Tag Archives: lifestyle

The Long Drive

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Recently I was a model in a photoshoot for Good Works bracelets. The shoot was in Fullerton, which for someone who doesn’t drive on the highway is far. And I mean epic lengths far from my home. The photographer was my dear friend and talented photographer Gabriela Kulaif. Again, for someone who drives effortlessly this drive would be nothing to blink twice at. But for someone who has never driven on the highway this was a big deal. A gargantuan deal and fear set in. I was asked to pick up a fellow model along the way, who didn’t drive. Great, it was to be a case of the blind leading the blind. I found a route that would take me through side greets, and despite taking 30 minutes longer I was feeling confident the journey would go well. The drive went well, we journeyed through areas of Los Angeles I didn’t know. One of which was Crenshaw. For those of you who don’t know LA this is considered “ghetto”. I must say it was fascinating. It felt like a tough neighbourhood and I wished I could stop and talk to the fella’s huddling on the street corner or the girls walking to school with their mother following close behind. The area is primarily black and Latino. Would my Latina blood mean I could fit in? No. There was an unspoken language I didn’t speak in the area. This was not my hood. When I tell people I drive through this neighbourhood their eyebrows raise and I’m told to be careful. Sure it was rough but it felt very real, very honest and very important to be aware of the various pockets that make up this large city of Los Angeles. It made me appreciate the value of leaving the known network I create and stepping out into the unknown.
The shoot itself went just fine. Not more than fine or less. I had my period and was in terrible pain and bloated as a big bellied bear. I simply wanted to hibernate and sleep. But it was fun and on the drive home I felt proud that I had pushed myself to drive two hours on un-chartered roads for the first time in my life. I even stopped to get gas somewhere in a tough looking neighbourhood and found that what I thought was tough was quite nice and friendly. I got a smile it two and never felt scared. For the first time I enjoyed driving as I listened to “Fina Estampa” (my favourite song) and hummed song. My next step will have to be braving the highway which I will be sure to tell you about.
For now here are a few shots taken by Gabriela Kulaif from the shoot.
P.s. I wrote this blog post using my phone so I hope it looks alright!

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Chicken Soup

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I am home alone this week as my husband is on a business meeting in Oxford. To tell you the truth I hate being alone. I enjoy my own personal space and alone time, but not at night. My mind races and my imagination goes bonkers. I hear and see things. Ever since I was a little girl I have had a hard time with the dark and I always thought I would grow out of it. Well, I almost have. I have faith that one day I will stop letting my imagination get the best of me, but on the other hand it is that imagination that lets me write and act and do the things I truly love. So go figure.

Last night as I was on my way up the stairs home after a great session at the gym, I bumped into a neighbour who is a dear friend who let me know he was going for drinks with some friends. “There will be live jazz” he told me. I hesitated and he assumed I wouldn’t go. So did I, to be honest. But when I got home I realized that this slump I find myself in will only improve if I am pro-active. “You are going out!” I said to myself in the mirror. I gulped down some leftover quinoa and jumped in the shower.

Entering the bar was an experience. My friend hadn’t answered his phone so I wondered if they were in fact in this bar. I walked down the side of the bar and people looked at me curiously. Several men asked me to come join their table, which I found quite flattering. Then finally I found my friends and I sat down to a delicious cucumber martini. The music in the background gently painted a soothing backdrop of encouraging notes that got our conversation going. We covered all sorts of ground from relationships, to films, to politics. It was swell. True chicken soup for the soul.

One of the topics we talked about brushed upon how insecure we all are as human beings, especially when we are in a relationship. Of course there are varying degrees of these insecurities and varying degrees of how you deal with them. I am ridiculously insecure, rather destructively so. Every year I vow to get better though and I do intend to love myself more and more, no matter how ridiculously corny that sounds. Sometimes when you talk to others about how they have fought with partners you find yourself realizing, it isn’t just you. I have heard stories of throwing things like shoes or paintings, of shouting and screaming whilst pounding fists against the wall, of intentionally adding too much salt to the food, of getting out of the car in the middle of the highway and hitchhiking home. Oh, let me tell you I have heard of, and been instrumental in all sorts of fights. And I have also heard of all sorts of make-ups to. We all fight, we all react in ways that make us ashamed at times. It’s what we do afterwards that counts. It’s how we pick up the pieces and move forward. It’s the intentions we have to do better and be better. Accepting when I instigate an argument, or when I wrongfully blow something out of proportion isn’t easy. But I am learning and as my husband says, it always takes two.

