Listening the news reports of what happened in Haiti yesterday I had absolutely no idea of the magnitude of what had actually occured.
At first, I thought it was just an earthquake like the ones in California where a few buildings might get a little shaken up, food flies off the shelves in grocery stores but within a few minutes everything would back to normal.
It wasn't until I saw a report on CNN this morning that said possibly hundreds of thousands, not hundreds or thousands but hundreds of thousands, of people may have been killed that I realized the seriousness of what happened. That is still resonating in my mind. I still can't even fathom the total destruction that occured. The pictures to the left are of the National Palace before and after the earthquake.
Haiti is no stranger to large quakes with the destruction of Palais Sans Souci near the Citadelle in 1842. It has also been 200 years since any major seismic activity has occurred in Port-au-Prince. This means that the level of built up stress and energy in the earth could one day be released resulting in an earthquake measuring 7.2 or more on the Richter Scale. This would be an event of catastrophic proportions in a city with loose building codes, and an abundance of shanty-towns built in ravines and other undesirable locations. Even the super-rich may not be immune as many own homes with great views, but precariously perched on the mountainsides above Petionville, on ground which is also susceptible to landslides. (To read the entire article, click here)
What happened in Haiti is simply something that I would have never expected, but apparently geographers knew this was going to happen. I've been to the Dominican Republic several times, which shares the island with Haiti, and I had no idea that Haiti lies on a fault which made it prone to earthquakes.
My heart truly goes out to the people of Haiti, especially those who've lost loved ones and those who are trapped hoping to be found. All we can do now is pray and make an effort to donate money and time, if possible, to spread the word to others that even if they don't have much to give something is better than nothing.
Found some ways on how to give to Haiti online, feel free to post other options.
American Red Cross (text 90999 to donate $10 via the Red Cross)
Yele (you can also text “Yele” to the number 501501 to donate $5)
AmeriCares
CARE
Direct Relief International
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a foodie. One of my favorite things about living in the DC area is all of the culture we possess which leads us to having many amazing restaurants.
As you may now, January 11-17, 2010 is officially Restaurant Week in Washington, DC. Over 180 restaurants in the DC area are participating in this year's event. During this time, you can have a 3-course lunch for $20.10 or a 3-course dinner for $35.10 at many restaurants where you could barely find an entree for under $35. I typically try to go to at least 3 new restaurants each event. It's the best time to go with friends, family, or someone special to sample an appetizer, entree, and dessert for a great price.
On the first day of Restaurant Week I went to Rasika. Rasika is a contemporary Indian restaurant located within 4 blocks of the Verizon Center. Although, I'm frequently in Chinatown, I'd never seen it before. It is located on 6th and D Streets NW.
When we entered, it was very quaint and nicely decorated. It was much smaller than most of the other restaurants in Chinatown that usually cater to hundreds of patrons at a time. That explains why I couldn't get a reservation before 9PM all week.
So we were seated and the waiter immediately came over to gave us a breakdown of all of the wines, they even had a special Restaurant Week wine menu where bottles were about $10-15 less than usual, as well as their extensive list of cocktails. I ordered a Cranberry Cobbler. It was a cocktail made of tequila, apple liqueur, with muddled oranges and cranberries and some type of spice. I'll admit it was so good I ended up drinking mine then my friends.
Within 5 minutes of ordering our drinks, our appetizers came. The Malai Chicken Tikka was placed in front of me and my friend had calamari. My dish was amazing! It was much lighter than I expected. I love Indian food but sometimes with all the spices, certain dishes can be overbearing. After our first bites, our waiter came over to check on how we liked everything. He even told my friend to sprinkle what we thought were garnishes on his dish to bring out the flavor. He was right.
For the entree, I ordered the Black Cod, which they are supposedly known for, and my friend had Mahi Mahi in a light curry sauce. The cod was glazed in honey and perfectly grilled I can still taste it. Yum! The Mahi Mahi served over basmati rice was excellent too. It was so full of flavor.
