60 Day Picture Challenge: Days 52 - 57

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 52: A picture of your favorite sport

Many of you probably don't know this, but I actually used to play soccer when I was in high school. And not to be arrogant or anything like that, but I was pretty damn good. Hehe. I'll be honest and admit that my interest in the sport has subsided somewhat, however, it's always in full effect when the World Cup is on. 

And come on girls, let's be honest, we wouldn't mind watching these fine men strutting their stuff for 90 minutes would we? (If case you're wondering, these are some of the players of Italy's national team, known as "Gli Azzurri.") 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 53: A picture of someone you think is hot

Let me introduce you to Mr. Henry Cavill. I've been a fan of his for quite some time now and am glad that he's finally gaining some notoriety. He recently starred in "Immortals" and will be playing Clark Kent in the next installment of Superman. Oh, the things I would do to this man and the things that I would let him do to me... Haha! I know, I know. How scandalous, Ms. Bandy! What can I say? I've never said that I'm NOT a red-blooded woman...

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 54: A picture of something you would bring with you if you were stranded on a deserted island

If I were to be stranded on a deserted island, I would like to increase my chances of survival. A knife would allow me to protect myself from predators, hunt game as food, sharpen tree branches to create even more weapons, etc. So realistically speaking, a knife would be my best bet. 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 55: A picture of the last movie you saw in theaters

I saw New Year's Eve a few days before Christmas. It was okay, certainly not life-altering or spectacular by any means, but it was entertaining. I love going to the movie theater so any chance I get will be welcomed with open arms. 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 56: A picture of something that makes you happy

My friends make me a very happy girl.

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 57: A picture of your favorite holiday

I think I'd mentioned this already in a previous post, but Christmas is by far my favorite holiday. This year however, it was somewhat bittersweet. I'm sure most of you know by now that I was mugged at gunpoint a few days before the 25th. The worst part was that it happened on the day that my mother and I had finally decided to do all of our Christmas shopping. Therefore, the bastard end up stealing all of the family's gifts (we're now referring to the thief as 'the Grinch' in my household as a joke.) Anyways, he took about $1000 worth in goods, but that's not the worst part, he left my mother and I in a highly stressed and anxious mood, and I speak for myself when I say that this didn't allow me to enjoy the holidays as much. In any case, Christmas is still my favorite holiday. I love the decorations, the sparkling lights, the music, and just the cheerful disposition that everyone seems to be in. 

2011: Year in review

The first day of 2012 is almost over! It’s so clichéd to say this, but time really does fly by. I remember that it was around this time last year that I made the decision to stay in Honduras while I waited for my US residency. Back then I swore that I’d only be here for a couple of months. Look at me now, an entire year has elapsed and I’m still waiting, but I know it’s something that will work itself out sooner rather than later. As I’ve always been saying, it’s just a matter of when, not if.

So, what did I do in 2011?

2011 was a year of incredible personal growth. I lost 30 pounds and found my long-lost self-confidence. I continued making great progress in my pursuit of happiness, self-awareness, and knowledge. I strengthened the bonds with the most important people in my life: my family, and despite the distance, I grew even closer to my true soul-mates, my best friends (don’t need to mention any names because you guys know who you are.)

What were the highlights of the year?

Well, let’s try to do this in chronological order… I got accepted into NYU! (Still incredibly proud of this, even though I’m still waiting to see if I’ll actually be able to go.) I saw Lady Gaga in concert! I went to New York City!!! My family and I went on 2 trips (something which we hadn’t done in a LOOOOONG time.) And even though it wasn’t something positive, getting mugged at gunpoint certainly helped 2011 go out with a bang (no pun intended, lol.)

Oh yea, and I had my share of fun, too. 

What were some of the things I learned?

Even though there are a few people out there who will claim that I’m a vile person, the truth of the matter is that I will always do what is best for my wellbeing, even if that involves sacrificing some other things, which may at times make me seem cold-hearted or evil. 2011 was all about looking at my past in order to close the chapter on certain issues and situations that were still affecting me. I’m not going to say that I succeeded entirely, but I certainly made great strides in this respect. Even though it’s the only way to do it sometimes, it’s very hard to try to get closure on your own, i.e. – trying to just come to terms with the reality of things.

Also, I realized that as important as it is to carry ourselves with dignity and integrity, we mustn’t let our pride play an overly important role in our lives. In the past, I was afraid of letting people see that I could be vulnerable, that I was capable of being hurt (as ridiculous as that may sound), and I got so consumed in appearing to be strong, that I let my pride get in the way of fixing things with individuals who meant the world to me. It’s hard to meet people with whom you have a connection on an intellectual, spiritual, and emotional level, and now I truly do feel that when you’ve found people with whom you have that, you must hold on to them at any cost (as long as it’s mutual, of course.) Lesson learned. In the future, I have to let people know just how much they mean to me, even if it means that I make myself seem vulnerable. Being strong is not about NOT having emotions; it’s about having emotions, not being afraid to show them, standing by your decisions, and knowing that even if you’re hurt, you’ll be all right.

10 important events that took place in 2011?

-       The Arab Spring: riots in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Libya, etc., that led to the overthrow of several authoritarian regimes in some of those countries (most notably, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak.)

