Nidia’s tamales, tacos, and champurrado

Today I had a great day, which started with a 10 mile walk/jog from Koreatown to Pasadena to see my friends Seth Goldman and Megan Tan. About five miles into the walk, I stopped at a tamale and taco stand run by Nidia, originally from Sinaloa, Mexico. I bought a potato taco and a cheese tamale to start with. The potato taco was covered with cilantro and very spicy with chile (my fault, not Nidia’s), but it was scrumptious. I needed a whole bottle of water to cool down. The tamale was piping hot, with a bit of green pepper and hunks of delicious cheese. I also had a drink called champurrado, which is made from chocolate, water, milk, and cinnamon. Nidia really knows how to cook, for anyone who is headed toward Marmion Way and N Figueroa Street, Los Angeles.

Why walk/jog 10 miles along busy roads in the “City of Angels” known for its cars? As always, I wanted to view the landscape in a different perspective. After seeing the many ways the land and people varied, from tents for the homeless along the sidewalks of Ktown to the million dollar mansions of Pasadena, I have a new respect for the geography and history of this land we call “Southern California.” I was refreshed by Nidia’s cooking. And I made other interesting stops along the way, before I climbed a long hill in Pasadena and met up with Seth and Megan. Then, in their backyard, we could relax, eat oranges, and chat about such topics as psychiatry; the metaverse; and public schooling.

The rest of the day was terrific as well in my search for the Great Spirit. We had some good family time. Later on, my son Joe and I had a two-hour tour of Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine, which was a fun, yet complicated experience, given the history of the neighborhood (see the album by Ry Cooder which describes Chavez Ravine’s destruction to build the stadium).

We also saw Jackie Robinson’s 1949 National League MVP award before we went into the Dodger’s clubhouse and on the field. Seeing Robinson’s award and photo, knowing what he went through to advance racial justice, was worth the admission price in and of itself.

Tomorrow we’re borrowing my brother-in-law’s hybrid and will drive to Carmel to see friends Mars Gunja and Jayun Cho. Hopefully there will be an opportunity to get out of the car and walk in the grass.

So what did I learn from my 10 miles crossing LA and Pasadena? I have some blisters. Also, the bottom line is, to find the Great Spirit, we have to pound the pavement and keep asking questions.

Thanks for reading my blog entry! If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to leave a reply below or share with others. And remember, my website is always free. Below, the fiddle tune I recorded, “Five Miles from Town.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai_aSxvtbAI&t=7s