Local artists capture the art of expression

I nervously walk behind buildings, across parking lots, finally reaching the sidewalks of uptown Athens. My palms sweat and my heart thuds with each step. Why am I so nervous? I should NOT be this nervous. This is absurd. I continue toward my destination, scuffling through freshly fallen leaves as I contemplate what these next two hours will have in store for me.

By the time I return to reality, my feet are nearly at the doorstep. I softly tap on the glass double doors. I told them I would be here now. Is anyone even here?

A man in his early 20s, wearing a V-neck T-shirt and dark-wash, fitting jeans, notices me and rushes over to let me in.

        He opens the door, but walks away. I follow at a distance. Where on earth am I going? And then I realize, This is it.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

A rainbow of vivid colors surrounds me. I amble through the shop’s ceramic tiles, jewelry, T-shirts, magnets, ornaments, tote bags, baby clothing, mugs, stationery, prints. I feel like a squirrel in a Planters nut factory. And to think, all the artwork was created by artists with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Unbelievable.

As I continued past the artwork on display, I notice three men huddled over—one drawing, one coloring, one painting.

The man painting sits in silence. With much thought and precision, he dips his foot-long paintbrush into a plastic serving cup filled with robin’s egg blue paint. He pauses, pondering, while a drop of thick, acrylic paint slowly drips onto the paper-covered table. He doesn’t say a word. Concentrating, he hunches, gliding the brush along a beige, faux-leather handbag. His brushstrokes are long and swift.

        “Great. There you go,” says Christine Miles with a low, gentle voice. “Nice. Nice job, buddy.”

        Miles uses her pointer finger to direct the artist’s next stroke, around large violet circles with golden glitter on top. Another artist added these shapes in the days prior.

        “I like the way you’re going around these, Paul,” Miles says to the artist as she traces her finger around each circumference, once again guiding his brushstrokes.

        All of a sudden, with one giant swirling motion of the brush, he begins painting over one of the orbs.

        “Let’s not paint over the purple circles,” Miles immediately responds, explaining to Paul that another artists worked hard on those violet spheres.

        Paul continues around the shapes, every-so-often brushing over part of a circle.

        Paul, like many other artists who work at Passion Works Studio in Athens, Ohio, has a developmental disability.

The Beginnings

Passion Works Studio supports collaboration between artists without and with disabilities, whether they are mental or physical. Open since 1998, the studio has let the developmentally disabled express their emotions. It helps “inspire and liberate the human spirit” through their artwork, according to the Passion Works Web site.

        The studio started as a three-week residency with artist Patty Mitchell. During those three weeks, Mitchell worked with employees from Atco Inc., a life skills and work training center for developmentally disabled adults, to create an installation of 100 papier-mâché birds to display at the Kennedy Museum of American Art at Ohio University. The next year, the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities granted Mitchell a four-month residency, during which she hosted workshops throughout Athens, said Joyce Frank, studio coordinator. The Kennedy Museum again displayed a compilation of the art produced at these workshops.

        From these two programs, the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities decided to make these residencies year-round, using grant money to fund them; however, once people started buying the art, funding transitioned to product sales, which currently keeps the business thriving. The money from sales also allows Passion Works to hire locals as either visiting artists, who have disabilities, or resident artists such as Miles, Chris Biester and Wendy Minor Viny.

Brought Together Again

Miles has a bachelor’s degree in studio art and a master’s degree in special education. Before working as an artist-in-residence, she taught at a preschool for special needs students. A stint at Passion Works has provided her with the unique opportunity to work alongside some of her former preschoolers, who are now adults, including Jason Licht, a 33-year-old with a long braided ponytail, who uses a motorized wheelchair. When Miles taught Licht in preschool, he was wrapped in a full-body cast and used a skateboard to get around.

“Jason has always had lots to say. Oh, bless your heart, Jason,” Miles said, gently smiling at Licht. “Now he gets to give me all kinds of grief.”

Licht is known to break from the norm of happy and bright drawings and present the dark side of disabilities through his art.

“Why is the art here limited to happy stuff?” asked Licht. “Some of us have pretty debilitating conditions.”

