Give and Take

Some of the best things are those we can't acquire or procure.   

They come only in the shape of gifts.

Try this with someone: Stand facing each other, palms open and touching.  See if you can walk around and stay together, maintaining contact hand to hand.  With palms open, you can't pull your partner toward you - you just have to meet her halfway and be open to accepting the gift of his presence.

Celebrating ONE Year with my Book!

At the Santa Monica International Tango Festival (SMITH), California. 
Photo by Vladimir Estrin: www.TangoAfficionado.com.  May 4, 2012.

Please help measure the reach of my book by adding any city, state, country you know it has made it to as a comment on this post or on my Facebook Page, When 1+1=1 by Gabriela Condrea.   
A ver, ¿hasta donde llegó ese libro mío en su primer año de vida?  Por favor, agrega una ciudad, una provincia, un país acá abajo.

One year after publishing my book, When 1+1=1: That "Impossible" Connection has been to at least 16 countries on 4 continents...

An Ode to Cheese!

An Ode to Cheese - salty cheese, sweet cheese, smelly cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese! - turned into a dance party with Tanti Selia.  Hearing the music I was playing around with for this video about syrniki - a most delicious ode to cheese - Tanti Selia couldn't help but be moved to dance.  And so what started as a celebration of the wonderful aspects of cheese in the form of this delicious dish, turned into reliving the times of Selia and my grandparents' youth... 

US Tour Videos: 1st Episode - Portlandia!

Thought my first video from this US Tour deserved it's own separate post, especially since it's taken three months to process.  Come with me through Portland, catching up with friends, discovering live music, and more!

0:00 VooDoo Doughnut*
0:49 Driving through Portlandia*
2:39 Champaign for brunch?
5:45 Jam Session hosted by Ron Steen at Clyde's Prime Rib - "In A Sentimental Mood"

PLUS, my theme song!

Southern Oregon: Making my way down I-5

Tricia and Holly with Grandma Liz Budbill: Look!

After four straight days and nights of dancing and socializing in Portland, I made my way south down I-5.  A contrast to the non-stop adventure in Portland, Beth (a friend from Jobies - we go back at least 15 years!) and Chris Robinson welcomed me into their home with their adorable daughters, Holly and Tricia, and Beth's mother (and grandmother!) Liz Budbill, who was down for a visit.  Kids' giggles, TV, computer virus remedies, catching up, and home cooking - I was delighted to take a night off from even one of my most favorite things: dancing.

Home in Philly *Pause*

Russian-Moldovan dinner - first course

"Home" in Philly at my adopted family's house, I'm being a hermit for a few days and taking some time to align the past three months - reflections, photos, and videos, too (coming soon!) - with my present.  Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew.  Not necessarily meaning that we can't chew it at all, but just that it might take a bit longer and a little more effort than anticipated to process.  And if the object of one's biting and chewing grows in the meantime and blooms into something even bigger than expected, well, it might take even more.

But it's do-able, it is.

Being Your Own "Bad Guy"

Working for yourself means freedom, it means the luxury of choosing how to spend your time, it means being your own boss. It also means that you have a commitment to yourself and your ideas.

It happened.  I snapped.  I snapped at someone who really had very little to do with my issue.  But she triggered it, touched a sensitive nerve.  After I had been waiting in the reception area of my dentist’s office for 50 minutes, I approached her and asked if maybe I should come back another day if they are too busy.  I know she tried to squeeze me in to do me a favor, so that I could get someone to look at my tooth.
   “When do you need to leave?” she asked me.