Names & Meanings

Day 2: What's your middle name and what's its significance?

First, I'd like to start by saying I do not have a middle name, which makes this challenge kind of pointless. However, I do have a name and thought it would be appropriate to just talk about that.

My full name is Griselda. I'm pretty sure I was named after my mother, whose name I share. Now I've heard a story from my mom* saying that she was named after the heroine of a book my grandfather was reading when my grandmother was pregnant with her. What book that was? God knows. I can only hope she was a strong female lead who fought and worked hard to pursue her dreams.

Meaning:

Heroine  (at least she was in said book)

German origin 'Grishild': the one that fights/battles  (well I do fight for my rights, so I guess that's not wrong)

Characteristics:

Sociable, pleasant, entertaining, enjoyable and confident. (Is this true? tell me!)

Has great common sense and enjoys little things in life. (definitely true)

Is a great friend and cares/worries about others. (completely agree :)

Talents:

Has an impatient mind, more of a director than a performer. (true)

Could stand out as a sales person, psychologist, researcher, writer, detective, traveler, stock broker or any occupation that requires handling money. (haha I suck at handling money!)

Lucky number: 1

Love:

Loves love, not for what it gives her, but for what it is <3 span="">

Likes having a steady relationship. (fo'sure)

Is loyal and sensitive.  (I've got references)

Famous/reknown people with this name:

Griselda: name of the shepherdess character that marries the king of Sicily ('Gualtiero') in Giovanni Boccaccio's 'Decameron' from 1350. (could this be the girl my mom was named after?)

Griselda: name of the female lead in the film 'Nazareno Cruz y el lobo' by Leonardo Flavio 

Griselda González: athlete. 'Is a retired female long-distance runner from Argentina. She twice won the Buenos Aires Marathon in her native country. She also represented Argentine twice (1992 and 1996) at the Summer Olympics, before switching nationality and competing for Spain.'**

I had never thought of googling the meaning of my name but it is nice to see that is something so cool. Also, can we talk about the fact that some of the attributes that describe the name actually match my personality? Do you think the name you're given (most like your birth date/zodiac sign) defines who you are? Sorry this just really blew my mind.

What's the meaning behind your name? Does it match with who you are? I'd love to know!

G.

*I asked my mom again this morning about this story and she swears she never told it to me. But I could not have come up with it myself, could I? I'm pretty sure she just doesn't remember and if I did come up with it, good for me.

** Got this from Wikipedia

P.S. The information regarding the meaning of my name was gathered from various 'find the meaning of your name' websites.

10 Songs

So… since I’m officially off duty in the teaching department, I thought it would be fun to do some sort of challenge here on the blog that would encourage me to write more and specifically, more often. This is very simple, I will write one post each day for 30 days. 

I had read about this sort of challenges for a while, but never thought I had the time to actually do them, at least not until now, so without further ado, here it goes.

Day 1: Put your iPod* on shuffle. List the first 10 songs that play and how you feel about them.

Disclaimer: I have to say that my music library consists solely of songs from the 90’s and until around 2010, with the occasional oldie and the even stranger new hit.

1. 'Deep in my heart' by Britney Spears. This is embarrassing, probably not the greatest way to start, but it is what it is. Most Britney songs remind me of my junior high days and sleepovers with my friends. I actually remember the very first time I heard Britney’s first album (which includes this song). It was not a single but I like that it’s catchy (and cheesy). 

Favorite line: (chorus, what a surprise) Deep in my heart I know there’s only you and right from the start I always knew. I never let go ‘cause I love you so. Ooh I want you for the rest of my life.

Dedicated to: A <3 font="">

2. 'Lifestyle of the rich and famous' by Good Charlotte. My love for punk-rock music should not be a surprise. I even wrote a post about this very topic not too long ago. GC reminds me of high school, when I met new friends who were also into this type of music, when I briefly joined a band and went to more Battle of the Bands events than I can remember. 

Favorite line: Always see it on TV or read it in the magazines, celebrities want sympathy. All they do is piss and moan inside the Rolling Stone, talkin’ about how hard life can be… (mo money mo problems!)

Dedicated to: many people actually come to mind, but I rather not say.

3. 'November Rain' by Guns N Roses. This is probably the only NOT embarrassing song I got. I’m not really a Guns N Roses fan, but got into them because my friends from junior high had a band and played many of their songs (plus they are classic). This song is really sad, but it reminds me of my brother who is a big fan.

