Bucket List Trips

A Facebook/Twitter buddy of mine just posted a wonderful and inspiring list of places to visit before one dies and of course, I just had to share it here. Not only are the locations fun and exciting, the pictures the site shows of each location are gorgeous. If the pics don't inspire you to get off your butt, save money and miles to travel and see the world, I don't know what will. #ijs

21 Places To See Before You Die (<---click the hyperlink)

Not to brag or anything, but I only have 17 left to go, haha.

It's Been Confirmed...

...Mickey Mouse is gay. (Not that there's anything wrong with that...)

Don't Be Fooled...

Another random quote I came across and absolutely love and identify with:

I am aware that I am less than some people prefer me to be, but most people are unaware that I am so much more than what they see.

Recognize, fool! ;)

Aspire!

Random quote from my Twitter feed that I fell in love with just this minute:

Life's short. Don't wish you could be where you were, Remember who you were. Know who you are. and Rise to who you will become!

Holly Would...

Holly Would Dream by Karen Quinn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Although super, super predictable and cheesy, the narrator actually made me laugh out loud. The author's knowledge of all things Hepburn was admirable and her characters were lovingly written; I even learned about a bit about the museum world. Holly's experience in Rome left me nostalgic and made me want to revisit the Eternal City. I really enjoyed this light-hearted book--it was just what I needed to pick me up from a heavy novel I'd read beforehand.



View all my reviews

A Lovely Quote

My mind has been kind of dabbling at this topic lately, and coincidence of all coincidences, I came across this beautifully worded quote. Absorb:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

- Marianne Williams

The Origin of Words

So many times we say things without truly understanding what they mean--words/phrases/colloquialisms. As I get older, it's starting to irk me more and more whenever I hear someone say something they think is "cool" and have totally missed the mark. Or when someone uses a phrase like "rule of thumb" and doesn't know where it originated and what it meant when it was coined. "Fingers crossed!" and millions of other words and phrases we use everyday have historical, religious, racial, philosophical (etc.) references that we never sought to understand on our own. I bring this up today because of the internet craze called "planking." People are going around and taking pictures of themselves lying flat, face-down and spread-eagle (like a Superman pose) in "weird" places and then post them online. Where does the word planking stem from? Well, an acquaintance on Facebook finally looked it up:

Planking: a term used by slave owners as a method of stacking slaves on a ship. Slave traders stacked slaves on plank beds, face-down on slave ships, hands chained to their waists, and called it "planking the slaves."

I posted this on my Facebook status and it sparked quite a conversation both on and offline, so much so that several friends have taken it upon themselves to research this even further. Here are a couple of other links:

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2011%2FSHOWBIZ%2Fcelebrity.news.gossip%2F07%2F13%2Fplanking.roots%2F&h=oAQD2diG4

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSlave_ship&h=nAQBFyXdz

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FLying_down_game&h=MAQCKsQce

So, let's think before we speak, yes?

Slackin' on My Pimpin'

Apologies, folks. I know I've been slacking on the blog entries. That is all about to change though. Got a new laptop--quicker, lighter, easier--so I was out of internet and computer commission for a while; just finished a ridiculously tedious and stressful office relocation; doing my spring/summer wardrobe cleaning, so things have been pretty hectic to say the least (plus, I was going out quite a bit with a few late nights, hehe). TheVickylicious is back in full effect!

For our May book selection, Book Club read Cutting for Stone and we all loved it, even though we all agreed that some of the medical jargon could have been minimized. All of the characters were touching and super well-developed. When we thought things were becoming predictable, the author took it an extra level and kept us on our toes--nothing was exactly as it seemed. Description, word usage, the history, setting, and themes were fantastic. We all recommend this book, although not the easiest of reads, it takes time to get through.

Our June book is Kate Christensen's The Great man. Here's what the New York Times thinks about it:

The New York Times - Janet Maslin

Though the women in Oscar's life are anything but amicable at the start of The Great Man, the book follows them through "a nice little volley of overdue spats and tantrums," as Teddy puts it. And Ms. Christensen does a funny, astute job of pulling the wool from their eyes. In a lesser novel these plot developments could easily occur in mechanical, sitcom fashion, but The Great Man is as unexpectedly generous as it is entertaining. Instead of milking the old feuds, it allows them to dissipate. Its real emphasis is not on Oscar's legacy but on the ways in which these women escape his shadow…Among Ms. Christensen's worksThe Great Man is a gentler book than The Epicure's Lament. (Her others are Jeremy Thrane and In the Drink.) It's also a wise and expansive one, and it allows its characters to flourish in unexpectedly rewarding ways.

I'm a third of the way through and am really enjoying it thus far; clever and witty. I'll keep you posted.

The Feeling of the Day

Epic Fail

I saw this and just started cracking up. I felt compelled to share it. And the fact that it's called "Epic Fail" makes me laugh even harder!

