Holidays

Just a simple thought to live by, this holidays season and always.

Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. Dale Evans

It's a few days before Christmas.  I am not going to get into it, talk about what it should mean, be like, what do we all celebrate and what we are not getting right.  I am no one to tell you how to celebrate and what Christmas should mean to you.
However I will celebrate with you and share with you what it is for me.  Over the years it has changed a lot.  As a kid it was going to granpa's house, playing with all the cousins, then a big dinner as we all waited for the clock to strike midnight.  Then we would all kiss eachother on the cheeks, family, friends, neighbors would come from near by and we would wish all the best to each other.  Then we would sit and have dinner, cheer, and us kids, we would go out on the sidewalk and light sparklers and laugh and watch fireworks.  This is one of my first memories of Christmas in South America as a kid.  Coming from a Christian family without any ties to any religion, I am sure Jesus was mentioned here and there but to me it was all about the fireworks, the cousins and of course the dancing.  After everyone was done with dinner the tables would be cleared, music would be playing and we would all dance.  The older cousins would head to clubs, us "the kids" would stay and dance with the uncles and aunts as well as the grandparents.

Then in the States I remember my first white Christmas, amazed at the snow and the freezing cold.  I truly experienced the "quiet night", no fireworks, no people coming to greet each other, but everyone sleeping early to wake up early to see what Santa brought.  Waking up to see all white, in my jammies with the siblings, next to the fireplace. Big breakfast, lazy day fulL of family love and then the visits and again a big dinner.
Then I realized that besides the weather/scenario change, it was the same: family, friends, love.
Ever since Christmas is to me the same as love, family and friends.
As times goes by I also realize that there are others that lack that.  How is that? My Christmas has become a challenge to be extra kind, to share more love, to the ones I know and the friends to meet.  A smile is the best gift.
The realization that if I carry this love all year long, Christmas does not have to end.  I have made it my purpose to give each Christmas things that I cannot buy: a hug, a heart felt letter, a smile, and one of my personal favorite traditions, to take something I own and love and give it to someone I love.  The act of giving of whats meaningful to me truly teaches me to be generous and not selfish.
I invite you, look for something you own and love, look for someone that would love to have that, and lovingly make their Christmas.

Present is a gift.

It is more important to know where you are going than to get there quickly. Do not mistake activity for achievement. -Mabel Newcomber

Today I got up really, really early. I went for a morning run, the sun was slowly climbing up the sky, lazily but with purpose. I love my morning walks/runs. I put some music on, let it be my soundtrack and let my thoughts take over and stretch their arms.
More often than not I llook ahead on the road, like to play this game of seeing things getting bigger as I get closer to them and imagine I am shrinking. I usually like to be completely present at the moment, feel each pebble on the road, see each plant, flower or bird. Feel that there's no where else I rather be, not the future, not the past but right then and there.
Things of beauty are seen and experienced when we do "stop to smell the roses."
I felt so full of energy while walking, surrounded by beauty and we were one, together. I was breathing with my surroundings, and we were breathing the same air. I was sweating, drops falling back to the ground, ground that gave me the water I drink.
I realize that nothing exists in isolation. Everything I am is connected to everything and everyone else. I believe that when I radiate joy, it does affect my surroundings. When I interact with everyone and everything with love and kindness, I am treated the same way. Sometimes I think I am crazy I am very fortunate to be aware of this. Before I was struggling, between darkness and light, joy or a crippling depression. I had and have to put a lot of effort towards my happiness, and its well worth.
Kindness, when practiced as a way of living and not an act, can change your interactions, your perceptions, your life all around, and also, it does change the ones you touch with it.
On my walk I saw this beautiful flowers, sky that looked like out of a painting or postcard. Fat clouds lingering slowly. I am glad I do take the time to be present, to see it, to feel it and I want to share it.
Whatever our roads in life, let's be present to the journey, lets be aware of the flowers, the clouds, the sky, the beauty all around.
I feel only then, the journey will be its own destination.

Nobody can

"Nobody can make you feel bad without your permission." Paulo Coelho


I've had a few interesting days. Days when I seemed to have lost my center and be like a balloon drifting away, no direction, just carried away by the drift. When this happens I know is time to slow down, turn off the "noise" around me and really listen to myself.
When I quieted down, when I put aside all the stimuli and sat by myself, things started to be more clear. It has taken me three days to understand what I am doing or not doing.
I've realized that I have allowed situations and people make me feel bad. I do mean allowed. No one has the power to make me feel any particual way unless I give it to them. I thought I knew this and was living by it and then here I am, realizing that I let my guard down.
I understand I cannot make everyone happy, nor do I want to. I understand that when standing my ground for my well being first I might come across as callous or not interested. What I didn't understand that even though I was living life that way, I had allowed others make me feel guilty or bad for being the way I am.
It is really hard for people to understand (myself included) that the world is not centered around ourselves. So when I tell someone: " I am not ok with this. I will not do that" it's not about them. I am not out to hurt them. I am taking care of myself. I will remind myself not to allow others make me feel any particualr way when I KNOW that I am doing what's best for me.
As I said many times, I cannot give you what I don't have. I need to be well, happy, centered, kind, full of love, then I can share that with you. To be in that place in my life, I need to set boundaries, they have nothing to do with you. If you choose to feel a certain way and blame it on my behaviour, well, I have no power over that. I wish you didn't give that power to me or anyone. It is yours. It is sacred.
When you give the power over your own emotions to others, you also give the responsibility.
I won't. I won't allow you to make me feel any way I don't choose to feel. I do take responsibility for it.
It's a freeing thing. Give it a try.

