Category Archives: Daily Life

Review: Kykuit-The Rockefeller Estate – 4 stars

06 Sunday May 2012

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Kykuit is the house that John D. Rockefeller built for his family in the Hudson Valley. It is a magnificent property with extensive gardens with tons of sculptures throughout.  It sits at the top of Kykuit Hill with majestic views. John D. Rockefeller was the founder of Standard Oil, now Exxon.

They offer a variety of tours. We chose the Grand Tour which is the one that you get to see the most of the house and gardens.  It is impressive the architecture and the collection of Modern Art in the gallery in the basement.

My favorite part was the gardens and all its sculptures. The sculputres all from the 20th century belonged to Nelson Rockefeller.  He was NY’s Governor and also US’s Vice President under Gerald Ford. He was a lover of the Arts, of well knows artists, such as Picasso, but also unkown NY artists.

We also got to see the Carriage House that now houses a collection on Antique cars and carriages.

The guide was very knowledgeable and really gave us a background on the house and all the families that lived there (4 generations of the Rockefeller family).

The tour lasted 3 hours and went by very fast. I highly recommend it!!

Please see my other blog for the pictures taken there http://listuniverse.wordpress.com/

Today I woke up singing

05 Saturday May 2012

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Today I caught myself singing a Brazilian song written by Chico Buarque de Hollanda in 1976.  It is called “Olhos nos Olhos” “Eye to Eye”

and here is the part I caught myself singing:

Olhos no olhos, quero ver o que você faz
Ao sentir que sem você passo bem demais
E que venho até remoçando
Me pego cantando
Sem mais nem porquê

Here is my loose translation:

Eye to eye, I want to see what you do
When you realize that without you I live very well
that I am even getting younger
and I catch myself singing
For no reason at all”

**

Amazing how, unconsciously, that is where my mind is.  Me, that never sings would wake up singing that song, that part is to me a sign.  A sign of growth and recovery and happiness.

Thank you God and Universe for the rehabilition of my cells, to the the renewal of each day, for the knowledge, experience and certainty, that this minute was better than the one before and that the next minute will be even better.

***

Here is the whole song and my loose translation:

Quando você me deixou, meu bem
Me disse pra ser feliz e passar bem
Quis morrer de ciúme, quase enlouqueci
Mas depois, como era de costume, obedeci
Quando você me quiser rever
Já vai me encontrar refeita, pode crer
Olhos no olhos, quero ver o que você faz
Ao sentir que sem você passo bem demais
E que venho até remoçando
Me pego cantando
Sem mais nem porquê
E tantas águas rolaram
Quantos homens me amaram
Bem mais e melhor que você
Quando talvez precisar de mim
‘Ce sabe a casa é sempre sua, venha sim
Olhos nos olhos, quero ver o que você diz
Quero ver como suporta me ver tão feliz

translation:

When you left me, my dear
You told me to be happy and be well
I wanted to die of jealousy, almost went crazy
but later, as I was used to, I obeyed

When you want to see me again
You are going to find me renewed, you better believe
Eye to eye, I want to see what you do
When you realize that without you I live very well
that I am even getting younger
and I catch myself singing
For no reason at all

and so many things have come and gone
so many men have loved me
more and better than you

When, perhaps, you will need me
you know the door is always open, do come
eye to eye, I want to see what you say
I want to see how so you stand to see me so happy

****

Is there a song that you find yourself singing for no reason?

 

Review Documentary: What I Want My Words to Do to You – 4 1/2 stars

05 Saturday May 2012

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This is a documentary done in 2003 featuring the Writing Group of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, NY.

Eve Ensler had conducted a 4 year writing program with the women of the facility by the time this documentary was done. Eve Ensler, you may recall,  she is known for writing The Vagina Monologues (which I never saw, but I think I will track it down and see it)

the documentary showed the women participating in a series of exercises and discussions about the crimes they committed, their guilt and the reality of living behind bars.

It ended with several actresses including Glenn Close and Marisa Tomei among others, performing the women’s writing for the inmates in prison.

I highly recommend it to every woman, actually, to everyone.

It  was very powerful.  It hit me very hard.  I cried at varies points while watching it.  I realized how much I have in common with women sitting in prison.  Not only I, but we all have a lot in common, but for some reason we make the right decision at the right moment.

One thing most of them had in common was they didn’t think they had any other choices. And that is where I differ from those women.  I know I have choices and I plan on taking full advantage of them.

