Farewell

Well, honestly, I'm not a blogger. In fact, I hate it. It feels too proper, as if I am trying to become a perfectionist.

But yes, this semester is over, this class is over. I'm going to miss it.

Hungry

It's uncommon for a squirrel to hop up on our deck, one story from the ground. It's even more uncommon that it just stood there, staring into the house.

I just had to go get it a peanut.

Tip #521

Don't clean the sandwich maker with Windex. Your food will taste like crap.

The First Snow of the Season

It was today. Hoorah, 18 days ahead of schedule!

Driving is gonna suck.

Chapter 10 Number 2 - Quick Write

Number 2 asks to describe the fallacies that are associated with this statement: "I don't believe these statistics showing that economic opportunity for most Americans has declined since the 1970's. my parents worked their way out of poverty into the middle class, so anybody can"

One can find a hasty generalization in it, because since the child saw their parents overcome poverty, they created a generalization in their mind. A genetic fallacy relates the family because the child's parents brought them up to believe a statement. Plain folks is somewhat related to this statement too, in the manner that we cannot assume that they are a public official, but they can be of wealth. The child may believe that the parents are elitists compared to other, i.e. plain folks.

Udipi Palace

Among the dozens and dozens of restaurants along Devon Avenue in the west side of Chicago, I chose a small but apparently well known restaurant called Udipi Palace. This restaurant specializes in South Indian cuisine, an obvious fact from the large letters displayed on the sign outside.

Upon entering, you immediately smell Indian cuisine. It’s not the stereotypical “curry” smell, but it actually is a warm, inviting scent. It’s not a flashy place, no, but it’s just a typical restaurant. There aren’t many fixtures on the wall or ceiling, it’s a bit plain. There are a few paintings here and there, but it’s nothing to gaze at immensely. A couple of my friends and I sit down and are greeted by a polite waiter.

The menu isn’t large, it isn’t small; there are just many, many variations of each item.

We chose to get the fried idli (small, fried rice cakes), sahmber (thick soup with pieces of bread), and palak dosa (large, ground rice bread made with spinach, peppers, and spices dipped in chutney and idli).

We received our order in a timely manner, I was surprised actually. And it looked very appetizing. Was it because of my extreme hunger though? Perhaps. But I believe its more about the taste and as the cliché goes, “the stomach need not know looks.”

I dipped the idli into the green chutney and the first taste was quite the succulent one. It tasted of crunchy rice cakes, but so much more. It was soft and moist. It was perfection in a small fried package.

While I was devouring the idli, I looked at what was around me, the people there, and the environment. The sound of crying babies filled the air and overpowered the faint Indian music. My friend had gotten up and left for the restroom, but upon returning, complained to me that the sound of the fan in the women’s bathroom was unbearable to say the least. Well, its probably not as bad as the crying babies.

I disregarded the distractions and proceeded to take a bite of the sahmber. It was thick, but the texture was perfect. The bread in it though, wasn’t too shabby; it was a bit dry. Still delicious though. And then there was the palak dosa. I ripped a piece off of the delicate mix and dipped it in the sahmber. It was a burst of flavors; sweet, bitter, spicy, and blandness. I didn’t think it was amazing, but it definitely was good.

So overall, is this a place worth going to? Yes. The price is good (around $6-$10 a plate), the food is delicious, and the atmosphere, is well, not bad. I had gone on a holiday weekend so I can accept the fact that it was packed.

Udipi Palace is located on 2543 W. Devon Ave, Chicago, Ill. (773) 338-2152

The End of Fall

I regret not admiring the beauty of fall as much as I should this year. My lethargy combined with a dose of procrastination didn't help much either. Anywho, I took this picture by my house a few days ago. It'll probably be the last sight of these colors for the rest of the season.