Respect, understand, and love

Yesterday, when I logged on to my Facebook account the first thing that appeared on the screen was the death of actor Paul Walker. As I continue to scroll down my page I continue to read that it’s not a hoax and that he did indeed lose his life in a vehicle collision. I must admit I was shocked to learn how tragically he lost his life and the irony of his end. I will also admit that I was not his biggest fan ever but I did appreciate some of the movies he made and his looks were certainly something one could not overlook.

A person finding humor in another person’s tragedy completely baffles me. To be quiet frank it infuriates me that someone could find the death of not one person but two, to be funny or even worst make jokes about it. First and foremost, the men that lost their lives had families. So, why make fun or point out the irony of the situation and make stupid hurtful comments? These men had families that loved them and here we have ignorant people who are clearly heartless. The point I want to make is that people should be sensitive to others pain, I mean that should be common sense, right? Well it seems that is not the case and unfortunately too many find it a laughing matter. As I stated before, I was not his biggest fan nor was I related to any of the men involved in the accident but it really aggravates me the level of cruelty that can exist in some people.

The pictures with the ignorant comments of the actor itself really upset me. It upset me so much I actually had to delete some people from my Facebook account because I don’t need those kinds of friends. Ultimately, my heart is with the surviving family members and I hope they don’t see these pictures poking fun at their loved ones. In the end, we are all human beings and we never know when our time or someone we love will come to an end. Let’s be supportive of one another in time of difficulty and of course happiness. I plead that we show respect and love for one another. Is it so hard to understand or respect the pain of others? Why are we not showing love, compassion, understanding, unity, etc, towards one another? Any thoughts on this?
Love,
Kenia

There's a reason for things...

As I was browsing Pinterest I found this quote and I was amazed at how much I can relate to this quote. For years I've been moving around from one place to another (not by choice it comes with the job). I always had a hard time keeping up with friends. At first we didn't have social networks like we do today and people just moved or changed numbers and I no longer had contact with them. I'd get disappointed because it was perhaps someone I really liked or thought as a close friend in some cases family. I would try to contact them but no luck, and then I'd wonder if perhaps these people were trying to find me. I lost many friends and even family members. I still to this day cherish some of the most beautiful memories we shared years ago but I realized long ago that I had to move on and only remember the good. I stopped looking for some of these people and I reached the conclusion that if it's meant to be, then I guess we will someday reconnect.

Thanks to social networking today, I have been able to reconnect with some of these long lost friends. I realized quickly some were genuinely glad to reconnect with me. That was not the case with all of them though. I realized that some just wanted to know or see if they were doing better than me and had absolutely no intention of really establishing a friendship again. Quite frankly, I could care less because I realized that I am who I am because of the lessons life has taught me.

Then I read this quote and it all makes perfect sense. Some of this people I needed in my life to learn valuable lessons from. They also helped make me the person I am today. With the bad friendships I learned what I did not want to become and moved away from that. The good friendships I learned the beauty and qualities all of us human beings share alike. I learned that the people that stuck around, went away, came back, etc... were meant to be in my life regardless of how great or bad it could have affected me. I'm grateful to God but also to those people because if it had not been for them I would've never learned that there's a reason for things...

Love,
Kenia :-))

Kailua Kayaking Experience

Aloha, I am back and celebrating that I can once again continue to blog. I know it has been over two months since I last posted anything, therefore I look forward to blogging more often. I have to say that living in Hawaii has been such an incredible experience, not only for me but for my family. The scenery here is so majestic. The ocean water so refreshing and the weather, oh so beautiful! Well at least in most parts of the island. I live in an area were it typically rains often but it does not bother me because even the rain is peaceful here. We went kayaking the other day and I must say it was so fun and relaxing. The weather seemed terrible at first but things took a drastic turn for the best and we enjoyed ourselves kayaking from Kailua to the surrounding smaller islands. Our first stop was at a small island named flat island I presume. It's actually a bird sanctuary and it is completely flat. From the moment you arrive there you can see the birds nest and hear the music they make. It was such a peaceful experience. Then from there we went to the bigger island were we had the most fun. It is a very rocky site and parts of the of the island had a chasm in which  people can swim. We most definitely swam in them and it was a surreal experience. Kind of like a private tub in the island (lol). In the end it was lovely and a great work out as well. Kayaking is no joke but it is so fun!