Kombucha, serendipity, grandpa & more random stuff

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are. - Anais Nin

A few months ago I started a journey in Salt Lake City that landed me in Buenos Aires, via Sao Paulo and Mexico. From there I continued moving, arriving at what is now my "home-base" away from home, the colonial, vibrant and full of life city of Salto in northern Uruguay. The city where my grandparents and theirs before them settled in when arriving from Brasil, Russia and Spain and mingling with the locals. Hence me being such a mutt, I've earned it.
So far it has been an incredible trip, meeting new people at every corner, discovering amazing wine for $4 a bottle and superb food for cheaper, all against the backdrop of amazing views.
While traveling I've decided to learn more about modern day slavery, work on my own project about that (will tell you at some point I promise) and leave room in life to surprise me.
Well, when not every second of your day is planned, when there journey IS the destination, then life has room to show you a thing or two.
I was on twitter (back off, I gave up my cell phone, my cell phone!!! while here, I need a little something) through a series of twitter-twatter ended up talking to @MOMBUCHA about kombucha. I was intrigued about the tea (it is a tea) and upon further inquiry @MOMBUCHA sent me a very useful link with information about the brewing of the tea and pictures (very important to the story, wait for it...)
While looking at the pictures I had a sudden spark of memory (its mostly gone, my memory that is) and remembered seeing kombucha before: in MY house. Well, then the memory unraveled itself in front of my eyes. When I was about 6 or 7 years old, my grandpa was dying of cancer. I remember he would drink some of the tea. So I talked to my mom about it and sure enough. She told me that he did drink the tea till he died as it was the one thing that provided him with nutrients, vitamins, hydration without also "feeding" his cancer cells as his doctor said.
That turned into a whole conversation about granpa, about how my sister and me were the ones in charge of brewing the kombucha for him. Above that, was a great chance for me and my mom to talk about grandpa, his humor, his temper, etc.
Yes, it all started with a twitter exchange.
I also found out that kombucha is quite common here for medicinal purposes or just as a health drink. So, I am on the kombucha wagon and you should give it a look, the @MOMBUCHA website is a good start, take a look: http://mombucha.com
My point here is that little unexpected exchanges, even when across the world, can be meaningful, we all have a message for each other, it's just a matter of listening.
It might be the person you run into the store twice in one night, the guy looking at you (not the creepy one, the other one), the sign on the side of the road, the tweet you just read.
BE ready for the message, open your eyes and ears with me and we will hear, see and feel, that every little thing in life, is designed as signposts to lead us where we belong: living a better, higher LIFE.

Life (and not the TV show)

Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.- Carl Sandburg

This was written at 1am, on Monday, November 30th.

I just spent a few days on Buenos Aires. I am now leaving this great city, heading north. I'm in one of those double deck buses, really comfortable, sitting on the second floor, front row. A vast windshield & side windows give me this 180 degrees view as we move forward.
The freeway is not busy at this hour, some trying to make it home, some trying to run away from it, some working, some trying to outrun their sorrows, but here we all are, all moving forward. Music is stimulating me through my earphones, and here I sit, write and take it all in.
Every time I look up from writing I see the lanes of the freeway stretching lazily ahead of me, as far as the eye can see, like a long smear of chalk and tar. I see the merging lanes, the carpool ones, the exits, the signs, all there, all ahead of me.
Just like life. Stretching ahead of me, at THIS very moment, I AM this moment, but I move forward. I pick the life lane i want, the speed I want to move at, the exit I want to take. We all do.
I've spent the week with so many beautifully creative people in this past few days. From the heights of Bolivia, the tropical heat of Brasil, the warmly cold Norwegians, from all over. All so different but all the same and all sharing the same light, all so great.
I realize now, looking back, that's what we ALL are, light and creation. We are here to share the light and create, create, create. We are creators. Each day we do it. Whether we are aware of it or not. We are creating, we are doing so with each choice we make, with each word we speak. I work hard, so my creations are not accidental, so they come from the light and are born to be bright.
Remember, with me each day: I am light. I am power to create.

All the time and money in the world.

How do I know what's my vocation in life?
If you had all the time and money in the world, what would you do? That's it.

Seems today that everything has to do with time and money and I believe to a degree it does. Many times I have said:"if I had the time and the money..." or, "well, it's easy for them/him/her to do that, they have the time and the money." however that it's not true, not in my case.
There are lots of things I care about, lots of issues, lots of causes and until recently I thought, well, i thought I cannot possibly make the difference. But I have realized that time and money are not what's stopping me from doing something about those things that matter to me.
We can all make a difference, if anything in our own lives and those surrounding us.
We are living in a beautiful world, full of treasures for US. (as in "all of us", not just those born in the U.S.) I am not here to preach, not the purpose of this blog. I just like to write down those thoughts that might be gone in a few years.
I was looking at the window today, smooth breeze, green trees, birds flying, clouds...and it's all mine. That's what I am talking about, my, our treasures. Add to that our families and friends and I know I am one lucky bastard.
At some point it dawn on me that unless I care for my surroundings the same way I care for my relationships, then I am in an abusive relationship. If I treat mother earth like someone that just gives, gives and gives without ever receiving any care or consideration from me, yes then I am the abuser on the relationship. And that just doesn't sit well with me.
Do I have all the time and money in the world to save the environment? Don't think so. But I don't need it.
If you think of our environment, the same way you think of a relationship with a loved one, well, you wouldn't treat it the way you do, neither will I, money or not. I can and will stop buying bottled water, but buy one permanent water bottle. I will grow greens every time I have a patch of land and if not visit my local farmer's market and support them. I will continue walking, taking public transportation, car-pooling, taking commercial flights (no more private jets for me, ha!)

I AM GOING TO SWEEP MOTHER EARTH FROM HER FEET. And like it happens with any other devoted lover, she will love me back as she has even when I haven't been so kind to her. By being better to her, I will be healthier, I will feel better.
I invite you to think about it, domestic violence? none of us stands for it. Well, isn't domestic violence to mistreat the home (Earth) we live in?
We don't need money and time, we need more awareness, a strong will and the answer to everything: loads of LOVE, to Pacha Mama, to ourselves.
Let's do this.

Gratitude

To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.
Johannes A. Gaertner

Gratitude is more than a good word, it can become a way of living. Yes. It is one of those blog posts today.
Listen, putting all the bullshit aside, we all have it pretty good. Chances are that if you are reading this, you are doing it from home, work or a public library. That means you have a home, a job and a library where you live. That's pretty good.
I am not interested in going the "think of the people that have nothing" route. For once I decided to spend more time thinking about what I DO have and be thankful for it.
There was a man working on the roof of the place we are (regardless what that place is)outside, no protection from the elements so WE would have this roof now. Let's be thankful to him.
It's a simple thing. Not to think of what others are missing but to think of what we have and have GRATITUDE for it.
Let's make it a way of living. I am grateful for you reading to my rants. I am grateful for my life. I am grateful I can express myself.
Do join me in the gratitude-attitude tour. Starting now, to visit every place I am in.

I stink a while.

"Well, I put down a good amount of deodorant this morning
And I found that I could drown a bit of peace of mind.
'Cause it's no secret that to a some degree,
they are going to have to see you sweat.
Strong enough for a man, do what you can,
to keep me soft and dry, I stink a while."
JM-Running.

