I love the rain...

I heart Fall , not only is it the season where you can see the leaves change color, it's also a time of abundant rain, bringing forth a new sense of monotony and hibernation. Fall weather makes me appreciate so many things like Chai tea, throw blankets, and horror movies! It's been awhile since I've seen a good horror movie on a rainy day. I truly wanted to stay in today, but my schedule calls me to see an art show with my roommate Caitlin, and yummy Korean BBQ dinner with a friend.
Rainy weather has always brought me a feeling of peace. Ever since I was a child, my birthday always had rain attached to it. It would always make me so distraught, because as a child, you want to have sunny outdoor birthday parties- I on the other hand, had minds primarily indoors. My dad finally realized how upset I was one particular birthday, and he sat me down, and told me a Vietnamese luck myth. He told me that in Viet Nam whenever it rains on a special occasion, it means luck and prosperity will come your way. Since Viet Nam's agriculture relied heavily on good amounts of rainfall for the crops, rain meant larger crops, a better harvest, more money for food and other supplies once the crops were sold. So when there is a full day of rain, this story comes back to me.
So if you are driving in the rain, especially in Atlanta, where people don't know how to drive, and traffic gets backed up, take a moment and think, thank goodness for rain- no more droughts and somewhere a farmer is smiling!

Arts and Politics..interpretations of Life

Yesterday my roommate Caitlin invited me to Eyedrum, a local art studio to view a series of silent art movies. I have never seen this type of movie before, so I was in for a surprise. We had decided before going that if the movies were not entertaining to us, we would leave and head to her friend's house to watch the last presidential debate. Eyedrum oozed of artsy people, the kinds that wear skinny jeans with tiny t-shirts and scarves. Girls with really short trendy cropped cuts, while some of the guys had Emo, retro cuts. I'm always amused at the fact that people, no matter what we do, we all kind of mesh and end up looking like the groups we work or associate with. For example, artsy folks strive so hard to be different, and original, in their clothes and their way of expressing themselves, but in actuality, when I go to art openings, alot of the Art folks look alike, in their style of clothes and mannerism.
The movie that was first shown was titled "Alaya". It was a 28 minute silent movie that captured sand in all different macroscopic and microscopic levels. I have to be honest the first 5 minutes was fine, but after that I went into zone out land. For me the movie didn't really mean anything to me, it was just sand, filmed in different angles. I glanced over at Caitlin and she looked enthralled in the movie, and secretly I was thinking "My god, I hope after this we leave".
We did end up leaving after, and in the car, Caitlin and I discussed our experiences, and what the movie meant to us. For Caitlin, the movie brought back experiences of her time hiking, and enjoying the outdoors. It brought up senses and memories even way back to childhood. Sadly, for me, all I saw was sand, yes , at some point the angles of the camera work made the sand look like a person's back, or the sand itself looked like bugs, but it did not in any way bring up profound sensations of nostalgia, like it did for Caitlin. We both sat watching the same movie, but our minds, the way we perceive things, brings on two very different experiences.
We eventually made it to the debates, missing only the first 20 minutes or so. The last Presidential Debates before Election Day November 4th! The debate was the best one out of the 3. The question that entertained me the most, was about the VP candidates ability to be president, if the situation was to occur, why would their running mates make a good President? I am bias, I won't deny it. McCain's answer to me was not convincing, he could not really make a good presentation that his running mate had any profound political skills to bring to the table, it felt like he pretty much said "she's cool, she knows a bit about autism". Obama on the other hand, spoke of Biden's work in the Senate, his ongoing efforts to serve his community and Biden's Washington DC experiences, to me it just sold better.
The overall debates really brought down the house. We all were entertained on McCain's inability to hide his temperament, and Obama's ability to restrain himself and be calm. This is how debates should be. It should heat the candidates up, in a manner that is professional but honest, unscripted. In the room full of people watching the debates, since we were all for Obama our interpretations of the debates was that Obama held composure and did an awesome job. Yet when the commentaries were playing, the folks of CNN seemed to believe it was McCain's best debate. So again, we all watched the same debates, but our views, and political associations, all made an impact on how we interpreted the outcome.
Interpretations and preceptions , we can all be in the same place at the same time, but by god, we will for sure have a different experience.

