Bianca Star: Not Any Ordinary Girl

Inside Holidays: Wishing A Very Merry Christmas To My Readers - Spread The Christmas Spirit

2012-01-22T16:41:00.005-05:00

My Christmas was wonderful. I was supposed to write this post before Christmas but Jamaica allowed me no time. So here I am write this post a month later. This is first and foremost the best Christmas I ever had for 1 reason: because I gave. I received a few presents, but there was nothing better than giving. Since I was going to be in Jamaica for Christmas, I bought presents for everybody at my dad's house. For my family back in Boston, my grandmother in a different part of Jamaica, and other friends and my bosses, I got nice Christmas cards for them. There were a few friends, including my best friends, that I got presents for. There were also wonderful dinners and Secret Santas.

Altogether my Christmas was spectacular, including me giving gifts. Awkwardly, this is the first Christmas without my father, yet it still happened to be one of the most amazing ones. I spent Christmas with my loved ones, including my friends that came from Boston to Jamaica to join me in the country's festivities. Below is a detailed description of what I got for my family, friends, and bosses.

Dinners & Secret Santa...
...For my Jumpstart team... 12/8
For the company I work for, another Team Leader and I decided to do Secret Santa and combine our two teams together. The party was fun! Even though the person who had me was at the party, he didn't give me a gift, and the person who I had wasn't there, but it was still cute. Everybody brought in food and I brought in some rum cake my mom baked for a party one of my student organizations had the night before. I could only stay for about 5 minutes, but eventually my Secret Santa got her gift and she loved it! It was actually 2 days ago (1/22/12) that she picked it up from the office and she was so excited because it was a gift that she was already familiar with since I always used hers, Chloé parfums.

...For the 107th Precinct 12/9
While interning for the detectives, we all became close and they treated me like one of them. They ended up inviting me to their Christmas party so I brought one of my best friends. It was definitely interesting lol. It was at a nice restaurant that had a dance floor and it was entertaining to see NYPD and their wives dance. Before going to Thanksgiving, I ended up giving them a card which the Lieutenant was stunned by, and even put it on their board where their daily announcements go.

...Barbie, Boryana, Nancy 12/14
My closest girls and I also decided to do a Secret Santa it was the best one I have ever had, even though I partly ruined it since I figured out who had who lol. We ate a nice place in Soho, forgot the name. It was so good that we're considering doing a "Secret Valentine"...!

...For Jumpstart's Team Leaders 12/15

The same company I work for ended up throwing a Secret Santa for the St. John's University Team Leaders. I end up having the one who I was assigned to a local preschool with. I also got her a Chloé parfum , and she ended up knowing I had her eventually.

Christmas Cards..

All aunts + uncles + Grandma + Grandpa

Since I wasn't going to be in America for Christmas, I wrote Christmas cards to all of my aunts + uncles and their families. I sent my Grandma in Jamaica a postcard way in advance so it can reach in time and my Grandpa in Buffalo a card also. I know personalized cards makes the heart smile. This I intend.

NYPD

I gave my Lieutenant a Christmas card for the detective's office right before I left for Thanksgiving, and it turned out to be a hit -- not what I was expecting. He shared it with the office and posted it up on the announcements board. I felt the love.

Jumpstart

I had to give my 2 bosses Christmas cards too. Love those women.

Gifts...

Mommy + Deon + Zaggy

The weekend before I went to Jamaica, I had to go to Boston to give my presents to my little brother, my little cousin, and my mom since I won't be spending Christmas with them at home. I got my mom some Hunter boots from Saks, and my brother and cousin some colognes and body washes from Hollister. Deon opened his gift 2 weeks early and I was pissed, but he liked them so it's okay.

My aunt + 3 kids + 2 grandchildren + 1 daughter-in-law

Every Christmas my father usually sends barrels down to Jamaica to our family that lives at our house. This is his immediate family on his mom's side, including the leader of the household in his absence, my aunt. Since he isn't here anymore, of course the very-emotional/caring me absolutely had to spend my little, hard-working work-study money to buy each a gift. Lord knows I can't afford what my father afforded but I know he's looking down, smiling. Most importantly, my familyaccepted these gifts with love. Everyone loved their gifts. The women got nice bath, body, and perfume sets. The men got colognes. The girls got make-up sets or toys. And the boys got toys. I also bought a Christmas ornament to lay on my dad's grave.

Nancy
Fancy Nancy got 2 gifts from me this year. One, because I had her for Secret Santa, and 2, because I had to get my best friend something for Christmas of course. Other than buying her a bowl for Secret Santa (as we all did), I got her a Chloé perfume for Christmas. She unknowingly picked out her own present while we were shopping. I gave her options of what things might be best and she picked Chloé!

Bory
I had to give my other best friend something for Christmas of course, but she wasn't expecting it. Since we were both on campus, I told her I had an emergency and I need to see her now. After getting in the building she was at, I lit a red velvet cupcake I got for her at Crumbs, and walked towards her. She didn't see me, but I could see her and how worried she looked. She was anticipating my arrival. Wah lah! I said "Merry Christmas!" She turned around and gasped, shocked! But she really thought I had bad news and was still waiting for me to talk. After she realized it was all to surprise her, I let her enjoy her cupcake. :)

Mariah

Bory & I decided to get something for our baby Mariah, we all were roommates together for our freshman year and ended up becoming the bestest of friends up until today. Mariah ended up having a baby with the love of her life and has a very happy family far away from us, so we thought of an idea. We made a video before Bory went to Bulgaria for Xmas, and I, Jamaica. Bory put it on her Facebook Christmas day, and she was so surprised! Definitely one of the best gifts I've ever gave because everything we said in that video was truly from the heart.

This is the first Christmas I gave so many gifts and I loved it. It's now an addiction as long as I have money. Never knew it felt so good. ^_^

The only thing I really wanted for Christmas was to end off my 1st semester as a junior right and to enjoy myself in Jamaica as a celebratory mark. Below is an NYPD lieutenant's evaluation of me for the semester, all "excellent", one "good", and great remarks. Below that is a screenshot of an email I got from a professor of my favorite class, Theories of Crime. Words cannot explain how I delighted I was to get that email, and it was so unexpected. These are the things that make me happy. I don't need any material things, just love from family, great grades, and great results from hard work.

I'm wishing you all had a very Merry Christmas, my readers. This is my first Christmas without my father but his spirits are keeping me alive and happy, and I know this Christmas will be a great one with friends. I sent out gifts + cards to all my loved ones and nothing eases my heart more to know I tried my best to make them all happy. Unlike the most of you, my Christmas was sunny instead of snowy. Stay warm, drink lots of hot chocolate, and be merry with family and friends. We survived another Christmas. There's nothing more we could ask for.

Merry Christmas

Inside Adventures: Going To The Rachael Ray Show!

2011-12-16T22:46:00.000-05:00

So my girls and I got tickets to go to the Rachael Ray show and we weren't expecting what was yet to come. Usually, when we go to a show, we always expect to see audience seats. This was not the case for Rachael Ray. In fact, we happened to get tickets for the best show of the year, something we wouldn't have known until arrival. This episode will not be filmed until after New Year's because it's Rachael Ray's top 10 recipes of the year that fans have chosen. It was amazing. We all got 3 or 4 different dished of food, appetizers, deserts, and drinks. They removed all of the audience seats and replaced them with table and chairs. The set was very busy off camera because there were about 20 different waiters/waitresses clearing our tables and replacing new items onto them.

Rachael Ray herself? Amazing. While the camera was off, she would walk around and interact with us, as well as make jokes. She stayed in the audience the whole time actually. What was very noticeable, and admirable, is that she's very hands-on with her own TV show. I've been to shows where everybody in the world does the work for the host besides the host himself/herself. Rachael Ray is the exact opposite. You can tell she has a strong impact around those who work with her.

Wonderful show. The tickets are free, just like any other TV show. However, the wait is long. I had to wait about 3 months for these. Your best bet is to apply for them now. Great show.

Inside Human Rights: The Progress Of The Feminist Movement

2011-12-12T12:12:00.001-05:00

During one of my Theories of Crime classes at school, we were reviewing a section of a chapter about women and violence. I found the information that I read to be very interesting, and I'm here to share and also elaborate on my own views of this particular type of anomie.

Rebellion occuring in women is now at an all-time high, and it is only getting higher. Although I am against violence, this post is not to bash the women that are committing crimes, but to take the time to investigate and find out why. The word "tomboy" is nothing new to us when referring to a boyish-type female. It can be the way a girl dresses, or the way she presents her attitude. Is this type of dressing or attitude some sort of vengeance? People often say that African-Americans started using the word nigga in order to retaliate and to take back the word themselves. It's evident that it worked. Is this same type of temerity and rebellion occurring with women? Are we becoming more of aggressors to prove ourselves? Let's practice a method from my favorite philosopher, Socrates. The Socratic method, readers. It is my favorite method of finding answers and coming to conclusions, and it challenges your thoughts while answering them. Ask more questions, receive more answers. Apart from math and science, there is never one right answer, so let's take the progression of the feminist movement into deeper thought.

The Socratic method is a form of inquiry and debate between individuals with opposing viewpoints based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to illuminate ideas. It is a dialectical method, often involving an oppositional discussion in which the defense of one point of view is pitted against the defense of another; one participant may lead another to contradict him in some way, strengthening the inquirer's own point.

The fight to prove ourselves just as capable as men has been reflected from our every day duties with careers, right down to our participation in violence. Studies show that as the years go by, violence becomes more increasingly popular with females. The slope in this study has never altered and has always stayed consistent, in other words, more and more women are playing a part in violent crimes. Now, I am definitely not saying that women are committing crimes to prove that they are just as bad as men that are more expected to commit a crime. Rather, I am pointing out the fact that women -- are committing more and more crimes. Why? I believe that this observation in itself is showing the changes in time. Women are coming out of their shell, standing up for what they believe is right (or wrong). They are not to afraid to put up a fight and are becoming less bravado, and more brave, no? Brassiere? What brassiere? Fling the brassiere! DEATH TO THE BRASSIERE.

Feminism is the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. The women that seek better, and struggle to prove ourselves just as apt as men are called feminists. We, as women, strive to become better than what the law or books (or sometimes men) say we are. Herein lies the struggle. What makes us so different from men? Our vaginas? Our breasts? Childbirth? Anything else? Nope. Statistics show that we are just as intellectually capable as men, and given the fact that we hold another human being in our own bodies for nine months, deal with sickness that comes with it, and still summon up the energy to push a baby out, I'd like to be the brave one to say we are by far more physically capable than a man. There is no difference between the two genders besides body parts & childbirth, and maybe some scientific genes if you'd like to get technical. Other than that, what's the gender inequality for?

Women have been showing their concerns in protests and in fustian movements for years. These types of movements were obviously necessary because today we see changes have come, yet still there is inequality within the government when it comes to both sexes. Studies show that females, by law, get paid less than their male counterparts even if they hold the same position at the same job. Does this make any sense? I do not want to come off as one of those people that are an extreme pro-women activist, because I'm really more about equality. However, it is situations like these that cause women like me to go ten times harder in working and using my voice. This may come off as me being war-like, but it's me fighting to overcome a struggle that has existed since -- ever.

Together as women, I believe we are the most powerful. We are beautiful. We are smart. We show that we can maintain being a housewife, a caretaker, a lover, a child bearer, a mother, a student, and a boss, endless personalities, if you will, all at once; characteristics that weren't even expected of us centuries ago. In the words of Karrine Steffans, "By nature, women have a very high threshold for pain. We have to. We are the bearers of children, and that event alone can be excruciating beyond description. This is why we can take on so much, from having a career, to running a household, carrying children in our bodies for nearly a year, bearing and raising those children, and caring for our men in all the ways that they require. It's a lot." Susan B. Anthony (a Massachusetts native herself), amongst other prominent women activists, took the initiative to stand up for women's rights in times where slavery was barely abolished, Jews were forming a plethora of hegiras, and African-Americans were being hung and drained like a wet garment on a clothesline. Like so many of these suffering peoples, women showing violence is a sign of the time that times are changing for women. When will we be legally equal to our men? I believe, sooner than later. Although I do not condone violence, I am for any other way of overcoming our struggle to being equal with our fellow men. We have been proving ourselves over and over again, especially as of recent centuries, that we are capable of doing what men do. We raise our standards as the time goes by and we demand respect more and more. Let's continue this movement. Women of all color, sizes, shapes, backgrounds, unite. We are one.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_method

Inside Adventures: Behind The Scenes Photo Shoot

2011-12-12T04:38:00.002-05:00

What a fantastic day this was. I had another shoot with one of New York City's best Ryle "Slinky" Watson. Ashley Goldson was the make-up artist and Nancy Gonsalves was the stylist, both fantastic at what they do. It's always fun shooting with Slinky because the set is live. Video is below.

After the shoot, we decided to have a celebratory dinner and drinks. If you all read my previous posts, you'd know Sugarcane is my favoriiiiite West Indian restaurant. Nancy & I took Ashley here for the first time but I'm not sure if we got her addicted as yet.

