Pedro Almodovar and Miguel Angel Silvestre, El Duque, in NYC

Living in New York City, you have constant stimulation, so it was an extra high when yesterday, after premiering my students film at Lincoln Center, I bumped into Pedro Almodovar on his way out of the own screening right next door. I went straight up to him for a quick chit chat and picture.

After living in Spain for two years, I've always admired his work, he's a magnificent filmmaker and an international icon. I was honored, excited and humbled to have had the opportunity to meet him.

Miguel Angel Silvestre, El Duque, was there too, and he's in an amazing category as well, so handsome and talented!

I love living in New York City, theres so many amazing moments like this one.

Mendoza and Pedro Almodovar

me and my ladies screening my students documentary

chit-chatting with Pedro Almodovar

My husband, Spanish Guy, and my ladies with Pedro Almodovar

Miguel Angel Silvestre, El Duque, LOVE HIM!

The parties have begun!

Its the season of parties. 

Everyone is out from hibernation! 

I'm loving it!

A NYC girl working from Florida

I'm in Florida! SPRING BREAK!

I needed a change of scenery, NYC was kicking my butt!

I'm getting stuff done from down south!

LOVE THIS LIFE!

My welcome to Florida sign!

FDNY vs NYPD race

My brother and I ran the NYPD vs FDNY race today in Central Park, it was so great to do something active and cool with him! I wish I had more people that wanted to run with me, I always do it solo, which is okay for me, but once in a while its nice to have that experience with someone. 

Anyway, the runners were all so cool, happy and friendly, it was great to be around such open people! They were all pretty cute too might I add, lol.

First race of the spring season! MORE TO COME!

CHEERS to great life experiences, and health!

The Luxury of Free Time

The older I get, the more I appreciate five minutes of down time. Its like a small luxury! I don't even have kids, and I hardly rest, so IMAGINE if I made the decision to have them like most women do! I would have no free time at all!

Anyway, I just used up my five minutes of free time right now. Off I go.

Surprise Birthday Party

On the weekend before Christmas, I was thrown a surprise birthday party! I've always wanted one and there it was! Dinner, cake, dancing, my closest friends, we partied until 7am! It was AMAZING!

Premature NYC Snow

As snowflakes fall prematurely in NYC, I'm stimulated by the beauty all around me.

I made hot chocolate from scratch after my evening spent in the company of winter.

 Love and serenity are hidden in the small moments that surround us. 

Convenience-- living in the City

Ever since moving to Manhattan, I've realized how inconvenient my life was before-- it took me about 45min to get to and from my local supermarket. Now, I have a D'agostino, Whole Foods, Food City and Associated Super Markets with a few blocks of where I live. To get to any sort of nature, it was about a 50min walk. Now, its a two minute walk to Central Park and a ten minute walk to River Side Park. Before, I had three trains to choose from to make it into the City for work, and they were all packed like Sardines-- I was STRESSED!  Now, I have FIVE trains lines that run through my area and I ALWAYS get a seat! This is like LUXURY for a NYer!

The inspiration for this blog came when I just googled where my polling site was and I found out that its in the school right up my block! How convenient! How could I NOT vote!? When in Brooklyn, I had to walk and walk to make it to my polling site!

Election day Blog to come this evening.

Exploring the Upper West Side

I took a long walk through my new hood on Sunday morning, it was a bit dreary and nippy, but I enjoyed exploring nonetheless. 

I discovered an outdoor flea market on seventy-something street and Columbus Ave, tons of independent cafes, a few small parks and best of all -- a HUGE farmers Market behind the Museum of Natural History. I always wanted to be the type of girl who shops at the Famers Market on Sunday mornings with a long flowing dress on and my hair loosely tied up, big smile with not a care in the world! Theres just something so refreshing about it...

Although it was cold, signs of Spring were everywhere. Its nice to change environments, so very nice...

culture and new experiences

I spent a beautiful evening at Lincoln Center. Its always nice to experience different places and events.

It was a night of cultural documentaries, with parmesan truffled popcorn and goobers! SCORE!

Documentary film is the most entertaining way to gain knowledge and the best way to preserve a story. I'm a fan.

NYC rental horror story.

Spanish guy and I signed a lease on an (way under our budget) apartment. It turns out that the lease was incomplete and there are MAJOR problems with the building, not to mention the landlord. NOW-- we are trying to get out of it and get ALL our money back (Im intentionally being vague). This landlord DOES NOT know what she got herself into this time. I guess she is used to renting to people with little or no power or means to take action, but she best believe that a hurricane of legal action and community organizing is coming if my money is not refunded IN FULL and steps are taken to repair the building for all of the current and future tenants!


More NYC rental horror stories to come.

My Don Coqui experience

I went to Don Coqui this weekend with a few of my friends. 

This place sparked my interest because I heard it was owned by two Puerto Rican women whose father was the owner of Jimmys Bronx Cafe. I used to go to Jimmys when I was in my early 20's. It was the latin hot spot, and it was the beginning of my clubbing days, so it holds a special place in my heart.

It seems as though Jimmy passed the torch on to his daughters. This place was great! No entrance fee, free coat check, BUT super expensive food ($25 a plate on average) and drinks ($12 Mojitos, but they were good).

We had dinner at midnight and danced the night away to freestyle, old-school reggae, and salsa.

All around good night with classy Latinos, just how I like it!

I recommend this place to my fellow Latinos. 

Book Swapping in Bed Stuy

Spanish guy & I were invited to a fabulous event last night, by an old High School friend of mine, called Sip & Swap at One Last Shag in Bed Stuy. The idea is that you bring in books that you have read and are just sitting in your house-- and you swap them for other hard or paper backs. I brought in four great ones, and had high hopes of what to swap them with... 

