May I Recommend: Movie, Music and Book Edition

Yeah so this is a three in one i have been meaning to update this thing but life has other plans for me so right now i have a few minutes to update so here we go.

Ok first up the movies:

About two weeks ago I went to see Rent with Nataly (Yes, Nataly and Caro are my movie watching buddies) and I LOVED it, if you have not gone to see it, I suggest you go before this movie leaves the theater. This movie stayed close to the original Broadway production. Just about all of the original Broadway cast was casted for the movie with the exception of Rosario Dawson as Mimi and Tracie Thomas as Joanne.

I was crying by the end of this movie for reasons that I can not discuss in this review because it will ruin the movie. So you have to go and see it to see why I was crying.

All of the actors did a fabulous job they all played their parts so well but one actor stood out to me over the rest. This particular actor in my opinion STOLE just about every scene he was in so when I got home I did some research (thanks Google) and found out that this talented and guapo actor is DOMINICAN that is right.

Who am I talking about no other then Wilson Jermaine Heredia who plays Angel. Wilson won a Tony in 1996 for his role as Angel in the orginal Broadway production. How cool is that. In an interview that i read about him, he was talking about how he is straight, but everyone thinks he is gay because of his role as Angel. I can see how that would happen homeboy rocked this role.

So in conclusion go see Rent. While you are at the mvoies you might want to check out....

The Family Stone. I saw this movie with Caro last week. First of all I want to say that I LOVE this poster. Again I LOVED this movie it was surprisingly really good a little predictable at times but good. A fair warning fan of Sex and the City, SJP's character here is nothing like Carrie. You end up hating her in the beginning of the movie which is refreshing because we are all use to loving her.

So if you have seen the trailer then you know that this movie is about a son Everett Stone played by Dermot Mulroney who brings home his girlfriend for the holiday and bueno everything just goes wrong. I loved Diane Keaton as the mom who blended humor and heartbreak, and honors the film with a grace that makes it stick in the memory. I ended up wishing I had a mom like her.

Rachel McAdams (who I love) rocked her role as Amy, Everett's younger sister who thinks that Meredith (SJP) is a bitch.
Luke Wilson also rocked his role as Ben, Everett slacker brother. I also love that the Stones have a gay son who is also deaf played by Ty Giordano, and that through out the movie the characters used sign language. I think the reason why I ended up loving this movie so much was because it reminded me of my family so much. So go check this movie out as well.

Ok now for the music:

Shaki is my girl. I am a HUGE Shakira fan and you know I had to pick this one up the day it came out and am I glad I did.

I love this cd it is classic Shakira. Some people don't like her in English because they think she is "selling out" and others might think that two cd's in one year might be one to many but I have to disagree. Yes there are no huge dance song like this summers smash hit La Tortura off Fijacion Oral Vol. 1 on this cd, but just listen to the lyrics of songs like Don't Bother and tell me that it is not a great "angry chick song". Actually Don't Bother is one of my favorite songs off this cd. I have to admit to being jealous of Shakira's songwriting ability's. I love this line from Don't Bother;
" She's almost 6 feet tall/ She must think I'm a flea/I'm really a cat you see/And it's not my last life at all."

Other good song off this cd is Illegal ft Carlos Santana. This song might bring some comparison to Alanis Morrissette's You Ought to Know but then again Shaki has been compared to Alanis since her third CD Dónde Están Los Ladrones? Anyways Illegal is a great song for any women who has had her heartbroken with lyrics like " You don't even know the meaning of the words "I'm sorry"/ You said you would love me until you die/And as far as I know you're still alive, baby/You don't even know the meaning of the words "I'm sorry"/I'm starting to believe it should be illegal to deceive a woman's heart." Some other good songs are Dreams for Plans; Costume Makes the Clown, and Timor.

Now for the book:

Way back in the day when I was part of the sucias there was a new and young writer on there named Liz De Jesus. Liz was way cool and wrote amazing poetry. Which she use to share with us. Now I don't know if Liz is still a part of la sucias last time I checked she had not posted for a looooong time. Anyways Liz wrote a little book titled Note to Self. So being a good sucias I ordered a copy because that is what we do support each other. Well it took Borders a million years to get my copy to me but when they finally did I sat down to read it.

