I am taking a dance course this semester which ties woman's body image and dance. The first response I wrote was on feminism. The articles which I responded to were about the skinny image women obsess to be. It touched on how a healthy appetite is seen as 'weak' and only strong 'will power' can conquer appetite. This cultural message equation is as such: skinny = strong. Oh the irony. I am always at my best when I am hungry.

I personally love food. I eat all the time. It took me years to get here. Before this, food was the enemy. Such a sad past. So happy to be in my mid 20's and celebrating my health. In a society which obsesses over food by not eating, somehow I have managed to love the things I should hate. I love food, Latin dance and music. I will never be the skinny girl on the dance floor giving my behind to some stranger while listening to super super degrading popular music.

Because my roommate was curious on response, I will cut and paste my response.

Feminism is demanding equal gender treatment. Women want to be seen and treated as equal. For this reason alone I am a feminist. There is a societal box which women are expected to fit. Who creates and maintains this box? The dominate influence of our white male protestant culture create it and label it ‘Handle with Care’. But women can’t all fit this box. This box parallels expectations of a parent for a child. If a parent pushes their artistic child to be a doctor, then that child is suppressed of their true ‘self’ (page 10, Part 1, What is Women’s Studies). The box men have put women is essentially pushing a artistic child to be a doctor.

I do not bash men. I think they are just as victim as the box they have built and have to live with. Fortunately for women, the strong voices of past feminists have started to breaking away at the box. This feminist movement has allowed women to be one step ahead of men in differentiating between reality and societal expectations. This is why women can step out of the victim light and choose to make a difference in their walk.

On a daily basis, I try to be a leader. I lead through confidence. By doing this I amaze both women and men. I show them what is real. There is an entire media influenced culture which has brainwashed us into believing a women’s worth is only body deep. I admit there are days when the negative influence of the mass media traps me in the ‘I am fat’ mentality. Yet I make a conscious effort to celebrate who I am, and focus on my strengths as the beautiful person I am, and will continue to be.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal!!!

Try it, it is great. I can't believe I have never discovered it before.

As far as the dating goes, I am done with the juggling. It is exhausting. I don't know what I have told one guy, and what I haven't told the other. I feel like I repeat my stories. Frankly, I am tired of my own stories. I have 1 month before school starts. There is quite a bit of prep work I need to do. I want to read a book on immunology before I jump into the class, and while doing so, I can reference my microbiology book. My goal is to get all A's this semester! For the masters programs of course. I need to get organized and back into shape (considering I am once again able to walk, but the fact that I teach aerobics holds me to a fitness standard) I also need to finish my website class and simplify my living space. I know, impossible to fit in the boys.

Don't worry, there will be stories. Like 2 Italians discussing how to make red sauce at 3am in Albertos with 2 Irish boys. No, you don't blend the meat in a blender. Or hitting the gym and seeing the X coming out of the Club Boxing class that I had asked him to take with me. I asked him to accompany me only after he told me I needed to hit the gym cause my arms were fat. He came of course. Yet he showed up late, handed me a bar of chocolate, and refused to take the class cause it looked too hard.

Friends!? and opposite sex

Here is my hang up. Can you be friends with a guy? In my experience, I have only been able to be friends with guys if there was a 'untouchable' factor. For instance, if either he or I has a significant other, then it works. Or, if he runs in a the same professional circle, the line cant be crossed so soon, so you become friends. Or if they are family friends and you have known them for a while. Or if there is a difference in 'beauty', being that one or the other is out of their league, then it is settled as friends. And what happens when you become such good friends, then one starts to like the other? It is quite a delicate situation.

I just received an opinion from a friend of how dating doesn't work. I am perplexed. The resource exclaimed that there is a preconceived idea about these 'interviews'. The problem is both parties are always 'on form'. And if you think the person is buena gente, then an imidaiate romance tend to follow. There is no room for friendship. Apparenlty guys will always try to hit it. Unless the girl keeps it as friends.

But here is where I am hung up. What happens if the wall is so strong as a friends, that he goes and finds something easier. (logically so) You just cant wait. I think if the communication is strong, you can date romantically and keep a friendship. So what if your 'on form' for a little bit. Isn't everyone at some point in any type of relation 'on form'? PPPPPPPPoker Face.

So now I am sitting here analyzing succesful relationships. Which ones were good friends?

So instead of a serial dater, should I become a serial 'friend' Will I be the inevitable 'guys girl' the 'wing woman' for all my friends? Then I can really see true personalities before I even go romantic. Hmmmmm not too sure about that.

HOw do solve a problem like Maria, How catch a cloud and pin it down? This is such a crazy topic. I just wish it wasn't so complicated.

Weeding

According to Chava, I don't discriminate while dating. But I have officially began to discriminate. Either because they are too ghetto, too forward or both. Ciao to Central America, Mexico and Africa. I just don't get them, they confuse me.

Circus

Shrinivas, Bugra, Otaniel, Kadeon. These are my juggling balls. Countries of origin will not be disclosed, for performers must not expose all of thier tricks at once. Can you smell that? Yes, its fire.

Setting the Butt Bar

My skin has almost cleared up. It has been a 10 year fight. Yet I finally get one thing settled and then I am having trouble buttoning my size 12 "comfortable" pants. Shucks. If its not one thing, its another.

Somehow I came to the realization that there is no 'cup' size for butt size. I think it was when the guy I was seening tried to guess my bust size. I then found out he was really an ass man. So then, how would he measure my butt size? Nice? But that is so vauge. What do the South Americans ask for when they get a butt enlargment? Maybe they just go by country. For instance, my sister has a distinct Puerto Rican butt. Maybe you can ask for an African butt, or the famous Brazilian butt. Or do they just go by actresses: J-Lo, Kim Kardashian, Beyonce. Definitely not Paris Hilton!!! That would be a butt reduction standard.

There is no butt bar. 36 ??? WHAT: 36 Puerto Rican butt, 42 English butt, 38 African butt, 38 J-Lo butt, 34 Paris Hilton butt. REally, it would be so nice if jeans would incorporate that into their sizing. Yes, 30 waist and 36 Brazilian butt. J-Lo is way ahead of the game on setting the Butt Bar

So I have not even blogged a bit on dating. The stories are too much. But I have learned 2 things from my most recent 'experiment' (poor guy, I hope he doesn't read this). These are deal breakers!!! 1) Zit popping is a must. None of this 'let it go naturally'. 2) If he is worried about the sun damaging his hair, ummm, bye.