Sugarcane....

Turns out Sugarcane is basically right in front of Jay-Z's new basketball stadium for the Nets!

Inside Music: What Should Be On A Bad B*tch's Playlist RIGHT NOW And Why

2011-12-09T16:41:00.002-05:00

Before we get into my choice of everyday music, know this.

Let me address the term "bad bitch"... I am one. And I am sure that many of you ladies are that read my blog posts religiously and like them. A bad bitch is not dehumanizing ANYONE so please take that technical bullshit that way ---->>>>>>. A bad bitch can be a female that went to medical school at John Hopkins and graduated at the top of her class, the only thing that separates her from other females (female dogs) is that she bites. She's fierce, focused, and all about her work. She gets shit done and let's no one get in her way of success. She not only has pride about her work ethic but of her physical appearance too. The pulchritude she carries is inexorable, and that's what catches the males' (dogs) attention because she's a living bad-bitch, beauty that can roll with them (since society has cast females as the underdogs). **In my most excruciating down south accent yet** ---> A bad bitch ain't a underdog doe, she a female dog -- on the same level as a male dog except she makes peace signs with her legs (word to Wale). Only difference between the two dogs is what lies in between their legs. Nothing else. Bad bitches unite.

WHO?

WHY?

Rozay. Rozay's music motivates. I don't know WHAT it is but his lyrics along with his beats does something to me when it's time to get money, and good grades.

Wale. His music is always respective of the female race, but he also makes it quite clear how evil women can become and how he's not the one to be messed with. Real dude. He also represents struggle.

Drake. He relates to every aspect of life in his music. From relationships to overcoming struggles, to blowing money, Drizzy is the artist I can relate to the most in the music industry.

Beyonce. Independence. #1. Takes care of her man. Loves unconditionally. Has her own to fall back on if ever, whenever. Boss. "All up in the kitchen in my heels, dinner time." Need I say more?

Kartel. No matter how vulgar Kartel's music can get, it's real. It's what happens everyday in our lives and he's just the one not afraid to boast it. As I've stated before, I love Vybz Kartel. I have no idea who Adidja Palmer is. That speaks for itself.

Meek Millz. Although he's relatively knew, he has captured my attention and hasn't lost it. It's been a long time since I've liked deep, hardcore rap like this, so Meek Millz is winning. He has an adaptation of Rick Ross's flow, so I love.

Rihanna. The island girl attracts me not because of her music predominantly, but because of her character. She is the perfect example of joie de vivre. She celebrates and possesses a carefree enjoyment of life and this is something that I bombastically proclaim all the time. This is reflected in her music which is where I come in with loving her music, it's because of who she is. I get that I look like her all the time so maybe our similarities go deeper than that, maybe that's why I love her?

Nicki Minaj. Nicki is bad. I don't know how to explain her but she is an archetype of our generation and innovation always wins. I am a big fan of lyrics, as you can tell by the aforementioned artists I have selected, and I am also a big fan of hypeness. Nicki has this, as well as talent, struggle, and an island background. She wins.

All of these artists share a lot of similarities, I just didn't want to write a whole paragraph for each. Just because we're females does not mean that we have to listen to Beyonce or Celine Dion all the time. We can be gangsta too. We can drive Maybachs and crunk up Ross' 9 Piece, top down, hair flowing in the wind. Boss. These are my favorite choices of music to listen to because all of them motivate me. I am very ambitious and when listening to these selected artists I feel ready to conquer the world. I aspire to be a boss and deep down I am one, I just haven't had a universal possession to claim yet. The aforementioned are all bosses in their own right. From my list, to yours.

Inside Adventures: The Nutcracker!

2011-12-09T16:01:00.002-05:00

How do I explain the performance of The Nutcracker? Classic? Classic.

I've never actually got to sit down and enjoy ballet before. As a younger child, I used to dance many types of dances, but never went into depths with ballet, only being familiar with the prerequisites. If only I knew what I had been missing...I wish someone could have informed me. My girls & I: Nancy, Barbie, and Dai, enjoyed a fine Wednesday night at Lincoln Center watching the most beautiful show I have ever seen. The whole was done in silence, since it's ballet, and that added the profound beauty to the whole performance. This is a truly a must-watch show. It's one of those events you must put in your bucket list. This class is a mere matrix of the finer things in life. Pulchritude.

Inside other NYC adventures:

Inside Adventures: The 2011 Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting

http://www.mynameisbiancastar.com/2011/09/inside-fashion-nycs-fashions-night-out.html

Inside Adventures: Going To 'The Colbert Report' Show!

Inside Adventures: Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (NYC)!

Inside Adventures: Radio City Christmas Spectacular W/ The Rockettes!

Inside Adventures: 9/11 Memorial Site

Inside Adventures: Going To "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon!"

Inside Adventures: Sister Act On Broadway!

Inside Adventures: Ice Skating At Rockefeller Center--Just Like The Movies!

Inside Adventures: Going To The Wendy Williams Show! How YOU doin'?

Inside Adventures: The 2011 Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting

2011-12-09T15:46:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful Wednesday night in New York City when my sister, Boryana, and I went out to go see the iconic Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center. This has always been an event I watched on TV while growing up in Boston, so it has always been a dream of mine to see it in person. Seeing that I have much experience with attending largely populated NYC events, I was already prepared for the masses of crowds I was going to face once getting off of the F train at Rockefeller. Police were already miserable. Justin Bieber fans were at an abundance. Commuters were annoyed. In the depth of it all though, Bory & I were just determined to get as close to the tree as possble, and we did. :)

Merry Christmas

Inside Adventures: Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (NYC)!

2011-11-26T16:17:00.005-05:00

My Bubeska & I went to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Times Square recently and had a blast! I totally was not expecting the museum to be that huge and to see so many celebrities. I enjoyed myself so much, and I think I will let the pictures do most of the talking rather than write a lot.

There were too many celebrities/famous people there so we only took pictures with our favorites. I was looking forward to seeing Beyonce but I was so sad when one of the workers told me she was on "tour" at another Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, probably the one in England. The waxes look SO real.

This is a must-go. Take your girls out there, you can Google Madame's website and buy your tickets online. It is also a very convenient spot because we were able to meet up with the rest of our girls later and eat out very close by. There's plenty of places for you to dine out or other tourist attractions you can visit also. There will be no wasting of money. You will enjoy yourself.

Bob Marley

Elton John

Madonna

Diddy & Biggie

Castro & ...?

Madame Tussaud herself!

Alicia! And Central Park behind her!

Rudy Giuliani & some other NY official. That's not Al Gore right?

See if you can guess the rest!

Inside other NYC adventures:

Inside Adventures: The 2011 Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting

Inside Fashion: NYC's Fashion's Night Out @ Patricia Field

Inside Adventures: Going To 'The Colbert Report' Show!

Inside Adventures: Radio City Christmas Spectacular W/ The Rockettes!

Inside Adventures: 9/11 Memorial Site

Inside Adventures: Going To "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon!"

Inside Adventures: Sister Act On Broadway!

Inside Adventures: Radio City Christmas Spectacular W/ The Rockettes!

2011-11-26T16:08:00.004-05:00

OH. EM. GEE. I don't know how to describe this show. The only thing I can say is that this show is the best show I've ever seen in my life, and that's real! I cried two times! No wait, three! There was no sad parts about it but it was just THAT beautiful.

I linked up with my girls after school, Barbie and Nancy, and we were so uber excited to see this show. The videos Nancy took are INEFFABLE. It's always been a dream of mines to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall and that dream has finally same true. I think I can sat the same for B and Nanc.

These are one of NYC's many attractions that you MUST see if you live in New York or if you're ever in New York. I would see this show 10 more times if I could and never get bored of it! The tickets are a little heavy, but when I say it is worth it, it is worth it. Too awesome.

Inside other NYC adventures:

Inside Adventures: The 2011 Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting

Inside Fashion: NYC's Fashion's Night Out @ Patricia Field

Inside Adventures: Going To 'The Colbert Report' Show!

Inside Adventures: Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (NYC)!

Inside Adventures: 9/11 Memorial Site

Inside Adventures: Going To "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon!"

Inside Adventures: Sister Act On Broadway!

Inside Adventures: 9/11 Memorial Site

2011-11-26T15:30:00.004-05:00

It was a very touching night at Ground Zero.

My friends and I met up after work & school and got tickets to visit the 9/11 Memorial that we had to wait almost 2 months to get. The wait was worth it. It was ineffable, too great for words.

To see the enormous waterfall overflowing with thousands of names surrounding the spasm was gravitating. Everyone should at least visit the memorial once, whether you lost a loved one or not. If you are ever in New York City, don't let this pass you. It's an attraction made for the heart, not just for the eye.

Inside Other NYC adventures:

Inside Adventures: The 2011 Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting

Inside Fashion: NYC's Fashion's Night Out @ Patricia Field

Inside Adventures: Going To 'The Colbert Report' Show!

Inside Adventures: Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (NYC)!

Inside Adventures: Radio City Christmas Spectacular W/ The Rockettes!

Inside Adventures: Going To "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon!"

Inside Adventures: Sister Act On Broadway!

Inside Holidays: Thanksgiving Vacation 2011 At The Rose's

2011-11-26T15:24:00.002-05:00

Oh my! How do I describe this Thanksgiving vacation in a few words?

Oxtail, curry goat, jerk chicken, barbecue chicken, turkey, roast chicken, roast beef, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, salad, fish, apple pie, banana cake, mashed potatoes, cupcakes, rice and peas, rum cake, stuffing, rolls, broccoli, wine, wine coolers, Coronas, carrot juice, sorrel. Most of the meats were in the kitchen but all of the food was in the dining room!

My best friend, my Bulgarian sister (from college), my boo, and my cuz came to spend Thanksgiving with me. Joy. All joy.

As usual family stopped by and passed through, and talked, and laughed. and ate in the kitchen with my mom. Everyone kept saying how great the food was and they can't believe Sherine/Mrs. Rose (my mom) did this again and blah blah blah, nothing new in my ears. But it was wonderful and I'm glad they were yet again satisfied. Everyone's belly was full and at the end of the day all were happy. When we went to my cousin's Ashley's house to show some love and get more food, we came back to my house and half of the food was all gone! That's the non-perk of having so much family lol. But there are still leftovers, enough for me to carry back to school wipes sweat off of forehead. This is the first time I really had friends over for Thanksgiving because it's always a whole lot of Jamaicans in my house, but this year I got to share it with my friends and it was wonderful. <3 I love these girls with all my heart and there are only 2 other girls that are not in these pictures that I would call friends. Both names are Mariah/Moriah.

Barbz left that night. Nancy had to leave the next morning to go to work. Ash was at her house. So it was me, Bory, my bro, my cous for Black Friday. We got up at 4am to catch the Black Friday sales, and boy what a sale we caught. We got home around 11am, took a nap, then headed back out to Newbury/Copley around 5am. Lots of fun. Ate from Scoozi's and Panda Express and finally went home. Took quick nap then headed out to Boston Bowl about 12am. SO MUCH FUN!

I had such a wonderful time. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Bory wrapping gifts for me <3

Chilling in my room before eating!

Food!

Mommy fighting to not take a pic with me!

Chilling time and bonding time. Girl talk! Laughing time (no thanks to wine/alcohol).

Heading to Ashley's!

Black Friday shopping

Boston Bowl

DEON + ZAGGY CAUSED ME TO LOSE! LOL!

If you have a good name, if you are right more often than you are wrong, if your children respect you, if your grandchildren are glad to see you, if your friends can count on you and you can count on them in time of trouble, if you can face your God and say "I have done my best, then you are a success.

-Ann Landers

HAPPY THANKSGIVING <3

Inside Adventures: What Parties To Go To, Christmas 2011 In Jamaica

2011-11-16T14:53:00.004-05:00

Anybody who's anybody knows that Jamaica is the place to BE for Christmas. Well, Jamaica is the place to be any time of the year lol, but more importantly for Christmas. Not only is this the best time of the year in Jamaica because EVERYBODY goes back home to Jamaica for Christmas, but the parties are insane! The parties that occur during Christmas are typically the best parties that happen all year. The prices are always higher but you're always guaranteed to have the best time of your life! All of these parties are annual, therefore, everyone already knows where they are going before the dates even come out for the parties. Whether they're parties, dances, club events, or concerts, the nightlife scene flourishes with bright lights, eccentric music, and people dressed their BEST. It's a wonderful scene for those who haven't been. For those of you going to Jamaica for Christmas 2011, the following events are the events you NEED to be at. A must! Bring your friends to Jamaica people!

Before I promote these parties to you, do take a look at a recent post I wrote on different types of parties in Jamaica: Inside People: "Ghetto" Parties VS. "Uptown" Parties

December 17th (Sat) - Beach Bums!

Beach Bums is the beach party to be at! Drinks inclusive! As soooon as I get off the plane I'm heading straight here! Let's get wild ! Let's get crunk!

December 18th (Sun) - Igloo!

