Return to Bruxie Waffle

[Update - Closed as of October 2016]

A walk across the "new" bridge across College Ave...

led us to Bruxie Waffle which Bert hadn't been to yet...

it was nice not having to worry about parking because getting out of the parking lot is basically asking yourself to be t-boned...

Trolley stops + SDSU

[The return of the Trolley Adventure posts from MLK 2015]

After our having drinks and a (horrid) pastry (it was vegan that's why) from James Coffee...we thought we would walk to the next trolley stop instead of going all the way back to the Little Italy stop.

We walked on Kettner for awhile and passed by some really sketchy places...

It's one thing to drive by it in the safety of your car and another to actually walk it...

The old Rubio's is now Bruxie

[Update - Closed as of October 2016]

Bruxie is now in San Diego in the College Area after a failed attempt to include it in the hoity toity Headquarters near Seaport Village...

I'm actually glad it's in a more plebeian area and what better place to put in than next to SDSU, right across the new suspension bridge...

It's On!!!! SDSU vs UConn!

It's the first time for the Aztecs to be in March Madness!

Sweet 16 no less!

The 2nd seeded SDSU Aztecs, Mountain West Winners vs. 3rd seeded UConn Huskies in Anaheim as we speak!

Here's their official "Spirit" shirt on Bert:

Here's the opening jump shot!

Let's see who emerges victorious in a few hours!!!

Hopefully STATE!

UPDATE - 5:49 with 8:49 min left in the 2nd half.
SDSU 53
UConn 51

2nd UPDATE - Game over at 6:19 pm
SDSU 67
UConn 74

Sad Panda.

Blast from the Past - SDSU Retirement Party

Last month, Bert and I went to a friend's retirement party at my alma mater, SDSU. In May, Sal Flor retired after 38 years of service at State, finishing off as an EOP Counselor and advisor to Andres Bonifacio Samahan (SDSU's Filipino American student organization), the Asian Pacific Student Alliance (APSA) and the Pacific Islander Student Association (PISA) and much much more.

I first met Sal when I was beginning as a counselor intern. He was a really funny guy with lots of stories to tell about the community. As he did for me, he provided advice and mentorship to many Filipino American educators in San Diego. Sal's family was one of San Diego's pioneer Filipino families who immigrated to San Diegp post-World War II. His father was a decorated WWII vet, commended by Harry Truman for his service; his mother a War Bride and one of the original members of the Bicol Club and the Filipino Women's Club of San Diego. In the late 60's and early 70's, Sal was part of the burgeoning Asian American/Filipino American/Third World studies and activist movement. There were many hot issues going on, like the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Women's Rights, and after September 1972, Martial Law in the Philippines. If there was something happening in San Diego related to the Filipino American community, Sal was most likely a part of that.

Fittingly, his retirement party was held at Montezuma Hall at SDSU's Aztec Center. Near the registration tables were many displays of memorabilia. These were old Samahan PCN (Pilipino Culture Night) programs from the late 80's to the present.



Another table promoted the upcoming "Filipinos in San Diego" book launching, co-authored by Dr. Judy Patacscil (a former student of Sal's), Professor Felix Tuyay (one of Sal's best friends and a prof at Southwestern College), and Dr. Rudy Guevarra:

The memorabilia tables were strewn not just with "Sal's artifacts" but also with vintage candies. That was a pretty cool idea. Check out these old wooden tennis racquets!

I liked this table - with books from Felix Tuyay's collection. And ooh look, candy "cigarettes"!

On that same table were LP's...I spy Earth Wind and Fire and War!

"Bicol" is the region where Sal's parents are from. If you're from the Bicol area of the Philippines, you are known as a "Bicolano". Ever heard of the Filipino dish, "Bicol Express"? It's from there! Lots of hot peppers and coconut milk in Bicolano cuisine.

Also from Felix's collection, a package of "Filipinos Cookies"

"Filipinos" are snack cookies that are sold in Spain (ironically the island's former colonizer) and Potugal. I once had a package given to me as a gift from Felix but we had an infestation of drugstore beetles so I had to throw it out. I never opened the package actually but the wrapper was all gross from the bugs. Ugh, I just got shivers remembering that day when Bert and I cleaned out our pantry. The culprit? Chickpea flour that I bought from an Indian store. Fkg bugs were growing out of it!

Anyways, back to "Filipinos" cookies, courtesy of wikipedia's entry on "Filipinos (snack food)":

"The Philippine National Historical Institute has stated "The cookies were inspired by 'rosquillo' biscuits produced in Iloilo and Negros and the Spaniards added another twist by coating it with brown or white chocolate."


 Controversy

The government of the Philippines filed a diplomatic protest with the government of Spain, the European Commission, and then manufacturer Nabisco Iberia in 1999. The protest took offense with the use of the name "Filipinos", a term which can refer to the people of the Philippines, to market cookie and pretzel snacks and demanded Nabisco stop selling the product until the brand name was changed.