I have not logged on in several weeks and it has just been a wild ride for me. I'm taking an online class, there was spring break, kids extracurricular activities, and of course some fun. Anyhow, everything has been a blessing in my life, I just wish I could blog more often. So, today I decided to give my self a break and blog. I will try to tell you about the last couple of weeks in my life.

I'm taking an online class (History Civil War) and I have had to read three books in the last three weeks and write a research paper and five essays. So, needless to say it has been challenging but it's a very interesting class and I'm learning so much.

During Spring break we had so much fun as a family. We spent most of our days at the different beach locations. I guess you can say we are lucky because we are currently residing in Honolulu, because of my husbands job of course. We are a military family. Needless to say it's a blessing to live here and enjoy this most magnificent paradise. If you've been to Hawaii you definitely know what I'm talking about but if you've not been here before I really recommend visiting the island. I'll post a few pics of a new beach I visited. This beach is located in Hickam Air Force base and although it's not the most beautiful one I've seen so far it definitely is a nice beach. The thing I really liked is that we were so close to the airport and we could see the planes departing. My kids thought it was cool.

I also have spent some time shopping and I always love a bargain. One of the perks of being a military family is that we get to shop at the Army Exchange and I have to say they have nice things, apparel, furniture, etc... at very comfortable prices. Well, I found two shirts that I really liked for my son at very good prices. I only paid ten dollars for each shirt and they are both brand named shirts that cost a little over thirty-five dollars. Needless to say that was a very good deal for me and my son loved his shirts too. Happy son, happy mother!

Now the kids are back to school and I must admit I miss them but at least I get to have more time to work on my school work and run errands. That way when they are home they have my undivided attention and I can help them with their schoolwork. Since, I've been in Hawaii I have missed some things from the Latin marts back home. One specific thing we missed were the arepas we eat. We need a special kind of flour that I cannot find here on the island. I told my mother about this a couple of weeks ago and she surprised us with two boxes of goodies. I have to say it was sweet of her and I have enough flour to make arepas all the way through summer...lol. My kids loved the fact that she sent them Mexican candy and toys. Well this is pretty much all that has happened in the last couple of weeks. I will definitely try to blog more often and I look forward to reading your blogs as well. I hope everyone is doing well and lots of blessings to you all.

Love, 

Kenia

"I do believe we're all connected. I do believe in positive energy. I do believe in the power of prayer. I do believe in putting good out into the world. And I believe in taking care of each other".

Harvey Fierstein

Waikiki and Birthday.

 Friday Night Musical In the Heights and then Waikiki fun.

 Me and my son.

Stand up paddle.

 My daughter making friends.

Birthday gift. 

 iLuv Docking station and surround system.





This weekend has been awesome! Did I mention it was also a weekend of birthday celebration? Well I’ve been celebrating since Friday to today. Actually today is my birthday but because it’s on a Monday not much you can do to celebrate. Therefore, on Friday my friend took me to see a musical called In the Heights and I must say it was awesome (review coming soon). We then decided to stop for some drinks (few) and some dance also. I have to say it was very fun. 

On Sunday, my husband decided to take me to the Hale Koa resort in Waikiki beach and I definitely recommend this place if you’re ever in Waikiki Beach area. The ambiance is nice and the drinks are very good. I enjoyed a Bloody Mary which by the way is my favorite drink.  Anyways we swam and paddled surfed all morning long. Afterwards, we went to the Moana Mall and then to dinner. It was nothing fancy but when I’m with my family it’s all about the quality time we spend together.

Today on my birthdate we went back to Honolulu and spend the entire day shopping and also visited University of Hawaii. I’m really considering pursuing my Masters. Thereafter we came home grilled some meat and spent more time together. We thought about buying a cake but we settled on chocolate chip cookies. I can’t afford all those extra calories, lol! In the end, I have to say this birthday weekend was great and I am so thankful to have my beautiful family by my side.  I believe this is what made my birthday so special: my family! Let me know how you like to spend your birthday.

Love,

Kenia

My Pablo Picasso is my son!

My son's drawing of Picasso's Self Portrait 1907.

