monicastravels

In the Prime of their (uncertain) lives by Harvey Schachter

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 05:38:00 +0000

Switching jobs every so often in our 20s, not being completely satisfied for long in our line our work, dreaming up more magnificant plans is not just something I do, or you do. Apparantly it's the trend of our generation - gen x & y - and it's a good thing.

I was glad to hear it and so here it is.

------------------------------------------------

Special to The Globe and Mail
August 29, 2007

BRAZEN CAREERIST:
THE NEW RULES FOR SUCCESS BY PENELOPE TRUNK

Many baby boomers and their parents faced mid-life career crises when they hit 40. Today, Generations X and Y - the young people populating our work places - will be dealing with what is being called the quarter-life crisis before they hit 30.

They leave university or community college in debt, often are still living in their parents' homes, and frequently move through a succession of jobs in their mid-twenties, unsure of what to do.

It looks like flailing, but Penelope Trunk - who experienced this herself as a professional beach volleyball player, software executive, entrepreneur, and now career columnist - says it's a good time in life to be trying out your dreams. "Better to do it now than when you're 40," she writes in Brazen Careerist.

But as younger people approach 30, the feeling of instability can mount into a crisis if the job hopping seems likely to continue endlessly. The way to avoid it, Ms. Trunk says, is not to grab on to something for life immediately after university. Rather, be more systematic about explorations in your twenties, so that, when you hit 28 or 29, you have sorted things through and have a sense where you want to land.

View detours as a route to happiness, she says. Embrace them. Be a sponge, soak up all that you can from the people you work with. Any job - and any person, no matter how weird - can help your career.
There will be uncertainty, and that's fine, she says, "Uncertainty is a good gift with bad wrapping paper."

"The only way to lead an interesting life is to encounter uncertainty and make a choice. Otherwise, your life is not your own - it is a path someone else has chosen. Moments of uncertainty are when you create your life, when you become who you are," Ms. Trunk says.

Accept uncertainty instead of fighting it. Indeed, prepare for uncertainty, through meditation and cultivating self-knowledge, she advises. Let uncertainty surprise you with what it brings - and allow you to shine.

"Some of you are stuck in your career. The only way to get unstuck is to create instability," she says. "If you can see your life in front of you, you've got a problem. If you know what's coming, then you probably won't need to grow to deal with it. If you can see everything coming, then what is the challenge? You're on auto pilot."

Graduate school has often been the antidote to uncertainty at this stage in life. But it probably won't help you fulfill your dream, she warns, but rather, just put off finding one. That's because, in school, we are constantly told what to do and rewarded for meeting other people's goals. "The adult world requires us to set our own goals, and that is something school does not teach," she notes.
Résumés are an essential part of the career process. She contends that when you break résumé rules, you hurt yourself because you look like you don't know them.

Her first rule is that you must keep a résumé to one page; someone sorting through a batch of them is unlikely to look at a second page.
"I don't care if you are the smartest person on earth or if you have founded six companies and sold each of them for $10-million. The point of a résumé is to get you an interview, not a job," she writes.

"If you have something great on the second page, put it on the first. Then you will have nothing great on the second page and you will be able to get rid of it."
Don't use paragraphs in your résumé. Use bullet points. No hiring manager, she insists, will read through paragraphs. List your achievements, not just the duties of the jobs you held. "Anyone can do a job, but achievements show you did the job well," she stresses.

Since some companies are using keyword searches to screen applications, you need to make sure your cover letter and résumé use the key words indicated in the posting or that such a job would demand. And tread lightly, she warns, on listing personal interests, remembering they are there to get you an interview, not to make you look interesting. Linage in your one-page résumé is precious, so only mark down interests that help you to meet the employer's needs.

"Personal interests that don't make you stand out as an achiever do not help you. And personal interests that are weird make you look weird, and you don't know if that's what your interview likes, so leave it off the résumé."
Her book is written in paragraphs, but brisk ones, with saucy comments and lots of useful advice for Generations X and Y, including how to handle office politics, build relationships, manage your boss, and not be the hardest worker (since that makes you look desperate).

