Love me like I want you to Love me: San Valentine's Day

“If they don’t love you as you want them to love you, it doesn’t mean they do not love you with all they’ve got.” Popular saying.

Sometimes we wish that our partner was more romantic, that he/she would send us flowers, leave us little presents or simply leave us a note wishing us a “Good day!”

And this wish tends to intensify itself during San Valentine’s Day, the day where we are supposed to celebrate love.

But, how do I materialize a feeling? What can I do to astonish the person I love? Do we really need to celebrate it?

Here are some stories of people who have celebrated it, and some experiences of those who decided it was better not to celebrate.

This is how they celebrated:

“The most romantic present is to create time to share together (and if it includes a trip, that’s even better!). My fiancé and I love to go to a place about an hour and a half from Boca Raton, FL called Naples, where we stay at the Ritz Carlton and since the moment we arrive we forget about any type of stress. It is a place where the plan is to lay on the beach all day with excellent attention (there are bungalows at the beach, and you drink mojitos and piña colada all day long), sunset falls on the sea and it is amazing, and the city is very pretty to go out for a walk or go out to eat.” Annabella (Boca Ratón, FL, EEUU / Caracas, Venezuela).

“I remember two years ago, I arrived from work and found Bernie at my place: he had lighted candles all over the house and he was cooking for me! He really showed himself off: spaghetti with prawns and everything! Isabel (Cuidad de Panamá, Panamá).

“When John and I dated in college, we celebrated our first valentine's day very low key because we spent a lot of money on a ski trip in January. I asked John to pick me up at my dorm room and to be hungry. ;) When he picked me up he gave me a rose with a card. Inside the card there was a Starbuck's gift card. He knew how much I loved it. He used to always surprise me at the reading room with a caramel latte. Then he handed me my favorite chocolate in the whole world, Ferro Rocher. So, I got a bag ready and when we got in the car I told him to take me to his place cuz I was going to cook for him an authentic Puerto Rican dinner. I was so nervous. Not only was this the first time I was cooking for my boyfriend, it was the first time I was cooking Puerto Rican food by myself. I made him arroz con habichuelas rojas y bistec encebollado. So I served him a plate and for like the longest five minutes of my life, he didn't say a word. Until finally he said, "wow baby, I'm gonna get seconds" lol It made my night. For dessert I got him his favorite ice cream, mint chocolate chip. That night we stayed up talking and when we looked out the window it began to snow. It was a perfect ending to our date. The TCU campus was gorgeous. I know it’s not a glamorous story but it's my favorite valentine's day ever. Simple but thoughtful.” Karlene (Washington DC, EEUU / San Juan, Puerto Rico).

“I have a friend who once did a treasure hung. In the morning she prepared breakfast for him, and in the afternoon she was not with him, instead, she would leave him clues where he could find the next clue. Each place had a special significance for them (favorite restaurant, place where they met, the house of the friends that introduced them). There was a clue and a present in each place. At the end she was waiting for him at the house as she cooked dinner and a present.” Annabella (Boca Ratón, FL, EEUU/ Caracas, Venezuela).

“If there's one thing I've learned about relationships and being romantic is this: sometimes the simpler the more satisfying. Chris and I have lived so far away from each other most of our relationship that to be honest we never made a big deal about valentines day or anything like that. Last year was our first year together and i think he forgot it was valentines days. I bought him a cheesy heart balloon and he made a nice spaghetti dinner, we drank some wine and we watched a movie. Sometimes simple is better...” Alexa (California, EEUU / Brasil)

And for those who do not really relieve in San Valentine’s Day, I have a store for you:

“Last year, I assumed Chelsea was not going to mind if I did not buy her a Valentine’s present, but of course, it ended up being one of the most stupid decisions and a clear boundary of my understanding of women. I had to go out at 9 p.m. to buy her a pair of earrings that ended up being really expensive. Another bad story, but anyhow, it shows how ridiculous some of us can be if we think San Valentine’s Day is not important enough to celebrate.” Arturo (Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala)

Wish you had a great San Valentine’s day! How did you celebrate it this year?

