The view from up here

Have I mentioned my company switched offices (for the 2nd time in 6 months)? We're now in a big building downtown, in the financial center of Miami. The busiest time of this area is weekdays from 9-6, at nights and on weekends it's like a desert where you can find tourists wheeling big (empty?) suitcases and realizing why no one ever talks about "downtown" Miami as the place to see - stick with South Beach guys.

But in the few weeks we've been here, I've explored some cool new restaurants that cater to the 9-5 crowd, with my new go-to sushi and smoothie places. And I've also made use of Miami's lovely public transportation system, taking the metro mover every day to and from work. The first few days I felt so cosmopolitan, with my smoothie in one hand and holding onto the train with the other, earbuds carrying the morning's news to my perky brain. Well, that soon changed. No time to make a smoothie. No room to hold onto to the train while juggling laptop, lunchbag, and purse whilst avoiding touching the other sticky passengers. Earbuds become tangled, and I just end up tuning out whatever it's playing anyways, what with the people playing their own loud hip hop on the train for us all to enjoy, or the out of towners asking me where to get off for the Bayside mall ("uh, the 'Bayside' stop).

So now, once I'm comfortably, cooly resting in my office, I just enjoy the view.

I Amsterdam

I've really enjoyed my time in Amsterdam, upon landing and taking the easy 10 minute train ride to the center of the city and my hotel, I already felt this city had something special about it, something that makes it unique and stand out among the other Western European capitals with their rivers, row houses, and quaint cafés.

I found the people of Amsterdam to be overwhelmingly helpful and friendly, something i found hard to believe with so many tourists - "Don't you get annoyed with all the foreigners walking crossing through the bike lanes without looking?" I asked the Dutch. They do, but then they give directions and tell you the best place to get bitterballen or an authentic Dutch pint. I guess, like Colombians and Brazilians, the pace of life here is a few notches down from the hectic lifestyle we are used to in the us. And that's what generally loved about this place - everyone is so cheerful and complacent, and equal - you don't see lots of fancy cars or handbags or sunglasses. The CEO and the janitor both cycle to work.

 Allison and I enjoying a tea and gluten-free goodies

And I was able to easily mix business and pleasure, going to a popular local nightclub with people I met at the gaming conference I was attending, and a few days later visiting the Anne frank house with one of my best friends. Business included important meetings with European clients and late supper and nightlife outings to expand my professional network. The weekend consisted of my best friend and I window shopping, exploring the entire city on foot, and leisurely sitting in cafés sipping coffee and tea and eating gluten free Dutch pancakes and other sweets. When my friend left I met up with a Dutch friend to see what the Northern part of Amsterdam was all about. I got to see the hippie, artsy, creative part of the Netherlands, going to a sushi + DJ party on Sunday night! The feeling I get now as I'm leaving is one of satisfaction but a desire to come back. I want more waffles, tea, friendly Dutch accents, canals, cheese, and bicycles!

 A seafood gem where I tried all sorts of salmon, crab, and herring.

Container student housing in the north

Things I've been enjoying lately

This morning has me in a good mood, maybe because it's one day until the weekend, or because I pushed myself on my last run before my half marathon Sunday, or maybe just because even though it's kind of rainy out, it's not freezing in Miami like it is everywhere else in this country. Some other things helping my mood are:

This song "Pompeii" by London indie band Bastille:

And this one by RJD2, "See You Leave":

 

A song I happened to find when it was featured on this new show I'm laughing my ass off at, Broad City:

And finally, I've been pleasantly surprised with how much I'm enjoying reading this book about the NFL's denial of football-related concussions and brain injury. Even though I probably could have skipped the book and just watched the Frontline special on it...but it really is very well-written and very thorough.

Enjoying the little things

The other day (actually last year), I found this nice idea on Pinterest to remember the good things that happened throughout the year by writing the memories down and putting them in a jar to take out at the end of the year and reminisce over. Gio and I very much liked the idea and started this jar. Except that given our faulty memories, throughout 2013 we pretty much forgot to write the good things down. Alas a new year brings new beginnings. So yesterday we wrote down a few experiences to fill up our empty jar. Those good times included:

• Gio starting his first college classes (Sept 2013)
• Me considering myself fluent in Portuguese (Sept 2013)
• Gio's first job (official US taxpaying resident!) (Jan 2014)
• Feeling at home with Gio's family and son in Medellin (Nov 2013)
• Me completing a half marathon (Jan 2013 - and ready for my second one this weekend!)
• Gio's first snowblowing experience (Dec 2013)
• Discovering why the hell there's a Salvador Dali museum in St Petersburg, Florida (July 2013)
• Spending Sunday at home cooking and eating beef stew or sudado de pollo and baking these awesome cookie bars (recent Sunday tradition!)
• Also spending Sunday (mornings) rollerblading down Miami Beach with our fannypacks and wrist guards (ok, only wore the fannypack once and they were wrist, knee, and elbow guards!)

I already am excited for 2014 to be filled with new and noteworthy moments. We've got the World Cup coming up in Rio in July, best friend's wedding in June, and I'd like to program in a weekend getaway to New Orleans, Atlanta, or Chicago! But of course, I'm still trying to remember my new years resolution to remain in the present and just take one day at a time.

Don't be scared to click 'OK'

I just read this Techcrunch post by James Altucher and what I really took away from it was in the last two paragraphs (and I was always taught during my journalism classes to put your most interesting, core point in your opening paragraph! But hey, the headline got me to click on the article). And I actually have little to say about his way of using Eminem as a business school teaching tool, other than to say it makes sense, but really who can't infer whatever they like from a rap song? So back to the last few lines. Because they are why, actually, after a year and a half of leaving this blog unattended, propelled me to come back. His words of advice were geared towards businesspeople, but they can really be used for anyone in their every day life. And as part of my 2014 resolutions, I'm looking for ways to improve my everyday life and everyday way of thinking, starting with the present. Altucher says how he got over the worrying feeling every time he hit "OK" or "Send" when publishing on his blog. He says, "In fact, I don’t hit “Publish” on something unless I’m afraid of how people will react. When you expose yourself there are many many ways for people to attack you. [...] But you can’t create art unless you show how unique you are while being inclusive with others who share your problems." So here we go 2014, I guess this means no proofreading!

And here's a meme because these days they're what sell: