. I didn’t understand what was going on. He kept on walking and screaming and telling me to hurry. When he finally stopped and told me that the earth shook not once but twice and that I should get downstairs, I laughed.

I put on some clothes and slowly walked out of my room, as my brother kept repeating “we need to get downstairs now, don’t use the elevator, but you need to go outside” and if any of you has ever met my brother you know he was probably voted “most likely to exaggerate anything” so I of course ignored him and proceeded to walk towards the edge of the balcony and mock everyone outside.

Still laughing I returned a call to my mother and as we gossiped and mocked my brother’s hysteria, she gets a call and hangs up and I turn on the radio; everything stops being funny.

A seven point three earthquake with its center ten miles outside of Port-au-Prince had hit, two more aftershocks of five point nine and five point five would follow less than an hour later. The joke was one me. For once my brother had the right idea.

Now the entire Island plus Cuba and Bahamas were on Local Tsunami Alert; and the people of Haiti are once again in the midst of a major tragedy that won’t help their already poverty stricken land. It’s so sad that this country gets hit so many times. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy nothing happened to my fellow Dominicans but I can’t help but feel sad for the people of Haiti.

Hopefully in this time of need for our neighbors, this country will forget their constant irrational hatred (at least in my mind) towards the Haitian people and come together so that we can help them in this time of need. I hope that even though things are dire in own country everyone can look into their pantry’s and closets and pick out a few things that you might be able to part with. At this point the people of Haiti need anything we can spare, so please look into yourselves so that you can part with those extra things they might need.

Hopefully all the aid that will arrive will reach the hands that truly need them and not end up lost on the black market being sold to the same people who were meant to receive them for free. Let’s pray that the constant political corruption that is so constant in our world takes a back seat in these trying times and that everyone can find it in their hearts to help a country so poor that needs help all year round and not only when tragedy strikes.

Word Count: 502

P.S. El Centro de acopio será desde el miércoles a las 8am en el Edificio Centro Bonó ubicado en la Calle Josefa Brea No. 65, casi esquina 27 de Febrero, Mejoramiento Social, Santo Domingo. Las donaciones se realizarán a traves del consulado dominicano en Haití y de la Cámara Dominico Haitiana. Tel (809) 686-6688 ext 2381 y 2584 o llevar a departamento Relaciones Públicas en Listín Diario.

Day 4: A Rambling Woman

2010-01-11T21:40:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day this week, where my writing resolution bothers me. I am having a hard time writing about anything in particular, so today’s entry will probably make no sense, as I will be rambling my way to five hundred words. I will be focusing on reaching my goal, so that I don’t miss a date on my project, but I honestly can’t think of one real thing to say.

I have to prepare a Menu Book for a family of six that eats like a family of ten that is taking a lot longer than I thought it would. For whatever reason I don’t feel like doing it at all. I also need to shop for my friends Mexican Night themed Bridal Shower, which is being held at my house this coming Thursday. I bet ill have lots to say after that!!

This cold weather is getting on my nerves. I’m going to have to start wearing shoes. I hate shoes; I’m definitely a flip-flops kind of girl. Although my legs look great in high heels, I’m not bragging, just saying.

I can’t believe I’m out of stuff to say so soon. But I have to keep going, if I skip one day, ill skip two, and then three and then four and then five and then six so on.

Next a little fiction exercise that fell short:

I hate being here. The fact that we have to share the same space makes my skin crawl. I hate not being able to choose where I have to be on the weekends, they shuffle me back and forth without asking what I want or need. The words I want to scream are locked in my throat and I can’t help but think they’ll never get out. The fact that I have to come here willingly is unfair, my own mother is so oblivious to the world outside her little perfect job that she doesn’t even see how much I hate him. How much I can’t stand to be in the same room as him.

I had that one paragraph hanging around since yesterday, couldn’t add anything else to it so I've decided to put it in this rambler.

Now I'm to Wok for some Chinese food with a couple of good friends and maybe I can get inspired for tomorrow’s entry since today has been such a bad one. I don’t understand why, since I did a lot of stuff today. A lot.

Man I still have to many words to go. This is hard, especially when you are trying to fill space instead of actually saying something.

I am tempted to not reach my five hundred world limit, because honestly the world won’t end if don’t make it, but I will feel like failure if I can’t even last four days with this exercise/project.

I want to create a habit of writing everyday and I refuse to give up so soon. Everyone says I should just reduce the amount of words but I won’t back down.

Word Count: 509

Day 3: The Motherhood Gene

2010-01-10T17:47:00.001-04:00

I think I was born lacking the motherhood gene, and despite what Dominican society thinks, that doesn’t make me less of a woman. I can appreciate a cute kid as much as the next person, I can be awed by a smart two year old or charmed by a smiling toddler but honestly I don’t yearn for a child and for the first time ever I feel annoyed by the pressures of society. I’m old enough and smart enough not to care what people think, I know, and it’s not that I care what they think, it’s more a case of annoyance that in the year 2010 it’s still hard for people to understand that not everyone has the same dreams.

When I was overweight and people told “oh you’d be so pretty if you’d only loss a couple of pounds” it didn’t bother me as much as when people say “you better get started soon on having those babies or you’ll never be happy” ok so they aren’t that harsh, but that is all I hear when people ask me how old I am (31 and proud of each and every one of those years) and I tell them I don’t want kids.

