Tag Archives: Family

Holidays

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Utica, Cundinamarca

Continuing with nostalgic topics, I must say I had amazing holidays growing up. Of course I did not know that then and I used to complain about what I was missing out far away from the city.

Utica, on the way from Bogota to Medellin, was a paradise for me. The weather was always hot, but breezy. I used to go horse back riding by myself, galloping at high speed. Oh the freedom!!

There was a pool in which I spent countless hours, and a river nearby with family-made ponds, for hours of non-stop fun. I think what I remember most vividly were the hundreds of hours reading in hammocks around the house and playing cards and other games with my aunties and grandmother.

On Sundays, the town square would fill up with vegetables and fruits, clothes and Tchotchkes. It was a 30 minute walk from the house, totally worth it. We would start early and after shopping we would have decadent fruit salads and shaved ice with condensed milk. My mouth waters as I write this.

There were downsides too, don’t get me wrong. Little bats lived in the house and used to take stabs at scaring me in the middle of the night. There were also millions of mosquitos and scorpions around. But those memories have faded away and all that matters now is the warmth of well spent family time.

I must say that I have always been a very urban sort of person. Writing this from a suburban house in Piermont NY I feel the strong need to be back to the noise and messiness of a big city.

Yet, I would give anything to be back at that house that no longer belongs to our family, to that river, to that pool, to those moments of absolute bliss now gone forever.

My parents still go out of the city every weekend. Right now they are by the ocean in an idilic place with barely electricity, paradise for their rustic taste. I miss them and my brother and his beautiful family. This year I was able to spend roughly 20 days with them and it was exhilarating. I wish 2024 brings more of that and I wish them a year of adventures and love.

What are your wishes for the New Year?

Mine are writing and reading!! I want to read 13 books and write the first draft of my book on commodities. Let’s see how that goes…

Teddie and Marigold

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After Juana I wasn’t sure I would want another dog. But life had something else in the line for me.

First came Marigold, when my daughter was around 5-years old. My husband really wanted a dog and we thought it would be good for Silkie to bond with a doggie. Marigold is a very sweet wheaten terrier. She is kind and calm.

A year and a half ago my daughter decided she wanted a dog that would sleep with her. That is how Teddie came to our lives. She is a force of life. A tiny Bichon-Poodle with the energy of thousand batteries.

My daughter slept with Teddie for a month. She didn’t want the doggie to get attached to me. After a month she asked for help. She felt isolated and was having trouble sleeping. It was not worth trying to do it by herself. I brought Teddie with me and the rest is history.

Teddie and Marigold follow me around and sleep by me. I love them. They play together all the time. They get anxious when they are not together.

They have enriched my life and they force me to get up and about on those days where all I want to do is to disappear in TV and card games.

New York’s weather has changed since I came 20 years ago. It doesn’t seem to snow as much as it did when Juana and I arrived. I also don’t run anymore and I moved to a different neighborhood, farther away from a park. I miss Central Park West more than I miss Chile or Colombia for that matter.

As an aside, I should mention that in Chile I went a bit dog crazy. I had a big house with a garden so I became a temporary puppy parent. I also rescued Romina, a tremendously beautiful dog, pregnant with puppies. Helping her give birth was wonderful. Rosario was another rescue. At some point I had 13 dogs of all sizes in the house…

When I moved to New York I had to find homes for them all. I wish I knew where all of them ended up. I hope they had a nice life.

What a lucky life to be accompanied by sweet souls like Juana, Rosario, Marigold, Romina, Teddie, Yuta, Milou, Hella, Sebastian, and many more!

How do you feel about dogs?

Are you more of a cat person? I love it. Tell me more!!

What is in a name?

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I have had many names. When I was inside my mother’s belly, my grandfather decided my name was Angela Maria, a combination of my parents names. Then, as an act of rebellion, they decided to legally call me Maria Angela.

Then came my difficulty at pronouncing my long composite name. Jamaria was the best I could do. Since then for my family I have always been Jamaria, Jamala, Jama, Jamarin, Jamarincito.

To be honest I never liked Angela Maria so much and Jama was not an acceptable alternative out in the world. My friends at school called me Angela. My foes made fun of Maria, the girl with long braids. I didn’t really mind much. My dream was to be Heidi, the girl of the prairie.

Then came my own rebellion. In college, I decided I was Mariangela. Not Maria Angela or Angela Maria or Angela, but Mariangela. This was and still is how I see myself.

After I moved to the US my name morphed again into Maria, Marie, Mary, Mari-Angele and other versions and pronunciations. By now, I am so used to the fluidity of it that I just invite people to call me the way it feels better for them. And I mean it.

This includes names I really love, like Angeline, Angelita, Angie, mi Angels, MA, Mangela and the best, of course: Mama.

I know how important a name is for a person. According to Carnegie, in his still relevant classic book about human nature, the name is one of the most cherished things a person has. It is recognition. It is identity and value.

Since reading that book I have been thinking a lot about names and actually started to try to be better at remembering then. It is not easy for me, but it feels good to try. Relating names to stories, writing down details, like the pros do.

But please forgive if I momentarily blank when I run into you in the corridor. Oh, wait, that doesn’t happen anymore. We now have video calls…

So what is in a name? Is it part of you? Is it a reflection of yourself? How can it become so important when it is your parents’ decision when you are born?How do you feel about your name? Did you wish your name was Margaret Tatcher? I did as a little girl…

Homebound

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Groundhog months

Ms. Pac-Man mini arcade has arrived today; the latest addition to our private sanctuary. Home has become everything for most of us and adding little things that would be otherwise inexcusable extravagances is now possible. After 50 years, it continues to be a delightful experience for all ages. Our tween has spent uncountable hours in her room playing with her phone and today she is with us in the living room and cannot get enough of it.

I may be the last one on earth, but recently I rediscovered lounging. I remember timeless hours with friends just doing nothing but being together and it was awesome. Adult life is regimented. You have stress, a daily agenda, so much so that you start including time with your family as part of your obligations.

Lounging is different. It is just relaxing but not alone. Decompressing by watching something together, having a beer or coffee without a set agenda or time limits. No tension. It is awesome. I get into the best conversation with my daughter and days seem kinder for all of us.

I guess one reason I am only rediscovering it now is that burnout forced me to reconsider my relationship with work. I still work hard and many hours but I mostly don’t stress over it. I know that I am doing my best at all times so when something goes wrong, as it always will because that is life, I can honestly just acknowledge, learn and move on.

Learning has been unavoidable this past year. Just a different kind of learning than the one that gives you diplomas. Learning how to build good routines for yourself, to be more self reliable and organized, to accept your idiosyncrasies and those of your life companions. Learn to accept bad days and weeks in which you do none of the above and know that the next day you can try again.

I haven’t learnt to play piano or ice sculpting or how to be less obnoxious, like Phil Connors did while awaiting Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions, but I think I have profited from the few upsides of this 2020 nightmarish Groundhog Day that we have had to collectively endure around the world.

I celebrate the little things. Like connecting with you again. Writing was impossible at the levels of stress I was enduring until recently. How are you doing? What have you learned? Lounging anyone?