Hotel Adventures of Lola: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Thank you to all of you for making 2013 so memorable. The year came and went surprisingly fast but I savored the last few days. Don't get me wrong, it was a hectic year of juggling endless responsibilities. I squeezed in some writing and editing of the Lola stories. I appreciate your comments and support throughout the year.
Besides the book, I'm working on an immersive project for readers to experience the Lola stories in Second Life. I can't say more than that. In the meantime, you can hear to latest Lola at the Four Bridges Open Mic on Sundays at 11am slt.  Stay tuned for more adventures in Lola's life...

Hotel Adventures of Lola: Cashmere by RedGoddess

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday! Between work, turkey and eggnog, I wrote the latest Lola's hotel adventure. I'm introducing a new character, Mirabella, a beautiful Heiress with daddy issues and a shopping addiction. If you like it, leave me a comment:)

"Damn it! I'm wearing cashmere and it's raining," says the raven hair heiress as she shakes her orange polka dot umbrella. Her Hermes scarf and bag on the counter while giving Lola two air kisses. "Oh my darling Lola," She sighs in despair. "you didn't tell me the weather was so despicable." She resembles a tanned barbie doll in distress. In spite of her dramatic flair, she clicks with Lola. Lola in the oddest way relates to her.

Mirabella, the 21 year-old daughter of a fashion mogul from Milan, has been living at the hotel since adolescence. Her parents live separate lives yet cross continents for family vacations and her birthday. They think these seasonal appearances make up for parental neglect. Naturally, Mirabella gets bored easily with stuff and men, so she buys vintage jewelry and rare paintings at local auctions. She has an affinity to old black and white family portraits. She can imagine herself sitting on her mother's lap and her dad looking adoringly at them. "C'est la vie. To yearn or fear the unknown," she often says at the end of her chat with Lola and walks away humming "qui sera, sera...' She is Lola's Hepburn.

She could buy and sell the whole damn place and the restaurants around it if she so desires. She's a daddy's girl with the usual baggage from a wealthy family. She has zero sense of control when it comes  to money. This week, she bought a brand new hot pink BMW just because she saw it in a commercial.  By next week, she'll hate the color with more passion than an angry bull. Lola can't fathom spending money like that on a whim but she finds it ironic that she can share Mirabella's family pain. 

Adventures of Lola: River by RedGoddess

Here's the latest hotel adventures of Lola. She is in a reflective mood on this one. Hope you like and don't forget I love getting your comments, so leave one:)

There is a river that runs through Lola's neighborhood to the hotel. Many residents treasure it as if it were "La seine" itself.  Lola gazes through the foggy bus windows with sadness as she watches the fishermen, rowers, boaters and ducks on the water,  soaking in nature's beauty. It occurs to her, she has never taken a walk, had a picnic or even rode a ferry to the many islands close by. It's ironic that tourists seem to explore the city more fully than those who live here. 

The Adventures of Lola Stories: Lifestyle Change by RedGoddess

If only stress was a miracle diet, then Lola would definitely have a super model body without depriving herself of decadent desserts. During each annual physical, Dr. Drinkwater reminds Lola she's far from being in good shape. Positive healthy life style changes are in order. 
Since the injuries sustained during the traumatic robbery in the hotel, chronic headaches and insomnia plague her. Lola fears the worst. Something ominous is lurking. There is no extra funds for pricey gyms or personalized diet plans. Her life is in crisis.
Lola leaves work early to make her follow up appointment. She has just enough time to read an entire O magazine article on Living your Best Life  before the doctor rushes in with his clipboard. "Sorry for being late. I have a full schedule this afternoon," No eye contact.  She stares at the back of his clipboard and then gives him a cold look. Without a pause, he lunges into his list, "Your blood pressure remains high," He continues, pretending not to see her facial expression. "Have you started an exercise program yet, like we discussed during your last appointment?"  Lola is beyond frustrated, how dare he talks down to her like an imbecile! Lola snaps and bolts out of her chair.  She pulls down his clipboard and locks her eyes with his. "For a change, why don't I do the talking and YOU listen."

