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Whats up Bilingües!
All you have to do is look around you to notice that we live in times of protest. From the Arab Spring to the Occupy Wall Street movement, the world at large is finding power through mass demonstration.
Back in 2006, the Latino community of Dallas, Texas realized the potential of mass protest in voicing concerns about immigration policy in the US. Latino community leaders put together the largest public demonstration in the city's history, in an era before Twitter and Facebook no less!
I gathered up some photographer primos of mine and took to the streets that day in 2006 to document the massive demonstration, called the MegaMarch. In 2010, when the MegaMarch again formed, I took fellow filmmaker Elizabeth Barriga with me and documented the protest march.
What came out of those two days of filming is a short documentary I call "Streets of Protest". The film premiered at the 2010 Vistas Film Festival and is now screening right here for the first time since then, exclusively for you bilingües. Check it out and whatever your stance is on the issue, I hope it sparks some healthy debate.
I promise we don’t eat rich sweets at our house everyday! I just finished writing about churros and now here I am writing about more pastries. The truth is, this rivalry was a hot topic amongst the cousins when we were younger. My sister and I were pretty much the only ones that preferred Pingüinos. The family in Mexico all pretty much preferred Gansitos. Apparently, we were not the only ones that perceived a ...
I am bilingüe. In the state of Texas where most people will claim to speak Spanish on their resume, what does this mean? Do the person that took Spanish in high school and the person that grew up in a native Spanish speaking home fit into that same category? Does this category include Latinos that do not speak Spanish?
Many young Hispanics today feel this sense of cultural identity confusion. I include myself in this group. Many of us are second or third generation descendants fro ...
In what may be a stroke of marketing genius, a viral video has recently popped up on youtube that really has to be seen if your a fan of the Back to the Future films.
Interesante, no? Two things stand out about this clip that makes it seem fresh and edgy in a time when viral videos are used almost everywhere. 1) It's set in Argentina and begins in Spanish. I'm sure somewhere, in the conceptualization stage of producing this video, someone was adament about making it in English ...
When I was 8 my family and I were in London, my dad had work to do there and it was fun getting to see new things and places, but the story I’m about to tell you today is quite typical of my family.. As you know in London their driving is very different,they drive on the opposite side of the road and the cars are even built different. The wheel is where our passenger’s side is, so as my family was trying to adjust to this marvelous condition, my seatbelt decides to get jammed in the doo ...
My version of La llorona is a story amongst many hispanos. The story of la llorona, she is a young woman from Mexico City who fell in love with a Spaniard. They were very much in love and had children and one day with devastating news , he told her he was married and he was leaving her to return to his wife. She grew furious and as revenge she decided to drown their children then she took her own life. When she got to the gates of heaven before she could enter the Lord asked her "Where ...
"Cinema can fill in the empty spaces in your life"
Pedro Almodovar, the acclaimed Spanish director, said that about the world of film. And isn't it true, mi gente? Whether our soul is in need of a good laugh, a heartfelt cry or a thoughtful idea to make us look at the world with new eyes...no other art form does it quite like movies do.
Movies are what I live and breathe. Es mi pasión. The world of cinema that you need to know about is what I will bring to you here every ...
When teaching your kids or when you yourself are learning another language, you’ll notice you tend to pick up on certain words a lot quicker than others. Perhaps certain categories even. For instance, why is it that we always know vulgar potty words in other languages? I don’t know. Maybe it seems more entertaining or maybe you don’t feel as bad uttering them in some foreign language when you get angry. Either way, I’m not saying I’m teaching my kids bad words, but f ...
There’s a line in one of the songs on the new Spanish kids’ CD my daughter got for her birthday that I mentioned in an earlier post that says,
“La ‘C’ y la ‘H’ se quieren casar. Comidas la “ch” ellas van a crear. Palabras sabrosas como el chicharrón, charolas de churros tan ricos que son…”
Immediately, I was whisked away to my childhood years, enjoying churros with my sister. There aren’t many places that I’ve found where one can ...
It's one thing to discover a great new movie that you didn't know was out there. It's another thing to enjoy it for the way it was made. We usually watch movies and simply let them wash over us. But sometimes there are scenes in a good film that make you stop and realize that you've seen something special that can only be done in the movies.
El Screto de sus Ojos is one of those films that flew under the radar when it was released. It did for me until I discovered it on Netflix. I ...
The 2011 Summer movie line-up is shaping up to be a well rounded collection of films. From dramas to comedies to sci-fi, there's going to be something for everyone so start planning to spend some time at the air-conditioned movie theaters when those temperatures start getting too caliente outside. Used to be, back in the day, the summer movie season began in June...now, as movie studios are fighting harder for your dollar, it starts in May. This year, Thor from Marvel Studios started off the sum ...
You may have seen some grinning popsicles around town and wondered what
that was all about and who did them. I know I did when I first saw them! The
paletas are done by a graffiti crew known as The Sour Grapes. Not just street
artists their work is also recognized in the art world. You can see some
impressive works on view through the summer at the Dallas Contemporary.
SOUR GRAPES: REST IN POWER at Dallas Contemporary
February 12 - August 2011
MEMBERS OF THE COLLECTIVE: Ed ...
Start Gallery Dallas is the newest addition to Oak Cliffs budding art scene taking over the old spot that the Ice House Cultural Center once inhabited. I was on the scene for their grand opening on Friday April 29th because well- I am also an artist in the show! But not to toot my own horn, I am going to talk about the other artists and the whole gallery in general. Their first show entitled "The First Exhibition" feautures the work of Martin Campos, Arthur Stephens and myself. All t ...
Cliff Notes bookstore located in the hustle and bustle of Davis St in Oak Cliff and owned by the Salas family boasts a wonderful upcoming event. Not only do poetry fans get to wax poetic at the "Poets on X" series they throw monthly but this summer they've got the heat BEAT with a booksigning event and reading.
BEAT: booksigning by poet Christopher Carmona
Cliff Notes is honored to bring to Oak Cliff Chicano Beat Poet,
Chistopher Carmona, who will be reading from ...
With the average gas prices averaging about $3.60 and the electricity bills climbing because of the hot weather it is good to know there are still ways to have fun on the cheap. And by cheap I mean GRATIS! I'm keeping my finger on the pulse of this "free" word all summer so I can keep you in the loop.
Kick your Summer off with a free performance by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra on June 1st. The concert is being held at my favorite park Kidd Springs in Oak Cliff. Pack your pic ...
There is a saying that goes "A Child's first school is their home". In our Latino communities, this has been true for some time. We all know someone in our families or communities who spent their early years learning from their abuelita, abuelito, tias or tios at home while mom and dad were working during the day. Our Latino culture is our first true lesson in life. Although this is a strong, worthwhile lesson to learn, a proper preschool education is becoming more and more essential ...
The 2010 Census results have been in for some time now. While the majority of the national talk surrounding the census figures has focused on ethnic population growth across the country, one of the more interesting, and maybe over-looked, statistics that hit closer to home is the economic data of the Texas population. This is particularly important to parents of school age children, because ongoing research indicates a direct link between income and vocabulary development in children.
S ...
In thinking through ways to expose my children to more Spanish, music came to mind because if you have kids you’ll notice that they love music. You can pretty much get them to do just about anything or get them excited about something if you just sing about. Think about it: the Clean Up Song…it works wonders! Since I grew up as a musician, it felt pretty natural to play music around the house and in the car constantly. I didn’t own any children’s Spanish CD’s until rece ...
I am a lover of carbonated beverages. More specifically, I love Coca-Cola. It is my favorite drink in the whole wide world and I drink it more than water. In fact, I don’t like the taste of water because I don’t think it tastes like Coke. I realize that that is really unhealthy and that I will probably have health problems down the road, but I love Coca-Cola! That is why last year in my preparation to go to Mexico on a mission trip, I was bummed at the idea of not being able to drink my ...
That's me and my family back in December 2010 in Mexico. I'll definitely write posts about that experience.
“I am Bilingüe.”
In the most technical sense, I am. But of all the contributors on I Am Bilingüe, I would say I am at the bottom of the rung, I just made it in the by the skin of my teeth (which is a really weird saying, our teeth don’t have skin). My parents are Mexican, born and raised, they have a wonderful story of how they worked hard to come and pursue the “Am ...
I’m funny. I’m not afraid to say that because many people have told me that I am. I’m witty. I can come up with stuff to say really quickly in situations.
I’m sarcastic. Most of the words out of my mouth are laced with a bit of sarcasm. I may not be totally fluent in Spanish, but I am in sarcasm.
That being said, if you were to meet me in person for the first time, you would not describe me as any of those things. I am quiet, reserved, shy and even awkward when I meet most people. ...
I was about 9 when my dad decided "Hey I want Cabritos, lets make it fresh," so he went out, bought a goat, and brought it home. My sister and I thought "A pet! Whooo!!!" To our surprise, my dad came out, shot it in the head and said "let’s cook it." My sister and I did what he asked but the pivotal moment of ultimate disgust was when he asked us to eat it. He made a caldo out of the blood, and was eating it as if he had never seen food before. I was traumatized b ...
My lovely family has many remedies as most Latin families do. Anytime I was sick or felt even the slightest tickle in my throat the weapon of choice was VICKS!! "
"Ayi mijita te sientes malita, I’ll get the Vicks." My father was convinced that rubbing Vicks on my chest, feet (with socks to cover them), ears, and neck--- any body part that was available for rubbing, would be healed overnight (miraculously). I found some pretty great things to remind me of those lovely days ...
En la otro lado del mundo, there a huge yearly film festival happening this week in France called the Cannes Film Festival. You've probably seen this name on movie posters or in film trailers. Films that do well at Cannes are typically very proud of saying of this fact, so to premiere a film at Cannes a pretty big deal. This year there are plenty of interesting films to be looking out for for including Tree of Life and Dias de Gracia, a film that is set in Mexico City. One exciting entry in ...
