Day three goes to Brooklyn, New York. While writing these I realized I could write about dozens of defining food moments during my time in New York. Kayla’s 27th birthday weekend alone– a true food extravaganza– included four of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had. Perhaps, I will write these vignettes next.
As many bagels as I’ve eaten, I really struggled finding any photos of them. This goes to show how eager I was to dig in– I didn’t even take the time to snap a pic! Instead, here are some pictures from Kayla’s birthday weekend. I really do have to write about these meals…
This next excerpt is one of my favorites! Although this particular memory is from Bergen, it represents many happy shrimp moments with family and friends. Bonus pictures at the end!
This past semester I completed a “food writing” course at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. For my final project I created a book that illustrates the most influential cities in my life and the dishes that represent each place. Each page describes how these places have influenced my palate. Some dishes taught my tongue a new taste, while others strengthened relationships or created traditions. But what they all have in common is their strong influence over who I am today. They hold a nostalgic presence– each page revealing a new food experience– dishes working together to collectively define me. Flipping through the pages begins to outline my own foodways– what I eat and how that’s influenced by where I’ve been.
It’s my intention that if you are familiar with the dishes, your own food memories flood into mind when viewing this piece. If you are unfamiliar, I hope you will be enticed to try something new. I strive to bring forward nostalgic notes while tempting taste buds. These pages will reveal a bit about myself, but I also hope to provide a mirror for you to reflect on your own food journey– to begin imagining the dishes that define you.
I have decided to share a few pages of the book on here– in lieu of travel posts since we are all stuck at home these days. In celebration of my last week of classes at MIAD, I am starting with Milwaukee, Wisconsin! Hope you all enjoy, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of the book!
Hunted by all types, but only caught by the fittest and the swiftest: overhead space.
Overhead space has become something revered by all passengers. As airlines began fully booking flights, the struggle to find enough overhead space became REAL. There is nothing worse than boarding the plane with your roller bag, only to find it doesn’t fit in the seemingly always shrinking overhead compartments. As I said in my previous post, I usually board the plane first. This means I get to oversee people using, and more importantly misusing the overhead space. Here are a few rules that I think should be followed when regarding overhead space on airplanes:
Get your essentials out of your bag before you board the plane. This will allow you to put your bag up, sit down, buckle up, and not have to hold up the boarding process because you forgot your KitKat and travel pillow overhead.
On a similar note, act quickly. There is a whole line of people behind you who are holding their bags, overheating as they yell at their screaming children to quiet down, and they can’t move until you do. Don’t be that person that holds everyone up.
You don’t have to put your luggage in your specific overhead space. So grab it while you can… it’s never easy to back track and push you’re way back up the aisle to use that overhead compartment you passed.
If it fits under your seat, put it under your seat.
If the compartment is deep enough put your bag in lengthwise to save room.
Be aware of your surroundings. I have seen too many people whack their neighbor with their luggage as they put it into the overhead compartment. Ouch.
Help your neighbors. If you see an old lady or gentlemen struggling to lift their luggage up, be a good citizen and HELP THEM.
Lastly, if you’re cheap-o depot and bring an extra big carry on bag because you don’t want to pay the $25 to check it, (I don’t judge you), plane-side check your bag before you get on the plane. If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t fit. I took physics in high school… so I’d know. And if you don’t want to plane-side check your bag… learn a new and more efficient way to pack! [Packing tutorial coming soon!]
Alexandra Upadhyaya 