In addition: Ottawa-based career consultant Alan Kearns takes readers through basic career advice in Get The Right Job Right Now! (Collins, 239 pages, $24.95). He offers solid recommendations and some useful templates to fill out, such as the "right job checklist," to identify the top elements of the job you should be seeking, and a "career balance sheet" to list your job assets and liabilities. He has a particularly strong section on common interview questions, and how to answer them.

Just In: In 1960, motivational pioneer Napoleon Hill and millionaire CEO W. Clement Stone teamed up to produce the best seller Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude, which has now been re-issued with a new introduction by Mr. Stone (Pocket Books, 356 pages, $16.99).

harvey@harveyschachter.com

Salsa Performance Video Summer 2007

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 06:30:00 +0000

Our group, the Cuban ladies all stars, peformed a few weeks ago. This is our video.

Some recent photos:

Istanbul - Pure Magic

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 04:47:00 +0000

Pure magic phenomenon – this is Istanbul. Time travel doesn’t exist, they say and yet each time I view a photograph, review a memory or say the city’s name – I do time travel, at least that’s how it feels. For a city, entwined with its past Ottoman history and 21st developments, traditional routines with modern lifestyles, holding its strong eastern past as it heads into its western future – in the midst of all of this, it is easy to feel lost.

Lost for all the memories passed before this moment and lost for all the exciting, hopeful and questionable future. And yet all one has to do is gaze at (or think about) this body of water - the Bosphorus. In its overwhelming beauty the complete awe and wonder of the world befalls you departing a calm joy, in reminder that it is not lost. It is here with you, slightly different than before, just as you have evolved.

Istanbul 2007 – the reunion with 20 something of my friends from all parts of this world shared in such a strong memorable experience that we have realized our vision to reunite once more in this magical city to share our stories and rediscover the city that we left two years ago. Istanbul – I am ready to meet once again.

For my friends – 603 united we live, travel and dream.

AdBusters

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Tue, 22 May 2007 03:11:00 +0000

This alternative, globally read news source based out of Vancouver has established itself as a creative publication focusing on the impact corporations, mass media, advertising, consumption is having on society. The writing is inspirational, the graphic design mind blowing and the topics discussed remind us of the simple truths that are generally dismissed by the mainstream media.

In their own words:

"Culture jammers, it's time to howl! We are a loose global network of artists, writers, environmentalists, ecological economists, media-literacy teachers, reborn Lefties, ecofeminists, downshifters, high school shit-disturbers, campus rabble-rousers, incorrigibles, malcontents and green entrepreneurs. We are idealists, anarchists, guerrilla tacticians, pranksters, neo-Luddites, poets, philosphers and punks. We see ourselves as one of the most significant social movements of the next 20 years. Our aim is to topple existing power structures and forge a major rethinking of the way we will live in the 21st century. We believe culture jamming will become to our era what civil rights was to the '60s, what feminism was to the '70s, what environmentat activism was to the '80s. It will alter the way we live and think. It will change the way information flows, the way insitutions wield power, the way TV stations are run, the way food, fashion, automobile, sports, music and culture industries set their agendas. Above all, it will change the way we interact with the mass media and the way in which meaning is produced in our society."

www.adbusters.org

Casino de Rueda de CUBA!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:06:00 +0000

I've been salsa dancing Cuban style for almost a year now and since summer 2006 I've joined an all female performance group!! Rueda is so much fun! It consists of couples dancing in a circle with a leader calling out certain moves that everyone performes together, changing partners as you...sort of like line dancing but in a circle. Of course Cuba is the latin country where the spirit lives in the music, the dancing and the people and that is so beautifully demonstrated in the rueda dance.

It's funny to see in Vancouver, the 'North Americanization" of latin dancing, the so called LA style where skill is flaunted in super fancy twists, head spinning twirls and back breaking acrobatic moves. We're keeping it real though, Caribbean style.