The finally result is....I liked it there a few mistakes in the book which I took to be an editing mistake but the more I read, and the more I got to know and love the main character Sam I started to think that maybe the mistakes where made or even left there on purpose. Seeing as Sam is not a perfect person.

Sam is a Puerto Rican woman who is recovering from a broken heart and bueno basically she hates life or at least is disappointed by it. I do have to say that this book cracked me up at time's because Sam reminds me of me. Anyone can related to Sam and her views on life and you will be cheering for her at the end of the book and there is even a point where you are going “Ay, mujer get a grip" but in a good way. If Sam does not remind you of yourself, well then we all know someone like her.

Sunset

People are just as wonderful as sunsets if I can let them be. I don't try to control a sunset. I watch it with awe as it unfolds, and I like myself best when appreciating the unfolding of a life.

-Carl R. Rogers

That quote right there summories all the reasons why i teach.

Confidential

I still love my new job which by now is not really all that new. I still love everything about it.

I love walking in to a classroom and hearing 16 pre-schoolers say " Miss Karlina" as four or five of them run up to hug me. I love sitting down with them and just hearing them tell me stories. I love all the art work they make for me (which now proudly hangs in my office). I love that when they draw a picture of me, my arms and legs come out of my head (everytime i look at that i laugh). I love the look on their face when they finally "get" a something or write their name for the first time.

I love walking in to the baby room and just hanging out in there. The baby room is my hide out spot when everything gets to be too much. It is amazing what holding a baby can do.

I love walking in to the parent room and have 4 or 5 moms come over to me and offer me food. They are always trying to feed me. I love sitting in there with them and just hanging out.

I love the fact that even after working all day the dads still all show up every Monday night for class, earger and willing to learn.

I love my staff, i have an amazing, hard working, dedicated staff and i am very grateful for them. I love my boss, she really is the coolest boss i have ever had.

Like i said i love everything about my job even all the paperwork and the long hours. What i do not love is the hard, heart-breaking confidential stuff that brings me to my knees in a flood of tears. I wish i could tell you about it but i can't. I can not tell you the number of times that i have had to leave a meeting or walk out of the parent room in a hurry and lock myself in my office and just cry.

I can not believe that there really is this much injustice in this world. I know that no one said that life is fair but these families have been through so much they need a break. It breaks my heart that all i can do is offer them a hug and an ear to listen. I wish i could do more to help. Since our program is a little different then most school programs we are able to do more then most program but i still wish we can do more. I know there is only so much we can do but still i wish could do more.

The holidays are suppose to be a time for celebration but all i find myself doing is crying. I have be come an emotional wreck who barley sleeps. I find myself waking up at night worring or think about one of my families wishing i could do more. This is the problem with being a teacher no matter how hard you try you always become attach not just to the kids but to their whole family and after a little while they become your family as well and we all know how i feel about my family.

I know what you guys are thinking "now Karla you have done all you can" and" you can't save everyone". I know this and i am remind of this everytime i see these parents i am amazed by their strenght, even though their lives are falling apart and some really horrable stuff is going on i am amazed with the fact that they still come in to school everyday with a smile on their face.

I know that this is Caro's thing but still i think it fits: love is finding the courage to keep living.

Well now that i made everyone all sad and worried i hope you all have a good weekend.

May I Recommend: Movie Edition

So last night I went to the movies with Nataly and saw Walk the Line, the Johnny Cash biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. We had originaly planned on seeing Harry Potter but we were late for that showing. So we saw Walk the Line instead. If that movie wasn't on your to-watch list, I encourage you to add it.

I had never heard a Johnny Cash song in my life before, and I ended up loving the movie. This movie was about the relationship between Johnny and his wife, June Carter Cash, and how they came to be as in love as they were. It's a love story, but it's one that both men and women can enjoy, being at times heartwarming and at other times funny.

