Home Grown: Texas Cuisine

In impromptu celebration of my 25th blog post, I decided to blog on something near and dear to my heart: Texas. I was randomly inspired to write and hear from the public. Here goes.

I was at work earlier this morning, and I noticed a dish that my co-worker brought from home to eat. What is it? I ask, thinking it's a hearty stew or soup. Chili with cornbread, he says. I light up, immediately thinking of my native homeland, Texas.  With new found interest, I ask him where he's originally from. It's not Texas. His answer made me ponder. It wasn't until I was cooking myself lunch at home that I wondered: what defines Texas cuisine?

After 23 years of extensive observation (aka living in the state), I was able to come up with three distinct categories that to me scream Texas.

1. Barbecue. In general, BBQ can be found in different areas and states, like North Carolina, but that doesn't take away the fact that Texas is known for some great ribs, pulled pork, and baked beans.
2. Seafood. Mainly down south along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, you are bound to find seafood, either in a plethora of restaurants, or a fish market. Some dishes have their own Texas coast feel, while others are heavily influenced by our next-door neighbor New Orleans. As a native Houstonian, seafood is readily available, creating the family of seafood lovers I come from. Bring on the catfish!
3. Tex-Mex. I saved the most distinctive and dear for last. Texas has a long history with Mexico, another next-door neighbor, and anywhere you go, from the big cities to the small towns, you can find this phenomenal fusion. Guacamole is a crown jewel here. What's Taco Bell?

I want to hear from you! Whether you're a native or have visited the Lone Star State, how would you define Texas cuisine? Where are some restaurants you've visited that gave you a "home grown feel?" Let me know in the comment section below! I look forward to finding out what you think.

*sings* the stars at night are big and bright...

Last First Day

Today was the first day of classes at Emerson. With the plan I have for the rest of my college career, this semester will be my last in a classroom setting. I find it rather bittersweet. I've entered and enjoyed (and sometimes dreadfully internalized thoughts) in classrooms for about twenty-two years. That's a long time. Many moments I no longer remember, but the feeling is still there. The excitement to learn something new, the fear of a group project, wondering if I will carry weight this time, giving myself a little pep talk about the journey ahead.

However, I was able to jump on in and engage with the class, give my thoughts, some of my knowledge, and go out on a limb to share my dream. I anticipate my toughest semester yet as far as discipline, but I need to make this count. I must end with a bang, and then, I shall intern.

Bring on the water cooler (publishing reference, it's okay), but first, bring on the homework!

When the Fine Print is in Your Face

I find it funny when people ask me how Boston is treating me. I usually respond with "good", but I'm usually thinking about my finances. Things have changed dramatically since I graduated college. I have no school meal plan to cover my feeding myself for 4 months at a time, and I live by quite a few restaurants in Boston. You can probably see where this is going, but I am a proud foodie, and I'm learning to be a little responsible with my foodie moments. But this is not the point of my story. I tend to worry about my money because I don't balance my checkbook, which as a 25 year-old I need to get into the habit of ASAP. Because of this fun tidbit, I occasionally check my bank balance, and I'm usually in a good spot, but today scared me a bit.

Without sharing too much, I was checking to see if I was going to make a big payment, and I realized I was going to be able to, but without the cushion I had for majority of my summer. So I went through my transactions, and I discovered a few recurring payments from JustFab, a really nice online shoe store whose creative director is Kimora Lee Simmons. Most of their styles are $40, and they tend to follow the big trends that breeze through each season. They also tend to follow the big trends that pass through each season. You even get a monthly boutique based on a questionnaire you take when you first sign up.

Wait. Back up. Recurring payments????? I thought the service was free. It was at that moment that I realize I may have fallen victim to a common consumer mistake: not reading the fine print. I rushed to my computer with the quickness, visited the web site, and there it was: they take out $39.95 once a month. D'oh! How did I not see such a major part of their service? I called the customer service with a few questions: 1. Does my credit accumulate, and 2. Could I use them on sale items (haha). 

