Qiana's Glamorous Soccer Life!

One Mother's Not So Subtle Wish...For Fila!

2011-05-04T06:47:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is only four days away, and this fact was the first thought that I had when I woke up this morning.

For almost a week, I have been hearing my guy friends receive those polite reminders from their mothers. While my girl friends have been working on landing Saturday and Sunday spa appointments for their mothers.

I fall somewhere in between those two groups on the spectrum. I can be the absentminded planner. So I woke up today in a slight panic.

I ran through the usual list of questions for gifting holidays. What does she like? What does she not have? What will she use? What can help make her life a little more enjoyable?

After deciding on a possible gift experience, I took a break and moved on to my social networking duties. I read a little Twitter, skimmed some emails and checked out what was new on Fila Toning's Facebook Page.

It was as if the sky opened up and a voice said, "Qiana, do you remember the last 25 conversations your Mama had with you about Fila? It always ends with a roundabout comment from her saying, "I wish I could have..."

I have to be frank, those Fila conversations always include me saying, "Mama, I would love for you to but your gym attendance record as a paid member..."

If my Mama and I lived in the same city, I know she would be gymtastic because I would go to spin classes with her (she loves spin)! She needs a gym partner, and with my sister in college, I know its easy for her to fill her schedule with everything but that trip across town.

So, I lightly scolded myself for being so harsh. I mean I train tirelessly, but I have those days where the hardest step is just getting off the couch and into the car.

Who am I to withhold a product that could be just the motivation that my Mama needs to get on a true fitness regiment? I couldn't help but reflect (and this is just between us) on how I have this new and interesting sense of..."You look so hot right now in this outfit." on the days that I am doing anything in my Fila Toning!

So with excitement, I ordered a Fila BTS capri for my Mama as one of her Mother's Day gifts. She is going to be shocked and excited! (Don't worry the surprise won't be spoiled on social media. She is off the grid!)

Feel free to join me in giving your mother a fitness boost this weekend with some Fila BTS. Susan and the customer service team helped me get my order squared away in no time flat!

Where’s Your Pants? Being Fila BTS

2011-04-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard someone talk about “being what you are” versus “telling what you are?” For a long time, I didn’t understand the difference.

A wise person was kind enough to provide me with an easy-to-understand example. She said, “A truly wealthy person does not have to run around talking about their fortune. However, you can pick “new” money out of any crowd. They yell their bank statement to anyone who will hear.”

A lesson like this was the last thing on my mind when I arrived at my training session on Friday. I was doing my usual routine of helping my trainer get balls and cones out of the car when he looked up, paused and said, “Nice pants, who makes those?”

Sidenote: I am real leery about incorporating new variables into my training sessions, but I was curious to see how a pair of Fila Toning Pants would hold up.)

In a nonchalant manner I responded, “Oh, the pants are from Fila’s Body Toning System line. They have a compression component to help the muscles work harder.”

My trainer continued to stare at them curiously, and so I said, “You wanna touch them?” He tugged on the pants at my knee, and replied, “These are some good pants.”

Our 90 minute session commenced without incident. The pants didn’t get caught under my cleats. The pants helped me quickly warm up my muscles, but I didn’t feel overheated in them. I jumped, ran and turned like normal. The material absorbed my sweat (and I sweat a lot), and prevented me from getting cold quickly and leaving that annoying puddle of water everywhere I sat. Most importantly, they were so comfortable that, even after my training session, I just didn’t want to take them off.

However once I arrived home to take a shower, I found myself debating the merits of wearing them the next day to training without washing vs. going back to an alternate pair of pants. It was like that feeling you get about your Ipod or Pinkberry or something.

Well, I thought to myself that my wardrobe is bigger than just these pants so I went with some tried and true sweat pants on the next day. I mean this was my life before April 18th, and I had been doing fine, right?

Time I saw my trainer he said, “Where’s your pants? Did you not like them?” His tone was that of a concerned parent.

His comment merely echoed what I had thought the whole way to training. I was annoyed by the looseness of my sweatpants, the spotted displays of perspiration and the way the material hit my thighs when they were wet. At least with my Fila pants, I knew the “junk was in my trunk” and “my thighs were on deck!” LOL

The best thing about these pants is they are so unassuming. (And, I hate for labels to scream. It’s not my cup of tea.) When I saw them, I said to myself, “These pants are well designed.” When I felt them, I thought, “Now, these feel pretty nice.” However, when I put them on and worked out in them…I probably unconsciously made them my new boyfriend—and it took a day away from them for me to realize this fact.

So with that being said—I want to see what else my “BTS” boyfriend can do, and I am excited about the possibilities.

As for those people who get their hands on a pair of these pants, I want to say “Congratulations in advance and feel free to chat with me about your adventures in them!

My LA Gifts: Fila Selection & West Hollywood Massage

2011-04-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was reading through a series of tweets. The second tweet that caught my eye was one from Fila Toning mentioning that they were looking for new faces for their 2011 campaign.

In less than 48 hours, I had thrown my hat in the ring for consideration. What would be the result of taking a spur-of-the-moment risk?

I was hopeful, but I was also prepared to add it to my list of “actions taken towards my goal.” I have learned in my soccer adventures that sometimes I take actions to create something or participate in an experience, but those things will help me in a different way and at a later date than I had originally planned.
Well, this time my action resulted in me being awarded a selection as a new face of Fila Toning!

The day after receiving this amazing news, I was back on schedule-training and on the books for a much needed massage appointment.

I know what you must be thinking. The massage was a treat to celebrate my latest accomplishment, right? Not exactly, my celebration came in the form of a slice of 7up cake! The massages that I get are not a treat by any means.

My trip to Massage Company West Hollywood was a painfully rejuvenating experience at the hands of Arthur. Arthur was my middle aged, Armenian masseuse, and his deep tissue treatment was so serious that he had to lightly scold me occasionally. Never have I ever been told by a masseuse that I am being rebellious in following directions. I guess there is always a first time.

My appointments are traditionally pretty quiet, but Arthur and I had a lively conversation. He worked my lower body and talked about his days of playing soccer in his native country, as I tried to hold off jumping off the table. Thirty minutes was enough for me to let Arthur rub the knots out of my muscles and to learn that Glendale was the home of the 3rd largest Armenian population in the world.
A great deep tissue treatment, a little soccer conversation and some cultural learning is enough for me to carve out at least 30 minutes for a weekly check-in. Stay tuned for more from my time at MCWH. In the meantime, learn more about the upcoming remembrance of the Armenian genocide on April 24th.

Ikea, Carolina Cup & Paschal's: A Cornbread Taste Test

2011-04-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, one of the things that I remember the most was my grandmama’s ritual of making cornbread. She made it from scratch with the cornmeal, eggs, oil and milk in same square pan.

The cornbread wasn’t sweet, but it was just good. Sometimes if my grandmama wanted to pull a fast one on everybody, she would put raisins in the mix to give it a little sweetness or add corn and jalapeños to give it some Mexican flair.

Well just before I left to LA, I guess I had a nice and unexpected Southern sendoff by way of cornbread.

On Thursday, Saturday and Monday, cornbread showed up on my menu. A furniture store, a horse race and an airport restaurant served me up their interpretation, and you may be surprised to learn the result.

IKEA: Did you know this Swedish furniture retailer serves up 49¢ squares of cornbread? Up until several weeks ago, I did not know. However, on Thursday nights the cafeteria at their Atlantic Station location in Atlanta, GA is packed with people eating the $1.99 Roasted Chicken Special. One quarter of chicken with mashed potatoes and the optional gravy are included in the special of the day. For an additional 49¢, I had a piece of some cornbread that was a perfectly soft rendition of our favorite Jiffy cornbread. It’s worth a try, and at such low price, you can get a second square!

CAROLINA CUP (VONNIE HOLLIDAY TENT): On Saturday, I joined scores of people as guests of Vonnie & Eboni Holliday at the 2011 Carolina Cup in Camden, South Carolina. It was a day of 70 degree sun, great people watching, interesting conversation and entertaining horse races. Underneath the Holliday corporate tent, there was a smorgasbord of southern favorites, including none other than…cornbread! The cornbread was so good that I believe I made a noise of approval as one of my tablemates, David Thornton from the Tennessee Titans, looked on…haha It was a winner!

PASCHAL’S (HARTSFIELD TERMINAL A): Since I was heading to a place that I feel is deficient in Southern cuisine, why not get a sendoff from a place that I heard was a “soul food institution” in Atlanta. The line at the Paschal’s Terminal A location was long line, and I was excited to know that it would be worth the wait. Well, the excitement of a $16 meal which included baked chicken, black eyed peas, string beans, cornbread, sweet potato pie and sweet tea quickly subsided; and in the end, my cornbread rolls were hardly touched. Where’s a This Is It or Busy Bee when you need it? It hurts my heart to do it, but Paschal's cornbread was thumbs down.

Qiana Goes Glam for TEDxGreenville

2011-03-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

I think the last time we talked I was in New York. Well, let's consider these next few entries a brief longform commercial. I haven't gotten around to London or Lisbon yet!

However, I just presented at the ultra amazing, ultra cool TEDxGreenville. So let me give you a brief sneak peek of what I was up to the morning of my presentation.

For a grand occasion such as this, I didn't want to feel or look ordinary. So, I enlisted the help of Katie Cotton, a LA trained makeup artist who happens to now do her craft in Greenville (such a small world). We both love Toi Thai in LA so what could be better?!!

P.S. Thanks to my mama for filming...and thanks to Ian Curcio for the image above. You should check out his TEDxGreenville mural of attendees here.

First Class Tech on My Travel: Fedex Kinkos NYC

2011-02-21T15:24:00.000-08:00

I have to say that technology makes it so easy to live a glamorous soccer adventure with entrepreneurial endeavors. Here’s a quick example for you.

While my Amtrak trained sped past the snow covered hills, I was able to make the final changes to a newly designed business card, handle a few important business calls, research the closest Fedex location to The Mave Hotel and coordinate my print job with a sales clerk at that specific location.

As you can see technology was working with me to make sure I was prepped and ready for my 9:00 a.m. arrival at the British Airways Face of Opportunity Conference.

My brisk walk up to the Fedex location was a little too fierce for me on the afternoon that I arrived to New York so I opted to pick-up the completed print job the following morning. I definitely took my chances being that the news was predicting more bad weather for the city.

I had faith that the weather would cooperate, and it was something that I had to keep reminding myself of as I stood outside of a closed Kinko’s at 7:20 a.m. It was 96 minutes before I was scheduled to be on a different side of the city, in something other than jeans, snowboots, a sweatshirt and a pea coat.

My 20 minute wait finally ended when a guy appeared out of nowhere to open the door, and retrieve my box of cards. Victory! I quickly and carefully tipped my way through the ice slush back to the Mave to hop in my incubator of a room (insert Lady Gaga cocoon here) to emerge as an excited, entrepreneurial soccer maven heading to a world of opportunity at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers!

MTV quite often serves as my background music, and this was no exception. I was alternating between the bathroom, my laptop and a really good blueberry muffin from the lobby as I got ready in record time.

My check-out was fast, and a front desk clerk was kind enough to brave the rain to flag down a cab for me. My new umbrella refused to live up to its bargain price. The clasp would catch so the shade kept trying to collapse on my hair…what was a girl to do?
The arrival of a taxi, with a nonfunctional trunk compartment, quickly caught my attention. I tip toed through the drizzle to the backseat, helping the hotel clerk pull my bag onto the seat beside me.

Cab Driver: Where would you like to go?
Me: I am going to the Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Sir. Do you think we can get there pretty quickly?
Cab Driver: I am not sure in this weather, but I will try. What time do you have to be there?
Me: I have to be there by 9:00 a.m., about 25 minutes from now. By the way, how are you doing today?
Cab Driver: Where are you from?
And this is where my cab ride gets interesting. Check in for the next entry. Let’s just say that it wasn’t the Cash Cab, but it was very, very close!

Meet The Mave

2011-02-19T04:51:00.000-08:00

Some people have a space issue when they check into a NYC hotel room. Personally, space is the least of my concerns. I have stayed in some interesting places, and so I set my standards according to the location. The Mave provided me with clean, crisp and modern accommodations in a space the equivalent of a shoebox. It was tiny, but the shower was fairly sizeable considering remaining area. Here’s the video as I promised!

Beating the Snow Via Amtrak: ATL to NYC

2011-02-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

There is nothing that happens by chance in our universe. Everything unfolds according to higher laws - everything is regulated by divine order..

For the record, I do actually believe the above statements. Do I live every moment adhering to that belief? Of course not, it’s so simple that it gives me quite a challenge.

My journey to Europe began on January 31st, and it was by no means the day that I had planned to leave Atlanta.

According to “my” schedule, I was going to breeze into the Big Apple’s JFK airport on February 1st. However, a never-ending wave of ice, sleet and whatever else caused air travel to go into a tailspin. So…I took train. It was 17hrs of Sprint MIFI mixed with the occasional nap and working to-do list.

By the time my train pulled into Penn Station, I had to move on to my next task, getting a heavy, large luggage bag through the icy, bustling streets. However, I didn’t foresee that my exercise protocol was just beginning as I had to carry this bag up and down flights of stairs at two subway stations.

Looking a little war torn, I happily resurfaced on Madison Avenue in Gramercy Park/Flatiron, only to realize that I was sweating in 32 degree weather.

Did I mention that I didn’t have any snow delays or trip cancellations? All the travel hoops aside, the mysterious, divine hand got me in town to actually enjoy a Twix in a very comfortable bed at The Mave Hotel..

Can't wait to show the video…

Pop Quiz from the Professor: The Michael Eric Dyson Show

2011-01-20T14:43:00.000-08:00

Although I don't think that I will be ever to fully calculate the value of my Face-of-Opportunity Contest win with British Airways, I can say that it has been a calling card form promoting my mission of making soccer more commonplace in the United States.

At the top of the year, I notified the executive producer of The Michael Eric Dyson Show about my national award win. This email set into motion a whirlwind of events that landed me in the Georgia Public Broadcasting studio on the Friday of that week speaking with none other than Dr. Michael Eric Dyson.

In case you don't know Dr. Dyson's background. Let me give you a brief synopsis courtesy of Wikipedia. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson is an American academic, author, radio host and ordained baptist minister. Currently, he is a professor of sociology at Georgetown University. His previous academic posts include DePaul University, Chicago Theological Seminary, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia University, Brown University, and the University of Pennsylvania. You can commonly catch him as a commentator on National Public Radio, CNN, and Real Time with Bill Maher. Most importantly, he is considered one of the great thinkers of our current time.

It was an understatement to say that I was beyond excited to serve as a guest on his show. It's moments like that I have to say make all the hard work worth it. When I think about all of the research, writing and press release promotion, the time I spent, to get those 10 precious minutes to talk with a man who I consider a mentor, makes it all worth it! Here is the link to the January 18th show. My segment is around the 30 minute mark. Enjoy!

http://dysonshow.org/?p=3824

Scoring Goals In 2010, Tackling New Opportunities in 2011

2011-01-13T04:21:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011! We are 13 days into the start of an amazing year, and I hope that you are taking all those small actions and steps that can have you right where you want to be.

I keep what you call a reminder, tracking, accomplishment list that documents all of the actions that I take each year to help me capture the goals that I have set for myself. There have been times when I felt as if things were stagnant, and I realized that this is a great way to put things in perspective. Sometimes we can be hard on ourselves in our quest to pursue our dreams and passions, so I encourage you to write your own accomplishment list. I track everything from new risks taken, such as sending out press releases to new media outlets, to accepting invitations to meet with new business associates in the soccer community. All of the little things add up! You'll be amazed much like I was at the end of last year. I had to admit that I had taken so many small actions to get a big leap on my soccer journey.

