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The Blogger Union has partnered with CreativeMornings/Miami for a collaborative storytelling marathon. Tune in to read the story of our city told by local creatives, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Each week, a different member of CreativeMornings will take over to post what inspires them about South Florida. Do yo want to take over the CreativeMornings/Miami blog and share your take on our community? Email Paola at info@thebloggerunion and we’ll get working on it!

About Mei Jorge: Mei Jorge, is the founder and creative mind behind the bilingual fashion, beauty and travel blog Blame it on Mei. Through her outfits and travel adventures she inspires women to dress and feel better about themselves no matter the price tag, age, lifestyle or even personal circumstances. Mei has worked with brands such as Madewell, South Beach Seafood Festival, Univision, Macy’s, ShopStyle, ViX Paula Hermanny, MONAT and Kit & Ace. Currently she has partnered with Miami in Style magazine as a fashion contributor. Within her community, Mei has recently accepted the Chapter Officer position with South Florida Bloggers, a supportive and inclusive community of bloggers in the Miami area with chapters located nation-wide under The Blogger Union.

This article was originally published on Blame it on Mei.

Can we take a moment to admire this cold shoulder beauty, which also comes in blush? #YesPlease! Because the dress obviously speaks for itself, I wanted to keep the look casual, so I opted for my new tassel wedges and earrings (the more tassels the merrier, right?!). I wore this cutie to South Florida Bloggers April Meetup, which was awesome to say the least. The guest speaker was Annabel Mendez of Marketites, and she sure possesses an incredible wealth of knowledge; so happy to have met her and hear all her advice and expertise.

Now back to fashion! I’ve noticed that I amongst the many things I love in fashion, one of them is white. A white piece is so versatile, classic and simple. And by adding a pop of color, as I did in this case, you can definitely take your outfit up a notch.

En Español

TODO ES CUENTIÓN FLECOS: VESTIDO CON HOMBROS AL DESCUBIERTO + CUÑAS

¿Podemos tomar un momento para admirar esta belleza de hombros al descubierto? que por cierto también está disponible en rosa claro.  Debido a que el vestido, obviamente, habla por sí mismo, quería mantener el look casual, así que opté por mis nuevas cuñas y pendientes de flecos (mientras mas flecos mejor, ¿!no creen?!). Vestí esta hermosura al South Florida Bloggers Meetup de Abril, que fue increíble, por no decir más. La panelista invitada fue Annabel Méndez de Marketites, que posee una increíble riqueza de conocimientos; tan contenta de haberla conocido y escuchar su asesoramiento y experiencia en el mercado.

Ahora, ¡de vuelta a la moda! Me he dado cuenta que entre las muchas cosas que me gustan de la moda, uno de ellos es el color blanco. Una pieza en este tono es tan versátil, clásica y sencilla. Y al añadir un poco de un color llamativo, como lo hice en este caso, definitivamente puede llevar su look a un nivel superior.

The Blogger Union has partnered with CreativeMornings/Miami for a collaborative storytelling marathon. Tune in to read the story of our city told by local creatives, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Each week, a different member of CreativeMornings will take over to post what inspires them about South Florida. Do yo want to take over the CreativeMornings/Miami blog and share your take on our community? Email Paola at info@thebloggerunion and we’ll get working on it!Hi all! I am Mei, a Cuban-born gal, who migrated to the great US of A as a child, and have now been a Miami resident for the past 20-some years. Besides holding a full time job I am also the creative mind behind the blog Blame it on Mei. Through the years, and lots of trial and error, I have learned a bit about fashion, but above all, I have learned that you can look fabulous no matter your age, budget or personal circumstances as long as it’s executed tastefully. So today, I want to share that with you, so expect lots of fun, colorful and chic outfits in this takeover. I hope to inspire you, yes you! to look and feel your best! So tune in to read and see my personal take on the ever-evolving world of fashion.

About Mei Jorge: Mei Jorge, is the founder and creative mind behind the bilingual fashion, beauty and travel blog Blame it on Mei. Through her outfits and travel adventures she inspires women to dress and feel better about themselves no matter the price tag, age, lifestyle or even personal circumstances. Mei has worked with brands such as Madewell, South Beach Seafood Festival, Univision, Macy’s, ShopStyle, ViX Paula Hermanny, MONAT and Kit & Ace. Currently she has partnered with Miami in Style magazine as a fashion contributor. Within her community, Mei has recently accepted the Chapter Officer position with South Florida Bloggers, a supportive and inclusive community of bloggers in the Miami area with chapters located nation-wide under The Blogger Union.

This article was originally published on Blame it on Mei.

Do I remind you of someone with this red dress? Let me be more specific… an emoji maybe? Well, I sure embodied my Spanish roots with this little red ruffled number. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it, and immediately styled it for the weekend when I arrived home. The funny thing about this dress is that after pairing it with my new holy summer grail wristlet (see more of it here and here) I realized that it could easily be transitioned to a more casual atmosphere. I can imagine it with lace up sandals and my favorite fedora. What do you think? Would you like to see that? Let me know in the comments.

Ladies, this pretty turquoise necklace is from my recent Rocksbox subscription. Not familiar with Rocksbox? For $19 a month you’ll receive a set of 3 designer jewelry pieces on loan worth on average over $200. You borrow 3 pieces at a time, and swap your set anytime you want. These aren’t just any pieces, they are specifically picked for you depending on your style questionnaire. Use code blameitonmeixoxo to get your first month free!
Have an awesome week!

En Español

DE ESPALDAS A VUELOS : VESTIDO ROJO + BOLSA DE MANO BORDADA

¿Les recuerdo de alguien con este vestido rojo? Déjenme ser más específica… ¿de un emoji tal vez? Bueno, de seguro que simbolicé mis raíces españolas con este pequeño númerito con detalle de volantes. Tan pronto cuando lo vi, supe que tenía que tenerlo, y de inmediato cuando llegue a casa lo combine para el fin de semana. Lo curioso de este vestido es que después de combinarlo con mi nueva bolsa de mano, que de por cierto se a convertido en un icono de mis looks recientes (vea más de ella aquí y aquí), me di cuenta de que podría ser fácilmente vestido para un ambiente más casual. Me lo puedo imaginar con sandalias de gladiador y mi sombrero de ala favorito ¿Qué piensan? ¿Les gustaría ver algo ashi? Háganmelo saber en los comentarios a continuación.