I was amazingly connected to someone within less than a minute to someone, and I finally saw the light. Based the credits on my account, I can purchase several pairs of shoes now (!!!!!), and I have the option to skip my month within the first five days. Thankfully, I had been paying attention to the emails I had been receiving, and I did notice the option to skip, but I didn't it was the option to skip being charged. Lesson definitely learned. Not only do I know how to prevent the same thing from happening in September, but now I can let the payment go through one month if I was itching for shoes. I also have another nudge to balance my checkbook and check my account often. 

You would think a situation like this would have a negative consequence, but I really love shoes, and I've thinking about fall. Happy shopping to me!

My Date with the Big Apple

When I was first accepted to Emerson, I almost immediately looked up how far Boston was from New York City. Turns out it was four hours away. That's like Houston to Dallas! I thought. I later found out that the region has a very reliable bus system that lets travelers go to different cities for less money. Very European. If you catch Megabus or Bolt on a good day, you can pay only $1 for a trip. That's insane. It was that realization that motivated me to take a day trip to New York. Two weeks later, I can't believe I did such a thing, but here's how it went.

I strategically chose to go on the second Saturday of my spring break because I knew I had to work M-F that week and it would be a great slice of vacation from school (ahem, my one class). The night before, I ran around gathering my outfit for my trip. Yes, I did not want to look like a tourist. Just a stylish young woman with a backpack. I think I succeeded. Since it was a day trip, I had nothing to really pack, just my camera, my bus ticket, and something from my job (which I later realized I did not pack). I woke up at 4:45 am and quietly got myself ready, trying not to wake my roommate up. I made it for my 6 am bus and settled in for the ride. The sun shone brightly through New England, so much that I didn't want to go to sleep. I tried though.

By 10:30, I made it to Manhattan. The first thing I saw was FIT, where we were dropped off. It was so great arriving when the sun was actually out. It was my third time in New York, but the previous times I had arrived at night. After breakfast, I headed down to Brooklyn to visit the Brooklyn Museum. I had looked up the trains to take beforehand, and I had a fairly easy route to take, thank goodness. The museum was awesome, and I actually looked at the artwork. I'm not a huge fan of art, but contemporary art is freaking great to me. After gathering a few goodies from the gift shop, I headed up to Harlem.

In Boston, I live in an area where I see a diverse number of people, so it's been a while since I had seen a lot of black folks in one place. I felt a little at home, seeing people who looked like me. My second stop was The Studio Museum Harlem on W 125th, a block away from the Apollo Theater. In the small, literally studio space, lay contemporary works done by black artists. I loved it. It was very out-of-this-world, crazy, inconceivable concepts. Yet, somehow, my highlight was finding a book in the gift shop that I hadn't seen in forever: Anasi the Spider. I remember hearing this story during story time in elementary school, and I stood there and read it again. It is my firm belief that this book is underrated.

By then, my phone was starting to give out, so I (happily) found a Starbucks and (sadly) paid for a drink with my own money. But hey, I gained an opportunity to stay and charge my phone. There I was able to just sit and people watch, both in the cafe and outside. There were street vendors galore, some having lit some strong incense sticks. You had a Rainbow-esque store next to a MAC store. The most famous street in Harlem is quite the mixture of businesses. After giving my phone some juice, I headed back down to Midtown.

My phone started dying all over again, and when I found myself at the Carolina Herrera store, they were nice enough to let me charge my phone. In the meantime, I made conversation with one of the salesman and admired the pieces. Something I have done since coming to Boston is visit higher-end stores and boutiques to check out the fashions there. I usually feel self-conscious because I know good and well I cannot afford such things, and sometimes I think it can show on me, as if my outfit or even my skin tone says "she cannot buy anything from here," but I have never been treated in such a way. That gives me hope that I can be really sweet to these people when I'm in a position to acquire something from the designers I like. I was very tempted to try on this one dress, but I decided against it. No use in getting my hopes up in a dress that I couldn't afford.

