Traveling Feet

Today is one of those days where I couldn't get traveling out of my head. I was listening to Ojos de Brujo and other flamenco variations this morning which made me nostalgic of my days in Spain; more particularly of a travel that I took to Portugal with David and our girlfriends at the time. Later at lunch, I was reading Che's Back on the Road, which documents his second set of travels around the American continent. I visualized myself walking in his footsteps through Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica, crossing borders and crossing cultures with nothing but a bag and very little money. Someone in the restaurant spoke of traveling and how he'd always miss the Northeast. There is something to be said about this...the changing of the seasons is something I do cherish.

Later in the day, I stumbled upon new photos of an Argentine friend of mine who is living and traveling around Mexico. I saw pictures of places that I've been and it brought me back. I learned that she is looking to go to Oaxaca so I'm trying to put her in touch with my friends from there. I hope they can connect.

Nostalgia is great tool to get back in touch with friends.

I love when my different friends are able to meeting each other. It shows how small the world can be.

Of course my trip to Brazil is also on my mind as I leave for two weeks next Monday. I have been wanting to travel to this country for some time and it seems unreal that I'm almost there. I'll be surfing a lot of couches in Curitiba and Rio and meeting up with some old friends. I have a sense of calm, but know that the airport will surely break this. Let's hope not. Here I come Brazil

Tulips Blooming

Another Tulip Fest has come and gone, but the great weather and tulips themselves have stuck around. Yes, it is that time of the year again when Albany celebrates its Dutch heritage by gathering in Washington Park for music and festivities. This year it wasn't as crowded as most, I suspect because of the ban on drinking in public. It seems to me that most people celebrated in their homes or on their stoops to be able to drink without worrying about getting ticketed. Luckily, we have an amazing little courtyard for such occasions.

Aside from one girl who got way too drunk, way too early (around noonish) the courtyard festivities went off without a hitch. There were games, and booze and introductions to neighbors and meeting new people who were visiting Albany for this momentous occasion.

After the celebration in our courtyard died down, we headed to my front yard, also known as Washington Park, to see the headlining band at the Tulip Fest. They put on a pretty good show, however I must admit that I didn't watch much of it as I was on a mission searching for some vegetarian food from the plethora of vendors. Eventually I found a falafel dish that was very overpriced but also quite tasty. I guess anything at that point would have been tasty though.

Later on we made the trek to Pearl St. to see Awolnation play at Jillian's for the Tulip Fest after party. We must've arrived around 9ish or so, but we made it just in time for the band to start. There weren't as my people as I expected, given that it was a free show, so that was pretty nice. And I ran into a Biergarten friend who gave me a pass to the VIP section...which entailed less crowds. I did get a free beer which was a plus! By this point I was pretty beat, but I made sure to stop by McGeary's before calling it quits. All in all, it was some good times.

Old New Year's Wishes

So I just came across this note that I wrote during the 2010 New Year that I completely forgot about. It made me smile and so I wanted to include it in my blog. I wrote this after living in Spain while I was teaching English so it's in Spanish...but I'll translate :) Although I wrote it over a year ago, I think it's still quite applicable today...especially the part about my friends.

"Otra vez ha pasado otro año; un año lleno de experiencias nuevas, culturas distintas y amigos nuevos. Aunque se fue muy rápido el año, me dejó un impacto imprescindible que me hará recordarlo por toda la vida. Es preciso decir que gracias a las amistades que he hecho este último año, me siento cambiado, claro por lo mejor. Los viajes que he realizado me ayudaron conectar con los amigos del ayer y hacer amigos nuevos.

Otro año ha empezado y se supone que por lo cual somos más sabios, más racionales y más perspicaces. Con los viajes que uno hace, no solamente se ve el bueno, pero también el malo que existe en el mundo. La pobreza, el racismo, la desigualdad y la inhumanidad de las guerras siguen siendo problemas de la actualidad. Es importante recordar que nosotr@s somos parte de una sola raza humana, entonces todos tenemos una responsabilidad de hacer algo para cambiar esta situación.

Brindo por un mundo más justo basado en la fraternidad y un mundo sin violencia y prejuicios. Les/Os agradezco mucho a todos mis amig@s por ser parte de mi familia extendida, por ayudarme ser una buena persona y por aceptarme en sus/vuestras vidas. Les/Os deseo un año lleno de amor y amistades nuevas."

Once again another year has passed; a year filled with new experiences, distinct cultures and new friends. Although the year went by so fast, it left an indispensable impact that will make me remember it for the rest of my life. It's important to say that thanks to the friendships that I have made this past year, I feel changed, of course for the better. The travels that I have took have helped me connect with friends from yesterday and make new friends.

Another year has started and one supposes that because of it we are more knowledgeable, more rational and more perceptive. With the travels that one takes, not only does he/she see the good, but also the bad that exists in the world. Poverty, racism, inequality and the inhumanity of wars continue to be current problems. It's important to remember that we are part of one human race, and therefore we all have a responsibility to do something to change this situation.

I give cheers for a world that is more just based on fraternity and a world without violence and prejudices. I am thankful to all my friends for being part of my extended family, for helping me be a good person and for having me in their lives. I wish for a year filled with love and new friendships.

Across the Pond

Now that the break has long been over and we are well in the New Year, I am back in a routine here in Albany. I can finally take a moment to reflect on my visit across the pond.

