Let me make some things clear. I am not the life of the party, I am not a social butterfly. I am perfectly content laying low and not stirring up the pot. I am, for the most part, a quiet person. Honestly, I think we are the most misunderstood group of people out there. Since this is a topic that is not likely to come up at a party, let me try to explain this breed of people in a lighthearted way.
Misconception number one is that quiet people are shy. Let me make one thing clear. I. AM. NOT. SHY!!! (Gee, no pent up anger there.) Shy people tend to have low self confidence and are afraid to speak up. Quiet people want to say things that are intelligent. They also don't want to regret saying something. So they ponder what they are going to say, then open their mouth.
Another misconception is that quiet people are deaf. Because we don't say a lot, that somehow means we cannot hear. I have never had to ask what the latest gossip is because people will blurt it out right in front of me. Quiet people are also really good at pretending not to hear you so you will keep talking and spill more beans.
Oh yeah, and to all you haters out there, quiet people are not stuck up. Quiet people are usually deep thinkers and can get lost in their thoughts without even realizing it. So if we don't say hi and ask how your day was the second you walk in the room, don't get offended. We are just deep in thought. If anything, I think quiet people are some of the best friends you will ever have. We really like it when people take the trouble to understand us and not judge us.
Just be careful, because once you get to know us, you will realize that quiet people really are not quiet at all. We just wait for the right opportunity to talk. And when that guard comes down, we all of the sudden have a ton of things to say.
Life life to the fullest,
Culture Girl
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Why Miss USA SUCKS!!! From a pageant girl.
I hate to admit it, I love pageants. I remember getting so excited as a little girl every time one would come on TV. I tried my hand at a few in high school, only to find out they were much tougher than they looked on TV. And deep down, I still dream of running for Mrs. Oklahoma one day. Probably once I'm done having kids. I have always admired the girls' ability to stay poised under immense pressure.
Last night was the Miss USA pageant, a pageant that used to stir a lot of excitement in me. I have not watched the pageant in years and the only reason I did was because my husband switched to it. I think he thought I wanted to watch it. I was quickly reminded why I have shunned this pageant for so many years. Honestly, it is more a big commercial for Mr. Trump's buddies than anything. Ads, ads, and oh, wait, we have to select the top eight. Okay, continue with the ads.
Let's talk about the judging panel. Talk about the most unqualified bunch of people. They are a far cry from the talent agents and dance instructors who judged pageants of old. Are you trying to tell me that Tyson Chandler is qualified to tell if a girl is poised or not? Or a Real Housewives of Wherever person? I think those housewife girls (not women) are the antithesis of poise. This probably explains the questionable winners year after year. The most poised and confident girl out there, Miss Texas, got fourtth. While Alabama and Tennessee placed higher while bumbling through their questions. Personally, I don't think the winner's question was that hard. I heard the medical marijuana question back in high school way back when Miss Hawaii won Miss USA and Miss Universe. I have found in numerous pageants everywhere, the winner is usually the one who gets the easiest question.
Oh, and what was up with the American Idol like selection of finalists? "Group number one, you are moving on, group number two, sorry." That totally sucked. Go back to saying who goes on one by one.
When you have a joke of a format like this, it about guarantees that a Miss USA will NEVER win Miss Universe ever again. Countries in Latin America are obsessed with pageants and know how to pick a winner. Year after year, Miss USA looks like a toddler next to women in Miss Universe. Can we forget that Miss USA fell two years in a row? Just turn to Univision and see how obsessed they are. Nuestra Belleza Latina (Our Latin Beauty) is a huge hit. Venezuela churns out winners year after year. I guess Trump cares more about ratings than creating a winner.
I have always believed that real talent competitions do not care whether they get TV ratings or not. The best pageants will never see the light of day. Just like the best singing competitions are the ones not on television. What? You thought American Idol was a real singing competition? HAHAHAHA!!!
Live life to the fullest,
Culture girl
Last night was the Miss USA pageant, a pageant that used to stir a lot of excitement in me. I have not watched the pageant in years and the only reason I did was because my husband switched to it. I think he thought I wanted to watch it. I was quickly reminded why I have shunned this pageant for so many years. Honestly, it is more a big commercial for Mr. Trump's buddies than anything. Ads, ads, and oh, wait, we have to select the top eight. Okay, continue with the ads.
Let's talk about the judging panel. Talk about the most unqualified bunch of people. They are a far cry from the talent agents and dance instructors who judged pageants of old. Are you trying to tell me that Tyson Chandler is qualified to tell if a girl is poised or not? Or a Real Housewives of Wherever person? I think those housewife girls (not women) are the antithesis of poise. This probably explains the questionable winners year after year. The most poised and confident girl out there, Miss Texas, got fourtth. While Alabama and Tennessee placed higher while bumbling through their questions. Personally, I don't think the winner's question was that hard. I heard the medical marijuana question back in high school way back when Miss Hawaii won Miss USA and Miss Universe. I have found in numerous pageants everywhere, the winner is usually the one who gets the easiest question.
Oh, and what was up with the American Idol like selection of finalists? "Group number one, you are moving on, group number two, sorry." That totally sucked. Go back to saying who goes on one by one.
When you have a joke of a format like this, it about guarantees that a Miss USA will NEVER win Miss Universe ever again. Countries in Latin America are obsessed with pageants and know how to pick a winner. Year after year, Miss USA looks like a toddler next to women in Miss Universe. Can we forget that Miss USA fell two years in a row? Just turn to Univision and see how obsessed they are. Nuestra Belleza Latina (Our Latin Beauty) is a huge hit. Venezuela churns out winners year after year. I guess Trump cares more about ratings than creating a winner.