The resolution's author, Philippine Congressman Heherson Alvarez, claimed that the name of the cookie was offensive due to the apparent reference to their color, "dark outside and white inside". His resolution stated "These food items could be appropriately called by any other label, but the manufacturers have chosen our racial identity, and they are now making money out of these food items."  On August 26, 1999 Philippine president Joseph Estrada called the brand "an insult".

The protest was filed despite Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon's initial reluctance on the matter. Siazon had reportedly said "he saw nothing wrong with the use of 'Filipinos' as a brand name, noting Austrians do not complain that small sausages are called 'Vienna sausages.'"

So maybe I shouldn't eat those chocolate coated pretzel Flipz then.Pause....


Here are some vintage baseball jerseys from back in the day when Samahan had their own team (70's):



Here are some of Sal's old work shirts. During his roast, he was recognized for wearing either his red work shirt or Aloha shirts. In the back, you can see his desk plate with his name. Looks like that was custom made in the Philippines. All that's missing is a small wooden carabao and the barrel man.

The photo below is part of the Mural Triptico in Montezuma Hall (info taken from the article, "A Chicano Perspective on San Diego History" by Mario T. Garcia from The Journal of San Diego History, Fall 1972, Volume 18, #4; read the whole article here)

MURAL TRIPTICO

This three-paneled mural in Montezuma Hall at the Aztec Center, California State University, San Diego, depicts the Chicano's painful history. The artist, Gilberto Ramirez, who lives in Mexico, was assisted by artists Ruben DeAnda and Guillermo Aranda. Description of the mural is provided by the Associated Students Organization at the Aztec Center

NOCHE (Night)

"With its independence recently acquired from Europe, Mexico suffers a new strike, this time it's his powerful neighbor in America who delivers this homicidal strike, the country is divided. The children of the sun look at their father in vain; The Mexican cries the separation of his brothers who were left on the other side of the border, but united in sentiment, symbolized by the hearts; El Chicano without language, prisoner of a system based upon the sacrifice of peoples, also cries, and there begins to germinate in him the idea of social justice and fraternity among all peoples of the world."


Here is the lone food shot I took during the party. The menu consisted of fried rice, kahlua pig, citrus mahi mahi, and spring mix salad with ginger dressing. Pretty much island style.

Newfangled bridge connecting Aztec Center to the other side of College Avenue.

When I was at state, this new bridge wasn't here. Well, there WAS a bridge, but a regular old one without a modern looking arch. The old Rubio's used to be on the other side near KB Books.

Info taken from the SDSU website:

"[The pedestrian bridge] sits over College Avenue, connecting Aztec Center to the East Campus Residential Community, the Office of Housing Administration and parking structures. The bridge makes traveling to campus safe and easy for pedestrians. The suspension-like span is approximately 230-feet long and 45-feet tall."

I'll be going here again in the Fall with the 10th graders for a field trip...

SDSU

Last Friday another counselor and I accompanied a select group of 10th grade students to a field trip to SDSU. Our district has a special agreement with the university which guarantees admision to State if our students meet the minimum benchmarks (3.0 GPA in all a-g coursework, enrollment in our district all 4 years of high school, taking the SAT or ACT; and passing the ELM & EPT which are additional admissions tests for the CSU campuses).

Gosh I sound like I'm at work. Dammit. Anyways, We chaperoned about 90+ students and were broken up into groups after the first big meeting in the lecture hall. This is how our day went and I must say, I had a fun time hearing all of the new things that State has to offer as well as seeing all of the new buildings and services available for the students. After the "welcome", there were several rotations but all consisted of a campus tour, an intro to the university "SDSU 101", and a mini workshop on how to start their CSU application early in the computer lab. The SDSU students who served as the guides on campus and in the classrooms and labs were really great; they were professional, informative, kept the students' interest, and enthusiastic. I've attended these tours in the past and sometimes the guides were just plain awful. The new suspension bridge which crosses College Avenue...There are new dorms across the bridge...When I say "new", it's really not new. It's just new to me (since I'm an old far)....

A relatively dead Aztec Center...Normally it's packed here with students hanging out and drinking. There's also a lounge, bowling alley, TV rooms, club/organizations offices to your right (not pictured) down the steps as well as a food court and bar. I wonder if Monty's Den is still there? Living Color once played Montezuma Hall back in '89 before they hit it big.

Heading down the steps from Aztec Center and towards the Student Services West building where the students were to be welcomed at one of the lecture halls.

The Student Services West building with clock tower...This was not there when I graduated. It was a big hole in the ground. I remember helping protest the budget cuts back in '91 and signing a temporary graffiti covered wall that surrounded this site...There was also a painting of a wrecking ball heading towards the face of then governor, Pete Wilson and an effigy of the president at the time, Thomas B. Day.

Our guide was very cool. He was a senior business major. He had an interesting accent. Although he was Hispanic, he hailed from Houston, Texas and kind of had a southern type accent mixed in with a bit of old school jive. Sorry if that sounds un-PC but he did. He was super nice and seemed to relate well with the students as he took them around campus.

