Barszcz Czysty Czerwony

It’s been a hot second since I’ve posted a hump day treat recipe but after visiting Seattle’s Polish Home and grabbing a cookbook from there I’m sure you’ll be seeing more recipes! I just made a tasty red beet soup (clear)* that I want to share with you all! It is not only simple but also super healthy! And I know some of you are thinking “ewww beets” but trust me this brothy recipe is definitely on the savory side and makes for a warm delight!

*there is a more heavier, creamier version but I love this one the most!

Ingredients (as shown in book):

1lb. Beets (about 4) peeled & sliced

1lb beef (I used 8 tbs of beef bouillon)

2 carrots

1 parsnip

1 yellow onion

Season with salt, pepper

1 tbs wine vinegar (use 1 lemon if you do not have this)

12 cups of water

Sugar to taste (I used none!)

Cover the peeled and sliced beets with 3 cups of water and heat in a pot. Do not bring to boil but once the water is a deep red color pour it into a bowl and store it to the side. This will be used to keep the soup looking punchy and will be added back later. Into the same pot add 8 cups of water, meat (or beef bouillon), and vegetables; boil for 1 ½ hours. Traditionally the vegetables (and meat) are then removed and the broth is left alone but I kept the veggies in because why not! Add the beet-colored water back into the same pot. Lastly add salt, pepper, the wine vinegar, and sugar to taste (I might of played around with the measurements of these but I definitely did not need any sugar).

Normally a dish like this is served with a meat- filled roll like Pasztecki or Krokiet (which I may attempt at another time). I served it along with potato and cheese pierogies which you can buy at any frozen supermarket for an easier way of doing it (sorry Babcia) along with sour cream garnished with what I considered to be the Polish Herb- dill (works great on top of the soup as well or literally any polish dish).

Smacznego! (Bon Appetit!)

Being a Multi-Hyphenate

What does it mean to be a multi-hyphenate? In a literal sense it means a person with a hyphenated profession because they do several roles (ex. Actor-writer, producer-director). But it also means having a lot of late nights and early mornings, sometimes having “coffee at 2a.m. in bed” and wondering what am I doing. It means being master of wearing many hats, filling different roles and owning it. It means “being a mom with one-two many jobs.” It means taking charge and having control of your career- your life. Last night I had the amazing opportunity to attend a Women in Film’s event where I got to hear the multi-hyphenated pros speak about it. As an actress currently working on producing, directing, and writing material myself it was more than encouraging to see the women before me and think YES this is possible, I CAN take charge of my own career and DO it all. For those of you trying to accomplish the same thing here are some notes from last night’s forum and a little about each speaker’s inspiring journey. Forgive me if the details aren’t 100% accurate (I blame the lack of caffeine) but I hope I am able to at least deliver on their overall message.

Shiri Appleby (Actress- Director)- She had several successes in her acting career until one day the phones stopped ringing and she found herself getting depressed. However she decided that just because she wasn’t getting the calls that that wasn’t going to stop her from working on her craft. She started going to the studios and shadowing directors (which ultimately being an extra hand on set landed her a paying job). From doing just that she gained the knowledge and confidence to direct herself and when an opening appeared she stepped in and ended up directing scenes in shows like HBO’s Girls. Now she has started her own production company Apple Tree Productions and is taking on all the roles. She encourages to put in your 10,000 hours of work and shadow if you can! Even though she wasn’t acting she learned through observing other actors audition/work while shadowing the director which became an advantage to her later on.

Wendy Calhoun (Writer-Executive Producer)- Wendy has gone from becoming an expert on writing for “white men with guns” to cowriting/producing diverse, African-American, strong female lead roles on top shows like Empire, Nashville, Revenge, etc. She encourages to really become an expert on something and spoke to how by doing so it will opened up doors for you  as it did for her to write the material she was really passionate about. Learning about producing and editing side of things she says has actually bettered her writing because she is able to understand what the producer is looking for and needs from a script, shot list, etc. On writing, she says to “subvert expectations” and is strong about avoiding the “tried and true tropes” that are overdone in film/television.

