For Freedom Not For Beauty-Chrisette Michele

I really wanted to share an excerpt from this poem by Chrisette Michele. It speaks such truth to my spirit and I figure it may do the same for another. To read the poem in it's entirety and view an exclusive interview with Chrisette Michele with TheChunckyChickz, visit 365voice.com.







So perhaps there is a peace in becoming.
Perhaps the meaning is in the experience and not the sight.
Maybe a flower grows because it suffocates underground.

Whether or not she is always noticed, beauty must become.

She doesn’t look for an eye.
She doesn’t listen for a voice.
She just becomes,

For Freedom Not For Beauty

-Chrisette Michele

I know I've strayed from speaking about hair on this blog in past post, but trust me the subject has not been out mind as much as its been out of sight. My natural hair journey has broadened my vision of beauty and multiplied the self love that I have for me. Through this I have gained confidence and learned who Cherline is as a person and I'm falling in love with her daily. Before, I went natural to find the meaning of beauty but instead I've found freedom. The freedom in knowing that I am naturally me!


PS. It feels great to be a college graduate, I couldn't have come to this cross road at a better time. Think now I plan to get back to blogging, interesting things should be happening as I move out on my own and decorate my first apartment without a roommate. Not only that but I'm embarking on this PR Journey, a new career, in Sunny Miami Florida. The first day at the office in downtown Miami is most definitely going to be a blog-able moment!!


Next post will have pictures...graduation, parties, work, school, sorority life....so much to document.


Until then, I'll just be, naturally me!


♥  CheCh3

Haitian Flag Day Compa Fest 2008

After receiving the ok from my mother that she would be fine for the weekend, me and my sister continued with out plans to attend the 10th Annual Compa Festival in Miami this past weekend. It was pretty awesome even though half the time I was checking my phone every few seconds to see if my niece was calling to say something was wrong with grand mommy. I finally had to give away my phone to someone else to hold so that I could sit back and enjoy the festivities. I love Haitian culture, I'm so proud of where I come from and even though the country is in turmoil currently I can't help but to think that one day we'll be united as one, without having to sell our country to the British, French, or the US ever.
Every fun trips has its ups and downs, though hanging with the girls was very memorable and I look forward to more outings of the sort, one person in the bunch made things a little un-comfy for me. It's crazy when you're friends with someone for so long and you never see the difference in the way they treat you and anyone else and then some random person divulges that information. That's what happened last year after Compa Fest, my cousin stated that my guy friend was in love with me and I'm thinking no way right? Well I found out yes way and since then our friendship was sort of iffy knowing this. It did get better, until this weekend when he became pissy drunk and decided to text something to my phone. Of course I tried to pretend like I didn't get the text, but then he crossed the line as I was dancing with someone who was trying to get information about my friend not me but my friend, he pushed the guy. Not only does he push the guy but he claims me as his girlfriend then later on as his wife. Then proceeded to lean his unbalanced drunk behind over to try and kiss me landing it on my cheek awfully hard. I thought my braces were going to split the inside of my mouth open.
Other then that little bump in the road the weekend was great. I came home to find my mother was doing well. Think she does better without me and my sister babying her. It's hard not to but we've decided to try.

Pictures from the weekend: I do not normally dress like this, the original outfit had a tshirt under that vest, but my cousins said take it off and voila! NEVER AGAIN! Too many old men hitting on me.My sissy poo who turned the big 3-0 this weekend yet doesn't look a day over 18 she got the good genes lol. She also had the since to not wear heals! My curvaceous cousin striking a pose! Hey! My other cousin is in the group picture but she was surely show stopping as well, she's the one in white next to me. One of my bestest friends (skinny minny) currently living in Louisiana attending Southern University in town for the summer. It was really packed out there at Bicentennial Park I know there had to be more than 40,000 people in attendance this year I couldn't get a good enough picture of the crowd from where I was in the VIP area but it was A LOT of people.

VIP at Haitian events beats all other VIP's I've been in. You get all access back stage to meet all of your favorite artist and Haitian VJs, DJs and comedians. Free food galore and of course drinks. On our last day there I went to visit my uncle and cousin, and was able to meet my second cousin his 3 month old daughter she's so chubby wubby! OK off to take my first Psychology test!