The movie was released last weekend, and already the buzz is all about Oscar. Joaquin is being talked about for his work, and I have to admit he did a fantastic job. He seemed to really nail Cash's struggle between his dark feelings of guilt and remorse, and his love for June. Whatever Joaquin's formula was, it worked for him. He perfectly conveyed Cash's angst through his music.

The other notable performance belongs to Reese Witherspoon. I know that some people were somewhat sceptical of her ability to carry off this role, but let me tell you that she did so masterfully, even learning the plectrum to lend credibility to her performance.


An Oscar nom is all but guaranteed for her, but I'm not sure that she'll be able beat out Zhang Ziyi once Memoirs of a Geisha finally hits theaters (not nearly soon enough). I loved Reese's performance, and she deserves to win based solely on the fact that this role was such a departure from her usual fare.

An other notable preformance was by Ginnifer Goodwin who played Vivian, Johhny's first wife. You may remember Ginny from Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! and Mona Lisa Smile. This woman deserves an Oscar as well, and once you see her fight with, love and cry over Cash, you feel terrible for this woman. It's harder than it sounds, because John and June were truly soulmates, and Vivian was quite nasty when she felt like it. Still, what could have easily become a bit part in a movie about two lovers was given the depth and emotion it deserved. Other Oscar noms could be garnered for Direction, for James Mangold, and costumes. On the whole, this was an excellent film.

To end this post here is a pic of Reese and Joaquin as Johnny and June.

Winter Preview

So i am also at that " i have nothing interessting to write about stage" so i thought i would post some pictures of winter in Colorado. So here you go.

The Moon was raising over the divide and i thought it was a beautiful sceen with the mountains and the snow in the forground.

What Colorado is known for snow covered mountains.

This looks like a painting right? but it is not, it's a picture i found of Colorado. That right there explains the name of the state.


The holidays at Vail. Yes, I know i am obsessed with Vail pero i mean just look at it, it so pretty.

The poor trees out here get such a beating but they look so nice all covered in snow.

Well i hope that everyone else is umm living a more exciting life then i am right now and that you all had a nice Thanksgiving.

Three Posts in One

So this is going to be rather long sorry!

As you can see i did not fall of the face of the earth i am still here. Last week was crazy for me. I was organizing these two huge events for work. They are finally over and they went well.

___________________________________________

So ladies it seems to me that we are all down for getting together so now we have to pick a location our options are

a. New York
b. L.A.
c. Miami
d. Las Vegas
e. insert your own option here.

also when do you ladies want to meet?

___________________________________________________
So here is my rant for the day. You don't have to read it, i just need to vent.

Some days being single sucks. Like big time. I am tired of people looking at me like there is something wrong with me. I am tired of people trying to "set" me up with guys. I know they mean well and their heart is in the right place but really, do you have to introduce me to the mailman as well? I mean lets just post it on a billboard or something like that. Why don't we humiliate Karla just a little bit more?

you know what i don't want to talk about this anymore so this won't be as long of a point as i thought.

Think You Know Sexy?

It is that time of year again chicas, it is time to vote for Peoples sexiest man alive. Check out who the finalist are and then cast your vote here.

They also have some other fun facts and some quizzes so if you have the time go check it out.

Trees

..."It took some getting use to but, of course, life feeds life. Where'd I get the idea that art and happiness could never jive? I felt stupid, wasting so many years . But I took solace from those locust trees, known for their crooked, seemingly aimless growth. We have to live our natures out, the seed we call our soul unfolds over the course of a lifetime and there's no going back on who we are--that much I've learned from trees."

From Julia Alvarez's poem "Locust"

Mad Hot Ballroom

I saw this movie at Blockbusters the other day and i have been dying to see it so i rented it. My mami and I watched it on Friday night. I LOVE this movie. It is sooooooo cute. My mami ended up loving it even more then i did, so much so that she called all my aunt's and uncle's and told them that they had to come over to watch it. Last night during our usual Sunday dinners (my family gets together every sunday for dinner) my mom kept telling me " put the movie on, put the movie on." So i did. Ay, why did i do that?