So until I get our videos youtubed here is the best salsa in the world, the CUBAN RUEDA CHAMPS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebGJKyPZ_Ss&mode=related&search=

And a wonderful short little documentary rueda, you have got to watch this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJVe0rrMFKY

We are so seriously salsa addicted, that one of the ladies has started a salsa blog for our group.

http://salsaruedaallstars.blogspot.com/

Stability

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 07:17:00 +0000

Stability – highly valued and strongly sought – steady income, solid networks, significant other, residence, furniture, belongings – things we aspire to or believe we should aspire to. Yet these same goals may one day become the source of our misery, binding the present and future, inhibiting freedom and limiting choice.

For some, the struggle is in leaving a stable life to find themselves and experience freedom by exploring the unknown. Perhaps for others, only in keeping a routine can we truly appreciate our surroundings and find adventure and beauty beyond the daily chore.

And so while the temptation to set off once again lures in the background (and probably always will), only in staying out of that comfort zone and embracing stability, will I grow.

Vancouver photos

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 06:48:00 +0000

I've put up some new photos of Vancouver from this past summer.

Paulo Coelho

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 06:24:00 +0000

This writer is a genius.

Quotes from his latest novel "The Zahir" about freedom and love.

"Zahir is Arabic means visible, present, incapable of going unnoticed. It is someone or something which once we have come into contact with them or it, graudally occupies our very thought, until we can think of nothing else. This can be considered either a state of holiness or of madness."

“But what is freedom?
I’ve spent a large part of my life enslaved to one thing or another, so I should know the meaning of the word. Ever since I was a child, I have fought to make freedom my most precious commodity. While I was fighting I heard other people speaking in the name of freedom, and the more they defended this unique right, the more enslaved they seemed to be to their parents’ wishes, to a marriage in which they had promised to stay with the other person “for the rest of their lives,” to the bathroom scales, to their diet, to half-finished projects, to lovers to whom they were incapable of saying “No” or “It’s over,” to weekends when they were obliged to have lunch with people they didn’t even like. Slaves to luxury, to the appearance of luxury, to the appearance of the appearance of luxury. Slaves to a life they had not chosen, but which they had decided to live because someone had managed to convince them that it was all for the best.”

“In my book about the road to Santiago, I discuss other possible ways of growing and end with this thought: All you have to do is to pay attention; lessons always arrive when you are ready, and if you can read the signs, you will learn everything you need to know in order to take the next step.”

“We humans have two great problems: the first is knowing when to begin; the second is knowing when to stop.”

“Some people appear to be happy, but they simply don’t give the matter much thought. Others make plans: I’m going to have a husband, a home, two children, a house in the country. As long as they’re busy doing that, they’re like bulls looking for the bullfighter: they react instinctively, they blunder on, with no idea where the target is. They get their car, sometimes even get a Ferrari, and they think that’s the meaning of life, and they never question it Yet their eyes betray the sadness that even they don’t know they carry in their soul.
Are you happy?”

Engage Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:57:00 +0000

Disengagement.

That was the word used by my boss to describe what happens to people after they move to the West Coast. I had felt the beginnings of it happening to me, unfolding with each night out, each outdoor activity washing away the brainpower reserved for storing knowledge.

It doesn’t come up in conversations, the “seriously west coast” newspaper doesn’t do it justice, and the lure of the ocean and mountains wipes away the inkling of those on the verge of taking notice. I’m talking about national politics, and the events unfolding on the international scale. Don’t get me wrong, I considered myself ill-informed but I make the effort.

I don’t know where the beautiful hiking trails are, or what makes a good mountain bike but shouldn’t everyone be concerned with who might be running this country?

Disengaged.

I guess living in Ottawa has left my politically soiled ass………well, a bit spoiled.

But this is great, Vancouver will whip my lazy East Coast butt into some serious yoga/snowboarding shape while keeping everything else in tact.

Renewed focus

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 06:23:00 +0000

My, my it’s been a long time. All I can say is that … I’ve been having too much fun.

