New Years, Philadelphia Style

I’ve been a bad, neglectful blogger. But what’s important is I’m here now, yes?

So far my 2011 has been beautiful, most notably on the strength of getting an amazing new job that I start next week! And I generally feel more motivated and optimistic about living better in every way. If last year was about dipping my toes into this “101 in 1001” idea, this year I want to live it fearlessly.

I rang in New Year’s Day by finally checking out the only-in-Philadelphia tradition of the Mummers Parade. Luz goes every year (her brother is part of a huge brigade called Froggy Carr, pictured above), and I never really grasped the appeal of standing out in the cold for it until I realized the drunkenness involved. When you start drinking at 9 am, it dulls the chill and amplifies the fun! Plus, it was a pleasant 50 degrees anyway.

The nation’s oldest continuous folk event (this was year 111), the competitive parade is made up of thousands of locals in elaborate costumes and floats. Some take it very seriously, with awe-inspiring moveable scenery and skilled string bands. The earlier part of the event, which is all I could stay for, is mostly liquored-up clowns strutting down the street and getting the party started. Some groups parodied current events, or kept to a particular theme (50′s rockabilly, Willy Wonka, circus freak show), but most represented in the traditional bloomers, umbrellas, and gold spray-painted sneakers.

The parade moves down Broad Street in Center City, culminating in a big party on Two Street in South Philly, but I had to cut out after a few hours of dancing, wishing everyone a happy new year, and of course, splitting a bottle of wine with Luz! I love my city. And I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off what’s sure to be a great year.

Movie review roundup!

I’ve seen a bunch of movies over the past couple of months. Let’s hop to it!

Translating the book in documentary form, Freakonomics invited five filmmakers to show how statistical data debunks conventional wisdom. Each vignette has its own flavor—Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) wittily examines whether having a “Black name” hinders a child’s economic future, while Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) takes a solemn look at widespread corruption in Sumo wrestling. I loved them all. A good nerdy time!

Devil is a horror flick “based on a story by” M. Night Shyamalan, who I think deserves another chance from movie-going society. This was a great, freaky story. Five people stuck in an elevator. The lights keep going out and, once they’re back on, yet another person is dead. The surprise ending was maybe a bit obvious in retrospect, but I admit I didn’t see it coming.

I have a brief history with Desert Flower. An ex- “more than a friend, less than a boyfriend” auditioned for the romantic interest, and I helped him read lines. The part went to Anthony Mackie, but onto the plot…it’s a biopic on model Waris Dirie. According to the marketing, it’s about her rise from rural Somalia to the top fashion runways, but it’s really about female genital cutting, an issue she helped raise to global awareness. The heavy subject didn’t blend with the frothy rags-to-riches storytelling, so the message was important, but disjointed and not well done.

I loved Medicine for Melancholy–a peek into the day of two Black indie rock twenty-somethings in San Francisco, following a one-night stand. The guy (played with adorable deadpan by Wyatt Cenac) is pissed off by the city’s gentrification. He’s also pissed that the girl (Tracey Heggins) has a White boyfriend who’s out of town. They talk about how race informs their self-identities, as well as the changing city, throughout their sweet but sad, one-day romance. It wasn’t a mirror-image of my life or anything, but I could relate, and I liked the story’s natural, wandering pace.

I didn’t expect to enjoy The Social Network, initially thinking that a “Facebook movie” was ridiculous. But the smart, fast-paced screenplay, strong performances, and nuanced story won me over. Some folks walked away hating Mark Zuckerberg, but I was like, “I may not agree…but I understand.” I didn’t see him as an irredeemable villain, thanks to first-rate storytelling and acting.

Today I saw the controversial For Colored Girls, directed by Tyler Perry and based on the iconic stageplay by Ntozake Shange. I grew up with a record of the original Broadway cast in my home, but never listened to or read the play. The movie was intense. The performances were phenomenal. Far from perfect, but I liked it. Contrary to critiques I’ve heard (I nearly had a shouting match with my dad), I didn’t see this as a blanket condemnation of Black men. It was about pain that women, of all races, actually do experience, and it gave voice to their stories (and Hill Harper’s character, by the way, was an absolute standup guy). Your mileage may vary, but I think it’s worth seeing.

