July 28, 2008
Stranded at the airport
I've been stranded at the airport since yesterday. Crappy weather in Philadelphia and Boston have led to the cancellation of dozens of flights. Don't know when I'll be getting back home. Hopefully later today!
July 26, 2008
Top 5
"Music is the greatest good that mortals know."
- Joseph Addison
I'm going to start using this blog as a tool to update you guys on what kind of music I'm listening to. Every Saturday I will post my favorite 5 songs of the week for you guys to check out. Hey, you might find your new favorite jam. Listen to them!
Number 1
Antonio Jose "Te Traigo Flores"
This kid has TALENT.
Number 2
Ximena Saridana Vidas Paralelas
Number 3
Chetes "Completamente"
Number 4
中国加油！！北京加油！！韩庚加油！！
Welcome To Beijing...
Number 5
Metro Station "Shake it" (I know, I know WAY too popy .... But hey its CATCHY!)
- Joseph Addison
I'm going to start using this blog as a tool to update you guys on what kind of music I'm listening to. Every Saturday I will post my favorite 5 songs of the week for you guys to check out. Hey, you might find your new favorite jam. Listen to them!
Number 1
Antonio Jose "Te Traigo Flores"
This kid has TALENT.
Number 2
Ximena Saridana Vidas Paralelas
Number 3
Chetes "Completamente"
Number 4
中国加油！！北京加油！！韩庚加油！！
Welcome To Beijing...
Number 5
Metro Station "Shake it" (I know, I know WAY too popy .... But hey its CATCHY!)
July 23, 2008
When in Roma. Do as the Romans do?
I also got the chance to visit Roma, a unique city known for its amazing architecture, spacious parks, lively art scene and AMAZING food.
No... I did not travel to Roma, Italia. I visited Roma, Mexico.
Roma is a very popular neighborhood known for its picturesque parks and buildings. There is a strong European influence in the way the neighborhood was constructed. Most buildings are of Parisian style architecture.
Roma is largely inhabited by Lebanese and Jewish immigrants as well as young yuppies seeking to revive the art scene the city has been known for throughout its history.
I really like Roma and Condesa and wouldn't mind living there for a few years.
July 21, 2008
Santa Fe, Distrito Federal, Mexico
I finally got the chance to upload my pictures from Mexico City.
My familia lives in Toluca which is a suburb of Mexico on the west side of La Marquesa National Forest. It's about an hour away from Mexico City and half an hour from Santa Fe.
Not a lot of Americans have heard about Santa Fe, Mexico unless they are involved with international business or marketing. The reason being is that Santa Fe is relatively a new part of the city. Back in 1985, there was a horrible earth quake near the Centro Historico. This caused a lot of people and businesses to migrate to the west of the city which was largely undeveloped land. The land was perfect for development. It was situated between two high-income neighborhoods and was directly located on the toll road connecting Toluca with Mexico City.
So city planners got busy and created a master-planned business, residential, and educational community. all surrounded by one of the largest malls in North America. Within twenty years Santa Fe has grown from a small town to Mexico City's largest business powerhouse districts.
It has very modern architecture and amazing landscapes. Santa Fe is on of Mexico's fastest growing areas. 8 Million shoppers visit the mall alone each year! I got the chance to tour the city with my familia. We had the family driver give us a tour of the town. A def. must see for everyone who visits the city.
My familia lives in Toluca which is a suburb of Mexico on the west side of La Marquesa National Forest. It's about an hour away from Mexico City and half an hour from Santa Fe.
Not a lot of Americans have heard about Santa Fe, Mexico unless they are involved with international business or marketing. The reason being is that Santa Fe is relatively a new part of the city. Back in 1985, there was a horrible earth quake near the Centro Historico. This caused a lot of people and businesses to migrate to the west of the city which was largely undeveloped land. The land was perfect for development. It was situated between two high-income neighborhoods and was directly located on the toll road connecting Toluca with Mexico City.
So city planners got busy and created a master-planned business, residential, and educational community. all surrounded by one of the largest malls in North America. Within twenty years Santa Fe has grown from a small town to Mexico City's largest business powerhouse districts.