Six in the evening had arrived, giving me 2 1/2 hours to visit some stores before my bus departed. In that time frame, I:

• Went to FAO Schwarz and finally met Patrick and Penelope, their signature plush dogs. I wanted one when I was about 12 years old, but I never asked for one.
• Found the famous Bergdorf Goodman and failed to find the Jason Wu section. Turns out I went to the wrong floor. I was running out of time, so I snagged a catalog
• Walked past the flagship H&M
• Breezed through The NBA Store, which I had no idea existed. Too much Lakers gear, not enough Rockets gear
• Spent a bit of time at the 5th Avenue Barnes & Noble. This is where the big whigs come for book signings, like Robin Roberts and Pele. I found a magazine I knew was only in New York and snagged it. Snagged a puzzle too.
• Took the bus to reach Turntable Mad for Chicken, a restaurant I visited with friends last March. Their Korean Fried Chicken was so delicious that I had to get some. I failed to think that Saturday would be a busy night, so it took some time to get my food. By then, I had about half an hour to get to the bus.

After gathering my wings, I hightailed it down 34th street to get to my bus and made it with a few minutes to spare. I got to catch my breath, eat and celebrate a successful day in the city. There was a nice fellow that I sat next to, and we kept each other company on the late ride back.

I learned a few things about New York. You cannot underestimate what you plan to visit, no matter how good a traveler you are. Harlem is great. I smelled some fish and was transported to Houston for a second. You never know who you will meet when you get out of the house and go somewhere.

New York treated me very well, and I look forward to visiting again under warmer terms. I hope you enjoyed my crazy adventure!

Drika

Emerson Files: "Serving Coffee Around the World"

I don't know about you, but I know most people don't share too too much about their places of employment unless they really truly feel inclined to do so. That said, I have something positive to share about my time as a barista at a bookstore cafe. I get to meet people from all over the world, all because they mistake the big Starbucks sign as a legit Starbucks Coffee. But I digress. I wrote this piece for one of my classes, and the process was not the easiest.

I'm learning to become a better, more timely writer.

Without further ado, my piece. Enjoy!

“We’re actually not a Starbucks” is a line used a lot at my job. We’re a Barnes and Noble café serving some Starbucks products. Every day, however, we are mistaken for the internationally-known coffee shop, especially since we have a huge sign hanging on a wall. Some people are perplexed when they are informed that their Starbucks card is not an acceptable form of payment at the café, and others leave out of frustration or lack of other money. The variety of reactions from customers keeps my job as a café server interesting.

This particular café is located in the Pru, next to Cheesecake Factory and an office building. Thousands of businesspeople, shoppers, visitors, and tourists come through our café on a weekly basis. Before I moved to Boston, I honestly did not think much about Boston and its international appeal, but I have now seen people come from far and wide to visit. There are a few visitors that have stuck out in my mind.

I was making drinks on the bar, and I kept hearing some hints of French being spoken, and instantly my French minor kicked in. “J’écoute le français, oui?” I asked them. “Oui!” the Parisian family lit up when I spoke to them. I pulled out as much as I could remember on the spot. I mentioned that I studied French in college and that I missed Paris very much. I could see the relief on their faces because I could speak their mother tongue in a foreign country.

One of the more dreaded tasks is operating the cash registers, but I take advantage of the task and make a little small talk with people. I met two other visitors that way. There was a conference for the International Bar Association. I have never seen so many lawyers in my life. For a moment, I thought about the laws and justice systems that these defend and protect in their home countries day in and day out. One lawyer was from Australia. When I asked him what he thought of the conference so far, he said it was boring. One could only imagine.

Sometimes I go out on a limb and ask people where they are from based on their accents. Most of them have been from the South or Quebec. I asked a young lady because how she pronounced latte led me to believe that was from a western European country. Not quite. She was from Russia, and not the heavily populated area. She mentioned some small town in Siberia. Who do you know is from Siberia? I was amazed. She mentioned how Boston weather was a nice change from the below forty degree temperatures that she gets to feel at home.

