That one time I sort of did cocaine...

Photo: dea.gov

First thing is first, I was a badass teenager. Not badass in the way that people use it for women like Malala Yousafzai, no. I was fucking terrible. Including but not limited to, cutting school, getting arrested, having ACS try to remove me from the premises because I was so bad, getting pregnant, doing drugs, drinking, suffering from anorexia nervosa, and generally being a demon.

So let's get to it. I grew up with two sisters, my mom and a stepfather. Both parents really loved to party, both literally and in the drug addict sense of the word; although if you ask my mom LSD was more her thing. In addition to that, my biological father was a steady heroin addict on the fast track to being a junkie all before I was 12 years old. So, exposure to drugs and alcohol for me was no big deal. I honestly thought all kids were exposed to drugs and alcohol like I was and in retrospect can totally understand why many parents did not want their kids staying at my house for sleepovers, ugh.

I was 14 and totally in love with a fucking psycho. I mean this dude would question the hairstyles I did because Lord forbid I looked decent for standard civilization. Anyway, he was a 17 year old crack/cocaine dealer and generally bad news.

One sunny day, cutting school, smoking weed, drinking, fucking, repeat... I decided I wanted to try cocaine. This motherfucker made me record (on a cassette tape!) that he was not forcing me into it and it was my own volition, touché to you sir. Boom, he procures the product, now I am scared.

"I can't do it. Is there another way to do it besides snorting it?"

"You can eat it."

"OK."

I ingest what must be about a 1/4 of a teaspoon of cocaine.

Luckily, so fucking luckily, I didn't feel anything. Probably because I didn't snort it like a person usually does but thank the fucking cosmos because if I did I'd probably be in a drug trafficking ring I couldn't escape, ugh. Maybe I didn't feel anything because I was already high? High and drunk?

I ended up just playing video games and actually relaxing through the day of playing hooky. 

Point is, thankfully I was such a fuck up that I fucked up on becoming an official fuck up. The one time being a fuck up works out for you!

Let me know your thoughts....what was your first experimental drug experience like?

Nadia Chanté

Life with food allergies

In December of 2014 I was officially diagnosed with food allergies, of all the best foods, which is the worst thing that could happen to me. I love food. I have always had a great relationship with food; it is the longest and happiest relationship I have been in, until now. I have yet to meet a Mac 'n' Cheese I didn't like. Yet to scoff at a plate of arroz con gandules, pernil, tostones and yucca frita. I devour cheesecake as if my blood is made of it and needs a new slice at least twice a week to keep my body alive. You get the point now. 

Let me share with you, what I'm talking about, below are all the foods I cannot eat:

Spices:
anise
caraway
celery
chervil
cinnamon
coriander
cumin
chamomile
dill
fennel
ginkgo
honey
mustard
paprika
parsley
parsnip
pepper
poppy seeds
sunflower seeds
tarragon

Fruits/Veggies:
apples
carrots
hazelnut
kiwi
lettuce
mango
almonds
peanuts
pistachio
tomato
banana
cucumber
melon
watermelon
zucchini

garlic
onion

Drinks:
herbal teas
beer

Food:
Shellfish

That last one is important because I will go into anaphylactic shock when I ingest just a smidgen of that shit. When I ingest all the other foods on this list, I suffer from what I call Exploding Ass Syndrome (EAS). Fuck. My. Life. 

Now, my life is filled with bland fucking chicken, bland fucking rice, bland bland bland....I'm dyin' out here!

Pepto Bismol is always on deck. Always. Otherwise I'm straight up curled up on the floor of my house rocking back and forth in the fetal position, crying like I'm in labor - I am in labor, getting ready to birth a shit baby. 

The picture above is homemade ramen I made seasoned with turmeric, ginger, rosemary, and a bit of soy sauce and my ass was much less explosive the next day, so it was a good turnout I guess. 

I reached out to my close friend who lives in Hawaii and is also a chef who has graciously accepted a challenge to create recipes to fit my now very strict diet, so stay tuned for some delicious blog posts with recipes and pictures as time goes on! 