He showed me one of his pieces titled Bad Hare Day, in which a hawk captures a hare mid-jump. Though Licht used bright colors, these are not the typical mixture of blues, greens, pinks and purples. He utilized chestnut brown for the sky, along with a combination of grays, browns and deep greens for the animals and grass. With this piece, Licht aims to display that happiness can be interrupted in a second.

“There is an opportunity for release anytime you have art tools in hand,” said Licht, who tends to draw eagles, hawks and anything intimidating. “We need a creative outlet because if we don’t have these things, we’ll explode.”

And for all you single ladies, Licht said he is available.

It’s a Business

Joyce Frank keeps the business running by ordering supplies, scheduling the artists and organizing projects, marketing and sales. Before receiving a full-time position with Passion Works, she started as a part-time coordinator of community art nights at Atco.

“I like the challenge of never knowing what’s going to happen,” said Frank. “There are always new things to do; there’s never a typical day.”

A Passion Works Vet

Biester—a man in his early 40s with a full, bushy beard and straggly long hair covered by a Montana trucker’s hat—started as a volunteer, and one year later became an artist-in-residence when a full-time position opened.

When he was growing up, his family friend was born with multiple disabilities, and because of this, he always had an interest in working with the disabled. A construction accident in 1993 caused him to spend two weeks on life support in an intensive care unit in Columbus, which contributes to his empathy.

Biester has been exposed to art and music his entire life, and therefore knows no different. He graduated from OU with a degree in art education, though he’s not sure of the year. Working at Passion Works was his first job “totally associated with art,” which adds to the uniqueness of the occupation and causes it to be the perfect fit for him.

“I’m always intrigued by what they can do through art,” said Biester, referring to the limitations the visiting artists overcome when completing each piece. “You live vicariously through your art.”

Each day, Biester enjoys seeing the artists and hearing about what he calls their “adventures.”

Biester emphasized the rareness of working in collaboration with other artists. Miles referred to this aspect as a “layering of talent,” in which multiple artists add their unique flair to each piece. For example, as I observed the artists, Miles pointed to portions of the work and was able to identify artists who participated in the creation. With each layer, the artists-in-residence add definition and shading to enhance the objects. They outline wolves, fish, flowers, birds, bats, houses and skyscrapers with black Sharpie or white paint markers, without changing the visiting artists’ images.

“Stuff happens regularly that’s amazing; everyday is amazing,” Biester said. “Each new accomplishment and victory makes it seem worthwhile.”

* * * * * 

Throughout my two hours at Passion Works nearly two weeks ago, I began to realize the effort each artist puts forth in his or her art. Walking out of the studio, my emotions transform, fascinated and happy to sad. I don’t want to leave. Man, I could sit and talk with these artists all day and just watch them work. I never thought about the precision, concentration and patience that goes into every piece. How do they not become frustrated? What goes through their minds? What does a completed piece mean to them? I somehow can’t even imagine what their responses would be. All I do know is that I want to return.

To be awestruck. Impressed. Humbled.

How To Bead

Like I promised, here is a photo slideshow of me making my first pair of earrings. Enjoy!

An Explosion of Color

This week marked the end of the quarter, and let’s just say that I’m exhausted. The stress has built up over the past 10 weeks, and by Thursday, I was in dire need of stress relief.

I decided to try a new stress-reliever: beading.

I used to love making necklaces and bracelets when I was little, but as I got older, I grew out of that. But as of Thursday, the no-beading era has come to an end.

I dragged my friend Alex, who documented the trip with photos, on the 15-minute trek across campus to Beads & Things on Shafer Street.

As we neared closer to the shop, which is on the first floor of a small, red house, I started to get excited to de-stress.

I slowly turned the squeaky knob on the white, wood-framed glass door, not knowing what was in store for me behind the door.

We walked in, puzzled as to where to go next. Seeing beads around the corner, I figured I should probably head in that direction. Lo and behold, as soon I stepped around the corner, I was totally engulfed in beads … and things.


The sunlight streamed through the windows and reflected off the mirrors and glass shelves, ultimately bouncing off the beads and causing a prism effect on the walls.