If working at Barnes and Noble has taught me anything, it that people from all over the world find Boston to be an ideal destination to visit. There’s a great meeting of the minds here, exceptional shopping, and a small familiar brand of coffee being served at a bookstore.

Return to the Blogosphere: Magazine Haul

Hello World! Happy New Year!

After months of an involuntary blogging hiatus, I have something new to share, a concept inspired by some of my favorite fashion/style bloggers.

On YouTube, you can find what vloggers call a haul. The haul can be clothes, shoes, accessories, makeup, whatever, but it's different items they have acquired over a period of time, say, a month. I will admit that even though I like fashion, I am not one to go nuts on clothes. Instead, I got nuts on magazines. Yes, magazines! I study them at Emerson, so why not?

Enough of the chitchat. Here is what I've snagged lately!

First is the group I had to buy for class purposes. I take magazine editing, which takes a look at several prominent magazines and others, and we discuss the content, the pieces, the target audiences, etc.

February issues of Runners World featuring the half-marathon calendar for the year

• Elle's annual Women in TV issue
• Vanity Fair celebrating Jimmy Fallon and his bringing Late Night back to NYC. There's also a piece I read about this international student that was randomly killed last summer in Oklahoma and their lives were effected.
• Vogue is excited about Lena Dunham being their cover girl, though I don't think she's captured in a way that reflects her personality. Also, there was controversy about Ms. Dunham possibly having been photo-shopped. What else is new?

The Jan 27 issue of The New Yorker. As you can see, it's been through a bit because I keep taking it with me to various places. Currently reading the feature piece on Obama's next three years and what it could mean for his presidency.

Annnnd here is the fun bag. Some mags I've been buying several issues and should probably subscribe, and others I want to start getting into.

1. Feb issue of W Magazine -The Movie Issue featuring one of my favorite new it girls, Luptia Nyong'o
2. Spring issue of Where Women Create Business - I had no idea this magazine existed until I stumbled upon it. It's a quarterly for women who want to start a business in an artsy way, like selling vintage clothes or making decorate fortune cookies.
3. Feb 1 issue of Billboard Magazine - I saw this cover on instagram, and I wanted to have it. Funny enough, Beyonce and Jay Z are number one on their Power 100 list. Who could blame them? They changed how we see marketing music.
4. Feb issue of Harper's Bazaar - Haven't looked into this one a whole lot yet, but I liked seeing a model on the page. To me, that captures the true essence of magazine. I can only hope that there's more of a mix between models and celebrities.
5. Feb issue of Inc - If I'm going to have a business someday, I would love to read about other companies, how they maintain themselves, and the people behind the scenes.
6. Feb 3 issue of New York - I've fallen in love with this magazine. It's weekly and local to NYC, but it's so rich with engaging articles about culture, entertainment, politics, and whatnot. This issue was just in time for Super Bowl weekend, which was really in New Jersey. Who's looking though?
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8. Jan/Feb issue of AFAR - one of my classmates actually inspired me to look into this mag. It's for the "experiential traveler", so leave the fanny packs at home, people. 
9. Jan issue of Entrepreneur - again, starting my own business. Need reading material!
10. Spring issue of The Knot - I try not to buy every issue because I don't want to come off as one of those women planning their weddings before even meeting the guy. No. I just like weddings! Wedding magazines make me happy. If I could work for one, I'd give it a whirl.
11. Dec/Jan issue of UPTOWN - last but not least, UPTOWN sets itself apart from EBONY and Essence (if you're not familiar with these two, all you have to do is find your nearest drug store. They're everywhere!!!). The target audience is AAAs (Affulent African Americans), and there are city editions available as well. This issue talks about Babyface and Toni Braxton's new album Love, Marriage & Divorce. 

And there you have it! I would highly recommend you go pick up these issues if any of them interest you. My goal is to step up my blogging game and blog about cultural things I go see and such. 