At the end of the day we are social creatures who don’t like to be alone. We need acknowledgement, empathy and love from people around us. Nevertheless, we have to love ourselves too. Something I think we often dismiss as silly. Something we don’t really dedicate that much time to (hopefully, if you dedicate too much time to it – find a balance for goodness sake.) Is that why I am scared to be alone I wonder? Because I don’t love myself? Nah.

As I am attempting to find things that make me happy these days, I just remembered a quote from Elizabeth Gilbert’s fantastic book, “Eat, Pray, Love” which I had forgotten and will surely make me feel far less alone and afraid at night. She explains that the Balinese believe that when we are accompanied at birth by four invisible brothers, who protect us through our lives. “The brothers inhabit the four virtues a person needs in order to be safe and happy in life: intelligence, friendship, strength and …poetry. The brothers can be called upon in any critical situation for rescue and assistance”. She then goes on to tell how she has had nightmares since she was little of a man with a knife next to her bed. Similarly I have always dreamt of a man in my room watching me. The medicine man tells her that this man is just one of her four brothers who is there to guard her while she sleeps.

Funny how when you turn something to the positive we just become happier. I am off to bed knowing that I am protected and loved – and I say a prayer and send love to all those out there who feel a lack of protection and no love. It’s true what they say, happiness comes with being content and appreciative. But I won’t delve into the meaning of happiness today. Goodnight Moon and cow jumping over the moon. Goodnight and may you all take a moment to realize how swell you are. You truly are.

Paper Planes

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It is 9:30 pm on a Thursday evening. As I drove home today I saw the hustle and bustle of Abbot Kinney, pulsing with coolness and gigantic scarves, vintage boots and thick glasses, and I thought, “blimey, how fun it could be to go out tonight. But instead I look forward to a cozy night with my man”. As he always comes home late, I went first to Golds Gym and punched the air violently in one of my favorite classes, body combat. My teacher De Andre has a way of making you loose all inhibitions and suddenly you find yourself screaming bloody Mary as you pummel the air around you. His name is pretty epic too, De Andre. I am a fan.

After the gym we had a cozy dinner  and then we got a message inviting us out to the Fairmont for a drink. I have a confession to make. I did’t feel like going. Instead I felt like being cozy, like watching something, talking, like sitting and writing about everything and nothing. Lately life has been going past so quickly and there is something delightfully delicious about slowing down and taking a deep breathe and relishing in silence. I realize the value of silence, of watching without talking, of listening and actually hearing ones own breathe. What a treat it is to be able to have even a few minutes of quiet and peace. Perhaps I should try meditating because now I think, more than ever, I value those quiet intimate moments one has with oneself.

Talking about silence, there is something gloriously beautiful about non-verbal communication; Those magical moments where your energy syncs with someone else’s and you feel “connected.”  You catch somebody’s eye on as they step onto the train and they turn to smile at you as the train pulls out of the station. Magic. Although in most cases the magic disappears pretty quickly, there are those rare occasions, those romantic stories that make you smile and long for the serendipitous moments that make life so exciting.

Have a look at this beautiful animation that was shared with me today. It’s got paper planes and a love story. Non-verbal communication at it’s best.

 

 

 

 

Beasts of the Southern Wild and Don Juventino

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Last night my husband and I watched Beasts of the Southern Wild. What a film. I am in awe of the creative story telling which throws your imagination into a whirlwind of a journey. The imaginative, playful, brutally raw and animalistic world of a six year is who you see the world through in this fantastic picture. I tip my hat to the story telling abilities of the Director Benh Zeitlin and writing abilities of both Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar who wrote the play Juicy and Delicious which Beasts of the Southern Wild is based on.  This six year old I mention is Quvenzhané Wallis an actor that shakes your very and every core. She stirs every emotion on the spectrum. Her father, played by Dwight Henry is equally as magnificent with his rough manners almost fully hiding any hint of tender love towards his daughter. Reminiscent of the poem of a film, Alamar, Beasts of the Southern Wild is as human as human can be. It doesn’t spare any feelings, doesn’t spoon feed any scenes – its cutting. Its delicious in fact and as Alibar would have said, downright juicy.

