Tuesday, May 19, 2009

the name of mendoza

Mendoza

Spanish Origin

Noble surnames, such as Mendoza, evoke images of the ancient homeland of the Spanish people. The original bearer of the name Mendoza, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in the beautiful region of Spain. The Mendoza family originally lived in the place named Mendoza, which is the province of Alava. This place-name was originally derived from the Basque word mendi, which means mountain and otz, which means cold.

Spelling variations of this family name include: Mendoza, de Mendoza, Mendozo, Mendosa, de Mendosa, Mendoso and many more.

First found in Castile, an important Christian kingdom of medieval Spain.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Among the early travellers to the New World was Antonio de Mendoza, the first Viceroy of New Spain (1535). He founded a university and established a printing press. He died in Lima, Peru in 1552. Also of note was Alfonso de Mendoza, who accompanied Hernn Corts to Mexico. He later voyaged to Peru, and in 1548 he founded the city of La Paz, Bolivia. Perhaps the most famous family member to reach the New World was Pedro de Mendoza, courtier to King Carlos V, Knight of the Orders of Alcntara and Santiago. In 1534 he set out for the Ro de la Plata region, where two years later he founded the city of Buenos Aires. At least four other family members held important military or administrative offices during the early years of conquest and discovery. Other early migrants to the New World bearing this surname included Cristbal de Mendoza, who sailed to America in 1511.

Coat of Arms

A red shield with five silver leaves.

the name of pulido

Pulido

Spanish Origin

The Pulido surname comes from the Spanish word "pulido" meaning "polished," "neat" or "handsome;" as such, this surname is thought to have evolved from a nickname.

Spelling variations of this family name include: Pulida, Pulido, Polido and others.

First found in the mountains of Burgos, in Northern Spain. The City of Burgos was the capital of the kingdom of Castile in the 11th century.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Francisco Polido, who settled in Guatemala in 1538; Maria Pulida, who arrived in New Spain in 1594; Juan Pulido, who came to Peru in 1565; Alonso Martin Pulido, who came to Ecuador in 1577.

Coat of Arms

A red shield with a gold lion rampant, within a gold border, charged with eight serpent heads.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

this mother's day

When I came home in the rain,
my brother asked, "Why didn't you take an umbrella?"

My sister advised, "Why didn't you wait till the rain stopped?"

Father angrily warned, "You will realize only after you get a cold!"

But Mother, while drying my hair, said, "Stupid rain! Couldn't it wait, till my child gets home?"

Now that's a MOM!

Saturday, May 02, 2009

when females fight

The simple title is very graphic. But let me explain.

Females like me are done with the ritual of looking up through lashes and whispering behind fans with other lady friends. As a matter of fact, I don't like sharing stories with so-called girlfriends. And I don't like going into the powder room with other ladies. At all.
Hugh Jackman can lasso and Christian Bale can scream. But us females - we have a whole lot of other things in our own world. And it's not a totally friendly world at all.

DROP THE SHOP

Start with the boutique. You come in and you set your sights on a fetching red number hanging on an unassuming rod. You pick it up and you to try it on. As you go inside the fitting room, two women will be staring at you and the dress.  It's as if like, what am I thinking?

When you emerge from the cramped space and you are returning the dress, another woman will snatch it from you and try it on herself. And if you end up buying it, another female will ask for that same blouse from the sales assistant.

And the mirrors in those boutiques! They are very cruel if they happen to be a big one by the wall. Never stand before a mirror! Or else you'll only end up either scrutinized by the bombshell at your left, or sneered at by the heavyweight at your right.

GET FIT FOR GYM? OR GYM TO GET FIT?

I used to spend two nights in a week dancing in the sports center nearest the house. But the gym has closed those dance sessions, so I proposed to a former acquaintance that we pursue our dance nights at the gym located in the commercial district instead. She voted no immediately.

She told me that the other women in that facility will gauge you by the brand of shoes or dance apparel you wear or the bottled water you drink or the gym bag you lug around. Heaven forbid if they categorize you by the sweat you manage to muster, not because of the exercise but because of the self-consciousness you try to hide.

And again! The gym mirrors! They are the most unforgiving of all! They could almost see your soul in there!

Whenever I go to salons for a hair trim, I often pick the corner seats to avoid the dames who feel like divas entering the place. You'd know them when you smell them, because you can sniff them the moment the door would open six meters away from you. Then they would drop their signature bags on the cozy chairs as they ask for their regular hair color.

WEAR YOUR PEARLS TO THE GROCER

Whenever I go to the grocery, I try to memorize the items I need to get and pick them as fast as possible. You don't want to reach out to your box of cereals with your chipped nails, while the woman beside you contemplate on the benefits of green tea and black tea and advises you that your preference for strawberry flavor is very juvenile.

Oh yes. It's played in a subtle fashion. But it's actually a bitch versus bitch world out there. Men no longer have the monopoly of complaining that it's such a competition and the next guy is out for your neck.

DRIVING LIKE A GIRL

So let's bring the animosity to the highway. Driving comfortably in my 60km per hour speed, I look down upon female drivers who cannot decide on which lane to take. Following a car one day, I thought it was high time I play my own battle and I honked.

She was swerving left and right at the merciful speed of 30, and cannot even keep an intersection open! When the lights were green, she stopped to let people cross the street and the red light caught us. I honked again in desperation.

Then I maneuvered my SUV beside her car and I looked at her the way my first grade teacher had looked at me when I couldn't spell the word "happy". If looks could kill. Then I tossed my hair at her and I put on my big sunglasses.

Ah, I fight too. Without claws for the meantime.