Food Culture in my Household

After viewing the presentation on the different Jewish food rules, I found it very interesting and thought about how different it was to my own culture. I am Hispanic, or more specifically Mexican, although I was born in the United States. My mother is from Mexico and she was born there while my father was born in the United States. His family was from the area of Mexico in which my mother grew up.

After my parents were married, they came to the United States. However, their cultures and traditions still live on in our household. For example, we make many Mexican dishes. One of my favorites is called Arroz con Leche. We tend to make this dish when we want to relax or have some sort of vacation. It's been a while since I've had it but it's definitely an important dish to my family.

A part of our culture is pretty obvious to most people. We eat lots of beans and rice as well as meats. We use tortillas for nearly every meal. Usually we would gather with family for dinner. However, most of my family lives in Mexico and so it is just my parents, my brother and sister, and I. I think most of the foods we eats might not be too healthy, but all in all, they are still very good.

Global Warming Presentation Reaction

The presentation on global warming on Monday was definitely an eye opener for me. I had heard a lot about the topic, but I had never looked into it at all. I liked that there were many scientific reasons as to why it was not simply the Earth's natural cycle and that it may actually be us and our actions that are causing the Earth to warm up.

An important part that was brought to my attention was the part about the difference in temperatures. If the Earth gets warmer - even by just a few degrees - it may affect us in a negative way. As mentioned, it may get harder to harvest crops and to grow things because the soil may dry out, making it unfertile. Even if it is very difficult to change our lifestyle because it requires a slight bit of effort on our part, it is extremely important that we do so. If not, the lifestyle that we live now may not be as comfortable anymore. A few degrees of change does not seem like a lot. However, once we looked at the past of how the Earth was when it was a few degrees colder, we can easily see the difference - much of North America being covered in a layer of ice.

The farming and agriculture part of the presentation is extremely important because global warming has a huge effect on agriculture. I figured that global warming would only affect the weather or something of that sort, but this entire presentation opened my eyes. I really enjoyed it and think that if more people were aware that we are the cause of the Earth's warming, maybe something would be done about it.

Ironic Video Games

It was mind-blowing to find that video games that we all play are very ironic. I think the presentation on Wednesday was very interesting actually, something that caught my attention. This was probably because of the fact that we could all relate to it. All of us had played some sort of video game, but I'm pretty sure that none of us had ever really stopped to think about the message that the makers were trying to get across or even the shocking culture revelations.

I very much enjoyed the examples of Bioshock and Grand Theft Auto, personally because I had played those games before. However, while I played those games, I had never stopped to think about the irony behind it all. For example, Grand Theft Auto had many parody-type factors that played into it. In class we went over the commercials that appeared in the game. When you are playing, you never really pay attention to things like this. Instead, we simply move on with the game and the goals set out for us. But the songs shown actually do contain a message that can be shared with everyone.

There was a message about fast food restaurants and this was interesting to me because it was a reflection of real life. We had heard many scandals about the food industry and the way that it worked so it was fascinating to see that even in media such as video games, we can see messages reflected there. The injecting of hormones into chickens in the song of the restaurant (whose name I cannot seem to remember right now) was very alike to how fast food restaurants operate. I remember hearing a lot about how McDonald's would crush the chicken completely and use every single part of it, even the eyes and the beak and everything to make chicken nuggets. Of course, this was something that we all tend to ignore - even I ignored it because I love chicken nuggets.

Even if we see all of these messages in our video games, I can't help but to think that the majority of us simply ignore them. It may be funny because we relate to it, but seemingly at the end of the day, we only care about beating our game and moving onto the next one.

Eating at a Korean Restaurant

There are many different restaurants around Kalamazoo from different cultures and although a list of the different ones were provided for our literature class, I decided to do something a little different. My friend had told me about how she had been working at a Korean restaurant in Kalamazoo, a small shabby place that seemed to be a bit of a ghost on the street. I hadn't really noticed it before but it caught my eye once and noticed the name was Lee's Garden.

