I just found out that drinking 8 glasses of water a day is not only a myth, but a straight up lie. I knew it! I always thought that was too much water and could never drink that much. It’s enough to just drink when you’re thirsty. Your body knows what it needs!
I remember when people used to carry around water bottles like they were living in the desert. Now it just seems silly, doesn't it? 😅
A new day! The sun is shining and I’m feeling a lot better. Today is Saturday and I’ll spend a good amount of time reading “Think Java, how to think like a Computer Scientist” by Allen B. Downey & Chris Mayfield. I’m already on chapter 6 and I’ve done the exercises to this point. I was really disappointed that there are no answers to the questions in the back of the book, but it really forces me to be resourceful and that’s an important part of learning Java as well. I do recommend this book. It’s written so a child can understand it. And the exercises are actually quite fun and challenging. It will take me a few weeks to work through the rest of the book and I’m really looking forward to it.
Today, I will also stop by Amigoscode on YouTube and listen to his tutorials. Check him out if you’re interested in coding. His channel has a lot of good content.
I would like to only blog about happiness and sunshine but life isn’t always like that, is it? So, today I’m going to be real with you. My soul feels like it’s on fire. I’m tired of being disappointed. I’m tired of feeling alone and invisible. 💔 But I still have hope that tomorrow will be better. Send hugs!
This year has definitely been a roller coaster ride for me. At one point, I honestly didn’t think I would see 2022, so I’m really thankful to be here. I’m curious to see what the future holds and prepared for the new adventure.
To those of you who walked with me in 2021, I love you and wish you a Happy New Year!
This is my bucket list of countries that I would like to visit, in alphabetical order. Right now, with all the covid mutations, I’m still very uncomfortable traveling. Heck, just going to the grocery store is a big deal. But maybe someday… 🛩
I wish you a wonderful Christmas and a very beautiful New Year filled with health, joy, happiness and success.
🎄
Ich wünsche dir frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr mit viel Gesundheit, Freude, Glück und Erfolg.
🎅
Îți doresc un Crăciun minunat, și un An Nou plin de sănătate, bucurie, fericire și succes.
🎁
Desejo-te um ótimo Natal e um Ano Novo cheio de saúde, alegria, felicidade e sucesso.
I tell people that I’m a native English speaker and that’s true, but the earliest years of my life I spoke Jamaican Patios. And I still speak Patois when I’m around my extended family.
I speak German because it’s the language of my nuclear family.
I learned Portuguese because my favorite vacation spot is the Algarve in Portugal. There’s something about Portugal that just feels like home. So, I adopted the language.
Romanian is new. It’s the native language of the talented surgeon who, literally, saved my face. He’s my hero! It’s quite overwhelming knowing that I’ll never be able to pay him back, so I’m learning his language. And just like the other 3 languages, I’ll call it my own and hold it close to my heart. ❤️
I will never consider myself smart because I’m multilingual. Anyone can learn a language! And in Europe it is expected that everyone speaks at least one foreign language.
I’m vaccinated for Covid with Biontech. They tell me that I need a booster. Okay, I’m willing to get a booster shot with Biontech because that’s what I was vaccinated with. But now they’re telling me that I can’t have Biontech because I’m over 30; they don’t have enough and Moderna is just as good.
No, I don’t want Moderna. And if Moderna was just as good as Biontech they would have no problem at all giving it to people under 30 years old.
I would even offer to pay for the Biontech booster, but I don’t think that’s an option.
So, I guess I’m taking my chances with Omicron. I refuse to get vaccinated with an inferior vaccine just because there isn’t enough of the good stuff.
This whole situation just feels wrong.
Update: 31-12-2021
Today I was vaccinated with Biontech! Apparently, the rule is not set in stone. I went to the vaccination center and the Doctor just asked people what they wanted. Easy peasy, no fuss. So, if you’re over 30 and they refuse to give you Biontech I would recommend that you just go somewhere else.
Coding is exactly like learning a language and since I speak 4 languages, I’m hoping to polish my coding skills quickly. Trial and error is key. Practice. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Sometimes you might even want to make mistakes on purpose just to see what errors you will get.
Coding is also like writing a story. Other programmers should be able to look at your code and know what you are trying to do. Practice the jargon so you can communicate concisely with other programmers. Towards the end of the initial learning phase, coding will become more and more a team effort and communication will be essential.
Yesterday, after dinner, I ate a tiny piece of mango and then immediately threw up. There was nothing wrong with the mongo. I shared the mango with my family and none of them got sick.
This isn’t the first time I threw up from fruit, but I don’t think it’s an allergy. You see, I’ve noticed that if I eat fruit first (and have nothing else) it stays in my tummy. I don’t get sick. But if I eat fruit after a meal, it will make me throw up.
The fruits that have made me throw up include: mangos, bananas, pears, and grapes. Apparently, I can eat these fruits individually but not together with other foods.
Isn’t that the strangest thing? Has anyone else experienced this with fruit? I didn’t think that such a small piece of mango would make me throw up, but I was wrong!
Pressing On
I find myself in the uncomfortable situation of having no plans for the future. I had a plan, at least I thought I had a plan. And then someone told me that even if I reach my goal, I would still have to do X-Y-Z to move forward.