Before getting there, I assumed beads would be hanging from walls, but I never imagined this many. It seemed as if every inch of the room was covered in strings of beads, strategically arranged by color, or with the shelves that house tiny glass dishes filled with beads from foreign countries, gems, stones and various other trinkets and charms.




As I slowly paced the length of the room, my eyes did not leave the dazzling array surrounding me, until a female employee—wearing layers of simple clothing with her hair loosely pulled back—asked if I needed any help.


“Umm… Yeah.” I replied, also explaining that I’d never been there before, and I had no idea what I was doing. After telling her I wanted to make gold earrings, she handed me two gold-covered metal pins and then sent me to pick out the beads I wanted to use. It literally took me 10 minutes to decide on four pairs of beads.


Once I finished the grueling process of decision-making, she asked me to pick out the type of hooks as well. Saving myself some time, I pointed to the top hooks and said, “I’ll just take those.” I really don’t liking having 10 options of hooks.

Knowing I was clueless about jewelry-making, the employee walked me through the process.

Surprisingly, making the earrings was easier than I anticipated; however, it does take patience and steady hands. And the best part is that it cost me less than $4 to make, which is worth it.

I’m not sure why, but the 30 minutes I was there made me relax. Maybe because the experience took my mind off classes and the work I have left to finish? What I do know is that I’ll definitely be back next week to take off the stress of finals.

P.S. Check back soon for a slideshow of the earring-making process.

A Quick Chocolate Fix

Since I went to the Village Bakery yesterday, I decided to try and make my own form of pastry. In the dorm.

Because I don’t have access to an oven, I looked online for an easy microwave-friendly recipe for desperate college students living in a dorm, or quite simply, me.

Yes, cake is available in the dining hall, but I wanted to make my own.

The ingredients are simple and accessible in the university markets, and the best part is that you don’t even need eggs or oil. You need your favorite cake mix in a box and milk, or as the recipe says, “Water if you’re desperate.”

Thankfully, my roommate has a measuring cup (except that in the recipe the milk is measured in tablespoons). Because of the milk measurements are in tablespoons, we guessed using regular teaspoons. Luckily, Jess knew that there are three teaspoons in one tablespoon. After we measured the milk and dumped it into the measuring cup, it turned out that four tablespoons equals ¼ cup. Imagine that.

I stirred the milk into the mug, where the 1/3 cup of cake mix sat waiting.

After mixing the two ingredients together, I popped it in the microwave for two minutes on high and watched it rise. I was thrilled at the sight—my mug whirling around as the chocolatey goodness rose.

Three. Two. One. Beep!

I immediately opened the microwave door, and much to my dismay, the cake collapsed in the mug. I started poking at the mass of chocolate with my spoon. The cake resembled a slimy sponge. I know, sounds appetizing, doesn’t it?

“It’s good, it just has some slimy spots,” my roommate Kirstin said.

And it really does taste like cake, cheap cake, but it’s sufficient for a college student who doesn’t have much money.

Beware though, it leaves a mess in your cup.

“We should grease it with something,” Jess said, referring to the mess it made in my mug.

“What?” I asked.

“Grease,” Jess said.

Let’s just say that even if I had grease, I don’t think it would be a good idea. So for now, I’ll just deal with the messy clean-up.

Crumbs and Carrots!

Today, my roommate, Kirstin, and I visited the marvel of East State Street, the Village Bakery.

Kirstin had never been there before, and I had been bugging her all week to take me there. (She has a car on campus, and I was too lazy to walk a mile when my tummy was rumbling.)

We walked through the glass door to find a counter stretching the length of the shop. Along one side of the counter are pastries, cookies, breads and cheesecakes galore (my personal favorite). To the right of the counter is the beverage station with four coffee varieties and tap water for drinking.

The mid-morning sun brightly shined through the windows that completely encompass the front of the building. The aroma of freshly baked bread mixed with the scent of coffee, herbs and spices whirled at me from every direction.

Employees with plain and simple clothing, wearing bandanas to keep their hair out of their faces, scurried behind the counter like mice, twisting and turning through the maze of the open kitchen.

Giant chalkboards with the day’s menu hang above the counter. Each chalkboard has a different category: salads, soups, beverages, pastries, morning nourishment and cookies. On Sundays, the menu is revamped for a 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. brunch, which is a bit pricey if you ask me, even though the quality is excellent.

