Special FX Makeup artist for TV and Film
Nancy Mendoza is unique. She is not your typical 24 year old.
For one thing, she is allergic to just about everything.
"I think a better list would be, 'What am I not allergic too?'" Nancy said. She always carries around an asthma inhaler, toothpaste, anti-bacterial hand sanitizer as well as various other pharmaceutical remedies; and that's only in her purse.
She also speaks three languages fluently, English, Spanish and French and that is just the outer shell of Nancy.
When you enter her house, the house welcomes you. Every room in the house is painted with a different accent color. The kitchen has warm blue accent walls, while her living room is a cool olive green. As you approach the back of the house, there is the dinning room, painted a dark shade of red with French paintings hanging. One in particular is of a Café in France at night.
"The whole house is set in a strict plan. My mom really follows Feng Shui, so the point of each room is to flow from one to another."
Nancy's room is no exception.
Her room alone can tell you stories about her life. She doesn't even have to open her mouth. She has a Moroccan themed bedroom with hot pink accent walls. The room is littered with trinkets of Nightmare before Christmas characters and pirate skulls. There are many Halloween themed Disney characters including a pirate Mickey mouse. She has framed pictures of Gwen Stefani, Jack's Mannequin, and Gavin Rossdale. Music symbols climb out from underneath her bed board and are scattered around her room. She has a wooden cat house by her window for one of her three cats and dog toys present obstacles for those entering the room. On her dresser are miniature Buddha in different positions. Behind the mini symbols of Buddha are statues of the Hindu gods Ganesh and Saraswati. "It's Harmony among chaos." Nancy says.
Being in Nancy's room is like being in a modern Ripley's believe it or not. It's not the eclectic trinkets or the way Nancy has every pair of shoe organized by color and heel and still in its original box that brings justice to this statement. It's the simplicity of a framed letter hanging on her bedroom wall by her mirror.
"Nancy and I were delighted with the news of your baby, and we send you our congratulations. We share your happiness on this exciting occasion and wish your family every health and success in the future. Ronald Reagan."
The envelope that it came in, once white, is now a light beige color in a custom made frame that displays both sides'. The return address reads: THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington and was sent with a 25 cent stamp; a small reminder of the past.
"Because I was born on July 4th, I was able to keep my family here in America instead of being sent back to Nicaragua where my family would have been killed."
The White house receives a list of babies born each day, but those who happen to be born on America's Independence day are paid special attention too. Nancy was no exception to this rule. Nancy's father, Ricardo Mendoza, wrote a letter to the president saying how much he loves America and how it was his dream to become a citizen of this country.
The Mendoza family was staying in America under Political asylum. Ricardo could not return to Nicaragua after the Sandinista's took control of the government. He was a Captain in the Nicaraguan army and any resistance to the Sandinista's was punishable by death. Ricardo insisted that his wife, Catherine Mendoza, leave with the children to Honduras to escape the war. Catherine was close friends with the French Ambassador at the time, and he insisted on helping her and the kids get out of Honduras while Ricardo stayed in Nicaragua and fought the Sandinista's.
"I refused to go unless my husband was coming with us." Catherine said.
Eventually, Catherine gave in and escaped with the children to France without Ricardo.
Three heart wrenching months passed and Catherine had not received any word as to if her husband was alive or dead.
"My gut told me he was still alive. I prayed for a signal, a sign, anything, to let me know that he was still alive."
Her prayer was answered. She received word from Ricardo that he was alive, well, and had finally escaped to Honduras. It wasn't until June of 1979 that he escaped by raft to El Salvador; where he was able to get in contact with his father, the ambassador to the Nicaraguan Army. His father was able to send him money so he and his family could start over again.
It was not long before he was reunited with his family in France; however, they did not stay in France for long. Ricardo left his family again to travel to Germany to pick up his father and bring him to Madrid, where his family stayed while Ricardo left for America to find a job.
In February of 1982, the Mendoza family was finally reunited in America. Ricardo had established himself with a company and was taken care of. They provided a house for the family in Coconut Grove, a house that provided shelter from the horrors of their homeland.
After Nancy was born, the Mendoza family started receiving letter from Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) that their time here in America was almost over. Ricardo kept filing for Political Asylum only to keep receiving these continuous letters.
" So I wrote President Reagan saying how much I loved it here in America and how much I wanted to stay."
The President responded.
President Reagan had remembered the Mendoza family because of Nancy, the name shared by his wife, Nancy Regan. He granted Political Asylum to the Mendoza Family himself; only for the request to go to the wrong family.
"The INS had granted the Political Asylum to another Ricardo Mendoza family living in the Coconut Grove area. This Ricardo was in the Nicaraguan Army as well and had filed for Political Asylum around the same time as we did."
So Ricardo did what any concerned father and provider for his family would do; he called the White House.
After Ricardo was announced to the president, he automatically knew who it was.
"He said, 'Don't tell me it's Nancy's father.'" Ricardo laughed.
