iTunes Tuesdays, Special Edition

This Tuesday I've decided to share a really special song. I'm just gonna lay it all out there, why not?? So this song is called "Sabes" which means "You Know" and it's by a group from Mexico called Reik. They're kind of "popish" but I really like some of their ballads, in particular this one.

I first heard this most romantic song when I had just gotten back from Italy, after having met the Italian. It was a beautiful spring day in March when I fist laid eyes on his beautiful face. I knew he was going to be someone very important in my life. I spent 7 of the most wonderful days of my life with him in Milano. He was my personal tour guide and left quite the impression on me with his knowledge of all things Milano. Art, architecture, culture, history, etc. and it wasn't just limited to Milano, global really. He took me to restaurants where I was the only tourist and I had some really memorable meals. Somewhere in the course of those 7 days, I fell truly, madly, deeply (in Spanish, "locamente, siegamente, profundamente, enamorada") in love with this man. The day I had to get on a plane back to the states was torcher, serious agony. I was happy and scared at the same time. He promised me he would come visit me in the summer and I knew deep down in my heart he would, but I couldn't help but feel this least bit vulnerable. I mean I pretty much put myself out there to get my heart torn to shreds. I had never participated in a long distance relationship of this nature. When you first fall in love with someone, you want to spend every waking moment with them, and this was pretty much out of the question for us. How was this going to work?? A wise woman once commented on this here blog that "if it was meant to be, then it already is". She couldn't have been more right. Once I learned to let go and trust, the pieces just sort of fell into place. The Italian has been here to Portland twice now and our bond continues to grow stronger with each passing day. We have a bright future together, and even though we are still living apart, I wake up every morning knowing that we are one day closer to finally being together on a more permanent basis.

Back to the song, this song thoroughly describes what I have felt for him from the very beginning. It resonated in my soul. So this song is for you chiquito lindo. I love you.

Translation to go along with the lyrics.



Sabes?
You know?
No pido nada mas que estar entre tus brazos
I ask for nothing more than to be in your arms
Y huir de todo el mal
And flee from all that is bad
Que ha todo he renunciado
I have renounced it all
Por estar junto a ti
To be by your side

Sabes? No dejo de pensar
You know? I can't stop thinking
Que estoy enamorado
That I'm in love
Te quiero confesar
I want to confess to you
Que soy solo un esclavo
That I'm just a slave
Que no sabe vivir sin ti
That doesn't know how to live without you

Cuando llegaste tu
When you arrived
Te metiste en mi ser
You entered my being
Encendiste la luz
You lit the light
Me llenaste de fe
You filled me with faith

Tanto tiempo busque
I searched for so long
Pero al fin te encontre
But I finally found you
Tan perfecta como te imagine
So perfect, like I imagined you

Como aguja en un pajar
Like a needle in a haystack
Te busque sin cesar
I searched for you without ceasing
Como huella en el mar
Like a footprint in the sea
Tan dificil de hallar
So difficult to find

Tanto tiempo busque
I searched for so long
Pero al fin te encontre
But I finally found you
Tan perfecta como te imagine
So perfect, like I imagined you

Sabes?
You know?
Te quiero confesar
I want to confess to you
Que te encuentro irresistible
That I find you irrisistible
No dejo de pensar
I can't stop thinking
Que haria lo imposible
That I would do the impossible
Por quedarme cerca de ti
To remain near you

Cuando llegaste tu
When you arrived
Te metiste en mi ser
You entered my being
Encendiste la luz
You lit the light
Me llenaste de fe
You filled me with faith

Tanto tiempo busque
I searched for so long
Pero al fin te encontre
But I finally found you
Tan perfecta como te imagine
So perfect, like I imagined you

Como aguja en un pajar
Like a needle in a haystack
Te busque sin cesar
I searched for you without ceasing
Como huella en el mar
Like a footprint in the sea
Tan dificil de hallar
So difficult to find

Tanto tiempo busque
I searched for so long
Pero al fin te encontre
But I finally found you
Tan perfecta como te imagine
So perfect, like I imagined you

Sabes?
You know?
No pido nada mas
I ask for nothing more
Que estar entre tus brazos
Then to be in your arms

Just Some Fun Facts.....

