The Weekend I thought I would Die!

My friends...
 I don't understand why I get home from work so tired and hungry that by the time I reload its already too late for anything- so that results in a little "my pants don't fit, I need a moment", moment.
BUT THIS IS CHANGING
My beautiful friend (sistah) Allesandra ( Sorry, I must share: Lindsay Lohan's double) is great! She motivated me to go over her casa all the waayyyyyyyyy to Long Beach, we rode our bikes across downtown and to THE REEF (a restaurant) for Salsa Night-- It wassss amaaaaaaaazinnng!
I've always had a love for dancing and "shakin' it which I got from my mother. I enjoy it and realized it is my perfect cardio activity and hobby. I feel very optimistic and I am even buying dancing shoes this weekend!
My goal is not the whole weight thing.. I just need to be active and get better at what I enjoy. Motivation and persistence is the hard part.

Well.... the title of this is really about a 3 day- 30k hike I did from Quetzaltenango to San Pedro La Laguna. It is just a reminder that I can do anything I set myself to do.. because I forget sometimes.
That weekend my awesome British friend and coworker, Alice, convinced Jamil ( the energitic Habitat for Humanity Researcher who is really a Guatemalan @ heart, and a great cuate) and I to take on a challenging hike. We naively agreed, later I learned Jamil had the same doubts as I-- YES! i wasn't the only one :P jeje. At first I thought.. "pff.. piece of cake, I like hikes this will be fun."
I even forgot about it, brushed off and worked my usual 6pm - midnight shifts at EL Cuartito (the cafe I waitressed at)
REALITY CHECK came to me in a harsh form when all the party gringos and chapines (guatemalans) did not leave El Cuartito .. it was 11:00 and the reggae band kept playing their Bob Marley and Manu Chao covers.TO think I still had to do the dishes, wait for Sarita ( the kitchen manager) to clean the kitchen, pay me for the night, and lock all 20 million doors ... made me squirm- I had to meet Alice and the others at 5:50 am! As I was cleaning, my young cougar host mom decided for a night out in Xela .. how rude of me not to want to come along, right? ughhh
At this point I made a bad decision. I succumbed to my 23 year old brain: "Do it, you only live once".. of course I had to go dance at Argyle (the after party place) .. why sleep anyway?
by 3:45ish I was hating myself.. babysitting was no fun.
My 18 year old little host brother decided to "walk" a girl home so his mom and I had to cover up for him.. or else his dad would get upset. This meant everyone in my room! grr..there it goes... I spent 24 hrs awake before going on the Hike from hell.. and it was only horrible because of my lack of sleep ..

We walked for 10 hours the first day and all the other hike groups got there first. The first night we slept in tents in a small caserio up in the mountains. My body was beyond tired due to lack of sleep and to top it off-- (BOYS: DON"T READ THIS PART) -- I got my period...in the wilderness. Nothing is ever as bad as it seems though, I had the amazing experience to bathe in a traditional temazcal or sweat lodge... It was amazing!
Toto- our guide made the meals.. and we helped. 4 of us slept in a tent.. squeezed in there, but nice and warm.
THe following morning was glorious! Amazing views and far away from the world.
I have sooooo much more to say about this hike.. (But will save for next time)

 So, when I am feeling sluggish and not in the "mood" for salsa I will remember how deep in my little soul lies more than an ounce of motivation and determination.



check out the pics and vids!

Sombrero and a Quienceañera

We live in a world where political incorrectness is frowned on. There are instances where things are said inappropriately, at the wrong place, wrong moment, by the wrong person or simply just wrong! It is truly hard to decipher what crosses the line and what does not, I admit. I have yet to draw my own boundaries, especially when it comes to gender, race, and religion. To me little sexist joke is funny and never hurt anyone- (This is probably wrong for me to say, being a woman and all) haha
being a Latina- some jokes are funny especially the ones making fun of growing up in America (George Lopez, Mencia, Alex Reymundo.. etc.) even Anjelah Johnson's "Nail Salon" skit is funny, she narrates the experience that many of us (women) have when visiting a nail shop; complete with a Vietnamese woman's accent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsWrY77o77o ** Check it out**

"Sombrero and a Quienceañera" is the title of this entry because while the bus drove through the e USC/ MLK Jr Area, there was an older African American gentleman- in his 60s.. maybe. He shared his $3 million dollar architecture project with the passengers. He was speaking quite loudly.. his story didn't seem too interesting until I heard: MEXICAN SOMBRERO and a QUIENCEANERA! these two words in a sentence sound funny to me especially coming out this particula gentleman's sentence.. Was he making fun of those two Mexican staples? Was he generalizing?
He shared his unemployment story with the Berkeley grad Computer Programmer guy that always enters the bus at the Florence and Crenshaw stop ;) (something I also overheard). He was very articulate and mentioned big firms, projects and buildings in the LA area- but still, something did not seem right. Then he went on to say he was divorced and had not seen his kids in years, he was unsure if they had moved with their Norwegian mother to Mexico or New Mexico but when he made a vist he would surely take his daughter A MEXICAN SOMBRERO and celebrate her QUINCEANERA!!! to other people this may sound ignorant or improper but it made me laugh :) ... hey! at least he knows about the Mexican culture, right?
What is improper though is a topless "gringa" inebriated on the beach of cabo san lucas wearing one an screaming, "Quiero mas Tequila !" thinking this is Mexican culture.

Moral of the Story:
Sombreros and Quienceañeras have made their way into American culture. Sixty years ago these terms were probably alien to many Americans.. not the case anymore (at least in California). What they probably don't know is that a sombrero is worn all over Latin America and has different purposes: work, style, status , and occasion. The sombrero we see depicted and generalized in America and sold by the dozens in Rosarito is the sombrero mariachis wear in Jalisco. The word sombrero comes from "sombra" meaning shade in Spanish. So, a sombrero is not solely "Mexican."
On the other hand, a quienceañera is a coming of age celebration for girls which originated from the Tolteca and Aztec traditions. Although speaking to the UNAM secretary at my workplace, a Quience is a celebration formulated by  the Spaniards in the New World. It is beleived that after the celebration a girl got engaged and moved into her future husband's home. Now it symbolizes (it did for me) a big dress and the permission to "date". When I was 12 I asked my dad when I could date, he said 15 and once I was 15 he changed it to 18! hahah
My quince meant I had a new cell phone and lots of money!  :) it was indeed, the day I felt like a true señorita.