GOSSIP FROM THE GIRLFRIEND GATHERINGS

Learning from YOU to empower ME !

SisterGirlfriend Adventures in Punta Cana

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“It’s OK, SisterGirlfriend.  No one here really knows you.”

 

This statement was the official motto for the 4th Annual SisterGirlfriend Meetup in July 2017 in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic where ten women joined to enjoy some free-spirited fun on the Caribbean beach in the sun.

Most of the women that attended were well-seasoned, global escorted-tour travelers but had not tried the lazing on the Caribbean resort vacation experience.  For me, I had traveled to Punta Cana back in 2003 and was curious to see how it had evolved since that time.  So, there was a thread of excitement among us about traveling to the Dominican Republic.

The Resort Experience

Our resort, Majestic Elegance, had that WOW factor that we desired for our sun and beach vacation.    It had an impressive lobby, eight restaurants, and multiple luxurious concierge areas with a full-service deli to munch from while you checked email.  There were beautifully well-flowered grounds with swaying palm trees and a magnificent ocean view.

Upon arrival, our group was whisked away to a private check-in area after we relinquished our bags.   We lounged in this private area eating great food and sipping marvelous drinks while the reception staff checked us into our rooms.

Soon, we met the personal butler for our group, Eriksson.  He gave us a tour of the property and escorted each one of us to our rooms arranging for our bags to be delivered.   Eriksson provided fantastic service for us.   He made dinner reservations for our group; he lit incense in our rooms, sent extras to our rooms, and handled everything we needed.

Accommodations

Most of us had swim-up rooms with patios.   It was wonderful.    I’ll let the pictures speak about those.

The Food 

Here is the most important thing I can say about the food. I ate cake every day.   At the seafood restaurant on the beach, they made an incredible, different, cake every day for lunch.   Judy and I ate it daily.   We also ate Caribbean lobster, steaks, Japanese food, Italian food…anything and everything.   You did not get bored with the food as it was a variety and well-seasoned.   Another favorite was a drink called “The Majestic” which was like a melted dreamsicle with rum.   The second favorite was Mimosas which is how we started our day every morning at our group breakfast.

SisterGirlfriends Keeping Busy

So, how did ten women keep busy for seven days on a beach resort?   Let me count the ways for you.

Activities on the Resort

  • Aqua Aerobics in the Resort Pool
  • Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata dance classes
  • Daily Pool Party in our private pool near our rooms
  • Conversational Spanish class
  • Local Shopping
  • Sand-watching/Relaxing/ChitChatting under a Cabana on the beach
  • Afternoon SisterGirlfriend “Chat” Sessions in the resort open lounge area

There were many other activities that we did not experience because we simply ran out of time.

Excursions (Viator)

We did add a mix of adventure in our trip with a couple of great excursions.

  • Punta Cana Party Catamaran Cruise (Thomstours S.R.L) – This tour was a blast. We sailed out on a catamaran for a dip in the ocean, to swim with the stingrays and docile sharks, while dancing to tropical music.
  • Higuey Cultural Tour from Punta Cana (by Sol Cana Tours) – This tour was very informative as we learned about the culture and economics of the Dominican Republic. We visited one of the oldest Catholic churches in the Americas.  Even though the church was moved to another site in more modern times, the original one, which was built in the 1500s is still open for worship.   The altar still has the original mahogany wood and tiles.  Antonio was an excellent tour guide, and his passion for informing tourists about his country was evident on this tour.

There were many other activities that we did not experience because we simply ran out of time.

