Turkey or St. Kitts?

It is December 4th, and GLOOMY!!!!!!!!!!  I thoroughly despise this weather.  The fact that shorts and sandals are not an immediate option makes me sad.

Which is why when my parents & I hopped on a plane to St. Kitts, I was beside myself with joy to pack ALL SHORTS and SANDALS!

Donde esta la St. Kitts??

(Animal Print??  Only cuz its trending!)

 AQUI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not a big fan of Thanksgiving, or the holiday season in general.  (Feel free to say/think whatever you'd like about me.)  Last year I went to Portland, Oregon...remember?  So this year, I asked my parents if they would wanna go somewhere instead of sitting around eating turkey.  The results to my question:

From the Hotel:

         

Roommates...let's get one of these for our weather forecast!

We took a tour of St. Kitts:

  

  

We returned from the tour to this!!  Get yo dance on mon!

 

 Another day we took the ferry over to the island of Nevis:

After we caught our 45min(?) ferry ride, we haggled with some taxi drivers, but I (yes, i'm bragging) found us a cheaper driver for the day.  Our driver, Teach from Dominica, took us on a lovely island tour.

One of the stops included a visit to an old, slave plantation that had been refurbished into a swanky hotel.

I didn't think to take pictures of the actual pool, cabana area, or the rooms, but trust me...LOVELY!  So, here's their website, Montpelier.

 Random dog wanted to be in our family...Can you blame him?

 I took this especially for Mary...Princess Diana stayed here with William & Harry!!

Teach took us around the island, which was beautiful!  We had a late lunch and then jumped on our ferry to head back to St. Kitts.

 Waiting for the ferry...no better time for a little photo shoot!

On the ferry...not picture - annoying, [drunk?], LOUD passengers sitting right next to my ear.

I forget when this was, but one night we went to dinner and took some after dinner photos.

  

LAST DAY/THANKSGIVING DAY:

We spent our morning on the beach, and the afternoon 'till midnight traveling back to Dallas.

All in all it was a great trip to avoid the holiday and enjoy some Vitamin D.  Favorite moment was when I asked a staff member where I could get coconut water.  (I heard you could get it at the hotel.)  He asked what pool I was at, and he would meet me there to tell me where I could buy it.  NEXT THING I KNOW, he's knocking down coconuts by my pool, asks me if I want ice, and starts pouring it in a cup for me!!!!

WELL!!  On our last day my parents & I were chillin on the beach...I ran into this same staff member, and later he came around with a huge cup of iced coconut water!  He left us another coconut for our refill.

Hope you enjoyed the photos, and that they made you feel a tad warmer!!

UPDATE

It's 11-11-11.


Babies are being born.
People are getting married.
Veterans are being honored.
An emotional day for our country and world.

So, today is a great day to update you all in a chapter of my life.

After my last blog I did some serious thinking about the UAE and being overseas in general.  If I were to get this job most of my time would be spent in the classroom, physically and mentally. For me, teaching is a 24/7 job.  I spend a lot of time setting up and breaking down the classroom, I spend a lot of time grading, and I spend a lot of time trying to sleep.  I enjoy teaching and I enjoy being with students, but I know I don't enjoy subject teaching.  Now, if I go to the UAE there wouldn't be much time to actually travel.  I know I would get summer, but I'm not sure how much time I would have in between.  I'm starting to doubt the glamor of TEACHING overseas.  If only Rick Steves needed a co-host...

After a month of being at Zara (my current place of employment) my boss offered me a promotion that includes a raise, benefits, and GROWTH.  I like learning new things and I really like the idea of growth...teaching didn't hold much room for growth.

I didn't know what to do since I had an option of a promotion that I knew was right there, or keep waiting to hear back from the UAE for an interview date I may or may not pass.  I ended up running into an old friend that really helped me process through this career decision.  Instead of typing out our conversation and my thought process...let's just say I ditched the UAE and took the promotion at Zara.

I think I picked the right option.  Zara is offering me a promotion with a pay raise, benefits, growth that can lead to me moving to different stores throughout the country and eventually to stores in other countries.  I also found out that Zara is partnered with a language learning program.  So, I can start learning Spanish and eventually French and something else if I'm feeling like an overachiever!

On the other hand...I feel like I picked the wrong decision...especially since I've spent the past 6+ months thinking I'd be living in another country.  Well, Wednesday I received this email:

Thank you for your patience and co-operation while awaiting the dates and locations of the upcoming interview sessions with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC). We have received the final schedule from our partners in Abu Dhabi and unfortunately they will not be visiting Houston.

