Thursday, December 9, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Volunteering Rocks
It's been almost two years since I first volunteered to do "volunteering" work at the 2nd Harvest Food Bank, in San Jose, CA. I had never volunteered to do something like this before. It's not that I haven't worked for free before. I have, many times. There were occasions in which I offered my help diligently and unselfishly, and others in which they politely requested my mandatory help with no economic compensation. For a long time in my life I seemed incapable of saying "no" without feeling guilty. Will and duty are rarely in synchrony unless pleasure is involved.
Actually, I have done something like this before, though it was something that required much more emotional strength. How could I forget that... Summer 2005, when Galveston, TX, hosted thousands of evacuees and refugees from New Orleans, victims of the devastating Katrina hurricane, who filled our giant local shelter, hopeless, homeless, and with nothing but the clothes they had on. I volunteered my time during several weekends and did whatever the American Red Cross told me to do that day, which ranged from counseling, to paperwork, to babysitting, to answering questions and giving prepaid phone cards, etc. Many times I had to look strong and park my emotions for a while, waiting until I got in the car, on my way home, to release them.
Going to the Food Bank was a totally new experience for me, which I have repeated 8 times now. My boyfriend, now my husband, Rich, is a Team Leader, and has been doing it for about 10 years. Although, in terms of time, when I ask Richie how long ago he went to a place, or he met someone, or did something, it is very likely that the margin of accuracy oscillates by two to five years before or after the date in question. So, when he told me 10 years, it can easy be something between 8 and 12 years, since he started volunteering.
This point clear, I will proceed to describe the experience itself. When you get there, everybody smiles at you, making you feel welcome, needed, and appreciated. Then you sign in, get your name tag, and wait till they assign you a leader -I always go with Rich.
When the whole group is gathered and people have been assigned to a specific area, a full time employee describes the task/s to carry out and then, like an army of organized ants, we work, talk, say thank you to our partners in labor about 50 times, and smile every time our eyes meet someone else's eyes. I always end up with a back ache when we have to empty huge bins of fruit or tuber (mainly potatoes and carrots). The directions are quick and simple: just fill plastic bags with 3 to 5 pounds of the product, for which we are given gloves. I recommend this practice to amateur meditators, like me - by focusing on one peach at a time we can free our minds from a shower of thoughts that will probably make our back pain worse.
On a few occasions the assignment requires much more attention and discipline. It amazes me how in just 2 hours, we are able to sort out so many different items, from cans, to cereal boxes, chocolate, legumes or juice. 
Everybody in the group learns what to do, and manages to walk the room, heading to their individual destinations, without crashing against another individual. You can see people assembling boxes, sealing boxes, carrying them full, taking products to the different stations... and magically, in two hours time, the whole task is accomplished as if we had been programmed with a timer.
My favorite time was when we worked in, what could be called, an assembly line, perfectly coordinated, with an awesome group of people from the wedding industry, some of which I already knew. We were chatting - some of us in different languages - and laughing, and joking, and 2 hours never had gone by so fast before. I also enjoyed when my parents joined us during their visit from Spain. My mom loved the experience so much that she repeated with a smile in her face, without complaining even once about any kind of pain.
It all started last year, when Rich Amooi - my lovely husband - came up with the idea of organizing a group of people who wouldn't mind donating their time, energy and good will to help others just because. He named this group Volunteering Rocks, and by using Facebook as a means, he gathered a group of friends and acquaintances from different fields and industries to volunteer, one Wednesday evening for two hours, every now and then - a group that now has close to 100 members, and is still growing.
Would you like to join us?
Silvi
Actually, I have done something like this before, though it was something that required much more emotional strength. How could I forget that... Summer 2005, when Galveston, TX, hosted thousands of evacuees and refugees from New Orleans, victims of the devastating Katrina hurricane, who filled our giant local shelter, hopeless, homeless, and with nothing but the clothes they had on. I volunteered my time during several weekends and did whatever the American Red Cross told me to do that day, which ranged from counseling, to paperwork, to babysitting, to answering questions and giving prepaid phone cards, etc. Many times I had to look strong and park my emotions for a while, waiting until I got in the car, on my way home, to release them.
Going to the Food Bank was a totally new experience for me, which I have repeated 8 times now. My boyfriend, now my husband, Rich, is a Team Leader, and has been doing it for about 10 years. Although, in terms of time, when I ask Richie how long ago he went to a place, or he met someone, or did something, it is very likely that the margin of accuracy oscillates by two to five years before or after the date in question. So, when he told me 10 years, it can easy be something between 8 and 12 years, since he started volunteering. This point clear, I will proceed to describe the experience itself. When you get there, everybody smiles at you, making you feel welcome, needed, and appreciated. Then you sign in, get your name tag, and wait till they assign you a leader -I always go with Rich.
When the whole group is gathered and people have been assigned to a specific area, a full time employee describes the task/s to carry out and then, like an army of organized ants, we work, talk, say thank you to our partners in labor about 50 times, and smile every time our eyes meet someone else's eyes. I always end up with a back ache when we have to empty huge bins of fruit or tuber (mainly potatoes and carrots). The directions are quick and simple: just fill plastic bags with 3 to 5 pounds of the product, for which we are given gloves. I recommend this practice to amateur meditators, like me - by focusing on one peach at a time we can free our minds from a shower of thoughts that will probably make our back pain worse.
On a few occasions the assignment requires much more attention and discipline. It amazes me how in just 2 hours, we are able to sort out so many different items, from cans, to cereal boxes, chocolate, legumes or juice. 
Everybody in the group learns what to do, and manages to walk the room, heading to their individual destinations, without crashing against another individual. You can see people assembling boxes, sealing boxes, carrying them full, taking products to the different stations... and magically, in two hours time, the whole task is accomplished as if we had been programmed with a timer.My favorite time was when we worked in, what could be called, an assembly line, perfectly coordinated, with an awesome group of people from the wedding industry, some of which I already knew. We were chatting - some of us in different languages - and laughing, and joking, and 2 hours never had gone by so fast before. I also enjoyed when my parents joined us during their visit from Spain. My mom loved the experience so much that she repeated with a smile in her face, without complaining even once about any kind of pain.
