Things that make me LAUGH

NO more taking things for granted or making an ASS-out of U-and-ME.
Thanks to the power of WIKI and the DESIRE to be CLEAR, I look everything up.

For example, truffles... we ordered Truffle Fries appetizer at dinner tonight. We tried Il Mercato Restaurant in Hallandale with Great Auntie Sylvia and Sister Goddess Marlene. Auntie Sylvia who is 93 years old gave it a 5 lights up recommendation - a place she would eat at even though it's too dark to see the menu or your plate. Tee hee~@~ Thank you SG Leslie for being a trendsetter and finding this yummy place. And thank you Chef Emily for delicious and delectable dishes (such as Cauliflower Aranchini) and a great dining experience. We will definitely be back for more.

WSM Noah and I wiki'd truffle fries to find out what made them so wonderful and different from regular fries. And what exactly is a truffle? I've seen its name in association with chocolates - I thought it was a mushroom - I know it can be very expensive (see Pushing Daisies , Episode 203). Now, with the internet, the answers are at my fingertrips. I have the power to look things up. To find facts and instantly know instead of guessing or wondering.

Black truffles

A truffle is a fungal fruiting body that develops underground. They are usually found in close association with trees. Hmm, fungus in the earth found at the base of trees. Fungus a/k/a the mushroom, of which I am not a great fan (except of course the Setas del Bosque at La Barraca or the Sauteed Shiitake Mushrooms and Leeks at Sushi Blues Cafe). The picture does speak for itself. Looks and sounds like tree turds to me. Tee hee. Safeway is selling truffles for $999.99/pound (see Georgetown Metropolitan).

That got me thinking to the most expensive coffee in the world (according to Forbes Magazine). I first heard about it in the movie, The Bucket List (great movie - 4 lights up recommendation from Auntie Sylvia). Kopiluac coffee made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet and then defecated. The picture below is a civet. This animal poops coffee berry turds which are then processed and sold as coffee. At the whopping price of $600 per pound. Has the world gone mad?

Civet

It's funny.
Mother Nature's sense of humor - turds. A delicacy. A most valuable commodity - be it civet or tree.

Tee hee ~@~

Money, money, money, it's so funny, in a rich man's world. (Thank you ABBA)

DIO - First Class & the AfterMath

Coach & Supreme Diva, Sister Goddess Twat La Rouge

I get to class late - sweating and hot from Laughter Yoga. I see Sister Goddess Lourde's familiar face in the room and Coach Chocolatta gives me a wink and a wave. I breathe in love and expand my heart.

My Sister Goddesses are watching movies and learning about different genres of Drag Queens. Clips from different movies so we can get a clue as to the spectrum of the world of Drag - Club Kid, Diva, Comedy/Camp, Sexpot. And then we watch an excerpt from Kinky Boots - which I love, love, love....

Chocolatta gives us a strut demonstration as Twat La Rouge shows us what to look for: chin up, chest out, arms behind butt, walk SLO MO and pose for the paparazzi. Twat shows us how to make our eyebrows disappear as Step 1 of our makeup assignment. So much to learn - I am so unsure and a little afraid of what I have gotten myself into.

Homework - pick my genre of drag queen, my alter ego name, my music and purchase the makeup on my list.

I get home past 11:00 p.m. and I am giddy with excitement. The next day, I get on Broward County Library's website and place holds on as many of these movies I can get my hands on. Again, divine intervention - 3 movies are instantly available. Woo hoo~@~

We spend the weekend watching Kinky Boots, Connie and Carla, and Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. I highly recommend these films. Besides great show tune songs running through my head - what I get from these movies is that Drag Queens really know how to laugh at themselves. And that's besides being trendsetters and dressing Omazing with flair and style.

As for alter egos, Noah came up with Chutzpah Hussy for me. I like it. It may suit me. We'll see. Tee hee~@~

For more, CLICK HERE

DIO Welcomes You...

is what the email said.... to the exploration and creation process in the "Art of Drag".

I love exploring the Arts - the Art of Doing Nothing & the Art of Play were wonderful parts of my life education.

And yet, I was having such doubts....

1. me -a Bio Drag Queen - acting as a man playing a woman playing a man.

2. A 1o week comittment - HUGE

3. Thursday nights from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. - having to run from Laughter Yoga to DIO

4. Having to share the car with Noah and dropping him off at home before I go

5. 10:30 p.m. - way past my bedtime

6. Makeup and heels - that is SO not who I today (perhaps 15 years ago)

7. Performing in a nightclub/bar - haven't been in one of those for almost 10 years

So many reasons to say NO -

And then I remember the excitement I felt when I met my coaches....

and that my parents left me their car for the summer....

and that I get to perform ....

it's almost like the Universe is propelling me in this direction,

if I choose to say YES and go with the flow

Universe, give me a sign.

I turn on the TV and land on Logo TV - just in time to see RuPaul's Drag U

And how much fun is that. And my coaches are so much nicer. Tee hee ~@~
My LITTLE PEEP is jumping for joy - it's a GO
time to break free from the comfort zone and say YES to life - LeChaim!

For more, Click HERE

DIO - Something New

Back in May, Sister Goddess Lourdes invited me to come see her draguation performance. I was curious but previously committed to another appointment. And a little apprehensive. A draguation? She told me she was learning to be a drag queen - think Victor, Victoria with Julie Andrews.

She invited me again in June to come meet the teachers and find out more. She gave me a link to Drag it Out - a multicultural grassroots esteem building organization empowering people to question gender roles. DIO supports and educates the community through workshops, mentoring and FUNdraising events. Challenging gender stereotypes through entertainment while raising money for community-based causes. The more I read about this group, the more interested I was. A little out of my comfort zone, I am not one to turn down the opportunity to grow. Besides, I was so curious.

