MicroAUSTIN Social Snapshot: ACL Through the Crowds Eyes...Tweets, pics, videos etc.
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MicroAUSTIN Social Snapshot: ACL Through the Crowds Eyes...Tweets, pics, videos etc.
MicroAUSTIN Snapshots: Austin City Limits 2012
A photoessay by Cali Bock
Royitos Hot Sauce Company Airstream at the ACL VIP Grove
Royitos is a 15-year-old Austin company that gives recipes, love and not-so-mild salsas to the city, and now a wider customer berth due to social media and brand recognition through word of mouth.
Royitos' motto is to 'never do mild', and to always follow your passions and desires in life. Click to read more about their mission statement.
Get Social with Royitos
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Royitos
Twitter: https://twitter.com/royitos
Website: http://www.royitoshotsauce.com/
Sweet Leaf Tea Gives Freebies to VIPs
At the VIP Grove to the right of the Honda stage, Austin, Texas-based Sweet Leaf Tea representative Sarah handed out free samples of the local peach, citrus green and mint & honey chapsticks.
Above: Photo by Sweet Leaf Tea on Facebook. Click here for more of their team's festival photos
Above: Sweet Leaf Tea's new marketing venture || Active ingredients read: Octinoxate, Oxybenzone, organic palm oil, beseswax, organic virgin olive oil, flavor, organic hemp seed oil, Vitamin E and rosemary extract.
Get Social with Sweet Leaf Tea
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetleaftea?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SweetLeafTea
Website: http://sweetleaftea.com/
Instagram : http://www.gramfeed.com/sweetleaftea (sweetleaftea)
Fest Watch, Up Next in Austin: Royitos Hot Sauce is sponsoring a Fun Fun Fun Fest Ticket Giveaway
Next week, visit Royitos Hot Sauce Facebook page for a chance to win a pair of 3-day passes to Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, a music lineup preparing to host its seventh year of independent artists at Auditorium Shores from Nov. 2 through Nov. 4.
Click here to view the entire 2012 FFF Fest Lineup.
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MicroAUSTIN Social Snapshot: ACL Through the Crowds Eyes…Tweets, pics, videos etc
Cascal Cruiser Parks and Promotes in Austin
The all-natural soda hits Whole Foods, Texas shelves
By Cali Bock
(Austin, TX)- Last month Cascal's Cafe Cruiser parked itself at the Whole Foods in Bee Cave, a suburb about 17 miles northwest of downtown. The sparkling, corn syrup-free and sparkling soda- a segment of Coca-Cola's Venturing and Emerging Brands initiative- was handed out to promote not only the product, but its uses in the cocktail and cooking department as well.
"We had samplers at Town Lake come up and thank us for actually making it taste good," said marketing representative Paola Belen.
Karla Raphail, also part of the soda's marketing team, said that Cascal's taste is unique, like wine, and was crafted at the company's Chef's Summit. Its taste is also attributed to the beverage's natural, fruit and veggie coloring, fermented fruit, Stevia extract from sunflowers and sparkling water.
"There were so many sodas out there. Yet we could not find a beverage that satisfied our adult desires... something that is interesting and complex with low sugar, no caffeine and natural to boot. So we set out to raise the bar," site mission statement.
About two years ago, Cascal was created by 12 chefs creating a beverage to pair with food and libations, as well as Whole Food's mission to offer a natural alternative to corn syrup allergists and the like.
"So, we held a Chef Summit, where we worked intensely to create unique and sophisticated flavor combinations. The chefs helped us develop a soft drink with delicious layers of complexity."- site
The complexity, according to the brand reps, was attributed to the process of the natural fermentation of the fruit juices.
"We were ecstatic to discover a unique fermentation process that brings out the more complex and subtle flavors of fruits—all naturally without adding sugar to the process."- site
According to Raphail, the product- 60 to 80 calories per can - was originally promoted as an alcohol base to a variety of drinks.
"Pregnant ladies love us," she said, laughing. "But so do chemo patients," she said seriously, "Because its fermented base gives them the alcohol taste they crave."
Crafting Drinks and Cooking with Cascal
As Whole Foods patrons browsed between and sampled the flavors of Ripe Rouge, Fresh Tropical and Crisp White, marketing coordinator Mellie Soumano handed me a recipe pamphlet with food and alcohol pairings:
Below: Fusing Food and Cascal
Click here to browse all flavors and recipes
Digging Deeper, Cascal
Cascal is part of a 2-month promotion by Busy Bee Promotions, The label is partnered with Coca Cola's Venturing and Emerging brands that also includes the start ups Honest Tea, Naked Juice and Issimo Illy. Cascal is brewed in Cold Springs, Minnesota and their Cafe Cruiser location can be found here (Facebook link). Hint: whisper the secret passcode to the marketing representatives, found on their Facebook page, for an additional 'complimentary gift'.
Whole Foods partnered and got involved with the brand as well as the Venturing Brands initiative, because they were interested in stocking bulk quantities of an all-natural soda.
Contact Cascal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cascal
Twitter: @CheersCascal
Website: http://cheerscascal.com/
Instagram: cheerscascal (Cascal)
You may also be interested in:
A Taste of KoKo blog. Click here for her product review of Cascal.
Whole Foods Bee Cave, location
Whole Foods Bee Cave is located at the Hill Country Galleria, an outdoor shopping mall northwest of downtown Austin.
View Whole Foods Bee Cave, location in a larger map
HOPE Farmers Market: The Dog Days of Summer
East Austin celebrates community- and our pups- through locally sourced shopping
By Cali Bock
(Austin, Texas)-Every Sunday from 10a.m. to 3p.m., Pine Street station in East Austin creaks to life. Tents flap, their metal supports rattling as they’re sprawled on the earth, then pieced together to brand each local vendor and their wares.
Above: Pine Street Station, a vintage railway post located at the intersection of 1101 E 5th Street and Waller St.
HOPE Farmer’s Market, according to the site's mission statement is a, “weekly gathering space for the Austin community to share fresh vegetables, healthy-prepared food, artistic creations, wellness workshops and community organizations.”
