"I ate a burger from McDonalds for lunch yesterday. A Mexican made my food and I think I might have the swine flu."
-A white girl in tears
There is this feel in the air about Mexicans as carriers of disease that is making me feel a little paranoid.
My (maternal) grandparents were from Salamanca. They left to Mexico before the Spanish Civil War and settled in Sonora, Mexico (where my Mother and all of her siblings are from). My grandparents died long before I was born, so I never got to meet them. They have been a great source of mystery my whole entire life. I spent the majority of my time in Spain here. I had some unresolved business to take care of.
Salamanca is a city located in the western part of Spain, sharing part of the border with Portugal. Here is a copy and paste of Wikipedia's paragraph on Salamanca's history:
The city was founded in the pre-Ancient Rome period by the Vacceos, a Celtic tribe, as one of a pair of forts to defend their territory near the Duero river. In the third century BC, Hannibal laid siege to the city. With the fall of the Carthaginians to the Romans, the city began to take more importance as a commercial hub. At this time it was called Helmantica or Salmantica.
Salamanca surrendered to the Moors in the year 712AD. The defensive city wall was strengthened, with the Mozarab population being relegated outside of it. It was, however, a time of constant fighting with the Astur-Leonese kingdoms, and the city was trapped on the line between Christian North and Muslim South, with the city becoming a no-man's land between the two sides. It was reconquered from the Moors in the twelfth century by Ramón de Borgoa, son-in-law of Alfonso VI of Castile.
One of the most important moments in Salamanca's history was the year 1218, when Alfonso IX created the University of Salamanca. Soon it became one of the most significant and prestigious academic centres in Europe.
In the Peninsular War of the Napoleonic campaigns, the Battle of Salamanca, fought July 22, 1812, was a serious setback for the French, and a mighty setback for Salamanca, whose western quarter was seriously damaged. The battle which raged that day is famous as a defining moment in military history; many thousands of men were slaughtered by cannon fire in the space of only a few short hours.
Salamanca has this bridge that was built by the Romans that crosses over El Rio Tormes.
But before there were Romans there were Visigoths that were obsessed with doing sculptures of wild bohrs. These original and super old sculptures are found scattered around the city.
When crossing the Roman bridge one often finds families hanging out, picnicking, and sometimes fishing (the river is hiding behind the tree leaves of this photo).
More about Salamanca and what is along El Rio Tormes soon to come.
Language is a social construct. And as something that is constantly evolving and invented by humans, every now and then, you may find yourself taking part in history by being in a conversation where a word has been invented that may one day be a part of mainstream lexicon.
The other day, I was hanging out with a local blogger (who can comment to take credit) who used the Spanglish word "clitones". I have never heard of that Spanglish word before, therefore I will make the unsound assumption that its never been used before. Besides, the local blogger who used it made it up on the spot.
Clitones. Pronounced klee-ton-es, with some softness on the o and on the last e. Not pronounced like "tone", as in "the tone of this post is silly", but "clitones" like the word every Angeleno should have come across, or... will eventually, "cabrones".
Context in which it can be used: "Don't fall off that scooter wearing that short skirt, other wise you'll show everybody your clitones".
Here are pictures of some of my favorite tiles that Magu (an original member of Los Four), painted for the
Hollywood and Vine redline station. There are several dozen tiles there, and they are worth checking out.
I got this email the other day:
"You say menudo, I say pozole...!" We've got both!
Join us as the Committee to Commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the 1968 High School Walkouts sponsors a breakfast fundraiser to raise money for the upcoming Historic March and Unveiling of the Monument dedicated to the students who staged the 1968 "Blowouts'!
The offices of local officials like Councilmembers Jose Huizar and Ed Reyes, LA School Boardmembers Monica Garcia and Yoli Flores Aguilar, LA County Supervisor Gloria Molina, and State Senator Majority Leader Gloria Romero have all contributed generously to make Sal Castro's dream, of honoring the students, come true.
But we need your help! We are a small commiittee with limited funds and resources that is facing rising costs for this event to happen successfully. We therefore invite the community, students, families, businesses and friends to join us on Saturday, February 16, 2008 for breakfast fundraiser.
We will be serving delicious menudo or pozole, whichever you prefer, from 8:00am until 2:00pm. We are asking a donation of $5 per bowl; $6.50 with a drink or cafecito! Pan dulce will also be available. We are trying to get a Son Jarocho group to perform as well. So here's the 411:
Menudo/Pozole Breakfast Fundraiser
Sat Feb 16, 2008
8am-2pm (or when food runs out!)
Calmecac Youth Center
5244 East Beverly Blvd (Just East of Atlantic)
East Los Angeles, CA 90022
For more info call Bobby (323) 720-1358 or Aracely (323) 829-6333
Spead the word, only five bucks, CHEAP!
LACMA is doing an exhibit titled "Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement" this Spring.
I don't think the "Chicano Movement" ever ended, I think it just evolved. But thats another post.
I went to Los Souls the other day for a caffeine fix and the dude working at the counter had this tattoo.
I was walking around downtown Riverside and I saw some guy sitting down with a tattoo of the symbol of Riverside on his arm. I asked if I can take a photo and he said yes.
One of my favorite things to eat is a carne asada taco or burrito.
When I was a mid-teenager, I used to work at my cousin's taco stand in Hermosillo, Mexico. He made the best carne asada anything ever.
EVER.
No carne asada anything has been able to top it. -However, one carne asada burrito has come close. Several months ago I went to San Francisco for a few days and ate an extremely good carne asada burrito at this one place in the Mission District. I forgot the name of their place, but they have a picture of an attractive brunette with a bandolier across her chest on their menu and on their business cards.
The best carne asada burrito I have had in LA is at Terre's on Melose, close to Vine in Hollywood. Its really good, but I think that there must be some better version out there that I have yet to discover. The best carne asada taco I have ever had in LA is at that one place on the corner of Vermont and Santa Monica Blvd. Why my favorite carne asada burrito and taco are not at the same place, I don't know.
A few weeks ago I ate this one carne asada plate at this one Colombian restaurant close to the corner of Sunset and some other street that is close to Benton Way. I don't know why I can't remember the street name since I used to wait for the bus (when it was the RTD, not MTA) on that corner all the time as a kid on my way to school.
Also, at my cousin's joint, he served onions in a manner I have never seen done in the US. We would chop an onion in half, wrap each halfs in aluminum foil, and roast it on the grill for a while. Then you eat it with some salt and lemon and that is the best way I have ever eaten an onion. Does anybody know of any mexican or non mexican restaurants that serve onions that way?
But my main question is.... where in LA can I find the best carne asada burrito?