The stink a while part is quite true. I headed to Buenos Aires this past Monday, for just a 24 hours trip to see Mr. Jason Mraz in concert. Well, fast forward to me staying there all week, yeah, this morning when back I stunk, a while.
The show was quite incredible, 4 thousand screaming fans, including the expected crazy girl, running into stage, freaking out JM and being escorted out by security. To talk about his music it's like "dancing for architecture" it won't accomplish anything. Just hear it.
That amazing city is such a beautiful place, even its ugly sides are beautiful in all its pain.
The people are amazing, the food is delectable. Have a favorite place called "Pretty Girls" (in English) and besides an amazing staff and food I just find it hilarious. The place is called "Pretty Girls" has an all male staff and the age average is about 45-50 years old. Another reason to love it.
I have been thinking as always about a lot of things. It seems that being surrounded by people from so many different countries and backgrounds stimulates me. It is also weird, when in the States I have been surrounded by the same amount of people from so many different places. It got me thinking, why is it different here. And I don't have an answer for that.
It might be that here people take the time to talk, to sit down with you, to walk with you. To tell you their dreams and hopes and their longing for home. It might be that now I am the one taking the time to listen. It might be both.
Regardless, each face was a friend, each handshake or kiss a promise, each smile, hope.
Go out there, be a friend, a smile, hope to all those in your way today, and everyday. I will do the same.

And this week....

Well, this week has had all kind of things in store for me. All kind of things. Quick trip to Montevideo where I found the best bookstore ever that combines two of my passions: books and wine. In one place!! The place itself its an old recycled building, gorgeous, couches, grand piano, books, books and books and either champagne or wine to go with it. Epic WIN.
I also had moments of doubt but those went away quickly. Doubt its like this passing cloud that if you don't let it go away will turn into a storm, so away it went.
I had surprises galore, good and bad. Love fluttering in my life like humming birds. Big reminders that I am loved, crazy and loved regardless.
I saw first hand police brutality 2 feet away from me. I was on the main street of Salto when 3 young man got arrested. I have no idea what they did. They were hand-cuffed, laying on their stomachs with cops boots on their backs. When a police truck came to pick them up, the cops grabbed then by arms and legs, one cop on each side. Then they (on purpose) threw them on the trucks bed, HEAD first. There was another cop on the back of the truck waiting for them. He kept on kicking them on the ribs. After they had loaded all three of them, the two cops that had "thrown" them on the trucks bed, approached them and punched them on the face. WTF.
Then I saw a parade for the "Immigrant's day", people from different heritages, dressed in traditional costumes from their countries, awesome.
I also found out Jason Mraz added a new show in Buenos Aires this coming tuesday, so here I go.
I was reminded many times that love goes a long way. Love is a powerful force, it speaks for itself, it helps, it heals. I am thankful for the love in my life. It cannot be explained. It just is.
Invite love in your life. Let it guide you.

JUMP UP!!!!!

"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." Albert Camus

I am not exactly sure what happened over night or why I can't turn off the italics or bold options while I write, but let me assure you, it might have something to do with the fact that this should be bold & in italics.
If you read my previous blog, less that 24 hours ago I was pondering on the differences of being social or choosing solitude. Thinking about relationships and such.
Well, I was up until late, reading, thinking and inviting the dream masters to help me sleep and wake up to a new day.
And new day it is. It might be that the sun is shinning bright as opposed to the last rainy, cloudy days we've had, but I woke up fully energized, ready to jump and daring to do what I haven't in a long time, whatever that might be.
Today it's not a day of thinking through concepts, laws, principles, today I am going to LIVE THEM!!! and the best way possible.
Today I am not going to think how I love you, today I am LOVING you and telling you in as many ways as I can.
Today I won't be thinking of how to change the world and make it a better place for all, today I WILL help those around me, starting with myself, MAKING the world a better place.
You can't bring me down, you can't make me sad, you can't tell me its not doable. I am ALREADY all I want to be, just manifesting it one day at the time.

Solitude, Isolation, Saturation, Overload.

"Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self." - May Sarton

I seem to have not found the balance between being social and being a hermit. I am by nature a social creature, I love to connect, to talk, to meet new people and treat all as my friends. The other side of the coin is that I also enjoy my own company very much. Don't get me wrong, I don't like to be lonely, but I enjoy solitude. I enjoy those moments when it's just me, my own thoughts, my favorite music and those long walks in the winding roads that are my thoughts.
I believe in being honest, with myself first and with everyone else in my life second. Sometimes I honestly want to be around everyone, friends and strangers, I want to mingle and talk and laugh. Sometimes that becomes too much and expected on top of it all, and well, let's face it, I am not good at delivering when something is expected of me. I respond to myself, FIRST.
When I feel that things are out of control, when I feel there's too much "noise" in my surroundings for me to even hear my own thoughts, then I retreat and keep myself company. I pamper myself, to a book, a glass of wine, a sunset that I can actually take in, in all its glory, without interruptions, without "noise."
I understand that makes it hard for people around me, well, to be around me. Let alone relationships. However I know with a certainty that I don't EVER want to be with anyone because he/she/it NEEDS me. I want to be with someone that WANTS to be with me, but doesn't need to. I don't buy in the "you complete me" bullshit. I don't want to complete anyone or be completed by anyone. I want someone that is already WHOLE. For that to happen, I need to be whole and believe me, I am working on that.
Where is this going? As always I am not sure.
Had a long weekend of family, friends & foes. And I am enjoying my solitude. Jason Mraz healing music, my tasty cigarette, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and my thoughts.
Take yourself out on a date, enjoy your own company, be whole and if you are happy that way...well, gimme a call, I might want to date you ;-)

well, this was complicated...

I am not quite sure what has happened but I finally was able to access my blog. To be truthful I didn't try too hard to get it done before. There has been a lot of things I wanted to write about but not bad enough to get it done.
Last night there was a summer storm, thunders, a bit of rain and today woke up to a gorgeous spring day. I was tracking the whole thing hour by hour on AccuWeather and was surprised at their accuracy, even to the hour.
Made me think of back in the day, when people would look at the moon, or feel the wind and tell you what they thought might be happening with the weather. Days when there was a lot more mystery, not everything there, at your fingertips for you to know and be prepared.
It also reminded me that the biggest mysteries are still out there. There is no "AccuSoul" or "AccuFuture" to tell you what's happening in those areas. But it seems to me that takes a lot of great work, to know what's going on within ourselves and therefore with our future. Each choice we make is like a ripple effect that will determine how the future events will turn out. I always try to be here, present and aware in this single moment. The only time I allow myself to peek into the future is when I make a choice today and I peek into the future to make sure I can deal with the consequences of my choices.
I've been reading lots of interesting theories about thoughts, souls, intention, attention. I have also recently discovered about the Noetic Science and it all seems to be opening doors, or shall I say, re-opening doors that already existed. Today science is trying to prove things my grandma, without any scientific knowledge knew as truths: intuition, our global connection, the existence of a bigger energy that bounds us all, the power of our thoughts and how they affect our reality and the true nature of what we call "reality." I am glad that slowly a lot of this things are being scientifically proven, not because I need this to know they are true, but just simply because I can wink to my grandma, wherever she might be and say :"grams, you were right."