Nightly Entertainment

What I loved about this resort was there was a different flavor of after-dinner nightly entertainment.  There was live music on the plaza and a live show in the large open theatre on the property.   Each night there was a different theme for the show in the theatre.   There was a rock show, a Michael Jackson show, a Circus show, a rendition of Broadway musical show and a karaoke show.   I volunteered Judy as our lead singer for karaoke because she is an excellent singer.   I told the others she had sung to her husband-to-be while walking down the aisle at her wedding and they were thoroughly impressed.  We became excited about the performance, selected our song, and practiced our steps.  Judy led our group in “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” while four of us backed her up as the Lady Temps.    The audience loved it and gave us high-fives.   The next day Judy was approached by a professional singer who was vacationing there and asked if she ever considered a singing career.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, we absolutely LOVED our Punta Cana experience.   I HIGHLY recommend the Majestic Elegance Resort to anyone who plans to visit there.   It has been almost a month, and we are still reveling in our stay there.   I try hard not to compare my vacation experiences, but I have to state that this was the BEST SisterGirlfriend MeetUp yet.

Reflections from the SisterGirlfriend MeetUp 2016 in St. Maarten

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The tagline for this blog site is “Learning from YOU to empower ME.” The appropriateness of this tagline became evident during the recent SisterGirlfriend MeetUp 2016. Six women gathered together on the beautiful island of St. Maarten for a week away from their everyday lives. It has been almost 2 months since we returned and I am just now posting about it. I was delayed because I stepped back into my busy life and it became even busier. However, the time I spent rejuvenating on that tropical island helped prepare me. You see, that’s what the trip is primarily all about – rejuvenating and recharging – to step back refreshed into your daily life.
The Resort Experience
My first impression of our resort was not a good one. I must admit that I was disappointed because there was no “WOW” factor when I stepped into the lobby. After I settled in later, I determined the resort was comfortable, clean, and cozy with complete amenities. The food and drinks were good, the overall service was excellent, the nightly entertainment provided good music and great singers, and the other guests were very participative when I invited them all up on the dance floor with me each night.

Sonesta Great Bay Resort

Our beach view was fantastic. If we were in our room, on the patio, by the pool or on the beach, we had a fabulous view of the pristine ocean and green mountains across Great Bay where the cruise ships parked on the pier. On some evenings, we enjoyed good conversation relaxing in front of the large opened windows where we enjoyed the cool breeze and full moon hanging over the ocean.

Morning View -St Maarten Evening View from ResortCarousing Around the Island

We did venture out as a group to enjoy the island. Our first adventure was a history tour of the island. We wanted to learn about this small island and the mixture of the cultures – Natives, Dutch, French and African. We were impressed that the tour guide included so much information about the contributions of the African slaves to the economy and culture of St. Maarten.   The statues of these two women of African descent were impressive.  There is one on the French side of the island that is reminiscent of our great lady in New York Harbor.   The other one on the Dutch side of the island has a missing breast which was her punishment for attempting to escape to freedom on the French side of the island as they abolished slavery first.

St Maarten Statute of Liberty Woman in St Maarten

Our next adventure involved hanging out on the beach. We spent the day on the famous Orient Bay Beach. Since 1994, I wanted to return to this beach and stroll nude across it but that was only a dream. Instead we enjoyed cool drinks served by hot, sexy French guys while we people-watched on the beach. It is nothing like an ice-cold Heineken on the beach. We also enjoyed mouth-watering burgers at the beach side restaurant that hosted our excursion.

Orient Bay Beach

On our last outing, we decided to visit the other Sonesta resort near the airport. Now, this resort had the WOW factor and was a newer resort. It was beautiful but it did not have the fantastic ocean view that we enjoyed at the other resort plus it was too close to the airport with all of the noise of incoming/departing flights.

SisterGirlfriend Discussions
The highlight of the SisterGirlfriend MeetUp is the discussions we have throughout the rejuvenating week. Some of them occur via a planned activity where we choose a topic card and respond to the surprising question on the card. Other times our discussions are impromptu and we flow from one topic to another with the ease of longtime friends even though some of us have just met. We share, we laugh, and sometimes we cry. It is liberating, enlightening and empowering. Whatever happens, it is always in a very caring and healing way. The openness of these moments forges bonds among the group as we listen to one another in a non-judgmental way. We all leave from these discussions enriched and inspired.