It all started last year, when Rich Amooi - my lovely husband - came up with the idea of organizing a group of people who wouldn't mind donating their time, energy and good will to help others just because. He named this group Volunteering Rocks, and by using Facebook as a means, he gathered a group of friends and acquaintances from different fields and industries to volunteer, one Wednesday evening for two hours, every now and then - a group that now has close to 100 members, and is still growing. Would you like to join us?
Silvi
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Mission possible
We love to walk in Los Gatos Trail with my dog, Chiqui. It is relaxing and peaceful, and almost every morning, after breakfast, we enjoy the fresh scent of the trees, the chirpy birds and the lively, playful squirrels that drive Chiqui crazy.
One of my favorite parts of the trail is the view of the creek, with the tireless stream and its tinkling pebbles rolling in the water. I love the sound of the watercourse and the smell of the eucalyptus... But there was something that clouded the whole scenario and ruined the beautiful view of nature: the garbage.
We usually stop to admire the small habitat of the turtles. We often catch them sunbathing, swimming or diving for food. They share their neighborhood with a pair of loving ducks who patrol the zone, making sure that everything is fine, and who invite friends over for dinner sometimes.
Once, I saw a blue heron holding a fish in his beak. He waited patiently for about 10 minutes until the fish stopped moving, and then he swallowed it slowly, keeping eye contact with me all the time and sending me the defiant message "don't even think about messing with my dinner."
About twenty feet beyond the turtle habitat, between the wall that holds the trail and the shore, there were a bunch of dying branches that fell off the trees, obstructing the passage of the water and, consequently, holding lots of garbage that included bottles of different colors and sizes, plastic bags, mismatching shoes, dirty socks, and the stinky bubbly foam, floating in the scum.
My stubborn husband kept saying that he would go down there one day, and pick up all that trash that smears the whole picture. "You're kidding me," was my daily answer, even though I knew he meant it. But my hubby is not a procrastinator, and he did what to me seemed a "mission impossible."
He bought wading boots, a small saw, heavy-duty gloves and a box of large garbage bags. I was scared, just picturing water snakes, rats, all kind of insects, and the steep slope he would have to descend to get to the water. I may sound like a chicken, but I didn't want anything to happen to him, even if it was for a good cause.
He was so determined that I could only support him and do whatever I could to help, and make it easier for him.
My father went with him, in case he needed some assistance. My mom and I watched from the other side of the fence, in the trail, answering the questions of the curious passers by, who stopped and asked what was going on down there. I carried my camera to record this risky, generous and altruist act that my husband volunteered to do for the community, and for nature.
He has no idea of how proud I felt, when I saw him dipped up to his chest, fearless and happy to get all that garbage. I loved him even more, not just for being so bold and brave, but also for his determination and his heart.
He filled two bags, cut the dry twigs and branches that extended their limbs into the blurry water, grabbing and gripping all the litter, as if it was their treasure. He also found a big swollen plank that was hidden under the surface, like a treacherous and deceiving iceberg. He worked hard for over an hour, while my father helped him from the shore clearing his way out and indicating him the best way to go. The whole place was full of spiders and buzzing mosquitoes, but nothing prevented my sweetheart from accomplishing his mission.
Now, if you walk along the trail and pass under Hamilton avenue, you will enjoy the loving ducks, the lazy turtles, and a beautiful stream of clear waters mirroring the sky.
This is a video of Rich working in the deepest part of the creek.
If you enjoy the sound of water as much as I do, watch this 18 second video of one of the parts that Richie cleaned. It makes me want to put my feet in it... Enjoy!!
One of my favorite parts of the trail is the view of the creek, with the tireless stream and its tinkling pebbles rolling in the water. I love the sound of the watercourse and the smell of the eucalyptus... But there was something that clouded the whole scenario and ruined the beautiful view of nature: the garbage.
We usually stop to admire the small habitat of the turtles. We often catch them sunbathing, swimming or diving for food. They share their neighborhood with a pair of loving ducks who patrol the zone, making sure that everything is fine, and who invite friends over for dinner sometimes.
Once, I saw a blue heron holding a fish in his beak. He waited patiently for about 10 minutes until the fish stopped moving, and then he swallowed it slowly, keeping eye contact with me all the time and sending me the defiant message "don't even think about messing with my dinner."About twenty feet beyond the turtle habitat, between the wall that holds the trail and the shore, there were a bunch of dying branches that fell off the trees, obstructing the passage of the water and, consequently, holding lots of garbage that included bottles of different colors and sizes, plastic bags, mismatching shoes, dirty socks, and the stinky bubbly foam, floating in the scum.
My stubborn husband kept saying that he would go down there one day, and pick up all that trash that smears the whole picture. "You're kidding me," was my daily answer, even though I knew he meant it. But my hubby is not a procrastinator, and he did what to me seemed a "mission impossible."
He bought wading boots, a small saw, heavy-duty gloves and a box of large garbage bags. I was scared, just picturing water snakes, rats, all kind of insects, and the steep slope he would have to descend to get to the water. I may sound like a chicken, but I didn't want anything to happen to him, even if it was for a good cause.He was so determined that I could only support him and do whatever I could to help, and make it easier for him.
My father went with him, in case he needed some assistance. My mom and I watched from the other side of the fence, in the trail, answering the questions of the curious passers by, who stopped and asked what was going on down there. I carried my camera to record this risky, generous and altruist act that my husband volunteered to do for the community, and for nature.
He has no idea of how proud I felt, when I saw him dipped up to his chest, fearless and happy to get all that garbage. I loved him even more, not just for being so bold and brave, but also for his determination and his heart.
He filled two bags, cut the dry twigs and branches that extended their limbs into the blurry water, grabbing and gripping all the litter, as if it was their treasure. He also found a big swollen plank that was hidden under the surface, like a treacherous and deceiving iceberg. He worked hard for over an hour, while my father helped him from the shore clearing his way out and indicating him the best way to go. The whole place was full of spiders and buzzing mosquitoes, but nothing prevented my sweetheart from accomplishing his mission.
Now, if you walk along the trail and pass under Hamilton avenue, you will enjoy the loving ducks, the lazy turtles, and a beautiful stream of clear waters mirroring the sky.