 A picture of me and my son. Also more of his beautiful drawings. :)

My son draws the most amazing pictures. My boy is only five years old and from the moment he could hold a crayon he has been drawing. I’m amazed at how talented my son is that I can’t help but rave about it. I’m also proud that he too is very intelligent and hardworking in school. As a parent, I believe that my role as a mother is to be supportive of my children. Therefore, I am extremely supportive with my babies in everything they want to do. I’m currently looking for an art class for my boy so that he can continue to do what he loves and learn more about art.  I can’t wait to find a class and I will be blogging about my son’s new experience.

A few days ago, I was browsing the Internet looking at some art. I stumbled upon Picasso. Immediately, his art reminded me of my son’s drawings. So, I showed my son his paintings and my son was captivated by his art. Then my boy asked me if he could draw one of Picasso’s pictures and of course I agreed. He looked at the picture for a while and then began to draw. At his tender young age he is very much a perfectionist when it comes to his work, so after his third attempt, he was finally happy with his results. I have got to say that I too was very pleased with his results. Honestly, anything my children do makes me proud of them. So, I can’t help but to be very proud of my son’s talent and how driven he is. My family means the world to me and everyday I’m thankful to have them in my life. Hope you enjoy this post today and I’m looking forward to reading about your little ones as well.

Love,

Kenia

“Creativity is contagious, pass it on” – Albert Einstein

“Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up” – Pablo Picasso

Oz the Great and Powerful review

“Oz the Great and Powerful” sure made my kids laugh. I have to say this movie was funny, enchanting, adorable, colorful, and entertaining. The beginning of the movie parallels “The Wizard of Oz” in the sense that it uses black and white and a tornado that is what leads to the story line. It also parallels its predecessor by bringing characters from the beginning of the movie to the colorful world of Oz. Of course the characters are visually different (some) but we know who they are. Like in “The Wizard of Oz” the evil neighbor becomes the witch, the men become the lion, tin man, and scarecrow.

The plot of the movie revolves around how Oz came to be the wizard of (well) Oz. In this movie we learn who the “Oz” is and how he ended up in “Oz” a place that is named after him. In the original movie we learn the great wizard is a fraud and well this is what we learn in the new movie. We learn about his dreams of achieving by being an egoist, fraud, egotist, manipulative, womanizer and pretty much anything that will work to his advantage. Although, he later learns that all of the qualities I described before are detrimental to his character. He then chooses to make a change. What’s not clear is if this change comes about his own inner good or the presence of Glinda or Annie (they are both played by Michelle Williams) who apparently was someone special to him before he came to Oz. Overall, he chooses to change and as he makes this change he shows us how Oz became the wizard we know of from the original movie.

The cast in my opinion was nicely put together, although I wish some actors had exchanged roles. James Franco delivered in his performance as the “Oz”. Being at times extremely funny and bit annoying but I guess you can attribute that to his flaws from his character. Nevertheless, Franco’s performance was great. Mila Kunis’ (Theodora) performance was okay. Ugh, I’m sorry her acting was good but her voice can be very annoying. Rachael Weisz (Evanora) her performance was enjoyable and believable. I think she was my favorite of the witches but I think I would have enjoyed seeing her play Glinda instead. Michelle Williams (Glinda) also had a good performance but I think she was very predictable. By predictable I mean the white dress and the angelic face. I think the movie would have been a bit more interesting if they would have cast Michelle Willimas as (Evanora) and Rachel Weisz as (Glinda). Why? Because if they had been cast that way, people would have really been surprised to find out whom the real evil one was. Unlike figuring out really quickly who was the evil and which one was good. For me that takes away excitement I believe the twist in characters would have made the movie much more interesting. Again this is only my humble opinion. Overall, these actresses did a good job. I can’t forget Zach Braff. In my opinion he was the most enjoyable and funny character of all. I applaud his double performance first as a human and then as the flying monkey. I’m glad he was cast for this part because I believe and from the audiences reaction he was meant to play this part. Lastly, I can’t forget China girl. I thought her story was cute but I also felt there was little concern for her too. Why? Well, first of she is never given a name. Secondly, when she asked what her name is there is really no response. The camera seems to move on to some other part of the story. It just makes me question, what her purpose was in the story? Was it to add the cuteness factor in the movie or will there be a story about her in a future film? Anyways, I thought she was adorable I just wished she would have had a name rather then just being called China girl.