This definitely has been one of the best summers……spent many weekends on the beach, salsa dancing Cuban style, working, and breathing.

After coming back from the Ottawa visit, I started a new job in fundraising and it’s turning out to be a great fit; it’s exactly what I wanted. I’m working with a fundraising consultant in a small business (3 of us). So basically we’re helping charities develop their fundraising program. There’s been a lot of learning going on and there’s hardly ever a dull moment.

The wonderful weather went on until the end of September, hell it’s still nice, but it’s refreshing to feel the change in season and recharging from the hustle and bustle of summer fun. And with all the students back in school there’s a sense of renewed focus on education and learning for everyone. I’ve been staying in at home and it feels good.

I feel settled here…..and Vancouver has definitely been redefined as my new home, especially after the trip back from OT. There’s so much beauty in this place and so many things to learn…..

Gongshow

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 17:41:00 +0000

One week until I hit back O-town for some Canada Day celebrations and Bluesfest action!! And I’m psyched to sleep in everyday, see my peeps, bump into random ppl from the past (that’s Ottawa), hit up the old watering holes and check out the ‘new’ establishments. Ottawa is actually very beautiful in the summertime, with all the tulips, festivals, the canal, Ottawa river, and the simplicity and slower pace of things….yes I know I live on the West Coast, but this is action city.

So I’m looking forward to talking politics, drinking Stella, bbqing ribs, playing pool, and watching many movies while hanging out with all you lovelies. So I’m coming…..brace yourselves…

---------------Pics Ottawa 2006------------------------

Eric and Van Thock after Germany's win over Brazil at the World Cup

Canada Day- with Trang

Parliament building

Rideau Canal

Bluesfest-with Sarah

RBP- at the pub with my boyz

Westboro beach- with Sue

Lunch with Vanessa and Van

With Mom in front of Parliament

View of the Ottawa River

Vancouver Action

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 17:39:00 +0000

This is why I love this city: In one week, all this action in going on around town…..and you don’t have to twist people’s arms to get them to go:)

The World Peace Forum

The World Peace Forum 2006 is an international gathering of individuals, groups and civic governments from cities and communities to envision a living culture of peace and sustainability in our lifetimes.

The World Urban Forum

The World Urban Forum was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies and policies. It is projected that in the next fifty years, two-thirds of humanity will be living in towns and cities.

The World Urban Festival

In June 2006, delegates from around the world will be in Vancouver for the United Nations’ World Urban Forum to discuss future of the world’s cities and urban environments. And thanks to Earth: the World Urban Festival, the role of art, culture, music and dance in shaping and defining our cities and our urban experiences will be at the centre of the discussion.

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival

Kits is

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Mon, 15 May 2006 06:07:00 +0000

Young, urban, hippy, laid-back, organic, fit, good-looking, expensive, close to the beach, across the downtown harbour, gorgeous sunsets, magnificent views, trendy boutiques, coffee crazy, put together designer casual, beach vball sessions, sea side strolling, after bar bonfires, 4th avenue shopping, beautiful character homes, pedestrian friendly, yoga, clean, fresh, white/pink tree lined streets……

…home of the quintessential west coaster, the best neighbourhood in Vancouver!

This is Kitsilano.

Welcome to my world.

The South Spirit in the Great North

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 05:46:00 +0000

A month into the Istanbul experience, the initial German domination was overthrown with a new batch of newbies that gave rise to the Spirit of the South! Gone was the organized, over thought, detailed planning of our western neighbours and born was the chilled out, laissez faire, spontaneity of the South!! Sure, it got us into a bit of trouble like getting pepper sprayed by the she/men, mugged and beaten by gypsies, vomiting on oneself in bed, collecting unauthorized “souvenirs” and becoming I’m-going-to-play-guitar-on-the-street-for-money-broke by mid-month. But it’s just so much more fun that way.

