Happy Cesar Chavez day!

It is a state holiday today. We are commemorating the birthday of Cesar Chavez. For all who don't know, he organized the labor movement among farm workers in California. Now it is a paid state holiday. Apparently school children were protesting at the Capitol yesterday because they didn't get the day off school.

Izzy took me to my first hockey game yesterday. My weekend activities have taken to alternating between the arts and sporting events. Last week ballet, this week hockey, next week we are watching Othello, the week after we are going to a Kings game. All very fun.

I enjoyed the hockey game, but it was very cold in the arena. I found it amusing that the crowd was much more excited about the fights than they were about scoring. Who knew there were so many fans of monor league hockey by the way? These people were reallly in to their team (the Stockton Thunder). Everyone was decked out in team colors and really mean to the opposing team. I am probably not very fun to take to sporting events because I can't bring myself to any demonstrative behavior in favor of whichever team I want to win. It feels strange. I can get into the game, but even still, I will usually sit there quietly.

A Rather Sad Commentary

Izzy and I watched Fast Food Nation sometime last week. If you haven't seen it, it is like The Jungle in movie form. Both are fictional stories about what happens in the meat processing industry and both paint a sad picture of how the people who work in this industry are exploited.

What is interesting is that when The Jungle was published, people were outraged. They were so outraged that the FDA was created to regulate the food processing industry. The same is not true of Fast Food Nation. I don't think anyone is surprised that their food might not be of the best quality. I am not. However, I am sure that the people who process our food (and who harvest our food) are suffering in terrible conditions. No one ever says anything about it and no one does anything about it.

Actually, this is the third movie I have seen in the last few months that highlights how the corporations who provide certain products abuse the vulnerable in order to get the products to consumers at a cheaper price. I have no doubt that the practices portrayed in these films actually happen. As of yet, I have heard very few people who were disturbed enough by these practices to look in to what is actually happening in these industries and see what could be done. The sad fact is that I haven't and I have no idea how I could do anything about this kind of exploitation. Shame on me.

Coffee

I gave up coffee (among other things) for Lent. I have since learned a few things.

1. There is coffee EVERYWHERE.
   
2. Coffee is my version of comfort food.
   
3. It is also how I relax and I associate it with indulgence.
   

I really want to drink coffee. I can't wait until Easter.

I never had trouble fasting for Lent before. I don't even remember it being this hard to give up TV and music in the car. This time fasting is really a struggle, which was my purpose, but it is hard. I am not particularly fond of self denial (I guess no one is) and I keep finding myself craving the things I gave up (mostly coffee).

Introducing...

Ismael Alarcon (Izzy)

So most of you have heard the rumors. Or you have met him because he has been around for a few months now. Here he is. I met Izzy at church in August, we spent a lot of time together in the fall playing guitar and stuff, and we started dating in December.