Scottish, Irish, no blog, good times, life changes

It has been a long time since I wrote here.  Every time I thought of writing I felt I had nothing worth jotting down and I have been so busy that it was easy to dismiss.  You might wonder what is that makes me feel I have something to say now and I will flat out tell you: nothing.

However I had quite an amazing night, I laughed my head off, I met an amazing woman from Ireland or maybe Scotland but I am too stupid to know the difference and it didn't matter to me.  What matter is that this hilarious, beautiful, funny, incredible Anne Marie came from across the restaurant to our table, asked to join me and my friends and we spent hours talking, laughing, having a great time.  Like all human beings could if we remembered we are all the same.

My life is made out of those prized moments: friends, family, good times, challenging times.  Everything that it's worth remembering and that has made a dent in my life.  I am thankful for it, all of it.  The good. The "bad" and the realization that there is no bad, just a small fraction of a bigger picture I don't see at the moment. 

Live. Love. Laugh.

When a door closes, make sure it doesn't lock

I have heard the "when a door closes..." thing and its many variations.  

That's it.  If you thought that was going somewhere, well, it's not.  I just wanted to get that out of the way.

It's a beautiful Saturday, Father Sun is kissing my skin madly and making me hipper, happy and damn brown people, which is a good thing.  I don't know what people think when they say that the pale, translucent look is good.  Good for who? I understand if you are terminally ill or a vampire, by all means, go ahead.  Other than that, get some colour on you, be healthy, look healthy and get out and see the damn sun, or move to the Arctic pole.

Now, there's a place to live, the Arctic pole, can you picture that? I can and gives me the giggles.  I am sure my liver would file for emancipation because you better believe it that I would hire someone to build me an igloo and stock the fridge (get it?) with Grey Goose and leave me alone.

However I am in sunny South America, even though this is not Philadelphia (seems like its always sunny there. get it? part 2) it's sunny most of the times.  I am enjoying it all.  The people, the views, the food, the art, the sun, everything.

Sometimes it makes me sad for people that have let things own then, have put their dreams on hold and work a job they hate and lead a life that is just a sketch of the life they want to have.

LIVE, LOVE and have no regrets.  

And for God's sake, get some sun.

Omnisexual, foot in mouth, love vrs sex and some other non-sense

Yesterday Sunday I had quite a day.  Met a couple strangers with whom I got tangled up in a conversation about swingers, foursomes and such.  Then another fine girl joined, whom I thought was hitting on me.  When the  girl went to get a drink, I told the couple I was talking to:"is it just me or is that girl hitting on me? Would you guys let me know?" to which they replied:"we of course will pay attention considering she is married to our cousin."  Yup, I find a way to put my foot in my mouth regularly.

Then talking to @crazycoug (this is for you brother) about the situation he told me I am omnisexual.  Well according to the Sex-Lexis dictionary, omnisexual is: "Person attracted to all sexes and to all forms of sexuality, in distinction to bisexual (attracted to two sexes) and monosexual (attracted to one sex)"

That just threw me for a loop. "Person attracted to all sexes"? WTF? How many sexes are out there was my first thought. According to @crazycoug it meant:"it includes everything and anything you can think of. It's like someone's sex is irrelevant to you." Which still didn't explain how many sexes are out there.  Anyway the point is that this whole sex thing gets messy, literally.  Sometimes I think its more work than its worth it and we should all stick to being pure and such and only bump uglies when we are in love. How puritan of me. But really.  

Sex might be over rated, love might be under rated and all of us might be in deep sheet. Omnisexuals or not.

Mexico legalizes drug and some other crap....

So Mexico passed a law to legalize all drugs, for real.  It goes like this, you can carry small amount of drugs for your own consumption without being penalized. "The maximum amount of marijuana under the new law is 5 grams—the equivalent of about four joints. The limit is a half gram for cocaine, the equivalent of about 4 lines. For other drugs, the limits are 50 milligrams of heroin, 40 milligrams for methamphetamine and 0.015 milligrams for LSD." What do I say to that?  All I know it's that 80% of Hollywood, the entire state of Florida, every person with the last names Lohan and Winehouse and half of Wall Street has moved to Mexico. I don't even know what to do with that one.

I do know that in this very blog I have seemed to used 3 different font sizes and a couple font types and I am not even near Mexico.

But let's get real people.  Almost everyone at one point or another has done drugs and I live in a glass house so I am not about to throw the first stone (or brick as the case might be).

Sometimes when people talk to me I have the impression that they are high on something, really, there's a lot of shit being said that makes no sense and all I can do is try not to laugh.  But as I have said many time I am not running for Jesus, so I don't judge, it's just that sometimes I just have no idea what you are talking about.

Even then, I like to think that people speak their own language and when I don't understand I just need to learn that language and we will be golden.

As we speak, you probably you have no idea what I am saying.  It doesn't matter, even if you feel like you've been pissed by a herd of elephants, its all good.

Wherever you are, you are good, so am I. Put on a good tune, relax, we are good, even without the drugs.

p.

The mediocre blog (telling you now)

I have not blogged in a week or so.  There is no apparent reason for that being that way, just a choice.  I have been interacting with the real world, people, friends, family, the sun and the moon and some stars in between.

There's been a lot of things happening in my life, just like in yours.  Life is a constant changing, evolving, moving machine and we are always moving, evolving, changing.

Some people believe in reencarnation, in being born again in another body.  Well, each day our cells, each one of them in our body, renews itself, so yes, each day we are born into a new body.  The trick question is, can we be born into a new mind-set each day?  Of course we can, if we want.

I spend a lot of time, working on this.  Making each day a different one, changing the way I look at things and people and re-discovering the world, each day.

I have learned that if I touch everything/everyone with a positive energy, then I will always find pieces of me and positive ones when I run into those places and people.

Where am i going with this? Good question, your guess it's as good as mine.

