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Sunday, May 30, 2010

Singing Sensation Greyson Chance

The last few blogposts have been kind of on a serious note so I've decided to give you all a break here and a video that everyone on the internet has been going crazy over. This is 12 year old Greyson Chance doing Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi". Being a "Gaga" fan myself, I can tell you that this boy does this song justice and it is easy to see why this video is getting tons of hits on Youtube. Enjoy!



Tango 2 the Moon

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Though I Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of a Death Camp

Image via Wikipedia
Auschwitz I gas chamber memorial
Well it's been a day later since I've watched "Schindler's List" and thoughts are still whirling around in my head.  There are so many analogies for live that I've gleaned from this movie.  My thoughts go to the scene where the women find themselves at the death camp at Auschwitz. What had happened is that Schindler had arranged for his factory workers to be shipped over to Czechoslovakia in trains. The men got there fine but women's train was misrouted to the death camp at Auschwitz. What a scare that must have been for them! To be under the assumption that you're off to a new life and safety working for Schindler and then have the door opened and to be herded like cattle into what would be become one of the most infamous places in the history of World War 2.

After I watched the movie, I watched some interviews on that DVD of survivors who were Schindler Jews who went through that awful experience. They said that the smell of death was at that camp. And in the movie, when the women got off the train, there was these things falling from the sky that look like snow. Only it wasn't snow, it was ashes. Ashes of the bodies that were burned after the people had been gassed. There were ashes coming out of the chimneys eternally that would blanket the ground and the people there the way snow blankets the ground on Christmas day.

But even at that camp with death happening all around them, Schindler made sure these people had his mark on them, ensuring that none of them would go through the gas chambers. Even though he wasn't around physically, his presence was there in the background making all the necessary arrangements to ensure their safety and survival in such a horrific place. Little did they know that they were actually in line to take a shower even while others were in a line for the gas chambers.

And there will be times in our lives that we feel like we are in a death camp. You feel made to sit and watch everything die around you, whether it would be physically, spirtually, emotionally, and financially. But if you've lived a life of faith and you're going through this after doing everything that you feel like you're meant to do, then guess what? Society and everyone may be crumbling around you but God has you in the OTHER line where just when you think you're at the end, suddenly fresh clean water comes out of those showerheads and bring you life.

It was really inspiring watching the accounts of the survivors and learning the story of Schindler. And I want to point out here that this did not have a fairy tale ending like we see in movies.  After the war, Schindler never got back on his feet financially. He had several failed businesses and even moved to Argentina for a period to do farming (good choice for a country!!!!! LOL).  He never again had the prosperity that he once enjoyed during the time of the Nazi regime and ended up dying broke and penniless.

And all of us who are used to fairy tale endings in movies are probably saying "That's not the way it's supposed to be!"  Well, yes and no. If you counted his value in his monetary assets, then I suppose you could say that he lost out. But if you see his assets and investments as being the lives of people, then I will be happy to report that his "assets" continue to increase and grow even as we speak as the descendants of the Schindler Jews multiply and bring forth new generations

I wonder, what my legacy will be?  What will I have for "assets" when my time on earth is done? Within the past few days, my ESL books have started to arrive.  These are the best quality books possible for teaching latinos english. It cannot be bought in South America, only in North America.  Some of these books are about $20 USD, not very much in our currency.  And the school has told me that they would like 2 books to use.  So in monetary value, it's about $40 worth of stuff that I'm donating to them (I bought alot more ESL material but some of it is for gifts to give others and some are tools I can use to give private instruction)

All my talk about going to Argentina and all the things that I'm going to do there may sound glamorous but there are alot of things I had to give up and alot of life changes I had to make to be able to do what I do. I basically had to trade in financially security for this great adventure. For some of you who are reading this, my words are going to hit home.  But when I look at Schindler's life and see that even after giving up everything, he wasn't compensated for it in his lifetime.

Sometimes I feel I can relate to this man, he saw a cause and gave every last penny for it. At the end of the move as he is preparing to escape, there is a scene where everyone surrounds him and he is talking to them. And he is crying and saying "I didn't do enough! I didn't do enough!" He then looks at his car and says "I didn't need that car, I could have got 10 more people." He takes his nazi pin which is made of gold and says "I could have got 2 more people" And he is doing this in the presence of more than 1100 people who were standing there grateful to him.