Everyone knows Igloo is my FAVROITE party in Jamaica (read Inside Adventures: Jamaica's Biggest Party - Igloo! to know the reason why)! You get to bring your own igloo full of any liquor that you want. This is by far the DRUNKEST party I've ever been to. It's so bad that the promoter often has to cut it off early in efforts to not have people drink & drive--and die. Love!

December 18th (Sun) - Daydreams!

Daydreams is just a classic. Since I'm going to Igloo, I won't be going to Daydreams but I've been to enough Daydreams to assure you that you will have a good time. This party is drinks + food inclusive, so you get the best of both worlds!

December 23rd (Fri) - Osmosis!

I've never been to Osmosis before but I'm excited because I always hear about it. Apparently this is like the best party ever and is ultra classy. It's food + drink inclusive. My belly will be full and my liver will be deteriorating!

December 24th (Sat) - Renaissance All White!

Pictures are from a different Renaissance party. Hence the non-white attire.

Always love Renaissance's parties because they are some of the best DJs around. With everyone dressed in all white + the party being drink inclusive, you're assured to have a good time.

December 25th (Sun) - A-list!

A-list is another party I have never been to but always heard about. This a must go! It is another definition of class, with food + drink also being inclusive. The stars come out!

December 26th (Mon) - Smudge!

Smudge is like Beach Bums! It's a beach party with everyone getting wild in the sun -- CRUNK! The drinks are inclusive also!

December 26th (Mon) - Yush!

I've been to Yush quite a few times and it's always a great party! Always see celebs roaming about or I run into them in VIP. It's food + drink inclusive and is in the night (Smudge is in the day). People will argue that Yush IS the best party during Christmas time.

December 26th (Mon) - Sting!

Sting is the biggest concert during Xmas time, and one of the biggest in Jamaica. It is a stand-down between Reggae/Dancehall artists in Jamaica (imagine how entertaining that is). It is SUPER packed and SUPER hot so it's best to get backstage passes.

December 28th (Wed) - Lingerie/Pajama Party at Fiction!

Fiction is the hottest club in Jamaica (in my opinion) and they always host the most popping parties. Indeed, they will be hosting the lingerie party again this year and I'm looking forward to it! A must-go!

December 30th (Fri) - Twisted Spiritz

I've never been to TS before but I always hear crazy things! I missed it at Dream Weekend this year and last year because I didn't reach Negril on time, and I'm missing it again because I'm going to Miami that day (Ron is going to kill me). This, however, is a must-go! Everything's inclusive and the vibes are poppington.com!

December 31st (Sat) - Absinthe!

Absinthe is a lovely New Year's Eve party full of vibes! Very condense with people but that's a good thing in this case. The DJ is always good and the vibes are CRAZY!

Looking forward to all of these parties except for Daydreams, Twisted Spiritz, and Absinthe since I'll be in Miami for NYE. Super excited for my girls that are coming with me to experience the party life in Jamaica because all of us (experience-rs) know that they are going to fall in love and will never want to go back to America. THESE are the popping parties! If you feel like I missed any, let me know and I'll be glad to put it in. Otherwise, see you there!

Inside Life: Professing In Organization/Time Management

2011-11-16T12:22:00.004-05:00

A friend suggested that I give advice on the way I manage my day-to-day activities in order to show an example of how you get a lot accomplished in so little time. It's been almost a month since I started this post. There I was, battling myself with what to write and how to write it. Now I finally think I can finish this. It has become the norm for me to do what I do everyday, but to explain what it is I do everyday is a whole different story. The procedures on top of that is a novel. It's a lot, but I will try my best to explain how to approach/execute your goals, as well as using time management effectively.

Before I get into any of this, I want to share a theory and model I learned in my Theories of Crime class. It is used by criminologists to explain elements of society that prevents criminal behavior. Now this post has nothing to do with criminal behavior, but I realized that the model is also a prototype, a matrix, and basis of how one should form their life to produce the utmost happiness available for you. The theory is called The Social Bond Theory and it was developed by Travis Hirschi in 1969. A person maintains four main elements with society that most likely prevents them from criminal behavior (or in regards to the point I'm trying to prove, success and happiness in accordance with knowing how to organize your life with time management integrated).

This model is self-explanatory. Attachment to your friends, family, and community are necessary. When you love and receive love from family + friends, you're never alone. Studies show that those who grow up without friends and are anti-social are more likely to become a serial killer. When you are involved in your community and perform acts such as community service, you are more likely to be more caring and percipient of other social classes while personally witnessing the struggle they go through.

When you are committed to your goals, success, career, and future, you are simply focused. You know exactly what you want and your goals are much easier to attain that way.

Whether it being school and its activities, community organizations, religious functions, or social clubs, it is very important to be involved. Studies show that when a child starts to be more involved in the aforementioned, they are less likely to commit a crime. If you haven't realized already, there are a lot of basketball programs, football programs, after school programs, and an infinite amount of other activities for kids in urban neighborhoods in efforts to deter them away from crime. It works. Though there is still crime, there would be a lot more if the government and private people didn't create and fund programs like these. You are actively involved in productive activities that either make you a better person, or your community -- a better community. As a person aspiring to succeed, these types of involvement are crucial to you being a more productive, well-rounded person. It's nice to be smart, actually that's awesome, but jobs and colleges are more likely to accept the person that has a high GPA and an eclectic set of things on their resume rather than another one with just a high GPA. Of course with additions like these to your life on top of school are a challenge. We will get into the breakdown shortly.

Lastly, being a better you makes the past 3 points possible, and they also can eventually produce these qualities in you also. Your beliefs in always being an honest, moral, fair, and responsible person will have you gliding through life with ease. Being patriotic is not a necessity, but seeing that Hirschi created this model in the 60s gives reason as to why he included patriotism. America was at its apogee with its patriotism in those times. When you're honest with yourself and the loved ones around you, they have more respect for you, even if what you may say is brutally honest. No one can ever be mad at you with being honest but do keep in mind that you aren't always right. Always be open to opinions and reason. Reasoning makes you wiser for those who haven't studied Socrates, Plato, or Aristotle yet. Being morally correct is always a plus. You are more likely to make wiser decisions in life. These are the people that stay out of arguments or fights when it manages to lure them in, the people whose friends love being around them for advice, the people whose friends can count on him/her for having a stress-free time. When you're fair to yourself and to others, people are able to count on you more for better judgement. They typically won't expect any fowl play from you and take you as a serious person. When you're responsible, you always get things done. You take care of what you need to take care of and put priorities first. These people tend to be more independent. Read my post Inside Life: The Independent Woman for further details.

As previously stated, this model is based off of criminal studies. They are activities that will most likely deter you from becoming a criminal. However, as you can see, this model is also a prime example of what it means to be a successful and happy person. Always keep this model in mind while reading the rest of this post. It is very much well the rules I live by. I'm glad I came across this in my textbook in order to share it with you. You should assure yourself that you at least can relate to 2 sub-points in each of the 4 points of the model. Altogether, all of the aforementioned qualities are found in the people that are most happiest. You can refer back to my post Inside Life: Appreciating and Utilizing The Quality Of Life for more expansion on being a more satisfied, happy person.

Organization Management

I have always been a neat freak since I was able to apprehend how important a clean house is. Ever since then, that obsessiveness led into me organizing any and everything, from my clothes in my closets to the papers in a school folder. My father always got annoyed because every time he came home from work, he would take his suit and tie off and throw it over the door. I would take them and fixate them properly in the closet lol. He was always able to recount those days and laugh about them later on. My obsessiveness got so bad that it affected my performance in school in 6th grade of middle school. I quickly learned how to balance both keeping a clean and organized environment around me, as well as performing well in school. I guess all of these factors led up to my multitasking abilities today, come to think about it, and why it's so easy for me to be effortlessly organized (even to the point where I forgot how to explain how I do this). :/

Organization directly affects the way I set my goals and what makes my goals more attaianble for me. Goal setting should have two functions, being realistic with yourself and knowing what you want.

Goal setting: Goal setting sounds simple, but it is only simple if you are realistic with yourself. When having dreams and career aspirations, reach for the stars and go for what you REALLY want to do. However, keep in mind that everything is a process and nothing happens overnight. Wanting to be n actress, a fashion designer, a lawyer, and etc. are wonderful goals but they are goals that many people have. Because goals like these are so common, the process is much harder to become one of these and therefore takes the proper qualifications. In order to achieve each of these qualifications to be the career man/woman you want to be, you have to make a set of goals leading up to what you want to be. You have to be realistic with yourself as to what is doable in a set amount of time rather than thinking you would be able to accomplish certain things within one year. To the right is an example of what I do. About 2 years ago, I made a 5-year plan for the goals I want to achieve, dividing my goals into 3 different sectors of one year. Those sectors are: Spring, Summer, Fall-- correlating to my college semesters. Since making the 5-year plan, I have only made minute changes which is an awesome thing. This means I was realistic with myself when making these goals the first time, since I have been executing them ever since and only making minor changes. Since I'm currently in the Fall 2011 semester, the paper on the top right corner of the picture represents my goals only for this semester. The picture to the left next to it is a representation of the Summer 2011 goals, which I have posted up still because I have things left to do that was carried onto the Fall 2011 list. The two papers below are merely material things that I planned to get within a 2-year span. I also have a 5-year plan for travel plans. All of this is an example of my goal setting. I hope it can work for you and that you find it useful.

Execution of objectives: Now in order to ensure that these goals are executed, you need to possess ambition, motivation, and determination. Without any of these, it is impossible to execute your goals. You need to be serious about your goals and have the will to accomplish them. If not, then there is no point of you goal-setting.

Examples of how I manage organization:

Below are binders that I bifurcate for awards I received, plays for my football team, resumes and other job-related documents, and important government documents I always need to have. The note cards are monthly reminders I need to do (facials, wash rugs, etc.), daily reminders (reading Bible verses, a book chapter, studying vocab), gym schedule, instructions for my ab work-out, instructions for how to apply make-up, and other things that I just need to have in front of me in order for me to remember. It's all apart of organization management.

Below are just pictures of the 2 bags I carry all the time. One of them is for one of my internships that has all of my teaching material within it, which I only use 2 times a week. The other is my main bag that usually has the daily subjects (Bible, book, vocab), my Mac, iPad, notepad for my 2nd internship, womanly/sanitary items (perfume, lotion, hand sanitizer, lip balm/gloss, etc.), and of course my school items (notebook, folder, pens/highlighter).

It may seem like I go hard with organizing everything, but do realize how much easier life is when your life is together and organized. Some people work best off of disorganization, and some people don't. I don't, and organizing everything works best for me.

Time Management

I think the most definitive reason why the term "time-management" is taking in account by a person is because they need to learn how to multitask while remaining focused. Being deft in such a skill will take a person far in life. I always believe the best way for me to do my job correctly as a blogger, and for you to relate and comprehend as acute as possible, is for me to share my experiences and certain aspects from my life that could further offer you helpful advice.

Experience

Commitments

Daily
-School
-Internships
-Jumpstart
-NYPD
-Gym
-Personal literacy enhancement (Bible, personal reading book, vocab)

Weekly
-2 TPMs
-1 TLM
-GLCC
-Yoga

Bi-weekly
-CSA: Activities Chair
-CJA

Monthly
-New York Cares
-Football practice

Others
-Miles For Hope

Explanation
Daily
By personal literacy enhancement, I mean just taking a half hour-45 minutes out of my dad to read a Bible verse, read at least 1 chapter from a personal book (usually by Rochelle Alers), and study SAT words that I've had since my junior year in high school. This is my choice and these are all things that I just believe will keep me ahead and literate. They are also long term projects. I have a long term goal of reading the whole Bible (taking my time - moderation), reading Rochelle Alers' whole collection, and becoming acquainted with the SAT words (in preparation for LSATs). All of the aforementioned has a purpose. I fear if I ever stop reading, that a point will come in my life where I don't enjoy it. God forbid that happen. I read the Bible because I want to go on my own religious journey through the Book and comprehend it in my own way. I believe it's important for me to read it even if I don't go to church. I eventually got tired of people saying "the bible says so-and-so" and etc., so I just decided to make things easy and read it for myself. As for the vocab words, I have almost 1000 flash cards, and about 30 packs divides that. I decided to make use of them by studying a pack every month. I guess it can only add to my vocabulary. Everything else in the 'weekly' list speaks for itself.

Weekly
The TPMs and TLMs are meetings I have and attend through my Jumpstart internship, respectively. I have 2 TPMs (Team Planning Meeting) per week where I conduct the meeting to my Corps Members, as a Team Leader. And one TLM (Team Leader Meeting) per week where all the Team Leaders at my internship have a 2-hour meeting that the Site Managers conduct. GLCC is a language program center at school where you get one-on-one conversational tutoring with native speakers. I do this with with Spanish. I try to get as much one-on-one conversation tutoring with my amazing Spanish tutor, Alma, to boost up my confidence in speaking, since I read and write so well. Yoga speaks for itself. Too busy to do it everyday, so I try to do it once on the weekend.

Bi-weekly
CSA and CJA are the Caribbean Students Association and Criminal Justice Association.

