Halloween

I don't feel the least bit disappointed that I have nothing special planned for my most beloved holiday since residing in the United States; that lovely holiday being 'Halloween'! Perhaps because I won the title of 'The Scary Story Champion' 2 times in a row now; or perhaps because even though I don't get to wiggle my bum in costume with many other well-dressed horrific characters, I have my wonderful selection of scary films to keep me company. I've always loved scary stories; and I'm not speaking of gory and animalistic attempts to scare someone with fake blood spewing everywhere, because they do nothing for me. I'm speaking about Stephen King, the Emperor of classic horror tales, and those types of stories that grandparents would tell to their grandchildren. Spine-tingling stories that bring tears to your eyes because of the sheer terror they instill within you!

My grandparents never told such stories; neither did my parents. I had to discover and search for thrilling and terrifying excitement on my own. And did I ever find it!? There are specific elements key to telling a successful scary story, and I do believe (not to sound boastful) that I've found it. Many actors wouldn't fancy in the least to act in a horror film, but for me, it would be a dream! I'm not saying I won't also enjoy doing more solid, dramatic and inspirational pieces, because that is what drives and arouses audiences; however to star (not die right at the beginning) in a frightful film, would be such a brilliant thing!

At first I didn't understand the whole unlucky 13 thing here in America; realizing in every elevator, there never is a 13^th floor available to disembark, but after seeing 'Nightmare on Elm Street' with Freddy on Friday the 13^th; things made a little more sense. I doubt though that architects, government and un-superstitious people would base their everyday life on a film though; so I may still need to investigate further.

Recently in my acting class, it was phenomenal! Every Halloween class is like that! We learn several techniques needed for filming horrific scenes. Like being on both the receiving and giving end of being shot, strangled and stabbed. To play dead (literally acting as though you're dead – close shot/long shot), and acting as zombies. As if this thrill isn't enough, we act out a scene in a scary movie, running away while being chased by the killer, and the grand finale of sitting in a circle and telling our most scary story. Most students don't put in a lot of effort. Some find stories from the internet, others use ones they've heard over and over again. For me I take it seriously and I rack my brain for a week, wondering what I could do differently this time. During our 'scary story circle session' the boys laugh, and the girls are usually too scared to give their fullest potential. But me… J I go to the maximum level of fear and I thoroughly enjoy doing so…

Most people enjoy Roller Coasters, and Water slides, falling and sliding so fast, the heart doesn't have time to catch up with the body. I don't find this fun at all; in fact on my last roller coaster ride, I swear I was so afraid I couldn't even scream. My form of scary excitement is definitely horror/scary stories…for these are more genuine, when you're able to tap into that part of a person's brain that makes them think and have respect for things they don't always necessarily can touch or feel.

Most people will shudder to know that I spent my night after class happily chomping away on chocolate and a glass of red wine in celebration of my 'scary story win'. But I damned well deserve it! And although I am awake till the wee hours of the morning after a good scare I know I can pop in a DVD like 'White Chicks', 'The Office' (don't own it yet), 'Fraggle Rock' or 'Popeye' to take my mind off things! ;) Just all in a day's work during the Halloween season! J

Beautiful People

I live in a land of beautiful people. Everywhere you turn, in the grocery store, the cinema, the gas station, the person sitting next to you on the highway (seeing there's always traffic here), you can be sure to see a beautifully sculpted face or body nearby. Sure there are gorgeous women found in Brasil, Eastern Europe and Trinidad & Tobago [hahah] and sure there are hunk of babes found in London, Vancouver, South America, the Middle East, Germany, Africa, …I can go on J But the thing is that all these 'beautiful people' have been somehow drawn into one city, that being Los Angeles. Competition here is steep! Whether it be to star next to the BIGGER star in Hollywood films or to have or keep a mate, there's always competition. I've heard my girlfriends say more times than ever that dating in LA is difficult. They say, "OMG dating in LA is soooo hard!" or, "Guuuurrrrllll, I'm telling you these dudes out here ain't easy!" I must say that I disagree. Dating is QUITE easy in Los Angeles, its finding true love that is a bit more challenging.

We are a people of instant gratification and brainwashed into consumerism on a daily basis. Sure it's wonderful to have nice things and to get what you want or need straight away, but are we in the long run harming ourselves?

We must remember that although it is nice to live a life of luxury and leisure, that the true meaning of life is much more grand and significant. We must not become lost and blind-sided into living cookie-cutter ordinary and meaningless lives. We should set examples by living a life with love, respect and truth; one of contentment, gratefulness and ambition; searching and learning about what is our real reason for being here. So that we don't waste precious borrowed time to float away into the ocean of mindless individuals that try to primp and glue phony attachments to what is already beautiful.