Chicas, este bonito collar es de mi suscripción de Rocksbox más reciente ¿No conoce a Rocksbox? Por $19 al mes recibirá un conjunto de 3 piezas de diseñador que de promedio tienen un costo de $200. Pueden usar las piezas por el transcurso de un mes, y cambiarlas por otras 3 más en el momento deseado. Estas no son cualquier piezas de joyería, son escogidas específicamente para usted dependiendo de su estilo. Utilice el código blameitonmeixoxo para obtener ¡su primer mes gratis!
¡Que tengan una linda semana!

The Blogger Union has partnered with CreativeMornings/Miami for a collaborative storytelling marathon. Tune in to read the story of our city told by local creatives, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Each week, a different member of CreativeMornings will take over to post what inspires them about South Florida. Do you want to take over the CreativeMornings/Miami blog and share your take on our community? Email Paola at info@thebloggerunion and we’ll get working on it!

About Josie Urbistondo: Hi! My name is Josie. I have been teaching writing and literature and writing myself for about a decade now. Currently, I teach at the University of Miami and mentor high school dual enrollment faculty for Florida International University. It wasn’t until I had my daughter that I yearned for a new space to exercise creative freedom that captured all facets of my identity. Our blog, www.doubtsanddesires.com, I co-author with a dear, long-time friend, Linjen Neogi, became just that. We broker content we find valuable, fun and enriching.

We strive to be a stop for the brainy, hungry, traveling, all around contemporary mami – we hope to provide meditations on life, love, motherhood and the spaces in between. We are here for the constant reader or the casual glance. Working around nap schedules, board meetings and all around beautiful chaos.

This article was originally published on Doubts & Desires.

via LuckyJrEskie on YouTube, WPBT

Five things growing up Cuban that my daughter will miss out on.

1.The first bilingual sitcom, “Qué Pasa, USA?” aired for four seasons just before I was born; my aunt says the show felt like it was on forever and helped generations begin a conversation on healing while practicing acculturation. I watched the series reruns for a few years growing up. It lent humor to relevant and seemingly very serious issues of exile and belonging spoken about at home. The clip above depicts the three generations and their varying stance on citizenry and how that complicates their Cubanness.

2.The efficiency where a different relative lived at any given moment - For a few years we lived with my grandparents. They had a small efficiency connected to the larger house. Every so often there would be a new relative living there. This may be less a Cuban thing and more a testament to our improved economic status as a family, but I miss having multiple generations under one roof. This has been forever romanticized in my head. However, ask me around the holidays, and I would probably have a completely different perspective.

3.The floor to ceiling Saint statues relatives had in their homes - Visiting extended family and tios and tias not related to me was a pastime growing up. One of my most memorable was visiting a relative’s home who had a floor to ceiling Virgen de la Caridad Del Cobre, patron saint of Cuba. It was the norm, typical, nothing to gawk over. In between the no gracias ya comi (no thanks, I already ate) and the besitos a todos (kisses to everyone), I played the same guessing game. Where did they buy her? It couldn’t be Burdines or Zayre. How did they bring her in? Having these larger than life reminders of one’s culture was overwhelming and amazing. My daughter will have to now settle for an estampita (I don’t even know what it is called in English, a saint card?) sold almost everywhere and if you want to see one ask a Cuban, for they probably have a bunch in their wallet.

4.Using talco like it’s going out of style - Who says Cubans have a hang up with race? We were doused on the daily with several fuacatas of talcum powder. After bath time, we looked like ghosts for a few minutes. Now there’s a fear of asthma, a lung infection, etc. Unfortunate.

5.Bucles and inappropriate toddler high heels - Cuban culture (and I would extend to Latino culture in general) is extremely presumida…can’t quite find the adequate translation; very problematically, we love our strict gender roles and impose such expectations on our children way too early. I still have the child sized red heels I wore as a kid. Not okay! But so adorable I remember everyone said. And while I hope to be less rigid with my daughter, I have to own it. I had bucles at one point as well. These are the perfect Shirley Temple like ringlets hairsprayed to a crisp. Unfortunately, no picture survived. This is embarrassing even among Cuban girls.

doubts & desires      

***…bonus…Friends calling and asking if my family was fighting? We are pretty loud. The TV is loud, the conversations are loud and the laughter is loud. I remember friends calling my house and then becoming concerned wondering if everything was all right. Totally, they were just chatting.

The Blogger Union has partnered with CreativeMornings/Miami for a collaborative storytelling marathon. Tune in to read the story of our city told by local creatives, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Each week, a different member of CreativeMornings will take over to post what inspires them about South Florida. Do you want to take over the CreativeMornings/Miami blog and share your take on our community? Email Paola at info@thebloggerunion and we’ll get working on it!

About Josie Urbistondo: Hi! My name is Josie. I have been teaching writing and literature and writing myself for about a decade now. Currently, I teach at the University of Miami and mentor high school dual enrollment faculty for Florida International University. It wasn’t until I had my daughter that I yearned for a new space to exercise creative freedom that captured all facets of my identity. Our blog, www.doubtsanddesires.com, I co-author with a dear, long-time friend, Linjen Neogi, became just that. We broker content we find valuable, fun and enriching.

We strive to be a stop for the brainy, hungry, traveling, all around contemporary mami – we hope to provide meditations on life, love, motherhood and the spaces in between. We are here for the constant reader or the casual glance. Working around nap schedules, board meetings and all around beautiful chaos.

This article was originally published on Doubts & Desires.      

Farewell American Idol – [As a Latina] What I Will Remember

With the American Idol series finale in early April, I think back to what I will remember most.

