The Imaginary Invalid

Although forced to watch this play for my rhetoric class, I found the whole experience rather enjoyable to say the least. The play caught my attention from the start, and kept it the entire time. From start to finish the humor kept me interested. I had never been to a play before in my entire life, I was not looking forward to the event, and was expecting the least fun I could ever have out of it. To my surprise, it was very fun to watch. The actors, both the student actors and the professional actors fit their characters flawlessly and knew exactly how to play each of their parts to the fullest, getting the humorous effects that were written down to a tee. My favorite part, at the end, came out of nowhere, the last thing i expected from a school play, was when the two actors who were in love were just completely going at it while right in front of the father. Absolutely hilarious. This play gave me the best first impression I could ever get. The story in my eyes, was perfectly told, but thats just my opinion. I was laughing throughout the play, and would see it again in my spare time.

Buffalo Exchange

Buffalo Exchange is a second-hand clothing store which caters to both buyers and sellers of clothing. One could easily spend an entire day swimming through the stores numerous racks of fine garments, shoes and accessories. Located on The Drag in Austin, Buffalo Exchange is a staple for many eclectic and "indie" fashion enthusiasts . On the seller side Buffalo Exchange offers a unique way to turn old clothes into cash, while also making room in their closets. The eclectic feel goes far beyond the clothes, as one can find a numerous array of different visitors to the store. From conservative and preppy to grungy 90's chic, all types of people as well as styles can be found at this store. It's not unlikely that you will run into long lines be it from the many buyers or the many people eager to sell. Another interesting attribute is the music bulletin located prominently at the front of the store. This billboard displays the various shows that are upcoming in town in which it's located. This gives visitors something to look at while not browsing the sea of pre-worn goods. Of all of the thrift stores, Buffalo Exchange offers the widest variety and definite best experience while also being one of the most well known. So if ever in process of cleaning out your closet, one should give Buffalo Exchange a try.

The Snack Bar

The Snack Bar is a restaurant located on South Congress where one can grab a bite to eat, whether in the mood for a snack or a full-fledged meal. The Snack Bar caters to many different tastes as well as appetites. If you aren't necessarily in the mood for a large entree, you can opt to get a small snack like a banana split, or some doughnuts. If you're not in the mood for anything sweet in particular, you can go for a bagel and cream cheese, or a plate of cheese fries. They also offer a wide range of all-day brunch menu items. If you're more of a breakfast/lunch person, as am I, this is definitely the menu for you! The Brunch menu consists of many items such as my personal favorite Belgian waffles coated in apple-raisin chutney and powdered sugar served with a side of thick cut bacon. They also offer a variety of salads, and burgers, typical of a classic American diner. The food is just the tip of the iceburg, as one can feast on the decor and ambiance of the restaurant alone. Even the bathrooms are interesting with a "water-closet" European inspired bathroom setup where the men and women's are connected by a shared sink. It is indicative of the comfortable and laid-back feel of the restaurant. They also have a large projector screen in the lounge area where patrons can sit back and watch a classic 60's era film whilst waiting to be seated. In all, The Snack Bar exemplifies the qualities of a well-rounded restaurant, with different menu choices to please seemingly all tastes. I challenge anyone to walk into The Snack Bar and leave unsatisfied.

Garden State

Along with Despicable Me, the movie Garden State is a definite permanent my Top Ten Movies list. Garden State is written and directed by Zach Braff. The main characters in the movie are played by Zach Braff as Andrew Largeman -- an overly medicated, depressed, emotionless aspiring actor -- and Natalie Portman as Sam -- an eccentric young woman who knowingly and compulsively lies without understanding what makes her do it.

The plot revolves around Andrew Largeman and his return to his hometown in New Jersey for his mother's funeral. When he was a young boy, Largeman accidentally pushed his mother over a dishwasher door leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Since that incident, he has been heavily medicated with antidepressants leaving him completely void of feeling any significant emotions or shedding a single tear. Upon returning home, Largeman meets Sam, a talkative and eccentric local who is always lying. Sam's light heartedness and sense of humor often contrasts with Andrew's numb state of being.

