Belguim and Ireland

This past summer I went to visit my sister again in Belgium. The original plan was to go with Ted but since he just started his business, he needed to stay in C.A. You know that you really love someone when you wish that that person could be with you to see all the extraordinary sites you encounter because I always thought of Ted.

The first week I spent time in Mons where my sister lives. We had lunch at the main plaza there and window shopped. People in Europe really know how to slow down and enjoy a meal. It was so nice to see everyone drinking coffee or wine and relaxing. I decided we should try it too because I needed some practice!





Making a day trip to Brussels was a must and it was such a contrast to see it in the summer in comparison to when I saw it last winter. Ty and I had lunch and then I bought Ted's mom some olive oil with bergamont and other souvenirs.


Our first destination was Dublin, Ireland. My sister raved about Ireland so my expectations were high and I am happy to say Ireland was more than what I had imagined. Of course it's green, of course it's beautiful, but the people are so friendly and the breakfasts so good in comparison to other countries in Europe that typically eat cardboard with butter for breakfast.

I found Dublin to be hectic and crowded with a ton of people walking around like they all had a deadline to meet. We went to Trinity College and had a great tour guide: a college student who was witty and cute. The library there had a large quantity of antiquated books. We're talking about 500 years old. It was incredible to see the librarian climbing up ladders to reach books. I had no expectations of how the library would look and that's why I think I was so impressed. Isn't it always so?







We managed to escape the city and went to visit Malahide castle. The walk there was beautiful.


Outside of a museum that would be the Irish equivalent to the Getty. Lots of cool, old stuff to check out. Don't I sound so articulate?




Our day trip to Wicklow was well-worth it. We visited Glendalough which had ancient chapels and ruins dating back from the 5th century. The writings on the tombstones were completely worn away. To think how many lives have passed since the first tombstone was laid there. It's incredible to think of how many people come and go on this planet. It gave me the chills being there.


The lake between the two mountains was majestic. I felt like I was in the Lord of the Rings. "Precious!!!"




I enjoyed Dublin but what I enjoyed the most was spending quality time with my sister. I love you Tylene!

Become a Salsera in Three Simple Steps

Are you tired of being the only Latina stumbling along the dance floor as you try to keep count in your head while dancing to salsa music? Are you embarrassed when you dance with other sultry, passionate salsa dancers who moves effortlessly to the music? Do you want to experience the tropical beats and harmonic composition of salsa music without ruining your pedicure by stubbing your toe? Well, you can. Many believe that salsa dancers, or salseros, were born with the gift to dance; they think that in order to be a good dancer, you have to be born with the innate skill. This is completely false. All you need is a burning desire to learn and a willingness to let loose. So how do you become that confidante salsera inflamed with passionate moves while having the time of your life? It’s easy; just follow the next 3 steps.
How do I find great salsa dancing music?
Nothing motivates us more to jump off the couch and dance than hearing a good song. Plenty of free podcasts and Internet radio sites allow you to discover salsa music. Itunes has a Salsa podcast, Susi Q Salsa, featuring episodes of salsa music from all over the world. With titles like “Explosion Colombiana” and “Felicidades Puerto Rico”, you will instantly feel your feet in fast motion. Another podcast on Itunes that you can’t resist to love is Ritmo Latino, which plays “booty shaking Latin music”. Ritmo Latino is more eclectic than Susi Q. It has contemporary and classic Latin musical genres from all over the world.
At Pandora.com you can explore even more salsa music by creating your own radio station. Simply type in the name of a favorite song or artist and it creates a radio station for you that matches the musical attributes of your selection: lyrics, rhythm, melody, vocals, etc. The catch is that you first have to find one artist or song that you love and then the radio station will play music similar to what you chose. If you are real salsa novice, type in the incredible salsa artist Ray Barretto. It is guaranteed that every salsa club plays at least one of his songs during the night. If you don’t like a song that was chosen for you by Pandora, you can just skip to the next one. Now that you have the right music, let’s dance!