We have old school memories - how Paula Abdul clapped and painfully honest remarks from Simon Cowell; however, as a Latina I will remember most the performance that syncretized Yoruban, Afro-Caribbean religion with the American popular stage.

youtube via MartinOldiesTapes, FOX

For the two-hour long Season Ten’s American Idol finale (2011), there was no shortage of artists performing. They ranged from Lady Gaga and Carrie Underwood to Steven Tyler and Jack Black; however, none as socio-politically charged as the Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez performance of “Aguanile.” In case you don’t recall, here’s the cliffsnotes version - Ryan Seacrest introduced Marc Anthony alone. Drums and trumpets intensified as he ascended from below and began singing, holding the first “Aguanile.” There was a cabaret feel on stage. Once the music began, there was a clear shot of the background screen which depicted a myriad of red lit candles. They resembled prayer candles usually found below saints’ altars in Catholic churches. The incomparable Sheila E was on the timbales, and she maintained a soft percussion background for his introduction.

At about two minutes, as Anthony sang the line, “Que La Tierra Va Ha Temblar (because the Earth is going to tremble), the backup dancers joined their feather fans and then parted them to introduce La Lopez who had her back to the audience. Lopez wore a white frilly one piece with nude stockings, red lipstick and tousled wavy hair. In keeping with the sacred menu, she reminded me of Dominican Vodou lwa, Erzulie, who assumes multiple personas but one of her most cherished is a sensual, coquettish goddess, Erzulie Freda. With her back to the audience, Lopez took a few steps down stage then seductively turned around and danced on either side of Marc Anthony.

Why is this amazingly and awesomely crazy, you may ask?…

Both the song and performance signal a Santeria spiritual cleansing and religious ritual which stand in stark contrast to contemporary U.S. ideals of secularism within the public space. While the song is mostly in Spanish it has Yoruban/ Lukumi and pre-christian Greek phrases (for more on the translation of the lyrics, please see Oscar Palacios.) *Just a quick FYI, Lukumi is the language of Santeria. It is derived from Yoruban culture which originated in Nigeria, West Africa.

Still thinking about Beyonce’s “Formation” performance for the Fiftieth Super Bowl and the backlash she received regarding how political her performance was, which nowadays political seems to be synonymous with raced and therefore inappropriate, I am still surprised with how little scrutiny this performance garnered.

The performance’s reception in popular news sources praised the talented duo while the blogosphere condemned their either lack of talent or gall for being too provocative on a family show.  Comments were as follows –

◾Sheknows.com claimed that “American Idol went Idolo Americano on Wednesday night’s finale when lovebirds Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez teamed up to perform Aguanile from the movie they did together, El Cantante.”

◾Alexandra Gratereaux from Fox News Latino stated “American Idol: Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony & Sheila E. Put the Salsa in Season 10 Finale” with “¡WEPA! The salsa beats were in full swing as Marc Anthony took the stage…”

◾One negative blog post that stood out for me was on Softpedia.com (no longer exists) when “taco” posted “check their green cards!!!!!” It almost seems irrelevant to mention that both Lopez and Anthony were born in the U.S.; however, the immediate jump from otherness to foreignness when having to do with Latino culture is all too prevalent in contemporary culture wars.

And yet nothing on the content of the song nor the markers of religious symbolism on stage. I will add a caveat to this rant and that is that I am a shameless JLo and Marc Anthony fan. I do empathize with the concerned parents who thought this may not have been appropriate TV. Honestly, I was not a parent then and now my daughter really only watches cartoons, but I do play “Aguanile” for her, both the Hector Lavoe original and the Marc Anthony cover.

This moment of sacred subversion does not stand alone. Pitbull’s 2013 and 2014 Rockin Eve performances of “Echa pa’lla" (Manos Pa’rriba), calls into question how much the American imaginary knows or cares to know about Latino culture in the U.S.

So, final thought…is it because the lyrics were mostly in Spanish and so not worth figuring out what was sung? For whatever the reason, there is an opportunity here for us to have a conversation about Latinidad. I am not saying we use the song lyrics as a how to manual, everyone let’s not raid your local botanica, but we have commonality in the symbols we understand (religious and secular) that non-Latino Americans just translate as noise. What should we do with this language?

—————————————————-

In the movie, El Cantante (2006), where Marc Anthony plays Hector Lavoe (70’s salsa sensation and the song’s original composer, with Willie Colon, I think…), the performance of “Aguanile” is juxtaposed with Lavoe’s participation in a Santeria ritual. The two scenes blend together where at one point the audience seems to be celebrating his spiritual cleanse and not his singing. Below you have the El Cantante clip -

The Blogger Union has partnered with CreativeMornings/Miami for a collaborative storytelling marathon. Tune in to read the story of our city told by local creatives, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Each week, a different member of CreativeMornings will take over to post what inspires them about South Florida. Do you want to take over the CreativeMornings/Miami blog and share your take on our community? Email Paola at info@thebloggerunion and we’ll get working on it!

About Josie Urbistondo: Hi! My name is Josie. I have been teaching writing and literature and writing myself for about a decade now. Currently, I teach at the University of Miami and mentor high school dual enrollment faculty for Florida International University. It wasn’t until I had my daughter that I yearned for a new space to exercise creative freedom that captured all facets of my identity. Our blog, www.doubtsanddesires.com, I co-author with a dear, long-time friend, Linjen Neogi, became just that. We broker content we find valuable, fun and enriching.

We strive to be a stop for the brainy, hungry, traveling, all around contemporary mami – we hope to provide meditations on life, love, motherhood and the spaces in between. We are here for the constant reader or the casual glance. Working around nap schedules, board meetings and all around beautiful chaos.

This article was originally published in Latino Rebel then republished on Doubts & Desires.

