the bird on fire

The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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Away to the Bay

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By Food Connoisseur and World Traveller Hannah Hall

As a lot of you may know, I come from the south-bay–specifically San Jose, more specifically, not even San Jose but the town over, Saratoga. Being away from home, a lot of the time I find myself daydreaming about the various things that come with the city of San Jose–things such as music, people, malls, and food. Today I am recalling the food. I will now introduce you to the wonders of San Jose’s La Victoria Taqueria, in brief.

La Victoria Taqueria, or La Vic’s to the lazy locals, is my favorite restaurant in the city of San Jose. I don’t know if you can tell by the name of the restaurant, but it serves Mexican food. And let me tell you about it, boy, it’s DELICIOUS! You walk in and instantly are pounded in the face by the smell of savoury goodness. Walking up to the counter you may get a neck cramp because you have to look up to see the soaring banner called the menu. SO many options. They have a variety of food items such as burritos, quesadillas, nachos, tacos, tortas, tostadas, enchiladas, flautas, plates, and chile rellenos–along with a wide selection of meats like carnitas, carne asada, pollo asado, al pastor and much more, . . . not to mention the vegetarian and vegan options available as well! My favorite choice is the hard shell tacos. This is no Taco Bell, no no no. It’s not the generic corn shell manufactured thing that you see at fast food places. I honestly don’t know how they make it, but it’s good; trust me…. I think it’s just a fried flour tortilla that is strained and salted… so it’s like a regular shell that isn’t fake. Sometimes I’ll even get some slices of fresh avocado if I’m feelin’ it. You may be thinking, “This just sounds like any other Mexican place I’ve been to.” Well, sorry bud, you’re wrong. Most people go to La Victoria’s for one reason and one reason only: the orange sauce. This sauce is heaven in a bottle. You get a sweet, tangy, and spicy taste at the same time that wakes up all your taste buds and makes your eyes open wide. And get this, they sell the sauce! To wash everything down, you gotta have a cold bottle of somethin’ on the side. For us kids, there are sodas such as Squirt, Coca-Cola, all the Jarritos flavors too (choose the mandarin!!), and Mundet! As much as I would like to continue, this is about all the explaining I can do to give this spot the justice it deserves while keeping things short. So, if you ever catch yourself in San Jose, you have to stop by La Victoria Taqueria; when you do, be sure I’ll be asking, “Orange you glad you tried La Victoria’s?” (I’m not being cheesy; it’s on the menu).

Here is the magical orange sauce:

Image result for la victoria taqueria san jose

Not a very good picture, but this is the menu that often gives (worth it) neck cramps:

Image result for la victoria taqueria

Sources:

Click to access lavics-menu.pdf

Editor: Makena Behnke

bahrain in the membrane, bahrain in the brain

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By Makena Behnke

today, i bring you a quick info drop on a country that i find interesting: Bahrain. i came across this country while inspecting different flags and found one that caught my eye: a white and red zig zag flag. i looked it up and found Bahrain. my “not being taught about many Middle Eastern countries” is the main source of my interest in learning about them (something i do in my free time). so, i present to you a summary of things i learned about Bahrain. this is going to be a jumble of a bunch of random information; stay with me.

first, a little bit of background info: Bahrain, or the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a main island off the coast of Saudi Arabia and near Qatar, but thirty of its surrounding islands are also classified as Bahrain. it’s connected to Saudi Arabia and its surrounding islands by the King Fahd Causeway. Bahrain’s name comes from the Arabic term al-bahrayn, which means “two seas.” Bahrain’s capital, Manama, while being littered with impressive skyscrapers and wicked cool architecture, also serves as a major port city. the Bahraini economy is fueled by large amounts of crude oil production. Bahrain was the first emirate where oil was discovered in 1932 and has evolved into one of the most diverse economies in the Middle East. it has a population of 1.493 million, and their currency is the Bahraini dinar.

a majority of their population is made up of well educated and wealthy people; it is categorized as one of the wealthiest Gulf states. Bahrain is ruled by a traditional monarchy with the king as the main leader. Bahrain’s crime rate is low, with petty theft and pickpockets being the dominant crimes. according to safearound.com, it is ranked as the 111th safest country, but some regions of Bahrain are still safer than many places in the U.S or Europe. (safearound.com is actually a great resource in case you’re curious about when the best times to trek through an unknown country are or if you should bring your $75K diamond earrings.)

