11.27.2016 / changes, dreams, eleanor roosevelt, fearless, gratitude, los angeles, peruvian, peruvian-american
Fearless Changes
Hello there,
Don't be scared to go with your gut feeling and what your heart is calling for. Don't be afraid to try new things, whether it be a new vegetable or a new hobby. Don't be judging to get to know someone just because of their appearance or religion or sexual orientation. Being scared, afraid, and judging are all fears, fears that are stopping you from being open to experiences in your life that you may come to love and value. I know so many people who have these fears ingrained in them and they are deprived of so many wonderful experiences.
A few years ago I was very fearful of many things, of thinking in a different way and leaving someone I was used to be around always. I was afraid of change because I was so comfortable with where I was. Little did I know, that this mindset and this person didn't go in sync with the kind of person I wanted to become. The decision to make this change in my life suddenly happened and I'm no longer the person I was when I started college and that itself has been very rewarding to me. I now care more about what I need to do to achieve the goals I've set for myself and what I can do to better myself in order to help out my community with my heart and soul. To be surrounded by only people who truly love and care about me, no matter how few of them it can be and to try new things that will lead me to enriching experiences. I became exposed to new places and new opportunities that I wouldn't have known of if I didn't make these changes.
If you are in a position where you're afraid of change and feel fearful of the unknown and uncertain, just know that, "Things happen for a reason"(life motto). What would've happened to the bird in the nest if it decided to stay comfortably and safe in there? It would've never learned to fly and discovered all the incredible places in this beautiful world of ours. Every mistake you may make comes with a lesson that will make you a wiser and better version of yourself. Every experience in life, whether it be bad or good, is intended to bring you closer to your dreams and purpose in life.
I believe that we are all destined to do something great in our lifetime, with a special gift that no one but YOU has. Destined to live life fully and this is only possible if we are courageous to overcome the fears that live in our mind and stop you from making the changes in your life that will lead you to your life purpose.
This week, challenge yourself and do something different everyday, BIG or small.
With love,
Karen
-The Chic Engiruvian
Long time no see! I've been a bit busy these past few days with assignments, work, and catching up with my sister who lives in Massachusetts and was back for Thanksgiving break. I've also been pretty pensive...can you believe that this week it'll be December, the last month of the year?! It blows my mind how quickly this year went by and also all the things I was able to do that I had my mind set on doing back in 2015. Many of these goals I achieved wouldn't have been possible if I wasn't fearless and accepted making some changes in life. Without overcoming whichever fear you may have, you will never see the change you want to see in you...in your life. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt:
"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences."This quote happens to be my reflection of the day in my beloved National Geographic book, Daily Gratitude: 365 Days of Reflection (click on the title if you are interested in purchasing it). Through being fearless and accepting change, I've had wonderful experiences this year that have been enriching to my soul and have helped me in discovering who I am. Helping me to become the very best version of myself.
 |
| Overlooking Los Angeles from the Griffith Observatory. Always a dream of mine to go here at night. |
A few years ago I was very fearful of many things, of thinking in a different way and leaving someone I was used to be around always. I was afraid of change because I was so comfortable with where I was. Little did I know, that this mindset and this person didn't go in sync with the kind of person I wanted to become. The decision to make this change in my life suddenly happened and I'm no longer the person I was when I started college and that itself has been very rewarding to me. I now care more about what I need to do to achieve the goals I've set for myself and what I can do to better myself in order to help out my community with my heart and soul. To be surrounded by only people who truly love and care about me, no matter how few of them it can be and to try new things that will lead me to enriching experiences. I became exposed to new places and new opportunities that I wouldn't have known of if I didn't make these changes.
If you are in a position where you're afraid of change and feel fearful of the unknown and uncertain, just know that, "Things happen for a reason"(life motto). What would've happened to the bird in the nest if it decided to stay comfortably and safe in there? It would've never learned to fly and discovered all the incredible places in this beautiful world of ours. Every mistake you may make comes with a lesson that will make you a wiser and better version of yourself. Every experience in life, whether it be bad or good, is intended to bring you closer to your dreams and purpose in life.
I believe that we are all destined to do something great in our lifetime, with a special gift that no one but YOU has. Destined to live life fully and this is only possible if we are courageous to overcome the fears that live in our mind and stop you from making the changes in your life that will lead you to your life purpose.
