The man in the picture is Paul and he's trying his hardest not to throw up all over his newly slaughtered pig. If this wasn't enough to prove he was "enough of a man" to marry Cecilia nothing was. Twice today he had genuinely feared for his life and considered faking an epileptic attack to get out of this dreaded day but he knew his soon- to- be father in law would never let it go if he did. There was no other choice, he had to kill, cook and serve a pig at his own engagement party.

It was his first time in Puerto Rico and first time meeting Cecilia's parents, he was a little nervous but not nervous enough for what awaited him. Cecilia's parents, Jose and Maria, lived in the mountains in a place called Guavate were pork was apparently a religion. Cecilia had told him about their traditions, she had warned him her father would make him prepare a pig and at the time he didn't understand why she was so concerned. He enjoyed cooking and, although he didn't consider himself a chef, was pretty cocky with his BBQ skills. It sounded like fun, new family, a couple beers, some music and food... a taste of paradise.

They had flown in on Thursday and were scheduled to leave a week later. The first two days he spent with his soon to be wife by the beach sipping Mojitos imagining a lifetime of sunny days and rum, and on the third day they met with her parents. They met at an Italian restaurant and he spent dinner trying to win them over. He spoke in Spanish, made every joke he knew and by dessert he felt comfortable and somehow accepted. The engagement party was to be the next day and they were told to show up at 8:00am at Cecilia's parents house. 8 was too early for Paul's taste but he wasn't going to complain, after all they insisted on going  through all the trouble of planning (and paying) the wedding. He was fine with that, in fact the only reason why they hadn't gotten married in the court house was because Cecilia's parents wanted to follow the family tradition, and he was fine with a little tradition. 

At 8 am the next morning they where warmly welcomed at Jose and Maria's house with a strong cup of coffee. They spoke about the paper and a little after Jose told Paul to follow him, it was time to prepare the pig. Paul followed Jose to the master bedroom where Jose gave him some overall's and boots. Paul thought that was pretty excessive for cooking but he was grateful for Jose's concern. Once he was dressed they went outside to the shed and he was given a machete. Paul stared at it dumbstruck, trying to put two and two together and then laughed out loud thinking this was some elaborate joke and decided to play along. "Where do you keep the pigs?" He asked jokingly and then he saw the barn. "This is a joke right?" He asked no longer sure of it himself. "Joke? What joke? We have to kill the pig before cooking it right?" asked Jose. That's when the day took a turn for the worst. 

It was the most gruesome and humiliating thing he had ever done. Chasing the pig around the barn, running away from the pig in the barn, slipping on mud and other brown substances, all the while being laughed at by Jose. He got lucky sticking the machete out in front of him when the pig was running towards him and finally injured it enough to kill it. They then carried the dead pig dripping with blood to clean out its innards.  Paul was crying, not out loud but there was a steady stream of tears rolling down his face.
 
It was done, they'd cleaned the pig and roasted it and now it was time to eat. Picture time, now it was official, Paul had been accepted into the family.

I chose this picture because a story came to mind when i saw it. The fact that there's food in it also helped grab my attention, and since i am a proud carnivore i feel i should become more comfortable with the idea of killing my meat. 

I'd have to say that Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" is my favorite overtly romantic song. Her voice is enchanting, it introduces you into the most intimate love affair, a total surrender of mind and flesh. It's nostalgic and noisy but real. This song captures the feeling of that first summer love which you submerge yourself into head first without a second thought. It's not a love that promises to last but one that burns bright and strong. I'm partly embarrassed to say this, but at the right moment this song has a tear provoking effect on me. 
The second song is harder to pick given the monumental amount of love songs ever created but if I had to pick right now I'd have to say AIR's "Playground Love". 