I slept like a baby after watching this picture. My mind spinning with thoughts, missing my nephews and nieces more than ever. Feeling pangs of guilt for not being a good enough Aunt – thoughts that were quietened by my strong sleep inducing cough medicine.

We awoke to a beautiful sunny morning, Venice Beach beating its mad drums beneath us on the board walk of everybody and nobody’s dreams. A friend just finished telling me about a Don Juventino, or as his patients call him, Don Juve. He is Mexican, a retired Doctor who apparently lost his license due to the damn drink a while back. Nevertheless he is the son and grandson of shaman’s and he dedicates his life to helping his fellow Mexicanos when they fall ill or need a good massage, or as we call it ” el les soba”. “Sobar” is the cure of so many ailments, you massage out the cold, the hurt, the ailment. By Jo it does work. He also is well versed in herbs and concocts teas and so forth. How I would love to meet this Don Juventino. His name echoes in my mind, it is simply the most adequate name for him – he is for a story. No longer a drinker, he dedicates his life to helping – people pay what they can afford. Who is this Robin Hood like figure? My friend called him un viejito. When I asked how old he was she said in his fifties. Perhaps he looks older due to his manner and his previous alcoholism. Does he have wise wrinkles that encourage trust? I imagine him small with warm healing hands smelling of lavender. “When my finger hurt he massaged my shoulders and arms and neck” my friend told me. “He never touched my finger and suddenly the pain in my finger joints was gone”. This makes me feel he is good, he knows what he is doing. “My sister is skeptical of him so he told her not to pay him but she should keep coming until she is better. Then, he said, she can consider donating what she feels is fair.” This made me think of my wonderful brother Viggo who is an amazing massage therapist with, I kid you not curing hands, and a heart of gold. If it weren’t for the fact that he has a family (including a dog) to feed he would accept payment for his treatments with wine or fruit, whatever his adoring patients could give in return. This always warms my heart.

It’s a mysterious magical Saturday. A day of resting and tidying. A day of dry cleaning drop off’s and pickups, of cooking, or sitting in the sun, of standing in line at the post office and watching people, of sipping tea with organic thick honey. Today, is a good day.

 

Balance (and bacon)

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I love to preach about how everyone should seek to obtain balance in their everyday lives. Why? Because that is what I want and what I firmly believe constitutes a healthy and happy life. We all need a bit of balance.

I confess, however, and hang my head in shame as I say before you that I have NO balance in my life currently. After having started two jobs recently, I find myself in a situation where I 1) sleep less than five hours a night and 2) I find myself sitting in front of a screen for an un-godly amount of hours of the day.

How did this happen? How did I suddenly start skipping meals, not moving my body and worst of all – loosing sleep?

I know that parents out there will say, honey, just wait ’till you have kids. And I am. I am waiting because the idea of sleeping less than five hours a night scares me to death. If you could see what I look like on such little sleep, you would be scared too.

Today, however, despite a pile of work wining at me, I went to the gym and it felt swell. Endorphins went mental and I was high. High on all the goodness that comes with shaking ones body violently for an hour. But that doesn’t mean I have re-gained balance in my life. I made a small step towards it though….perhaps that is the trick, baby steps. One small step today, one giant step when looking at the big picture.

I fear, however, that one day, in the far distant, oh-my-dear-God-may-it-not-happen-too-soon future…when I do have children, that I will be an awful, terrible, miserable human being. How does one balance breast-feeding, eating right, going to the gym work, sex-life, friends…how, I ask? How? I suppose the trick to life is finding balance within the situations one encounters throughout ones life span. When a child is in the picture, you find balance within that specific situation…and so on and so forth.