I went to meet the coaches and past draguates and other newbies like me. I met the nicest, friendliest and most open people I have had the opportunity to hang with in a long time. Sitting with my soon to be coaches and asking any question my heart desired, the little Goddess In Real Life within was jumping for joy.

DIO offers a free 10 week workshop on gender impersonation performance. For draguation, we take it into the public and perform. I would learn how to put an outfit together, how to apply makeup, how to strut, how to perform and how to release my inner Diva. Dressing up and playing with makeup and lip syncing my favorite tunes in front of a crowd. My LITTLE PEEP was ready to play.

Bring it on, DIO.

For more click HERE

Mosquito Message

Ouch!!!

The burning and itching sensation

as the site where she sat and

sucked my blood starts to get

red hot and irritated.

I used to kill mosquitoes -

quite violently too.

Smacking them right out of existence -

not even wondering what gift they had for me -

since they chose to interact with me.

I didn't know that all blood biting mosquitos

are female - MAMAS in fact -

needing our blood to produce eggs.

Instead of my childhood reaction of

anger and hatred to the MOSQUITO,

I take a deep breath

and open to grace.

Sitting here outside with her buzzing around

I let go

I surrender.

No more resistance.

I speak to Madame Mosquito -

I tell her if she is to bite me

she might as well jump onto my arm

so I can get a closer look at her.

A more intimate connection with me.

The gift of the Mosquito

- her tenacity and strength -

always adapting to her environment

Never letting thing gets in the way of her progress

Changing the way I look at things -

seeing it from Mama Mosquito's eyes -

a new perspective

I am such a giant in her world -

so much blood and nutrients

beyond her wildest imagination.

I embrace this situation

and all the gifts of Mama Mosquito

I am blessed that she chose me

to learn these lessons

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

WSM Noah and I purchased tickets to attend an evening with His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. I had never heard him speak before and something propelled me to be there.

I was particularly tired on Monday night - I wanted to just not go. Sister Goddess Leslie called me and reminded me it was my Joy Of Being to SHOW UP and be impeccable with my Word.

I reMEMBERed that I could JUST SHOW UP and get what I needed from the experience and leave.

With that, WSM Noah and I headed to the Westin Diplomat for an Evening of Meditation. We met up with friends, WSM Gary and Sister Godess Mina. We found good seats - an aisle in front of us and rows behind us - not too close to the front.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a short little man in a big huge robe, came out to a room of approximately 900 people.

What was OMazing was that he led us through what was supposed to be a 10 minute meditation. We easily meditated collectively for 31 minutes. Time flew. And then we OM'd together - three times - OM, OM, OM, Shanti - the vibration in the air was so powerful. The collective ENERCHI was palpitating. I felt my tiredness wash away. I felt enveloped in love, a big cosmic hug - replenished and reenergized. All my cells were vibrating with peace and calm. This is what I had come for. I was ready to leave.

To my surprise, WSM Noah told me he liked this guy and wanted to hear more. We stayed to listen to the Q&A that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was sharing with the crowd.

The gems of wisdom regarding relationships that I gleaned were:

When a person tells you they love you
and you respond: Do you really love me?
the burden on the person who said it
is huge. There is no way to respond
or validate one's love.

Isn't it funny how we never doubt that we are not
feeling good or depressed but we always doubt
our positive feelings.

Are you happy? I think I am happy. We doubt.

We didn't get home that night until 10:30 p.m.
(way past my bedtime) Tee hee ~@~

Feminine Power - ALANIS MORISSETTE

What a fabulous Sunday~@~

I had the pleasure of listening to Alanis Morissette talk about AUTHENTIC POWER.

Sister Goddess Alanis is OMazing.

Her powerful music (I'm a Bitch, I'm A Lover, I'm a Child, I'm a Mother)

among other OMazing lyrics and tunes -

the movies and TV roles she's chosen to play -

my SHERO!!!

A lovely program offered by Feminine Power and Women on the Edge of Evolution, Alanis was interviewed candidly and she shared some wonderful gems. What resonated for me:

1. She stayed true to her own authentic voice and integrity to her music

2. It is our response-ability to hold power in the world

3. She chronicles what is happening in her life - it takes commitment and courage

4. She follows her authenticity in the absence of role models

5. Time to STEP UP and STEP OUT to be Agents of Change

6. We Western women are single largest demographic with genuine interest in consciously

evolving holding the power to influence the World - woo hoo ~@~

7. I think of myself as an ANIMAL - sensitive nervous system

8. Authentic Power - ATTUNEMENT to SELF - soothe one's soul - raw creative EnerCHI

9. Being scared, heart palpitating - SHOWING UP and just saying YES

Hearing her speak and listening to her words, I am infused with faith and energy at all that we can create together in the World as we consciously evolve and claim our Power.

Alanis says: " Im still here - committed to our funny little journey

Sweetness of sharing my story and allowing it to be a collective experience

OFFERING it for the collective impersonal and allowing it to be their own"

She reminds us to stay connected to ourselves and listen to that tiny voice and express it.

She talks about having a circle of friends - girlfriends (Sister Goddesses, tee hee ) who support each other and listen. She says

- Our collective - all these little birdies - we're all flying -

- no final destination, no top and it's not lonely there

- creating a world, a community to land in when you are being a brave soul

She shared she'll be writing a book about all her practices. Some of the practices she mentioned: sitting in silence, having sacred altars, being in nature, and inner dialogue work 0 talking with all the different parts of ourselves that are terrified until it feels soothed or acknowledged.

Parting advice for other Shaky Poodles in the Movement - bravery is that quiet voice of courage - our job is to create muscle memory of just doing it anyways.

Thank you Sister Goddess Alanis for sharing and BEing - creating a role model for ME