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2026 Resolutions - Check In!

SOTU Wednesday, March 04, 2026

I am pulling out my journal to do a little 2026 resolution check in. . . I already know I am not even doing half :-D. 1. I know I don't use the best of my time, but also 2. I am always so impressed by people with children, significant others, and really demanding jobs that are able to hit their goals and try new things!

This is my year of intentions, hobbies, growth and just a very ME year.

Off the top of my head in the realm of health:

1. Did not go on my walks the entire month of February (started up again yesterday)

2. Nutrition and gut health - holy shit it took a DIVE and I am up quite a few pounds.

3. Have not done the Fitness+ workouts at all.

The realm of hobbies:

1. . . . . I subscribed to a year of DuoLingo and have not picked it up after the first week (very shocking!)

2. It's been too cold to go out . . . okay excuse. . . to go do my lil nature learning goals

3. Reading is looking good! Woohoo

4. Literally hopped on this blog because it was part of my goals and I haven't been writing - then I realized it was just 1 a month and I am on track :-D

5. A very big one was learning to cook Mexican dishes and filling out my recipe book and that has been 0000 traction. But I need to learn to bridge the gap between the budget (which I am rough on anyways) and also getting past my phobia. I think this may be the most challenging! I am going to keep her on my radar.

The realm of money:

1. Yay started my budget! Rough ending to February but I am tracking and AWARE.

2. Working on career growth and goals - slow and steady

There's others but that's the general update! If I can't think of what to blog (unlikely) then once a month it'll just be the above haha.

The year of the horse officially started a couple weeks ago, so let's see my dog + horse fortune:

(from CNN, click here to see yours!)

“It is a good star. It brings good luck in money, career and family,” says Chow.

This quiet but powerful stellar alignment means a year of stability and solid rewards for Dogs, especially in terms of finance.

For some Dogs, it may be the year that long-awaited promotion finally happens.

“Their energy with the family will be quite strong this year,” says Chow. “It means better communications among family members. They will likely be getting together more often and enjoying happy events together.”

The one thing Dogs should be mindful of? Stomach and digestive health.

I hope it's right on money, career, and family. I will be content with that trio and I will do my part to try reap rewards!! We'll see :)

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Kokono' - Claudia Santiz & San Juan Chamula

culture Tuesday, February 03, 2026

warning - sappiness ahead

How to start this post? Maybe with the two events that, last minute, changed the course of my last three days in Chiapas, Mexico.

A National Boycott (more on that later) that led me to take Friday off.
Rescheduled original Saturday morning flight for Sunday due to "severe storm weather warnings" from Delta.

These two events allowed my brother, sister, and brother in law to pack one change of clothes and take a last minute bus ride from Tuxtla to San Cristobal, Thursday after work. This would be our 3rd time in the picturesque city within two weeks, but this time with a purpose.

The Sunday before, I searched Goodreads for a book suggestion on Chiapas. Nothing interesting, or well-rated came up, at least not immediately, so I took to Spotify. I typed Chiapas in the Audiobook section and one of the top five recommendations was Kokono' de una mujer rebelde. A memoir by Claudia Santiz released only last year. I will use the Amazon synopsis (I began to write my own but I don't think it'd do it justice.)

The story of struggle and passion of a rebellious Tzotzil woman who shaped her own destiny while sharing the wisdom of indigenous peoples.

The fate of Claudia Sántiz had been written since birth: she was supposed to get married at thirteen and tend to her family in San Juan Chamula, Chiapas. However, the gift of rebellion past down by her women ancestors took her to challenge paradigms of gender and origin.

By gambling on her education, her life would take a turn when her thesis ended up in the hands of chef Enrique Olvera. With Pujol, Claudia would begin her journey around three of the most prestigious restaurants in the capital city. Nonetheless, urban life would confront her with loneliness, discrimination, and cultural shock.

Shortly after, she returned to Chiapas to care for her health and her family’s, and to fulfill a dream: open her own restaurant. After years of sowing, came the reap: interviews, accolades, and travels, even ranking as one of the most promising chefs in the world in 50 Next.