 
You may be able to be considered for a August 2012 start date with ADEC depending on their needs for the upcoming school year. There are likely to be on-going interview sessions in the New Year in Houston.

I was annoyed with this program but felt a sense of contentment with moving forward as a Zara employee.  I've been working at Zara for about 3 months, and I have quickly befriended a majority of my coworkers.  I never ever saw myself in retail.  Especially as a full-time job.  WEIRD!

Currently, my mind is trying to stop flying around and park itself in Dallas.  I've been dreaming for so long about being in another country for different holidays and seasons, but I'm still gonna be here, so its taking some time to realize I'm still here.  (But let's be honest...I'm already thinking about what city my next promotion may take me too!)

I'm not sure how this post is coming across.  I'm not sure what emotion I should be feeding to you guys, or myself at that.  C'est La Vie Mon Amis!

Thanks for your support and prayers.  I see God's hand working.

D.O.N.E.

Hello Readers,

As you all know, I like to make my posts fun and interesting.  I started this blog 2 summers ago to journal my travels, which I feel I have done pretty well.  Sadly, I haven't been anywhere since March...I know, I sound stuck-up, snobby, whatever...I don't care.  I haven't posted anything of true excitement cuz I've been bored out of my skull with life.  I've been bored since 2007 and have struggled to find what I'm actually good at, and have struggled to find my confidence.  "Fake it till you make it."  Let's just say I've been faking for a long time.

I used all of my traveling to help squelch, quench, distract myself from my unhappiness, confusion, disappointment with life.  I've been wracking my brain for months trying to think of blog post ideas, but instead of forcing another post about being excited about new a shirt, a funny commercial, or my disappointment towards the future 40 degree & below weather, I thought I'd let you in on a little secret.

I wasn't going to say anything till I was 100% sure of this, but screw it.  I've applied for a teaching job in the UAE with a 2 year commitment.  Over the summer I got TEFL Certified to teach internationally, and in July (?) I applied to teach English or [hopefully] Math/Science to 3rd/4th grade Emirati students.  I passed the phone interview back in August, and was informed my face-to-face interview will be in early October.  The end of September slowly arrived with no interview date, so I emailed the program to learn my interview has now been pushed back to late October/early November.   

*SIGH*

All I want to know is if I can start packing.  IF I get the job I would leave in Dec/Jan and pretty much start immediately.  I want to get excited and be excited, but life has happened too much that I've learned to be guarded with everything.  [Jaded much?]

I've been applying for jobs for the past 3 summers.  Have you applied for a job lately?  It's a bitch on the soul.  Don't get me wrong...I've found contentment with the newness every year, and I enjoy meeting new people, but I just want to land 1 job for more than a year.

I know I'm being whiny, but I will say I've matured over these years.  I'm measuring this because I'm not sitting at Wall Street right now, or sleeping in a tent in Dallas.  That's right...be proud!!!  But don't worry...I'm still filled with comments that'll make your eyes roll.

Now that you're aware of this info, I'm gonna need you to pray.  Pray for peace within myself as I wait, and pray the organization will hurry and call me for the interview!

I've given you one thing you can do while you wait with me, so please don't feel obligated to give me cliche statements to help ease me.  I've heard 'em all and used 'em all.  Just pray.

Thanks...hopefully my next post will be filled with positive news.

And the winner is......

Lotto Tickets, Bingo, Red Rover...these are games you will never see me win.  The only time I've ever won something was in middle school when I called the local radio station and won an EP of The Shake.  (A fantastic local band!)

Lately, I've been in the mind-set of, "do it all, whats the worse that'll happen?"   

C'est La Vie, mon ami!

So, I've been applying for lots of random sweepstakes, trips across the world, free pants...whatev.  I'm game!  The only annoying consequences have been my email blowing up from spam & my new found friendships with telemarketers.

Dearly Beloveds....my time has ARRIVED.

Bobbie Thomas is a fashion expert you can find on the Today Show and on Hoda & Kathy Lee.  (FYI, today was Wine Wednesday)  I decided to follow her blog awhile back, cuz I can use as many fashion tips I can get!  Well, BT has a Weekly Win-It every Friday.  I've started entering these contests in hopes of winning something.  This past Friday's contest had these:

 I LOVE these!!!!!!!!  I've been wanting a new case for my newly purchased iPhone, so I entered with the only thought, "Hmm...do I get to choose which one when I win????"

