After a whole lot of the much needed "nothing mode" in Houston, Joel and I got the car and headed East to New Orleans. It's a 5:30 hour drive on an absolute straight line. It's kind of a boring drive, as the view is dull and due to the winter, all trees are naked.
The radio was on and all the sudden,... breaking that rather monotonous drive, Janis Joplin strikes in singing "Me and Bobby Magee"... such perfect timing... we were also driving down to New Orleans.
All I had in that moment was time in my hands, so I asked Joel if it would be ok to turn the volume up really high (to which he cutely agreed so) and off I went on a time travel, back to the 70's. After the decibels' level in the car were back to normal, I carried on my private little journey trying to agree, disagree, add a bit more or whatever to one of the sentences of the song: "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to loose".
My life now, is clearly at a whole different stage than it was when I first heard the song back then and it was cool comparing my freedom parameters than to the current ones.
Thursday, 31 December 2009
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Already missing Mama & Papa and Misty... so loyal!!
So mama and papa are gone... sniff sniff... I had truly wonderful days with them around. So much togetherness, so many things done together, so much accomplished around the flat, so much help,... so much of everything!! Thank you dearest mamasita & papasito for coming and for enduring endless hours of "home organizing", I loved it all! Please come back at anytime and I promise it won't be so busy, ok?
Mom and dad took off back to Rio and Joel and I to Houston, where our "nothing box" has been opened and is being thoroughly enjoyed, LOL! Christmas is two days away and either Americans in Houston are very organized and all Christmas shopping was done way in advance, or the world financial crises is still strong around here or everything here is really huge... because the expected crowded shops and streets is not happening... pure bliss!!
Talking about Christmas, let me tell you this absolute delicious story of Misty's (Alice and David's dog) loyalty.
Alice had a conference in London, therefore would be away from home for a couple of days. So David, took the opportunity to bring home her Christmas present that he had ordered in advance and was keeping in his office. After getting home with it, he did all the installation that it required, placed it back in its box and hid it under their bed.
Misty, very cute that she is, was just watching it all, following his steps around the house while he was doing all the job.
The following day, Alice arrived back from London and after all the "hellos, hugs, kisses and pats, Misty started barking upstairs. As she just wouldn't stop, Alice goes upstairs to check what is going on and finds Misty barking at their bed at the same time as her eyes were flipping back and forth between Alice, who according to Misty is the "pack leader" and their bed.
For Alice, it was a real "deja vu", as our recent past dogs, Candy, Siggy and Carlota often hid their toys or treats and later went back to the location and attracted us there with loads of barking.
So Alice, thinking that Misty was doing the same thing, bent down to look for Misty's toy/ treat only to find her own Christmas present under the bed! I loved the story, loved Misty's loyalty, loved it!
You see, that is just one of the reasons why I SO LOVE DOGS!! They are just phenomenal!!
Mom and dad took off back to Rio and Joel and I to Houston, where our "nothing box" has been opened and is being thoroughly enjoyed, LOL! Christmas is two days away and either Americans in Houston are very organized and all Christmas shopping was done way in advance, or the world financial crises is still strong around here or everything here is really huge... because the expected crowded shops and streets is not happening... pure bliss!!
Talking about Christmas, let me tell you this absolute delicious story of Misty's (Alice and David's dog) loyalty.
Alice had a conference in London, therefore would be away from home for a couple of days. So David, took the opportunity to bring home her Christmas present that he had ordered in advance and was keeping in his office. After getting home with it, he did all the installation that it required, placed it back in its box and hid it under their bed.
Misty, very cute that she is, was just watching it all, following his steps around the house while he was doing all the job.
The following day, Alice arrived back from London and after all the "hellos, hugs, kisses and pats, Misty started barking upstairs. As she just wouldn't stop, Alice goes upstairs to check what is going on and finds Misty barking at their bed at the same time as her eyes were flipping back and forth between Alice, who according to Misty is the "pack leader" and their bed.
For Alice, it was a real "deja vu", as our recent past dogs, Candy, Siggy and Carlota often hid their toys or treats and later went back to the location and attracted us there with loads of barking.
So Alice, thinking that Misty was doing the same thing, bent down to look for Misty's toy/ treat only to find her own Christmas present under the bed! I loved the story, loved Misty's loyalty, loved it!
You see, that is just one of the reasons why I SO LOVE DOGS!! They are just phenomenal!!
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Houston, we have a problem!
The last time I had a white Christmas was in 1995 with Alice and my parents in New York. It was just so magical! Yes, New York does get muddy and slippery with all those people walking and having a life in the snow, but never mind, Central Park was gorgeously white! Our Christmas dinner was at Tavern on the Green, which of course, was more like "Tavern on the White" than on the Green. Their Christmas decoration was absolutely the best, " La crème de la crême"!
So, as it has been more than a decade since I last had a white Christmas, Joel has for the past couple of Christmas, tried very hard to fulfill my dream of renewing this magical feeling. With global warming in the hit parade, our geographical choices were less and less available, but still possible.
However, for a variety of reasons, the White Christmas dream did not come true in the last two years and when we did the maths of all our events this year end, we came to the conclusion that it could happen this year. 2009 would be the year! Hurray!