Ricardo explained the situation to the president and that day President Reagan called over to the INS himself demanding that Political Asylum be granted to the Mendoza family and it is here, in America that the Mendoza's have stayed.
This was only possible because Nancy Mendoza was born on America's Independence Day.
While Nancy will never know the horrors of a civil war or the anxiety of being separated from her family and not knowing the whereabouts of a significant other, she does know the horror and anxiety of college life. Nancy is pursuing a Bachelors Degree at Florida International University in Public Relations. She works part time at the school as well as managing the promotional street team for LiveNation; the world's largest music promoters. Oh, and the three languages that the she speaks fluently, she also sings in as well. She's an aspiring musician hoping to catch her big break.
But as her dad says, "She's the only one in the family that can become president."
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
 | Another near DEATH experience So if you've been keeping up with my blogs, you already know that ive come close to death a few times while in my car, and it's never been my fault. Today, I drove to FIU south campus for my 9:30am french literature class. Suffered through 17th century plays and then got back into my car and prepared myself for the long drive ahead. Today is when I have to drive to Ft. Lauderdale for my internship at Live Nation. So I do as usual, stop to buy something to eat so that I am done by the time I arrive at work, and then I called my mom to say "Hi" chatted a bit and then I hoped on the 826 (Palmetto) heading north. Just as I finnished my kids meal cheeseburger from BK, I decided to call my sister Karen, so that we can discuss the new Maroon 5 album I bought yesterday. Everything was working like clock work. I was making good time, catching up with my family and even staying within the posted speed limit ( yeah I drive the speed limit). To give you a picture of where I was, I had just passed Hialeah Hospital and was approaching the gratigny (however you spell that) and I was in the far left lane ( I feel safe in that lave). In mid sentence , I went silent at the sight of the car directly infront of me and the car on the lane to to right of it fighting for lane space. As one car sped up to block it from entering it's lane, the other sped up to claim his space. I guess one car must have cliped the other and the next thing I know is the big black (or blue) SUV was about to hit the wall and possibly me in the porcess, I guess the SUVs driver didn't want to hit the wall so they jerked the steering wheel to avoid the wall. I shit you not, The car went airborn and flipped onto its roof. But it doesn't end there. Once on its roof, the car slid through all 4 lanes of the 826, completely to the right and stopped on the right shoulder. I have witnesses a few accidents in my life as a driver , but never NEVER have I seen a car flip completely in the air and land so violently on its Roof. I am a bit traumatized. The fact that I was so far from where the car stoped prevented me from stoping to check on the driver, but as soon as I saw abunch of cars stop to run to the overturn cars aide, I kept on my way. I know myself, and had I stoped I would have been so emotional and so frazzled that I would have been in no shape to help the poor driver. Even though both drivers are at fault for driving so aggressivly, I would never wish (not even my my worst enemy, and she knows who she is) for that to happen. Can you imagine the injuries (especially since almost noone wears their seatbelt) and then after the persons injuries, the traumatization of not having a car to get around and whats worse, probably the fear of getting into another car once the wounds have healed?! I know that I have had a few brushes with a vehicular death, and even I come out crying and nervous of the cars around me. If it werent for my sister staying calm with me on the phone ( I would have gone into full water works mode) why? because I am first and foremost a CANCER sign which makes me emotional from birth, and then because I am sad for the driver ( the old put yourself in their shoes emotion) and finally because I am so lucky that I was not hurt in the accident. ( I was so close, yet nowhere near the destructional path of that car). I mean the car was like normal following distance (learned it in drivers ed) and if I were a moronic miami driver I would have been on the SUVs ass riding him until he moved out of my way. But thank god that I giev myself time to get to where I have to go, and I was in no hurry to waeve in and out of traffic like "Frogger". I had a mini break down when I arrived to my job, all it took was a "how are you?" from Natalie (my coworker) and I felt myself tear up and not able to speak. I composed myself and then told the story to my bosses and I felt releif when all my coworkers said the same thing "I am so glad you are ok" and " that could have been you, you are so lucky". It's funny how a few little words can change someones mood. The feeling that I actually matter in this amazing company made me thankful for everything that I have. I guess things like this just bring you back to earth and let you know that you are not immortal, and enjoy what you have when you have it, cuz in a second you can go from jamming to the new Maroon 5 cd to sitting upside down on the side of the palmetto expressway. I am thankful for everything I have (in no particular order), my job, my school, my family, friends and other amazing expriences I have been blessed with this year. 2007 ROCKS! |
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