After world war 2, Schindler was declared a righteous man by the Jewish Council and was invited to plant a tree in Israel as a way of honoring him. The tree grows until this very day. In the same way I am planting 2 books valued no more than $40 in the hands of this amazing team of people down in South America. Maybe, just maybe like that tree that Schindler planted, what I am planting now will live on past my lifetime and affect many generations of Argentines and their families.  And at the end of the days, those are the only kind of "assets" that I want under my name and those are the only kind of "investments" that will bring a "return" of eternal value. This to me is the only kind of "return"  that is both worth living and dying for :)

Tango 2 the Moon
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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Schindler's List

Last nite I thought I would just have a movie and a junk food nite with chips and pop. For those of you who know me will know this is highly unusual. But I popped by the movie store and they were having a special deal where there were select movies that you could rent for 99c. These were ones that were customer picks.  After looking at the selection, I picked up "Schindlers List" and decided that that I would like to spend my evening watching that movie. I hadn't seen it in a long time and little did I know that I would get such an amazing revelation of the journey of faith by watching this movie.

I'm going to briefly summarize the movie. The movie is about a Nazi business man named Oskar Schindler.  The movies starts out with him employing Jews to work for  them. At first he is business minded and sees them as workers to make him money. But half way through he has a change of heart and decides to buy as many workers as possible that he would own and therefore would be redeemed and not have to risk being killed in the concentration camps.

Where the film really got to me is how Oskar Schindler treated every person that he bought. Even though that person looked like every other person at the concentration camp, once he bought them he made sure that the person was treated very differently than other people that did not belong to him. He made sure that they were safe and took steps to ensure proper transportation and treatment of those that he had purchased.

Not only that, but unbeknownst to his workers, he would arrange meetings with the Nazi guards and made it very clear that no one at his factory and property was to be shot or threatened or be subject to violence of any sort.  He had to make this clear because it was quite common for Nazi guards to have been treating the Jews less than human at other camps and factories.

One scene that strikes me is when a bunch of women were made to strip down and they were put into a room. The room had shower heads in them and the women had all heard about people being gassed to death. You could see the fear in their eyes, utterly convinced that this was the end for them. But instead of gas coming out of the shower heads, life giving water pours out of them. In a scene shortly after, when the women have taken a shower and are dressed, they turn to see another line of people walking through a building very similar to the one they went into.  Only those people weren't so lucky to have water come out of the showerheads :(

Where I was really touched my the movie is the way Oskar Schindler really was working in the background to ensure the safety and welfare of all those who belonged to him. They had no clue that he was arranging things in their favor.  I liken this to the journey of faith. Here I am, stepping out of my comfort zone and giving the little that I have for a vision much bigger than myself. I have left behind the opportunity for a comfortable cushy life for the great adventure.

And more and more i am finding that God already has gone ahead of me arranged things to happen in a certain way even before i reach that moment.  At times I look like any other person just going about his or her business. But when you've taken that step to pour out your heart and life for the path you are meant to be on, he will align things for you specifically.  In the same way none of the good treatment that those Jews got was a coincidence, everything that happens or doesn't happen to me has already been arranged ahead of time to happen in a certain way.

Knowing this, I can walk with confidence planning my second trip to Buenos Aires. I can spend over $200 on books and $50 on a suitcase. And I know in my heart that he has already gone ahead and is arranging what will or won't happen to me. It's funny because everytime that I've gone and spent that money on something that I feel I was meant to, I actually don't miss that money. I don't feel put out in any way.  It's like this sense of peace that I have that I've done exactly with that money what I was supposed to do and I'm actually excited to see that money go and to be sowing it into something that has vision and purpose.

A memorable scene in the movie is when the announcement that the war is about to end at 12 midnight that nite. That means at 12 midnite, the Jews would be free and Oskar Schindler would now be considered a criminal because he is in fact a Nazi. He saved 1100 Jews and they wrote a letter explaining what he did for them so that if he was ever captured and questioned, that letter would be his redemption.  All 1100 of them signed the letter. You see, after the war many Nazis were imprisoned or hanged for war crimes.  A letter like that would be his saving grace. He made a decision to attempt to redeem them and in turn one day they became his redemption when the tables turned on the Nazis.

 Anyone who knows a thing or two about the Jewish culture is that they carry people's legacies very well. A good deed or an important is never forgotten, it is told to your children and your children's children generation after generation.  At the end of the movie, it stated that there were more than 6000 descendants of Schindler Jews. The 1100 Jews he protected by hiring them in his factories multiplied and became their own breed of "Schindler Jews".  Hitler may have had his name widespread during his lifetime but he ultimately died alone in a bunker without an heir and today his name is held with disdain.