Group dance class or free private lesson?
Take a Salsa Inventory.
So do you need to take a professional salsa lesson or just brush up and learn a few new steps? For the answer, you’ll need to take a salsa inventory. First, it is essential to blast your new found salsa music so loud that your neighbors will complain about the crazy Latina living next door (even if you are not). Once it is so loud that the walls are shaking, dance in front of the mirror alone as if you were a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. If you fumble and stub your toe on your bed post, you probably would benefit from taking a salsa lesson. Most nightclubs that play salsa music have free dance lessons with your entrance fee. In addition, studios have salsa lessons and only require that you show up on the day of the lesson and pay a one time fee. Not only will you have a blast learning how to dance with other aspiring salseros, but you just might meet your next best friend or Latin lover.
If you are desperate for help, but don’t want to pay for private lessons, you can watch free dance lessons on the internet. Addicted2salsa.com, which can be found on Itunes, has lessons for beginners and more advanced dancers. You’ll learn dance movements such as cross body lead, double-hand turn, and open break. Other lessons teach you how to develop your own style. Learn and practice the moves in the privacy of your home, and with a little dedication and perseverance, you’ll confidently hit the dance floors.
You Know How to Dance; Now the Fun Begins
The amount of people passionately dedicated to salsa dancing is on the rise. Why? Because dancing truly makes people feel alive. After you have spent time visiting different local salsa nightclubs in your area, a nightclub hiatus will be well deserved. So where else can you dance salsa? Salsa venues exist all over the world including The International Salsa Congress. This event takes place all over the world, from China to Switzerland. These festivals, which usually last for two to five days, consist of dance shows and competitions that motivate you to perfect your dance technique. Well-known Latin bands perform nightly and a multitude of workshops offer lessons in afro-cuban rumba, salsa swing, and tricks and dips to name a few. For links to upcoming Salsa Congress Events, look up http://www.alberttorresevents.com/congress/.
Ok, so maybe the salsa congress isn’t what you are looking for. If you feel that you are ready for something a little more original, why not try a Salsa Cruise. Salsa cruise ships usually offer the same highlights as the salsa congress: concerts, dance shows, and workshops. It’s a salsa congress on water heading to hotspot destinations like the Bahamas or the Mexican Riviera. Salsacrazy.com/travel and salsacruise.com are great websites to inquire about more details if you are ready to party like a salsa rockstar.
Following these three easy steps will officially make you a salsa aficionado. Tripping and stepping on people will be only a faint memory of the dancer you were. You will become a salsera moving across the floor with a rare combination of elegance, spunk, and fervor. Azucar!!!!!

My Engagement Party

My engagement with Ted was definitely something I wanted to celebrate with my friends and family, so on March 1st Geraldine and Albert were nice enough to host my engagement party. That Friday my mother flew in from Florida and surprised me at work. Having here at our engagement party was very special. My boss let me take off from work and my mom and I spent some quality time together. The next morning morning we went to the LA Flower market to scope out the selection for my wedding. I couldn't believe how many amazing flowers were all in just one place. We said that we were "just going to look" but we ended up buying the most amazing hydrangeas, I fell in love with its purple color instantaneously, and some other purple flowers that I can't even pronounce. I also took her to the Los Angeles River Center which is where I'm getting married next summer. She loved the place just as much as I do.


The party was a blast. Geraldine bought me purple calla lilies and even Dan and Magda bought me some that were already planted in a pot. (Unfortunately, I haven't been able to keep them alive. They are not easy to grow.) We danced a little and played some of Albert's instruments while listening to salsa music. Everyone was so generous giving money, which we will be using for the wedding, and home items that I am very excited to use once we are married. The best gift we got was from Ted's parents who gave us a tea set that was given to them for their engagement party in Romania. Now we have family heirloom that I will treasure forever.