The discouragement was devastating. I stopped and did nothing at all. The only thing that I accomplished this year was getting my bad wisdom tooth removed. It was a horrible experience. I somehow ended up in the heart station of the hospital because I had trouble waking up.
Sometimes I wish that I hadn’t. Then at least I wouldn’t have to figure out what to do with my life. ~ Deep Breath ~ I have no choice but to press on. Without encouragement. Without support. Hoping that somehow, I’ll be okay.
And you know, I think I will be. I don’t break so easily. It’s time to move forward. If no one believes in you, you have to believe in yourself. And on my journey, I will be a source of encouragement and sunshine for others. 🌞🌻
I’m curious why 9 people clicked on the same story? I wrote “The Lucky Card” in 2006, so it’s kind of weird that so many people are interested in the story now.
I got the idea for that story because several people told me that I’m a good luck charm. They were convinced that good things happen to them when I’m standing nearby. Funny, right?
Anywho, if you have questions please ask. My e-mail address is on the landing page. I usually answer my messages in a timely and friendly manner.
Gift Giving
I love giving gifts! And the gift giving season is indeed upon us. If I give you a gift it’s because I love you, or I want to say thank you, or both. You will know why. 😉
But as much as I love giving gifts, I’m also very cautious about doing so. The whole gift giving process can get a little political. For example, what is an expensive gift? What is a cheap gift? I think you know where I’m going with this post. What’s expensive for one person, may not be expensive for the other. And you might not share my opinion about what’s cheap. As a rule, if you are not close friends, a gift should fall in between expensive and cheap. But that can be a little tricky.
For example, good perfume is always expensive. But I could never give an adult cheap perfume. I’d rather not give anything at all. The same concept goes for jewelry. I mean, why would I give someone that I like something that will turn their hand green? I won’t! So, what do I do? If I’m not allowed to give a person an expensive gift, then I stay away from perfume and jewelry.
Giving someone a ridiculously cheap gift is always a big NO for me. But there are many times when giving expensive gifts is inappropriate. For example, giving an expensive gift to your child’s teacher… BIG NO for obvious reasons. Also, giving expensive gifts to those who might feel obligated to give you a gift in return is a no.
With all this said, here is a list of gifts that I like to give:
Gifts that I love getting:
I spend so much time chasing unattainable rainbows that I’ve been missing out on enjoying the stars that I’ve caught. I usually don’t make new year’s resolutions but this year I’ll make an exception. So here goes… I’m officially declaring my New Year’s resolution:
I will make my best effort to spend more time in the moment, appreciating and enjoying what I have.
Now that it is written, it shall be done! 😂
I’ll still be chasing rainbows and butterflies, because that’s who I am. But if I can spend more time in the moment and less time chasing, I’ve already won.
Do you have a New Year’s resolution?
In my family St. Nick’s Day is special. And I would like to extend my cheer to all of you. May your hearts be filled with joy and warmth during this cold winter season.
I know that the holidays can be sad, stressful, and difficult. If you’re having a hard time right now just remember:
Everything passes
Keep breathing
Someone loves you (and you might not even know it)
You’re made of stardust!
I made these ascii hugs and kisses Christmas trees and would like to share them with you. Just copy and paste. If the tree doesn’t paste completely in alignment you will have to adjust the spacing. Works really well in g-mail and looks amazing if you add color. So if you're tired of using the same old emojis give this a go. Tis the Season!
_\/_
/\
/\
/x \
♡/°°\o
/o ♡ \
/°°°°°°\
o/x ♡ x \♡
/°°°°°°°°\
/__x__♡__o_\
♡ || ♡
\----/
\__/
§
<§>
'o'
.♡.'.
.'.'x'.
o'.♡.'.♡.
.'.x.'.x.o.
.♡.'.o.'.♡.'.
[_____]
\___/
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate it. I live in Europe so today’s just a normal workday for me. When I lived in the United States my Caribbean family celebrated with traditional Caribbean food.
My mother used to get all her ingredients from a little Asian shop on Old World 3rd Street. The shop owner, a sweet little ancient and wise man, always had everything we needed. He even had canned ackee and Cock flavored soup mix. And for those of you who don’t know, stop laughing, it’s not what you think. Just google it!
Anywho, don’t forget to be thankful and create lots of good memories. Try to enjoy the little annoyances because someday you’ll look back and realize that these were the good ole days.
Be the sunshine. 🦃 Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
A lot of people have left social media and I’m one of them. In my opinion social media is doing more harm than good. I’ve been social media free for about 3 years and it was the best decision for my mental health and productivity. I kept Youtube for watching videos, but that’s it.
It has been quite a while since I’ve had a blog and now that I’m not on social media anymore I realize that I miss it. This will be my little corner on the internet where I journal my journey through life without oversharing, without likes, without followers and without fake friends. There will be no stalking and no nonsense here!
At this point in my life I find myself going back to coding. And this is where I will chart my progress, writing down what I’ve learned and how I’ve learned it because it might be helpful to someone else. This is also where I will post holiday greetings and spread sunshine.
More sunshine, more flowers, more power! You’re welcome to stay a while and vibe with me.