I went with my friend to this restaurant  few weeks ago actually, before we were actually assigned to eat at a culture-rich restaurant, and I've got to say that I very much enjoyed it. I can't quite remember what I ordered, but I do know that it was a bit different than what I was used to. To start off, they gave us an appetizer called Kimchi - something I'm not even entirely sure what it was. It looked strange and was extremely cold! It surprised me because the red color fooled me into thinking it would be cold.

Afterwards, our plates came and my friend had ordered some type of noodles. They were a bit spicy and had a side of fried rice, much like Chinese restaurants. My meal was some sort of meat, a bit spicy as well but not too much as my friend's noodles were. I think my meal was far better than hers and I also got a side of fried rice - which was a huge amount actually. I couldn't finish it myself.

During our meal, my friend's boss came over to talk to us. Her English was not fluent enough to have a full-blown conversation but she asked us if the meal was alright and we nodded our heads as a yes. She seemed pleased and urged us to eat more. At the end of our trip, we ended up talking to her a bit more and thanking her for the lovely meal. She rewarded us with a free bottle for each of us of an Aloe drink. All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience and my stomach was satisfied.

Midwestern Writers on Food with Peggy Wolfe & Bonnie Jo Campbell

The event that I attended was the Midwestern Writers on Food. Of course, I had no idea what I was getting into and had no idea what to expect other than the fact that it would have to do with food - obviously. However, I was surprised to find that the event had very little to do with literature at all and mostly had to do with food itself. What was discussed was food and different recipes as well as different ways of cooking things such as fudge or even what to use for the crust of pie (Crisco was agreed to be the best).

There was very little reading done or discussion over the book that the author held in her hand - a book I had never read - and so it was difficult for me, personally, to follow along. I did notice that the audience was mostly composed of elderly ladies who knew so much about how to cook - something I am nowhere near an expert in.

Something that did stick out to me, however, was that these ladies held experiences that were quite admirable. It is unfortunate that our generation was unable to experience the things that they did, the way that they tasted fudge in such a way that we did not. They were able to remember the texture, food making up a major part of their lives, unlike the generation of today where technology reigns. It is unbelievable and sometimes you wish that things would not have changed so much so that you could have beautiful memories the way that they did.

All in all, what I took away from this meeting is not something that had to do with food or literature at all, no. Instead, it made me want to appreciate the simple things that existed, that I would appreciate my childhood and would have something to talk about with such love in the future the way that these ladies talked about food, smiles adorning their features. It was something truly admirable.

Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya - Discovering New Foods

In Kamala Markandaya's story, Nectar in a Sieve, we often come across different foods. However, there is so much that you can barely keep track! Even so, most of the names of the foods were foreign to me and so I decided to take a look at what each of them were. For example, she mentions the food in her garden, "the beans, the brinjals, the chillies and the pumpkin vine."

The first food that I searched up was brinjal since I had never heard it before. However, I realized that it was more familiar than foreign. Brinjal is just another word for eggplant. In South Asia, the plant is referred to as brinjal instead of as eggplant and there are other name variations as well, such as augerbine, garden egg, guinea squash, or melongene. It simply depends on the area that you come from.

The descriptions of food in the text are simply amazing and detailed in such a way that they make you hungry as well. "Between us we prepared mounds of rice, tinting it with saffron and frying it in butter; made hot curries from chillies and dhal; mixed sweet, spicy dishes of jaggery and fruit; broiled fish; roasted nuts over the fire; filled ten gourds with coconut milk; and cut plantain leaves on which to serve the food."

This description is pretty fantastic and some of dishes I was unsure about. I searched up what saffron is and ended up getting the location of an Indian Cuisine restaurant in Kalamazoo called Saffron. However, after looking a bit more, I realized it was a spice commonly known as Saffron Crocus. It is one of the costliest spices by weight and originates in Greece and Southwest Asia. It is said to smell like hay and make foods appear a golden color.

Curry is another dish I was uncertain of. I had heard of it before but never before had I bothered to see what it consisted of. Curries are dishes usually from Southern Asian countries. They consist mainly of spices and herbs or dried chillies, making it somewhat spicy. The spices put into the curry is either whole or ground and the dish can be cooked or raw. Curry can contain meat, poultry, or seafood.

