Along the sounds of his guitar

The breeze today is a lot colder than yesterday. Makes you want to stay home and listen to your favorite music, read a couple of articles of an interior design magazine, drink chamomile tea and take a picture.
Too bad I don't have a camera yet, and I have too much to do here for some tea. Maybe later today. If I get things in order. The music is on, though. The delightful John Mayer and his Village Sessions.
Just delicious.

I was thinking of that picture taken years ago by some stranger

I was thinking last night, and I don't remember why, that someone I don't know has my picture. I have this very clear memory of the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve in 2001 that I was in Monte Alban, Oaxaca, Mexico with my dad, Lidi, Annette and Nicco. We were on our way back to El Salvador from Mexico City and stopped by the ruins in Monte Alban while we waited in Oaxaca for a day to take the bus to Tapachula and then the one to San Salvador.

Lidi and I had already been to Monte Alban a couple of weeks before, when we were on the trip from El Salvador to Mexico City to spend a few weeks with my dad. I loved those 3 weeks in Mexico, but that day we were tired and Monte Alban was fresh in our memories, so we weren't so excited about it. We were dragging behind the group, taking our time looking at things, sitting down and taking in the experience in a more relaxed way than we had a 3 weeks before. That day was foggy, I remember that, and a little chilly. The type of chill that goes away with the fog and that makes you take off your jacket after a few minutes of walking.

Lidi and I sat down in a rock that was in the middle of a raised area and stayed there for a few minutes. Through the fog, I saw this guy taking a few pictures of us. It was early in the day and Monte Alban was almost empty, save us and another group of people. This guy had a semi professional camera and I bet it wasn't digital. Digital toys weren't so accessible back then and people still used film a lot. He looked like he could have been gringo, but I've learned since then that looks don't mean that much. I looked at him and didn't move. I told Lidi what he was doing, but we were so tired that we decided to not care about the photo shoot. No poses, no smiles, no introductions to our stranger admirer. But it stuck with me, what did he see in us to take out picture, was that scene so funny or interesting, two girls sitting on a rock on top of an Aztec platform in a foggy morning. I would like to see that picture, although I have it saved in my head, in my memory, like so many other things, places and dates.

Hello Spring!

Today is the first day of Spring in this side of the world, and I am happy to announce that today my hopes for a good, semi-professional camera are up. I will be getting it within 2 weeks and I am happy.

I hope in the mean time you enjoy this mobile photo of early Spring.


Love, B.

I have to tell you about this book

I am a big fan of classics, history novels, and travel books. But I have a chic lit guilty pleasure... Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez's books. I have read all of them, well, all except Haters. I don't know about that one. I came upon her writing when Amy bought me The Dirty Girls Social Club as a belated birthday present a couple of years ago. Three years ago, actually, 2005. We were at the mall and the book was on sale. I had heard of it from another friend before and wanted to read it, so Amy got it for me and six months later I read it and loved it. It was fun. Then I got Playing with Boys, again, on sale. And I loved it. I think of the three books I've read of hers, this one is my favorite. She focuses on less characters and so their lines in the story are drawn better. In the couple of creative writing classes I took, I learned to identify her style and point of view. The first two books were all in first person from each character's view point, but this last one, the one I just finished, Make Him Look Good, was different. She used first person again, but in addition to it she used third person (in some cases omniscient, in some others a little more limited). And on this one there was a lot more characters than in the others books. It limited the depth in the story of each of them, but it was fun and refreshing coming from her. I was a bit surprised to get even the point of view from a couple of characters... non-human characters. And I'm going to leave it at that in case you want to read the book.
I had so much fun reading this book. From last night I couldn't stop reading until this morning. Okay, okay, I gave me a couple of hours of sleep, but that was because I was truly tired. I got through half the book just in these few hours.
And I'm no book critic. But I have decided I'm going to stick with Valdes-Rodriguez as my guilty book pleasure. And who knows, maybe I'll find Haters on sale one of these days and read it too. Did I mention this last book I found it on sale too at Barnes & Noble last month? This is the one I finished faster. Good deal. Now I'll move on to reading Through Painted Deserts by Don Miller.

Consejo

"Y si llegas a tropezar en tu camino,
no escondas la cara, aunque hayas caído,
tendrás que aprender, para recomenzar;
que es mejor ser honesto y empezar de cero,
que urdir un atajo por llegar primero,
y a Dios no podrás engañarle jamás;
Y si buscas primero el Reino de los Cielos
verás añadidos todos tus deseos,
y aún en la noche oscura de tu corazón,
brillarás como el oro puro de verdad,
como el águila en vuelo te remontarás,
volverás a ver brillar la luz del sol"

 

I knew getting to the Marcos Vidal cassette was going to be awesome. I am excited about life. I am getting new light in my heart. I am healing. I feel great! Gracias Padre!