Your eyes are probably glued to that sweet Neon Green Margarita, looking icy and huge and loaded with Tequila. Ok, let me direct your attention away from that for a second....look at that beautiful job I did of cutting my own bangs! I mean, really... Picasso couldn't have got it more crooked! I am just thankful this photo has two delicious margaritas diverting everyones attention away from that chop job. I hope the whole town was asleep that night I was roaming about town with those b ...
As the phenomenon of Facebook keeps on growing I find myself constantly discovering more and more artists. Some are even locals that I wouldn't have heard about were it not for the popular social network. One artist kept drawing me to his page with bright vibrant pop art pieces that carried a distinctive Mexican flavor as well as reminding me of Andy Warhol at times. I think his first piece that made an impression on me was a "Luchador" painting.
I want to introduce you t ...
Congratulations to Holly H. from Texas!
Winner of the Basketball Sweepstakes. She won four tickets to the Dallas Mavericks basketball game on Sunday, March 20, 2011, a parking pass, an autographed Dallas Mavericks jersey, a locker room tour for four people, an on-court game activity for the winner and a visit from Champ mascot during the game, courtesy of Live It with Charter.
Spanish Mike is a YouTube sensation who has done many appearances on Telemundo. He has become famous for his “One semester of Spanish Love song”. Spanish Mike has had over 6 million views his lyrics are a combination of basic vocabulary words that make no sense at all yet, his whimsical charm has allowed him to blossom into a knockout.
As Fathers Day approaches I find myself thinking more than ever about my last name, the name of my father... "Rodriguez". I used to joke that Rodriguez is like the Mexican version of "Smith". Very common name but now I feel it is also very unique.
I always get the questions "Q or G?" and "Z or S?" It's a funny little dance I have to do every time someone asks me how to spell my name. If you look up Patricia Rodriguez on Google or Facebook chances are ...
Some of my favorite childhood memories are of the summer. School was out and we played outside from sun up to sun down.
"Paletas! Paletas!"
We would hear the cry of the paletero (whom we called the "Paleta Man") coming down the street, ringing the little bells on his cart and we would start fishing for change.
It was Summer and the arrival of the Paleta Man on our street proved it. So did the thermometer but that wasn't half as delicious. I always l ...
"We don't make music to have fans. We make music to have friends."
GalleryCat's motto pretty much sums up the attitude of one the most unique hip-hop groups to emerge from the Dallas music landscape. Lead man Angelo Gonzales sincerely announced their "friends over fans" mantra during their live show at the Dallas Musuem of Art last Friday night and after listening to GalleryCat perform for an hour in an intimate setting, this matra just feels right for this band. ...
Looks pretty gross, huh? This picture was taken only a few seconds after my 2-year-old decided she was tired of waiting for dinner and decided to make her own tacos.
Growing up in my family, corn tortillas made a fairly common appearance at the dinner table. It didn’t really matter if they went with the meal. The conversation surrounding the decision to serve them usually went something like this,
Person dishing up plates: “We’re having pork chops, green beans and potatoes for ...
It's summer and in the sports world, this season equates to one tradition that’s a beloved American pastime: Baseball. While nothing compares to sitting in a ballpark, munching on a hotdog and watching your favorite team, this summer heat wave we are currently in could make that experience just a bit unpleasant. If you do choose to stay in the air-conditioned indoors, you can still enjoy a little baseball lore in the form of a new movie released today on DVD and Blue-ray about a rag-tag te ...
If you’re like me, you’re always looking for fast, new, healthy meals to introduce to your family. The cool thing is, since beginning to work on this blog, I’ve started making a mental list of such dishes that I have incorporated into my family’s repertoire that have been passed down to me by my family. Most of them are easy and authentically Mexican.
...
Back in January of this year, President Obama encouraged the nation in his State of the Union address to "out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world". Much of the President's focus was on the innovation and technology that America has been known for, particularly in the fields of math and science. And as the President mentioned, the state of our math and science education across the nation is not where we want it to be. Unfortunately, those statistics are even worse ...
Ask any child born in the last decade who Dora is and more likely than not they’ll tell you that she’s an explorer. But more important than Dora’s mythical adventures or animal friends or her handy backpack, Dora’s most influential characteristic that has earned her a spot in animated history is the fact that she can speak English and Spanish. Next month, the Dora the Explorer animated television show turns 11, but as for the show’s spunky bilingual star, she will always rema ...
The debate over classroom sizes in the United States has been in the news lately. The current financial state of education has brought the fundamentals of math to the forefront of this debate; math, as it pertains to ratios in classrooms.
According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a staff-to-child ration of 1:10 for 3- to 4-year-olds is highly recommended for classes with fewer than 20 children. Mi Escuelita Preschool, accredited by NAEYC, aims to d ...
I hate breaking the rules.
Any kind of rules, really. I feel guilty speeding, burning cds, even jaywalking. If it’s anything that goes against the grain, I don’t like it.
How did I get this way? Probably thanks to my mom.
Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful that I’m not in prison or living a life of crime, but when my friends want to cross the street and I refuse because we don’t have the little guy saying it’s ok to cross, something needs to be said.
Growing up, my ...
Never have I ever experienced an identity crisis more than I did my senior year of high school.
I’m not even completely sure of all the details, but here’s what I remember:
A hot topic in the United States was immigration reform. It was the spring of 2006 and I was sitting in my computer class. I had heard murmurings that morning of a walkout but I didn’t really think anything of it. Then all of a sudden, there was a lot of commotion going on in the hallway. Our teacher walked outsi ...
What’s with adding “-ito” or “ita” to the end of words? Here are some of examples that I run into most often. They are used so much in our lives that they may just be normal. I’m writing this post to remind us of them, and maybe question why we use them. Here they are:
Gordita- This is my favorite one. Made famous in the states by Taco Bell (though not totally the way that they do it in Mexico) and a filling meal when on the go, OR, it’s a “little fat girl.” Seriously? Ha ...
A.C. Slater was supposed to be a Latino character? How did I get to this point where I am actually flabbergasted at this very idea that Saved By The Bell had “spice” after all? It all started with…the sun.
Its summer vacation. The sun is blazing down on us. It’s too hot to actually GO outside. So you stay indoors and turn to television. And after exhausting the usual cycle of The Simpsons, Maury Povich and Man vs. Food, you find yourself returning to the classics. ...
The temperatures are in the triple digits and there's a good chance your electricity bill is as well, but don't let that get you steamed. Luckily there are a handful of things to do to keep cool while the sun is trying to beat you down- and none of them include putting on a luchador mask and challenging the sun to a showdown.
First on the list is SWIMMING... and good news, because a lot of the pools that were closed last year are open this year. There are about 17 public pools open ar ...
This past Saturday I had the pleasure of being part of a phenomenal event called "girlShow 2011", you may have seen signs around town and at the Dart stations for it. It was essentially a large art show featuring talented women and when I say art I mean all aspects: dance, visual, poetry, music, etc.
The show was put together by a collective called ArtLoveMagic which is a nonprofit I will be doing a feature on soon. Definitely a wonderful group to know, they put on high energy event ...
Remember when people used their cell phones to just talk? Seems like just yesterday.
In our new world of mobile internet, text messaging and app stores, the smart phone is king and according to new data released last month from the Pew Internet Project, 44% of Hispanic people surveyed say they own a smartphone. Compared to White, Black and non-Hispanics, this 44% actually leads the pack in smartphones users overall. Another study from the Hispanic Institute found that bi ...
When visiting Mexico as a child, one of my favorite things to do was sample all of the delicious sweets...probably not a big surprise based off my previous posts. One of my favorite outings when visiting family in Mexico was when all of us would head to the “Paleteria.” Not only was it a bonding time, but we got to indulge in dessert heaven as well. It was a beautiful sight. Literally. There were always rows and rows of beautiful colored helados, paletas and aguas de fruta. As a ch ...
This past weekend on the floors of Comic-Con 2011 in San Diego, one superhero was on everyone’s lips - Batman. With a new video game coming out this fall, the Dark Knight Rising next summer and a slew of comics released every month, it’s no wonder that Batman is the hottest thing right now since pan dulce.
But this year, another superhero made a brief appearance at Comic-Con but flew under the radar of most Batman-fans, even though he too wears a bat cowl, fights crime and … ...
One of the things I love about interviewing other artists is that it's not me in the hot seat having to answer questions. That and artists usually have some very insightful things to say if you give them a little space to say it- although most like their work to speak for themselves. John Gonzales is no exception but he agreed to an interview and I am glad because he is a really humorous guy and super talented.
I had seen his work onl ...
When I was asked to participate in the upcoming Cool Waters 3 art event happening on August 13th I didn't even have to think twice before I said YES!
What better way to stay cool then to spend your time in the studio painting water and daydreaming of the beautiful beach vacations you aren't able to afford? It's that way for a lot of us, so you can take a "mini vacation" without leaving the city and indulge in all things cool at Cool Waters 3 which will feature 20 artists explorin ...
A little over three weeks ago, my husband and I had our third baby. Almost four years ago, we had our first baby. It was such an exciting season of life for me, but the most difficult and confusing time as well. There were so many new things to learn and I felt like my life had changed overnight. We now had another person to take care of and keep alive! I felt like I had been entrusted with so much. I was so thankful to have my mom and mother-in-law to help out and give advice. ...
A few months ago, I had a very encouraging conversation with an old friend from college named Alex. Alex is currently working on her PhD in Bilingual Education and I had called to ask her for some suggested reading on the subject and to ask some questions on how to better expose my children to Spanish. I told her that I felt like I wasn’t making huge progress because my ...
A young teenage girl and her family are struggling to cross the U.S.-Mexico border before the Day of the Dead holidays. Behind them lays a trail a flowers, a secret path created by the young girl who doesn’t want to leave her dead ancestors behind. Little does this girl know that just over the border, death awaits her in the form of an unfamiliar reality - a reality where her ancestors must show this young girl how to co-exist in two very different worlds.
This is the unique and ...
“Its like comparing somebody from Texas to somebody from New York.”