With that being said, I know I have been in my soccer lab and not blogging on this site for 7-8 months. In this time, I have been blessed to produce my first documentary, Perfecting the Footvolley. Also, I won the British Airways Face-of-Opportunity Contest. It was a national program that will allow Eat Soccer to offer "bucket list" soccer adventures for adults at some of the top clubs in the world.

There are quite a few things in the works for 2011, which definitely include more international playing. I was getting a little antsy to say the least on this front, but I am trusting that all of the 'foundational' work that I have been doing, will allow me to walk into the bigger role within the global soccer community that I am destined to occupy. More playing opportunities can be created, and my journey is allowing these things to happen-not just for me but other players who will one day be able to use some of my experiences for their own blueprints.

P.S. I am uploading full excerpts of my electronic report, Soccer In Translation on the Eat Soccer blog. If you know of an athlete, coach, business person or backpacker that needs to learn how to stymie the effects of culture shock, send them on over!

If you have a question about how you can use some of my gsl lessons to assist you in following your dreams, send me a message. If you are a business or individual and you want to talk about a collaborative partnership for any of Eat Soccer's upcoming online, mobile or inflight programming, you can do the same!

Adventures In Covering the World Cup 2010

2010-08-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

This summer's World Cup 2010 in South Africa was chock full of interesting twists and turns. Some were sad, such as the unexpected passing of Nelson Mandela's great granddaughte. Others were in line with a typical TMZ newsflash, like Paris Hilton's marijuana incident. Heartbreak on the field for Ghana and mutiny off the field for France. No one can say that this global competition lacked in drama.

I was under the impression that the buzz of activity would remain solely within the confines of the host nation. However, I guess a bit of it decided to come my way.

I received a unique opportunity to cover the American team for a radio sports program. This was my first foray into serving as a correspondent of sorts.

On the first scheduled date to go on the air, the station tower was struck by lightning. It was a no go, and so as national players took the field to begin play, my dreams of giving my World Cup comments over the air would have to be put on hold.

The next week, I was determined to let my voice be heard. Another invitation to weigh in on the US Men's National team was accepted. However, I couldn't be present at the station for the interview.

My solution at the time was to simply call in from my cellphone while riding shotgun in a car. Unaware that I broke two cardinal rules in radio interviews (using a cellphone and being in transition), I patiently waited for my time to shine.

The radio hosts brought me on the air, and everything was going fine until the car that I was traveling in was pulled over at an out-of-the-blue police check point. Let's just say it made for two crazy minutes in my radio career...

Fortunately, the hosts were great sports about it, and the following week I gave my World Cup insights in studio, minus the lightning/police barracades!

To Stay or Not To Stay: Hollywood Beach Hotel

2010-05-24T22:21:00.000-07:00

I come across many people who express their desire to have an extended stay at the beach or to journey to far flung places in the world. The number one obstacle to making their desire a reality is money.

I will be the first to admit. Travel and housing expenses can wipe out a budget depending on your destination and length of stay.

Well, I want to propose one way to reduce your housing expenses. Explore the option of staying in a hostel.

Like some of my readers, I had watched backpackers wander into interesting looking buildings with colorful signs that read “hostel”, but I had my own assumptions as to what these places entailed. Other readers do not have any idea about hostels whatsoever.

A hostel is a low cost, accommodation where travelers reside in “dorm style” rooms. Most of these rooms contain bunk beds and can hold up to 8-10 people, depending on the size of the room. The dorm rooms are can be single gender or mixed gender. Typically, mixed gender rooms are lower cost. In addition to the dorm style rooms, there are some private room options available at rates that are similar to that of a motel. Prices for the multi-bed options can range from $12-23.

Sounds like a steal, right? Well, I love the price too. However, I always wondered if the tradeoff of cleanliness, privacy, safety and who –knows-whatever-else was worth it.

So, how about a little experiment?

I had been doing a little research prior to my journey to Hollywood, Florida and located The Hollywood Beach Hotel. The owners have a number of traditional hotel properties on South Beach, and this Hollywood edition looked to be a really cool looking place. HBH has private rooms, family suites AND dorm style rooms on the site.

I took a visit last night, and I decided to take the plunge.

Although I had read rave reviews about the place online, I still had the slight, unsubstantiated fear that one of my dorm mates would try and harm me in the middle of the night. The self-concocted, horrific storyline fell flat. My three dorm mates are quiet, polite and European.

My sole disappointment thus far is that I can’t fully sit up straight while sitting on my bed. My head keeps hitting the base of the top bunk.

And…the most interesting encounter was with a guy who proudly announced to me (and everyone in the living room) that he was from East Point (near Atlanta) and that he The Hollywood Beach Hotel so much that he had been living there for 30 days. To learn more about HBH and all the freebies that they provide its lodgers, check out their web site.

Not For Tourists: Roadside Burgers

2010-04-27T22:05:00.001-07:00

The people I meet probably know more about me than those of you reading this blog entry. I think it’s because everything is so new (aka Me) and there’s an ongoing question and answer conversation.

For example, did you know that I do not eat eggs or cheese (except for on pizza), I don’t drink milk, but I love ice cream? If you don’t, my trainer does.

This evening we were continuing a discussion about me not eating beef or pork and comparing the costs of hot dogs and hamburgers in our respective countries. In the middle of our conversation, my trainer told me that under no circumstances does he eat a hamburger from a street vendor. (Now when a local tells you they don’t do something, this is when you need to put on your thinking cap and get a pen to take notes.)
It seems that those roadside hamburgers are more than likely not beef. Let’s try donkey or horse meat. Sounds tasty, right?

The Snack Xchange: Taste Like Jiffy

2010-04-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

My snack arsenal is pretty serious. I bring a couple of boxes fruit snacks, trail mix, a snickers or two. Some of the snacks are for me. The rest of the snacks are to give away to my trainer(s) and other athletes. Well, the snacks go both ways. The other day at training they were passing out cake slices (bollo) by Bimbo. Bimbo is probably the equivalent of Little Debbie as far as the snack game goes.

This was my first time trying it, and it was good. My chunk definitely gave me a dose of energy. Check it out!

What Could Have Been Had The King of Pop Went South….

2010-04-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

Every time I travel outside of the U.S., it amazes me just how big our cultural footprint is on the rest of the world. Many of my conversations with natives include questions about American movies, politics (if something really good is going on) and music.

I cannot tell you how many crazy American songs that I hear in stores, on public transportation, and in people’s homes. (I don’t think I have ever gone to someone’s residence without them showcasing their knowledge of American music via playlist! For the record, many of the songs can be caught on one of those throwback VH-1 countdowns..)

So it only makes since that Michael Jackson show up somewhere, right? Well, I guess but in Colombia this dude is in such random places. On my very first bus ride to training, I see a wall tag that read, “Michael Jackson Lives.” I made a mental note and thought to myself, “It’s good to see the respect is here in Barranquilla.”

Last week, my trainer and I took my laundry on a tour of the city. (I will explain in another post.) As we were riding the bus, I hear some notes and told my trainer, “I think this is Michael Jackson.” My trainer was a little unsure; but as soon as the beat played, it was confirmed that someone did a Spanish cover of I Just Can’t Stop Loving You. Now, I had to start laughing because this is the second time the Pop King has appeared, and I am a believer in the 3 incident rule.

What could possibly be next? A t-shirt? An album? A painting?

Well, a week later I received my answer. At my trainer’s birthday party, my trainer was the DJ/Selecta/Turntable Master (via computer). About halfway into the evening, We Are the World begins blasting through the subwoofer on the patio. I wasn’t expecting it, but maybe MJ wasn’t either. What if he would’ve headed south to Colombia for a little R&R? I still might be watching him live on the concert channel in Barranquilla….

Wrong Taxi, Wrong Street: Qiana's Encounter with Colombian Police

2010-04-24T23:41:00.000-07:00

This evening I attended a small birthday celebration for my trainer in Barranquilla, Professor Alzate. Everything was great, and I had a fabulous time.

However, there was a small, but jarring twist to my evening. Ronald, a fellow athlete, was charged with the task of making sure that I arrived to my temporary residence safely. He, along with my trainer, flagged a taxi and negotiated the fare.

We had to have gone maybe 3 side streets when two Colombian Policeman stop the car. It is around probably midnight or so at the time (I think). They are waving their flashlights in the car and asking the driver questions. Before I know it, we are asked to get out of the car. One policeman is asking me questions on one side of the car, while his partner is questioning my escort.

Now, the Spanish is coming fast from the policeman and slow from me. I was instructed to step away from the car, open my bag and answer whether or not I had drugs. I was processing everything as fast as I could, but it was obvious the Policeman wasn't understanding why I was giving short answers and not pleading my case.

Ronald was doing all he could to explain as fast as he could why in the world I was looking like a panic stricken, non-Spanish speaking American on a side street in the middle of a nontourist neightborhood in Barranquilla.

For the first 3 minutes, I started to get a really sick feeling to my stomach. You know you hear about those stories of shady police, being in the wrong place at the wrong time and the stigma (unfortunately) of being an American.

Ronald could sense I wasn't looking too well, and he told me to stay calm. I, too inserted a mental note of looking at peace because those guilty of transporting drugs panic, right?

Taxis passed down the dark street and there were a few passersby, as Ronald and I watched the two cops talk on their radios, check under the hood of the car and continually ask questions of our driver.

Finally, the police agreed to Ronald's plea to let us go so that he could make sure that I arrived to my aparthotel. I was happy that whatever the ongoing situation with the taxi driver didn't automatically include the passengers.

We were told to get back in our original taxi. One of the policemen hopped in the front seat...and that's where the video picks up. Here's the remainder of my trip after my encounter with the Colombian Police. Getting a lift to a main street. Ronald negotiating with another driver, and then recounting our hold up. Of course, I follow up with my English synopsis.

Walking on Coals: The Sand of Puerto Colombia

2010-04-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

My first day of training was pretty uneventful. I did wake up in the middle of the night to realize that I had a small puncture in my left foot. I guess my adrenaline from all of the day’s events finally reached a normal level at 3:00 a.m…

It wasn’t anything that a little antibiotic ointment couldn’t begin working on. Well, the second day of training I figured couldn’t be that much different. I had devised a way to provide slight relief to my feet when they couldn’t tolerate the temperature of the sand. It’s a little sand shuffle that I do that turns over the top sand to reveal a slightly cooler layer underneath! LOL

Well, at 8:30 a.m. on the training grounds of Puerto Colombia, there was no shade and just a straight outpouring of bright sunshine from the heavens. It was very picturesque until I took off my shoes and socks. My professor and his footvolley partner were moving around like it was a normal day. I tried to play it off, but about 40 minutes into training I thought I was walking on hot coals. My quick 5 minute rest request intensified as I walked over to get my shoes and socks because the sand had just been heating up the whole 40 minutes. Hotter Sand! Fear, Shock and Fast tipping. I couldn’t get my socks and shoes on fast enough. Even the warmth of my shoes paled in comparison. Needless to say, I trained the remainder of the session in socks. It made a world of difference, but the Colombian sand and I will have to make peace with one another—it’s an inevitable reality.

New Meat: Mosquitoes Go Hard Once Again

2010-04-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

You would think that by now I would have the whole battle against mosquitoes under control. It appears that I am no better armed than I was the last time. Instead of waiting for the first bite, I was proactive and just sprayed at every opportunity. Before training, I spray. After my shower, I spray. Before I go to bed, I spray.

I know it may seem a bit strange to spray before I go to bed, but you know once mosquitoes are on to you—they wage a war at all hours, especially at night.

Well, nothing has worked. I have been attacked. They didn’t even spare my neck (and this is a first—a low blow I might add). I am up for suggestions from South American natives or those individuals who have successfully resided relatively bite free in this area of the world.

It’s not a cute sight when combined with some training blemishes. The legs are looking like a construction zone, but I know this is only temporary. I just need a little help on how to get over the hump.

Search & Seizure: 3 Staple Items In My Travel Bag

2010-04-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

I boarded my flight in Miami with a slight concern. Every international flight I’ve been on requires you to fill out that immigration entry form. It asks the usual information-who, when, where and why are you showing up. Well, I did not know the answer to one of those questions. What is the address where you will be staying?
I had to be quite frank. I ran through the list of options. I could…1. Fake it and put a hotel that I had read about on the internet ( my memory is selectively impeccable in this regard). 2. Leave the space blank. Pray to Jesus for His white light to get those armed, Colombian guards to show me some favor. or 3. Write in a hybrid of 1 and 2—la casa de mi amigo (the home of my friend).

I tried to see if I could take a cue from my seat partner. The entire flight I thought this guy was Colombian and knew exactly what was going on. Come to find out, he asked me in plain English how to complete the form since he was Puerto Rico American, from New York, a new transplant to Phoenix and on his 1st trip to Colombia. He put his US address in the blank—not a good look…

Well, I left the address blank and concluded that God could only shine his face on me for not falsifying this document.

Outside of this blank space on my form, I have to confide my impending encounter with Colombian immigration brought feelings of slight trepidation. I am an upstanding traveler. Don’t get me wrong. However, immigration officials can make the process short or long. If they want to personally be in your business (which does happen), there is nothing stopping them.

Well, the Colombian official didn’t give me that much grief until he eyed the address box. There seemed to be a few trick questions. Why are you here? To visit a friend. Are you here for work? No. I am here to visit a friend. Where are you staying? In the home of my friend. What is the address? I don’t know, but I have a phone number.

The phone number was the lifesaver…and I was passed along to another guard who asked me the same question. Only 10 feet stood between me and freedom—and fortunately, he let me take that walk.

In previous instances, immigration officials have engaged in a search and seizure that would make onlookers think that I was really a suspicious character.

Do you want to know what they usually see? Here’s 3 things that you will always find in my travel back if you do a search and seizure.

1. Satin Pillowcase: Some people wear head wraps. I sleep on a gold satin pillowcase. Cotton pillow cases wreak havoc on your hair. You know I have to protect the curls!
2. Business Magazine: Depending on the length of the trip, I will have at least one. This time I have two-Fast Company and Inc. I am almost finished with both…
3. Fruit Snacks: I can’t transport fruit, but I need a snack that takes up minimal space, differs from my trail mix and crackers. Fruit snacks are a logical choice. Also, they are a great peace offering to pass along to new friends!

P.S. I forgot to pack my pillowcase on this trip...not a good look

Gringa Vs. Local: Walking A Fine Line

2010-04-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

I know you want to travel everywhere with me in Barranquilla. However, I can’t make any promises on the images that you are gonna get.

I really try my best to blend in with the crowd when I travel. I do this for a couple of reasons. I train and travel in areas that are not frequented by tourists. Why call undue attention to myself?

I will admit that here are some obvious things that I do or wear that make me stand out like a sore thumb. (I will discuss those challenges in later entries) However, I try to keep those to a minimum.

Fortunately, I will not be short on commentary on the city with some of the hottest sand that my feet have encountered. Stay tuned to learn more about my latest South American adventure.

Columbia or Colombia Colombia?

2010-04-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

I am in Colombia. I know this may raise an eyebrow because many of you didn't see this coming. Neither did I to be quite frank.

In the midst of planning another trip to Brazil, a series of events took place that have me typing this entry from a small inn in Barranquilla as Velez and Deportiva Italia battle it out in a 2010 Copa Libertadores match.

Before you hit up Barranquilla on Wikipedia, I will tell you that the city is quite large and is located on the Caribbean side of the ocean. This city is known for its 4 day Carnavale.

It was less than a week ago that I began conducting a serious inquiry into all things Barranquilla. By Monday, I was debating the finer points of selecting an airline.

My experience today confirmed that my airline selection was on point. I selected the Colombian airline for the second half of my trip. The price was excellent, and I like to get my cultural immersion started time I pull away from the final domestic gate.

Avianca reconfirmed the interntional airline place in my mind as a traveler's "best bang for your buck" when it comes to air service in 3 ways.