Easily said, difficulty done. But if it was easy it wouldn’t be any fun, I tell myself in an effort to nudge myself along…

On that note, I am going to bed. For the first time in two weeks I am going to get to sleep before 1am. The face mask is on my head waiting to cover my two tired eyes…

Goodnight Moon. Goodnight amigos…I shall now go dream of balance, booze and bacon. Because I have been craving it, but that’s for another post.

 

Baja California

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As I was doing research for work I  stumbled upon the eco-friendly hotel – Hotel Endemico Resguardo Silvestre in Baja California of world-renowned Grupo Habita. This eco-hotel is the winner of the 2012 Best Small Hotel Award from Travel and Leisure and was designed by Gracia Studio. Twenty independent rooms, or EcoLofts, span over the terrain each elevated above the soil. The minimal box-shaped rooms step out onto a wooden deck which has a clay fireplace. Oh the suffering. At night you stare up at the stars, sip some local wine(s) and breathe. Lets not forget that there is also a pool, winery and yes, a delicious restaurant.

It has not, from what I can understand opened to the public yet, but when it does I shall make it my business to go and review it! It is located in the Valle de Guadalupe and something tells me it is close to the restaurant Laja, a place that everyone should eat at. All the produce is grown in their garden’s – this culinary “mecca” is a must for all you people who like to do the eating of simple good food.

Picture from the Laja website

Picture from the Laja website

It’s Wednesday so lets dream about going to Hotel Endemico and eating at Laja, go on, I invite you.

xoxo

Monday Matter of Fact

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Afternoon confession – I fell in love with the lovely lady selling me my glasses today. She remembered the style I had liked two months ago (I didn’t). I would have bought anything from her. I am a blatant sucker for good service. Wine me and dine me and I’ll say yes to anything. Seriously. If you feel like falling in love, head to the A. Kinney Court – the best place to buy glasses in LA.

Then I walked home amongst the flowers of Abbot Kinney.

Downstairs I have a juice shop, coffee shop, Indian, Japanese and Peruvian food…the lot. As I went down to get my regular açaí with lots (I mean mounds of granola) I had a chat with one of the locals. As he munched on his breakfast (at 3:13pm) I asked him a random question about the juice stores new Mexican joint across the street. “Yeah, I was looking forward to it too – they were talking about some Mexican Cuban fusion shit but now Monica (lets say that’s her name) got pregnant so…”Oh well, what can you do..” I said in an okay I got to go back to work tone. “Not have sex” he replied.

Yes, true – one could take such a matter of fact stance to life. But the notion of not having sex is, lets face it, not an option.  It’s like saying, life got in the way, so stop living. Uh, no. Not an option thank you.

What I liked about this dudes attitude was his pragmatic approach. Don’t fret, just get on with it…

And with that I continue my day, relaxing and shrugging my shoulders….Maybe today’s a “bof” day….the genius expression of the Français, summarizing okay, so so, nah, whatever, regular, boring and bland all into one beautiful three-letter word – BOF -how very French I feel. My third name is Therese, so I am basically French (or so I would say as a child).

All that’s missing is my cigarette (it’s too hot for a burette)… or vice versa.

Monday evening tune (for your evening gimlet, G&T…) – Some Kitty, Daisy & Lewis -They will be at El Rey Theatre on the 6th of April (with the Leftover Cuties)….see you there xoxox

“The Game of Life”

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The Similar Synonym of Cinnamon is, not, Nutmeg.

This is part of a series of pearls of wisdom that effortlessly emerged from my lips last night. This morning I awoke repeating this beautiful tongue twister in my head and I started to contemplate the bizarre nature of this world we inhabit.

How very Sunday’esque you may say and to this I say “aye” it ’tis. I even sipped upon a muffin and nibbled on my coffee simultaneously…uh hugh.

This has been a week of oddities. Perhaps it has to do with some planet being in retrograde or the stars having an itch. God only knows (and he ‘aint sharing) so why has this week had us all on our heads?