The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop. Let’s be real…even if you love to read and love literature it is increasingly difficult to dedicate time to the solitary exercise.

doubts & desires

doubts & desires                                                                                              

Two memories come to mind as I engage with this new anthology published by Haymarket:

◾As an educator I constantly struggle with getting my students to be interested, to connect with and to see themselves in the literature we read.
◾Also, I remember a couple years ago chatting with my cousin who is now in college about Lil Wayne and how he has self-proclaimed ‘the greatest poet alive.’ My cousin could not reconcile how a rapper, artist, celebrity could also be a poet.

Why is this book different, worth your time? It accomplishes two things simultaneously. First, it brings hip-hop and young urban, minority culture to the page, which although books and print culture may be a dying art form, it still legitimizes who speaks and how within literary and public intellectual circles. We need our young, vibrant, hungry, optimistic voices complicating the narrative of literature, of what it means to pen a legacy, a tradition.

Historically, hip-hop was a countercultural movement, a response to mainstream oppression, but as soon as suburbia began jamming to BIG and Tupac, it has revealed hip hop culture’s resonance and message in its purest form transcends its very personal and sociocultural roots. And it also reveals that not everyone should be wearing Adidas track suits.

Second, it makes poetry young, improvisational and fun again. I will admit I am more of a novels and short story person, but the works in this text don’t feel like I am reading for homework; they transport you to a dim lit cafe or someone’s home who you know is way cooler than you are so you nod and try not to say anything too dumb.

With younger generations opting for entertainment and distractions that don’t include reading, I hope this exercise in cool brings new readers to the fold and reminds older readers that sometimes the best gift one could give our children and ourselves is the world of imagination and creativity housed in books.

doubts & desires           

Standouts I recommend that have so much heart -

Jessica Care Moore (1971) “mic check, 1-2 a duality battle. materials: poem breath & voice. for Lupe Fiasco” - Moore is a badass. There’s no other way of putting it. I enjoyed this poem, but I love her work. She is a force. Please look her up; I hope you bump into her web site.

Douglas Kearney (1974) “Drop It Like It’s Hottentot Venus” - Some if not most people may not have heard of the historical figure, the Hottentot Venus (Sara Baartman, a Khoekhoe woman from southern Africa who between 1810 and 1815 was exhibited in London and Paris for her overtly sexual body and thus inferior being.) In very racist and problematic ways, she was a black woman spectacle for white audiences to gawk at and marvel. She was sexually appealing and considered grotesque at the same time. So Kearney reinvests a historical meaning to Snoop Dogg’s “Drop it Like It’s Hot.” There are a couple ways of reading meaning into this moment. Snoop’s lyrics can be misogynistic and bringing the Hottentot Venus as an image here provocatively examines how the female body, and more specifically of women of color, has been commodified, for sale, for wonderment and at times a freak show. Also, there are plenty of women who enjoy rap, like myself, knowing how problematic some of the messages are…Kearney’s poem should make us as readers a bit uncomfortable with how women are portrayed. And I can’t help it but the poem reminds me of Chris Rock’s skit where he talks about women dancing and celebrating extremely misogynistic lyrics.

Steven Willis (1992) “Beat Writers for Amiri Baraka and Allen Ginsberg” - Willis throws out to the literary universe a unique connection between the Beat generation and literary hip-hop. If you have never read Ginsberg’s “A Supermarket in California” I highly recommend it. The poet speaker walks around a supermarket and basically sees Walt Whitman and Garcia Lorca lurking around. The history of hip hop is in this book, but it doesn’t stand alone. This text links various literary and cultural moments spanning centuries but delivering each line with such immediacy. For me it’s all about the references…looking them up and seeing what and how the poet brings together various references to produce a new message; however, you can read and enjoy each poem for what it comments about just the now.

doubts & desires                                                                                                

The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop (Haymarket, 2015) “is the first poetry anthology by and for the Hip-Hop generation. It is for people who love Hip-Hop, for fans of the culture, for people who’ve never read a poem, for people who thought poems were only something done by dead white dudes who got lost in a forest, and for poetry heads. This anthology is meant to expand the idea of who a poet is and what a poem is for.”

The Blogger Union has partnered with CreativeMornings/Miami for a collaborative storytelling marathon. Tune in to read the story of our city told by local creatives, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Each week, a different member of CreativeMornings will take over to post what inspires them about South Florida. Do you want to take over the CreativeMornings/Miami blog and share your take on our community? Email Paola at info@thebloggerunion and we’ll get working on it!

About Josie Urbistondo: Hi! My name is Josie. I have been teaching writing and literature and writing myself for about a decade now. Currently, I teach at the University of Miami and mentor high school dual enrollment faculty for Florida International University. It wasn’t until I had my daughter that I yearned for a new space to exercise creative freedom that captured all facets of my identity. Our blog, www.doubtsanddesires.com, I co-author with a dear, long-time friend, Linjen Neogi, became just that. We broker content we find valuable, fun and enriching.

We strive to be a stop for the brainy, hungry, traveling, all around contemporary mami – we hope to provide meditations on life, love, motherhood and the spaces in between. We are here for the constant reader or the casual glance. Working around nap schedules, board meetings and all around beautiful chaos.

This article was originally published on Doubts & Desires.

Five kind of Cuban practices I will continue with my daughter.

1.Every NYE we will go outside with suitcases and walk around in circles so that we guarantee to travel that upcoming year.

2.I will dip her chupete (pacifier) in Cuban coffee to build up caffeine tolerance. Actually, my husband does not approve, so I won’t confirm or deny this one.

3.An azabache is a must. She is the only Gymboree kid I see with the azabache on or on her baby bag…gotta fend off that evil eye; it’s a 24-7 gig!

4.Versailles - Before Lebron James and every politician who makes a stop in Miami made this a must tourist destination, this has been the go to spot. After a concert or my ballet recitals, we would end up there. My aunt says it feels like the open air restaurants in Havana and my fave Gustavo Pérez Firmat has an amazing analysis of all the mirrors inside; how Cubans see themselves in those mirrors.