First, they shun the idea of charging for unncessary items. A pillow and blanket were waiting for me in my seat free of charge.

Second, they want their passengers to relax into the experience in a healthy way. Shortly after our gate departure, warm toilettes were distributed to each passenger.

Third, they anticipate client needs. Who would like to kill time with a little reading and television. Flight stewards distributed free newspapers and magazines to us for our reading pleasure.

Fourth, they move fast and do the unthinkable. How about they served a full on free meal for a 2 hour flight?!? I know all you frequent domestic fliers got the memo on the $5 can of peanuts, not to mention the meal charge if you do have a flight long enough to have meal service.

Lastly, customer service can be earth friendly. Did I mention that my beverage cup(s) were 100% biodegradable?

Next time you want to take a jaunt out of the US, take a look at one of those international airlines. You will more than likely get way more (in a good way) than what you bargained for!

P.S. I know the audio is low but enjoy taking a look at what's left of my free Avianca lunch!

Talk Your Dream Up!

2010-03-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

During a recent visit with students at Pine Ridge Elementary, I talked to them about how you can literally make your dreams happen from the neck up. I know it sounds a bit strange. However, if you want to get a little more clarification, read my post from yesterday.

Today, we are on the final point in my recipe for dreams. I saved it until today because I had the opportunity to spend 36 whole seconds talking about on a PSA for an ultra cool, nonprofit organization called Get Out The Box .

Get Out The Box is a New Jersey based non-profit organization that is dedicated to educating and mentoring at-risk youth in low income communities. Naeem Calloway and his team are serious when it comes to showing youth the big, wide world outside of their neighborhoods. Do your part to learn more about and join the Youth Movement.

Therefore, it only made sense for me to pitch in a little time to share with their viewers the power of talking about your dream. Enjoy!

Dreams Happen From the Neck Up

2010-03-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

A week or two ago, I had the opportunity to speak to a classroom of 5th graders at Pine Ridge Elementary School in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

I will be the first to admit that I am a “by the script” type of girl. I like to have everything that I plan to say written out, and time enough to go over it 1000 times.
When I brought in 2010, I guess I decided to make a change. I have been jotting down main points, and just talking. This makes me so uncomfortable, but I figure if I just keep to this new routine of conversing (charismatically) on key ideas then I will eventually become an entertaining orator…

With that being said, I had a lot of fun talking to the students about how education laid the foundation for me to go on my magic carpet ride of playing soccer, writing and talking on the radio.

My conversation, which focused the topic “Dreams Happen from the Neck Up,” had three points. Two of which I have listed below. You will have to stay tuned to my next post for the 3rd point…

1. You must always use your imagination. If you don’t use it, it becomes really rusty!
2. You need to prepare your mind with a good education so you can build the confidence to chase your dreams.

We finished out the talk with all the students showcasing their best neck stalls using soccer and tennis balls. Even the teacher got in on the fun!

Footvolley.Rio.Bikini on Kickstarter

2010-03-18T06:46:00.000-07:00

For the last month or so, I have been working on generating new content for my website and preparing for some upcoming international trips.

I have footvolley on my mind as there is an upcoming competition in May. To prepare for this, I will be heading to Rio for some fast paced, no nonsense training. Would you like to join me on the adventure? Well, here is your opportunity!

We are producing a web doc about this upcoming training stint called Footvolley.Rio.Bikini. It will chronicle my life training and playing against some of the best footvolley players in the world. I am excited about the training and about shooting the project. Ironically, the company that I am using to shoot the project is a native Brazilian who is a graduate of SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design). Isn't the world small?

Moreover, the people over at Kickstarter liked the project so much that they have added it on the site. The goal is to raise $1,000 to kickstart the 1st episode of the project AND I am offering some cool prizes. You should definitely check it out. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/qiana/discover-a-brazilian-adventure-footvolleyriobik

New Perspective of Red Bull Cruisin in Atlanta

2010-02-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

When I received the opportunity to cruise the city in the Red Bull Cruiser with the Wingers & crew, I didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity. I will be the first to admit that when I rolled around to Hotel Palomar on Friday, I was a little surprised. I was a little green to assume a wrapped PT Cruiser would be waiting in the wings....

The Red Bull Cruiser was hot off of the 3,000+ mile trek from Santa Monica, and fully tricked out to give me a one-of-a-kind tour of the city.

All fridges were packed with Red Bull product. The Wingers were in full spirit. The promo freestyle footballers were ready to perform at every stop along our 5 hour journey, and I received a front row seat to it all.

I had the opportunity to catch up with a fixture in the Atlanta Soccer Community and "Urban Soccer Mom" Jill Robbins at two Soccer In The Street exhibitions where the Red Bull promo freestylers showcased their best tricks.

And...all of this soccer activity was to the backdrop of a concert volume, iTune playlist of UGK, Jay Z, Gucci Mane and Trick Daddy. It was definitely my speed!

Thursday in The Blue Room

2010-02-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

Four months ago, I put the call out to several studios. I needed to find a temporary recording location for my international radio show-Eat Soccer. It so happens that I received a number of responses--and when I decided to switch to an intown Atlanta location, The Blue Room Recording Studio was the perfect choice. Fortunately, Bill worked me in Thursday morning and it was a quick and easy session. We even used his iPhone for the telephone interview with football freestyler, Ecobol. Technology is fabulous--

Now, if only I can record my entire show in their studios via skype...It is a thought!

Check out the Blue Room Studio recording of Eat Soccer radio on the audio player above.

13 Degrees & 8 Takes: Red Bull on Ice

2010-02-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

My Monday got off to a whirlwind start. It was 5 days before the US Final for Red Bull's Street Style, and I was coordinating some serious reporting for the event. I placed on my agenda the following: land an interview with one of the finalists in time for the Thursday broadcast, shoot a quick promo clip beforehand to let my listeners know about the event and my surprise guest, find a recording studio convenient to everyone involved--including my camera guy, record the broadcast--and let all these things be completed ASAP. Was it a tall order? Yes! However, there were some adjustments here and there that had to be made. For instance, the promo clip shooting location was changed from the marquee in front of the building to the roof of a parking deck overlooking the city. It looked nice, right--and if you missed it here's the link to the extended clip Eat Soccer/Red Bull Promo. Unfortunately, we shot 8 takes of this clip in what felt like 13 degree weather at 7:45 a.m. It was not fun out there, and my hands were burning by the time that we finished.. But what's a Red Bull/Eat Soccer promo clip without an extreme condition? I wouldn't trade the experience for anything!

Are You Even Here?

2010-02-23T13:28:00.000-08:00

How often do you go through the motions of your everyday routine? Well, I must admit it seems to be pretty often when I am in familiar territory.

As misfortune would have it, I changed lanes on Peachtree Road a few weeks ago and "lost" my side mirror. I was so preoccupied with my running list of errands that I didn't see a Mountaineer in my blindspot before casually sliding slightly into the left lane.

The horror! The driver yelled at me, and I exclaimed, "I'm so so sorrrry. I didn't see you!" In a matter of days, the issue was resolved, and I kept it moving.

Now on yesterday, while timidly darting across the road, my workout partner said, "Qiana, sometimes I watch you here in Atlanta and wonder how you make it all by yourself in these foreign countries."

Apparently, I return to Atlanta or to Seneca or to any other place of familiarity--and literally, check out. I do enough to cross the street, drive my car effectively and who knows whatever else.

As a person who has read stacks of books about living in the moment, I wonder if my moments are too full that some important things "like paying attention" seem to fall through the cracks.

In the Studio: Red Bull Street Style Competitor

2010-02-18T05:32:00.000-08:00

Go Girl, It's Your Birthday!

2009-12-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

If you know anything about me, my birthdays are a BIG production. This year I did a totally different approach. I didn't plan one minute of it.

Part of this approach was the result of a hectic schedule. Last week, I went to celebrate my sister's 18th birthday. As a follow-up to the Eat Soccer! radio interview with international massage therapist Vickie Torrey, I collaborated with her (on Thursday in Charlotte) to film a self-massage video for athletes that will be available on iTunes in the upcoming month. Fast forward through business calls, emails, reading and house visits...and we are at 10:32 p.m. on December 13th.

Full of birthday dinner, I am proud to say that this has been one of the more interesting celebrations. Interesting it a good way--and ironic--because I see some similarities between now and right before I relocated to LA and to Atlanta...(insert cliffhanger here)

Change is inevitable. I am happy to have experienced so much during my Dec 08-09 year, and now I am welcoming all that is in store for the next one.

Keep hanging on for the ride because I can guarantee you that it will not lack in entertainment..

Qiana Brings Soccer to Shortwave Radio

2009-11-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

I know you have been wondering what I have been up to for the last few months. For those of you who haven't followed me on Facebook or Twitter, it can be a bit challenging.

Just hang tight. I will be revealing our next, great soccer adventure very, very soon. In the meantime, I can tell you that I have signed on to broadcast my first ever radio show. It will be available worldwide through the shortwave radio station, WRMI (Radio Miami International). Who better to take me and my evangelistic soccer message to the huts, favellas, barrios, beaches and streets of far flung places across the planet?

You can catch me hosting my show Eat Soccer! from 8:00-8:15 p.m. EST (0100 UTC) every Thursday. For those of you who do not have a shortwave radio, do not worry. I've got you covered. Catch me on WRMI's live streaming broadcast at the listed time above.

2009-09-28T15:38:00.001-07:00

share

Posted using ShareThis

Soccer & The Path Less Traveled

2009-09-04T11:12:00.001-07:00

Free Style Soccer Goes Qiana

2009-08-25T11:19:00.001-07:00

My traveling schedule has started to pick up, and this past weekend I found myself yet again in Charlotte. Being that I like to kill many birds with one stone, I lined up a birthday party attendance, a visit to the Concrete2Green futsal center and a few important conversations with my mentors.

During a drive on Saturday morning, one of my mentors began telling me a story. She recalled how, in the midst of admiring other accomplished colleagues, she found herself unrealistically comparing her list of accomplishments to those who had more experience than herself.

I remember thinking to myself the irony of hearing this story when, several hours later, I was asked to participate in a freestyle soccer exhibition at the annual Slam Jam at Grayson Park. I expressed my hesitation to participate as I reflected on the tens of people that I have met who have grown up all of their lives doing jaw dropping tricks with the ball.

I resolved in my mind that if this experience was meant for my “freestyle colleagues” then they would be at Grayson Park and not me. With that note, I joined in on the exhibition. The juggling jitters were there nonetheless, but as I continued with my touches on the ball, they disappeared as I flipped the ball from the side of my samba sole to my knee. I may be in the early stages of my free style development. However, showcasing my “free style wizardry” at Slam Jam was quite a coming out event!

Breakfast At Betty's

2009-08-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

This Damsel Needs a Disguise

2009-08-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

I am at a loss when it comes to cars. In the event I need car maintenance, I take my car to the dealership when the maintenance light comes on. As far as repair, I defer to anyone with more driving experience than me. Sometimes I get a quick answer. Other times, like this past Sunday, my mama directs me to the nearest auto parts store.

The front headlight on my car was out, and I wanted to get a good deal. Now, this wasn’t the first time I had to replace a light. The last time it was one of the lights in the back. However, as I looked at the extra bulb in my glove compartment, I was reminded that, even if this was the right size, I didn’t know the first thing about taking the cover off.

There was no time to waste. I headed to Pep Boys, and began my usual routine of wandering around with my “tried and true” damsel in distress look. The first salesperson, who approached me, was a lady, and she was unfazed by my look of confusion.

“What’s the make and model of your car?” she asked flatly. I told her and she rattled off a four digit number, pointed to an aisle on the left and walked off. Definitely, she was a lady who seemed like she could fix anything on her car.

And just when I thought my act fell flat—a store manager appeared. “Victory is mine,” I thought.

“Are you finding everything that you need?” he asked. With a moment of hesitation, I rambled off the headlight number and told him my inability to locate it. The manager quickly located up the bulb package. I asked him if someone could help me install it because I “just don’t understand how to do it.” He replied, “You never know how to do it!”

I gasped.

In that moment, my mind went dark. I didn’t know what to say. I have never been called out on my damsel in distress act (and for the record I don’t bring it out often).

I innocently asked, “Was it my hair that gave me away?”

The manager laughed and said, “Next time you should wear a hat and dark glasses. Don’t worry. I will install the light for you.”

[Insert sigh of relief here] I did get my desired result, but not without embarrassment. In the future if I pull a damsel in distress again, I am going to need a disguise—straight hair…

Concrete 2 Green: Bringing Futsal to Charlotte’s Inner City

2009-07-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

This week I spent a few days in Charlotte. I drove around and looked for any signs of a soccer pick-up scene. Much to my disappointment, I found a few parks without goals and some parks with goals and no people. Imagine my frustration.

However, I was not down for long because I had an appointment to visit Concrete2 Green. Concrete2Green is a socially conscious company that uses innovative and eco friendly strategies to grow the sport of soccer in US inner cities and urban communities. Earlier this year, C2G transformed the old ice skating rink in Eastland Mall into a vibrant futsal center.

My time at C2G was filled with lots of pick-up games and kickups. Moreover, I had the opportunity to see some of Charlotte’s up-and-coming soccer players show off their best tricks.

The C2G Futsal Center provides an opportunity for soccer players (of all ages) to develop their technical ability and freestyle flair in a safe environment. If you come to or live in the Queens City and need a great place to play, feel free to swing by for a few pick-up games or join in on league play. I can guarantee you that when I am in town—it will be the one place that you can catch me at!

Winning Qiana's Heart 101: The Grip

2009-06-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of my Bermudian excursion, I want to drop yet another piece of wisdom for those who seek to suit me. This insight comes courtesy of my new mode of transportation--a scooter.

Every person in my group has been paired off to ride on a scooter. As it goes, I am a passenger. My driver has coined me with a new nickname. It is pincher. He gave me this name because I lightly press the tips of my fingers on his sides as I ride. During the times that I am comfortable, my grip is light. On the more questionable curves, let's just say there is a firmer pinch.

My hand position is quite different from that of the other passengers on their scooters. One girl hugs her driver with her hands and thighs. While the other girl, lays against the scooter basket and does not touch her driver whatsoever.

It dawned on me that the grip on my driver is just how I like my relationships. When I date a guy, I want to know that he is there and can depend on him in precarious situations. However, I do not want someone who is smothering me with an invasion of my time and space or a gentleman caller who is MIA on the regular.

Like riding these scooters, to have a smooth ride with me you have to exercise balance and exercise a light grip.....act accordingly

We Ain't Got

2009-06-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

I know enough about long distance air travel to prepare for the cool temperature coach cabin. I bring a jacket and a pair of warm socks. Then, I make sure to hit up the stewardess for a blanket.

Today in keeping with my routine, I politely ask the US Airways stewardess for a cover. She replies with an air of disappointment, "we don't have any."

Has the recession really caused the airlines to cut back on that share-all blanket??

Once the flight was underway, an announcement came over the loud speaker. "Ladies and Gentlemen, for $7 you can purchase a comfort package. It includes a pillow and blanket."

They don't have any blankets. However if you want to pass a little cash, US Airways find you a blanket and a pillow!

Can't Stop My Music!

2009-05-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

This morning the training group took off on what our trainer considered a "brisk" jog in the neighborhood surrounding our training facility. As I was running alongside my trainer, I had a hunch that there would be an added twist to today's workout.

About 3/4 mile into the run, my trainer cut through an abandoned lot, jumped down a muddy embankment, trotted around the fringes of a homeless basecamp and began running on the train tracks. I must say it was a first for many, including myself.

Did you know all of those railroad planks have a million rocks packed in between? I certainly did not, and this fact required lots of adjustment during our mile run up the tracks. Keeping pace while avoiding ankle turning rocks and wooden planks is not for the faint of heart.

Fortunately, everyone was saved by a train creeping up the tracks on our return route. Our trainer wove his way back to the streets and into the gym.