Nadie es perfecto! ~ Nobody is perfect!

And everyone has their beauty it's just that everyone just doesn't have the eyes to see it. We constantly judge and make divisions and castes as to who is better than who based on how we look or how much money we have in the bank. We are human, but we don't have to be cursed with such petty human traits. We can be beautiful yet humble…in fact, I find that people who are most beautiful are those who don't emphasize so much on how they look but on how they treat people. They are the beautiful ones, the ones that radiate naturally because of their inner joy and beauty.

So they call it 'The City of Angels' and I do love living here. I won't lie and say I don't also enjoy seeing the glistening shirtless bodies running up and down the mountain when I go hiking, however eye-candy means nothing to my heart; as I know what it is that I crave, deserve, and ultimately will be blessed with once I continue to practice patience. I'm glad to know that I have eyes that enjoy the aesthetic and natural beauty around me, but also have eyes that dig deeper into an individual and see what it is that they're really about! J

I'm not saying its not okay to enjoy material things; by George yes! However one should always try to follow the mid-way or mid-path. Nothing in excess in life…a life of moderation; too much of anything usually isn't a good thing. For even if we smiled endlessly our mouth and gums would get tired, and if we didn't cry in pain, we would never know to move our hand from the fire or find out how glorious it feels to gain that extraordinary person/moment that would make our cloudy days a tad more bright! J

I will leave you with a small excerpt from 'The Teaching of Buddha', while doing some light reading the other night, which goes:

"….there is the tendency for people to disrespect the rights of others, to exaggerate their own importance at the expense of others, to set bad examples of behavior and, being unjust in their speech, to deceive, slander and abuse others…there is the tendency for people to neglect their duties toward others. They think too much of their own comfort and their own desires; they forget the favors they have received and cause annoyance to others that often passes into great injustice. People should have more sympathy for one another; they should respect one another for their good traits and help one another in their difficulties; but, instead, they are selfish and hard-hearted; they despise one another for their failings and dislike others for their advantages. These aversions generally grow worse with time, and after a while, become intolerable…

…Therefore, people should think deeply, should keep their minds pure and their bodies well, should keep away from greed and evil, and should seek good…"

Ego vs Reality

Ever play the SIMS? It's a remarkable computer game! About a decade ago when they first came out with the older type of computers, one was only able to construct buildings. Today's version is ever so intricate and detailed; you literally are in control of an entire person's life! In this game you can not only build your house, but buy beds, couches, appliances and food to put in your refrigerator! You can go to work, school or the spa on a bicycle or your very own car. You can court and woo your neighbour or someone you may have met while fishing. Get abducted by aliens and tell everyone about it. Have sexual relations with a guy or girl; or as they call it a 'Woo-Hoo' and even adopt a child or animal or become pregnant! As I say, the game is pretty remarkable…however it isn't reality. In the SIMS, the ego runs their life. They yell and wave their hands to your computer screen if they want you to buy them new things or need help doing something. We may wish that life in the 'real world' could be so simple; by waving our hands in the air and complaining, everything will get fixed too.

Our world/life thank-fully is to a great extent more complex. If you complain to the Universe about something, we will simply attract more of that into our lives…if we in turn give thanks and show happiness to the Universe then also we can attract more things like that in our lives. I know what you're saying right now…"But I didn't want to get into a car accident…" or "I surely didn't want to get hurt in this relationship…" or "I didn't want to attract all this debt!"…believe me darlings, I know exactly where you're coming from, but you must trust me when I say that …Yes! You are attracting these things into your life. I know it doesn't seem fair…but you don't have 'a player/someone' moving you around and doing as they fancy with your life! Sure, you have a creator, but how wonderful it is that he/she gives you free-will. With free-will you are able to make choices and go in different directions to get to that ultimate destination, or as I'd like to call it, the BIG graduation party in the sky; where you get to find out how well you've been graded in life!

The music you listen to, the friends you keep, the places you frequent, the television shows you must see are all vibrations that are being attracted to your life. You will become or attract like things into your life…It is a serious thing. Well it depends on how serious you are about your life anyway. If you are thinking that 'the world' or 'the system' is out to get you…and you constantly feed yourself that…then sure enough 'the system' won't give you peace. If you think that your life is to be like your parents or grandparents life, then sure enough…your life will be too. If you listen to music or watch films that speak of heart-ache and treachery and lost love…then yes, sure enough you will magnetize also similar aspects to your life.