 

THROWBACK! ....Usando Cassettes

So my car doesn't have a CD player and I haven't got one of those iTrips that allow you to listen to your iPod through the radio, so I hit a very obscure place in my house... the music box. Not just any type of music, but CASSETTE TAPES. And I found the music I brought with me from El Salvador. I think 100% of it is Christian music, so this morning I was singing along Michael Rodriguez y su banda and the Mi Barca song. B-E-A-utiful! I love listening to that... and I can't wait till I get to the Marcos Vidal tape. I only have one concern and that is that with warm weather coming along, I don't remember if I can just leave those tapes out in the car all day long or if they're going to melt or something. I don't want Marcos Vidal melting, specially because if it messes up, I don't think I'll buy a CD to replace that cassette. Just sayin.

"Do you know what it feels like to be the last one to know the lock on the door has changed?"

I am excited about 95/08 the new Enrique Iglesias CD. hehehe... oh well, after the little commercial and the signing, there's no even need to say that I am feeling much better and I'm really glad last week is over. It was a hard time for me and my health. getting older sure hit me hard!
Sickness apart, I keep trying to figure our how to use wordpress themes. I should read up some on php scripting. I think that's where all my problems lay right now.
Mmmm... i want more pineapple, but my lips can't handle another bite. There's still quite red from the last bite.. OF PINEAPPLE. oh lordy! This has been a random post. I better go. Uh.... it's getting hot in here. And this is no temperature hitting again, I hope. shoo shooo.

Being sick is no fun

:'(

Video de cumpleaños

Por respeto a la peticion de la autora de no publicar este video en el internet, con afan de protejer su futuro profesional, he decidido no ponerlo en youtube o myspace.

GRACIAS POR EL POPURRI DE CUMPLEAÑOS PAULI!!!!!!!

Early celebrations of tomorrow's VEINTITRES

The celebrations began early and will most likely last for another week. I'm turning 23 tomorrow and I am excited. It feels strange how I'm one of the older ones in my group of friends here. I was always one of the younger ones of my friends in El Salvador. Still am. They're all turning 24 this year... at least the majority of them. Anna and Becky backed me cookies, brownies and a wonderful cake on Friday and we headed to Hugo's to celebrate with them and a couple of other friends. Fun times, fun times... specially the gnome story I heard from Tony and Anna. I'm still laughing at that one.
And all these pictures are courtesy of Anna.
And then, yesterday, I got a packet from la Pauli with a bday card, three AWESOME and unbelievable funny pictures of us a few years back (los años nos han sentado bien, Pau!). And a cd full of pictures of her California times. There's the other cd with a video that says I shouldn't see until March 10th. I can't wait to see it :D

Muchas gracias por hacer este cumpleaños tan especial. I am very grateful for my friends and family. I get to eat cake with the family today :D

It's supposed to be snowing

But it's not. I bet everyone's wishing for snow, or a snow day, rather. I wish I was in a warm place. I'm ready for summer. Not even spring, no, I need summer. I need fireflies and the smell of freshly cut grass, even when i'm the one that has to cut it.

I got this from El Salvador. It makes my heart sink. Yo tambien quiero una minutita con jalea de tamarindo. Y un mango twist. Y despues, de seguro una alka seltzer. :) "Puedo escribir los versos mas tristes esta noche." So I better just go to bed and keep dreaming of home.

Counting blessings

Today is March 1st and that means in 9 more days I'll turn 23 years old. There's a mix of thoughts, feelings, and images going through my head as I think of it.

In the past couple of months I've lived days one by one and sometimes they come together in memory as one and some days are brighter and clearer in my head. I've been quiet and loud. Thinking about goals reached and greater things. Having trouble processing life with words and images.

And there are material blessings for which I'm very thankful for. A new (to me), more reliable car. A new phone... camera phone. The car has working a/c and heat. I am very grateful for the heat. And the camera phone is helping me alleviate my need of freezing moments. Since my camera broke last year in July, I've needed some outlet. I kept using the camera, even when the image was half blurry. But now I have the mobile phone helping me get the inspiration I need.

These almost-23 years of age get me thinking. I've lived 3 more years than what April was given, and I'm only 4 years short than what Maria Ines was given. Life is precious and these two lost friends of mine remind me of it every single day. I feel young and old at the same time. I stand by my little cousins and my aunts and uncles. I'm in between, and sometimes, alone. Unique. Figuring out things as I go. No role model set, not a found path before me.

I'm thankful. For every smile I've seen, for every laugh I've heard, for every time my stomach hurt for laughing so much. And I can't wait for more. New friends, old friends. So many of them have left so many to come. I want flowers for my birthday. Sunflowers. Or roses. There's not much more I can ask for.