Annie Chang/Staff

Being an avid coffee drinker, my goal is to try coffee from every country I visit, and international coffees in the States also easily grab my attention. When Semih, a dear Turkish friend of mine, asked me if I wanted to experience Turkish coffee one night at 11 p.m., I desperately wished I could — but, of course, that would mean no sleep that night. A couple of days later, I headed over to try the coffee that was constantly on my mind. Little did I know, drinking Turkish coffee had its own little ritual.

Semih began to make the coffee as soon as I entered his apartment, and I immediately started snapping photos. I was very interested, and everything grabbed my attention. He added a pure powdery coffee into hot water that was sitting in a cezve, a small copper Turkish coffee pot that makes about two espresso-sized cups of coffee. Traditionally, the cezve is held over flames and embers, but because his apartment only had an electric stove, he just rested the cezve on that. After a couple of minutes, Semih added some sugar into the coffee. He told me that it depends on personal preference: Some people drink it black, and some like it with sugar. He heated the mixture of coffee and hot water until it boiled and said that if it was done perfectly and taken off the stove the second it started to boil, there would be delicious coffee foam at the top of the cup. No cream or flavoring was added after the coffee was poured into the cup, and it was an intense, dark color characteristic of a perfect cup of pure coffee. The taste was deliciously bitter, with an almost grassy or charcoal-like note that differed greatly from regular black coffee in the United States. The bitterness was so unique that to add more sugar or cream would have overpowered the coffee taste. After drinking the coffee, we ate pieces of Turkish dessert, a type of starch gel and sugar with different flavors and pistachios or fruit jelly inside.

Then it was time for fortune-telling, in which the saucer is turned upside down and placed on top of the coffee cup. This combination is circled clockwise three times and then flipped over, so that the saucer faces up and the cup is upside-down on the saucer. A coin is placed on the cup to make it cool faster. The point is to leave the coffee residue in the cup so that it forms ambiguous patterns. My intrigued self could barely wait to see my fortune. Here’s what Semih told me:

-  There was a large part of the cup that was white: I had a pure and innocent heart.
- He saw the figure of a bird: Someone would come visit me soon.
- There was something not so pretty in the shape of a dead fish: Something would scare me.
- A bit of leftover coffee would not stop running although we were not moving the cup, which was quite strange: I was easily led by others and convinced by them, and my opinions were easily swayed.

After the fortune-telling from the cup, it was the plate’s turn. He told me to make a wish before the fortune telling started, then allow one drop of coffee to run down the back of the plate. The speed of the drop represented how fast the wish would come true, and the closer it got to the middle of the plate, the more likely it would come true. Unfortunately, my wish would start to look like it was coming true, but it would not. Reminding myself that I am not superstitious, I was fascinated by the ritual and did not let the wish bother me. Many things were revealed, and I am waiting to see whether anything comes true.

Contact Annie Chang at achang@dailycal.org

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Josh Escobar/Staff

The clouds in they sky were giving way to sunshine when we saw a deer on a sidewalk on Northside. As you probably know, Northside blends into the Berkeley Hills. The trees — elm, pine, and liquid amber — are taller than most buildings. The experience of walking down some streets is like that of a forest.

We seemed more surprised by the encounter than the deer did. It turns out that he, like us, was just out for a midsummer’s stroll. We followed him for a little  bit to see what his business here was. He just ate the leaves and flowers of a squash plant growing in our neighbor’s garden. The whole time he seemed oblivious to how majestic he looked. After throwing us a few glances he posed for a few photos then pranced down the street. He probably never thought that he’d be famous.

Contact Josh Escobar at jescobar@dailycal.org.

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Good music often provides the perfect background songs for our ordinary daily activities. Music also allows us to relive a story narrated by lyrics in our imagination or allows us to escape to the beats and sounds of different instruments. By making some songs very personal to us, we often forget to acknowledge the inspiration that made it possible for these songs to exist. Here at the Clog, we’re taking the time to acknowledge the meaning and inspiration that went behind some of today’s popular songs:

John Mayer’s “Gravity:” Mayer’s “Come Back to Bed” was actually an early attempt at creating “Gravity.” It took some time for him to actually put the words and instrumentals into a cohesive and powerful song. In a concert in December 2005, Mayer explained that “Gravity” is a song so important to him that he could listen to it for the rest of his life. When addressing where the song came from, he stated, “I was in LA, and I was there for the summer, just writing tunes, and I was in the shower. And I don’t know where it came from, but it’s the damn truth you know, and I just sang, ‘gravity…is working against me.’” He also expressed that “Gravity” took on a more significant meaning; this was a song about “making sure you still love yourself … making sure you still have your head on”.