Salvadorean Pupusas: Strange Name for a Unique Taste

People from El Salvador have their own typical dish: Pupusas. These round plums are particular because of their name and also because they have their own national celebration: According to Legislative Decree 655 of El Salvador, the second Sunday of November is considered the “National Day of Pupusas”.

Nelson Sosa, from El Salvador, explains that the “National Day of Pupusas is very well known. He says the decree was created because Honduras or Nicaragua were saying that pupusas had originated in those countries and not in El Savador, while the dish, is indisputably, from El Salvador (they took the case to court and used historians, documents, etc to determine they originated in El Salvaor).

The word “pupusa” comes from the combination of the word “púpu” (scramble) and “tsa” (bulge), which would translate to “stuffed bulge”, according to José Manuel Bonilla, specialist in the nahuat language and national director of cultural development of Concultura.

There are two types of pupusas: corn and rice. “Rice pupusas are typical of a town called "Olocuilta", localed near the airport (San Salvador). For that reason, all Salvadorians that travel stop by to buy pupusas on the way to the airport”, says Daniel Rivera from El Salvador.

But, what makes these pupusas so special that Salvadorians have even reserved a day in their honor?

To answer this question I had to try them myself.

When I went to Washington DC, USA, a friend from El Salvador decided to introduce us to this delicious dish. We drove for about an hour to the place where they sold “the best pupusas in DC” to try them.

On a first impression, they reminded me of Colombian arepas: rounded, crispy and fresh corn disks. Only arepas are eaten by themselves, while you place curtido on top of the pupusas. Curtido is a mixture of cabbage, carrots, onions and green chilli soaked in vinegar.

Since we were a large group we ordered pupusas with different suffing so we could try a large variety: cheese, cheese and beans, “revueltas” (fried crackling (chicharrón), beans and cheese), beef and cheese with “loroco”. That time we did not try pupusas filled with “ayote” (a type of cabbage), and fish, among others.

My favorite ones were filled with cheese; they were not as heavy as the other ones, which allowed me to eat more. At the same time “revueltas” have a particularly explosive taste.

Even though it was a fun experience and I enjoyed this centroamerican dish, I doubt my love for food would ever take me to compete in the “pupusas eating” contest, where according to Daniel, “one time a guy ate 42 pupusas (when a regulas woman usually does not eat more than 3, and a average male usually eats 4 or 5!!!”).

If you ever get the chance, I would recommend to try pupusas, it is the entrance to El Salvador.

Welcome!

A Day in a Japanese Diaper

By Carlo Capua (USA/Toluca, Mexico)

Standing in the midst of 24 sweaty almost-naked men.
Wearing nothing more than a firehose-esque piece of cloth.
Ready to subject myself to full embarrassment.

No, I wasn’t a contestant on a Japanese game show. Last weekend I experienced the glory of Japanese culture to its fullest. Hands-on. Last Sunday I participated in my first sumo tournament (Japanese national sport).

Now this wasn’t the huge, stuffed costume sumo match that you do for laughs at a carnival. This was the real deal - bare butt and all.

Doug, the resident Sado ALT, convinced me to venture up to Sado Island and be a part of the 3-man gaijin team that would take the other Japanese teams by storm. Add Lance, and you’ve got 3 really white, hairy gaijin (word used by Japanese people to refer to foreigners).

Problem: I don’t have a proper Japanese sumo name.

It was fun thinking of a name that would ring fear into the hearts of the other Japanese competitors. My options were:

1) Bakana Amerikajin - “Stupid American”
2) Takahashi - those of you who read my marathon story would understand
3) Tenkomori - literally, “Mountain of Food”
4) Kenshoen – loosely translated, “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome”
5) Sanadamushi – “Tapeworm”

I opted for #3 – Tenkomorikun. Lance chose “Taishokukan” (Massive Appetite Boy) and Canadian-bred Doug was “Momijiyama” (Maple Leaf Mountain.) Together, we would be Team Takokusekikun (Army of Nations.)

The rules of sumo are actually easy. There are two ways to lose a match:
1) Any part of your body touches outside the ring before your opponent, or
2) Any part of your body other than your feet touch the ground.