This movie is a favorite of mine for two main reasons. The first being the awesome soundtrack which Zach Braff composed him self. This soundtrack features songs by Thievery Corporation, The Shins (on my Top Ten List for bands), Simon & Garfunkel (also on that list), Zero 7, and many others. The carefully chosen songs compliment the film in every way possible. The second reason is for the cinematography of the whole film. Something about the way this movie was filmed makes every single scene, no matter how simply, look beautiful. This combined with the music in the film carry the story line throughout the whole movie, without ever overcrowding the script.

Despicable Me

Despicable Me is an animated, cartoon movie that combines adventure with humor to create a movie that is enjoyable for people of all ages. After my first viewing of this movie, I immediately knew it was going to be one of my long time favorites. I saw this movie probably far too many times this summer with people my age and some of the kids I babysat. It is directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud. Renaud has also worked on Ice Age, Robots, Horton Hears a Who!, and many others (some of which are also on my Top Ten Movies list). So, I may be somewhat of a kiddie, animated movie buff; but so what, I still think this movie is great for any person, no matter what age. It is written by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul. The cast for the film is composed of many gifted and well known actors. The main characters are voiced by Steve Carell (Gru), Jason Segel (Vector - Gru's arch rival), Russell Brand (Dr. Nefario - Gru's slightly senile scientific assistant and good friend), Julie Andrews (Gru's mother), and Will Arnett (Mr. Perkins - Vector's father and the president of the Bank of Evil).

The main story line is built around three orphan sisters and their adoption by Gru. Gru is yesterday's number one supervillian. The oldest of the three is name Margo. She is ultra protective of her sisters and ,for the majority of the film, very untrusting of Gru. The middle aged sister is named Edith. Edith is somewhat of a tomboy and trouble maker. Rather than being wary and untrusting of Gru and his invetions, she is in awe of them. The youngest, and personally my favorite, is named Agnes. She is obsessed with unicorns and is probably the most adorable little girl you will ever see on tv. Unlike both of her sisters, she loves Gru with all of her heart right from the start. Initially, Gru adopted the girls solely so he could steal a shrink ray from his rival, Vector, but as time goes on, Gru's hardened outer layers soften, and he comes to love the girls in return.

My favorite aspect of this movie is how it takes the viewer through a full cycle of emotions. At the beginning of the film, one feels sadness and a little bit of pity for the three orphans who are stuck in Miss Hattie's Home for Girls. Miss Hattie, the head honcho of the orphanage, basically uses the girls for child labor. Once Vector is introduced as a customer buying cookies from the girls, the mood picks up and quite a bit of humor comes about. The humor continues to build and is carried by Gru's population of little, yellow minions that speak their own language. Throughout the whole film, one sees a bond of love and care forming between the three girls and Gru giving most viewers a warm and fuzzy feeling. That warm and fuzzy internal feeling peaks in one of the final scenes where on sees Gru reading the girls a bedtime story that he wrote (this is so special because when the girls were first adopted, he refused to read them a bedtime story) and finally kisses them, and all of his little minions, goodnight.

For anyone that hasn't scene this movie, I HIGHLY suggest you do so this weekend. :)

Bartletts

The other day I got the privilege of being invited out to eat at Bartlett’s (formerly known as Houston’s) with my girlfriend and her family. Bartlett’s is located conveniently in north Austin on the corner of burnet and West Anderson lane.

If you have some extra money and love to eat at nice restaurants, Bartlett’s is the right place for you. As you walk in the place you have to notice the dim lighting, which I prefer while, I eat. Everyone working there was in there mid 30’s; you can tell right away they know the menu front and back. Our waiter that night was explaining the entrée’s with specific details and never took a chance to look at the menu. Bartlett’s offered entrée’s such as hamburgers, soups, salads, pork ribs, steaks, fish, and even crab cakes. Good pork ribs are hard to come by in my opinion so when I heard good things about Bartlett’s I decided to take a risk order them. The waiters and waitresses were always looking for a person to help. Our waiter at one point gave me a new glass of lemonade when mine was only half full. I thought that was a bit over the top but I did not complain. My ribs were amazing; the meat literally fell off the bone when I touched it (one would have to expect quality for 27 dollar ribs). After our waiter saw that I was done with my meal he brought over hot towels to help clean myself up. I do not see this much in restaurants and am surprised not all of them do this. The hot towel tops off any good meal and even makes up for the bad one.

