30-Day Blogging Challenge
Day 5: Five places you want to visit
5- Morocco. Honestly, for the beautiful architecture, the mosques. Only down side would be the heat.
4- Norway. Northern lights anybody?
3- S. Korea. Eat the food, walk the streets, see my faves...
2- New Zealand. Nice people, snow, beaches. New Zealand just has that majestic vibe.
1- Guatemala. Yes, it's my birth place and home town, but I never really got the chance to visit all the beautiful enchanting places, or learn about all the different people. There are so many places in Guatemala I still want to visit like Tikal or Semuc Champey.
Sunday, 5 February 2017
Saturday, 4 February 2017
Day 4: tumblr
30-Day Blogging Challenge
Day 4: The meaning behind your tumblr name
As I mentioned in Day 1, I have three tumblr accounts. One is pilarintechnicolor, which is a handle I use for most of my social media. Technicolor is considered a color revolution in movies, celebrated high saturation colors. I like it because it brings back a sense of retro, nostalgic bright saturated colors which match my colorful, retro personality quite well. I have been using the technicolor handle on social media since my first myspace over a decade ago.
My other tumblr is technicolorgrapefruit. This is a fan blog for my favorite idol. It's based on an inside joke with my idol, a play of words his group members coined which basically means he is short and stubby. Grapefruit is a cute nickname for my bias.
And my last tumblr is fuckyeahasianguyswithlonghair, which honestly, has the most obvious meaning XD
Day 4: The meaning behind your tumblr name
As I mentioned in Day 1, I have three tumblr accounts. One is pilarintechnicolor, which is a handle I use for most of my social media. Technicolor is considered a color revolution in movies, celebrated high saturation colors. I like it because it brings back a sense of retro, nostalgic bright saturated colors which match my colorful, retro personality quite well. I have been using the technicolor handle on social media since my first myspace over a decade ago.
My other tumblr is technicolorgrapefruit. This is a fan blog for my favorite idol. It's based on an inside joke with my idol, a play of words his group members coined which basically means he is short and stubby. Grapefruit is a cute nickname for my bias.
And my last tumblr is fuckyeahasianguyswithlonghair, which honestly, has the most obvious meaning XD
Friday, 3 February 2017
Day 3: how was your day?
30-Day Blogging Challenge
Day 3: Your day, in great detail.
I woke up today earlier than usual, because I had a breakfast date with a good friend and former colleague. One of the things I care a lot about is the clothes I wear, so I spent considerable time picking a cute outfit. I went for a black circle skirt, tights and blue shoes, with a blue and white top. I was happy because the top fit really well after a while of being quite small. I wore the watch this friend gave me.
She picked me up and we went to Arepados. I asked about "queso de mano", and it turns out its just like home-made mozzarella. I ordered arepa with fried egg and queso de mano, and a papaya smoothie (no milk). It was delicious!
After eating, we went to search for candy, with a short stop at the pet store. We saw little turtles, fish, birds, hamsters, and they even had a chinchila! A few years ago I really wanted to have a chinchilla, but now I have cats, which are sort of an exclusive pet when you live in an apartment.
Afterwards we looked for some makeup and then she dropped me off. I worked for a bit, but ended up falling asleep around 1pm. These days I fall asleep randomly. When I woke up, I started watching a discussion about the rise and fall of the European Union, but then my mom came home and she wanted to watch it too. We ate dinner and watched the show, and then we watched a few more things before she eventually had to go to bed.
And now, I am blogging.
I don't know if it was in great detail but...
Day 3: Your day, in great detail.
I woke up today earlier than usual, because I had a breakfast date with a good friend and former colleague. One of the things I care a lot about is the clothes I wear, so I spent considerable time picking a cute outfit. I went for a black circle skirt, tights and blue shoes, with a blue and white top. I was happy because the top fit really well after a while of being quite small. I wore the watch this friend gave me.
She picked me up and we went to Arepados. I asked about "queso de mano", and it turns out its just like home-made mozzarella. I ordered arepa with fried egg and queso de mano, and a papaya smoothie (no milk). It was delicious!