5.The loteria game - It’s like BINGO with no letters and you bet money. The bets range from a few cents to $1 if you are feeling lucky. I learned the game when I was four or five, but despite your age you better bring a few cents to join the pot. It was our version of family game night, and I don’t remember any phones on the table!!!

courtesy of Gustavo Perez Firmat, University of Texas Press

These memories morphed into practices now are a product of my “CBA generation,” what Pérez Firmat calls, the Cuban-Bred Americans. I leave you with his line - “Like other second-generation immigrants, they maintain a connection to their parents’ homeland, but it is a bond forged by my experiences rather than their own. For my children, Cuba is an enduring, perhaps endearing, fiction. Cuba is for them as ethereal as the smoke and as persistent as the smell of their grandfather’s cigars (which are not even Cuban but Dominican)” (5). Now with the political climate thawing between the US and Cuba, I wonder how identities will change for so many CBA’s when stepping onto Cuban soil. Leaving politics aside, I am hesitant of how my childhood memories may shift if/ when that day would ever come for me.

The Blogger Union has partnered with CreativeMornings/Miami for a collaborative storytelling marathon. Tune in to read the story of our city told by local creatives, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Each week, a different member of CreativeMornings will take over to post what inspires them about South Florida. Do you want to take over the CreativeMornings/Miami blog and share your take on our community? Email Paola at info@thebloggerunion and we’ll get working on it!

Takeover D & D style! First, it is a privilege to be part of the South Florida Bloggers and even more so to represent them on CreativeMornings. Thank you to CreativeMornings/Miami for this opportunity. The compilation of posts I will share have to do with questions of identity, family, creativity and reflection. In such a frenetic life, I strive to reflect on and possibly create from moments which seem unseen or unacknowledged. Growing up Cuban-Basque American, it’s a mouthful, in Miami seemed matter of fact. I just was; however, now with my daughter I feel like I am growing into myself with intention. Therefore, I share with you reflections on how I am learning to be and to perform my Latinidad and what it means to me as a contemporary woman, mother, friend. Thank you for reading.

About Josie Urbistondo: Hi! My name is Josie. I have been teaching writing and literature and writing myself for about a decade now. Currently, I teach at the University of Miami and mentor high school dual enrollment faculty for Florida International University. It wasn’t until I had my daughter that I yearned for a new space to exercise creative freedom that captured all facets of my identity. Our blog, www.doubtsanddesires.com, I co-author with a dear, long-time friend, Linjen Neogi, became just that. We broker content we find valuable, fun and enriching.

We strive to be a stop for the brainy, hungry, traveling, all around contemporary mami – we hope to provide meditations on life, love, motherhood and the spaces in between. We are here for the constant reader or the casual glance. Working around nap schedules, board meetings and all around beautiful chaos.

This article was originally published on Doubts & Desires.           

OMG que voy hacer: Teaching My Daughter Our Culture in a Spanglish Spanish

doubts & desires  

My parents and parents-in-law say, “Tienes que enseñarle español. Aprenderá inglés eventualmente.” (You have to teach her Spanish. She will learn English eventually.) Every time I hear this I think of Gustavo Pérez Firmat’s line, “The fact that I am writing to you in English already falsifies what I wanted to tell you. My subject: how to explain to you that I don’t belong to English though I belong nowhere else.” While in a more optimistic moment, he references the hyphen, how we can belong to multiple historical, cultural and linguistic moments, in this quote he contemplates how we can truly belong to none. Also, Julia Alvarez discusses that in between of language and culture, what Edwidge Danticat calls “the tools I have at my disposal” and “the choice that rises out of the circumstances of our lives.” I love reading these writers because through them I can understand my own identity as inheriting a constant tension second generations negotiate to maintain culture, language, self.

As an adult now and reading scholars like Pérez Firmat and Alvarez-Borland I understand as best as I will ever that my mom and maternal grandparents’ identities, their Cuban selves were inextricably tied to living as much of Cuba within our home as possible. That meant that growing up there was a lot of Celia, frijoles negros (black beans) and dominoes or loteria snapping on the table in the background. (My dad is the odd ball as the only non-Cuban, don’t call him Gallego, Basque of the family.) As a second generation Cuban-Basque-American I am much less invested in keeping an idyllic version of Cuba intact. I grew up with all my Cuban family and an outnumbered Basque man, so I feel very Cuban-American. This has brought me to conversations about authenticity…people questioning my hyphen so to speak - so you can’t really be Cuban or Basque, forget American. I have learned to be unapologetic about who I am and how I choose to hyphenate my identity. I understand now that identity, like gender, is multi-faceted.  There is who I think I am, how I perform my identity and how others read/ interpret that identity. (If you ever want to induce a migraine, read Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble…despite the dense material, I understood about 10%, her final chapter on performativity is fantastic.) If one buys into a layered flexibility, that identity is what we practice and not only who I am deep down, there is an inevitable loss of culture. And yes some would optimistically say where there is loss there is invention and creation of something new.

doubts & desires      

And here enters my Spanglish, Spanish.

Yes, I do speak to my daughter in Spanish. However, while I consider myself fluent, my fluency is not technical. I can exchange pleasantries in Spanish but can’t explain in a substantive way what I focused on in graduate school. I can give directions and order at an Miami Publix deli but can’t discuss the best ending of a novel EVER - I am totally biased - Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967). I mean talk about getting meta: a novel written in Spanish which I read in translation in order to connect with (without getting too essentialist) an emotive and incredibly creative latinidad through magical realism.

So for the most part I speak to her in Spanish but then will ‘drop knowledge’ in English. This by the way is the drawback of spending most of my days with 18-20 year olds. Some of the most current phrases will stick, but I tend to use them when they are no longer cool.

