Información enviada por vkraus2
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Japanese cars are better
Victoria Kraus
In last Sunday’s Los Angeles Times (January 21, 2007), columnist Steve Lopez wrote about Hummers and the people who drive them, specifically Los Angeles’ transportation chief. This upset Steve. I also find it ironic and upsetting that the city of Los Angeles’ transportation chief would drive a Hummer. It would …
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Spiritual journeys, done from home
Victoria Kraus
I woke up at 6:07 a.m. last Friday morning to an NPR “Morning Edition” interview with Gillian Siple, a World Religions major and senior at Davidson College in North Carolina. She talked about her travels throughout Asia and Europe as she learned about various religions practiced in Thailand, China, India …
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Remedies for the common cold
Victoria Kraus
I recently caught a winter cold. Although it’s never really winter in Southern California, there are occasionally rare days when the temperature can drop down to the low 40s. It could’ve been due to the drastic up-and-down weather patterns lately with daytime highs in the 80s and lows in the …
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Boars and fortune cookies
Victoria Kraus
2007 marks another year of the boar since its last turn of the animal wheel twelve years ago. I am a proud 1983 boar. Friends and family say it’s no coincidence since I am generally stubborn. And since it’s that time of year in Western society, I thought I’d share …
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Tamales for Christmas
Victoria Kraus
Two days before Christmas Eve, I saw a news clip on television about a popular tamale place in East Los Angeles. This restaurant was so busy and apparently so good that they had orders from customers six months in advance. Many of the customers—who were waiting for hours in line—had …
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Half Japanese Christmases
Victoria Kraus
Christmas before finding out the truth about Santa My father told me there was no Santa Clause when I was seven years old. I wasn’t completely surprised, though the little ounce of hope I did have that Santa Clause might exist was dispelled when he made the news official.
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To be a circle
Victoria Kraus
My mother has a circle metaphor. I don’t think the metaphor is originally hers and when I ask her where she got it from, she doesn’t remember. “That’s not the point,” she tells me when I ask her about the origins of her circle metaphor. The point, she explains, is …
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Which comes first - moving out or growing up?
Victoria Kraus
Paying rent is a costly way to learn to grow up. I’m left with very little disposable income and two credit cards (that I’m still paying off) screaming to be swiped.
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Living in the "barrio"
Victoria Kraus
I can get away with being Hispanic or Latina without even trying. In my neighborhood, known as the “barrio” of Los Angeles for its highly concentrated Hispanic population, I am not mistaken for a Mexican. I am Mexican. Because of my brunette head and facial features—more European than Mexican I’m …
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Thanksgiving dinner with other than the traditional trimmings
Victoria Kraus
The only part of Thanksgiving I look forward to is the four-day weekend. The food is ok. Typical American Thanksgiving food makes me feel unnaturally heavy. I like turkey, mashed lumpy potatoes and gravy, and canned corn, but I refuse to eat cranberry sauce, stuffing or yams. Most of my …