Although I was craving a pastry, I decided on something new. (OK, it was because I worked out before, and I guess I wanted to keep up with the health kick, at least for the day.) I ordered a side salad with feta dill dressing, which was yummy but interesting, and a cup of Cuban black bean soup.

The salad was sort of atypical because the sprout to lettuce ratio was equal, and I’m not used to that many sprouts. Have you ever heard of feta dill dressing? I hadn’t until I looked at the menu, so I figured, Oh, what the heck? Why not? And honestly, the name is very telling because it tasted like feta cheese, with a sprinkle of garlic and dill pickle juice. It may sound nasty, but if you like feta, I highly recommend it.

And the soup was great, except that it was a bit watery. Unlike the other black bean soups I’ve tried, this had chunks of sweet potatoes and a bit of cream poured on top, which gave it a slight milky taste.

Though I didn’t get dessert (Remember the health-food kick?), I promised my roommate that we would definitely be back during finals week for a nice, little Village Bakery treat.

A Look Ahead

Over the last five weeks, I’ve led you to my favorite local treasures here in Athens: Donkey Coffee and Espresso, Athens Book Center, Casa Nueva, Athens Underground and Bagel Street Deli. I must say, I’m glad I had an excuse to visit each of these, and then promote them through my posts.

As a part of this project, we are required to have an interactive map. So for mine, I decided to mark the places I’ve been to in pink, the places I will be visiting shortly in purple and where I live in yellow.

View "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?" in a larger map

As you can tell by the map, I haven’t really branched out from on- or near-campus attractions. After this week, I intend to change that. While my next few treasures are still within about a mile (walking distance) from my little corner on East Green, Read Hall, they’re a bit of a trek for me, though I’m sure I can manage.

So, without further ado, I would like to present my final few destinations.

Passion Works Studio 
Passion Works is an art shop and studio located on East State Street. The best and most unique part about this artwork remains that it is a place were creativity is born and collaboration is the key.

Beads & Things 
This shop not only carries beads from around the world, but also bags, sarongs and gemstones. Customers are even allowed to make their beaded art in the store, where they will receive free instruction by employees.

Village Bakery 
The Village Bakery offers a wide selection of baked goods and pastries made from locally grown produce. This café measures its success on its “social, environmental and financial impact in the local and global communities,” according to the menu.

Miller’s Chicken
Though I don’t know much about Miller’s Chicken yet, I’ll be updating you as soon as I do. I do know, however, that its menu items include fried chicken, seafood, fries, sandwiches and salads. I’m definitely anxious to try it.

Who Needs 7-Eleven When You've Got Bagel Heaven?

Whenever I think of where to go for my next post, I automatically think of food first. So, without further ado, I’d like to present Bagel Street Deli, the best fast food shop in Athens.

During class on Wednesday, my stomach was hankering for a tasty, toasted bagel sandwich, or “bagelwich.” I’d been waiting to go to Bagel Street for days but never had the chance.

  Class was over; the time had come.

My friend Jess and I headed from Scripps to Court Street. Bagel Street came into sight and my mouth began to water at the thought. What shall I get this time? I pondered.

Jess and I pulled open the glass door and excitedly walked into the narrow, dimly lit restaurant that smells like toast. The red brick walls are covered in aluminum foil figures and the chalk signatures of loyal customers.

We continued down the thin hallway to the ordering counter. To my left hung two gigantic chalkboards with their signature selections sorted into categories: Breakfast Served Anytime, Originals, Carnivorous Cravers, Poultry Pursuers and Veggie Delights.

Each of these creations is served on your choice of bagel (There are 22 to choose from!).

My typical Bagel Street experience involves me getting a Tom’s Turkey with an Oweo for dessert. Wednesday was my lucky day because Tom’s Turkey was the special of the day for only $3.25.

Once we ordered and received our bagels, we ate at a table created with Naked Juice lids.

I carefully unwrapped the warm aluminum foil, suddenly smelling the aroma that was being concealed by the foil. I took a large bite, getting a taste of everything (sun-dried tomato bagel, American cheese, mayo, tomato, lettuce and turkey). Within 10 minutes, I devoured the entire thing, without one crumb to spare. Jess did the same with her OU Bagel (a wheat bagel with cream cheese and bacon). I think we finished our sandwiches so fast because we knew what was coming for dessert.