Jason Mraz’s “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry):” Mraz’s musical remedy would not have been created if it wasn’t for his friend Charlie Mingroni. Mingroni was a close friend of Mraz’s who had cancer. This significantly impacted Mraz. When facing your own personal battles, Mraz sings that “the tragedy is how you’re gonna spend the rest of your nights with the light on.” This song was made to relax the mind and soul even through one’s hardest times.

Ed Sheeran’s “The A Team:” This song was inspired by a gig Sheeran did at a homeless shelter at the age of 18. When listening to people’s stories, Sheeran was fascinated by the extreme struggles that many faced. This was especially the case when discussing substance abuse. Drugs like cocaine, a “Class A drug,” had been discussed and served as the direct inspiration for the song’s title. In an effort to mask addressing the serious issue of substance abuse, Sheeran successfully attempted to make the song upbeat.

These artists show us that by taking inspiration as it comes and transforming it into art is something very powerful. By sharing something you personally created, you can offer someone else an interesting set of lens to look through.

What inspired a work of art that you’re proud of? Share with us in the comments!

Image source: Kia Clay under Creative Commons 

Contact Karen Kwaning at kkwaning@dailycal.org.

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Cal softball alum Valerie Arioto is stealing all the spotlight recently.

The U.S. women’s national softball team took home its first gold medal of the summer on Friday at the Mayor’s Cup in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Led by Arioto’s .500 batting average, Team USA garnered gold after finishing the Caribbean tournament with a pristine 4-0 record, claiming wins over Canada, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Cuba.

After each team fought through several days of inclement weather and rain delays, the tournament officials decided to cancel the championship game, awarding the Mayor’s Cup title to No. 1 seed USA by default. As the No. 2 seed, Cuba took silver, and Canada came away with bronze.

But despite an otherwise anticlimatic end to the tournament, Arioto’s powerful presence on the field shone throughout the week as the former Cal softball star aided her team to victory after victory.

Arioto led the offense, batting three for six and collecting a home run, five RBIs and six walks. The one inning in which the star player pitched, Arioto struck out two batters from the circle.

All in all, the Eagles posted an overall impressive performance at the tournament, outscoring opponents 30-8 with the pitching staff combining for a 1.88 ERA.

On Saturday, Arioto continued her domination on the field during the first day of the Pan American Games Qualifier, also held in San Juan.

With a 1-0 score and three runners on at the bottom of the first, Arioto cleared the bases with a home run hit over the fence to produce a 5-0 score.

After Arioto’s grand slam, Team USA notched several runs, one after another, until the team was leading Aruba 11-0 by the end of the first.

The Eagles eventually conquered Aruba after three innings with a 16-0 victory on Saturday. Team USA will continue round-robin play in the Pan American Games against Brazil on Sunday.

Bears show enthusiasm as 2013 Cal volleyball training camp opens

Cal football isn’t the only team that has started training for the fall season.

The Cal volleyball team was out on the court early Saturday morning for its first practice of the 2013 season, with another practice scheduled for that afternoon.

“It was good to see everyone out there,” said Cal coach Rich Feller after practice. “There was lots of enthusiasm, as you would expect … The new kids seem to be fitting in really well and getting used to things. The returning players are setting a good example with the tempo and communication level.”

Cal has six new recruits on its roster, which includes an incoming freshman class ranked in the top 25 in the country. Middle blocker Jenelle Jordan, libero Maddy Kerr and setter Alyssa Jensen will join returning starters like Joan Caloiaro and Adrienne Gehan on the team.

In addition, rising junior Michelle Neumayr will return to play for the Bears after sitting on the sidelines for the past two years. As one of the nation’s most highly recruited players coming out of high school, Neumayr suffered season-ending injuries in her first two years at Cal, preventing her from getting any play time. But the outside hitter is looking to return to the court to make her contributions to the squad.

“It felt great to finally be back out there,” Neumayr said. “At first, there were some jitters. I was nervous and excited. But once I started playing, it was a lot of fun.”

The Bears will open the season with the Cal Molten Classic at Haas Pavilion on Aug. 30.

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The Orthodox Christian Church is predenominational; it’s approximately 2,000 years old. It contains both Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy, whose members are referred to as “Orthodox Christians.” Within these two groups are churches that are all part of the Orthodox family, just separated on the basis of geographic region. I am part of the Coptic Orthodox Church, which originates in Egypt.