 Schindler's name may not have been chanted by millions during a campaign but because of the sacrifice he made, his name is held with honor and  his "descendants" continue to multiply generation after generation.  Being a Nazi was once a thing that caused someone to fear and respect but when the war was over, being identified as a Nazi only brought scorn. If Schindler had not taken that bold step to try and help the Jews, he would have had to carry the mark of shame and dishonor that came with being identified as a Nazi. But his heroic efforts not only saved the lives of others but saved the reputation and honor of his name and family line as the story of Schindler's  heroism get's told generation after generation....


Tango 2 the Moon
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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Green Eggs and Ham


Cover of "Green Eggs and Ham"

Cover of Green Eggs and Ham

This is one of the blogposts where I am sitting here wondering "Where do I even begin?"  Don't worry, I'm not meaning that I've been so overwhelmed by bad happenings that I'm like "Where do I begin?" It's actually quite the opposite where I've had so many good happenings that I'm like "Where do I even start?" Well, let's start at where I left of from my last blogpost. When you last heard from me, I had just placed an order for my ESL material and was totally ecstatic. I had written in my blogposts that I felt a peace about this and that God was going to take care of all my needs for groceries and stuff. So did God come thru for me like I believed? Of course he did! The very next day, out of the blue I get given a $100 gift certificate to thrifty foods (its a grocery chain here in Victoria, B.C.)!!!!!!!  You can't imagine how much that experience increased my level of faith.

So I had to be downtown today running errands and I decided to check to see if the Bay had a suitcase I could get because I needed to carry all these ESL materials with me. The requirements for the luggage was that it needed to be between 25-29 inches to be able to hold all by books and ESL materials. Anyone who has gone shopping for luggage knows that even at 50% off, a suitcase of that size is going to be at least $100. It was money that I now didn't have because I had spent it on ESL materials. But I had started to look for other alternatives, maybe like a rolling duffel bag. And lo and behold....I found one by Eddie Bauer for $50!  It is a beautiful 27 inch rolling duffel bag which has more than enough for everything that I needed. Finding anything for 27 inches at that price is amazing and I took it as a sign that it was meant to be and purchased it.I was just glowing after my purchase, once again I am finding everything that I need. Today I find myself running my hand over it in total disbelief that I now own a quality piece of luggage for all my ESL material.

Speaking of ESL material, there was one book that I had forgotton to include as part of my ESL material when I ordered it so after making that amazing purchase, I slipped into chapters to purchase what I consider to be the Holy Grail of all ESL materials and a must have for any english teacher.  This book would serve as the foundation for learning to read english for many people for generations to come. No ESL teacher should ever be without this book in their possession. It is a crime not to own it as part of your english resource materials. This book is (drum roll).......Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. I am serious!!!!  I found myself strolling out of chapters books with "Hop on Pop" and "Green Eggs and Ham". And I fully intend to make sure that these books form an essential part of the curriculum. Maybe for their final exam they'll have to memorize phrases like "I would not like green eggs and ham....Sam I am" in order to get a passing grade....hee....hee

Then after a quick lunch of pizza at "Second Slice", it was time to head for a haircut appointment. About a week or so ago, I was sitting in chapters reading "The Life of Pi" when I was approached by young woman named Angela who told me she was a student of Aveda. She needed people to practice doing haircuts on and she needed a volunteer for learning to do a haircut on May 22nd. It would be totally free and she would be under supervision.  I actually had been needing a haircut and i had been debating about waiting until Buenos Aires because it is so cheap to get it done there. So when she approached me, this seemed like the perfect solution for me. So I agreed to come to meet at Aveda on Douglas st 1pm on May 22nd.

Now the one thing about all this is that I couldn't choose the cut that I would get. It would be preselected because the students are learning to do different cuts.  I later found out that she would be doing what is called a "Graduated Cut". When she mentioned that to me, I was like "hmmm..that sounds familiar? Is that the cut that I always get?" And when I got down there I found out that it was! It is the one cut that I always get and looks good on me. And she did a fantastic job and the cut looks awesome on me! It looks no different than I get my hair done by experienced hairdressers.