Once inside, he made the announcement, "No music for one month. You must learn to motivate yourselves on your own. Can't take the music with you to tryouts!"

The room was silent, of course. No music and no talkback equals silence.

Silence for everyone else, but not for me. I always have music--its' just playing in my head.

How else would I make it through these strenuous training sessions? Amazing Grace, Beyonce, Young Jeezy, This Little Light of Mine, Madonna...I have my karoake machine on high, and my inner voice is always on point.

Well, I hope the other guys can make the transition. It can be a long row to hoe when you have nothing to divert you from the pain of a 30 second resistence cord drill.

As for me, I am ready to go. Put in Shawty Lo cause you can't stop my music!

Winning Qiana's Heart 101: Up 4 A Game?

2009-04-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

Now, I want to make it clear. There are basic attributes that I feel my male suitors must possess before they even come to the table. However, I believe that we all have a quality or two that we seek in a potential partner that if not found can be a deal breaker. Let me give you a quick glimpse into one of mine.

At a very young age, my uncle taught me to have disdain for the Dallas Cowboys, favor the Washington Redskins, throw a pigskin and shoot a basketball. I was the resident quarterback in the 1 on 1 coverage games for my brother and uncle for a very long time. As a result, I began betting on college games and point spreads long before I was legally able to do so. Fast forward to college and it was common to hear my roommate (ironically a Dallas diehard) and I screaming at the television when guys missed the tackle, didn't protect the QB and caused unneccessary penalties.

Football is in my heart. Basketball is in my blood, and most other sports are found in my remaining appendages. I have an infinite affinity for watching athletic competition. The mere thought of my intriguing conversations on arts, letters and current events not including casual athletic discourse is uncomfortable for me to imagine.

Who sits mute and unaffected by the highs and lows of the opening exchanges in a boxing match? Who falls asleep during the Superbowl? Who watches a weekly sitcom when the Final Four Championship is being broadcast? I can appreciate this person as a friend, but not as a potential 'anythingfurther.'

Dare to feign your love of sports, and I deem you disrespectful. Believe me, some have tried and fallen to their deaths (figuratively NOT literally).

Gents-if you cross paths with me and you don't know what to say, strike up a conversation on say the upcoming NFL season, Champions League or NBA playoffs. You will get some face time!

The Rain

2009-04-22T13:01:00.001-07:00

I have busy dealing with a lot of rain. I was absolutely amazed when it mysteriously and unexpectedly appeared. However, just when the storm came to a halt, the clouds began gathering again. Another shower is beginning but it is one that I have been working and waiting for--Stay posted

Certified F. Chaser

2009-04-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

Today, my trainer added a few new pieces of training equipment to our track/field workout. I am always curious when he introduces new apparatus to us (which is often) because you just never know how he is going to use it.

Therefore, you can imagine the look on my face when he ushered me to the field with a set of yellow frisbees. He sent one out into the field and told me to chase it. The frisbee caught air and went immediately into several different directions. The drill had several goals. One of these was to keep developing my change of direction response time.

I love fun drills, and the frisbees definitely hit the mark. I hope I get the opportunity to chase them more often John (hint, hint)..

Me Against Pollen

2009-04-16T15:51:00.001-07:00

I have been MIA for the last month as you can see. I have been attacked from all sides by a greenish, yellow powder--affectionately known as pollen. As a result, I couldn't think of anything outside of tissue.

I am now at a point where I have the upper hand. However, I can't miss a beat when it comes to the allergy medicine.

What is a girl to do in a city that is located in the middle of forest? Perhaps, I will purchase one of those Michael Jackson facemasks.

The Pack

2009-03-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Last week, I went to a high school combine. It was entertaining to hear the trainers, parents and other spectators size up the guys in the check-in line and on the field.

One particular guy was standing in the line, and immediately my trainer pegged him as the guy to watch. As predicted, this guy received recognition for his outstanding performance at the event.

How can one guy in line stand out before he even performs?

My trainer described it this morning after our water workout as “something that makes you take notice.” Sometimes it’s that person’s appearance of being in the zone. Other times it’s an athlete’s eagerness to be at the head of the line or to stand out front during the drills. Perhaps, it is the small act of staying engaged in the group conversation with the coach or trainer who is imparting some important advice.

I thought for a long time this morning about that conversation. Although we repeat the proverb “don’t judge a book by its cover, name one person who has the ability to ignore the book jacket. It is right in front of us, and we make initial evaluations of books (and people) based upon them.

Whether its sports, business or relationships, we have the ability to conduct ourselves in a way that pushes us ahead of or further into the pack. These small choices begin to color our book jackets.

Are you satisfied with your book jacket? If not, make sure you are moving forward and doing all of the small things that it takes to stand out.

Even a height-challenged Zacchaeus posted up in a tree to get recognized by Jesus…Sometimes out-of-the box, tree climbing solutions are just the trick!

You Can’t Stop Jadakiss-At Least That’s What He Said

2009-03-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

When I am handling the “administrative” portion of my life, it is pretty much a given that I am completing my duties with background music. Chubbie Baby’s Superstar Status, Jeezy’s Circulate, DJ Khaled’s Go Hard and Playaz Circle’s Look What I Got can give me motivation to get pretty much anything done.

After hearing a song 500 times, you always want to put something new in the rotation, and today I am proud to bring a new single into my play list. Let’s give a hand for Jadakiss and Can’t Stop Me.

It has all the beat and refrain to lead you to move mountains. Or, in my case, get over the hurdles at the track with correct speed, timing, ease and form.

Yeah, it all goes back to soccer, club kids.

My only point of contention is that the song is too short. If anyone comes across Kiss, let him know its hard to get through a high rep set before the song is over-add another verse!

Connect This Buddy!

2009-03-09T12:40:00.001-07:00

Stilettos, Seven jeans and a vintage, Mad t-shirt rounded out my outfit on Saturday night. Things were looking fabulous for my appearance at a house party.

As expected, lots of people from my gym were in attendance. The music was solid. All White Bricks by Gucci Mane and Soldier Boy’s Turn My Swag On received a rotation. The grill was fired up, and there were lots of dominoes to be played.

All of a sudden someone appeared with a Connect Four and placed it on the table. Before I knew it, I was engaged in heated competition with several guys from the gym. The circle of onlookers grew, and the moments were tense. I am pleased to report that I took home the championship title in a few rounds. Unfortunately, I was smashed unknowingly in the final round. Fatality!

I now have a new zeal for the game. If you find yourself in my area with a spare Connect Four, let me know. I am always up for the challenge….

Don’t Be Fooled: It’s The Monster Plantation

2009-03-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

“That’s what you get for trying to be first! Tell her Wise.” I was squatting and panting to catch my breath when I heard this comment yelled over the music in the gym today.

I had just finished a nine set, hurdle suicide drill, and struggled to maintain form, speed and track of the hurdles that I had cleared. The result was a slight straddling of the next to last hurdle so I could recall if I needed to stop and go back or if I needed to clear the last hurdle to do the final stretch run.

Amidst the yells of encouragement and scolding from the session leader, I was not expecting to hear what I interpreted to be a you-need-to-stay-in-your-place-(girl) declaration to all of the guys in the session.

The taunting comment added salt to the wound of what I would consider one of my most “confusing” performances. My brain rang the alarm, and all reinforcements came rushing in. “Silence is the best response.” “Leave the gym immediately.” “Dude’s issue with you beating guys on the drills is his problem not yours.” “Apollo Creed AE wouldn’t ever say that.”

All the truth of those statements didn’t immediately stop the stinging. But what did put me back on track was a recollection of stories.

1. The City: Whitney pulled a killer Diane Von Furstenburg outfit for the Jessica Alba cover. Her co-worker Olivia was against the ensemble. However, when it ended up on the cover, Olivia took all of the credit.
2. Story of Dr. Vivien Thomas: He was a pioneer for cardiac surgery, and he was not acknowledged for his discovery until many years later.
3. Slumdog Millionaire: Salim told Jamal to forget about Latika, but time and time again he kept searching.
4. The Alchemist: Santiago was beaten up at the pyramids and told by the robber how stupid he was for treasure hunting.

Although Whitney has not received her just acknowledgement and I am not quite to my goal, the stories of Dr. Vivien Thomas, Jamal and Santiago prove that no one can keep you from your destiny if you stay focused.

It reminds me of a ride at Six Flags called the Monster Plantation. When the ride starts out you enter the house and all these creatures are having fun, and they want you to join along. As your path continues, the lights dim and Billy Bob tells you to turn around. However, the boat continues, the house lights go out and you have to face the monster.

Does the monster eat you? No. You go straight through the mouth and on to an even better party at the end of the ride.

Our journeys are just like that. We are going to come across monsters who choose not to recognize our talents or go out of their way to belittle our attempts to be the best. All we have to do is just keep going, keep looking at the goal and know that we will make it to the big party at the end. Whatever to those Monsters!

Miscellaneous Musings from Miss Martin

2009-03-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

I was told recently that there are two ways to participate in the Lent Season. First, you can make a sacrifice and donate the money at the end of the 40 days. Or, you can make a change. At the encouragement of a fellow lent participant, I am doing both. No sweet treats for the season and a dedication to meditation three days per week.

My Lent buddy feels that my mind never stops working. I have been challenged to pursue a mental white space at all costs.

In this entry, I am going to attempt to work towards my journey towards white space this evening by sharing some miscellaneous musings that I had today. Not only will I clear out some random mental chatter, but you will get a glimpse into my internal world. You may love it or hate it. However, you need not worry because you don’t hear it all the time—I do! So who is the lucky one?

1. 10:17 a.m. (at training): Something doesn’t smell quite right. Is it who I think it is? I hope people don’t walk by and think it’s me. Even so, people will find out the truth. I wonder if something is going on. This guy usually has his scent together. Maybe he forgot to put on deodorant. This happens to the best of us.
2. 11:45 a.m. (at Wal-Mart): I don’t care if people are wondering my clothes don’t match. I just finished working out. I hope no one gets to close to me. I just finished working out. I hope they have a cheap pair of high quality scissors in here. I can’t believe somebody got me for my favorite pair of scissors. I can’t believe I misplaced them. Well, I have to just let them go. Change is good, but it needs to be at the right price. $5.00! This is Walmart. Who needs a magnetic scissor cover? Craft scissors are $6.98! Well, I am not paying that. I really feel like I can get a better deal at Office Depot. I really don’t like running around in these wet clothes.
3. 12:45 a.m. (at home): I guess I should stop skipping up the sidewalk to my building people might be watching. Whatever. Everybody should be happy. Maybe they will land a pair of 50 cent, high quality scissors from Office Depot. My hunch was right. I really am glad that I went to see Slumdog Millionaire yesterday. I feel just like Jamal right now. Life is really like The Alchemist. Time to trim my flowers.
4. 3:00 p.m. (on location): Who thinks to ask someone if these flowers are artificial? I wonder if everyone else thought they were fake? Anyway, I think that is a compliment. I can pick flowers so good that people can’t tell if they are real or not. I wonder if that guy feels silly, like he doesn’t know everything about flowers because he’s never seen flowers that look artificial but they were really real. I wish he would’ve taken them off of my hands. I could’ve just re-rearranged them and pulled out the one sunset that had wilted. I really liked this arrangement. It was really wild looking. I am running behind schedule. I should’ve been finished by 3:00 p.m.
5. 3:57 p.m. (new location): What if he did come from LA to do the project? People would definitely be wondering where I got him from. Everything is going to work out great. I am glad Porter had to go. I have to conserve my daytime minutes. It’s a little cold in here. I have to put on my scarf. I am running low on blog topics today. I need to remind my cousin to send the pic of the banana pudding cake. I can write about that.

Is Your Dealership This Great?

2009-02-27T16:15:00.000-08:00

I was surprised to see a check engine light when I was driving to my training session last week. As instructed by my uncle, I opened my glove compartment and began searching the car manual for some direction. Gas cap tightened-check. Gas in car-for the most part-check. The last instruction was to head to the dealership, and two days later, I drove into my local dealership-Sandy Springs Toyota.

After a rigorous evaluation, it is discovered that my car (otherwise known to my inner circle as "Black Boyfriend" (because he takes me everywhere with ease, style and dependability)) needed a $385 gasket replacement. What! We have only been with each other for less than 3 years. Who knew Black Boyfriend was ill?

I went home to vigorously search online for some guidance. I couldn't understand how something so big could go awry so soon. Well, armed with a little information, I called my dealership to explain that my part was covered under another warranty (60month). The Service Department Head explained that this was not the case, but after careful review of my customer support had decided to do a FREE out of warranty replacement! Absolutely Fantabulous-I know but this is only the first part.

When I dropped off my car this morning, I came prepared for 3 hours of reading. However, my service guy came to notify me that my car was done after 70 minutes because he didn't want me to sit and wait for 3 hours.

These guys are amazing! Can you say that about your dealership? If not, head on over to Sandy Springs Toyota. These guys will take great care of you!!

Y Did U Do This Arms?

2009-02-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

My legs and calves have created a legacy for themselves. What can I say? I am a Sagittarius, and I love to work on my lower body.

However, I recognize my upper body needs to fall in line. Your arms and shoulders help to drive your legs, and in my line of duty, leg driving is a must.

Therefore, push-ups, curls and all that other technical upper body training has been a staple in my workout routine. So how have the results fared? It seems like it depends on the day and the drill.

Today, I found myself in the middle of my last set of pull-ups thinking "Y did u do this arms?" My chin went from above the bar during reps 1-5, to the bar from reps 6-13 and below the bar from reps 14-20.

It was not a pleasing sight to behold and definitely not a pleasing experience for me.

I want to dedicate this post to those who are trying to have some semblance of upper body strength. It's not easy, but one day our arms are going to come through for us...

Dance Dance Revolution!

2009-02-20T09:39:00.000-08:00

For the last few weeks, I have been receiving a great deal of flack because I have not made an appearance during the Wednesday night training session. This training session was presented as an auxiliary option for those who want some extra cardio, footwork and hip work.

Don't get me wrong. I am all about extra credit when it comes to my training. However, this was a hip hop dance class. It was a bit concerning to me because there is a great deal of uncertainty when you put my trainer in a dance studio with 60 minutes of music. Are you breakin'? Are you doing backhand springs? It is a toss up with this guy.

The standoff reached a head last week. While I was in the pool preparing for the start of the water training, one of the athletes asked me if I was coming to the class. Everyone came towards me to hear my answer, and it wasn't the answer that they wanted to get. I had other plans. Immediately, I was falsely accused of providing lame excuses.

This Wednesday arrived, and I was determined to prove everyone wrong. I showed up to class. It was packed, and people were shocked to see me there.

The music began blasting out of the speakers. My trainer took his place at the front of the room, and we became those "video background dancers." It was hilarious when I was off beat. It was a hard work out, and as usual my trainer was dramatic. He stopped the third set to clear the mirrors when the fog prevented him from seeing himself.

If you find yourself in the A, swing by The Complex on Northside Drive on Wednesdays at 6:00. You may catch me get some extra hip work in to DJ Khaled's Go Hard...

For your entertainment, I came across a hip hop aerobics video that may spur you to action and give you some new vocabulary.....Enjoy!

Qatar is Fast

2009-02-16T16:04:00.000-08:00

This morning brought a pleasant surprise of yet another track workout. Our training utilized the hills and trees surrounding the area because it was being used by none other than members of the Qatar Olympic track team! Go figure. Chance encounters with international athletes are my favorite.

Although you missed the meeting, here are 5 Quick Facts about Qatar in case you have the good fortune too meet an athlete from this amazing country!

1. Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. It is located on a peninsula off the border of Saudia Arabia.
2. In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Qatar participated in one sport-track and field.
3. Qatar is the size of Hawaii.
4. Qatar has one of the best sporting systems in the world outside of the industrialized nations.
5. Qatar is considered an Olympic paradise because of its heavy investment in sports.