Right before Christmas break, I took a trip to London to visit David during his break from LSE. The flight went quite well, although there were some delays due to the crazy weather Europe was having; well it wasn't that crazy, but the UK isn't used to dealing with massive snowstorms like we are in the blizzard-filled Northeast US. Regardless, we arrive with no major issues and I was even able to sleep quite a bit so I didn't have to worry too much about the jet-lag.

This trip was a great time to catch up with David, meet all his friends, and see what it is like to be a grad student in London. The most interesting aspect of LSE were the students. It seemed that everyone was from a different part of the world with a unique story to tell and fluency in at least two languages seemed to be the norm. I met a Ukrainian who spent time in the US and Russia, an Afghani who lived in Canada and an Argentine who studied in the US. To me, the majority of these students could certainly be characterized as 'Global Citizens.'

The activities were nice, but mainly this break offered me a good chance to catch up with David and relax. We did have a nice pot-luck Christmas dinner with students from his residence, walked the streets of the ghost-town that was London on Christmas day, and had the chance to visit both the Tate Modern and the British National Museum.

After Christmas, David and I took a trip to the Netherlands. We made a mad rush through the airport in London as we realized we arrived about 40 minutes late for our flight. After literally running back and forth through security and talking with the extremely helpful airline staff we still managed to catch our flight as it had been delayed. What a relief!

We stayed in Amsterdam for a few days exploring the streets of this amazing city. Many of the Pleins, or squares were filled with people, festive lights and vendor stalls selling traditional holiday snacks and meals. We spent the night in the Flying Pig Hostel which had a nice party vibe to it with really cheap beers. Staying at this hostel allowed us to gain inside information about procuring cheap tickets to the Van Gogh museum, allowing us to pass the enormous line that seemed to stretch for miles. We were also fortunate enough to stay at a Couchsurfer's house right in Dam Square. David stayed with her on a separate trip to Amsterdam and due to the great experience they had, she trusted us to stay in her apartment while she was away with her family for a couple of days. We even took a day trip to Albany's sister city in the Netherlands: Nijmegen. It was quite a lovely city and hopefully a new destination for Siena's study abroad students!

Upon arrival to London, we started making plans for New Year's. It seemed that no one had a clear idea of what they were doing. Some folks were going to a low-key club, others were planning on spending the night in a bar, but everyone kept asking everyone else what the plans were. Luckily, David got in touch with a British friend of his who was looking into the options of several bar/clubs that were not too pricey on Old Street. After a dinner with David's friends from Mayorca, we took the tube to the area and had no problems meeting up with the British friends. They even bought our tickets in advance! We entered the bar and were greeted by several burlesque dancers who were smiling and welcoming us in while remaining silent. This entrance, with the music in the background, the lights illuminating the several bars and huge dancing area, gave me the feeling that I was in a movie or part of a VIP New Year's party! There was dancing, drinks, great live music (where we even jumped on stage and sang with the lead singer) and even fireworks. I must have wished a few dozen people happy New Year's while roaming the streets to see the fireworks.

But all things must come to an end, as did my little sojourn to London. David got up early with me to walk me to the train station and I was off back to New York. It would have been great to spend some more time, but all in all it was a good trip.

Rediscovering Albany Music

On Monday I had a great time exploring an old gem (under new management!) of Albany formerly known as the Muddy Cup. This café has a new name, the Drama Cup, but it still has a similar feel as its former self.

Although they are redoing much of the place, I was immediately excited after entering. Chris and I have been looking for a place to play some music and this is definitely it. Every Monday night, the Drama Cup hosts an open mic, where all sorts of musicians, artists, poets, comics showcase their material. The wide range of music and the friendly nature of the folks in attendance, offered a very welcoming environment. Although it was indeed a bit cold inside, the hot and tasty coffee resolved that problem.

In between sets, Chris and I discussed which songs we were going to play for the upcoming competition that has needs to contain a political element to the ensemble. It's as if the planets were aligning since politics are involved in almost everything we do.

This visit surely sparked something in me that has been lying dormant for a bit. I have been in a bit of a funk with school and work and this is just the revitalization I needed to start discovering things in Albany once again. I checked out the stepuppresents website for upcoming shows and looked into Valentines site. Now, I certainly want to make this a spot to grab some beers and listen to some live music.

http://www.albanyopenarts.com/

Green Party 'Victory' in NY

Although the Democrat won the governor's seat, the election did prove that people are getting fed up with the traditional two parties. The efforts of the Green Party have certainly been fruitful as they secured more than the 50,000 votes needed to gain permanent ballot status in NY State. Congrats Greens!

Party's Over...Two Party System that is

After watching the NYS gubernatorial debates, I have been becoming more anxious about the elections. Although the event at Hofstra was described as a "circus" or a "farse," it certainly allowed for some of the third party candidates to bring up important issues that our traditional two-parties have tended to ignore during this election season. The Green Party candidate, Howie Hawkins, addressed serious issues like the environment, health care, and even the state of our 'democratic' system.

Paladino has no hope of recovering, especially after revealing his anti-gay sentiments. Perhaps now that Cuomo has such a large lead over his homophobic opponent, real progressives will think twice about voting for the Democrat. It's time people who call themselves progressives got over this mentality where voting for a third party is considered a "waste of a vote" and vote for candidates who actually represent progressive views like Hawkins.

This would be a welcome change considering the large amount of Corporate Democrats in office who would really be part of the Republican party if it weren't for their liberal social views...that is to say that they aren't bigots, racists, xenophobes or sexists. Isn't it time we embraced other parties, or candidates, who represent real progressive change? The Dems say they want to change the status quo, but in fact, they are the status quo.