I have goosebumps and tears in my eyes reading this now.

After that Sunday, I clicked play on the audiobook, narrated by Claudia herself (in Spanish of course), and spent the week listening. I had not heard about her before, hours in, her story was already touching me in every way and then she spoke about her child - her restaurant, formerly known as Kokono now Claudia Santiz Restaurante, and that it was in San Cristobal. I could NOT go home without dining at her restaurant, knowing that it was only an hour away. That Thursday morning, I Whatsapped the contact on her website to see if we could get a reservation for that evening or the next day - they responded right away, but it took a bit to confirm that it would be Friday and then a few more hours to confirm the time. No matter!! My little group and I were already on the bus there (thank you Juan, Emily, and Raul for indulging me and making this happen!! I love you!!). I understood why it took a while to confirm the time they could seat us - Claudia works with students and their university schedule and also, I now understand they have regular restaurant hours. . . .

We arrive in San Cristobal around 6pm - it was a very smooth and PICTURESQUE ride!!! It was incredible and my photos could never do it justice.

I was prepared to book an Airbnb, but I was very grateful that Raul reached out to his cousin that lives in San Cris - he opened his home to us. As soon as we got to the ADO (bus) station, we realized it was only a short 10 minute walk - yay! We made it there, put down our stuff, and made our way "downtown" or to the Centro Historico - we had a delicious dinner, did some window shopping, hot chocolate at Cacao Nativa and heard great live street music. I saw a couple tour ads for "Indigenous Pueblos" (I just watched a video where Claudia refers to them as PUEBLOS ORIGINARIOS)- I was dying to go!! But Raul was adamant that it was not a good idea. Some of the communities here can be very closed off to foreigners, local governments don't have jurisdiction, and it's one of those - hey if you get into trouble, there may not be anyone to help you -. I was bummed but hey! I am not from here and I respect it.

Quick side note: San Cris is REALLY CHILLY. It kind of beats Atlanta in that way. My brother and I shared a bed and we were struggling for the blanket that night . .. . . it was cold enough that it was the first night I slept without showering and in my same CLOTHES!! My thin pajamas would not have cut it.

The next morning, Friday, the only thing on my schedule was our 4PM reservation. Since I had taken the day off, I was free to explore with my brother (my sis and BIL had work). We went out to breakfast right near the square pictured above. We were halfway through when my BIL called me to check my texts - he had shared with his cousin that I wanted to do the Indigenous tours and he said it wasn't dangerous these days and that, no pressure, but his friend who does tours was available at 11am (in twenty minutes) to take us on a tour and we would only need to be back by 2pm as he had another tour scheduled. . . how the stars aligned for me!! We met him on the square (by the cross) and we were off to San Juan Chamula. No, not just any community - the one Claudia Santiz is from! It's not necessarily a coincidence since it's only about a 25 minute ride and it just makes sense that San Cris ("the big city") is where she would open her restaurant but I just didn't know or put it together. I was elated!!!

You drive into town through rolling hills, it doesn't look much different from another rural pueblo except for, what my tour guide called, and I find adequate, their "cake" houses. I wish I was able to take a picture, but the nice homes just look like yummy, frilly, cakes - large squares, pastel colors, tall carved pillars that look like marshmallow lollipops. They had their own unique architecture! San Juan Chamula is virtually all indigenous - Tzotzil Maya and 99% of its inhabitants speak this language with Spanish as a second language, if at all. It is an autonomous municipality - hence the note on how the government can't really do much here. They still wear their traditional garbs, and you can actually tell which "community" the person is from depending on the pattern and style.