Arabic is the official language of the nation. Farsi, English, and Urdu are also widely understood throughout the country. now, religion time: 70% of Bahrain is Shi’a Muslim, 15% is Sunni Muslim, and 15% is either Christian or Jewish. Bahrain has an abundance of date palms and has been a major site of resources since Sumerian times. summer in Bahrain is humid and hot, going up to high nineties, not ideal, but winter has its lows in the seventies.

Bahrain’s land is only about 3% arable. it uses its small amount of land for tomatoes, pomegranates, citrus, bananas, and dates. most of its food has to be imported. you’d think because of all the oil production marine life would be damaged, therefore affecting the fishing part of the economy–you’re right. oil leaks and spillages have greatly reduced the number of economically beneficial fish and other marine life. unprocessed petroleum serves as Bahrain’s main export, as well as aluminum goods to the United States and Japan.

medical care there is free, and they have the highest female literacy rate in the Middle East. their legal system stems from Islamic and English law. compared to its surrounding gulf states, Bahrain has a very diverse population, both religiously and ethnically. Bahrain is more Westernized, in terms of clothing and everyday life, compared to its neighboring states. coffee is very important in Bahraini culture and is mixed with saffron and cardamom. Bahraini food often includes fish, meat, and dates. some common dishes: shawarmah, roastiree-ed lamb or beef, and muhammar, sweet brown rice with sugar/dates. soccer (really it’s football) is a popular sport among the young and old. horse racing is also super popular.

there is so much more to this country that i haven’t mentioned. for some reason, i find this particular country incredibly interesting. hopefully, you impress your friends with your extensive knowledge of this country.

sources:

https://www.britannica.com/place/Bahrain


https://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Bahrain.htm
https://safearound.com/asia/

Editor: Luke Langlois

‘Sup, Beaches

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By Blog Beachcomber Hannah Hall

“Let’s go to the beach, each,  let’s go get away”–Nicki Minaj

You know what has water? Beaches! As we explore the aquatic life this week, let’s explore beaches. Here–according to Hannah– are seven of the most beautiful beaches around the world to go and visit.

Giants Causeway Beach – Ireland

You may not want to take a dip in this beach of cliffs, but it definitely is a sight to see! The waters crash up against basalt columns of all sizes.

Hidden Beach – The Marieta Islands by Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

This “beach” isn’t just any beach. It’s a giant hole. It was formed by a bomb while the Mexican military was testing bombs down by the coast–just 20th-century things. To make this  “holey” beach an even cooler spot, you get here by walking through a water tunnel!

Pink Sands Beach – Harbour Island, Bahamas

The title of this beach pretty much gives it away….the sand is pink! This is a pretty hot tourist attraction, so watch out for those flashing cameras!

Anse Source d’Argent – La Digue, Republic of Seychelles

Imagine a water-smoothed rock.  See these rocks washing up on the shore basking in the sun. Now, blow the imagined size up 100 times. Here, at Anse Source d’Argent, you will be surrounded by  tall stones draped with bright green trees beside crystal clear waters.

Benagil Sea Cave Beach – Algarve, Portugal

Yes, this beach is THAT beach. On Instagram, I know I see this beach pop up on my feed alllllll summer long. To get to the water, you will enter hollow caves with holes on the top that are just big enough to see the clear skies and to let the warm sun in.