Favorite line: And when your fears subside and shadows still remain, I know that you can love me when there's no one left to blame. So never mind the darkness, we still can find a way 'cause nothin' lasts forever, even cold November rain.

4. 'No te pido flores' by Fanny Lu. (I’m not asking for flowers would be the translation for this song). This is a good one in the sense that is actually the response to a song previously written by the male counterpart in which he sends her flowers. The song reminds me of nights out in my hometown with girlfriends where the live band would play both the songs and we would sing and dance away.

Favorite line: Yo sólo quiero que me digas que no hay mujer que más admiras (I only want you to tell me that there’s no other woman you admire most’.

5. 'So Long Sweet Summer' by Dashboard Confessional. Any song with the word ‘summer’ in it, automatically becomes attached to my summer at Disney and this one is no exception. It’s a specially sadder song since it’s about good byes and stuff, but not less catchy.

Favorite line: Hey thanks, thanks for that summer…

Dedicated to: my Disney friends <3 font="">

6. 'That Power' by Will.I.Am feat. Justin Beaver. After every other song that played before, I’m surprised this one popped out. Not the kind of music I usually listen to, but it reminds me of the time I spent in Sheffield studying (and going on nights out with other Mexican friends and international students), Viva la Fiesta and Embrace.

Favorite line: And oh, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive. And I'm loving every second, minute, hour, bigger, better, stronger power

Dedicated to: the girls from Sustainable Studies

7. 'Fly' by Nicki Minaj feat. Rihanna. Also not my type of music, but I think I heard it on Glee and liked it, so I looked it up. I really love the message of the song and its empowerment of women, which is no surprise that my favorite part is actually the chorus.

Favorite line: I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive. I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise. To fly

Dedicated to: every woman ever

8. 'I Wish You Were Here' by Incubus. This song takes me back to high school too when I got really into Incubus. I even went to a concert once when I was visiting friends/attending a conference in Monterrey, plus Brandon Boyd (heart eyes emoji).

Favorite line: I'm counting ufo's. I signal them with my lighter and in this moment i am happy, happy.

Dedicated to: my former best friend

9. 'Ven a Ver' by Byron. This song could not be more appropriate. It’s a song about my hometown, sung by a local performer (who happened to play most nights at my favorite night club back home). The tittle also has a double meaning as it could be ‘Come to see’ as well as ‘Come to Ver’ which is short for Veracruz, my hometown.

Favorite line: Veracruz, quisiera darte una canción con música de Agustínn Lara y con letra del poeta Díaz Mirón (Veracruz, I’d like to give you a song with music from Agustín Lara and lyrics from the poet, Díaz Mirón)

Dedicated to: Jarochos, everywhere

10. 'Forever and Always' by Taylor Swift. Of all the TS songs I could not have gotten ‘Welcome to NY’ or something cooler than this?… well, again pretty lame, but this song reminds me of a time before A, when I was doing pretty bad (pathetic) in the romance department. I guess it’s just one of those songs you scream at the top of your lungs when you feel hurt and you wish he was listening (or maybe not really).

Favorite line: ‘Cause I was there when you said forever and always. You didn’t mean it, baby!

Dedicated to: those guys before THE ONE

Well this was fun! 

Have you ever done this?

Try it and let me know? I’d love to read.

G.

*My iPhone has only two artists on it for the time being, so I thought I'd cheat and use my iTunes library on the laptop instead.

Girls Weekend

This is a topic which has been popping on the blogs I follow, which kind of tells me something: great minds think alike! but seriously, maybe it was the timing, but it seems like girls all over the blogosphere were hanging out with their besties at the same time. I know I was.



When I was studying a master in England, one of my best friends was doing the same in Spain. It was established quite early that at some point we’d visit each other. Not only did that happen but also a couple of our (mutual) best friends decided to tag along, and so began our almost two week European adventure around London, Paris and Madrid (which I didn’t get to go to since I was on #thesismode).

Now this was five years ago, and ever since then so much has changed in all of our lives. Basically the four of us live in different states now and even though three of us were living in the same place for almost three years, we rarely saw each other, other than during long breaks like Christmas or Spring, and not even where we lived, but where we are from! 

But this year, one of them is getting married!*, and we decided such occasion called for a reunion! So we each packed our things and met in Mexico City for a girls weekend.

