Common Grounds Project | Cesia Alvarenga

i woke up today and it was snowing.

wut.

surprisingly i wasn't called into work and so i headed to the library with noah to get some work done. cesia met us there and we went outside first to snap some pictures in the snow. i know we all really want spring but i am trying to remember that at some point in the summer we will long for cold weather. and so i want to appreciate these last days of snow. it really is beautiful and such a fluffy wonderland. how fitting that todays common grounds project would be with a californian who loves snow. 

i met cesia my second year at college. i actually thought she was someone else when she got out of the car. we ventured to her room later in the day and she was just so overwhelmed we felt so bad. somewhere after that we just became the best of friends. she is so sweet and loving and loyal. i couldn't ask for a better friend than her. i can read her like a book and i actually love that. i never have to wonder where we stand. she is a no drama lady. we have had some of the best memories together in college and i couldn't imagine life without her. when we were all situated for the interview i laughed because sitting down and asking her questions felt a little silly. i thought i knew it all already. i was actually surprised by some of her answers. there was a lot of laughing and a lot of good answers. here is cesia's common grounds.

 

Me: If you were a nail polish, what would you be called?

Cesia: Uuhhh… purple mania.  Cause I love purple and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a nail polish called purple mania.

Me: If you could reincarnate as something, what would it be?

Cesia: Oh my goodness what would I be…? Okay this is going to sound funny . . . it would be a parrot because…no stop laughing listen listen, I could fly anywhere! But I’m like, still in my culture and I still talk a lot!

Me: That’s a really good answer! Um, okay. Kiss, kill or marry, you know how to play? Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barack Obama.

Cesia: Okay…I would probably marry George Bush, and then… I would probably kiss Barack, and then kill Bill Clinton.

Me: Would you rather be rich or famous?

Cesia: I think I’d rather be rich…because fame goes away. Rich you can buy a lot of things and help a lot of people. So I think I would rather be rich.

Me: What’s your favorite season?

Cesia: Fall in Virginia. Like when the colors change. In California you don’t see palm trees change so…I love fall.

Me: Describe yourself as an article of clothing.

Cesia: A poncho. (Laughing) the Mexican poncho! This is going to be so Hispanic I need to stop!

Me: Who were you in high school?

Cesia: I was, I don’t know if I told you this, I used to sell tortas. Its like a Mexican sandwich. I sold it because our church would like, fundraise off the school. So if I wasn’t known by my name, I was known by, “hey do you have tortas?” but they all loved me because I was their number one client!

Me: Please describe the difference of a tarta and a pupusas?

Cesia: Uh, oh my goodness, a torta is like bread, with steak or chicken…and then pupusas are like a hand made tortilla with like, beans and cheese…umm, pork inside of it.

Me: Speaking of tortillas, are you a corn or flower tortilla girl?

Cesia: Flower. I love flower, I don’t like the taste of corn tortillas.

Me: What’s your favorite children’s book?

Cesia: Umm… I don’t know if this is considered a children’s book but I actually just started reading it again…is Oliver Twist. I read It when I was little because my dad knew the story and was like, you should read this book and so I read it and I don’t know recently I’ve just been like talking to somebody about it and started reading it again. Brings back childhood memories.

Me: If you were going to run for president, what would your campaign slogan be?

Cesia: Oh my gosh I did this once for high school…my theme song was, I can transform you by Chris Brown. So its like this power point that I had and it was like, (starts singing the song…) and my face is like right in the front. Its really funny.

Me: Okay…(can't stop laughing.) . . . do you get a receipt when you get gas?

Cesia: Yes.

Me: If you were going to marry a Disney prince. Who would you marry?

Cesia: It has to be a prince huh?

Me: Well you can’t marry a princess . . .

Cesia: No I mean like, Jazzmen and Aladdin…he’s not a prince.

Me: Oh yea that’s fine.

Cesia: I would marry Aladdin. I love him.

Me: Are you a bird or a fish?

Cesia: A bird.

Me: What’s something that makes you really really happy?

Cesia: When I watch people dance salsa or something Hispanic. And like, I just love seeing them try…especially ryan…

Me: So you like to laugh at people…

Cesia: I mean its fun, they laugh at me when I do other stuff…this is where I get them back.

Me: What’s your favorite food?

Cesia: Chinese food.

Me: Okay that’s good. Do you have any final words? Any advise for the world? Or me?

Cesia: mmm…for the world I would say be yourself, because I think I know better than anyone when you are yourself people tend to like you better than when you pretend to be somebody you’re not. And for abbey I would say that…that I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t meet you my freshman year. (me: stooopp!!!) Seriously I remember you coming into my room and being so loud and so funny and I was like who is she, (at first I thought she was crazy…) and then I got to know you and I was like, I need to be her friend! And I’m really glad. And I know that in years to come your kids will be calling me nina…

Me: that’s good. Anything else?

Cesia: (laughing) no…I was going to say, I don’t like Mexicans…I’m just kidding don’t say that!!

Me: Aaand we are ending right there.

 

ces, you will always be one of my dearest treasures and i thank you a million times over for your friendship. you always say you don't know where you'd be with out me but the same goes for me. you remind me to laugh and keep joy close to my heart. thanks for the awesome interview and beautiful time in the snow.

ps thanks noah for snapping these fun pictures of our time! how special!