I’d planned to use my holiday break to catch up on all the movies I’d missed during the end-of-semester grading rush. As it happens, I’ve only had time to see one movie, This is 40. Not to rely too heavily on cliche, but if you only see one movie during the holiday season, This Is 40 is a really good choice. I laughed for the entire 2 hours, and I left with a smile on my face. I still have a week before my fabulous partner goes back to work, and so I still have time to see Jack Reacher, Lincoln, The Hobbit and Django Unchained. I’ll definitely report back after Django. Stay tuned…
Ajuan Mance
PS: I almost forgot to say a word about the man in this photo. How much do you love that even when there is no superhero film currently in theaters, this young brother was sporting his Shazam belt buckle (I took a few liberties with the shape). Anyone remember the Shazam television show from the 1970s? It came on on Saturday mornings, either before or after Isis (“Oh zephyr winds which blow on high/lift me now so I can fly”).
The serenity in this man’s expression is so very compelling to me. I love the look on his face. When I saw him at Starbucks on Park St. (Alameda), his expression seemed judgemental, and then simply aloof. After drawing him, though, I realized that his expression was not aloof from or a judgement of anyone around him. He was just reacting to his own thoughts,
I passed this guy on the street as I was heading to Ikaros. He was walking in the opposite direction from me as we both walked by the Pure 510 store on Grand Ave. I put an Oakland-themed image on his t-shirt since Pure 510 has so many Oakland shirts in the window. He was not actually wearing an Oakland t-shirt; but since he and I passed each other in front of a store whose shirts are intended to capture Oakland, I thought I’d dress this figure in an iconic image from our port.
This is a composite drawing of some of the African American men I saw on Saturday afternoon, as I waiting in front of Sidebar (on Grand Ave., a couple blocks past the 580 overpass). We were going to meet there for lunch, but Sidebar doesn’t serve lunch on Saturdays, so we went to Ikaros, instead. It’s lso on grand, but on the other side of 580. I look forward to going to Sidebar one day when it’s open, but I have to give a shout out to Ikaros. It was really pleasant. The food was simple and good and the service was very friendly. I also liked the atmosphere. It felt cozy, but not cramped, and the lighting was sufficient without being overwhelming. If you go there, order the beef and lamb gyro salad. It’s good-tasting and really satisfying. If you order the hot tea, ask to get yours extra hot, or else you’ll end up with lukewarm water in your teapot.
Don’t ask why I decided to use a tartan as the backdrop for a brother eating in a Mexican restaurant. I don’t really have a good answer. I will say, however, that the next time you go to La Penca Azul, order the Naked Chicken Wings (not the buffalo wings, but the naked wings). They come served with the sauce of your choice, and the menu lists a bunch of different sauces to choose from. So far I’m eaten my wings with the first sauce on the list (I can’t remember what it was called), and I’ve also had the chipotle sauce, which was quite different from what I expected but also really tasty.