“Little Bee” by Chris Cleave

Last summer, my friend Cori posted this status update on Facebook:

“Just finished an amazing, emotional book (Little Bee) at the hair salon and I’m trying everything not to cry in front of these people.”

Cori has impeccable taste, so even though it sounded vaguely traumatic, I picked up Little Bee by British author Chris Cleave. My interest was piqued even further by the description on the book’s back cover:

 

“We don’t want to tell you what happens in this book. It is truly a special story and we don’t want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this:  

 

This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again — the story starts there…  

Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don’t tell them what happens. The magic is in how the story unfolds.”

Kind of weird, but okay. I started reading and became instantly engrossed.

The book centers on a 16-year-old Nigerian refugee whose harrowing circumstances intersect with the life of a privileged English woman. Alternating beautifully between the perspectives of both characters, the terrible story of how they first met is slowly revealed, building suspense to what happens next.

Despite the strangely whimsical back cover blurb (really have no idea what that’s about) it’s a sad book. But it’s super absorbing, with foreshadowing and mounting clues, along with shrewd characterizations to make you care about the players (and even smile and laugh at points). It also confronts oil-based violence in Nigeria and the plight of refugees/undocumented immigrants. I didn’t cry at the end, but the story definitely stayed with me long after I’d finished.

One-pot cod, potatoes and cabbage

I’m embarrassed about the five-month gap between the dinner I made last weekend and my last time cooking before then. Luckily the meal was encouraging: one-pot cod, potatoes and cabbage from America’s Test Kitchen’s 30-Minute Suppers. I slightly messed up the recipe (halving one head of cabbage doesn’t mean to use only half!), but the hash of cabbage, red potatoes and bacon was amazingly rich and savory. And the cod was perfectly cooked, though I didn’t season it enough. Next time. Here are the pics:

And here’s the recipe:

One-Pot Cod, Potatoes and Cabbage (from America’s Test Kitchen’s 30-Minute Suppers)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound red potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 small head savoy cabbage, halved, cored and sliced thin
• 1/4 cup water
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 cup dry white wine
• salt and pepper
• 4 skinless cod fillets
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into 2 pieces

PREPARATION

Place potatoes, cabbage and water in microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until potatoes begin to soften, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in Dutch oven [NOTE: I just used a big skillet] over medium-high heat until crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel-line plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat.

Add leeks to pot with fat and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add potato-cabbage mixture, wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and bring to boil. Cover and simmer over medium heat until cabbage and potatoes are almost tender, about 4 minutes.

Season cod fillets with salt and pepper. Lay cod on top of potato-cabbage mixture, cover and cook until fish is just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer fish to platter. Stir butter and bacon into potato-cabbage mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Serve with fish.

Lights, camera, action (and don’t blow it)!

I’d hoped to increase my TV/radio/public speaking profile this year, but my scaredy-cat self never really sought out opportunities. Still, some requests came my way recently.

1. In September I was invited to Howard University, for a panel called “Print is Not Dead Yet!” Funny, right? Not yet, but don’t say we didn’t warn ya, kids. Four other journalists and I advised brushing up on digital platforms because print alone won’t cut it these days. The students were savvy and, of course, totally knew that already.

2. Before midterm elections this month, I returned to the Michael Eric Dyson Show, where I discussed the potential power of the Black vote and how Obama will likely govern if Republicans take over the House. There were some brief dead-air moments, but not bad overall. Dyson’s a great host and swooped in wherever I was hesitant.

3. Another college thing last week, this time for a Georgetown University journalism class, talking about my journey in the field. To paraphrase the Allman Brothers, Lord I was born a ramblin’ woman…and I blathered on and on. It was an informal setting, though, and the students were receptive, so I’ll chalk this up as a success.