Above: Reji Glass Studio is Pine Street Station's sole, permanent occupent that operates throughout the week
Throughout August, the market featured the 'Dog Days of Summer', where patrons posed with their pups-family portrait style- to compete in a Facebook photo contest. Poochie Trends Boutique and Healthy Hounds provided ruff-reshments. The hounds howled for their homemade, oven baked and preservative-free treats.
Photos above via HOPE Farmers Market on Facebook
Above: Waffles the pug took first place in HOPE's Facebook photo contest
Click here to view the full photo gallery of fur:
Above: Tent row at HOPE Farmers Market
Each week at HOPE, a local band is featured while shoppers clap to the frequent bluegrass and toe tap as they meander through the makeshift market that includes a local product range of jalapeno mint pickles and truffle potato salad to Austin-brewed Kombucha tea.
The Seedling Truck - an extension of Royal Fig Catering- touts its simple, farm-fresh comfort food (market menu below, complete summer menu here)
Above- Wunderpilz is a frequent favorite at HOPE. Samples of the probiotic elixir are handed out at HOPE, and Wunderpilz is also available on tap for bottling and refills at the Hyde Park Market
Above: The Sour Bridges, a group described as an "interesting combination of Texas folk, Appalachian bluegrass and old time rock and roll," in their bio.
The fiddle, banjo and mandolin accompany the sweet strum of the acoustic guitar
Their country bumpkin beats and the wood-slat stage padded by dirt was reminisce of front-porch performances
Recent local favorites that have taken the stage include:
The Carper Family
Christy Hays and Her Sunday Best
Horse Opera
Loves It!
Whiskey Shivers
Sour Bridges
Above: Whiskey Shivers- another folky quartet- takes a turn during their 1:30 set at the market
Vendor Highlights
Above: Kuna Kicks
These shoes are hand-stitched Mola tapestries by the indigenous people of Kuna in Central America.
"Through our Global Village Initiative, we are developing a network of craftspeople and artisans throughout Latin America. We envision regional supply chains that will work to create quality goods with integrity. Currently, we are building our first enterprise with Kuna Kicks."- Mission statement
Above: The Kuna Kicks crew
"Each textile has hundreds of tiny, intricate stitches and unique patterns derived from the nature around the Kuna."- From the site
Above: Although each pair of Kuna Kicks is unique, vibrant colors are the common thread
Utopia Fest
Festival founder Travis Sutherland milled about the market, and he showed his support for Drambuie whiskey, pictured below. Drambuie handed out free drinks at HOPE, and the company will also host the silent disco throughout Utopia Fest, which runs from Sept. 28 to Sept. 30.
"Now is the time to nab your UTOPiAfest tickets! With less than 400 tickets remaining, they will go quickly and you down’t want to miss out on this action: no overlapping musical performances, a capped audience of only 1,800 attendees (imagine that you’re seeing a Stubb’s outdoor show in the space of Zilker Park), no big crowds, no big lines, BYOB (yeah…we let you bring your beer & liquor into the park. How cool is that?), all taxes and fees are included in the price of your ticket, we’re family friendly, we’ve got Austin Silent Disco for those who want to rage all night and Black Swan Yoga in the morning to help you start your day. We’re the music festival you’ve always dreamed about."
Above: Tip from Drambuie barista, add Earl Grey tea bags to your whiskey drink
Above: Utopia Fest lineup
Pogue Mahone Pickles
You won't find pickle flavors like serrano lime, jalapeño mint and spicy thai basil on your store shelves. Pogue Mahone pickles have perfected their dills for over 10 years.
Above: The local vendor offers free samples during market hours
Pogue Mahone Pickles has also just recently branched out into the salsa arena:
Coolhaus ATX
Coolhaus ATX- 'architecturally made' ice cream sandwiches from Austin, Texas.
Highlight #1- They don't skimp you on ice cream. From experience, there's always been a generous mound of dairy between the two handmade cookies of your choice
Highlight #2- Food trucks are fickle, and they rarely stay in the same place. If you need a Coolhaus ice cream sandwich RIGHT NOW, there's always a stationary stock of them located at the Hyde Park Market located on the corner of 45th Street and Duval.
Highlight #3- They're not ultra secretive. Coolhaus- unlike Coca Cola-posted a video recipe for their fig balsamic ice cream and red velvet cookie ice cream sandwich here.
Above: The steps to craft your own Coolhaus sandwich is posted on their vintage food trucks
The HOPE campaign: Helping Other People Everywhere
"The HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere) Campaign a project of HOPE Events Inc. an energy conscious 501(c)3 non-profit focused on involving artists and their contributions in campaigns, programs and events to support existing social projects that promote education and peace around the world."- Mission statement
To reserve a space, vendors should apply online.
Click here to see a full list of vendors and seasonal items at HOPE.
Above: Pine Street Station's quirky backyard
Click to view HOPE Farmers Market on a larger map
MedMob Takes it to the Streets at the Car-Free Viva Festival in East Austin
A photoessay by Cali Bock
(Austin, TX)- On May 20 MedMob Austin took their movement- to spread love through public meditation- to the Viva Street Festival along Sixth Street in East Austin.
Below- Staked out route for the Viva Street Festival
Med Mob was established in July of 2011 by a group of peaceful, likeminded locals.
Above- Dustin Fedako , one of less than 10 founding members of MedMob, reflects in silent meditation. The flash mob has expanded to more than 300 cities across the world
"A "flash mob" is a large group of people meeting in a crowded public place for the purpose of engaging in a coordinated, unexpected, inspiring activity."
Med Mob Mission Statement
"MedMob aims to create spaces for public meditation. This creates opportunities for people to explore the practice of meditation and brings meditation into the public eye. Meditation cultivates an attitude of response rather than reaction, and this stimulates major paradigm shifts in thinking that sends ripples through all levels of society!"