Educational background of candidates:

Obama:
Occidental College - Two years.
Columbia University - B.A. political science with a specialization in international relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D .) Magna Cum Laude

Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in history and B.A. in political science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894 of 899

Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in journalism

Hmmm, a couple of Lawyers vs. a couple of jackasses. The choice is obvious.
OBAMA/BIDEN '08

But don't take my word for it. See for yourself:

http://www.themudflats.net/2008/09/26/mccain-camp-realizes-palin-is-clueless/

Wordless Wednesday

Twilight

Saturday I had to drive out to Beaverton, a suburb of Portland, to pick up some pants I was having altered by a seamstress. She told me last week that she was going to be home all day so I could stop by anytime on Saturday. As luck would have it, she was not home when I arrived. I called her cell phone and she told me she was out running errands and wouldn't be home until 3:30pm. It was now 12:30pm. Great. Lesson learned. I should have called before I went. I didn't want to have to drive back to Portland and back again, so I remembered that there was a movie theater nearby. There are a few movies I've been wanting to see but the only one starting when I arrived at the theater was "Righteous Kill", the DeNiro/Pacino movie. All the others had already started, so "Righteuos Kill" it was. This movie was just ok, not their greatest body of work. It was a bit predictable. The Italian would have probably liked it more than me as this is his kind of movie and he is a DeNiro fan. When the movie ended, I still had an hour to kill, so I headed over to Barnes & Noble.

Normally, in terms of buying books, I scout out the book at Barnes or Powell's(Powell's deserves it's own post and that will be coming soon), then I come home and order the books that interest me from amazon.com. Unless Powell's has a used version. So when I went to Barnes, there was quite the display for this book called "Twilight". Being artistically inclined, I'm a sucker for a good display. I was intrigued. So I picked up the book and kind of thumbed through it. Seemed pretty good, so I wrote it down on my list of books to scout out on Amazon. Now I have to tell you that this book is about a love story between a vampire and a normal girl. Not normally a subject I like to read about, vampires. I like books that transport me to another place, and perhaps another time, but I used to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer back in the day, so I thought, why not? Plus, it is listed as a young adult book, but there were some older women talking about how they loved the book. I'm such a sucker, I know, I know. Some of the other books that interest me are "The Bastard of Istanbul" and "The Flea Palace" by Elif Sharak.

So when I got home and started researching this book, which is actually the first in a series, I was sort of thrown for a loop when I found out that this book has like this total cult following all over the world. It's been on the NY Times bestseller list like forever, it's been translated to over 20 languages and there's a movie coming out in November AND it was filmed right here, in Portland, Oregon. Where the hell have I been??? People have created websites dedicated to this series of books and they are traveling to the litte town of Forks, Washington where the story takes place. I'm not normally one to "jump on the bandwagon" but all of this really has me intrigued, so I am going to order the book from Amazon. I checked the library website to see if it was available and the system has 89 copies with 471 holds on this book. Insane. I want to read it before the movie comes out, so I'm not willing to put my name on a waiting list of 471 people. After I finish reading the book, which may take a while because I have a lot of other reading to do for school, I will post my review. Off to order my book!

Here's a trailer for the movie:

The People's Republic of Portland

Yep, you read it right. That's what Portlanders have affectionately named this great city to reflect it's increasingly left-wing personality. Portland is a mecca for liberals. People here really take quality of life and the environment quite seriously. As I stated in a previous post, it is the only U.S. city in the top 5 list of amazing green cities. You really get the sense that this is a city run by the people and for the people. Something that our ahem, great leaders in D.C. seem to have forgotten.



The Urban Dictionary's definition of the People's Republic of Portland is: nickname of Portland--it got that name because the city is very liberal.The People's Republic of Portland is located on the Left Coast. It's also been called "Little Beirut" by the Bush family because they are not so popular here.



Some other names given to Portland are Bridgetown (because we have 6 bridges in the city center alone), Brew City (because we have so many microbreweries here), P-town, The City of Roses (for obvious reasons) and Greener-than-Green-land (again, for obvious reasons).

Ok, this is a little much but I thought it was funny :)



I couldn't neglect to post the most famous (besides the Obama/Biden '08 stickers) bumper sticker in Portland:



Portland is a really fun city. There's always something going on, something to do and somewhere to go. If you're a nature lover, this is your paradise. Even my conservative Italian loves it here.