Hard as it was picking two of my favorite love songs it's twice as hard picking the ones i dislike most. I tend not to listen to things that I dislike, it becomes background noise so I'm sure I'm missing out on dissing plenty of horrid love songs but here goes:

John Mayer "Your body is wonderland" 

We got the afternoon 
You got this room for two 
One thing I've left to do 
Discover me 
Discovering you 

One mile to every inch of 
Your skin like porcelain 
One pair of candy lips and 
Your bubblegum tongue 

Cause if you want love 
We'll make it 
Swim in a deep sea 
Of blankets 
Take all your big plans 
And break 'em 
This is bound to be awhile 

Your body is a wonderland 
Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands) 
Your body is a wonderland 

Something 'bout the way the hair falls in your face 
I love the shape you take when crawling towards the pillowcase 
You tell me where to go and 
Though I might leave to find it 
I'll never let your head hit the bed 
Without my hand behind it 

You want love? 
We'll make it 
Swim in a deep sea 
Of blankets 
Take all your big plans 
And break 'em 
This is bound to be awhile 

Your body is a wonderland 
Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands) 
Your body is a wonderland 

Damn baby 
You frustrate me 
I know you're mine all mine all mine 
But you look so good it hurts sometimes 

Your body is a wonderland 
Your body is a wonderland (I'll use my hands) 
Your body is a wonderland 
Your body is a wonderland 

Da da dup ba da da da 
Ba ba dup ba la la la 
Ba ba dup ba ba da da 
Ba ba dup ba da da da 
Ba ba dup ba ba da da 
Ba ba dup ba da da da 
Ba ba dup ba ba da da 
Ba ba dup ba da da da

This song makes me want to vomit a little in my mouth when I hear it. His voice is so passionless and taky in a faux sexy way. He speaks of devouring a woman and making a day out of it but everything about how he says it is monotonous. The music follows a typical four chord structure theres nothing that stands out about it. It is a cringe worthy effort in my opinion, cheap and cheesy.

Another romantic song I cant stand is James Blunt's "Your Beautiful"

My life is brilliant.

My life is brilliant.
My love is pure.
I saw an angel.
Of that I'm sure.
She smiled at me on the subway.
She was with another man.
But I won't lose no sleep on that,
'Cause I've got a plan.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.

Yes, she caught my eye,
As we walked on by.
She could see from my face that I was,
Flying high. [ - video/radio edited version]
Fucking high. [ - CD version]
And I don't think that I'll see her again,
But we shared a moment that will last 'til the end.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
There must be an angel with a smile on her face,
When she thought up that I should be with you.
But it's time to face the truth,
I will never be with you.

This, like the John Mayer song, also follows the four chord structure and is therefore limited to its formula. His voice, the soft spoken submisiveness of what I'd like to think is his falseto is annoying, I honestly have no idea how this song became so popular. These are however my opinions and opinions are entirely subjective so I'm sure some people would completley disagree and be entirely right in doing so. 

Now for my favorite "anti-valentines day songs:

Tom Waits "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"

This song is so heartbreakingly beautiful its overwhelming. Tom Wait's voice perfectly acompanies his lyrics. The woman in the story that he tells is as haggard, and torn as his voice. The sorrow and despair that she feels is directly transmitted to us through the feeling in his voice, he cares about her and feels her pain. Tom Waits is an excelent story teller that illustrates the beauty in decay and deterioration through his songs. 

My other favorite, "anti- valentines day" song would have to be Bob Dylan's "Dont Think Twice its Alright" 

I'd have to say the worst Valentine's day I've ever had was this years. I don't really celebrate it that much and had honestly forgotten about it until somebody mentioned it to me. I had an exam at 8:30 in the morning which a had spent all night studying for so I spent the day on a zomby like mode. If I go too long without sleep its very difficult for me to fall asleep so I was cranky, disoriented and probably incoherent until very late at night. This however wouldn't have been that bad if not for Valentine's day.
I have a strange relationship with my ex- boyfriend who moved last year to New York. We broke up because long distance never works but I've been to visit him twice since he's left and when I'm there it's like we're together. I'm supposed to move in with him this August after graduating so I suppose its like we've paused our relationship. This is a very awkward arrangement, its hard if not impossible to pick up where you left off after months of not physically being together. 
This Valentine's day I didn't think of anyone because I'm single, I didn't think I had to prove my love to someone, show how much I care by buying laungeray and chocolate, I had a test, that's it. My ex- boyfriend however did think of me and made me the sweetest song and video which he put on youtube. Usually I'd be embarrassed but I'll share it so you understand how my not having even called him was horrible. I felt awful the next day after seeing it. I'm supposed to move in with him and I didn't even think to call on Valentine's day all the while he was writing a song and making a mini- montage of the pictures we took when I was there this winter. This led to an uncomfortable conversation of what we mean to each other, of our future lives together, a conversation I'm not that eager to have yet. I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being a game changer in our plans to move in together and my plans to get to New York as soon as possible. 
The best Valentines Day I can remember was when I was in 11th grade and the boy I liked made me a really cute card with an attempted pop up theme asking me to be his girlfriend. I had been with someone before for like a month but he became my first "serious" relationship, my high school love. We were inseparable for two years, we fought, cried, laughed and loved together.  