After eating, we went to search for candy, with a short stop at the pet store. We saw little turtles, fish, birds, hamsters, and they even had a chinchila! A few years ago I really wanted to have a chinchilla, but now I have cats, which are sort of an exclusive pet when you live in an apartment.
Afterwards we looked for some makeup and then she dropped me off. I worked for a bit, but ended up falling asleep around 1pm. These days I fall asleep randomly. When I woke up, I started watching a discussion about the rise and fall of the European Union, but then my mom came home and she wanted to watch it too. We ate dinner and watched the show, and then we watched a few more things before she eventually had to go to bed.
And now, I am blogging.
I don't know if it was in great detail but...
Day 2: likes and dislikes
30-Day Blogging Challenge
Day 2: 10 likes and dislikes
(not in order)
Dislikes:
10- Phone calls. I am an introverted communicator. I want to communicate efficiently, and that is best done either in person or by writing. In person, you can use body language and tone cues to read another person, and by writing you can edit what you're trying to say so that it reaches the best form. Phone calls are the worst of both worlds, really.
8- Abrupt changes of plans. Ah. I mean, I do want to think of myself as someone easy-going and chill, but to be honest, I hate it. I will shut up and put up with it if it's work, but if you're close to me, and you try to change the plan at the last minute... better try cancelling.
6- Extreme sports. I am by no means an adrenaline junkie. I had my fair share of adrenaline when I was younger growing up in civil war, thank you very much. I get an adrenaline rush whenever my phone rings, anyway.
5- Comments about my piercings. Seriously. It's my face, man. Leave it. Unless you're giving a compliment, your opinion is worthless to me. Just don't.
3- Dishonesty. I don't mind so much if people withhold information, but if you look me in the eye and outright lie to me... It's hard to forgive. Not only lies, but if you present facts to me in a way intended to deceive me, trust me, I will know. And I will not like it.
2- Honestly, I don't know what more. I even asked people around me to tell me things I don't like, but we came up empty.
3- Night time. I'm a true, honest night owl. Sunshine? Not for me. Take me to the beach in the middle of the night and watch me flourish. Also, I can see better at night.
Day 2: 10 likes and dislikes
(not in order)
Dislikes:
10- Phone calls. I am an introverted communicator. I want to communicate efficiently, and that is best done either in person or by writing. In person, you can use body language and tone cues to read another person, and by writing you can edit what you're trying to say so that it reaches the best form. Phone calls are the worst of both worlds, really.
9- Sweating. I am going to assume that everyone dislikes sweating, but I particularly dislike it to the point of avoiding sports. It's one of the most difficult things for me about being on the island.
8- Abrupt changes of plans. Ah. I mean, I do want to think of myself as someone easy-going and chill, but to be honest, I hate it. I will shut up and put up with it if it's work, but if you're close to me, and you try to change the plan at the last minute... better try cancelling.
7- Sexual harassment. Okay, yeah. But it needs to be on here because it's one of the things that actually makes my daily life difficult. Being approached on the street, cat calls, sexual jokes at the workplace... Men, just cut it out. That shit aint cute.
6- Extreme sports. I am by no means an adrenaline junkie. I had my fair share of adrenaline when I was younger growing up in civil war, thank you very much. I get an adrenaline rush whenever my phone rings, anyway.
5- Comments about my piercings. Seriously. It's my face, man. Leave it. Unless you're giving a compliment, your opinion is worthless to me. Just don't.
4- Mosquitos. Probably the most disliked on the list. They are so obnoxious. I try to live as peacefully as possible with all kinds of creatures but mosquitoes just... They attack you, transmit disease, bother your ears in your sleep...
3- Dishonesty. I don't mind so much if people withhold information, but if you look me in the eye and outright lie to me... It's hard to forgive. Not only lies, but if you present facts to me in a way intended to deceive me, trust me, I will know. And I will not like it.
2- Honestly, I don't know what more. I even asked people around me to tell me things I don't like, but we came up empty.
