mom and me
Patacamaya, Bolivia
As I am typing up this post I am eating a granola bar, one of the many that my mom practically filled an entire suitcase with when she visited me in Paris 2 weeks ago, along with boxes of mac & cheese, toothpaste, shampoo, my favorite cereals and a tub of skippys’ (the crunchy kind.. just because they don’t have them in France) ..among other things. My initial reaction was complete shock when I saw my tiny studio almost inundated in granola bars but then again no one but her would go through such great lenghts just to make sure I’m okay. I called her this morning to say hi and of course the conversation rapidly went to which type of onion (red) is best to have ready for quick salads to how Akito didn’t want to eat the ham omlette she had prepared especially for him (my dog’s diet deserves in itself its own post). We caught up for a bit, laughed and said our goodbyes because she, like almost everyday, needed to head to work. So today this post is dedicated to her and to all the rad hard working moms out there..Happy Mother’s Day !
I love you mom !
Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street Station
Yesterday, I was on the phone with a friend back in nyc. We spoke as he waited and boarded a manhattan bound 7 train in Queens. I listened intently to whatever familiar sounds I could pick up hoping that one of many musicians that frequent the 7 line would enter the train and start playing. Then for the first time in months I heard the “beep” sound that the doors make after they close. I’m already so used to the siren sound that the trains here in Paris make.
After a several 7 am train departures, hour long bus rides, padlocks, metro tickets and hostel deposits. Traveling is no longer this elusive idea that had for so long seemed to elude me. Its real, its wonderful, its exhausting, its awe-inspiring, its hazardous, its liberating.
All I really need is my backpack and I’m off…
kissed-by-ice asked: Mi amiga! i'm so glad to see you updating :D How is Paris so far? I'm sure it is fabulous! Im missing you in NYC. We must cafe hop when you come back!
Paris has so far been kind to me ! I can’t believe its already March! I’ve fallen behind on the updating but let’s try again ! I miss you and am looking forward to coffee and expresso brownies upon my return.
Nov 20, 1994
Today is my sister’s birthday. Cleaning the storage closet I stumbled upon this photo, taken during our family’s road trip on route to Miami, Florida. Flickers of that morning come back to me …. my sister being afraid of the dog, scrambled eggs, the seemingly never ending green grass, the never ending visits to roadside diners, my mother telling me to sit next her so she’d be less afraid. She turns 17 today and it seems that now it is she who protects me. Thank you Leighann.
La Final - July 11
A post that is more than two months late but not less memorable nor historic
Historic would be the word indeed to describe the final of the 2010 World Cup that saw Spain clutch (finally !) it’s first Fifa World Cup and cement its place among soccer’s exclusive elite … which of course now means that all Spanish jerseys will now have that little adorable gold star above the RFE emblem (Real Federación Española de Fútbol).
I watched the final at Casa Galicia in Astoria, Queens (my now go to spot for Spain and La liga games) alongside friends, Spaniards and a couple of crazy and at times obnoxious frat boys. We got there 3 hours before game time however by that point all the tables in the restaurant area were claimed leaving only last table in the bar area. By the time 3:30 rolled around Casa Galicia had gotten packed, the vibe was equally if not more amazing than that of my previous visit. Alas, it ended up being an incredible afternoon …. vuvuzelas were blown, beer was thrown all over us, tapas were eaten, crowd waves were attempted, a last minute and incredible goal was scored, shoving, pushing and kicking was seen (courtesy of the Dutch), D and I saw our most favorite waiter in the entire universe …. but most importantly people celebrated and enjoyed the incredible thing that is soccer.
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The streets of Astoria were no different especially outside Casa Galicia and El Circulo Español where Spaniards and non Spaniards congregated to celebrate Spain’s win.
It was an amazing World Cup …. I spent time with friends, met wonderful people along the way and discovered new spaces …. I can’t wait to see what Brazil 2014 will bring.
Até logo
Villa Maravilla - July 3
Raised in Astoria, Queens, I had the passed by Casa Galicia one too many times (In fact my cousin used to live right around the corner). However the white stucco building proudly bearing the flags of Spain and Galicia had always remained a mystery as to what it was … a church, a type of diplomatic space, an exclusive social club ? While it is a social club that seeks to promote and preserve Galician cultural traditions… I learned that it is also a communal space where Spaniards and Spanish fans unite and celebrate what they love most…. La Roja.
Before the Spain/Paraguay match I had toyed with the idea of heading over to El Nacional in the West Village but after our less than positive experience in Alphabet City we decided to head back home …to Queens ! An old childhood friend of my sister, who is Spanish, had recommended Casa Galicia in Astoria. So we decided to check it out. When we arrived we saw no sign of life much less any of the soccer enthusiasm that we would see later. So we headed inside to see what awaited us…. a projection screen, a bar and an array of tables. We sat down and was approached by a young man wearing a Spanish jersey… our waiter (after 2 trips …. our now most favorite waiter). In no time we had two cool Estrellas and Tapas served on our table.
By 1:30 the place had gotten packed and we were left to defend our one extra chair for a friend who was coming from Brooklyn. People were quickly filling up the bar area as well as bringing extra chairs to place between the tables (we ended up sharing our table with two exchange students from Madrid). Waiters rushed left and right to bring people their orders and drinks. The game was about to begin as did the applause and chants. Vamos España ! Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole Oleeee !
While Spain was the heavy favorite, Paraguay put up a strong fight. Neither team gave up and had opportunities to score including penalties that both sides missed (thanks San Iker !)
As the minutes passed in the second half, the crowd at Casa Galicia got more and more anxious particularly the table on our right hand side who obviously had way too many Estrellas. Random chants erupted whenever Spain had a close opportunity to score, when Iker saved and inclusively when Torres was substituted for Fabregas. It seemed that this would be another game with extra time until David Villa scored in the 86th minute and everyone went wild.
The whole room erupted in Villa Villa Villa Maravilla ! The game continued for another 10 minutes or so and soon Spain was in the semi-final ! People started flooding out and began to celebrate with flags, bagpipes and songs.
We headed over to el Circulo Español, another social club/civic center a couple of blocks away. Gestures such as of the iconic Spanish bullfighter were used as they “bullfighted” the cars coming on to the street.
Coincidentally El Circulo Español was also where Paraguayans got together to watch their national team’s matches after several local Paraguayan groups and community members had rented the space and organized match screenings for La Albiroja. Several Paraguayan fans had opted to go to el Circulo but this time were obviously outnumbered. You’ve made us proud Paraguay !