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| With the sister at LACMA clinging for dear life. |
With love,
Karen
-The Chic Engiruvian
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| Wearing aviators while leaning on an aviator mural. |
11.15.2016 / civil engineering, cornell university, earthquakes, engineering, family, geophysics, gratitude, jean-baptiste massieu, minority, new york city, peru, stem fields, tio
In Your Memory, Tio Felix
Good morning, good evening, or good afternoon...wherever you are,
In the words of Jean-Baptiste Massieu:
This passion became your passport to several opportunities that took you to many places around the world. You were one of the first Peruvians to travel to Antarctica on an expedition to research the tectonic plates that shake this planet we all call home. You were also invited to Japan to share your research in the movement of tectonic plates where you bought me a kimono, a kimono I still have with me 20 years later and greatly treasure. From Japan you were invited by Cornell University to speak to the Geophysics Department there to share your knowledge. If it weren't for this invitation where you needed to travel to the United States for the first time, I wouldn't have met you, and this is something I'm so thankful for.
When you passed away, aside from grief, I felt a great sense of regret and frustration, frustrated that I was never able to see you again after that one visit because of our past circumstances and regret that I never got to share with you my passion for the sciences and the way things work, the same way you did (as well as my father and Tio Moises, both engineers). Now that I'm older, I feel so grateful for the few memories I got to make with you, from that visit when I was 2 years old in which my mother tells me that before even greeting them after not seeing them for so many years, you said "No, no, a donde esta la princesita?!" and that's when you carried me into your arms for the first time. And let me tell you, I was very picky, and it was an amazing thing to see me greet you with such ease and trust...la sangre llama. Throughout the years, I got to speak with you on the phone a couple times and I always remember you telling me to continue excelling in school and to be the best student I can be. Education was emphasized greatly in our family, you being a testament to how far an education can take one.These few memories I reminiscence them with happiness, eternally grateful for the moments I got to spend and speak with you.
I'm grateful for being your niece and having followed your footsteps in fields very similar to each other, you'd be surprised to see how similar geophysics and civil engineering are and the fruits from merging them together. I struggled so much my last year of high school figuring out what I wanted to major in when I realized being a doctor was not something I felt that was my calling. When I discovered civil engineering and how much I connected with this profession since it included my three loves which are science, math, and helping others...I immediately thought of you. I realized how much I can help others and I know it was you that helped me out and looking out for me from above.
Studying engineering has been incredibly more challenging than I expected and I made many mistakes (emphasis on many haha), but besides my parents, I would think of you and how much I wanted to become a person that will make you proud the same way you have inspired me and the rest of the family. Whenever I would feel discouraged which has happened many times and there was a time I almost entirely gave up, the thought of you would eventually come into my head. Even though you're not physically here, I feel those pushes of encouragement from above during these low times. It would've been awesome to have you be my partner in the projects I will be doing as a civil engineer in the coming years which one of them will definitely be helping the impoverished communities of Peru that are continuously promised schools by the government and ultimately aren't built, but I know from above you'll be guiding me into the right path, through the ups and downs.
You've taught me that when it comes to your goals, there are no limits, especially when you really want it. To push through the boundaries that have been imposed to me as a double minority in my field, being both a Latina and female, and to do all that I can to help others using my profession.
All that I do, I do for my parents, family, and few loved ones who are my biggest fans, but I also do it thinking of you. Knowing how much more important it is to do something that will bring you the wealth of helping others instead of material/monetary wealth. It is this type of wealth that I find truly more rewarding and I know you did as well.
Feliz cumpleaños Tio Felix, always in our hearts and thoughts, siempre en nuestros corazones y pensamientos. Although dead, you're more alive than ever with every memory of you. Aunque ya no estes con nosotros, estas mas vivo que nunca, con cada recuerdo, revives en mi corazon.
-Karen
The Chic Engiruvian
Btw, here's a video of him speaking to our family, giving us life advice like always:
In the words of Jean-Baptiste Massieu:
"Gratitude is the memory of the heart"This was my quote of the day in my National Geographic, 365 Days of Reflection book, and I couldn't help but think of you. Today also happens to be your birthday, another birthday without you, another year of feeling that same knot in my throat I felt 12 years ago on the day we found out you had gone on to a more peaceful place...to a paradise where you no longer felt any pain and where you're now more alive than ever. It is also another year of reminiscing all the many accomplishments you achieved in the few years we had you with us. Despite the humble beginnings and struggles you experienced from being the second oldest from a family of 7 children, you as well as the rest of my 6 uncles and aunt, including my father, are all college educated, graduating from some of the best universities in Peru. Your interest in the way our Earth is composed of and the effects of the many earthquakes that strike Peru sparked a passion for physics and geography...geophysics.