Jennifer Kim (VP of Original Programming ,TBS)- Jennifer is in an a position of power where she gets to pick and choose the content in which her team gets to work on. She really pushed us as creators to really know your show, instead of coming to the table with one-dimensional characters and a story that kinda goes like this... She says to “find passion projects” or in other words projects you are passionate about. She can always tell when someone has really poured their heart and soul into something which oftentimes makes the story more precious. However being a multi-hyphenate you shouldn’t let the passion project engulf you so much that are not able to be flexible with your work and open to suggestions which is why working on more than one thing can actually be really helpful to staying open minded.

Amy Andelson & Emily Meyer (Writers-Novelists)- This power duo have been BFF’s since high school and together have written the screenplay adaptations for films such as The Great Gatsby and Step Up. In between writing screenplays they work on writing novels together. They say that by doing the two simultaneously helps bring a constant flow of inspiration as each work can inspire one another even though it may seem unrelated.

Moderated by Amy Laslett (Partner/Head of Production, Kids at Play) who did a fine job, there was one thing so clear about all these women in front of me. They were happy and excited about their work. You could see it in all their eyes when they would mention something about an upcoming project they were working on. “You’re not going to be perfect in every role” one woman said. I don’t know why but in that moment I felt a sense of relief hearing that. I personally feel that sometimes my anxiety comes from the fear of letting others down, my work down, myself down whilst trying to achieve all the things I want in my life. I actually think a lot of women put that kind of pressure of themselves trying to balance a career, social, and family life. So if you’re like me I hope it brings you some peace in knowing it’s OKAY you’re not going to be perfect. Now go and get it!

Wonder Woman & Penis Envy

Other than my favorite Tarantino film Death Proof, last Saturday night I witnessed the first female driven lead/cast to really blow me away. Within the first 20 minutes I was filled with awe, visceral emotion, and just full on badass chick envy. I was seeing strong, beautiful women on the screen fight as warriors. The best part- I would not dare say they were fighting like men; no, they were fighting with strong, beautiful acrobatic movement and screams let out just like I do when I’m hitting the boxing bag hard. It was real and not masculinized. My boyfriend turned to me in mid-battle and said that these women were definitely more interesting to look at fighting then your average Hugh Jackman (not that he isn’t a boss). Why? Because women are grantedly more beautiful creatures to look at (thanks bae), and that doesn’t mean they can’t be equally tough at the same time.

Prior to the movie viewing I was doing some reading on human psychology and Freud's idea that women from birth develop what he considers to be “penis envy”. He reasons that “anatomy is her fate” and so by us females lacking anatomically we then cultivate this envy which we make up for in other ways such as having children. I laughed but also paused to objectively think- is it possible that from birth we as women already feel unequal, envious, and yearn for the “penis”? Personally no, I could not say I envied to have what a man has anatomically speaking. Erich Fromm in The Dogma of Christ and other Essays, explains the Freudian idea that women cannot ever be equals with men because of the biological differences we have, but even more so by the characterological differences- the idea that our loving, intuitive nature serves us unfit for the modern dominant society. I agree that these differences do exist, but that it doesn’t mean women have to masculinize themselves in order to be dominant equals. This is the root of why I really loved Wonder Woman. She was very much intuitive and emotionally driven, but took control even in a room full of men.

Without trying to spoil the movie for those of you who have not seen it yet, Wonder Woman (Diana), showed her emotionally driven side multiple times. Guilty for thinking this way, there definitely was a moment where I thought her emotional sensitivity served  as a disadvantage, something I feel done on purpose. Perhaps caring too much and not being a bit more pragmatic as her lead male partner Steve Trevor. But those thoughts would soon be dismissed as her emotions and intuition that was doubted consistently by her male team led her to kick MAJOR ass and showcased how much more focus and dominant she was because of how in-touch she was with her femininity. But what is it that would really makes us equals? In words of Diana Prince herself,

“It's about what you believe. And I believe in love. Only love will truly save the world.”