It has very modern architecture and amazing landscapes. Santa Fe is on of Mexico's fastest growing areas. 8 Million shoppers visit the mall alone each year! I got the chance to tour the city with my familia. We had the family driver give us a tour of the town. A def. must see for everyone who visits the city.
New York City
Things I like :
Everything you need is within walking distance.
TONS of diversity
A vast array of food
Amazing cheescake :)
Things I dislike:
New yorkers: RUDE
The contaminated air
The congestion
Having to spend 2 hours trying to get to the airport. (I arrived at the airport 20 minutes before my flight departure)
Central Park - Overrated
I didn't have a lot of time to go sightseeing. I did visit Time Square and visited a few comedy clubs with some peeps I met on the plane. I didn't want to carry around my camera so not that many pictures were taken. :( I'll be visiting back in November so I can actually go sightseeing.
Everything you need is within walking distance.
TONS of diversity
A vast array of food
Amazing cheescake :)
Things I dislike:
New yorkers: RUDE
The contaminated air
The congestion
Having to spend 2 hours trying to get to the airport. (I arrived at the airport 20 minutes before my flight departure)
Central Park - Overrated
I didn't have a lot of time to go sightseeing. I did visit Time Square and visited a few comedy clubs with some peeps I met on the plane. I didn't want to carry around my camera so not that many pictures were taken. :( I'll be visiting back in November so I can actually go sightseeing.
July 18, 2008
New York
Im in New York, about to head out and explore the city with some girl i met on the plane. Fun
Will update on new york later
Will update on new york later
July 15, 2008
Quinceañera
Last week I traveled to Mexico City for my cousin Alma's Quinceañera.
What is a Quinceañeraa you may ask.
A Quinceañera is much like a mix between the Bat Mitzvah and a Sweet Sixteen here in the states. Families are known to save up money long before the fifteenth birthday in order to make this the most lavish celebration ever. And lavish is sometimes an understatement.
Alma's Quinceañera involved live bands, limousines, flowers, catered food, lavish gowns, and lots of gifts.
The day began with a Thanksgiving Mass (Misa de Acción de Grácias) held a the Templo de La Merced, a former and one of the oldest preserved Spanish convents built in the 18th century.
Alma entered La Merced followed by 4 chamberlains dressed in tuxedos, her godparents and of course, her loving mother and father.
After the hiphop routine was over Alma yet again disappeared. By this tie the alcohol was flowing. The smell of tequila began to fill the room. All of a sudden alma reappeared, but this time dressed a salsa dancer. She performed a Salsa routine with one of her dance instructors.
After the salsa routine she went backstage and changed into an arabian costume. She then performed an arabian inspired dance while hr chamberlains (dressed in an aladdin style outfit) stood at attention on the sidelines. She then changed back into her gown and got ready for the cake photo ops.
The party ended at 5 am, and the after party began the next morning at 10 am. We all had a blast!
What is a Quinceañeraa you may ask.
A Quinceañera is much like a mix between the Bat Mitzvah and a Sweet Sixteen here in the states. Families are known to save up money long before the fifteenth birthday in order to make this the most lavish celebration ever. And lavish is sometimes an understatement.
Alma's Quinceañera involved live bands, limousines, flowers, catered food, lavish gowns, and lots of gifts.
The day began with a Thanksgiving Mass (Misa de Acción de Grácias) held a the Templo de La Merced, a former and one of the oldest preserved Spanish convents built in the 18th century.
Alma entered La Merced followed by 4 chamberlains dressed in tuxedos, her godparents and of course, her loving mother and father. Everyone was dressed formally and the scene resembled a wedding complete with Alma's ball gown and some stunning jewelry. The priest spoke to Alma about the importance of the Quinceanera tradition. Her parents took the podium to wish her good luck and to tell her how proud they are of her.
After the tears are shed and eyes are dried, the true fun begins. Consider the mass as a pre-party for the festivities to come. After mass ended, everyone huddled around the quinceanera for that perfect photo op.