Seattle

Want to go to a place where you might get whacked in the face by a fish, see Starbucks on every street corner and get rained on? Well, Seattle is the place for you. Actually, there's more to Seattle than that. I didn't know what to expect before we went but I ended up loving it. The first place we visited was Pike Place Market. When I was studying at Chapman University I saw a documentary about these fisherman throwing fish when customers ordered it. The premise was about how you can enjoy your job and make it fun no matter what you do, even if you sell fish all day. So when I saw these guys in action, it meant more to me after having seen the documentary. We actually bought fish from the market for Ted's parents and carried it on the plane.

That same night we ended up at a cool wine bar/restaurant. Ted ordered a flight of wine and I was astonished with how much wine and alcohol this place had. It was great because we were able to order cheese samples and tapas while we tasted the wine.

The next day we hit up many of Seattle's attractions: Space Needle, Experience Music Museum, Safeco Baseball Field, and the Underground. The Underground was my favorite. We had the funniest tour guide who lead us as we toured the subterranean passages that were once the main roads and first floors of store-fronts in downtown Seattle. Above us were people walking on sidewalks. It was incredible. Now that I'm home I get all the funny jokes about Seattle when I watch reruns of Frasier.

My B-day

My April birthday was a great celebration that lasted a whole weekend. My best friend Carol's birthday is just two days after mine so we usually celebrate together. Carol has definitely taught me to live it up for my birthday. Normally just going out for a simple dinner sufficed but Carol inspires me to really celebrate it to its fullest and that's exactly what we did.

Friday started with a girls-night out dinner at the Irvine Spectrum. Carol and I got our haircut before and did a little shopping. Saturday Carol, her husband Enrique, Ted, and I all met up at the Biltmore Hotel in L.A. where we stayed Saturday night. In the afternoon we went out for sushi and had some drinks and then met our other friends at the restaurant Besos in Hollywood. There was a mistake with our reservations so we weren't able to sit together so we ended up sitting with boys and girls separated. How elementary!!! It was pretty comical. Besos is Eva Longoria's new, upscale Mexican restaurant. The ambiance was exquisite and the drinks were good. Ted fell in love with this drink they had which was basically lemon, blackberries, simple syrup, and vodka. We ended the night having more drinks at the bar in the restaurant. Gosh, we sound like winos!

Sunday Ted's parents threw me a BBQ party. It was a lot of fun. I finally feel like I have my own family who I can celebrate my birthday with, which was very special for me. Ted's parents made their home beautiful with purple flowers and candles, which is my favorite color and of course, the food was amazing as usual. I feel like I got spoiled this birthday and I really feel grateful for all the beautiful gifts and for having everyone there to celebrate with me.

I'm Engaged

On Friday, December 14 Ted asked me to marry him. It was the last day of work before I started my three week vacation. We were having a small Christmas Party at my house and Ted was already at my house preparing sushi before I returned home from work. Ted tells me that he bought me a "little something" for Christmas and he motioned toward a small decorated box under the tree. The week before he bought me an ornament so I was expecting another small but sweet gift.

He said that I could open it today or on Christmas and that it was up to me. I can't resist waiting to open gifts so I told him that I wanted to open it right then and there. I opened the red box and inside there was another box and inside that box was another. I finally got to the last box and it had candy in it. I looked at it dumbfounded so he quickly said that there was another box inside.

I removed the small, black, velvet box and it still did not hit me that he was about to propose. I thought they were earrings or a necklace. Ted said, "Before you open it up, I want to tell you something." I thought he was going to say, "It's not what you think it is." But instead he said, "I want you to know that I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

I had imagined this moment before countless times and I always pictures myself saying, "Yes!" loud and clear but instead I said "Really?" I was so surprised and shocked. He said, "Yes, really".
"Yes!!!" I said. We kissed and then I opened the velvet box and saw my beautiful ring. Ted picked it and I love that he chose it for me. I love it!!! Ted was planning on asking me on Christmas Eve, which I suspected. He had a hunch that I knew so he had an epiphany while he was cooking and thought that the day of our Christmas party would be a better day. He knew I would be surprised and it was also a great opportunity to tell all our friends in person. He decided that he would tell me that I could open the gift whenever I wanted to and the day I wanted to open it, would be the day that he would propose.
We called our parents immediately and they were overjoyed and took a quick picture of ourselves to remember that moment. When my friends arrived we told everyone individually and they all congratulated and embraced us. It was a great party. We played a White Elephant game and danced later in the night. It was a special night that I will remember forever.