This is a video of Rich working in the deepest part of the creek.If you enjoy the sound of water as much as I do, watch this 18 second video of one of the parts that Richie cleaned. It makes me want to put my feet in it... Enjoy!!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
"Fútbol" night in SF
Just like 90% of the people in Spain, we like fútbol. I know they call it soccer here, but I prefer the European and Central & South American term.
After enjoying the last games of the World Cup, supporting Spain and celebrating their victory, we missed the emotion of the "goles" from our favorite players. But we were lucky to find out that the Real Madrid was coming to SF to play against Club America from México.
We bought the tickets and yesterday, my father (Paco), my husband (Richie) and I went to the game and enjoyed another victory from the Spanish team. Iker Casillas didn't play, but we got to see Cristiano Ronaldo in action, scoring the 3rd and last goal of the night.
What a game!!
This a very short video of the players before the game :)
After enjoying the last games of the World Cup, supporting Spain and celebrating their victory, we missed the emotion of the "goles" from our favorite players. But we were lucky to find out that the Real Madrid was coming to SF to play against Club America from México.We bought the tickets and yesterday, my father (Paco), my husband (Richie) and I went to the game and enjoyed another victory from the Spanish team. Iker Casillas didn't play, but we got to see Cristiano Ronaldo in action, scoring the 3rd and last goal of the night.
What a game!!
This a very short video of the players before the game :)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
How to plan a wedding in 42 days
I always preferred short engagements, but I never thought that I would be engaged for just 42 days...
We've been lucky in every possible way.
I met our wedding officiant on June 16th, only ten days before the wedding, in a café near home. Richie knew him already, but Reverend Layne likes to meet with his clients and get an idea of their personalities, so they are comfortable during the ceremony and vice-versa. 
It was a nice meeting, and I had fun talking to him, telling him how we met and how he proposed to me. He also shared about his wife and showed us samples of his weddings. During the ceremony, I felt relaxed, and I knew that if at any moment I felt nervous, I just had to look at him to calm down and know that everything was fine. He showed his sense of humor, and kept the ceremony short and interesting. We all learned about the origin and symbolism of the wedding bands and other stuff. He let us read our own vows and was very flexible regarding the poems he read and the length of the ceremony. Is anybody renewing vows soon?
Our DJ was our friend Tony Rodgers, owner of Good Vibrations DJ & Karaoke Entertainment. 
He was also one of our guests, and a a good singer (I've heard him sing Elvis and he is great). If you looked at him during the open dance, you probably saw him enjoying the music with a smile, taking requests from the dancing crowd or even dancing with the bride. He announced the bridal party, and mentioned some of the guests names when he played their favorite songs. Tony's personality makes him a great DJ and a good friend.
Gigi Santa Inés was a guest who worked hard the day of our wedding, acting as the best wedding planner. She got there very early, and with her experience and skills helped decorate the whole reception room, quickly and efficiently. The tables looked great thanks to her, and everything was ready when the other guests arrived. By the end of the night everybody knew her, because her open personality and her Marilyn Monroe dress couldn't be unnoticed.
Last, but not least, I have to mention the person who made my bouquet. She has a talent for cooking, for making clothes and for many other things, but I had no idea that she could do such a beautiful bouquet. She is my mother, Loli, and she is learning English now, 
so this is probably too advanced for her, but I want to recognize her anyway. Thank you mami!! :) My father walked me down the aisle, and I felt so proud... Richie has an excellent relationship with my parents, and that makes me tremendously happy :)
I forgot to mention the cake.
What a cake!!! I had tried it before at Sameer and Irma's house, and since the first time I tried it, I realized that I wouldn't want any other cake if I ever got married (and I'm not a cake lover). We ordered two cakes in the Pink Elephant Bakery on June 24th, just two days before the wedding. It was a delicious Tarta de Tres Leches, simple, but spongy, tasty and unique in flavor. Everybody loved it!! We bought the two little ducks on top in San Simeon, the day after Richie proposed to me.
I loved my wedding!!! For me it was just perfect, and the only thing I would change is to have been able to dance longer, and to have had some of my friends and family from Spain with me.
This is our table with the best man and the two maids of honor, with their spouses. From left to right we have Chris and Maché, John and Isabel, bride and groom, and Robert and Cheryl, who helped so much before, during and after the reception. At the moment, I don't have a picture of Merissa Roffey, Robert & Cheryl's beautiful daughter, who did the makeup for me and my maids of honor, natural and enhancing. At her young age, she did a professional job that the pictures can prove. Thank you Merissa!!
This last picture was taken by Sam and Lucie, and it is one of my favorites :)
I cannot wait to renew our vows and dance some more...
Until next time!! xxx
Richie always said that he could plan a wedding in two or three weeks and, actually, since the proposal, we didn't make any arrangements until May 26th, when I bought my wedding dress in the first and only place I went to: Trudy's.
I tried three dresses, and one of them fit me perfectly, needing no alterations at all, except for the hemming. I ran home, grabbed the camera, went back to the store, had a picture taken, and two days later it was mine, after getting opinions from my mom and close friends. 
On May 30th, I bought my shoes in DSW, beautiful and comfortable. Isabel did part of the work for me, because she sent me the link of the Comforter shoes that she liked, and they were right there, my size and the color I needed. I almost started dancing in the store, because that was the only thing I had in mind for both the dress and the shoes: dancing on my wedding day.
That's all I did for my wedding. The rest is all my husband's work and credit.
On June 1st, and after considering a few locations for the big day, I officially fell in love with Los Gatos History Club.
I just pictured our wedding there, and I felt that instant attraction that tells you when something is meant to be. We called them, and we found out that the place was already booked for that day; but the lady said that she would contact us if they canceled. 
What are the chances of someone canceling three weeks away from an event?
Two days later she called back and said that the event booked for June 26th was a fundraiser, and they might have to postpone it, but it wasn't confirmed yet. At that moment I had the feeling that the place would be ours. The following day she gave us the good news. That night I had a beautiful dream about the wedding by the purple flowers.
The rest happened really fast.