The Omnivore’s Hundred

Here’s what I want you to do:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results.
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Out of the 100 items, I am happy to say I tried 65 items ! I had Sweetbread for the first time last week at Holeman & Finch, I have to say it was quite rich.. and if you think it's "sweetbread" you are in for a huge surprise. It's the Thymus gland of a cow, yup..battered and fried to perfection! It's tasty, as rich as brain, not as mushy. What other Bizarre foods have I eaten? At Mi Barrio in ATL, the best Mexican hole in the wall, I had "Lingua Tacos", yup "Tongue Tacos" and they were delicious. Consistency of a tender piece of beef, but fatty and rich.
Mind over matter, be brave, try an organ!

Brain needs More Ram..Confabulations

I would like to think I have a really good memory, but unfortunately, my friend Tran has pointed out that my memory of events when I lived in Seattle has been slowly vanishing with time. Unlike me, Tran keeps tickets of events she's been to, postcards that friends have sent her, and she collects them in the box she calls "junk". I used to have a keepsake box, but after moving around, I decided to go without a keepsake box, and at times I would end up throwing away postcards sent to me. Don't get me wrong, I am sentimental, but I don't believe you need to keep everything to preserve a memory of events that was meaningful. But today's conversation with Tran, has made me question my memory and my ability to preserve things nowadays. It might have to do with the inability to retain information for school let alone memories that occurred 6 years ago. I believe that our mind is a tricky thing, that sometimes forgoes the old to make room for the new, since humans are not yet sophisticated enough to figure out how to use our entire brain to it's full potential.
It bring me to times when I need to retrace my steps when I have forgotten something. When we recall a memory, our mind will automatically "flesh out" the recollection by inventing details of the event, based on previous similar experiences. This process is largely unconscious We are not generally aware of it happening. The mind can add new components to the memory that are unrelated to the original event. Even more interestingly, these distortions will later re-enter our memory. I have always found it so fascinating. Man's reality is his mind's own creation, a memory is not recorded, but at times re-edited.
What is my point? It's good to take photos, it's good to keep a journal, because memory alone will not do justice.

PDA..and not the Personal Digital Assistant Kind..

So a bunch of my friends and I went out for a late night snack at Holeman and Finch in ATL, GA, since our attempts at watching the Presidential Debates was a snooze. H&F has the best 10pm burger in town, and alot of small plates of yummies. The drinks are made with care, the place is just an awesome small place to hangout. So Kit, Pam, Sean, and I were all hanging out, when in comes a man with a denim shirt and levis stone washed jeans, around his late 50's early 60's, with a gal that looked like she came out of the movie "Working Girls". She wore a black skirt suite from the 80's, with MY GOD black stalkings, another 80's faux pas, I am digressing, but I need to paint a visual for you folks! The bar was full they were standing and chatting and then my god, my poor eyes, he started sucking her face. Literally sucking her face, in a crowded bar, where folks were trying to eat and drink and have a good time. I got blank stares from my friend, as well as neighboring tables, all with the same thought of " WTF is wrong with this old dude, and his call girl?" Sounds mean I know, but let's be real here, the guy was like 60+ atleast, and his lady friend was I would say at most 40, in great shape, and looked like an 80's call girl. Their attempt at PDA was trashy, and should have been left for a seedy bar, or a couch at the old man's house, not at a classy fun speakeasy like H&F.
The couple eventually got a seat at the bar with a friend, and all the time they were sitting at the bar, the Gramps put his hands down this gal's skirt, and up her blouse, coming from the back- so of course their backs were turned to us, and we got this whole show for the entire night of our stay, a good 45 minutes of groping .."yeah thanks old man" . It was by most the most disturbing PDA ever, and call is ageism, but it was worse since the dude was 60+.
It created a good conversation, of us trying to guess what he did for a living,we already assumed she was a small town girl, using Gramps for all he had. Gramps we assumed was a Jewish lawyer or doctor who is going through his mid-life crisis, paying alimony, and his 3 kids college education. With what money Gramps had left, he was spending it Viagra and on his "lady friend", taking her out on the town, and sucking her face for all to see!
So what is my point? I appreciate affection, I find it heart-warming when I see people hold hands while enjoying each other's company. Nothing wrong with a little PDA, but please leave the sucking the face at home. We all don't need to see it, nor can my eyes and stomach hold such behavior in a place that we come to eat and drink. BE GRACIOUS TO THOSE AROUND YOU! LEAVE THE FACE SUCKING AT HOME..
(posted some pics from H&F, friend Sean tried taking pics of the "Hands down her pants"- but his Iphone has no flash..note to apple- make a small flash for moments like these!) All Photos Provided BY SEAN M.

SO FUNNY PLEASE WATCH

Katy Perry's Hot N Cold

I love this Song! The Music Video is Fantastic! CHeck it OUT!