"But I'm a good person, I don't deserve this!" You're right…you're right, you are a good person and you don't deserve this. But just as we have rules to follow in society, these are the rules of the Universe and once you understand it you can then flow in accord with it. If you want a happy life, treat people as you would like to be treated, do everything with love, be mindful and sincere and be careful not to harbour ill thoughts of jealousy or greed. Surround yourself with positive people and things. If you want to accomplish something…envelope yourself in it, spend time practicing…you will succeed.

I know many of you may say…"My life is not a game…it's not that easy!" Well, why do you complain so easily? Chris Martin from Coldplay sang…"Nobody said it was easy…nobody said it would be so hard…I'm going back to the stars…" Astonishing advice; because change is never easy, but it's always a good thing. And if you want to try something new in your life, by acting more positive, grateful and content and working towards a goal for even more great things, then you have to change your thinking or way of life from as old as you are today! You have to un-learn all those ill thoughts on which you functioned before and catch yourself anytime you tend to go back there. 'Going back to the stars' simply means going back to nature; which is an excellent way to still the ever-going mind and to center yourself and find peace. I know you can do it!

Sometimes it truly feels as though you're going through a series of unfortunate events, maybe you cannot fathom how you would ever attract that into your life because you don't surround yourself with drama and treat people how you want to be treated…and this…this may be the only time we can say that…things happen without question. As I mentioned before in an earlier blog, to get to a higher level, you have to go through different feats before garnishing the treasure and saving the princess. In other words, each step up the ladder comes with different obstacles you must overcome. So if you did get into that car accident…and you don't have the foggiest on how you could have attracted this into your life; the fact that you were able to walk away un-harmed and all intact, despite a bloodied leg, means, you've got a 2^nd chance, and it's only a test to see how resilient you can be and that you are indeed worthy or capable of handling greater obstacles before moving 'one up'. At least, that's how I like to think of it! J

On my last flight I met a fantastic girl; she being a flight attendant like myself…radiating beauty from within, a beauty that surpassed her outer-beauty because of the way she spoke and inspired me. She is from Thailand and we shared stories, as I have great memories of my visit there; we exchanged details and she offered to share more lovely places to explore and even to visit her family. I haven't had the opportunity to purchase the book as yet…but although I can't see it yet I say, "Money comes to me easily and all the time!" When that money does come I want to get that book she recommended entitled: Zero Limits. She said to cleanse my mind and thoughts and to attract more beautiful things in my life I should repeat these words: "Thank-you, I love you, Please forgive me, I'm sorry…" By telling the Universe these simple words/mantra, you are not only opening new doors but in fact showing gratitude and starting anew…

I do enjoy playing the SIMS, I laugh and coo at how much money I've got in the bank, the dates I go out on every night with my boyfriend named Stiles McGraw, the promotions I get at my job and the snazzy outfits I can change into at any given moment. What a lovely life it seems like; if only my 'real life' had all these material and comforting things too, I would think at times. But then there are the games that I play also where robbers steal from my home, the kitchen is set on fire, I am a mother of twins and my husband is too tired to do Woo-Hoo's with me and I don't have enough money to pay the farting nanny, who in turn runs off with my beloved computer. In real life I couldn't just complain and wave my hands up in the air with desperation! So there are 2 sides to every story, and I'm grateful that my life isn't as turbo speed as that game. I can attract things into my life, change directions and work at a steady pace. J

Each Moment

Tis true, we humans always want more; that is our nature. However if we are constantly in worry or upset because of it, we can bring stress, unhappiness and disease to ourselves. Remember be the master! Learn and practice the art of contentment. Learn to be grateful.

It's too hot! It's too cold! It is too windy! Life right now is too slow! Gosh, why must I live next to the hotel of birds that was built outside my bedroom window!? [haha] You are where you're supposed to be in this moment of time. Accept that! It is all so perfect!

Each moment is a lovely one. Enjoy your single life, it won't be forever... And those series of unfortunate events that are happening at the moment...haven't you realized that they somehow work themselves out?! Every daunting moment, no matter the dread it brings, take a breath...and step outside of the situation. Say "Gracias a dios para bien y mala"... "Thank-you God/Universe for the good and the bad!" You are clearing up your karma, and resolving and learning and the best thing would be to come out resilient!

Each moment is an epic adventure...

Being weak won't help... you must always be strong.

Yes, tis true...life doesn't seem peachy always.

However embrace it all...each moment...