My brain functions as a Spanglish domain. There are phrases and emotions one must simply convey in Spanish.  Fine, fine, fine they are mostly curse phrases I shouldn’t repeat here!  However, my work life, my adult vocabulary is in English. I still listen to Celia and miss my grandmother’s flan and my grandfather’s entrada in loteria. But now we listen to Marc and love my dad’s and mother-in-law’s Michelin rated (in my head) foods. My generation may not keep my mom’s Cuba alive for them or for ourselves, but I hope we can live and make real for the next generation an “ajiaco” of culture where she will feel at home. (Noted Cuban philosopher Fernando Ortiz would be proud!)

The Blogger Union has partnered with CreativeMornings/Miami for a collaborative storytelling marathon. Tune in to read the story of our city told by local creatives, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Each week, a different member of CreativeMornings will take over to post what inspires them about South Florida. Do yo want to take over the CreativeMornings/Miami blog and share your take on our community? Email Paola atinfo@thebloggerunion and we’ll get working on it!

About Paola Mendez: Paola Mendez is a serial entrepreneur, the founder ofSouth Florida Bloggers, and the kind spirit behind The Blogger Union. Today, Paola continues to run an eclectic portfolio of online businesses, includingCoral Gables Love —the most influential online hub in Coral Gables— Dapper Animals, and Cool Gifting. On her down time, you can catch Paola playing drums in her cover band (along with her partner Brian, her sister, and brother-in-law) or snuggling with her toy Yorkie, Pancho.

This article was originally published on Coral Gables Love.

Best Places To Work From in Coral Gables

Do you like to go to coffee shops to work or study? So do I! I have the wonderful perk of being able to work from anywhere. All I need is decent wi-fi and I can be productive. After working out of many places around town, I have put together a list of my top 10 places to work in Coral Gables.

# 1 Cafe Curuba

My favorite spot to work from in Coral Gables is Cafe Curuba. If you haven’t heard of Cafe Curuba, you need to go visit this adorable neighborhood coffee shop. They have amazing coffee, delicious pastries, and a really cool atmosphere. You are most likely to find me there during the week. They use Panther coffee for the espresso drinks and they always play great music.

PROS: It’s also cozy, has strong (free) wi-fi, and extremely nice customer service.

CONS: The only downside to working at Cafe Curuba is that it is quite small. So you have to get there early to grab a spot. Locals have already discovered this little gem and it is not rare to find a bunch of people working on their laptops or having business meetings.

Cafe Curuba is located at 2626 Ponce De Leon Blvd, Coral Gables. cafecuruba.com

# 2 Small Tea

My second favorite place to work in the Gables is Small Tea. Small Tea offers over 84 varieties of teas. Their teas are incredibly tasty and if their varied tea menu is overwhelming just grab one of their chai tea lattes. I’ve had them all and I recommend all of them.

PROS: The main reason I like to work at Small Tea is the atmosphere. The decor makes you feel like you are working inside a dark, cozy cave. It feels safe in there. They also play a great selection of music that helps you concentrate on your work. Plus, if you get hungry they have a healthy and tasty menu. Oh and I’m addicted to their Nutella sea salt cookies. Make sure you get some of those too!

CONS: There are two small downsides to working at Small Tea. The first is that lots of people have discovered this incredibly awesome hang out spot. So when 10 people are working on their laptops, the free wi-fi starts to slow down. The second thing to keep in mind is that they like to blast their air conditioning. That’s easy to fix. Make sure to bring a warm sweater and you’ll be set to get your work done.

Small Tea is located at 205 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables. smallteaco.com

# 3 The Coral Gables Library

If the slightest noise distracts you from your work, then the Coral Gables Library is the place for you. Before 3pm the internet runs pretty fast and you are more likely to find an empty seat at a table. I love the moldy book smell of the library. I find it comforting. It reminds me of my first excursion to the library when I was a little kid.

PROS: They offer free wi-fi, the library staff is nice and there are plenty of outlets to plug your computer in. For those who need peace and quiet to focus and be productive, this historic landmark is the place for you.

CONS: The library gets pretty busy once school lets out, causing the internet to slow down. So make sure to use this location when you need a place to work from early in the day.

The Coral Gables Library is located at 3443 Segovia St, Coral Gables. mdpls.org

#4 Cafe Demetrio

Cafe Demetrio is an adorable & historic coffee shop on Alhambra Plaza. It was the first coffee shop to open in Coral Gables. This is the perfect spot for those who like to work amidst history. That same building used to house the local newspaper in the 1920s. The cafe is quiet and relaxing with a quaint patio and outside seating in the back. If you like free wifi and sipping coffee with hearts drawn on the foam. This is place for you. Cafe Demetrio also recently renovated giving it an even more welcoming atmosphere.

Cafe Demetrio is located at 300 Alhambra Cir, Coral Gables. cafedemetrio.com

# 5 Janette & Co. Macarons

Janette & Co makes my favorite macarons in South Florida. Their macarons are the perfect combination of fluffy and chewy. The owner, Quentin, makes them fresh right at the shop.

PROS: Janette & Co offers free wifi; and it’s usually quiet there. It’s a good place to concentrate if you need to study or write something when you are alone.

CONS: There are very few tables and chairs so you might not find one available. Also, the tables are very small so you can’t share a table with a friend. Plus, you might over eat macarons.

Janette & Co. is located at 208 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables. janetteandco.com

# 6 Grazianos

Grazianos is an Argentine restaurant and market. They are known for their meats, empanadas, desserts, and wines. This is a great place when you need to meet and work with many people. They have high tables that seat parties of six people.

PROS: Grazianos has lots of seating so (unless you go during the lunch rush) you will find a table to work from. They recently added cellphone charging stations at most of their tables. Also, they have great food and coffee. I know those two things always motivate me to get things done.

CONS: It can get loud at Grazianos and they are constantly airing soccer matches that might distract you. It’s also not the coziest setting you’ll find in the area.

Graziano’s is located on 2301 Galiano St, Coral Gables. grazianosgroup.com

# 7 Pipeline Workspaces

I actually work out of Pipeline a couple of times a week. It’s a great place to have meetings and look professional. Their wi-fi is fast, they have a great kitchen and spiffy conference rooms. You do have to pay a membership fee to work out of Pipeline, but if you add up all money you spend on coffees when you work at coffee shops it’s surprinsingly comparable.