My favorite songs for 2007

So here it is... My first list of favorite songs for the year. I have to thank my friend, Salina, who is a music aficionado for getting me to do this. 2007 was very good to me. I started the year in Belgium visiting my sister Tylene, went to Costa Rica for an all-girl's trip, visited Maui with Ted, went to Portland for an amazing wedding (Tiffany and Cory's), spent Thanksgiving in Florida with my parents so they could meet Ted. I also got a new job as an Assistant Principal, but most importantly... I met the love of my life: Ted. Along with him I have a new family and great friends. I also just got engaged and can't wait to start a new era in my life with him.

Back to music...These songs remind me of my life in 2007 and they are all songs that I adore. I hope that I will introduce you to some new artists whose work I admire and enjoy. Send me your list too. Happy New Year. May 2008 bring you lots of love, happiness, and health.


10. "Everything's Just Wonderful" Lily Allen Salina introduced me to this British singer. This song reminds me of the beginning of the year when I came back from visiting my sister in Belgium. The song is about how the media constantly bombards women with images of skinny models and how we buy into it. Ladies, let's be proud of our curves. Screw the diet!!!

9. "A Eme O" - Andrea Echeverri* I think of driving with Ted to the Joshua Tree concert and singing this song. Andrea Echeverri explains how since her baby was born she can now spell the word "Amorcito" and how her baby awakened a new love in her. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DrxmgK0Zv7UM

8. "Mujer Policia" Los Amigos Invisibles* Ted introduced me to this song. The band was one of our first common interests. I was very impressed that he knew who they were and he had tons of their songs on his Ipod. He put this song on one of the CDs he made me.We went to the Joshua Tree Music festival and met the band. They put on a great concert and the singer even had me sing the chorus to one of his songs. Check them out: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=3Duser.viewprofile&friendID==

7. "Lluvia Con Nieve" - Charanga New York* A classic latin groove mixed with jazz, that makes me get up and dance. The song consists of timbales, guiro, violins, flute, piano and conga drums. Very Nu Yorican. I was just dancing in my bedroom to it. I do some serious Boricua dancing with this song. Whepaaaaaa!!!!!!!!

6. *"El Cantante" Hector Lavoe A classic. Hector Lavoe's life was very tragic. He was involved in drugs and struggled with depression. In this song he sings about how people pay him to sing and how everyone thinks he has a great life but when the show ends he is like the average guy with laughter and pain in his life. His music: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=3Duser.viewprofile&friendID=

5. "los cerros" Maneja Beto A band from Texas who are unknown. I heard them on a podcast and feel in love with their sound and dragged Ted to see them live in LA. We actually got to meet them. Cool guys. This song reminds me of when we first started dating. Their music is a mix between cumbia, alternative K-Rockish, and rancheras. You won't be disappointed if
you like the Spanish Rock scene. Check them out http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=3Duser.viewprofile&friendID


4. "Bartender" (feat. Akon) T-Pain Every now and then, I want to step away from Spanish music and hear hip-hop. Just a fun club song to dance to.

3. "Acid" Ray Barretto Released in 1972, but one of my favorites for 2007, Ray Barreto mixes boogaloo, Latin soul, and jazz in "Acid". This is one of the greatest recordings from the history of New York Latin music.

2. "Yo Soy Asi" Los Amigos Invisibles This song has the best video. It's so funny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DhDzDtLYNx-A I love the video so much that I put it on my myspace page. The band sings about how you you should act and be who you are without giving a shit about what other people
think. Hell yeah!!!!!!!

1. "Di Que Me Amas" - Alex Cuba Band This is Ted's and my song. We just love it. We would listen to it when we first started going out while drinking wine in my living room. It's #1 becauseI think of Ted every time I hear it Aaaaahhhhhhh