St Maarten Tree

Overall, we all enjoyed our time in paradise. The ingredients of sun, moon, ocean, mountains, palm trees, and gentle breezes will always ensure a successful SisterGirlfriend Meetup.

Sister-Girlfriend MeetUp 2015 – Rejuvenating on the Mexican Riviera

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19358890863_986d684910_zBlue ocean waves.   Soft sandy beaches.  Sunny skies.  Mango Mojitos and Pina Coladas.   Gourmet meals and superb service.   Hot men with sexy “Os” at the end of their names (i.e., Julio, Eduardo, Alejandro, Francisco, Ricardo).   A beautiful resort with colorful manicured gardens, state-of-the art amenities and live entertainment.  Ancient ruins.   These were the ingredients that gave us the ultimate pleasure on the 2nd Sister-Girlfriend MeetUp in Playa del Carmen on the Mexican Riviera.

We were a small group but that did not diminish the rejuvenation, bonding, and laughter that we shared.    There was more interest in the event but there were some ladies that were concerned about traveling to Mexico due to the news media reports that we receive frequently here in the U.S.   However, I can tell you there was not one moment that I ever felt unsafe.    From the moment we arrived in the Cancun airport the service was superb, the service people were attentive, courteous, and helpful.    It remained the same until we departed the Cancun airport after the trip was over to return home.

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Our resort was FABULOUS!   I give high kudos to my travel agent (Brenda Johnson of Explosive Travels – http://www.explosivetravels.com) for her recommendation.   This resort far exceeded our expectations.   I was expecting the traditional Mexican hacienda styled resort that I had experienced in Acapulco (Fairmont Acapulco Princess) and Puerto Vallarta (Barcelo La Jolla de Mismaloya) but I was pleasantly surprised by the modern-style and clean lines of the Karisma Azul Fives Resort.   The décor of the common areas and villas were beautiful which really enhanced the comfy feeling of the resort.   We fell in love with the décor of the restroom in the lobby and I took a picture of one decorative item that I plan to have my handyman create for me.    Even though the resort was full to capacity I did not ever feel any common amenity was over-crowded.

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The information we gathered about the resort indicated that the food was gourmet class and we were not disappointed.   Every morsel I put in my mouth was scrumptious and the presentations on my plate were a work of art.

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We had 24 hour room service, a fully-stocked FREE mini-bar in our room, 7 restaurants onsite, and 2 cantinas to grab something quick.   There was also a wonderful coffee house where we could relax on comfy chairs and sofas to read/chat while we sipped coffee or tea.   All of the food venues were included in the vacation package so there was no extra cost.    During my everyday life, I seldom drink alcoholic beverages but when I am on vacation it is a different matter.   On this trip, I discovered Mango Mojitos and the rum in it was smooth yet potent.   My companions reported the same thing about their drinks.

The beach was all that I expected in the Caribbean.   It was a spectacular place for reading and relaxing.    The pool butlers brought us towels, drinks, and snacks as we reclined on our canopied lounger right on the beach.    We met some wonderful people on the beach and they were mostly from Europe and South America.

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There was also a great gym with state of the art equipment and exercise classes near the beach.   A couple of us enjoyed an early morning stretching class with an ocean view.    There were also wonderful paths between all of the villas and surrounding the resort which was great for walking and jogging.  One of the sister-girlfriends made a new friend walking on those paths.   Check him out!

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In addition to enjoying the resort, we felt safe enough to take a 6-hour roundtrip tour to the 7th wonder of the Modern world – Chichen Itza (http://www.chichenitza.com).  We all felt since we were so close it was worth it to experience the tour.  Along the route, we stopped and had lunch at an authentic Mayan village and visited a 200 feet deep Cenote.   For those who have never heard of a cenote (like me) it is an underground water source in the Mayan jungle.   If you saw the 2006 movie Apocalypto (directed by Mel Gibson), you will remember it.   There are thousands of them in the Mayan jungle.   None of us were daring enough to swim in the one we visited but some of the others on the tour did.   Click the following link to see the video of it.

