With Love and Squalor

Farmer's Market Event

While many people slept, or perhaps just got in from a late-night rendezvous, Lisa Chun began her workday at 2:30 a.m., baking.

Lisa was just one of the many vendors who participated in the weekly Farmers’ Market at the Simi Valley Town Center, on Friday.

The market takes place in the parking lot of the Simi Valley Town Center every Friday from 3 to 8:00 p.m. Currently in its fifth year at the Town Center, it is produced by the Ventura Corporation, Coastal Pacific, whose mission is, “to offer unique and wholesome produce and goods.” The market, free and open to the public, consists of fresh produce and baked goods, attractions for children, merchandise from local vendors, as well as live music.

 Those who attended on Friday came for various reasons, and while many people just browsed through the market with shopping bags from their mall purchases, some were looking for specific vendors.

“I wanted to check out Wicked Stix,” said Ryan Matheson, a 26-year-old Simi Valley resident, who wanted to get some new spices to cook with. “I like getting information about the product firsthand from the supplier.”

 Ed Burg, a middle-aged man wearing a Jimmy Buffet hat and Hawaiian shirt is the creator of Wicked Stix. He specializes in creating unique flavors and seasonings for cooking and sells his products to hotels, bars and restaurants. His seasonings have recently even landed on croutons at Disneyland.

“My primary job is food consulting,” explained Burg, who has been selling at the market since September of 2009, “But this is what I really enjoy.” Burg also sells at a farmers’ market in Encino and plans to continue selling in Simi Valley every week.

Unlike Burg, who is an experienced market vendor, Lisa Chun, a 27-year-old Burbank resident and employee of House of Bread explained that this is her first time selling at a farmers’ market.

And despite working at the bakery located in Chatsworth since 2:30 a.m., she really enjoyed the whole atmosphere.

 “I love it,” said Lisa, “I plan on attending every week from now on.”

For more information about Coastal Pacific, or becoming a Farmers’ Market vendor, visit their Web site at www.coastalpacificfm.com. 

(download)

 

Photos:

1. Ed Burg, creator of Wicked Stix at the Simi Valley Farmer's Market.

2. Locals browse the market for fresh produce and baked goods. 

Midterm

(download)

 

The "Citizen Artists Making Emphatic Statements" exhibit took place at the 18th Street Art Complex, located in Santa Monica, Calif. The exhibit was curated by Adolfo Nodal and open to the public between July 12 to Sept. 13, 2008. The exhibit is meant to display works by contemporary artists with activism being the main idea or subject matter. Amongst the numerous artworks displayed were pieces by "Fallen Fruit," an organization created by David Burns, Matias Veigener and Austin Young. "Fallen Fruit" aims to create new urban green spaces and to bridge the gap between those with resources and those with none. The project originally began with maps of public fruit--fruit trees growing over public spaces in Los Angeles. Since then, the organization has expanded its projects and activities, including: nighttime tours of public fruit in the city, a day where citizens bring public or homegrown fruit and partake in jam-making, community fruit tree plantings, and fruit infusions where public fruit is infused with alcohol. For more information on “Fallen Fruit” visit them at their website at, www.fallenfruit.org

 

<br /><small>View Arts Complex Santa Monica in a larger map</small>

LA public library

Los Angeles is one of the major cities currently affected by the economic downturn, forcing many businesses and services to make proper adjustments. As a result, the Los Angeles Public Library has been the target of this economic crisis, forcing them to change their hours of operation to only five days week—Tuesday through Saturday.According to an article on NBCLA.com, the library released a statement explaining that this change is a result from a reduction of staff members and other cuts being made during this difficult economic time.This decision to reduce the library’s hours was made in unanimous vote by the Library Board of Commissioners over the summer. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s budget for the fiscal year, which began July 1, caused a reduction of 761 employee positions—101 of those were employees of the L.A. Public Library. And although a seemingly just decision made by the council, the public and other citizens of the Los Angeles area are less than thrilled. A spokesman for L.A. Neighbors United, a group that began taking special interest in the budget decisions of Los Angeles, Cary Brazeman, shared some of his criticisms to the L.A. Times. For Brazeman, he believes libraries to be sacred and they should remain open seven days a week, without any exception. However, council member Eric Garcetti, who voted in favor of these cuts, explained that the library will be of the first public services to go back to its original hours of operation once the financial structure of Los Angeles improves.

                

 

chana cracker

Chana Cracker

Traditional

The Chana Cracker hardly resembles a cracker. This little pea size snack is an Indian flavored, whole gram, seasoned with spices. Its texture is rather soft, somewhat like an undercooked carrot.  The curry-like, pungent flavor seems to immediately change after the first bite and leaves your mouth with a rather spicy aftertaste. This snack is not for the non-daring, unsalted pretzel-eating folk, but rather the individual who enjoys a little zing by the handful.

 

Informal

If you’re planning on conversing closely with someone after eating these, I highly suggest chewing gum or mouth rinse. The spices, which are rather unpleasant at first, seem to linger in your breath longer than one would prefer. If you don’t like Indian food, I wouldn’t recommend this snack.  

Persistence, or lack thereof.

The strength I lack is persistence. I’m rather determined in all aspects of my life-- except when it comes to finding a job. Fortunately (I suppose), I’ve been able to spend the last few months without working, after quitting my job in order to spend some time in New York. However, as my bank account is slowly, but surely dwindling down, it has finally become apparent how necessary a steady paycheck is at this moment. After turning in countless resumes to numerous establishments (some more appealing than others) I’ve had absolutely no luck. I do, however, timidly admit that had I been more persistent during the application process, by following up with a phone call, or two, I could have perhaps stood a cut above the rest of hopeful, young applicants. As of now, I remain jobless.