Flower Power 4 Female Directors

As many of you may already know, the term “Flower Power” was brought about in the late 1960’s, early 70’s as a movement against the Vietnam war, and as a symbol of nonviolent resistance. Nonviolent resistance is the practice of achieving social change without using violence which back then was exhibited through protests and civil disobedience. Later on hippies generalized the term to a more modern reference of their lifestyle, beliefs, psychedelic music and art.

Now I am no modern day hippie but I do feel like I am on a war mission- to fight for more female directors/producers in the industry (in a peaceful, lady like manner). I am currently amidst working on writing, producing, directing, and starring in a couple of short films because I believe I have the ability to convey and deliver with the right team behind me. I cannot help however to notice the little opportunity female directors have in the industry because it appears "We have a slew of men who have never directed anything being handed $150 to $200 million budgeted movies...The Hollywood system is, 'I am a white male in my 50s or 60s, who has had a phenomenal career, and now, I'm going to mentor a younger me,” filmmaker Kate Rees Davies says in a CNN interview.  As of 2015 only 19% of women have been accounted for in the top 500 films as writers, directors, editors, cinematographers and executive producers. I’m sure that number has decreased. What is this irrational fear about giving women the opportunity to direct projects? Maybe there is no fear, just something that is not frequently thought about given most of the hirers are done man to man. Director, writer, producer Ryan Murphy (known for American Horror Story) acknowledged that he could be doing better about letting women take the lead in his projects and decided moving forward to give 50% of his work to them. He went ahead and  created the Half Foundation that mentors women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ community in the TV industry. I love that he wants to help diversify Hollywood but when I went to see if I could submit for his mentorship program I found nothing, not even a website for his foundation. Not saying he isn’t sticking to his word but his outreach seems to be more specific to colleges/universities.

I went ahead and looked at the Alliance of Women Directors (http://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/join) and it was a bit more encouraging. You can apply if you have publicly-aired a feature film, TV episode, TV movie, documentary, commercial, or short film but note then have to pay $100 membership due….guess that’s fair? What I’m getting at is that it would be nice if Hollywood had a free female community group meetup to help grow and learn from one another. I’ve been searching for one here in Los Angeles, and my findings are only for those who’ve already made it. Time for a change ya? If any of you reading this know of something I do not know about please reach out! Moving forward I’ve decided to create my own meetup group, but to do so I need to see that you ladies are as passionate about it as I am. Flower Power meetups will be a female orientated group meet up of writers, directors, producers were we can discuss our upcoming projects, get feedback, and advice from one another. I believe if we get a strong community together we can catch the attention of the more established women in Hollywood to come attend as guest speakers. So ladies of the industry, if you have a desire to be apart of my Flower Power movement, please reach out to me with your information and what kind of work you do.

Awareness+Action=Change #flowerpower

Smigus-dyngus aka WET MONDAY

The adage April showers bring May flowers have a whole new meaning in Poland. Every "Easter Monday" is known as Smigus-dyngus (shmee-goose-din-goose) a silly celebration where all the men and boys draw out their water guns and proceed to blast all the ladies. If boys were looking to really cause some "dyngus" they would break into girls homes and wake them up by pouring water over them while still in bed. Growing up I always remembered my mom telling me how she was always scared to walk to school on this day- for she had to avoid all the apartment windows so boys would not pour buckets of water on her. For all the gentlemen out there, they would instead shower their ladies in perfume ;) Funny enough, girls also received a spanking on this day by pussy willow branches. Girls have the ability to save themselves by offering painted eggs as a form of ransom. All this originated back to pre-Christian times of watering the "Corn Mother" symbolizing fertility of the land. The pussy willows however were treated as sacred charms that could prevent lighting from striking the land, protect the animals, and increase overall production. Today in America you can see this happening in highly Polish populated communities such as Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Best beware! 

