Last week we tried this pizzeria in Hollywood Beach Boardwalk. We have been curious about it for a while. According to our friends it is the best pizza place on the Boardwalk. Since I have only had this one I am not sure if it is the best or not. It is actually pretty good. Our server was very nice and accommodating. Prices are great for the value.
Little Bee is an African refugee who somehow made it to England from Nigeria. As many like her, she suffered directly the loss of her family and the abuse of the soldiers. Sarah was a normal English woman, with a normal marriage, and a normal job… until she went to Nigeria and her life irreversibly altered. Sarah and Little Bee had a life changing experience that started in the same source like two tributaries of the same river.
Little Bee is a very strong novel from Chris Cleave. The story is much more than another one talking about the troubles refugees face and how countries in the West are, for the most part, indifferent to their pain. Chris Cleave does a great job bringing to life these characters from two, not only geographically, but emotionally different worlds - their lives perpetually intertwined.
I loved the book and, in my humble opinion, I think it is fantastically well-written. As I read the story I thought of how weak and insensitive immigration policies could be; how, in the West, we cannot even start to imagine the pain and ordeal people in other parts of the world suffer still today. Even though this is a work of fiction, it reflects the reality of countries consumed by war, corruption, and scarcity. One day, we may have a more civilized world, and perhaps there will be no more refugees, and all of could keep all our fingers.
I passed in front of this bakery by accident last week. I was in the mood for dessert and coffee. All the desserts they had on display looked really really good. I decided to try a date tart with almond paste. It was paradise in my mouth. It was soft, tasty, not too sweet, just perfect… totally worth it!
I have been going to this restaurant for a while now. They have consistently delivered good Japanese and Thai food. It is a great place for lunch. The service is fast; they have great lunch specials like teriyaki chicken, pad thai, and sushi box. Prices are right for the value.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close tells the story of Oskar Schell’s journey, in his own voice, to look for the lock belonging to a key he found in a vase that belonged to his father. Oskar is nine years old. By the way he talks one could easily think he was at least thirteen.
Jonathan Safran Foer, the writer, does a great job linking the stories of the characters that surround Oskar’s life. His father is very present and he could be easily confused as the main character. I loved the man who could not talk and tattooed his hands with the words ‘yes’ and ‘no’.
The characters in this book have a great depth in their feelings and experiences. Even Oskar in his short life managed to develop a character formed only by the hardest of sufferings. I enjoyed how Oskar was a walking encyclopedia and how his naivete helped him connect with complete strangers.
I have been passing in front of this place for quite some time now. Yesterday I decided to give it a try. I have to say that I was disappointed. The burger tasted the same as if I had made it at home and burgers are not my specialty. They charge extra ($0.39) for the lettuce and tomato which is fine but the least I expect is that they’d put them inside the burger… they gave us 1 leaf of lettuce and 1 slice of tomato in a Ziploc bag. For the same price I could get a much better and healthier burger somewhere else.
Incendiary was the first book from Chris Cleave I read. I was taken since the first line by the force and power of the woman who is the voice of this novel.
The story is told through a letter that this woman wrote to the man who headed the list of the most wanted until recently. She mourns the death of her husband and son. In that letter she tells her life story and how profoundly and irreversibly the tragedy affected her.
Mr Cleave’s prose is powerful, the voice of the main character strong and her pain very real. Although this is a work of fiction, this woman’s life, pain, soul was so tangible that for long moments I actually thought I was reading an actual letter.
This week I decided to try this neighborhood pizzeria. We had the spinach pizza and it was really good. The service was fast – we had take out. The crust was light and tasty, and the vegetables well cooked with a lot of flavor. It is a great option for any night of the week (except Mondays since they are closed). They also deliver in the Dania Beach area.
The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton is an essay about all the different feelings and stages of travelers of all kind. As someone who loves to travel I identified my own behaviors as I read this book. Alain de Botton uses the English language beautifully. His prose is clean, simple, full of action, and with the capacity to bring to life the places and characters he describes.
“It was hard to say when exactly winter arrived. The decline was gradual, like that of a person into old age, inconspicuous from day to day until the season became an established, relentless reality” is the beginning of the first of five stages of travel, Departure. My favorite part was ‘On Anticipation’ that speaks on how we anticipate the trip with excitement just to be disappointed because, as the writer puts it, “I had inadvertently brought myself with me to the island.”
To read The Art of Travel is a learning experience. Each of the five stages – Departure, Motives, Landscape, Art, and Return – has a destination (or more than one) and a guide. Alain de Botton flawlessly puts together destination and guide. I not only traveled through the described destination but also through the life of my guide.
This compelling essay is food for thought and reflection on how we travel and how going to other places affect our mind and feelings. We are motivated to reflect during our journeys to other places. As the author puts it “journeys are the midwives of thought.”
I have been going to this place for a while now. Just recently I realized that I have not reviewed it. Zona Fresca is a Mexican food restaurant. Their specialty is the burrito – they have a good variety; I have tried most of them and they are all great – and they also have tacos, quesadillas, and salads. Their food is fresh, made to order, and the service is fast, with a smile. It is one of my favorites to get something quick before getting back home.