Above- Left to right: Gregory Nathan Hammond, 'Thom Thumb' Clint Greene and MedMob founder Markbob Bennett Shaw in silent meditation at Earth Day Celebration 2012 at Mueller Park in Austin
From their Facebook
"MedMob will meet in silent meditation at high traffic areas around the city to promote meditation as a means to self discovery. MedMob believes that meditating reveals deep inner truths and inspirations. Our intention: ... 1. To create an environment for people from all walks of life to come together in meditation. 2. To expose the World to meditation through public display of meditation. 3. To come together as a global community to send positive intentions out into the world. 4. To show that leading by example is the best way to lead. Simple acts can stimulate major paradigm shifts in thinking."
Mueller Meditation: Earth Day Celebration 2012
A Special Rose Blooms Bracelets at Hope Farmers Market
Broken belts provide for pups and cats in East Austin
By Cali Bock
(Austin, TX)- Dara Rose sat comfortably, confidently behind her wooden creations, and for good reason. Her curt bangs and steady gaze belied her age. For the past four years the 13-year-old local has been weaving bracelets together not for profit, but for donating all of the sale proceeds to local animal shelters in Texas, including Austin Pet’s Alive!.
Above: Hope Farmers Market gets a new sign/mural, local artist style
When Rose was nine, her father returned from North Carolina with a load of broken wooden belt pieces, bought wholesale, and were otherwise destined to be thrown away.
For Rose, the connection between her jewelry crafting and her love of ‘all pets’ inspired her to initially donate the proceeds to Friends for Life in Houston.
“I just walked in there and said ‘Hey, I’m just going to start donating to you guys’,” she said.
Above: Dara Rose behind her stand at Hope Farmers Market in East Austin.
After moving to Austin Rose said she immediately sought out a new nonprofit and now she represents and donates to Austin Pets Alive!, a no-kill community ‘that doesn’t kill healthy or treatable pets’.
Last month marked Rose’s third Sunday at Hope Farmers Market.
Hope, a spirit that her efforts literally bring to the space.
“The Sunday HOPE Farmers Market is a weekly gathering space for the Austin community to share:
· fresh vegetables and healthy prepared food
· artistic creations and live music
· wellness workshops
· community organizations and volunteer opportunities”
- From the site
Above: Last month, a local bluegrass-folk band that played with contagious, rowdy laughter as patrons browsed through GMO-free veggies and other local-grown produce, jams, local yams, kombucha tea, clothing, cajun food and more.
Other recent news: Hope Farmers Market
Above: Last month, Hope Farmers Market got a new sign/mural, local artist style
Above: Local kombucha tea brewer Wunder Pilz (@wunderpilz) frequently sells and offers samples of his brew that includes:
Photos from the Wunder Pilz site.
Above: Fresh crops at Johnson's Backyard Garden stand at Hope Farmers Market
The Garden's Roots
"HOMEGROWN IN EAST AUSTIN
We started growing vegetables in our Holly Street backyard in 2004. Our goal is to provide the Austin community with the best quality locally grown, organic vegetables possible. You may enjoy our produce by joining our CSA or by visiting us at any of the farmers markets around Austin, at local organic grocers as well as most top restaurants. "
- From the site.
All three photos of the farm below are by abstract photographer Scott David Gordon.
Hope Farmers Market's location: Click to View Larger Map
Make sure to keep an eye out for Austin’s newest nonprofit, Austin Creative Reuse. They already have several business relationships in place, but they are so new they are still working on the details for a facility to operate out of. Their mission is to foster conservation and reuse through creativity, education and community building and they could use your help, so head on over and see how you can get involved and help get these guys off the ground.
MicroAUSTIN Photo Essay: Patio view from Austin's 9th sweetest pizza place, The Parlor
By Cali Bock
(Austin, TX)- On Wednesday, the local blog Eater Austin posted 'The Sixteen Sweetest Pizza Places in Austin: Mapped'.
The all-local lineup of pie places listed contenders with global roots. From Japanese to New York Deep Dish style, Austin has the upper crust when it comes to pizza.
The Parlor: Not as polished as it sounds, this Hyde Park punk hangout- ranked 9th on Eater Austin's list- has a full bar and a benign atmosphere
Above is Wednesday's patio photo essay from The Parlor a family owned and operated pinball, pool, pizza and beer joint.
Pictured above: The Parlor's build-your-own Gorgonzola, Canadian bacon, avocado and jalapeño pizza
To drink: Austin's Yellow Armadillo Beer by Thirsty Planet Brewing
There are superheros among us. The Yellow Armadillo has taken on the task of ridding the world of tasteless mass produced beer. He is replacing it with an American Style Wheat ale. We use 50% malted barley and 50% malted red hard winter wheat. It is a light-bodied beer that is perfect for the hot Texas summers. It has a light hazy straw color with a light citruscharacter.
Above: The Parlor's menu, click here to enlarge
Around the Block: Local businesses that sit comfortably 'round The Parlor
As patrons lounge and sip beer on The Parlor's wooden porch, grunts and other physical expressions of pain erupt from Dane's Body Shop across the street. Above: The Parlor menu, click to enlarge
As weights clang and instructors chide, Hyde Park Theatre staff members watched the ordeal from their sitting positions at the venue's front door, their two leashed chihuahuas barking madly at the frenzy.
(Pictured in essay above)
1. Gallery Black Lagoon
Next Event: West Austin Studio Tour, May 19, 20
Just like it’s counterpart, the celebrated East Austin Studio Tour, the WEST AUSTIN STUDIO TOUR will be a free, self-guided tour that champions the abundance of talent of Austin’s large and wildly diverse creative community.
During WEST, Gallery Black Lagoon will be featuring it’s current exhibit, Serious Whimsy– New paintings by Jeana Baumgardner and Maggie Kleinpeter.
WHEN: Saturday May 19th, 11:00 – 4:00
LAST DAY: Sunday May 20th, 11:00 – 7:00pm featuring Jewelry Artist Kelly Stiles
CLOSING PARTY: Sunday May 20th, 5:00 – 7:00pm
free to attend w/ complimentary cocktails – RSVP Here
If you cannot make it out during WEST, you can ALSO VIEW THE EXHIBIT May 12 & 13, 1pm-5pm during the gallery’s free viewing hours.