While the photographers and videographers recorded every detail of this makeshift photo-shoot, we (the family) all jumped into our vehicles and rushed to the grand ballroom located in one of the poshest hotels of the city. When we got there, we were greeted by Alma's portrait along with a doorwoman in a bright green coat who sat us in our designated tables and chairs.
Security was strong and only those with an invitation and proper identification were allowed in. After the Alma's entrance she dances a waltz with her chamberlains. The Quinceanera usually selects the song she wants to dance to and in this occasion she choose Jen ai marre by French artisit Alizee.
Security was strong and only those with an invitation and proper identification were allowed in. After the Alma's entrance she dances a waltz with her chamberlains. The Quinceanera usually selects the song she wants to dance to and in this occasion she choose Jen ai marre by French artisit Alizee. She then proceeds to dance her with her father as her last dance as a child and first dance as a woman. After the first waltz, the party begins. A 3 course dinner is served waiters. Starting with a cream of cilantro soup, then an alfredo pasta and finally a chicken with pesto dish. Yummy! After the food, Alma popped out with her chamberlains and surprised everyone with a hip hop routine (Boots with the fur anyone?)
After the hiphop routine was over Alma yet again disappeared. By this tie the alcohol was flowing. The smell of tequila began to fill the room. All of a sudden alma reappeared, but this time dressed a salsa dancer. She performed a Salsa routine with one of her dance instructors. 
The party ended at 5 am, and the after party began the next morning at 10 am. We all had a blast!
On my own
What's New?
A few months ago I bought my first house in Dallas. It's a small 3 bedroom house built in the Rollingwood Hills area of Dallas. I grew up in a small farming town of about 1,000 in South Texas, so the move to Dallas was shocking at first. After I graduated, I moved to Malibu, CA. I lived in what I like to call the "Malibu Bubble", where luxury cars, luxury brands, and luxury living are the norm. Malibu didn't necessarily give me the "street smarts" needed to live on my own. For example, in Malibu, I had daily maid service and weekly gardeners. We had a weekly laundry service that would come to our door, pick up our laundry and have it clean, pressed and neatly folded by the next morning. A trip to the local grocery store meant paying $5.00 for a HALF-dozen of eggs and artisan water flown in from the Islands of Fiji (so the tag says). No other alternatives were offered. $2.00 for a Mango imported from Mexico (which cost 5.70 Pesos a Kilogram in a grocery store in Mexico {.57 cents for roughly 2 lbs.}) A life where the biggest worry was if Malibu FroYo was still open after 5.
Lets fast forward to today. Now I have to do my own laundry (I don't have a washer/dryer yet.) I don't have a lawn mower so I have to pay some neighborhood kids to mow my lawn. I have to buy my own groceries, cook, PAY BILLS. Living on my own is tough, but I'll manage. :)
A few months ago I bought my first house in Dallas. It's a small 3 bedroom house built in the Rollingwood Hills area of Dallas. I grew up in a small farming town of about 1,000 in South Texas, so the move to Dallas was shocking at first. After I graduated, I moved to Malibu, CA. I lived in what I like to call the "Malibu Bubble", where luxury cars, luxury brands, and luxury living are the norm. Malibu didn't necessarily give me the "street smarts" needed to live on my own. For example, in Malibu, I had daily maid service and weekly gardeners. We had a weekly laundry service that would come to our door, pick up our laundry and have it clean, pressed and neatly folded by the next morning. A trip to the local grocery store meant paying $5.00 for a HALF-dozen of eggs and artisan water flown in from the Islands of Fiji (so the tag says). No other alternatives were offered. $2.00 for a Mango imported from Mexico (which cost 5.70 Pesos a Kilogram in a grocery store in Mexico {.57 cents for roughly 2 lbs.}) A life where the biggest worry was if Malibu FroYo was still open after 5.
Lets fast forward to today. Now I have to do my own laundry (I don't have a washer/dryer yet.) I don't have a lawn mower so I have to pay some neighborhood kids to mow my lawn. I have to buy my own groceries, cook, PAY BILLS. Living on my own is tough, but I'll manage. :)