Anecdotal experience from my BIL: when he was much younger, he and his family were driving through the general area (maybe the greater municipality) to a far away event, when a drunk driver hit them and caused great damage to the car. Described like in a movie: immediately, people from the community came out of the woodwork to sweep away shattered glass and evidence of a crime scene (minus the perpetrator who landed in the nearby ravine). They offered his family cash and since it wasn't nearly enough to cover the damages, they refused and said they would wait for the authorities. Well, it was hours until the authorities arrived. They usually DON'T and thats why the "authorities" were a single officer and all he could say was along the lines of "hey look, they just sent me, you're lucky they have even offered you money. Just take it - there's not much I can do for you, I am leaving now and I suggest you do the same before it gets too late"

Below - 1500s church and their cemetery. Which more closely resembles a US one, with the lack of mausoleums that traditional Mexican cemeteries use.

Ah, the beautiful and the terrifying sides of a tight knit, private, 'look out for your own' type of community. More on the terrifying - it is an extremely machista culture. Women have practically no say, controlled by their fathers until they are married off and then controlled by their husbands (which makes Claudia's story that much more inspiring!). They have dowries. . . and as I have now heard from two parties, have gone as far as to sell their daughters for Coke, no not cocaine, Coca Cola.

This bubbly drink's status has risen to one of great reverence! As our tour guide explained it, they have a traditional alcohol, Pox (pronounced posh), rooted in Mayan cultured and made of corn, sugar cane, and wheat. Man it's good!! 45% a/vol and they can make it any flavor (tamarindo, mango, guayaba, etc. pity I forgot to buy some to bring back!). Well the name Pox, translates to cure or medicine. The Tzotzil use this to cure any ailments, disease, or sickness. During COVID - they'd just take a big swig to kill the virus. You can imagine at 45%, you'll feel SOMETHING running its course through your body and help you expel all the bad. This is traditional. Soda enters the scene, and guess what? that carbonation, although not the same burn, still helps expel ... burp... out all the bad.

Our next stop was the Iglesia de San Juan Batista - what a beautiful experience (goosebumps!) the epitome of Catholic and Mayan tradition all wrapped in one.

BTW after the 1500s church, we parked on the street to walk to the main Church and it was speckled with white people! What was there to be afraid of LOL. I noticed that the amount of American tourist was minimal and plenty of Europeans!! I thought, there must be a direct flight from Paris to Tuxtla ;-). Unfortunately, our tour guide said Europeans don't stimulate the economy as much, as they don't really buy souvenirs or food - pity! Fellow Nationals on the other hand. . . and I witnessed it first hand when my family of 20 spent $$$ and spent $$$ on gifts and food. We needed two afternoons of shopping and I still left with a feeling of NOT ENOUGH!!.

So the Church tour - I guess this is where it can be "dangerous" as there is absolutely no photography allowed. This is to prevent bad actors or those who are only there to humiliate the locals. Let me see if I can lay it out for you . . . you enter, there are no pews, fresh pine straw litters the floors, long tables on the sides of the church with an over abundance of lit candles. There are no bright fluorescent overhead lights, just dim yellow light chandeliers, the glow of the candles, and sun rays peeking in that catch the smoky air. Saint statues in large glass boxes adorn the periphery of the church walls. Saint John the Baptist sits at the front and center of the Church with Jesus at his side (he is the patron saint more revered than him). In the middle, are families on the floor, surrounded by their own candles (10, 20, 30) set in patterns according to their family's tradition, performing rituals. I saw the pox, the coke, the manzanita, the juices, that they used as offerings. I saw a woman who was using a chicken as part of her ritual, she would pass it above her right shoulder, to the left and above her head over and over until she handed it to a younger female relative (who I originally thought was a tourist) and I watched as she expertly wrung the chickens head. According to our tour guide, they believe the bad energy goes to the chicken and when they die, it dies with it. When I asked him about how they felt about all these tourists hovering over them during a time so sacred, he said that although there was initial push back from some of the community, most, if not all now, see us as part of it, and we are also transferring our energy towards their ritual.