Not a feminist, a womanist

"You are the embodiment of everything I found to be beautiful" said my honey to me yesterday while I was working across the room in nothing but my glorious workout gear and my hair in a disheveled mess. I am so lucky to be with someone who embraces every part of me and encourages me to go after everything I want. There never is any competition between us, just love and support. This is how it should be for you ladies. If you're with someone who puts you down, doubts you, makes you feel that you are beneath them then I would advise you stick your dainty middle finger up to the stratosphere, play some Beyonce, and go shine your light elsewhere.

Today women are still fighting for equality. This year's 2017 international women's day theme is  “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030”. (See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day#sthash.OUZSCyWC.dpuf)
This is a topic that has been a slowly moving change since the 60's. Even with the equal pay legislation that passed in 1963, woman's pay was still 60 percent of the male's pay rate. Recent studies by the IWPR show that to this day there is an earnings ratio of 80 percent making it about 20 percent wage gap. Women earn less in virtually every occupation compared to men. A prediction according to AAUW drafted from the U.S. Census Bureau, says that women will not reach equal pay until 2059. However the latter years shows a slowing down in progression which pushes the prediction to the year 2152 (2030 wishful thinking?). Side note a Cosmopolitan survey showed that 1 out of 3 women have been sexually harassed at their workplace. With the advancement of media, harassment can occur through photo/video portrayal and as simple as insinuating facebook/linkedin messages (it goes down in the DM).

However, as women, if we want jobs and to be treated fairly, then it is our responsibility to DEMAND respect. We may live in a man's world but as women we can run it. I believe we can still have control, at least over the choices we make and the leaders we should strive to be. And may I add that there is more power sometimes in just accepting that you are a woman and some tasks are just better done by a man (say what?). Hear me out. For example, I will never again put air in my tires. For one, I usually am sporting a pair of heels and dress. Two, the dirt gets all over my hands. Three, the damn tire air capacity reader is never quite accurate. If you're surrounded by men who respect you then it should be no problem to ask for help. And now with my honey why should I waste fifteen minutes of my life when I could ask him to get it done in less than five. I am not weak. I am not stupid. I am efficient. Love all that is woman of you ladies. The fact that maybe you cannot run as fast because you have a beautiful bosom and heart behind it. I am not a feminist but a womanist. And yes, I bet you can beat the next guy you race boobs and all.

Fun fact, in Poland international woman's day is celebrated by men giving gifts and showing love to the women in their lives. Traditionally they present them with a red carnation and a pair of stockings. I think here it would be appropriate to give a shout out to the greatest woman in my life, my mother. Thank you mom for raising me to be confident, loving, and to have standards. You have always been the most giving person in my life (along with dad) and I hope I can return the favor to you one day, God only knows if I can ever come close. 

Fat Thursday (Tłusty Czwartek)

Tomorrow February 23rd is going to be Poland’s Fat Thursday. I’ve never heard of this holiday until recently (thanks to my brother who is currently in Poland), and I couldn’t help but imagine it being the Polish version of our Thanksgiving. There is this mental image in my head of plump Polish men inhaling down on Polish kielbasa (sausage/hotdogs) and the women joining them in their fresh pastries they just baked.  Well it turns out that I’m not THAT far off.

                After doing some research I came to understand that it is a Catholic Christian traditional feast that occurs the last Thursday before Lent. The European countries that take part in this are Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Spain. They all feast upon foods that they normally would not eat during the Lent period. Specifically, in Poland people tend to go purchase their favorite pastries from their local bakeries. Some of these include pączki  and chruściki . Pączki are large, deep fried, jelly (sometimes spiked with vodka) filled doughnuts coated with sugar. Chruściki or faworki, was the name for the colorful ribbons on traditional Polish clothing especially ribbons given to medieval knights by their ladies. In English we would know them by “angel wings”, a crispy pastry made out of dough that has been twisted around (to resemble the ribbons) then deep fried and powdered with sugar. I can't help but think of the American version of a Fat Thursday- can someone say Dunkin' Donuts? That would be pretty awesome. 