Cars have broken down, fights have broken out, beloved animals have passed away, rain has taken over LA… what’s next? Hail. Yes, it already happened it hailed in LA. Meanwhile everyone in Oslo is enjoying sunny spring weather. Go figure.

Perhaps these odd times are here to remind us all to take ourselves less seriously, to find the beautiful in strange, to smile when we want to cry. Perhaps this up-coming week is about going left when you want to go right.

Finally, sometimes we need to add music to our life, our own soundtrack. The song “The Game of life” by the Leftover Cuties I find very fitting for the last week and perhaps even the one to come….

Enjoy xoxox

 

 

 

Boom! I won an Award. Ecstatic!

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Here are the rules for this award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you.

The wonderful Courtney, author of The Good, The Bad and The Saggy awarded me with this honor and for that I am truly grateful. I write as much as I can, I know it is often a bit of a diatribe but I enjoy it to death and squeal with joy every time I press “publish”. When any of you comments it makes my day (if not week) – thank you Courtney for being so supportive and loving, so fun, honest and simply a wonderful friend. 

2. There are no limits for how many fellow bloggers you can nominate.

Fibromy-Awesome: Mary talks about everything with wit, humor and plenty of insight. At the age of 9 Mary was diagnosed with fibromylagia/chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome. At the age of 12 her father died of cancer (on the toilet). The Cherry on top of the cake is that she was diagnosed with Lyme Disease a year ago. As she recuperates, Mary brings a smile to your life and makes it quiet clear that no matter your battle – you got to stay positive, or at least try to.

Elle’s Empire State: Fashion and all things beautiful with this classy lady allows you to live vicariously through her life in New York working for Vogue. Love everything about her.

Love Fed: Christina Ross has revolutionized how I think about food and opened my mind to all sorts of new recipes. She is a sheer delight to read and a stupendous entrepreneur in the world of Healthy meals, treats and snacks, with a large dollop of love and tenderness.

Literati: Wonderful Blog by the Events Manager of Belgravia Books in London. From book reviews, to essays, to commentaries –  If you are interested in anything related to Art and Culture – this is your gal to read. It’s as Jimena says, “Thoughts on anything related to the written word” – and that, is quite a lot of magnificent things!

The Good, The Bad and The Saggy: The refreshing honesty and smoldering heart of this blog makes this a must read for everyone, no matter whether you are a parent or not. Every time I read this blog I walk away smiling or giggling – it brightens up my day, in every way.

3. Share some things about you but alphabetically just a word or two about you starting with each alphabet. (Or alternatively, just write the first word you think of)

A: Aynanita

B: Beluga (I love this word – sort of makes you want to shake your hips as you say it – give it a whiz, or actually, a shake…) I also heard that once my parents were given a tub of Beluga Caviar and ate it with my Godmother in the kitchen with spoons… I want to eat Beluga caviar by the spoon and say Beluga. Lots. I could sing “Baby Beluga” my children’s singer Raffi too… If you have children and don’t know about Raffi – tune in.

C: Cacahuates (Japoneses) – My favorite type of peanut, they have nothing to do with Mexico but they have marketed them as Japanese peanuts. Point is, they are divine. Oh and C makes me think of Cri-Cri, the wonderful singing cricket.

D: Danzon – such a beautiful film.

E: Eureka – A word that should be used so much more often. I like to say it (most often in my head).

F: Friends – I love my friends – I need to tell them that more often. I suppose we all do :-)

G: Gargantuan – another word that sprung to mind that makes me smile.

H: Holly – my beautiful mama who is the best, in the whole entire world.

I: Inventor – what my husband to be is, quiet brilliant he is indeed..

J: Juan – my papasito de mi corazon.

K: Ketzela – Yiddish for little cat and the name of our Labrador as I was growing up. I miss her always, little Ketzela, she was like a little seal, so cozy and understanding.  Then there is Kip – my friend Corie’s dog who we would put glasses on and film as we would narrate his “voice.” (If I find that tape I will put it on here…it is quite hilarious).

L: Lingo – I was going to say Love but then Lingo made me giggle…But “Lefse” a sort of sweet flat and warm bread with butter and sugar is a better “L” – mmmm getting hungry.