My gorgeous maids of honor , Isabel and Maché, found their beautiful shiny charcoal dresses easily, and they looked great in them. I had my hair done at JoJo, a place I am recommending to all my friends. Heath is my stylist; he shows real passion for hair, and knows how to bring out the best of it, s
aying goodbye to the frizz. My adorable flower girls were, from older to younger: Amrita, Sanjeeta, Caterina and Alexandra. They walked down the aisle, carrying cute little ivory satin flower baskets, with beads handles, and throwing fresh pink and white rose petals from Citti's Florist. Each one of them was wearing a cute different dress, and they danced nonstop for two hours. I love my flower girls!!
Choosing the menu was the easiest thing of all.
The moment Richie proposed to me, I knew that, for our wedding, I wanted the tasty Spanish paella that we ate at the Hotel Océano a few weeks ago. The chef and food artist who provided the delicious homemade paella, with saffron from Spain, and his unique cooking style is Richard Poncini, owner of Cooking for Friends. 
We are looking forward to having a big party to hire him again. He offers high quality food, and it's a pleasure to deal with him. Everybody loved the paella and many people went back for more. His catering service also included the bread and butter and two different kinds of salad: fresh fruit salad and mixed green salad. Yummy!!
Our guests were also delighted with the appetizers from
San José Pizza, a different taste, blending the best crust with the flavor of Indian spices. 
We love their pizzas, and thought that our guests would love them too. We chose the Hawaiian Queen pizza and the popular Navratan veggie pizza. Many of our guests are still asking us about the place where they can buy such delicious pizzas. I cannot wait to go again.
Our good friend Sameer, who introduced us to this earthly pleasure, made sure that the delivery was just on time, and nothing could have gone more perfect.
But what is a wedding without a good wine?
Nobody can be better for that than our dear friends Chris and Maché; Yes, my maid of honor and her husband, who own the Delicatio Family Vineyards in Manteca (DFV Wines) and who recently purchased the beautiful Black Stallion Winery in Napa Valley.
I am not a wine expert, but I can appreciate a good wine, and when I tasted their organic wine a while ago for the first time, I had the feeling that it would be hard to match. All of our guests enjoyed their selection of wines, and commented about its quality, aroma, and how it felt in the mouth. They also praised the champagne that Chris provided for our enjoyment during the toasts. There is nothing like a good wine to bring a smile to people's faces and lead them to the dance floor...
I tried three dresses, and one of them fit me perfectly, needing no alterations at all, except for the hemming. I ran home, grabbed the camera, went back to the store, had a picture taken, and two days later it was mine, after getting opinions from my mom and close friends. 
On May 30th, I bought my shoes in DSW, beautiful and comfortable. Isabel did part of the work for me, because she sent me the link of the Comforter shoes that she liked, and they were right there, my size and the color I needed. I almost started dancing in the store, because that was the only thing I had in mind for both the dress and the shoes: dancing on my wedding day.
That's all I did for my wedding. The rest is all my husband's work and credit.
On June 1st, and after considering a few locations for the big day, I officially fell in love with Los Gatos History Club.
I just pictured our wedding there, and I felt that instant attraction that tells you when something is meant to be. We called them, and we found out that the place was already booked for that day; but the lady said that she would contact us if they canceled. 
What are the chances of someone canceling three weeks away from an event?Two days later she called back and said that the event booked for June 26th was a fundraiser, and they might have to postpone it, but it wasn't confirmed yet. At that moment I had the feeling that the place would be ours. The following day she gave us the good news. That night I had a beautiful dream about the wedding by the purple flowers.
The rest happened really fast.
My gorgeous maids of honor , Isabel and Maché, found their beautiful shiny charcoal dresses easily, and they looked great in them. I had my hair done at JoJo, a place I am recommending to all my friends. Heath is my stylist; he shows real passion for hair, and knows how to bring out the best of it, s
aying goodbye to the frizz. My adorable flower girls were, from older to younger: Amrita, Sanjeeta, Caterina and Alexandra. They walked down the aisle, carrying cute little ivory satin flower baskets, with beads handles, and throwing fresh pink and white rose petals from Citti's Florist. Each one of them was wearing a cute different dress, and they danced nonstop for two hours. I love my flower girls!!Choosing the menu was the easiest thing of all.
The moment Richie proposed to me, I knew that, for our wedding, I wanted the tasty Spanish paella that we ate at the Hotel Océano a few weeks ago. The chef and food artist who provided the delicious homemade paella, with saffron from Spain, and his unique cooking style is Richard Poncini, owner of Cooking for Friends. 
We are looking forward to having a big party to hire him again. He offers high quality food, and it's a pleasure to deal with him. Everybody loved the paella and many people went back for more. His catering service also included the bread and butter and two different kinds of salad: fresh fruit salad and mixed green salad. Yummy!!Our guests were also delighted with the appetizers from
San José Pizza, a different taste, blending the best crust with the flavor of Indian spices. 
We love their pizzas, and thought that our guests would love them too. We chose the Hawaiian Queen pizza and the popular Navratan veggie pizza. Many of our guests are still asking us about the place where they can buy such delicious pizzas. I cannot wait to go again.Our good friend Sameer, who introduced us to this earthly pleasure, made sure that the delivery was just on time, and nothing could have gone more perfect.
But what is a wedding without a good wine?
Nobody can be better for that than our dear friends Chris and Maché; Yes, my maid of honor and her husband, who own the Delicatio Family Vineyards in Manteca (DFV Wines) and who recently purchased the beautiful Black Stallion Winery in Napa Valley.
I am not a wine expert, but I can appreciate a good wine, and when I tasted their organic wine a while ago for the first time, I had the feeling that it would be hard to match. All of our guests enjoyed their selection of wines, and commented about its quality, aroma, and how it felt in the mouth. They also praised the champagne that Chris provided for our enjoyment during the toasts. There is nothing like a good wine to bring a smile to people's faces and lead them to the dance floor...
We had the privilege of having our friends Sam and Lucie, owners of LucieXYZ Photography, shoot the pictures of the wedding. They are amazing photographers with personal charm. I already knew the high quality of their work, because I have been to their studio. But it hasn't been until now that I have experienced the other side of their work, their cheerful demeanor, their kindness, energy, patience, sweetness and passion for what they do. 
The link above is a posting they did about our wedding, part of their web page (I love It!!) with their destination weddings all over the world, and their awesome pictures. Sam was born here, but he has European blood. Lucie came to this country from the Czech Republic about a decade ago, and she soon became one of the most recognized and popular professional photographers in California. Sam and Lucie captured the most important moments of our special day, and those moments will stay alive and will remain with us forever, because we'll have the best memories with their pictures.
