Final Post: A Reflection of the Semester

Well, it's been a crazy, stressful, challenging, enlightening, exciting, tiring, and satisfying semester. Just 18 days until graduation and it is a bittersweet feeling. As relieved as I am for "no more papers, no more books... no more teacher's dirty looks," (kidding, Jay) I am sad that it is over. We've been nothing but students since we were four or five years old! Now we're 22 and we're supposed to just skip out into the real world and get "big kid jobs"...or just get a serving job at Benihana like I did!

Whatever I decide my "dream job" is, I do feel secure knowing now what I learned in my senior capstone class. Producing Borderbeat.net with ten other students and Professor Jay Rochlin was a completely new experience for me... having taken only one photography class and having a monkey's skill level for video and web design. But now I have my bearings and have a pretty impressive resume of computer skills to market to my potential employers. I never thought I'd be a competitive candidate in the world of online journalism, but with my Borderbeat experience this semester, I think I am.

I am proud of myself for learning all the brand-new things I was taught this semester and throughout my college career. My Borderbeat classmates are all talented and wonderful people and I look forward to seeing what they will produce in the future... and I hope they will see my future accomplishments as well. Keep an eye out for Lindsay Sparks!

Border Art at El Changarro

One of my favorite facets of border culture is the unique and colorful art that can be found throughout border towns like Tucson or Nogales.

During my most recent trip to Nogales, Sonora, I had fun taking pictures of the magnificent art at El Changarro, a beautiful shop housed beneath the popular Nogales restaurant, La Roca (Refer back to my blog on La Roca Restaurant).


El Changarro is a little different than the Nogales shopping experience one should expect: they have their own, well-kept building and much higher price tags. But El Changarro also serves as a gorgeous gallery showcasing hand-made furniture, pottery, masks, light fixtures, dinnerware and glassware and numerous beautiful paintings.

Most of the hand-crafted artifacts at El Changarro come from Mexican cities like Mexico City and Oaxaca and are treasured by Nogales locals and tourists alike.

Affordable Mexican Food at Casa Molina

You don't have to settle for the drive-through at Taco Bell for affordable Mexican food in Tucson: Casa Molina has delicious dinners, inexpensive prices and four locations in town.

I dined at the Campbell and Glenn location, where I am always met with quick and friendly service and a delicious, $4 margarita.

I usually order a different combination plate each time I eat at Casa Molina: this time I had a #2, with two chicken tacos, a cheese enchilada, rice and beans. A nice thing about Casa Molina is it's large portions: you'll definitely have leftovers to take for lunch the next day.

My dining partner ordered the sampler plate, which includes one beef taco, delicious chile con queso, three mini chimichangas, rice and beans.

My only qualm with Casa Molina's menu is the lack of seafood options; the only place on the menu I saw seafood was under "American Dinners" where you can order Guymas shrimp with french fries.

But, if you're on a budget and want a superb meal and excellent service, visit Casa Molina on either Campbel and Glenn, Speedway and Wilmot, Grant and Columbus or Thornydale between Orange Grove and Ina.

St. Andrew's Clinic

El Charro: Supreme Mexican Food Since 1922!

With award-winning chimichangas and five locations in Tucson, El Charro Cafe claims to be the nation's oldest Mexican restaurant in continuous operation by the same family. Since 1922, El Charro has served unique and delicious Sonoran- and Tucson-style Mexican food and is a favorite on the lists of many Tucsonans.

I dined at the Speedway and Swan location last week and had the Mexican food experience I tend to expect from El Charro. I usually prefer the Court Ave. location because of its exciting and authentic atmosphere, but the tastes and the service are supreme at any El Charro location.

The grilled shrimp chile rellenos (pictured left) were among the most unique tastes at El Charro Cafe. For $10.95, El Charro serves up two rellenos (stuffed chili peppers) with Spanish rice and refried beans: a to die for combination. A to-go box was definitely needed for these!

Another menu favorite is the USA Today Chimichanga, which earned its name by being named one of USA Today's top 50 dishes. This giant carne seca chimi prompted USA Today Newspaper to dub El Charro "The Home of the Chimichanga."

My dining partner ordered a chimichanga he hadn't tried before: the grilled chicken and vegetable with guacamole (pictured below). This chimi featured juicy grilled chicken, peas, carrots, onions, radishes and broccoli. Of course, this entree is served with with Spanish rice and refried beans. A delightful medley of tastes!