# 8 Threefold Cafe

Threefold Cafe offers a gourmet breakfast menu all day. If you’ve never been I recommend the smashed avocado on toast. Threefold is more of a restaurant than a hangout place, but (I asked to make sure) they welcome people who want to work from there.

PROS: Threefold has a bright beautiful location that will certainly put you in a great mood to get some work done. They also offer free wi-fi, play nice music, and have really nice people working there. They also use Panther coffee for their espressos.

CON: Threefold has ONE table with an outlet. So make sure to take your laptop fully charged.

Threefold Cafe is located at 141 Giralda Ave, Coral Gables. threefoldcafe.com

# 9 Ebar Cafe Nordstrom

The Ebar Nordstrom Cafe is located at the outdoor mall, Village of Merrick Park. Merrick Park doesn’t have much traffic, making it one of the few malls where you can actually relax.

PROS: The Ebar offers free wi-fi and has a full coffee menu. They have indoor and outdoor seating.

CONS: You have to pay the parking at Merrick Park, which is a little more expensive than Coral Gables City parking.

Ebar Internet Cafe is located at 4310 Ponce De Leon Blvd, Coral Gables in Merrick Pack by Nordstrom.shop.nordstrom.com
Photo by Luis Mora. Follow him on Instagram: @35mmMora

# 10 Pasion del Cielo

Pasion del Cielo makes great coffee and empanadas. Although the few times I tried to work there the wi-fi was terribly slow, it’s a good place to be productive. The place is usually really packed with people working there – that’s probably what makes the internet crawl. I still like the brick walls and sofas. My favorite place to work is at the bar stools by the window. When you need to take a break, you can people watch.

Pasion del Cielo is located at 100 Giralda Ave, Coral Gables. pasiondelcielo.com

Is there a place you like to take your laptop to and work? Let us know in the comments!

The Blogger Union has partnered with Creative Mornings Miami for a collaborative storytelling marathon. Tune in to read the story of our city told by local creatives, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Each week, a different member of Creative Mornings will take over to post what inspires them about South Florida. Do yo want to take over the Creative Mornings Miami blog and share your take on our community? Email Paola at info@thebloggerunion and we’ll get working on it!

About Paola Mendez: Paola Mendez is a serial entrepreneur, the founder of South Florida Bloggers, and the kind spirit behind The Blogger Union. Today, Paola continues to run an eclectic portfolio of online businesses, including Coral Gables Love —the most influential online hub in Coral Gables— Dapper Animals, and Cool Gifting. On her down time, you can catch Paola playing drums in her cover band (along with her partner Brian, her sister, and brother-in-law) or snuggling with her toy Yorkie, Pancho.

This article was originally published on Coral Gables Love.

The Truth About Learning Guitar: Gables Guitar Is The Best

If you are searching for guitar lessons in Coral Gables (or outside the area for that matter) – your search is over. The best place to take lessons is Gables Guitar Studio in the heart of Coral Gables. Tucked away on the 2nd floor of an office building on Ponce, Gables Guitar is the perfect environment to study music.

“It’s certainly better than the places I used to take lessons at,” says Gables Guitar owner Brian Hunker about his guitar studio. “When I first started learning guitar, we had our lessons in the back of a local music shop. Those lesson rooms were really just closets. Talk about an intimate setting. You had to stand up before you could open or close the door!”

In addition to its high ceilings and general spaciousness, Gables Guitar Studio features nice hard wood floors and plenty of natural light streaming in from an elegant floor-to-ceiling window towards the back of the room. Bookshelves are filled with Brian’s library of guitar books, and dozens of 3 ring binders labeled: “Technical Drills”, “Kids Songs”, “Advanced Rock Soloing” and “Flamenco Techniques”. Over in the lesson area a pair of stools sit next to a large industrial looking music stand and a full length mirror. “All the lessons are one-on-one,” says Brian. “That allows us to focus on each student’s individual strengths and weaknesses. Not only that but there are so many different styles of music that people want to learn. Every one of my students is working toward such different stylistic goals. I think the one-on-one approach is the only way to ensure that everyone gets what they want and what they need out of the lessons.”

Stylish poster art emblazoned with the names of performers like Beck and Death Cab For Cutie hang over Brian’s desk. Much of the rest of the studio’s wall space is taken up by several beautiful guitars. “Teaching guitar is sort of like teaching 3 or 4 different instruments,” says Brian gesturing to the guitars. “There is no one guitar that works for every style of music. Between classical, folk, blues, jazz, and rock there are so many styles of guitar playing. I enjoy playing and teaching lots of different styles, so over the years I’ve ended up with this collection of very different guitars. One for each of the major styles.”

Brian’s Story

At the age of 7 Brian’s parents gave him a small acoustic guitar and enrolled him in weekly lessons. “I remember the way the wood smelled and how strange the strings felt. I remember my first teacher writing out the notes to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. It wasn’t easy for me and I wasn’t good at it.” But Brian kept going to lessons and eventually realized that talent wasn’t a fixed quantity and if he worked on his guitar playing it would get better.

By the time he was 14 Brian began playing in local rock bands. “It was the most fun thing I’d ever experienced. I knew then that I was going to play music for the rest of my life.”

While studying Audio Engineering at the University of Miami, Brian got a part time job at a local guitar shop. He was hired to sell and repair guitars as well as teach lessons. “It was the first time I had ever taught guitar lessons. I definitely tried as hard as I could to target what each student liked about the guitar, and I’d follow their path instead of trying to get them to like the music I like. I kept track of what each student listened to and I transcribed songs they liked so we could work on their favorite songs.”

Students responded to Brian’s teaching methods right away and soon his teaching schedule was full. “It was very unexpected to find this job that I loved doing and all my students were excited about what they were learning and they all kept coming back week after week.”

