Dosey-Doe at the Houston Rodeo

From the moment you walk into the rodeo fair grounds the smell of fried deliciousness fills your nostrils.  My friend Lauren and I started with some Tornado Fries.  Thin sliced fried kettle potatoes.

The chips made an excellent appetizer, they were light and easy to eat as we people watched. I also suggest washing it down with some Raspberry or Peach Sweet Tea as we did.

After we finished off a plate of fries we went for the best bar-b-que brisket at Goode’s Co. When ordering they give you the option of getting your sandwich on homemade jalapeño cheese bread, go for the jalapeno bread.

The rodeo also offers your traditional “fair food”, nachos, pretzels, hot dogs and cotton candy.

But with the bar-b-que on every corner I suggest skipping that and going for the chicken leg, extra big sausage, grilled corn on the cob or fried onions.

After an evening of Rodeo in Houston it was time to get weird in Austin. But before leaving the traditional southern comfort of Houston we stopped for some Kolache’s which are essentially doughy bread filled with various cheeses or meats, it can also have fruit filling.

Yo quiero mas queso

The drive to Austin from Houston was about three hours, but it was an easy ride with little traffic (at least from my perspective of traveling between New York and Washington D.C.). On arrival it was naturally time to eat again. Austin has a lot of local restaurants that pride themselves on using only local grown food.

Kerbey Lane Cafe is on Guadalupe Street near the main campus area of the University of Texas.  The atmosphere is expected of a college town restaurant, local artist can sell their work that hangs on the walls, there are large windows to look out and people watch as you enjoy their famous queso. Well, it might not be famous, but it should be. The Kerby queso is a series of layers that make the ultimate dip. On top, pico de gallo, then a think layer of white queso and finally delicious Guacamole, of course served with chips and salsa.

For dinner that night we went to Iron Cactus Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar just off 6th Street. Since we were keeping it casual sitting at the patio bar area was the perfect choice. There they offer small plates and drinks.  If your a beer drinker Texas is all about its native Shiner Bock.  But at Iron Cactus go for the margarita, it’s strong, it’s tasty and it’s on the rocks.

Coffee on the Water

Mozart Coffee Roasters sits along Lake Austin. With a large patio, and equally spacious enclosed sun room you can always catch a glimpse of the glistening water and large houses the surround the lake. A picturesque morning or afternoon makes this the perfect brunch place. If only they offered more brunch options. When we arrived at 11am on a Wednesday there was little to choose from for breakfast other than a bagel with cream cheese. I am more of an egg person than a pastry or bagel person so I went for a veggie quiche.  Overall I suggest going to Mozart, the serenity of Lake Austin makes it worth a trip and if you go later for lunch they offer more in terms of sandwiches, salads and delicious pastries.

Food Trucks

Living in Washington, DC I know all about food trucks, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a variety of food trucks in Austin. I went for the Thai Truck since I was in a green curry mood. Food trucks a must when exploring Austin, because as I said Texas is all about the food.

To begin there are a few things to know.  First, the class distinctions in Egypt are stark. In many places the lines between lower, middle and upper class are often blurred, in Egypt they are clearly delineated. Egypt’s lower class citizens are mainly homeless and are very visible to the general public who visit or live in the city of Cairo. To compare the homeless population of New York City to the lower class in Cairo would not be a fair analogy.  American travelers to Cairo (myself being one of them) have found that hords of homeless children follow tourists and beg for money. Second, the middle class is a little better off, in terms of being able to live in a house, but many still struggle with employment issues, especially in the past ten years. The middle class citizen attend public schools and most family members work to provide for the entire household. Finally, the biggest jump in class separation comes between the middle and upper class as the upper class people hire the middle class citizens as maids and cooks, attend private schools (from elementary school through university), and they go on vacations away from the city during the hot summer months, usually to Sharm El-Sheikh, a resort town you may recognize as being Hosni Mubarak’s place of exhile.

Fear

I was surprised, yet half expected it when I first heard of the protest in Egypt.  I was not surprised that the people of Egypt were calling for revolution and new leadership, I mean it’s about time. Hosni Mubarak held power for 30 years and used the Egyptian’s money in selfish ways leaving the people with very little and a substandard lifestyle. For example, donkey’s pull large carts to pick up garbage.  Then that garbage is left in heaps in various parts of the city to decompose.