I spent a long time talking to a couple friends I love dearly this afternoon.  It's amazing what a difference it makes when we actually engage in a dialogue, when we listen, we talk and communicate.  

This is going nowhere and really fast, so I am going to call it "the mediocre, going nowhere blog" and call it quits.

p.

The vagina blog-0-logue

This blog is all for @LynziePretty, she requested I write about vagina, so here I go.  First of all, ladies, it doesn't matter what any of us guys say, none of us know shit about the moist cellar door.  Some of us might know more than others, but as a group, men, we don't know shit.  Same way that you ladies might think you know about "the gentle tower" but you really don't.  When you have a whole life with a particular piece of equipment and then you are giving another completely different to "work with", well, there's a learning curve, a life long one.  So go ahead and tell us, what we are doing right, wrong or not doing at all.  Maps are appreciated.  There, I said it.

And can we stick to the word "punani", sounds like an exotic destination, a mysterious place you are going to, full of wonder and excitement, pretty accurate if you ask me.  Any other names/nick-names for your island of wonder, just won't cut it in my book.

Va-jay-jay just sounds like a creepy clown of a dead beat circus, don't care what Oprah say, that term must go.

I think we forget that just because of the vagina women are creatures that us men will never understand or compare to.  Imagine us, men, bleeding once a month, psh, we would be in the hospital for the whole duration of the period, crying of pain because of the cramps, calling our mummys to be with us and fainting at the sight of blood.

Then you have giving birth....forget it.  That's like an alien exploding into the world in a whole mess of blood, placenta, random liquids...neah, we would need to be put under fully and have many years of therapy.  Not to mention that every time we would see our off-spring we would hatefully remind them how they "crippled" us for life.

So, I am the one to say it: women ARE better, MUCH BETTER.  And yes, its due to their vaginae and all sort of miracles that happen there.

Because of what happens "in there" we are also a bit suspicious.  We don't know what the hell is going on in there.  Its not like our magic wand where everything happens out there, in the open, for everyone to see (sometimes in embarrassing situations.)

Women (and their vaginae) should at all times be treated with the utmost respect.  PROVIDED women treat themselves and their magic box with such respect.  Let's be honest, some women used their "sacred punani" (see? it sounds mystical) as a cheap booth in a dilapidated, travelling amusement park.  For a small fee (whether it's a drink/clothes/etc) anyone gets a turn to play.  That it's just nasty, don't expect me to respect that.

So @LynziePretty, there you have it.

BY POPULAR DEMAND: MY DRUNK BLOG

OMG, OMG, OMG, this is not working, it's 10 minutes to midnight & I am trying to keep myself awake for 2am when people go out here.  So I thought I would tweet a bit, drink a bit, surf the net a bit.....WTF? I think I did more drinking than needed, less tweeting than planned & here I am.  Not 4 sheets to the wind, more like all SHIT to the wind.

I should not be writing but I am totally looking forward to reading this tomorrow when I have a raging headache and no idea what I am writing about.

So I am going to let you take a look into my brain as is now, nothing is related, but here are all the ideas going on at once:

1- Who is Federico DeVito? don't ask me how we stumbled upon each other but now I need help on at least knowing who he is before I make a fool of myself.

2- I want snow NOW. Damn it, it is winter, I know its a South American winter but still, want snow, snowmobiles, fire places, wine, all of it.  

3- Whats up Jack Nicholson.  Your face has started looking like a prune.

4- No @LynziePretty, I have not yet wrote the blog about vaginas, I will, I am just trying to figure out the angle I want to come at it from (pun intended)

5- Beer here is cheap.

6- Not a safe place? shit, look @ me txting, tweeting, blogging, no one gives a shit.

7- my lucky number.

8- what am I numbering this for?

9- Gawd I am beautiful.

10- Almost midnight, 2 more hours to go and I can go out.

11- Damn this crazy going out schedules.

12- I need coffee and preferably delivered to me by a beautiful person wearing next to nothing.

13- Another lucky number.

14- shit.

Mirrors & hospitals

It has been brought to my attention that there's usually no mirrors in patients hospital bathrooms.  Last time I was in a hospital I was too much of a hot mess to remember any of it, I guess when you are in a comma things become hazy to say the least.  So I can't really say because I don't know.  But I invite you to go/call your closest hospital and ask if the patients rooms have mirrors or the bathrooms....wait, that might be misconstrued, unless of course you call a mental hospital and they might encourage you to check in.

Seriously, this is something I want to know.  If I was in the hospital for a brief period of time for something other than a comma (however I tend to do everything to the extreme) I would like a mirror in my bathroom.

Years ago, my wise mother was going through a rough patch in her life, she was getting a divorce from my dad and was not at her best to say the least.  However, the thing that intrigued me for a while, was that every time she went out "to the world" she would do her make up and dress up like she was about to go on a photo shoot for "Vogue."  The contradiction confused me.  She could be a royal mess, cry, be sad/mad/etc, yet before she was to go out, she would shower and come out of the bathroom looking like a million dollars (back then the dollar was strong, if it was now I would say she looked like a million Euros.)

So, one time I sat on her bed while she was putting her "face" on and asked her what the hell she did that for.  She put her mascara down, looked straight at me through the mirror and said:" the worse you feel, the better you have to look."  I got up and wanted to call a doctor because I was certain she had lost it.

However, over the years I have realized how wise that was.  When you are down (whether is physically or emotionally) and you look like shit and go out to the world, people will tell you:"you look like shit" or with concern ask you:"why do you look like shit?"  Which in turn reminds you why you are like you are and make you feel even worse. Bad catch 22.  

So, if I am in the hospital/sad/depressed/hot mess, I turn it around and look like a million euros.  Then people tell me how great I look and makes me feel better.

So  if hospitals don't have mirrors because they are afraid patients will feel worse at how they look, well, turn it around, light the place up, have your nurses help your patients dress up and put them in front of a mirror:"why yes, you are sick but it must not be that bad, look how great you look." It's amazing what positive reinforcement does.

Crying won't help you now....

So it says the lyrics of my all time favourite singer ever: Ben Harper.  As a rule I will not argue with him, the man knows his sh*t.  Now the song playing says:" what more than sorry can I say? what more than sorry can I be?"

Sometimes simple things like songs can teach you so much.  I've always been musically inclined, by that I mean: inclined to listen to music.  I've tried to sing to every one's bleeding ears, then tried to learn to play the guitar, and still haven't given up that one.  I was told that mostly, those that speak more than one language (4 here) are in general good at carrying tunes, since your ear/voice is used to pick up on sounds/intonations and mimic them.  So much for that.  My best singing is done in the shower or karaoking Macy Gray's "I try" after an Irish Car Bomb chased by a stein of beer.  Even then, it's painful at best.

