Around Town Chicago With OJ [VIDEO]

Lights. Camera. Action!

Featuring my first on-camera debut:

Whether you're a thousand miles away from home or in your hometown, we never stop exploring. Join me as I show you around my hometown, Chicago.

On my way to becoming a TV travel host, maybe?

A special thanks to my devilishly handsome cameraman, Zach, and personal English coach, Nick. We ended up with 30 minutes of footage, but only a small portion of the actual content was used to create this 90second rated-G clip, as all the background inappropriate comments and shots from the very mature and professional aforementioned production crew had to be cut out. Always a blast! Stay tuned for the blooper video...

Chicago skyline aerial view

I Am Left Brain. I Am Right Brain.

From adsoftheworld.com,  Paint by Mercedes Benz

Left Brain says:

“I am the left brain. I am a scientist. A mathematician. I love the familiar. I categorize. I am accurate. Linear. Analytical. Strategic. I am practical. Always in control. A master of words and language. Realistic. I calculate equations and play with numbers. I am order. I am logic. I know exactly who I am.”

Right Brain says:

Do Not Forget To Be Happy!

Pablo Neruda, a poet and a legend, always captures my heart through the way he paints with words. 

In fact, it was through his love poems that I was learning Italian when I was in Rome. My Couchsurfing host had a book of love sonnets by Pablo Neruda that were in Spanish on one page and Italian on the other. Every night before I went to sleep, I would read his poems as my heart melted and I soared through dreamland. Yep, I'm now one of those- a hopeless romantic. You would be, too.

Below is one of my favorite poems, not a a love poem, but just as good. It offers us a reflection about the way we live our daily lives: (English version below)


Original Version in Spanish

Muere lentamente quien no viaja,
quien no lee, 

quien no escucha música,
quien no halla encanto en si mismo.

Worldly Possesions

My backpack is small, overstuffed and there are more souvenirs than anything else. But its not the size that matters, because I´m bringing back with me so much more than what can fit in my backpack.

Just few things I picked up along the way:

• Honorary badges of blisters, bruises and travel wounds

• New vocabulary of Spanish swear words

• Tasty & exotic culinary recipes

• A horribly-attempted English accent

The Royal Treatment in Sevilla

Visiting the royal palace in Sevilla, I was greeted by the king himself. Dressed in his best, a deep ocean blue and emerald green suit with accesories of gold, his crowned head held high as he overlooked his royal kingdom of Alcázar from the front gates of the gardens.

The lavish gardens of Alcázar are truly fit for any king or queen. In fact, this is the place that King Charles V married Isabella of Portugal, the unity of power and politics.

Sevilla is known for its flamenco, bullfighting, and tapas. I learned about the rich history of Sevilla, the capital of the southern region of Spain known as Andalucia, from a hilarious Italian tour-guide who took us around the city. I wish I could remember all the knowledge that he shared with us, but all I remember is laughing for three hours straight because of his sarcastic humor.