Maintaining the South Attitude when life involves snow on the ground, a 9-5 work day, 2 am last calls for alcohol and, dear lord, actual responsibilities can be……..challenging. But there is one way to do it: CUBAN FIESTAS!!!! And so my lifestyle and attitude remains forever in the South, although my geographical location may be far, far, far away from el sol.

The Guide to Becoming a West Coast Girl!

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 00:05:00 +0000

1. Wear flip-flops in the winter time.

2. Flaunt your Lululemon yoga pants when you aren't doing yoga.

3. Accessorize your miniskirt with a long winter scarf.

4. Do one of the following on a Saturday afternoon:
- sunbathe on Kits beach
- shop on Robson
- drink Starbucks while walking around English Bay
- go protest something aka. smoking pot in the afternoon

5. Have a debate over which district is so over-rated: Yaletown vs. Kits

6. Get Wheatgrass delivered to your place every Tuesday:)

7. Complain about how depressing the rain is making you.

8. Growl in frustration before, during and after each Canucks game!

Transitions

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 23:11:00 +0000

It seems so weird that last year at this time I was snowboarding in Turkey with about 50 people from all over the world living a life completely different yet parallel to this current one. It seems so long ago and so much has happened since then. It’s strange to look back after a year has passed and reflect on all the changes which have taken place and to see how it has impacted your growth and character and to feel different, older, in a good way. Change is …..good and so is reflection.

A Fresh Start

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 20:42:00 +0000

Transitions
I haven’t updated in a long time and I’m not turning into one of those people that don’t update once they’re back home living a ‘regular’ life. Actually the last six weeks has been a HUGE transition, more difficult than integration into a completely unknown culture and way of life because everything just feels so REAL. Living abroad for a limited time came with its safety net, that no matter how much you screw up overseas in your job, relationships, mannerisms, once you pass the expiry date, you can return to the solid foundation of your old life. And now, everything feels so unstable, like I’m rebuilding from scratch. A fresh start to clean up the clutter of the old life. *sigh*

Job
I love Vancouver and everything seems to have sort of naturally fallen into place for me here. Within 3 weeks I landed a job working as a ‘hiring assistant’ at a hospital, essentially I'm helping the managers out with the recruitment/selection process. The first few weeks were a bit slow, but the pace is much better now. It’s a contract job until the end of March, so my job situation is still a bit up in the air, which may not be such a bad thing.

House
I’m also moving out on my own in 2 weeks, which is very exciting and yet a bit frightening. I had been searching for apartments for quite a while and nothing felt right, whether it be the roommates, the room, the location…until finally I found it. It’s in the perfect location of Kitselano, a modern hippy’s sort of neighbourhood. It’s only a few blocks from the beach, and the neighbourhood has all the organic/vegetarian, yoga centres, trendy boutiques and coffee shops I could ever want within walking distance….it’s so perfectly me. I’ll be sharing a beautiful townhouse with two roomies, a 25 year old med student and a 35 year old teacher. They’re very friendly and welcoming so I’m sure we’ll all be a good fit.

During this whole transition/reintegration, I’m realizing I’ve become more a bit more guarded with sharing my thoughts and feelings (maybe it’s a cultural thing) and so writing openly is……more difficult, but I’m trying:)

Keeping healthy on the road

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 06:51:00 +0000

A while ago I posted about an inspirational travel blog www.solbeam.com and was pleasently surprised when Sol herself commented on that very same post. So I finally sent her the email that I began writing back in Costa Rica. And in that email I asked the following question:

Q: I've experienced my share of colds/coughs/allergies/infections on the road and while it dampens the experience in a way, I realize the lesson was there to be learned, that in sickness we find health. And so, I'd like to ask: how do you deal with illness on the road and maintain a healthy diet, especially as a vegan?