However, I still sing.  All the time.  It gives me pleasure.  So many times we do or stop doing things for others.  We need to remember more often to do things for ourselves, because it makes US happy, because we CAN.

I am the "fool" that sings and dances, anywhere at the drop of a hat.  Once I remember driving with 3 friends to Vegas when we got stuck (in the desert in the middle of the summer mind you) in the freeway due to an accident.  After the first 30 minutes baking in the car and once the realization set in that we were in there for a long haul, the moods were like Smeagel's once he realize the precious was not going to be his.  So I turned the radio really loud, got out of the car and started dancing on the side of it, yes, in the freeway.  Of course people looked at me as if I was a mental case.  Well guess what, the frowns slowly turned to smiles, car doors open and soon all of my friends and some neighboring cars were joining.  As "out of a bad commercial" that sounds, I didn't do it for them.  I did not care what they thought of me.  I did it for me.  And I had fun.

Whatever it is that makes you happy, DO IT.  Crying won't help you now.

Randomly...

I just realized that I no longer have finger nails as much  as I have claws, something must be done about it.  Either I get the old finger nail clippers or try to grow fangs & rock the tormented vampire look.  However that vampire thing it's getting out of control, so I will just clip them, never been much of a follower.

As you have figured it out by now this is going to be a non-sense rambling that might, or might not go anywhere.  What do you want? it's a lazy Sunday, cut me some slack (and my finger nails while you are at it.)

The sun can't make up its mind, whether it wants to stay or go back and hide behind a cloud, it's being a little bitch in other words.

I have had plenty of coffee, went for the usual walk, let my mind wonder.  Sometimes I think we all should have a random day where nothing is planned, nothing is expected and we let things happen.  I've always been weary of people that plan every single day, every single month and year of their life.  Let me let you in a secret: planning is good, but if you plan EVERYTHING there will be no time for life to surprise you.  So, allow some time in your life where you know the unexpected will happen, where surprises will be welcomed, where you will remember what it's like to be a kid again.

Today is that day for me and I keep on picking different days.  Each one I have learned something, I have been surprised by someone or something.  From a great find in a flea market I stumbled upon, to life changing discoveries in my journey, it's all there.

Open the door to the unknown and let life surprise you.

a minor bump in the road

We all have those moments in life.  Everything is going phenomenal, we are happy, the sun is shinning, love is all around and all of a sudden seems like a big black cloud covers the sky, love is gone and we stumble on a bump on the road and fall.  Well, screw the bump, I was feeling like it was pouring rain, there was no love and I ran head first into a boulder blocking the whole road and fell on my ass in a puddle of mud.

So much for get up and dust yourself of and keep going.  I felt like I had to crawl, de-mud myself, shower and then keep going.  The whole process took 24 hrs, an industrial shower and a fork-lift to remove the boulder from the road.  

Here I am.  Bruised.  Clean. Wide open road ahead of me.

I realize that I tend to make a boulder out of a pebble, a storm out of a drizzle (from a sprinkler mind you) and an epic fall out of a stumble.

Being aware of that, I am working hard to change it, to see that even if there is a boulder on the road, well, what a chance to go rock/boulder climbing!! If there's a storm, how beautiful are the thunders and what better than to sleep to the sound of rain.

I am looking at the world with new eyes (no I didn't get glasses, thank you very much) and will continue to do so each day.

Please join me.

Why do I run? really?

I woke up earlier than usual today, 6:45am and got up and went for my daily run.  It's usually a later affair so it was a different scenario.  I was running on the country side while the local farmers where working their fields, riding their horses and such.  All of them looked at me like I am completely insane.  Can't say I blame them.

Here I am on vacation, ipod on, running like a panther is following me.  The few "inquires" about it made by the locals totally confirmed to them that having lived in the US f*&#ed with my brain and body and I am doing the non-sensical thing of running everyday even though I am far from fat by any definition.

Well, you all motherf*&#ers, somehow we are different.  I know my kind old man that you are in your 80's, eat meat three times a day, mainly somehow deep fried in oil or some kind of lard.  I know you've smoked since you were probably 11 and drink more alcohol that water and have done so you whole life.  And yes, you are in perfect health, never ran a day in your life (unless it was from your pissed off wife when you cheated, or after a run away cow), well, what do you want? a cookie? a medal?

Some of us have to take care of our self and run.  So, top looking at me like I am crazy and f*#k off.

A Charmed Life

I've been told repeatedly in the past couple months that I "have a charmed life", that "of course it's easy for you to be happy and positive when you live the life you live."

It's a sunny beautiful day in Northern Uruguay, I had a great meal, surrounded by beautiful souls and yes, my life it's charmed and happy and beautiful.  I am not arguing that.

What I think people don't see is how much work it takes to be happy and healthy and to have the said "charmed life" as well as the fact that we can all live such life.

I strongly believe that people are happy and everything works perfectly in their life because of such happiness, not the other way around.  Whether you believe in God or a Higher Force, we are here to be happy, use and develop our gifts and talents to help others.  When we make all our efforts to be happy, everything in our life recognizes that positive, happy force as part of God or the Higher Force and aligns itself to help us achieve our goals.  So we can have everything working in our life if we make our efforts to be happy.  It's not that I everything I have and then I am happy, the other way around, I am happy and then everything happens in my life.

There's a lot of hardship in my life, there have been very dark moments when I thought I would not make it to the next day, there has been more tragedy and heartache that I care to mention, but always at the direst of times I remembered: I am not here to be miserable or make others miserable, I am here to be happy, to be light and a beacon of light to others, and I plow forward.

So yes, my life it's charmed, and I work at it every single day.  It's our birth given right, to happiness, to success.  We can all be/have what we want, let's make it happen everyday and inspire others in the process.

p.

Early dinner eh?

I have been in South America for about three weeks, you would think I have shit figured it out, but alas, leave it up to me to be slow on the uptake.

I went for a 3 hour walk today (it takes that much to make a dent on the ridiculous amounts of food I am eating) and then got "home" around 5:30ish.

Right away I got a call from a local friend to go for dinner.  It went like this:

Carolina: "what are you doing tonight?"

Me: (after a pause in which I realized I of course have nothing to do) "nothing."

Carolina:" Shall we go out for dinner?"

Me:"Sure"

Carolina:"Let's go out for an early dinner so we can call it an early night."

