Live Simply and Smile

Throughout this past year I have undergone many ups and downs in my life which have most certainly taken effect into shaping who I am today. I learn from my mistakes and take advantage of that by creating something good from it. I tend to not like living in the past but rather in the moment. Having a positive outlook and keeping my priorities straight is also important to me. 

My current job is working as a mentor/facilitator and role model to individuals in living a good Christian life. Our mission here is essentially providing life changing experiences for all in a Christian environment. This doesn't necessarily mean that we are shoving religion down everyone's throat but simply sharing the love and appreciating each others unique gifts that we possess (whether you're religious or not). 

So I am writing this because I have been thinking to myself lately how I have been trying to 'live a better story'. I am consistently preaching to our guests here about being confident and proud of who they are and being kind to one another as well as taking chances and making mistakes that I sometimes forget to take my own advice. 

If you didn't already know this, I am a big fan of quotes and one in particular that has been sticking with me recently pertains to living in the moment. "We spend too much time living in the ‘what if’ and need to learn to live in the ‘what is.’"-Rev. Leroy Allison

With this said, I would like to share my life motto with you. Peace everyone.

This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don't like something, change it. If you don't like your job, quit. If you don't have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over-analyzing; life is simple. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once: seize them. Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people. We are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them, so go out and start creating. Life is short. Live your dream, and wear your passion.

Leia Mais…

California Dreaming

A couple of weeks ago, My friend Tori and I decided to take a long weekend trip to visit our good, old friend Jess in California. Jess was my neighbor back home growing up and we both shared the same passion for traveling and discovering the world. My big step was moving to Michigan, hers, Cali. This was actually my first time visiting the golden state (aside from transferring flights at LAX) and it was definitely a great experience. Jay lives right outside of L.A. so we managed to knock out a lot of the touristy attractions throughout the area. We started our adventure by taking a stroll down the walk of fame and then took a moment to match our hand prints to the celebrities outside the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre. For those of you who are wondering, I have the same size hands as Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) -__- 



It is always exhilarating to be able to witness something so famous that you've only been reading about or seeing on tv. This is the exact feeling I encountered when being here and admitting the awe of seeing the Hollywood sign. 
Later that afternoon we hopped in the car, opened the sun roof/windows, cranked the music and began to cruise. Sunset Blvd, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills; all just as picturesque as I imagined. The houses, the cars, the interesting people, it was just a fun and very chill time witnessing it.
The next day we dedicated our time to the beaches. Starting at Laguna and standing on the "top of the world" to Huntingdon, Newport and Seal. The Pacific is gorgeous and I loved every minute of being on the shores. We managed to get ourselves into several other frolicsomeness during my visit, especially during St. Patricks day. I think I'll save that for another day though ;)


It's funny that while visiting this short time and sharing stories with Jess and her family I was able to see a vast difference between the lifestyles of the West coast and East. From her experiences so far, Jess has landed multiple jobs and I was quite shocked as to how she managed it. I've found out that people like to be independent and Angelenos or Californians want to make it happen on their own terms and will sacrifice to have a better quality of life.  I am constantly amazed at the tech world, the entertainment industry, the fashion, and incredible writing communities here. People on the east coast typically have one job.  People on the west coast have multiple.  I find it kind of invigorating. At first, not so much, but now I see why. FREEDOM. People are chasing their dream and working where they can to support that dream.  
When you grow up in the North East, everyone around you is talking about what prep school or prestigious college they would like you to attend. This talk starts fairly early in our youth. Often many generations attend the same school and it is an honor to continue that legacy because so and so’s grandfather has their name on the building. College is just considered a minimal start. Having a master’s degree, PhD etc. is just an extra something to have under your belt. I have found people on the West Coast are not raised with the same educational whip. I was surprised when Jay was telling me about how it's not a big deal at all. Many high school and college drop outs are quite successful. This “drop-out” thing would be unheard of on the East Coast, but sometimes I think this non-education thing creates people who work and learn skills at an early age because they have to, and often have real world life skills than many of us who spend years and years in classes don’t have.