-       Earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

-       Capture/killing of Osama bin Laden.

-       Terrorist attacks in Norway.

-       The Occupy movement.

-       Problems with the euro.

-       End of Berlusconi’s rule in Italy.

-       The discovery of the first Earth-like planet, Kepler-22b.

-       End of the war in Iraq.

-       Death of Kim Jung-Il.

Song of the year?

“The Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga. (Highly predictable, I know. Mais, qu’est-ce que je peux faire? Je suis comme ça.)

 

Movie of the year?

“Midnight in Paris,” directed by Woody Allen, and starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and Marion Cotillard.

Book of the year?

“1Q84,” by Haruki Murakami. 

2012 - BRING IT. I'm ready for you. :) 

Loving me is like straightening curls...

I eat boys up, breakfast and lunch....

... Then when I'm thirsty, I drink their blood...

Carnivore animal, I am a cannibal...

...I eat boys up, you better run...

.... I have a heart, I swear I do, but just not baby when it comes to you....

If you want my curls, use this... 

Cause few people in this world can rock both curly and straight hair. If you're one of the few who can, embrace it. 

Embrace the inner cannibal. ;)

CD Review: Melody Gardot - Worrisome Heart

Genre: Jazz/blues
Running time: 33 minutes, 10 tracks
Perceived as: Mature, soothing, sexy, sophisticated, soulful, and unassuming.
Perfect for: Unwinding after a long, stressful day with a glass of Pinot Grigio or Sangria.
Sounds like: Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Nina Simone
About the artist: You couldn’t really tell by her deep, soulful voice, but Melody Gardot is only 26 years old. She suffered a serious accident when she was 19, which left her bedridden for about a year as she recovered from multiple (head, spinal, and pelvic) injuries. Furthermore, the accident caused a series of neurological disorders, such as memory loss and hypersensitivity to light and sound. A doctor recommended that she start music therapy in order to accelerate her recovery, and as life would have it, this served as the catalyst for her musical career to kick off.  Something that particularly struck a chord with me when reading her biography was that despite being American, she describes herself as a “citizen of the world,” which is something that I always say about myself. Furthermore, she claims to be a Buddhist, which is yet another thing that I found very interesting, since I've always held that several Buddhist precepts and beliefs are compatible with my lifestyle and with the paradigm through which I view the world.
Favorite Tracks: “All that I need is love” and “Gone”

Picture Challenge: Days 45 - 51

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 45: A picture of your room.

              

My bookcase/desk is a bit messy - but that's only because I have TOO many books! I need a much bigger bookcase!

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 46: A picture of where you wish you were right now.

I'm not gonna lie, I'd love to be in New York City right about now. I continue to dream about New York. 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 47: A picture of your favorite place to shop.

My favorite place to shop would definitely have to be Dadeland Mall in Miami because I can find all of my favorite stores there (except H&M, of course.) 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 48:  A picture of your favorite actress/actor.

Natalie Portman is my favorite actress because of her versatility, elegance, and intelligence (she went to Harvard and speaks multiple languages!) 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 49: A picture of where you live.

An aerial view of one of the main streets here in San Pedro Sula. Doesn't seem very exciting, does it?

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 50: A picture of your most frequented place.

This is the 'Centro Social Hodureño Arabe.' In English, the term most appropriate for what it really is would be "country club." It's my most frequented place because it's where my gym is at. 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 51:  A picture of your dream car.

This baby is the Aston Martin Vanquish S Ultimate. An Aston Martin was featured in Casino Royale and since then, I've been fascinated with them. Just look at it. 

Day 44

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 44: A picture of someone you’re told you look like.

Lots of people have told me that I look like Kelly Clarkson. And though I can see why they would say that - I think that she and I have the same "type," I have to politely disagree. I think that my features are prettier, and slightly  more delicate, than hers. 

A few others have said that I look like Joss Stone. Maybe I'd look more like her if I were blond? Again, I can see some similarities between certain facial features, but I don't completely agree. 

I think I look a lot more like this girl. She's a Brazilian actress (I don't remember her name. She was part of the cast of a Brazilian soap opera my mom used to watch.) 

What do you think?

Day 43

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 43: A picture of something you can’t function without.

I often wonder how we (as a human race) functioned without personal computers. Last night, as I was trying to fall asleep, I was thinking of a time when I didn't depend on my laptop, because to be completely honest, I depend on my laptop for almost everything these days (read the news and stay up-to-date on current affairs, keep in touch with my loved ones who are far away, download/listen to music, etc.) So, what did I do to pass the time when I didn't have a computer? How did I stay connected to the rest of the world? And you know what I realized, that I've had my own personal computer since I was about 9 years old (and before getting an actual computer, I always had one of those kid computers, the VTechs and the whatnots.) Granted, back then I only used it to play video games, but the point is that I've always been highly dependent on technology. I guess that for me, the greatest value that a computer has is its potential as an educational tool. I can't even tell you how many audiobooks I've downloaded in the last year, let alone how many eBooks or PDFs I've read. Lately, in my attempt to become fluent in multiple languages, I've been getting into podcasts a lot too! Anyways, I'd definitely say that my MacBook is currently the item that I simply could not function without.