Dhal is something else that was mentioned throughout the book quite a lot. I found that it can also be spelled as Dal and is actually lentils or dried lentils, peas, or beans that have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. Dhal refers to a thick stew so I am imagining that Dhal would be like lentil soup, something that is common to eat in Mexico as well - something I ate when I was younger. I think all of these foods may sound fancy but they are in relation to what we eat everyday as well - unless all you eat is fast food, then that's a different story...

Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya (Page 1 - 50)

The story that I chose is called Nectar in a Sieve, written by Kamala Markandaya. I was not completely interested in the book at first, but once I started reading it, it became more and more interesting to me. I really enjoyed the way in which the story was written, from the character's point of view. It was also extremely descriptive and it kept my attention while I was reading.

The story is told from our main character's point of view - Ruku, which is Rukmani for short. She is telling her story from the present so she gives us a look at her past which seems pretty sweet in comparison to the bitter present. Her husband is already dead and so it is quite sad how she starts off, telling of how she can feel her husband still with her beside her. I think it would be very sad to experience something like this. I don't think I would be able to live without my husband after having spent so much time with him.

The rest of the first fifty pages starts telling the story of how they got married, their marriage starting off when Ruku was only 12 years old. She mentions how she was married beneath her, to a poor farmer because she had little money and no dowry to offer. It was also said that she was scared of her new life. However, throughout the story, her husband seemed very loving and nice to her, always being sure to take care of her. He had made their house himself and he comforted her when she needed it. Although she was very inexperienced nor did she have the looks apparently, he never put her down and he treated her well.

She also made a few friends from the village who would talk to her and tell her things, which is how she found out about her husband having made their house. Even later, she has to help her friend deliver her child although the girl - whose name I cannot remember (many of the names are difficult to remember) - did not want her to be present for her childbirth. Ruku learns very much and her husband even comments that she had grown into a woman after only the first month, having learned many things and even how to grow things. One of the things I thought was cute was when she grew a pumpkin and she was very proud of it, much like a child would be, although she is of course a child.

Hunger Games Ch. 6 - 18

For this part of the book, I was definitely anxious to get straight to the action. My favorite parts of the book are in the last third of it. However, in this section we get to see how they train and a small peak of what may happen in the future. Peeta and Katniss both have to show their skills when training and we can see that they both have some survival skills - things that will come in handy once they get into the real games. One of the biggest parts, however, is the part where they get their scores for showing the Gamemakers their skills. Because of Katniss's spunk and attitude, she earns herself a higher score than the rest while Peeta is left with a smaller score, surprising everyone. However, this will make her the prey of the rest of the competitors since taking down the best is the best method to keep from being killed by them.

Another part that we get to see is when they get their interviews and Peeta spills out his feelings for Katniss. Now for this part, I saw it coming from the moment Peeta was introduced in the book since a cliché love story is always there for teen literature. I personally don't like the idea of just sprinkling in a romance story when it could be focusing more on the seriousness of the games. And of course we get this sort of conflicted Katniss since she claims not to love Peeta and thinks herself self-sufficient, but obviously she will fall for him at some point. At one part she even says, "For some reason Gale and Peeta do not coexist well together in my thoughts." So, we can already see what may come in the future - or what I'm guessing at least.

Once the games start, it's all killing and survival and basically the weaker, not-too-important-characters are killed off. The only parts that I favor at this point are the moments between Katniss and the little girl named Rue since I find it endearing. What's funny though is that Katniss neglected to trust Peeta when he was being nice because she claimed that he was only trying to think of ways to kill her while with Rue she easily gave in and treated her like part of her family. The relationship between them is similar to her relationship with her own sister, making it an important one since Prim is Katniss's weakness. The fact that Rue dies in the end is rather unfortunate and probably the best part of the book since it was realistic in a way and touching to see that Katniss still put flowers all around her to honor her.

After this we are left at the beginning of part three where the victor is to be decided. However, this time Katniss is to team up with Peeta to win.

