Friday, March 13, 2009

Do It Fast

As I walked along the dark streets the chatter of people both in
English and Spanish and the smell of street vendors sends a wave of adrenalin through me.

Hot stickiness drips out the end of my corn husk. My tamale is made with lard and I devour
it with careless bliss. I've never tasted a tamale like it before, there are chewy bits of sweet corn and
smoldering stringy cheese. I paid a meager $1.30 to the street vendor who also repairs shoes in the back of his truck.

Behind me is a boring sign that reads, "No alcoholic beverages beyond this point." This is the only thing that looks dull here. Brightly pastel colored buildings are all around. The road leads to the lake. I am told it is too cold and dark to see. I can't imagine this being possible, the colorful signs scar my eyes. When I close them I can still see the Spanish words imprinted glow on my eyelids.


It's a natural rhythm for me to give up something for lent. This time around I've decided to give up alcohol and caffeine. I want to see what its like being completely substance free and a social teetotaler. To test out how this effects my body, I am rating my mood and energy level on a daily basis. I plan to write an article based on my experience.