Whitehaven Beach  – Whitsunday Island, Australia

This beach looks like clouds sitting just under water. This is because the sand is white and made of 90% pure silica. You will need to travel here by boat, but ditch the sandals because this sand doesn’t retain heat.

Bioluminescent Beach  –  Vaadhoo, Maldives

Washing up onto this shore at night might feel like swimming with little fireflies. But, no. The shimmering light is actually caused by bioluminescent phytoplankton. The best time to see these blue little lights is during the months of July to February.

Editor: Luke Langlois

Sources:

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/best-beaches-in-the-world
https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2016-04-19/the-most-beautiful-pink-sand-beaches-in-the-world
15 Of The Most Exotic Beaches In The World

places i recommend you visit

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By Makena Behnke, World Traveler Blogger

i’m quite a seasoned traveler, but i don’t mention it much because i don’t want to seem like that one kid that came back from vacation and never shut up about their summer trip. but here are many places that i think everyone should visit.

of course, you have the classic bucket-list places like,

  • Paris, France
  • Rome, Italy
  • London, England
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Venice, Italy
  • Florence, Italy

here are some “less traveled” places,

  • Auckland, New Zealand
  • Dublin, Ireland
  • Cologne, Germany
  • Bern, Switzerland
  • Zurich, Switzerland
  • Antwerp, Belgium
  • Granada, Spain
  • Córdoba, Spain
  • Pamplona, Spain
  • Christchurch, New Zealand
  • St. Tropez, France
  • Ramatuelle, France

so, there you go. happy travels.

Cologne, Germany


The U.S Bureau of Consular Affairs

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By Luke Langlois

Today, I am going to share a resource with you. If you were to collect one million bucket lists, you would likely read of people’s desires to “travel the world” many, many times. However, the U.S Bureau of Consular Affairs, a branch of the Department of State, would most likely tell “world travelers” to hold their horses. You see, the Bureau has a little something called the Travel Advisories, the links for which can be found below. These websites gives the world’s countries a 1-4 ranking, based on how suitable a nation is for American travelers.

Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions

Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution

Level 3: Reconsider Travel

Level 4: Do Not Travel

Let me break down these ranks. A Level 1 country is normally safe to travel to; you would just need to take the usual precautions. Level 2 countries are also usually fine places to travel. They are marked as such due to a slightly higher rate of petty street crimes or an increased risk of terrorist activities. Level 3 countries are not the ideal travel destinations. They usually are marked as having high rates of crime or increased risk of terrorist activity, which is relatively similar to a Level 2 nation. However, Level 3 countries are set apart from Level 2 due to domestic strife. For example, Haiti is marked as Level 3 due to political and civil unrest; the high rates of crime are a result of this. Traveling to Level 4 countries is an extreme risk. If you are bent on traveling to a Level 4 nation, expect resistance at every step of the way. It is important to note, though, that people are only explicitly banned from traveling to the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea; everywhere else is “fair game.”  The Bureau, quite literally, recommends that travelers write their wills, as well as check on their life insurance, before they travel to a Level 4 country. Level 4 countries are usually rampant in crime, especially towards outsiders from the west.  Level 4 countries are, most likely, experiencing deadly domestic conflict, or are under the rule of a violent dictator. Some of the Level 4 countries are even in the midst of a civil war. There are only eleven countries with this designation. The Bureau advises those that travel to Level 4 countries to stay in certain, safer, locations within the nation. These areas tend to be densely populated regions that are somewhat under control of the local government, which makes it easier for a response in case something were to happen to the traveler. There is much more to be seen on the website itself, but this hopefully has given you a good idea of the rankings system.