Hunger Games Ch. 1 - 5

I had already read the Hunger Games before back in high school so it felt like a nice break to be able to relax and read something that actually captured my attention.

The first five chapters had to do mostly with the Reaping, the event held each year to choose one girl and one boy from each district to compete in what they called the Hunger Games. In these games they would kill each other until there was only one winner left and that person would be the only one who could return home to their district. 

Our main character is Katniss and she ends up volunteering for her sister Prim who was selected to be one of the fighters for their district. We can easily see that Katniss is extremely protective of her sister and will do anything to make sure that she is safe and sound. Katniss has a weak spot and that only weak spot is Prim so she sacrifices herself to save her little sister and enlists herself in the games instead. I can see why people would like this book since that relationship is pretty idealistic and humane. We don't usually see people sacrificing themselves for each other these days and to be honest, that part is very sad to me. It is sad to see that the family will be possibly torn apart. I know that personally I could never withstand something like that. I would not want to see my family hurt like that and especially since Katniss and her family had already lost their father. 

In the end, I feel like reading this a second time will actually be quite enjoyable since I love the plot. The only thing I don't quite enjoy is how predictable it is despite the suspense thy try to put into the story. 

A Family Forced Apart

I had only ever heard about the book The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, but never thought much of it. However, after reading through the assigned chapters, fourteen through twenty, I was extremely shocked, but not only that. I was extremely depressed. I could not imagine the feelings that Jurgis had to go through while he attempted to protect his family. It felt so unjust to see how his wife had basically been forced into having sex with her boss over and over again for months. It was sad because it reminded me of the story by Rigoberta Menchu Tum where she mentioned that her friend was asked to become the boss's mistress and when she refused, she was quickly "taken care of."

It was so unjust as well to see how Jurgis was taken out of his job and punished by being sent to jail while Connor - Ona's boss - was able to carry on as though nothing happened. I actually felt hatred for Connor after the fact that he raped Ona but even more so after he was ruining Jurgis and his family's life by keeping them out of jobs. I only then understood the meaning of the title since it really was a jungle that they were living in. Everyone was acting like animals but more like predators, looking for things to devour for their own personal gain.

I initially was expecting to see more of the struggles at the meat industry, but I was drawn more to the portion about Jurgis and his family. It was upsetting to see how the immigrants were treated after they came in search for something more, something better than what they had before. However, as we can easily see, they only got worse. I was especially upset after seeing that Ona died after giving birth, the baby dying as well. I can understand why Jurgis would drink then but I was still thinking that he probably should have saved the few dollars that were made from working instead of spending them on liquor...

Bad Treatment & Disgusting Conditions...

Something I noticed right off the bat is that this reading definitely ties in to what we have been discussing in class. For one part, it has a lot to do with food. However, there is also a portion of the book that is dedicated to immigrants and the conditions that they have to face as well as the treatment that they get after coming to America to "get big." This is obviously a common thing and it ties to our other readings of immigrant workers getting mistreated. I felt bad to read about the family's living conditions since it held a bad stench and it seemed revolting to be living as though it were something normal. I know I would never last in a dump like the one they were forced to live in. Not only this, but later they were cheated into buying a new place to live and it was not as nice as it was advertised either.

The part about the immigrants, however, did not get the best of me. It was only the third chapter and we already see that things are getting disgusting by the way Jurgis has to deal with the meat packing industry at work. There were sanitation rules but they were not being followed at all and I was grossed out by the fact that several of the animals were not getting checked properly and were allowed to pass on to the next stage even if they could have had tuberculosis. What is even more disgusting is the fact that the spoiled meat was still packed in with the other meat.

I know just from this that I would not want to eat any of this meat at all and it would be gross to have to do so in the old days... I'm glad that Sinclair helped bring everyone's attention to the meat industry and that it is supposedly a lot better now. If it weren't, I might as well become a vegetarian or something of that sort...

