As many of you know, I like to throw down in the kitchen. This "throwing-down" is not limited to dinner meals, but also included hearty breakfasts and fulfilling lunches. Years of silent culinary training from my mother have equipped me with a unique confidence in the kitchen not found among many of my peers. The hardest thing for me to confront and deal with when creating my edible gifts is always deciding what to throw in the pot, oven, or stove! Because of this I have become a pro at stealing recipes from my vegetarian friends or subtracting meat from the recipes of my carnivore pals and making them veg friendly.
Even harder than coming up with recipes is DECIDING WHAT TO DRINK! It's so hard for me to choose between kool-aid or juice sometimes that I often just skip out on drinks altogether. I know this may sound weird, but deciding on what to drink sometimes stresses me out! I try to justify this self-inflicted thirst, and sometimes feel I succeed, but there's no denying that my indecisiveness is of no benefit! So here, loyal readers, I'm going to make a confession about something that I have been doing since a young age when no one is present to help me get over my thirst problem. I...mix....orange juice....milk...and....water when i eat breakfast sometimes! I know, I know, it may sound disgusting, and you may look at me different now, but I have to do so. Maybe one of you can stop me from doing this? I mean, it doesn't taste good, it's some psychological twirk that makes me do it! What help can you offer? ....Should I even stop.....???
i hate you so bad it makes me wanna cry i want you dead yea i know my granny wouldnt like me to say that neither would my mama but i really want you to die right now in front of me so i can be sure that you suffered bye now i can smile now
On Saturday, Mr. Rosas and I hung out in Santa Monica, and also saw and experienced the fine work of artist Barkley Hendricks. The Santa Monica Museum of Art located in the Bergamot Station has been showcasing Hendrick's The Birth of Cool for some time now and will be doing so until early August. Barkley's work is mostly comprised of portraits that are striking yet subtle, simple yet specific. Here are a few paintings of his....i'll let the work speak for itself....
In times of deep stress and strife I look at birds in the sky and on the ground and wish I were one too - no financial problems to age me past my years no rent to worry about no cell phone to worry about losing or keeping charged no career competition or clothes to fuss w/, I don't think they have to worry about finding romantic companionship either.
This morning I looked outside my window into an ordinary and common Los Angeles alley. The weatherman said it was 88 degrees Fahrenheit but the cracked concrete looked 108. -I thanked my God for keeping me cool (in the A/C). When comparing her nests to my bed - -I'd take my top bunk anyday. The bird may be able to fly freely whenever she or he may please - but I like staying in sometimes with a cup of hot sweet tea and a bagel or grapes.
I can't find any comparisons that make my money problems seem small - but I thank God for being here - a human - w/ problems and all.
Since I've been in college in Los Angeles, I have experienced a number of things and attended events that I would NEVER have thought I'd find myself at. From indie rock concerts with the LA hipsters to standing on the red carpet at the BET Awards face to face with personalities from television and radio - I seriously try to absorb every event and person I meet so as to somehow get a deeper understanding of the world around me. I don't know if I'm understanding this world any better, but I'm having all kinds of fun just trying.
Last week, at the request of my wonderful friend (who happens to be of Persian descent), my roommate and I attended a semi-formal dinner party in Beverly Hills where Farsi was the language of the evening and meat was the stock of almost every dish. At first, I was nervous. "Im Black, they're gonna be looking at me like I'm crazy!!!...at least my Mexican roommate can pass as Persian...what if they're mean?...how many people are gonna be there?....am I dressed okay?...let me make sure I smell good so when they hug me they remember! ...should I bring my resume?...." Upon arrival to the party, my heart is beatingfast as a jackrabbit, and I get a little nervous. But at the sight of my friend's unique smile, I feel cool again "yea i got this...no worries...these people dont scare me" Once inside, I find that Persian people are some of the nicest people I have ever met!! Usually, when I go to non-Black friends' houses, I feel uncomfortable and unwelcome (but then again, that's in Pennsylvania and Texas..), but the people at this party made me feel as if they wanted to know me, as if I, with my own smile and courteous small talk, could enhance the lives of their own! It was refreshing and interesting.
Though the food wasn't all for me as a vegetarian - meat was a main ingredient of almost EVERY dish present - the salad and uniquely seasoned rice were both fancied by my tongue. In attendance were some some Persian big shots...some radio personality guy, an actress, a famous singer/tar player...and it was interesting to see all of these people so poised yet seeming to have such an enjoyable time. Oh, also, I can't fail to mention the funny/semi-creepy guy with the whitish-grey ponytail who, while introducing himself to us and getting to know us through exchange of conversation, managed to lowkey kinda scare us a bit!
It was interesting to see clear Persian traditions still prevail in the land of decadence and assimilation. The stand-out moments of the night for me were the performances by the tar player who sang songs in Farsi while the rest of the party chimed in, and when my friend's mother cut a rug and showed us her Persian dance skills!!!
All in all, I had a good time, and the fruit was delectable! I must say though, during the party I couldn't help but wonder how each person felt and/or was affected by the recent and not-so-recent political strife...??
Oh and did I mention how good the fruit was???? Fruit was so juicy made me wanna learn Farsi! Mmm....good times!
Sundiata was raised by alligators deep in the bayou of East Texas, where he grew strong and proud. As an early teen, he was taken in by Christian rice farmers. He showed a lot of potential in his educational pursuits, and today is a student at a prestigious university on the Pacific coast where he has encountered a cool baby kangaroo that hops around a lot. He has a hard time accepting the world as it is, and is continually fighting for change in the society within which he lives in any way he can.
