Moving.... Again.

So it's time to prep for my new journey... Orlando!

If you are my friend or know me, you must be thinking I'm crazy. Not for moving to Orlando , but because I keep moving. Seven months ago, I was living in New Jersey, working in Manhattan and feeling completely miserable. So I decided to move back to my country, Puerto Rico. Well, I've had five fantastic months of doing absolutely nothing and two months of pure work aggravation. What can I say... Some people should not be allowed to leave their houses. That's all Ima say 'bout that!

After careful consideration (and still pondering) I have come to the conclusion that I need to go back to the States. Although I would love, love, LOVE to stay here, it's just not an option at this moment for me. I can deal with the Summer heat. I can deal with the bad work conditions. I can deal with the morons I encounter on the highway every morning and every afternoon. I can deal with the stupidity that surrounds me every day. I can deal with not having as much money as I used to. I can deal with not living in a "city" where everything is accessible 24/7. I can even deal with the total absence of nightlife. But... you know what I can't deal with? I can't deal with not having enough cell phone signal to make phone calls whenever my lil heart desires. I can't deal with wanting to buy something online, and being declined the product because the seller won't ship here. I can't deal with being all excited about a movie that's coming out and then find out that the movie won't show here because there's no market for it. I can't deal with wanting to watch a show from CW, NBC or any other TV Network and not being allowed to because of my "geographic region". I can't deal with applying for a job, getting hired, to later find out that I'll be doing 5 other jobs in addition to the one I was hired for (its happened to me THREE times!). I can't deal with the fact that we are not allowed to stream movies from Amazon.com or Netflix (sign petition here) and who knows what other businesses. I can't deal with going to a fast food restaurant and having to wait 30 minutes for my food because the cashier and the food dispatcher have not finished their conversation about the non-happenings of last night. I can't deal with the continuous CableTV service outages.

All these might not be enough for you to make a move, but they are certainly enough for me. And even though I'm a lil scared of moving once again... I'm actually looking forward to it and see what's in store for me.

Orlando events and discounts @CentralFLTop5, @CenterdinOrlndo, @DealmapOrlando.
Websites to read: Orlando Blog, Orlando Centinel , and Downtown Orlando.
Pictures (Source, Source)

Heneiken sumthin sumthin fest

I live in a ghost town where nothing really happens. No good bars. No good places to go. DEAD night life...

But every now and again something like this happens, and everybody and their mother assists (specially if its free! lol). There was a pretty big crowd at this event and surprisingly enough, no crazy shit happened (which I'm proud of).

I am happy I got to share this experience with a good friend and SUPER EXCITED I got to see my very favorite rock band La Secta All Star play live. Last time I got to see them play was 2002! YIKES!

ABSOLUTE GREATNESS!!!

I can die happy now. Just sayin.

More of them HERE, Twittah them @lasectaallstar, LAMEbook HERE, Utube HERE

Recalculating

Sometimes life throws these curve balls… and I’m no baseball player!

So I’m here finally! Puerto Rico. My country. The same one I missed for years. Wondering. Wishing. Hoping. Now what?

I relocated with a game plan. Do the same type of work I did in the past. Save some money. Then… launch my company. Surprise, surprise!!! That shit ain’t gonna fly. I have been interviewing a whole lot. Landed 2 jobs and both of them I decided to not keep. Why? Because I didn’t like them. I spent four years of my life hating my job, which made me miserable and therefore made me hate my life. I understand that work is work, and also, that money is money. BUT, I had money, more than most of the people I know ever had or could dream of. I wasn’t rich, but I was comfortable financially. Personally, I’d be fine with not liking my job. I mean, who the hell actually likes HAVING to work to pay rent and bills and whatnot? But hating the place where you have to be 8 full hours… 5 times per week!?! NO THANKS!

So here I am at 32 years old, trying to figure out what to do with my “professional” life. Which part of the island to station at? What type of job market should I target? If there’s something I have plenty of, is time.


For now, I’ll just dip in the pool, browse the classifieds, tend my FarmVille and Café World, have mommy and daughter time, spoil Butters and visit friends. Until the day comes, when I have to join the all growed up club once again.

Until then…

What counts?

One of the very things I love about this island is... The people!

Yes... there are assholes and morons everywhere in the world, and Puerto Rico is no exception, BUT I will say most puertorricans (based on my experience) are very "educados" and I dare to say that 7 out of 10 will:

- Say "buen provecho"
- Say "buenas tardes/dias/noches"
- Say "gracias"
- Hold the door open for you or simply open the door just for you (To that guy at the post office who RAN to open my door cause I was caring a box... THANK YOU)
- Smile when you send a smile their way
- Offer their help without being asked

I mean, I don't think I have ever been in a town, city or country where I received such treatment, all in just one month.

And some still ask me "Why did you move back"???

Its the lil things what counts for me.

Si yo fuera presidente...

I'd make a law where it would be MANDATORY to have at least one 6 feet all mirror in ever household.No, lady! Walking around like THIS in Old San Juan (and pretty much make everybody and their grandmothers look at you) is NOT right!

If you don't have the body for it, please... DON'T WEAR IT!

YUCK!

Naughty

Nature can be funny sometimes.

This one is from my last trip to El Yunque.