Stolen Childhood

Cajas de Carton was extremely touching for me. It was interesting to see how life was as a migrant worker through a child's eyes. His lifestyle was different than many of the children that are alive today. Instead of going to school, he had to work and leave his studying for later in the year. He also had to live under such terrible conditions, something which I noticed right off the bat. I remember the descriptions of the place where they were living - an old garage, much closer to a small shack which was already dilapidated and old. Only a few of the characters were able to sleep on the inside of it anyways on a small mattress while the others were forced to take up space outside and under a tree.

When our main character was describing his working conditions, I was surprised and also felt quite sad for him. The water that he was drinking was dirty and he had to work so hard that even his muscles were hurting. I know that I am very lazy and would not be able to deal with work like he did. To top it off, he was only in the sixth grade, making things a bit more extreme. I was shocked to find out his true age and did not like the fact that he was so young and yet he had to help his family work in order to make a living. He could not live like an ordinary child.

Instead, he was used to moving around a lot - hence the title. I was curious about the title at first since I had no idea what the cardboard boxes would have to do with anything. However, it was obvious that he had to keep moving and he had to continue his work and helping his family to survive. It was sad because the second he got close to someone he would have to leave, his attachments meaning nothing in the end. I would feel so alone and I am pretty sure that he must have felt his heart break in the last scene just like I did.

Modest Proposal: What's for Dinner?

The struggle to figure out what to eat for dinner is a huge topic - something that is covered in one of our past readings called The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. However, this should be simple to us all. Who ever said that we had to eat something super tasty or even healthy? Who decided that we had to enjoy what we ate? Instead, the important part of dinner is actually being fed and not starving to death. For example, instead of eating that big juicy steak for dinner, why not eat a pair of your old socks? You know, the ones with the holes in them?

If we were to simply start eating the things that we do not need any longer, we could get rid of a lot of waste. Why be picky about what we eat? All we need to do is eat. So why not simply take that poor shirt that shrunk in the dryer and put it to good use? Eat it. Taste should not be a factor anyways. As long as you are full, that is all that matters. And having a fried plate of cloth is one of the best things to fill you up.

Our issue of feeding the world would be instantly solved! No longer would we be picky over whether we got the banana itself or the banana peel - no, instead we would be able to eat both and not complain either. Having sustenance inside your tummy is quite important but we cannot resort to stealing, oh no. Getting rid of the waste by using it after all is quite effective. After all, there are people who eat bugs and bark and so on. Why not us as well? We can definitely make a change in the world if we do this together. Let's start with bite number one.

An Unjust Life

While reading the introduction to the piece over Rigoberta Menchu's life, I could already see where things were going. Her life was sad and her parents had to go through so much, dealing with poverty and all of the struggles that came with it. I was surprised by the fact that that she only recently learned her Spanish and that she had I learn it all by ear instead of reading books the way that the rest of us do even though she was from Guatemala. We are lucky since we are able to take classes and have an instructor. However, she was independent with her study and learned it simply by listening - something I doubt I could do. 

I was surprised by the death of her older brothers as well since it was by starvation. Not having enough food can be a true struggle when it comes to living. It seems like a sad thing to deal with, and it would definitely be traumatizing to watch your brothers slowly die out. Could you imagine living with the fear of being next? However, I always wonder why her parents decided to have so many children if they were unable to afford it. After all, a child costs so much and will only complicate matters if you do not have too much time. As we could see, her mother had to strap her child to her back and work like that which can already be so much work. I know I would not be able to do anything like that since I know I'm lazy and it takes me work to even stand up to get something I need. I admire the hard work of Rigoberta Menchu and of her family but her story mostly makes me feel sad and sorry for all of the damage inflicted on her and her people. It is something I would not wish on anyone. 

Eating Babies as a Way to Solve Economic Issues?

Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal was not too alarming to read the second time around. I had read it once before in high school but in a different format - that of a comic. However, both had the same impact and I found it interesting as well as slightly amusing to see the proposal itself. To eat humans? It was an idea that of course no one would think of, despite how it would truly eliminate many of our troubles. The only reason as to why nobody would ever accept this proposal is because no one wants to die and because religion and beliefs prevent us from taking any action that would hurt someone unjustly - well, for most people anyway.