Ivette Rodriguez, president of American Entertainment Marketing, recently said this about Hollywood’s habit of consistently lumping all Latinos into one tidy group that can easily, and perhaps lazily, be marketed to. According to a recent report by NPR, African-Americans and Latinos go to the movie theater 21% more than the general market, and they are 22% more likely to have multiple viewings of the same movie. ...
Quinceaneras are the Latin version best described as the American “sweet 16” that a young woman looks forward to very much. It is the new rite of passage for a young girl.
There are many components that are involved in throwing a fabulous Quinceanera. The gifts involved are:
Rosary
Ring
Dress
Ultima Muñeca
Tiara
The rosary symbolizes a gift for the Virgen de Guadalupe it confirms your faith within the church. The ring symbolizes your pur ...
Inside of colorful classroom in North Dallas decorated with Mexican flags, pinatas and pictures of Mexico, a young, Hispanic boy points to his feet as they shuffle on the classroom floor. He’s dancing effortlessly, a folklorico series of steps that comes from a few years of practice. He’s showing these dance moves to a preschool aged Caucasian girl who attempts to mimic his movements. They laugh and giggle, as if they hadn’t only met that very morning. It's a special moment ...
Did you know that if you read to your child at least three to four times per week, then he or she is more likely to recognize all the letters of the alphabet? Your child would also be more likely to count to 20 and be able to write their own name, when compared to children who are not read to on a regular basis. Reading is important and reading to your child before they can read independently is crucial to their early development.
However, what’s often overlooked isn’t just ...
When it comes to using the internet, Latinos are a bit of a mixed bag. According to a Pew Hispanic Center report released in February of this year, “Hispanics in the United States are less likely than whites to access the internet, have a home broadband connection or own a cell phone.” Ironically the Pew Hispanic Center also claims that Latino adults are “increasing their use of the internet faster than other ethnic groups.” The same study says that Latinos who were born in the U.S. ...
The superheroes of movies, television and comic books are works of fiction. The superhero is meant to be symbol, a metaphor for the potential that lies within us all. Superhero stories of late have become little more than entertainment commodity but the stories themselves that bring superheroes to life can provide so much more in the way of inspiration. The very act of building the superhero story can, in fact, uncover the real superhero that resides in the most overlooked of places - right ...
Asthma is no bueno at any age and for any ethnicity. For Latinos, it's becoming an epidemic. 60% of Latino children are more likely to suffer from asthma and other respiratory conditions as compared to non-Latino whites. It doesn’t end there: Latinos are three times as likely to die of asthma.
When you look at the statistic, the picture of Latinos versus Asthma get bleaker and bleaker. According to a survey conducted by GlaxoSmithLine’s national Asthma Action America the rate of asthm ...
Around November 2010, my mom told me that we were going to make a trip that December to visit my dad’s family. We hadn’t been to visit them in over 10 years and my grandma really wanted us to visit. I was not exactly excited to go to Mexico and it didn’t help when my mom told me that we were going to drive. Driving meant that I would be stuck in the car for-ev-er and that we’d be crossing the border, where according to every media outlet in the world, there was a massive drug war occurri ...
If you’ve read my previous posts, you know that I like to follow the rules. I hate hate hate doing anything that is even remotely against the rules. So growing up, I didn’t get in trouble a lot. I wasn’t a kid who really played rough so the chances of me getting hurt were pretty slim. BUT my mom made sure that I wouldn’t get hurt by saying this: “If you get hurt, I’m going to spank you for getting hurt.” What is that about?!
First of all, I am a believer of disciplining kids by ...
My birthday is in August, the 11th to be exact (holla!) and with the day looming, I’ve always wondered why Mexicans have a particular practice at birthday parties: smashing cake in people’s faces. And not just a random person, it’s the person who the cake is for, the person celebrating their birthday.
Growing up, I went to many birthday parties for relatives. It was really fun getting together, eating authentic Mexican food, and just enjoying the company of family. That was all fun u ...
I've blogged before about ArtLoveMagic, the group that put on GirlShow and who is also involved in a number of events around DFW. I have been fortunate to participate in some of their events and reap the rewards of a nurturing art community. ArtLoveMagic is a wonderful and inviting group and I was lucky to catch an interview with David Rodriguez, one of the founding members, and get some insight on exactly what ArtLoveMagic does and how it helps expose emerging artists while helping t ...
Homies are a new invention by David Gonzales who in May of 1999 created his first set of 6 figures. There was a big backlash at first. There were two thoughts behind this original Chicano art: one was that this was a negative stereotype of Mexican youth and the second was the Homies were real people from the barrio that you see. Gonzales states that the figures are real people from his experiences, people in his neighborhood, and people he grew up with.
The original set of Homies inclu ...
That’s me in the above picture surrounded by extended family. I’m the little girl in the white shoes standing next to a big bunny cake and crying. It was my birthday and apparently the theme was centered around animals because some of the cousins are wearing animal hats. Because my mother’s family lived in Mexico City, if we visited any time close to our birthdays, we had to have a party!
Birthdays are a big deal in the Latin culture. You don’t just invite kids to your pa ...
A few weeks ago, my family and I were eating at a Mexican restaurant. As we were eating, we noticed several pictures of men wearing fancy costumes and waving red capes around huge black bulls. One of my kids asked,
“What are those guys doing?”
“Well, they are waving their capes around bulls and trying to get them to run through the capes,” I replied.
“Why?”
“Well…because…um, they like to play with them?” I don’t know. I mean I kind of know. I know that bul ...
When I first heard that Brian De Palma’s Scarface was being released this holiday season on Blu-ray, complete with a limited edition humidor, I thought “Wow, Universal Pictures has finally solved the pesky problem of having to maintain two separate places to store cigars and blu-rays.” And then when I heard the price for this special edition box-set of Scarface was $999, I realized the same studio has now figured out more ways to drive would be customers to crime; priced at a grand, you ...
“I never had Latina girlfriends growing up. I only knew two Mexican American girls at my high school.”
Already from the first two sentences of Rosie Molinary’s Hijas Americanas, I knew I was going to get a lot of out reading her book. I admit that, I’ve yet to finish the book, but already I am completely relating to the interviews that the author compiled. As I’ve shared in the past, I grew up in a suburb north of Houston and lived in a neighborhood and was in classes with ...
Mexicanos not only in my family, but in others as well, believe very deeply and truly follow remedies and superstitions that were passed on as wisdom to other generations. The superstitions and remedies that my siblings and I grew up with are incredibly funny and flat out ridiculous. I cannot completely say that the remedies I was shown do not work because some have for me, however some are a tad crazy. I would love for you guys to share with me some of the remedies and superstitions that you gr ...
September kicks off an exciting season of art shows, gallery walks and holiday themed art events that slide us from Fall into Winter and is a great time to get out and see some art at various places around town. First on the list is the 3 Fridas show featuring the Studio 109 artists and be sure to get your entry in to the Dia de Los Muertos Art Show at Bath House Cultural Center. Read on and don't miss!
Fans of Mexican Surrealist painter Frida Kahlo will not want to miss this art show, an h ...
It's September-Hispanic Heritage Month-and of all the many contributions that Hispanics make to the fabric of our society, music is definitely one of the arts that Latinos have largely impacted. There is a certain rhythm, a unique style and a powerful essence to a piece of music that has had Latinos involved at some point in the creative process. And the most beautiful aspect of Latino music is that the term "Latino music" encompass a wide variety of musical styles and sou ...
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog on Latino style birthdays. I had been reflecting on my past birthdays as a child and even posted some old pics I found in family albums, one of which pictured me next to my first piñata. My son just celebrated his fourth birthday and got to hit his first piñata. In fact, the experience was a first for many there...including my husband. Can you believe he’d never hit a piñata???
So I would deem my experience of stuffing and preparing a piñata ...
Pan Dulce es rico y tiene varias propósitos, tradiciones, ocasiones espéciales, o solo para comer. Pan dulce es parte de nuestra cultura no solo algo que hace nuestros estómagos crecer. Pan Dulce sparked its origin from the French when they were occupying Mexico. The French finished their occupancy with the battle of Cinco de Mayo, but the bread the French were making stayed and began to change. The demands for this bread was growing like crazy people were putting fun new creative spins o ...
This weekend found me hustling and bustling at the Kessler Creative Culture Fair which was going on at Cliff Notes book store, the little book store in Oak Cliff I have mentioned before. Cliff Notes is run by the Salas family and boasts a nice assortment of books and records in a snug little shop painted bright orange. Carlos and Opal Salas also host poetry readings and children’s story time and also snag some nice guest writers at book signing events. The Culture Fair was their first foray ...
Who says reality tv has to be brainless? Where is it written in stone that television viewers should only have the option to vote for singers, dancers or America’s next top model on reality shows? Can reality television competitions actually make a social difference? More importantly, can socially conscious television make an impact in a country devasted by news of drug violence and corruption? One Mexican reality television series is trying to answer this very question with a resounding y ...
Before we had my baby daughter, my mom and sister threw a diaper shower for us at her house. They bought some appetizer food and it was delicious. One of the foods served was taquitos. That was one of my mom’s go to foods that she fed us growing up if she was late from work. You know, the little frozen crispy taquitos that you can dip in guacamole and salsa? Yum! So I took the kids over to my mom’s house a few weeks ago while she was at work after dropping some stuff off and sinc ...
Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Márquez once called Pablo Neruda “the greatest poet of the 20th century in any language.” Quite a compliment for the Chilean poet who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971 and who famously wrote his poetry in green ink. This month’s children’s book highlight is The Dreamer, an ethereal, fictional biography of Pablo Neruda by author Pam Muñoz Ryan with illustrations by Peter Sis.
The Dreamer is a narrative biography that meshes factual details ...
Growing up, my family was always around, which was a blessing, but my grandparents lived in Mexico. We went as a family to visit them a few times when I was growing up, but as my sister and I got further into school, we couldn’t make the trip as often. Luckily they would (and still do) make the trip up here often. About a month ago, my grandpa (my mom’s dad) passed away. My dad’s father passed away about 2 years ago and through the strife I’ve come to realize that both of my grandmas are ...