Above- Inside Gallery Black Lagoon, photo from their site
2. Dane's Body Shop
Click here to view the gym's current workout schedule. It includes a range of exercise from yoga to total body fusion.
Above- Dane's Body Shop, photo from site
3. Hyde Park Theatre
Next Event: Tigers Be Still July 12- Aug. 11, 2012
"The San Francisco Chronicle called it 'an uproar of laughs'. The New York Times called this off-Broadway hit 'an endearing new play . . a heartfelt comedy' in which a big cat on the loose from a local zoo fits right in with the anxiety and depression of modern life."
View Patio View from The Parlor: Austin's 9th Sweetest Pizza Place in a larger map
Austin Locals Chris and Karin- Enlightenment gurus, Punjab's Meditation Center and crafts draw this couple to India, more than 25 times and counting since 1985
By Cali Bock
(Austin, TX)- On Sunday on Allandale street corners, day-old garage sale signs withered on their stakes and flapped in the light breeze.
The crinkled, crumpled neons grasped at their wilting dignity like the Veterans that beg on Airport Blvd. and 51st, hands oiled and clutching an equally grungy sign, their deep rivets and desolation haunting the car after you’ve gone.
Farther down road, a new recruit stood rigid on its wooden post, pointing energetically down Allandale Road.
The sign read ‘Indian Craft Sale’ and dazzled red in the sun.
Glitter. Nice flair.
-Mental click of matching red Dorothy shoes-
There’s no place like a craft sale on a Sunday.
Austin local Chris and wife Karin - they didn’t really want to give their last name- sprawled their Indian wares across their front yard in a neat, booth-like display. Hand-stitched beadwork, vibrant tapestries and other trinkets gleamed in the streaming sun.
Radha Soami Satsang Beas: The religion that started it all for Chris and Karin
Chris, now 57 years old- said God spoke to him at age 21, and told him to become a vegetarian. Thus he came to the Radha Soami faith:
"Sant-Mat ('Science of Spirituality') is the path to perfect liberation of the soul. It is the worship of the Supreme Divine Power (God). The expression Sant-Mat literally means the ‘point of view of the Saints’.
Sant-Mat couples a powerful meditation practice with a dynamic, inclusive, positive way of living.
Life Style: The path of Sant-Mat recommends ethical living. (I.e. inculcation of [asking for] forgiveness, nonviolence, mercy, sweet speech, charity, purity, non-avarice etc.)
It’s also considered sine qua non- 'essential stepping stone'- to Spirituality. It's believed that it's very difficult to become a good human being at first, but if one becomes good, it is easy to find God!
It is the overcoming of the lowermost aspects of the Mind." -RS blog
The meditation science also encourages you to be self-supporting, to maintain your freedom of choice and also any cultural or religious affiliations that you choose.
“The basis of every religion is spirituality. RSSB is trying to maintain the core of spirituality without allowing it to take on a formal structure.
Radha' (referring to the soul or spiritual master either of an individual or of the whole) and 'Soami' (referring to the spiritual master who guides the disciple to soul liberation)… and all this through one God.
Radha Soami Satsang Beas is a philosophical organization based on the spiritual teachings of all religions and dedicated to a process of inner development under the guidance of a spiritual teacher.”- site
The religion states four basic principles to adhere to:
1. Vegetarianism
2. No drugs or alcohol to alter your state of mind
3. Lead a clean, moral life
4. Each day requires 2 ½ hours of meditation
“By performing the meditation practice according to the teacher's instructions, individuals can realize the presence of God within themselves.
It is a solitary practice that is done in the quiet of one's own home.
Members commit themselves to a way of life that supports spiritual growth while carrying out their responsibilities to family, friends and society.”- RS philosophy
When asked about his form of meditation to reach 'God Consciousness', Chris said, “If you can concentrate the mind on a mantra, on anything, the soul and mind leave the body. It’s a progression of one spiritual region to the next.”
‘God Conscious’, definition:
“At the core of the RSSB philosophy is a belief that there is a spiritual purpose to human life – to experience the divinity of God who resides in all of us. It is through this experience that we will realize the truth of the concept that there is only one God and we are all expressions of his love.” –RS philosophy
Chris took his first trip to the meditation center, the ‘Dera’ in the Beas, Punjab (India) in 1985, and he said he’s now been between 20 and 30 times.
Above: the Dera, where millions of Radha Soami followers travel each year to experience Satsangs, where followers meet with their spiritual guru to consult with him on their quests for the higher truth.
Chris said, “I wanted to see the master, the guru in person.”
In his and Karin’s religion, the guru is a spiritual teacher that guides people on their journey to reach the ultimate ‘God Conscious’ state of mind:
“Central to the RSSB philosophy is a spiritual teacher who explains the purpose of life and guides and instructs members in a method of spirituality based on a daily meditation practice. The present teacher is Baba Gurinder Singh, who lives with his family at the main center in northern India.”- site
“It’s a discipline in itself to be in the presence of an enlightened person.” Chris said, “ A matter of personal experience. You may not even like him, or you may feel an atmosphere of peace and love.”
Above: Beas, Punjab, the location of the Dera
The Dera: An Incredible Mini Township with a 32 and 42-acre roof
Pictures and text credits here, from the RSSB site.
Dera Baba Jaimal Singh, or simply the ‘Dera’ as it is generally known, is a mini-township with 6,000 residents.
The Venue
In order to provide a sheltered venue for these gatherings, the Dera’s engineering department has constructed one of the largest covered structures in Asia, designed and fabricated on site using a lightweight space-frame technology. The roof covers more than 32 acres and can accommodate a crowd of 275,000. A computerized digital audio system was specially designed for the venue to provide the best possible sound for such a challenging environment
The Community
The Dera seeks to be as self-sufficient and environmentally friendly as possible. Every year thousands of trees are planted. Many lawns and parks beautify the colony and provide space for visitors and residents to rest and relax. More than 1,000 acres of land are cultivated for growing vegetables and fruits that are used in the langar and by Dera residents. Organic farming methods are being adapted to local conditions. The Dera has its own water supply, water treatment plant and solid waste treatment facility. It has its own electrical sub-station and large electrical generator back-up facility to supply emergency power to the whole community.