El Grito 16 de Septiembre

Last year I wrote about the Mexican Independence Day celebration in Portland here and this year was much of the same, except that this year it was held on Monday the 15th, instead of on the 16th. Boh, wait, that's Italian. In Spanish we would say, "Sepa la bola". Good food, good margarita's, good music, good entertainment, good networking going on, and I had a really good time with my friends.



We have the same colors as Italy, except the Mexican flag has that really cool eagle with the serpent in it's mouth. Viva El Tricolor!!



J was super extra happy to wait in line for her margarita! Ahoooaahhh!!



The obligatory photo with the Mariachi's. I have always been the whitest Mexican on the block. In elementary school my nickname was Casper



J and I reminisced about our days as Ballet Folklorico dancers. Ah, those were the days where we had not a care in the world. All we had to do was dance, go to school and play. How times have changed.



This part made me feel like I was in Mexico, except for the Nordstrom in the background.



And last but certainly not least, my friends, the Spain's. Isn't their baby so cute!! She was bopping and dancing along to the Mariachi's. It's in her blood.

Progress

I've lost a total of 10 pounds, although it's taken me a couple of months to lose it, any loss is better than gaining. For those of you that don't know, I was in the hospital last year for 5 weeks and the treatment that worked for my mysterious illness was steroids and some other medications that made me gain weight. I gained a total of 50 pounds, so I still have 40 pounds to go. I know I still have a lot of hard work ahead of me but I'm in for the long haul so I'll keep posting periodically on my progress. My problem is that I love to eat.(Ale calls me "golosa" but I don't eat junk food, I just have a love for gelato, oh, and torrone) This wasn't such an issue before I gained the weight because I was so active. I played tennis 5 days a week, had personal training, agility training and cardio classes. It's been a struggle to get that strength back. I still haven't really, but I'm not giving up. Since I am a student these days, it's not in my budget to play so much tennis or have personal training, so I've had to find alternatives. My boxing class is one alternative and I've been going on walks that average about 5 miles. I still have to add more things to my workout regimen, but I'm sure I'll find something. I was thinking of going on the Biggest Loser, but apparently I'm not fat enough, darn ;) I don't like that word "fat". I'd rather be called thick or fluffy :)
I took a picture of myself to see if I still had my huge double chin, but it seems to be shrinking! Just look...



Now if I could just get rid of the chipmunk cheeks and spare tire I've got hanging around my midsection, I'll be back in business! Tennis anyone??

iTunes Tuesdays

I haven't posted an iTunes Tuesday for a long time now so I thought I would start it up again. The song I am posting this week is by the Dave Matthews Band and the song is called #41. I love this song. It's brought me to tears during hard times, but it also brings back good memories of sitting around a camp fire with friends. One of the guys would play their guitar and the rest of us would sing while roasting marshmallows. Good times, good times. I want to learn how to play the guitar just to play this song.
The video quality is not so good, but it was the best one I could find on youtube. It's acoustic so he changes up the lyrics a bit. Lyrics to follow.




Come see
I swear by now I'm playing time against my troubles oh
I'm coming slow but speeding...
Do you wish for a dance and while I'm in the front
My play on time is won
Oh, but the difficulty is coming here...

I will go in this way
Oh, and I'll find my own way out
I won't tell you what to be
Oh,no, but I'm coming to much more
Me
All at once the ghosts come back
Reeling in you now oh tell me
What if they came down crushing
It used to be
that you and me
play for all of the loneliness
that nobody notices now
I'm begging slow 'cause I'm coming here...
I wanted to play
I wanted to stay
I wanted to love you

I'm only this far
And only tomorrow leads the way

I'm coming waltzing back
and moving into your head
Please, I wouldn't pass this by
Oh no, but I wouldn't take more than I need
What sort of man goes by?
Well, I will bring water
Why won't you ever be glad?
It melts into wonder
I came in praying for you
Why won't you run in to rain and pray?
Let all tears splash all over you

The way the rain comes,
The way the rain comes down on you,
It does.

Saturday Evening

Today was my good friend Rachel's wedding in New York. I really wanted to go but I took somedays off from school while the Italian was here and really couldn't afford to take anymore time off. I'm kinda bummed though. I would have liked to see her get hitched. I also missed the birth of her son. Rachel, if you are reading this, CONGRATS!! And I wish you all the happiness in the world. You deserve it.