| I almost Died ( for real) I almost died tonight. so I had to administer the exam for my teacher today beacuse my teacher is out of town for the week and decided to have me give his class the test.so i do that and the last person left at exactly 8 pm. I then walked back to the office to lock up the exams, and then as i step outside to walk to the car, it starts pouring. Thank god I always carry my mini umbrella in my purse, so I run to the car in the rain. I have moms car tonight, because my car is at the mechanic.My stupid airbag light turned on like 3 wks ago and never turned off so now my mechanic has to figure out why its on. So I am driving on I 95 which is so hard to do tonight , because it is a monsoon outside and i cant see well in front of me and of course everyone is driving like assholes (whats new?!). So like a few miles before that first airport exit it stops pouring, but the street is still slick from having rained. So naturally everyone decides that it is safe to go 300 miles an hour now. I start speeding up to keep up with traffic and i decide tochange lanes to get from in front of some jerk, when some truck decides at the very moment that he too wants to get in the lane i am moving towards,( i am already 3/4 in the lane) but the guy decides to lay on his horn and force me out, he almost hits me so i try to go back to the other lane, thats when my cars tires start slipping and I lose control of the car. I hydroplane through 4 lanes of traffic, I don't know how I missed all the cars speeding towards me, but my angel did a damn good job of guiding me all the way to the shoulder onto the grass. thats when i hit the brakes and re-gained control. I sit in the car for like 3.5 minutes and gather myself. I decide that I dont feel too safe just sittin there at 8:30 when its already pretty dark. So, I put my blinker and try to get back on the highway, thats when it officially hits me that I almost died, and all because that stupid truck wanted to push me out of the lane! I tried to call my sister sophie but she never answered, I didn't want to call my mom cuz i know she would get hysterical and make me more upset, so i called my sisters friend steven, thinking he would probably know where to find her, but he never answeredeither. well i finally made it home with mascara blackened eyes from crying, (it's true what dane cook says, it feels like everyone is watching you cry hysterically when you are in your car alone) dammit i have to wake up at the crack of dawn to take my sister karen to work and then baby to daycare, so that i can borrow her car to go to work. beacuse my car is broken. ugh i am so tired. i need to quit this job, cuz its gonna kill me for sure. |
Re-posting from Wednesday, February 01, 2006
| It's only the first day of February and already I'm being constantly reminded of that this bullshit holiday we know as St. Valentine’s Day. I believe that this holiday was created by the hallmark greeting card company to sell their cheesy cards, and sell candy, flowers and ugly ass teddy bears (that will get thrown out once you break up with your significant other). Why do people that are in relationships like to shove it in peoples faces that don't have anyone? Is it necessary to remind people that the most dreaded holiday of the year is just a few days away? And now my writing class was assigned a paper on the subject of "LOVE". seriously do we need to spoon feed this cheesiness to those who just want to stay in their P.J's ,curl up on the couch and watch a non romantic movie/show on TV? I for one am totally against this corporate creation. And I not only blame every past boyfriend or person who has ruined this heinous holiday, but all the sappy valentine T.V. programs, romantic movies, commercials ,the candy hearts, boxed chocolate and endless isles of stuffed apes and annoying singing hamsters. That’s just my opinion... |
This happened on Tuesday, March 07, 2006. I am re-posting it from my old blog.
| i almost blew up (car and all) so today I had a mass media exam (no big deal), then i fill up my gas tank at the local BP station. I grab some gub and jump on I95 heading home. |
What every driver in Miami should know:
1. Turn signals will give away your next move. A confident Miami driver avoids using them.
2. Under no circumstance should you maintain a safe distance
between you and the car in front of you, because the space will be filled in by someone else, putting you in an even more dangerous situation.
3. The faster you drive through a red light, the less chance you
have of getting hit.
4. WARNING! Never come to a complete stop at a stop sign. No expects it and it will result in your being rear-ended
5. Never get in the way of an older car that needs extensive
bodywork, especially with CANADA, NY or MICHIGAN plates. With no insurance, the other operator probably has nothing to lose.
6. Braking is to be done as hard and late as possible to ensure
that your ABS kicks in, giving a vigorous foot massage as the brake pedal violently pulsates. For those of you without ABS, it's a chance to strengthen your leg muscles.
7. Never pass on the left when you can pass on the right. It's a
good way to prepare other drivers entering the highway.
8. Speed limits are arbitrary figures; given only as a suggestion and are not enforceable during rush hour.
9. Just because you're in the left lane and have no room to speed up or move over doesn't mean that a driver flashing his high beams behind you can go faster in your spot.
10. Always brake and rubberneck when you see an accident or even someone changing a tire. This is seen as a sign of respect for the victim.
11. Learn to swerve abruptly without signaling. Florida is the
home of high-speed slalom-driving thanks to the Department of
Public Works, which puts potholes in key locations to test drivers'
reflexes and keep them alert.
12. It is tradition to honk your horn at cars in front of you that do not move three milliseconds after the light turns green.
13. To avoid injury in the event of a collision or rollover, it is
important for you to exit your vehicle through the windshield
right away. Wearing your seat-belt will only impede your hi-velocity escape from danger.
14. Remember that the goal of every Miami driver is to get
ahead of the pack by whatever means necessary.
15. In Miami, 'flipping the bird' is considered a polite salute. This
gesture should always be returned.
thankful 
distressed