Before I go further, I would like to make mention that Angela needs a volunteer to practice on for different things she is learning in hairdressing.  So I want to just let you all know of the opportunity to get some free work done on your hair. Like I said, the work she did on my hair was amazing and there was next to no difference to the work I normally pay $50 to get from an experienced hairdresser.  On May 26, she needs a volunteer to practice a long layered cut.  On June 5th she needs a volunteer for an all over color. That would be $15 to participate which is an unbelievable deal to get color done on your hair.  And on June 12 she needs a volunteer for foil placement. That would be $20. If you are in Victoria, BC and are interested, you can contact her at  dancer_2_bee@hotmail.com

My mind is still spinning at all the good things that have come my way within the last day or so.  Every nite I feel the gentle whisper as Buenos Aires, Argentina begins calling my name once more. I think I'd better go get something to eat and begin packing my things into my new suitcase. I wonder if my gift certificate to thrifty foods will be any good when it comes to getting me green eggs and ham :)

Tango 2 the Moon
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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

One Small Step for Man.......One Giant Leap for Angelina

"Faith is the evidence of things unseen"

That has got to be one of the most quoted verses in the bible. We hear it quite often used in sermons....but what does it mean? How does in look like in terms of modern day practice and application. My heart is racing even as I sit here in Starbucks in chapters downtown writing these words. I have JUST ordered over $200 of ESL material and my blood is racing. And those words keep echoing within my mind, that faith  is the evidence of things unseen.

Some of you out there may be thinking "So what? You ordered a bunch of books?" To realize the significance of what is going on, I want to give you some background. When I arrived back on the island, I had next to no money. I had pretty used up the last of my savings on my first trip and those of you who have been following me know the twist in the story that I am meant to come back a few months later to return to teach english.

Before i left, I felt a real peace about telling everything that I would be back even though I had NO idea how I was going to get the money to come back. I didn't even know how I was going to have the money to live or eat while I was in Canada. So by telling everyone back there that I will be back, I was basically putting my reputation on the line. This is how much faith in God I had that I was suppose to be back.  And I felt inside that somehow I would get taken care of in Canada every step of the way.

It is in this space right now that I want to thank every person who helped me during this time while I have been on the island. Whether you took me into your home or took me out for coffee, it is something that I don't forget or lent a helping hand financially until I came into my own finances, I have not forgotten any of it.  But as a result of each one of your participation and being willing to help, my faith is alot stronger. The faith I had when I landed on this island is nothing compared to the faith I have now as I sit here and write these words. Literally everything I have ever really wanted or needed, it came to me right on time...not a minute sooner or later. 

What's even more beautiful than one person with faith is a whole army of people with faith. My church in Argentina is very aware of the situation that I have very little and I don't have what I need to get home to them. They are full of faith and are praying passionately every day that I will have what I need for a passage to Buenos Aires. And today, buying the ESL material is a step in showing that I have full faith that I will be back in that country and that is where I am meant to be.

I believe that this is what this passage means when it says that "Faith is the evidence of things unseen".  Because I truly believe that God's already taken care of everything. In him, everything is complete. My flight is paid for, my ticket book, my apartment rented, my fridge full. And taking this step and buying the ESL material is showing evidence that I believe in the vision and I believe that I am being taken care of and I will be taken care of if I was willing to step out in faith and spend this money.

There is no doubt that I'm going to get many different reactions from this blogposts. Some people may be inspired, some people may be intrigued. Some people may be doubtful and think that I am nuts. That I have so little and I could have easily spent that money on a few weeks worth of groceries but instead I've thrown it away into ESL material. But I am feeling such a sense of peace and joy in this moment. There isn't even a hint of worry on how i'm going to live or how I'm going to take care of myself.

 On this note, I want to invite everyone of you to Season 2 of Angelina's adventures in Argentina. May can be a time of mixed emotions as many of our favorite television shows come to an end with some of them not returning in the fall. But you can be sure that Season 2 of Adventures in Argentina will be returning and it will be better than ever!  So in the words of Twitter......FOLLOW ME!

And just like any good T.V. show, there is the main story line as well as the mini subplots.  Join me as I am faced with job of teaching over 40 students in group classes for the very first time.  How will I fare?  Will I be able to give them their dream of being able to learn english? (of course I will, with God's help!!!)  Watch us as week by week as we continue our preparations for Rock & Vida 2010 and pour out our hearts and lives for the city of Buenos Aires.