Parachutes Are Not For Babies

2009-02-16T15:26:00.000-08:00

This morning I found myself in the midst of an intense training session at the track. After our usual round of warm-up drills, we did several sprints. Everything was going really well, and I was pleased with my performance.

Since it was fairly warm outside, we had a couple of additional onlookers, a set of twins. They were being supervised (of course) and were busy engaging in a workout of their own. It included riding tricycles, running shorter distance sprints and climbing up and down small embankment adjacent to the track.

My final drill for the session was closer to the twins play area, but they were out of harms way--or so we thought. As I came to the home stretch of my last 100 meter sprint, my parachute swayed outside of the 8th lane and swooped up one of the twins as he was riding on his tricycle. Imagine the horror!

It happened so fast that when I felt the tug on my waist, this young man was already engulfed in a sea of navy blue nylon. It was a very scary ride, and lots of tears, apologies and first-aid checks were had.

Lesson: Place Ample Distance between innocent bystanders when running with a parachute. It is not for babies!

Only 4 Obama: Up 4 A Round?

2009-02-05T15:58:00.000-08:00

After possibly getting two hours of sleep, my friends and I slowly rolled out of bed to get dressed for the Swearing-In Ceremony. Our original plan to be at the subway station by 4 a.m. was definitely on the revision board after returning to our room at 2:30 a.m. from the Illinois Society Gala.

It was shortly after 5:00 a.m. when we boarded the train to head to our designated entry gate. We managed to calmly survive the crushing crowds on the subway platform to emerge into the cold, dark morning. Our goal was to make our way to the best possible spot in the unorganized crowd of people waiting for the security checkpoints to open.

As a way to pass the time, my friends and I made small talk and jokes. I had made up in my mind long before arriving in D.C. that I had planned to entertain myself by singing. (For the record, I don't have a particularly melodic voice.)

In order to get my other friends on board, I suggested that a song was in order. I reiterated that I am a fan of the round. It was a technique that I learned in Music class while in grade school. One person or group begins the song. A few seconds later, others join in and ultimately by sheer luck they end up coming together at the end. Oddly enough, this type of singing fascinates. For once, my friend Tonya took the bait. She began singing the famed "This Little Light of Mine." I could not contain my laughter as I joined in. Apparently our entertainment was contagious because other voices began to join in. Before we knew it, a diverse group of silver gate ticketholders became a choir.

It was awesomely surreal, and Tonya was pleased with her contribution. I think I may suggest round singing more often. Who knows what may happen?

Only 4 Obama-Look Out Below! (Part 1)

2009-01-27T13:46:00.000-08:00

I am going to write a short entry series dedicated to the 44th President of the United States, Mr. Barack Obama. All of these entries are the experiences that I willingly subjected myself to in the name of the Ever-So-Poplar & Historic Inauguration. The situations brought out a range of emotions. Sometimes I cried. Other times I was shaken up. Overall, I had to laugh (to keep from crying)...Nevertheless, I wouldn't trade my time in DC for nothing. Hopefully, you too can get a bit of a laugh at my expense.

On Inauguration Day, it was cold. I was prepared but standing in one location for hours and hours eventually cooled my toe warmers. As a result, my lower legs were pretty much frozen solid by the time Mr. Obama took the oath of office. The crowds on this day were absolutely astounding. I had to get a picture, and some kind gentlemen offered to help me and my friend get up on a large cement partition to capture the spectacle. Let's just say that it was a challenge to maintain a steady foundation when one cannot feel their feet.

Once my friend hopped up on the partition to join me, she inadvertantly sent me back into the crowd! Fortunately, the men below were on alert. I know it had to look like a serious mess cause I couldn't do much to brace my fall. Not to be deterred from the ultimate goal, my male supporters coaxed me back to returning to the partition to get some images of a lifetime. It was worth it fall and all--Only 4 Obama! (image coming soon)

The Early Bird Is At the Head of the Line

2009-01-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

I have to be frank. I really want to sleep in today. It is MLK Day and I have to brave the cold to get my tickets to the swearing-in ceremony. My original plan was to be posted out front of the Cannon Building by 8 a.m. Unfortunately, it just isn't really possible.

My last entry was written in the midst of a dense haze of utter sleepiness so I had to get in a few extra minutes. Afer securing my tickets, I want to eat breakfast, do a Service Day project, get a nap, eat again and then begin preparing for the Illinois Society Gala tonight...

What time did Porter and I get to the Capitol? At 9:30! Crowds of people were everywhere. Porter saw that one door was admitting people much quicker so we took our place in front of two gentlemen from Florida. Although we were not at the head of the line, we were way ahead of the other 235,000 people!

To pass the time, Porter and I began snapping pictures and making jokes. Why not? How often do you get to pick-up swearing-in tickets. One thing is for sure we are going to revise our arrival plans for the Inauguration Ceremony. It was apparent in people's faces that they were surprised that the lines were so long before the 10:00 a.m. designated pick-up time.

Lines and cold weather are going to be our BFFs this weekend so I might as well make peace with it and enjoy the adventure!

(Image on the way)

Are You Headed In the Right Direction?

2009-01-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

I have been missing for a couple of days, but I have a good excuse. I have been feverishly preparing to go to DC for the Inauguration. Between workouts and cold weather planning, my compass has been focused on heading north.

Now that I am settled in Dupont Circle with my long time travel partner (Porter), it became readily apparent today that this is a weekend where people will be required to know where they are heading.

Around 3:30 a.m. this morning, I was driving the first leg of our nine hour road trip. It so happened and a car seemed to be heading in the wrong direction on the highway. Upon further inspection, the car made a sharp turn and moved to the side of the interstate. It became quickly apparent that the front end of the car was smashed in and smoking. Intoxicated perhaps? Sleep at the wheel? We were not certain, but we made sure to notify the authorities to ensure that this driver was able to receive some assistance to get going in the right direction.

Less than seven hours later, I found myself scrambling on the streets of our nation's capitol trying to determine an alternate route to my mapquest instructions. It appears that the road closures are occuring a little earlier...Eventually, patience and lots of good fortune prevailed as we found our way to our Dupont Circle hotel.

Not even this small hiccup could cause us to skip out on yet another opportunity. Standing in a sea of hundreds of thousands of people, my friend and I listened to an array of artists share the history of individuals who, representing the interests of the common good, seized their chance to move our country in the right direction.

My weekend in DC has just begun. Who knows how many more times I will get turned around? One thing is for sure. We each have the chance to conduct small acts to move the needle. Take the opportunity tomorrow to participate in National Service Day. As this past election has shown, every individual when acting for a collective cause can take us farther North!

A Little Extra Goes A Long Way

2009-01-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

Would you like to make some more money? Do you desire to make the team? Is your desire to get back to your fighting weight?

Whether we want to admit it aloud or not, we all have goals. I happened to be working on one specific goal in training this morning. A new year has brought a few new changes in my training routine.

A more intense routine brings with it an ever increasing desire to savor those 15 second rests in between drills. No such luck. In 08', I had a squat stance during these rest periods. It served two purposes. I could keep stretching my knee while getting a good breather so I could hit it again.

Today, there was several public vetos of my rest posture. "Get up Qiana!" (My friends will tell you that I am not a fan of public reprimands.) "Get up Qiana!" (I am just trying to catch my breath responsibly and without bending over.) "Get up Qiana!" (My knee is still a little tight because of the cooler weather.)

All of these silent thoughts were meaningless because I didn't want to hear my name being called again. Also, I knew, if I sucked it up and created a new habit of keeping a standing posture during these intense workouts, that it would pay off in the 88th minute of a hard game.

For the last two years, I have heard one of my trainers say that the details add up.

Take a look at your goals for this year. Figure out what extra small steps you can take and do them. You will be amazed at how these little actions will carry you a long way!

What Does 2009 Have In Store For You?

2008-12-30T13:50:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 5:00 a.m. this morning to the tune of ESPN's Sportscenter. It was not my intent to fall asleep with the light and tv on, but we all fall short of the glory on one or two ocassions...

This morning I penned the last entry in my fuschia, flower journal while watching the breaking news from the Dallas Cowboys fallout.

As an FYI, I have been writing in this journal since December 6, 2006, and I had only half of a page to recant my thoughts for December 30th. How interesting that I completed this private detailing of the last two years of my journey two days short of the 2009 year?!?

For a little fun, I reread the first entry, scimmed some entries in the middle and laughed at how much has happened. I quickly came to the realization that a new journal was a signal (literally and figuratively) that I am going to begin a new chapter of my glamorous soccer life.

However, I was slightly annoyed that I couldn't include the 31st in this book. Why should the events of the 30th and 31st get grouped with the new adventures of 2009? I didn't question the reasoning for long because I laid down my pen and went back to sleep.

A few hours later, I arrived at my training facility. I spoke briefly to the building custodian before placing a call to one of the trainers to determine if training had been cancelled. Much to my surprise, there was a miscommunication and training would be taking place at Apollo Creed Alternate Ending's House

*Apollo Creed Alternate Ending is the head trainer. I gave him this nickname for his zealous workout regimen and his classification as an athletic builder and not athletic trainer...*

Anywho, I knew what this training would entail-the woods or should I call it the animaless jungle. This place behind his house is a mini-wilderness complete with running paths (not smooth or clear), tires, a creek and slippery hills-all of which are incorporated into the workout. I have only had one jungle workout, and the story of that workout is an entry by itself....

I arrived, and the usual group of athletes were ready to go. We laced up our cleats, and followed Apollo CAE as he ran to the trees. At some point during the workout, Apollo CAE announced, "This is the year to produce. I am going to be all over you this year!"

His detailed explanation of his expectation (much of which will not be typed here) for the attendees (and me specifically) could be heard as Apollo CAE ran the hills, as I ran the hills and as we all suffered under the pain of the workout. With Apollo's harsh warnings and countless numbers of different hill runs completed, the group ran up the embankments, jumped downed tree branches, tapped through tires to the entryway to the promiseland-the end of the trail.

Today, I received an introduction to my new year. Come on in 2009. I am ready.

Left Behind

2008-12-29T11:50:00.001-08:00

Have you ever loved something or someone so much that you had to run out and leave? I have.

These experiences almost always center around food. For the record, I have a love affair with certain food groups. It is an off and on sort of thing because I am pretty disciplined when it comes to my diet.

However, I go home for the holidays and the fried chicken, cakes and pies look so seductive. My aunt offers me some delectable German chocolate cake. My aunt's sister makes these out-tha-box pound, red velvet and italian cream cakes. Who can pass that up? Then, my mama tries to send me home with a whole pumpkin pie and a box of ginger ales!

Each moment I savor a good seasoned thigh or mouthful of dessert, I spend 5 minutes reflecting on how many abs I need to do or how much I can run to temper the sluggishness of my next workout with my trainers...

By the time Friday came, I was frantically trying to pack up my car and get thee out of my hometown lest I be accosted by another restaurant invitation or piece of dessert.

About 5 miles into my getaway, I realized that I had left the remaining pieces of my italian cream and pound cakes behind. I was distraught, but I refused to turn around. My determination to get out, with just a whole pie and the ginger ales, was just too strong. Sometimes you have to cut your losses. For me, the cake had to get left behind...

P.S. Cake Update: "Your loss was our gain. Your grandmother and I ate the cake," said my mama.

Unicyclists Unite!

2008-12-22T14:20:00.000-08:00

What is something that people would be surprised to know about you? I was in the midst of conversation with a guy yesterday. He was giving me an overview of his top gifts of Christmas past.

As he ran down the list, one gift in particular stood out like a sore thumb. It was a unicycle. I must admit, as he ran through all the details of how he was introduced to this mode of transportation and the finer points of unicycling, I was still stuck on the fact this guy was a unicyclist.

I do tend to surround myself with a colorful cast. Therefore, I shouldn't be surprised at this little known fact about this guy. I pondered how many people, outside of the kids on his block in the BK, knew they worked alongside a passionate unicyclist....

Today-I want to salute and unite all unicyclists. If you are not utilizing this talent in some form of the traveling entertainment business, please don't keep this skill hidden from the rest of us. Bring that one-wheeled apparatus out and show the world a few tricks!

Do You Read What They Write?

2008-12-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

One day a reporter may ask me, "Do you read the articles that they write about you?" I will have to admit that I do--or did--because I just finished reading the cover story for this week's Creative Loafing Charlotte article about my journey into a life filled with workout clothes, trainers (some pretty hot) and soccer balls..In case you want to check it out. Here is the link. Enjoy!

http://charlotte.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/south_by_south_america/Content?oid=487805

MY BIRTHDAY WAS ALL CUPCAKES!!!

2008-12-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

My birthday was so sweet and included a cupcake taste test. We pit Henri's bakery against A Piece of Cake bakery. The cupcakes were judged on a number of criteria (size, aroma, design and taste). It was a hard fought battle, but I am proud to announce that Qiana's 2008 Birthday Contest Winner is A Piece of Cake.

Just the picture of a cupcake makes my mouth water and ignites an urging to run up Roswell road before closing time to snag one more cupcake...Alas, I ask everyone to join me in giving kudos to our winner!

WE'VE BEEN SET UP!!

2008-12-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

Although I can't go into the details, I participated in, what was supposed to be a professional and amicable business meeting on yesterday. This meeting took place in my residence. For a brief time, the meeting participants were dispersed in different areas of my condo and a nearby area. All of a sudden, I hear someone repeatedly scream, "We've been set-up! We have been set-up!"

At this point, do the ATF, FBI or CIA knock down the doors, remaining walls and drop in from the ceiling? Fortunately, the answer is No. However, this announcement SOUNDED like a narcotics deal gone wrong...

It was truly a scene to behold--almost incredulous if you will...this outburst definitely deserves a blog post and a carefully chosen image..Enjoy!

Facebook: No Stone is Left Unturned

2008-12-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

Good Afternoon ladies, gents, rappers, athletes and beyond-

I recently joined a slew of social networks. I do want to connect with the world. However, I have come to a shocking conclusion. There are so many ways for people to find you if you have a public page.

For example, the long lost high school classmate can happen upon you because you are on your bff's page; or, after feeling pressured into accepting an 6 degree associate's friend request, they now know all of your profile musings and throwback comments from friends recollecting a time when you decided to Get Low at the party....or, one can begin to learn how "multi-faceted some 6 degree associates' interests are--a little uncomfortable and personal if I should say so myself...

Nonetheless-this is what I have signed up for--questions about my personal business from people who otherwise couldn't corner me in a room to get it...And my fellow Facebook fans, you have signed up for it too--unless you know some secret way to keep those newsfeeds private on a public profile (and if this is the case--get at me)

Perfect Timing!

2008-12-11T05:40:00.000-08:00

Everyday I have a plan of action that is accompanied by a to do list. My goal is to stick to the list and accomplish the tasks so that I can start it all over again on the next day.

Is it common for me to wake up and begin knocking out the items on the list? I would have to say about 65% of the time the answer is Yes. However, the remaining 35% of the time I am dealing with the unexpectancies of life. For a long time, it would annoy me to have schedule changes. Fortunately, I got smart and realized that the additions and revisions to my daily routine are not the enemy.

On yesterday, I had a plan of action that had a component which did not take into account the possibility of torrential rain and a tornado advisory. The item was left unchecked, but it was quickly replaced with a really important and (of course unplanned) errand.

Now, this errand was a favor to someone who is ultra near and dear to my heart. This person had been trying to obtain a very important set of items for most of the 2008 year, and most people would've concluded that it was a deadend situation.

Have you ever experienced a situation that you thought would be resolved, but took its sweet time to come to its conclusion? Well, I definitely can rattle off a few personal scenarios.

