Trimania

Last night a bunch of us enjoyed the sights and sounds of Trimania...
Trimania was a wonderful Buffalo event to hightlight artists in the Tri-Main building. In addition, bands and local dancing acts showed off their stuff---we witnessed everything from Tango to Bhangra dancing. In fact, my new favorite Bhangra DJ was there, DJ Rekha
Thanks to Ashish who got me her CD for Christmas last year....I knew she was a fantastic DJ....

Most of the crowd probably never enjoyed this music before....so it was pretty cool to see people embrace this music.

Who would have thought, you can make art out of those old red plastic cups!

Isn't he cute? He flirted with me...we might go out for coffee this week :)

A fusion band.....cool sound....

If you didn't make it to Triamania this year....you will have to wait a few more years for the next event~

And....I'm Back

Wow, it has been a while since I last blogged. No real reason outside of being busy with school.
Last week I went to a conference for school (CIES) in New York City. It was a very profitable conference academically, but the best part was hanging out with all my friends in one of my favorite cities. New York City makes you feel alive. And thanks to my friends for making the experience also a way for us to connect again.
Enjoy the pictures...

Nothing like entertainment when you are waiting for the subway~

Yes, it was cold!!!

The CIES crew (plus Sofia)....

Sofia, Rachel and I fell in love with this gem of NYC- Zabar's! While Wegman's has tons of imported foods, Zabar's had even more, plus that NYC feel. A trip for me must include my beloved Olives~

We went to a yummie Spanish restaurant for dinner. Thanks to Rima's suggestion. She was suppose to join us but her jet lag took over. We missed her...here's some of the yummie tapas we had!

Sofia, Amresh and I enjoyed tons of laughs at Gotham, NYC's cool Comedy club.

My last day was spent with a wonderful Sunday walk down Broadway to Central Park....Sofia Amresh and I said good-byes as we went out separate ways back to Buffalo, DC and Harrisburg...
I miss all these guys, but I can't wait for our next "mini gang" reunion....

Happy Birthday MOM

Today is my Mom's Birthday. I thank the universe for having such a wonderful soul as my mother...she is kind, caring, loving and would do almost anything for all us kids. Through her example...we have become caring individuals ourselves...
Thanks Mom...for all you do for us!
We love you!

DISKO PARTIZANI

Check out this cool song~! It's a hit in Europe...and filmed in one of my favorite cities- Istanbul!
I heard about this cool Balkan artist from Emre...my Turkish office buddy...

Thoughts from Mike...

Preghiere al vento per la Birmania e tutti i popoli oppressi., originally uploaded by ornellab..

Rather than muscle through your day, take a moment and breath.

Personal growth is a winding path. Expect to revisit the same issues- and the same mistakes.

Empower your decisions and your self-esteem by learning to say no.

Tune into your sense of smell. It connects you to your emotions and your health.

Surrender isn't about giving up. It's about letting go.

Listen to your body; It knows what it needs most.

Balance self-improvement with self-acceptance.

Invest in your work-space. Inspiration and fresh ideas bloom in a positive atmosphere.

Use your vacation as an opportunity to engage your creative side.

Anger is a voice of the soul. Express it, explore it, let it be heard.

Happy Birthday to my best friend Kris~

Today is Kris' birthday. She is such a wonderful soul....and I am so happy to say she is my best friend! We have shared so many fun moments together....and we continue to share love and laughter as we travel through life together...

Here are some pictures of us in India...I am so happy Kris and I traveled there together...it's something I will tell our grand kids about some day :)
Kris and I tried every sweet the shop sold....and yes...we had a tummy ache after :)
The wedding~!
Kris and laughed so hard when these guys at the market insisted that we have a vibrating brush.

Much Love Kris~

Forced to go to the GYM

Antarctica Gym MV Discovery, originally uploaded by Dave Curtis.

Today I was forced to go to the gym (I wish the view was this pretty)...
Why you ask, because our wonderful hot water tank died.....and I needed the shower facilities...
so either I was one smelly ISSS lady, or a toned one....I picked the later.....

~AKA Dirty Di

The Rubber Room

This weekend I heard this story about what NYC teachers affectionately call the Rubber room.
This is one example of the ways in large bureaucracies such as NYS wastes money. I hope these film makers finish this film...so that average people start to understand the problems urban teachers face.