I'm just, I'm just, I'm just Kate(ie) from the block

You know you are living in America when you are heading out on a summer's night to a neighbourhood block party. Yup! Just like in the movies, kids.

Last night I attended my very first block party. It was a lot of fun getting to sit in the street, drink, eat and listen to some live music ranging from an Irish band who did amazing covers of Mumford & Sons to some amazing Salsa music which really got your hips shaking.

Such a fun night! Unfortunatly the hubby was working late, but I am excited to practise our Salsa moves and bring him along for the next one in 2 weeks time.

Letters

Dear South Africa

Six years ago I left you and I'm sorry to say, but I've hardly looked back.

It's not you, It's me!

I'm writing to let you know that I do miss you and have not forgotten you, even though America is now where I live, you will always be my home.

Love Kate

P.S. Send Biltong!

Dear New York

You have been my home for almost three years.

I heart you, and I even have a shirt to prove it.

Sometimes you annoy me with your traffic and high cost of living, but you helped me find the love of my life and even let us get married in your most famous park.

You are pretty cool!

Love Kate

xoxo

I'm sooooo smooth!

You know when you go to the store to pick up ONE item and about an hour later you have had to go get a bigger cart for the mound of stuff that you don't actually need can't live without? Last week we headed to Target to get a new vacuum cleaner. Not even a big one which might involve some decision making, but a simple, little dirt devil/dust buster type deal for our equally little apartment. Easy enough! This shouldn't take long! Well... If you have been to a Target lately, you would have noticed their super cool "back to college" sale where everything is so funky, super bright and colourful. Like a magpie, I am attracted to anything shiny and we ended up with a whole cart full of unnecessary items and a dwindling balance in our bank account.

The item I am about to showcase was one of the "it's turquoise, I need it now!" items.

How cool is this blender? And even cooler, was the price which was originally $24.99 and marked down to $17.99. Score! Ever since the purchase it has been 'Smoothie Central' around these parts. YUMO! Just the perfect drink for Summer.

So far I have become an expert at making "Strawberry, Banana, Kiwi & Blueberry" , "Banana, Mango & Pineapple", and "Strawberry, Banana & Pineapple" combinations along with yummy chocolate and mint chocolate chip milkshakes. (Goodbye Baskin Robbins!) 

Are you a smoothie expert?

Any recipes you can pass along?

A break in the heat wave

We finally have some cooler weather after last week's crazy (and deadly) heatwave. Temperatures were around 100 degrees and we even had the hottest July 22nd EVER when they recorded 104 degrees F in Central Park. PHEW! That very same day was when the air conditioning at work decided to give up on life and I had to resort to standing in front of the freezer and eating ice blocks before I melted away. Growing up in South Africa, I am no stranger to these kind of temperatures but I am defiantly not a fan of sweating!

Someone else who is not dealing with the heat too well is our dear fur son, Gumby. Usually you can find him running around the apartment (between naps) and getting into all sorts of mischief but he spent all of last week slumping around feeling sorry for himself. I find this picture HILARIOUS and it just shows you how lazy the heat made him. This is Gumby cooling off in front of the fan.

Hmmm... there's something missing...



Much cooler!

Welcome to The United States!

Just a little over a week ago I had the interview for my permanent residency in the United States. Even though we (obviously) aced the interview, my application was still pending and I have been waiting on the edge of my seat ever since. A couple of days ago a simple white envelope arrived in the mail that would change my life forever. I opened up the letter and read the words,

WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

My application had been approved and I was officially an American resident.

I cried. I cried tears of joy as I became overwhelmed by thoughts of gratefulness. I am so honored to become an American Resident and I can't help but think of all the millions of people out there who wished they were allowed such a opportunity. I am just so grateful that everything went so smoothly and I get to live in the same country as my husband and nothing can ever get in the way of us being together. I am so blessed to be able to live in such an exciting country where I have a lot more opportunities then I would have ever been given back in South Africa.

A second envelope arrived on the weekend which held in it my green card. Never has a piece of plastic ever looked so good! Just me and Lady Liberty hanging out on our green card.

Alas, this whole process is not yet over. My green card expires in 2 years which is when I will have to go back and renew it to the permanent green card. A little further down the line I will also be applying for US citizenship. But that is a story for another day.

God bless America!

Look whos vlogging - Dating and Dreaming

I am back with my second vlog for Courtney (Dear Darling xoxo)'s link up series.

This week we talk about the best date we have ever been on and what we would do if we could do anything without the fear of failure.

May I present to you (drumroll.........) Vloggy numero DOS! (heatwave edition) 

Enjoy.

Today you can find me over here --->

We have made it to Tuesday which means that Monday is officially over. Done and Dusted! It's all down hill from here, right?

Today you can find me over at Taryn Leigh's blog talking about my Global Hotspot and my new home sweet home, New York.