The long awaited pick-up reminded me that these schedule hiccups are merely perfect timing mechanisms. I can't even imagine what my trip to Brazil would have been like if I had gone for only two weeks in 2006 as opposed to 5 months in 2008. Believe me it was a long wait, but during that two year period, I had the opportunity to develop tremendously athletically and personally.

So now we find the Arena League in a serious operation reflection and people stressed about the lack of stability in their way of life. We can choose to spend the days, months and (possibly) years all wound up for naught.

Keep being persistent. Keep preparing yourself. Keep getting ahead of the curve. One day you will see that the seeming "pause" was only perfecting time operating to put ahead on your path to a greater experience than you imagined!

Clearing Boxes

2008-12-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

I decided to take last week off from training to give myself some much needed rest. When I returned from Rio, I did not really take any time off so I was overdue for a break.

Although sleeping later was a nice treat, I have to admit that I had an undercurrent of anxiety over my return from the Thanksgiving break. My physical trainer(s) always provide me with challenging workouts, and I never know what the workouts will consist of from day to day.

When I walked in the door on Tuesday, the plyometric boxes, ladder and hurdles were already arranged. I warmed up for a few minutes on the bike, and then we got started. Once my training session began, it was fast. We moved quickly between the two rooms and I started to feel like I had too much fun over the holiday week.

As a result, my trainer began heckling me with "What did you eat Qiana? Too much turkey! Too much Blue Bell ice cream! Too much cake!" I replied, "Pumpkin pie" after restarting a botched drill on the ladder.

We moved back to the other room so that I could do my next set of box jumps. The box jumps are my least favorite. I think this is due to the fact that these boxes are wooden and I have seen many a strong athlete and trainer misjudge the height or timing of their jumps and take an L (i.e. Loss).

Now since my time at the gym, I have only scraped the front of my leg on the tallest box. However, we were not jumping the tallest box, but the other three, so I was pretty confident that once I moved past the taller box I could breeze through the other two. The drill was a continual jumping from the box to the ground up to the next box and squatting to pick up a bowl and the end, turning around to jump the boxes back to the other end to squat and place the bowl on the floor.

I had about 6 to 8 bowls to jump the boxes to retrieve and return to the other end so I had about 36-48 jumps to do for each set. Keep in mind that I had to jump the boxes facing forward, jumping sideways from the left and jumping sideways from the right. I had lots of box jumps on my agenda to say the least.

My legs were feeling heavy, and I was in the midst of my 2 second set of box jumps. Facing to the left, I jumped on the tallest box and leapt off to the ground so that I could jump the second box. Well, my mind was on auto-pilot and my legs were hanging low so when I tried to clear the box, it didn't go as planned to say the least. The foot clip, the lower body box collision and my tumble to the floor were all a blur.

I sat for about 5 seconds in bewilderment. The box was unmoved, but I had to experience a different fate. Well, I got back up and restarted the jump series with a new concentration to say the least.

Unfortunately, I have been added as the latest victim in the Box Clearing series....

Giving Thanks For My Grandmama

2008-12-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

I am not exactly sure how you gave thanks, but I definitely can give you an inside peek to my Turkey Day offering. It all began a few hours before the big day when I was informed that the local family church would be having an early morning Thanksgiving Day service.

Since this was not something I knew about, I showed up the following morning in a pair of jeans, Nikes and a t-shirt with a black ski vest. I think many people didn't get the Thanksgiving service memo because there were about 15 people sprinkled about the church pews.

The service was going right along as planned when an unexpected announcement came. The assistant pastor announced that the youth choir would sing a selection. My sister, a member of the youth choir, looked quite shocked because there were only two members of the choir present. However, this didn't derail the efforts for a selection. As my sister began making her way to the front, an undercurrent of whispers ensued. Before I knew it, my grandma turned around and said, "Qiana, go on up there and sing."

Now, I am the first to tell you (among others) that I have not been granted the gift of song. Moreover, I am not a member of the youth choir, and I didn't know the song selection.

However, who says no to their grandmama? So you know what happened. I went up to the front, received a copy of the song from my mama who was on the church keyboard and began my best in tune rendition of "God Can?." I will just say that at least half of the congregants laughed (including myself) and my grandma was beaming from ear to ear.

Who could not like that? Giving thanks for my grandmama by singing was not on my agenda this year, but I will admit the big hug and good job that she gave me was well worth it.

Be An Entertainer: It May Just Save Your Life

2008-12-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

In the midst of feverishly working, I happened to see quite a bit of Britney Spears' new documentary. I enjoyed it because it gave me the opportunity to hear some new songs, one of which is called "Circus."

The first line of the song happened to catch my attention because it goes something like,"there are two types of people in the world-those who entertain and ones that observe." I believe that there is a lot of truth to this first line, and then I realized that, in fact entertainers are considered to be by default of celebrity, public recognition etc. to be leaders.

There is a whole area of media dedicated to keeping up with what these individuals are doing, eating, wearing and buying. As a result, entertainers have the power to influence the rest of the world (i.e. observers).

Sometimes there is a misconception about entertainers (i.e. celebrities). Some people think that they are different than you and I. However, the difference between their elevated status and ours may simply reside in their continuous action to do a little extra, take a stand on an issue or be persistent.

These are three actions that each of us is capable of, and I am soliciting you for your call to action. Today is World Aids Day, and I want you to be an entertainer. Take the extra effort to get tested, take a stand to always practice safe sex and persist in letting people know the importance of doing their part. It may just save your life!

When Are You Going to Get Married?

2008-11-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

I was juggling my ball around 2:20 p.m. when a young girl, age 7 to be exact, decided that she wanted to learn how to pass the ball with me. Ms. Melissa (as her mother calls her) informed me that she is home schooled, loves the American Girl web site and has a new dog named Mia Romaria Miles.

As we kept trying new and creative ways to twirl around the ball before making a pass to one another, she asks, "When are you going to get married?" I paused for a minute, and I told her that I just didn't know but I would add it to my list of things to do....

This marriage business must be pretty serious if 7yr olds have joined in the ranks. Although I can think of many fun reasons to not take that long walk down the aisle today, I am going to refrain and just shout out all the Single Ladies with this image!

Bom Dia Futebol!

2008-10-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

I Won!!!

2008-09-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, all signs were looking a little bleak for my gas efficient car in my lovely community. Literally every gas station was out, and the one or two that still had some gas, had lines down the street.

I didn't bother to join the crowd because I thought I had enough to hold me...until I realized that my gas was leaving my tank faster than ever. I had to come up with a plan that didn't include wasting the remainder of my gas going from station to station. So, I decided that I would call gas stations before I left to go to my workout this morning.

I thought this was pretty clever, and it paid off! No lines. Enough gas. I am saved! However, I was at the pump by 6:10 a.m.

Let's hope we get some gas in here soon because I do not want to have to get up any earlier than my 7:00 a.m. morning workouts allow...

Everyday I Learn Something New

2008-09-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

I made a spur-of-the-moment trip to see my mama and sister in South Carolina. It was so unplanned that I didn't think of the idea to pay them a visit until the midway point of the conversation.

About fifteen minutes before I completed my winding path through the countryside, I noticed a road sign that read "Highway Closed Ahead." Well, this was the only way that I knew how to get to my town so I kept driving. Much to my surprise, and believe me I was surprised, there were huge tractors, trucks and other miscellaneous people and equipment destroying the bridge.

I had a slight moment of panic. Should I go back home?

Now, this was not an option because with the price of gas, and investment of time, I had to out a new route. However, I didn't know one. I managed to happen upon a small business. In less than 3 minutes I was speeding down some side road that brought me to the other side of the bridge.

Lesson #1: Now, I know two ways to get back to the interstate.

After a short day stay with my mama and sister, I needed some gas. Who doesn't need gas these days? My mama directed me to the best gas station in town, and I paid my tariff, tax and fee. I put the nozzle in the tank, and the gas wouldn't come out! I let out a scream of disdain, and then I turned to a man who just pulled up to the gas station.

Can you help me? The gas doesn't want to come out. The man told me to make sure that I don't have the pump too deep in my gas tank. Jackpot!!! In my tenure as a driver, I have not ever committed this act before.

Lesson #2: Make sure you do not place the nozzle too far into your gas tank. Otherwise the flow of gasoline will be hindered substantially.

Prior to leaving my mama, she packed me a lovely care package. It included a rutabaga.

Do you know what a rutabaga is? Don't fret. Most of my friends have not heard of a rutabaga, and until today, I was not entirely sure about the spelling. However, a rutabaga is a turnip. It is a round, reddish turnip with an orange inside. They sell them at some Wal-Mart's for $0.50.

Anyway, my mama gave me a primer on cutting it. You take one large knife and place it on the center of the rutabaga. Then, you take another knife and bang it on the handle of the first knife until it goes all the way through the center of the rutabaga. It is a time honored technique that my grandmama uses because rutabagas are so hard to cut.

I announced to my mama that I think that I can peel one. Will tradition hold up or be replaced by a new, easier peeling technique? I am not sure, but whatever happens, it will be something new that I have learned......

The Days Never Change

2008-08-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon. I must say that it has been quite some time since I have provided you with a dose my world perspective. It seems that I have been living my life on the Autobahn once I returned from Rio. Consequently, my roadshow came to an abrupt halt when I developed some "random" respiratory matter...

I was not pleased to say the least, and it is probably safe to say that my neighbors were not pleased as well. However, what can you do? I have to cough. These throwback walls from the 70's just don't have the necessary insulation, and so my coughing fits had to be heard by all. In exchange, it seems that I hear my neighbor's business as well so I feel that it is a trade (one that may not be as even...but I am not going to complain :))

Anywho, one day while quarantined in my bedroom, I flipped through the channels and stumbled upon that storied soap opera called Days of Our Lives. This soap opera was must see tv in my house for at least 40 years, and I was an addict.

At the height of my addiction, my five year old sister would call me and give me the low down (verbatim) of what happened on the episodes that I missed! We had the Days bug bad...Well, I began to watch, and much to my surprise all of my favorite characters are still on the show, doing the same thing. I have not missed anything! Stefano is trying to capture Marlena. Marlena tried to kill Stefano. Everyone thought Stefano was in a coma, but he was not! Oh the drama continues. I admit they had me for about two episodes, but I can't fall victim because I know what is going to happen. The strange twist is that somehow these writers make you want to keep watching like something different just might happen this time...

Now on a less dramatic note, I have quite a few adventures to catch you up on so stay tuned.

Until then-"like sands in the hour glass so are the days of our lives.."

NFT: The Good Life-Royal Treatment

2008-05-31T05:20:00.000-07:00

My new favorite restaurant is Pap Açorda. It is a churrascaria (food buffet where your food is weighed) that also serves an all you can eat pizza buffet. The claim to fame for the pizza buffet is that they have over 150 toppings for their pizzas. (For the record, I do not order the pizza buffet. I did see this outrageously topped pizza that had thick, French fries falling off of it!)

My enchantment with this restaurant is that they have some rotisserie chicken that is more outrageous than that pizza I described. It is dee—lish-ous!! I eat my chicken with salad, rice, beans, spinach, cooked carrots.

It appears that my nickname is Solzinha (single female) or Solzinha Flamengista (Single female Flamengo fan) because I have heard managers and owners refer to me as such. Well, when I, Solzinha, step into the restaurant, the production begins. A waiter takes my bag and escorts me to my usual table in front of the flat screen. If a big game is on, they turn to the channel. When I return to my table, my bread basket, water (without ice) and chair is in place. I am scooted in, and my table is constantly circled. As of late, they have been sending over slices of their dessert pizzas (which are quite rich) and offered me a shot of chocolate (not a fan of the flavored alcohol shots…)

Although I get a mafia boss feel with the owners keeping an eye on me and everything else, I like this place and give it lots of thumbs up. If you are in Leblon, please stop by. The guys may not know all of your preferences because you are not Solzinha Flamengista, but you will be treated quite well!

NFT: The Good Life-Not Everywhere You Want to Be..

2008-05-31T05:19:00.000-07:00

Yogoberry seems to be the new “it” place to be. It was featured several times in MTV’s reality show The Hills. Yogoberry is a yogurt shop where you can put all sorts of toppings on your different, fruit flavored yogurt. I have not ever tried Yogoberry’s product offering, but I happened to pass a location while in Ipanema the other day. Here was my chance for a little nostalgic taste of “LA it.”

Unknown to me, the taste wasn’t going to happen on this particular day. Yogoberry in Ipanema does not accept Visa! I didn’t have any cash on me so we were at an impasse, and I haven’t gone back. Visa card members it is not where you want to be, but if you have some cash….you might just taste something worth talking about…

NFT: The Good Life-Back to Kansas

2008-05-31T05:15:00.000-07:00

After you run wild with your credit card in Shopping Leblon, you might still have an empty feeling inside. No, it is not the feeling of spending too much money. It is a feeling of “it would be nice to see what my favorite store is like in Rio.”

Don’t worry make-up fiends and Rick Ross Bosses, I have got you covered.

In case you need to gloss up those lips before you hit the beach or the discotech, I have located everyone’s trusty make-up Queen M.A.C.

For the others who want a luxurious rush that gets you noticed in Sandra Rose’s Photo montage of People with their Louie’s, I stumbled upon our favorite luxury provider Louis Vuitton. It is a must see if you are in Ipanema. The staff is divine!

NFT: The Good Life-Can You Deliver?

2008-05-31T05:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes after a long day at work or at the beach, you just want to stay in the house. However, you have groceries to buy, prescriptions to fill and take-out to order. No need to worry. You can pick up your phone and have everything delivered right to your doorstep. Most businesses (grocery stores, restaurants and consumer businesses) have deliverymen that, for a small fee, will delivery everything that you need right to your doorstep. If you are expecting a car or truck to show up, think again. Most of these deliveries are done by bicycle or motorcycle!

NFT: The Good Life-Fashionistas

2008-05-31T05:09:00.001-07:00

Ever since I had money in my pocket and a hand full of fashion sense, I have always brought home a souvenir from every city that I have visited. My souvenir is always a nice addition to the wardrobe. If you are like me and you want to pick up a few Brazilian souvenirs to commemorate your trip, ask the bus or taxi driver to point you in the direction of Shopping Leblon. In this multi-level mall, you will find lots of fabulous and unique stores. There is only one misstep. It is the Tommy Hilfiger store (the merchandising choices were shocking).

After you finish procuring enough fashion finds to stuff your luggage bag, head check out the fabulous city view from the food court, check out the hugely popular bookstore or catch your favorite movie. Shopping Leblon has it all!

NFT: The Good Life-Need A Lift?

2008-05-31T05:07:00.001-07:00

If you are living as a family unit in Ipanema or Leblon, it is a high probability that you are enrolling your filho or filha (son or daughter) in private school. Since school is only fours hours each day, it may be hard for you to transport them to school in time for class at 1:00 p.m. Don’t worry; many schools have private buses or vans that will scoop your kid(s) up from the nanny at your residence.

You have to admit. This looks a lot classier than that big yellow or short yellow (for some of you readers) buses that you used to ride to school…

NFT: The Good Life-Free Parking!

2008-05-31T05:04:00.000-07:00

Owning a car in Rio is an expensive undertaking. Due to the import taxes, cars cost the same as they do in America. However, the pay wage is much lower. Also, the cost of insuring a car is more expensive here as well.

If you find yourself one of the fortunate few and need a place to park when you run into your favorite Ipanema or Leblon location, do you need to pay for parking? The answer is Yes!

You will not find parking meters. There is a man or woman located in the vicinity of your parking location wearing a vest that reads “Estacione.” This is the person that you need to pay. Otherwise, if you make the choice to skirt the law, I can’t tell you the consequences. However, I doubt that they are pretty…

Not For Tourists: The Good Life…

2008-05-31T05:01:00.000-07:00

Many Brazilians would agree that the residents of Ipanema and Leblon are living the good life. Currently, I have the good fortune to be temporarily living in Leblon. I will admit that the Leblon/Ipanema area does have its perks. This latest installment of the Not For Tourists blog series is packed with tons of pictures so each highlight is written as an individual entry. Enjoy!