1- So I guess I'm quite positive? Ha... moving on to...
Likes:
10- Dresses. There's something so nice about throwing on the equivalent of a long t-shirt and looking awesome. Dresses are the easy way of wearing clothes. No need to match them, and looks polished and good with minimum effort. Jeans girls are sleeping.
9- Walks. Walking as exercise is probably my favorite form of exercise. Going for a walk with a friend as a form of hanging out is also pretty great.
8- Green leaves. Leafy trees and plants, and vegetables and grass. Green is my (and most people's) favorite color, it's so peaceful and refreshing and happy. Leafy greens, to me, are a sign that things are good.
7- Coffee. A lot of people like coffee, right? But for me it's also a part of my identity, sort of a daily ritual of sorts. There's few things better than a good cup of coffee.
6- Makeup. It's like painting a beautiful picture, but on your face, and you carry it around and show it to everyone and it makes you feel gorgeous <3
5- Friends. Listen, I'm not the easiest person to befriend. I wait days to reply to texts or call back, never answer my phone, and I'm a hermit. I will probably tease you quite a lot. Friends, I'm so thankful to those of you who make an effort to stay in touch and hang out and try hard to be my friend even against the odds. You are the true heroes. (You too, family <3)
4- Youtube documentaries. From Al Jazeera to Black Child Productions, I watch them all. So many different and contrasting views, for a critical like me, is a gem. So much to learn about so many things.
3- Night time. I'm a true, honest night owl. Sunshine? Not for me. Take me to the beach in the middle of the night and watch me flourish. Also, I can see better at night.
2- Books. Books are the solace of the hermit, it's my main socialization and form of communication. Now that the internet is upon us, I admit I spend more time looking things up and watching documentaries, but there's a connection that only books can provide.
1- Cats. My cats are the ultra best, they're hands down the cutest, loveliest, funniest cats to ever bless the face of the earth. But other people's cats are also quite amazing. Cats, dogs, and all kinds of animals are truly the joy of my life.
There you have it.
Wednesday, 1 February 2017
Day 1: the basics
30-Day Blogging Challenge
Day 1: Write some basic things about yourself
"There's nothing basic about myself", I want to answer.
But if I can be a little more honest, I can be quite basic I guess. Do I realize that's not the intention of the question? Yes, I do.
Listen, I am a trained philosopher. I have an obligation to consider all possible interpretations for a prompt.
So here it goes.
I love coffee, the internet, and cats. I have not one, not two, but three Tumblr accounts. I have an iPhone, lots and lots and lots of selfies on snapchat and instagram, I post my food, my cats, my hair. I talk about my hair and spend a lot of time on it. I love to take amateur photographs, editing them, and posting them with lots of hashtags.
I rooted for 1D on the X-factor.
Leggings? I have about 5. Which is 5 more than the jeans I own. I can quote Mean Girls to a T.
Then again, I never bought any ugg boots.
Day 1: Write some basic things about yourself
"There's nothing basic about myself", I want to answer.
But if I can be a little more honest, I can be quite basic I guess. Do I realize that's not the intention of the question? Yes, I do.
Listen, I am a trained philosopher. I have an obligation to consider all possible interpretations for a prompt.
So here it goes.
I love coffee, the internet, and cats. I have not one, not two, but three Tumblr accounts. I have an iPhone, lots and lots and lots of selfies on snapchat and instagram, I post my food, my cats, my hair. I talk about my hair and spend a lot of time on it. I love to take amateur photographs, editing them, and posting them with lots of hashtags.
I rooted for 1D on the X-factor.
Leggings? I have about 5. Which is 5 more than the jeans I own. I can quote Mean Girls to a T.
Then again, I never bought any ugg boots.
I'm doing this.
In the effort to start consistently blogging and writing again, I decided to take on this 30 day challenge. Granted, February is not the best month for 30-days stuff but what does it matter? I will finish this on the second of March. So be it.