The Food
To feed the visitors three meals a day, several approaches are taken. The Langar (a place where food is served free of charge) is the primary means. The free langar complex covers over 48 acres and operates around the clock. Capable of feeding up to 300,000 people per meal, 50,000 in a single sitting, it has a mostly volunteer staff who prepare and serve simple but nourishing food suitable to local tastes. As an example, in 2006 the langar cooked more than 150,000 kilos of rice and used more than 2 million kilos of wheat to make the traditional flat breads. Meals are also served at canteens and snack bars at a nominal price.”
All rights reserved by Jogindra Singh Danewalia
Above- Candid inside the Dera in Beas, Punjab
Chris and other Radha Soami adherers believe that peoples’ journeys to God Consciousness can span across lifetimes, rebirth is optional
When we die, we’ll each have a personal choice to say if we’ve accepted that there’s only one God and that we live as expressions of His love, or we can continue the quest for this realization and opt be born and live again.
Chris said he would not want to be born again.
“When you become detached from this world, you realize how unpleasant of a world it really is,” he said. “It’s not heaven. When you experience something, a better world than this, why would you want to come back?”
The Indian Craft Sale: A driveway-turned-Indian-street-vendor imposter.
The couple is committed to their religion, but they also stumbled and seized upon their other affinity, the handmade Indian goods that they now bring back home in bulk to host craft sales in their driveway three to four times each year.
They sell the modestly priced, handmade Indian wares that the two have gleaned from their travels, browsing through more than 50 vendors on the streets.
Handmade Indian rings, priced at $10 each
Chris said they normally buy the goods from Rajasthan and Maharashtra, India.
Above- Rajasthan, where Chris and Karin shop for their wares and the largest state of the Republic of India
Above- India's richest state and second most populated, Marharashtra, Map courtesy of Wikipedia
The yard off of Allandale was also saturated with the undulating spectrum of batiks- products of the ancient craft of dying cloth using wax and dye- as they danced and lifted gracefully aloft.
Above- Chris said batiks are typically used for bedsheets, tapestries and other traditional Indian home decoration.
Craft Sale Update Email: Subscribe
Chris and Karin said anyone’s welcome to sign up for their email list that alerts subscribers to the date and times of their upcoming sales.
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Batik high fashion 2012: Meet Nanang Halim, revolutionizing yet preserving the cloth-making tradition
"If it’s Friday, then chances are there are a lot of people wearing batik, and that’s all right with Nanang Halim. You see, it’s his job to give lovers of the fabric new choices. With his sister at the designer’s table and himself..." - Read more
Click for Indian Traditional Jewelry:Meenakari
"The art of Meena work came to India with the arrival of the Mughals. During the 16th century, the Maharaja of Rajasthan, Raja Man Singh introduced the Meenakari jewellery to Rajasthan. Due to its rapid increase in popularity, Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan became the hub of Meena work jewelry..."- Read more
‘From Traditional Batik to Wedding Dress’- Read more
boomlight AN IDEA IN AUSTIN
Local Joel D'Angelo- click here for the first post to catch up- will host the first 'Live Art' installation today at BC Smoke Shop from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Read below for details:
Dear community,
Sitting on couches in a living room, four friends spoke of a harmony shared moments ago. This harmony was created by painting together — the canvas was a statue of a chief. They talked of feeling a bond to each other after working in the same space together.
After a period of chatter, the group agreed this is good and should be shared with the public.
Why the public? To gather community; spending time painting with strangers may bring a sense of community into everyone.
Which is good, right?
Either way, painting is fun.
An event:
BYOC -> Bring Your Own “Canvas”
What do you think needs paint on it? (examples: guitar, table, chair, statue, any object that holds paint, etc.) Whatever it may be…
Bring it to BC Smoke Shop (78704) on Saturday, May 5 from 3:00 - 11:30pm
Let’s paint.
Awesome — we hope to see you there.
Good things,
Joel D’Angelo
PS - if you like sharing paints, we like seeing your colors!
View Larger Map
The Austin Tea Syndicate: If you dig through all the tealeaves, local Nathan Davis is inspired by and promotes Taiwan’s independent art scene
After eight years of traversing Asia, Davis brought back tea knowledge, the first Taiwanese band to perform at SXSW and a passion to keep the region’s art and music culture alive
By Cali Bock
(Austin, TX)- On Saturday, I joined Nathan Davis and eight other Austin locals at the 'Urban Tearoom' to contribute to the progressive dialogue (Click here to view the preview post if you'd like to catch up).
Below- Our group's shoes gathered outside our makeshift tearoom at The Daily Juice in Austin on Sat.
Photo above 'Instagrammed' by Nathan Davis
Above and below-The Daily Juice in Austin, Texas. Temporary home of the 'Urban Tearoom' By Cali Bock
Daily Juice customer candid
Above- Come in, come in. Anyone's welcome in the tearoom at The Daily Juice
Davis generously poured our nine-member group 10-year-old Pu'er, a tea only produced in Yunnan , a province in Southeastern China.
Above and below- Davis steeps the Pu'er tea - click here to define- a third time, effectively drawing out its robust flavor.
It was earthy, steeped correctly, - I didn't know there was such an imperative, at least '3-steep' process to extract the leaves' prime flavor- and I also learned that to get a brick- one pound- of Pu'er imported to America, it'll run you about $1,000.
Read for yourself, Nathan previewed the loot we sampled Saturday on Facebook last week:
After sampling the Pu'er, we discussed its complexity, much like wine.
I grabbed descriptive snippets as the group chatted about and sipped on the expensive leaves:
"I taste dates."
"Smoky."