_DiVA 0ut

3rd Retightening

I had to accompany my brother in law to Miami this morning to drop my sissy poo to the airport at 2 am. I kept thinking I was going to die he was swerving and he told me he couldn't see well and I darn sure can't see at night. Dude didn't even know how to get to the airport. I had to let my dare devil senses come forward to navigate my beloved home city. My sister kept saying she wanted to look nice so remind her to pack on the make up right before we turned into the airport, that became annoying after a while. She wore heels to Haiti lol and a suit I'm like woman you look like you're going to a revival what are you going to do when you get off the plane and the dirt smacks you in the face as a welcome? It was not the business, he drives slow, they're weird and I had to work this morning. Her flight was leaving at 7:00 AM so we had her at the airport by5:30 AM her arrival time was set for 7:55 AM she calls me at 8:15AM and tells me they haven't departed yet because some guy decided last minute he didn't want to fly they had to find all his luggage before the plane could depart. HOW RUDE !! lol.

I probably won't write much I'm still getting used to this Mac but I LOVE IT!! It saved me from awkward silence when they weren't being wierd. I was able to watch Hitman the entire trip and then jammed to some music. Hitman is awesome by the way I love action/ assassin movies. I wanted to be an assassin before I learned "Thou Shalt Not Kill" -giggles-

While I'm on the topic of movies I've seen, 10, 000 BC is a good movie as well. I tell people it's a cross between 300 and Moses telling pharaoh "let my people go!"They have locks in the movie and the lead was tres cute he looks like my friend lol! He's looking a little rough but still prettiful, he won't let me play in his locks because they need a re tightening BAD lol.

Good movie though I'm not good at giving reviews I end up just telling the entire movie but trust me watch it. Meet the Browns was okay, I like the play better hopefully Madea Goes to Jail will be better for me.

Eh on to other things like ma cheveaux (hair):

Had my monthly wash and my third re tightening. I find that I'm deathly afraid when she comes around to the front edges I feel like she's going to just pull one off, I'm not ready to loose one yet lol. I'm going to try washing my hair everyone re tightening, she says I had more slippage and I'm not sure why since I've been using my shower cap and hardly ever spritz my hair with water. I don't know if it's a good I idea yet because I have white hair root thingys stuck in the front edge locks it looks weird and I want them gone! ASAP. If anyone has suggestions please do share. We have to schedule a longer session next month she says she has to pull down my locks or else I'll end up having to cut a lot of them, I'm not down for cutting no sir. I wanted to take a picture of her locks to share but she wants them to be dolled up first before they make a blog debut lol.

Before:

Yeah, sorry they're cut off I was taking the pictures and I'm not ambidextrous is that even what that word means? No, that's using the left and right side of your brain at the same time, basically I can't photograph myself well lol. After:

Do you see the white yukky stuff?

I don't get it because she washed my hair...shouldn't they have gone good bye bye? :(

Think that's it, going to try and get some school work done. After this week I'm done until May 7th when summer school starts YAY!

-Au Revoir

Carimi

Last night was awesome! Today's my cousin's birthday so last night we all went to see a Haitian band by the name of Carimi. They are my favorite at the moment and I've seen them a total of 3x, twice in Miami my home city (woot woot) and once in New York. I've also fed members of their group, during the Haitian Flag festival in 2006! Yes that was tres exciting definitely had fun during that volunteer experience. My night was almost ruined before the concert because I got pulled over and the officer gave me a ticket for my registration. Now, I've always been under the impression that you have until the end of your birth month to renew your tag and even then there is a grace period. Guess this cop didn't know what I knew. It ruined part of my night because I wasn't able to get to the gallery opening at my school, and I still hadn't found something to wear. I ended up getting shirt dress from Express and skinny jeans from Wetseal, and I wore the shoes and accessories my sister gifted me on my birthday. Then I had to find the event promoter so that I could get tickets. So, I basically went home stuffed a chicken leg down my throat and got ready to head out. Our family had a section reserved so we didn't have to worry about people stepping on shoes or groping on in places they shouldn't be, but you know you always get those people that can't read the reserved signs. That's where the men in our family came in. A fight did break (my family wasn't involved) out but we were out of harms reach.At times I couldn't even dance to the music because the area was crowded but it was okay because I was close enough to the stage where I could vibe and just watch the performance. At the end of the night we got my cousin the pictures she wanted to take with one of the group members Richard Cave my favorite as well! Not just because he held my hand while singing "Mamacita" during the show in New York lol (beautiful dreamy eyes!) but because he is a beautiful, educated, & talented Haitian male so they do exist! I got a picture with him and Mikael Guirand. Beautiful Haitian men that they are, my braces have ‘gots’ to go in the in the pictures though! I can't smile with these fences; I haven't taken a good picture since having them placed. I need to do what Tyra tells the girls on ANTM, practice in the mirror. It was a wonderful night and I'm glad that I've finally had a chance to have fun in this miserable town that I live in. My friends in Miami are saying that I should drive down tonight and see them again! I would if it was in the budget; here events have to end by 2 am. In Miami I wouldn't have gotten home until 7am, and the variety of people would have been different. People here are so blah!! I miss Miami. I’ll get to see them as well as other Haitian artist during the 10Th Annual Haitian Flag Day Celebration in Miami. Oh that's going to be an amazing time! Hopefully I'll also take the Kompa Cruise during the summer. My hair looked awesome last night, but I don't know if what I'm doing is actually good for them. I spritz them with water to make them lay the way I want? Is it too early to just wet them without braid and banding? I'm not rubbing or washing them just an occasional spritz of water and okay okay I might quickly let the shower spray my head not everyday just once in a while. So, please feel free to share with me your opinion on my methods of managing my locks. It would be greatly appreciated. DiVA 0ut!