Also, what will happen as my best friend and I, Marisa get reunited for the first time in more than two months?  How will the seperation have affected our friendship?  Can two strangers from different continents, cultures and languages come together and become a family? Watch as a native Argentinean and a Chinese Canadian embark on a journey of friendship which crosses language and cultural barriers as we attempt to understand each other and learn what it means to be a family.

The answer to all these questions await in Season 2 of "Argentinean Adventures".  So stay tuned! OK, I gotta go now, I'm gonna check to see if there's a sale on for luggage and suitcases down at the bay.   One small step for man....one GIANT leap for Angelina!

 
Tango 2 the Moon

Friday, May 14, 2010

Creatively Complex

One of the most recent hollywood buzz is all about the actress Sandra Bullock and the child that she adopted a few months ago that she has only just revealed...Louis. I gotta tell you that I've never really been into all the latest news in hollywood but I will admit I've got an amazing amount of respect for that woman. With her husbands infidelity and their pending divorce splashed over the front page, it was then that she would pull a stunt that would take the focus of the negative news and put the focus on a positive aspect of her life, her son Louis to whom she had gone thru extensive lengths to keep hidden. For doctor visits, there had to be a series of decoy cars employed. As well she would not let people into her house for awards show fittings. WOW!

Truth be told Sandra Bullock did a much better job at keeping her adopted child hidden than I think I did at keeping secret the fact that I was now mother to a 3rd blog site. Yes, for the past few weeks I've been in the backroom again pouring all my creative prowess into my latest creation "Creatively Complex" This all began one day when I was sitting around and I kept thinking "You know, I betcha I could create a killer tribute page to Santa Clara". And the thought just wouldn't go away. Wanting to take my skills as a blogger to the next level, I sat down in front of my computer one afternoon and got my creative juices flowing. And that is how "Creatively Complex" was born.

Like a newborn child, the blogsite began taking a life of it's own straight away, drawing attention from others as well as demanding ALOT of my own time and attention :) One thing I did not expect was that within a day or so of creating it, my counter indicated that visitors were already starting to come. Who were these people I wondered? The only people I had told so far were the people involved with the band. I had not announced it or promoted it until quite recently.

But like Sandra Bullock's baby, stuff like this cannot stay hidden forever. The reason why I hadn't said anything before was that it is still yet to be determined how this blogsite will be utilized. It could be something useful for Santa Clara later on in their journey, a place where they could post and connect with their fans. But seeing such a great response to the site even at the early stage, I figured it was time to make it official the presence of a 3rd blogsite.

This blogsite is special because it represents the culmination of all my talents and skills as a blogger. Even finding the right template was a journey in itself, I had to look around and compare and try on a few to feel which one was right. And even after I selected one, it was like a piece of IKEA furniture.....you have the instructions but you have put all the parts together yourself. And that was only the beginning, bringing everything together that would make up "Creatively Complex" would take every ounce of skill I had every learned from my past two blogs. As well I would need to learn a few new more skills in addition to the ones I had. But the end result has gone beyond my imagination of what I could create as a blogger.

The thing that I feel good about is that Santa Clara's quality of music is truly worthy of a blogsite this good looking. I've created a sexy blogsite that makes them look good and it is fitting because they really are that good. So I'm not promoting to the public something that is more than what they are. They work hard to bring us their best and I work hard to bring them as well as everyone else my very best. Nothing more and nothing less :)

Creatively Complex

Sunday, May 09, 2010

10 oz Filet of Family

Today as we all know it is mother's day. For some people, today will be a joyous occasion to be celebrated. For others, it is an occasion to be dreaded as you are made to watch others revel in wonderful relationships they have with their families. If the latter describes you, then I understand how you feel and I hope and pray this blog will give you some hope and inspiration. Understand that we are more and more seeing a break down of the nuclear family (two parents with kids). Because of that, I don't want to use this blogpost to celebrate family as in people who are related to you by flesh, blood and DNA. But rather, I want to celebrate family as being defined as people who belong together.

Yes, we've all been to Sunday school and heard about how God created the world in 7 days. And yes, in traditional circles we refer to God as being a creator. But God still loves to create. And you know what he loves to create? He loves to create relationships where two people love each other and belong in each others lives. And flesh and blood have nothing to do with that........trust me!