Right after the movie was over my aunt's and uncles started to take out their cellphones and started calling family in New York and Miami just to tell them about this movie. Ay, what have i done. Look what i started just by asking my mom to watch a movie with me :)

I saw that they have it on sale at Target, so i went and bought it for my madre since she loves it so much. I can't wait till i give it to her later on tonight.

If you have not seen this movie then let me tell you are missing out on a GREAT movie. It had me smiling and laughing the whole time. I was so excited for the little dominican kids from Washington Heights. My aunt's say that i am being bias because i am a little dominican kid from Washington Heights :) i promise you that has nothing to do with it. O.K. yes it does, but anyway this is a great movie and i am mad that they started this program the year after i left New York. Why could they have not done this sooner like oh i don't know 1993?

Bueno i hope you all had a lovely weekend. Go rent or buy this movie i promise you are not going to regret it.

Mean Girl

So i have always known that i am a bitch but really?


Regina George


Which Mean Girl are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Am I that big of a bitch?

An Update and a Question.

What's up Yo?

Don't mind me i am in a silly mood today, so let see what has been going on... hmmm... oh yes i have this week off from work. Yay!! I have been home chilling doing nothing. It is soooo nice to just sleep in.

Caro came home last Thursday for the weekend and that was cool. It was great to see everyone's reaction when they saw her. LOL, we are some sneaky mother**** Caro, Joe and Moi that is. I loved our "Kitchen" conversation during your last night here Caro. Good times, good times.

A few nights ago Joanne asked me what happened to our beloved Dominican Bachlorette bueno mi gente what can i say about our bachlorette, last time we saw her she had kicked Adrian to the curve. Well now our lovely bachlorette is this close to becoming a cat lady, and she DISLIKES cats. So that should tell you something. There are still NO men in Denver. I think i am going to have to import some guy in from another city.

Do you guys remember Adrian? bueno, he went and got married to some girl he met at the club a few weeks ago. Yes, he sure did.

I got a text message from my dear cousin Nataly the other day telling me that the first guy i had ever kissed passed away. He died in a motorcycle accident in D.R.

Damn, last time i saw him was six years ago and the last image i have of him is the one of him standing in the middle of the road yelling " Coño Karla, come back here" as i walked away from him mad as hell. I never saw or talked to him again after that and now i never will.

Ok enough of the sad stuff now for the question.

I was thinking since a lot of the "original" suicas (Dirty Girls) are also fellow bloggers how do you ladies feel about having a "ex-sucia" retreat some where? I think it would be cool for all of us to get together and cause some trouble....er....i mean hang out some where.

So tell me ladies what do you think? we could be real biotches and do it at the same time as the other sucias or we can do it whenever. Also let me know what you ladies would like to do. We can take a curise or just fly out somewhere and lay on the beach while we drink mojitos and check out papi chulos. The choice is up to you my dears. So let me know either by sending me and email or commenting here.

Stolen

I got this from Reese and Desiree.

You Are Most Like Charlotte! You are the ultimate romantic idealist You've been hurt before, but that hasn't caused you to give up on love. If anything, your resolve to fall in love is stronger than ever. And it's this feminine optimism that men find most appealing about you. Romantic prediction: That guy you are seeing (or crushing on)? Could be very serious - if you play your cards right! Which Sex and the City Vixen Are You Most Like? Take This Quiz Right Now! Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

Ever Lasting Love

66 yrs, 18 kids, 40 something grandkids, 30 something great-grandkids, a house fire and two diagnosis of cancer later my grandparents are still together.

Today is my grandparents 66 wedding anniversary. I love my grandparents so much and the fact that they have been married for 66 years and are still together after everything that they have been through is just amazing to me, and i hope that one day i will be able to find someone with who i can share a love like that.

Mama and Papa ¡Felicidades en su aniversario! Los quiero mucho.

Leaving La Sucias

A year ago I joined a gang, Yup, you read that right I said I joined a gang. Last year I became a sucia. The sucia gang was formed on October 6 and three days later I joined. The night I joined I met our leader La Queen Sucia. I had a good time that night and left feeling like I had made the right choice by joining.