The Oweo. A delectable, gooey mess made of two, fist-sized chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese in the middle. The sandwich is then steamed, which brings out the flavors. The two of us split one of these delicious treats, and that too was gone within minutes. 

Although it took us literally fifteen minutes to eat, the uniqueness of the place kept us there chatting for about an hour, which was probably the best hour of my day.

An Athens-Themed Weekend

Every week, I show you to a different business in Athens and attempt to describe the feel of each place in two blog posts.  But with this week’s second post, I’m stepping slightly out of topic.  Only slightly.  Instead of another post on Athens Underground, I want to take you through my Athens-themed weekend with my parents.

Ohio University has quite a few weekends each year dedicated to the family visiting—Parents Weekend, Sibs Weekend, Moms Weekend and Dads Weekend. Not only do our families have an excuse to visit us and check out the town and our lives as students, but we also have the opportunity to bring money to local businesses in Athens.  But does it really bring money to the little shops, or does it just provide more business for Applebee’s or Bob Evans?

In my attempts to stick it to the “corporate” man, I took Mom and Dad to the little Athens wonders, which I’m in love with. During the 27 hours they were with me, we jumped from place to place, starting with the Athens Farmers Market, an outdoor market located on East State Street, where local producers and businesses sell fresh produce, fruit, breads, pastries, salsas, jellies, flavored coffee and so much more.

At the AFM, Mom and Dad bought me necessities to get me through the next four weeks—pumpkin spice coffee, pineapple hot salsa and Fuji apples. After roaming through the crowds for a bit and getting me a blueberry muffin for breakfast, we left to get any remaining food items from Kroger (OK, I didn’t completely stick it to the corporate man, but you get the point). 

From there, we hopped to Brennan’s for a soup-and-sandwich lunch and some chatting. Then to Donkey for some hot, non-fat vanilla chai drinking, some Pastimes board game playing and chatting (I had to take Dad to Donkey since he’s never been there).  Because of the hours of chatting, we were hungry again, so we left for Casa Nueva, where we ate our share of local veggies with a Mexican kick and did some more, you guessed it, chatting. Sorry, no habanero salsa this time.

We finished up the rest of yesterday by sitting in the lobby of my dorm playing 500 Rummy, and … chatting.

This morning after church, we traveled to the Village Bakery on East State Street to feed our appetite for healthy, local foods yet again. Sitting on high stools next to the window, we enjoyed our slices of quiche Lorraine and fresh, sweet apples and pears. Oh, and we did more chatting.

If you haven’t noticed, we do a lot of eating and chatting.

Although my throat is still a tad bit dry from all the chatting I did this weekend, I wouldn’t have traded that time for anything.

Undergrounding Photos

We took these photos before the employees yelled at us for taking pictures in the store.

I wanted to be a part of the Red Hat Society.

Leah and I felt like wearing all the old-fashioned hats.

Jess is pretending to be a cowgirl.

I found a copy of Life Magazine from 1942 dated Dec. 14, my birthday. 

Welcome to Vintage Heaven

Now that Halloween is only nine days away, the vintage and costume shops in Athens are buzzing with prospective customers searching for the perfect outfit to wear around Court Street next Saturday. If you’re planning at all to walk around on Halloween, you are required to have a costume.

  Like most Ohio University students, I’ve had my costume planned since last Halloween. Next Saturday, I’ll be sporting the old-fashioned movie star look by dressing as Audrey Hepburn’s character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. And thanks to a trip to Court Street yesterday, I found my remaining piece, a fake cigarette holder.

The search for the cheap cigarette holder took me to one of my favorite places in Athens, Athens Underground. And since I could not take photos inside the shop, I captured shots of my walk from Read Hall to Athens Underground.

I arrived at the store around 1:45 p.m. and walked down the narrow, concrete staircase to the Underground, located at 90 Court St. I slowly turned the tiny, delicate doorknob and pulled open the wooden door. As I entered, the musty smell of old clothing instantly smacked me in the face (the scent reminded me of my grandma’s basement filled with old knick-knacks, boxes and the ever-present mothballs).