El Charro also offers delicious combination plates ranging from $11.95 to $14.95. I ordered the "numero uno," (pictured right) $11.95, which included one cheese enchilada, one rolled chicken, carne seca or beef taco, refried beans and Spanish rice.
Combos with queso blanco enchiladas, shrimp tacos and chile rellenos are also available on El Charro's menu.

As a last note, I have to mention El Charro's world-class margaritas. Blended or on-the-rocks, El Charro's margaritas come in strawberry, peach, mango or melon flavors: all made with real fruit and a wide selection of tequilas. I ordered a melon margarita (or two) and I was definitely in the El Charro spirit!

A Visit to The Gallery in the Sun

A rusty metal gate adorned with kitschy tin can flowers welcomes visitors to the beautiful Gallery in the Sun.

Since the gallery opened in 1965, thousands of people have come to see the unique works of Ted “Ettore” DeGrazia.

Inspired mostly by native culture and the elements of the Southwest, DeGrazia’s early works were published in Arizona Highways magazine before he partnered with muralists Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco, who sponsored DeGrazia’s first solo exhibition in 1942.

His most recognized art pieces are those of “Los Ninos,” the wide-eyed Native American children printed on greeting cards in the 1950s and 60s.

The Gallery in the Sun houses six permanent collections of paintings that mark historical events and native cultures of the Southwest. Some 15,000 other DeGrazia paintings are in rotating exhibitions at the gallery, watercolors and oil paintings, sketches, lithographs, ceramics and sculptures.

Also housed at the Gallery in the Sun are some of the works by DeGrazia’s wife, Marion S. DeGrazia. The gallery began displaying her works last year as part of the “M Collection,” and still has some hanging in the main gallery.

Presently, the Gallery is showing a collection of Ted DeGrazia’s works in conjunction with Lent called “The Way of the Cross.” From February 6 until May 11, visitors can view the 15 original paintings that depict Christ’s suffering and crucifixion.

The crucifixion paintings were created in 1964 when a local reverend asked DeGrazia to paint Stations of the Cross for the Newman Catholic Student Center near the University of Arizona. De Grazia replaced the originals in the chapel with reproductions for insurance and environmental purposes.

The Gallery in the Sun will feature a new exhibition starting March 28. The “Todos Mexicanos” exhibit will feature over 50 black and white sketches of the daily life DeGrazia witnessed on his many trips to Mexico. These drawings feature recurring characters in DeGrazia’s works such as merchants, mariachis, farmers and children.

The opening reception will be from 6pm to 8pm in the main gallery and the exhibit will last through September 8.

Toltec wisdom and The Four Agreements

One of the most interesting cultures I have recently learned about is that of the Toltec.

The Toltec have been revered for thousands of years as men and women of knowledge in the southern regions of Mexico. Teotihuacan, the ancient city of pyramids just outside of Mexico City, is known as the place where “Man becomes God,” and remains the Toltec center of knowledge and spirituality.

Toltec knowledge combines the spiritual and the scientific, because they believe they both come from the same source and they follow the same universal laws. Toltec wisdom is not a religion, but is regarded as a way of life.

Toltec Nagual (master) Don Miguel Ruiz has made Toltec Wisdom part of American society. Born in Mexico and raised by his family of healers, Miguel Ruiz moved to the United States and began teaching and lecturing about the Toltec history of healing. Miguel Ruiz created the Four Agreements in order to help his students quiet their minds.

The Four Agreements became a New York Times bestseller and was on the New York Times Bestseller List for nearly ten years. What don Miguel Ruiz created was a toolbox of practical tools that anyone can use to help them incrementally change the way they view their lives.

“Americans are so fast-paced and don’t stop to think about what they say or how they act,” said Four Agreements fan Jessica Patricios. “I read The Four Agreements every year-or-so in order to re-instill those practices.”

The Four Agreements are:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
   Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
   
   2. Don't Take Anything Personally
   Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
   
   3. Don't Make Assumptions
   Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
   
   4. Always Do Your Best
   Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

Below is a video narrated with excerpts from The Four Agreements, found on YouTube.com

Exploring in Tucson's Backyard

Tony Figueroa, 22, doesn't take Tucson's beauty for granted.