In the past, I've poured the very best of whom I am into the lives of people who were related to me through DNA. And what happen to all those years of loving and honoring and sacrificially giving my best? It got thrown back in my face in the worst way possible. It felt as if they thought I am obliged to give them my very best and they should always be a priority simply because we share the same flesh and blood. But when it came to how they treat me in return, they can do anything that they like. I got treated like I was some kind of possession that they acquired to be trashed whenever they feel like it.

After going through several occasions where basically I had shown 110% loyalty and ended up being left broken with no apology, I finally had it! I decided that I was going to take all the goodness that I had to offer a human being in a relationship and find someone else to pour everything I had into. You see, when people insult me or criticize me negatively, it used to get me down. Now if people do that and they keep finding negative things to say about me, I'm like "If this is what you think of me, then we don't need to be friends. Why would you want a friend that is all these things that you say that I am. Go make friends that fit your own specifications!"

I was strong enough to walk out of that cycle and go on a journey to find people who saw me for what I really was. I was truly convinced that there were people out there and it would be worth searching. In the meantime, instead of sitting alone at nite wishing that I had the loving, nurturing family that I saw other people have, I decided to work on my character and become the most amazing, beautiful, irresistible person. A person who knew the art of loving people and pouring their best into them.

And one day, in a church cell group in Argentina, I did catch someone's attention. A bible group leader named Marisa who's family life has not worked out ideally as she had hoped. As our friendship grew, it became apparent that we went together like peaches and cream. Here you have two people, two different languages, cultures, countries and from totally different situations that are both difficult. Two people longing for the meaning of family. And God decided to create beauty from ashes and bring us together and blend us together to create family. This is what I wrote to her in an email towards the end of my trip and she really dug it!

Whatever background you are from, this mothers day I want to encourage you not to be a product of your circumstances. But instead like me, work on your character and become well versed in the art of loving. Because one day when those people who are meant to be in your life come into your world, you'll have so much to give them. And in learning to love others, you'll eventually create the very thing with these people that your heart is longing for.

How do you know what love looks like? That is a really big question and I'm still discovering the answer everyday. But I will share with you a moment that I had with her when we were text messaging each other back and forth my last day in BsAs. I was telling her how it is hard for me to have a life in two different countries and it's hard for me to have to leave her here. Remember that I have someone who is extremely fond of me, to the point that my leaving might be difficult for her.

She gave me a response that I will never forget. At first I didn't really know it's significance because I didn't quite understand the SMS message. But with a little help from my spanish-english dictionary, I then understood just what an incredible heart this woman has and how unselfish she truly is. What she told me was this:

"We all have to share this one person that everybody wants to have"

The one person she was referring to was me! Basically she was saying that the people over there have got to enjoy my company and now they have to let the people in Canada have a turn. This is coming from a woman who thrives on my presence in church every week. If I have ever wondered what love looks like, I don't need to look any further! It is moments like these that keep making me want to give her my very best. I am touched because of this woman's heart in wanting me to be happy and wanting my friends in Canada to be happy. You can be sure than when it is her turn again to have me around, I'll make sure that she gets served on a silver platter 10 oz of the very finest cut of filet of family :)

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Taking a Stroll Down "Crackberry" Lane

It's official! I'm on crackberry! I have purchased my first ever blackberry through "Used Victoria" and the moment I held it in my hand, I knew that I was a blackberry girl. I don't see an iphone in my future anytime soon LOL  I had been needing a phone since coming back to Canada but haven't been able to get my hands on one. But I knew that the right phone would come to me at the right time.

So I began looking at both retail websites and checking out "Used Victoria" What I will tell you is don't be fooled by the name "Used Victoria". There are many people selling stuff at incredible deals. Sometimes it's phones that they've hardly used or aren't even out of the box. They got it as a gift and they didn't need it.

At first i had my eyes set on a blackberry flip for $75 that someone was selling. But that fell through and the phone was sold to someone else.  Then I did some searching some more and then I spot someone selling a Navy Blue Blackberry curve 8320 for $130. I'm like WOW! A blackberry curve for $130. In 2007, this was the hottest item on the market to buy. During it's time, people were forking out $500 or signing onto contracts. Since then, there have been much more newer and trendier phones around. But that doesn't make this phone any less great, it's just not the "must have" item.

Anyone phone knows me knows that I don't get buying the "must have". But I must admit that I am an aficionado for technology and the latest gadgets. Where most girls were checking out the latest fashions, I found myself in the Sony Store tinkering with all their tempting new toys.