My Feet Are Precious

2008-05-31T05:00:00.002-07:00

I know that my feet are precious. However, if my feet could talk, they would probably say otherwise. Sometimes, I subject them to unnecessary and stressful conditions. (As a self-labeled fashionista, there is nothing more exhilarating than to slide my feet into a serious pair of hot stilettos.)

After my ACL reconstruction, I decided to make a compromise with my feet. Only under the following conditions would I tip in a pair of potentially painful shoes:

1. If a circumstance requires calf flexion and quad display. (these situations do exist)
2. If an outfit will be compromised by wearing flats.
3. If I can quickly interchange the “selected shoes” at a moment’s notice with a more agreeable pair.

So my stiletto struts are kept to a minimum. Therefore, it is common to find me all over the place (club, mall, street, etc.) in some extra hot kicks, sandals or flats. So I shouldn’t encounter any problems, right? Well, not exactly because, all of the “sandalistas” out there know, certain sandals will turn on you if you put to many miles on them at a time.

On yesterday, I felt that my feet were long overdue for some TLC. I selected a pair of cute sandals to make the quite lengthy trek to the nail shop and over to my teammate’s boutique for a little “souvenir shopping.” I glanced down at the intricate braiding at the top of my sandal, and had a thought that perhaps it may cause a problem for me. However, I quickly dismissed it because the sandals were too cute and I wanted the world to see them. (This would be their Rio debut.)

To make a long story short, there was some irritation during my journey. This irritation turned to a few blisters which became even more aggravated during my individual training sessions because I shoot, juggle and pass balls without shoes on.

I tried a band-aid but it won’t stick. It does not feel or look pretty.

As of Wednesday, May 28, 2008, I promise to treat my feet properly in word and action. From this day forward, I am taking all precautions regarding my feet. This includes using the correct ball (beach soccer) when I am juggling barefoot in my spare time (which was wreaking havoc of a different kind (but that is content for a separate entry) and adhering to the limitations of the shoes that I wear.

Fighting Words

2008-05-31T05:00:00.001-07:00

One day during the 2007 Women’s World Cup, I was watching a game between China and another team. The commentator was detailing a story about one of its key players who was on suspension by FIFA for attacking a referee. I remember thinking what could make someone get crunk enough to fight an official?

Well, I gained a little more insight on this matter. We had a game today, and the match referee was serious business. (For example, one of our players received a yellow card for moving the ball ahead of the indicated spot to take a free kick.) Now, I was surprised at the call, but she was well within her right to do so. It was apparent that she strictly interpreted the laws of the game.

The game progressed with the referee stopping the game, from time to time, for a series of infractions. On one particular call against a player on the opposing team, the player was not pleased with the fact that she was called for a foul in the penalty box. A word exchange ensued between the player and the referee. Before we knew it, the player lunged at the referee to try and fight her. Fortunately, teammates restrained the player in time (she was quickly ejected from the game). It was quite a spectacle.

I am thinking that the fight triggers could be one or a combination of the following: the whistle, the word falta (foul) or the yellow card.

I really don’t understand what a player hopes to gain from fighting a referee. Anyone who can give me an answer, feel free to comment!

Your Bumper, Your Fault

2008-05-31T04:59:00.000-07:00

It was a long day at training yesterday. Our session ran long, and I had to wait to receive my uniform for the next day’s game so I was trying to catch the first bus heading to Leblon. Just as I crossed the street to head to the bus stop, I noticed a Leblon bus approaching. I quickly hopped on, checked the time and hoped that I would at least make it to my fallback dinner restaurant in time to catch the first half of my favorite novella Duas Caras (Two Faces).

Since it was after 8:00 p.m, the bus crowd was quickly thinning out. The bus was moving pretty quickly and I was glad. The last thing that I wanted was to be making the quick (yet dark) walk to my place of residence. About half way through the route, I heard the bus driver yelling as we crossed through an intersection. It was followed by a loud noise, a slight jolt and then we stopped. I thought to myself, “I hope we didn’t hit anything because I don’t want to draw out my trip to Leblon any longer.

Unfortunately, the bus hit the back of a new pick up truck. The bus driver was angry because according to him the driver of the truck caused an unnecessary accident. Of course, the driver thought otherwise and had a demolished back bumper to show for it.

The toll lady told me and the other passenger that we would have to catch another bus. We both were heading to Leblon so we patiently waited for another bus and watched as the two men argue their stances on the accident to one another. Eventually, the driver of the pickup realized that he would have a series of financial repercussions because he was at fault in the accident, and he decided that the police did not need to be called.

The cars stopped honking their horns and everyone went back to their respective places on the same bus so we could continue our journey to Leblon. For precautionary purposes, the lady took my contact information in case I suffered any medical problems from the accident.

Fortunate for me, the situation was cut and dry. Your bumper, Your fault!

Meet the Son of the Sun

2008-05-31T04:54:00.000-07:00

Every morning that I have a training session with Paulinho, I try to arrive as early as possible. Usually there is a scrimmage taking place between the pupils of his soccer school. These boys, and on occasion one or two girls, look to be between the ages of six and eight years old.

Unlike many of the games that I have watched in the U.S., these kids display technical flair and a tactical understanding of how and where to pass and play the ball. It is never a dull moment. Sometimes, Paulinho allows some younger players to participate. It is quite evident that these boys are around four or five years old. However, there is one kid that stood out.

This little boy had a really cool haircut (It is the Mohawk that you see a lot of the soccer players and musicians wearing right now.), and he was directing his teammates on the plays. I could not help but laugh because this kid knew what he was talking about, and he was placing the ball perfectly.

A few training sessions later, I was in the middle of a shooting drill with Paulinho, and I could not help but hear a loud echo of Paulinho’s comments. There was a yell of “Boa (Good)!” and “Isso (this)!” when I would place the balls perfectly in the corners. When my balls would graze the bar or slightly fly past the goal, I would hear “Aww!”

I looked up, and sitting Indian style on the top deck of the lifeguard platform, was the little Mohawk boy. I started laughing, and he just smiled. Paulinho’s assistant, who is a goalie for Paulinho’s women’s beach soccer team, informed me that the mini-coach was in fact her son, Kuaun.

Kuaun, whose name translates to filho do sol (Son of the Sun), is five years old. He is hands down one of the cutest and funniest little boys in the world. To make it even better, it appears that he has a lot of soccer experience under his belt already. The world should get ready for the Son of the Sun.

Until then, Kuaun is content diving to block shots, crossing balls to his teammates, yelling encouragements to me during my training and riding in the backseat on his mom’s bike down the beach boardwalk. The Son of the Sun has a busy schedule, but he was kind enough to pose for a few shots for the camera. Enjoy!

Where Has the Time Gone?

2008-05-31T04:49:00.001-07:00

Your guess is as good as mine. I looked up the other day and realized that I have been so busy that I have not posted an entry in three weeks! Sinto muito (I´m sorry). I have been hard at work behind the scenes making sure that you know what is going on with me in Brazil. I am going to post another Not For Tourist series of entries as well as many others.

For those of you that registered to be notified when I post new entries, I am apologizing in advance because I am going to try and load over 12 entries in the next couple of days....It should be enough reading to keep you entertained for at least the next week (if you pace yourself)!

Nice To See You Today!

2008-05-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

I received a text message at 7:50 a.m. notifying me that our training time would be an hour earlier. The professional men´s team, Sport Club do Recife, would be using our training location to prepare for their championship match against Botafogo on Saturday.

Now, I had just watched these guys play on television a few days ago. I was pretty intrigued that I might get an upclose opportunity to watch these guys practice.

Fast forward to 3:55 p.m. I am playing defense in our scrimmage, and there is a line of guys leaning on the wall surrounding the field. Who are these guys? They are the jogadors for Sport Club do Recife!!

We quickly wrap up our scrimmage, and watch the guys take the field. There are camera truck(s), reporters and photographers. I get the opportunity to watch them warm-up, stretch and run through passing and possession drills.

I want to send out a good game wish to each and every player for Sport Club do Recife. It was nice to see you today!

My First Time: May 8, 2008

2008-05-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

Date: May 8, 2008

Time: around 10:30 a.m.

Location: Posto 11, Leblon Beach

I wonder how many people remember their first time. If you ask Puffy or Serena or Ronaldinho, would they be able to give you an answer?

I am not sure so, to give myself an off-site memory backup, I am giving myself an electronic reminder just in case this day happens to get buried underneath other, important first times.

I was in the middle of my training session with Paulinho. A gentleman on a bike yelled out to Paulinho, as so many people like to do. (Paulinho is a popular guy.) I noticed the guy seemed pretty average. However, he had an extra fabulous camera hanging around his neck. I did think it was slightly strange.

The guy yelled to Paulinho that he need stopped our drill too soon. Paulinho turns to me and says that the guy is a paparazzo. The photographer walks over to Paulinho and begins talking to him.

Eventually, the photographer, speaks to me and shows me a picture that he snapped of me during my workout. The guy hangs around for a few more drills, snaps some more shots and waves good-bye.

Well, it is official. I have had my first encounter with a paparazzo. He has taken my picture and he knows where to find me (at 10:30 a.m.). I hope one day he gets some good money for those images...

The $2.00 Lunch

2008-05-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

Did you spend go over budget on drinks at the club? Has the bank put a freeze on your card because you made too many purchases while on vacation? Are you that Gen X or Y, world traveler that is living on shoestring?

If you remotely identify with any of these scenarios and find yourself in the great city of Rio de Janeiro, I have a lunch deal for you.

Utensils: stove, knife, spoon, fork, three pots and dining dish

Ingredients:
onion 0.17R ($0.10)
carrot 0.16R ($0.09)
salt 0.05R ($0.03)
tomato sauce 1.08R ($0.64)
pasta 1.35R ($0.79)
French roll 0.50R ($0.29)

-Chop ½ of the small onion
-Chop ½ of the carrot
-Pour ½ of the tomato sauce into the pot. Add a little salt and the onion.
-Cook the pasta in the second pot.
-Cook the carrots in the third pot.
-Pour the water off of the cooked pasta and carrots.
-Mix the carrots and pasta with the tomato sauce

Lunch is served (with a fabulous piece of French bread)!

My Secret Weapon: The Extra Mile

2008-05-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

I like to ask questions. Anybody that knows me should have observed this by now. My questions are not random. They always have a point.

On one particular day, I was at my gym in Atlanta, and I was asking a fellow athlete a series of questions. This guy has played at the highest level in his sport, and alongside some great players. So I asked him to tell me his opinion of what makes an athlete a great athlete. He pretty much summed up a great athlete as a person that gets to the weight room early to get in extra reps and stays late to work on different aspects of their game. This person goes the extra mile.

I have always been a fan of the extra mile. As a result, I have been keeping an eye out for someone to direct my extra mile efforts. Yes, I run the beach. Yes, I juggle the ball. However, when you have someone pushing you, correcting small details and getting you lots of reps, it really elevates your game so that you can make your best contribution to the team.

Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Paulinho Pereira. Paulinho is an ex-player for Vasco da Gama. Vasco da Gama is one of the four major soccer clubs in Rio de Janeiro.
We had our first session this morning, and it was absolutely excellent. Our training session took place at the beach. Working out in the sand has several advantages.

1. It is harder to run in sand. Therefore, when you get back on grass you are must faster.
2. Working out in sand helps to keep your ankles strong.
3. You are forced to correct your touch on the ball. Since you are barefoot, a wrong touch will hurt your foot.

Today, we did a series of dribbling and shooting drills. All of the drills involved cones and incorporated a number of direction changes (backpedaling, shuffling and diagonal runs). It was a quick, hard workout. I am definitely looking forward to our session in the morning.

Missed That Memo

2008-05-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of weeks, the weather has been acting pretty strange. We have had lots of rain. It starts getting dark around 6:00 p.m., and I have had to pull out my jacket a time or two. Moreover when I was walking down the street yesterday, I saw a little girl wearing velvet!

I came home and asked my host to confirm my suspicions. Is summer over? He laughed and said it was over quite some time ago. We are in fall. This is news to my ears, and it makes me a little sad. Although I have officially been in Rio for three months, I do not feel as if I had my full summer in Rio experience!

Well, this calls for some action. From this day forth:
1. I will have to make sure to be cognizant of the weather forecast and take full advantage of every sunny day.
2. I vow to have my bikini on hand so that I can jump into the ocean at a moment’s notice.
3. I will comb the sales racks for summer clothes. I may make it to the U.S. just in time to have another summer!!! (I am smiling at the thought of feeling the humidity of Atlanta, and seeing the South Beach strip in Miami.)

Not For Tourists: 2nd Installment

2008-05-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a week, but this entry is worth the wait! This is the second installment for my Not For Tourists journal. This time I am focusing on a neighborhood that has become near and dear to my heart-Castelo. Enjoy!

Castelo, Rochina, Pauvuna-I am there.

After reading my Good Times entry, you have made the decision that you must spend a few days in Castelo, Rochina or some other favella that is near and dear to your heart. Your best bet is to have an established relationship with someone who already lives there. Trust me.

Are You Up for the Challenge?

This is an important question that you may want to ask yourself. During my short stint, I quickly came to the realization that favella life has physical requirements. Coordination, Agility, Balance were all tested during my stay.

· On numerous occasions, I had to hop over holes in the alleyways. Most of these alleys are hard dirt and intermittently covered with small wooden boards so the ground is not even and treacherous. At night (due to little or no lighting), if you don’t have good vision and footing, you may just take a tumble.
· Most of the favellas are built into the sides of the mountains. So you will be doing a lot of walking uphill. If the neighborhood that you are in is flat, you will still have to climb steep, cement staircases. Sometimes these staircases do not have railings. One false move and…I don’t want to paint that picture for you.
· It is common to come across large standing pools of water or trenches of water on your path. As we headed to training one day, we approached the main entryway of the house to see a large trench filled with water. The water pipes were being repaired or something. I had to carefully walk the trapeze to the end of the corner.
· There is usually a small wall dividing the main doorway to each residence. When we returned home from the club, there must have been some miscommunication on leaving the key for us to get in. Consequently, my hostess had to kick off her flip flops and quietly climb over the wall (about 6ft) to gently unlock the front gate to let us in.

Please Don’t Stop the Music!!

Rihanna’s song sums it up. You will hear music, and it will be loud. There are no noise ordinances here.

I Like Privacy

I like privacy as well. However, you are going to have to compromise. Depending on the way your residence is structured, you may have many places in your living quarters that are open to the entire world. For example, every morning people had the ability to watch me walk to and from the bathroom to handle all of my personal business. Due to the size and set-up of the bathroom, I was not able to get dressed there so…my shoulders and legs were free for the world to see! (I guess, when I am more famous, paparazzi will know where to get good pictures when I am partying in Castelo…) I, on the other hand, had the ability to see people cooking dinner, watching television and taking a bath.

I am not talking about open windows. Some residences lacked coverings for entry ways or window areas. It felt a little weird to be able to see all of these things, but the occupants seemed totally immune to it.

Meet the Locals

I would like to point you to a novella that I watch here every evening called Duas Carras (Two Girls). It is a soap opera that lots and lots of men, women, boys, girls, dogs, cats & birds watch Monday-Saturday at 9:00 p.m. The setting for this drama is a favella. Now, some of the details of this novella are a little over-the-top. However, the actors and actresses are a good reflection of the local population.

Ladies, there are a lot of guys who took the challenge to be physically fit to live in the favella. (Likewise gentlemen, there are ladies who are doing the same as well.) I was extremely pleased with the guys that crossed my path. They were running around carrying surfboards, riding motorcycles and waiting at the bus stop waving to me as I passed them by on the bus. It was quite entertaining.