Having lived here most of his life, Figueroa has witnessed Tucson's brilliant sunsets, majestic wildlife and unbeatable weather. But there is one aspect of Tucson that Figueroa says is too often overlooked: the many places there are to explore.

One of Figueroa's favorite exploration spots? The majestic Chiva Falls.

"This is such a perfect time to explore Chiva Falls," Figueroa says, "Since winter was so cold, the falls are running that freshly melted snow."

And the best part about Chiva Falls is that is right in Tucson's backyard!

Review of Ana Castillo's "The Mixquiahuala Letters"

I love to walk through the library or bookstore and browse through sections I have never read from before. One of my favorite little ‘corners’ in the library is the Chicana Feminist Literature section­… and, no, you don’t have to be a Chicana or a feminist to read and enjoy the always artistic and unique works of Chicana feminist theorists.

Among the most popular writers of Chicana feminism are Gloria Anzaldua, Cherrie Moraga, Chela Sandoval and Ana Castillo. Ana Castillo’s award-winning The Mixquiahuala Letters is the most recent book I fished out of ‘the corner’ and it is truly one of the best feminist works I’ve read.

The Mixquiahuala Letters chronicles the relationship between two friends. The Mixquiahuala Letters is an epistolary novel, which means it is told through a series of letters from the mestiza narrator, Teresa, and her friend, Alicia. One of my favorite things about this book is the fact that Ana Castillo warns that it is not to be read like a ‘normal’ book. Castillo does not want her readers to be confined to reading her book as a linear piece of writing to be read from front to back. Instead, she suggests different patterns for which to read the letters/chapters for the “cynic” for the “conformist” and the “quixotic” readers, with different outcomes for each reader.

The story takes place during the seventies and eighties, and goes through the changing friendship of Teresa and Alicia during their travels through Mexico and the United States. A main theme in The Mixquiahuala Letters is that of “home.” Both friends are struggling to find their ‘homes’ and their ‘selves’ as mestiza women. For Teresa, writing the letters to Alicia is a way to sort out her identity and her experiences. “When one is confronted by the mirror, the spirit trembles,” Teresa says in letter sixteen on page 55.

The Mixquiahuala Letters is a beautiful novel about relationships between women and trying to find oneself in a society where you are either black or white… no in-between. Ana Castillo is interested in that ‘in-between’ sector of society and writes many other works that deal with this idea: The Guardians: A novel, Massacre of the Dreamers: Essays on Xicanisma, Peel My Love Like an Onion, and So Far From God.

Buy Sandwiches at Bison Witches

Buried between the trendy clothing store and the weird hippie emporium on Fourth Avenue lies a cozy college bar with a less-than-appetizing name. Bison Witches, the Tucson-born restaurant and bar, has become a landmark of sorts for Fourth Avenue dwellers and University of Arizona students alike. Bison’s inexpensive sandwiches and nightly drink specials attract swarms of Tucsonans and out-of-towners from morning to night.

The secret? The restaurant’s name is rumored among its employees to hold subliminal advertising: Bison Witches… sound like “Buy Sandwiches” to you?

If you ask most, Bison Witches doesn’t need hidden messages to get you to buy the food. In fact, they don’t even have a sign visible from the street that proclaims their existence; just a small neon window sign that can only be seen near the front door.

Their famed sandwiches are what do all the talking.

“The Wildcat”, a favorite sandwich named presumably after its biggest fans, is built of thin slices of roast beef and smoked turkey on thick-sliced bread (white, wheat, or dark rye… I chose the wheat) which is very crisp and flaky on the outsides and much fluffier inside. The beef and turkey are smothered in melted smoked Gouda cheese and shredded lettuce and is topped with Bison’s special Russian honey mustard which has a pleasantly spicy tang.

My dining partner ordered the “Cally” sandwich, another Bison classic. Thinly sliced turkey breast, avocado slices, and alfalfa sprouts are served on a toasted croissant with cream cheese and mayonnaise. The crisp and flaky croissant combined with the cool avocado, cream cheese and fresh sprouts make this Bison-wich one of the most popular during Tucson’s hot summers.

A whole sandwich, which is the equivalent of two sandwiches from any other restaurant, can be cut in half and paired with one of five bread-bowled soups for $7­­– see what I mean about ideal college dining?