By the time dessert came out, we were both pretty full but I can always make room for sweets. My friend had mango ice cream while I had a dish that was some type of fruit that was fried and soaked in honey and served with a scoop of frozen yogurt with pistachio sprinkles. It was heavenly.
I'm definitely a fan of Rasika now, it might even be one of my new favorite restaurants!
Service: A+
Food: A
Atmosphere: A
If you follow me on Twitter, I'm sure you read about the horrible experience I had the other week at American Service Center located in Arlington, VA.
I'm a firm believer in writing letters of complaint whenever I have a poor customer service experience and sharing with others when I've feel I've been wronged. Sometimes upper management has no idea what is going on within their own business without those advocates letting them know what is really going on, they would never know why they're losing business.
So about my experience at American Service Center (ASC)…I scheduled an appointment to drop my car off on a Tuesday at 9:30AM, to have a cracked rim and a windshield wiper replaced. I also asked them to look at the other rim, because I'd been informed the other rim was cracked as well.
When I arrived they told me they didn't have an appointment for me, should've known right then it wasn't going to go well. I was hoping they'd fix it while I waited since it was a fairly simply procedure, NTB only took 30 minutes to take off both of my rims and determined they were cracked. Instead, I was told they'd call me when it was ready and the advisor walked away. When I asked about my loaner, the advisor was very condescending and said that since I did not purchase my car from them they would not provide a loaner. Every time I'd taken my car to other dealerships in the area they always gave me a loaner even though I purchased my car in Atlanta.
That afternoon around 4:00PM when I still had not heard from the service advisor regarding the status of my car, so I decided to follow-up. When I called he wasn't available. Finally he called me back at the end of the day verifying the rim was cracked. Umm yeah, that's what I told him when I dropped it off that morning, along with telling him the guy in parts department had already been ordered them and they just needed to be installed. Fortunately, I was able to get a ride from a friend home from work.
Fast forward to the next day, I commuted to work via Metro again and still had not received a phone call stating my car was ready. I ended up calling ASC around 11:00AM and asked to speak with the Service Department manager because I was feed up. He then informed me he'd just spoken with his business development officer about the number of cars they'd taken in the day before. Truthfully, I could've cared less. My concern was that I was stranded for over 24 hours without a car for such a minor repair.
I was finally told my car is ready around lunch time. So I took the Metro back out to VA to pick it up. I went to the cashier to pay for my service and wait for my car. I hoped it would be quick and I’d be back to work. That was not the case. I ended up waiting an hour for them to find my car. And no one seemed to know where it was as if it has just vanished.
During the wait, I tried to find my service advisor, then the service manager and was told both were gone to lunch. To make matters worse, I was repeatedly told by the attendants, they couldn't do anything because the second person who tried to find my car disappeared with all of my paperwork and the receipt. Eventually, another service advisor called the mechanic who worked on my car who told him where my car was. The mechanic took 2 minutes, went to where the cars are parked, found my car, and told the advisor my car was in fact where he'd left it.
When I heard him say that I was heated. By this time, I'd been gone from work for 2 hours and missed an important conference call. When my car finally came out, I didn't receive an apology, nothing. I vowed to never return to America Service Center in Arlington, VA.
After that mind-numbing experience, I wrote a detailed 2-page letter expressing my concerns regarding the poor customer service, the time it took for them to complete a simple repair, as well as concerns for my safety, when they told me nothing was wrong with my passenger side rim when there clearly was a problem. I sent the letter certified to the General Manager, asking for an apology and compensation for my inconvenience. After all time is money, and after such a horrendous experience I deserved something.
With that said, I hope no one else encounters what I went through with American Service Center. Don't be afraid to let others know when you've had poor or unacceptable customer service. By writing a letter or calling the manager you're providing valuable feedback and you never know what you'll get out of making a simple complaint. Some times you just have to let ‘em know.