One of the fabulous books I grabbed is titled, "Writers Dreaming", the story of about 20 famous writers and their creative process. This is just what I needed to begin writing my book again (I started writing a book over two years ago, then my laptop was stolen and the process came to a hault)! It was perfect! After we swapped our books, Spanish guy got a few as well, we sat down for a pint or two and enjoyed the new environment.

What a GREAT NYC experience, and how nice it was to get out into a different neighborhood, I really enjoyed it.

Car Party in Brooklyn!

I had a car party last night. Yeah you read that right, A CAR PARTY! We stuffed as many people as possible into my friends car, blasted the music, danced, sang, stopped and danced outside, and thats now it went.

awesomeness.

Hispanic Heritage & MTV: NYC Life

One of the luxuries of being in NYC is that you're in the heart of the world, you're near all of the people you see on TV and in movies world-wide, you're in the middle of a production set when you walk down the street. Growing up here you dont realize it, but when you leave for a while, it puts everything in perspective.

I, personally, am milking this experience. A good friend of mine works at MTV, so she invited me to the MTV Hispanic Heritage Event they had in their Times Square studio yesterday!

There were lots of famous Hispanic artists representing and performing. Among them, the only one I recognized (although they were all pretty great!) was DJ TONY TOUCH! I went over and chatted with him, like I knew him my whole life! haha!

Another great inspirational NYC experience!

Mendoza & DJ Tony Touch

JULY & Balloons

As July wraps up, I'd like to reflect back...

Its been one-hell-of-a month. So far this is turning out to be the best NYC summer of my adult life.

The combination of both the perfect weather and the people in my life have contributed to fabulousness all around. Also, I have a special summer work schedule-- I get out at 3pm, three days a week and 1pm, two days a week! NICE!

Here are my July excitements/highlights:

• kayaking on the East River
• dancing under the stars at the South Street Seaport
• running a half marathon
• watching the fireworks on a beautiful breezy evening
• my boxing class!!!
• my new and old friends
• BBQ's with my father and brothers
• My new step-family was welcomed in
• I took tons of naps!!
• I played powerball
• Soccer games/sporting events
• I had a Spanish visitor! :)
• The East Hamptons: yacht clubs, beaches, pools, and private model parties
• One of my best friends moved next door (a blog to come soon)
• I redecorated my home!
• I painted my nails funky colors, all to match my moods :)
• I went to the beach to play paddle ball almost every weekend!

I also had a balloon releasing ceremony with my friends, where we think of something that is holding us back and release it with the balloon. It helps us have better lives and be stronger. It's been working so far.

A possum in Brooklyn--ahemm... in my apartment

Click here to donate now and help save lives

I spent a pleasant afternoon with one of my best and long-time friends in my backyard yesterday. The weather was nice, and so was the company, but who could have foreseen what was to come...

While we were out back, I left the doors open to my apartment. That night I was awoken at 3am to rattling sounds. Me being a Brooklynite, I immediately thought someone had broken in, so my quick reflexes catapulted me out of bed, I grabbed my cell and was about to call 911 when I noticed that no one was in the house. I looked all around... empty. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I watched E!, Chloe & Lamar was on! SCORE!

Then about 30 min later, the sound happened again, the whole recycling garbage can had tipped over. I went to check it out and I came face to face with beedy-little eyes! I froze, then  RAN OUTTA THERE SO FAST!!! I woke up my neighbor and he came with a broom.

I thought it was a baby raccoon-- since I live near two huge parks, we constantly see raccoons around (they are ugly mofos). 

After 10 minutes of me hiding and shivering from fear and my neighbor shoo-ing it out, all was well again in my world. I clicked off Chloe & Lamar, and enjoyed another four hours of sleep.

Who would have thought that an afternoon spent in the backyard would lead to a night of terror and beedy-eyes in the dark. Ahh... Brooklyn Stories... maybe I should start a new blog about that, "Brooklyn Stories" hmmm...

Speaking of Brooklyn stories, I just found out that Possums were let loose on purpose to kill rats in Brooklyn, check out this NY Post article:

 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/rat_bastards_f5onjzgcqxm0fu3RFz3ySL

summer time

Click here to donate now and help save lives

Playing sports, swimming and dancing salsa on the beach, no better way to spend my summer days!

The NYC stool

I found the most gorgeous tiny piece of furniture while walking through Manhattan yesterday. Myself and my fundraising crew :) were heading out for a few happy hour cocktails when my eye met the mini stool (or foot rest). I had to have it-- so I carried it through Union Square with us-- all the way to happy hour at one of my favorite spots, Cantineros!

When we needed to stop to discuss where we were going, we used it as a seat. WE DIDN'T CARE- WE ARE NEW YORKERS! It was pretty funny.

look at the guy laughing at us in the back, haha

Now I have a new addition in my cozy studio. It fits in perfectly, just like it did in Union Square!

The oldest bar in NYC- McSorleys, SPRING BREAK 2011

"Established in 1854 - McSorley's can boast of being New York City's oldest continuously operated saloon. Everyone from Abe Lincoln to John Lennon have passed thru Mcsorley's swinging doors. Women were finally allowed access to McSorleys in 1970!", states its website.


During the 6th evening/night of SPRING BREAK 2011 (woo hoo) we ventured into history, and became part of it in the oldest pub in NYC! It's 157 years old! There are wish bones that soldiers left dangling from the light fixture in the bar before leaving to fight in WWII, they left them there with the anticipation that they would take them down when they returned, but they never came back... the wish bones are still there waiting.

Interesting NYC history, I'm so happy that I experienced and learned about it.

 the wishbones: 

(then we went out to a more modern place after, haha)