This is the new InfoDome entrance to the newer portion of the Love Library. The older portion is the square blocky building in the back. The library is named for Dr. Malcolm A. Love, the 4th president of SDSU.Under the new library's dome...very cool. This was built in the late 90's...

Heading over to the main portion of the older library...ha ha. Everytime I think of the Love Library, I want to say it in a deep Barry White kind of voice with one of his songs playing in the background...Oh yeahhhhhh....

WTF! Lemur skulls!

Another interesting exhibit...this was on our way to the old library from the new wing.

Cool sculpture in the middle of the library stairwell...it's been there forever it seems. I think it used to rotate.

One of the cool exhibits on the 2nd floor of the Love Library...(I used to hide out on the 5th floor - it was always quiet and hardly anyone used the bathrooms there).

I totally do NOT remember the Magnavox Odyssey. I do remember the Atari though!
The South facing view from library facing the Open Air Theatre (OAT) and beyond that, the Adams Humanities building, notiorious for it's "H" shape and its non consecutive room numbers. I have many fond memories of eating lunch in the empty OAT with my friends. I also have attended many concerts there, such as Joe Satriani (back in '89) and seeing Australian band Midnight Oil perform there three times. That was back when you had to actually wait in a damn line to buy your tickets. I remember I camped out for my Midnight Oil tickets. I got 2nd row! Also got 2nd row for the Satch himself. I also had my graduation ceremony here at the OAT - the College of Sciences...

Banner near the library...

One of the iconic symbols of SDSU (even appearing on its official logo), Hepner Hall (one of the students was joking that it was named after Hugh Hefner). This was also seen in the cheerleader flick "Bring it On" and in various shots of the based in San Diego TV show, "Veronica Mars". I think it's a beautiful building...very Spanish influenced...So much nicer looker than UCSD!

Now this is also new...this pond. It's right next to the International Cottage where I would sometimes relax between classes and read up on my assignments.

The kids were fascinated by the koi and the turtles...

Some of the food offerings at West Commons. I remember eating there a few times. It cost about $4 to get a square meal there. It was literally cafeteria style where you would move your tray along a long row of choices...Now it's separate restaurant style places that offer their specialties...Once back in the late 80's, I was having lunch with Tatonka. He said, "Hey, check this out..." and proceeded to put half of his sandwich on this ledge near us....I was wondering WTF he was up to. In a few minutes, we heard a slight rustling sound. It was a big FKG rat that emerged from the bushes...It slunk up to the bait, snatched it with it's tiny paws and scuttled back from whence it came. I was grossed out and from then on, I didn't want to sit out in the open...

Okay, this is new...This is the new Arts and Letters building which overlooks I-8. It's right next to Storm Hall and Nasatir Hall. This used to be the Child Development building which was right next to the old Art Gallery.

Another view of the building...

Walking past Betty's Hot Dogger (man, that's still there?????) which is right in front of the old Art building...I used to hang out in the benches across from this place. Never ate a hot dog there though.

View from the staircase looking out over the Life Sciences building and the SDSU greenhouse.

Heading back out to the Campanile...Here's the inner courtyard of Hepner Hall.

Hardy Tower (built in 1931)- which contains the Fletcher Symphonic Carillons (bells) that ring every hour on the hour. The Tower is a product of the WPA and is one of the signature buildings of the university. Sometimes the carillon plays cool songs. I swear to God, I heard "Summer Lovin'" from Grease one time! There is actually a guy who plans out each and every song it plays. He's been doing this for fifty years. The bells were added in 1946 and served as a gift from the tower's namesake, Dr. Edward Hardy, as well as a 50th birthday commemoration for the university and as a memorial to students lost in the war. I just remember using it as a shortcut to get to the Life Sciences building.

Statue of the first president of the school - Samuel T. Black.

This was one of the toilets (first floor) of the North Education building (near the East side of campus, near the Business Administration building)....I liked how you could just press your foot on the pedal to flush it so you wouldn't have to touch the damn thing. This bathroom was so ancient. I remember going to this building to use their bathrooms because it was always dead there. Besides the 5th floor of the library and the hidden basement bathroom in the registrar's building (no one was supposed to use it unless they worked in that office, but shit, I did), most bathrooms were as crowded as hell and were really quite odious affairs that burned your nostril hairs with their toxic fecal fumes. I didn't really like sharing bathroom space with other people and those particular spots I mentioned were so nice and quiet! Seriously.

Lunch was provided by Rubio's (the owner was an SDSU alum) but unfortunately they were not fish tacos. Maybe they thought the fish would spoil faster? I don't know. Students and adults had their choice of either a carne asada or chicken taco (yes, that is ONE TACO, not TWO) or a bean burrito (for those vegetarians), with chips and a small container of beans plus a soda or water. I didn't bother taking a photo of the lunch...

The field trip went well and I was only too eager to head back to my office to take care of a few loose ends, return parent phone calls, etc...before the weekend began.