I am not a traveler, but I enjoy checking the Travel Advisories every once in a while to see what is going on in the world. You see, the media does not tend to focus on domestic foreign affairs unless they’re large and publicized issues that Americans are interested in. To get an idea of what is going on in the world, you would have to really pay attention to the media, or you would have to find international outlets. While nations with stability have credible news sources, many nations do not have seriously credible sources of news.  In short, seeing the state of countries around the world is not an easy thing to do. With this resource, you can see the world at a glance. If you at all are curious, check out the Bureau’s websites below. There’s always something to learn.

https://travelmaps.state.gov/TSGMap/

A map view of the world, with rankings.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

A list view of the world, with rankings.

Editor: Holden Hartle

What is a Shared Economy?

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By Jeremy Cheng, World Traveler

 

A Shared Economy is sharing your resources that you don’t need immediately and improving the resource utilization rate and getting a return.

 

The advantages of a Shared Economy are that it is low in cost, it builds up a good business relationship, and it is considered a sustainable development. Let’s look at China’s Shared Economy.

 

Firstly,

in China, there is an app called DiDi which is essentially the same as Uber in the sense that you are able to call a car in order to travel somewhere. Like Uber, they don’t provide cars for the drivers. Drivers are expected to use their own car to pick up and drop off passengers. Therefore, there are no parking lot fees, and it reduces the expense one would have to pay if one were to drive one’s own car. Drivers are required to sign a contract with the DiDi company that ensures the safety of the passenger. Calling DiDi is superior to calling a taxi because with taxis there are more expenses for both the company and the passenger (taxi companies need to buy cars for their drivers and also take parking fees into account). DiDi’s passengers can pay a lower price, and this attracts many users in China.

 

Secondly,

DiDi builds up a good business relationship. For instance, for those who may travel alone, drivers are able to provide conversation with their passengers. It is another way to make new friends and acquaintances. Drivers and passengers are able to talk about the books they read, the places they have been, and the hobbies they like. The possibilities are endless. Airbnb conducted research that showed that people like their drivers to share the same or similar hobbies.

 

Finally,

Shared Economy encourages sustainable development.

China is universally acknowledged for having the largest world population. Unfortunately, the population is becoming too large for the amount of land that the country owns. Shenzhen, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai are some of the biggest, most overpopulated cities in China. With a larger population comes more people who want to own their own car, and usually each person’s car only has one to two people, which dramatically inflates the amount of traffic on the streets. In each car, there are multiple seats available that aren’t being used. This is a waste of a great carpooling opportunity. If people start to use those seats, commuters can have more methods to get to and from work, and the numbers of the cars on the road will decrease. This is a way that recycles resources without opening new land in order to make and sell more cars.

 

Here are few examples of the Shared Economy in China.

 

  1. DiDi offers a more convenient travel mode for everyone whether they’re just getting off work, school, or just living their normal lives.

2. LaiDian PowerBank is a power station for your phone. When your phone doesn’t have battery, users are able to rent one and charge their “dead” phone.

3. OFO Bicycle, another sustainable company,  provides bikes for people who only want to travel a short distance or don’t own a car.

 

Editor: Bella Bier

The Diversity of Food in China: Hong Kong Early Tea

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By Jeremy Cheng, Food and Fashion Critic

 

If you like to eat delicious food, you may like to follow some creators who introduce foods of various flavors from different areas.

 

Hong Kong Early Tea usually starts at 5-6 a.m and goes to 11 a.m every morning which is a traditional custom. Some restaurants will serve it during lunch. Hong Kong Early Tea is mainly made up of Chinese dim sum and tea. In Guangdong Province and Hong Kong, people have the habit of having Early Tea; therefore, Hong Kong Early Tea was born, which is the same as the Guangdong Early Tea.

 

The top ranking Dim Sum in Hong Kong style Early Tea

 

Due to the exchange between the mainland and Hong Kong, Hong Kong-style Early Tea has begun to develop in the mainland. After the return of Hong Kong to mainland China, Hong Kong-style Early Tea sprung up like mushrooms in the mainland.

