Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo
I made this with every intention of eating it with tortilla chips, but ended up using this for breakfast and various other meals throughout the day. Needless to say, it didn't last long. This is a simple, homemade recipe for pico de gallo, easy enough for a college student to replicate.

2 large tomatoes
1 jalapeño
1 small onion
Cilantro
Lemon juice to taste

Dice the tomatoes, jalapeño, and small onion and combine. Chop the cilantro and add to the mixture, with lemon juice, to taste. Eso es!

Contemplation

I apologize for the lack of postings the last few days. It is becoming needless to say I was drained from the preceding week's events and needed a break from obligations. This break included my weekly trip to the farmers' market where I purchased pear butter (delicious, try it if the opportunity arises), a trip to see my cousins, and a necessary trip to Anna Bannanas to try a new beverage and study.

Among the hot topics worthy of pondering, the three most popular at the moment are:

1. The list
2. Christmas gifts
3. Jobs

I continually think of good ideas to add to the list but eventually come up with a reason not to add them. For instance, I was thinking of adding a silent retreat to the list, but then I thought it would almost be the same as a day of silence. I could use a few creative minds' suggestions as I am getting restless and want more challenges. Hint, hint. Where should I take this project?

I know I really should not even be thinking about Christmas gifts as it is not yet even Halloween, yet I find myself trying to think of creative gifts rather than strictly material ones. I have one idea for my close friends, but I would also like to do something festive. Any ideas?

I am so grateful for the job I currently have, but I have been thinking about where I want to work in the future. Not the long-term future, the short-term. What I mean is, I will hopefully be getting my CNA license in December and I would like to have a job for January, but I do not know where I want to direct my application efforts. Should I apply for a job at a long-term care facility? Should I apply for a job at a clinic? Should I apply for a job at a hospital? Should I continue to work in food services until I am ready to work in the healthcare field?

Thoughts like these rotate around in my head, sharing equal time bothering my sanity. The weather is not helping either - it puts me in such a contemplative mood! 

Activism in the Form of Love

Today I began writing a letter to the store manager of a Starbucks near Linfield. Why? Well, because I love my friends.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet my friend Millygoat.
She's a sweetheart in every sense of the word.
She loves nature and being active.
She's crazy... adorable.
She's also small.
Imp-like.
Little.
AND I LOVE HER!

My friend Milly is an impish young woman I met briefly at a pre-college gathering in Seattle. A year or so later, Milly and I reconnected on a whole other level. One of the many special things about Milly is that she is extremely allergic to several things. She is especially allergic to dairy.

Long story short, the aforementioned Starbucks served Milly milk instead of soy, not once, but on three separate occasions. Milly knows how to handle these kinds of situations - she simply popped some Benadryl and explained to the baristas the mishap. The baristas only offered to make her a new drink. The serious harm that could have come to my friend due to the mishap is primarily the reason I am writing the letter.

I do not want to immediately assume the mishaps were due to carelessness. I know mistakes happen - it is a fact of life. I also understand that some people simply like the taste of soy and do not have dietary restrictions like Milly's, however, I am outraged that the baristas treated it with nonchalance. I had hoped they would realize the seriousness of the situation and offer assistance of some kind, not simply another beverage. The fact that this particular location was the site of the other two mishaps alarmed me. I wonder if the baristas realized the gravity of the situation - Milly's health and safety was compromised due to simply using the wrong substance.

I find it unacceptable as a business to have such poor service. I know there are others like Milly that are lactose intolerant and suffer from mistakes baristas make and I say enough is enough. People need to know that food allergies are important and need to be treated as such. No one's loved ones should not have to be subjected to more discomfort than they have to, especially with something as basic as food.

I am following Milly's lead and avoiding the Starbucks, but I did not think that was enough. I thought the store manager ought to know the reason it lost our business. I hope that in writing to the store manager about my disappointment and concerns, the location will change its practices or at least be more aware the next time a customer with a severe food allergy appears. One can only hope!

AIDS Walk Portland 2013: Generosity

Today was beyond memorable - I attended my first AIDS Walk where I met many people, drank lots of coffee, and yelled my lungs out. IT WAS AWESOME.

To start off my day, I went to mass where I was greeted warmly by a fellow parishioner, Ernest. Then I walked to Starbucks to get breakfast (I would have eaten beforehand, but sleep was more enticing) where I coincidentally met another fellow parishioner, Mark, who works there. He paid for my breakfast bagel!