I really appreciated her insightful response and so...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good morning and namaste Monica,

So I too have hosted a full spectrum of foreign parasites in my stomach and colon. But for some reason, the longer I travel, the stronger my immunity becomes to avoiding housing these critters and bacterias. Just the ol' "learn from experience" trick has given me a pretty broad and sharp intuition on what to eat, where to eat, how to wash it and how to keep myself clean. Even my allergies and colds have taken a vacation. Truth is, I've realized that the best anti-cold and bug preventative medicine for me, is simply feeling motivated, excited and alive. When I'm in India, what many would call the most unhygienic place on earth, I, for my heightened enthusiasm and inspiration, and virtually illness-free. And then I come to my parents house, sleep for 48 hours, and wake up with a fever, cold and allergies.

I read somewhere once that the actual purpose of a cold is to slow you down, and provide some time for isolation and reflection, away from people. I've spent a fair amount of time studying Vipassana meditation, which reflects heavily on the sensations of the body, and so (if I'm practicing daily) I find myself very alert and aware of my body. This way I can feel a cold before it shows any symptoms (I sleep one hour later than normal and feel a slight tingling behind my nose and throat) and then, instead of letting the cold force me into isolation, I simply go into isolation, retreat from everyone, take time to reflect on experiences that I may not have properly paid attention to. Okay. So perhaps this is a bit of silly philosophy, but it works for me. I do believe that all my illnesses are rooted in emotional or spiritual imbalances, and working to correct those first, usually brings my body back into equilibrium.

And eating properly (and fasting regularly) also help me maintain health. I'm no longer a strict vegan. I learned what I needed to, changed a majority of my eating habits, and have decided to take a middle path. So now I'm about 90% vegan, with allowances for nutrition and in order to avoid being a high-maintenance person (which was the hardest part about being a full vegan). But adopting a primarily vegan diet was certainly one of the best things I've ever done for myself. The move to raw and whole foods -- well it just fills me up; the same way a full and whole life does!

Anyway, I'm suddenly feeling terrible because I recently returned home and after two years of daily meditation, I haven't meditated for two weeks! Thank you SO much for reminding me how important this ritual is for me and renewing my dedication. I'm going to call you an omen and go sit right now.

Thanks Monica.

with love,
sol

Vancouver 2006

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 17:04:00 +0000

It’s about a tree barren, car snow buried, bone chillin -20 (celcius) in Canada’s capital and although I strongly dislike Ottawa winter weather, I can’t help feel invigorated by the cold, Northern air. Of course, that might have a lot to do with the fact that in 11 days I’m flying out of here, yes again, but this time I’m staying in the country and moving to the West Coast, Vancouver baby! And I’m definitely excited.

From what I hear, it’s a whole other world out there from climate and landscape, to people and fashion. And it’s exactly what I need! Of course, that my father and beautiful little sisters are living there just makes it perfect. Every summer that I visited my family, I knew that one day I had to live there, more importantly live downtown near the sea side. Even my good friend from high school has made the West Coast move.

Now it’s all about the job…….yes, the job, no I don’t have one yet, yes, I’m looking and I’m optimistic. I’m thoroughly searching in the non-profit sector, from fundraising to communications to administrative.

Here are some Vancouver pics from summer 2004.

Top 10 things I missed about Canada

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 05:17:00 +0000

1. my warm, clean, bug free bed

2. hot water, in every tap, in abundant supply

3. the absence of bugs, cockroaches, ants and other creepy crawlers in my home

4. fresh clean air

5. availability of products, produce

6. internationalism- people, cuisine, culture

7. developed and coherent infrastructure- no holes on the street, clean and pretty parks, not so cramped houses, buildings

8. having the following at home: telephone, washer/dryer, fully functioning fridge and toilet and lots of sunshine!!!

9. the general feeling of ease, comfort and having more energy

10. Ottawa Senator hockey!! Ya baby!!

Adios Costa Rica

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 03:19:00 +0000

I’m currently at Juan Santamaria airport in San Jose (well I was when I wrote this), Costa Rica about to depart in an hour and a half. After months of dreaming of this day, the time has finally come. Although, there were some unfortunate circumstances (allergies and a toxic house) of my time here in Costa Rica, I’m so glad I came. My Spanish has improved significantly along with my web design skills. And I’ve made some really great friendships. And for every awful thing that happens abroad, the lesson is there to be learned. And I know my life will be so much better once back in Canada because of this experience.

