What I’ve realized during my hiatus is that microblogging is much more conducive to what I’ve got going on now. When I first moved to Venezuela there was so much learning and adjusting that I could talk about and unfortunately, I’m all adapted now. However, I tweet somewhat frequently and I post pictures somewhat regularly on Instagram, Facebook, etc. So, what I was thinking is that I would stop blogging here and I would limit my activity to writing snippets, as that’s how the experiences seem to unfold anyway, on the aforementioned outlets.

I’m not going to take down the site altogether because judging from the majority of visits, I think there is a lot of useful information that potential expatriates come across when searching for daily life in Caracas. I will also continue to respond to questions that I receive via e-mail, as well as comments on here. For now.

I’m very proud of all that I’ve put into this blog and more that I’m grateful for the interactions/relationships that it has fostered. Who knows, there may be some huge change in my future that will bring me back to writing about transitions and all that, but for the time being we’re all very settled. That is a good thing and I’ll remember that next time I start to get restless This isn’t a goodbye, but more of a see ya around.

Toodles,

Déborah

N.B. In case the links above don’t work:

Twitter: balancedmp

Instagram: balancedmp

Facebook: BalancedMeltingPot

#1

Four way stops are not really four way stops. They are intersections where whoever is bold enough, or in the most hurry will speed through without giving oncoming traffic a second glance.

#2

As #1 implies, right of way is only a theory here. In practicality, it’s every (wo)man for her/himself. Paying attention to your surroundings means predicting what other drivers will do before they even know. Otherwise, you will make your home in collisionville (yes, I just made that word up )

#3

Always stop at the stop light when it’s red. Unless it’s night time. Or you’re in a hurry and don’t see any other cars coming.

#4

One lane roads can sometimes be converted into two lanes depending on traffic. Two lanes into three, and so on. In case this happens, and you happen to be in the original lane, you better become agressive. Otherwise, you will not move. Ever.

#5

Motorcyclists have their own driving handbook. I have yet to see it, but I’m sure it includes that they never stop or slow down in traffic and that they are supposed to flip you off *Italian style* if you get in their way. FYI: Getting in their way means stopping too close to another car and not leaving them enough space to pass through and run the red light.

#6

Never, ever, ever make a u-turn. Really. You will be arrested. Not really. But, you will be pulled over if caught and will have to spend an inane amount of time explaining to police why you have made such a travesty of their law.

#7

Do not park in a zone that’s painted yellow. Unless you see other people do it. Then, go ahead.  Note: The Venezuelan form of parking tickets is putting a really big sticker on the driver’s side of the windshield describing your infraction. Nothing a little Windex and scraper can’t fix.

Any questions? Good.

Godspeed.

but was still shocked when the announcement hit the news. It has now been added to one of those events, like September 11th and January 12th, where you’ll always remember where you were and what you were doing when it happened.

After watching the CNN coverage for about an hour, I decided to see what was being said on the social media sites. Twitter was as expected with links from different sources and people talking about how Venezuela had changed (for better or worse) over the past 14 years. What surprised me was what I saw on Facebook. People were actually celebrating the President’s death. I mean literally expressing elation from the news. Who does that?! The worst part is that these people aren’t even Venezuelan. They don’t have any family who are Venezuelan. So explain to me how their lives could be so negatively impacted by President Chavez that they would actually lose their decorum. I was speechless.

I realized that these are people with whom I’ve had pleasant conversations. We’ve laughed together. Shared stories.And yet, we can disagree politically without wishing each other harm, can’t we? I’ve never felt comfortable with this macabre idea of “justice”. If I wished death on all the people on Facebook with whom I disagreed politically…and got my wish…well I would have a lot fewer “friends”. I have no other way to describe this experience other than sad. Our societies have come to accept this type of behavior and people don’t think twice about posting this ridiculous and hateful rhetoric for all the world to see. Just sad.

In the meantime, contrary to popular belief (or at least what my friends and family are hearing), what I’ve observed here in Caracas is respect from all sides. Businesses have observed the days of mourning and people are getting back to their regular activities. So in order to get back to a place where people show some decency, I simply get off of Facebook and walk outside. Who da thunk it

This was the view from the the front terrace…

This was our private beach…

And these beautiful flowers were all over the property…

To say the stay was pleasant would be an understatement. As for getting bored, I would gladly get “bored” by this place every day and twice on Sundays.

So, it can’t all be roses, right? The negative aspects – actually I’ll just call them the nuances because nothing about this should or could be negative – is how OTHER people react to my hair. I get people, including perfect strangers, who offer to relax and/or straighten my hair. The best are those who try to convince me of how much prettier my hair will be if I straighten it. As little as three years ago, those comments might have swayed my decision. I would have become insecure about my “attractiveness” with my hair this way. However, I actually find these remarks funny. My response is “No, I want my hair to look like this” right after I laugh out loud. Whether it’s a look of confusion or disappoint that comes next, I’m still convinced that my hair is beautiful.

Here’s what I’m working with now…

And I love it! Almost 3 years after deciding one day that relaxers were no longer the “easiest” method for me, I am still learning about what works for me and how to style my hair. Thank goodness Youtube has an abundance of natural hair tutorials from simple people like myself, otherwise I’d still be lost. I probably have a while to go before I would consider myself a pro when it comes my hair, but I’m in for the long haul. I am so happy with the decision that I made, even though initially it may not have been for the right reasons. It still amazes me that liking my hair the way it grows out of my head is considered radical as opposed to letting sodium hydroxide sit on my head every 6-8 weeks.

What started out as a way to manage my hair with limited options has turned into a self-discovery that I am not willing to negotiate because of what makes other people comfortable. Quite frankly, I’m okay with their discomfort. As a matter of fact, altering my hair by adding harsh chemicals to it now makes ME uncomfortable and that is NOT okay.