I may not be in my choice of career or what I studied in University...I may be nowhere near as I'd like to be with my progress of being successful. At times I may feel lonely...but everything is for a moment in life. Enjoy the journey...

I'm happy still...to wake up and peer outside my window, and one day I see the 'London-Eye' and another day I see the 'Champs Elysees', and then 'Palm Trees' the next. So the moment I wake up to the sound of a woman pushing and selling from a grocery cart and yelling 'Tamales!!!" then I should smile on those days also...

~Epic Tune!**[Find Yourself (Cosmic Gate Remix) by John O' Callaghan on Never Fade Away (The Remixes)]

You're not Alone

After trotting out and about in London one layover...I settled down with a cup of tea and short bread cookies and cried my eyes out in my hotel room watching the most darling Bollywood Film. I grew up watching many of these films in Trinidad & Tobago (where 51% of our population is of East-Indian descent) but I hadn't watched one in ages! This one I believe was entitled 'Dances Sohanal' although quite old and I hadn't seen it from the beginning I couldn't find any information on it...Old or not, the love story indeed was classic and heart-wrenching. Written and directed by Raj Kapoor according to the credits I caught at the end; it was such a delightful film.

"My heart lies shattered by my breast... let us be together and die... let my eyes see you... the sight of you will quench my thirst... how will I ever smile again?" and "Laughing and playing as we do... Tears when apart... but it is not the end... Diamonds and Pearls mean nothing to me. I have no greed... I only yearn for your love..." were the type of lyrics the main characters sang about. I had to open a bag of salty chips after that; to sustain all the salt I was losing with each dance number... [haha]

We all go through these troubling emotions...but what you have to remember is that you are never alone. You are not a failure, you are not a waste...You will rise again and twirl in wonderful sunshine...but you must believe it. What you think...is what you bring into your life...so if you are one of those people who can't shut off your mind once in a while...and you happen to be a negative thinker...you may want to think about rebooting your system! You seriously, are what you think.

You are an intelligent, unique, lovable, successful, exciting, and charismatic person. People love to be around you...everyone wants to get to know you! You are love, and you are loved! Your life doesn't have to be like a mushy Bollywood Film...and even if it is...cheers to the HAPPY ENDING! :))

FREE (Surrender Yourself)

The greatest healer in the world...cannot heal our love-sickness...

Find the love within yourself...

Find the love from around you; in nature, and in your fellow man.

Be of service, this is a way to gain love too, a love so true. Just because

you cannot see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist...it is all around you, everyday.

Live your life with excitement and enthusiasm! This taps you into the energy of the earth!

It's like saturating the sun's exhuberance.

Until you free yourself from your troubled mind only then you can be truly free. Surrender to the Universe and rest your busy mind. Sometimes you seem trapped in your mind and your heart feels drunk, but remember you have intuition and wisdom.

Be still and listen and only then you will be able to find peace.

Heal and free yourself...be Happy again ;)

...Jair

Level Up

Ever feel as though you're in a whirlwind of confusion? And no matter how hard you try to get out of it your vision is clouded and you keep slipping back in? Ever feel as though you can't get the peace you need because a Mariachi Band is playing outside your window? :) ...

Well... I suppose that's a tad different! Sometimes you feel so helpless, so hopeless, so tired and weak, but know that what you are enduring is only a prerequisite to test your strength before embarking on tremendous good things that will be bestowed upon you. With greatness, comes greater responsiblity and each level up, just like in 'Super Mario Bros' gets a bit trickier and trickier. Each level even though exciting and new, all come with a set of bad guys you need to stomp on...well maybe you don't want to actually stomp on them but simply overcome the obstacles put in your way. Only until you do that would you get the treasure and the princess locked up in the castle's dungeon! :)

And it never ends, now does it? We always want to advance to the next level. Living dangerously is what we humans do! Falling in love is always a great risk but we take the chance anyway! LIfe in itself is always taking chances, that's why we have free-will to create our own destiny. It is in our hands, but we are lucky in that anytime we feel as though we cannot handle it all, we can ask for guidance, strength and help from the greatest source of the infinite Universe/God.

You are never alone...even when you think you are. The same force that guides teh stars guid you too. You are only going through adversity for a moment in the grandeur scale of things. You play well enough, learn the skills/tricks, you will be rewarded and move on to the next level...and then on to the next level comes sweat and tears once again. We are forever evolving and you must get rid of the old to gain the new.

Change is a good thing! And be ready for it because it comes no matter what. Spontaneity is a wonderful attribute to have in life...

Fall...Dust yourself off...Try again....a different way...

**I AM the Sun! Yaaay!** :))