I've been back in the Washington, D.C. area since April 2007. When I was searching for a new condo, I was planning to move to either Northern Virginia (Arlington, Alexandria, Crystal City) and Montgomery County (Bethesda, Silver Spring). Growing up in Prince George's County, I was familiar with the area but knew that I didn't want to move even remotely close to the city where I grew up. It's a nice community, or at least it was, for families but isn't really a place for young, single people.
So after looking for a while, I ended up buying a place in Prince George's County after all. It was cool at first until I realized there is no diversity whatsoever. I've always lived places where there was a mix of people. The closest I came to living around all Brown people was when I lived in NY, but the brown faces consisted of Af-Ams, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and other Hispanics. Don't get me wrong, I love my people (sometimes :-)) but the area where I live now leaves much to be desired.
The people are rude. I'd see my next door neighbor and she wouldn't speak. Me being the person I am, I like to kill 'em with kindness, so I'd go out of my way to speak, it took months to finally get a half smile from her. Is it really that big of a deal to speak to your next door neighbor? Since then she's moved and the man who owns the condo next to mine has had a string of horrible tenants who seem to be used to living more in Section 8 housing than in a normal condo. They have no respect when it comes to playing their music, even had one who used to play a conga drum at night. They'd fight and yell in the hallway. When someone comes to pick them up, instead of walking to the door they'd honk the horn all times of night. I'd never have peace in my own home. Fortunately, they leave and it's gotten a little better. I've never lived in the projects but I could imagine this was what it would be like.
Every time I go to the trash I end up picking up litter because people drop all types of garbage on the ground and don't even have the decency to pick it up. I'm not used to people not taking ownership of where they live, even if they are renters. When I did live in apartments (with more diverse neighbors), I never saw people who had such a blatant disregard for where they lived. My condo association sends out monthly newsletters but I'm sure the people who are the culprits don't even read them.
They are disrespectful. As I sat in the waiting room of my local NTB, a young couple came in with a little boy who couldn't have been more than 18 months old. The father was talking loud and using every expletive he could think of and half the time he said these things while holding the baby. It got to a point where I got up, shot him a look and sat back down. I'm nobody's Mother but I've learned from the best of them how to give someone a piercing look to make them be quiet.
I don't know if these people just don't care or if it's because no one’s told them what's inappropriate from what's not. The waiting from was full of older people who just sat there and didn't say a word. Any one of them could have asked the guy to watch his mouth but they just sat there oblivious to it all and didn't open their mouths.
Every time I take the Metro, which isn't that often, I dread sitting near any teenagers. Those kids, who 95% of the time are Black, get on and start acting a fool. They curse, use vulgar language and have no consideration for those who are subjected to hearing them. They'll curse in front of someone who could be their Grandmother and don't even care. It makes me sick and I'm tired of it.
Next fall, I'm determined to rent out my place and move. I'm not sure where yet but we'll see. I can't take being in an environment where people have no concern for anyone but themselves. People like that are dangerous. My days in Prince George's County are coming to an end.
Maybe it's just me but I never saw the point in setting New Year's resolutions. People come up with the generic resolutions ever year saying things like "I'm going to lose weight" or "I'm going to work harder." Although, I'm a firm believer in having goals, I believe setting goals and making resolutions are two very different concepts.
As a child, my Dad made me sit down and write out my goals both short term and long term and this was never done during New Years. He always emphasized that writing your goals down, not just saying them aloud, trains your thoughts. Let me also say my Dad was a fan of Zig Ziglar in the 80s so he taught me everything he learned from reading books and listening to tapes. Even today I write my goals down, whether it's a daily Things-to-Do Lists or setting long term goals, because it not only serves as a reminder but it makes you more accountable in your actions.
Resolutions are empty thoughts while goals are actual, deliberate statements. A resolution would be "I'm going to exercise more" while a goal would be "I'm going to exercise three times a week, for a minimum of 30 minutes a day." There's a clear difference. Plus goals should always have a time limit or commitment. For instance, a resolution would be "I'm going to get out of debt" while a goal would be "I'm going to pay off my credit card by May 31, 2010."
