Ana’s Blog

One of the things you don’t realize once you become a mom is how seriously messy your life becomes…in so many ways. No one can prepare you for the first diaper explosion (my husband had to deal with that one, ¡el pobre!), the projectile bursts of milk, or a closet full of stained shirts. We go through them and somehow survive and it all becomes part of the messy moments in life file. But, some are just bigger and muchRead More ...

Two years ago today we stood still as we witnessed from afar the massive devastation which occurred in Haiti after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook its core. Two years later, the nation is still rebuilding and progress is slow at best. In less than two weeks I will be heading there with a group of enthusiastic women to witness for ourselves the life being led in Haiti today, as well as to see and document the work of sustainable aidRead More ...

One of the best news I received while on my trip to El Salvador to celebrate the holidays was the announcement of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards as a reality. Since April of 2011, Roxana and I  had been telling you about this 21-year in the making standards which the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] had introduced in March. We had never participated so actively with a cause as important as this one. Nothing can really collectively matter as much asRead More ...

I wanted to write this days ago, but time has been flying by so quickly during our stay in El Salvador. Well, quickly and not, since the days here feel longer because of the slower overall pace and the lackadaisical “la vida es playa” attitude with which life is lived here. Christmas was all we wanted it to be: familia, amigos, warmth and great comida. My sister’s husband–mi cuñado–has a very, very large family; he has 10 uncles and auntsRead More ...

It´s been a little over a year since the last time we came to El Salvador. That time Camila celebrated her third birthday with her familia Salvadoreña. She also spent three weeks completely immersed in a Spanish-only preschool during the weekdays. Her Spanish was flowing beautifully since it was the language she heard the most since she was born. Aside from strengthening her Spanish skills and connecting a need to it, the bonds she made with her cousins, abuelita andRead More ...

  The tradition of posadas have begun and Mexico honors this celebration a lo grande. So big, that they’ve even broke two World Guinness records this year for having the biggest nativity scene, as well as the most amount of figures in one scene. This massive nativity scene, which is a recreation of what the city of Belén must have looked like two centuries ago, has been set up on the parking lot of the famous Estadio Azteca of MexicoRead More ...

Mexico once more made the UNESCO (United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture) Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, but this time with Mariachi, string music, song and trumpet. According to the UNESCO, the list is “made up of those intangible heritage practices and expressions which help demonstrate the diversity of this heritage and raise awareness about its importance.” We can all pretty much agree mariachi music fits the bill perfectly as it is one cultural expressionRead More ...

The Sunday after Thanksgiving and it´s 80 degrees outside. That´s when you know you live in Southern California. So while people are uploading pictures to showcase their freshly cut or unboxed Christmas tree and holiday trimmings, we are trying to figure out what the heck to do with the explosion of sweet mandarins in our backyard. After our backyard picnic brunch with Barbie, Ken, all sorts of princesses and stuffed amigos, I decide it´s time to face the fact thatRead More ...