Here are more pictures of the underground cenote.

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Touring Chichen Itza was amazing.   We could not climb up the steps because it is no longer allowed.   It seemed some spring breakers spray painted it once with graffiti.   Also, some intoxicated persons fell to their deaths from the top.   So, it is now closed for climbing and exploring.    We had an excellent tour guide who was a wealth of information about the history of the Mayan people and human sacrifices at Chichen Itza.   Even though I am not good on long bus rides, it was worth a little discomfort to experience this historical tour as the ancient Mayans were a brillant people

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Overall, everything about this trip exceeded my expectations.   My companions expressed the same thoughts.   It was a wonderful setting to catch up and rejuvenate with your best friend.  We all agreed that we could easily return to Playa del Carmen and the Mexican Riviera at some point in the future.

Special Thanks to my sister-girlfriend, Laura Garza, for sharing some of her wonderful photos of our trip.

 

Girlfriend Gathering – Ensemble Theatre Review – “What I Learned In Paris”

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What I Learned In ParisThis past weekend some girlfriends and I got together to attend a play at our favorite local theatre – The Ensemble Theatre (http://www.ensemblehouston.com).   The current production showing is “What I Learned in Paris” written by Pearl Cleage (www.pearlcleage.net) one of my favorite playwrights and authors.

This story really resonated with me because it enveloped a main theme that is of interest to me – a woman’s journey to enlightenment and self-empowerment.   Every woman should have a moment in her life journey when she realizes exactly what she wants and that she has the power within herself to make it happen.    This play was about one woman who had surpassed that moment, another woman who was about to start on her journey to that moment, and the man they shared.

It was hilarious and poignant.   Detria Ward (https://www.facebook.com/detria.ward) was fabulous as Eve Madison.  I am sure that every woman in the audience could relate to this story.   The girlfriends and I thoroughly enjoyed it and discussed it again as we munched on our delicioso South American food at Churrascos Restaurant (https://www.cordua.com/churrascos/).    It was well worth the drive through a very rainy day in Houston to attend this outing.

 

A Coward Is As A Coward Does

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Sunday started out really great.   My girlfriends and I drove to Galveston to share some holiday cheer at Sunday brunch.   It was fun.  We chatted and laughed while we ate great food with our continuous flow of mimosas.   We talked about seeking joy for the season and hugged our “so longs” as we departed back to our lives.

However, one of my friends arrived home to discover that her husband of 30+ years had departed from their marriage.   While she laughed and enjoyed a holiday brunch, he packed his clothes, golf clubs and wrote her a one word note that said B-Y-E.   He walked away from his commitment with her and did not have the decency to tell her face to face.

It is not easy to know that this has happened to someone you know – your friend.   You worry about their emotional well-being.   You wonder how you can help.    You know that it will be a difficult journey for her until she reaches acceptance.

The old saying that states, “You never know what goes on behind closed doors” is really true.   I remember dropping my friend at home from a previous girlfriend brunch this past summer and her husband came out to the car with the umbrella because it was raining.    I thought how thoughtful he was towards her.  Now, a few months later and 4 days before Christmas, his actions are deviously different.

The real fact is this man is a coward.   There is no other way to describe him.    Merriam-Webster defines a coward as “one who is too afraid to do what is right or expected.”  A wife of 30+ years deserves and expects that her husband will have the respect to look her in the eye to deliver news to her – whether it is good or bad.

I told my friend that she will survive and this may be the best thing that ever happened in her life.    She has already survived a serious stroke a few years ago so taking the steps to rid herself of a coward will be like a walk in the park.    We, her family and friends, will be here to help her through it.

Plus, I think he will soon discover too late that sage advice from blues singer Johnnie Taylor – Cheaper to Keep Her.

Click here to hear it.