So...
Thank you Canada for providing the platform to follow my inspirations.
Thank you Human Rights Internet and Netcorps for providing a program in which we can start our career (or change its direction)by working abroad with NGOs.
Thank you my friends in Costa Rica for all your laughter, warmth and conversation, that without you all I would have felt incredibly alone.
Thank you my host organization Defence for Children, for providing a welcoming, comfortable environment that I enjoyed coming to everyday.
And thank you Mom and family for all your support and love while I was away that making coming home now seem like a dream.

Adios Costa Rica!

You know you're in Costa Rica when....

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 16:48:00 +0000

1. the cars drive in a zig zag fashion to avoid the large holes on the streets

2. you can frolick on one of the many beach towns in November

3. the spotting of a cockroach (daily occurence) doesn't send you screaching and jumping frantically in disgust

4. you have to coordinate shower times with roomates so no one gets stuck with freezing water

5. you find yourself longing for the luxuries of home but are annoyed at yourself for it

6. when you can't help but drop Spanish frases and words in English convos

7. you find yourself following mostly a vegeterian diet to avoid the bloating feeling of rice, beans and meat

8. when beer costs $1 (Stella and Hooegaarden at the grocery store and Imperial at the bars)

9. you can take a bus to Nicaragua for $10

10. you hear Reggaeton played everywhere and learn a whole new way of dancing

solbeam.com

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 21:19:00 +0000

While currently reading Paulo Coelho’s “The Fifth Mountain” got me thinking again about life, omens and personal legends. So while bored at work, I googled “personal legends” and came across this beautifully written, inspirational site www.solbeam.com

And spent a good chunk of the afternoon absorbing the words of this girl, ´Sol´, who a few years ago, quit her prestigious job in California to travel and has been on the road of spiritual enlightenment, adventure, love and the University of Life, ever since. Along with Rolf Pott’s “Vagablogging”, I find it one of the best blogs I have ever come across. She also has millions of beautiful pictures of all the countries she has travelled.

Most of you probably won’t have the time to swift through her posts so I collected some of my favorite pieces.

About Sol
Who she is, how it started, how she found the time and money, in Q&A format.

What to pack
Advice on how to pack and bring everything you need.

Follow your Inspiration
Advice on how to follow your personal legend and recognize omens.

“I’m having trouble finding my path. I’m not sure if I should be where I am. But I’m also not sure where I should go and I don’t want to have regrets. How can you be so certain of your choices?”

Seeking-Sharing-Stepping

“Judging by the number of, "how do you afford to travel the way you do" questions in my inbox, I probably have not made it very clear what I actually "do" for a living.

I, with enormous enthusiasm and passion, seasonally lead what are called "service-learning" and "experiential education" semester abroad programs…..”

Undressing love
You state, "It means I cannot attach myself to any one love as greater, more passionate or more true than another." This statement seems to allow for different kinds of love. Do you feel different kinds of love for different things while still recognizing that different love doesn't mean unequal love? Or do you believe in one kind of love and share and experience that love with all things? Is there another explanation?

New Chapter
Sol falls in love…

"One upon a time, I met a boy in an oasis in the desert in the red center of Australia. He had the knot of eternity that I wore around my neck tattooed on his back, his favorite book was the Alchemist, his travel path around the world matched my own, and we spent six animated hours finishing the quotes and sentences of each other before I had to say goodbye and get on a plane. The rarity of the experience was lost in its own familiarity. For although I had never met him in this life, I remembered him; I remembered the corner of his smile, and the vein that ran down his arm, and the feel of his shoulder as it wrapped around me. From where I remembered these things I did not know – still don’t - although I have a few guesses of which I’ll share in later chapters. What is important though, is that on the day that I left him, I made a deal with the divine; “I’m not experienced in love. But if it’s a lesson you deem me ready and worthy of learning, then I trust that these paths will come together again. And until then, I surrender my desire and future to your will.”