Polish "Chruściki

Love Language

I will never forget the moment I realized that I did not know English as well as my peers. I was in the second grade and my teacher was asking our class if we could name this specific type of fruit. No one was able to name it until I suddenly realized what she was describing. I raised my hand and called out, “Figgy!” That was a definite “no” response I got following with “Did you mean to sayfig?”. I realized not only was the word I said incorrect but that my mother had only taught me the babyish way of saying it. This wasn’t the first time I had gotten a word wrong but the first time I had been publicly embarrassed about it. However, this was the first of many more times I could not answer my teachers due to only knowing the words in Polish or Spanish.
            This was very frustrating for me. I felt like I appeared stupid and incapable to express myself properly. It did not help that I was grammatically corrected by my best friends when I spoke, which of course I have nothing against wanting to improve myself. I just could not help feel like I was looked down upon because of it. The sassy Latina in me decided I was not going to not try and express myself even if it meant I would be corrected. It would be ignorant of me to not try and better myself but understand that I do speak two other languages- an advantage most do not have.
           To this day the origin of where and how words became formed remains unknown. There are several theories out there that speak to it saying that perhaps it was formed by sounds that reflected actions or desires like hunger, anger, sex. However, it all boils down to the fact that as human beings we have evolved (unlike our monkey friends) and somewhere along the way we developed the capability to speak. Language has always been fascinating to me. I took an accent/dialect class in college that had me realize that depending where we were born and raised determined the way we moved our tongues and shaped different vowel sounds. It gave me a greater understanding to why people spoke the way they did. That sometimes the reason people have trouble speaking in other languages is due to the fact that their mouths have not been structured to move that way in their own language. For example Spanish speakers do not have the "th" sounds that English speakers use so they will most likely pronounce a word like "that" with a "d" making it "dat". English speakers will most likely have a hard time with sounds that European speakers use that are made in the back of the throat like the French "r's". It helps with empathizing with other speakers when understanding things like this. I'd like to encourage that for those who's English may not be perfect to keep trying at it, and understand that you are not incompetent- no one should make you feel that way. And for the rest of us to be encouraging and patient- the language of love speaks far greater than any other language. How else did you think it worked between my Polish speaking mother and my Spanish speaking father? Love is and should be our first language.

Plantains: The Better Banana

               Love bananas but are yearning for a more exotic experience? Then it is time for you to experience the ultimate banana,Plantains. They are the larger green like looking bananas that you’ve probably seen at the food store plenty of times but never have given much thought to try them out. Guess what? They are even HEALTHIER than your average nanner. ¡Que rico!

Just to name a few health benefits:

·         Reliable sources of starch and energy.

·         Contains 2.3 grams of dietary fiber per 100 grams

·         Fresh plantains have more vitamin C than bananas which help
fight the body of infections

·          Rich source of B-complex vitamins and minerals such as iron
magnesium and phosphorous (all good things for the bones and heart).

·         Fresh plantains have more potassium than your typical banana
( helping to regulate heart rate/blood pressure).

Plantains are most commonly served as a side dish to South American
foods. Not to be mistaken with your normal banana, for the best taste plantains should be cooked before consuming. There are many great delicious ways to do so! Here’s a few ways us Colombians like to get down with them:


Patacones (Salty)


These plantains comes out more crispy than the previous ones. Think of
them as an upgrade to your chips n’ salsa!

Instructions: In skillet, heat oil (peanut or vegetable) to 350 degrees F. Cut the plantains into diagonal ½” circles. Fry plantains, turning until all sides are lightly golden. Remove from skillet and place between 2 pieces of paper towel and press down using a glass bowl or cup to flatten. Return them back to the skillet and fry them until crisp. Remove and salt lightly (I like to squeeze a little lime juice on top).