I have always believed that real talent competitions do not care whether they get TV ratings or not. The best pageants will never see the light of day. Just like the best singing competitions are the ones not on television. What? You thought American Idol was a real singing competition? HAHAHAHA!!!
Live life to the fullest,
Culture girl
Sunday, June 5, 2011
How to Find and Eat at an Authentic Restaurant
I will admit it. I am a big time foodie. Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern are always on my DVR list. I am one of those weirdos that takes pictures of my food and posts them online. I pride myself in knowing the ins and outs of different cultural food. However, I live in Oklahoma, where chain restaurants tend to be the norm. When I say these places are not authentic, I get evil looks from their loyal followers. I even had somebody challenge me with a "How do you know?" response. To be fair, most of my knowledge came from my husband who is not from here. Before I met him, I thought Applebees was the best place to eat. Now, I could not even tell you what the best place to eat is because there are so many. So to respond to the "How do you know? reponse, here are my tips on finding a great place and ordering the right thing.
Do your research
I always go to sites like Urbanspoon to get reviews and view the menu before I ever set foot in a place. While you might have an exaggerater here and there, these sights do tend to be accurate. I also get ideas from local papers. In OKC, we have an independent paper called the Oklahoma Gazette that features local restaurants. I found a great tea and coffee place, a Peruvian restaurant, and seafood place just by thumbing through the Gazette.
Look for natives
If you walk into an Indian restaurant and see a lot of women wearing saries and people speaking in Hindi, that is a GREAT sign. Natives want food that reminds them of home and they will avoid a place that does not make it right. I have seen my father in law throw a fit at too many restaurants to know that this is a fact. I get super excited when I am the palest person and the only person speaking English.
If you don't know the cuisine, find somebody who does
When I try a cuisine for the first time, I don't take a shot in the dark. When it comes to Chinese, I am more than happy to let my father in law rattle away in Cantonese to the waitstaff because I know he is ordering what he ate back in Hong Kong. If you don't have the luxury of having a friend, ask the waitstaff for a recommendation or read reviews to see what people like. Don't be the idiot who orders the most Americanized item on the menu. I swear, I see this scene EVERY TIME we go to an Asian restaurant. There will be somebody who orders sweet and sour chicken and fried rice when our table is feasting on crab, prawns, and fresh, sauteed vegetables. Seeing that processed ick next to fresh food makes me want to gag.
Don't be a wimp
My mother always taught me, if you have never tried it, how can you say you don't like it? Being in a landlocked state, I am always amazed at how fearful people are of seafood. I also cannot stand the attitude of, "If I am not used to it, it must suck." Trying new foods will test your palate. It may seem a little weird to you at first. But take another bite for crying out loud!!! You may find you like it. Granted, some things you may never acquire a taste for. I'm still not a fan of tripe or chicken feet, but I have given them a fair shot and if somebody prepared them a different way I would try them again.
The bottom line is, trying new food is a ton of fun. Plus, you help local businesses stay alive. Go ahead, wait an hour to get into Chili's on a Friday night. I'll be going to a local joint where I can get right in. And don't tell me you can't do it. My daughter is only one year old and she has eaten more ethnic cuisine than people much older than her. So go out there and try that taco stand on the street corner. You might be their most loyal customer after one bite.
Live life to the fullest,
Culture Girl
Do your research
I always go to sites like Urbanspoon to get reviews and view the menu before I ever set foot in a place. While you might have an exaggerater here and there, these sights do tend to be accurate. I also get ideas from local papers. In OKC, we have an independent paper called the Oklahoma Gazette that features local restaurants. I found a great tea and coffee place, a Peruvian restaurant, and seafood place just by thumbing through the Gazette.
Look for natives
If you walk into an Indian restaurant and see a lot of women wearing saries and people speaking in Hindi, that is a GREAT sign. Natives want food that reminds them of home and they will avoid a place that does not make it right. I have seen my father in law throw a fit at too many restaurants to know that this is a fact. I get super excited when I am the palest person and the only person speaking English.
If you don't know the cuisine, find somebody who does
When I try a cuisine for the first time, I don't take a shot in the dark. When it comes to Chinese, I am more than happy to let my father in law rattle away in Cantonese to the waitstaff because I know he is ordering what he ate back in Hong Kong. If you don't have the luxury of having a friend, ask the waitstaff for a recommendation or read reviews to see what people like. Don't be the idiot who orders the most Americanized item on the menu. I swear, I see this scene EVERY TIME we go to an Asian restaurant. There will be somebody who orders sweet and sour chicken and fried rice when our table is feasting on crab, prawns, and fresh, sauteed vegetables. Seeing that processed ick next to fresh food makes me want to gag.
Don't be a wimp
My mother always taught me, if you have never tried it, how can you say you don't like it? Being in a landlocked state, I am always amazed at how fearful people are of seafood. I also cannot stand the attitude of, "If I am not used to it, it must suck." Trying new foods will test your palate. It may seem a little weird to you at first. But take another bite for crying out loud!!! You may find you like it. Granted, some things you may never acquire a taste for. I'm still not a fan of tripe or chicken feet, but I have given them a fair shot and if somebody prepared them a different way I would try them again.
The bottom line is, trying new food is a ton of fun. Plus, you help local businesses stay alive. Go ahead, wait an hour to get into Chili's on a Friday night. I'll be going to a local joint where I can get right in. And don't tell me you can't do it. My daughter is only one year old and she has eaten more ethnic cuisine than people much older than her. So go out there and try that taco stand on the street corner. You might be their most loyal customer after one bite.
Live life to the fullest,
Culture Girl
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)