Please don’t get me wrong, I love kids especially between the ages of zero and seven because after that they become pre-teens and teens that are so angsty and restless I can’t stand them. I was an angsty teenager once, a bratty one from what I can recall and I really don’t have the patience or the tolerance to deal with that. But kids, with their innocence and trusting, and free smiles and hugs, those kids I love. In fact some of my favorite people in the world are under seven years old. But then they throw a tantrum in the middle of a supermarket, or scream at the top of their lungs at the movie theater, or break everything in sight and I’m so grateful that when I go home none of that will follow me.

I understand that children are, up to a point, a reflection of their parents parenting (is that the correct way to say it?) and I’m not trying to be modest or pretentious but I think I’d be a really good mom, I just don’t want to be one.

Life is all about choices, and I’ve learned that making decisions about my life based on other people’s expectation is a bad idea. I don’t want to say I’ll never have kids because I honestly don’t know what the future holds and maybe tomorrow I’ll change my mind (I am a woman after all and it’s my prerogative) but today I know that I don’t want children and that doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with me, it just means that I don’t want to be responsible of any life other than my own.

"People take different roads seeking fulfilment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost."

-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Word Count: 507

Day 2 : A rant sponsored by lazy people who annoy me

2010-01-09T00:09:00.002-04:00

People need to take responsibility for their life. I’m not saying you need to have your act entirely together (because honestly who does?), but you need to accept what’s on your plate and your role in creating it. I am tired of the excuses of rough childhoods, how long is that allowed ‘till? Huh? There has to be a limit to that excuse, or do I need to forgive the stupid actions of a grown ass fifty year old man because he had a rough childhood? Really? I don’t think so.

If things aren’t going right for you, question the reasons behind the failure don’t dwell on your frustration. Figure out what the problem is and fix it. Will it be hard? Yes of course it will, but it’s not impossible so there’s still a chance that all will be well.

So in case it isn’t clear yet, I hate whiners! I don’t mean someone that complains about the heat after an eighteen hour black out, I’m talking about that person who complains about everything. You know them, she works with you, he is married to your sister, she’s your great aunt twice removed, he used to date your best friend. They spend the entire day talking about how hard their life is while actually doing nothing to change their circumstances! Wake up call: If your life sucks, sitting on your ass doing nothing about it won’t change it, so just get up and do something, anything but please, please Shut UP!! I don’t want to hear it.

I sound like a cold heart bitch but I’m not, honestly! I have people that can vouch for me without me giving them a cent! But I have learned that the older I get the less tolerant I am towards those who ask for help while refusing to help themselves. Not having a blackberry doesn’t mean you can’t communicate properly, alcatel is cheaper and it makes the same calls plus you don’t have to pay extra (money that you don’t have) to use it. Ok, so you don’t like second hand clothing, fine, go shop at Sema or Jumbo not at Zara or Mango.

I can understand the just-got-laid-off blues or the im-so-tired-from-handing-out-resumes-in this-bad-economy downers but how long can one person milk those two excuses before it gets sour?

Different things, work for different people, but don’t tell me whining is the only way. There are thousands and thousands of self help books, (I won’t say therapy cause your broke, right?) there are some good online resources for free you can use, take advantage of them but please don’t call me unless is to tell me you got a job or that you are happily unemployed, enjoy your life, is the only one you have. See the positive things in it and embrace them.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. Johannes A. Gaer

P.S I feel so much better now; in the future I’ll try to refrain from so much whining

Word Count: 516

P.S + Moral Support, Self Help Books, Life Coach

Day 1 : Testing, testing 1 2

2010-01-08T01:58:00.008-04:00

OK so today is Friday January 8, 2010. I will start a little project inspired by the movie Julie & Julia. My project is a lot easier than hers, I will write a blog entry of 500 words or more every day for a year. I can write more if I want to, but i cant write any less than 500. No matter the topic, the grammar might be iffy but that can fixed later on, its not the point. The point is that i force myself to write every day. I always said I wanted to be a writer, but I've never sat down and wrote. I read a lot, i have that part down, no problem, but writing consistently, day in, day out, I cant seem to do it. Until now.

So this year instead of vague resolutions, I'm setting concrete goals and going for them right away. I'm not sure I want to be the famous writer i dreamed of ten, fifteen years ago, but i want to write. I want to create the habit of writing and I think this is a good way, even if is not an original one. I might write in English or in Spanish, about movies or music or TV or books. Ill be writing about anything and everything, most will probably make no sense but i have to keep doing it.

500 words is a lot more than I thought it would be. I'm about ready to quit. I wont.

I just got home from watching Avatar. I hated it. I honestly enjoyed nothing about that movie. I don't care that I'm the only person in the world who didn't like it, James Cameron can send me my money back. First of all, the world he created, the images are beautiful ill give him that but did it really need to be that long? The plot line wouldn't have lost anything if he took out an extra fifty minutes, maybe i would've liked it more, it wouldn't have seem so slow. Second could the dialogue be any cheesier?? Really I was almost expecting Jake Sully to scream “I'm the King of the World” when he rode the red dragon thingy (insert eye roll).

I can list more stuff, but I'm just not in the mood to talk about it, I'm already mad is going to win every Oscar known to man and I haven't even seen the competition!! And to top it all off they are planning a Sequel (AVATWO? Cameron says a sequel is coming!) really? is it going to take 12 years to make this one too? I hope so, really, that's how long i´ll need before i pay money to see another James Cameron movie, ever!!!!

Man this is is going to be hard. I still have like forty words to go. I think I'm going to allow myself a twenty four hour window. I need to write 500 a day, not in one try so as long as i have five hundred words within the time frame I'm good.

Yay : 524 down, 181,976 to go