*Giggles*

Double Take

Just when I thought I'd seen "everything", I find this at the Fajardo Ferry Station...

I mean... REALLY???? LOL!

Edible Curiosities

God bless Mr. @guity for finding this place and sharing it with me. This was puertorrican deliciousness in a cup and @itsbrittbritt and yours truly enjoyed it till the very last drop! Nothing compares to el cafe puertorriqueno!!!

My coffee was Twittahlicious!!

Fried Angels

I am surely a glutton for all things fried. And since I eat to make MY SOUL happy and my tummy quiet...

I stuffed myself with these!!!

Nothing compares to our ricas frituras. How did I live without these?!?!?

Resolutions

Its a new year and with it... the promise of a new start. New life. We get one more chance to right the wrongs we did in the past. Why we choose this one particular day to do so is beyond my comprehension, so I'll just blame it on tradition and on with it.

I have a couple of life changing events lined up already. I am FINALLY moving back to my lil toasty island (after 7 1/2 years of intermitent absence).

I never knew life as an adult in Puerto Rico, since I left the country right after my college graduation, so this should be interesting and very new.

Even though this is a pretty big change by itself, I have decided to make a list of the things I want to happen in 2010...

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best!

Pa 'tras ni pa cogellll impulso! ;-)

Nom nom nom

Monfongo is made by mashing tostones with garlic, and bacon.
Here's what you'll need:

3 or 4 green plantains, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Fresh garlic to taste (chopped)
4 slices of bacon
Salt to taste (or you can use Adobo)
Cooked bacon (crumbled)
Frying oil

Procedure:

Sautee the bacon slices until most of the fat has melted.

Fry the plantain slices over medium to medium-high heat in a deep pan with your favorite frying oil. Remove when the slices begin to turn crisp.

In a large mortar, mash the plantain slices with the pestle, a few at a time, adding the bacon and seasoning mixture (salt (or adobo) and garlic) gradually.

The plantains should form a thick, hard mass.

OR: hollow each ball out in the middle and fill with any tasty dish in a sauce. Some favorites are shrimp (Mofongo Relleno de Camarones), lobster (Mofongo Relleno de Langosta) and stewed chicken (Mofongo Relleno de Pollo).

OR: make little "meatball" size balls and put them in your chicken soup or stick a toothpick on them and serve them as an appetizer at a party or friends get together.

Experiment! It's ok to have fun with your food!

BUEN PROVECHO!

Perdido no mas

Al que se le ocurrio esto hay que darle una

¡ESO ESSSSSSS!

I just want to take a minute and say HOW PROUD NOTA HAS MADE ME FEEL OF MY ROOTS! I go every day about my day without thinking where I’m from or where I came from, BUT Nota definitely reminded me and awakened that pride! For that… I THANK YOU!

Nota, I rooted for you since the first Sing-off show, and voted for you till my fingers went numb and I am really glad and proud of your achievements. Your dream has only begun and I truly hope all of you as a group show the world lo que es el talento puertorriqueño.

Desde el fondo de mi corazón les digo:

Nota

Excerpt taken from http://www.notavocal.com/

"The concept of NOTA was created by six male vocalists from Puerto Rico that have sung together for over 15 years in different a cappella groups. They are a unique Latino vocal band that bring a fusion of different styles while reinventing their vocal capabilities to make unforgettable rhythmic sounds.

This gifted vocal band harmonizes and performs without the accompaniment of instruments. Vocally reproducing all the instruments of the Latin orchestra - percussion, keyboards, bass, and all the other instruments has been their forte.

As Puertoricans, they bring alive a blend of salsa, hip-hop, reggaeton, r&b and merengue, with a hint of jazz. This is what NOTA calls vocal fusion."

OH MAH GAWD!!! I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard this group sing last night at “The Sing-off”. The Sing-off is a new (week long) NBC show where 8 singing groups join to compete for… well… I don’t know what the prize is but whatever. Nota were there first contestants to perform and let me tell you, they knocked it out of the park! This group is AMAZING! Their talent is immeasurable! The soul, the melody, the tunes, the performance, the voices, the sounds, PERFECTION! I was in a state of awe by the end of their performance and SO WERE THE JUDGES. Nota were the ONLY contestants that didn’t get criticism from the judges. THAT’S how good they were! I’ll be tuning in every day this week just to see Nota doing their thing on TV.

As soon as they drop an album, I’ll be one of the first to buy!

Follow them on Twitter --- >> @notacappella

Their web page is --- >> http://www.notavocal.com/

Their YouTube channel is --- >> http://www.youtube.com/user/NOTAVOCAL

Pimpin!

LOL! Well... THIS car is certainly NOT pimpim, but it IS the fruit of my puertorrican savings and I am very proud to announce that yesterday, my mom purchased this car for me with my hard earned money!
Funny thing is this... When I left Puerto Rico to move to NY Metro, I had to sell my Mitsubishi. Since living in NY Metro, I've only owned a Chevrolet car and an SUV. Now that I am moving back to my lil beautiful island... I'm owning a Mitsubishi again?

Cute.

When I arrive in Puerto Rico, I'll have WHEELS!!!

I. WANT. TO. DRIVE. IT. NOW!!!!!!!