The costumes were great a really enjoyed the wardrobe and I think it fit the characters well. I just hoped they wouldn’t reveal too much about who the characters were, but they did. Yet, I can’t deny the nice costumes. The colors in the movie picture I have to say were very nice. I really liked how they started black and white and then progressed to vivacious colors that made every object in the movie look beautiful. The one thing I would heavily critique is that in some parts of the movie you could really tell when animation was being shown rather then the artists. One specific scene where Oz is about to fall over shows him clearly and then as the shot pulls further apart it begins to look as a cartoon animation and then back to Franco. I did not like that much but again it was a quick scene and I think that they were really trying to make it a bit more dramatic. In the end, the movie was still nice and the picture great. Only some minor details in my opinion could have been fixed or taken out. It was still a good movie.

As I said before my kids loved the movie and it had a little bit of everything from selfishness, sad story, love, funny, etc.… I also enjoyed the movie very much. Reluctant at first to see this movie in the theaters, I just wanted to wait for the DVD. I’m glad I took my kids to see it because there was never a dull moment. If I were to rate this movie I’d give it a three out of five, for the reasons I’ve previously explained.  

Love,

Kenia

Devin Velez bilingual performer

Last night Devin Velez performed “Somos Novios” and in my opinion that was a flawless performance. I understand some people don’t understand or like the whole “bilingual” song(s) but I sure love it. Devin has expressed that he loves singing in English and Spanish, so why not mix both? I feel this can become a new genre in music history.

Also, I think this is smart because sooner or later most singers like to crossover. Some artists who have crossed over include: Christina Aguilera, Nat King Cole, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Laura Pausini, etc… For Devin this would mean that he would have a broader audience. I consider this a smart move on his part. Do you agree or disagree? I’ve also included some music videos of some of the artists who have crossed over.

Love,

Kenia

Spanish

Anoche Devin Velez canto “somos novios” y la verdad es que fue una interpretacion genial. Se que algunos no les a de gustar canciones billingues, pero porque no? Al el le encanta cantar en ingles y espanol y en mi opinion me parece muy Buena idea. Es como que estubiese creando su propio genero de musica.

Tambien me parece muy intelliegente por su parte porque, se esta abriendo mas publico como canatante billingue. Otros artistas que an hecho un crossover incluyen: Christina Aguilera, Nat King Cole, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Laura Pausini, etc… Lo que Devin esta haceindo como artista me parece una muy Buena estartegia. Que piensan ustedes? E incluido unos videos de algunos crossovers.

Amor,

Kenia

“Everyone has a fair turn to be as great as he pleases”.
Jeremy Collier

Weight Issues/ Sobre peso

--> I have been out of the loop this last couple of days, but I will work on being more consistent and also gaining an audience. LOL! Last year, after I graduated from college I was ecstatic because of my great accomplishment. I was the first person in my family to have a Bachelor's degree, a tremendous accomplishment for my own little family and me. All that happiness soon faded away after I realized how much weight I had gained. I blame the lack of exercise and of course stress from schoolwork, motherhood, and deployments (hubby is a soldier) all together. I was most committed to my family (of course) and my education. That in the midst of all I stopped taking care of me. I've always been an exercise junkie so needless to say my physique at some point was absolutely fabulous. I felt good and energetic all the time. 

Now at thirty plus pounds, I'm definitely not happy with myself. I believe I have to do this for me and not to please others. What’s worst is that I did not realize how big I got until one day I saw myself in pictures and my pants no longer fit me, lol. Then, I started working out but because I have made a major move (now in Hawaii) and was living in hotels for about three months. My diet and exercise regime went completely obsolete. So, because of my experience and in search of my good health, I have slowly but surely started to exercise. Every Monday I weigh myself to make sure I'm seeing progress with my weight. I'm pleased to say that I have lost roughly six pounds in the last three weeks. It may not seem like much for some but I feel this is good for me because I don't want to put to much strain on my body either. I have been running five times a week for and hour and half. I have also integrated more vegetables and fruits to my diet. I am also juicing some of my least favorite veggies once per day. As I said it may not be much but it certainly is what's working for me. Any tips? Please let me know. I will keep posting weekly my newfound results on this blog. 
Love, 
Kenia

Español
 Bueno desafortunadamente no e estado blogging como me gustaria pero aun me estoy acustumbrando a esto. Tambien necesito tener una audiencia y ser mas consistenete. El ano pasado despues de haber me graduado de la universidad, estaba super contenta. Primero soy la primera persona que se gradua de la Universidad en mi familia. Y bueno eso para mi y mi pequena familia es tremenedo logro. La verdad es que mi felicidad me duro muy poco ya que aumente unas treinta libras de mas. Inmaginense que no me di cuenta asta que empeze a ver fotos mias y bueno mis panatalones no me subian mas. Creo que el estress de la U, familia (esposo es soldado) y bueno deje de ejercitar por completo atribuyo a mi subir de peso.