I was overwhelmed, as usual. Everywhere I turned my head, a new vintage item came into sight. In my immediate view, I noticed an array of glasses, ranging from 1950s “cat” glasses to aviator sunglasses. Through the doorway next to the glasses was a single-dorm-room sized room filled with shoes and undergarments, including old-fashioned lingerie (some resemble armor).  Sorry, but I don’t see how this would be sexy.

The next room was busting with dresses—from 50s style June Cleaver dresses, to 70s sequined dresses, to 80s shoulder-pad-filled prom dresses. The next, with men’s formalwear. The one after, with vests, scarves and hats. Now, back to the main room.

The main room consists of collections of records, books, magazines, sheet music, postcards, Playbills, *insert breath* formal hats, prom-style clutches, broaches, rings, necklaces, China dishes, linens … I can’t think of anything else right now, but you get the idea. Athens Underground has everything.

OK, almost everything. The shop doesn’t carry cigarette holders (I found mine at the costume store down the street), which was the initial purpose of this venture. However, although it didn’t have what I was looking for, my “trip through time” made it worthwhile.

The Whole Enchilada

Like many of the shops in Athens, Casa Nueva Restaurant, Cantina and Bodega has a rich history of community involvement and business expansion.

Environment

The Restaurant proudly uses the “reduce, reuse, recycle” method by recycling plastic, paper, newsprint, cardboard, clear and brown glass, aluminum and steel. The kitchen also has buckets for food composting. These buckets carry all vegetable and fruit waste products, and at the end of each day, community members can take the waste products to use on their compost piles.

Community

Members of the Casa family helped to write Ohio’s cooperative business law in 2003 and they host forums concerning educational and political issues in the area, according to a 2003 article by Karen Thomas.

The Restaurant also supports local farmers and producers by purchasing their fresh, organic produce.

Co-op

Casa is not only unique for its locally-grown food options and commitment to the community and environment, but the restaurant is a worker-owned cooperative. (I had no idea what a worker-owned co-op was until this blog post. I guess you learn something new everyday.)

Thanks to USLegal.com, I found the definition. “A worker-owned cooperative is a business that is commonly owned and managed by its workers. By organizing a business as a cooperative, the owner/employees make the initial investment in the enterprise, work for its success, and reap any benefits,” states the Web site.

“At Casa, we feel that our efforts are part of a larger movement in which owners can provide direction and vision to create a workplace in which all individuals are treated with equality, respect and compassion,” states the Casa Nueva Web site.

Expansion

In 1993, the cooperative expanded the restaurant to include the Cantina, a full-service bar with a D-6 liquor license. The Cantina also serves as a waiting area, where guests can purchase appetizers while they await seating. The Bodega was recently added as an extension to provide “a ‘quick’ daytime deli kitchen and a nighttime appetizer kitchen,” according to the Casa Web site.

Can't take the heat?

One thing I’ve noticed since starting this blog. It has triggered massive cravings. I apologize, but I just can’t help myself.

Now, with that said, I ventured to Casa Nueva (right off Court Street) this week. I felt the need for non-dining hall food.

I sent out a mass text to my friends Wednesday morning about my urge to go to Casa, and three of them agreed. (You’ll get to watch them eat in the video.)  Since I formulated the plan to dine there, I squirmed with anticipation all day, and I even knew exactly what I was going to order. Filling my head were daydreams of fresh, local veggies combined with a splendor of smoked jalapeños and garlic… Mmm…

Anyway, the time arrived at last. I met with Alec, Alex and Vince, and we strolled the 10 minutes from Read Hall to Casa.  Little did the guys know, I had been plotting to make them try the habanero salsa, Casa’s spiciest salsa, and capture the moment on video. (I did finally caution them before trying it though.)

I ordered a basket of chips and two different salsas, habanero and black bean, as an appetizer.

Here’s what happened:

According to the menu, Casa’s habanero salsa is “A flavorful infusion of citrus followed by the intense heat of habanero peppers.”

