Happy New Year (again)!

Today marks the 1st day of the Chinese New Year.

I'm not 100% sure about what the Chinese New Year is about, nor am I knowledgeable about what the different animals signify. What I do know is that I was born in the "Year of the Monkey", and this year, 2016 is again...the "Year of the Monkey."

The first time I became aware of the Chinese New Year, I was VERY pregnant with my daughter Lauren. Her dad and I were out shopping and somehow ended up in a Chinese market.

The store clerk kept pointing at me and saying, "Horse! Horse!"

I was so offended.

She didn't know me like that, and it was so very rude of her to call me a Horse. I mean...as I said earlier...I was VERY pregnant at the time, due to bust any day.

She must've been able to see the sadness on my face and she then said to me, "No, not YOU horse...BABY horse." Okay...that was it! I was ready to leave before I hurt this woman who was now calling my BABY a horse. The sadness that had just moments before been on my face was quickly replaced with anger.

Apparently my reactions were unexpected and she realized that there was a disconnect somewhere.

She found a calendar in the store and was able to convey that we were in the Chines "Year of the Horse" and my baby would be born under the horse symbol.

Okaaay! That made sense and I felt much better.

Three years later I had my youngest daughther and she was born in the "Year of the Rooster."

Five years after that came my son, born in the "Year of the Tiger." He LOVES tigers by the way. Always has.

How 'bout you?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: What Chinese year were you born in?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Equal Opportunity?

Yesterday at work my supervisor introduced a new employee to the group.

As usual, I offered a cordial greeting and welcomed the new guy to the company.

As he walked away my heart sank a bit. Why? Because he looked like everybody else who comes on board -- not just at my current company, but in practically every company I've worked for. He was a young White male. Ok...even if he weren't young, he'd still be typical because he's a White male. Oh, and even if he weren't a White male, he's still White.

Most of the companies I've worked for are "diverse," yet Black people are ALWAYS the lowest on the diversity pole, and Black MEN are virtually non-existent.

So I'm always left asking myself the question, "Where are the Black MEN in the workplace?"

Surely there are qualified Black MEN out there who can do what I do. Yet why aren't there any in my position, or in any of the positions I've held?

I just don't understand, and it's quite disheartening. At this very moment, if I think about the Black people that work in my current department, we are all women, and there are only a handful of us.

When I think back to how many there were at my job before this current one -- I was the only one.

If we go back to the job before that one -- I was the only one.

So again I ask, "Where are the Black MEN in the workplace?"

I know that there are many qualified Black MEN out there. So what's happening? Are they not applying? Are they applying, but not getting called for interviews? Are they getting interviews but not getting offered the job? I REALLY WANNA KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

How 'bout you?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: At YOUR workplace, how many Black MEN are there?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

The World is a Rainbow

As a native Californian and "Los Angelino", I have always loved the cultural diversity here at home. I've traveled to other parts of the country where that same diversity lacks GREATLY. EVERYONE there looked the SAME, and there was just no "flavor" in anything. And I'm not talking about food, I'm talking about, spice, pizzazz...the stuff that makes people and places interesting. There just wasn't any in those other parts of the country.

But here...

So today at work, one of the guys brought in a sweet bread. At first I wasn't really sure WHAT it was because it didn't look like anything I'd ever had or seen before. So I passed.

Later, he sent out an email letting us know that it was a "special" cake and if we ate some we might get a "surprise".

Hmmm???

At that point I was curious so I went in to get a slice. Before getting a slice we were instructed to READ about the bread first. So...I did.

Turns out that the cake had baby Jesus-es hidden inside and whoever got a slice with a baby Jesus in it had to host a meal or something like that.

Hmmmm...

Did I still want a piece?

I mean, how BIG is this baby Jesus?

What's it made out of?

Will I KNOW if I have one?

And what kind of meal will it have to be if I do?

Well, curiosity got the best of me and I had a slice. Tasted like the regular pan dulce that I get from my local mercado. And I like that.

So I ate my bread, and didn't get a "surprise". I was ok with that.

More than the bread though, I enjoyed hearing my co-workers talk about it. Some were quite serious. Others made me giggle. Either way, I learned something new today. Something that I probably wouldn't have learned in certain other parts of the country.

It left me a bit disappointed though too. As a Black (African-American...whatever we call ourselves) woman, I wish that my culture had more African traditions to celebrate. Most of us here though are so far removed from our African roots, we wouldn't know where to begin with "traditions". With slavery, we were stripped of our language, traditions, and yes...even religion. It saddens me at times to think that if I were to ever travel to Africa, I wouldn't even know which country to call my "home". I have NO IDEA where my African ancestors came from. And that...is a dag-gon shame.

Anywhoo...

Let the DIALOGUE begin: What is YOUR favorite cultural tradition?

Talk to me!

Til next time...