My personal favorite, the Cream of Potato Bacon soup, nicely compliments the Wildcat sandwich in the combo. Thick chunks of potato in a cheesy-bacony cream with flavorful bits of bacon are housed in a crispy bowl made of white bread, which I am always too full to devour after the sandwich, hearty soup and the necessary Shiner Hefeweizen brew (with lemon!)

My dining partner’s soup of choice was the Wisconsin Cheese. I am never one to charge that something is too cheesy, but this soup was a little much for me. The soup is a creamy cheddar cheese broth, which has a nice, smooth consistency, and a sharp tang. Bits of bacon add lingering flavor.

My dining partner agreed that this soup was too heavy and cheesy to pair with the light “Cally” sandwich, and at our sorority-girl-server’s suggestion, we sampled the Cream of Broccoli soup– the cheesiness of which was not protested.

If you’re hungrier, a whole sandwich and bread-bowl soup combo is $7 on special every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Other soup options are Boston Clam Chowder and Beef Chili.

For vegetarian visitors, Bison doesn’t have much to offer but a (magnificent) grilled cheese or grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich and one veggie sandwich. The “Veggie” is served on white, wheat or rye bread and is stuffed with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, onions, green peppers, artichoke hearts, black olives, avocado slices, alfalfa sprouts, cheddar, provolone, cream cheese and mayonnaise.

Being that it is a major college hangout and full-service bar until 2 a.m. each day, Bison Witches would not be complete without its satisfying selection of eight on-tap beers and over 60 bottles, including foreign, domestic and local brews like Nimbus’ Monkeyshine.

With no more than fifteen tables inside the restaurant, packed inside and outside bar seating and a few uncomfortable metal picnic tables outside, getting seated right away after nine or ten on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night can be nearly impossible. Luckily, the all-female-under-thirty serving staff and the grungy male bartenders (leather pants optional) are pretty quick, so the wait is rarely more than twenty minutes.

At Bison Witches, you can grab a drink with friends, shoot the breeze with the college-age employees, watch the Wildcats beat the Sun Devils (or vice versa) and enjoy a gourmet sandwich and soup for less than $15– unless the Sun Devils beat the Wildcats and the beer count hikes up the bill.

Delicious Mexican Food: Bar La Roca

Fourth Avenue: Tucson's Artistic Side

Writings of the Southwest

There is something about the Southwest that inspires people in a way that no other region does. Perhaps it is the incomparable desert sunsets, the majestic mountain landscape, or the unique and varied wildlife that makes people feel a certain connection to the elements of the Southwest. Whatever the cause of this infatuation, the writers of the 2007 Southwest Books of the Year feel it too.

The University of Arizona library is showcasing their collection of Southwestern literature for free in the "Special Collections" section of the UA Library on the main floor. The exhibit has been running since November 7, 2007 and ends this Saturday, February 2. The exhibit features novels, poems, memoirs, essays, travelogues etcetera by numerous Southwest authors.

At the top of the 2007 list is Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride by journalist and prose writer Michael Wallis. His book chronicles what is known about Billy the Kid from the literature of his time. Another chart-topper is the memoir by University of Arizona creative writing professor Richard Shelton. His book Crossing the Yard: Thirty Years as a Prison Volunteer describes Shelton's experiences in Arizona prisons as a volunteer and workshop conductor for three decades and explains Shelton's rage at society's treatment of prisons as "dumping grounds for problems it would rather not face."

Also featured at the exhibit and as part of the 2007 Southwest Books of the Year were several children's books. The First Tortilla by Rudolfo Anaya and Down the Colorado: John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer by Deborah Kogan Ray are among the children's books top picks along with Hip, Hip, Hooray, It's Monsoon Day! (Ajua, ya Llego el Chubasco) by Roni Capin Rivera- Ashford which teaches children about the customs of San Juan's Day, the traditional start of the monsoon season, and about thunder, lightening, and the aroma of the creosote bushes that fill the air after a monsoon rain.

Although I wished the books at the exhibit were not just displayed under glass but available to flip through and read, I am intrigued by many of the books on the 2007 list. For more excellent books inspired by the Southwest, sign up for the Pima Public Library's "New Books of the Southwest" newsletter.

Life on the Line

This blog will be the place to find stories about life and culture on the border.