"Campfire!"
"Earthy!"
Above- Yunnan province, Southeastern China, sole home of Pu'er tea - Wikipedia
Most importantly, Davis used tea and also Sufi music to spark our table's intrigue and dialogue concerning the East as we lounged on pillows, laughed, crouched and even meditated.
Below- University of Texas neuroscience graduate student Sucharit Katyal and guest drummer Amlan take a break from playing and singing to enjoy some Oolong tea themselves
Local friends Nick (left) and Elliot (right) analyze the second steep of aged Oolong tea (pictured below)
"It has a slick quality," said Eric, after draining his cup.
Above- Davis peacefully clanged medicine bowls to give us the opportunity to level and ingest what we had learned as well as to meditate.
Above- Austin local Eric listens in quiet meditation as Sucharit sang ancient Indian love songs in his eery, nostalgic timber
"You have stolen my identity, by looking into my eyes.
After drinking the wine of love, you've made me crazy...
intoxicated by looking into your eyes."- 700-year-old Indian love song, performed by Sucharit
As the tea steamed, Sucharit Katyal (pictured above) accompanied himself with his harmonium, and his Radel digi 100, defined below.
"The Taalmala digi100 Plus digital tabla produces an amazingly realistic sound of the traditional tabla by utilizing the latest state-of-the-art sampler technology. It is a sophisticated instrument which not only plays 100 pre-set tabla thekas, but is capable of simulating a 'live accompaniment' effect, so that it can be even used in concerts." - -- Read more
Below- Alam and Davis join in with their drum cadences.
Above- Davis on the Djembe, a rope-tuned, skin-covered drum.
After eight years traversing Asia, Davis said he learned about tea organically as he wandered the streets, pulling up to random tables of elders sipping out of ‘gritty’ tea things. But he also became 'distracted' by a passion that originally, currently drives him to share his Chinese culture knowledge trove today: Taiwan’s fledging music scene.
Davis made history by not only introducing Austin and the United States, but the entire world to KbN -the first Taiwanese band ever- to perform live at SXSW in 2008.
Snippet from archived article highlighting KbN (May 2008) from the Taipei Times:
Above- Bobo Chen, front left, Cheer Hsieh, front right, of KbN, with backing musicians, back row from left, Bob Moody, Jimmy Brettell, Nathan Davis and sound engineer Remi Huang, in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, May 17, 2008. Photo by Ron Brownlow
“When Cheer Hsieh (謝青翰) and Chet Liu (劉鎮) formed KbN (凱比鳥) in the late 1990s, they were just another group of guys with another punk band. Now, 10 years, several lineup changes and a major musical redirection later, the group made history when they played Saturday night at the Elysium club in Austin,...” – Click here for the full article.
The ‘Urban Teahouse Remix Project’: A work in progress
Davis' passion continues to pour into his current project today, ‘The Urban Teahouse Remix’, an electronic resampling of archival East Asian music with current studio recordings.
I’ll let Nathan Davis take it from here. I asked him to fill the gaps in my notes from Saturday, and he Facebook messaged me with a bit more than gap fillers.
Below is Davis’ story, straight from the tea ninja- in his own words- to you:
Urban Teahouse Remix Project: Resample, reinterpret East Asian music with modern digital tools, but remain true to its melodies, its roots
The project: "It's hard to sum it up in just a few lines, but basically it's been 'brewing' in my mind for quite some time. I've been working on blending many different aspects of Eastern and Western culture; ancient, modern etc.
I realized that in a time where there are so many electronic subgenres of ‘global’ music, there has yet to arise any true ventures into electronic resampling of East Asian music, and I don't mean ‘electronic sounding’ music, but utilizing modern digital tools for sampling and reinterpreting traditional East Asian sounds while remaining true to the essential aspects of its roots: the melodies, rhythms, etc.
Above and below- Davis -on his Djembe - jams Sufi music with Sucharit and Amlan.
'The Taichung Archives': 20-year-old Chinese folk music archives meet the modern studio, resampling
The samples come from what I'm calling 'The Taichung Archives', and they came from my good friend Alex Peng in Taichung, Taiwan. He used to be a well-established music producer in Taipei for radio, television and film before retiring.
We connected over the idea of the remix project because he had a similar vision several decades ago to do something similar in Taiwan.
Peng's vision led him to China, where he collected field samples of indigenous music from villages, and he also conducted studio recordings of traditional Chinese folk and traditional music.
He planned to create his own music from these samples, but just never got around to it.
When we connected, I told him that I wanted to do some studio recording with traditional musicians for the Urban Teahouse Remix Project, and he thought it would be easier just to help me create the project by passing along some samples from his extensive archive that he had already collected more than 20 years ago.
‘Scene’, not heard: Taiwan’s Indie art and music landscapes gain momentum without local, global support
As for the ‘independent arts and music scene’ in Taiwan I wouldn't say that it's nonexistent, just that it's extremely small and not very well supported.
Being from Austin, and having lived in Brighton, England, I was used to having tons of great independent arts, music, and events at my disposal, so I became very inclined to find ways to aid the budding scene in Taiwan.
This led me to bring the first Taiwanese band ever to SXSW in 2008.
The inspiration behind this was to help the independent music scene in Taiwan to grow by connecting with the rest of the world.
"They're basically starting this connection that will turn into something that's much bigger than themselves," said Nathan Davis, a Taipei-based musician who plays with KbN and organized their trip to Austin. "It's much bigger than just one band coming to play a show at South by Southwest."- Taipei Times Article, 2008
"But KbN's participation has added significance because the band is paving the way for other Taiwanese artists to play here in the future. A survey conducted by Austin Koop Radio Station found the station's listeners want to hear more independent music from Asia. And SXSW organizers are keen on putting together a Taiwanese showcase next year."- Taipei Times Article, 2008
Above- KbN played the Elysium club in Austin, Texas, on Saturday night becoming the first Taiwanese band to perform at the South by Southwest music festival, March 17, 2008. Photo by Ron Brownlow
Shifting back to the ‘Urban Teahouse Remix Project’....
