“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”
Today’s Peru’s independence day. Peru has always felt like home and I can not wait to return. There is not a day that goes by where I do not think about physically being with loved ones, roaming the streets, and above all else the food! La gastronomia peruano tradicional y Neikki?? Chef kiss!I’ve shared some posts in the past that only captures a glimpse of this beautiful country. I invite you all to explore Peruvian culture via past blog posts.
How can someone who’s confident in herself, holds endless wisdom, has a decent support system, feel so bogged down by el rechazo del mundo, the world’s rejection?
Making too much noise disrupts the well-oiled machine. It leads to being rejected because of our core values, our integrity, our compassion.
Did I make the right decision?
What’s the lesson in this?
My differences add value and despite feeling like I’m stuck in muddy waters, I’m never satisfied by learned helplessness. While it’s a privilege to never get rejected, there is also no room for growth wallowing in the depths of that comfort zone. It’s hard to open up about all of the conflicting ways this system influences the decisions we make.
Food for thought: When you’re at work, do you act “professional” but mourn the death of Black lives in private or just on social media? Shy away from having open dialogue with higher ups in your company, to avoid making them feel uncomfortable? To avoid your rage? Have you made time to unpack the different ways being a “professional” upholds the very oppression you firmly disagree with?
It’s easier to ignore and collect that pay check.
The bills ain’t gonna pay themselves honey.
Well, fuck THAT!
We‘re too comfortable treating things like the rejection of a horrible lover. It’s familiar to compartmentalize and move on, swiftly. In some ways it’s easier to deal with. If the world is my love, how could I not push myself to create change?
Our lives depend on it.
If I want to leave a place better than I found it, I have to keep trying. Try again and try once more. Even when I do get rejected at every turn, life has a funny way of stopping us, in order to go in the opposite direction. As difficult as it can be to learn from, don’t just simply tolerate the pain.
Get through this to become better.
Add it to the rest of the lessons.
Move forward with even more wisdom.
In those moments, that inner self talk and those mantras are essential.
Being surrounded by a solid circle of women is one of the best feelings! Intimate soul circle sessions are necessary for healing, learning, and growth. Growing up with two older brothers, I always felt more in tuned with male energy. When I was around mamá, mamita Blanca, my mom, las tías, las primas or school best friends, that’s when I tapped into my female energy. In a traditional cultural sense with my family but also through a different lens with my cousins and kids my age. I saw how strong all these women were but also the obstacles they all bounced back from.
I can count on one hand all the Black & Brown teachers or fellow coworkers that have dropped gems of encouragement or have had my back on my journey. As much as Black & Brown women are under served, under valued, not well represented or supported, all it takes is a moment of vulnerability to share your spark to ignite someone else’s.
Gaby Gonzalez’s short film Women of Providence captures 9 amazing women from a variety of backgrounds and age groups. While all of the women had different life experiences, they all shared similar messages: go hard for you, believe in yourself, have faith and use your voice. What had everyone in tears and inspired, were those raw moments we all could relate to about being on life’s journey. There’s something about watching Black & Brown women speak about what they’ve gone through, how they’ve become stronger, AND ended up making power moves. Gaby’s cinematography aligns strong voices that reinforce the magic of Black & Brown women.
With little to no promo, this amazing film had so many Rhode Islanders waiting in line at the theater, that the Providence Place cinemas added a second screening! I’m humbled that I got to experience the first viewing with some of the amazing women in my circle. It was a reminder that despite vulnerability having the misconception of being a sign of weakness, it actually shows tremendous compassion and strength. Here’s to never giving up on a dream simply because of the time it takes to accomplish it. Time will pass anyway.
-B
P.S. As I was writing this piece, I had to include this track off Rapsody’s Eve album. Rapsody pens a heartfelt letter to both black men and women about how black women should be deeply respected and admired. She also samples my favorite 2Pac song “Keep Ya Head Up.” Peep!
After nearly over a decade of visiting for the first time, it was freeing to walk the streets of Lima. There was a newfound adventure about this particular trip that was necessary for my spirit. In the midst of exploration, familiar smells, sounds, and tastes welcomed us with comforting guidance.
Reconnecting to the country that my father comes from, gave me an entirely different perspective and understanding of him as well as of myself. The rich history of Peru can be found through museums, monuments, guided tours, art, popular destinations, food and libations.
While staying in Surquillo, my brother and I did some research, and quickly discovered that we were blocks away from well-known breweries in Miraflores, Lima. First stop, Barbarian! P.S. the maíz cancha at this spot, was the best!