 

Most of the restaurants use a big round table. Customers are able to sit together even though they don’t know each other at all. This is called the “Combine table” 搭台(Da Tai). Then, there will be a waiter/waitress who will ask you what tea you would like to drink. The common teas are TieGuanYin (one of the oolong teas), Pu‘er, scented tea, Chrysanthemum tea, etc.

Chao Mein

 

The server needs to pour half a cup of tea for the customers before the customers drink it. Customers can use this water to wash their bowl, spoon, and chopsticks. Nowadays, because of the cleaning measures being promoted, fewer people wash their dishes with tea before eating. Early tea is supposed to come out of a “dim sum” cart with a white towel on the server’s shoulder and the server shouts out the different dim sum types as they move. Every customer has a dim sum card which is divided into “small, medium, large, super large, and ultra large.” The server would put a sticker on the card depending on what you are ordering.

 

Steam Pork Ribs

 

Scallop Juice Small Steamed Bun

 

King Crab Shumai is the most popular dim sum among Hong Kong citizens. The outside of the Shumai is made of  flour, and the inside of the Shumai has a huge amount of juicy pork.

King Crab Shumai

 

Editor: Luke Langlois

“WeChat Pay or Alipay?”

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By Jeremy Cheng

 

When having dinner at the restaurant, buying goods at the mall, or shopping online, what is your favorite way to pay for the check?

Credit card, currency, or mobile payment?

Currently, there have been increasing numbers of people who use the mobile phone to pay for everything.

The two biggest mobile payment companies in China are WeChat Pay and Alipay.

For instance, this is how you pay for the bill at the restaurant.

This is how you pay for the fruit at the market.

This is how you pay for something at the mall.

Even when shopping at the Sephora on El Paseo, you can see an Alipay sign when you check out.

Even the less fortunate people in China will print out the QR code, which is a barcode that helps people receive or send money to others.

The use of cash and coin currency is declining rapidly in the Chinese economy. Surprisingly, four years ago, this payment method didn’t even exist because everyone used paper money.

In most of the mainland cities, most of the people use their smartphones to pay for all different kinds of fees. In a restaurant, the server may ask you, “WeChat Pay or Alipay?” as opposed to asking,  “credit card or debit card?” This is because paper money is not as popular in China anymore.

WeChat, a Chinese social media app not unlike Facebook, brings a lot of convenience to the daily lives of the people who live in China. One function of the app is WeChat Pay, which is one of the two main payment methods in China.   

In the past four years, Hong Kong used to post a news report that said that in the year of 2016, Chinese mobile payment reached 5.5 trillion dollars, which is 50 times of the American marketing model (112 billion).

I came to America and studied here in 2015. WeChat Pay was not that popular yet. When I went back to China for Christmas break, my mom told me that in order to pay someone for something, one simply sends money from their WeChat account to another. At that moment, I asked my mom, “Are you serious?”

My mom laughed at me and said, “Yep.”

When having dinner or afternoon tea at a restaurant or cafe, I can pay for something with my phone quicker than I can pay with paper currency.

Street artists in China can print out their QR code and display it, which makes it easier for people to give them money for their hard work. It is the same for everyone, from the wealthier people to the people with less money.

Some other countries are also currently trying to reduce the usage of cash-and-coin currency. In China, they have almost totally switched from cash-and-coin currency to mobile payment. Recently, a Chinese woman was called by the bank she uses. They told her that she forgot her credit card in their ATM machine for three weeks, and she didn’t even notice!

 

Editor: Leo Milmet

Passing on the Torch: The Freshman Retreat

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By Holden Hartle

Three years ago, in September of 2015, my freshman class hopped onto a bus for Lake Arrowhead for the Freshman Retreat. This is a three-day trip for the new high schoolers during which they get to know their classmates better through group activities, workshops, etc. They envision what will be and can be their high-school career and beyond.

Back then, the general consensus of the grade was split in half. Some thought that it was going to be a great experience for team building, making new friends, and just a simple getaway from the city. The other half were dreading it, fearing social interaction. But, nonetheless, the freshman class entered the bus and headed to Lake Arrowhead.