The proposal was interesting to look at, especially since the author was sure to back up his argument with solid statistics and mathematical proofs. He calculated that the population would actually be making a profit off of his idea and that it would be beneficial for everyone. Instead of having children who resorted to being beggars just as their parents before them, they could actually be sold off to meat factories. The idea itself is gruesome and simply imagining it was unrealistic to me. The only part that I found a little strange to me was when he mentioned having teenagers suffer the same fate, the idea being discarded simply because the teens were not as tasty. I definitely would not like to die in that manner, if anything. 

Loaves & Fishes - A Helping Hand

The website of Loaves and Fishes is a pretty simple website to follow that is informational as well. I like the idea that it tells us about, providing people in need with groceries so that they are able to stack their pantry. Helping others in need is a good idea and for this particular website or organization, you are able to help as well and participate. Loaves and Fishes is funded by nearby religious groups and was made to help with the hunger that kept rising. 

If you would like to help, you simply go to the page where it tells you about volunteer opportunities and you are able to choose something that you would like to do. It seems rather simple and to the point which is something attractive to most people since we like a good cause but we don't like working to hard to achieve a goal. 

A Dinner to Remember

The Dinner of Trimalchio was not quite what I was expecting from something that had been written many years ago. It was slightly silly and a bit extravagant, exaggerated at most with the way the scenery was introduced and the descriptions were done. Trimalchio sure was a piece of work and I did not like him from the start, noticing that he seemed like a jerk. He did, after all, dry his hands after using the bathroom in one of his slave's hair. That in itself seems pretty mean despite the fact that they are his slaves.

Trimalchio's character was further developed and I knew for sure that he was not the nicest character, nor a character that I felt I would like a lot. He seemed to be boasting about his success after having been freed from slavery. The way it was described on how he showed off all of his jewelry was something I noticed for sure. He could not show off enough and wanted to be sure that everyone saw his riches.

And as if it weren't enough, Trimalchio's dinner was the most extravagant. From fake eggs and surprises when it came to the dishes he served, it seemed like he only wanted to further prove that he had become extremely successful, that he was showing off. The dishes were far too detailed to remember them all but it was enough to know that the dinner was unforgettable, especially with the way it ended, the entire house acting out Trimalchio's funeral as they expected it to be. It was quite silly but funny as well, although it was a weird thing to do for your guests in order to have them stay when they wanted to leave. All in all, the text was somewhat enjoyable to read but not at all my favorite.

Yay. Grass.

In Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, we encounter many interesting arguments and discoveries pertaining to our food and how we eat that we may have never thought of before. The first one hundred pages of the book focused mainly on corn and how it plays a role in our lives, although we may not notice it. Ultimately, corn is built into many of the things we eat - and even the things we eat once ate corn before becoming our meal. All in all, we are a corn society, people who eat it far more than we expect, such as in fast foods.

The second one hundred pages of the book have to deal with the farm. Pollan had been visiting Polyface Farm and had noticed all of the animals that resided there but was surprised to hear his friend Joel say that he is a grass farmer. In here we can learn that grass is the foundation of our food chain and is extremely important although it may not seem like it at first glance. The grass feeds the cattle, chickens, and pigs that feed us. This should not be entirely surprising to us since it should be obvious that animals have to eat to, but it was a subtle eye opener to me. Usually, I don't really think about the process that goes into the food that I eat and I do not tend to worry about the animal beforehand, but this chapter helps us to see that the process is a bit longer and thorough than we might have thought.

There is so much work that goes into our food just for us to take a simple bite and to be satisfied. However, are we really ever satisfied? Pollan mentions in the text that we are never entirely satisfied by what we eat, but rather we are only full for the moment. We basically live our entire lives depending on food and it is a continuous, never-ending cycle in which we stuff our faces. I had once heard someone say that life is eating and I think I understand what she meant now. All our lives we eat and do so in order to live, but maybe we are just living to eat. We tend to do so without thinking so it's obviously a vicious cycle.

What to eat?