Besides the high prices (hamburgers are the cheapest entrée at 13 dollars), Bartlett’s is the perfect spot to have dinner at. The food is prepared with care and the service is exceptional.

Juan in a Million

If you like the Torchy's Tacos that are sold in The Coffee Haus on campus, then you should have a meal at Juan in a Million. Its a Tex Mex restaurant that sells the best breakfast tacos I've ever had.Juan in a Million is a Tex-Mex restaurant that i discovered soon after moving to Austin. They are famous for their breakfast tacos, the "Don Juan". I wrote my profile paper on the place but I guess it wasn't enough. I went for the first time while doing the observing for the paper and loved the place. The Travel Channel's Man Vs. Food had an episode their and the host failed to beat the Don Juan record holder at 8 of their massive tacos. Their business hours are 7am-3pm. They may have the greatest tacos, but their hours may be the worst. If you can make it their in that time range any day of the year, then you should stop by for the best breakfast taco you will ever have.

Easy A..."A is for awesome"

Olive Penderghast ( Emma Stone), an invisible, smart high school student who does not receive attention from the guys become the center of attention when she tells her bff Rhiannon ( Aly Michalka) that she had lost her virginity to a college student over the weekend, but in fact she spent the weekend home alone in her room. When Jesus freak, Marianne (Amands Bynes) overhears the conversation between Olive and Rhiannon Olive's little lie traveled around the school like wildfire and the once invisible girl is now the talk of the school. When her gay friend comes to her and asks her to pretend to have sex with him so people would stop bullying him for being gay, soon all the school "losers" come to Olive asking to "fake rock their world". In return her "lovers" have to give her a gift card to one her favorite stores like Old Navy and Bath and Body Works. Olive becomes known as the school slut even though she really isn't having sex with all the people. Although the guys of the school love Olive, the girls however call her a slut, tramp, and every other word you can think of. Sick of people judging her she decides to embrace the label she is given and begins to wear provocative clothing and stitching a red A on it.

Ironically Olive is reading Nathaniel Hawthorne's'The Scarlett Letter in which a woman Hester Prynne is made to wear a red A stitched on her clothing, showing that she has committed adultery. Unlike Hester Olive is not ostracized, instead she is glorified. Olive begins to get sick of being used by the guys, and not having any of the them actually asking her out on a date. She realizes that her life is not like the 80s teen comedies like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Sixteen Candles.

Easy A is a funny, quirky teen comedy about what can happen when little white lies spiral out of control. I recommend anyone and everyone to see this movie!

Postseason "Playoff" Baseball

Postseason baseball is back! as the end of the season nears we come to see how the playoffs will be played out this year and who the contenders are. This year the playoffs both look the same as the past years and is different also. The usual faviorites to be in the from the American League of course are the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and the Minnesota Twins. The new edition to this playoff race was the Texas Rangers who had improved drastically from last year. Normally the Angels make the playoffs from their division, but they had fallin out of the race early on in the season due to injuries. The usual faviorite from the National League are the Philidelphia Phillies who are in the playoffs and the Atlanta Braves who are still competing to get into the playoffs through the Wild Card. A new edition this year to the playoff race for the national league was the Cincinnati Reds, who have not been in the playoffs since 1995! competing for the last spot in the playoffs for the national league are the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, the final spot will be decided up until the last game because that is how close the race has been this year. all in all the playoffs this year are going to be very interesting this year because of the new teams in it and the excitment it brings knowing the playoffs could be vertually unpredictable. In my opinion i see it being a rematch of last years World Series, New York Yankees against the Philidelphia Phillies, and the Yankees winning their 28th Championship!!!