This passion became your passport to several opportunities that took you to many places around the world. You were one of the first Peruvians to travel to Antarctica on an expedition to research the tectonic plates that shake this planet we all call home. You were also invited to Japan to share your research in the movement of tectonic plates where you bought me a kimono, a kimono I still have with me 20 years later and greatly treasure. From Japan you were invited by Cornell University to speak to the Geophysics Department there to share your knowledge. If it weren't for this invitation where you needed to travel to the United States for the first time, I wouldn't have met you, and this is something I'm so thankful for.
 |
| Clearly always eating haha |
I'm grateful for being your niece and having followed your footsteps in fields very similar to each other, you'd be surprised to see how similar geophysics and civil engineering are and the fruits from merging them together. I struggled so much my last year of high school figuring out what I wanted to major in when I realized being a doctor was not something I felt that was my calling. When I discovered civil engineering and how much I connected with this profession since it included my three loves which are science, math, and helping others...I immediately thought of you. I realized how much I can help others and I know it was you that helped me out and looking out for me from above.
Studying engineering has been incredibly more challenging than I expected and I made many mistakes (emphasis on many haha), but besides my parents, I would think of you and how much I wanted to become a person that will make you proud the same way you have inspired me and the rest of the family. Whenever I would feel discouraged which has happened many times and there was a time I almost entirely gave up, the thought of you would eventually come into my head. Even though you're not physically here, I feel those pushes of encouragement from above during these low times. It would've been awesome to have you be my partner in the projects I will be doing as a civil engineer in the coming years which one of them will definitely be helping the impoverished communities of Peru that are continuously promised schools by the government and ultimately aren't built, but I know from above you'll be guiding me into the right path, through the ups and downs.
You've taught me that when it comes to your goals, there are no limits, especially when you really want it. To push through the boundaries that have been imposed to me as a double minority in my field, being both a Latina and female, and to do all that I can to help others using my profession.
All that I do, I do for my parents, family, and few loved ones who are my biggest fans, but I also do it thinking of you. Knowing how much more important it is to do something that will bring you the wealth of helping others instead of material/monetary wealth. It is this type of wealth that I find truly more rewarding and I know you did as well.
Feliz cumpleaños Tio Felix, always in our hearts and thoughts, siempre en nuestros corazones y pensamientos. Although dead, you're more alive than ever with every memory of you. Aunque ya no estes con nosotros, estas mas vivo que nunca, con cada recuerdo, revives en mi corazon.
-Karen
The Chic Engiruvian
Btw, here's a video of him speaking to our family, giving us life advice like always:
Always remember to fight for what you truly believe in, no matter how absurd everyone else may think, your faith in yourself is all that matters.
11.07.2016 / beauty, book recommendations, diane guerrero, immigrants, immigration, influenster, october favorites, peru, peruvian, peruvian-american, skin care, voxbox, wet n' wild
~ October Favorites ~
Hello there,
The first week of November has quickly gone by and I'm sure most of us cannot wait for this week to be over with already. To sort of get my mind away from all this election drama (btw, PLEASE vote!) I've decided to make a list of my ultimate favorite items for the month of October. Some of these items have made a huge impact in my life and I know that they also would to my readers so I couldn't help but share them with you. If you happen to be interested in any of these items, I will be including links to purchase these 11 products. I hope you all had a productive and positive Monday and a wonderful rest of the week and once again, PLEASE vote tomorrow.
The first week of November has quickly gone by and I'm sure most of us cannot wait for this week to be over with already. To sort of get my mind away from all this election drama (btw, PLEASE vote!) I've decided to make a list of my ultimate favorite items for the month of October. Some of these items have made a huge impact in my life and I know that they also would to my readers so I couldn't help but share them with you. If you happen to be interested in any of these items, I will be including links to purchase these 11 products. I hope you all had a productive and positive Monday and a wonderful rest of the week and once again, PLEASE vote tomorrow.
11.02.2016 / alfajores, catholic, el señor de los milagros, immigrants, mes morado, new york, new york city, peru, peruvian-american, picarones, san benito, the lord of the miracles
Mes Morado in NYC
Wuynas nuchis!
Besides June (birthday is on June 11 btw) and December, a month I eagerly look forward to every year is October. In Peru, October is known as Mes Morado aka The Purple Month (cue Purple Rain please) and this month is filled with stunning processions every Sunday honoring El Señor de los Milagros ~ The Lord of Miracles, as well as eating yummy turrones and picarones with their orange scented honey. I'm about 3,648 miles from Lima,Peru but this doesn't stop my family and I from celebrating this very special month for millions of Peruvians all around the world.
We had the opportunity to attend two processions here in New York City and eat all the things that we would traditionally eat in Peru. That's the magic of New York City, there's people from all over the world, making sure to do all they can to keep their traditions alive despite being thousands of miles away. I hope that this past month, New Yorkers, regardless of their beliefs, were able to feel the moving devotion that can be felt from the fervorous chants of the women with white veils carrying the incense that perfumes the air for blocks, to the tears of gratitude in the eyes of the 32 men and the many others around there, overwhelmed by the sense of hope this image gives us, for the many hardships many of us have to deal with by immigrating to this land of opportunities.