Priceless.

Not Feeling Blue About...

... Rakesh Satyal's fabulous and fun novel, Blue Boy. The girls and I discussed our March book last week over Indian food at Kiran, coincidentally the name of the book's protagonist (unfortunately, the restaurant fare was not as delightful as the book--my opinion only). While Publisher's Weekly had this to say:

Satyal's lovely coming-of-age debut charts an Indian-American boy's transformation from mere mortal to Krishnaji, the blue-skinned Hindu deity. Twelve-year-old Kiran Sharma's a bit of an outcast: he likes ballet and playing with his mother's makeup. He also reveres his Indian heritage and convinces himself that the reason he's having trouble fitting in is because he's actually the 10th reincarnation of Krishnaji. He plans to come out to the world at the 1992 Martin Van Buren Elementary School talent show, and much of the book revels in his comical preparations as he creates his costume, plays the flute and practices his dance moves to a Whitney Houston song. But as the performance approaches, something strange happens: Kiran's skin begins to turn blue. Satyal writes with a graceful ease, finding new humor in common awkward pre-teen moments and giving readers a delightful and lively young protagonist.

(May)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

book club had this to say:
V: "This book was too precious; and I just loved all of the 80s references."
K: "When he mentioned Poochie?! Too awesome. This book was so cute. I loved everything except for one corny part: the fact that Kiran's skin was actually turning blue."
In unison: "Not necessary, it's true. But everything else was great!"
R: "I could totally envision his talent show costume."
V: "I over-identified with some of his situations, I'm just saying..."

OK, of course our discussion went deeper than that--we're not entirely superficial, geez. We appreciated how the author tied religion in with how Kiran ritualized his secret make-up applications; how Kiran's mother fought with herself when she encouraged Kiran's dancing even though she felt it might be indulging in her son's homosexuality (although it was never spoken of or hinted at); how Kiran and his father's tense relationship was always loving during the last moments of their church service, once again alluding to the idea of ritual. Because I highly recommend Blue Boy, I don't want to divulge any "spoilers," so I'm not going to go into further detail about this coming-of-age story, only to say that Satyal covers so many important/relevant issues in such a unique and thoughtful way, that I believe everyone can read this book and take something special away from it. This book was definitely a winner!

Our April book selection is Of Bees and Mist, by Erick Setiawan. So far one of my book club friends is over-identifying with some of the characters' situations, which could be good or bad. I'm curious and am therefore starting tonight (I know I'm behind, but only because I had to finish another book first--I'll discuss this one in another post later).

God, I love books!

My New Workout Challenge

One of the Most Beautiful Songs

Rave Reviews

Last weekend the new (and dare I say improved?) book club met to discuss Isabel Allende's Daughter of Fortune over scrumptious Chilean delights at Pomaire. Que rico! We all verily enjoyed the book and Allende's super capable storytelling ways. The world of characters she created were engrossing and wholly identifiable; the settings of mid-1800s Chile and California was palpable; her descriptions never faltered. What seemed like a love story gone wrong actually turned out to be a tribute to freedom in all its splendid forms and how we are apt to fight for them. I must say, I loved this book. Allende never ceases to amaze me with her talents. I can't wait to sink my teeth into her newest book, Island Beneath the Sea, as soon as I get the chance.

The March book is Blue Boy, by Rakesh Satyal. Publisher's Weekly said:

"Satyal's lovely coming-of-age debut charts an Indian-American boy's transformation from mere mortal to Krishnaji, the blue-skinned Hindu deity. Twelve-year-old Kiran Sharma's a bit of an outcast: he likes ballet and playing with his mother's makeup. He also reveres his Indian heritage and convinces himself that the reason he's having trouble fitting in is because he's actually the 10th reincarnation of Krishnaji. He plans to come out to the world at the 1992 Martin Van Buren Elementary School talent show, and much of the book revels in his comical preparations as he creates his costume, plays the flute and practices his dance moves to a Whitney Houston song. But as the performance approaches, something strange happens: Kiran's skin begins to turn blue. Satyal writes with a graceful ease, finding new humor in common awkward pre-teen moments and giving readers a delightful and lively young protagonist." (May)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

I'm eagerly awaiting my copy in the mail. In the meantime, I've recently finished Cammie McGovern's debut novel, The Art of Seeing. A lovely, heartfelt read about the relationship between two sisters and how they view themselves in each other's eyes. I'm thinking of revisiting this book one day by submitting this to the book club one month. I feel the need to discuss this one.

Women Rule

This past weekend I finished reading Michelle Moran's Nefertiti, and what a pleasure it was. This historical fiction novel obliterated the bad taste Mistress of the Sun left in my mouth. Moran richly described ancient Egypt, the characters were so well thought and developed, the story was captivating, engrossing and entertaining, as well as informative. As soon as I get the chance, seeing as how I have stacks of books yet unread on my book shelves, I plan on reading the sequel, The Heretic Queen. And if the second installment is just as good then I will be a Michelle Moran fan and read all of her historical fiction novels of which she has quite a few.