I was invited to a small "end of the summer" get together at a friends house. She lives about a mile away from me, so since it was a beautiful day, I decided to take a nice walk there. She is a relatively new friend, but seems really cool. I met her in my circuit boxing class. I really love this class. The instructor is really cool and we have formed the "Ultimate Girls' Fight Club", seriously! We get together once a month on a Saturday at a cafe', restaurant or weather permitting, a park and just hang out. I'm so happy I get to be a part of this because I have met some really nice girls here in PDX.

After the party, Mia, my instructor, her daughter and I walked to her car and she pointed out a deli to me and said I should try it. It's called Elephant's Delicatessen and it's kosher, not that that matters to me, but it's nice to know. So we parted ways and I walked up to Elephant's. Wow, what a spread. It was a really nice gourmet deli. They even have pizza from a wood burning oven. Most things didn't have prices, which is a bit off-putting for me. Call me a miser but I like to know what I am paying for something. Their pizza had prices and they aren't bad. $9 for a pizza but I will wait for the Italian to come back because he is a pizza connoisseur. They even rent their garden for events. Hmm, this is giving me ideas for certain future events (wink, wink). I'll have to try their food first. I really wasn't hungry when I went there, so I didn't buy anything this visit.

When I got home I intended to watch a movie, but I started reading a new blog (new to me) that I just came across on Friday called "Pensieri dal Mondo" or in English, "Thoughts from the World". It seems she and I have quite a bit in common. However on this night, the more I read, the more I really felt I could relate to her. It's amazing how someone so far away can really be so near. I admire her because some of the things she writes about on her blog are things that I deal with but I keep them inside. She writes that sometimes she feels alone, like no one understands her, but I do. We both have absent Fathers, a love for Sex and the City, a love for our own feet and a bit of a foot fetish, relationships, cooking (or lack thereof), I know what it's like to be the new kid on the block too, etc etc.... What I really found enduring was little things she would say or write that are exactly the way my Ale says them in English. That's probably because she is Italian too. I don't know her name but I feel like I know her heart and I just want her to know that she is not alone.

Disclaimer

Today I was told (note: not asked) by the Italian to refrain from posting anything negative about his "friend" Sarah Palin or he would have to withdraw his name as contributor to this blog. Wow, I do believe that the love of my life has just served me with an ultimatum! How do ya' like them apples??

Yes, dear readers, the Italian is flawed and my fidanzato's one major flaw is that he thinks he is a Republican. I say thinks because well, let's face it, when you are not a citizen of this country, don't live here, don't pay taxes here and most importantly can't vote, you can't really be a Republican, can you?? A sympathizer, sure, maybe, I guess. Despite this one major flaw, I still love him immensely. In my defense, he decided to tell me about this colossal flaw AFTER I fell in love with him and even then it stung pretty badly. I suppose if Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger can make it work, then so can we. I imagine we will have well-rounded children. Half-Mexican-American, half-Italian, half-Democrat, half-Republican, half-tennis players half-soccer players.....their possibilities will be endless.

Now back to the matter at hand, I said this would not become a political blog and I meant that. I did have to speak my mind, and get it off my chest. I believe I have written my peace. However, Chiquito Lindo (the Italian), if you do so feel the need to respond to what I have written, by all means, be my guest. I willfully invite you to do so. This is America after all and Freedom of Speech is one of the many benefits I enjoy as a citizen of this country. As contributor of this blog you have the right to do so. So here is the disclaimer:

The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. My views are not necessarily his views and vice versa.

It's actually great to have a difference of opinion. It makes for spirited conversation and keeps the fires burning. Don't ya think?

What say you my precious Italian??

Portland, OR No.3 on Top 5 List of Amazing Green Cities

Portland is the only U.S. city in the top 5 list of Amazing Green cities. People here really care about their surroundings. We have solar-powered parking meters and tons of green space. People pick up their dog poo (95% of the time) and when I'm out on a walk I rarely see trash laying around in the street, as far as trashy people are concerned, that's another story...just joking! Rounding out the top five were:

5. Malmo, Sweden
4. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Portland, Oregon
2. Vancouver, Canada
1. Reykjavik, Iceland

Here is the article from Howstuffworks.com:

Green City 3: Portland, Ore.

