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.
The Boyle Heights Tolteca Collective
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Category Archives: Personal
The “Help El Random Hero pay for school and buy a laptop” fund
As of late I’ve been hunting down scholarships that I qualify for and have a chance of getting. Paying for school and the cost of living adds up rather quick when your in school. So I’ve been asking people for letters of recommendations left and right and so far people are willing to help me out, thanks Victoria. But I realized that scholarships can only go so far for me and I’m extremely limited in the scholarships available to me because I’m special. At the same time there are other students applying to those same limited scholarships and well they blow me outta the water in terms of academics. Sure I have a 3.0 gpa, I’m an active community member, blogger and journalist at two news papers blah, blah, blah. Point is the pipe line gets thinner and thinner especially now with La Crisis and everyone trying to get as much financial aid as they can. That’s another thing too I DON’T QUALIFY FOR FINANCIAL AID. Everything comes outta my pocket, which at the jr. college level isn’t too hard. I have a job, but I’m a full time student. I work weekends and when I’m not in school I work as much as I can to save up for the following semester. Continue reading
Memories of A Lost Boulevard; Ghosts of the Eastside
The character of the E.L.A. that I knew growing up is long gone. Everything changes, evolves.
Those who lived there before me surely must have cherished their own “good old days†as much as I do mine. And twenty years from now, others will do the same.
We are beings that exist in that sliver of time between our past and future. Yet, if we were to somehow erase every memory from the past out of our minds, who would we be? The sum of our experiences, the memories of what we have lived before, are essentially the totality of who we are at this moment. So have my experiences and present memories of growing up in E.L.A. formed this person that I am today. E.L.A. is in my DNA.
It now brings me joy to reminisce, because I can relive those times. Many thanks to all of you out there who join me on these little journeys to memoryland. So let’s take another trip….
Scene from the River
Hopefully, a few Eastside residents auditioned for Cornerstone Theater Company held auditions for “Flow,” a Julie Herbert play about the Los Angeles River and surrounding communities.
When CTC called for anyone who live, work, or loves the LA River to try some acting, El Chavo commented “I’m gonna see if I can be the shopping cart somebody threw into the water.”
I saw this on Sunday. So I took a photo.
ADD: A play worth writing is one that talks about what the Eastside is.
Pictured: Under the Sixth Street Bridge, Â a shopping cart is sitting in the Los Angeles River (or it’s El Chavo doing some method acting for “Flow”)
Dream Drums
I went to my monthly drum circle that hasn’t met in several months due to rain and stuff.
My homie La Bruja Mafufa gave me a drum last year. I have gone to a few circles this is one of the better ones.
Today a few very good drummers kept the beats solid.
For more info go here
Things I Saw This Weekend…
…This bitchin’ custom Mini VW Bus with an awesome sound system cruising past Broadway. (Downtown) (If anyone knows to whom this bus belongs to, let me know!)
Tortas de Camaron!
(El Huarachito’s version.)
Do you all know what today is? It’s the beginning of Tortas de Camaron season! If you look around town, most respectable Mexican eateries will have a sign taped on their window announcing this customary dish that’s mostly seen during Cuaresma aka Lent. Whereas most give up eating land animals and turn to the seas during this period, I give up not eating sea animals and partake in these delicious tortitas of egg and ground shrimp, smothered in a spicy chile sauce and covered with nopalitos. (Yeah, my Veggie god will disown me, but fuck him too!) Consider this a suggestion on what you should have for lunch today.
I’ve reviewed a few examples of this dish at some Lincoln Heights restaurants over on my blog so I’m not going to repeat those efforts here, but if anyone finds a place with a good version of this dish, let me know! Click ahead for some more cruddy pictures of tortas de camaron.
East Los Angeles College I have two words for you, “No Mames”
~ Photo taken by Luz Juan ~ Solar panels broke and the way they fix them is by pulling a Mickey Mouse. They tied the beams up with rope for petes sake !!!!
I swear sometimes I just can’t believe the negligence that happens at school sometimes. I’ve been a proud husky for the last two years and this is the school for second chances. Parents and kids who mess up in high school have another chance make things right and get their life together, but how can we improve when we have shitty schools. Seriously I remember having a class in bungalows that have been around since the school was founded in 1945. Come on gimmy a break. I’ve been talking to P3000 and he totally agrees in the crappy conditions ELAC is in. There’s great teachers here and tons of cute chicks all over the place from all walks of life, but what good is it when your in a class that smells of dead rat or the roof tiles are falling on your head while your in class. Now all the construction is making things hard for the students that are gonna have to put up with it, but those are just growing pains. It’ll all pay off in due time.
Here’s another example from last year. The Elevator broke down and all the custodian could do was block it off and put a sign that says outta service. No mamen cabrones. It’s bad enough I get gouged to the max buying books that I’ll only use once, but this stuff goes too far sometimes. ELAC, no mames.
Don Bartolo el Sobador
Grandpa didn’t post flyers on a telephone pole, hand out business cards or place an ad in the yellow pages. He relied on simple word of mouth. It worked.
The strangers always arrived with their families to Grandpa and Grandma’s house on Hicks just north of la Brooklyn. Sometimes, it was easy to tell which person (or people) was the reason for the visit. Other times it wasn’t so clear.
They’d amble up the driveway and interrupt a frenzied game of freeze tag amongst cousins.
“Buscamos a Don Bartolo. Está ocupado?”
Continue reading
I ATE CHINESE FOOD AND GOT GAS!
Today I pulled into this Gas Station I go to near ELA College on Atlantic Ave. & Chavez. (on the intersection where I can find some fave food joints I’ve frequented in the past, The Old Van De Kamps Cafe, The Hat, Hawaii Island BBQ, there’s even a Boston Market down the street that I like sometimes.) Normally, I just pay at the pump at this gas station and drive away, but today was different. The card swipe machine wasn’t working and I was obliged to see the cashier inside. So I walk in and…..Holy Egg Rolls!!! Continue reading
Chupetónes
Back around the time I attended Griffith Jr. High School in E.L.A., I recall that Hickeys were all the rage. A sort of Red Badge of Dishonor if you will. Some kids would wear them proudly,… Continue reading
I Got My Spiderman Meets Obama Comic Book!
Unfortunately, Today I saw Spiderman in Santa Monica, and it looked like LA CRISIS had got to him!
He was twirling a sign outside of an Auto Stereo Store! (And his zipper was down! Sheesh!)