Remember when Will Smith sang that song? “Welcome to Miami, Bienvenido a Miami”?

Well, all that mess he was singing about ain’t in Miami. $100,000 cars? Yeah right. Everybody got a putt-putt or a Monte Carlo. And no matter what kind of car people are driving, they ALL got nice rims. Thats crazy! Picture an old delapidated 81 Toyota Corolla; it will have nice big spinning rims on it!

Everyone dresses in such bright colors and always color coordinated. If there are three colors in a guys shirt his sneakers have the exact same three colors in them.

Whats different is that there are so many hispanics now. Like my mama lives in Opa Locka and before I left for college there werent any Hispanics on the block, now there are only a few black families. The flea market, you know USA over on 27th, man its been taken over by fly papi’s and mami’s. I took my boys over there to get a haircut and I was so shocked, the chico’s even have their own baber shop.

What a lovely site! Me gusta los chicos.

Driving around Miami is wild! Everything is so far away. In G-ville, I went to Walmart everyday to enjoy the low prices. When I got here I looked at my lil sister crazy because she wanted to go to Eckerd and buy something. Everyone knows that Eckerd has higher prices than Walmart. I never shop there. But when I got in the car to find Walmart I almost fell asleep at the wheel.

The nearest Walmart is far as HELL! It’s the super Walmart in Hialeah. That thing was beautiful but it was packed with people. I was able to get my diapers and wipes and roll out with no problem though.

I’ve been hanging out with Anna lately. It’s weird because I left Miami when I was 18 and before that we were on lock down so we never really had a chance to hang out as adults. So, it’s like we’re getting to know each other all over again. Although our bond is strong, she has other people that she actually HANGS out with and she has her own interests. And she kinda made me mad by saying that she was scared to take me out with her.

Ok, OK. I am kinda particular about where I go and who I hang out with. Ok, I’m VERY particular, but I dont want to make my girl uncomfortable. I just like to have control of the situation I am in. People say I act like I am the super diva of the world. Man, Im trying to be better. Last night, (A WEEK NIGHT YAY!) we (Anna, her friends and I) went out to Applebees in Pembroke Pines for some Bahama Mama’s and then on to this low-key pool hall for a few games.

It was really cool. Her friends seem nice but I’m not really into letting people into my personal space lately. I mean, if we click from jump then cool, but all that ‘TRY, TRY, FORCE YOURSELF to become friends’ mess that I was advised to do back in G-ville, I’m not EVER gonna do that again. I’m not in bondage anymore. I can like who I want to like and hang out with who I want to hang out with and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Anyway, I’m keeping it on the down low because it took so long but I got the job as the publisher’s assistant at the newspaper. She hired me yesterday. The pay sucks but the opportunity is great and I’m believing God for an increase or a change in my position soon. No big deal unless I make it one.

The big difference between this job and the last one is that the last office was all-white and this office is all-black. These ladies are off the chain! I just stay to myself cuz I really dont know what to say. Plus, I work in a different part of the office from everyone, my office is next to the publisher’s behind a locked door and everyone else is in the main part of the building. I love these ladies. I love their eye rolling and fighting and cursing at each other and their tattoos and their hair styles. I love black people.

Oh yeah, Memorial Weekend is coming up in two weeks. Lots of friends are getting ready because Memorial Weekend in Miami is crazy! I’m not really into all the club stuff but I will definately take a stroll on South Beach to do some people watching.

I have a social life. It’s amazing.

later.