(That’s a picture of my left ear. It’s been pierced for as long as I can remember. Probably since I was 4 or 5. My right ear is also pierced, in case you were wondering)
It’s a phenomenon that goes as far back as I can remember. (Granted, I’m only 23, so I can’t say that I have a whole lot of life experience, but you know what I mean.) It’s so common for me to see it that I can see it without thinking twice. I’m talking about babies/toddler/small children with thei ...
My mom and I don’t have the same taste in fashion. From my pre-teen days until now, we’ve always been at war on my style vs what she thinks my style should be. Before I got an attitude and thought I knew everything in the world (sorry, mom, for being such a jerk as a teenager. I don’t know what came over me), my mom could dress me in anything and I would be ok with it. I had to be ok with it, I was a little kid. Wearing a dress with those knee high white socks and those “cute” little s ...
As a child I grew up with only a few Latino characters to amuse and entertain myself with. There were the Disney princesses but none were like me, until I met Pepito and Josefina.
Pepito is a book written by Eugene Fern in 1960, Pepito is a special little boy who loves to dance more than anything. There is a little girl named Estrellita who is ill and all the children around were giving gifts to help her feel better. Pepito had nothing to give, so his grandmother encourages him to be origina ...
Mexican Independence Day- El Grito!!
This year marks 201 years of Independence from Spanish rule and 100 years de revolucion. El Grito came to be on the day of Mexican Independence day, the 16th of September. We actually have a whole month that isn't talked about in schoolbooks, but it in fact exists: September 16th till October 16th.
To explain how we got our Independence here is a little background information. Los indigenas were here primero living in what is now Mexico. They created d ...
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My first memories of hearing about the State Fair were when we would get our one free Fair ticket at school and all the kids would start chattering about how fun it was and when they were going and what they were going to do there. It was never a plan for our family to go so we always ended up giving our tickets away.
It wasn't until I was in middle school that my Dad decided it was time for my little brothers and I to go to the Fair and so we finally got to make use of the free tickets. HOOR ...
It’s one of those “must see” viral videos that’s making the rounds on the internet recently but the difference with this infamous “Mexican Coke Bottle Trumpeter” viral video is that it really is a must see video. Really. See for yourself.
While this musician from ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, is not the first artist in history to use an unusual item as an instrument, this may very well be the first case of a person using a coke bottle to play ranchera music. It’s amazing how he m ...
Although the voting period to determine the Charter Center Stage Grand Prize Winner has ended, you can still hop on to see all the bands who competed to win.
The Grand Prize Winner will be announced September 26th and will open for Panic! At The Disco, Fitz and the Tantrums and Plain White T's at a concert in Madison, Wisconsin on October 15th! The concert will be streamed LIVE on Facebook. Reserve your free tickets to the concert now!
For more information on the upcoming concert, please ...
There was a nice little line snaking away from the building by the time I arrived at the Vinyl Thoughts Toy Show that took place on September 15th at The Quixotic World in Deep Ellum. I had heard about the show through my friend John Gonzales (recently featured here aka Diablo Texas) who had some pieces in the show. I thought it would be a fun break from your typical art show and it was one night only so I had to check it out.
My friend James Garrett and I got through the line pretty quick and ...
To pierce or not to pierce? That is the question. Now I realize that by submitting this post, I am opening up a huge can of worms but that is kind of what compelled me to write about this topic. I had no idea how controversial getting a baby girl’s ears pierced was until I started researching places that specialized in the trade.
As far as I can remember, I’ve been wearing earrings. There’s probably a good reason for that. My parents got my ears pierced in the hospital after I ...
“I don’t think latina woman are beautiful…Wow, that’s terrible. I don’t think Latina women are beautiful.”
These are words from Josefina Lopez, the author of the stageplay Real Women Have Curves. If you were like me, you’ll be surprised to read that last sentence. I thought Real Women Have Curves was a film not a play. It was a film I hadn’t seen, but I knew it was a hit at Sundance the year it came out, launched the career of America Ferrera and it starred that lady w ...
I was recently asked to speak on a panel discussion at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center and I will admit they have been open a year and I hadn't yet been in there until that time. Their opening was in late 2010 and they replaced the Ice House Cultural Center, which I was pretty active with. So it was a great excuse to poke my head in and see what was going on.
I was pleasantly suprised to find a wonderful art show installed in a nice gallery space.
From the Oak Cliff Cultural Centers site
Tr ...
With the smell of fall in the air and the holidays approaching, I can’t help but daydream about new and old recipes I’m dying to cook. One thing I love to do is bake. I don’t remember my mom or either grandmothers baking much growing up, but one thing I do remember my mom making often was polvorones or “Mexican wedding cookies.” Apparently my great mother made these for weddings and special occasions too. I had wanted to make these with my kids for a while so today, we busted out o ...
“That’s really cool how you can understand Spanish when your mom talks to you.”
“Yeah… She was speaking in English.”
That’s a conversation I had with a friend of mine about 5 years ago. She had come over to visit me and before we went to my room, I introduced her to my mom. They exchanged pleasantries and as we started to leave, my mom mentioned something (I don’t remember what it was now), but I stopped to talk to her. My friend headed to my room and when I came in she mar ...
“You probably didn’t like it and don’t wanna go back, right?”
That’s what my grandma said to me (in Spanish, of course) in a car ride to my aunt’s house a few days after we had returned from Mexico. She was of course, referring to my family trip to Mexico and the experience I had there.
In my defense, I was got sick with the flu or something the day we arrived at my grandma’s house so my attitude was already less than stellar. I always get sick at least once every wint ...
I don’t like attention. If I’m in a big group and someone singles me out in front of everyone, the first thing I want to do is curl up and shut down. When someone calls me out, I get really awkward, one of many reasons my nickname is The Awkward Bilingüe. If someone were to tell me that I would have to endure months of attention all leading up to one day where the attention was all on me, I’d say “No way, Jose!” (Or Francisco. That’s my dad’s name.). That’s one of many re ...
I love words.
That’s why I was an English major. I like to learn new words use them in conversation. Language is just fascinating to me.
This isn’t a story like that.
I’ve told you before that my mom’s side of the family lives close to each other, in the same town. Well, at one point in my adolescence, I had 3 aunts within walking distance of our house. This was neat because it was built-in community for my mom and she could visit with those sisters anytime she wanted. Well ...
Like many things in Dallas, sometimes the truest and most honest forms of any artistic endeavor comes from the underground scene. This is perhaps best exemplified in the underground hip-hop scene, a revolutionary movement that has roots in almost every major American city. Here in Dallas, the underground hip-hop movement hasn’t always seen the light of day but it's silently been growing in numbers that are only now exploding with the help of the internet. PoorVida.com is leading this project ...
October is underway with lots to check out on the art front and even if you don't step foot in a gallery you will bump into art everywhere!
I'm a big fan of street art and accessible art for the masses so I thought it would be a fun project to hunt out art in my neighborhood and in my travels around the metroplex and spotlight them for you.
This piece (featured above) is a nice piece of street art in Oak Cliff that features three local artists:Jeru Gabriel, Ray Albarez and Hatziel Flores . S ...
Every time I drive on the freeway, I pass this red, white and green building with the words “Mexican meat market, panaderia and taqueria.” For years I’ve been wanting to venture in and kept it in the back of my mind. This week, "I thought, I need to do this." I’m glad I did.
Tonight after dinner, I loaded up the family and we drove to La Azteca. When we opened the front doors to the store, it was crazy how much it reminded me of a Mexican grocery store. The sights, sounds a ...
There is no escaping the season, from skeletons hanging in your neighbors yard to the bright orange rows of pumpkins at the supermarket. Halloween and the season for all things spooktacular are just around the bend....as is another holiday, "Dia de Los Muertos" . I already see the local Panaderias in Oak Cliff advertising their Pan Muerte in the windows. Costume party invites are rolling in and lots of art invites as well. I decided to kick off my Halloween art season by visiting a f ...
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Day of The Dead Altar How To: Como hacer Un Ofrenda
Day of the dead altars are made to represent the souls that have passed before you, it is a way to help guide them back from their journey of dead to return home and spend time with loved ones.
The specific loved ones are remembered by displaying items that were very dear to them and ways that you remember them. Pictures are displayed and food items are put out to keep their spirits alive. You can put out medals, honors, funny things t ...
There’s one in every great city throughout history. A street, a road or an area of town where history and culture meet to form place that defines the time and place of the people who congregate there. A place that is both modern and classic at the same time. Dallas, like every great city in history, has one such street: it’s called Jefferson Boulevard.
From the Texas Theatre to the infamous Charco Broiler Cow “Sunny”, Jefferson Blvd. is an eclectic street with a Latino twist. You ca ...
Halloween is just under our belts but the season of all things spooky is not yet over. Dia de Los Muertos or Day of The Dead is underway and seems a lot more prominent this year with many things trending towards this holiday. There are even papel picado how- to tutorials on how to make papel picado on the popular artsy craftsy site ETSY. I've been seeing a lot more invites to Day of the Dead themed parties and art shows -it seems this holiday is enjoying a new renaissance.
Last weekend the ...
Writing for IAB has pushed me to research more about my Hispanic roots and family traditions more than any other time in my life. I have found out countless fascinating facts about my heritage in the process...things about my own family that I didn’t even know. Being that today is Halloween and tomorrow and the day after mark All Souls Day and All Saints Day (Día de Los Muertos y Día de los Santos), I had to inquire from my mom as to what that side of the family’s traditions were. Ba ...
I recently found myself at a very different kind of art show, it was called AURORA and it was a light, sound and video installation that took place outside in the Dallas Arts District. The whole event took up many blocks that started from the Nasher Sculpture Center all the way up to One Arts Plaza on the night of October 28th.
I took the DART train and soon heard music flowing from the Crow Asian Art Collection, turns out a friend of mine was djing- a welcome surprise! I chatted with Reid Robi ...