The definition is dead on. The slight citrus tang complements the fresh, juicy tomatoes.  But as soon as you taste the citrus and tomatoes, an extreme burning sensation fills your mouth, tongue and throat. It’s almost painful, and I can take really spicy foods. I can eat a dozen hot wings from Buffalo Wild Wings without breaking a sweat. This was different.

Thankfully, I also ordered the black bean salsa to ease the pain of the habanero salsa. (The black bean salsa was gone within minutes.)

Now, on with the main entrée, my Enchilada Roja, which is an enchilada stuffed with Monterey jack cheese, veggies of the day, tomatoes, onions and in my case, chicken. Customers can choose between black beans, tofu, jasmine rice, pork, Puerco Pibil, beef or chicken.  Chipotle salsa is smothered over the enchilada, with shredded lettuce and carrots stacked on top of the salsa. Sigh…

Although I didn’t get to taste-test any of the special autumn desserts, I know I’ll be back in the near future.

Addition of Social Media

For this post, I wanted to provide a transcription of an interview with the owner of the Athens Book Center; however, I apologize, that will not be happening because I cannot get a hold of him. So, instead, here’s a run-down of the new social media this used bookstore is utilizing to help business.

When speaking with Book Center employee Justin Kendrick, a fifth-year Ohio University student studying creative writing, he told me some of the new marketing plans they hope to use to spread the word of their existence.

In fact, I was speaking to one of my friends two nights ago, and I told her about my excursion to the Book Center, to which she replied, “I never knew that existed.” I was shocked. I had no idea that students had never heard of the Athens Book Center before.

Hopefully, that will change.

After doing some Googling, I discovered the Athens Book Center does have a Web site. (Justin didn’t know the store has a Web site, so either there is poor communication with the owner, or the Web site is simply, really new. I’m choosing to believe the latter.)

Regardless of whether or not the Web site is new, it contains a book directory, a book search and a link for purchasing books from the store. To purchase a book from the online catalog, you must submit your e-mail address and shipping and billing information.

After discovering the Web site, I also noticed on my google search that the Athens Book Center has a Facebook page. I immediately logged in on Facebook and became a fan. I think the bookstore is doing a great job with the social networking even if it doesn’t have a huge following (OK, a very small following). My friends and I make up five of the 54 fans, which to me, is both a happy and a sad thought. Happy because my friends and I love the place, and sad because there are only 54 fans.

But anyway, the Facebook statuses try to engage the viewer and communicate by asking questions and pushing for comments. It keeps fans updated on current happenings and promotions, such as the new smoothies, which according to employee Justin Kendrick, are 100 percent fruit. Hooray for health! I haven’t tried one yet, but I plan on it for the next time I’m there.

"But I'm Not Dead Yet..."

Yesterday afternoon, I waltzed excitedly through the glass doors.

I hadn’t visited the Athens Book Center, located at 74 East State St., in nearly five months, and frankly, I’d missed it.

Upon arriving, I glanced around. To my right, a café-type area with tiny tables and chairs stood awaiting an intelligent tush to rest on it. To my left, two regulars catch up while relaxing on two of the three plush, worn couches.  The couches looked so inviting, but I admit, I didn’t have time to sit down.

After walking through the sitting areas, I was taken aback by the vast number of books exploding from the shelves and emerging from stacks on the floor. 

I walked through hall aligned with books and straight to the rear of the shop, to my favorite section of the store.  In this back room rest the foreign language novels, which I love to pretend I can read. OK, so I can read French, but that’s not the point.  Across the room are other novelties and books that need to be handled with care, which are kept in glass shelves.

The entire time I was in the store, I was surrounded by the smell of ink printed on paper, and the scent of binding mixed with a tinge of brewed coffee.

Something I never noticed until writing this: mega-bookstores like Barnes & Noble or even the college bookstores on campus don’t have the “book” smell.  This is disheartening. But thankfully, we have at least one bookstore in Athens that actually smells like books.

Some say used bookstores are a “dying breed.” In fact, Athens Book Center employee Justin Kendrick, a fifth-year student studying creative writing, used this term when talking about the bookstore industry.  But one reason he decided to work at the store is because it’s “the only real bookstore in town.”

He described the atmosphere as “literate,” or one in which customers converse about books and their favorite authors.