Monthly
Lastly, New York Cares is a NYC huge volunteer program, I believe the most official, where people from all different professions (doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, students, teachers, nurses, unemployed, etc.) volunteer a few hours (however many times they want to) to dedicate their time to either people or a cause in need. It's a wonderful thing. This is my 2nd year doing it, and though I only limited it to 1 time a month, 1 is in fact better than nothing. If every person dedicated their self at least once a month, the results would be phenomenal. Check out a post I did on it before (Inside Volunteering: Volunteer With 'New York Cares' Today!) and the site itself (www.newyorkcares.org/).

Miscellaneous Tasks
Now these are my fixed obligations that I have for myself (or set for myself) every day, week, month, or whatever the case may be. Of course, on top of these things, there are ALWAYS other things I have to do. For instance, for my Jumpstart internship there are plenty of other things that I have to do besides Session (teaching 2 days per week for 2 hours), TLMs and TPMs. There is also a curriculum that each Team Leader has to follow by. A lot of preparation is needed for this and each session there are new materials we need to make or obtain. We also have to prepare a section of the curriculum ourselves. All of this is A LOT of work and I don't have a set time to do these things. Instead, I do these things when I can. Anytime I have any capacious time where I'm not doing anything, I do miscellaneous important things like other Jumpstart duties. I'm a person that wastes no time. If I'm on the bus, train, or plane, I put down the book I'm usually reading and get to work. If I'm on a beach or poolside in a different state or country, I always aim to get my work done. Usually, I always get work done before flying out, or before I land at my destination. But often there are times where I fly out at an important time in the school year and come back the day before or day of an important test, where I have to bring study materials with me. Above is an example of what I did this past weekend in Boston. I came back home for football practice (that I have once a month) and for the time I had at home: I ate mommy's food (of course), watched Lifetime on my flat, and worked on Jumpstart things. I already started all of this at school, but finished everything here at home. Believe it or not, this task may look simple but it probably took me about 8 hours to cut papers, write names, laminate, cut, punch holes, put in rings/yarn, cut velcro, make a bottle shaker, etc. Of course, the Corps members have their own things to prep too and help out a lot.

The same thing applies to going to the gym. When I didn't have football practice and finished with all of my Jumpstart material. I checked my gym schedule, down the street, that I have pasted and organized on one of my wardrobes to see what I could do before heading back to New York. Thus, I used ample time to catch up in the sauna, steam room, and gym.

As you can see, whether I'm at home in Boston, or at school in New York, always, always, always, I am organized.

To find out more about what Jumpstart is, visit http://www.jstart.org/

The Cherry-On-Top Solution For Success In Time Management
The solution for time-management is quite simple, and trust me when I say this because these next 3 solutions I will give you are how I get through my life everyday: rationale, organization, and a Blackberry. Always go hard 100 percent in everything you do, so if you miss a day or two due to other engagements, your assumed presence will already be where you are missed because of the work ethic you already put in on a consistent basis. Organize what your daily/weekly/monthly activities are and be rational with how much your mind and body can manage without killing yourself. If you have sporadic events going on, input it into your Blackberry or your phone's calendar so it can send you a reminder in advance.

Money Budgeting Tips
If you are a college student that enjoys nice things and traveling like me, you are balling on a budget! Our work study money or side jobs don't garner us enough money for us to walk up into Louis Vuitton and spend a few Gs. Neither does it garner enough money for us to book a random trip and disappear the next day (conflicts with school, work, and other priorities can be a reason for that too). What I did is planned out the trips I want to take in the next few years. I make deadlines for my friends + I to pay for flights and hotel or for myself if I'm traveling alone. If I'm going somewhere with a group of friends, I draft up a full itinerary of the trip and send it to my friends. If I'm going to Jamaica alone or for a weekend, I never do any organizing since I have a house out there and know the procedures already. I just hop on a plane. After planning the trips and deciding where I want to go, as well as making the deadlines, I plan what I'm going to do with my check before I even get it, so when I get it, I just take care of a task asap. I don't pay bills so my money is usually for food, transportation, shopping, and traveling. For those of you who do pay bills, it's best for you to get that out of the way first and then proceed to correlate your plans with how much money you make per check. Planning what I'm going to do with my checks is my simple way of money budgeting.

This is a lot of information, and though it works for me, I'm not sure if it will work for everyone. Usually people always find posts of mines like these helpful, so I hope such is the case for you!

-B

Inside Adventures: Sister Act On Broadway!

2011-11-11T07:18:00.000-05:00

I decided to go get tickets for Sister Act on Broadway seeing that the movie series are favorites of mine. Whoopi did an awesome job, awesome enough for me to be intrigued enough to see it on Broadway. Right after classes, I rushed to the city to make the 7pm show. While on my way, I happened to see groups of people merely one block away, probably waiting in the stand-by line for the Late Show with David Letterman. I reached the show in time enough to enjoy some refreshments and eventually it was showtime. I must say, Sister Act on Broadway is worth its money. At first I was very skeptical of whether I would like it or not because the beginning didn't lure me in as much as I wanted it to. I also very afraid of watching a Broadway play after watching its correlating movie because I'm always afraid the movie will be better than the show, when in fact it should always be the other way around (in my opinion). Ultimately there were lots of laughs. We're not allowed to take pictures inside (if you check my post on Chicago's show below you'll see I managed to get a few) so I don't have any of inside the theater. More the reason why you should check it out yourself! Awesome show!

Other Broadway shows I've been to:

Inside Adventures: Chicago On Broadway!

Inside People: "Ghetto" Parties VS. "Uptown" Parties

2011-10-16T13:57:00.011-04:00

"Ghetto" people floss WAY harder than "uptown" people? When I say this, I am pertaining to the society within Jamaica, seeing that I have enough worthy experience to speak about such an observation.

In Jamaica, I found out that there were evidently two different social classes. People refer to these people to either "ghetto" or "uptown" people, a connotation that has become the norm for both classes.

Usually when I'm in Jamaica, I go to predominantly uptown parties. I love them and there's no comparison to them anywhere in this world, not even Miami where the parties are almost on the same level. The picture to the left is an uptown party called Chill in Miami that I attended with my cousin and girls.You would think "uptowners" were what people call "boojey" as usual, but Jamaican uptowners are not. The parties have as much vibes as "ghetto" people would, except the attire is more presentable and mannerable (e.g. cocktail dresses, bikini wear, more "class"), as opposed to "ghetto" parties where the attire is usually prom-looking attire or close-to-nakedness wearing.

What I don't like and what is not becoming at all, are those people that frown upon "ghetto" parties. To me, these people are commonly the ones who are from the middle class of Jamaica, instead of the higher class. Often, some (not all) of these people proclaim to be from the higher class, and use that advantage to back up their reasons of not going to a party like a "ghetto" party. They think they are too good for what they are not too far from. They consider themselves in a class they are factually and apparently not in.

"Ghetto" parties are ALWAYS the funnest types of parties for me. They have way more free, exotic dancing going on. There is no need to question whether there will be vibes. For an uptown party, sometimes the question arises because no one wants to pay $60-$150 to go to an uptown party lacking vibes. Don't get me wrong, an uptown party usually always are all-inclusive (which means free liquor/drinks and sometimes with the accompaniment of gourmet food) which is worth the money, but one with VIBES also is a grand party, always! No Jamaican wants to go to a party without vibes, no matter from what class they are in. They thrive on vibes. I'd rather pay $5-10 to go to a ghetto party and have fun before going to an uptown party lacking any vibes.

Because of my perspective on this, I am unbiased when it comes to social classes. Evidently people would say I belong to the uptown class, and whose parties you'd most likely see me at. But that does NOT mean that you won't ever catch me at ghetto clubs like Waterfalls in Jamaica, or one of those "day" night parties like Hot Mondays. Even a prominent club in New Kingston called Quad is known to some people from the middle class spectrum as ghetto. I was baffled. People wouldn't go to Quad because it now became a place where ghetto people now go to, having a mixture of ghetto and uptown people. Excuse me, but I didn't know being from a lower class was a disease, or simply put, wrong.

In fact, some of the best parties I've been to in Jamaica and Miami are mixed with both types of people. Parties like Igloo are parties that I prefer because EVERYONE is having a good time. I wrote a blog post on how Igloo portrays historic moments, where people from all different classes all form a unity where EVERYONE is happily drunk and enjoying themselves at a party. Igloo is always a success because of this, especially because it is a beach party that only costs $500-$1000 JMD ($5-$10 US) and you're actually allowed to bring your own igloo with as much liquor as you want. Of course there are always glamorous bars set around the beach venue. You should see how many igloos are on the beach, and people in their bikini wear and shades dragging hundreds of igloos. The same thing goes for Breezes, a club in Fort Lauderdale where EVERYONE goes after an uptown-Jamaican day party. Gabby's in Fort Lauderdale has the same mix of social classes also.

So, to conclude this argument, do not attack a "ghetto" or an "uptown" party, no matter what type of social class you are from. Both have what a tourist would call Jamaican vibes. I see Jamaican drug dealers and musicians more often in ghetto parties than I do at uptown parties, and the mixed parties. Everyone knows that a ghetto party is where you go to get the most promising vibes, especially after getting let out of prominent uptown clubs such as Fiction and Privilege in Jamaica. Jamaicans are known as people who enjoy life and live it out to the full extent, partying always being apart of the culture. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE uptown parties. You will ALWAYS find me at parties like Daydreams, Yush, Osmosis, Beach Bums, Smudge, A-List, Frenchmen, the list goes on. Simply, do not remain bigoted towards one type of party, frowning upon it and labeling it as something negative. A party is a party and a ni**a just wants to smoke it up, drink it down, dance it all out and have a good time. A true partyer goes ANYWHERE the party is at. That's fact. Holla.

This brings me to my observations of both types of parties. I noticed when going to a ghetto club or a party, the ghetto people floss WAY harder in ghetto parties than uptown people at uptown parties do. The girls go to parties in damn prom dresses like they're at a ball. And the guys go to parties in all Gucci attire and suits like they're at a wedding. Sit DOWN lol. We party to live it up, not to have a fashion show. The lady to the right looks cute, and there's nothing wrong with these types of attire at parties. I just consider it a factor of "ghetto" parties and look forward to seeing what everyone's wearing as soon as I arrive. I just thought it was a comical observation and this is a reason why I enjoy ghetto parties. Some of my higher-up friends and I would happily and merrily go to ghetto parties and meet up with our girls, who happen to be from the lower class, and pop bottles! We always take care of each other and have a BLAST. We don't have to dress up and go hard because it's always about enjoying yourself, not having people watch what you are wearing.

A united party produces the best production of a great party. That's all there is to it. A party either has vibes or doesn't, and that should be the judgement of whether you should go or not, not on the basis of whether it's ghetto or uptown.

Here are pictures from one of the best parties in Jamaica called A-List, Ocho Rios edition. A prototype and a mere example of what an all-inclusive (both alcohol + gourmet food) uptown party would look like. Parties usually are sponsored by liquor companies in Jamaica, like you will see below from Heineken. The promoters throw this party 2-3 times a year, the most prominent one being held annually on Christmas night.

Check out Amanda getting low in her fly shades! Haha go girlll! Can't wait to see you!

Check out other Jamaica party posts:

Inside Adventures: Jamaica's Biggest Party - Igloo!

Inside Adventures: Ochi Weekend & Bacchanal Jamaica 2011!

Inside Adventures: Heroes Weekend 2010 - Jamaica

Inside Politics: Better To Be An Honest Drug Dealer Than A Corrupted Politician

2011-10-16T13:57:00.010-04:00

John Stuart Mill once said:

"It is better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied."

Well I'm saying, it is MUCH better to be an an honest drug dealer than a corrupted politician. The definition of a politician by the Merriam Webster Dictionary is a person primarily interested in political office for selfish or other narrow usually short-sighted reasons. That being defined by such a well-known dictionary site is unbecoming, and that says something itself. Hmm. Interesting. Topics like these are the ones I love talking about.

This is just my opinion, and of course people will disagree. There have been situations where I have seen more good done by drug dealers than politicians. Let me take for example, my favorite country to talk about and my very own, Jamaica!

It is fact that the government in Jamaica does not maintain a focus on what's most important: its people. Jamaica, unfortunately, is one of those countries that maintains high poverty. In order for one of the lower class to make it, one has to hustle -- illegally or legally. Drug trafficking is a serious issue in Jamaica and it is always a debated topic. For those looking inwards from the outside, it is a bombardment. For those within, looking outwards, they are donning Jamaican drug dealers as the people who save their lives.

It is commonly known that prominent drug dealers within Jamaica do well for their community. As seen with Dudus (picture on above left), there were many Jamaican citizens of the lower class, protesting in his hometown of Tivoli Gardens, vowing not to turn their back on him and how innocent he is. This was seen in all types of news coverage around the world, as we saw women with kids in their hands crying and explaining to the news reporter how Dudus saved their lives. Supporting the community is a common action done by drug dealers, not because of "fame" or "self-satisfaction" but more because of experience. Many drug dealers have become wealthy and prominent of the success they have attained after years of hustling. They have personal experience and knowledge of what it means to really be a hustler, trying to make money for many hours of a day, in sometimes violent conditions. They have no shame in their game and hustle to make for themselves and their family a living. They carry the title throughout their whole career to stick by what they truly and honestly are. It is a career that is not frowned upon on in certain countries, like Jamaica, where the drug dealers remain loyal to their community of poverty.