Me: thinking "that's about right, walked like I was looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (minus the rainbow) so I can go for an early night for sure."

Carolina:"So you in for an early night with my friend?"

Me:"Absolutely."

Carolina:"Perfect, we will pick you up between 10 and 11pm."

Me: thinking"early night my ass, wtf."

Nothing or Everything, all at once and then some.

I am completely out of whack (what's new?)  Finished reading "The Hunger Games" which it's an amazing book that totally fu*&#ed with my mind and left me thinking and wondering and in awe and revolted at the same time.  It's "purely" fictional and I use quotation marks because it is fiction but the kind that is grounded on reality and amplified, yet the kind that it's around the corner waiting to happen, sort of.  I absolutely hate it when I end up talking like I just did, like I know something, because I don't.

I am proud to say I know very little, to say otherwise would be a big fat lie, you can remind me later, print this out and shove it on my face if I ever tell you:"listen, I know....(shove print copy of this now and shut me up.)

The things to know:

 a) are first thing to discover, I don't want to know what a society thinks I need to know, let me discover it myself.  Hence, since I am still trying to discover what's important for me to know, I don't know much.

b) things, facts, places, etc, change on a daily basis.  The only constant is change, so I do not want to "hold" knowledge from elementary school because that shit might be obsolete.  So I am not going to check my facts every day, I made the conscious choice of "holding" on to very few pieces of knowledge and check on those often. My ADD my have something to do with that but that's another story.

Those of you thinking that now I've started this blog you would be hearing/seeing more about my trip (I include myself in that as it was my intention when starting this): sorry to disappoint.  I am sure you did not expect this ramblings.

Part of why I don't write much about the trip is because I am bitter that globalization has taken so much away and made us all Starbucks/BurgerKing/Gap/Subway bitches around the world.  Yes I am seeing new places, different architecture (golden arches on top of a 130 French designed building? wtf?) but over all we are frighteningly looking like each other, regardless where in the world you go/live.  So I am sitting this one through for a while.  I do not want to be like everyone or dress like everyone or just be another one.  I want my individuality, damn it.

So I am a bit bitter.  Deal, for a moment.  But seriously, think about it.  How different are you from the person next to you? I hope a shit lot.  And if you realize that, why try so hard to fit in? thanks but I'll pass.  

Just because you said the blog was your favourite part....

...I told you I was going to write this one for you but you were gone already.  Gawd, this already sounds like an episode of General Hospital, circa 1972, but I swear it is nothing like that.  However because I don't want to embarrass the person I am writing this for, I will withhold the name.

In all reality I don't even know how to write a blog for someone, it's not like it's a letter and everyone can read it.  So I am just going to ramble, you however know this one is for you.

I was trying to remember when we met and I think it was through your brother who by the time we met had probably warned you that I am completely off my hinges and my heart is not on my sleeve but basically at my finger tips being thrown at people like a ninja star.  On the ninja topic, i realize my constant allusion to the ninjas shows I have some sort of obsession with the little vicious things, but who doesn't?

Anyway, continuing on your blog....oh I was saying how when we met I truly hope your brother had warned you because if not you probably thought I was one hot, messy mess.  Come to think of it, you did (and probably do) think I am some sort of lab experiment. 

Which brings me to the point: thank you for sticking around, being so kind, gracious, nice, fun, etc, etc, thanks for being such a good friend.

I do know I am a lot to handle and you and your brother seem to do quite well on that department.  From naming the Pablo-Wablo 2009 Tour to karaoke-ing with me, to always being so much fun to be around.

So I realize I totally suck at writing a blog for someone.  For what it's worth, I wrote it for you, we will chat on FB soon and I will be waiting for you at Cafe Tortoni.

Big Hug.

P.

My life as a movie.

Lifetime, National Geographic, Starz, HBO, not sure if my life could be a full feature film to be released world wide, I think more of an  HBO special, for sure not a Lifetime crying shit show.  It does help me put my life in perspective thinking about who would be interested in making my life a movie: if the answer is LifeTime, i need to tone down the uncalled for drama, NatGeo, I need to go back to the city and stop being so agro, Starz, things are ok but really kind of shitty deep down, HBO, oh I am cool, things are looking good.  See, it helps, if your life was a movie, what channel would be fighting to buy the rights? put it in perspective.

p.

Touched by an Angel (& not in a naughty way)

I woke up today full of hope and happiness.  The sun is up, the wind bringing stories from far away lands and there's magic in the air.

I realize I am a lucky/blessed person.  I am loved and love intensely.  There are people in my life that are instrumental in "waking me up" every day and reminding me that reality is what I make of it.  I choose to make my reality one where positiveness, love, hope, kindness are the common denominator.  Doing this I  bring people with similar perspective in my life and it makes it a paradise.

Don't get me wrong, i have challenges and issues as well.  However it's different to face challenges when you know they are small wrinkles in an otherwise perfect fabric of life.

Today is "friendship day" in Uruguay and I feel blessed to have the best friends and I do my best to honor those friendships.

Regardless the place, the country, the geography, we all want the same.  We want love, we want peace, we want shelter.  

Some of us are lucky to have those essential things that are our innate rights.  Lots of us do not have those privileges.  We need to start thinking of "us" a big family.  Not of "us" and "them".  We are all in this together.  Let's share our wealth with the rest of our world family that is not so lucky.

WILTW=What I've Learned This Week

So every Saturday it's for the the WILTW day, a day when I look back on the week and see what I've learned, from the relevant to the simply practical.  So, let's get on with it.

• Blogs can be addictive & a great way to share your thoughts in more than 140 characters (still LOVE Twitter though)
• One must never blog while drunk. So far I am doing well on that area but I make no promises.
• When cooking for others, one of the main ingredients must be love & a burning desire to feed others, not only in the tummy but in the soul.  Cooking gatherings are good for the soul if the tone is set right.
• Blood bonds are stronger than the strongest material, nurturing them should be a privilege for which we always should be thankful.
• Across the world, we all want the same thing: love, safety, freedom, our families, friends, nurturing and shelter.  Let's all work together for everyone to have this innate rights.
• It's never a good idea to start the day with an Irish coffee on an empty stomach, don't care what my dear South Americans say.
• Running on the country side it's much more satisfying than within the walls of a gym.
• Love, love, love, love the more you have it and give it, the more you receive it.
• Don't EVER be afraid of loving, it doesn't hurt but you cannot hold it, like a bird it's free.

The writer holed up in a cabin creating a masterpiece....