This project left me extremely exhausted because there's still not a lot of support for this scene from within Taiwan.
It's still going to be along time before things really sink in while the artists and society at large in Taiwan gain a true perspective from this and realize its significance on a long-term global scale.
While participating in the underground arts scene in Taiwan I was really longing for a connection with traditional culture, something that the younger generations in Taiwan and Asia are not very interested in anymore.
Most of my Taiwanese artist friends think of traditional music, tea culture and things like Chinese Medicine, Taichi and Qigong to be things for old people.
They would tell me," 你是老人!" (Nǐ shì lǎorén!)
Literally, "You're an old man!" Haha.
Some of my Taiwanese friends even experienced brewing traditional tea for the first time with me. Seriously!!
I'd often be told that my close friends were more American than me, and I was more Taiwanese than them. (Jokingly of course, as for sure this is not literally the case)
So while being involved with the independent arts scene in Taiwan, I was never truly fulfilled by any of it.
A true blend between the ancient and the modern was missing, and this is what I've always truly longed for.
I went there out of an interest in Chinese healing philosophy and ancient wisdom, but working on pop-culture with no depth distracted me.
This is where I draw my inspiration to create movements to bridge Eastern and Western culture.
The idea is not only to draw upon ancient wisdom to inspire modern progressive culture in the West, but also to re-inspire the youth in the East to rediscover their own past & truly embrace the culture from which they come as they continue on their path as a modern society. Here's an article that details my first experiments in ‘Sound Art’ while in Asia....
Click here for full article, Sound Art: Like Music to Your Ears
"Davis - who has also played with KbN and visiting musicians like Austin, Texas and world music group Atash- will do an acoustic set using a Djembe hand drum and, possibly, a drum kit and/or some 'random objects.' He will improvise on the drums and run the beats through his Macbook Pro laptop computer. It's hard to describe exactly what this will sound like without using abstract words like 'textural,' 'dynamic' and 'Minimalist'."
article continued:
"I guess it's [Sound Art's] like a lot of things," said Davis, who sat down for an interview Wednesday night at Salt Peanuts Cafe in the Shida (師大) neighborhood, where he deejays on Friday nights. "You probably really like it or you really don't."
"'I'm going to basically sample myself live,' said Davis, who performs under the name (Sounds) In Transition. "Most people who didn't know what it was would probably use the word 'weird' to describe it.'"
"So what is the uninitiated listener supposed to do?"
"'As lame and cliched as it sounds, I guess just experience this,' said Davis."- article
As far as timing and release of the Urban Teahouse Remix Project...
I'd love to say ideally it would be done in a few months, and it will be accompanied by some sort of evolving multimedia and interpretive live performance projects but in reality, I can't say for sure at this point.
I'd just say.... keep an eye out for it. ;{D
- Nathan Davis
Find him on:
Twitter: @syndicatedtea
Facebook: The Tea Syndicate
Instagram: syndicatedtea
Blog: http://syndicatedtea.wordpress.com/
MicroAUSTIN: Funny how stories can literally fall into your hands
By Cali Bock
Big Ass Canvas' mission statement and snippets from their Facebook page
Big Ass Canvas is an artistic experience for the masses, created through the cooperative participation of the Austin public. It begins with the installation of a blank canvas 8.5 X 6 foot high in specific high-traffic areas of Austin: 'The Drag', South Congress, and the Pedestrian Bridge, as well as a final celebration.
Scattered around the canvas are all the materials needed to allow pedestrians to fully express their artistic creativity.
The four canvases will be auctioned off to raise money for Explore Austin at the final event.
Just like Joel D'Angelo- click here to view his previous post- it's collaborative, public art so bring an open mind and yourself.
When: 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. today
Where: In front of Tyler's on The Drag (Guadalupe Street)
Bring: yourself
Follow @bigasscanvas on Twitter or like their Facebook page
View Larger Map of Tyler's on the Drag.
I realized that that in a time where there are so many electronic subgenres of ‘global’ music, there has yet to arise any true ventures into electronic resampling of East Asian music, and I don't mean ‘electronic sounding’ music, but utilizing modern digital tools for sampling & reinterpreting traditional East Asian sounds, while remaining true to the essential aspects of its roots--the melodies, rhythms, etc.
Nathan Davis, of The 'Urban Tearoom', on his Urban Teahouse Remix Project, Davis' endeavor to unite Eastern and Western cultures through the remixing of archival, resampled East Asian music. Click here for the full article with photos.
“It [gardening] gives you a stillness. You’re in touch with your creation.”
QUOTE TO NOTE: John VanDeusen, the conceiver of the Food is Free project. Click here for the full article.
Ron Paul's Town Hall Message: less government intrusion, a 'bring em' home' military message, centralized foreign policy, 'X' the Patriot Act... oh yeah, and legalization of marijuana
MicroAUSTIN crowd candids
Photos by Cali Bock
Map Below: LBJ Library, the location of the Town Hall on Thursday.
View Larger Map
Meet the Allen R. Baca Center's Senior Writing Club: Authors, editors, publishers and promoters of their own collaborative novel, Putting it on Paper: In Our Own Words
By Cali Bock
(Round Rock, TX)-On Monday, 10 members of the Senior Writing Club met to autograph their newly-published book, Putting it on Paper: In Our Own Words.
"I don't want to be 70 years old and have a brain like a Disney vault," said member Sheryl Davie. "My grandmother, my mother and my older sister died from Alzheimers... it's [the book's] my legacy. It's for my son."
The book ($10 bought in-person, $11 on Amazon) represents each member's passionate contribution and includes:
-Memoirs
-Poems
-Short narratives
-Historical fictions
-Science fictions
According to group coordinator Serena Guin, the new read is an organic by-product that arose from their weekly meetings and each person's passion to publish -and ultimately archive - their voices and their lives.
"My husband worked for the CIA for 40 years," said Barbara Forsythe. "He helped design the civil defense siren in Canada, he flew in the Bay of Pigs Invasion ... I had an interesting life in Iran, Saigon, and I want people to know about it. I want to write it down."