Than you have the politicians. Politicians take vows and oaths to abide by the law, shape it, and enforce it. Anything done out of law or legally is contradicting what the character of a politician is supposed to be. Often, far too often do we see many politicians extracting their promise and committing themselves to illegal operations and wrongdoings.

So I ask you, what is the better label? To be an honest drug dealer, or to be a corrupted politician?

To agree upon the latter is farcical. A corrupted politician says in itself that the assigned politician has used illegal means to obtain or be something that is not. A corrupted politician goes into legal bounds to do better for the greater good, yet ends up into illegal activity, most likely not for the greater good. An honest drug dealer is that of one who always goes by means illegally, but never denies it and tries to make the best out of it for his/her people. I believe that it's much better to be an honest drug dealer. You are not lying about who you truly are and continue to do your actions without shame. There is no excuse for a corrupted politician. You claim to be something you're not, while committing yourself to a legal activity.

I have brought the incident of the notorious Jamaican drug dealer Dudus in previous posts:
Inside News: Who is Dudus? Why Jamaica Is So HOT In The American Media Right Now
Inside Politics: More Coverage On Jamaica's Social Unrest And Dudus
Inside News: BBC's Spectacular Coverage On Jamaica
Inside Politics: Jamaican Prime Minister Fathered The Notorious Tivoli Gardens
Inside News: Dudus Arrives in New York, Delivers SILENCE To Impeding Questions

Inside Books: A Jamaican Woman in Miguel de Cervantes' "El Celoso Extremeño"

2011-10-16T10:15:00.002-04:00

Miguel de Cervantes was a Spanish novelist, playwright, and poet. He maintains high importance to his people of Spain and to the world of literature. His novel Don Quixote (pronounced Don Quijote in Spanish) is considered the first modern novel ever and is a classic of Western Literature, donned one of the best works of fiction ever. He lived during the Spanish Golden Age (15th-17th centuries, specifically the 16th century ). Cervantes is seen below.

One of his most noteworthy and illustrious works was a short story called El Celoso Extremeño meaning "The Jealous Extremaduran" (Extremadura is a community in Spain). It was my homework assignment to read the novel this past Friday for my Spanish Masterpieces class. It is about a noble man, named Carrizales, who squandered all of his inheritance, from his now deceased parents, throughout Spain, Italy, Flanders, and Seville. After he realizes that he is running out of money, he decides to go the the Indies (specifically Peru) to find a means to live, never wanting to return to Spain ever again. On his voyage to the Indies, he goes into deep thinking and realizes that he wants to change his life, reflecting on the callous and inane behavior he sought after for years. He makes a vow to himself to keep a much better hold on to whatever God may bestow on him again.

Becoming very wealthy and prosperous as a soldier, he retreats on his word and decides he wants to return to his homeland. Upon returning, he discovers that all of his friends are dead and makes a further decision to donate all of his money to the needy in his community. He also realized that he wanted someone to leave all of his money to after he passes, took up the idea of having a wife, but realized that he was too jealous to have one so he disregarded the notion.

One day, he was walking through the streets and saw what looked like a 14 year-old girl from the window. He instantly fell in love and sought out a meeting for him to meet her parents. Her parents being delighted of Carrizales' kindness, gladly consented to marrying off her daughter. Everybody was happy, including their daughter, the beautiful Leonora.

Carrizales was still a very jealous man and said before he marries the virgin Leonora, he would build a palace so secure and safe that nobody would be able to contaminate Leonora's mine or inflect upon her any type of seduction. No man was ever allowed in the palace and whenever he left he locked her in there with the safe-keeping of 4 white-girl slaves, and 2 negresses, damsels, and a duena. Only one male was ever allowed in the house and that was for an important reason (that I can't remember right now lol). Carrizales treated the negresses and slaves very well, as well as Leonora. They all became friends and loved him, which was Carrizales intention in lest they ever had negative thinking of them turning their back on him. This, however, was never the case. He treated all of them well, and Leonora was respectful of the fact that Carrizales was a jealous man and didn't want her to see the world's faults and cruelties. He viewed her as an angel, which she was.

There was a cunning man named Loaysa. Men like him were known to get rich and be happy off of other men's feasts. He heard of Carrizales and her lady and decided he would get inside the palace somehow, and seduce her to prove that he could do it to his friends. Through tricks and bribery off of the slaves and negresses who loved him, he got inside the palace and was able to seduce Leonora. Carrizales woke up and found them in a different room. He died of a broken heart, left his inheritance to Leonora, the man that seduced her, and his servants (except for one who contrived in the plan with Loaysa). Leonora became a nun, and Loaysa being disappointed at her decision of becoming one and leaving him with nothing, ran out of the country before he was caught.

Now I'm sharing this with you for one reason. Not only is this a great story, but within the passage there is an excerpt where one of the negresses are debating whether to let Loaysa inside the palace (by this time they all devised a way for him to get in the palace and to play his guitar which he was so well at playing--the only means of why he should have been in the house). Cervantes writes,

"Tell you what," said Guiomar, the negress, in her broken jargon, "s'ppose him no swear, let him in all the same, in devil's name; for s'ppose him swear, once him in, him forget eberyting."

Instinctively my eyes shot open and I covered my mouth upon realizing that Cervantes was speaking of a Jamaican woman! I was over my cousin's (Ashley's) place. I immediately told her of my discovery and we were both shocked. A negress using her broken jargon to share her opinion on the issue, using words like s'ppose and eberyting, it was a Jamaican Cervantes was speaking about! I don't know any other person of Caribbean heritage that speaks using those words, and considering there was a strong interchange between slaves in Jamaica and Europe, I believe it is so my friends! Cervantes referred to a Jamaican woman in one of his famous works CENTURIES ago when literature was booming.

I don't know how silly this is to be making a post off of such a discovery lol, but I feel honored that Cervantes wrote a work that partially reflected a noble's man kindness to his slaves and servants, upon of them being Jamaican. Awesome huh? :)

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Cervantes#Plays

Inside Adventures: Going To "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon!"

2011-10-14T08:44:00.002-04:00

"Why are black people so talented?"

...is what Boryana said to me while we were watching The Roots perform on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon lol. That girl is crazy, but she was right. She went into a crazy peroration about how black people are so talented (born and raised in Bulgaria, she wasn't used to us yet LOL), and now she's in love with black people! Funniest thing ever, I'm dying right now writing this post. The Roots are truly a legendary and GREAT music group though. The way their music sounded in that NBC studio, the whole crowd was gigging.

In other news, Tracy Morgan spanked Shaq's behind on the show lol!

We went to the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show and we had a BLAST! We didn't know who was going to be on the show at all, and then we found out SHAQ was there. We went crazy. Before the show started and before Jimmy came out, I was telling Bory about other shows I've always wanted to go to and suggesting we should go to a few out of state, e.g. Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I was dispersing my infatuation with Conan and Jon to her and how they're FREAKING hilarious! Only a few minutes after the show starts and while Jimmy's talking (acting like he doesn't what's about to happen), Conan walks out of no where on the stage (you know how they always play that off ~_~)! We went fricking crazy! OMGOSH OMGOSH! He then proceeds to make some jokes relative to NBC kicking him out, and how Jimmy's studio used to be his lol. That was a quick appearance. After Shaq comes on, Jimmy talks about how hilarious a skit was that Shaq and Tracy Morgan did YEARS ago on Saturday Night live. They showed a clip on the show, and sure enough, it was damn right hilarious.

Then out of nowhere, Tracy Morgan comes from behind one of the NBC doors and the crowd went crazy! Shaq and Tracy Morgan embrace and then they REPEAT the same same freaking scene they did on SNL years ago, where Tracy plays Shaq's mom and then spanks Shaq's behind after missing a curfew lol. Tracy sat on Jimmy's couch and Shaq literally laid down on top of him so he could get his butt spanked. I guess Tracy was already in NBC studios since he does that other show with Baldwin and Fey. Hahaha I will never forget it! I will NEVER!!!!!

Great times with Bory. She always wants to kill me for being on my phone too much...EVERY single time we go to anywhere together haha. All my emails and important tasks come to my phone though, it's not like I'm chatting away with other people all the time. Love you Mickey Mouse! We had lots of fun.

B<3

Other shows I've been to:

Inside Adventures: Going To 'The Colbert Report' Show!

Inside Adventures: Going To The Wendy Williams Show! How YOU doin'?

Inside Health: Miles For Hope Charity For Brain Tumor Research, In Honor Of My Father

2011-10-14T08:09:00.001-04:00

In honor of my late dad, I'm aiming to run the 2012 Boston Marathon for Miles for Hope, a charity committed to furthering the research for brain tumors in order to find a cure. I've always wanted to run a marathon, and when I found out I could run for a charity, my father came to my mind instinctively. Running in his honor would be an extreme accomplishment, and if I don't do it this upcoming year, I will keep trying, trying, and trying to get in. I have to fulfill the guidelines of this charity, as well as a long prolix process. Until then, please help me get to $500 of donations by donating anything, even $5, to the Miles for Hope charity. You can accomplish this by clicking the link to this website: Earl Rose - Miles for Hope. At the top, right corner of the page, there is a link that says "give now" in black and yellow. Just click that link and it will lead you to an easy credit-card process and you have the choice of giving however much you want. You can also leave your name there so I know that you donated, and I can thank you with ALL my love and appreciation if I see this. Anything great to do in my father's name, I will do, because his legacy and spirit lives on. I appreciate all of the love I've been getting for this, and I always encourage new people who don't know what this is about to donate. You will be apart of a great cause. :)

Inside Life: Appreciating and Utilizing The Quality Of Life

2011-10-13T21:02:00.006-04:00

A lack of appreciation for life makes happiness non-existent. -Bianca Rose

This post was inspired by my friend/sister Boryana Yordanova.

I don't really think people understand how valuable life is. A lot of people say it but either don't really understand it, or they don't practice what they preach. The dawning came to me in high school, after my father was diagnosed with cancer. My maturity gradually increased within the span of a year. I became less social, and more focused on me.

It's not to say that I'm antisocial, because anyone who knows me personally know that I am la crème de la crème, the life of the party, the hype person, need I go on? Lol. With all jokes aside though, I realized that my focus on friends and dream of living life wasn't really going to get me anywhere in life. I realized how important my education was as my father was slowly dying over the 5 year period. Without an education, your hopes and dreams really won't take you anywhere, unless you're one of the lucky ones.

Education became my world. I barely graduated the prestigious Boston Latin School (the first high school in America, and ranked in the top 50 smartest high schools by US News) due to the stress and depression I went through due to my father's illness. I'm thankful I went through all of that during those years instead of college. It was easier to come to terms with my father's death sentence, our relationship became even closer than it was, and I matured much more faster than I already was. Something like this happening in college wouldn't have been the greatest thing, because my transition into college was also rocky. However, I made it. Look at me now. My mom's satisfaction shows in her face and my father assured me, before his time, that I was on the right track.

I was always a highly-organized person, but it went from my OCD with having a clean house and room, to me organizing and setting goals for the years to follow my life. I've learned to realistically set goals, and follow them. Each goal that gets crossed off rejuvenates me, because I realize what I am capable of and my determination to follow through with what I have planned. My Mac has my life on here. My plan for the next 5-10 years are all written down meticulously on a significant amount of documents, and I have back-up files stored in other places. That's how serious I am. I've learned to become assigned to me. I'm the designated driver of my own life, so if I crash, no one else will be responsible but me. I prefer it that way, independence. I only aim to share my success with my mom and closest.

The quality of life needs to be treated with respect. I personally saw in my own two hands the transition from life to death, seeing that my father died right in my arms. I watched everything. If I didn't treasure life before that event, oh man, you should only see how I treasure it now. From the foods that I eat, to the places that I go, to the way I treat my body. I always aim to make sure I treat my own self with the best of the best, with what I can afford.

That being said, I need my readers to feel me and realize the things that I'm about to say, take them seriously. Enlightenment (educating the mind), spas, traveling, a simple manicure and pedicure, fine wine and deluxe dining are just only some of the ways of treating yourself right. They're the first things that come to my mind because these are ways of life that have become habitual to me. I am extremely independent, and when I say extremely, I MEAN extremely. Other than my parents paying for college and my mom buying groceries for my apartment and taking me shopping when I'm back home in Boston, I do me. Luckily, I don't have to pay bills because my mom handles all of that, but that doesn't make me any less independent, because if she said "Bianca, you need to start paying your phone bill"...than I would. However, my mom is one of those parents that believe they should finance their kids from birth until out of college. Not everyone is as lucky as me with this kind of mother but I believe my mom's perspective and belief is fair, since no child asks to be in this world. Of course throughout my years, she taught me how to clean, cook, and be responsible though she practically spoiled my little brother and I (father never approved of it), but even my father would say "whatever money you make, it's your money." That meaning whatever money I make right now as a college student, is the money I use for myself. This practice has become apart of me for years, to the point where I DESPISE asking my mom for money if ever I need to. I'm OBSESSED with working hard and for my own things to the point where my mom tells me I need to stop going so hard some times, and she warns me not to take on too much. I get it all from her though and I don't think she realizes that.