I had to Google for some photos as it was so beautiful!! There were more families when I went then shows below and again, it can't capture what I saw and felt. Please read the post from where this photo is credited, it's a quick and such a descriptive read. I have just subscribed to his blog!

https://tarnmoor.com/2019/12/20/holding-the-gods-to-account/

After our church visit, we had enough time to make it to the nearby village of Zinacantan. I will save the details of this visit for when I write my post on the Zapastistas. I hope to also dive a little deeper on the people from San Juan Chamula (there must be details from my tour guide that are escaping me right now!) and other communities. I want to touch on their clothes, their economy, sub culture, language, etc.

We got back into town around 2:30pm and asked the guide to drop us off where we were staying. This way I could change from black athleisure to a black dress. We then walked about 45 minutes to the reason we were here - a 5 course dinner at a celebrity chef's restaurant. Although it never felt like celebrity chef but simply, an inspirational, brave, defiant woman and her dream.

What I did not realize, is that SHE herself would be cooking for us (along with her sous chef). The Whatsapp did say NUESTRA chef but I thought they were referring to any female chef. A small part of me was hoping it would be her but I couldn't be sure and could not get my hopes up. Not only that, as you can see in the photo above it was closed. . . because we were the only four people she was cooking for at that moment. We were seated at a table of four - all facing the bar where they prepared the food. What a TREAT!!! I am crying right now, because I am just so incredibly grateful for the experience. Listening to her voice as she told her story for the last week, listening to the last chapter on the way to the restaurant and finishing it when we paused at a nearby park just connected me to this experience on another level. I could endlessly bring up the book because she dives into what the restaurant, her child, means to her.

We started with a Pox - so yummy!! served in a gourd? I can't remember but the flavor of the pox, was out of this world. I think I had three cups. My sister had half and said she couldn't feel her legs LOL. This was tascalate flavor (Chiapas drink of toasted maize, cocoa, cinnamon, and achiote) and probably another secret twist.

First course was a simple three ingredient soup - potatoes, cilantro, and pumpkin seeds. At the end of dining she had two questions for us, and one was what was our favorite meal? And this was mine and my sisters. On paper, the other main courses are "better" but this one.... was just a hug and involved my favorite herb and seed. One of her goals is for us to take inspiration home and this is one, as I learn how to cook Mexican food, that I may have to try. No extra oils, seasonings, fats, meats, etc. Just simple vegetarian food, as the people from the highlands make it.

I could not cheese any harder!!! When we first did introductions of some sort, I explained how I came to reach out - not only did she blush when I mentioned I read her book - my own face was on fire as I spoke.

the newlyweds

cheers! juan

Our next course was a tamal (blue maize) stuffed with Chiapas cheese or double cream cheese, topped with a a simple but GOD SO good salsa and. . .ugh forgot the name of the garnish! but it was also included in the tamale. Another one of her questions at the end was what dish is your least favorite (or something along those lines). This was my sisters as she is not a big fan of cheese and it had A LOT of cheese. This was also mine but because tamales are my favorite food and I am a BIG FAN of masa (the dough) and my carb hungry self would want it to have more masa. Again, it was delicious!! but if I had to pick something to change. She appreciated the honest feedback.

Our next dish was mole (not too sweet, yay!), perfectly rich and multi dimensional. Mole was drizzled over a piece of chicken stuffed with cauliflower. Wow!! A creation of it's own. This was my brother's WOW dish and he shared the feedback with Chef Claudia. He said the closest he's gotten to a vegetable with mole are the carrots and peas that fall from the side of rice and this dish gave him a different perspective of what could be paired with mole. Love it, Juan! And yes, more Pox for me!! We were also served guanabana juice. . . or was it guayaba? I think guayaba and pozol (pre-hispanic drink made with fermented masa and cacao) with a house twist (an herb I can't remember now - hoja santa, was it??) The merging and use of all the ingredients that are close to Raul's heart was very touching for him. He was very skeptical about the experience - fine dining, tiny portions, uppity chef, but no, the experience proved otherwise ;-).