M: Mango – Mangos de Manile – the best thing, eaten on special “Pincha Mangos” that you buy in Mexico – basically a fork with a longer middle prong which you pinch into the Mango and allows you to eat it like a lollypop (after you peel it obviously)!

N: Nincompoop – what I feel like sometimes, such as now, that I had to sing the ABC’s in my head as I complete this.

O: “Oh What a Beautiful Morning! Oh What a Beautiful Day!… la te da da da da te da…Everything’s going my way…”

P: Pellicer is my surname. Not Pelliker, Pelliser, Pellicier or by any means, Pelikan.

Q: Qantas – they have big planes. I want to get in one.

R: Radio Days – one of my favourite Woody Allen films. I love watching it with my parents.

S: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious – Oh, Mary Poppins you naughty little minx. You made that word stick in my mind like glue, and there is nothing, nothing I can do about it.

T: Tri-lingual – that is what I am. This means I have an accent in every language – I am a child of the world (I say this half sarcastically, half seriously – this is what happens if one goes to an International School).

U: …are a trooper for reading this far and I love you for reading my blog.

V: Vewy vewy quiet…. we have to be vewy vewy quiet.

W: Wicked – not the musical the word. Wicked is such a deliciously wicked word. Love it.

X: Xochipili – my brother’s dog who passed away that I miss.

Y: Ya – actually spelled “ja” but sounds like “ya” – the yes that Norwegians say by inhaling… (try saying “ya” and inhaling at the same time. We Norwegians do this a lot. It is fantastic.

Z: Zeal – When you do something, do it with Zeal – give it all you’ve got.

Thank you for reading my blog! I welcome comments (they make my day) and love to hear from you out there!

Warmest of hugs,

Jenny xoxoxoxoxo

Day 3: High as a Kite

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Today I have been quite high. I am no longer spacey, simply energized and acutely aware of every smell, touch, sound – everything around me.. The 3rd day has been the easiest and I do feel very satisfied with myself. I have to say, however, that I miss the social act of eating. Sitting down for a meal is a time to talk and share and appreciate food with the people you love. I miss that. I miss my dinner with my wonderful husband. Poor thing, he has been eating soup for supper with me for three days out of solidarity, what a trooper. That is love for ya.

I have, on the other hand, realized that I need to appreciate what I eat far more and noted that I don’t really need to eat that much at all in order to thrive.

I have sudden burst of energy and felt very calm and still within. My friends have asked if I have had diarrhea, but you know what? I have actually had a very regular and solid bowl movement every day (especially today). I feel very cleansed, I wonder how on earth anything can come out of me after only ingesting juice for the past three days. The fact that something does come out goes to show that we all can benefit from a cleanse and an opportunity for our tummies to catch up.

Poor ole’ tummy of ours. We give everything around us a break, the weekend is technically our break, we make time to go on a break, we make time to relax – we should also give our digestive system a break. Did you know that 60% of our body’s immune system is based in our gut? It is pivotal to keep your digestive system healthy. In our gut we have trillions of bacteria, some are “good” some are “bad”. They live together in a pleasant manner when there is “bacterial balance” in your body. What upsets the bacterial balance? Factors such as stress (the number on enemy of all health), poor diet, antibiotics or illness. Taking probiotics, which are “good” bacteria, helps keep the natural balance of organisms (microflora) in the intestines. I have always taken probiotics at random moments of my life. I now feel far more convinced that I could use more balance in my belly and perhaps juice once in a while – especially after a night out, plenty of delicious wine or cocktails … anything that is yummy and can affect your tummy.

We all can do more for our gut (I just spelt gut – git – it was hilarious – had to share – “We all can do more for our “git” – ha ha yes we can) . Lets face it, we stress far too much. Your stomach is the first place to feel it – so take care of it please.

Now I am lecturing and giggling about “git”…oh the things a juice can do….. I shall step down from my pedestal upon which I preach and go drink my juice….

Lets see how I awake tomorrow…. I had a dream I awoke multi-coloured (the colours of all my juices). I didn’t. Thank the Lord.