At first we were a small group of women who came together to support each other and just talk we had great conversations about everything from politics to the Texas vibrator law. We were a really tight group of women from all over the world and from all walks of life. Did you know that there is a sucia gang member in South Africa? Yup that is right South Africa. Some of you might be surprise to know that a few of our fellow bloggers are also members or use to be members of La suicas.

Anyways the sucias was the hottest sh*t around for a long time. Then came that May weekend where everything changed. What exactly happen I can not say I was not there, all I know is that when La Sucias came back from that trip things turned ugly quickly. Nasty emails were sent out and a sucias was actually kicked out of the group. A few days’ later apologies were sent out but by then it was to late the damage had been done, the sucias would never recover from it. That weekend became the white elephant in the room we all knew it was there but yet no one dare to talk about it.

Little by little the "original" sucias started to leave, some left officially (like I did) by letting everyone in the group know they were leaving, some just left and never came back. I still wonder what happened to them.

As the "original" sucias were leaving "new" sucias were coming in. Some of the "new" sucias were cool and I am glad that I got to know some of them, but some of the "new" sucias were just there to cause trouble.

Why is that, when a group of women see that an other group of woman is getting along they have to come and try to start sh*t? Yes the sucias were on shaky ground because of that retreat in May, but we were working on it, then those few new sucias came in and messed everything up.

I hate the fact that a select few women ruined a good thing for everyone else, because of these "new" sucias and their mission to cause trouble it soon became them vs. us. The "new" sucias vs. the "original" sucias.

A lot of the older sucias no longer felt welcome in a group that they help create (myself included). This caused even more of the “original” suicas to leave. I stopped "hanging" out with the sucias in June and when I came back, I could not believe what was going on. The group that I came back to was not the same group I had left, la sucias had changed.

Shortly after that I stopped posting but I was still a "part" of the group, I still knew what was going on. I left the group again in August. This time when I came back I "tried" to put all that drama behind me and give the "new" sucias a chance, I am glad that I did because I was able to meet even more of the "new" sucias who are mad cool, but those few who are only a part of that group to cause trouble were still there doing their thing and again I felt unwelcome. So I decided that it was time to leave. I left the sucias a week ago.

To all the "original" sucias who left I miss you guys and I hope you are all doing well. To the "new" sucias I wish you luck and I hope you ladies are able to keep the group together.

So for the last time I want to say " SUCIAS" out!

Going to Santa Fe

My tia called me the other day and asked me if i wanted to go with her to Santa Fe for the weekend. Since i have nothing else to do i said " sure" so here i am getting ready to go. I guess you can say i am pulling an Elle by going on a mini-vacation. I will take pic's a post them when i get back. I hope everyone has a good weekend and that Joanne is enjoying her birthday celebration.

Tratando

Aquí me ven
Tratando de dejar atrás
Las malas cosas del pasado
Limpiándome toda la piel
De lo que un día me hizo daño
Para sanar mis heridas

Aquí me ven
Es hora de recuperar
Lo que dejé por olvidado
Las ganas de volver a amar
Y de vencer el calendario
Para encontrar mi salida

Aquí me ven
Tratando de limpiar los restos
Que quedaron del fracaso
Creyendo que tal vez podré
Recoger todos mis pedazos
Y recuperar mi vida

Aquí estaré
Y como una mujer asumiré
Que voy a retomar mis pasos
Que lo que nunca pudo ser es cosa
Del pasado

-Marc Anthony
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here you see me
Trying to leave behind
The bad things from the past
Cleaning my skin
Of what one day hurt me
So that i can heal my wounds

Here you see me
It is time to recover
what i left for forgotten
the desire to love again
and to defeat the calendar
so that i can find my exit

Here you see me
Trying to clean up what
is left of failure
Believing that i might be able
to pick up all my pieces
and recover my life

Here I will be
and like a woman, I will assume
that i will be able to take back all my steps
that what was once impossible is now
part of the past

-Marc Anthony

This is loosely translated in to english.