I didn’t grow up in a sports-watching home. Don’t get me wrong! Between my sister and I dancing in drill team and playing in the band, we certainly attended our fair share of sporting events. But at the end of the day, don’t ask us about specific plays because we were just lucky to have paid enough attention to know to whom the victory belonged. All that to say, I did know enough to realize at an early age that when the Mexican side of my family talked about fútbol, they weren’t ...
Everytime I look at City Hall in downtown Dallas I think of three things: a certain degree of corruption, beautiful architecture and one of the best films to come out of the 80s: RoboCop. In case you lived under a rock in that particular decade or you were born post spandex and big hair, RoboCop is not only a prime example of the quintessential sci-fi, action cop drama but it was also filmed primarily here in Dallas. City Hall was transformed into a towering skyscraper where OCP, the company ...
You never know what talents a random stranger has, whether that stranger is the waiter serving you food at a restaurant or the person you happen to find yourself working beside on a ladder...which is exactly what happened to me when I met Julio Cesar Flores.
I met Julio on a freelance mural project. He was quiet and smiled a lot, hummed to the music and offered me fresh coffee in the morning. He would talk in not perfect English but I could understand him fine and I knew he had to be an ...
“Chocolate…molinillo…” That’s about all I know. This is all I ever heard my mom sing. She never sang past this line. Maybe she didn’t know it. Who knows? I didn’t even know what all that meant, that is, until today. Thank goodness for the internet, no?
“Chocolate molinillo, Chocolate, little mill,
Corre, corre, que te pillo. Ru ...
Thanksgiving is coming up and talk has already started about who is bringing what to the table. When my sister said we were having a healthy Thanksgiving meal this year I had mixed feelings. On one hand what is wrong with healthy? On the other hand isn’t this day set aside just for the purpose of eating all that wonderfully not that great for you food you only feast on at this time of year?
I like the tradition of the feast. Although it changes a little every year some things just stay the ...
We here at IAmBilingue are excited to be on the cusp of a new American phenomenon that is completely redefining what it means to be a Latino in the United States; the rise of the bilingüe. The bilingüe is you and I, a growing segment of the American population that doesn’t see the need to choose between two separate cultures when we can instead forge a new identity where we can exist in both our Latino and American culture at the same time. Bilingües are not defined by language or culture ...
I have faint memories as a child of running around the daycare my sister and I attended in a poufy black pilgrim’s dress with some other children dressed similarly and in Native American attire as well. Why we were doing that, I’m not completely sure but my best guess would be that we were attempting to re-enact, under one of the teacher’s direction, of course, the first Thanksgiving Day. Oh, how I loved wearing that petticoat dress. Never mind that I didn’t know what exactly it st ...
The hearty smell of fresh tamales are in the air, your family is getting ready for the church posada and the local panderia has begun stocking up on rosca de reyes; for us bilingües its beginning to look a lot like the holidays. Although a typical Latino holiday celebration has unique elements that set it apart from other American cultures, the holidays are still the holidays, which mean we also decorate Christmas trees, listen to holiday music and enjoy holiday movies. It seems like these ...
Thanksgiving is over but I don't think I ever leave a day without giving thanks. There is so much to be thankful for and it is too easy to forget that as we get caught up in our busy lives.
I had noticed on Facebook a lot of people listing one thing they are thankful for everyday up until Thanksgiving Day and I hope that sparked a lot of people to think about gratitude and always being thankful for the wonderful things in life. Even the not so wonderful and hard things in life- I find myself ...
"If you vote for Pedro, all of your wildest dreams will come true."
Napoleon Dynamite might be the star of the movie that bears his name, but where would the awkward teenager who has become a classic cult film character be without his trusty sidekick; the equally awkward but strangely charismatic Pedro. He had the ganas to impress the head cheerleader with his cake-baking skills. He could easily spot the deformities in a cow's utter. And he had the ambition to run fo ...
Preschool is essential to the development of any child for be English language learners, it can be a powerful tool in getting a leg up on education before Elementary school. Check out the webcast below produced by Colorin colorado, a bilingual website geared toward informing families and educators of English Language Learners.
In this webcast, we hear from Dr. Rebecca Palacios, an educator who taught preschool for more than thirty years in Corpus Christi. Dr. Palacios is also a tea ...
I’m out of school, (all forms, I don’t think I’m ever going back to further my degree) so I can look back with fondness on my academic career. I had fun, learned a lot, and I remember what it was like. Then I thought about what school is like in Mexico, it’s different, for sure, but also the same. I think about what it was like when I visited Mexico and I’ve made these observations.
What’s in a Name?
Is it “Escuela primaria” and “escuela secundaria” and if so, where ...
I’ve said numerous times that I don’t like attention. Let me be more specific, I don’t like unwanted attention. If you want to shut me up or make me feel uncomfortable, call me out in front of a group of people. To put it in a superhero term, attention is my Kryptonite. Have I hit this point home enough? Here’s an example of some unwanted attention that I got last year.
In August of 2010 I graduated from the University of North Texas (Caw!) and as I’ve said in previous posts, that wa ...
Growing up, my family didn’t celebrate Dia de los Muertos. In fact, the first I remember hearing of it was in my Spanish class in 8th grade. In my Spanish books, the most prominent thing that stood out were the skulls and skeletons, which to be honest, scared me a little bit. But in talking to my friends who celebrate this holiday, it’s a really touching way to celebrate those who have passed away. I like that loved ones remember those who passed away by leaving their favorite food and bever ...
It’s November! Where has the year gone? Well, along with the new month comes a new and growing tradition called “No Shave November.” Have you heard of it? This is a ritual where guys decide not to shave for the entire month of November. By the end of the month, some guys are rocking full beards and they look like mountain men while some barely have any facial hair to show off. Either way, it’s a fun tradition and it’s a sign that the fall is here. When December 1 rolls around, most of ...
I never really liked my hair.
I always thought it was too curly, too frizzy, too big.
All of my friends had straight hair. Straight, blonde or brown hair. For most of my childhood and teenage years, I wore my hair in a ponytail or bun. I was embarrassed of my hair. It didn’t look like everyone else’s. Plus seemed really hard to manage.
My mom and her sisters all had the same type of hair: short. Like, super short. My mom worked so hard cleaning houses, I guess she didn’t reall ...
Yesterday I was hanging out with some friends and they were complaining about how warm it was outside for November. The high was around 80 and they felt like it should be much cooler. Apparently, I’m one of few who think like that. I love the warm weather. Spring is my favorite season because the average temperature is in the 70s and 80s. I am outnumbered amongst most friends in this way of thinking but it got me to thinking about when I went to Mexico in the winter.
My grandma lives i ...
Hola Bilingües!
It’s November. Most associate this month with Thanksgiving or if you love Christmas, it’s one month closer until your favorite holiday. Personally, I love Thanksgiving because it means that I get my favorite side dish: green bean casserole. I could eat that for days and days after Thanksgiving. Along with eating until one feels sick, people use this holiday to reflect on the good things in their life. This is a snapshot of what I’m thankful for.
Yo doy gracias ...
I was going to write a post today, and the days leading up to Christmas, covering Hispanic Christmas traditions leading up to the holiday, but decided to go a different route as different family issues weigh on my mind tonight.
About a year ago, one of my aunts in Mexico passed away after suffering a severe head injury. She left behind a teenage son, my cousin. We’ll call him R. R had no permanent place to stay after his mother’s death. My mom stepped in at this time and offered ...
It’s that time of year, folks. Christmas/Navidad time! And whether or not you’d consider your family as one that goes all out, most of us have some sort of tradition surrounding the events that led up to the celebration that is Christmas. As I mentioned previously in a post, I wanted to cover a different Mexican or Latin tradition leading up to the holiday. Today’s post is on Las Posadas. Okay, I’ve never actually participated in one, but I would really like to. In fact, after writi ...
Things were different when we were kids. Back then there was no EMAIL and we were excited as the Christmas cards came flooding into the house brought by the mailman. Now people send digital e-cards and while it is cute- dancing animated cartoons- it just isn't the same as getting a real life card you can hold in your hand and put on your mantle and keep.
Most of my fondest Christmas memories from my childhood are of me crafting little things to spend the time off from school. I made little card ...
It was cold and dark as I shuffled through the church parking lot and although it was a far cry from the land of Bethlehem, watching the children of that rural Austin, Texas neighborhood partake in a posada, I finally understood why many bilingües of the world partake in such a ritual. Beyond religious beliefs, beyond the story of Christmas, beyond my adult understanding of the holiday season - the physical re-enactment of any story, be it the Christmas story or any story in history, allows fo ...
The lost art of sending a card in the mail doesn't have to be a lost art anymore! And what's wonderful about making them yourself is that IS the gift of your time. This year I am not doing Christmas presents but I am making Christmas cards and sending them to people who have made my year wonderful. It is a great time to reach out and say THANKS for being in my life and I really think that's what the holiday brings about in people....or should.
This Holiday How To is the simplest of all ...
A movie starring Will Ferrell – most likely awesome, not to mention hilarious as evident by most of Will Ferrell’s films. A movie starring Will Ferrell, Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna – now this suddenly got interesting. And it’s almost entirely in Spanish? Sounds like a recipe for some bilingual good times!
Casa de mi Padre is shaping up to be one of those quirky, off-beat films that no one hears or talks about until it’s released on DVD (are we at the point where we should rep ...
As the song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” I absolutely love the Christmas season as it is and now that I have children to celebrate it with, it becomes that much more fun and meaningful because I get to see Christmas through the eyes of a child. It becomes simple and understandable.
The other day, my mamá came over with my cousin R; the one from Mexico City that I mentioned in a recent post who is staying with her. We were all sitting in the living room around ...
A friend once told me “you sure love your traditions” , he said this after I had excitedly explained how I like to make black eyed peas on New Years day. It is true, there is comfort in carrying out the rituals of my parents and their parents and keeping that little bit of them alive through the holidays.
I like hearing about other peoples traditions and was surprised a few years ago when I went to a friends house for New Years Eve and they said we’d be doing “that thing with the grapes ...