We met for lunch in Polanquito before heading to the theater to see ‘The Lion King’ and headed to a club afterwards in a sort of ‘bachelorette party’ kind of way. We even brought props! (apparently I'm the bride's chic friend) The next day we met again for a ‘bring me back to life’ lunch and then headed over to Mercado Roma for desert (carajillos and churros). The reunion was short but sweet and it gave us all a chance to catch up over drinks and food, which in my opinion is the very best way to catch up with girlfriends. 

Moreover, the reunion made me think about friendships. They evolve with time and it takes work to keep them alive. Whether you are married/in a committed relationship, living at home/away, have a time consuming job or you're simply too busy for whatever reason, it is important to take the time to see friends. You don't have to get away for the weekend or go on a week long adventure to a foreign country, I say as long as you got your girls, you're covered. Get a coffee or better yet, a cocktail. Call each other. Reach out. Even if you haven't seen each other in a long time, once you are together, it'll be as though as no time ever passed.

Now go and call your girlfriends ;)

G.

*The wedding already happened and it was EPIC.

A Healthier Lifestyle

I've been wanting to write this post for a year. Only back then, (and actually now again) other people* started posting about this same topic and I didn't want to be another one. Now I'm actually glad I waited because this post is nothing like it would have been last year. And actually, it is nothing like these other people's posts. Anyway...

Last year, just around this same time, I kept telling A how I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin. I was about to turn 30 and I wanted to feel great about it, rather than self conscious as I was feeling. This was mostly due to the fact that I had put on a lot of weight, more than I had ever before, and I wasn’t happy about it. My clothes didn’t fit anymore and I looked at myself in the mirror and didn’t recognize myself anymore.

My life is a constant struggle between my love for food and not wanting to get fat (originally in spanish)

I have struggled with weight for my whole life. It started when I was about to enter secondary school and never stopped. There have been times when I’ve been pretty content with my general appearance, although some people believed I wasn’t healthy at those times. But mostly I oscillate around what is supposed to be a healthy weight for my height and complexion.

However, since I moved to Puebla, where you basically can’t walk anywhere (unlike in Mexico City), my life has become way more sedentary with hardly any physical activity other than occasionally walking to a bus stop or going up and down the stairs. Moreover, since A and I are no longer paying two rents and traveling back and forth to see each other, we have more resources + time to spend together, so we choose to go out and eat.

Just your typical breakfast order at Le Pain Quotidien: pastries and chilaquiles

We love food and trying different places. We did that when I lived in Mexico City, but because he lived in Puebla, we could only do it maybe twice a month. But with me here, we can go out any night we want, and we did for a long time, sometimes more than twice a week. And no, we never skipped desert.

Naturally, after a few months this came to show and it came to a point where I had to do something  about it (i.e. constantly complain to A about how fat I was). And thus, being the supportive sport he is, A sought out a nutritionist for us to see. 

We have been seeing this doctor for the past year and we have yet (each) to reach our goals, but we are taking it easy. Being on a diet is hard. It requires a lot of self control and will, which are things we sometimes lack. It becomes specially harder when there’s a special occasion (think weddings, birthdays, christmas…) or we travel (whether is home to Veracruz or Mexico City for a weekend), because it messes up our whole routine.

That said, our diet is not really hard at all. Because we are trying to lose fat, we aren’t allowed certain foods which would be obvious, but other than that, I think the hardest part is actually eating so much at all times. Prepping 5 different meals a day is also kind of a drag and definitely time consuming, but one good thing about it all is that we are spending more time together (in the kitchen) and we are learning new recipes/trying new things which we will keep eating long after we reach our goals.

May 2015, when we had just started seeing the nutritionist / September 2015, 4 months and many kilos later

Eating healthier has brought a lot of good things for us. Not only the fact that we have lost weight and actually feel lighter, but also in terms of the functions of our bodies. Like after not eating certain things for a while and then eating them again, realizing they made my stomach upset or caused certain reactions. I would not have noticed these things otherwise, and now I know which things I should avoid.

Breakfast for dinner at IHOP = bad choice but oh so good!

Going through this experience has taught me a lot about food, but also about me and my (bad) eating habits. It seems like I’ve been eating wrong my entire life. Not only in terms of choices (two sunny side up eggs, sausage, bacon, hash brown and a side of chocolate chip pancakes + chocolate milkshake for dinner, thank you) but also in terms of quantities (I should eat 1 hot dog/quesadilla + a bowl of fruit as opposed to 2 of the same). It has also become obvious that I use food as a reward for achieving something but also as a consolation prize when otherwise, which is totally wrong (#sorrynotsorry) but seriously though, the biggest lesson has been how it is all about balance.