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
DAY 8
DAY 9
DAY 10
DAY 11
DAY 12
DAY 13
DAY 14
DAY 15
DAY 16
DAY 17
DAY 18
DAY 19
DAY 20
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
DAY 8
DAY 9
DAY 10
DAY 11
DAY 12
DAY 13
DAY 14
DAY 15
DAY 16
DAY 17
DAY 18
DAY 19
DAY 20
Monday, 23 January 2017
An argument for the mythical importance of Dia di Betico
Dia di Betico is hands down my favorite Aruban holiday. This is because in my opinion, Betico Croes is THE most important cultural marking for Aruban identity. In my bachelor's dissertation, I argued for Betico Croes as Aruba's lone social hero, and proposed that celebrating Dia di Betico is a fundamental practice anchoring the national identity of the Aruban people.
When I moved back to Aruba and started my first full-time job, I was disheartened when I found out that we did not get a day off for Dia di Betico, nor were we allowed to leave early to participate in the celebrations.
It might seem like something inconsequential, but not for me. I did not write my bachelor's dissertation merely as a thought exercise. I wrote it because I realized what the story of Betico Croes meant for the identity of Aruba and wanted to explore this relationship.
The general gist of the argument is that, every time people gather in a group at a specific location to re-enact and remember specific events, it helps the new generations feel personally connected to the event. The energy of the crowd, all focusing on one thing, as well as the location (transformed into sacred space) serves to create a memory, one that is as if one had experienced it oneself from the start.
So, by going to the plaza together, wearing Aruban flags and singing our anthem, while listening to Betico Croes' speeches on loud speakers and watching old films on big screens, we all feel like it was happening right now. We feel connected. The myth of Betico Croes comes alive in all of us.
It translates our current struggles into the language of our origins. It's once again, us, the strong but small island, fighting bravely to defend and demand what is ours by right, out of love for our country and our people. It is a single most defining moment for every Aruban, the time when we got to call ourselves Aruban, and wave our own flag.
There is no other single event that can serve the same purpose, socially, for Aruba. It is essential that we honor this tradition and celebrate Dia Di Betico faithfully and consistently. We must do it to renew our patriotism, to renew our identity, and to create a strong social anchor for the future generations. I don't think it is a responsibility we can take lightly.
Ideally, we should all get the day off to celebrate and remember. The more people attend the celebrations, the stronger the myth. Is this something we should fight for?
I'll let each of you decide.
Felis dia di Betico!
When I moved back to Aruba and started my first full-time job, I was disheartened when I found out that we did not get a day off for Dia di Betico, nor were we allowed to leave early to participate in the celebrations.
It might seem like something inconsequential, but not for me. I did not write my bachelor's dissertation merely as a thought exercise. I wrote it because I realized what the story of Betico Croes meant for the identity of Aruba and wanted to explore this relationship.
The general gist of the argument is that, every time people gather in a group at a specific location to re-enact and remember specific events, it helps the new generations feel personally connected to the event. The energy of the crowd, all focusing on one thing, as well as the location (transformed into sacred space) serves to create a memory, one that is as if one had experienced it oneself from the start.
So, by going to the plaza together, wearing Aruban flags and singing our anthem, while listening to Betico Croes' speeches on loud speakers and watching old films on big screens, we all feel like it was happening right now. We feel connected. The myth of Betico Croes comes alive in all of us.
It translates our current struggles into the language of our origins. It's once again, us, the strong but small island, fighting bravely to defend and demand what is ours by right, out of love for our country and our people. It is a single most defining moment for every Aruban, the time when we got to call ourselves Aruban, and wave our own flag.
There is no other single event that can serve the same purpose, socially, for Aruba. It is essential that we honor this tradition and celebrate Dia Di Betico faithfully and consistently. We must do it to renew our patriotism, to renew our identity, and to create a strong social anchor for the future generations. I don't think it is a responsibility we can take lightly.
Ideally, we should all get the day off to celebrate and remember. The more people attend the celebrations, the stronger the myth. Is this something we should fight for?
I'll let each of you decide.
Felis dia di Betico!
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