Prepare for Take Off

The originally intent of this blog was or it to be a travel blog. I got the idea from a friend who went to Brazil for 6 months and wrote a little for my university's multicultural student newspaper. I figured a blog would be a great way to keep track of my experiences as well as share them with others. While the thought of studying abroad still freaks me out (check first blog post) it is happening. In exactly 10 days I leave for Costa Rica. I will be staying with a family in San Jose and taking classes at the local university. I am participating in a special International Development program. Four of my classes will be based on issues of Human Rights, Justice, and other related development topics, while the fifth will be a Spanish class. Now this is going to sound weird. I speak fluent Spanish but avoid speaking it whenever possible. It's an insecurity thing like people who speak fluent English but have thick accents so they avoid having to say much. Hopefully, Costa Rica will cure me of that. I blame my parents who didn't raise me speaking Spanish. I use my Spanish only once a week (minus the curses and random Spanglish phrases).

I already received the info on my host family. My happy go lucky ass used to be extra excited about studying abroad and put no preference for everything. They even asked if we minded a widow- I thought "aww I can keep her company". lol. The only thing I requested was no smoking and that the house be close to the university. I can't go from cutting across Kogan plaza to an hour of travel time. My family consist of a 30 year old man and a 66 year old woman. I imagine it's a man and his mother. As a Latino I don't find it odd that the mom would live in the house. We don't exactly believe in Nursing Homes, ya dig? it's kind of disappointing however that there aren't any kids in the house. I really want to volunteer while I'm in Costa Rica so I'll just find something with kids I guess. Assuming the family doesn't try to impose a curfew (haven't had one since 15) it should be all good. Oh, and she better cook good food. Meals are included and my broke ass can't afford to buy food.

Speaking of money- lets talk budget. The government took a shit load more of my check than I had anticipated now my whole budget is off. Not to mention I'm going to Loehman's where they have these Gucci boots for cheap. omg, it brings a smile to my face just thinking about it... but yeah I have to bring traveler's checks or figure out what these ATM fees are gonna look like. This is one of my top motivators for choosing Costa Rica- the dollar is stronger than the colon(?).

I'll end with a few tips my hard-headed behind has learned in getting ready to study abroad....

- Get your visa documents early so your not shitting bricks like me
- travel light (how the hell am I gonna do this idk!). Make sure you leave plenty of space for all the things you'll buy along the way
- Get a webcam. It's cheaper and better than calling cards
- Have a passport, a valid passport
- Book your ticket using studentuniverse.com It's cheaper than expedia, orbitz, all of that..
- leave a copy of all relevant documents with someone you trust stateside.
- Get a Visa (pr mastercard). I refuse to live like those crazy backpackers that go through Europe and Latin America with breadcrumbs in their pockets. I want to climb mountains, go horseback riding, travel to remote beaches, not starve- the usual. This way if I run out of $$ I can go on living happily until I come home and have to pay off the bill....


Since I've scrapped my plan to run away to an undisclosed location (dead serious)- the next post will be from Costa Rica (unless I feel the need to rant on something).

Deuces,
Naz.

P.s. Congrats if you actually read this whole thing.

Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepa

The depth of my emotions is immeasurable. If tears fall, they are of the greatest joy. Where I am from hope is a luxury women like Sotomayor continue to allow us to afford.



The night Obama was elected me and my roommates ran over to the White House (about 5 blocks from our dorm) and rallied with hundreds of other students and DC residents. But that cannot compare to the overwhelming sense of pride I feel at this moment. I am a young New York born Puerto Rican whose first home was Wagner projects. Every obstacle that I have had to face and will continue to face to provide a better life for me and my family only seem that much smaller now. I get the opportunity to see a person who reflects me by both her heritage and gender sit on the high court.(?!?)I congratulate her and every Latina making strides to reach the pinnacle of success in which ever career field they occupy.
On the flipside however, I can am a firm believer in progress. Progress only comes with hope is balanced with reality. Latinos in this country need to not only be strong numerically but also in their unity and their social standing. I won't preach too much but its like I wrote in my "Product of My Environment" piece- I come home and it is as if time froze, they're standing on the same corners and chasing the same hoes I see too much stupidity and apathy. Ima need yall to get it together. And those that do have it together need to not judge but remember to stay true & real by helping to uplift the Latino community. Palabra.

Deuces,
Naz.

N.A.S.