The hardest part was actually getting (un)dressed. The infamous “diaper”, called a mawashi, is impossible to put on alone. It’s basically a long, thick piece of rough cloth that’s worn like a G-string in the back, and wraps around your waist 4 times. Attractive.

Our first match would be against the defending champion team; actually, it was the first match of the entire tournament. Doug treated his first opponent like a ningyo (doll), and I stepped into the ring to face mystery man #2.

“Do I bow first, or squat? What’s the word for GO? Can I throw salt in the ring, at my opponent, etc?” We had already been explained proper sumo etiquette, but as I stood in the ring I felt all confidence slowly melting away. I looked across the ring and sized up the competition. My opponent wasn’t exactly in world-class shape. He was:

1) Fat. Really fat.
2) Balding.
3) Probably in his forties.
4) Sweaty.

I squatted with both fists firmly planted on the ground. Butterflies were swarming in my stomach. The referee gave me a pitiful look, and gave the Japanese word for “GO!”

I charged directly in to the sweaty mass of flesh in front of me. This guy wasn’t strong – he was just really fat. As I tried to get a firm grip on his mawashi, he backed me to the edge of the ring. “Uh-oh”, I thought. “The fat guy is going to beat me, and it’s going to be broadcast all over the island on Sado TV.”

Fearful of the pending embarrassment, I managed to grab his diaper and spin him out of the ring. To this day I still can’t figure out how I did it. I guess anything can happen when you’re half-naked.

We beat last year’s champion team! With our first victory under our extremely tight belts, Maple Leaf Mountain, Mountain of Food, and Massive Appetite Boy marched their way to a 3rd place finish overall, the best a gaijin team has ever finished in the tournament. And yes, there were more than 3 teams. There were 8 teams, to be exact. Our team and the other gaijin team “dobutsuen” (zoo) all had fun as the day’s “entertainment.”

The most touching part of the day was during the opening ceremony. Since there were Americans in the tournament, they dedicated 1 minute of silence to the nationally tragedy at the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

This culture continues to amaze me.

Happy Birthday! Vida Surrealista Turns Two

Chestit rojden den! ¡Feliz cumple! Selamat hari jadi! Buon Compleanno! Alles gute zum geburstag! Happy Birthday!

That’s right. Today we are celebrating the second year of Vida Surrealista.

A year filled with surprises and unexpected twists since I was not planning to return to live in the United States for a couple of months.

A year filled with challenges and literary ups and downs since our inspiration is inevitably connected to our feelings.

A year where Vida Surrealista was able to grow with the written contribution from friends around the world.Thank you very much for all your continuous support and especially to all those who collaborated throughout the year:

• Susana Massaro (Rio de Janeiro, Brasil) - EDITOR



• Giorgina Di Rocco (Buenos Aires, Argentina)



• Sabrina Lenoir (Argentina)



• Carlo Capua (Toluca, México / EEUU)



• Lucia Tissone (Buenos Aires, Argentina)



• Yan Carrière-Swallow (Toronto, Canadá)



• Aldana Gómez (Buenos Aires, Argentina)



• Cecilia Tear (Buenos Aires, Argentina)



• Leandro Vaillard (Buenos Aires, Argentina)



• Pietro Toscano (Bari, Italia)



• Johnny Ennis (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Caracas, Venezuela)



• Joaquin Schvetz (Buenos Aires, Argentina)



• Federico Appiani (Buenos Aires, Argentina)



• Carlos Rodríguez (Caracas, Venezuela)



• Porter Campbell (St. Louis, Missouri, USA)



• María Luisa Villegas (Veracruz, México)



• María Eugenia Grimaldo (Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá)



• Analía Plamenatz (Buenos Aires, Argentina)



• Griselda Vaillard (Buenos Aires, Argentina)



• Jose Medvedovsky (Buenos Aires, Argentina)



• Pablo Atencio (Buenos Aires, Argentina)



• Jesica Jimenez Culjak (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

On Top of the Bar of Coyote Ugly in San Anotnio

Who hasn’t fantasized about dancing on top of the bar after watching Coyote Ugly?

Come on! Be honest! Not even for a second?

And what would you do if you found yourself in that bar?