Our next dish!! Zucchini shell stuffed with zucchini and just ripe banana covered in a creamy peanut sauce. This was a totally unexpected combination for me - it was really good though!! I think I fell more in love with bananas this trip. Again, the simplicity and purity of all the ingredients came together. And I think that was really the highlight. Fresh and excellent ingredients. She mentions in her book - 80% of all ingredients are bought local from like minded producers (same values in community and quality), and the other 20% from within the state of Chiapas.

Our final dish (and I regret not going with the 7 course option) was this dessert. The bottom is course tascalate mix (remember its the Chiapas drink of toasted maize, cocoa, cinnamon, and achiote) mashed banana at again, the perfect ripeness, a medley of fruit in season, topped with a simple honey drizzle, also mixed with an herb that I can't remember now and garnished with that same herb. Again, her goal is that we can take something from her food. And I thought this dish was a good one for my sister to try to emulate and impress her new official in laws ;-).

We had a very emotional ending to our early dinner. I was trying not to cry and she was like, no let it out, this is what happens here. My brother in law also got emotional (although not to the point of tears), like I said, all his favorite ingredients, his Chiapaneco culture, his beautiful bride by his side ;-), all coming together for a memorable experience.

And as you know, I could not pass up asking if she had physical copies of her book for sale. As she was packing it into the paper bag - I had to man up and ask if she would sign it! I know she would have no issue and I am sure she was just putting it directly in the bag because she is so humble. As she mentions at the end of her book, she's not more out of reach, or otherworldly, than the rest of us.

me on the way to speak to you about our lord and savior, kokono

https://www.amazon.com/rebelde-primera-reconocida-promesas-internacional/dp/6073854307

Thanks for reading if you got this far!! <3 see you in the next post.

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Chiapas - My GI issues and a sidebar on Tropical Diseases

culture Monday, January 26, 2026

Montezuma's Revenge? More like Pakal's revenge.

My biggest misconception about my own body is that I have a stomach of steel. Day 6 into my trip to Chiapas, I woke up with GI issues that have lasted me up to today (Day 11). Alhamdulillah, it isn't that serious, but it's probably the worst I have ever felt related to GI. Day 1, I felt weak, had a pang in my stomach equivalent to severe anxiety, loose bowels (:-D), headache and I felt lethargic. I took Mexican medication and it prevented me from having to use the bathroom, which was a Godsend because we were still traveling via Sprinter, 20 deep, hours away from home and sightseeing. Day 2 madrugada - it hit me all at once and I was the last one on the Sprinter that morning. Again, my body came through and kept all the noise at bay until I got home. Next day felt a little better, but still reeling from the hit to my body. I could not sleep at night from the pressure in my abdomen and finally I figured out that I just need to burp it all out (terrible sulfur burps). I was also coughing a lot of phlegm at night. I thought this was a separate issue, but after a quick Google it happens when the stomach acid rises to your esophagus. Then, I thought I had surpassed it all and on the road to recovery (Day 4). Now Day 5 and 6 I am back down. I'll spare you the details (well you have most of them), I can only be thankful that I have been spared vomiting. Now, everything I eat bloats me to such high discomfort, it is borderline painful. I cannot wait for this to end. But, I also have anxiety so my mind spirals a bit and toys with the idea that I caught a bug that will cause me chronic GI issues. . . but no, it will go away soon. The first bout of sickness, I do theorize was due to a virus/bacteria but after I got a bit better I will blame it on my diet - I am eating spicy, irritating, inflaming foods and a lot of sugar . . . I am definitely not helping the cause . . . might as well be throwing wood to the fire!

I am mostly surprised (not really) that there's still new bacteria that got me, when I have traveled to Mexico my entire life and if anything, I come from a pueblo and I have never gotten sick. Well it's never too late and you're never safe :-). FYI, aware I can get salmonella and e.coli in the US :'-). I just thought the Mayan spirits would spare me due to my good vibes.

After typing the above, I went on the internet and I think I know what parasite I am working with.... AHHHHHH. May be Giarda. You guys know I am a ride it out kind of girl (I recognize this is a mistake) so not looking forward to going to the pharmacy to get my one dose to help me out :-D (I am so silly....). Anyways, Google Giarda - he's a scary looking little sucker.