I’ve always wanted the power to stop and slow time, to cheat it. I’d like more than anything to pause life, have a minute to re-group, reconsider, relish, dream, ponder and procrastinate without consequence. I hate time, but not for fear of dying. There’s nothing to fear in death after all, fear is a thing of life and I’d like to go through it without ever hurrying. I want to wander and relish it as best I can. I feel like people see it as a race where you’re supposed to get a BA at 21 a master at 24, a PhD at 26, a steady job, a mortgage and a family at 30. Youth is wasted on this pointless race, a race that ends in mid- life crisis’, retirement at 65 and death by boredom at 70. We believe to live in a more evolved society today, and granted our technology is awe inspiring, but should that really be the only criteria. We’ve become so disconnected from our selves, so estranged from who we are that we blindly follow rigid rules and schedules so as not to think, to live.

There are so many distractions in our lives, everything is condensed into text messages and memes, a million incomplete bits of random information are thrown at us, hypnotizing us, transporting us away from ourselves. I want to wander, to enjoy life without feeling rushed. It’s uncanny, seeing things fly past you from a far. If I was able then to stop and slow time I’d live outside life’s schedule, I’d escape it in a conscious dream; I think I’d be at peace. 

Let me begin by confessing my immense skepticism coming into this personality test. I've always associate things like this to quizzes on the back of Cosmo magazines designed for bored girls and housewives desperately needing to hear something about themselves. However the results shown once I completed this quiz made me reconsider my initial disbelief  as it spoke eerie truths about my personality. According to this test I am an ENFP meaning I'm a quirky, verbally fluid person with a histrionic and borderline personality. I guess that makes me a Freudian stereotype of a woman and might suggest I'd benefit from some therapy but for the meantime I'll put off the why's and focus on the what. 
According to the test, ENFP's are springy, cognizant and ever-inquisiting. We are extroverted thinkers and intuitors which is probably why when i took the job test it said I'd make a good journalist. I admit to always wanting to know everything. 

Every time I meet someone new the question inevitably comes up: what kind of music do you like? This, like a lot of other seemingly simple questions, is incredibly difficult for me to answer. Every genre has at least one commendable artist, or at the very least song, but I think its safe to say that I like everything within the rock genre as long as its honest. I enjoy rockabilly, punk, post punk, shoe-gaze, alternative rock, pop- punk, glam rock, hard core, post hard- core, folk, grunge, twiggy- pop, ska and blues but I've recently been listening to a lot of garage. The thing with music, like with everything else in the world, is that it builds on itself, nothing comes from nothing and garage was a very important and under rated stepping stone for a lot of rock icons and music produced today. 
Probably the most influential american underground scene of the 60's, garage paved the way for some pretty polemic music including punk rock. All girl bands like the Sangri-las! and The Ronnetts were empowered by their sexuality and sung about sex, drugs and love in a way that only men had before. The Ramones, New York Dolls and The Stooges, obvious punk rock references, were inspired by these female bands incorporating much of that attitude and style into their own music.
Although garage is usually associated with mod music because of similar influences, its important to note that it began and pretty much stayed in the U.S and Canada during the 60's. It wasn't until the 70's with the mod-revival that garage became popular in other parts of the world, namely Europe. This mod- revival mixed the music of the 60's British invasion with R&B which made it dirtier, even grungier than the original pop- rock of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Who.
In the 80's there was a garage rock revival which took the original 60's garage and added to it an additional aggressiveness as a result of the punk rock that was already very well developed.  This music was tough, sleazy, brash, manic and rebellious, a guttural scream and a big f*&k you to authority and social convention. Commendable as it might have been though, it doesn't compare to the original garage movement, in what it meant for music and women.

1) I had an imaginary friend until I turned 7.
2) I was run over by a car when I was 13.
3) I have a white lab named Rusty.
4) My little brother has green eyes.
5) I was born in Zaragoza, Spain.
6) I love to cook.