Surprisingly, I did not live my fantasy of dancing on the bar when I visited Coyote Ugly Saloon in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

The bar was very similar to the one in the movie, only a little bigger. It also had an arsenal of bras hanging from the top of the bar that screamed out: “Unleash yourself!”

Why didn’t I dance?

Maybe, because I am no longer that careless teenager who loved to dance to call attention to herself.

Or, because I was intimidated by the interesting bra-display that made the place look more like a strip bar than a bar of dancing Coyotes like in the movie.

Or maybe, because as soon as we entered the place, one of the girls that was dancing on the bar fell to the floor in the middle of her dance because she was too drunk to keep her balance.

Or simply because our fantasies rarely come true.

As of today, the story ends here. However, I leave you the address in case you want to go and write a different story. If I ever return, I’ll let you know if my story changes.




How to get there:
Coyote Ugly Saloon San Antonio
409 East Commerce Street
San Antonio, TX 78205
Close to Rivercenter Mall and Hemisfair Park


Times:
Monday to Sunday 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.

Other Cities:
New York (original – 1993)

Las Vegas (November 2001)

New Orleans (February 2002)

Chicago (March 2003)

Tampa (April 2003)

Austin (January 2004)

Panama City Beach (April 2004)

San Antonio (July 2004)

Charlotte (August 2004)

Nashville (December 2004)

Denver (Mach 2005)

Ft. Lauderdale (January 2006)

Memphis (May 2006)

Start 2008 with a Noisy Toast

Cheers! I raise the glass with joy and good company.

Even though books of etiquette indicate that one should look at the other person’s eyes when they toast and tilt the glass towards the other person without touching, I prefer noisy toasts.

While I was doing research to write this blog, I ran across an excellent article written by Yabebiry that talked about the origins of the brindis.

Some people say the word “brindis” came about when Charles V’s troops were celebrating their victory over Rome on May 6, 1527. During that celebration, members of Chales’ V troop raised their glasses saying: “bring dir’s”, which means “I offer thee” in German.

Other versions of the origin of toasting indicate that during banquets, Ancient Greeks used to have the host raise his/her wine glass and take a long sip to demonstrate the drink had not been poisoned. Then, all the invitees would clash their glasses against one another to splash and mix the contents; that way, if one of the glasses had been poisoned, everyone ran the same risk.

Even though hosts seldom try to poison their guests nowadays, I prefer to continue toasting with that noisy tradition despite what books of etiquette say. For me, a noisy toast represents happiness, good fortune and joy.

Cheers! Hope you have a good 2008! Best wishes to all of you!

Christmas Around the World: Macarroni Angels, Olentzeros Instead of Noel and Presents inside Trees

Naples, Italy
Napolitani say that during harsh times, they traditionally made angels out of different types of pasta found around the house. Then, they offered these pasta angels to their friends during Christmas time.

Those who received the pasta angels wrote a wish in a piece of paper, which they placed inside the body of the angel so it could “fly away” and make the wish come true. Afterwards many people used these cute presents to decorate their Christmas tree.

Vasque Region, Spain

In the Vasque region, Christmas’ symbol is not Santa Claus as in most Christian cities, but the Olentzero, a chimney-sweeper with beret, overalls, crossed sandals and a chequered hankerchief tied in his neck.



Catalunya, Spain

On the other hand, catalans place their Christmas presents inside a tree trunk with a painted face (also known as “tronc”, “soca”, and “tió”).

On Christmas Eve, each child rinses a stick with “magic water” in a room, and after adults give them permission, they enter the room where the tree trunk is placed and hit it as they sing a song in catalan to free the presents hidden inside the tree.

According to Pamela from pandeblog.net the translated version of the song reads something like (the translation puzzles me, so if someone can/may, please verify the translation is correct):

“Tree trunk, Christmas tree trunk

Shit culin

And pee white wine.

Don’t shit zool herring, that is salty

Shit culins that are really good.”

Interestingly, the tree only liberates one present at the time. So the children run back and forth from one room to the other to rinse their stick with “magic water” so they can hit the tree with it until it delivers an onion or a potato as an indication it will not deliver any more presents until the following year.

Eating Under the Sea at Houston’s Acquarium

Pictures by Giorgina Di Rocco

I loved eating under the sea while fish swam around your table.