Yesterdays food: spicy chilaquiles that I felt burn the lining of my stomach, a cherry ICEE, two scoops of sorbet, half a red bull, (I am pregnant with bacteria gases at this point), pizza, potato wedges, and a margarita . . .

On to my diet of bland baby foods for the next week I guess. . . . .

On Tropical Diseases. I recently read a couple books on mosquitos and of course their whole schtick and purpose on this earth is to be vectors of diseases (please ask me and give me mosquito book recs). I was excited to come to Chiapas because it is one of the southern states that is susceptible to tropical diseases (don't get me wrong, we have some further up north too but Chiapas is always on the intake survey before you donate blood). Over chilaquiles yesterday, I asked my Chiapaneco brother in law about the status of malaria in the state and he laughed and said that's an African thing and equivalent to asking about Ebola. I was not very surprised to hear this since malaria is a rare disease, at least in North America, and with sustainable efforts for full eradication. Thankfully, he is a big Googler so immediately, he began reading out loud that malaria is present in Latin America, including Mexico in the states of Chiapas and Campeche.

I found this website that's going to clearly be my newfound obsession. You can click by region and it is showing you real time Malaria risks by country. https://atlasvisualdelamalaria.org/paises/malaria-mexico/

As you can see from the headline below, the state of Chiapas accounts for 94% of all of Mexico's malaria cases (<300 cases). A director of Public Health (Miguel Angel Palafox Palacios, pictured below) states that this is due to two main factors: the transient nature of the state (there is high mobility from it's Southern neighbors) and also the insecurity that plagued remote areas that didn't allow for easy malaria control. 80% of the cases were due to the latter and originated in local communities. Good news is, there is more and more access to these rural communities to be able to administer treatment and preventative measures. Not only that, there is sufficient resources to work towards this initiative.

But Malaria isn't the only tropical disease in Chiapas and the surrounding states. See CDC table below from the Mexico 2026 Yellow Book (I omitted the other Mexican regions but you can click to redirect you to the page).

Well, I have to say, I am partial to Arboviruses. Which refer to "viruses transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of hematophagous arthropods, such as mosquitoes and ticks (term derived from arthropod-borne). They cause acute and sometimes severe febrile diseases (dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, West Nile), common in tropical areas and during warm seasons" Google

Did you know that even though Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes it is not an Arbovirus? This is because Malaria is caused by a parasite (plasmodium), it is NOT a virus. Mosquitos are just vectors for both. And actually, the malaria causing parasite (plasmodium) is only carried by the Anopheles mosquito and the others by the Aedes mosquito. There is also another mosquito to complete the big three - the Culex mosquito. She is a vector for West Nile and Encephalitis.

During the same chilaquile conversation with my brother in law, they confirmed that the above Aedes viruses are much more prevalent and in this order of severity (to your health) 1. Dengue 2. Zika 3. Chikungunya. My brother in law confirms he has had Dengue before (got it in middle school while he was living in the very house I am typing from). He had fever, diarrhea, full body aches and was down for about a week. I asked him if there's such thing as Dengue season, the way we have flu season, he said yes - in the rainy season (as suspected). He also told me that during this time, there are government campaigns where they go house to house handing out a powder product that you need to place into bodies of water in your house so that it can prevent mosquitos from forming. I imagine this is some kind of larvicide.

After a search on larvicide, I recommend reading this next article by The Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit (an initiative of the private non-profit organization, the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust) and checking out their site. I couldn't write anything better than they have already :-). Next two images by them.

That's all for today! Love ya!

https://prvectorcontrol.org/el-larvicida-una-opcion-segura-para-el-control-de-mosquitos/

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2026 - 2006 Energy?