Visual on how the slices should appear:

               Finished product:

Sweet Plantains

These plantains are closer tasting to your typical banana but of course better. Serve these as an additional side to you arroz y frijoles!

Instructions: For these plantains you want to wait till they are very ripe, the more yellow/black the peel is the sweeter the plantains will be. In skillet, heat oil (peanut or vegetable) to 350 degrees F. Cut the plantains into half slices or diagonal. You can try tosses them in brown sugar before placing them in the hot oil. Fry until golden brown.

Tip: I like to add a little vanilla extract to the oil as well some cinnamon if I’m using brown sugar.

Ripe Plantains:

 The Finished Product:

                  Guava, Mozzarella Cheese Sweet Plantains:

These plantains are specific to Colombia, and make a delicious side dish.

Ingredients (serving size 4):

·         4 very ripe plantains

·         1 tablespoon melted butter

·         4 slices of guava paste ½ inch thick

·         4 slices of mozzarella cheese ½ inch thick

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, cut the ends of plantains and peel Place onto a baking dish brushed with butter and bake for 30-40 mins. Slice in half lengthwise but do not go all the way through. Fill the center with guava paste and mozzarella slices. Return to oven and back for 10 more mins until the cheese and melted.

Tip: Where to find guava paste? In your local Latin food store or in the Latin foods section of your supermarket look out for Goya Guava Paste

Finished product:

I will continue to experiment with different recipes and let you all know my findings. In the mean time I hope you try one of these out! ¡Chao!

The Hollywood Nose Job

It never hit me more in the face (no pun intended) than when my last headshot photographer turned to me in his thick Boston accent and said, “never get a nose job”. It was hard to tell through his tough east-coaster demeanor if everything he said to me was suppose to come across as insulting or not, but ultimately I knew it was all just a manner of speaking. I responded with a simple, “Oh, I won’t”. A response that I once would not have had.

            Through the awkward ages of 9-13, I was pretty convinced that I would get a nose job. Coming from Jewish decent on my mother’s side, I genetically attributed what one would call “the Jew nose”. My brother would tease me till I cried (which sorry bro you got it too),
and boys would call me ugly. I decided that I was not going to let those comments affect my self esteem- but that did not necessarily make me less self conscious. What led me to this realization was that in about 90 percent of all my acting/musical theatre classes (at the AMDA in NYC/LA), the one note I kept getting from all my teachers was “your hair is always in your face” or “you are hiding behind your hair- I want you to pull it back”. I was not as confident as I thought I was. Being an actress, there is no such thing as hiding. You have to be real, accepting, and vulnerable (all things I love about the art).

            As I matured and grew into my features, I started to become less self conscious of it all, and reached the conclusion that I could never let myself undergo surgery even if I wanted too- so I was stuck. But being stuck became the most beautiful lesson for me. It taught me that I decide the definition of my features and what I decide is what people will see. Is there a part of yourself that you’ve always been ashamed of or unhappy with? To come to peace with yourself, the advice I would give is that you need to have a positive perspective by attaching new meaning to whatever it is. It takes some self discovery, but once you find it it becomes liberating understanding- that self worth is more than an appearance one should hold themselves to. For me, I’ve decided that my nose is the extension of my ethnicity, and that it brings me a beautiful kind of uniqueness. I view it as a symbol of my strength, and I’m certain that Hollywood will hire me because of it. Now I wear my hair slicked back, out of my face on most days and let that nose of mine do its thing.  Its BIG thing.

Pierogies vs Empanadas

I’d like to officially make Wednesdays my hump day treat to you, which means I will solely be speaking on everyone’s favorite topic…FOOD. More specifically, I’ll be addressing Polish/ Colombian foods and giving you insight on their unique salivary "Sabor" (Flavor), that are the foundation of modern European and Latin cuisine.