Above: Barbara Forsythe
The jay-blue jacketed books whizzed down the table. The subtle 'crisp' 'flap' of page turning was the treble notes to the group's laughter as they animatedly shared stories of their global wanderings, war-time perceptions, musings and how they reflect that in their current work.
I turned to the group with admiration and said, "You guys are living history."
While reflecting I found that their writing wasn't only a vessel to illustrate their lives, but also that the variety of their prose -from the ambiguity of poetry to the fact-based science fiction- allows us to digest the culture of their times in such a dynamic manner.
Without conscious effort I found myself standing with Sheryl in the memory of her two-year-old son as he waved to the coal trains in West Virginia. It was bittersweet.
The industry took too many lives, she said, and her poem melds her supreme joy in the moment with her son with the bittersweet cultural facts of the 50s.
Enjoy.
A Bittersweet Memory [a memoir]
By Sheryl Davie, note- member of the Senior Writing Club
Loud and arousing
Unmistakably recognizable
Is the wail of the locomotive
Its pounding sound quivers in the air, warning humans of its massive power
Its potential damanging power
Whoo, whoo
Get out of my way
Here I come
My track, my track
Clickety clack, clickety clack
At the age of two my son Shawn was beginning to choose those items of everyday life that he enjoyed the most and coal trains were definitely one of them.
Short-term residents in West Virginia provided us with close proximity to the train tracks that travelled through the Appalachian range
Moving that hard dark fuel found deep in the West Virginia moutains
One of the most beautiful states I'd ever seen,
With its fountain of colorful foliage in the fall,
Soothing rivers and rocky stream,
Graceful waterfalls and winter snow landscapes
Its beauty always beaconed me to stay.
But with a dreadful economic background and a history of coal mining tragedies,
the always-present coal trains always reminded one of the wretched lives of the miners and their families.
Caught in an ever-repeating life of father to son work in dangers places,
lung problems, poor pay and the possibility of death always hanging over their heads,
like a guillotine that could drop at any moment.
At a train's whistle's first wail, Shawn would drop whatever he was doing.
His eyes would widen and his eyebrows arched,
"Train! Can we go?" He would ask in his toddler's high timber.
Often i would indulge him, and often we trotted down the four blocks around the car to where we could gaze at Mr. Peabody's coal train,
100 cars in length, charging hard along upward track, moving coal from the coal mines -not that far away-to somewhere unforeseen.
We waved to the engineer and giving us a hand back,
he would initiate the train's horn which sounded more like a howl than a whistle.
Whoo, whoo
At the end was the little red or yellow caboose, and more times than not,
it was inhabited by a conductor who would smile, give a brief wave to an idolizing youngster.
Even to this day, that charging sound of a train with its howling sound, pulls me back to West Virginia.
Its terra texture and its lonesome, long coal trains, drudging along the Appalachian Ridge.
That memory is bittersweet.
Sweet childhood thrills of train-waving,
and sad reminders of what the coal really represented.
Clickety clack, clickety clack
My track, my track.
Through their hilarity, bitter memories, stanzas and song, the group drizzles chocolate on the broccoli of history.
Click here to purchase Putting it on Paper: In Our Own Words on Amazon.com. Here's the only customer review thus far by Sally Gee:
Putting It On Paper: In Our Own Words, March 29, 2012
By
Sally Gee - See all my reviews
This review is from: Putting It On Paper: In Our Own Words (Paperback)
A quick, delightful read. Several authors share their personal stories, beautiful original poetry and some incredible fiction. Stories/poetry range from funny to extremely touching.
MicroAUSTIN Features Crú: A Wine Bar
By Jennifer Fougerousse
Austin is a city teeming with amazing restaurants and lively venues where cuisine is passion. Twice a year, our city organizes an event that promotes eating out: Austin Restaurant Week!
This biannual event allows participating restaurants to showcase their top items and create a three-course menu for guests to partake in at the low cost of $25 to $35 per outing.
I was fortunate enough to participate in this event at Crú: A Wine Bar. Walking into the bar/restaurant, you immediately see a quaint outdoor patio littered with small tables looking out on the beautiful Second Street District. Crú's doors were propped open with breezy curtains hanging to the side leading into a dimly lit bar where wine bottle lined the walls. A sliding latter connected to the wall allowed employees to retrieve bottles at the very top, giving it the feel of a organized bookstore.
A large bar to the left was stocked to capacity with various wine selections and to the right there was more seating available for their many customers.
The restaurant week menu allowed you to pick one item from the three course categories. Appetizer options included Crú House Salad, a Pan Seared Crab Cake, or Steamed Prince Edward Mussels.
Click here to view Cru's regular dinner menu
Still hungry?
Well good, because the entrees were prepared to fill you with Pan Roasted Chicken Piccada, Seared Salmon, or a Petite Filet.
Everyone saves room for dessert right? Choose Berries & Cream, Molten Lava Cake or Chocolate Fondue for Two!
With my belly full of delicious mussels, hearty chicken and scrumptious chocolate fondue, I still hadn’t gotten enough of Crú! I went back to interview Manuel Duenes, the General Manager of the wine bar, to get insight into the role they play in participating in ARW. He explained that while restaurant week is hectic, it’s mostly exciting because tons of new customers come to experience what they have to offer.
They have to be at the top of their game and make sure that they transform their new guests into repeat customers, and they do!
Since Crú is a wine bar, they make sure that their guests are introduced to the various wines that they carry.
“Every person from the novice wine drinker to the experienced and collector can find something that they’d really like,” Manuel said.
Crú’s staff makes sure that your perfect bottle will be selected and will compliment the food you decide to indulge in. After experiencing an incredible meal and engaging in conversation with the friendly staff of Crú, I will be sure to return!
Click here to check out their Austin Restaurant Week dinner and brunch menus, or just pop into the cozy little restaurant!
With everything Crú has to offer, I don't think you'll be disappointed.