That last paragraph wasn't to be egocentric, but to prove how important I think independence is. It's a quality you need to have when you're seeking out the "quality of life." Every internship I've acquired, my grades, organizations I've been made an official in, important people that I meet and network with, basically anything great I've been doing in New York is a result of me doing ME. There is a time for friends and there is a time for business. My mom never helped me in college being miles and miles away, she only guided me and always preached like she always does, which ended being enough for her to do. I didn't need her extra push this time because she set me out to be something wonderful and all of her hard work is being shown in me and my brother. She's now able to relax, more than she has for the past 20 years. Although, I don't think her work-hard habits will ever die out because that woman is superwoman. Seeing my mom work so hard enlightened me and it made me realize her way of enjoying the "quality of life" is seeing my brother and I go to college and prosper. Well that's done, now what? She's still all over the place. Not good, perfect example of what I'm getting into in this post.

Relax.

Take yourself out to eat at aninexpensive, but nice restaurant that offers you fine wine and great-tasting food, worldly if you will. Book a trip to an island for a weekend, whenever you have a holiday on a Monday. Living in NYC is much easier for me to book a flight right after my last class on a Friday and head straight to the airport, returning Sunday. There are always flights leaving here 24 hours, so my options are infinite. While on a flight to Antigua or the V.I., order yourself a glass of wine from the flight attendant whenever they start serving food and beverages. If you're not 21, obtain a fake ID unless you seem old enough (like me, sometimes I have to give a false ID though :/). Treat yourself to a movie. Take heed from me, if you live or are in NYC: go to a Broadway show, sign yourself up for a popular TV show to be in the audience (tickets are always free), have a picnic at Central Park, go ice-skating at Rockefeller Center (and you always see this in movies), visit the museums and the statue of liberty. Take ADVANTAGE of the things NYC offers here. Utilize them to your best ability. This goes for any place, not just in NY. My hometown, Boston, is a historical place with many museums to go to, shows to see, sites to visit.
Miami has the most beautiful beaches in the world and there's history there too. I always pass by Versace's house where he was shot whenever I'm on the strip. There are things to do everywhere, you have no excuses. I've been to shows like Wendy Williams, Jimmy Fallon, Colbert Report. I've been to Red Sox games, Yankees' games, my mom even got my brother and I court side tickets for a Celtics game once. This is only the beginning. I'm only 20 but I realize the quality of life should not be looked over, you should treasure it as early as you realize how important it is to enjoy yourself while working hard. This blog has tons of posts of places/shows I've been to. Just type in "adventures" or "sports" in the search bar to take a look at any of my "Inside Adventures" or "Inside Sports" posts, and so on. Feel free to use my blog as your guide or inspiration, which it often gets referred to. Mi casa, su casa.

My love/sister was an international gymnast from Bulgaria that has traveled around the world before getting a full scholarship to St. John's University. After going to the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show, we were walking out of the NBC building at Rockefeller Center, where we were talking about how important living life is. Mind you, this is an all As, "ALL-STAR" girl right here. And even she finds the time to live her life, seeing how important it is which is why we get along so well. She was telling me how when she went to France, they eat the finest foods and drink the finest wines not because they like to show-off and etc., but they believe they should treat their body right and enjoy the quality of life. They really appreciate it. AMAZING things this girl was telling me. Taking care of yourself, whether it's going to the gym, taking care of your skin..simple, yet crazy things that I instinctively agreed with. For a minute I thought I was French. Even in her Bulgarian culture, her and her family drink wine for dinner. Wine, instead of juice, or soda, for dinner! It might sound crazy to you but this is #truth. This is the way life should be lived, it should never be taken for granted because as far as we human beings know, we only have one life. Live it.

I'm uncertain if my words alone will be able to motivate you and open your mind so you can perceive my message clearer, but I'm hopeful. It doesn't matter what size, shape, color, or social class you come from, any and everyone can live their life in moderation. I am surely not rich, but I learned how to save and utilize my money towards things that I set for goals, instead of spending sparsely and unwisely. I've learned how important my education is, but I also learned how important making myself happy is aside from being educated. You really can't trust any human being at the end of the day, you have to always put you first. If you're friends and loved ones understand this, they're in it to win it with you. Life is a treasure, death is inevitable, and man has made Earth into a luxury for us. Enjoy it while you're here.

The quality of life.

Inside Adventures: Tampa Bay vs. New York Yankees!

2011-10-13T08:39:00.001-04:00

So basically, Bory & I had another one of our adventures and we went to our first Yankees game! My Bostonian peeps didn't like this (since I'm from Boston), especially because of my custom-made Yankees cap. However, I think they were overreacting because 1) everybody needs a Yankees hat and 2) everyone needs to go to the Yankee stadium at least once, that's history right there.

The game was HILARIOUS to me because it was a NY vs. Tampa Bay game, YET, I still heard chants of "F*** BOSTON!" Like really? Thank God I didn't wear my Boston Red Sox cap (which I always do) because there were a few random BOLD Boston guy fans a few rows up above me and they almost got into an altercation with BOLD Yankees' fans. Throughout the whole game they were at it with each other even though they were about a hundred seats apart. Bory & I were laughing the whole game.

Now I really had an up-close-and-personal experience with this tension between the Red Sox and Yankees. I represent Boston when it comes to sports full throttle, but I am not a baseball fan. I'm more likely to get into a brawl over the Patriots or Celtics than the Red Sox, sorry guys. :(

I still got yo back though Boston!

Inside Culture: El Baile "Flamenco"

2011-10-06T21:27:00.000-04:00

Wow. ¿Puede alguien me enseña o me dice donde puedo aprender cómo bailar 'El Flamenco'?

Este baile es asombroso. Me gustaria aprenderlo.

Inside Human Rights: Where Your Standards Should Be No Matter What Type Of Woman You Are

2011-09-29T09:17:00.003-04:00

Skinny. Smart. Unemployed. Big. Beautiful. Employed. Educated. Uneducated. Athletic. Weave. No weave. Plastic surgery. A loner. Liposuction. Sympathetic. Amputated leg. Doctor. Blind. Deaf. Salutatorian. Bartender. White. Black. Short hair. Long hair. No hair. Best friend. Artist. Asian. Empathetic. African. Poor. South American. North American. Australian. European. Rich. Nice.

All of the above describes the type of women and characteristics we may come across everyday. We judge. Sometimes we judge only with our eyes, some use their mouth. But as long as you possess the qualities you are about to read about, there is no difference between any of you. You are all women.

I do believe that every woman should strive to be educated, healthy, and independent. However, there are many circumstances that refrain a lot of us from doing this. For those who have a choice of being one of the 3 characteristics I mentioned above, and don't take advantage of that, this post is not for you. This post is not for you because there are millions out there that want to be educated but can't garner enough money, or even a cosigner to go to college. There are women out there suffering from AIDS, Diabetes, Cancer, Asthma, who can get medical attention but due to a lack of money or resources in the area where they live, they cannot. There are women who want to flee from their husbands and countries to be a free and independent woman, but cannot due to the beliefs and laws their people abide to. Once again, if you are not trying to become one of the characteristics I mentioned above, dismiss yourself from this post. I can only speak for the women who are trying to better themselves.

Brokenhearted woman, I know you hurt. I know you exist. We carry high emotions, we trust and we love far too much. Often that love and trust deteriorates after experience, bad experiences. We become broken. It feels like the end of the world because your love is real, and he obviously wasn't able to understand that being with fake bi*%hes. Yes, I know you're human, but you shouldn't have let it get this far. I have to partially blame you for two reasons: 1, you saw signs of his disloyalty and didn't take action and leave the first time, or 2, you're letting it affect you far more than you're supposed to.

I brought up the love scenario because it is too often the reason why women submit themselves into depression, accepting anything just to feel loved, and worthy. A lot of these times, these same women often are found in prostitution, drug addiction, or even worse, dead (either because of weakness or because she committed suicide). It should never get that far because no man should hold you back from being a woman. No woman should take any disrespect from a man as long as you are striving to be the best woman that you can be. If you are willingly being malevolent and unfocused on purpose, then you're bringing everything upon yourself, and all I can do is pray for you. If you are trying to become a better you and are finding obstacles, I can offer my first advice to you and that is FOCUS ON YOU.

This applies to all women, including all 20+ types I mentioned above. If you have kids or are married, you are not exempt from this. You're still a woman. Before you focus on your husband or your kids, which is natural of a woman, you need to focus on you. Being my mother's child, I learned from the best of the best. There is no way you can productively do the best for your family if you aren't healthy, strong, and independent. You need to ensure that you are strong so you know that you have the strength to carry your kids' burdens so they can have an easy childhood. That's the way it should be for parents that are unbeknownst. When you are strong, healthy, and independent, your husband/boyfriend/fiance will ALWAYS love that and believe it or not it's an attraction that appeals more than beauty. Beauty only adds to those qualities that he sees in you, it's just a plus. Once he sees that you have got everything going on for you WITHOUT his help, it's a wonderful thing. You are his trophy wife and that's not just because of your beauty.

I didn't mention educated in that last paragraph for a reason. I do realize that everyone cannot go to school because of financial reasons. This, however, does not mean that you have to abase yourself. If you have the will and ambition to get a degree, than you are just as equal to the woman holding one in her hand because you both share determination. Respect is respect, there is only one type of respect and that is the only thing you should accept from man or woman. You earn respect by either showing or trying to become a better woman, believe me. If you already have a degree, go for the degree next in line. If you haven't gotten a degree yet, don't stop trying. Never stop trying. When people see that you try, including God, you will get you're degree, as long as you try. And when I say try, I mean really going out there, working hard, and trying to get yours, not just a mere attempt you tried once and then gave up. That doesn't work. In this world today, you need to go out hard if you want something because nobody wants to baby you, neither is anybody going to put a stash of bills in your hand if you don't deserve it.

When you are the strongest, most focused, and healthiest you can be, nothing should tear you down. You should accept nothing but the best. A non-Harvard student should have her standards as high as the Harvard student, nothing is different between you two because you both have a degree. I'm really trying to stress the fact that all women are equal as long as you are determined to be a woman. And a woman encompasses strength, focus, determination, happiness, which in turn will get herself her degree, her good health, her wonderful husband, her well-raised kids, her best and truest of friends.

I say this all the time to my friends and I'm going to say this again. You should not count on anybody to make you happy. You need to be happy first. When you're truly happy, anything and anyone else only ADDS to your happiness. Those things don't become your happiness because you're already happy. Men and material things are just an addition that you wouldn't mind losing because you were happy without it anyway. This is how it should be.

I am a college student. I have no degree in place yet, and no one is guaranteed a job straight out of college but I can ASSURE you that I will. Everything aforementioned that I said you should be is either what I've become or what I am still working on. My assurance is so high because my confidence is ye high. My confidence is this high because of the strength I've built up in my self through life obstacles and situations. I've set goals for myself, and each goal that I accomplish makes me aware that I am capable of doing more, without help, and that makes me happy. I have gone through the heartbreaks from past relationships, the deaths, the turn-downs for jobs and etc., and these types of things are apart of life. They are unavoidable. However, as a strong woman that is focused and pus herself first, you should be able to better endure these circumstances if or when the time comes around. Each heartbreak that you may experience should be a learning experience you keep with you, until the point where you no longer take certain bullshit from men, and only accept however high you put your standards on your thermometer. Your thermometer, to the left, where you see the bulb shoot up to 230 degrees Fahrenheit, is where your standards should be, and nothing bloodcl**t less.

Do you remember this scene from Diary of a Mad Black Woman? If you don't recall, this is at the dinner table with Helen's family. Helen tells Charles that she wants to divorce him. This is all after years of him mistreating (abusing) her, cheating on her, causes miscarriages, and then kicks her out of the house with no money, for a beautiful Latina woman, who then in return robs Charles blind and leaves him later. Charles ends up getting shot in a courtroom and Helen is the one that comes back to take care of him months and months later after he kicks her out. She thought she needed Charles when she was married to him because she never learned how to be independent. After he kicked her out, she did learn, after she thought her world was over. And when she came back to take care of him, she had already found her independence and a new man that fell in love with her because of her new-found independence and the goodness of her heart. She found herself. She became a woman that needed no man, and made herself happy before taking up another one. Charles saw this also, but before he realized how good of a woman she was and became, she already was taken by a man who deserved her more. This is my mom's favorite movie. Take heed to Helen's story.

