Author Archives: mathdreads
Back to School: The Soft Opening
During the middle of the summer, I thought I would burst into tears when this day had finally come, but I’m remarkably at peace with going back to school tomorrow. Granted, it’ll be orientation week, which means that I’ll be semi-vacationing without students. Plus, I’ll be able to enjoy at least an hour-long lunch, unlike … Continue reading
Novel Research
Convenient enough, this week’s blog title is a double entendre since I visited Utila, a Honduran Caribbean island in order to do research for my second novel and this was the first time that I had done such a thing. If I were the least bit apprehensive, other than my brush with ESP about the … Continue reading
Utila or Bust!
Normally, when I’m about to visit a Caribbean island, I excitedly count down the days. This time, however, I’ve been cringing the coming days. I’m not sure if this is a self-fulfilling prophecy or a rare psychic moment, but starting on Friday, I’ve had one aggravating thing after another happen. First, I broke my blender. … Continue reading
New Beginnings
This week I celebrated the beginning of two very different things: a new capoeira studio and a marriage. The interesting thing is how both events gathered well-wishing people together, brought out all the smiles and daydreams about all the good times that are to come. Of course with my luck, I’m going to be out of … Continue reading
Don’t Play Well with Balls
I’ve always thought of myself as the most uncoordinated person who was still motivated to do coordinated things. With lots of practice and determination, I’ve become quite decent at salsa dancing, swimming and training capoeira, but note how none of those coordinated activites involves balls. I finally realized when I was a young adult that … Continue reading
Monochromatic Butterfly
Since I’ve dedicated this summer to being a full-time artist, my main creative outlet has been writing since I work my second novel daily and nearly everything I read somehow flavors that manuscript. Additionally, I finally found the time to reflect on my first two years of teaching at an Austin public school, which has been the most … Continue reading
Hanging Out with Family
My two-week visit “back home” is nearly drawing to an end, but at least my visit will end with a bang since tomorrow’s the Fourth of July. I love coming home to attend my family reunion and then spend additional time with my immediate family. Some people find it hard to believe that I’m so … Continue reading
Family Reunion 2011
Last year, I missed the annual family reunion on my mom’s side of the family because I chose to study and in between the two summer sessions, I changed apartments. This summer, I fought for my right to party! And since I”m a workaholic nerd at heart, that pretty much means that I’m not working, … Continue reading
Lost in the Days/Daze
I love the part of summer vacation where I start to lose track of the days. Thank God, I have a smart phone where I can input all the things that I’m going to do on a calendar! I made up my mind not to work, study nor change apartments over the summer; so now … Continue reading
Connections and Reconnections
Proving yet again that even on a two and a half month vacation, I cannot truly bring my routine to a screeching halt. I even temporarily stopped taking tango and Spanish conversational classes to free up my schedule, which made me one of the perfect people to volunteer for the ProArts sponsored Black Arts Movement … Continue reading