But back to the subject, the whole buying the phone thing. I could not pass up such sweet deal to buy a Blackberry Curve at $130 when it was once valued at $500. And after checking up the reviews on it, I discovered this model is no longer around.  All the blackberry curves being sold on the website were newer ones, so naturally they were selling for a higher price.

Today I brought home my baby and I could not be more ecstatic. It works like charm and the owner had been considerate enough to replace the trackball on it before advertising it. Of course it doesn't have all the bells and whistles that blackberries and iphones have right now on the market. But it is such a great investment and to be able to own a blackberry at that price is a DREAM!

I know that alot of phones today come packed with gadgets and gizmos to dazzle and entertain the masses. This help gives the buyer value for their money. This device may not have all those add ons that the other phones have but it gave me more value my money than you could ever imagine when today, I finally got in contact through text with someone who I love very dearly and who has been missing me very much......my friend Marisa.

If you don't know the story of Marisa, you might want to ready some of my earlier blogs like "The Joy of Tears". She was my first Bible group leader when I first joined the church in Argentina.  Normally people who get assigned her introductory cell group stay there for a couple months and then move on. That's what happened to me, I got moved to a different cell group after a couple of months. The one twist is that she got really attached to me while I was in her cell group. And she went to very extensive lengths to make friends with me.

She has a very deep emotional attachment to me and I knew my leaving was going to be hard on her. It's not easy feeling a connection with someone who lives in another country. And to be fair, she's grown on me alot and it's only during this time that I've been in Canada that I've realized that I'm really fond of her too and I want to cultivate a deep meaningful friendship for years to come.

Words cannot explain what it was like today to sit in Chapters with my new device and be sending a text to her in Argentina. I typed out a little message in spanish to let her know that it was me and this was my number.  I didn't get a text back right away so I wondered if I did it right or maybe it didn't go through.  Or maybe she can't send a message back or doesn't know how to send one internationally.  Not receiving a reply right away, i went to go run some errands in the mall and then go back to chapters.It was then that I looked down at my device and I saw something that made my heart skip a beat. It was an indicator that I had a text message waiting for me. It was her, she had sent me a reply.

Our SMS conversation wasn't very long. It was basically "How are you?" "Nice to hear from you. I'm glad we can chat through SMS".  She seemed very pleased at it. And I let her know that she could text me whenever she feels a need for connection.  The feeling was just incredible to be able to be sitting there sending SMS back and forth to someone that you care for and have longed so much to see for many months now.  My blackberry may not have many fancy apps in comparison with all the phones on the market today but just being able to sit there in chapters making memories with someone who is precious to me, I think that the value this device is giving me is completely priceless.


Tango 2 the Moon
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Sunday, May 02, 2010

Santa Clara Sizzles "Sugar" with Spice


 You know, I've often wondered about this band that I've been promoting the past few months and what it would be like to get a taste for them live in concert. We all know that there are some bands out there that sound great on records and CD's but lose momentum when it comes to their live performances. And there are other groups that are the opposite, they do great live but their CD doesn't do them justice. Well tonite at their live performance at Sugar lounge, I finally got the answer to my questions.

The instant the band hit the very first notes there on stage, a sense of rapture fell over the place.  A crowd gathered around the stage where these fresh faced youngsters were making magic with their electrical guitars. Though having only been in the public eye for a short time, it was easy to see that the lead singer Tim and all the band members had quickly learned stagecraft and the art of connecting with the audience.

Santa Clara played a 45 minute set and each song they belted out with the kind of freshness and raw, organic passion that almost makes you feel as if they had written it yesterday and were singing it for the first time ever tonite. After seeing them on stage tonite, I realize that one of the greatest strengths that this band has is it's ability to be believable. And in having that kind of  believability, it brings a layer and dimension to their music that gives their sound a depth of reality.

 The lead singer Tim sang every line with such an obvious conviction that there shouldn't be a doubt in anyone's mind that nite that who was there that he was truly in the moment up there on the stage.  Each chord that he struck from his guitar and each note that his voice hit coupled with the intricate blend of vocals, instruments and  accompaniments breathed life into every single one of the lyrics. Naughty or nice? I can't decide which of those adjectives best sums up seeing Santa Clara's performance.  All I know is that Santa Clara's seamless set sizzled "Sugar" with spice.  
 
www.santaclaramusic.com  www.myspace.com/santaclaraband 


Amorous Alpacas

Amorous Alpacas