The Omnivore's Dilemma, written by Michael Pollan, is an eye-opener. I definitely was unsure of what the title itself was referring to. However, it became more apparent once I started reading, realizing that it had to do with what Americans eat and how they choose what they eat. As we can see, the dilemma itself is usually, "What should we eat today?"

Because there are so many things to choose from, it may be hard to choose something ultimately healthy. I have noticed that in my own family, when the parents aren't around, my siblings and I usually go out for something like fast food or something that isn't the healthiest choice. I find it interesting how Americans tend to eat unhealthy by default - something pointed out in Pollan's book. He mentions how we need government help in order to make healthy decisions when it comes to food, which is pretty ridiculous if you ask me. Food is one of the main things in our life, what keeps us alive and what we need to watch and monitor. However, people seem to not care too much as they continue their unhealthy lifestyles.

Something I found interesting which I had not thought much of before is the fact that Americans do not have a set traditional meal or cultural food that I can think of. Hot dogs? Not really your authentic meal if you ask me. Instead, the United States seem to have such a huge variety of foods that they have actually lost what their original meals are.

I find it interesting to read on how we eat since we usually don't think much of it when we do fill our plate and stuff our mouths. I'm looking forward to this book and hope it will be a good read despite how different it is from past works I've read.

Hot Caramel Mocha on a Cold Day in Autumn

 Her lips were slightly parted as she gasped for a bit of air, shivering while she took careful steps across the sidewalk.  Her body was just a bit hunched over, back bent forward as she tried to keep warm. The only thing she could do was hold onto the hot caramel mocha that helped to warm her fingertips. Other than that, only the freezing air blew around her, urging her onward while she passed a few parking meters. She didn't make it far before she was suddenly stopped, a stranger calling out to her from the side. Dread suddenly flooded her emotions as she wanted nothing more than to make it into the next building for warmth.

 

But that changed the moment she saw the charming smile of the handsome stranger before her.

 

"Can I help you?" she asked, tone soft as her eyes widened slightly, staring up at the boy who loomed over her due to his height, obviously a foot or so taller.

 

"I was wondering...where can I get change for the parking meters? I don't have any, but I don't want to leave my car here alone and get a ticket." The girl nodded in understanding, wishing she could help. Her desire to continue to her destination faded a bit as she couldn't help but to become drawn to the stranger.

 

"Actually...I'm a little unsure as to where it would be... But I have some change and I could help that way," she held out her coffee to the boy, giving a sincere smile, "Here, hold this."

 

The boy's fingers were long and slender, his skin pale in contrast to his raven-black hair. The girl took a moment to admire him through her coffee-brown eyes, pulling herself away from her distraction as she remembered to dig into her backpack for some change. Her cheeks suddenly flared up, feeling hot - much like the coffee that the boy held then. She cleared her throat moments later as she pushed the coins into the slots of the parking meter, much to the protest of the stranger.

 

"Y-you don't have to do that..."

 

"It's alright. I want to help," she smiled sweetly, finding it easy to do so despite how the cold wind had made her lips feel numb and her nose feel runny. She proceeded to zip up her backpack and stand up straight once more, holding out her small child-like hand for her coffee. The boy handed it back carefully, afterwards fishing a few dollar bills out of his wallet, handing them to her.

 

"I can't let you pay for me. You are so nice... Take this," he said, offering it to her. She shook her head and refused the money but ultimately gave in once she saw his determination.

 

"Okay... It's really no problem though. I don't mind helping this way." A few kind words as well as smiles were exchanged after she stuffed the dollar bills into the depths of her coat pocket. It wasn't long before the two exchanged numbers with shaky fingers - much to the girl's content, her heart skipping a beat. Her coffee felt as though it had lost its heat by then but she could care less, bidding the boy who was no longer a stranger - Benson - goodbye.

 

As she turned and took a few shaky steps in the opposite direction, her lips tugged into a pretty grin. She brought her coffee up to her lips and took a careful sip, allowing the sweet liquid to pour down her throat smoothly. Delicious. It was still a bit warm.

 

Of course, nothing had warmed her more than the encounter with the boy who would soon become something more than just a stranger at a parking meter.