I'm bypassing the artsy how to's and where to go see art and simply writing about spending time with the people you care about this week. We'll have the rest of the year to run around seeing art and making stuff. No doubt you've probably already made plans to see family or they have arrived at your house already.
I confess I haven't done one lick of Christmas anything aside from making cards and blogging about them. My tree isn't up and there are no gifts bought. No Christmas food or plans ...
T ’was A Noche En El Barrio
By: Blas E. Lopez
T’was a noche in el barrio and all through the hood All the homies were lurkin’, up to no good! Not a perro was barkin for feat they’d get shot, the vatos get freaky when its Christmas n’ hot!
Beto y el Chale and all the carnales were roustin’ la ruca that sells los tamales. El Jimi y el Sapo were jackin’ their jaws. At el wine Martinez, who was made up like the dude, Santa Claus.
El Clavo y la Chancia were makin’ ...
It’s that time of year again, folks. That’s right. If you live in the south, come from Hispanic descent or love Hispanic food, you know it’s tamale season! Of course, it could technically be tamale season year round, but for some reason, these little bundles of deliciousness seem to appear out of thin air at the mere hint of holiday music. Why? Well, I actually haven’t been able to get a concrete answer on that yet. Maybe if you know, you could enlighten all of us and leave a commen ...
Tamales con mustard. If you cringe at the thought of a warm, meaty tamale, freshly unwrapped from its corn husk wrapping and topped with a squiggly line of yellow mustard, you are definitely not alone. If I hadn’t grown up myself eating tamales smeared with mustard I would probably be thinking what you’re thinking: Why ruin a perfectly good tamale with the taste of mustard. If you are indeed a mustard fan and a tamale fan, once you try this unusual combination a plain, regular tama ...
A little over 20 years ago, our United States congress made a monumental decision to preserve cinematic art when it created the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry, a collection of American films that culturally, historically or aesthetically represent our nation’s rich history of producing and enjoying works of film. Recommendations by the library’s National Film Preservation Board and the general public are considered annually by the librarian of Congress who then chooses 25 fi ...
You probably thought you’d had just about enough holiday information download. You probably thought you wouldn’t be hearing anymore about gifts, traditions, food, etc. Well… I had to put in just one more. I didn’t feel like I would have been fully representing the Latin Christmas experience without mentioning the big celebration that occurs in many Latin countries on January 6, El Día de los Reyes (Kings Day or also known as Epiphany). Similar to the widely accepted original mea ...
It’s Sunday. I am typing this from the 3rd floor of the hospital. Mi abuela is sitting here in the hospital. She’s been here 12 days. She came in to get checked out after a fall and they found other stuff that requires her to be here. She doesn’t like it. I visited her the first full day she was there and got to come in as she was getting fed. “No me gusta. Necesita sal. Necesita azucar.” You know how delicious Mexican food is; I can imagine that bland hospital food would taste bad ...
There really isn’t anything like home cooking. I love Mexican food. I grew up on it. I love getting to see family at get-togethers and eating the delicious stuff that my aunts made is wonderful as well. My mom works hard all week cleaning houses so weeknights she usually made a quick (but still really yummy meal) or we had fast food/leftovers. But Sunday nights is when she usually makes a big meal.
My mom’s favorite dish is her version of Spanish rice. When I come home and see it on the ...
Last week, I wrote about my mom’s rice and how delicious it was. Man. I still dream about that rice. It’s so good. This week I want to write about my mom’s salsa. My mom’s salsa is notorious around our friends and family. She has a tendency to make it super spicy. And here’s what you need to know: I am a baby when it comes to spicy things. Like, seriously. Sometimes I feel like I lose “Mexican points” (do we even have those?) when I say that I don’t like spicy things, but I don ...
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. I love Christmas because 1) I get to celebrate my Savior’s birth and dos) I get to spend time with my family. Shopping for Christmas presents is probably one of my least favorite things in the world, but that’s not the reason for this post.
My family is a pretty low-key family. My dad renovated the house a few years back and my mom decorated like crazy when he was done. Our house looks good and has my mom’s touch but we don’t really de ...
2011 was a great year.
I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to write for I Am Bilingüe. When Fabian approached me with the idea to write for the website, my initial thought was “who, me?” because I knew what the term “bilingual” meant but I guess I didn’t realize what it meant to be bilingüe. I knew that I could speak two languages (English better than Spanish, let’s be real) and that I knew what George Lopez was talking about when he had his stand-up specials, but I di ...
Welcome to the New Year readers! Have you made any resolutions you’ve already started (or broken)? I am not usually one for resolutions but I decided that this year I would try as many new things as possible. Isn’t that what the NEW year makes you think about?
Last month my sister came into town. She was visiting from San Francisco and we had all signed up for a 5k race. This was new for me and I was very excited. While she was in town she wanted to go to all these places I had never been ...
I come from a family of musicians; both my grandfathers wrote and played music and my father plays trumpet, once cutting a record as part of Texas’ Montezuma Band. Growing up, I tried my hand at several instruments, never really mastering any of them, but I retained my love of music and my appreciation of how music is created. I call Dallas’ Oak Cliff my home, so imagine how intrigued I was when I learned that one of Jazz’s most influential musicians has been living and creating music ri ...
Last week I wrote about El Día de los Reyes (or Kings Day). One of the traditions involved in this holiday that I mentioned my family was going to inaugurate into our list of traditions was the Rosca de Reyes; a circular shaped sweet bread that is topped with candied fruit. Inside hides a small, plastic figurine symbolizing the baby Jesus. Sometimes multiple babies are hidden in the cake. When the pieces of rosca are distributed amongst those in attendance, everyone carefully inspects his ...
I have to admit a little secret. I am looking at your walls when I go to your house. Don’t worry, I’m not judging you nor am I looking to see if your kid has been practicing his finger painting on your living room walls. I’m looking at your “art”, whether that be real bonafide art or some prints you picked up at a home furnishing store.
It’s ok if your walls are totally decked out in giant Ikea prints. It’s YOUR house after all. Theres a good chance you didn’t know how easy and ...
Frankie Garcia is a known mover and shaker in the Dallas art scene. He is quick with a smile and good advice if you’re an artist. An artist himself, he is also partner and creative advisor at Rising Gallery as well as a coordinator for many art exhibitions and art auctions in the city. His background in interior design and his urban up bringing have molded him into one of those charming people who is at home anywhere and can talk to anyone at the swankiest of venues or kickin it in Oak Cli ...
On January 5th, one million Latinos tuned in to watch ABC's award winning sitcom Modern Family, which stars Sofia Vergara and Rico Rodriguez as a mother and son duo that humorously portrays the unique dynamic between Latino family members. The show attracts millions of viewers each week for it's off beat humor and smart storytelling, but its worth noting that those one million Latino viewers who tuned in on January 5th played a key role in making Modern Family the number one primetime show in ...
There are certain songs that stick out in my memory when I reminisce about my childhood. Being brought up in a bilingual home, some of those are in Spanish and others in English. Hopefully, that will be the case for my kids as well. It seemed that many of my favorites were sung by a man who affectionately called himself "Cri-Cri: El Grillito Cantor" or "Cri-Cri: The Little Singing Cricket." I will say it is a blessing to have my mom living close by to help perpetu ...
Is it gripe or gripa? I don’t know for sure. I grew up saying gripa because that’s what I heard my family say, but I always wondered because occasionally I would hear a commercial for a cold medicine come on the Spanish channel speaking of how said medicine would cure the worst cases of “la gripe.” Well, I sure could have used the wonder drug that gets rid of the dreaded gripe o gripa. I’ve been surrounded by sickness since the first week of December. I seriously averaged twice a ...
“¿Quieres Papa?”
I remember as a child hearing this question posed to babies when seeking to find out if they were hungry. It was a little confusing as papá means dad, papa means potato and papita means french fry. I used my perceptive powers to deduce that it meant, “Would you like to eat?” Sometimes you’ll hear a, “Quieres papita?” thrown around.
I was never able to figure out why people said that. I asked several people including my mom and the best answer I c ...
This morning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released their nominations for the best in film for the year 2011. Say what you will of the glitz and glamour that comes attached with the night of the Oscars, being nominated for an Academy Award can garner the nominated film and filmmakers notoriety and attention in a crowded media market; particularly for films in categories like “Best Foreign Film”. This year’s Best Foreign Film category includes nominated films from Iran, ...
It’s a very weird sensation to find yourself doing what you love to do and also finding that your rent is getting paid. It feels a lot like a dream and you have to keep pinching yourself. Last year I felt like I was just getting by with my creative projects and barely making ends meet…like being in NEUTRAL…you’re keeping the car running but you’re not going anywhere quickly. This year feels like I can finally shift into DRIVE and get where I’m going. Last year I proved to myself th ...
It had been a very long time since I had gone to see an exhibit that is now in it's 18th year, El Corazón . I had fond memories of exhibiting in this show many moons ago and I wanted to check out all the new talent that was on the scene so I grabbed my camera and followed my heart.
The exhibition is put on by local artist Jose Vargas, a friend I hadn't seen in years. It was great to see him and the PACKED house at Bath House Cultural Center. This show is always a success and it is even big ...
Remember my post about my family’s first ever rosca de reyes? Well, I mean, our improv rosca de reyes where cousin R and myself were served pieces of cake with little plastic frogs inside? Well, here are the fruits of our labor. We put together a little Tamale Day party, a few days after what is usually the traditional February 2nd Tamale Day. The kids tried their first ever tamales. They pretty much just tolerated them. That’s okay, there’s plenty of time for that love to grow ...
To preserve and honor, promote and foster Latino filmmaking history.
This is the motto for the Rose Marine Latino Film Festival. While this motto could theoretically be applied to any Latino Film Festival in the country, the Rose Marine is different. At this north side Ft. Worth theater, promoting and fostering Spanish language films is time honored; the Rose Marine has been presenting Spanish language films to the surrounding community since the 1920s. In a time of segregation the Rose Mari ...