"El Estudiante", An inspiring Mexican movie.

During the summer I had the oppotunity to watch one of the best Mexican movies which really inspired me for the upcoming college experience that was waiting for me. The movie is called "El Estudiante" ( The Student) and it takes place in the University of Guanajuato, Mexico. It is about a group of young students and a 70 year old man called "Chano" who just got registered to start the whole college experience again. He wanted to study Literature but focus mainly in a famous Mexican book called Don Quijote de la Mancha. By going back to college he notices the differences in culture and in traditions since the last time he was in college. He becomes the best friend of 5 young students and teaches them about life and the importance of taking advantage of the opportunities that were presented to them each day. Together they overcome problems related with love, with new friendships and with life in general. It is a really inspiring movie that is worth watching specially right now that we are just starting our college journey.

Gossip Girl Season 4

The long awaited for season of gossip girl is finally back. As the show begins its fourth season, there are breakups, makeups, and life changing secrets. The show first starts off in Paris, where Blaire (Leighton Meester) is trying to get over the love of her life, Charles Bass (Ed Westwick), while Serena (Blake Lively) is still deciding whether she loves Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) or Nate Archibald (Chase Crawford). The exciting thing about this show is that there is a different surprise every episode, which leaves you on the edge of your seat, or sofa, until the show is over. One of the girls meets a prince, and shows that not even she has enough class for someone of that stature. Dan’s life gets just a little more complicated with a possible son, and the struggle of choosing between his girlfriend,Vanessa, and his ex-girlfriend, Serena. Gossip Girl is a very addicting show due to the suspense episode after episode leaves you. The season premiere was a good preview of what to expect for the rest of season 4: betrayal, makeups, and more conflicts. If you’re looking for entertainment this semester, look no further than the fantastic show, Gossip Girl, but beware, you can’t just watch one episode, you’ll always want more.

A visit to The Chinati Foundation, in Marfa, Texas, is a completely unique experience. This small contemporary art museum is housed on the grounds of a former Fort, located in a small town in the middle of the West Texas Desert, just a short drive away from the United States’ border with Mexico. Founded by the sculptor and architect Donald Judd, after his re-located to Marfa in the wake of his growing dissatisfaction with the New York art scene, Chinati houses several permanent installations by a variety of contemporary artists, many of whom were friends or associates of Judd’s. The Foundation also sponsors a variety of programs that showcase its involvement in both the local community and the contemporary art scene, including several residencies for both emerging and established artists, internships for college-aged and graduate students, summer art classes for young students, and an annual Open House weekend with talks on art-related subjects and other events.

A voyage to Chinati is not without its difficulties. The nearest major airport is in El Paso, approximate 2 1/2 hours away, although there is a train station in the next town over, Alpine. Generally, travelers come by car, either on a road trip, or having flown to El Paso and traveled to Marfa from there. Because the trip is so long, it’s important to make arrangements to see the museum in advance. Access is available only by guided tours, which are available only Wednesday - Sunday. Reservations can be made at http://www.chinati.org/visit/visiting.php The tours are relatively inexpensive, only $10, or $5 for students/seniors, but are quite lengthy. Divided into two parts - a morning tour, and an afternoon tour - each part of the tour involves around an hour and forty-five minutes of walking out in the mercurial West Texas weather. It’s important to come prepared, in comfortable shoes.

The tour will take you through an assortment of buildings associated with the former fort, from former mess halls, to a converted stable, to the barracks the soldiers used to sleep in, as well as what used to be an artillery shed. The art you will see at Chinati includes rectangular aluminum boxes, groupings of concrete “works,” installations of fluorescent light, an exhibit meant to resemble an old abandoned Soviet elementary school, and obscure barely visible pencil mark drawings by an Icelandic artist. Even for those who are not interested in contemporary art, the experience of seeing such a strange mix of art and setting is worth having.