­­Portland lies on the banks of the Willamette River in the Pacific Northwest and is home to more than 500,000 people. It’s been a model of sustainable living for decades, smartly mixing urban and outdoor spaces.

Chuck Pefley/Stone/Getty Images
The Portland skyline is backed by Mount Hood.

Its greenness is hardly new. Since its 1903 "Report to the Portland Park Board," Portland has been inspiring cities across the United States and the world to embrace green space in their urban planning. Thirty years ago, Portland continued leading the way by demolishing a six-lane highway to develop a waterfront park in its place. Today Portland has roughly 92,000 acres of green space, including 74 miles (119 km) of biking, hiking and running trails, and has enacted an urban-growth boundary to contain the urban landscape and protect 25 million acres of forest and farms [source: Grist].

Portland was the first city in the United States to enact a plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and was a founding member of the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign. It has also held rank at the top of green city lists in the United States and in the world for several years [source: Progressive Policy Institute]. The city has 50 buildings that meet or exceed U.S. Green Building Council standards for sustainability, and its mix of commercial and residential areas is pedestrian and bike friendly -- roughly one quarter of commuters bike to work [source: Popular Science].

­Looking ahead, Portland has set ambitious energy goals. By 2010, the city plans to supply 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources, including innovative approaches such as solar-powered parking meters.

Yet another reason to love Portland! More reasons and pics to come soon.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words.

After Palin's speech last night, I donated money to the Obama campaign. After McCain's speech tonight (one that damn near put me to sleep AND I must have downed at least half a bottle of Pepto Bismol) I donated again. At this rate, if these Republicans keep giving speeches I'm going to have to file for bankruptcy.

My bad: Gov. Palin does actually have a passport. She got it in 2007 when she had to go to Kuwait to visit the Alaska National Guard. She has also listed a "stop" (i.e. layover) in Ireland on her foreign experience resume. Pathetic. I've spent more time at Schipol airport in Amsterdam that she did in Ireland.

AND

for attempting to appeal to the "special needs" population, I say...Hypocrite and shame on you. She CUT funds for special needs programs in her state. Hmm, a Freudian slip on her part maybe?

A village in Alaska has lost it's idiot.

“Jesus was a Community Organizer, and Pontias Pilate was a Governor.”

https://donate.barackobama.com/

Palin: Are You Kidding Me?? The GOP Has Lost It's Proverbial Mind

I am sitting here watching the RNC and listening to Palin's "speech". This is a joke, really. Michelle Obama's speech was far better. Michelle Obama is far more fit to be the VP than Palin. Palin has no where near the education or experience that Michelle Obama or Hillary Clinton do. She can't even see Barack. She was a small town mayor who had to hire a city administrator to help her do her job because a town of 6,000 or whatever was too much for her to handle. Um, how about a country of millions?? Taking cheap shots at Obama saying he's unqualified, WTF??? Let's compare apples to apples here. The woman has ZERO experience on foreign policy and I don't even think she's ever been out of the country. She probably doesn't even own a passport. But I digress.

Sarah Palin is far right politically, and contrary to what the GOP would have you believe, her experience does not qualify her for the 2nd most important position in the country. This is a cynical gamble on the part of John McCain - shame on him for putting this country and the world at risk in such perilous times. It's funny how the GOP is always touting itself as the party of national security - what a joke!

Do these people realize that McCain is 72 years old and not in the best of health. If something happens to him, she becomes President. OMG! The world is laughing at us right now, seriously. The London Times is calling Palin "An Apalling Candidate". She just mentioned no earmarking in her speech, yet her record clearly shows she earmarked in the past. She is being investigated for abuse of power (i.e. corruption) after less than two years in office. That sure shows something about her leadership style. And now she says she wants to build more nuclear plants!!?? She wasn't even properly vetted before McCain announced she was to be his running mate. I won't even comment on her family.....Mamma Mia! You can read more about her here: http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/about-sarah-palin-by-someone-w.php

I'm really scared about the way politics are going in this country. This blog is not going to get political, but I just had to say something. I'm going to change the channel now because I'm getting sick to my stomache. I'm so glad I live in ultra-liberal Oregon. I'll never leave this place. God help us all......!