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Mattooine
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Name: Matt
Country: United States
State: Texas
Birthday: 1/11/1983
Gender: Male
Interests: Movies, TV, comics, animation, drawing, multiple expressions of art, Christian culture, an occasional book, writing from time to time
Expertise: If I have one, then someone tell me what it is....
Occupation: Artist
Industry: Media
Message: message me
Member Since:
4/3/2004
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| BorderlandsSo I'm in Brownsville. I was brought down here to shoot footage of some of the school activities that the company I work for has down here. However, we drove down here yesterday, I don't have to shoot anything until tomorrow, so today I've been stuck at the hotel surfing the web and drinking coffee in the lobby.
I did make one attempt at exploration when I got up and asked the front desk lady if there were any restaurants within walking distance. She said there was a Mexican restaurant behind us but other than that, everything else would require her to call me a shuttle, so I opted for Mexican. I went back there and found two restaurants, one was a Mexican restaurant called Los Camarrones and the other was called Taqueria Taco Loco. I opted for the taqueria.
I go inside and find that there are no other customers. In the small establishment, there was a waitress sitting at one table watching TV while refilling the salsa bottles and another who I think was either laying tile or spackling a spot at the bottom of the counter. They both look at me, not really saying anything. A bit nervous, I picked up a menu off the counter and began looking at it. The one who was spackling/tiling got up and said "To go?"
Suddenly realizing that she didn't speak English, I said "Uh...no..can I eat here" with a hand gesture to suggest here as "this place".
She smiled and nodded pointing me to a table and I immediately went and sat down, leaving behind the menu I was looking at. This led to the next awkward phase because I sat down and realized that I didn't have a menu, nor did either of the waitresses come to get my order. I just began to look around and eventually began reaading the dry erase boards they had set up with the menu on it. I could recognize the basics of a taqueria menu, but perhaps I looked alittle confused, because eventually the waitress who was refilling bottles grabbed a menu and brought it over to me, looking alittle frustrated. She began to explain things to me, pointing at items on the menu.
"Taco" she said. "con bistec o pollo o.."
I interrupted her "Do you have torta con lengua?"
"Con lengua...no" she began pointing at the torta section "bistec, pollo, barbacoa..."
I felt like I was getting on her nerves so I said "torta con bistec"
She then asked if I wanted their American or Mexican torta, showing me that the American version had lettuce, tomato, guacamole, and cheese while the Mexican version had guacamole, cilantro, onions and tomato. I was torn.
I took a deep breath, then tried my hardest to put to use my highschool Spanish in explaining to her that I wanted the American version of the torta only I wanted it with cilantro and onions also. Sympathetic to my cause, she smiled and nodded, writing down the order.
A sigh of relief came over me as she began to walk away. I felt pretty good being able to actually explain and communcate, though barely and in short phrases, to a person in Spanish. A smile came over my face until she turned around. And then the smile was over. She walked back to the table as I anticipated what she was going to ask and what I was going to have to figure out to say. She brought back out her notepad.
"Coke or Sprite"
I smiled again. "Coke, please"
Border cities are fun. | | |
| The weight of a MacbookSo I'm sitting here in my livingroom on a Saturday afternoon, trying to make the most of a laid back weekend in front of my TV and installing a copy of Final Cut Pro onto my new 15" MACBOOK? And in doing so, I have to say that this all feels very odd. I've never had a laptop, let alone a mac. The whole notion of having a computer that can be by my side everywhere I go isn't just weird to me, it's a little unnerving. I'm not sure why exactly. But I do keep wondering "What does this mean?"
Perhaps its because of the way in which I came to receive this beautiful piece of technology. It all happened rather suddenly when I was called into the office of my manager at Youth Interactive, the non-profit I work for part time as a graphic designer. He explained to me that they really appreciated my work and me staying with the company in my capacity. He went on to explain that they are looking through their budget and might be interested in making me a fulltime employee in the near future. That's when he offered me this spare Macbook that I'm typing this post on now. Bare in mind it is just for while I'm working there but its still practically mine. It was all kind of unexpected and, to be honest, relatively unnecdessary, but a very kind and appreciated gesture. And I mean, who's going to turn down a macbook? Yet, receiving this definitely makes me more attached and obligated to this company that I originally got involved in to sustain myself, doing fun work while I tried to figure out what to do with myself in the longrun. Though, I certainly consider it a blessing now that I have been there as long as I have and have really enjoyed the work I do there, as well as the people I work with. But I guess the thought of being more committed to this company (or any company for that matter) is still just alittle intimidating.
Of course it might be that owning a laptop and sitting in front of my TV while checking my email and drinking coffee just seems like such a grown up thing to do in my mind. I think I have to come to the realization that there's a definite line that I've seen being crossed. I told Jon one time that I felt as though I realized that a lot of my friends were in a new stage in life when I realized how much consumption became a key topic of discussion. Conversations were always about new furniture or appliances or new gadgets. What we're planning to buy. What we'd like to buy. How to use the money that's being made. I'm certainly not judging anyone. It's only natural, in our culture at least, that that be the next phase. As we start careers or get married or move places, we take on new responsibilities and that very much includes the products that we let into our lives. We begin making our own money and begin to build our environment. And though I didn't really buy this, it does feel like some sort of an adjustment in my environment to have this expensive item at my disposal. Is that what this macbook is? Have I crossed a threshold? Is this my step into adulthood?
Of course it may just be the fact that I've never been good with nice things. I'm not like some kind of a gadget guru or techie. I think I try to live a simple life for the most part. It's not that I don't think nice things are nice. It's probably more like I just don't feel right around them. I'm just not used to them I guess. Maybe that's what all this anxiety is about.
So anyways, I thank anyone who has bothered looking over these ramblings and walking around in my headspace for awhile. I'll have you know that since I began this post I have moved from my livingroom sofa to the toilet of my bathroom. And as I finish my business here, it only seems proper that I wrap up this post. I've unloaded my crap for now. It's time to get off the pot and move on.
So I will leave you with this snapshot from the built in camera over my monitor using the quick and easy Photobooth application that comes with this 15" media laboratory. How cool is that?!? .....ugh.
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| It's Good to See Local Artists DevelopAustin is the "live music capital of the world", so they say. And without a doubt, this is definitely one of the best places to be if you're looking to become a musician. However, as far as hip hop is concerned, I had always found that Austin's local scene was lacking.
Back when I was in school, I'd try to catch the occassoinal local act, which would usually be an array of aspiring guys with hopes of making it followed by a closing act by Bavu Blakes who, though is a fairly popular name around these parts, doesn't carry much weight to it beyond Central Texas. Alot of the acts were fun, energetic, but just weren't there...yet.
Last night I caught a local act named Zeale32, who I used to see at some of these shows and who I felt really showed alot of promise. He was lyrically pretty engaging and he actually really knew how to work the crowd and do a live act back when I saw him a few years ago. I think that last nights show just really proved to me how far this guy could go.
Along with Phranchyze1, another local who has really upped his game as well, and the San Antonio-based band Groove Movement, Zeale made a performance on par with some of the more professional acts I've caught. Performing with a band definitely makes for a whole new canvas for his lyrics to be laid out on. But aside from just going about his usual rhymes, he's good at playing to the audience, whether it be freestyling off of a word from the crowd (How many words can you rhyme with 'belligerent'?) or improv'ing a flow about a drunk girl who came on stage and began freaking Phranchyze (It was actually pretty entertaining to see him humiliate her). Phranchyze also did some great freestyling of his own about the random topic of superheroes. These two together definitely make for a good duo worth catching if you ever find yourself living in this capital city of ours.
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