Feliz dia de San Valentin! Happy Valentine’s Day! I think that in one way or another, we all have some sort of emotional tie or memory to this holiday; some negative and some positive. For me, most of them were positive, which is funny because until my husband came along, I never really had a special valentine on this particular day. Maybe it was just the idea of romance. Or maybe it was all the chocolate I got to consume that day. It could have also been that I was part of a Latin fam ...
"Misterio sólo permite vivir. Único misterio."
Walking across an empty stage of a large theater, what goes through my mind is this quote by Federico Garcia Lorca, one of the most famous theatre directors to every emerge from Spain. "Only mystery allows us to live. Only mystery." Mystery is exactly what an empty theatre stage embodies when you walk across it, gazing at all the mechanics that lie behind the scenes, and look out into seats where an audience should be. To sta ...
Look at this yumminess. You know you want some. If you are from Latin America, most likely you will know, this is caldo. Caldo, for those who are unfamiliar, is a Latin American chicken soup. And now is the perfect time of year for you to either revisit this wonderful dish of healthy deliciousness or learn how to make it. Preparing this soup always brings me back to my childhood. I have vivid memories of my mom wrestling with the little piece that fit on top of her now antique pressure coo ...
It’s Oscar weekend. The great thing about the Academy Awards is that they celebrate an art form that is universal. We all love movies, no matter if our favorites are ever nominated for any kind of award or not. Say what you will about the Academy Awards, if you or your film is nominated for an Oscar, you are automatically given a sense of reverence; in other words the world of film should start taking you seriously.
Much like in years past, this year’s Oscar nominees are a little li ...
February has been a busy month for art shows and I was lucky to not only be a spectator in a few but a participating artist as well!
This week I'm recapping the "For the Love of Kettle" art show and the Sour Grapes Open Studio that happened on Feb 12th. It was a great evening to catch some fresh art about town.
"For the Love Of Kettle" was Kettle Gallerys fundraising show and all artists that participated grabbed a wooden board handed out for free by the gallery and created ...
In the spirit of this months feature on Lorca in the Mercado Bilingue paper, I decided to include one of my favorite poems by this wonderful poet and playwright, entitled “La Guitarra”. As a musician it strikes a chord in me and also the symbol of the guitar is one I hold very dear to my heart.
My father was a musician as well, and specifically a guitarist, who passed his passion on to me and was one of our greatest bonds. So it was only natural when he passed away that I received my Dads l ...
Do you have a set laundry day at your house? It’s always laundry day here. Now that our family has expanded to 5 and my husband and I are out-numbered by little humans all under the age of 5, we can’t afford to skip too many days without running the washer. When our last baby arrived 7 months ago, I thought it was ridiculous that I would have to do laundry that often. I decided to ask around to see how often other moms did their laundry. Every other day was a popular answer. I guess wh ...
Last week, in the small Calvario Funeral Home on Davis Street, there was a funeral for Dustin Cavazos, an Oak Cliff hip hop artist who burst onto the Dallas music scene just a few years ago with his debut album “I Think In The Shower, I Dream On My Bike”. This week, Cavazos is busy tweeting with fans, arranging for meet-ups to sell copies of his newest album "Be.Leave.Me.". Such is the life of the modern, digitally plugged-in artist: dead one week and tweeting the next.
Cavazos ...
It’s called The Mark of Quality. In the world of preschool education, that’s the name given to the NAEYC accreditation that only a select few preschools in Dallas have received. Mi Escuelita Preschool is extremely proud to be one of those organizations accredited with this mark of quality but what exactly does this mean and how does this set Mi Escuelita apart from the rest of the child care organizations in Dallas?
Let’s start with the acronym NAEYC; it stands for National Associatio ...
Let's face it: Social media is a huge part of our lives. Whether it's Facebook, Google + (which still confuses me, by the way) Twitter, or any other social media platform, most of us have at least one way that we connect to friends online. But Twitter is a unique way to connect with celebrities. For the most part, celebrities manage their own Twitter accounts and it's a fun way to lok into the lives of your favorite celeb. Find out what they're thinking, see what they're eating, read them brea ...
I love caffeine. Back in July or August of last year, I wrote a post about my love of Coca-Cola. This sounds really bad and I’ve already accepted that I will probably die early, but there are many days where I only drink caffeine and no water. My poor body. This post is about another caffeine addiction I have, although I’m not so convinced that this one is so bad for me. It’s coffee.
Here in the States, coffee is brewed in a coffee maker. With a filter, and it goes into that glass ...
Everyone has their own version of the story of La Llorona. Fellow contributor, Clavel Gutierrez wrote about her version and others here.
Most of them (all of the versions I’ve heard at least) revolve around a mother drowning her kids in the river. Why she does it varies from story to story. Some say that she drowned them after her husband cheated on her; some say she just went crazy.
The story my mom mentioned to me in passing once (which has stuck with me to this day) involved La Lloron ...
Do you have any words that you find difficult to say? Some of my friends have a hard time saying “cinnamon.” Sometimes it’s funny to hear them having a normal conversation, then have a hard time with a word. To me it’s like speeding down the road and having to slow down for a speed bump. Well, my parents and grandparents are from México and English is their second language. So when it came time to name our new dog, I kept that in mind.
When I was in high school, our family had ...
I love TV. I love watching sports, sitcoms, reality TV shows, almost everything. Most of my favorite shows occur weekly (Except for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. His show comes on every night). This can be a good and bad thing. It can be bad because all the good/cliffhanger stuff seems to occur at the end of the episode and that leaves me wanting more but I have to wait a whole week to see what happens. That can get frustrating but I usually get distracted by another show so it ends up being ok. ...
Mexicans love to self-diagnose and my family is no exception. We also love homemade remedies and concoctions. It doesn’t really matter what for. We just kind of like to know that we either figured something out ourselves or that abuelita’s remedy still works so many years later. I think I’m going to write about these as I encounter them in my daily life because sometimes they’re really helpful and other times, well, they’re just epic fails, but will at least serve for your entert ...
For a whole month I looked forward to my daughter’s third birthday party. This is partly because, as I’ve mentioned in the past, birthdays are a huge deal in our house, but also because I got to make my first piñata. She had a Minnie Mouse theme and I intended to go all out on everything from the homemade Minnie Mouse cake, to the personalized treat bags, to the Minnie Mouse piñata. I know what you’re thinking. This lady is crazy. The little girl is not going to remember her third b ...
In 2010 I threw myself wholeheartedly into being an "artist" and whatever that meant. I knew it would mean a lot of rough times, no money and lots of hard work and long hours. But I also knew it would fulfill me more than a 9-5 job doing something that wasn't ANYTHING to do with what I went to school for. I went to school to learn to paint and draw.
I remember very clearly being in high school ( I went to Booker T Washington aka ARTS MAGNET) and getting a long list of art supplies a ...
Hello my fellow readers, well Easter is approaching by that I mean it is in April. When Easter is in the air there is one thing that comes to my mind, CASCARONES.
What are Cascarones you ask?
In a nut shell or egg shell shall we say, (that is me making a joke), they are colored, and confetti stuffed eggs. Literally you break the top of the egg shell, remove the egg of course cook it and enjoy that part as you will. You rinse the egg shell out, let it dry. Get a cup of vinegar put co ...
Whether you were a fan or not, its not hard to see that Selena was a Tejano superstar on the verge of crossover stardom before her untimely death in 1995. If you were a Latino in Texas during the Tejano "haydays" in the 90s, then you definitely knew who Selena was and most likely you knew the words to hits such as "Como la Flor". We've all seen the Selena movie, we've seen her concerts on television and we've seen her face spray-painted artistically on neighborhood buildings. ...
Well, not really. But it doesn’t take too much. Remember my post on making homemade laundry detergent? At the end of it, I mentioned that I got inspired to make my own fabric softener too. Well, I thought I would share that with you in case you want to go green and save some money in the process. This recipe often works well for those with perfume allergies too.
Let me just say, I don’t know if others will find this as interesting as me, but in my search ...
When in doubt, just make it up. If you’re not sure, fill in the blank. This is the mantra for my mama. She may not admit it, but it’s true. You will agree with me after I tell you the following story. I have many stories from the past that had made me suspicious of this fact about my mama, but today, I was justified when I was looking up a nursery rhyme for my children. I was curious about its origin and was looking through a book in Spanish with popular songs and rhymes and I stumbled ...
I’ve been wanting to write a post about this for a while. If you have children, you’ll understand where I’m coming from. I’m not sure about other children, but both of my kids love it when I teach them with flashcards. Maybe they get that from their mama. I always loved it when we would play “Around the World” (a game where you compete against others in arithmetic problems) in elementary school. When the math teacher would announce that we were going to be playing the game, my he ...
Spring has Sprung
The signs of Spring are starting to show themselves. Everything is blooming and people are sneezing. One of my favorite signs that Spring is here is the displays of kites and rubber balls at the supermarket. It takes me back to my childhood and I remember how excited I would get about the kites. I knew in the back of my mind every time I bought one that it was going to end up in a tree, or a telephone pole or on top of someones house. It was inevitable.
At my elementary s ...
It’s not just another Mexican remedy because, well, it’s not. It’s not Mexican but it’s not just a Mexican remedy because it really works. Get it? In my family, when we hear something that sounds a little far fetched, we say,
“Oh that’s just another Mexican remedy.”
And by that we mean it’s made up. But this one isn’t. First of all, the majority of Mexicans (well, in Mexico anyway. More of them do in the U.S.) don’t really eat peanut butter very frequently, if at al ...
Say what you will about the World Wresting Entertainment, otherwise known as WWE, but at least they know talent and innovation when they see it.
Last week, during Wrestlemania 28, the WWE introduced it's 2012 inductees into the wrestling Hall of Fame. Among the nominees was a living wrestling legend from Guadalajara, Mexico. The man himself - Mil Máscaras, the man of a million masks.
Anyone whose a fan of wrestling, or rather the over the top entertainment that we call wrestling these ...