Fire in my spirit
(.. love con´t)

"Dear Ev,

The day you left, I had to walk in large circles around the city for hours. Cause every time I stopped physically moving, the grief of your being gone would catch up and so overwhelm me that I’d topple over in the hunger of heartache..."

On the mental move
"I’ve seen it in my semester abroad students. When I meet them at the airport, they are loaded with prescriptions drugs, histories of depression and self-abuse, and the terminology from a lifetime of psychiatric counseling. But after three months of physical travel (which in all and every case reflects and inspires a similar path of inner exploration) they are so light they actually appear to hover just about an inch off the ground. No, they have not suddenly “discovered” who they are (but neither will any of us ever, for we can never be confined to the physical reflection of ego in the mirror) BUT they have stopped repressing their deep spiritual inclinations, intuitions and inspirations and learned to question their existence with Wonder."

New Myth
About living life, not succumbing to the system of consumption-production, and finding peace and truth in silence.

"And a few people (including my parents) have suggested that I just “do the time” or make a few sacrifices “to pay” for the past, even if that means, temporarily "selling out." But what I seem to have a difficult time explaining to people, is that I simply do not have this power within me. I am unable, as suggested, to "sacrifice" a single moment of living (out of integrity) for either yesterday or tomorrow. It's not within my power. If I try, my soul actually aches. I feel physically sick with a sneaky and slow, but terminal disease. Not walking in alignment with the Truth in my heart splits me in half. And this straddled path is one I can not walk.

I broke a contract with Society. But Society also broke its contract with me. It told me that it would take care of me, that it would suffice all my needs and give me happiness, if I would only OBEY. It said, “consume, produce” and you will be happy. All the institutions told me that I could “get” happiness in the forms of money, heaven, marriage, material objects, beauty, prestige and/or security; That happiness was something “externally attainable” and earned by long-term investment. And THAT was the biggest lie I’ve ever been told."

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Graduated with a business degree from a private university, left with $100 000 of student debts, Sol embarked on a new curriculum at the University of Life and has not looked back since. Being hounded by the Loan Repayment Center, she wrote a letter to explain why she has not and will not be able to repay her loan.

Letter to the Department of Education
Loan Payment Center
June 13th, 2004

U.S. Department of Education
Direct Loan Payment Center

To Anyone Inquiring or Curious as to the Status of Account 543-##-####,

Nine years ago, in 1995, I was offered a loan to assist me with paying for my college education. At the time, with the reassuring pat of all the social institutions, I was brimming with hope and faith in the benefits and pleasures that a University degree in Business would secure for my life. At the very naïve age of “barely 18,” I eagerly put my name on the dotted line and signed my life to a promise.

Unfortunately, what I did not know then, is that every promise to tomorrow is a lie."

Remembrance Day

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 21:13:00 +0000

Novemeber 11th is marked as the day we remember those who fought in the first and second World War, the Korean war and those who have served since then. By remembering their service, courage and sacrifice, we acknowledge our responsibility to work for the peace they fought so hard to achieve.

And so in Canadadian Doctor John McCrae´s words:

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Love and were loved, and now we live
In Flanders Fields

Take up our guard with the foe
To you from failing hands we throw
the torch; be yours to hold it high
If ye break forth with us who die
We shall not sleep though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields

A poem of current state: this house is toxic

noreply@blogger.com (monicasmedia) — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 19:27:00 +0000

Last Saturday, I felt inspired.

Mold in the bathroom
Assortment of bugs
Very stinky smell permeating the room
And termite looking shit eggs fallin from the roof

Alanna has had enough too
She can´t take the horking in the bathroom
Cold morning showers, dysfunctional fridge
And constant leaks throughout the living room

We are moving out, the revolution has begun!
Mr. X doesn`t care about keeping
the place clean and functional
Thinks we`re exagerrating
Canadian princesses not being rational

November is our month
To have a fabulous apartment
With telephone and good ventilation
And a big house warming celebration!