We than started our world search when our good old friends, the V. D. K. invited us over to their place up in Canada. Just perfect I thought, they are good old friends, Canada is right up the America's hill, practically no jet-lag... life is beautiful... oh great, it's all coming together!
Plane reservations were made and when the day to pay for them came up, our travel agent called us asking if she could go straight ahead with issuing the tickets and just as a by the way she asked Joel in a confirming tone of voice, if we had visas for Canada. Ouch, that sentence did not sound right. Next day I went on trying to find out how to proceed with my visa (Joel has a French passport, therefore doesn't need a visa for Canada) only to find out that Panama being the small country it is and clearly not having enough business with Canada, does not deserve a whole embassy/ consulate here. All matters have to be dealt in Guatemala through a tiny business office here in Panama. That meant a waiting period for the visa from 2 to 3 weeks. Issuing the tickets without the certainty that I would get a visa was not an option and waiting til December 22nd was also not an option, because if it didn't come through it would be too late for us to get tickets to go anywhere.
We than trying hiring a cottage a friend has in Colorado, where we can go in and out with no problems, but... it was already hired for that week... white Christmas dream postponed for some other time.
However, although completely different from what we had originally thought, I am quite looking for plan C - "From a white Christmas to a Gulf Christmas". We are going to a dear and old friend's place (he went to college with Joel) in Houston for Christmas and New Year's in New Orleans.
It's a pity the animosity between countries just gets bigger and bigger. I so pray and wish for a more friendly relationship between all countries!
So, as it has been more than a decade since I last had a white Christmas, Joel has for the past couple of Christmas, tried very hard to fulfill my dream of renewing this magical feeling. With global warming in the hit parade, our geographical choices were less and less available, but still possible.
However, for a variety of reasons, the White Christmas dream did not come true in the last two years and when we did the maths of all our events this year end, we came to the conclusion that it could happen this year. 2009 would be the year! Hurray!
We than started our world search when our good old friends, the V. D. K. invited us over to their place up in Canada. Just perfect I thought, they are good old friends, Canada is right up the America's hill, practically no jet-lag... life is beautiful... oh great, it's all coming together!
Plane reservations were made and when the day to pay for them came up, our travel agent called us asking if she could go straight ahead with issuing the tickets and just as a by the way she asked Joel in a confirming tone of voice, if we had visas for Canada. Ouch, that sentence did not sound right. Next day I went on trying to find out how to proceed with my visa (Joel has a French passport, therefore doesn't need a visa for Canada) only to find out that Panama being the small country it is and clearly not having enough business with Canada, does not deserve a whole embassy/ consulate here. All matters have to be dealt in Guatemala through a tiny business office here in Panama. That meant a waiting period for the visa from 2 to 3 weeks. Issuing the tickets without the certainty that I would get a visa was not an option and waiting til December 22nd was also not an option, because if it didn't come through it would be too late for us to get tickets to go anywhere.
We than trying hiring a cottage a friend has in Colorado, where we can go in and out with no problems, but... it was already hired for that week... white Christmas dream postponed for some other time.
However, although completely different from what we had originally thought, I am quite looking for plan C - "From a white Christmas to a Gulf Christmas". We are going to a dear and old friend's place (he went to college with Joel) in Houston for Christmas and New Year's in New Orleans.
It's a pity the animosity between countries just gets bigger and bigger. I so pray and wish for a more friendly relationship between all countries!
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Chatting away!
Since I left Rio, this has been for sure one of the very best time I've had with my parents! The reason is simple... nobody else or nothing else to share them with, LOL!
Every time I am in Rio, I like to see other people too and of course, do some shopping. Both are great and also enjoyable, but they take me away from Darling parents. Here in Panama, we're always together, doing stuff, which can be either stuff for our new place, touristic stuff, meals with our new friends or simply chatting around the flat ... I've been enjoying it thoroughly!
You know that curiosity one always has about that auntie who did this or that? Or solving curiosities that have grown on me about my grandmother, who died way before I was born and who I am named after... or just realizing that with age and maturity, I now share some of their points of view too !! Despite my serious "saga-ending" exhaustion, I am having a fabulous time!
Today it was mother's day here in Panama and we celebrated it with a cozy pic-nic in a small park near our place. It faces the Ocean where we can see in the horizon the ships lined up to enter the Canal.
Every time I am in Rio, I like to see other people too and of course, do some shopping. Both are great and also enjoyable, but they take me away from Darling parents. Here in Panama, we're always together, doing stuff, which can be either stuff for our new place, touristic stuff, meals with our new friends or simply chatting around the flat ... I've been enjoying it thoroughly!
You know that curiosity one always has about that auntie who did this or that? Or solving curiosities that have grown on me about my grandmother, who died way before I was born and who I am named after... or just realizing that with age and maturity, I now share some of their points of view too !! Despite my serious "saga-ending" exhaustion, I am having a fabulous time!
Today it was mother's day here in Panama and we celebrated it with a cozy pic-nic in a small park near our place. It faces the Ocean where we can see in the horizon the ships lined up to enter the Canal.
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