Capuchi complained that I haven’t updated my blog in a long time, so here I am, writing so he can follow me from Tijuana. I might have told you already, but yesterday was my 7th anniversary in New York City. Lots of faces and names passed in front of me. I moved into the city with Javier, to whom I married and later divorced; and since then my life has changed several times in lots of different ways. Back then I couldn’t afford to spend more than $10 dollars a day, but I was producing biweekly documentaries for the local TV station, and many doors opened for me. I first fell in love with New York at the opening party of the MOMA in Queens. I went with my friend Diego. I was surprised about how such a diverse crowd of graffiti artists, art philanthropists, financiers, and undocumented immigrants could break-dance to Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean at the same dance floor. I came very young, a post-teenager wearing stylish t-shirts and converse; now I look like more like a grown-up, with red nail polish and black high heels.

Mr. Lupercio was talking last night about how he risked his life while researching about a prostitution ring in Guadalajara. He seems like the perfect man, someone that has rescued more than 800 young women from sexual violence, providing a shelter, a home, and a way to move on with their lives. People with high moral standards impress me. I somehow believe we all have a dark side, which we either learn to live with, or we endlessly fight. Who is incorruptible? We all live up to our standards, hoping to avoid anything that will give us a reason to be untruthful to ourselves.

Tuesday night Oscar, Pepe and I met at Joe’s Shanghai on 56 Street for diner. Chinese restaurants are kitsch by nature, several golden real-size animals, green velvet seats, plastic flowers, mirrors, a red shrine with Christmas lights and palm trees. Adding to the atmosphere, they played a wide selection of music from the 80s and 90s, Pat Benatar, Brian Adams, Toto, Sade, Billy Joel. We ordered clam and pork soup dumplings as we talked about our uncertain future (Pepe is moving back to Mexico in a few days as he was unable to get a new job). By the time we finished the two orders of dumplings and a plate of pan-fried noodles the three of us were exhausted, and we sat in silence for 20 minutes. It felt like a scene in a movie.

We ended at Happy Endings in the Lower East Side dancing inside an old steam room while the DJ was playing well-known songs broken into unrecognizable beats. I haven’t danced free-style for a long time, and it was certainly a good way to “officially” enter my 30’s. That is if you are official when you are over 30 and turning 31. My birthday wish/resolution is to stop the inertia to control everything in my life and just let things flow. Enjoy more, complain less.
My longtime friend Arloinne is getting married in less than a month even when she has always being opposed to the idea. She doesn’t believe that love comes in the shape of a sole partner for life. In her own words “you could fall in love with almost anyone; you can always find something to share, in common, or of interest in whomever you meet”. I find this is idea truly optimistic and good to share with all my single -but looking for someone special- friends.

Witnessing acts of courage always makes me cry; I get mixed feelings of beauty, sadness and confidence. I cry when I see old, sick or overweight people running marathons. It’s even stronger when these acts are performed on smaller everyday activities such as disabled people carrying their own groceries, old people making their way to the movies or the homeless man in my neighborhood giving out Chirping Chicken flyers to the passersby. Some days you need certain nerve to take small decisions, the same you need to change your life dramatically. My boss is moving to Rome with her boyfriend in a month, leaving behind her job, apartment and lifestyle in New York. I guess you wake up one morning knowing it is time to move on and modify your destiny.