Sacha Birra- fruit & spice
Left:Sacha Birra- fruit & spice. Right:Lima- Pale Ale
Red Ale, side of maíz cancha
Left:Red Ale Right:Chelon de Dona Pepa- Amber Ale
De Peso- Pumpkin Ale; not as sweet as you would think.
174- American IPA
Fina Feliz- Honey Blond; my personal favorite
Left:Fina Feliz- Honey Blond Right:K7 Double IPA
2 Mas
Cafe Bar Habana. Intrigued by Cuban’s being in Peru and their rum collection. Also a pit stop for Absinthe?
Mojitos
Absinthe Mojito
Memorable sweet finish
Nuevo Mundo! I vividly remember a Drake song coming on and one of the flat screens running Celtics coverage. As a Celtics fan, I enjoyed every last minute of Brad Stevens being interviewed as we delved into another craft pour, a crew of friends near our table dancing and Drake-ing. I felt at home.
Artsy coasters
Curaka Bar. Everyone was coupled up at this spot which made it difficult to vibe with others. Needless to say we gathered drinking momentum on those flights, to some amazing tunes and headed right back out!
Mural we on our walk there
Futbol cultura heavy
Couldn’t beat the price on double the flights
Last call at La Cachina Bar. Cusqueña is a well known lager to the country, made and found everywhere in Peru. On this trip, I tried three that aren’t common back in the states. Cusqueña de Trigo, wheat lager. Cusqueña Negra, dark lager. Lastly, Cusqueña Roja, red lager.
Passing through Parque Kennedy, where it’s known to have a high cat population roaming. The one with a heart shape would vibe with us.
My preferred Cusqueña
Things get weird here, but in a good way!
A few days later, we found out we were going to be near the Barranco Beer Company for lunch. Of course we popped in for a taste and while we weren’t there for long, it’s definitely a spot first on my list to return to. Note: the Barranco district is located near Miraflores, both are in Lima, Peru.
Later that evening we ended up at Lupulo, back at Barbarian and finished at La Cachina Bar. Lupulo’s murals are beautiful to me. They capture the culture and highlight women. Their layout was unique, when you first see the Lupulo sign from Av Jose Larco you realize that it’s on a second floor. The quaint balcony was the perfect spot to enjoy a sunset brew.
Dope mural+glow paint= YAAAAAAS!
Hop appreciation mural
Side note, as you may imagine, somewhere along the Craft Beer Adventure, keeping track of everything we were tasting seemed like an easy task at the time. However, being in the moment and taking snapshots in between, building memories, felt more my speed. Prior to this adventure, I never saw myself trying beers for fun. Not only were the beers a flavorful experience, the walk around town and the vibe of each spot were unique. From the music, types of people, to the layout of every bar. My favorite thing about this adventure were the beautiful murals, rustic flares, and artistic touches.
The Craft Beer scene in Miraflores, Lima, Peru, was amazing! Being that my favorite type of beer are Ales, almost every stop we made was dominated by Ale options. Some fruity, some with unfamiliar yet pleasant aromas, smooth finishes, bright flavors, nice color, and overall refreshing. Added bonus, no hangover! As our Peruvian Craft Beer Adventure came to an end, all I could think about was returning to these places with more of my family and friends.
Have y’all ever been beer tasting? Do you have a favorite beer? Drop a comment below.
Peace & Love
-B
p.s. Song lyrics hit different late night. Shout outs to La Cachina Bar for playing this banger.
Part of my journey, has been accepting that this world is bigger than just myself. Learning through life lessons in addition to higher education, I’ve been blessed to be an independent and dynamic thinker. Sprinkled with high levels of emotional awareness and undertones of an empath. Through the years I’ve noticed that literature, always has an interesting way of delivering messages we often need reminders of.
Struggles challenge integrity and resiliency.
Travel, shifts perspective and approach to life.
Growing through lessons, I push myself to be present.
In the moment .
Pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
One of the biggest ways I’ve been able to do so is through food and great company. I’ll travel for 3 reasons- Culture. Art. Nature. Through those experiences I’ve been able to learn so much about myself and try some flavorful cuisines. While I was in Peru I was able to take a journey through traditional Peruvian dishes and popular libations.
The intimacy of interacting with well-known chefs that are crushing their business and nailing flavor combinations, shed an inspirational spotlight on my heart to dream my future awake.
Ceviche. Plato combinado con ceviche mixto, chicharron de pescado, arroz con mariscos y chicha morada. This was such an amazing meal. The simplicity of the menu and the Combinado, special of the day, accompanied with Chicha Morrada, was EVERYTHING. The flavors instantly felt like home*. Seeing a young chef and owner, in his element was so dope! I think about this meal OFTEN and how I wish I could teleport to Lima just to take the walk to this spot in Surquillo !