Anyway, once I arrived at the actual event, I was in such a good mood that nothing could have rained on my parade. Literally. It didn't. Rain on the parade, I mean. We were really fortunate with the weather, because almost as soon as most of the tents and supplies were packed away, it poured.

I signed in, got my bright yellow (or neon banana as I like to call it), and was ushered straight to the food tent. CAP was very generous with the food options and coffee distribution! I wandered around, greeting fellow volunteers and complimenting walkers' costumes (and occasionally photo-bombing peoples' selfies - true story). After I had photographed the most adorable puppies - Chuchi and Guerrita - I saw a volunteer sitting by herself with a cup of coffee and decided to introduce myself.

"Are you volunteering by yourself too?"

"Yes! Let's be best friends!"

...And that is how I became fast friends with Lauren. She had participated in the AIDS Walk several times with a friend and had decided to continue the tradition, despite her friend not being able to attend this year. We were both route monitors, so eventually we went our separate ways.

I arrived to my location about an hour and a half before I was actually needed there. I was stationed at the last corner before the finish, meaning I did not see anyone until the first walkers rounded the corner. Also, I did not realize that because there would be so many people they would need to close down the ENTIRE INTERSECTION! I spoke with a transit policeman who explained the situation before anyone got there, so I did not look quite as flabbergasted as I might have been.

Once the walkers arrived, I started cheering and clapping. Why not? Everyone was so quiet! In my mind, the AIDS Walk was something to be excited about! Sure enough, a homeless man joined me in cheering and more and more people caught our enthusiasm. Lauren immediately ran over as she rounded the corner and helped us make some noise. IT WAS SO INVIGORATING!! We rounded up the last of the walkers and headed on down the street to the square where most of the people were already dispersing.

My observations throughout the day concluded that today was a day of great generosity. Not only for me, personally, but for others. I took the streetcar home and talked with a few team members who had raised $7,443. That is no small feat! Even the number of volunteers today was astounding! And the turnout? Incredible! From what I have heard from previous participants, the turnout today was smaller than the last few years, which isn't necessarily a good thing, but it kind of is. I mean, if the cold and clouds had deterred people from attending, I can only imagine how much more crowded Pioneer Courthouse Square would have been!

Updates: Nursing school, Portland, Challenges, and etc.

I am writing this from my cozy room in the Linfield Good Samaritan School of Nursing campus in Portland, Oregon. In brief, this last month has been a whirlwind of classes, exploration, food, and friends - and I'm loving it! Classes are going well, I have enjoyed exploring Portland and the surrounding area, food is expensive and SO GOOD, and friends are my favorite. My favorite class at the moment is actually lab/clinical because of the hands-on nature and the clinical advisors are very informative and fun. I have ventured out every week to explore Portland, including the Saturday market and part of the Pearl District. As there is no cafeteria on this campus, I have had fun grocery shopping and cooking for myself - though with NW 23rd nearby, my friends and I decided that Friday night dinners would have to be a thing.

Moving on: I failed to complete the August photo-a-day challenge, however, I will be attempting the challenge again in October with a better understanding of what to expect. I am so very close to completing the AFI Films challenge, but with little access to a movie library I am a little set back. I have renewed motivation to complete the challenges now that I have gotten settled with nursing school, although I have to say I am renewed in my motivation to become a nurse as well. I feel as if I have studied harder the last few weeks than I can remember.

I suppose my point is, I am a full-time nursing student but I will continue contributing to this blog as much as possible. :)

Tacoma Ethnic Festival

Today my family and I went to the Tacoma Ethnic Festival. My friend Nathalie (mentioned in an earlier blogpost) was performing so we tried to make it, but by the time we got there they had already finished. Sorry Nat! We had been to Ethnic Fest last year so we knew where we would immediately head - the main stage for music and dancing. They always seem to play great music. And it was perfect weather for dancing barefoot! We met up with Nat eventually and stayed to watch some of the other performers. There were Hawaiian hula dancing, Korean drummers, and (pictured) Korean dancers.

In between performances we meandered around the vendors. Eventually we decided to take the plunge and hit up the food vendor area. BEST IDEA EVER!! By that time I was so hungry - I hadn't eaten much for breakfast because I was anticipating the Ethnic Fest food. There were so many options to choose from! Now I normally am quite practical with spending money, but when it comes to food, I lose it. Whenever I see food that I want to try or food I know I like that I can't necessarily make for myself, I go for it. I wouldn't necessarily call myself a "foodie" but I love food!
I love cooking and eating and conversing about food.