This procession is extremely special, it's the largest procession that takes place by the Catholic community, every year. Peruvians that have immigrated to other countries have continued this tradition in their new homes for their children and later generations, and now there's processions in over 260 cities worldwide. I had the chance to attend two in NYC, one at Saint Patrick's Cathedral on October 16th and another at Saint Paul the Apostle Church on October 23rd , both were done by a group known as Hermandad de Cargadores y Sahumadoras del Señor de Los Milagros de NY, INC. (you can read about them here). New Yorkers have been able to witness processions that were once very small in the initial beginnings of the group on September 30th, 1971 and now thousands of Peruvians attend, in full faith that el Señor de los Milagros will be by their side in the most difficult of times and thanking Him for his miraculous blessings.
As a first-generation Peruvian-American, this experience has always been very overwhelming to me, especially when I see my mother's eyes filled with tears, year after year, through our roller coaster adventure in this country. Despite it being pretty emotional seeing so many people in tears. there's a sense of beauty in seeing all these immigrants, from all over Peru (mostly Lima though) come together. Seeing parents talk to their young ones explaining what makes this christ so miraculous and special to us (you can read about how the Lord of the Miracles came to be here) and the sense of enjoyment in seeing all these "entrepreneurs" selling Peruvian goodies like alfajores, tamales, Sublimes, Besos de Mosa, turrones, picarones, etc etc and finding the best ones and bargaining for the best prices of course!
I definitely look forward to sharing this tradition with my children just like my parents did with my sister and I, no matter where in the world I may find myself. We are the ones in charge of keeping our culture and traditions alive and the ones responsible to stand up for them. Without them, we would all be the same. This is what makes us unique, our fingerprint. We are a nation of immigrants, with thousands of traditions and cultures to share and embrace, how much luckier can we get?! If only we all had this same mindset, what a beautiful place this would be.
~ The original image of El Señor de los Milagros can be found at the Santuario de las Nazarenas in Lima, Peru. The mural was painted by an Angolan slave in 1651 and the image is still intact after several devastating earthquakes and the Spaniards who tried to destroy it were never able to do so.~
With lots of love,
Karen
- The Chic Engiruvian
P.S: A link to a video about how a procession in Peru looks like, click here
Besides June (birthday is on June 11 btw) and December, a month I eagerly look forward to every year is October. In Peru, October is known as Mes Morado aka The Purple Month (cue Purple Rain please) and this month is filled with stunning processions every Sunday honoring El Señor de los Milagros ~ The Lord of Miracles, as well as eating yummy turrones and picarones with their orange scented honey. I'm about 3,648 miles from Lima,Peru but this doesn't stop my family and I from celebrating this very special month for millions of Peruvians all around the world.
We had the opportunity to attend two processions here in New York City and eat all the things that we would traditionally eat in Peru. That's the magic of New York City, there's people from all over the world, making sure to do all they can to keep their traditions alive despite being thousands of miles away. I hope that this past month, New Yorkers, regardless of their beliefs, were able to feel the moving devotion that can be felt from the fervorous chants of the women with white veils carrying the incense that perfumes the air for blocks, to the tears of gratitude in the eyes of the 32 men and the many others around there, overwhelmed by the sense of hope this image gives us, for the many hardships many of us have to deal with by immigrating to this land of opportunities.
 |
| Carrying the image around Rockerfeller Center |
As a first-generation Peruvian-American, this experience has always been very overwhelming to me, especially when I see my mother's eyes filled with tears, year after year, through our roller coaster adventure in this country. Despite it being pretty emotional seeing so many people in tears. there's a sense of beauty in seeing all these immigrants, from all over Peru (mostly Lima though) come together. Seeing parents talk to their young ones explaining what makes this christ so miraculous and special to us (you can read about how the Lord of the Miracles came to be here) and the sense of enjoyment in seeing all these "entrepreneurs" selling Peruvian goodies like alfajores, tamales, Sublimes, Besos de Mosa, turrones, picarones, etc etc and finding the best ones and bargaining for the best prices of course!
 |
| Picarones |
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| Alfajores |
~ The original image of El Señor de los Milagros can be found at the Santuario de las Nazarenas in Lima, Peru. The mural was painted by an Angolan slave in 1651 and the image is still intact after several devastating earthquakes and the Spaniards who tried to destroy it were never able to do so.~
With lots of love,
Karen
- The Chic Engiruvian
P.S: A link to a video about how a procession in Peru looks like, click here
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