This year is no different. In mid September, the future class of 2022 traveled towards Lake Arrowhead. Though I went to the UCLA Conference Center and this year’s class went to a large cabin, and though we may have done different activities, the idea of bonding with fellow classmates was still present.

According to current freshman Kaiya, this was the “…best field trip so far.” I don’t want to spoil the activities of the Freshman Retreat in fear that it would ruin the surprise for the upcoming freshmen, but in a survey sent to the current freshman class, 75% said that it helped them learn more about their classmates, 100% said that they had fun, 100% said that they would recommend it for next year’s freshman class.

This tradition is something that I hope will continue for many years to come. This passing of the torch is how I made some of my best friends that I have today. The memories I made on that trip always make me smile. I remember our shared songs, games, and team projects. It is such a great way to not only learn about new students, but it is also a great way to learn more about students that you may have known your whole life.

Editor: AJ Patencio

Adventures Through Slab City

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By Blog Adventurer Holden Hartle

Photo credits: Amanda Laule

Not to sound cheesy, but over Labor Day weekend I had the most amazing experience. I, along with a few friends, embarked on a journey around the Salton Sea. On this journey, we stopped at Salvation Mountain and, the real attraction, Slab City.

For those that don’t know, Salvation Mountain is a sculpture made by Leonard Knight. He dedicated 30 years of his life to the spread of one phrase: God is love. This phrase is plastered all over the mountainside. The pull factor of Salvation Mountain, at least for me, is that there is nothing like Salvation Mountain anywhere in the world. Its uniqueness and originality is unmatched.

If you travel half a mile east of Salvation Mountain, you will find Slab City. Residents live completely off the grid. There is no electricity, running water, or most things that make life in the desert comfortable, but residents make it work.

Upon arrival, you are greeted with rows of trailers, which may remind you of a trailer park. But, if that’s the case, this is the single greatest trailer park in the world. Beautiful murals line the entrance, and people are often outside their trailers selling various items, from pottery to art lessons.

Our specific destination was East Jesus, cleverly named as it is east of Salvation Mountain. East Jesus is an art gallery that is made entirely out of recycled material. We get out of the car and enter the appropriately named, West Satin. West Satin is more of a hang-out area rather than an art gallery. Inside was a group of people simply talking about their lives and their stories.

Before leaving home for Slab City, four different people came up to me and said, “Don’t get out of the car. You could get attacked by homeless people.” Let me tell you how glad I am that I didn’t listen to those people. The Slab City residents were some of the most genuinely nice people I have ever met. Though I never got his name, one resident gave us some insight into why and how someone would live there.

When I asked the man how he lives without common amenities, he responded with his own question, “How do you live?”

“With electricity and air conditioning.”

“Are you happy?”

“I’d say so.”

“Are you stressed?”

“Well, everyone is stressed where I live.”

“That is how I live comfortably. There are no electricity bills, no utility bills, and no rent. You just live. There is no timetable for when you have to do something. You just do it whenever you can.” To adults who pay bills and to teenagers who are generally stressed all of the time, this sounds like a Utopia. But it wasn’t always so Utopian.

When the government was surveying the area to build a wall between America and Mexico, they tried to drive the residents out. Their way of accomplishing this was to shut off Slab City’s water. Though he didn’t go into exact details, the man explained that now they have more water than before the government concreted their water pipes.

Their stress-free life and their sense of community is something that I’ve never seen before. We live in a society where we need to get everything done on a schedule, but why not take a breath? The residents of Slab City are living full Hakuna Matata, with no worries or cares. Most of us say that we could never live without our electronics or air conditioning, but look at the hundreds of people living in our backyard that have no electronics, yet they are some of the happiest people I’ve ever met. Maybe there is something to take away from these Slab City-ians about how to live a happy life.

Editor: Luke Langlois