The theology that is foundational to the Church remains steadfast and constant as it was passed down from the apostles — the disciples of Christ — and continues into modern day. Although the doctrine is, without argument, the principal component of the Church, there is a cultural presence that must be considered. Unless one is part of the growing American Orthodox Church, one is bound to be confronted with cultural norms that prove to be perplexing.

Despite the fact that I’m Egyptian, being born and raised in the United States has lent itself to some difficulties. Growing up in a church that had an apparent Middle Eastern influence, it took conscious effort to distinguish culture from beliefs. Over time, I came to terms with the fact that every culture has its faults distinct from its faith. Fortunately, I also came to perceive the beauty that culture added to the Church.

For a person unfamiliar with Orthodoxy, it may seem strange at first. The unfamiliar languages and traditional form of worship coupled with a large number of people with the same ethnic background and uncertainty about how to behave is normal and expected. The primary culture differs between various Orthodox Churches, but the belief systems remain the same. It just takes some time to realize that the peculiar is not very peculiar after all.

Whether it is the Coptic, Greek, Russian or any of the other Orthodox Churches, icons depicting Jesus Christ, the saints and other holy imagery line the walls, reminding the congregation of the saints’ continual presence in the church. Also, hymns are sung in English as well as in the traditional language connecting the modern-day church in America to the geographic region where it originated.

In a liturgical service, where the Eucharist is administered, members gather together in participation of the sacramental life in one accord with the early church started by the apostles. This is the pride of the Orthodox Church. It is able to unite with the past, for it remains grounded and consistent in dogma, withstanding the pressures of time and culture, allowing for a coherent remembrance of the past.

Although cultural values and social norms are unnecessary to practice the true faith, this history is what makes the church a living remembrance to the past, which adds to its richness. Even though the incense has lost its poignancy and church attendance may have become plain routine, the profoundness of the Orthodox faith continues to be realized on a daily basis.

The Berkeley community takes pride in being a collective group of individuals that is always seeking and learning. Most students are willing to listen to differing beliefs from their own, whether they be religious or not, but when it comes to certain topics, you may feel like you know enough about a topic to form an educated opinion. Whether or not you are informed enough, this is the time to explore and not hold back. It could be scrutinizing doubts you’ve had about your stance on certain social issues, taking a class in a field of study that has been intriguing you lately, even though it has nothing to do with your major and will not satisfy any requirements, or inquiring about Orthodox believers because of ongoing persecution in countries like Egypt and Syria; the time is now. Be proactive.

Monica Mikhail contemplates the truth of the matter in her Thursday blog. Contact Monica Mikhail at mmikhail@dailycal.org.

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rocor//creative commons

Contact Josh Escobar at jescobar@dailycal.org.

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Annie Chang/Staff

Walking down Shattuck Avenue, I’ve passed Venus many times, but it never stood out to me, because I was always in a rush to go elsewhere. It wasn’t until my roommate gushed about how delicious brunch there was that I made a point to go there. Having arrived early, I peered inside and was surprised to see how small the restaurant really was. At first glance, it looks like a diner because of the different sauces and bottles on each table. I decided to wait inside and ordered a cappuccino before delving into menu. The cappuccino tasted similar to any other average cappuccino: a deep, roasted flavor that was slightly acidic. The taste of coffee pierced through, unmasked by milk and foam, but I had hoped for a stronger and purer taste with more layers and flavor profiles. My preferences go to full-bodied, rich cappuccinos with fruity and acidic notes, which this cappuccino did not have enough of.

Glancing at the menu, I had difficulty sifting through the numerous selections. There were brunch dishes, such as a chicken-and-sausage scramble, the “Venus Benedict” and an apricot almond chicken salad. In the end, I went for the lemon ricotta hotcakes, which I hadn’t seen anywhere else. The choice turned out to be amazingly satisfying even before I took a bite, as the fruity aroma rose up through the steam and into my nostrils. One bite in, I started gushing to my roommate, who was dining with me, about how quickly it melted in my mouth. The softness from the ricotta cheese that was smoothly mixed into the hotcake batter enhanced the melty texture, and chewing was almost unnecessary. Because ricotta is so mild and creamy, it only added moisture to the hotcakes, all the while preserving the pure sweetness of hotcakes that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The hotcakes also came with small servings of lemon curd and homemade blackberry sauce. The lemon curd was a bit too sweet, but when mixed with the tangy homemade blackberry sauce, the combination perfectly complemented the hotcakes. I will definitely be back for more of these lemon ricotta hotcakes, and I have high hopes for the other tantalizing names on Venus’ menus.

Venus is located at 2327 Shattuck Ave. Call 510-540-5950 for reservations.