The link above is a posting they did about our wedding, part of their web page (I love It!!) with their destination weddings all over the world, and their awesome pictures. Sam was born here, but he has European blood. Lucie came to this country from the Czech Republic about a decade ago, and she soon became one of the most recognized and popular professional photographers in California. Sam and Lucie captured the most important moments of our special day, and those moments will stay alive and will remain with us forever, because we'll have the best memories with their pictures.We've been lucky in every possible way.
I met our wedding officiant on June 16th, only ten days before the wedding, in a café near home. Richie knew him already, but Reverend Layne likes to meet with his clients and get an idea of their personalities, so they are comfortable during the ceremony and vice-versa. 
It was a nice meeting, and I had fun talking to him, telling him how we met and how he proposed to me. He also shared about his wife and showed us samples of his weddings. During the ceremony, I felt relaxed, and I knew that if at any moment I felt nervous, I just had to look at him to calm down and know that everything was fine. He showed his sense of humor, and kept the ceremony short and interesting. We all learned about the origin and symbolism of the wedding bands and other stuff. He let us read our own vows and was very flexible regarding the poems he read and the length of the ceremony. Is anybody renewing vows soon?
Our DJ was our friend Tony Rodgers, owner of Good Vibrations DJ & Karaoke Entertainment. 
He was also one of our guests, and a a good singer (I've heard him sing Elvis and he is great). If you looked at him during the open dance, you probably saw him enjoying the music with a smile, taking requests from the dancing crowd or even dancing with the bride. He announced the bridal party, and mentioned some of the guests names when he played their favorite songs. Tony's personality makes him a great DJ and a good friend.
Gigi Santa Inés was a guest who worked hard the day of our wedding, acting as the best wedding planner. She got there very early, and with her experience and skills helped decorate the whole reception room, quickly and efficiently. The tables looked great thanks to her, and everything was ready when the other guests arrived. By the end of the night everybody knew her, because her open personality and her Marilyn Monroe dress couldn't be unnoticed.
Last, but not least, I have to mention the person who made my bouquet. She has a talent for cooking, for making clothes and for many other things, but I had no idea that she could do such a beautiful bouquet. She is my mother, Loli, and she is learning English now, 
so this is probably too advanced for her, but I want to recognize her anyway. Thank you mami!! :) My father walked me down the aisle, and I felt so proud... Richie has an excellent relationship with my parents, and that makes me tremendously happy :)I forgot to mention the cake.
What a cake!!! I had tried it before at Sameer and Irma's house, and since the first time I tried it, I realized that I wouldn't want any other cake if I ever got married (and I'm not a cake lover). We ordered two cakes in the Pink Elephant Bakery on June 24th, just two days before the wedding. It was a delicious Tarta de Tres Leches, simple, but spongy, tasty and unique in flavor. Everybody loved it!! We bought the two little ducks on top in San Simeon, the day after Richie proposed to me. I loved my wedding!!! For me it was just perfect, and the only thing I would change is to have been able to dance longer, and to have had some of my friends and family from Spain with me.
This is our table with the best man and the two maids of honor, with their spouses. From left to right we have Chris and Maché, John and Isabel, bride and groom, and Robert and Cheryl, who helped so much before, during and after the reception. At the moment, I don't have a picture of Merissa Roffey, Robert & Cheryl's beautiful daughter, who did the makeup for me and my maids of honor, natural and enhancing. At her young age, she did a professional job that the pictures can prove. Thank you Merissa!!
This last picture was taken by Sam and Lucie, and it is one of my favorites :)
I cannot wait to renew our vows and dance some more...
Until next time!! xxx
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Proposal
I slept well and woke up with lots of energy and no period cramps, or evident signs of it. It took me forever to get ready because I had to shower, shave, and do my hair. Richie waited patiently, with no complaints or pressure… He cooked breakfast, vacuumed the house (collecting millions and millions of Chiqui’s hair), and went to Trader’s Joe to buy a few things, including dog food.
We started this short, but special trip very relaxed, got our favorite Starbucks and hit the road with the music on.
It reminded me of our trip to Carmel for Chris & Maché’s re-wedding (my term for vows renewal). I love road trips, with no stress, and no strict schedules attached. We stopped in a Target because Richie wanted to get some jalapeño pretzels. Fifteen minutes later he came back with a smile on his face and no pretzels. The 2nd stop was in a rest area, where we ate the delicious tortilla de patatas that he cooked the day before for this purpose. I walked with Chiqui while he got directions from a maintenance worker, and we took off again. I was happy, relaxed and very excited anticipating the weekend by the ocean and a Monday off from work.
We were a little hungry, so we decided to go for a walk on the beach with Chiqui, take a few sunset pictures, and then eat at the hotel restaurant. Richie was very happy and, for a curious spectator, extremely affectionate, which was just perfect for me. He was paying attention to little details, especially to my camera. He wanted to make sure that I had it charged because he wanted to take many pictures that evening (which is usually my job and pleasure). How romantic!!
After witnessing the wedding and giving them our silent blessings for the rest of their lives, we headed to the ocean. It felt so good to walk on the soft grass and smell the rose petals that were flying everywhere after the wedding... The wind calmed down and the sun was low in the horizon, painting the sky with those reddish-orange velvet tones that softened the color of the ocean, making it warmer and extraordinarily beautiful.
Richie suggested taking some pictures of us without the dog, and I also found this romantic, so without any objections or disagreements on my side, we took Chiqui to the car and walked back. To my surprise he was carrying his ipod. “Oh, I forgot mine at home,” I said. He asked me to listen to something.
I was so excited!! He was doing all these romantic things that made me live the present to the fullest, forgetting about the school, and all the negative stuff around it. He had deleted everything from his ipod except for one song: Eres para Mí, by Julieta Venegas, one of our special songs from almost two years ago. Isn’t that sweet and adorable? He took pictures of me while I enjoyed listening and singing the song. We also took a beautiful self-picture with the sun behind us, and with my hair blowing wildly. We look so happy in that picture…
Then he wanted someone to take a picture of both of us, and I chose the couple who were a little farther away, but who seemed to be more talented for pictures than the other couple behind us. He asked me to stay at the bench in front of the bonfire, facing the waves and the sunset, while he went to ask them. I had to replay the song because it was the only one in the ipod. I was looking at Richie’s butt while he walked toward that couple. The distance and the ipod prevented me from hearing, but according to the gestures they recognized him, because after he asked them to take a pictures, he probably reminded them that he was their wedding DJ because they were very expressive, with their gestures of “Oh my God that’s true, what a coincidence!”