Breast Cancer Awareness

It has taken me forever to write this because El Papi Chulo list is a hard entry to follow. Also this is a hard entry for me to write but i have to do it, it is the least i can do. I own it to you.

As you all know by now October is Breast Cancer awareness month. I know that no one on here knows this but breast cancer hit's close to home for Caro and me. Our aunt was diagnosis with Advance Stage 3 breast cancer last year.

No one in my family wanted to tell me that my aunt had breast cancer. I found out by mistake, Nataly let it slip one day, my first reaction was one of shock and then it was to sit on the floor and cry. Actually it was more like a sob but you get what I mean. I am very close to my aunt she is my second mom. She helped raise me. I have always thought of her and my tio (uncle) as my second set of parents and her daughters as my sisters. In fact when I was 5 I use to tell everyone I had 4 older sisters instead of two. I was heartbroken when my mom explain to me that Josie and Gricy where my cousins not my sisters. LOL.

My aunt had surgery to remove the cancerfrom her right breast in March and had chemo right after that. Chemo was really hard for her because not only was she sick and unable to do anything (which she hated) but also she could not travel and that was the hardest part of all since this was all happening at the same time that my grandmother was very ill and my aunt wanted to go to D.R.to be with my abuela. Last Tuesday was her last day of radiation and this week her doctor gave her a clean bill of health and permission to travel. My Tia is so excited about the fact that she can go to D.R. to visit my grandmother and now my grandfather.

My tia is now a survivor, but there are still millions of women and men who are still fighting for their lives, So in their name i am asking that you guys take a moment and stop by The Breast Cancer Site and help fund a mammogram by clicking on the pink button in the middle of the web site. Also if you can please join the Race for the Cure when it comes to your town or if you can't do the race stop by the Susan G Komen website and see what else you can do to raise awareness.

I will end this post with a picture of a survivor, mi tia. Te quiero mucho tia.

El Papi Chulo List Part 3

Here it is ladies El Papi Chulo list part 3. Again they are not in any order, I want to thank Marissa, Kim and Joanne for their help putting this list together. Enjoy Chica's!

Michael Ealy
He is so lindo that it hurts.

Jesse Metcalfe
What can i say he is my favorite gardner :)


Johnny Deep
I LOVED him in Chocolat.

Denzel Washington
Denzel is the original papi chulo.

Amaury Nolasco
Ladies let me introduce you to Amaury the new papi chulo on tv.

Freddie Prince Jr
I had the biggest crush on him when i was younger.

Harry Belafonte
This one is just for you Joanne.

Eddie Cibrian

El Cuban Papi

Dean Cain
I loved him when he played Superman.

Greg Louganis
Para Kim, your man.

Mark-Paul Gosselar
Little Zack from Saved by the Bell sure did grow up to be a papi chulo.

Taye Diggs
I think Taye could help any women get their groove back.


Paul Walker
He was the love of my life until i saw Daddy Yankee.

John Cena
Again, ladies let me introduce you to yet another papi chulo. John here has replaced The Rock as el papi chulo on WWE. Now don't get this wrong he can NEVER replace mi amor The Rock pero diablo this dude esta bueno.

I'm Back

Hey everyone, I am back!!!! Did you miss me? I had a good time at my conference, Rifle was not all that bad it was a beautiful drive up there i took some pictures but i don't think that they will do the beauty of nature justics. It is something that you have to see with your own eyes to understand what i am talking about. I will post the pic's that i took later on. I am pretty tired so i am going to go take a nap and i know that there are a ton of spelling mistakes but right about know i don't care. There will be a better post later.

Mountain Trip

So I leave today at 1 for Rifle. Yup that is right i am off to my conference. I wont be back until Saturday so while i am gone you guys could go back and read or in some cases re-read Karla classics like My eyes are not my own, So what is wrong with the guys in Denver
or everyone's favorite El Papi Chulo list part one and two. Sorry this one includes a little scrolling down. It is the third post.

I hope you all have a good rest of the week. Oh and ladies please leave suggestions for El Papi Chulo list part three.