It's My Birthday!!!

Well it was my birthday February 16th, at 12:01 am (official birth time) I turned 21. The night before some of my family, friends, and co-workers joined me for dinner at PF Changs a Chinese "bistro" that serves gourmet Chinese food. I'm thankful for everyone that came to spend time with me. I think we had about 25+ people which are a lot when a handful had to cancel last minute. Everyone seemed to have a good time, I wish I could have made it a little more intimate with a large group of people usually everyone branches out into groups. Which I know can be awkward since everyone didn't know everyone. SORRY guys it was my first time, Lord willing I'll make sure that everyone can mingle a little more. Not only did we have dinner at PF Changs that night but I came to work and found signs everywhere announcing that I was the birthday girl. I love the one that said, "Wish me a happy birthday or buy me things!" Lol that was tres cute. "The Dayna" made me a red velvet cake which was awesome and I left it at work for others to enjoy but I ended up stopping by work to pick it up. I devoured the rest of my castle cake alone. She also gifted to me a beautiful pair of black earrings which I wore to dinner. The woman has taste. I was excited that my sister came to dinner because we had an argument a week before and she didn't like me very much. Everything has been patched over and healed since and we're back to being best friends I love the gifts that she got me even though just her being there was enough. My sister hooked it up two pair of shoes, belts, accessories, AND a black rose. I am obsessed with black roses, I'm always telling everyone that I don't like flowers and the only flower that would make my heart go pitter patter is a black rose. There isn't really such a thing in actuality the black rose is just a blood red rose, but I'm always saying I want a black rose. I've said it a gazillion times if a man gets me a black rose I just might have to marry him. lol If I ever get married my wedding is going to all white with black and blood red flowers. People think I'm gothic which is not the case I just love the shade black it's beautiful. It makes me happy, I'm happier in darkness then in the light. Okay, I'm getting off subject but I love the rose. It's sitting in a vase by my bed and waking up to in the morning brings me much joy. I also received a gift card to Victoria's Secret; yeah I'm looking forward to shopping there! I only get lotions and body sprays from there but I think I might get a bra or something. My mother gave me my first pair of Victoria Secret underwear when I turned 13 they were nice but Vickie's Secret is to expensive for me Fredrick’s was my preference, it cost less but now that it's not my money buying them I'm definitely going to pick up a pair or two! lol (I'm a college student I'm on a budget!!) Hmm what else did I get? Oh I got perfume JLo 'Love At First Glow' my 18th birthday my friend got me the first one that she came out with, growing up with really bad asthma perfumes and things were kept to a limit and it used to give me headaches. I still wore it though, it was a gift. I was scared to wear this one in the back of my mind I'm thinking I'm going to have a major headache but it actually smells great on me! I'm wearing it now; I actually chose it over Escada, and Dolce. (Hint Hint if you ever want to get me a gift lol).

Okay let's skip a couple of details.

I headed to Miami for my birthday my home city!! Too broke for Disney but hopefully I'll get a chance to see Mickey in March/ April. It was a quick trip because I wasn't feeling it, got in town called friends and you know they all wanted to head to South Beach and get me drunk. Not happening. I just went to one of my old jobs, had my taxes filed, visited family then got right back on the interstate and headed home. Guess for American standards I had a lame birthday because I didn't wake up to a hang over, but I liked it. Even though my best friends are living out of state and couldn't be here to uphold tradition (brownies, and red velvet cake with one; the other cake fighting lol) I feel blessed to have made it 21 years, not many young people get to see the day. Happy 21st Birthday To ME!!!!