Perhaps the best part about being American is that we care about lineage, however fuzzy and distant it may be. Since we’re all mutty and come from all over, we take pride in saying I’m a quarter this or that, my great great great grandmother was Russian and so on. My dad’s side is Irish.… Continue reading Kiss Me, I’m Irish-ish
Author: Alicia
Calorie Bazaar: Quantifying Bites and Negotiating Trades at the Dinner Table
There’s an Assyrian saying about eating in front of someone who’s not eating, “sapee khjboonelah” or “you’re counting my bites.” It’s bad manners to be at the table and be the only one eating, so I guess this is supposed to encourage others to eat too. My mom came over for dinner yesterday and pointed… Continue reading Calorie Bazaar: Quantifying Bites and Negotiating Trades at the Dinner Table
Job Description Difficulties
When you meet someone new in the US, usually the second question out of their mouth is, “So, what do you do?” No matter what I say, 95% of the time I get a blank stare in return, and I’m tired of it! I’ve tried switching up my responses, gauging what the other person might… Continue reading Job Description Difficulties
Dijkstra’s Bloodstained Bullfighters
When I think of Rineke Dijkstra’s work, the first thing to come to mind are her beach scenes. Glowing adolescent bodies against eerie blue greys. What I was not prepared for when I visited Dijkstra’s retrospective at SF MoMA this week was how captivating the bullfighter portraits would be. Not only for the contradictions they… Continue reading Dijkstra’s Bloodstained Bullfighters
“Keep Calm and Carry On” Tree Transformed
The “Keep Calm and Carry On” tree that I admired so much during New Year’s has been transformed for Valentine’s Day. “Stop in the Name of Love” it now reads. And it’s covered with love-related quotes. I love it! Pretty in a kitsch and gaudy way. Plus, everything’s abloom! It’s apparently already springtime in California.
Live Glassmaking at Museum of Glass in Tacoma
If you’ve never seen live glassmaking, a visit to the Hot Shop at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma is in order. Go. Now! I went last Sunday with the fam, and they’ve got quite the sweet set-up there. Visiting artist Ann Wåhlström was conducting the insanely intricate orchestra of moving, thousand-degree parts. Over the… Continue reading Live Glassmaking at Museum of Glass in Tacoma
The Iranian coin and a French flip
I experienced a fun cultural mashup the other day. It was Groundhog’s day, which falls on a Christian holiday called Candlemas, having something to do with the purification of the Virgin Mary and presentation of Jesus. Who knew? In France on this day, you’re supposed to hold a gold coin in one hand and flip… Continue reading The Iranian coin and a French flip
Dolls and Masks in the Meatyard
In an unassuming room with bright white walls and cool cement floors hangs a body of work that is delightfully dark. The nearly sixty black and white photographs taken by Ralph Eugene Meatyard, currently on view at the de Young in San Francisco, call attention to the human body, identity, and family relationships in the… Continue reading Dolls and Masks in the Meatyard
Street Art Made By Opening Curtains
I was walking around Palo Alto tonight after work. As I passed the fancy houses, I was struck by what I saw. I saw people’s private lives and household activities all out in the open for everyone to see. I saw people eating dinner, talking, playing, something that looked like tutoring, at least five households… Continue reading Street Art Made By Opening Curtains
False Trails and Squamish Special: A Guide to Getting Lost in the Woods
We had been looking for Squamish Special for over an hour. We climbed over a bunch of talus then dropped down from a big boulder where you could tell everyone’s jumped down before because there was a bald spot at the bottom. I jump down, look up, and say, “fuuucckk.” As soon as you jump… Continue reading False Trails and Squamish Special: A Guide to Getting Lost in the Woods