...it is not me.  Somehow in my cracked up head I always had the idea that for a writer (or one to be in my case) being away from civilization, in a cabin by the fire working away it's the ideal setting.  Well, reality it's a bit different.  The writer in my head is writing on a fat blank book with a quill or writing on a parchment with clothes too big for him and a dim light of an old lamp & the fireplace.  In reality I am writing on a laptop, sweats on by the fire and the comfort of modern day technology.  So, if I must live up to my "ideal writer" even the way I live and dressed, well, then forget it.  I will write something sub par and live with it while still enjoying living in the 21st century.

I'm going back an forth on this story that it's mostly written but then you always find something to improve it and in the process you screw up the rest or realize that just because you improved this one section, then the rest look like sh*t.  So, it's never ending at the moment.

It's hard to get all this facts, all this reality and make it into something that it's true to reality yet has a fictional quality to it.  And now, I am just rambling away.

The sun is tepidly showing it's face, I am by the fire, hear birds chirping (more like cackling away, kinda annoying) sipping some hot tea and obviously needing a distraction from the work at hand.

However, there's some things that must be done, sometimes what you can do for others involves you doing all you can to be aware, work hard and give this work of yours as a humble offering hoping to change the situation of others.

I realize that there's a lot of injustice in this world and I am not a cynic neither I am defeated by the size of the task at hand.  I believe that when faced with a monumental task/issue we MUST not be crushed by it, because if we are, then we cannot stand up for those that need us.  It is a tenant of my life that "you cannot give what you don't have."  Having said that, while I try to help others I realized it's a MUST that I have what I intend to share: love, patience, kindness, happiness, positive attitude, etc.  

So, no, I am not a part time believer in dong good.  It's just that I don't believe that being aware of things that are wrong and wanting to change them demands of me to be gloomy, overpowered by sadness because of all that it's wrong.  That would only lead to make me feel incapable, impotent in front of the circumstances.

Whatever it is that we need to change in our life or help to change in our world, WE CAN. So, let's get going with it and do it.

say cheese

I am sure the "novelty" of writing on a blog will wear of and then I will blog once a month.  I could think I could use this as my journal, but....let's get real: if I were to write in public what I write on my journal, well, I would loose my friends, be called crazy and probably be locked in prison.  So I can only put the edited version of my life here.

I went to a farm nearby today and then came "home" to eat a veggie quiche made of fresh cheese and veggies plucked from the garden.  Well, after that I feel cheated when I look back and think about how the "fresh produce" aisle wasn't really that fresh and the "fresh cheese" was not fresh either.  Not to mention that the quiche from my favourite deli was microwaved and can't compare to the one I just had.

Anyway, the trade off works for me so far.  No Starbucks in every corner but I gladly take the picturesque little cafes with the best espresso ever.  I have yet to figure out how you order just a simple coffee.  Every time you order a "coffee" here you get an espresso.  When I explained I wanted simply a "large cup of coffee" well, guess what? I got the large cup of espresso.  Needless to say that was the day that I walked all over (and I mean ALL OVER) Buenos Aires.

So, let me raise my glass to the cheese and the coffee in this land of abundance.

And now they call me FAT

Among the things that I was reminded when arriving to South America (Argentina/Uruguay specifically) is that people call you fat to your face as the most common thing.  Like when you say to someone "oh, you got a haircut", well with the same non mean spirit people have told me "oh you've gotten ridiculously fat, your face looks like a ballon, good to see you."

Even though I was raised here and should know better, I was taken back the first few times my healthiness was pointed out to me.  Then I remember how when I was a kid, until I was 5 years old I was not simply fat but morbidly obese and went by the nick name of "fatso."  Kid you not, a true story.

I was so fat as a baby that when I was 6-7 months old and could not be bother to move (you make the Micheline baby move) my mother took me to our pediatrician extremely concerned.  She said (as she loves to tell this story to my friends) to the doctor: "he doesn't move, he doesn't do anything, not even follow me with his eyes, does he have down syndrome?" We are not even going to discuss the validity of that question as some of you might still wonder that, but the doctor said:" no ma'am, he's healthy, he's just really, really fat."

So I was also reminded of the strategy that ones take when people call you a blimp.  Few days after I was here I went to eat with some long lost friends (that upon seeing me commented how fat I was) and proceeded to not want to eat much saying :"well look at me, I am a rhino, I can't eat or I'll explode." Of course they went ahead to tell me how I am not really fat (duh!) just have a "full face" and I have "grown into my frame", blah, blah, blah.

All along I was laughing inside.

Bottom line: who cares? and exactly because that's the healthy attitude in most people in this parts of the world it's why they can look at you and say: "god, you are fat."

What's in my head?

Many times i have been asked what's in my head, well, just had a realization: it's probably not in my head anymore but on a tweet, text, facebook wall and now a blog.  So What used to be completely on my head it's now spread on line in different places.  Kinda makes me think of the internet as a continuation of me which it's creepy and exciting at the same time.

Many people told me they wanted to hear about my misadventures while traveling in South America.  Writing a journal but I can't share that with all unless you all get in a plane, come to see me and decide to spend time reading my boring entries instead of taking in the sights, hence the blog.

I cannot say I will try to be funny as that never really works, apparently I am funny when I don't know it or even try.  Kinda like "the joke's on me" and I am not aware of it.

I have been in South America for 11 days now and it has been good all along.

Landed in Mexico City, raided every restaurant near the airport and loved each one of them as well as discovering the local beer "Indio".  The people of Mexico is nothing but kind, funny, friendly, etc, etc.  I am sure there are some shady ones but don't we all have the shady cousin?

Then I stopped in my old stumping grounds: Sao Paulo.  Brasil WINS!!! People there are just always so happy and pleasant, regardless of what their situation in life, from the homeless guy to the guy in the Mercedes Guardian, all so happy.  One day I will become an anthropologist and do a research on that.  What? I have time and can still become an anthropology researcher.

Finally made it to Buenos Aires (thanks to Brazilian airline TAM, best in the world, try it and then tell me).  Don't know how the pilot landed because there was a a heavy fog that wouldn't let you see two feet in front of you.  So when I was ready to be part of the real life LOST (I would be the Sawyer of the survivors, come on, let me have it, I let my hair grow for that purpose) we were on solid ground.

Buenos Aires has a particular smell to it, of city, of people, of the nearby ocean, it's a living, breathing beautiful place, decorated with amazing architecture, little bars, tango seeping from the seams, just a magical place.

Talking about magical places, I should get up and shower, cause at this point my smell has nothing magical to it.