Diagnosed with serious food allergies? Let me know below! How did you cope if they were diagnosed after you were used to eating all those delicious foods? Help a sister out! 

Nadia Chanté

Why I joined a sorority AFTER I graduated from college...

Today at work I explained to a coworker that I was in a sorority. NBD, most of the time they assume that I joined during my undergraduate years. I succinctly explained to her that I actually joined after I graduated while in graduate school for my MSW. She, as well as most people when I confess that part of my life, seemed surprise. The culture of Greek life is mythically undergrad and filled with parties and underground hazing to cultivate the pledges in to the sorority members you want them to be.  I did not have that experience AT ALL and I am quite grateful for that. 

I graduated with my BA in 2008 from CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice. As a full time employee and full time student my life was not in the proper context to devote myself to the process of pledging an organization and still focus on my life and figuring out where the hell I am going career wise.

Once I started grad school in 2011, a jolt of a memory came back to me when a professor stated, "It doesn't matter what kind of grades you get, what matters is who you know." Aha! I knew... no one. My network of professionals was minuscule and I quickly realized that my classmates were no better. Grad school was all about self-sufficiency and survival. Since graduation in 2014, I am in contact with three people! Once graduation is done, everyone is off running into their own world worrying about themselves let alone networking with one another. I figured I needed to make a decision to put myself at an advantage. I remembered my cousin, an Hermana of Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/ Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. mentioned a professional/graduate chapter in NYC and thought "Hey, I can do that." 

That for me was the decision that changed my life by allowing me to become part of an organization that is so deeply entrenched in their philosophy of empowering Hermanas, as well as members of the community that it only took me one conversation with one Hermana to receive 25 emails with job opportunities at my fingertips. 

While I did miss out on some of the undergrad nuances of pledging, I gained a plethora of knowledge and a whole new family when I crossed. I wear my letters proudly because I worked hard to earned them but also because I love what they represent to me. Respect, professionalism, self-worth and empowerment. 

Nadia Chanté

I am ...

I have had this Blogspot for a while, haunting me in the Gmail apps section, laughing at me with its emptiness. The main reason this started was for a school project to blog about social justice but once school was over, I just didn't have the passion for that type of writing anymore. I wanted something more in line with my personality. No agenda. No muss, no fuss. Just a small door into my mind and lifestyle. I over analyzed on the look, the language, the marketing techniques until I said "Fuck it, just do you." So here I am.

I am a Puerto Rican Bronxite. I work for - you know what - I'l leave that part out for now. I live in NYC with my two hairless cats, one (going on two) dogs, and a Red Eared Slider named Tina Turtle - oh yes and the love of my life Mr. S. I have no kids, not planning on having any - I have a large family which includes a really stellar nephew and is quite possibly the biggest love of my life to date, sorry Mr. S.

I fucking love to travel. I love food - no, I fucking love food! How else can I keep my chubby girlish figure in tact? I really love makeup and hope to hone my skills this year. I love to express myself through creative means, via fashion, makeup, collages; I have been known to sketch here and there. Generally I like to express myself like most people do; curled up at home binge watching Netflix while re-blogging Tumblr posts. Mmmmmm.

I am a sorority Hermana. I once was a nude/vixen model (escandolo!) and for a brief period in time worked as a freelance journalist for Rap-Up Magazine, Luxladies.com, Right On! and Black Beat magazines. I had a brief stint as a cocktail waitress in a cabaret - more on that later. As well as experience bartending, worked at a Bronx Zoo for one summer, and as the world's worst babysitter. I'm pretty sure I've helped dig a grave as well but that's neither here nor there.

I am aiming at providing a fulfilling experience here. Whether I'm trying new food, checking out exhibits, seeing new attractions, places, people, things, maybe even a little politics. I like to live tweet new movies while in the theater so definitely follow me on Twitter for that comedy.

I always welcome comments and trust that as a responsible society you will respect myself and others who comment as well.

I do hope you stick around and if you don't, all good.

Nadia Chanté