Duck. Especialidad de pato con batata. Hearing the owner’s story made this meal so much more delicious. Peep this: he started off with owning a coffee shop where all he would sell was coffee. That slowly turned to small plates and over the years he was able to walk away from being an engineer, get his own farm, make dishes he grew up on and always loved. He slowly built a farm to table restaurant that is actively ran by himself and his family, legacy*.
Papa Rellena, stuffed potato. Papa rellena con salsa de aji, encebollado. My Abuelita Blanca has always been known to be an amazing cook. She comes from having traditional Peruvian recipes. Now as she gets well into her 90s, she is unable to cook as much as she used to, but has a good friend that’s an amazing cook and teaches en una escuela de gastronomia. So of course my abuela held us down, walked me through all the truquitos* of a papa rellena. Which in hindsight, I totally should’ve written down! I was in the moment, enamored by the way she spoke so elequontely about the ingredients and Peruvian traditions. Abuelita Blanca held us down with getting some POPPIN’ papa rellenas made.
home*-they say home is where the heart is. I say home is where love welcomes you.
legacy* Cafe Tostado reinforced my belief and importance of leaving behind a legacy. My life’s work to leave a legacy behind for the betterment of my family, my people and the world.
truquitos* literal definition: little tricks. My love for the women I was named after, grows every time I think about her. Her love, her strength, her essence.
Great food and even better company. We’ll get into libations later.
The wildest part is finding out how death happened. Illness and natural causes of old age seems like an easier pill to swallow, than something unexpected. Every person in this world affects our lives differently.
There’s a story in every person who has passed. The ones that had a positive impact of lifting people up, spreading love or knowledge always hits so much harder because they shouldn’t have left the world so soon! The ones who had been battling their demons and were trying to turn they lives around shouldn’t have left the world so soon! All of the marginalized who were living their lives and got murdered for the color of their skin, shouldn’t have left the world so soon! Healers, story tellers, and those who live with a vision of pushing our cultures and communities forward shouldn’t have left the world so soon!
Some say the world we live in is too trigger happy, but when we’re constantly surrounded by loss, how do we start navigating how each loss impacted us?
I can’t help but think about all those I’ve lost when I hear of a recent death. There comes a point in the way we grieve, that the sadness of when we process the situation event Continue reading “Lost Ones”→
We tend to be our own harshest critics. For those of us who have the ability to constantly see the vision, somehow, every so often, life overwhelmingly feels like a sick joke of running on a hamster wheel. Spinning and going no where. It’s easy to get lost in what feels like defeat when blankets of sadness constantly invades the frontal lobe.
It’s harder to face the truths. Greed and materialism. Division instead of unity. Time feels more suffocating. Silence and isolation becomes a comforting get away.
Being “woke” comes with so much rage, it’s hard to keep afloat in a structure that morally wants you to drown in everything that wasn’t meant for me, for us. With high levels of awareness and emotional intelligence it’s easier to identify how these inequalities penetrate your energy or interrupt your focus.
They say pressure creates diamonds but how much time do you give yourself to reset when the pressure starts getting too intense? Mamí never raised a pendeja and my ancestors are expecting MORE though. So how do we manage absorbing all of this energy and not release it? Most of us were never taught how to do that, which is why we may reject a healthier approach and may instead, project all that anger, sadness, or confusion. It isn’t until we learn from the same life lessons that constantly visit us, that we become knowledgeable in how to do so.
Growth is never linear.
Seasons change.
Life of Season X: Spring Equinox.
Where the day and night are perfectly balanced. A time to re-evaluate goals, strengthen habits, and KEEP pushing through it all. Reinforce all that is needed in order to get to where you’d like to be, keep visualizing, and truly believe.
Align light to bloom, take it easy loves.
-B
p.s. Tame Impala stays coming through with the jams.
For the last bit of 2018, I spent time in Lima, Peru. En la otra patria.
It all started when we, my brother and I, had the idea of surprising my dad for his birthday along with my grandparents, whom we last visited in 2000! Thanks to my friends, I have developed a knack for pulling off surprises.
Where do we start after 18 years? What kinds of places are safe to visit? Do things still look the same? Would we be those strange Americans abroad? What kinds of things am I seeking? Is this trip really about to change my life? More than anything, I was excited to explore, adventure through the lenses of what I needed to feed my soul, through a place, that felt like home once before.
Let’s begin with how I remembered Lima, Peru the most, traditional.
Life of Season X 