For the record, all posts on LA Eastside with the date of April 1st were part of our April Fool’s Day celebration. The posts provoked interesting responses from incredulous long-time readers thinking we’d gone crazy to anti-Mexican trolls who don’t have a humorous bone in their bodies to upset folks who felt the critiques hit too close to home. Sorry, if you got fooled but that’s the point, right?
And no need to worry, we still know where the (real) Eastside is!
Every month or so a group of LA blogueros get together to talk shit, have some beers and share a meal. The meetings are fun, but they’re always missing El Chavo. I figured he didn’t attend because he was too busy sampling his favorite breakfast dish around town to stop by and set anyone who tried calling Echo Park and Silver Lake the Eastside straight. Yeah, sometimes there’s a clueless person who shows up to the gatherings.
This time around, he actually confirmed that he’d be attending. I was curious. What would El Chavo look and sound like? Unlike other blogueros, he’s never showed a picture of himself. Would he look like a veterano or would he have a heavy East LA accent? Would he be a pelón, long-haired Chicano or somewhere in between?
I soon found out and was very surprised.
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Member way back in February when I was auctioned off for $45 to a mystery buyer at Self Help ? Well after our date we hit it off like no ones business. I would have posted something afterward but she didn’t want our relationship to go public because she gets enough attention as it is. So who’s This Mystery lady ? Follow the jump to find out !!!! Continue reading
Authentic huaraches from Mexico
Spotted on the streets of Silver Lake, the hottest trend in fashion today, the humble huarache. Long used on the Eastside as fly swatters, rear end spankers and regular old house slippers, the huarache has been promoted to high fashion due to it’s green pedigree. You see, huaraches re-use the treads of old tires for soles. That means decreased rubber production and all the nasty toxic uglies that go with it. Wearers also report the added benefit of healthier feet as the open weave design allows the foot to breathe. Also, as the sandals are worn, the leather conforms to the foot shape creating a stylish silhouette.
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There was a time when it seemed that some Westside Angelenos perceived life east of the river to be something like this…..
Apparently, there’s been some change of heart by our neighbors to the West. I received today the following email care of L.A. Eastside and I thought it would be worthy of sharing with our readers:
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I always like the story that the term “man” as a slang gesture of affection or recognition came into vogue through jazz musicians of the 1940’s. That Gillespie, Parker and Miles used the term to destroy the humiliating use of “boy” is a powerful demonstration. We’ll just make up our own shit. Better, let’s call ourselves what we are.
I read this comment from El Chavo and it jarred a few memories:
BTW, I hate that fake bonding shit: I get some people in my work environment calling me ‘bro’ or even ‘brother,’ like I know them or something. It makes me want to punch them.
Very few times in my life I am left speechless because I’m the kind of person that’ll have something to say about anything, even though I may not know what the hell I’m saying. That results in me putting my foot in my mouth and pissing someone off. Nonetheless I was treated to something special last Friday in the form of a tremendous and generous gift. Someone read my post about getting a laptop and paying for school and while I got some interesting comments and reactions from readers and colleagues, someone answered my call. This person wanted to remain anonymous, but nonetheless, I can’t ignore their random generosity. In a nutshell, they had got this laptop for for themselves a while back and never ended up using it. They read my post and thought to themselves, “This computer was meant for ERH.” Well I don’t know about that but I’m none the less EXTREMELY GRATEFUL and APPRECIATIVE of the fact that someone out in cyberlandia read what I posted, felt where I was coming from and decided to help a brotha out. It’s not everyday that I’m on the receiving end of random generosity, so I’m left speechless. Thank you. I’ll no longer be at school 6 to 7 hours because I need to type up homework, blog or do other random online stuff. Now I’ll be able to go to free wifi hotspots, chill, check my email and blog in peace and serenity. I’m super stoked about this, I can hardly contain myself. Gracias. I’m still trippping out on all this.
Over on this side of the river, a boot on a car for failure to pay the “I don’t own a garage” tax otherwise known as a parking ticket, is quite the common sight. Occasionally, you even see people contemplating if they can take it off themselves, looking at the lock, checking out where it’s clamped. When the money is low the last thing you want to do is throw it away. Which is the reason you never paid your tickets, which lead to the clamp that’s gonna cost you an extra $150, which if you don’t pay in time is gonna mean your ride will get towed and then you are truly jodido. The non-poor rarely realize how expensive it is to be poor. And no, being broke is not poor. When you can no longer call the parents or your other unspecified “resources” to bail you out, then you’ll start finding out what it means to be poor. And by the looks of this fancy BMW/Benz/whatever the fuck it is with a boot, seems people will start getting acquainted with the concept of without fairly soon!
(Update 3/28: Another picture to admire added to end of post!)
Is it just me, or does this soon to open Mexicatessen place in Eagle Rock have a name that’s bound to be a source of many jokes, especially for those that speak Spanish? Or am I the only simpleton with a Jr High sense of humor? I’m just saying…
Louis CK-On Being White
Okay, so I know this clip has nothing to do with the Eastside…or does it? I’ll leave that decision up to you. But you know what? It’s funny, it’s Friday and I’m all about the goodtimes.
Get your mind outta the gutter you freaks !!! This is a family site. Ok. So last week I paid a visit to the staff of the Roosevelt High newspaper, The Rough Rider. And lemme tell ya, these kids have moxie. I’ve ran into a few of them here and there, mostly at the classic because as a reporter, we can smell our own kind. The nature of my visit was to talk about how the media portrays undocumented residents and how I, as an undocumented resident, use the media to champion my crusade. That’s what I should have talked about, but when I get the spot light I tend to trail off. In fact, the whole time I was there I spent it talking about my life experiences, how IÂ hustle my writing and other adventures I’ve lived through.Â
I wanna know who these guys are because they are freaking bad ass. I was walking to class yesterday grabbing myself un taco de ojo and I noticed the new paint job on the bland and boring wall.