Until then, a beintot and happy reading!        

Book Review and Thoughts: The Happy Atheist

Though I have to burn the morning oil in about seven hours, I had to get this post out. I picked up this galley of a book called The Happy Atheist by PZ Myers. My internship boss happens to be a judge for this year's National Book Award, so he got the pleasure of receiving plenty of books from all over to be considered for nomination. This particular title caught my eye because I used to be an atheist, and I find their way of thinking fascinating in comparison to the Christian perspective. I also thought it would be a quick read, so what the hey.

So here is my review: I don't really like it. It's not written very well. There's lots of opinion and the same tired lines atheists like to throw around (yes, they are tired): the bible is a bunch of myths, Jesus was just a prophet, but he didn't really do anything for anyone, God doesn't exist, etc. I was looking forward to seeing what makes him a happy atheist and how he debunks theology and faith as a whole, and I was left with much to be desired. I checked out a few review of the book, and apparently the book is a culmination of blog posts. I have seen a good way and bad way of this culmination. The bad way was a book released earlier this year geared towards Christian women.

I didn't actually read the book, but I read some of the blog posts that were featured in the book, and figured there was no need to buy the book. If it appears in a library, I just might check it out to save money, but based on the blog posts, I might pass.

The good way is a book I am currently reading, Paris in Love by Eloisa James. She gave a heads up that the majority of the book were Facebook posts from when she was in Paris with her family for a year. Since she chronicled her time a smaller spurts and some of those spurts coincide with one another, the book flows rather well. Not to mention my fondness for Paris has increased all the more. Will have a review for the book as soon as I finish!

But I digress. The book served the basic purpose of challenging me and what I believe, but there was no proof of the delusion of millions of people seem to be living. The little blue galley is going straight back to school.

My thoughts: since Dr. Myers decided to omit any proof of God's nonexistence, I just figured he's this disgruntled biologist that is clinging to Darwinism for dear life and seriously take it to the grave. He mentions that critics have often said that he just doesn't understand, and unfortunately, I will have to agree. All he bashed were the culturally known Christians and specifically Catholics. What his beef with Catholicism is I have no clue.

Since I'm not Catholic, I cannot adequately defend the faith and all its doctrine. I just know Baptist in the simplest form. What struck me the most was the fact that he kept saying that people give into the lie that doing all this good will lead to paradise or heaven after death. That is the greatest misconception about Christianity. Come on, Dr. Myers. I thought you were smarter than that.

I would have for sure thought he knew indirect that only belief and faith in God through Jesus will connect humanity with God. Duh! That's what the entire bible comes to. Works are the outflow of that faith. People are always these do-gooders we like to think we are. We wanna cuss people out so they can feel are tiny moments of wrath towards their shortcomings, and it's very easy to ignore the poor, in America and abroad. We're not good, plain and simple, no matter we may aspire to be good people.

If I could ask Dr. Myers anything without him calling me some insane lunatic, I would ask him, "if we are all here by chance, then what's the point in being here in the first place?" One of the biggest questions I've pondered is what our purpose is here on Earth. If there is none, then we might as well just die and call it a day. What he calls freedom to do whatever you want is a silly lie we want to believe when in reality it's not satisfying to the level we expect.

Whether he wants to admit it or not, many people want something to believe in. We're just wired that way. They want purpose. They want to make sense of the world they live in. What he still fails to see is the fact that Christians don't live in a fantasy world. We want to be recognized for the stuff we do as much as the next person, but there's something deeper that motivates us to do what we do. Chance does not provide enough motivation to get rich and care for others. In fact, in the six years I've been a Christian, I've slowly but surely learned the good that comes from not just thinking about myself all the time. Thinking about and caring for others is extremely profound.

But that's my spiel. Please, do not go buy this book. It came out earlier this month, and unless you want to get your kicks at the expense of believers, then be my guest.

I shall return with a more positive post in the next few days and a special post for this coming Thursday!!!!! Stay tuned.

Drika