Sunday, August 25, 2001. I'm at church, just finishing up the Sunday school lesson with my 1st graders. I hear a knock at the door. Mama's standing outside the room. "Did you hear?" She asks. I shake my head. "Hear what?" Then, she drops the bomb. "The singer, Aaliyah, died in a plane crash." I'll never forget that day. It literally hurt inside. No, not Aaliyah. It's got to be a mistake. And yet, it wasn't. Later that day, I sat, glued to the TV while reporters confirmed what my mom had already told me. Aaliyah, one of my all time favorite performers, was gone.
Aaliyah's death is one of the few celeb deaths that really affected me. I didn't go throught anything major (depression...stuff like that), but I did cry. I did feel that her death has left a void in music. Beautiful (inside and out), talented, gorgeous voice...Aaliyah was awesome. I'd always anticipated her videos to see her latest dance moves. Her music seriously had me jammin. *sigh*
It's been 7 years since her death and I still miss her. I wonder what things would be like if she were still alive? She would've been 29 this year. I know we'd still be enjoying more number hits and watching her blossom as an actress. But, alas, it wasn't meant to be. It was time for her to go home. I'm thankful God allowed her to share her music with the world. There will never be another Aaliyah (I love Ciara, but never understood why people compared her to Aaliyah...2 totally different artists).
Over the last few years (2000 - 2008), we've lost a few good ones...people who made an impact, be it big or small, in the entertainment business. Have you lost loved ones during this time. I've posted pics and names of a few of them. I'm sure I've missed others...you can add to the list. Enjoy my Aaliyah selections while browsing.
The fun started Friday when we went to Acapulco. We stayed in a hostel. It wasn't too bad, though. It definitely didn't match the image I had (thanks to the movie, Hostel). It was actually like a little hotel...or like a tiny 2 bedroom apartment. We ended up not having air condition (it cost extra). We had to count on the ceiling fans and opened windows. The problem with the open windows was that creepy crawlers (bugs, lizards…scorpions) would have easy access into our rooms. Oh, but the view from one of the bedroom windows…priceless! 
Sunday, we spent most of the day at the beach. We rented an umbrella (with 2 chairs & big enough for 2 people to sit under) for only 30 pesos ($3 USD) for the whole day. I usually can’t stay out in the sun all day…not without getting sick (migraines, hives…all that good stuff). The fact that we had an umbrella helped. We just chilled on the beach on the beautiful day that God provided for us. My God, it was beautiful!
The beach has vendors who walk along the beach trying to sell things like jewelry, clothes, food, etc to the people. Every 5 minutes, we had people come up to us. I did buy a few things (more than I should have). I also got a much needed, 10 minute massage. It felt sooooo good. I mean the woman got all the kinks out of my neck, back…even my fingers. Some of the vendors were young children. It was hard for me to say no to them (had to refrain from looking at their puppy dog eyes or I would’ve ended up broke). I did by a little anklet from these two girls – 11 and 13 years old. These girls were good. I’m not sure of their circumstances – whether they were under privileged or not – but I won’t be surprised if these girls ended up being business women.
Sunday night, we did go out and had a blast. We met a few hip hop dancers who were just awesome. You don’t really see good hip hop dancers in Mexico – although they do listen to it down here – so we were a little surprised when we met these guys, one of which actually taught a hip hop class. The video I made of them dancing didn’t really come out clear, so posting it won’t help get the full effect.