When you put yourself first and work on becoming a better you, no one can tell you shit. No man, no girl, no boss can tell you anything that you don't already know. Believe me, when working on becoming a better you, even before you become the best that you can be, people notice the process and you glow. The men will flock to you. Your friends will adhere to you for advice. Your kids will love you and most importantly you will be in love with YOU. Your standards should always remain high, accepting nothing but the best because you deserve it. You will need no addition to your life, you'd only want it, because all of you is all you need. It's a wonderful thing. You're never too young to come to this realization. And the sooner you learn the better life will turn out for you.

For any questions/comments:
bianca_yulanda_rose@yahoo.com
twiiter.com/BiancaStar

With love, always
Xoxoxo
B

Inside Adventures: Going To 'The Colbert Report' Show!

2011-09-27T10:30:00.003-04:00

My usual girls that you should've become familiar with through my blog posts by now (Nancy, Bory, Ashley, Barbie) and I got tickets to the Colbert Report, one of the most hilarious men of all timeeeeee! Al Gore happened to be the guest on the show that evening and it was pretty awesome to see him in person. This and Jon's show are my two favorite shows on Comedy Central. Stephen is funnier in person than he is in real life, he's freaking hilarious! You guys would love this!

Other shows I've been to:

Inside Adventures: Going To The Wendy Williams Show! How YOU doin'?

Inside Adventures: Going To "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon!"

Inside Fashion: Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week 2011

2011-09-27T10:23:00.001-04:00

Ash & I got invited to a United Colors fashion show, as apart of one of the events for NY Fashion Week. It's awesome that we decided to go to this because the other shows we were invited to conflicted with our personal schedules, as we later found out. It was a delightful show, and most importantly with a cause on poverty and health awareness in certain parts of Africa.

It was hosted at The Pierre, A Taj hotel in Manhattan. Wonderful entertainment and the staff had a way of regaling that made you feel like you were at the Taj itself.

Before rushing in, I also ran into 2 college mates who you are either are familiar with or should familiarize yourself with: Aston and Ugo, designers of the Aston Mozie collection. Ash got the awesome snapshots below.

To shop their website:

http://www.astonmozie.com/

For their Twitters:

Twitter.com/QuinnAston

Twitter.com/UgoMozie

Wonderful night.

Inside Fashion: Venus Aurielle In Black Men's Magazine

2011-09-27T10:10:00.001-04:00

I meant to blog this a while ago but I'm just now catching up with blogs! I have a backlog of 10-15 posts right now. Any who, better late then never, right? Time to introduce my girl to the world, say hi to Venus!

Shorty bad! Venus was featured in BlackMen's 40on40, an issue released this month! She's signed to the TSD agency and has been on her grind, hosting selected club events throughout the states. This is just the beginning of her young modeling career and what a start it was! Soon she will be taking it internationally by going to Jamaica for a surprise club appearance! I wonder when? I wonder where! Shhhhh, it's a secret.

More of Venus

She's a successful college student, now in her junior year of college. If you pick up the magazine at any 7-Eleven, CVS, Rite-Aid, etc near you, you'll see her 4 page cover in the magazine as well as a long interview where she states school is her priority! Beauty and brains huhhhh? *Kanye voice*

To catch her on twitter, follow her on http://twitter.com/v_goddess

Adieu.

Inside Fashion: NYC's Fashion's Night Out @ Patricia Field

2011-09-27T09:55:00.000-04:00

Wooo! My girl B invited Ashley and I to her store, Patricia Field, in NYC for their Fashion's Night Out party. It was a school night so I had to go home and get changed. I got to the city about 930 and met up with B, got there before Ashley (same sh*t lol). Ash came with the camera and we had fun! Danced, met cool people, and enjoyed ourselves!

Check out Ashley's blog here

We went to Patricia's other event across the street at Veselka after making a friend at her store, whose name was Kenneth and was big in TV production. He introduced us to some cool people also.

That was pretty much it! We left the city bout 1-2am. I took a $40 cab ride home (womp) but I was too tired to get home by any other means! By far, the best FNO I've had thus far. Where else to do it but the fashion capital itself? Where it all started.

Check out who was where and who tweeted what for NYC's FNO!

NEW YORK CITY
Bloomingdale's (1000 Third Avenue New York NY 10022): Actor Eddie Cibrian (6-8 p.m.), star stylist Rachel Zoe (6:30-7:30 p.m.)
Bottega Veneta (699 Fifth Avenue New York NY 10022): Actress Rose Byrne (6-11 p.m.)
Coach (595 Madison Avenue New York NY 10022): Saturday Night Live's Seth Myers (7-9 p.m.)
Completely Bare (25 Bond Street NYC NY 10012): RHONY's Cindy Barshop (6:30-10:30 p.m.)
DASH (119 Spring Street New York NY 10012): Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Jersey Shore's DJ Pauly D (6-8 p.m.)
David Yurman (712 Madison Avenue New York NY 10065): Camilla Belle (6-11 p.m.)
Dolce&Gabbana (825 Madison Avenue New York NY 10065): Justin Bieber (6-11 p.m.)
PHOTOS: Supermodel moms
Giorgio Armani (760 Madison Avenue New York NY 10065): Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett (8-10 p.m.)
Jeffrey New York (449 West 14th Street New York NY 10014): Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe (6-11 p.m.)
Kiehl's (109 Third Avenue New York NY 10003): AJ Maclean of the Backstreet Boys (6-11 p.m.)
Lord & Taylor (424 Fifth Avenue New York NY 10018): Solange Knowles (6-9 p.m.) and Ivanka Trump (6:30-7:30 p.m.)
Lucky Brand (535 Broadway New York NY 10012): Project Runway star Tim Gunn (6-11 p.m.)
Macy's Herald Square (151 West 34th Street New York NY 10001): Tommy Hilfiger (5:30 p.m.), celeb DJ Samantha Ronson (6-7 p.m.), Kelly Rowland (7-8 p.m.), Pretty Little Liars actress Shay Mitchell (8-9 p.m.)
MAC Cosmetics (109 Spring Street New York NY 10012): Beth Ditto (8-9 p.m.)
Manolo Blahnik (31 West 54th Street New York NY 10019): Sarah Jessica Parker (6-11 p.m.)
Marc by Marc Jacobs Men's (382 Bleecker Street New York NY 10014): Bar Refaeli (6-10 p.m.)
Marc Jacobs (163 Mercer Street New York NY 10012): Dakota Fanning (6-10 p.m.)
Michael Kors (610 Fifth Avenue New York NY 10020): Michael Kors (6-11 p.m.)
PHOTOS: Designing Stars: Celebs with Fashion Lines
New York & Company (715 Lexington Avenue New York NY 10022): Real Housewives of NY cast mates Countess LuAnn de Lesseps, Kelly Killoren Bensimon and Ramona Singer (6-10 p.m.)
Payless ShoeSource (716 Lexington Avenue at 58th Street New York NY 10022): Designer Christian Siriano (7:30-9 p.m.)
QVC (428 Broadway at Howard Street New York NY 10013): Kris Jenner, Heidi Klum, Donald Trump (6-11 p.m.)
Rag & Bone (119 Mercer Street New York NY 10012): Stars of Lala's Full Court Life Carmelo Anthony and La La Vazquez (6-11 p.m.)
Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Avenue New York NY 10022): Kris Humphries (6:30-10 p.m.), Ne-Yo (8-9 p.m.)
Sephora Times Square (200 West 42nd Street New York NY 10036): True Blood's Kristin Bauer, Kat Von D, Kate Walsh (6-11 p.m.)
Stuart Weitzman (625 Madison Avenue New York NY 10022): Michelle Trachtenberg and Hayden Panettiere (6:30-10 p.m.)
Ted Gibson Salon (184 5th Avenue 2nd Floor New York NY 10010): Twilight star Ashley Greene (8-10 p.m.)
Tiffany & Co (727 Fifth Avenue New York NY 10022): Leighton Meester (8 p.m.)
Versace (647 Fifth Avenue New York NY 10022): DRAKE (7-10 p.m.)
Victoria's Secrets (591-593 Broadway New York NY 10012): Angels Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Erin Heatherton and Lily Aldridge (7-10 p.m.)

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WWD’s intrepid staff fanned throughout Manhattan Thursday night for Fashion’s Night Out, tweeting their way through the streets. Here, a selection of some of their observations. For a complete breakdown of the goings on in New York, see http://twitter.com/womensweardaily.

• “Macy’s is my department store home. My Fifth Avenue store is my real home,” said Tommy Hilfiger, racing from Macy’s to his Fifth Avenue flagship.

• Justin Bieber at D&G says he is interested in doing a fashion line but is focusing on his music for now. As for the purple leather jacket and his buster gray jeans, he says, “They give me clothes and I put them on.” Heading upstairs the teen sang to himself and made sure in the mirror that he wasn’t dropping trousers too much.

• “This is wonderful!” Oscar de la Renta cries amidst the mélee at Bergdorf’s, greets a teen girl waiting with a postcard for him to autograph.

• Amar’e Stoudemire enjoying FNO and fashion venture with Rachel Roy. A post-basketball career in fashion? “If it goes well.”

• Spring Street in front of Kardashian’s Dash store already closed off by police due to crowds.

• “Fashion’s Night Out exists as a day now, just like Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day,” said DVF at her Mercer St. store.

• Sarah Jessica Parker signing Manolos for squealing fans.

• “Where is she?” “I just saw her!” Rachel Zoe arrives for #FNO at Bloomingdale’s.

• Donna Karan: “A packed schedule is what I would call it. I have four shows this week: Donna Karan, DKNY, Urban Zen and Haiti. Every free second of the day I’m doing yoga. I wish I was in a yoga class right now!”

• Pandemonium! Lea Michele and Ryan Murphy are signing T-shirts at Saks.

• “The challenge is to top what we did last year. So we’ve got 14 cameras live streaming the store on the internet.” Macy’s ceo Terry Lundgren.

• Joe Jonas, in Simon Spurr, is tempted to splurge at Saks. “I am eyeing a couple of things,” he said, pointing to the Burberry display.

• Lea no more — Saks Security is not letting people to the Glee stars anymore.

• Sofia Coppola at Marc Jacobs in SoHo, as crowds mob Jacobs himself for autographs.

• At Bergdorf’s dog fashion show, Badgley Mishcka’s dogs are wearing a wedding gown and military uniform in honor of marriage equality. Joseph Altuzarra’s, a parka.

• Kors and the Rockettes just stepped out on 49th Street.

• Michael Kors didn’t dance but struck an ending pose with the Rockettes nonetheless. “Thank you New York, have an amazing night,” he said.

• “We need to see IDs!” Said Seth Meyers, scrambling thru a mob to bartend @coach.

• Kenneth Cole: “I don’t think tonight is about sales. If tonight works then everything else will work out later.”

• Spike Jonze waits with the rest of the crowd for Miss Piggy’s arrival at Opening Ceremony.

• Miss Piggy on whether she and Kermit shop together: “No he isn’t into clothes, he almost never wears them, I tell him semi-clothed works great for you!”

And the tweets went on...

Inside Adventures: Labor Day Parade 2011

2011-09-27T09:32:00.000-04:00

Yeah, there's nothing much to really say besides the fact that we had a blast again playing with the Exotica Ladies a 2nd year in a row! The costumes sold the hell off AGAIN and we enjoyed ourselves with friends on the road! Great day on the Parkway for West Indians, minus the violence that surged. The section we played for is apart of the biggest and bestest band of NYC, Sesame Flyers, taking the title this year by coming in 1st place! Congratulations everybody!

After a treacherous walk back home (feet literally fell off) we stopped by Golden Krust and sprawled our costume back-pieces and Longchamp bags over the tables like we OWNED the store, like nobody was gonna come in and snatch our sh*t! Pleaseeeee, we in Brooooooookyln. Lol.

Inside Health: Yoga

2011-09-26T08:03:00.001-04:00

Yoga is the best thing that has happened since sliced bread! Seriously, I always heard the hype. "It soothes your body." "It calms your mind." I have heard so much hoo-rah centralized around yoga that I finally got tired of it one day and had to try it.

I have a membership with my local YMCA and of course, I consider them the best. The have a workout room, pool, steam room, sauna, as well as an eclectic set of classes at my leisure. I never really attend any of the classes, just a few ab workouts. I decided to try out the yoga class that happened to be available on my days off from work over the summer.

After trying it my first time, I totally did not expect the resulting feeling, especially after only the first time. I thanked the instructor and she thanked me for coming, and always got excited to see me return. She was sweet, but she was also very good at what she did. After each class, I came out with a pacifying peace of mind, potent and flexible enough to comfortably enjoy swimming, treadmill, and my ab workouts rather than berating it. I've found that it's a great way to start off a day at the gym. Your mind and body is completely and totally relaxed in time for the works you're going to take up next.

I had to go back to New York for school, so it was a sad departure for me. However, I went to Walmart with my mom and got a big yoga pack that comes with the map, rope, ball, and a personal DVD and instructions. Now I'm able to do it right in my home, at any time I please. Yoga is something that I recommend for everybody, but extremely recommend it for people who have a lot on their plate and stress out from time to time. This is a quick, healthy, and safe remedy for you.

Inside Human Rights: GET RID OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT!