The Adventures of Lola: Finagle by RedGoddess

I can't believe it's Sunday! Guess what? The unthinkable happened. I'm a little under the weather and recuperating so I can start writing again. In spite of this pesky bug, I'm having a great Second Life weekend full of events. Between cough syrups, ginger teas and saline sprays, I designed a new poster (the one above) to promote all the SL events at various venues.
We kicked off the weekend with Musician MrMulti Writer at Gallery Rouge. He joins us on the 2nd Friday at 5pm for one of the most energetic shows in SL. He started the show on top of the piano. I'm not kidding. He eventually landed on the ground and danced the week away.
On Saturday, Writer Zill read a selection of short stories at Red Art Four Bridges. He's a master storyteller with a range a fabulous accents. I hope he will continue joining us monthly with more stories from more authors we rarely hear about. Today, I started my day displaying some artwork and a new elephant at Four Bridges. Sevi joined me for a bit as I attempted to place the elephant somewhere prominent for visitors to enjoy. With a cup of coffee in hand, I then headed over to Angeljade's poetry event at 10:00a slt. She's a breath of Caribbean fresh air. Next stop, our weekly open mic poetry reading and Singer/Songwriter Shannon Oherhily performed at Four Bridges SpeakEasy for the public. She has three shows coming up in the US. One of these days, I hope she gets booked in Boston/Cambridge in the near future. She hinted Club Passim in Cambridge, a cool spot for performers. Our last event for today is The Seated Scribes (Every Sunday) on the deck at Four Bridges, 2p slt. A group of writers come together to read and edit our drafts or work we feel need some feedback. This is the place to be if you have a work in progress or a piece of writing that's just not where it should be yet. That's quite a full day for a sick Goddess! Here's a Lola story to keep you entertained till the next one. Happy Reading!


Kahn is what one would call a social drinker. He's on every socialite's invite list for parties and fundraisers. He is handsome with all the trappings of old money and success. He has two weaknesses: women and booze. He can't resist neither even though he's in rehab for the third time.
Both his wife and mistress left him after he was caught with a dead male escort at Lola's hotel. With all of his powerful friends and wealth, he was finally caught in a dead end situation. Lola wonders,  how will he finagle out of this mess?

Lola's Adventures: Pork By RedGoddess

Lola revels in the chaos before work. There is a level of traffic that's cosmopolitan, and the usual early birds are all in the streets. The toothless man who empties out the burned cigarettes from the public astray, every few seconds, he lets out a disturbing laugh and mumbles "who's fault is it, anyway?" 
An older Black woman, head wrapped in a colorful scarf, sweeping the front of the university theater. She always stares towards the marquee as if thinking, "What if?"
Lola walks by the pan handler sitting on a rusty bus bench, tapping both hands on her starved thighs, humming to herself. Lola smiles and hands her a crumpled dollar bill.
In the distance, Lola can smell the tiny shops, she sometimes stops by the meat market to buy pork for her grandmother to make a spicy stew. She can taste the stew in her mind.
As she approaches the hotel, she notices Tom, a proud grandfather of twins doing his morning stretches before his daughter drops off the kids. There are runners, cyclists, dog walkers, parents waiting for school buses and restless children chasing pigeons. She peers inside her favorite wine cellar with a fat golden cat in the display window. Lola inhales the sweet smell of fresh bread and coffee brewing from the hotel kitchen. On a day like this, she's exactly where she belongs.

Summer Reading List Craze by RedGoddess

It's been a rainy summer on the East Coast. When it rains, I hibernate with a good book and dream about stories of my own. This week, I read a few articles on npr.com that seem to hit a nerve with several people, at least, in the comment section. The first is by Lynn Neary, 6 choices from book critics. I have not read any of these books and I'm not sure I will anytime soon. One commentator was disappointed that there were no female author on the critic top list. Well, that statement didn't sit well with others, even one person who's a feminist. Yikes! It is a fact that all the writers chosen were male. This is such a common practice that I don't blame NPR or even the writer as she simply shared the list. This kind of fluff piece are so popular this time of year, particularly online and in magazines. The never ending list of "LIST." I haven't thought about a summer reading list since high school. I read what and when I want during my minimal leisure time. Personally, I do read a lot of female fiction and non-fiction writers by choice. I peruse through my library page for ideas, npr.com, and my friend offer recommendations. Once in a while, I attend book discussions where I learn about new books and classics people are reading/reading. Beyond that, there is no formula to selecting what to read and will definitely not choose based on the season.
The other NPR article that I found is by Tania Lombrozo where she explores what our reading list reveal about reader's personality. This one certainly caught my attention because I don't think I fit the mold or the research findings she cited. Like music, my reading list is so broad that it would pose a challenge for anyone to dissect, let alone expose something about my personality. Right now, I'm not in school but I still read a lot of academic texts and research articles on gender and media.
On the other hand, I've consciously been choosing books from local authors, partly because I'm planning to attend their talks and just like the book focus. I'm also planning to read some books on women and travel. I haven't traveled as much as I used to in my 20's and I need some inspirations for the next spot to visit. The first two books on my list are: Tales from a female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman. I almost borrowed Eat, Love & Pray from the public library but changed my mind. Instead I'm listening to the soundtrack of the movie. I would love to visit all the places in the movie but I have to choose one at a time as I don't have the luxury to pack up like the author (Eat, Love & Pray) without losing my day job. So for now, I'll dive into the personal stories of a few travel writers while I figure out where to go next. Tell me what you're reading this week. Do you have any travel plans in the next few months? I want to hear about it! Send me a comment after reading the post.