Tag

All Star Weekend

Mar 24
0

First Timer at SXSW

By | Baby Jade, Blog, Uncategorized | No Comments

SXSW has been around since 1987 and yet I’d never really heard of it, let alone dreamt of ever going. But if my life has taught me anything in the past 4 months, it’s to expect the unexpected! In a New Year filled with events from Sundance to All-Star Weekend, SXSW shouldn’t have caught me off guard, but it had. I’d no idea how vast it was. So as we departed for Austin, thoughts of being in the south and what awaited us swirled in my head. I’m one who shouldn’t be left alone in her thinking too much; I have a tendency to imagine the most bizarre scenarios, especially in unknown territory.
Fortunately for me, everything I thought was wrong. Austin is an amazing city. On the verge of being one of the hippest cities in the U.S. it’s very reminiscent of an early New York City. People of all walks of life living and working together in harmony; surrounded by rural suburbs on one side & Lake Houses on the other, the industrious downtown was filled with boutiques, music shops, restaurants (serving the best in fusion dishes), and of course, the birthplace to the hottest festival.
Each day we experienced one more reason Austin was such a great city. On one of our last nights in Austin we met, Earl. Earl was a native New Yorker who decided to move to Austin in 2012 with his business partner. When I asked him why the move, he explained to me how Austin was the number one city, per capita, where start up business are successful. When he and his partner heard this, they moved to New York and haven’t looked back since. He went on to explain that besides the positive effect on business he’s received, he’s just become the latest victim to fall hopelessly in love with Austin.
As for the festival itself?! Oh man, for a week people went without sleep to catch the hottest acts today! What was once considered an indie festival has now turned into one of the biggest mainstream festivals. Kanye and Jay-Z sharing the stage for a free concert! Janelle Monae! Lady Gaga even had a fan throw up on her, which is……a topic for another blog….the point is A-listers came to Austin and turned it up!
We left exhausted, stimulated, and excited for what SXSW will bring next year! This first timer was left wanting more.

*Thank you for continuously reading my blogs. For more content check out my YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/c/bethlehemawate*

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Xo, B

Feb 24
0

New Orleans, Still Classy

By | Baby Jade, Blog, Infomation, Uncategorized | No Comments

Next year marks the ten year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina; the storm that stole 1,833 souls. I had the pleasure of visiting New Orleans pre-Katrina, and just recently, post. I have to say that New Orleans did not lose its charm and instead maintained her classy, ever gracious self. In a city where one can wander the streets with alcoholic beverages in their hand, one may think the city is reminiscent to a modern day Gomorrah, but instead you find yourself amongst the friendly folks. Filled with southern hospitality and a great appreciation for life, the citizens of this city went above and beyond to make me and my associates feel at home.
The general public is from all walks of life. Folks of New Orleans aren’t known because of their outer appearance, but by the way they treat you. Men, women, black, white, foreign and native alike all held one thing; they were courteous, and full of life. They didn’t treat you as if you were a visitor in the city but more like family they’ve known for ages. What some may have found abrupt, I saw as a group of people breaking down the barrier of tourists versus locals. One felt at home everywhere they went.
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The history etched in the city is what makes it so majestic. Plaques of the Spanish officials the streets are named after, jazz bands playing in the streets, the buildings untouched on the outside, and the smells of classic creole and southern dishes wafting through the streets make you feel like if you closed your eyes you could be walking the streets when New Orleans was first becoming what it’s now known for today.
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The food was glorious! I think I had grits with every meal. Having grown up in the south, I’ve always been a fan of good ol’ fashioned southern style dishes, and the delicacies I tasted were simply out of this world. Simple dishes were given a twist, classic dishes were fused with new world flavor, and some dishes were served in paper bags as they had been for the past 50 years. No matter what your taste preference is, you were guaranteed to find something that would not only taste great but would also blow you away. And the freshness in their sea food can’t be compared to anything else! A dish that is common to New Orleans was Alligator. Alligator was a common find on every menu we came across. What I thought was a rare food was being ordered left and right with no surprise but as if the most common fare ever. I’ll admit I wasn’t brave enough to try the Alligator but I did understand just how popular a dish it is.
All in all, New Orleans captured my heart. I left a little bit of it there and plan to return shortly to not only get it back but fill it with even more love for that wonderful city.

*Thank you for continuously reading my blogs. For more content check out my YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/c/bethlehemawate*

Let’s connect on social media, I’d love to hear from you:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethlehemawate
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Snapchat: betu_la

Xo, B