I grew up as a musician, mainly classically trained as a pianist. I played the trumpet for 8 years and gave the jazz band in my high school a go as a jazz pianist. I will be honest and admit that I love jazz, but it was definitely not my forte. It was so hard for me to get away from the structure and let myself run with creativity. I remember having to go rehearse the music so that I could sound like I knew what I was doing when I “soloed” and envying my high school colleagues that c ...
I know Easter is over. And Cascarónes (confetti-filled eggs) are usually associated with the holiday. But are they limited to that? According to cousin R, who is from Mexico, the answer is no. Exciting, no? It is if you like the little parties in an eggshell. I’ve actually only ever cracked a cascarón once in my life. The memory is a vague one so now that I have kids, I have a great excuse to learn how to make them. According to my cousin, cascarónes used to come around at E ...
Now in its 6th year, the Dallas International Film Festival, or DIFF, has truly earned its "international" title by bringing in films from all over the world, including Spanish language films from Spain, Brazil, Cuba, Argentina and Mexico. This year’s Latino showcase was a diverse mixture of documentaries and narrative feature films, some of which were excellently crafted. Through this year’s festival, I was even introduced to a musical band that sadly I had no idea existed but ...
“El co-qui, el co-qui a mi me encanta,
Es tan lindo el cantar del coqui,
Por las noches al ir a acostarme,
Me a-dor-me-ce can- tan - do a-si.
Co-qui, co-qui, co-qui, qui, qui, qui!
Co-qui, co-qui, co-qui, qui, qui, qui!”
“Mommy, what are they singing about?”
Turn up the radio and listen to the Little People voices (which seemed like a good idea when I bought the CD for my daughter) for what seems like the hundredth time.
Once ...
¿Como te fue?
Those are 3 simple words meant and still mean a lot to me. Those are the words my mom says to me when I get home from stuff. Whether I was at school, work or went on a week-long road trip, she asks “¿como te fue?” She could be really tired or having a bad day, but as soon as I walked in the door and said hi she would ask me how I was. She was usually watching tv or making dinner but she still took time to look at me and try to catch up. Aren’t moms great? Those three ...
Normally, I like rules. I’ve said in previous posts that I am an avid rule follower, even refusing to cross the street with the little dude on the sign telling me to go.
That’s why I find it funny that I hate writing in Spanish. There are SO MANY RULES! In high school I did well in Spanish 1 and 2, but Spanish 3 was very tough. That was when we were introduced to all of the rules and endings. It seems like there are a million. Preterite, imperfect, -abas and -ias, conditional, and a m ...
This past weekend had an event that was a small encouragement to me that spring and summer are right around the corner. What was that event, you’re wondering? Why it’s the time change! Some may grumble about losing an hour of sleep on Saturday night/ Sunday morning but my friends, I ask you to look past that and see the excitement that comes with the time change.
This past Sunday night I realized that it was 7:30 and it was still LIGHT outside! Normally, the sun is gone by 6:15-6:30 s ...
Everyone has that one song that takes them back to a special memory or time in their life. Other have different scents. When I smell meat cooking a grill, I think of Sunday nights where my mom cooked for our family. A lot of people have special memories when they smell Fabuloso.
The smell of Fabuloso is not one that I grew up with. In fact, I didn’t even know that they sold it in the states until a couple of years ago when I heard fellow contributor, Clavel Gutierrez, say that she used it ...
On Tuesday, April 3, I got the opportunity to watch the Rangers take on Los Diablos Rojos of Mexico City and I jumped at the chance. Baseball is my favorite sport to watch and the Rangers are my team. Whether it’s spring training, exhibition, regular season or the World Series, I love watching them play. And the idea of them playing one of the best international teams was even better.
I was sitting at work on Tuesday morning and wondering to myself, “It’s just cloudy outside. Didn’t ...
It’s springtime in Texas and for me and lot of us, that means it’s allergy season. Spring is my favorite season: it means playing in the park, going to Rangers games, and longer evenings. But with all the good that spring brings, we also get some bad: allergies. I heard that because we had a short and dry winter, that allergies were going to be worse this season. Mostly everyone I know struggles with allergies, but it seems like this season has been especially bad.
I don’t get sick ...
Some interesting television news released yesterday, my fellow Bilingües. ABC News and Univision announced that they are planning on launching an English language cable channel aimed at Latinos.
The channel doesn't have a name yet, but it's set to debut in 2013 and will be a 24/7 new, information and lifestyle network. The specifics of the type of programming that will be released on this new Latino-based channel is yet to be seen, however with the two powerhouses of both ABC and Univision b ...
This last weekend, we all attended the Cinco de Mayo Festivities in Denton. It was a blast and quite a yummy experience! It was also a great opportunity for us to expose the kids to their heritage. Forgive the poor quality photos. I forgot my camera yet again! I'll let the photos do the talking.
Every month when “Mercado Bilingue” hits the streets I get a phone call from my Mom. She proudly tells me she got the latest issue of the paper with my art on the cover and says she likes my written feature.
So this month I’m honored to be able to write about just how special Mothers are and how one holiday is not enough to celebrate the woman who is there through thick and thin and loves you unconditionally. I am fortunate to have her in my life and don’t know where I would be withou ...
Feliz Dia de Las Madres! Today, Thursday, May 10, is Mexican Mother’s Day. I know this because my mama sent me a text message. She has done this every year since I became a mother, which is kind of cool because I get to be celebrated on two different days. Well, three really, because my birthday falls at the end of April.
I know that many of you, whether you admit it or not, are probably scrambling for some last minute ideas on what to get mama. Mamas are a big deal to us Latinos ...
The heat of summer is upon us, bilingües! What the best part of summer? Paletas? Los Rangers Baseball? Air conditioning? All these summer pastimes are great but for me, summer also means blockbuster, popcorn munching, explosion-filled experiences at the local movie theater. Most people will be running out to see the Avengers, or The Dark Knight Rises or Men in Black 3 this summer but there a few films that will undoubtedly fly under the radar with the average movie goer. Check out the fil ...
I am the oldest of 2 in my family. I am not one for lots of attention nor do I want people to make a fuss about me. My little sister is a little different. She likes some attention and making people happy. That’s why I was not surprised when she told us at a young age that she wanted to have a quinceañera. She had been in one when she was younger and I guess the idea of having one was appealing to her. I knew after being a part of one that I wanted nothing to do with having my own. To find 14 ...
2011 Ford Shelby GT500
I have no business driving this car...
But I will gladly take it over for a week, ANY TIME! I’ll admit, the Ford Shelby GT500 makes me a little nervous when I get behind the wheel. Not because there’s anything wrong with the car but because I’m fully aware that sitting in the driver’s seat of this ride is like holding a box of dynamite in one hand and a lighter in the other. If you try to get crazy with the GT500 and don’t know wha ...
2011 FORD F-150 SVT Raptor
Not since 2004 has the Special Vehicle Team (SVT) put their magical touches on a Ford F-150. While I can appreciate the more aggressive stance and styling of the F-150 SVT Lightning (last produced in 2004), I never really understood the practicality of a modified street truck. The all-new 2011 Raptor however makes all the sense in the world.
According to Ford representatives, the SVT Raptor is “a purpose-built, high-performance off-road truck ve ...
Toyota Sienna SE 2011
Mi primera minivan...
Bueno, no exactamente MI primera minivan ya que no soy propietario de la Toyota Sienna SE 2011 que pude probar. Pero es la primera minivan que evalúo en los dos años que llevo haciendo esto. Para ser sincero, no me entusiasmaba evaluar una minivan. No sólo esta minivan, sino CUALQUIER minivan.
Es decir, las minivan son para madres con miles de niños y están hechas simplemente para transportar pequeños ejércitos desde y ...
Lincoln MKT 2011
Sur de California... segunda ronda
Mi historia de amor con el sur de California nació en el mes de mayo de 2010. Sus playas, sus montañas, sus panorámicas carreteras atraen con un infinito magnetismo. Los meses pasaron y seguí pensando en lo hermosa que es esta parte de nuestro país y en cuánto quería volver. Para coronar mi inolvidable estadía, Ford nos dio a mí y a mis amigos el vehículo perfecto para recorrer las playas: el Ford Flex.
De más está decir qu ...
Cadillac Escalade ESV 2011 Platinum
Era hora de viajar. La gran pregunta: ¿qué auto elegir? Ahora que tengo tantos automóviles diferentes a mi disposición, me preguntaba, una y otra vez, cuál de todos ellos me llevaría hasta Destin, Florida. Si estuviera solo, la lista habría sido bastante limitada: Corvette, Shelby GT500, Jaguar XJL… ya sabes, alguna de estas bellezas de rendimiento promedio. El único problema era que no solo viajábamos mi familia y yo, sino también mis padres ...
The 2011 State Fair of Texas has come and gone and if you're like me, you still trying to work off all the corny dogs, fried food and beer that you swore the previous year you wouldn't eat too much of this year. I'm not sure where unhealthy eating became synonymous with county fairs, but at this year's Texas State Fair there was a bit of fresh air in the form of a Latino exhibit that focused less on fried food and more on healthy living through the various ways to prepare chiles. The exhibit ...
The first week of Mi Escuelita Preschool's Passport to Mexico was a success. New Spanish words were learned, authentic Mexican food was prepared, and a ballet folklorico recital was enjoyed by all. So what happens when children open their minds and embark on a cultural journey? Here are some images that explain just that!
It's a new school year and Mi Escuelita Preschool is rolling out a new look. A new logo, a new tagline and embarcing the butterfly is all a part of the new Mi Escuelita. This new look was unveiled during a special outing to the Ballpark in Arlington where butterflies filled the seats of one section of the park.
I’ve been to Mexico twice in the past year. One trip was planned for months and the other happened kind of quickly. The trip that was planned well in advance was a mission trip with my church. This post is about that trip.
I had gone on 2 mission trips before this one but they had both been inside the U.S and I felt the need to go on a trip outside the country. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect—I took my last 2 undergrad classes in June, went to Mexico in the middle of July, ...
Phillip Morales
Kathy Wiesner
Patricia Rodriguez
Rita Berumen
Clavel Gutierrez
Mi Escuelita Preschool
Fabian Campos