On another note, 
I know for me, I get extremely excited when I see a celebrity (and it does happen occasionally). One evening, we were leaving our restaurant and I just stumbled into Steve-O from Jack ass and got my picture with him. Well, it was pretty awesome but ya know in LA, locals are not phased too much by anyone since they share all of the same commodities like gyms, restaurants, sidewalks etc. Considering I am so used to the East coast way of life, I strongly admire this new lifestyle. It really makes me step back and re-evaluate how I want to live my life. I mean, part of my life motto is to live simply, do what I love and from there everything tends to fall into place. This was a memorable trip and I thank Jess for letting it all happen.

Laguna

Leia Mais…

MIchigan's Little Bavaria

A few weeks ago, my friends and I spent our day off by taking a road trip across the state to a small Bavarian town known as Frankenmuth. This really is a place where you can partake in the simple joys of life. "Willkommen. In German it means welcome. An offer to come and join in. Something we don't hear enough of these days." Like I said before, Germany is probably my favorite European country that I've visited so far and it was because I genuinely felt welcome and really enjoyed the hospitality I received while staying there. Not to mention, I love the quaint, cobble stone street, eclectic, privately own shop type villages. Frankenmuth itself portrays a typical German style town from its building arcitecture to unique Bavarian shoppes and other cultural traditions. During our visit, we managed to catch the end of their annual winter-fest. Aside from walking around the town looking at all of the illustrious snow and ice sculptures, we would also wonder into some of the stores. From the leather shop, beer museum, health food store and cheese haus, I was continually falling more in love with this place as we went along. 
Now prior to our visit, I heard about two things, the famous chicken dinners and Bronner's Christmas Wonderland. Well, without a doubt, I had to experience both of these. We actually began our visit by feasting at Zehnder's, known for these aforementioned family style dinners. And the verdict is: I loved it! I mean who doesn't love a good chicken dinner?! 
Eventually we made our way down the street to Bronner's. Just by stepping one foot into this...metrapolis, I don't even know where to begin with explaining this place. I was in such awe by the overwhelming amount of decorations and don't even get me started on tree ornaments. Literally any kind of Christmas tree ornament you can think of was here. Whether it be a your favorite dog, a shoe or even a sushi roll, they had it all! I did get my sister and bro-in-law a pickle ornament that goes with an old German tradition that I've mentioned in a previous post so I was excited about that.
After doing much walking through winter wonderland, we decided to rehydrate ourselves by paying a visit to Frankenmuth brewery. Micro-breweries are my favorite and I'm definitely a fan of this one! I tried a variety of their brews and even got a VIP tour of the brewery itself. Pretty cool, however, most of the stuff our guide said went way over my head. I have much to learn about brewing :) Regardless, it was a real fun visit. The only downfall of this trip is that I was un-able to find a pair of lederhosen to wear  (but maybe that's a good thing =p)
A town of rich history with many goals while facing them with confidence gives me great respect for this place. I look forward to visiting again, perhaps for the world beer expo this spring. ;)

Cheers!
http://www.frankenmuth.org/

a taste of Bronner's

Leia Mais…

Sehebok Mani Paduseyo

The title of this entry is Korean for "Many new years blessings to you".
Seollal, the Korean new year, is one of the more important events of the year. This 3 day tradition is scheduled in February, based off of the lunar calendar (so it falls under different dates each year).
There are many traditions that go along with this holiday such as wearing clothing called Hanbok. This is worn on New Years day and the hanbok is characterized by many colors and simple lines, it also has no pockets. With having no pockets, both men and women carry around elaborately decorated purses.

maedup

Maedup, traditional knot-tying, is a type of macramé. The decorative knotting, often with very long tassels, was used to dress instruments and other items such as fans and dresses. There are at least 38 type of maedup that create many different shapes including lotus and butterfly.
In Korea, there is a tradition of giving a hand fan as a special gift for the Dano Festival (the 5th day of the 5th lunar month). Men usually use folding fans and women mainly use round fans.


New Years is also the most important holiday in the Chinese culture.
The Chinese Zodiac calendar is based on a lunar calendar. There are 12 animals that represent the Chinese zodiac. An animal is assigned to each year according to a 12 year cycle, 2011 was the year of the rabbit and 2012 is the dragon! What's your animal?? >>>Chinese Zodiac

This celebration ends with the lantern festival where people carry lanterns in parades and the dragon dance is performed. Other customs include lighting fireworks to scare away evil spirits and giving gifts of money in red envelopes for good luck.
Happy New Year!

Leia Mais…

Fröhliche Weihnachten from Germany!