I still might need a guide after I’m done with the regime, but I’ve learned that our bodies need all types of food groups to function properly (even fats and carbs) and it’s really all about how you chose to combine these in order to have a balanced diet.

This pretty much describes it!

Although It seems like we’ve been on a diet forever, we haven’t really been on a diet the whole time. We are pretty flexible with it. Like if we are home for the weekend, I’m not skipping the mandatory breakfast at La Parroquia with my dad or if we go to Mexico City, there’s no way in hell I’m having a fruit smoothie over pizza at Cancino. Which is basically why we haven’t reached our goals. I don’t want to feel guilty for eating something I’m craving, I’ve done that before and it’s not good and gets you nowhere. I like to think that we are not really ‘on a diet’, but just trying a healthier lifestyle, with occasional slips ;)

G.

*You can read those other posts I was talking about here, here, here and here.

Closing Time

A and I have known each other for almost 8 years, dated for almost 6 and lived together for over a year. Now, since exactly about one month, we have also been business partners.

After what seemed like forever, I worked at an office building architectural models, and although I loved it to death, it wasn't loving me back as much. I've said this already, the hours were (extremely) long and the pay wasn't worth all the 'complications', like getting into constant fights with A over not being home at decent hours, having my mom worried all the time that I was leaving the office at 3 in the morning on a regular basis, and many, many more.

So... I quit. 

It wasn't as deliberate as that. I had thought about it for a long time, but because I wasn't certain of my financial situation, I had been postponing it. Just when it seemed like it was all going to work out for the best, I got bad news, and so I postponed it again. And then the greatest thing happened.

A asked me to officially join him in business!!!

I've also mentioned before that A has been working on independent projects for a long time now, alternating his personal work with his other work. And fortunately, it has got to a point where projects are so big (and so many) that he can't continue to do it alone. So here I come.

For the last month, I've been working from home, alternating between my classes at uni and our work. We don't see the point in renting out office space since we have a spare bedroom, and so we have make it comfortable enough so that we both can work there when necessary, or in my case, all the time. It's not much so far, but it is what we need and we are really happy about how it is turning out.

I look forward to transform this space into the studio of my dreams (sorry, our dreams) and to share this process as we go here on the blog.

Quitting my job was the best decision I've made in the longest time. Nothing beats being the owner of my time, creating my schedule and working with my best friend in something we are both passionate about and most importantly is ours and is getting us towards where we want to go. Getting to go out to dinner or coffee dates mid week, doesn't suck either :)

So there it is. I can officially check that goal off my list.

G.

* Image via here.

Guilty Pleasures: Music Edition

Since I work in a very noisy environment to say the least, it is often that I find myself wearing earphones. I always find it hard to decide what to listen though, in order not to get it burnt out. I've been one to listen to the same artist/album/song so much I end up hating it, so I try and diversify the music I listen to from time to time.

Long nights at work require certain concentration which can be hard to attain after 15 hours in the office, and so, occassionally I'll need to listen to music that will help keep me awake, which means no Coldplay or the Roswell Soundtrack.

Just the other night I had this song by The Ataris stuck in my head, which gave me the idea to crank up all the songs I once praised, songs not a lot of people know (at least not the people I know), songs I love. The genre? Punk Rock.

I might not strike you as the type of person (if there is even a type) which would listen to this type of music. Whenever people ask me what kind of music I like, I don't exactly stand proudly acknowledging this. Partly, because it's not something I listen to anymore, and partly because I think it's a little awkward.

However, I spent that Saturday night mouthing the words to 'Responsibility' and 'My friends over you' and even though I was extremely tired and frustrated after not getting my pieces right, I felt happy. Music kinda does that, doesn't it? I mean, it can change a mood, it can bring back memories, and for a while there, I was back in high school, dressing up (or attempting to) like Avril Lavigne and going to see my friends' bands play at clubs.

Although I guess there's no wrong age for listening to a certain type of music, it is a fact that as everything else in life, we change and our tastes evolve as we grow up. And although these days it is more likely that you will find me listening to Jason Mraz or Gavin Degraw, still this doesn't mean I don't enjoy singing out loud to 'Pretty Fly' or 'I'm just a kid', no matter how old I get. 

Well I guess this is growing up*
What's your musical guilty pleasure?

g.