Contact Annie Chang at achang@dailycal.org

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Winter is coming. Well, not actually winter, but the end of summer break is quickly approaching, with its ominous threat of class looming in the distance. Not to worry — here are some friendly reminders (and some more here!) of why the end of summer and the start of school are far from the worst things that could happen to you.

1. August and September bring the summer heat — finally. Although May, June and July constitute most of our break from school and are therefore deemed “summer,” the beautiful weather that really should accompany summertime typically makes its appearance in Berkeley beginning in mid-August and lasts through October. While there are certainly warm parts to these earlier months, we’ve all noticed by now that the weather isn’t very sunny majority of the time. But come school time, the gorgeous and highly anticipated sun shall return.

2. School isn’t starting just yet. We understand that the start of August seems to bring with it the cloud of school and the air of urgency of the end of summer. Well, school doesn’t actually start until the very end of August, so there’s plenty of time left to fit in all those summer plans that haven’t quite become reality yet. It can be especially fun if you plan on coming back to Berkeley early and have missed all your favorite places.

3. New classes mean new opportunities. Going back to school doesn’t have to be all bad; it can also bring with it an array of new additions to your life. The start of the semester brings all new classes with some new professors and the possibilities of new friends. Class doesn’t have to be looked at as something that is taking away from the fun aspects of life; rather, they can be seen as something that can add fun opportunities as well.

4. Football! While we understand that not everyone loves football (or really even understands what’s going on), the Cal home games are pretty awesome. Whether it’s the collective excitement at the beginning of every game that results in enthusiastic cheers or the stellar halftime shows put on by the marching band, the games create a sense of school spirit and collective enjoyment that can be extremely hard to come by in a school with more than 35,000 students.

5. Midterms don’t start for a few weeks. Even once school has started again, the time to buckle down and cram before midterms doesn’t surface for at least a few weeks. The start of school can still be filled with exploration and social time after class and on the weekends. Take advantage of the slightly lighter schedule while it lasts.

So while school is drawing near and the end of summer can be seen on the horizon, it does not mean that bad things lie ahead. There is still plenty of summer to be filled and excitement of the new school year to anticipate. And, personally, we can’t wait to have a little more sun around these parts again.

Image Source: ~Wei~ under Creative Commons

Contact Mackenzie Bedford at mbedford@dailycal.org.

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Mai Truong/Staff

When the question “What should we eat?” crops up, my first response is usually izakaya.

Some people refer to izakaya food as Japanese tapas, but I think of tapas as “Spanish izakaya” because izakaya includes a wider range of dishes, from the small appetizers that serve as drinking snacks to the filling rice and noodle dishes to be had after drinks. Izakaya plates are also designed for sharing, which sets the perfect atmosphere for get-togethers, and the restaurants should be casual and affordable, with more emphasis on taste than artistry of the food. In the Berkeley izakaya scene, not only does Kiraku fit that bill, but it is also conveniently located on Telegraph Avenue to cater to the student community on the Southside.

In an izakaya, it’s a good idea to start off with something cold and adventurous, knowing that you can always return to the warmth of fried chicken and potstickers if all else fails. Although the fermented firefly squid, with its strong sea flavor, will not appeal to everyone (it wasn’t for me), “spicy” jellyfish and “spicy” boiled baby octopus (iidako), which looks fiery red, are not spicy at all but mildly sweet, springy and fun to eat.

Some of the starters are best enjoyed as nibblers throughout the meal. On one end of the spectrum, there’s takowasabi — raw octopus chopped and marinated in a light wasabi sauce, which appears slimy but tastes clean — to refresh your palate between heavier plates, like barbecued spare ribs and grilled beef tongue. And on the other end, there’s renkon chips, thinly sliced lotus root deep fried and sprinkled with celery salt, a light snack to be enjoyed while waiting for the seared albacore tataki, which is a whole different kind of delight dressed in ponzu and onion sauce.

The fried dishes at Kiraku are always sure bets. Corn tempura with green tea salt and kisu tempura (whiting fish) with umeboshi salt is airy enough to make you forget that it is deep-fried. Karaage (fried chicken) comes piping hot, and deep fried rock shrimp with spicy mayo is both visually inviting and texturally addicting, as the shrimp is still moist and firm inside the light, crispy batter.

After indulging in tempura, I always choose the omelet salad to give myself the illusion of healthy eating — shredded cabbage with sauteed pork belly blanketed with a thin omelet, topped with katsuobushi (bonito flakes), Japanese mayo and soy sauce. The salad looks big and fluffy but not too filling, and it leaves enough room for an “after-sake” (shushoku) dish.