But the truly sad part is to realize that there are a lot more people that are imprisoned but invisible walls that they put up.  Anyway, that is a topic for another post.

Gotta go to sleep now.

 

Do I look for love or do I let it find me?

03 Thursday May 2012

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This is the question that I have been pondering over lately.

Do I active seek love or just go about my business and let it find me?

And when I say “love” I mean soul mate, my partner for life, I don’t mean just a date or a roll in the hay.

Because the truth is, I don’t need a boyfriend, but I want one. I do plenty of stuff alone and I adore my own company.  But there are a lot moments where it would be could to have a partner.

I am already happy, so I don’t need someone to make me happy.  I want someone to share my happiness.

Getting back to love finding me, it should be pretty easy, one would think, since I have been blessed with a star on my forehead.  But what I realize that only the special someone will see the star and find me.

Now the question is: Where is he?

Did he give up looking for me and married somebody else?

I thought I had found him, but the truth is I wanted him so much that I made him up. Ex was so charming that I figure this is it.

So, right now I am on e-Harmony. But sometimes it just smells of desperation, of offering myself.

I like to think that I am being pro-active, like they say about the Lottery, you have to be in it to win it, so I guess this is my way of being in it!.

So are you actively pursuing love or are you waiting until it finds you?

I am not voting for you!

02 Wednesday May 2012

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As I am walking on the train platform waiting for my train to come to work in NY, this man approaches me, hands me a card and says:

I am running for Congress.

That is fine, until he added: beautiful lady!  Well I love a compliment but this didn’t feel like one.

The way he said it and looked at me it just made me feel uneasy.

Now I am not a prude and I enjoy harmless flirting, but this rubbed me so wrong.

I can’t imagine this man in Congress.

He is either a creep trying to get women or perhaps just dumb, at either case he should not be in Congress.

I do expect a lot from out politicians and people in power.  I expect they set an example.  I cannot believe that everyone already forgot about Clinton and how he is welcomed and cherished.  Does anyone remember what he did? And I am sure we don’t know the full extent of it. 

ok, ok, he is only human, some may say. I do agree people are allowed to make mistakes, but it seems that we just forgiving him for being a man, a man in power.  I guess it has come to be expected that is what they do.

What about John Edwards? Did his wife deserve that? She deserve honesty, as any person in a relationship.  If he is willing to betray the person that is standing by him, carrying his children, doing everything for me, what is he willing to do to the American people?

Am I perfect? no, but one thing I try to do is deal in honesty.  It just so much easier!

Why is free so attractive?

01 Tuesday May 2012

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Every now and then there are people standing outside Grand Central Station (NY) handing out free samples of things such as headache medication, juices, etc.

I, like most people, just take it and later I will decide it if I want it or need it. What if I pass it up and it turns out it is something great.

R, one of my co-workers once mentioned he never takes anything that is being hand out.  He said: “if terrorists really wanted to get to us all they needed to do was stand outside Grand Central and hand out poison and we would willingly take it”.

He has a point, but still it hasn’t stopped me from grabbing whatever they give out.

This morning it was Emmi Swiss yogurt and Ricola cherry cough drops. I have been into Greek yogurt lately so I am not sure Swiss yogurt is for me, specially since the flavor they gave me was Green Apple.  If I ever try it I will let you know.

What about you?  Are you excited to get free stuff?

Shuttle Enterprise lands in NY

30 Monday Apr 2012

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As I may have mentioned, or not, my mom spent almost 1 month with me in NY.  She went back to Brazil on April 27, 2012. I took her to the airport around 7pm.  Her flight was scheduled for 10:30pm, but, having had missed flights before due to traffic problems, we leave home with plenty of time.

So we approached JFK at 7:10pm and  we were all surprised to see the Shuttle Enterprise just sitting there on one of the hangars. I almost missed it, if it were not for the driver pointing it out to me. (Yeah I really need to work on my being in the moment and paying attention to my surroundings)

It was sitting piggyback on a jumbo jet. It seemed smaller than one would expect, but I guess it is because I was riding in car looking out of the window.

After being in JFK for awhile, the shuttle will be moved permanently to Intrepid, Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City

My first Pilates session

29 Sunday Apr 2012

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As I tackle items on my “To do list of self improvement”, that I mentioned in a list on my other blog “http://listuniverse.wordpress.com/”, I will be reporting my progress on working on that list right here.