Ain't this about some ..... a gunman identified as 48 year old George Sodini opened fire at a fitness center yesterday killing three women and then himself. He walked into an LA Fitness gym outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, turned off the lights and fired off 50 rounds, killing three women before killing himself Tuesday evening, police said. The tragic shooting a result of Sodini's hatred of women according to the note left behind in his gym bag?!? He had a blog with "details his loneliness and longing for a female companion -- and his growing rage at what he perceived as rejection by women".

Okay hold on. First off I really don't want to go to the gym tonight. Secondly, Are you serious N.A.S.(if you don't know what that means, ask) Lorena Bobitt and the lady with the hot grits didn't even go around killing random men- they got their own dudes. Homie should of took it up with his ex. And well yeah you kept getting rejected by women. Clearly you're crazy & deranged.

Deuces,
Naz.

P.s. Why in the dark. If Ima shoot at some men in the gym Ima save the beautiful ones. Lord knows there are some sexy men at Ballys Fitness. Then again, they stay ruining my workout. The gym is the worse place to get hit on, when you're all tired and sweaty, I get annoyed. If I was looking for a nigga it wouldn't be at the gym.

Live Young

I love this commercial. Props to whoever came up with it. See now that advertisement dollars well spent.



Deuces,
Naz.

Good Hair- The Movie

My friend Ariel and fellow STB Intern put me on to the new Chris Rock movie. It's nothing like what he usually does (click on the tittle for the link). He has this funny yet insightful documentary coming out called "Good Hair" and ..... Where the hell was this movie when I wrote my 20 pg final seminar paper in the Spring? It was tittled- "Pelo Bueno, Pelo Malo: Getting to the Root of the Matter". It chronicles the historic and cultural reasons behind the Dominican hair dresser phenomenon and Latinos and black people and hair and all that good ish. I took an amazing class with Professor Antonio Lopez called Black Cultures of the Americas. In a nutshell it was about how race/"blackness" is perceived in Latin America versus the US. In the US race is binary- black or white whereas in the Latin America, it is a fluid concept. Don't get caught calling a dark skinned person in LAm black- they might cut you. You're Indio or some other category. Brazil has got like 7 tipios. Now this was a critical theory class, which is like philosophy of pop culture, literature and history with a whole lot of big words and anything is a condition of a whole lot of shit all at once. Back to my paper (my A paper cough lol) I wrote about my struggles with my hair. It's a very Latino specific perspective but since everyone thinks I'm African-American I probably go through all the shit the people in Chris Rock's movie do- minus the weave. (I don't believe in weaves as a personal choice) My hair is od curly and my sister's is not. So my mom permed my hair growing up. In ninth grade I chopped off my hair and grew out my perm. Oh naturale. My hair is a lot of work to manage so I sympathize with black women even though they tell me I got good hair (tell that to my mom). Honestly, I haven't combed my hair in months. Sometimes I put gel in the front lol. I rock my hair curly during the summer and straight the rest of the year. When it's straight, I do it once and don't wrap it or much else- too much work- until its time to wash it. I bribe my roommates to do my hair for me or Sesen. lol. I say forget, women spend too much time trynna be barbie.

I AM NOT MY HAIR.

Deuces,
Naz.

Home is Where the Heart is, So I'm Homeless

Okay so I had a near freak out because for the past few weeks I've been regretting my decision to travel abroad. I have wanted to study abroad for years! So naturally people were really confused why I suddenly changed my mind. My family doesn't travel much and with the exception of family on my dad's side who still live in Puerto Rico- they all live within a mile of me. When your entire immediate family lives within five blocks of you, you develop a sense that home will always be there. I traveled and left for extended periods of time without ever getting too homesick because everything and everyone was right where I left them. I don't do vulnerable so I haven't let any one person see just how hard my grandmother's death has been on me. It kind of had me all messed up in the game until recently. One of my faults in life is I can't not say "I'm fine" in any context even when I try unless pushed-if that makes sense. The point is I find myself suddenly homesick and my ass hasn't gone anywhere. I cling to people in a way that's highly ironic for my personality. being MIA for all of Spring semester doesn't exactly help either lol. I feel like I'm going to miss out by being away. Not that I think someone is going to die on me but damn I left home for school in January and a couple weeks later the closest person to me (my heart) was gone. BUT, too much is invested for me not to go, so fuck it. I cancelled my housing and I'm not registered for classes on campus so Costa Rica here I come...! In truth know I'll be loving it once I'm there, therefore I just have to figure out how to fit my life into just two suitcases..................

Deuces,
Naz.