And on the other hand I was shocked that protests were going through the streets. Mainly because regimes like Mubarak’s rely on fear and repression.  The people of Egypt have lived in fear of the government for years. I also believe that other governments have lived in fear of Hosni Mubarak as well. The United States of America has been a notorious enabler of the Egyptian authority.

The fear can come in many forms, but what I remember from my trip to Egypt in 2005 is that people fear the military personnel holding machine guns. They stand on every corner.  I think the threat to America is not in that fear of military presence but what can be done with weapons of war in the hands of an angry dictator.

The People

There have been two forms of protest in the past 20 day. The visible protest of people in the streets and in Tahrir Square.  These people are the middle and lower class citizens who seek fairness in governance and employment. The other protest, a cyber lead by the upper class, educated, youth of Cairo. Many found their voice on Twitter and Facebook, and helped spread this revolution to a global level.

So today we look towards the future. The people are calling for a new way of life, for fairness. It will be interesting how the new Egypt will bring the different social groups or social classes together.  It has been said that the people of Egypt are reluctant to seek help from President Obama because they want to move away from ideas of the past, ideas President Obama worked with Mubarak to create. Another question that resonates is in the peoples’ curiosity.  How will their ideas, fears, and wants play into the reshaping their nation? Will Cairo achieve democracy or will it follow in the footsteps of East Berlin?

London

The magic of London is not hidden, you can see it just by walking down Oxford Street. The little side streets towards Bentwick Market and St. Christopher’s Place are proof that this city holds some of the best kept secrets in the world. The streets all tell a story, whether it is of the local coffee shop or the escapes of Jack the Ripper. And even the most local of Londoners still don’t know every crevice of the city.

Paris

The beauty is in the air, it’s in the people, it’s in the ever present aroma of fresh baked croisants and baguettes. Not to mention the Eiffel Tower that stands at 324 meters (1,603 feet) high. Paris is incredible you can take a leisurely walk along the Seine during a sunny spring day, relax in one of the many parks, Luxembourg Park is my favorite, or just sip wine while taking in a view from Champ de Mars.

Rome

Pizza Pizza Pizza! Need I say more? Rome has all the character of a large city but it is easy to get around and is deceivingly small. And of course the food is amazing, the people are friendly and the history that accompanies this city is only comparable to the next city on the list…

Athens

While this city has the history to keep it on the top of some list, it is not one of my favorite cities. But I do appreciate the effort Greece! The people in Athens are not the friendliest and there are times when you don’t feel safe even in the most touristy of areas. Athens has recently been under renovations as reconstruction to the Parthenon and other monumental buildings takes place. Despite my dislike for the renovations, the city is nice for walking around and climbing the surrounding mountains, the peaks offer some of the best views I’ve ever seen!

Brussels

For the capital of Europe some would expect this to be the greatest of all cities. Well sadly it’s not. The fact is Brussel’s does not try to be the best, the locals know they are special because frankly it is a special place. I mean leaders from the entire European Union meet in this very place to discuss the most important matters of the world. I guess that gives the city bonus points. And the people are so un-phased by tourist or even pop-culture. They simply live to the beat of their own drum.

New York

What can I say about New York? It is a baby compared to the other cities. But there might be something to that, New York doesn’t have the hidden streets like London, the historic landmarks of Rome and Athens or even a fresh aroma. Truth be told, New York can smell, it’s loud, if you wear sandals outside you should probably clean your feet when get home.  But there is something special, a spark. The lights of Broadway glimmer at all hours, the people are actually super friendly-just make sure you catch them after their morning coffee. Since New York is the baby of this group of cities it has learned from the mistakes of others.  The streets are actually big enough so a double decker bus can fit through without the threat of hitting the person on the pavement and the diversity of people you meet in New York is incomparable.

If you like cities as much as I do the next time you venture into an unknown metropolis take a minute and notice the feelings of the city. Every city has an aura. You can feel the vibe as you walk down the street. Sometimes the best thing to do is to just get lost and see where the city leads you. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.