I am sorry guys. As far as what the ladies were doing, I am not exactly sure. I will tell you that they were dancing hard in the club if that is any indication.

Pedestrians Take Heed

People commonly complain that driving in Latin America lacks a certain adherence to laws. My experience has found this to be quite true. Therefore, if someone is driving anything (bike, bus, car or motorcycle), please take heed and move as far away as possible. Wild driving, no sidewalks and dirt roads can spell disaster. For example, an oncoming car ran over a small portion of my foot while I was in Castelo. I think the driver ran over at least one other girl’s foot as well because she started yelling. Fortunately, it was only a small part of the tire and my foot was fine.

Wardrobe Check

I don’t have any tips on what you can do to blend in. I am starting to believe that no matter where you go people will be able to sniff a stranger out.

For example, when I bring my friends to Seneca, South Carolina they wonder why people stare. I tell them it is because people can tell they are not from Seneca. (It is actually reaching a point where I get a few stares sometimes.)

Now imagine trying to play chameleon in a Brazilian favella. It doesn’t matter if you speak the language or look the part. I have been working on the “blend-in” for the last 3 months…

Therefore, I am going to give you a couple of tips on what you can do to call less attention to yourself.

1. Leave all Jordans, Airforce 1s and rare sneakers at home. I took a prized pair of my kicks but they never saw one inch of Castelo. I realized that I had enough stares when I was staying in Copacabana. Plus, the grounds are too unpredictable to keep your kicks clean and it will send off an alarm that you are an estrageiro (foreigner) with cash. (In case you don’t know, tennis shoes are expensive here. They are selling non name brand sneakers for around $60 USD. Nike Shox start at $150 USD.)
2. Everyone wears the flat flip flops. However, most of the girls have at least one pair of the platform flip flops. They will save your feet when you have to step in puddles of water (inevitable when it rains).
3. Always good to take a look at the wardrobe of your host or hostess. This is an excellent indicator of the types of clothes that are commonly worn.

Follow Your Guide When…

1. You hear gunshots. If your friend is calm, follow their lead. Sometimes locals like to shoot in the air to start a party or to celebrate when the home team wins a match.
2. You see a fight. They are still using fists in Castelo. I am not sure what they are doing in other places. Therefore, if your friend stays to watch the bout, enjoy the entertainment also.
3. You see your friend immediately and/or random leaves a location. Don’t ask any questions. Just move. Usually it means that they are trying to move away from a potentially dangerous situation.

2,000 Words

2008-05-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

There is a common proverb that says "a picture is worth 1,000 words." This week has been a little hectic so I am going to give you a 2,000 words to hold you over until my next post--These are images before and after our physical training at Barra Tijuca Beach.

Good Times!

2008-04-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, I received an email that I need to move immediately out of my Copacabana location. On Friday, my bags were packed and I was ready to leave. On Saturday, I was supposed to move, but it didn’t quite come together. On Sunday, it was the last moment before I-don’t-know-what but I-didn’t-want-to-stay-to-find-out.

Since my new hostess was not ready for my arrival, I was instructed to go to Flamengo Beach to stay with a temporary host. Once I arrived (as I previously mentioned in an earlier entry), I was told that another teammate wanted me to come to her home for the 3-day holiday.

Why not go? For the entire week, a lot of my teammates had been asking if I would go out with them to Castelo. I didn’t know what Castelo was but I was waiting for the right opportunity to see as much of the local scene that was convenient to my training schedule. I told my “housing coordinator” that it was fine so he gave me directions. He ended our conversation by saying, “I was just over there the other night Qiana, and I felt safe…” This phrase did not register with me until I was about to arrive at my destination. Am I going to be staying in a favella?

The bus stopped and I hopped out in front of the nightclub Castelo Das Pedras. I called Teka (my teammate) and she walked from her house with our other teammate, Larissa, to come meet me.

Welcome to Castelo. I cannot tell you how many people live there or how much area is contained in the neighborhood. I think this place met all of the criteria for being classified as a favella. I immediately saw this “vacation” as an opportunity to understand how a majority of my teammates live, and observe if some of the things that I had seen (in movies and in the Brazilian soap operas) were true.

The trek to Teka’s home led us through the middle of an open market that was being deconstructed. There were lots of people, trash and confusion. However, everyone was going about their business at a fairly calm pace.

As Teka and Larissa maneuvered me through the crowds, we picked up Teka’s mama somewhere along the way. I spoke to three ladies (who I believed to be her friends). We turned into an alley, hung a left, went up about 15 tall concrete steps, stepped over a small wire partition and then up another 10 steps to the top landing. This area was partially covered (the clothes lines were in one area, a bathroom and then the doorway to Teka’s bedroom. To this day, I still don’t understand if their family lives in the entire concrete building or if they have certain rooms because everything is divided by the open stairway.

I will say that my understanding of life in Castelo (because I can’t speak for any other neighborhoods like this) seems to be a lot like that show, Good Times. Families are working hard trying to send kids to school and keep them out of trouble. You can get everything that you need and want in the favella. You never have to leave, and many times this is the case for a majority of the residents. Are girls walking around looking cute in their best outfits? Yes. Are guys walking around without shirts on looking like they just stepped out of a gym? Yes. Are people walking around having a great time? Yes. Now don’t get me wrong. There are some seriously down and out people walking around, but for the most part it reminds me of a larger, more developed U.S. housing project development.

My stay in Castelo was all Good Times and has made my list of top Rio highlights because of the following:

1. Teka has the softest bed in Rio.
2. Teka’s air conditioning unit knows how to keep a room cold.
3. Teka’s family is so nice, and Teka’s dad gave me a tour of his videography shop.
4. Teka’s mama knows how to cook. Her chicken, rice and beans are serious business.
5. Teka’s neighbor, Alex, came over every day to entertain me with conversations about American music, life in Castelo, etc.
6. Teka introduced me to Pao doce. It is some of the best bread I have ever tasted.
7 Teka took me to Castelo das Pedras. A club that rains fire sparks and mist on hundreds of dancing people at about 4:00 a.m.
8 At 5:30 a.m. the party continues outside of the club, and the police do not stop it.
9. At 5:42 a.m., there are still guys on the corner doing their best body rolling to Baile Funk music. It was good, but it gave me a lot of laughs.
10. After going to bed at 6:00 a.m., 5 or 6 teammates run into Teka’s room at noon to turn the Baile Funk music on high to restart the party. (It seems that they not have noise/music restrictions in Castelo).

A visit this sweet deserves a picture. Look at a piece of Pao Doce that I had a chance to eat!

I Just Want to Watch the Game

2008-04-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening, the coach reminded me that Brazil would be playing an Olympic qualifying match against Ghana this morning. My intent was to be front and center to watch this game uninterrupted from start to finish. Since the game was at 8:30 a.m., I figured that I could watch it at my usual breakfast spot, Zona Sul. They have a nice big, flat screen television. Although it was not guaranteed that the channel would be set to the game, I had a good feeling I could politely request a channel change.

I approached a guy who always works in the café area to inquire about watching the game. He happily agreed to change the channel. (Honestly, who would decline to showcase their country’s team engaging in competition at 8:30 a.m. on a Saturday?) Once we found the station, I decided to return the favor by loading up my plate with enough food to eat intermittently throughout the course of the game.

There were only a few customers sitting in the café area having breakfast when the game began. I did notice that there was a lady sitting at the next table. She was elderly, had on a cardboard, Indian headdress and was drinking a beer. Now, I thought to myself that this was not the time for me to pass judgment. I had a game to watch.

As soon as I finished my thought, the lady gets up from the table and comes over to me.

Lady: Esta chuvendo. (It’s raining)
Qiana: Um hum (with a smile) (the game has just started-so my eyes alternating between the lady and the screen)
L: Chuvendo…Chuvendo.(she switches to English)...Raining…Raining…
Q: Sim, Sim (Yes, Yes)
L: Where are you from?
Q: Estados Unidos (United States)
L: Sweden?!
Q: United States
L: Oh, you should keep your bag close to you. (My bag is directly in front of me on top of the table.)
L: It is such a beautiful bag. (She picks up my bag, rubs it and places in on her shoulder. (Please note that I am prepared to run this lady down if she tries to turn with my bag.))
L: You have to be careful because people will take it.
L: Today is the day of the Indian. I will get you a headpiece. (She leans over to my ear and whispers) I need to get nine more because I have 10 grandchildren and I want to give each of them one.

I received two minutes of peace before she returned.

L: Here. You can take this to America as a souvenir.
L: Do you like this sport? (Pointing to the television)
Q: Yes
L: You have nice legs. When I was your age, I had legs just like you. (The lady turns to a guy working in the café.) Do you know her?
G: No.
L: She is American. Look at those legs. I used to have legs just like her, but now I am older. Look at my legs!

Everyone is silent.

L: Are those your friends? (She is pointing to the Ghanaian soccer players on the television.)
Q: No
L: What do you think about Hillary Clinton and Obama?
Q: I think change is good.
L: I like Hillary. I do not know this Obama. Hillary is a lady, but she is like a man. I would vote for her. Change is not always good. I changed husbands. Do I make the right decision? I don’t know, but I am old now. When I was married to my first husband, I was thin and beautiful. Then my friend, she liked him too! I left him. I get new husband and I don’t know if I make the right choice. Change is not always good. (I would be curious to know if her 2nd husband felt the same way. You there are two sides to every story…)

I am silent. (When elders speak and I don’t know what to say, I usually go with silence.) During this time, the lady starts playing with my hair.

L: In Rio, we sit up straight. She proceeds to move my legs directly under the table and pulls my shoulders back. You know I come here every morning. (I make a mental note of the time.)
Q: Obrigada (Thank you)
L: Have fun in Rio, and be careful. (She straightens my shoulders one last time and hits me on the back.)

Well, she pretty much occupied the majority of the 1st half of the game. Fortunately, I was able to watch the remainder of the game in peace.

As a nice reward for my tolerance, I had a wonderful opportunity at practice later. Donda, a member of the 1st Brazilian Women’s National Team, was present at our training. She is in her 40’s (which I think they consider ancient here) and she went through the entire workout with us. During our scrimmage, she played on my team and she gave me a few pointers (in Portuguese of course). It was really amazing to see her move with the ball. This lady is tiny and fast. I mean how many people get to play alongside Brazilian National Team members? This moment was priceless!

I Stay Moving

2008-04-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

I know the posts have been slow lately. Last Friday, I received the news that I had to move from my Copacabana location. On Sunday, my bags and I moved quickly to Flamengo Beach. Upon arrival there, I was notified that I would need to temporarily stay (for the holiday) in Castelo das Pedras. Yesterday, I relocated (hopefully for the remainder of my stay) to a previous residence in Leblon. I stay moving! Until I can get situated and start writing about all of my activities, I have included a few pics from the places that I have been. The favella pics are representative of my time in Castelo. I made a conscious decision that I was not going to take pictures of the area (out of general respect--will explain in upcoming post). The last picture is of Barra Tijuca. On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to train at Barra Tijuca. It is a new development that is absolutely gorgeous! If you plan on coming to Rio, but you don´t want the hassel of Copacabana, I would suggest staying in this area. It looks like a newer Ipanema (in my humble opinion). Okay--enjoy!

Angel Award Recognition: Jersey City

2008-04-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

The ATC (American Tourist Club) can prove to be beneficial to those of us outside the circle, if you know the code. I hope that I have adhered to those guidelines (on this blog) while still providing my readers with a various tidbits of insight from its members.

My short life has taught me that you just never know who you may need one day. On Thursday, this was case. Although Sprint keeps sending me texts repeatedly telling me that I can call the US using a special number, this is not the case. Also, I couldn’t understand the automated operator when I attempted several calls to the US as well. I was in a tight bind. Fortunately, I remembered that an ATC member was residing on my floor.

I knocked on his door. He happily greeted me, and if he could help me operate my Claro phone. This gentleman had met me only 24 hours ago, but because of the unspoken American code, he extended his assistance.

I do not want to reveal the identity of this traveler, but any other ATC members that read this blog and know a travel veteran from Jersey City, let him know that he will be hearing from me very soon. I tried to stop by to return the favor, but I never could seem to catch up with him. Of course, the ATC is constantly moving—who stays in their apartment when they are on vacation in Rio de Janeiro.

Thursday, April 17th: My Angel Award goes to Jersey City. I have attached an image of White Manor Diner for your viewing pleasure. Thank you so much!

Men Talk

2008-04-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

I had the chance opportunity to see my interviewee walking down the street on the day of his departure. We exchanged pleasantries, and as we were conversing, another American man passed by us on the sidewalk. My interviewee stopped mid-sentence to say a few sentences to the guy. Being that I am inquisitive, I asked my interviewee if this gentleman was a member of his traveling party. My interviewee responded that he was not, but as a matter of course, the men all make a point to speak to one another.

On the next morning, I was heading out of my building when I passed by two gentleman from America. The men did not speak, but they did make a point of discussing (amongst themselves) the fact that I was American and I play soccer. I kept walking. It immediately became apparent to me that the cat was officially out of the bag.

One conversation with one American tourist was all that it took.

The following day during my afternoon visit to pick up an item or two from Zona Sul. I noticed that there was a table full of American tourists having pizza. When I passed by their table, one of the gentleman stopped me. He had not received the memo that I was American, but one of the other members quickly brought him up-to-speed. This guy had heard me speaking to my interviewee on the sidewalk a few days earlier. Had I ever met this guy formally? No, but I didn’t want to be outdone so I quickly informed him that I knew he was staying on the 9th floor in my building because his apartment appears to be an apparent revolving door for the American Tourist. The guy look taken aback but then commented that I was the “rude Brazilian” that would not speak to him on the elevator…Rude, quiet or merely observant-these adjectives are interchangeable depending upon whose side of the story that you get.

It is less than one week since my first meeting with a tourist, and I have been invited to sit down and have a conversation with four American tourists. I looked at my cell, checked the time and figured that this was an opportunity that I should seize. These guys were full of questions, and ready to provide me with a little more insight into the “American Tourist.”

Location: Zona Sul (Copacabana) Time: 15:20 Age Range: 35-50

Fast Facts:
· All of the men came alone. They did not come with a group of friends.
· All of these gentlemen are veterans to visiting Brazil.
· The gentlemen met on previous trips or during the current visit.

Initially, the guys put me on the hot seat. They were fascinated by my reason for being in Brazil. I answered their questions, and quickly moved the conversation to one that they would enjoy-themselves. I gave them a brief overview of my Not For Tourists entry, which they found to be entertaining when I publicized the famous Rua Xavier da Silva corner. However, they asked me to name the local meet-up restaurant for the brotherhood. I was stumped. Now, I had an educated guess, but no one would confirm.

As the conversation continued, the “pizza party organizer” explained that many American Tourists look forward to coming to Brazil because they have an opportunity to meet their peers. Most of these guys are have careers in professional sectors, and because everyone is 5,000 miles away from America, they are more prone to being cordial towards one another. This is something that does not necessarily occur routinely stateside. From these cordial conversations, these American men are able to exchange their experiences and, most importantly, information. For example, another gentleman approached the table with a young Brazilian woman. All of the guys knew this gentleman, and in the midst of the conversation, this gentleman spoke of needing the services of a barber. One of the gentleman announced that he has a barber who he uses when he is in town. The barber would be making a house call during the upcoming weekend, and the gentleman could come over for an edge-up.

In my hour visit with these guys, I witnessed them exchange information with each other (and me) regarding: where to buy good shoes for a low price, the location for a nearby historical military site, why everyone should go to the movies in Rio and how the theaters let you bring in food from outside the theater. Also, they allotted a few minutes to putting together their collective knowledge on a former politician’s questionable activities.

My grandfather always told me that men talk. It is true. They talk a lot. For the American tourist, these conversations are an admission pass to the boys club and instruction manual to making the most of the Brazilian experience.