So far, my favorite country that I've visited in Europe is Germany. I've always been a fan of the Bavarian lifestyle and the allure of all the small towns...and the brats and brews :)

My brother-in-law just so happens to come from a German background. He and my sister even spent their honeymoon in Germany! A few days ago I was at their house and was taking a gander at the Christmas tree and ornaments.  I was able to spot my favorite ornament which was a stack of pancakes. Well, with the last name of Pankake it only seems appropriate. Thinking back to when I was at the gardens looking at the many trees from around the world, I remember coming across some interesting facts about a few traditions that Germany possesses.

One for instance is the production of glass ornaments. In 1847, a man named Hans Greiner began producing the first glass ornaments in Lauscha, Germany. Sure enough, I was able to visit this town during my tour and even brought home some ornaments which are now hanging from our tree! Originally, the inside of the ornaments were made to look silvery, first with mercury and lead, later with a special compound of silver nitrate and sugar water. Tinsel was also a very popular form of decor. All of this was created due to the towns location in a river valley. The resources were easily accessible, such as wood for burning, sand and real silver (for the tinsel).

A very old Christmas eve tradition in Germany was also originated around the time of the glass ornaments. This tradition involved hiding a pickle ornament deep in the branches of the Christmas tree. In the morning, the child to spot the pickle first would receive an extra gift. The first adult who finds the pickle traditionally gets good luck for the whole year. I was unable to find the pickle on the tree at gardens which left me frustrated.

one of the Lauscha glass bulbs on our tree

Legend has it that Martin Luther created the first lighted Christmas tree. He was inspired by the glistening vision of starlight that would filter through the trees in the woods. To recreated this vision, he cut down many trees, brought them home and placed candles on the branches so that he could share the beauty with his friends and family.

Leia Mais…

Veseloho Vam Rizdva

Advancing on our tour of Christmas/holiday traditions around the world, Ukraine is one that has caught my eye. 

In Ukraine, the holidays begin around December 4 with the Feast of the Presentation and continue on to Malanka, a new years celebration.

On December 24, families will gather for the Holy Supper (Sviata Vecheria) one of the most important Ukrainian traditions. The dinner table can sometimes be seen having an assortment of wheat which represents the ancestors. Hay is also spread on the table and even the floor as a reminder of the manger in Bethlehem. The supper consists of twelve meatless dishes representing the twelve apostles who shared the last meal with Christ. Meat and dairy are typically not seen during this meal, instead families dine on items such as fish, grains, fruits, and vegetables. Something else that households often do is to wait until the first star appears in the evening sky before eating. Children often serve as look outs, watching for the star that symbolizes the birth of Christ. Once the star has appeared in the sky, families gather for a prayer and then eat the meal by candlelight.

Upon looking at Ukraines Christmas tree when visiting the FM gardens I was intrigued by its decorations and the use of... spider webs! These spider webs symbolize a Ukrainian legend. There once was a family that was so poor, they could not afford to decorate their Christmas tree. After the family went to bed mournful, spiders would come out of the woodwork and weave intricate webs on the tree as a form of decoration. In the morning, the suns rays would  shine through the windows of the home and turned the spiders webbing into silver and gold! Sounds like my kind of tree!

Leia Mais…

India's Festival of Lights

the rangoli at Fredrik Meijer Gardens

 India has a significant five day Hindu celebration that occurs between mid-October and November. Much like our 4th of July, this involves festive fireworks, lights, flowers, decorations and worship (puja). This festival is called Diwali and is widely celebrated with rangoli. Rangoli is an extremely delicate and beautiful design made of colorful sand, rice flour, beans and flowers. The hindu women create these in front of their homes as a welcome to guests, this also adds beauty to their puja or worship space. The materials used in this are meant to be offerings to the gods and as they disintegrate they become one with the earth again and one with God. Plants are a very special part of Diwali. Strings upon garlands of flowers like banana plants, hibiscus and marigolds are used to enlighten this festive time. The true meaning behind the festival is to rejoice in the inner light or otherwise known as Atman. The inner light is symbolized by lighting small clay lamps like the one in the picture called a diya. The lighting   is considered highly favorable as it brings good health and prosperity. We tend to have many traditional acts of showing light over darkness during this season, so what are some ways (besides lights) that you symbolize lightness over darkness?

Leia Mais…