If you, by chance, are like me and don't quite consider yourself a foodie but are a lover of cooking and food in general, check out the book Try This: Travel the Globe Without Leaving the Table by Danyelle Freeman. It is an easy read that provides a great overview of several culture's cuisines as well as some general tips on etiquette and dining. It's definitely opened my mind (and mouth!) to trying new kinds of food. Also, if you have the chance, read Julie & Julia by Julie Powell. It is the novel that the 2009 movie was based on. Although I don't like the book, I liked the idea of setting out on a culinary adventure. Thus, the books inspired me to add the Julie & Julie project challenge to The List.

Anyway, I'm grateful I had Nat and my brother along to help me out. Nat helped guide me through the food vendors and their offerings and my brother helped me finish my selections! Great teamwork, don't you think?

Disclaimer: all the food and beverages I had were DELICIOUS, so I won't waste my time repeating myself.

My first selection was a peach lemonade. I'm a sucker for lemonade and peaches in general, so the idea of the combination was very appealing. I like my lemonade slightly tart and although the peach flavor sweetened it a bit, it was still pleasantly tart. They even stuck half a lemon in there!




My next selection was a corn on the cob. I grew up loving elotes (Spanish for corn on the cob) so this was also a no-brainer! I had always thought that elotes, made the Mexican way, were slathered with butter and sprinkled with paprika and salt. Nathalie informed me that they put mayonnaise on it, so that's what I did. PERFECTION. I'm still not sure what makes elotes in Mexico so freaking good though.


Next we hit up the crêpe stand for a little dessert. If there's one thing you must know about me, it's that I absolutely love crêpes! I don't know what it is about them... Maybe their versatility? They can be served with fruit tucked inside for breakfast, chicken and spinach for brunch, or whipped cream for dessert. Sometimes I simply slather the insides with jam for a quick breakfast. They can be made and stored for later (a college girl's favorite type of food, although they're not as good as fresh-made crêpes).

The crêpe stand had a mixture of both dessert crêpes and brunch crêpes. At this point I was filling up and didn't think I had room for a chicken artichoke crêpe, so I opted for a sweet one. I've been craving chocolate a lot lately - so much so that I recently tried making chocolate crêpes. They turned out great! Granted, I'm not a professional crêpe maker nor am I a connoisseur of crêpes. Nat ordered the fresh strawberry crêpe with powdered sugar and cream and I orded the chocolate turtle crêpe with powdered sugar, cream, chocolate and caramel syrup, and crushed peanuts.

The last thing I ordered was curly fries - because just when I thought I was stuffed, I saw them. Oh the shame.

Adventuretime: Mt. Rainier National Park

Yesterday my family and I took a trip to Mt. Rainier National Park on a whim. We packed up a nice little lunch of wraps, crisps, and pasta salad and went on our way. I don't know why, but on long car trips I tend to fall asleep reading. Slaughterhouse Five was my book of choice - partially because it follows two challenges on The List and partially because it's hard to put down!

Nothing like a good old-fashioned picnic!
Well, sort of...

We realized once we arrived, that many others had the same idea we did about visiting the park on such a lovely day. There was a long car queue visible even as we drove up to the entrance. Unfortunately we weren't able to picnic at my parent's favorite spot, Paradise, but we ended up at a nice picnic area with three other families. After we had enjoyed our lunch, we took a walk around to admire Mother Nature.
The picnic area had a few trails leading around the creek area, which was reduced to a stream around twenty feet wide. We walked down to the rocky terrain and found a wooden bridge over the stream. It was a hot day and the water looked so cool and swift... I was completely fascinated by it and the rocky area surrounding it. Although it is obviously a man-made bridge, it intrigued me.
The entire time I was reminded of my love for nature and wandering. I enjoyed having family time, but I could have stayed there for hours! We did, however, promise my brother that we could stop at the Elbe train station to look at the old train. I'm glad we stopped -  not only did we make my brother happy to see the train, we also picked up a basket of Rainier cherries and a mango smoothie! YUMM.

Ice Cream - Me & My Container

Eat an entire container of ice cream.

Well this was quite a feat for me! I love ice cream, but I have to be in the mood to eat straight from the container. I like to have either a small cone or a full-out banana split, but I couldn’t imagine that ice cream would tase just as good without the additional sweets. Let me tell you - it was just as delicious! I chose Ciao Bella Mango Sorbet.