I love following Taryn's blog as she is a fellow South African and is living in the most stunning part of my home country, Cape Town. I love following her adventures and getting a taste of my home country that I miss so much.

Happy Birthday Madiba!

Today I wish South Africa's Father a very happy 93rd birthday.

Imini emnandi kuwe!

Look whos vlogging - Introduction

You know when you were in school and you would put off doing your homework until Sunday night and then scribble a last minute essay just before bedtime? Well I was always like that in High School and it seems that even as an adult I act the same. Courtney over at Dear Darling is running a vlogging link up series that I am very excited about. I have been meaning to post my first vlog this whole week but the days kind of ran away from me and here I am editing and posting on a Sunday night (D-day!) haha. -

So without further ado, may I present to you Vlog numero uno!

Check out Courtney's blog and join in the vlogging party!!

Still Derby Dreaming...

Ever since watching my first Roller Derby bout I have been totally hooked!

I am determined to one day become a derby skater, but between 12 hour work shifts, sleep deprivation and jam packed weekends I have yet to begin to practise on my (fairly) new skates.

The whole Derby atmosphere is incredible. Watching those ladies skate is just so empowering, not to mention how cool their outfits are. (I'm a punk at heart!) Last weekend Mike and I watched the Botoxic Avengers take on the Country Clubbers from our front row (crash zone!) VIP seats. This was Mike's first time at a game and he got right into it, ringing his cowbell every time The Botoxic Avenger's jammer took the lead. The scores remained close the entire time and after a crazy finish the Country Clubbers took first place by a couple of points.

It is so much fun to attend these derby's and a real kick-in-the-butt motivation to get on my skates and practise.

Another step closer...

Today was a big day for me.

In the seemingly never ending process of becoming a US citizen, I finally hit a landmark this morning. Mike and I headed downtown, where at 26 Federal Plaza we were interviewed for my adjustment of status for permanent residence, which in English means I will be able to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis.

WOO to the HOO for that!

The above picture is the line OUTSIDE the building. The line still twists and winds inside before you even reach security. But this is nothing! Last time we came here for an appointment, the line LITERALLY wound itself all the way around the block and it took almost an hour of standing outside in the snow to get inside. Craziness I tell you! It is unbelievable to think about how many immigrants there are in America. I guess everybody (including this South African) wants their own American Dream.

The interview itself was a piece of cake, but kind of weird. The officer started by asking my husband how we met and then asked me if we exchanged numbers that first night? Odd right? But I do remember, very clearly, how we exchanged numbers that Summer evening just over a year ago. Him storing my name under "SOUTH AFRICAN KATE" and I retorted by saving him under "MIKE PERU". From then on we would be known as Saffakate and Peru.

She went back and forth between us, asking about each other's parents, birthdays, anniversary, what we had in common etc. I never knew it would be this intense! Luckily we know each other very well (I guess that is why they ask). You could ask me absolutely anything about Mike and I would be able to tell you the answer right away, down to the time he was born. (7:11 just like the convenience store!)

I shall be receiving my permanent residence card in just under 30 days and I am so excited. I can finally apply for my New York State driver's licence, register for school and all those other great benefits that come with being an American.

"Yip, Your Honor!"

I think of myself as a pretty good driver. The police on the other hand, do not.

Yesterday, the day that I had been dreading, came. (The one that had put me in a bad mood all of last week) It was time to head to court to fight a red light ticket. This may not seem like such an offence, but I was nervous to say the least. My stomach was in knots and on Sunday night and I had that feeling I used to get the night before I had to give a big speech in class and had not even begun to prepare myself.

I turned to my BFF, Google, and typed in "How to defend a red light ticket in court". But after reading elaborate advice including 'take pictures from the scene' and 'attend a trail beforehand to get a feel of the judge' I decided that was too much efford and I would just wing it.

As it turned out I had nothing (well not much) to worry about. It was just like a scene out of Judge Judy.

Que Witty Judge.

She was hilarious and had something snarky to say to each 'offender'.

My name was called and by this time I had a huge grin on my face from watching this 'reality show'.

I let the judge do most of the talking as I am not one for public speaking, although I tried to mumble something about the light ACTUALLY being orange. The judge then asked if I was willing to plead guilty to a lesser charge and therefore a reduced fine and no points on my licence. I was so happy that I yelled out "YIP!"

Now, for those of you who are not accustomed to court room edicate (like myself) "Yip" is not a word the judge is going to want to hear. "Yes, your honor" or "Yes I shall" is by far, more appropriate. I skipped this rule and "yipped" my way into a verbal beating from this Judge Judy wannabe. She even asked me what I did for a living and when I answered "nanny" she begged me not to teach the kid my vocabulary.

I couldn't help but laugh.

So off I went to pay my fine which ironically will probably only go towards the salary of the next officer to give me a parking ticket. Its a vicious cycle.

Meatless Monday. The time I ate a red pepper.