“You meet people who care about writing,” Kendrick said.

Although, due to time constraints, I don’t read nearly as much as I want, I get a certain unexplainable thrill when picking up a book, no matter if it’s new or used.  And I don’t know if any of you have had this experience, but I get excited when I visit a unique bookstore such as the Athens Book Center.

Caffeine with a Conscience

The aroma of coffee is not the only reason customers keep going back to Donkey Coffee and Espresso.

Kevin Jacobson, a first-year graduate student studying music education, has been working at Donkey for a little over one year.

“I like coffee,” Jacobson said, explaining why he works at Donkey. “I like the idea of justice and fair trade.”

Donkey is dedicated to social justice, and it even has a nook with the theme of "improving the world."  This tiny room in the middle of the café has a wealth of pamphlets, posters, bumper stickers and framed quotes of famous social justice advocates. This is where the tagline, “Caffeine with a Conscience,” really comes into play.

“We are committed to promoting justice in our community and throughout the world through public awareness, serving, and financial giving,” reads the social justice page on the Donkey Web site.

  Donkey brews organic beans labeled "fair trade." Its supplier is Dean's Beans in Massachusetts.

Dean’s Beans only buys coffee beans from “villages and importers that are committed to Fair Trade and working towards better economic opportunity, improved health and nutrition in the villages,” states the Dean’s Beans Web site.

Donkey supports wearing your conscience as well.  In the social justice nook, there is an advertisement for the Justice Clothing Company, an employee-controlled cooperative of sweatshop-free and union-made clothing.  All of the clothing is made in the United States or in Canada.

  “If you don't mind buying clothing made by slaves, children, indentured servants, or workers who are paid pennies a day, we are not your kind of store,” says the Justice Clothing Web site.

Other organizations in Athens that Donkey promotes include Amnesty International, World Vision, Good Works, Inc. and My Sister's Place.  The complete list is of organizations is here.

Here is a compilation of photos from the social justice nook:

Chai-nnoisseur

I took a few pictures of my Chaider on Thursday, but I never posted them.  Here's one photo of the infamous Chaider.  And I wasn't lying when I said it doesn't look appetizing, but like our moms always told us growing up, "You can't judge a book by its cover."

Also, if you're wondering just what chai is, take a look here.  This link provides you with history, recipes and products, all dealing with chai.

The Sweetest Thing

I decided to treat myself today.

And lately, this “treating myself” has become a weekly routine.  After my French phonetics class each Thursday, I run to one of the coffee shops in town and grab some chai.

I tried warm chai for the first time last year, and little did I know, I’d be addicted with the first sip. And let’s just say that my chai addiction has become exponentially worse.

  My friends like to refer to me as a “chai-nnoisseur,” or an expert on the best-tasting chai, and as far as I’m concerned, Donkey has the best chai I’ve ever had.

  I can’t seem to figure out what Donkey does to make it the best chai; heaven knows I’ve certainly tried to replicate it with my store-bought chai-mixes. But Donkey’s chai (whether hot or iced, vanilla or spiced) is significantly better than Starbucks, the Front Room and Bibliotech.

  Right now, I’m struggling to figure out how to describe why Donkey’s chai is so different.

  The chai latte at Donkey is smooth, creamy and satisfying, and it leaves an aftertaste of gingerbread long after your last swig. The chai powder is evenly dissolved in the steamed milk, unlike in other chais, in which the liquid chai isn’t mixed well with the milk, making for two distinct tastes. I’m grimacing at the thought.

  Anyway, on a day like today, where the weather is chilly but the sun is warmly shining through Athens’ vast wealth of trees, a warm chai is definitely my beverage of choice.

  But this is not the typical Donkey chai. It’s seasonal. This particular chai, Chaider, is a tasty blend of chai and steamed apple cider. The aroma of freshly baked apple pie is floating from my mug to my nostrils. Although the appearance is not very appetizing (It’s probably good that it’s covered by a lid.), it tastes like liquefied hot apple crisp with a hint of gingerbread. I’m smiling inside.

  Chaider (or any chai, for that matter) is definitely a perfect choice to satisfy your sweet tooth on a cool, crisp autumn day in Athens.