BT mentioned the winner would be announced  by Saturday evening.  Sunday rolled around and there was no announcement.  Monday crept up and there was still winner.  I commented, "Do we know who won this?  I keep checking back in hopes to see my name announced.  :)"

Well, today I was at Target to receive this email:

Hi Natasha! The original win-it winner never replied to our email so we picked you as the new winner (noticed you'd been checking back so figured you earned runner up :)

Please send us your full name and address and we'll get it shipped out to you!

xo,

Team BT

 

I tried to respond with a cool, trendy, breezy (Friends quote!) email:

 

No way!!!  Persistence does pay off! :) This is so nice of u guys! Thanks. :)

 

Natasha Saran

 

So...YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I have no clue which one I'll end up with, but who cares! 

 

I won something else!!! 

Yay :)  

 

To check out my win, go to Bobbie Thomas' site.

 

Omit your laugh lines from this

My favorite morning routine is watching The Today Show as I get ready for the day.  I usually don't pay attention during the commercials, but from the bathroom I heard a familar voice say, "Hello wrinkle face..," and I immediately popped my head out the bathroom door to see this:



I couldn't help, but laugh!!!!!

Venting a little

I'm sitting here on the couch for my last, glorious, day of summer vacay.  As I am sitting here I ran across this new Bob Marley video supporting the East African children in the midst of the famine.



As I was watching this video on my computer the new Pampers commercial came across the television, and I just I found it ironic, contradicting, despondent, interesting, disheartening, (I really don't know, so fill in the blank)______________.



These children are in two drastically different worlds, facing vastly different problems, and these different worlds have different goals for their lives.  One world's goals are for education, money, and deciphering which of their many dreams they will pursue.  Sadly, the other world's goals are for water, food, and safety from people and other elements.

I'm aware that I'm putting people groups in very stereotypical, black and white boxes, but the past month or two I've just been overwhelmed with our reality.  I get daily news updates on different countries, and for the past few years I've just allowed myself to be numbed by what's been going on.  It's easier to be made aware for a second then push it aside, because it doesn't make me feel as guilty when I buy another pair of earrings. 

I'm not going to preach to you atop a soapbox, because you know what's up.  You know what to do and how to react.  So are you?  I'm also not going to sit here thinking I'm better and have donated monies and time to different groups. 

It just truly breaks my heart to actually soak in the reality of our world.  It isn't only overseas...its here in our backyard too.  We live in a hurting world, and I just wish Jesus would sound the trumpets already.  Yet, when we've reached the world THEN He will return.  (Correct me if I'm wrong...I'm not a Biblical scholar.)  So are you doing your part?  Cuz I'm not quite sure I am...

Da Boys!

As the best daughter ever, I got my dad and I tickets to a Cowboys Stadium Tour for this past Saturday.  We went and had a great time.  Here are some pictures from the tour!

Will.I.Am and Ursher on the big screen.

Did you know the old stadium cost $35,000,000 to build, and this fancy screen cost $40,000,000?  

Good think we're in a recession, Mr. Jones.

  Views of the field.

This is the Cotton Bowl Room.  Outside of it they have the Big 12 helmets mounted on the walls, and inside they have the final 2's helmets on display with the trophy.  It was actually really neat!

 

 Throughout the building Jerry has picture hanging on the walls, so we took advantage of some Kodak moments.

 It looks as if my dad is apart of the moment!!!

Watch out!!

 The image on the far right is, Sasha.  We taught at the same school last year!  

I know someone famous!

 Mecca.

The little boy cracks me up!

 They're retiring.

 

There's a story behind this.  If you know it you may win a prize!!! 

                     Emmit crying!! 

A quick run down the tunnel onto the field!!!

 

A few field shots:

Father-Daughter shots:

Happy Father's Day!!

Carib Girls Night Out

The other night I sent my friend, Dieula, a text to see what she was doing.  A little later we had plans to head over to Jamaican Gates for a little island fun.  We got there and saw that our old friend, Sing Kumba, was the performer for the night!  He started making eye contact with us, and next thing we knew he was sitting with us during his break.

 

 

Sing Kumba claims he remembered us from Taste of the Islands (the other restaurant we saw him at), but I highly (get it?) doubt he remembers.

After chatting for some time we took some photos, and he taught us the rasta peace sign!  I didn't know this was an actual thing, until our server confirmed that Sing Kumba wasn't making it up.

 

During SK's break he was drinking, Mount Teman Roots, to help with his libido.  He and our server said its a natural beverage with lots of great health benefits.  I'm assuming this is true since our server was pretty cute.

 

All in all it was a great chill night with great a friend, with new friends, and fantastic food & music.  

Get up, Stand up, Stand up for your rights!