SOTU Sunday, January 25, 2026

Hi guys! 2026 is here and I am so excited! I've spent the last two weeks on PTO (my company closes between Christmas and New Year) and I vlogged those daily adventures on TikTok. I really had the best time spending quality time with friends and family, eating yummy food, crafting, drinking at holiday bars, reading outside, going on walks, window shopping. . . real shopping - just making the best of every hour of the day.

This year I am really excited to continue diving into some of the hobbies and interests that found me, or came back to me, in 2025. I feel like 2025 was getting a little taste of the vibes and 2026 is just a full embodiment of . . . the vibes of. . . me??? And I do say me, because sometimes we, I, the internet, are like clean girl, hot girl, vampire girl, punk girl, soft girl, boss babe, etc. And I get stuck in the loop of trying to box myself in. For example, when I want a sweet treat - I try to police myself by asking - is this skinny girl behavior? - and then I come back and think "no, who cares, this is Melissa girl behavior and she's gonna have a sweet treat right now" and just keep it moving. So what is Melissa's 2026 energy?

I saw a few "were bringing 2016 back" but for me, it's giving 2006 energy. 5th grade - playing in the creeks by the house, raising caterpillars to butterflies, reading Highlights magazine, children's place clothes (lmao), going to the library and spending the whole time in the language section, a pet rat, obsessed with wanting my own room, magnifying glasses during recess, spending money at the scholastic library, eating croutons like chips, Lisa Frank stationary, keep a fish tank and taking care of little fry, and so on. It's going to be all the aforementioned vibes, but elevated to someone who is in their early 30s and with a little more spare change - travel to see butterfly colonies, learn a new language, read a lot of meaningful books, make my own croutons, work towards my own place, frequent the river. What can I call this? Why do I want to call it something? Can you even get the vibes or is it a stretch? I am looking forward to what I call regressing but it'll also be a time of enrichment... lol I'm droning on now.

Anyways, one 2026 goal I do have. . . . and have every year. . . is to blog more. To start, at least once a month but hopefully more frequently.

Didn't have time to find or create a better pic for this post :-)

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Que truene que truene

culture Monday, December 22, 2025

. . . . I actually don't voluntarily listen to reggaeton. Hear me out, I enjoy it (especially in other people's cars), but I am not going out of my way to play it. Regardless, have y'all (if you're Latino) seen the meme of "me rolling into my corporate job" and the bass of the reggaeton is just blasting? When I see people post their own take on it, I'm like *tired trope*. But actually #Guilty, because anytime I have the corridos blasting as I am scanning my badge into the parking deck (and you do think about it because the dock worker nearby can hear it through the thin windows), I think to myself "the Mexican customers setting up their North Pole scout have no idea that the employee on her way to make sure their toy is passing child safety standards is in her feelings to Junior H's Tres Botellas"

Exhibit A (although I didn't find anything about corporate job - just work in general)

click for art source

So I am guilty of it too. Again, I am not special - but growing up as a second generation (definition on that below, as many people would consider me first generation), when I thought of corporate America I thought of white men in suits (not even white women came to my mind). And when I also thought of corporate America - a little older, but still young - I'm like what are all these random jobs that people do that are not doctor, lawyer, accountant, etc. What are the jobs that just fill up all these buildings? I didn't have the example of how you just land, I don't know, Manager of Building Blocks, Wood, Northeastern division.

So anyways, as Junior H is blasting into the Riverwood building, it's just a reminder that little ole' Mexican me is taking up space (in my purest form). And maybe I am the only one that thinks about this, but if I have a product I love and I know that a little Mexican girl plays a part in it - well I love that even more. Ah I hate being cheesy!! BYE.

First Gen vs Second Gen according to Harvard:

A person who is a first-generation immigrant is defined as one who is born outside of the United States. 1.5-generation immigrants are individuals who came to the United States as children. Second-generation immigrants are born in the United States but have parents who are born abroad.

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HEARTC♡RE

2026 Resolutions - Check In!

Kokono' - Claudia Santiz & San Juan Chamula

Chiapas - My GI issues and a sidebar on Tropical Diseases

2026 - 2006 Energy?

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