4. Also last week: my first showing on the political panel of TV One’s Washington Watch with Roland Martin. I was disoriented on the set at first, and a little thrown by the rapid-fire pace…so when the show airs tomorrow I’m anxious about looking like a frightened deer in the headlights. But as many things as I think went wrong, I got in a few thoughtful points (thanks to Roland’s friendly nudging) so it was by no means a complete disaster. If I’m invited back, I know next time I’ll be stronger!

Keeping it weird in Austin, TX

I’d always heard that Austin is a fun city. In high school I even briefly flirted with the idea of attending the University of Texas at Austin, based on this reputation. Last month, at long last, I went there for the Austin City Limits music festival, and, OH MY GOD did it live up to the hype. I had such a great time (yeee-hawww)!

This was my first time in Texas, and I was psyched. Redneck stereotypes be damned, all the Texas people I know are universally cool folks—and because state pride is indoctrinated in their youth, they all rep hard. I first flew into Waco, to meet my girl Sheryl (she lives in DC now but grew up there, and was visiting family). She showed me around her hometown, from Koehne Park’s scenic view of Lake Waco…

…to the Waco Suspension Bridge, which is actually the model for the Brooklyn Bridge (both were designed by the same architect).

While it was cold and rainy in DC that week, in Texas it was a sunny 80 degrees! From Waco, Sheryl and I excitedly drove to Austin. The city’s unofficial motto is “Keep Austin Weird,” reflecting its laid-back, artsy, come-as-you-are vibe. At every turn there was live music, art, kitsch and color. The city pulsed with youthful energy.

In our day and a half before ACL, we meandered through funky shops and art galleries, including a costume/vintage store called Lucy in Disguise…

…the expansive music store Waterloo Records…

and several cowboy boot retailers. I was dying for a pair, but too expensive for my blood.

On our first night in town, we caught the flight of the bats from underneath Congress Avenue Bridge: hundreds of thousands of bats (1.5 million at the peak of bat-watching season) that take off, like clockwork, every nightfall.

All at once, a seemingly endless stream flew out into the city. We stayed for about 20 minutes, and the swarm didn’t let up one bit. And near the University of Texas, I had a chuckle seeing this cheesesteak spot called Texadelphia (HA)!

As for authentic local fare, I leaned to Tex-Mex, mostly tacos (my favorite: smoked brisket with avocado, jalepenos and cilantro from Torchy’s Tacos). Austin is also big on the food truck trend, with hip street vendors everywhere (such as The Mighty Cone, where I had crunchy deep-fried chicken and avocado in a handy tortilla).

At a gorgeous lakeside restaurant, The Oasis, I had amazing crawfish enchiladas stuffed with spinach, cream cheese and mushrooms (delicious, but not particularly photogenic). But check out the restaurant’s extremely photogenic view of Lake Travis!

Then, it was time for Austin City Limits at Zilker Park. Three days. Eight stages. One hundred-thirty bands. It was bananas.

Even though I caught more bands than I can remember, I just counted each day as one concert (towards #14 on my list). Some highlights:

Vampire Weekend (Catchy tunes that had me boppin’ around way more than I expected.)

deadmau5 (Dance party—with a light show! And a giant mouse head!)

Matt and Kim (The music was just okay, but their smiley energy was infectious.)

Sonic Youth (Okay, they sucked, but for music history’s sake I checked them out.)

M.I.A. (Fun, but it wasn’t because she put on an amazing performance or anything. I was just pretty inebriated during her set.)

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue (My favorite of the whole festival; they rocked the crowd like nobody else. And we were in the front row!)

Flaming Lips (The show was characteristically “zany,” but the performance was a little too rambling for me to get into. Luckily, they did play “She Don’t Use Jelly!”)

Then there were the friendly folks I met all along the way. Americans are often described as career-obsessed consumerists who don’t know how to enjoy life. This may be true of New York City and D.C., but there are other parts of the country where generally people slow down and take it easy. I’m so grateful to have had that experience in Austin!

Me and my llama, me and my llama…

…are goin’ to the dentist todaaay! Remember that song from ’80s Sesame Street? I sing it every time I go to the dentist, which I finally did a few months back (#46).

All clear, and no cavities!