Sherman Alexie at Mondavi

On Wednesday night, I went to the Sherman Alexie event at Mondavi Center. Sherman Alexie does many things. He is a poet, author, and a standup comedian. But, he came to UC Davis because he is an author and his book was picked for the Campus Community Project for the 2011-2012 school year.

It was not my first time in Mondavi, but my second. For the first time, I believe I was there in 2009. I can't seem to remember the title of the event, but it is when the chancellor and other figures open up the academic year. I think that was also the first time Chancellor Kathei opened up the academic year since it was her first year as chancellor at UC Davis.

I really like being in the Mondavi Center because it is very beautiful and elegant inside. It seems well funded. I think that the people who attended this event was mostly middle age to elderly. There were students though and some young ones.

That event was free. This event was not. However, I received the student discount, but I had to pay for the highest student discount, which was $20. I found out about the program about a week before and bought it the day before the event. My seat was in the orchestra, which was pretty close to the stage, but I was in the back row of the orchestra. Parking was $7, but I didn't drive; I called escort service and saved $.

I was given this program issue for the month of Mar-Apr 2012. It included information about other program and information about Sherman Alexie.

For my UWP class, we will be reading "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" later on in the quarter. But, I think going to the event will help with discussion and some good things to think about when I'm reading the book. I've read one a few pages into the book and it is pretty funny and interesting. During his program, he was also humorous and entertaining. The program lasted about 2 hours with Q & A and not including autograph signing.

After his program, he had a Q&A session. Then, he signed autographs. I waited about 30 minutes for him to sign my book. He wasn't the first author of a book that I met though. Many of my professors also wrote books and some of which were my favorite books. I didn't ask them for an autograph, but I guess I should have if I really enjoyed the book.

 The line inside Mondavi Center to get autographs from Sherman Alexie.

Volunteer for TUTD

I don't think I actually became involved in volunteering until I reached high school. High school was when I became more seriously involved in clubs, organizations, and academics. I've continued my involvement with volunteering through university, but my volunteering with one of the projects that I been working on will soon have to end. I been volunteering for TUTD (Thumbs up!, Thumbs Down!) project ever since 2009. However, me and many other youth volunteers will soon no longer be able to contribute this awesome project because we will either move on to university or begin careers. But, that does not mean that I still don't want to be involved in the community, as I continue to look for ways to be involved.

TUTD is comprised mainly of youth volunteers who are between the ages of 14-22. This project does need volunteers who can watch rated R movies since many of the volunteers are high school students and aren't 17 yet. I get to work with other youth members during the Hackademy awards through presentation and voting for the different categories of awards. We provide each other tips and it's a great opportunity to work with youth from Sacramento and Davis.

During the meetings, the volunteers have also been awarded some great items for just being volunteers. During training, you are immediately provided goodies to help with volunteering, which includes a notebook, pen, and notebook with useful information and tips. There's also refreshments, including water and lemonade, popcorn, candy, and other light snacks during the meetings.

Because of TUTD I've watched tops movies in theaters and on dvd. I watched movies that I would not have watched if I was not volunteering. I learned about exorcisms, which I had no idea about. But, watching 3+ plus movies related to exorcisms changed that. I reviewed 30+ movies in theaters and 5+ dvds for TUTD and there's more to come. I had the opportunity to see movies that I really wanted to watch after seeing the trailers, such as Fast 5, Wanderlust, and American Reunion. I was introduced to some good movies and didn't expect it before watching them, such as The Help, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

TUTD provided me the opportunity to work on an issue of tobacco and its usages. I grew up disliking tobacco and I certainly do not like it anywhere near my household or near me. As part of my volunteer task, I get to watch movies and look out for any signs of tobacco. I also look at the portrayal of tobacco from actors and actresses.

Volunteering for TUTD led me to look at movies more critically. It made me more aware of tobacco in my surroundings. TUTD was the reason why my interest in watching movies grew. I not only wanted to watch movies for reviewing, but also I wanted to watch movies for my entertainment. Since my movie watching grew, I am close to watching over 100 movies in theaters, which I am keeping track of through excel.

If you are curious about TUTD or know someone who may be interested, please check out the TUTD website. You can also check out Scene Smoking, which has the reviews for the top ten movies and dvds. TUTD is recruiting new movie volunteers for 2012-3 and I want the project to have a strong support and volunteerism. In addition, the Youth Advisory Board is a program for youth of the age of 14-21, which has a yearly application available to sign up.

Ohana's Hawaiian BBQ

I'm surprised I haven't written about Ohana's Hawaiian BBQ. That restaurant is right across from my apartment. It's definitely walkable and I used to go there often during my fall quarter. I would show more pictures in this post, but I mainly stick to one item in the menu, short ribs and BBQ beef combo.

Last time I went to Ohana's was this weekend with my housemate. She ordered the Salmon combo. It looked delicious and I think I might get that myself sometime.

Salmon combo

The BBQ Mix combo comes with Hawaiian BBQ beef, chicken, and short rib. The chicken isn't as noticable since it's on the bottom, but you can still see a bit of it. And yes, I like to have hot sauce with my meals occasionally.

BBQ Mix Combo

I usually order the BBQ Beef and Short rib combo. I don't eat beef as often as I would like, so I guess that's why I like to get that here. Also, I prefer BBQ beef over the chicken meat. I like chicken too, but I think the beef tastes better.

BBQ Beef and Short Ribs

The combo comes with macaroni, a scoop of rice, and some cabbage on the bottom. I usually try to finish everything, which I do if I don't also have the chicken.