I never thought how hard it would be just to come up with one meat-free dinner idea a week. I have realized that almost every dinner that I prepare starts out by picking which meat from the freezer I'll be using and then come up with a recipe. Shame on me! As I mentioned before, I am not a vegetable fan. There are only a select few that I actually enjoy eating. Shame on me! (again) So when I was stumped on what to cook this week I just closed my eyes and picked the first recipe I saw on the Meatless Monday website. It called for red peppers, which is one of my least favorite (as a child I cut into one and found a worm inside, YUCK!) but I sucked it up and soaked in the vitamin C.

Antipasto salad with Potatoes it is then!

• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 large red potato, scrubbed and diced
• 1 cup green beans (fresh/frozen)
• 1 cup cauliflower
• 1 small red bell pepper, sliced  

First, steam the carrots and potatoes 8-10 minutes, until just tender, and pour into a large salad bowl. Next, steam the green beans and cauliflower 6-8 minutes, until just tender, and add to the salad bowl. Add the pepper slices and capers.

Dressing:

Whisk together the vinegar, oil, lemon juice, orange juice, garlic and mustard in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well to mix.

Can be served immediately or refrigerated to serve later.

  

Happiness is a choice

“You can’t always be happy, but if you always strive to choose happiness -everyday you wake up and say, ‘I am going to choose not to let the outside influences of the world affect my mood!”- I promise, you will live a happier life.”
-Shay Carl

I am not ashamed to admit it, I have been feeling kinda down this week. It has just been one of those weeks where nothing seems to go your way and I am in a total slump because of it. I find myself complaining more and more each day and its time for all that to STOP!

No matter what you are dealing with right now, you can either choose to dwell on the negative or think about everything that you DO have going for you, after all HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE. I have made a list of some of the things that have been keeping me down and choosing to turn them around into positive things.

Car trouble ~ We have our own car (no matter how temperamental it can be)

Totally broke ~ Haven't all successfully people been broke at one stage?

Not enough sleep ~ Spending quality time with the hubby late at night

Working 11 - 12 hour days ~ I have a job and I'm earning money

Being away from family ~ Getting to live 'The American Dream'

My 2 best friends moving back to South Africa ~ Getting to chat with them all day with a free app!

Nervous for my interview next week ~ I'm becoming an American Citizen

Fridge and cupboards running low on stock (due to the whole being broke thing) ~ Inventive dinners

Traffic court next week ~ Ummmm...? That just stinks!

Do you ever get yourself down? What are some negative things in your life that you can turn into positive?

Be happy!



A post about the 4th on the 7th!

I totally missed the 4th July posting bandwagon thanks to a very annoying virus, but don't think you can get out of viewing my fireworks and family snaps from a very fun 4th July weekend.

This Independence day was my 3rd since moving to the States, but my 1st one being married and on my way to becoming a citizen myself. It was very interesting celebrating this holiday with my Peruvian-American family (in-laws). The hot dogs and hamburgers were traded for chicken and anticuchos, there was Peruvian music blaring in the backyard and everytime I turned there seemed to be a new family member to meet. We had a special treat this year as my hubby's grandfather is visiting from Peru.

I was so happy with the result of my 'American Flag Cake' which I got the idea off pinterest. (tutorial coming soon!)

We ate. A lot. We played beer pong and acted like teenagers after finding a cousin's secret stash of fireworks.

The next day a couple of the cousins, Mike and I spent some time at the fun-fair (where Mike won me a stuffed snake...woop!) and joined in with all the locals to watch the incredible fireworks display at the harbour.

How was your 4th?

The time I almost lost my mind

Dearest Bloggy friends,

After 3 days of non-stop battle against my laptop, I am pleased to announce that the war is finally over.

I AM BACK ONLINE!

I contracted a nasty virus which would not let up. We even went out and purchased a new anti-virus which did NOTHING and we couldn't even access the Internet to download the software we needed. I have no idea what my husband hero did, but about half an hour ago some magic went down and *BING*, Internet access once again.

 You may now look forward to my very very late 4th July post tomorrow. YAY!

Family and Fireworks... bring on the weekend!

With such a weekend of epicness coming up these last couple of week days have decided to draaaag on. But Friday is finally upon us and so are the 4th July festivities! \

I love celebrating holidays and always seem to be the most patriotic non-American around.

My first 4th July celebration (2 years ago) was spent marching around Manhattan in my American flag flip-flops (you may now pause to cringe) waving around not one, but two flags like I was Uncle Sam himself. Last year my 2 girlfriends and I dressed up as what my husband describes as The American Flag on steroids. Yip! 3 South African girls all decked out in  MATCHING red, white & blue check shorts, American flag bikini's and those cheesy 4th July T-shirts you would find at Target/Walmart. This year I might go for a more neutral approach, maybe some earrings or something.

Happy 4th July Weekend!

I just bought photoshop. Can you tell?