The Latin empanada and European pierogi are both dumpling-like pockets with various types of fillings. I will give you descriptions on both and then it’s up to you to decide which one is better!

The Colombian Empanada

There are many different kinds of empanadas, but the way Colombians (and Venezuelans) like to make theirs are with corn flour- which is then fried, giving it that yellow crispy outer shell. They are most commonly stuffed with ground beef (you can do chicken too), potatoes, and onions. They also make a vegetarian option that consist of just potatoes, onions, red bell peppers, and tomatoes.

Best recipe to try: http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/colombian-empanadas-empanadas-colombianas

The Polish Pierogi

Like the empanadas there are different kinds of pierogies. Traditional Polish pierogies are stuffed with mushrooms, onions, and sauerkraut. I personally eat those every year on Christmas eve as a Polish tradition (I will post more about this in a later blog). My favorite (and the most popular) pierogies are “ruskie” (Russian) pierogies, which are made with potato, cheese, and onion. Other pierogies are made with meat and onion, but can also be made with fruits like blueberries and strawberries (I’m personally not a fan of the fruity ones).

Best recipe to try: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/84706/grandmas-polish-perogies/

*Tip: Make the filling the night before to cut the time. Also, I like to sauté my pierogies with olive oil, bacon, and onion once they are all cooked. Serve it with sour cream- total game changer.

In my house there’s no competition between the two. Given that they are my favorite food staples from both countries, a bowl of each is not uncommon at the casa de Carolina. Give them a try!

A Polombian in Hollywood

The puzzling reactions on my friends’ faces never get old. We’re sitting at a restaurant and everyone’s eating a burger except for me. Instead, I’m probably eating a salad (@ Umami Burger), animal farm fries (@ In-N-Out), or a hot dog (@ Shake Shack). “Why didn’t you order a burger?” they always ask and I always tell them it's because I've never had one.

Maybe it’s because my food standards are slightly pretentious (never eaten at Taco Bell either), or maybe I want to fight American obesity (nah), OR maybe it’s because I’m Polombian and we just don’t eat those kinds of foods.

What do I mean by “POLOMBIAN”?

It’s a hybrid nationality of Polish/ Colombian descent, one I have identified with my entire life. Though I was born here in America (Queens, NY to be exact), I never felt quite felt “American”. Even at a young age I felt so strongly about this that I refused to eat fast-food hamburgers, just to prove the point that I was not going to assimilate entirely to American foods/customs. But don’t get me wrong- I LOVE America. It’s because of this melting pot of a country I am able to exist. My mother was born and raised in Poland and my father was born and raised in Colombia. They both later in their lives moved to America and met each other at a University taking English classes in New York City (the best city).

After I was born, we only lived in that one bedroom apartment in Queens for a couple of years and then moved to New Jersey (or JUUHR-ZEEY) in a small predominantly white community- where I started to slowly recognize the difference between me and everyone else. I only knew who Britney Spears was by observing girls dance to “Hit Me Baby One More Time” on the play ground while at home I had been listening to Frédéric Chopin, (Poland’s homeboy composer), and Carlos Vives- the Colombian Grammy Award-winning singer. Those were my jams, from classical/jazz to latin/bossanova beats. So whom on the playground could I bond with? Especially when my mother dressed me up in thick stockings (always covered in wood chips), dresses, and braids that boys loved to pull on in a not so charming “carrots” Gilbert Blythe type of way. However I’m sure that I was not the only kid on the playground who felt this way at some point and time. Icons like Britney Spears are identities we all try to hide behind and unify with. Since the 90’s it has gone on to the Spice Girls, Beyonce, and the Kardashians. I think it’s important we seek identity for ourselves, otherwise we would all fall amidst the trending uniform of  hair extensions and lip injections. Why not stick to and embrace your own identity? I am the non-burger empanada pierogi eating  Polombian and I love it. What do you stand for?