Marfa itself is full of odd sights - from the ruined hospital associated with the fort (which is easily accessible to the public), to the renowned “Marfa Lights,” which have their own viewing station, to the luxury trailer park - El Cosmico - for hipsters looking for a unique place to spend the night, which is just across the street from a real trailer park where actual Marfans live year-round. There is a strange clash of cultures visible in Marfa, between the New York art culture and the West Texas surroundings. If you’re ever traveling down I-10 between Austin and El Paso, I highly recommend you take a detour - it’s just a left on US-67, and about eighty miles travel will take you right into the center of town. There’s not much there, so what there is is hard to miss.

"Everything Is Illuminated" for Book-Worms and Movie-Buffs Alike

Everything is Illuminated was first introduced to me by way of movie preview. The film - featuring Eugene Hutz (whom you may know as the lead-singer of the radio-friendly gypsy-punk band, Gogol Bordello) and the more commonly known, Elijah Wood - was adapted from Jewish-American author, Jonathan Safran Foer's debut novel in 2005.

I've been obsessed with this film ever since I saw it, but had never found the time to sit down and actually read the words from which my beloved movie had been derived...until now. After finishing the novel, I sat down to watch the film for, probably, my seventeenth time, and realized how perfectly the film captured Foer's humor but also his heart-felt poignancy. Both the movie and novel, I highly recommend.

The book imposes rhetorical and literary elements, such as metafiction (in which a reader feels a sense of mistrust in the writer's blurring of reality or truth) and numerous characters and objects serving as metaphorical symbols. All of which are complicated to properly execute through media, and therefore, completely abandoned by actor-gone-director, Leiv Schreiber. However, this is not to say that the film is a let-down. In fact, much of the dialogue, and most of the plot line, follow strictly along with Foer's novel.

The story both the book and movie portray is the journey of an American-Jew, Jonathan Safran Foer (whether the book is a memoir or auto-biographical is never made clear in either source) as he searches for a mysterious woman named, Augustine, who saved his grandfather from death at the hands of German facism.

During the young hero's trek, he meets a string of interesting and coloral characters. First, there is Alexander Perchov, played by Hutz, an early-twenties Ukrainian, obsessed with American hip-hop music and muscular cars. Perchov's grandfather, an old, bitter man with a foul mouth and a stubborn insistance that he is "blind". Lastly, there is the Perchovs' dog, Sammy Davis, Jr. Jr., whom is introduced to Jonathan at the airport when he arrives in the Ukraine as his driver's "seeing eye bitch". Together, the four of them travel across the lush Eastern European landscape, in which, the film has a pro Foer's book can't boast - excellent cinematography and the bragging rights of filming on location, providing viewers with a post-card worthy shot almost every scene.

I don't want to give away the ending, which does have a bit of a twist, and is a subtle commentary on the burden of carrying a secret and being ashamed of one's own life, but in the end, Everything Is Illuminated doesn't leave you with a happy or a sad feeling. In both the exquisitly executed film adaption and the debut novel of a young and up-and-coming author - in the end, simply, everything is illuminated, and both show its viewers and readers that the truth is indifferent to the reactions of those who percieve it.

Watch the trailor! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSUOUU4oukc

Get to know the author! http://en.wikipedia.ord/wiki/Jonathan_Safran_Foer

Opal Divine

If you're looking for a place to eat near campus with great food and atmosphere look no further than Opal Divine. An Austin tradition in itself, this restaurant provides the students of St. Edwards a great place to eat within walking distance. They are known for their delicious burgers but, in my opinion, the burgers only scratch the surface of the full menu available. From their chicken breast to their tacos, Opal Divine gives their customers a variety of foods to look forward to. The only downside is that the service can be sub par. When your waiter greets you I would suggest ordering drinks right away and be ready to order your food when they return with the beverages. It is also a good idea to make sure you have everything you want with your meal when the food comes. Needless to say I am hinting at the fact that after your food is dealt out your waiter may seem to disappear. We didn't see our waiter again until everyone had finished their meal. Although the service isn't ideal, the food makes up for it. Prices on the menu are decent but in no way cheap. Overall the experience at Opal Divine was a good one and I would recommend it to anyone who is nearby.