The sweet smell of organic strawberries tickled my nose as they were pulled from the refrigerator and placed on the kitchen island in preparation for a cooking class at the Anteater Recreational Center (ARC) on a Wednesday afternoon. Along with these plump strawberries picked from the South Coast Farms in San Juan, the counter was occupied by tapioca powder, blueberry juice, lemon juice and … arugula? How did this batch of arugula get on the kitchen counter and more importantly, how will it mesh with strawberries? Although a little skeptical in the beginning, by the end of the hour the combination of arugula and strawberries in a dish would not be a question.
Ever wonder what it’s like to work with Will Smith? Or maybe if he believes in “getting jiggy with it, na na na na na na na nana” in between shots? How about Rosario Dawson? Ever wonder if in her downtime she asks strangers if they can “light her candle” before she heads over to the Cat Scratch Club? While he might not give away the song and dance of Smith and Dawson, UC Irvine Alumnus Grant Nieporte knows them on a deeper level.
As much as I love fashion magazines, I often find myself getting frustrated with their content. Photo spreads might as well be pages of a catalog that only sell clothes that a college student can’t afford to dry clean, let alone afford to wear.
So, I just saw “Star Trek” on IMAX for the first time. Chills. I’ve seen a total of maybe three episodes of the show over my lifetime so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole time.
When traveling to another state or country, travelers feel a little uneasy when contemplating a hostel as potential accommodations. Many seem unable to detach it from the 2005 Blockbuster film of the same title. The sadistic torturing of travelers in dingy hostels seems to hold some ring of truth for those mislead. Although theatrically entertaining, the fictional image of hostels cannot be more wrong. In fact, these budget-friendly hostels have become widely popular throughout the world not only with backpackers, but also college students and families.
You might want to ask why I thought it was a good idea to make the five-hour drive to Merced, or why I thought it was cool to be up at 7 a.m. on a Saturday for press credentials, or why I didn’t chicken out after hearing I’d need to be on the field for three hours before the event even started, or why I didn’t turn back after sitting in the media pit, drinking hot water and watching my skin sizzle toward a third-degree burn.