*These are lyrics to a Blink 182 song (my favorite band growing up).
*PS. Here´s a playlist where you can listen to my musical guilty pleasures (Punk-Rock edition).
*Image via here.

2016 Goals

I don't know what it is, but every time I'm about to leave for a holiday at my hometown, I think I'm gonna get so much work done, as in, writing for the blog, of course. However, from the time I step in my childhood home, I become useless. Every. Single. Time.

One of the things I wanted to write about was a recap of the past year. But since that didn't happen and it's now 2016, I figured it was more appropriate to focus on the present/future. So here it is, my list of goals for the new year.

Call more / Text less.

I remember the days when I'd talk on the phone for hours. But those were also the days before internet, young adult relationships and full time jobs. Now I'm lucky if I get to actually talk to my friends on the phone twice a year (on birthdays). Since we all have smart phones these days, being apart is made easier by apps like whatsapp, software like Skype or even social networks like Facebook or Instagram, which all allow us to be in constant communication with loved ones. Although nothing compares to actually seeing each other and spending quality time together (like we did on the holidays), talking on the phone allows for a closer kind of interaction, which is why this year I've decided I'm going to try really hard to call my friends and family more, rather than text them.

Go on more adventures.

A and I live in a state which is very popular for being the one Mexican state with the most 'Pueblos Mágicos' (Magic Villages), none of which we have ever visited. This year I hope that, by achieving a couple more goals on this list, we will be able to explore a little more of what this place has to offer.

Travel. Travel. Travel.

Not only do we both live away from our families and friends, but we also have friends and family who live elsewhere. My best friend got married in India and moved to London. My brother lives in Playa del Carmen. And last year two of my best friends moved away to other states as well. This year we plan on going abroad for a very special friend's wedding, but other than that, I'd love it if we could take a few weekends to go visit loved ones.

Take more photos (and actually print them).

Before last year ended, I took to myself to empty the memory card of my DSLR camera. On my computer, I usually save photos by month and then by event. As it turns out, there were months with no photos and moreover, around 20 photos (if not less) of A and me. How did that happen? I have a pretty good idea, which is why this year I'm making it a point to not let that happen again.

Stay healthy.

Since the middle of last year, A and I have been living a healthier lifestyle (a full story I plan to tell at some point), with the exception of the occasional weekend cheat meal as registered in my Instagram accounts. Eating well isn't really that hard and if you take care of yourself during the week, there's no reason why you can't treat yourself once in a while. We took a little break from these habits during the holidays (obvs) but we are now back on track and highly motivated to achieve our goals. 

Update/Decorate our house.

We have lived in this house for almost a year now and it still isn't nowhere near coming to feel like it is completely ours. Sure, walls have been painted and things have been placed where I want them, but still there are many things I want to do around here. Hang art and photos, add plants (maybe even hang them too), add storage, paint some pieces here and there. I hope to complete some of these things at some point this year.

Buy a car.
When I was living in Mexico City I never thought about buying a car. It just wasn't necessary. I lived pretty much walkind distance from everywhere I needed to go, and if I didn't, I could just take the metro or metrobús. But here in Puebla is a different story. Although I've already manage to find all the routes for the places I usually need to go, the truth is public transportation here is not reliable and as A and I enter a new face in our professional lives, it has become more of a necessity than a luxury.

Go on more dates with A.

Before I got my current job, back when I was only teaching twice a week, A and I used to go out at least once a week to either get coffee or dinner. But because I usually  work late, we don't get to do that anymore. Which is why another one of my goals is...

Quit my job.

Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love my job. I love the people I work with, I think we have a great team and the things we do are awesome. But it is a very ungrateful job. The hours are very long and the payment, well, isn't. It sucks that I've never been able to find a job which I love, the pay is good and the people are nice. But I once said I'd rather had a job that made me happy than one to pay the rent, and although this job does make me happy and does help pay the rent, it's messing with the really important things in my life, like my relationship.

I know what you're thinking. How am I suppose to travel, buy a car and go on dates if I quit my job? Well, that's why my last and possibly most important goal of this year is to...

Start our own company.
A and I are both architects. He has been working on projects for a while now and it is just a matter of time before I join him full time. It has been a dream for a long time and it feels like the timing is just right. 

Bonus goal!
Write more.
Also, doing some of the above will allow me to continue to write more regularly, or at least, here's hoping!

Well, there it is. I'll let you all know how things go, but in the mean time, what are your 2016 goals?

G.