Goal setting needs to be something that makes sense, it should be deliberate in thought and action. In order to successfully reach your goals, you must have a solid plan which provides a way to execute the goal. With that said, let's stop wasting time with resolutions and spend more time developing goals.
Now that the New Year is here, I wanted to share a few tips on ways I've found to save and make a little money. I'm working on getting my financial house in order and these are some of the ways that have helped me along the way.
Save Money on Cable
I don't pay for Premium Channels. The cable companies typically offer promotions for free HBO/Showtime/Starz for 6 Months or will give you $10 off your month bill, you just have to ask. These offers are often valid for everyone, even existing customers. Just call your provider and ask, "What are your current promotions?" Say it's a 6 month promo, put it in your calendar to call them in exactly 6 months to remove the promotion, before they have a chance to start charging you. At that time, ask again if there are any current specials. There's no limit to how many promotions you can have, you just have to ask.
Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill
Take advantage of discounts through your job. Most companies have business contracts with the major providers. As part of the contract they typically extend discounted service to personal contracts. You can easily save 10-30% off of your personal phone bill each month. Ask someone in your IT or Procurement department or contact your provider, they will have a listing of which companies offer promotions to their employees.
Look on the Back of Your Receipts
At my local gas station there are always coupons for discounts on snacks and items sold inside of the store. Wendy's and Burger King will give you a free sandwich just for completing a 2 minute phone survey. I take the survey and leave the receipt with the redemption code in the car just in case I'm short on cash. Don't forget about grocery stores. The back of my most recent receipt includes offers for an oil change at NTB for $16.99, $25 off tax preparation fees at Jackson Hewitt, 15% off of dry cleaner service at a local cleaners.
Banking Fees
Some banks charge what is called a "monthly maintenance fee." These fees can range from $7.95 and up, that's $95 of your money gone down the drain each year. Ask your bank about free checking, if they don't offer it switch to another bank that does. Credit Unions are also a good bet. They don't have hidden fees on account and you rarely have to pay ATM fees when you take out money at other banks. Rates on savings products (i.e. CDs, Money Market) are higher and their interest rates on loans and credit cards are much lower. I switched my car loan to my Credit Union last year and it reduced my payment by $200/month.
Beauty Expenses
For the last few years, I've faithfully had a standing appointment with my hairdresser. I recently started skipping one appointment each month, that saves me $55/month which adds up to $660 a year. I know it's a sacrifice but if you can shampoo your own hair once in a while you can use that money towards something else like a mini-vacation. As far as nails are concerned, I get pedicures but I usually do my own manicures. I've been doing my own french manicure for about a year now and I always get compliments, thanks to Sally Hansen's french tip pen. I've had the same pen since the beginning of the year (it cost maybe $6) and do my nails once a week. No one will ever know the difference.
Sell Your Old Phone
If you're like me, you buy a new cell phone every 18-24 months and you have old phones lying around. There are a number of websites that will purchase your old phone (even if it's not fully functional but not water damaged) and will give you cash for it or even donate the money to charity. A website I found is called Flip Swap they will give you a postage-paid label, you send them your old phone(s), and they send you the money for your used phone. It's quick and easy.
eBay
I'm an eBay-a-holic. I will sell anything and everything on eBay. I've sold everything from shoes to a wedding dress to a hotel stay in Cannes, France for the film festival. If you have a talent for sales, offer to sell things for friends and family members for a commission. I also like designer pieces, clothing, handbags and shoes. Some items can only be worn or carried a few times before they're played out so once they've worn out their welcome in my closet, I'll sell them on eBay to make room for new additions.
Hope these have been helpful. Please share any tips you may have to offer.
Listening the news reports of what happened in Haiti yesterday I had absolutely no idea of the magnitude of what had actually occured. 