After a couple of minutes, they all walked toward me while continued singing and floating in a cloud of happiness and bliss. Richie sat next to me, took the headphone off my ears and put his ipod away. He kissed me softly on the cheek for a picture. Then we faced the camera and the guy took two more pictures of us hugging on the bench. Richie was squeezing me and I felt him closer than ever. But his joy suddenly froze when we heard “I think your battery just died.” I was all right with it, because we already had a few beautiful pictures, including the sun and the ocean. But Richie couldn’t hide his frustration and disappointment. Wow! He is really into pictures this evening, I thought. What happened next could be regarded as fiction if it had been a novel or a movie. The guy smiled and said “No worries, I have the same camera, and I happened to carry an extra battery with me that will perfectly fit your camera.” I didn’t want to take more of their time and much less their battery, so I immediately thanked him and said that we had plenty of pictures already, so it wasn’t necessary. But Richie seemed to light up and asked him to go ahead and use his battery. I couldn’t believe my ears.
Richie has never been so crazy about pictures, and he wasn’t even being considerate with that couple’s time. But before I finished with all those thoughts of amazement, he had changed the battery and was ready to take more pictures. Richie gave him directions about where he wanted him to position himself in order to shoot more. I was completely amazed and about to talk to my crazy boyfriend to let him know that he was abusing that couple's kindness, even if they were his past clients, and that we definitely didn’t need any more pictures. But I was speechless when he stood up from the bench and got on one knee facing me. I thought my chin just dropped off and touched the ground. My eyes opened widely and my mind stopped working. Is he proposing to me?!
I observed every little movement as if it was the slow replay of someone scoring a goal in the World Cup. He put his hand in his right pocket (where the ipod was), then his left, and took a silver color ring with a big diamond. I put both hands to my mouth and uttered “oh my God, Richie.”
Then he tried to find the correct hand, and the correct finger –I had to assist him for both– and he started his beautiful proposal after letting me know something about the ring that I couldn’t understand: “Silvi, es la verdad, eres para mi. Mi girasolcito bonito, mi angel, quiero pasar el resto de mi vida contigo. Quiero que seas mi esposa. Marry me!” We were both almost crying and I responded “por supuesto!,” and kissed him. Suddenly, while we were melted in a warm hug, I remembered the guy taking pictures, as if I had been temporarily abducted by a strange force. He was still taking pictures and having fun.
He had captured the whole proposal in images thanks to his extra battery. Isn’t that a magic coincidence? Is it destiny?
When we calmed down, after kissing twenty times more, and after having more pictures taken with the sun behind us, we thanked the couple, and talked to them. They happened to be from Holland. They had been married from two years, and she proposed to him. We asked a maintenance guy who was bringing the logs for the bonfire to take a picture with them for our records and for our memories.
We went to the restaurant to celebrate and plan the rest of our lives together. Then he explained to me his whole plan. The real ring wasn’t delivered on time and he had to get a fake one for the proposal, so he thought about getting a cheap imitation diamond ring to have something to put on my finger. In the first Target they were all giant, so he had to try a different one. Finally he got one that was only 2.5 sizes bigger than mine. The couple who took the picture were not past clients, as I thought; they just were happy to witness a proposal and take the pictures… That dinner was memorable. We decided on the wedding day, the food and the guests. We couldn’t wait to tell everybody, specially my parents, so they could book their flight to California. That night I fells asleep with a smile, as big as my fake diamond ring.
If you want to read HIS version of the proposal, click http://richamooi.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!!
We started this short, but special trip very relaxed, got our favorite Starbucks and hit the road with the music on.
It reminded me of our trip to Carmel for Chris & Maché’s re-wedding (my term for vows renewal). I love road trips, with no stress, and no strict schedules attached. We stopped in a Target because Richie wanted to get some jalapeño pretzels. Fifteen minutes later he came back with a smile on his face and no pretzels. The 2nd stop was in a rest area, where we ate the delicious tortilla de patatas that he cooked the day before for this purpose. I walked with Chiqui while he got directions from a maintenance worker, and we took off again. I was happy, relaxed and very excited anticipating the weekend by the ocean and a Monday off from work.
We got to the Best Western Cavalier early, even after making a 3rd stop at another Target, in the middle of nowhere, to look for the so wanted pretzels (he reminded me of my friend Rosa when she was pregnant and fancied licorice all the time). This time he came back with our favorite chewing gum (no luck with the jalapeño pretzels). Our room wasn’t ready yet, so we went to downtown Cambria for a walk with Chiqui, looking for a coffee shop where we could read while waiting. But they called us from the hotel, and we left right away.
The room faced the ocean, and the only thing between us and the waves was a giant carpet of fresh grass and a 6ft tall bonfire that they light at sunset for the guests. To our surprise, they were setting up for a wedding that evening, and we had good balcony seats from our room. The rows of white and perfectly aligned chairs, perpendicular to the ocean, were facing the sun; the arch was decorated with purple ribbons and streamers hanging in a very graceful way, defiant of the weather conditions. The flowers wouldn’t have survived the attack. It was windy and chilly for an outside wedding, but the sun was shining, and the excitement would melt away the cold. I took hundreds of pictures of the room and the view (well, at least 10 or 12, but I am from Andalucía, so I am entitled to exaggerate).
The room faced the ocean, and the only thing between us and the waves was a giant carpet of fresh grass and a 6ft tall bonfire that they light at sunset for the guests. To our surprise, they were setting up for a wedding that evening, and we had good balcony seats from our room. The rows of white and perfectly aligned chairs, perpendicular to the ocean, were facing the sun; the arch was decorated with purple ribbons and streamers hanging in a very graceful way, defiant of the weather conditions. The flowers wouldn’t have survived the attack. It was windy and chilly for an outside wedding, but the sun was shining, and the excitement would melt away the cold. I took hundreds of pictures of the room and the view (well, at least 10 or 12, but I am from Andalucía, so I am entitled to exaggerate).
