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Cultural phenomenon Texas A&M vs University of Alabama done!
For Californians, 90 degree, muggy Texas heat was a challenge! But experiencing this cultural phenomenon was worth it.
Tailgate parties surrounded the stadium, but there was no need to be nervous about the crowds. The college managed things to perfection. There were plenty of portapotties (TexKans), trucks drove by throughout the day and emptied the garbage cans, and traffic control after the game was flawless. As a result, 300,000 people enjoyed the game and no one was hurt… well, there were some emergencies as I did see an Emergency Medical Service vehicle go through. Alcohol and heat don’t go well together.
The thing that really struck me was how courteous people are in Texas. If somebody accidentally bumps into you, and it does happen when your tailgate tents are right near a sidewalk that carries a steady stream of people, they apologize 10 times. Drivers stay right except to pass on the freeways and they let you merge. Unfortunately, California culture is basically the opposite.
Another very good thing I noticed: our group, about 35 people, was composed of half Texas and half Alabama fans. Being an Alabama fan in the middle of a huge Texas fan base did not pose a danger, however. Though Texas lost, passersby complimented those in our group who were wearing Crimson Tide (Alabama) t-shirts on a good game. And after a hard-fought game, the Texas team lines up and shakes the hands of or even hugs the opposing team.
After a California game in which fans attacked a fan on the other side and put a very nice man into a coma, I appreciate these traits.
Cultural phenomenon Texas A&M vs University of Alabama
Austin, Texas has a tasty chain of restaurants called Torchy’s Tacos. The Independent is a delicious vegetarian taco (hand-battered and fried portobello mushroom strips with refried black beans, roasted corn, escabeche carrots (*shrug*), cilantro and avocado with a drizzle of ancho aioli. The Brush Fire (jerked chicken), was too hot. They mean it when they say hot.
We are not sports fans, and yet my husband and I get to experience a HUGE college football game. Texas A&M versus the University of Alabama. A place to tailgate has been secured. In this case there will be tents, a keg and a gigantic gas barbecue so it’s more like tailgating on steroids.
People have been camping for days to keep their spot outside the stadium. Some tickets are selling for $700. But we will be outside the stadium watching on a TV with huge crowds of people.
The crowds have already overwhelmed the cell phone towers so there’s no way to call out, though texting is still possible. 300,000 people are expected. Hopefully there will be enough porta-potties.
We are excited to participate in this unique cultural experience.
Preparations for game day begin:
Eye candy: Keukenhof Gardens series 20
I’ll be sharing a lot of eye candy over the next couple months! Enjoy!
The Van Gogh Museum
This is what the Van Gogh Museum looks like from the outside:
As for the inside, the magnificent Vincent, here is the first sign. A recommended read for all the artists (including you, authors) who read this blog. For everyone who follows this blog because life is an art and you can apply lessons from great artists to everything, from cooking to your boring day job.
Peace III: A bird comes to visit
At a good breaking point in my writing yesterday, this bird came for a bath and a drink and stayed for quite some time. Just a humble bird, but I felt compelled to take its picture. A gift of peace.
We run the waterfall every day for a half hour to keep the little pools fresh for the visiting birds. Much easier than keeping the water fresh in the little bird bath I used to try to keep up with. This little guy also did fly-by gulps out of the pool. I’ve learned that’s dangerous for birds because if their feathers get wet (and they aren’t a water bird, which all have oil in their feathers), they’ll drown. Perhaps that is obvious, but I never knew that!
A day on the beach, San Diego
A couple years ago we rented a second story condo on Mission Beach. It was foggy most of the time we were there, but it was amusing to watch the passersby.
The Louvre, everywhere you look there’s something amazing series, 3
As we were making our way back to the front door of the Louvre, we came across this. I believe it’s the Department of Near Eastern Antiquities: Mesopotamia and this statue is called “The Broad Shoulders dedicated to the Goddess Ba’u.” I believe it is 2120 B.C. My info is a bit scarce on this, but I think this is from the time of the ruler Gudea (2144 – 2124 BC) of the state of Lagash in southern Mesopotamia. The inscriptions describe trade, rulership and religion. You can find translations of the inscriptions of Gudea here: sacred texts.
Here’s an interesting highlight from Wikipedia: The social reforms instituted during Gudea’s rulership, which included the cancellation of debts and allowing women to own family land, may have been honest reform or a return to old Lagašite custom.
Nicci Carrera 