So today I had my first Pilates session.  I feel great.  First for having tackled one item on my list and second for the overall benefit of doing something for my body.

Some of the positions and exercises were a little hard and at times even painful, but it was a good type of pain. The pain of my body being challenged.

G., the instructor is a woman originally from the Dominican Republic that has been teaching for 10 years.  She was great.  Her English was somewhat limited, but it didn’t seem important at all.

I think that she rents space in a house, because I met her at a house that it was clearly she didn’t live there.  You could hear the kids and the other sounds of a household going about on a Sunday morning.

I guess if I were to have one complain it would be that: the noises around us.  But I am not complaining.

The first step on anything is really the hardest, but I also believe that the next phase maintaining and keeping up with some project is probably even harder.

So I bought 10 sessions of Pilates because it will force me to continue with it at least for another 9 sessions.

I realize it is a monetary investment as well because it is not cheap, so I plan on being fully present for each sessions (not let my mind wonder), as well as stretching and attempting some exercises at home also.

What about you, did you ever take a Pilates session?

How about improving yourself, what steps are you taking?

So now I am mad!!

26 Thursday Apr 2012

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I just read in a Brazilian site about what this soccer player’s wife said about a husband cheating on his wife.

First the soccer player in question is Kaka, handsome, religious and rich.  She is a spoiled rich girl that got lucky in the husband department.

Any way she said and I am going to loosely translate from Portuguese: I would forgive a betrayal because wwhen the man betrays is a sign that the wife failed in some area. She was not giving what was necessary, and I don’t mean only sex. I speak of caring, dialogue, cumplicity. If Kaka betrays me it means I am doing something very wrong.

Her name is Carol Celico and supposedly they were both virgins when they got married.  Kudos for them, but not our real world.

I hope she does not go through a betrayal in the future, but I would like her to at least for a second feel what we, betrayed women, feel.  We do enough of second guessing on our own. We do question if we gave enough in all areas. We do look back and look for places where we could have been more caring, more attentive, more supportive, less critical, less demanding.

But guess what?

After all this guilt trip, after all this blame game, after all the clue collection and soul searching I realize that a man cheats because:

He was not man enough to voice his opinions, needs and wants.

He wasn’t honest enough to say that he no longer wanted a relationship.  

He thought he could get away with it.

The situation/opportunity presented himself.

He is having a mid-life crisis.

He wants to tell himself he still got it.

He is bored.

But I found the real truth.  A man (or woman) cheats because they are not happy with themselves.  If they were happy with themselves they would choose the honest path, they would communicate.  They would perhaps realize the value in their partner and how good they have at home before it is too late.

So, Carol Celico you are famous by virtue of your husband, please use this fame for some worthwhile causes. Do not use your soapbox to make woman feel guilty.  Do not add to their pain by making them feel it was their fault.  Their egos and self esteem are probably shattered by now, do not make it worst.

I know in my heart that I did my best and more than that in all areas, but sometimes no matter what you, no matter you can turn water into gold, some people will just lie to your face and cheat on your.  Their reasons, if they are able to come up with any, are not important.  the damaged is already done.  And lies and excuses just make it worst.

It would be refreshing to just hear: I lied and cheated and I don’t deserve you, please forgive me! 

Now that is what I wanted to hear, but I am sure some of you have heard that time after time, so if you do love yourself first and move on.

***

Do you agree with Carol Celico?

If not why do you think man cheat?

 

Monday, Monday

23 Monday Apr 2012

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So casino trip is over and now is Monday and back to reality.  There is something good about getting back to the routine of work.

Routines are comforting!

I ate too much.  What goes on in our brains that makes us crave food? I wished I craved salad.  But I don’t! I crave the crunchy, the salty, the sweet, the creamy.

I have to say that I am extremely proud of myself for following through on my decision to not eat chocolate for 1 year. November 4, that will be the day of reckoning, the day I have to decide if I start to eat chocolate again or not.  I don’t look forward to having to make that decision.

Tomorrow will Ex and I will take the mom’s to Broadway to see Spiderman. I am looking forward to it.  I enjoy Broadway shows a lot.

I will report back with a review on Spiderman, and also on the restaurant we choose to eat.  Right now I still don’t know where we will be eating.  I was thinking Carmines, since it is a legend and I have never been there before I thought it would be a good chance to go, but of course, they have no room.

What restaurant in the Theater District do you enjoy?

What Broadway and off-Broadway shows have you seen lately that you recommend?