Empese a hacer ejercisio pero en los ultimos meses estube viviendo en un hotel porque me mude para Hawaii. Haciendo mi regimen de ejercisio y dieta desaparecer por completo. Ahora despues de tantas travas e comensado a hacer mi ejercisio. Y bueno poco a poco e empesado a perder de peso. El las ultimas tres semanas e revajado seis libras. Quizas no sea mucho pero para mi es algo. No quiero poner mucho stress en mi cuerpo por lo tanto un poco a la ves me basta. Corro por una hora y media cinco dias a la semana. Tambien e integrado mas frutas y vegetales. Todos los dias preparo un jugo de vegetales y frutas para mi tambien. E aprendido que es muy beneficioso para mi cuerpo y asi me bebo los vegetales que menos me gustan. Tienen algunas recomendaciones? Si las tienen porfavor informenme. Bueno todos los lunes voy a escirbir sobre mis resultados. Alli me dejan saber su opinion. 
Amor, 
Kenia

“Human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but ... life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves.”
― Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez

A Beautiful Day and Poetry

Today was such a beautiful day for me. I got to run some errands and enjoy a good lunch with me, myself, and I. I also got a chance to catch up on some much needed reading. Earlier today I was talking to my brother and I was telling him about this blog I just started. He asked me if I would let him be a "special guest blog" and of course I agreed. I did, however, tell him that I would only let him be a guest blogger if he kept it pg. LOL! My brother texts me and tells me that it would consist of poetry. My heart sank and that's because anyone who knows me very well knows that I love poetry. After that conversation with my brother I felt inspired and dug out my poetry books and began reading some of my favorite poems. I have to say "one" of my favorite poets is Christina Rossetti. I had never read any of her poetry until I took my British Literature II class. Immediately, I fell in love with her writing style. Her style is so real, mature, strong, dark, fervent, spiritual, etc... I really could go on forever describing her beautiful poetry. It's hard to describe but when I read her poems I feel as though I have time traveled and am living in the Victorian period. I'm sure some of you have at some point experienced this feeling when reading something great. Anyhow if you have not read her poems, I definitely recommend reading her poetry. One of my favorite poems from her is "How Do I Love Thee". It's amazingly beautiful. Other poets I recommend reading are: Pablo Neruda, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Robert Browning, Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, and so many more! Honestly, reading poetry is such a delight to the heart and soul. Another thing I love about reading poetry is that they are short and straight to the point (most of the time). There are some extremely long poems but those are good as well. If anyone reads this blog and has any recommendations on any poems or poets, please let me know. I always like to read a new poem. I don't have any followers on this blog yet but I hope to have some and I will also follow back as well. I think that's how it works, I'm still trying to figure this out. LOL!


Love,

Kenia

"Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge"   William Wordsworth

I'm New to Blogging!

Finally! After years of constantly deliberating whether I should create a blog, I'm glad I have finally decided to do so. I think that the reason I never created one is because writing to me is something so personal. For that reason and many more I really struggled with the idea of posting something on the Internet. Now after careful deliberation I've decided to take this risk and begin blogging. Hooray!! I mean why not? I love writing. Any kind of writing whether it be creatively, journal, or academically (least favorite). Anyhow I'm glad I got over all of the reasons on why I should not blog and decided to give it a go. I hope I find blogging just as entertaining as I find my personal journal/notebook to be. I really love to write about anything that interest me. Some of the things I hope to blog about will be: movies, music, reality TV, literature, magazines, parenting, fashion, etc... As you can see I'm very versatile when it comes to topics. I don't just like to write or talk about only one specific topic and to be quite honest I don't think it's healthy for the mind either. Anyways I'm really glad that I've decided to start this blog. Let the blogging commence for me!

Love,
Kenia

“You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club” – Jack London