Actually, by the time you get to the after-sake, you’re typically a bit inebriated (izakaya are Japanese drinking establishments, and Kiraku has more than 40 choices of sake, shochu, chuhai and beer). That means your palates are either dulled or totally dead, so the shushoku just has to be filling. Kiraku’s shushoku does just that. Literally. While filling, the oyako don, rice with simmered chicken and onion omelet, was a little too mushy, and the yaki udon did not leave a strong impression despite featuring many flavors — small bits of octopus, hearty noodle and salty katsuobushi with a sweet basil pesto twist.

What the shushoku lacked, the spare ribs made up for perfectly with tender, fall-of-the-bone meat in a savory orange marmalade barbecue sauce. It’s a dish that I can always recommend, for it is not an acquired taste and would please every palate (except vegetarian ones) — just like Kiraku is the perfect middle-range restaurant that everyone would like, regardless of your preference to stay in the pork-belly zone or venture into the fermented-squid zone.

And if, by some miracle, you still have room after the shushoku (there’s always room for ice cream, right?), there’s grapefruit yogurt with fresh blueberries and green grapes. The tartness woke me right up from my food coma, a bright note that kept me smiling all the way home in the crisp air of the Berkeley night.

Kiraku is located at 2566 Telegraph Ave. Call 510-848-2758 to make reservations.

Mai Truong is the editor of Eating Berkeley. Contact her at mtruong@dailycal.org.

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If you go to Cal or went to Cal, there are definitely situations that you have experienced that grind your gears. When you try to explain these things to people who do not go to Cal, they may find your complaints to be very trivial. And although they are very trivial, when these irksome situations occurred, your thoughts were probably similar to something like, “10 out of 10, would punch someone in the face right now.” Here are a couple of things that might aggravate you if you are or were a Cal student:

1. When the Campanile just won’t stop … especially during midterms and finals weeks. We love the Campanile’s beautiful array of chimes and tunes, and we always love guessing which song it’s playing at the time. But when you have 24 hours until your next econ exam and your classical music study playlist is being overpowered by the sound of Katy Perry’s “Firework” in bell form, there’s a point when you have to say to the Campanile, “CAN YOU NOT?”

2. Studying on the weekends at night. This is especially troublesome for those living in the dorms and apartments on Southside. It’s a Saturday night, and you’ve got an exam on Monday. You told yourself you were going to be a responsible student this weekend and stay in on a Saturday night in order to finish answering all of those questions on that study guide. It’s 10 p.m., and you hear the stomping of the pregamers leaving down the hallway. You’re jealous that you aren’t one of them, but at least they’ll be gone for a solid couple of hours and leave you in peace. Three hours later, you’ve gotten a good amount of studying done, and after your third coffee, you’re ready to take on some more. It’s at that moment when you hear what sounds like the background noise of animals from “The Lion King” outside of your window and down the hallway. Nothing better than the sounds and smells of the intoxicated to get your brain waves going, are we right?!

3. Getting fliered at when you haven’t had your coffee yet. We all know the feeling. Especially if you have morning classes, the feeling of being the victim of active flier distribution on Sproul is essentially the same feeling you get when you see the person in your life who annoys the shit out of you the most. It’s really awful to think that, we know — and to those of you who pass out those fliers, please don’t take this personally — but we just can’t help it! The thought of having to force ourselves out of bed, crawl to our 9 a.m. classes and then be attacked by someone who is clearly on a much superior level of happiness than we are makes a person cynical.

4. Fliering at someone who hasn’t had his or her coffee yet. It works both ways, everyone. When you’re fliering for whichever organization you are a part of and you approach a random pedestrian with your flier, you may receive a look that suggests a phrase you might know: “Fuck off.” Your initial reaction might be “WHY DOESN’T ANYONE LIKE ME?” But please do not blame yourself, and please do not allow your self-esteem to go down just because someone ninja’d his or her way out of receiving your flier. It’s OK. It’ll all be OK.

5. There’s only one dude in the row, and he decided to take the seat on the very edge. Honestly, we’ve all probably done this. Of course, lefties are exempted from this category. But there’s always that one person who thinks that it’ll be a great idea to sit on the very edge and then get annoyed every time someone has to squeeze past him or her to get to a seat inside of the row. We have something to say to this person: “DUDE! YOU BROUGHT THIS UPON YOURSELF, OK? Stop rolling your eyes at me! And stop acting like my butt (rubbing against your desk and knocking over your papers) is Satan!”

What Cal pet peeves do you have? Let us know in the comments!

Image source: greg westfall. under Creative Commons

Contact Gabrielle Nguyen at gnguyen@dailycal.org.

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