2011-09-26T07:44:00.002-04:00

Disregard religious beliefs. Disregard religious sanctions. Disregard the fact that no human has the right to take away another human's life if they don't go by the name of God.

Troy Davis' case and execution has once again brought out attention on the death penalty and the legitimacy of it. I'm glad, but this is an argument I've been verbally fighting for a few years for many different reasons, INCLUDING religious beliefs, INCLUDING the fact that taking away somebody's life is not the job for a human to decide.

First of all, it's apparent that the south hasn't caught up with the whole "Let Freedom Ring" thing, you know? The Emancipation Proclamation? Issued and signed by Abe Lincoln in 1863? No? Doesn't ring a bell?

Well maybe we should move the Liberty Bell from Pennsylvania to Georgia.

Troy Davis is now dead and gone. May his soul RIP and I am so glad that he found peace with God before going, that's a wonderful thing. However, his execution may be a blessing for America in the name of justice. I've never seen so much attention focused on the wrongs of capital punishment until 2 days ago, September 21, 2011. Here are my reasons for why capital punishment should be aborted, or at least, the very least, reckoned with.

Reasons why America needs to get rid of the death penalty:

1) If you're going to execute a man based solely on a witness testimony, you're inane. By right, you deserve to be called a charlatan.

2) Statistics HAVE SHOWN people that have been executed by cause of the death penalty have later been shown to be innocent with God's 8th wonder; DNA.

3) If there are statistics that show people have been put to death wrongly and unjustly, that automatically calls for a recall of the law for the death penalty. Just like how Johnson & Johnson issued a NATIONWIDE recall on Tylenol when seven INNOCENT people died as a result of the Chicago Tylenol murders, America needs to make a NATIONWIDE recall of the fu*k%$g death penalty. Time and time again the death penalty has chosen innocent people as their prey and took their lives. The Chicago Tylenol murders and the death penalty share the same causality.

4) Since when is it okay for someone to even be convicted without physical evidence? Not even circumstantial evidence (unless the circumstantial evidence is beyond evident)! Why is that okay?

That pretty much sums up my reasons. I mean honestly, I don't really know what else to say for the jackasses that think killing someone with no evidence is okay. If we don't do something about it NOW then the whole judicial and justice system is only going to get worst. Also, someone needs to remind the south of America that it isn't the 1800s anymore. The north has always been the most revolutionized part of the country and the south seems like they're still living in the Civil War era. Just because you can't get away with lynching or burning a nigger doesn't mean that you can try to make it look a little bit classy by having it done legally. I am not a racist, nor have I ever been, but I have ALWAYS had a vendetta against the laws of the south because they haven't heard of words such as, revamping, revolutionizing, rejuvenating, I can go on.

The crime rates are higher in the south than they are in the north, and the North has the most urban areas in America where you would expect crime rates to soar way further than the South could ever reach (proven in this article). That is not the case though. If there's something wrong with our state laws up here, then your laws down there need God, Allah, Buddha, which religious Figure am I missing?

FIX your law system. By doing that we will eventually get to the process of omitting the shit out of capital punishment. At least if you're going to put someone on death row, let it be a blatant killing. Let it be a murder that has absolutely or little to no doubts. Don't put someone on death row that has had a jury take back what they said, witnesses at the crime scene take back what they said, no physical evidence, no weapon found, and not even something as little as a polygraph test done.

Put a stop to this.

Inside Health: New Recommended Workout

2011-09-14T10:03:00.001-04:00

If you all have read any of my previous blog posts on improving your health, like Inside Health: My Tips On Dental Care, Inside Health: Tips On Taking Better Care Of Yourself, Inside Health: Why Being A Clean & Organized Person Helps Your Ego, Inside Health: I Cut My Hair!, etc, you know how important I think it is to stay healthy. I love to share my ideas and experiences. I have a new recommended work-out that I believe is very very very gooood. It could be done between 3-5 hours at your local gym

ONE. Yoga

I was TIRED of hearing all the hype about yoga. It calms you down, it enhances your flexibility, blah blah blah, blah blah blah. I was just tired of hearing it and not trying it yet. I had it on my agenda to try but my schedule wasn't flexible with any yoga class in the city. It wasn't until I asked my gym about it and they said they offered it! I tried yoga ONCE and now I'm addicted. It REALLY calms your nerves and makes you relax. It also makes yo body feel really good. It's a brand new feeling and it's a great way to start off a workout, especially if you're about to go jogging or swimming. You want to have those muscles loosened, not tightened. Charlies horses, tense muscles, etc. are never good things. My mom bought a yoga bundle (yoga mat, rope, DVD, inflatable ball) at Walmart for $20, a freaking deal! My gym had all of these available but it's always good to have your own so you can do yoga on your own time with your own things.

TWO. Abs

I work on my abs next, because after running the treadmill, swimming, or going into the steam room/sauna, I become mentally and physically exhausted. Usually they have ab machines at gyms. If they don't, do regular crunches or sit-ups, 150-200 of them. If they do, then adjust the lbs of the weights to a number that you can bear, but challenges you. It's not the same for everybody, each person's body is different so choose the lbs accordingly. My body weight is about 132lbs, so I choose 70lbs of weights for my abs to lift. It's a work-out but it's doable. I usually do 30-50 of those while trying my best not to stop. Non-stop always equals best results.

THREE. Treadmill

By now, you're legs will feel good and be in shape to go on the treadmill thanks to yoga. Keep it simple. I don't need to be on a treadmill because I have no excess weight to lose so I only run for about 30 minutes. However, running still keeps your body in shape. It tones your legs, it keeps stamina up, it makes you physically able. Running is never a bag thing. I prefer jogging outside for about 3-5 miles or 30 minutes - 1 hour. I only get to do that when it's nice outside or when I don't have gym access. If I'm at the gym then I'll just deal with the treadmill. The treadmill is GOOD, don't be mistaken. I just prefer to run outside with fresh hair, a sports bra, and short shorts. The wind feels good against my skin, so the less clothes the better. The luxury of being able to stretch my legs with a wider length while running also contributes to my favoritism for jogging outside.

FOUR. Swimming

Swimming is one of all my all-time favorites. For the true swimmers who have been dedicated to the sport for years, they are my witnesses when I say swimming is the hardest sport to endure. Of course, this is common knowledge. When yo swim, you using EVERY function of your body. It is a major work-out. Not only are you using both your arms and legs to get you from point A to point b, but your breathing isn't as regular as if you were on land. Because of the rigor of this sport, I only do 5 laps (10 lengths). 1 length is from point A to point B. 1 lap is from point A to point B, back to point A, other wise known as 2 lengths. Hence the fact that a lap is more rigorous. I used to be able to do 500 yards under 9-10 minutes during my lifeguarding days but those days are now over since I stopped swimming for years. That's why I keep it to 5 laps, instead of 10 laps (500 yards) because I would probably die after just running my butt off on the treadmill. When I come out of the water after doing my 5 laps, I feel WORKED. Trust me, this is something you need to try. It's the fastest way for you to get in shape and you can acquire muscles, abs, breathing skills plus so much more if you are attentive and dedicated to the sport. For the first 2 laps, I do 2 freestyle lengths (front crawl) then 2 backstroke lengths, respectively. For the next 4 lengths (2 laps), I do freestyle, backstroke, freestyle, backstroke. And for the last lap, I do a combination of both. I don't know if there's a name for it but I learned it when I was younger and really liked it. It's something you'd have to see to understand, but your basically turning around in circles in the water. Here's a website for swimming styles. For girls, always wear a one-piece. Don't try to be cute with a two-piece. Swimming with an extremely tight one-piece helps you glide the water easily, a lose one-piece or two-piece prevents the velocity you're capable of. Your hair also prevents this because of the volume. I always wear a swimming cap and goggles just to make the swimming process much easier. I cannot swim without either of the two. Take all jewelry off and rinse off before jumping into the pool. So remember: one-piece, swim cap, goggles, game face. Bur.

FIVE. Steam room/sauna

Finally! The best freaking work-out of all time, and you don't have to do anything but SIT there: the steam room and the sauna! Take a swift shower and wash your hair immediately after getting out of the pool to get rid of the chlorine off your skin, before jumping into either the steam or sauna. Chlorine is not good for your body or hair. Some people favor one more than the other but I prefer the steam room because it's more intense. The 3 things I ALWAYS bring in there are a huge garbage bag, 3-5 water bottles, and a book. The book isn't the best idea because your pages get damped and they can rip if you're not careful, but it helps me take my mind off the fact that I'm dying in the steam room lol. Reading always takes my mind off things. I bring the water bottles because I'd be in there for a half-hour non-stop and NEED those waters. The garbage bag is what I use to put down on the seat to sit down on (some women are nasty and will sit down bare naked on the seat with all their cooch juices spilling!). I also put on a face mask but it's smarter to put that on before going in the sauna since the sauna sucks you dry and you won't be sweating your life out like you would be in the steam room. The sauna is also the best place to read but BE CAREFUL! The pages can get TOO dry and get stuck. OR, you could be in the sauna for an hour reading STRAIGHT, and when it's time to get up you realize you're about to faint because of your mental weakness. The steam room and sauna both do something to the inside of your head, it makes you weaker mentally and physically. The steam room is more obvious because you won't be able to take it and will force yourself out. The sauna, not so much, because it's quiet. If you are in fact reading in there, you don't notice your lightheaded until you actually move your head away from the awesome book you were reading. That's dangerous. Here's 2 blog posts of recommended books, Inside Books: Who's Better? Rochelle Alers vs. Zane and Inside Books: Reading Is A Mind Stimulation. Be aware of your time limits in there. I usually do 15 of both, back to back for about 2 hours. Always bring a SURPLUS of water. My mother brings gallons of water which is also smart if you have room in your gym bag.

1/12/2012 update: Something new I have been doing in the steam room, as well as all the older women, is putting mayonnaise on my face before going into the steam room. My mom, as well as the other women, like to put it over there whole body and hair, but as you will soon find out (if you try it) that makes a mess and I hate a messy place. Mayonnaise is really good for your body and hair. The several ingredient components that make up mayonnaise each serve a purpose for your skin. Keep it on until the steam sweats it off. I also bring a bottle of olive oil to the gym. So I put it on after sitting in the intense steam for a half-hour and washing the residue off my face from the mayo. The olive oil is a follow-up. The ending results are very, very smooth. I'm feeling my face as we speak and I can't believe this actually works. Try it. You won't be disappointed.

Egg yolk feeds the hair with growth-promoting choline. Mustard nourishes essential fatty acids and skin soothing magnesium. Wine or champagne vinegar exfoliates the scalp and the hair shaft, imparts a gorgeous shine, plus, vinegar improves the penetration of other ingredients. Sea salt is purifying and astringent, and olive oil is a well-known skin and hair conditioner. What’s great about mayonnaise is that you can use it if your hair is oily, thin, weak, curly, straight, or dry. It works well on absolutely all hair conditions because it has nourishing, astringent, clarifying, and glossing ingredients in a perfect balance.

Check out this site for more info. You can also Google "mayonnaise for your body".

I introduced my best friend to the steam room and now she loves it! I'm telling you people, it's an addiction! The steam was so tough you couldn't see our faces.

FYI: don't ever bring your electronics into the steam room or sauna or else you'll be a sad monkey after 10 minutes in either.

So that's my recommended work-out, those 5 things in that order! It usually takes me about 3-5 hours, like I previously stated, for me to get through these 5 things. After your finished with the last work-out, steam room/sauna, take a nice and thorough shower BEFORE leaving the gym. I've learned this the hard way. If I don't do that, I end up walking home and knocking the hell out in my bed which is NOT good because you NEED a shower immediately after the gym, especially because of the chlorine from the pool and all of the sweat residue still on your skin. I hope this work-out helps. I also find it much easier to work out by myself (as I do with everything else) because other people might slow you down. You have the luxury of focusing on you and ONLY you. Learn how to be independent. You don't need gym buddies. Do you.

Xoxo, B.

Inside Life: My Father's Nine Night & Funeral

2011-09-14T08:04:00.002-04:00

Ahhh, the end of everything. Nothing much to say.

3rd time in Jamaica within a month. Flew in Wednesday. Went out to a wonderful new restaurant in Falmouth called Rois Lagoon shortly after getting picked up at the airport.

A beautiful caterpillar

Throughout the day, painters, local neighbors, my family, all contributed into painting the house in time for the Nine Night and funeral. It was such a beautiful thing. My dad would have loved it.

Later on that night/morning, about 1am, we hit the club. Margaritaville.

Thursday. Spent hours at the hairdresser with my sister and cousin, and ran a few errands in the town. Nine Night came. Fitzie sung. My dad's mother's side was responsible for food this night. His dad's side was responsible for food after the funeral the following day. So many people from all over the world. Great, great night. He smiled.

All the people looking in alongside the gate

Friday. Funeral. Farewell.

My bro and I had to get back to Boston asap back to our regular scheduled program, responsibilities. My mother stayed a little longer though. Ate at The Bobsled Cafe at the airport, as usual. We were out.

We'll see each other again. I'm sure of it. Take care. You know I love. XO