We were a little hungry, so we decided to go for a walk on the beach with Chiqui, take a few sunset pictures, and then eat at the hotel restaurant. Richie was very happy and, for a curious spectator, extremely affectionate, which was just perfect for me. He was paying attention to little details, especially to my camera. He wanted to make sure that I had it charged because he wanted to take many pictures that evening (which is usually my job and pleasure). How romantic!!
After witnessing the wedding and giving them our silent blessings for the rest of their lives, we headed to the ocean. It felt so good to walk on the soft grass and smell the rose petals that were flying everywhere after the wedding... The wind calmed down and the sun was low in the horizon, painting the sky with those reddish-orange velvet tones that softened the color of the ocean, making it warmer and extraordinarily beautiful.
Richie suggested taking some pictures of us without the dog, and I also found this romantic, so without any objections or disagreements on my side, we took Chiqui to the car and walked back. To my surprise he was carrying his ipod. “Oh, I forgot mine at home,” I said. He asked me to listen to something.I was so excited!! He was doing all these romantic things that made me live the present to the fullest, forgetting about the school, and all the negative stuff around it. He had deleted everything from his ipod except for one song: Eres para Mí, by Julieta Venegas, one of our special songs from almost two years ago. Isn’t that sweet and adorable? He took pictures of me while I enjoyed listening and singing the song. We also took a beautiful self-picture with the sun behind us, and with my hair blowing wildly. We look so happy in that picture…
Then he wanted someone to take a picture of both of us, and I chose the couple who were a little farther away, but who seemed to be more talented for pictures than the other couple behind us. He asked me to stay at the bench in front of the bonfire, facing the waves and the sunset, while he went to ask them. I had to replay the song because it was the only one in the ipod. I was looking at Richie’s butt while he walked toward that couple. The distance and the ipod prevented me from hearing, but according to the gestures they recognized him, because after he asked them to take a pictures, he probably reminded them that he was their wedding DJ because they were very expressive, with their gestures of “Oh my God that’s true, what a coincidence!”
After a couple of minutes, they all walked toward me while continued singing and floating in a cloud of happiness and bliss. Richie sat next to me, took the headphone off my ears and put his ipod away. He kissed me softly on the cheek for a picture. Then we faced the camera and the guy took two more pictures of us hugging on the bench. Richie was squeezing me and I felt him closer than ever. But his joy suddenly froze when we heard “I think your battery just died.” I was all right with it, because we already had a few beautiful pictures, including the sun and the ocean. But Richie couldn’t hide his frustration and disappointment. Wow! He is really into pictures this evening, I thought. What happened next could be regarded as fiction if it had been a novel or a movie. The guy smiled and said “No worries, I have the same camera, and I happened to carry an extra battery with me that will perfectly fit your camera.” I didn’t want to take more of their time and much less their battery, so I immediately thanked him and said that we had plenty of pictures already, so it wasn’t necessary. But Richie seemed to light up and asked him to go ahead and use his battery. I couldn’t believe my ears.
Richie has never been so crazy about pictures, and he wasn’t even being considerate with that couple’s time. But before I finished with all those thoughts of amazement, he had changed the battery and was ready to take more pictures. Richie gave him directions about where he wanted him to position himself in order to shoot more. I was completely amazed and about to talk to my crazy boyfriend to let him know that he was abusing that couple's kindness, even if they were his past clients, and that we definitely didn’t need any more pictures. But I was speechless when he stood up from the bench and got on one knee facing me. I thought my chin just dropped off and touched the ground. My eyes opened widely and my mind stopped working. Is he proposing to me?!
I observed every little movement as if it was the slow replay of someone scoring a goal in the World Cup. He put his hand in his right pocket (where the ipod was), then his left, and took a silver color ring with a big diamond. I put both hands to my mouth and uttered “oh my God, Richie.”
Then he tried to find the correct hand, and the correct finger –I had to assist him for both– and he started his beautiful proposal after letting me know something about the ring that I couldn’t understand: “Silvi, es la verdad, eres para mi. Mi girasolcito bonito, mi angel, quiero pasar el resto de mi vida contigo. Quiero que seas mi esposa. Marry me!” We were both almost crying and I responded “por supuesto!,” and kissed him. Suddenly, while we were melted in a warm hug, I remembered the guy taking pictures, as if I had been temporarily abducted by a strange force. He was still taking pictures and having fun.
He had captured the whole proposal in images thanks to his extra battery. Isn’t that a magic coincidence? Is it destiny?
When we calmed down, after kissing twenty times more, and after having more pictures taken with the sun behind us, we thanked the couple, and talked to them. They happened to be from Holland. They had been married from two years, and she proposed to him. We asked a maintenance guy who was bringing the logs for the bonfire to take a picture with them for our records and for our memories.
We went to the restaurant to celebrate and plan the rest of our lives together. Then he explained to me his whole plan. The real ring wasn’t delivered on time and he had to get a fake one for the proposal, so he thought about getting a cheap imitation diamond ring to have something to put on my finger. In the first Target they were all giant, so he had to try a different one. Finally he got one that was only 2.5 sizes bigger than mine. The couple who took the picture were not past clients, as I thought; they just were happy to witness a proposal and take the pictures… That dinner was memorable. We decided on the wedding day, the food and the guests. We couldn’t wait to tell everybody, specially my parents, so they could book their flight to California. That night I fells asleep with a smile, as big as my fake diamond ring.
If you want to read HIS version of the proposal, click http://richamooi.blogspot.com/Enjoy!!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Wayne Dyer From Ambition to Meaning: The Shift
I feel so lucky!! In one year I have met four of my favorite authors, people who have inspired me, in different ways, to be better, to grow and to know myself.
This time it was Wayne Dyer, who is in my top three. The amazing thing is that the first book I read from him was the Spanish translation of My Erroneous Zones, when I was only seventeen. At that time I was far from being spiritual, and my reaction to his book was of total disapproval. I can remember everybody talking about it, and when I read it, I thought that if I followed all his advice, I would become totally selfish. I had no idea that many years later I would get to admire and respect this man so much, and benefit from his wisdom to the point of changing my life.