Well, I confess I did not have lunch under the sea. However, the gigantic, 150,000 gallon fish tank in the center of Downtown Houston’s Acquarium Resaturant and the store’s decoration made me feel underwater.

The restaurant’s walls resemble coral rocks, the lamps on the roof are little fish that swim between the customers, the seat’s backsides are ondulating sea weeds and waiters are so polite they look like mermaids.

It is incredible to have lunch between sharks, shovel-nosed guitar fish, leopard rays, clown fish, color-changing fish, and flirty fish dressed in blue with large lips, so large they look like models right out of the surgery room.

I hade eaten in places with fish tanks before, but it was the first time I was a guest at a marine feast worthy of Ariel, the Little Mermaid.

I leave you the address in case you even want to enjoy a delicious meal as you explore the sea.

Downtown Aquarium Houston
410 Bagby
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 223-3474 (FISH)

Other cities where you can find Aquarium Restaurants

New York: More Romantic and Less Accelerated

I remembered New York as a noisy and fast-paced city, but when I arrived, I found a rather romantic city. Yet, since I was traveling by myself, I had to share Big Apple’s romanticism with myself.


In this occasion I chose to leave aside museums and stunning Broadway shows to enjoy New York in open air.


I strolled down Fifth Avenue while I window shopped in some of NY’s most famous shops, I entertained myself observing diverse and unique individuals, and relaxed walking across the SOHO, China Town, Little Italy and The Village.


At the SOHO and Little Italy I got inspired by paying attention to the decoration of all the petit restaurants and small stores that offered varied, fun, different and ordinary artifacts.


I got momentarily accelerated as I went through Wall Street, the world’s financial center, seeing how business people ran across the street to avoid loosing precious seconds of their valuable time.


I freed myself walking along the shore of the Hudson River while I watched how the tourists’ boats set sail towards the Statue of Liberty.


I was left gasping in the middle of Brooklyn Bridge, an architectonic wonder with an unmatchable view of New York City, where I ran into one of my graduate professors from Spain; a wonderful surprise worthy of my surrealistic life.


I enjoyed myself with ChinaTown’s baubles and got transported to some forgotten corner of Paris or Madrid as I walked down The Village; an area of low houses built very close together in an area of NY that was unknown to me until then.


In Central Park I fell in love with life as I admired trees painted with autumn and joyful skirls that jumped from one tree branch to the other.


It was a short, but incredible trip. It lacked museums, culture and extravaganza, but it was filled with the beauty of simplicity.


It was the trip where I discovered it is possible to enjoy romance without company.

Cómo llegar desde DC:
http://www.vamoosebus.com/
Bus diario de NY a DC y viceversa

Gorgeous Arlington Cemetery Cannot Disguise Horrid Effects of War

I prefer peace over war, and funny movies over scary ones. For that reason I was unsure if I wanted to visit the Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC, USA, where they burry all those who represented the United States in some war, or served the American army, naval, and/or air forces; there are currently 290,000 veterans along with their family members buried along the cemetery’s 107 hectares of land.

Despite my low desire to visit the cemetery, the outing was amazing: from afar, the headstones resembled white flowers over an perfectly trimmed grass carpet, and the Arlington House shone as the sun hid behind the hill where the Kennedy family is buried.

As if this wasn’t enough, we had the opportunity to witness the change of guard in front of The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; a rigid and meticulous ceremony so structured that it gave goose bumps to its spectators.

While I observed the soldiers’ synchronized movements I imagined the precision needed to undertake military maneuvers and tactics successfully, and I turned uncomfortable watching how these boys slowly became less and less human.

Now I ask myself, do soldiers need to dehumanize themselves to avoid suffering from the psychological effects that war causes people, or are they only acting this way for the ceremony?

I am not sure, but watching this robotic ceremony and the large number of victims buried in this place (approximately 24 people are buried daily), helped accentuate my feeling of rejection towards war.

The cemetery’s park is gorgeous, but it is not beatiful enough to disguise the horrid result of war.

How to get there:
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington VA 22211
Estación de metro: Arlington Cementery
Teléfono: (703) 607-8000http://arlingtoncemetery.org/