After a few years of teaching for other shops and institutions, in 2013 Brian decided it was time to launch Gables Guitar Studio. “It’s definitely scarier to go into business on your own, but running my own studio has allowed me to provide my students with the best experience I possibly can. There are no strict attendance policies or rules here. I don’t have to worry about anything except what is best for each of my students.”

So far Brian’s carefree and personable take on guitar teaching seems to be winning. Gables Guitar Studio has continued to grow and Brian’s teaching schedule now remains full year-round.

“When I think back on all of my early guitar teachers, they were very different, but they were all very encouraging towards me. I didn’t realize until years later how important that was. Good teachers believed in me before I showed any signs of promise. Now that I am a teacher, I try to pass that kind of encouragement on to every new guitarist I see.”

To schedule an introductory lesson at Gables Guitar Studio, call Brian at 305-582-6881 or visit gablesguitar.com.

The Blogger Union has partnered with CreativeMornings/Miami for a collaborative storytelling marathon. Tune in to read the story of our city told by local creatives, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Each week, a different member of CreativeMornings will take over to post what inspires them about South Florida. Do yo want to take over the CreativeMornings/Miami blog and share your take on our community? Email Paola at info@thebloggerunion and we’ll get working on it!

About Paola Mendez: Paola Mendez is a serial entrepreneur, the founder of South Florida Bloggers, and the kind spirit behind The Blogger Union. Today, Paola continues to run an eclectic portfolio of online businesses, including Coral Gables Love —the most influential online hub in Coral Gables— Dapper Animals, and Cool Gifting. On her down time, you can catch Paola playing drums in her cover band (along with her partner Brian, her sister, and brother-in-law) or snuggling with her toy Yorkie, Pancho.

This article was originally published on Coral Gables Love.

Leica: Fostering the Photography Community in South Florida

If you are a Leica camera lover you are in luck. With only six Leica stores in the United States, I am happy to report one of those stores is located at 372 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables. This niche brand has a boutique shop right in the heart of downtown Coral Gables. The Coral Gables camera boutique, Leica, is owned by husband and wife David and Juliana Farkas. The couple had been a Leica brand camera dealer for over 10 years. David and Juliana decided to sell the high end German camera brand Leica because of its uniform pricing standard and high quality products. Leica opened in March 2013 and since then has become a haven for the photography community.

The Leica Brand

The Leica brand just celebrated its 101st anniversary. The invention of the 35 mm Leica camera in 1913 revolutionized photography by making cameras more portable. Before the 35 mm camera, cameras were much bigger at 8″x10″ with an enormous tripod. Making cameras more portable allowed more people to take photographs because of its accessibility. In the 1920s, 30s, 40s, and 50s Leica was the main brand for photo journalists.

Now a days, Leica has become a synonym for excellence and the brand is known for their high quality lenses. It is a high end luxury brand with all their cameras handmade in Germany.

For those looking for Leica cameras there aren’t many places to shop in person. With only 6 Leica stores in the US (New York, Washington D.C. Los Angeles, San Fransisco, Seattle), we are lucky to have a location in our very own Coral Gables. The Coral Gables boutique sells brand new and second hand Leica cameras, accessories, and lenses.

Leica is one of the few brands still manufacturing film cameras. They make 3 film camera models and you can buy color and black and white film at the Leica boutique in Coral Gables. They also have places they recommend for film development in the area. If you have never heard of the brand stop by the shop located on Miracle Mile. You will be able to hold and try the camera for yourself to see the quality first hand, and experience shooting with a Leica brand camera.

Photography Events

• Photo Walks: Leica has partnered with the Coral Gables Museum for downtown photo walks three to six times a year. There are usually 10 – 12 spots available for these walks and you get to use a Leica camera for free. Make sure to bring a SD memory card so you can take all your pictures home with you.
• Workshops in Miami & Abroad: Leica holds gear specific workshops that focus on a particular camera. These workshops are geared towards anyone who wants to know more about the specific camera. During these events photographers of all skill levels are invited.
• Professional Photographer Events: The Leica boutique in Coral Gables has a photography gallery that changes every three months. Usually, the photographer will hold a workshop in conjunction with their gallery show opening. For example, the photojournalist Peter Turnley had a weekend master class where attendees got to shoot with him and learn directly from him. At the end, the attendees received critiques of their images. Leica supplies cameras for the class during these events but you are free to bring your own camera.
• Destination Workshops: Previous destination workshops have traveled to Prague, Florence, Berlin, the Florida Keys, the Everglades, and New England. Destination workshops have a working photographer as an instructor and a Leica staff member to help with any camera questions and troubleshooting. The attendees travel to places to take great shots of landscape photography, street and travel photography. The Europe destination workshops are more structured and attendees shoot with a model, an artisan (like a violin maker in Berlin), and a travel day where the attendees shoot architecture or street photography. Some workshops include critiques at the end of the day.

Promoting Photography as Art

Leica has photography gallery shows four to five times a year. Each show features a well known photographer who uses Leica to shoot his/her photographs. The gallery show opening includes a presentation and talk with the photographer. The talks are open to the public and end with a question and answer session. Leica is proud of giving these working professionals exposure within the community.

Every first Thursday of the month, the boutique hosts Leica Lounge. During these events south Florida photographers are invited to a photography presentation by educators, and gallery owners in the photography community. The main goal of Leica Lounge is to provide a forum for people interested in photography where Leica can promote local photographers and show off what they do.

The boutique is also the main sponsor for the Miami Street Photography Festival during Art Basel. This festival focuses on street photography and brings well known photographers. They hold a contest with submissions worldwide where the winner of the contest receives a Leica camera. Attendees travel from Europe and South America to be part of this event.

Leica also sponsors the annual Coral Gables Museum photography contest. Where chosen submissions are displayed in a photography art show and the winner receives a Leica camera.

With the shortage of places that foster the photography community in South Florida, we are lucky to have such a supporter of this art form in our neighborhood. Visit Leica and discover a new brand of cameras, local photographers, and a friendly community. Share this gem with your friends using the buttons below.