I don't like to idealize people, no matter what they do, and try to see them as achievers and successful personalities that stand out for their intellectual, physical or humanitarian qualities. So I can say that Dyer is my number one spiritual leader. I am still exploring his work, but the more I read and the more I listen to him or watch him on PBS or on DVD, the more I understand his philosophy and his vision of how simple life can be. He is a happy person, therefore he is a successful person. He doesn't seem to be worried or concerned about his leukemia, and he takes things as they come and accept them with no resistance or frustration. He transmits peace and helps me focus on the things that really matter, leaving me with a sense of fulfillment and joy after listening to him.
I loved this video. What you will see is only one part out of thirteen. If you like it, you can find the rest on youtube. It is worth it... Enjoy!
This time it was Wayne Dyer, who is in my top three. The amazing thing is that the first book I read from him was the Spanish translation of My Erroneous Zones, when I was only seventeen. At that time I was far from being spiritual, and my reaction to his book was of total disapproval. I can remember everybody talking about it, and when I read it, I thought that if I followed all his advice, I would become totally selfish. I had no idea that many years later I would get to admire and respect this man so much, and benefit from his wisdom to the point of changing my life.
I don't like to idealize people, no matter what they do, and try to see them as achievers and successful personalities that stand out for their intellectual, physical or humanitarian qualities. So I can say that Dyer is my number one spiritual leader. I am still exploring his work, but the more I read and the more I listen to him or watch him on PBS or on DVD, the more I understand his philosophy and his vision of how simple life can be. He is a happy person, therefore he is a successful person. He doesn't seem to be worried or concerned about his leukemia, and he takes things as they come and accept them with no resistance or frustration. He transmits peace and helps me focus on the things that really matter, leaving me with a sense of fulfillment and joy after listening to him.I loved this video. What you will see is only one part out of thirteen. If you like it, you can find the rest on youtube. It is worth it... Enjoy!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Meeting Deepak Chopra
March 2nd, Califirnia Theater, probably the most beautiful theatre in the Bay Area, over one thousand followers gathered to see Deepak Chopra, the spiritual leader of millions of people, who was doing a Q&A session for the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose. I was there.
I enjoyed his wisdom and humor for about an hour, during which the moderator asked him about the different levels of consciousness, the connection between mind, brain and spirit, and a bunch of other questions I would have loved to record. I didn’t want it to be over yet, however, it was time for the general public to participate. I needed to ask my question, but there were so many people, bolder and more determined than me to get his attention. I had to ask the question, because I have never had the guts to raise my hand in public to speak up, and this was a personal challenge that I had resolved to overcome.
I enjoyed his wisdom and humor for about an hour, during which the moderator asked him about the different levels of consciousness, the connection between mind, brain and spirit, and a bunch of other questions I would have loved to record. I didn’t want it to be over yet, however, it was time for the general public to participate. I needed to ask my question, but there were so many people, bolder and more determined than me to get his attention. I had to ask the question, because I have never had the guts to raise my hand in public to speak up, and this was a personal challenge that I had resolved to overcome.
He came down the stage and started answering the questions of people like me, admirers, followers, spectators and people hungry for knowledge, for wisdom, for answers. I had my question ready, but others got his attention from all over the place. I didn’t lose the hope as other people were posing their questions. Richie kept bugging me and urging me to stand up and ask. I was scared, but he was right, I didn't want to freak out. I felt paralyzed when Chopra said “two more” and he responded to a guy on the upper floor. It was my last chance. My heart was beating hard and my cheeks were on fire. I stood up, raised my hand and close my eyes for half a second. When I opened them, I saw he was looking at me, pointing at me, smiling at me. He picked me for the last question, amongst all those people…! I felt nervous and my excitement could be noticed by everybody around me. I thanked him and asked “Assuming that we are part of a universal plan, and that everything happens for a reason… How much power do we have to change that plan by using the Law of Attraction?”
Looking at me, he first acknowledged the importance of my question -which made me feel good and confident instantly; then he explained that only if we are unaware and live in a deterministic world, we don’t have any control of what happens to us, and therefore we are part of a plan that we haven’t created. But if, instead we live in awareness we can create our own destiny. He also mentioned the importance of uncertainty, because in the unknown lies a universe of infinite possibilities, since it is the field of pure potentiality. He told me that I need to wake up every morning and say “Please God, give me more uncertainty,” because uncertainty makes us creators -as if I hadn’t had enough of that already... He was asking me to embrace uncertainty in a moment of my life in which that was the least desired thing for me. According to him, the connection between what exists and what doesn’t exist is “desire.” If we have a desire we are meant to fulfill it and we are creating our future. He gave me his wise advice, keeping eye contact for a few minutes, and after that he disappeared behind the stage.
A few people congratulated me on the way out about my question, and I felt good, or maybe that was my Ego feeling like that, but for me this was a breakthrough moment, like the one I had with Tony Robbins in August when I walked on fire without getting burned (but this a story I will talk about later).
Looking at me, he first acknowledged the importance of my question -which made me feel good and confident instantly; then he explained that only if we are unaware and live in a deterministic world, we don’t have any control of what happens to us, and therefore we are part of a plan that we haven’t created. But if, instead we live in awareness we can create our own destiny. He also mentioned the importance of uncertainty, because in the unknown lies a universe of infinite possibilities, since it is the field of pure potentiality. He told me that I need to wake up every morning and say “Please God, give me more uncertainty,” because uncertainty makes us creators -as if I hadn’t had enough of that already... He was asking me to embrace uncertainty in a moment of my life in which that was the least desired thing for me. According to him, the connection between what exists and what doesn’t exist is “desire.” If we have a desire we are meant to fulfill it and we are creating our future. He gave me his wise advice, keeping eye contact for a few minutes, and after that he disappeared behind the stage.
A few people congratulated me on the way out about my question, and I felt good, or maybe that was my Ego feeling like that, but for me this was a breakthrough moment, like the one I had with Tony Robbins in August when I walked on fire without getting burned (but this a story I will talk about later).
Welcome to my blog!
Flowers bloom in Spring, and so does my blog. I decided to start this new adventure of sharing inspiring stories, interesting things to read or watch, quotes, and parts of my book Turning Pages: an Unfinished Journey with you.
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