While I wait for my book club book to come in the mail (yes, I'm slacking), The Art of Seeing is my current read. So far so good. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, happy Valentine's Day (not that I'm a fan of this Hallmark holiday, but I do appreciate the sentiment)! (Lady Antebellum's song "Need You Now" won a bunch of awards at last night's Grammy Awards. I think it was a sign. Le sigh.)

My New Club/Stripper Pole Song ;)

A New Skincare Recipe

Our Moms

I heard Staceyann Chin on Def Poetry one night years ago and started looking into her poetry and writings. Last week I began following her on Twitter: @staceyannchin. I came across this haiku (a form of poetry I love, as many who follow me might already know) today and felt compelled to post it (even though the ethnicity is reversed):

Haiku for my mother

Chinaman left her
black child in her flat belly
rockstone in her heart

My mom's been staying with me since October while her new apartment gets renovated; she moves out tomorrow. Although my happiness knows no end to the news that I get my space back, I'm going to miss the routine we so easily fell into together. She has been through everything, knows almost everything, and is my everything. And despite the fact that I see my mother everyday, that she gets on my nerves, that I cherish my personal space and privacy, I'll miss her. Does that make any sense?! haha

Glad That's Over

I finally finished Mistress of the Sun, and I am too happy that ordeal is over. This book had so much potential and completely lost its way--I'm so disappointed in Gulland for creating such spineless female characters and for focusing on the inconsequential. Mistress was based on an actual historical figure, therefore it should have been that much greater for that little fact. This experience has completely dissuaded me from reading any more books by Gulland--shoddy writing should and will not be supported by yours truly.

On a happier note, our February book for the new book club has been voted upon and the winner is Isabel Allende's Daughter of Fortune. I might have read this book years ago, but can't remember; either way, I can't wait to pick it up. That is of course, after I finish Nefertiti, by Michelle Moran, in order to compensate for the horrible taste in my mouth left over from badly written historical fiction. Nefertiti should do the trick (as I've been told by Racquel who's read both books back-to-back as well). As usual, you can see my updated list of reading material in the right navigation; they're all quick links for your easy reference.

Happy reading and have a lovely weekend, my friends. Besitos!

V

The New Format

Since a couple of the ladies from the original NYC Book Gang and I are going to continue reading together, I've put together a new format that seems very agreeable to us all: we will each be picking a book per month, on ABC rotation, and will also orchestrate the venue and meeting date. I think this will make things more interactive and get participation at 100% (even though this wasn't a problem with them, which is why we're doing this ourselves). In retrospect, maybe the group should have been handled like this from the beginning; however, I thought that I was making it easier for everyone by coordinating everything myself. Was it all taken for granted, were people just not interested anymore, or is everyone just going in a different direction? I don't know, and even though I'll miss the original collective, I'm looking forward to starting anew.

I can't wait to see what the inaugural book is going to be, especially since I can't seem to finish Mistress of the Sun. I'm not saying it's bad per se, just a really tedious read.

My New Makeup Mission

The End of An Affair

Last night was the final book club gathering. We had a lovely time, but I believe my idea has served its purpose for making new friends and exploring our new home. We briefly discussed our December book over gourmet grilled cheese sammies (part of the theme besides candy) and sinfully delicious desserts. Back on my diet as of today, haha. Two of the original--and only consistent participants--and I will continue to read together and dish, but by no means will any of us part ways and never see each other again. I will still host movie nights and I'm sure we'll all include each other in our own activities and outings. Also, my "Recent Reads" section will continue to be updated on a regular basis.

All's well that ends well.

New Year, Better Life

I'm not into the whole "new year, new you" mentality; I prefer to think of "better you" than completely new. Let's be realistic: no one sticks to resolutions and far-reaching goals anyway, right? So I'm going to keep on making the same improvements I vowed to make last year. 2010 was grand and I stuck to my list for the most part, therefore this year can only get better by my estimations. Saving more money (not spending so carelessly), investing that saved money wisely, healthier living, all that good stuff.

These past few days I've already started achieving some of my five-year plan goals: I signed up for spin instructor certification and will have that squared away next weekend--so excited about that! I've bought a photography package so I can finally get my headshots (on last year's to-do list). I've renewed my gym membership and have been already been taking dance classes at Alvin Ailey (LOVING it there) and am planning on adding ballet back into my repetoire. I'm planning on being able to make clothes--or at least hem my jeans and fix buttons--so I've signed up for sewing classes. I'm also trying to be more patient and tolerant toward others. All of this should lead to a better me, yes?

Being this proactive, which is better than I was during years' past, I can only believe that 2011 will be promising.

Oh! Check out my skydiving video that I've finally uploaded on my youtube channel here.