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6B =- The Mithig0h Daily'\Wek-nd Maga tzine t ~-h rstay Vlarchi 19x 1998
®~ Weekend, etc. Column

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A LOVABLE FEAST

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A2' 's"worldly appetite« ....... }ii}.. :C {.4 iiyv};::Y}:. '.::"....

My freshman year of college, I hated
life.
I know, I know. Coming from me,
that doesn't sound like that big of a
deal. A lot of the time, my column gives
me a great chance to gripe about the
irony of my existence. I've even been
told that I come off a little negative
every now and then. (What? Me?
Negative'?)
And it's true - be it women, rela-
tionships or my futile job hunt, I can
always find something to complain
about.
But my freshman year was different.
I've never been good at transitions -
junior high and high school were tough

to get the hang of, so you can imagine
how difficult starting a whole new life
was. I had grown to like high school. I
was comfortable with the ugly, green-
tiled hallways, the rusty brown lockers
and sterile fluorescent lighting. High
school wasn't necessarily a bastion of
fun and nonstop laughs, either. But it
was enough. I was comfortable.
Having to move out of my house, into
a completely new environment for col-
lege, made me uncomfortable. From
day one, I was determined, as odd as it
sounds, to refuse to really live life. I
would take my classes, do what I had to
do, and try to get the hell out of school
as soon as humanly possible.

And so, stuck in the garishly lit hell-
hole that was (and maybe still is, for all
I know) Alice Lloyd, I languished away,
day after day. I was depressed. I didn't
have many friends, which wasn't sur-
prising, because - aside from going to
class - I rarely ventured forth from my
dank room, overflowing with my room-
mate's month-old, funky laundry.
I took on too many credits initially,
and by the end of each week my brain
was numb with studying, even though I
always had more to do.
My roommate and I didn't hate each
other, but we obviously weren't cut out
for each other. He didn't take to college
all that well either, but instead of study-

ing until his brains oozed out of his
ears, he drank until ... well, until his
brains oozed out of his ears. But he was
really just as miserable as I was, which
actually gave us something in common.
When we were "home" together,
we'd sit in our stinking room
- and believe me, it really
stank - watching reruns of
shows like "Wonder Woman"
and "Greatest American
Hero" on the FX channel. The .
FX channel, for heaven's
sake! That's when you really
know you've hit rock bottom.
But one thing, more than ;
any other, really marked the
sorry state of my life. No mat-
ter how hungry I got, no mat-
ter how starved I was, I neverr
really enjoyed eating. It
sounds bizarre, I know, but I
just didn't like to eat anymore.
OK, so I did live in the dorms, but it
wasn't even the quality of the dorm
food that did me in. Not that the dorm
food helped. During holidays, the dif-
ferent dorms would always do some-
thing special to celebrate. They'd serve
good food. Which begs the question, do
these people know they're feeding us

crap every other day of the year?
It didn't matter what I ate. It could
have been the burnt pizzas, the runny
casseroles, the lasagna, the mashed
potatoes with yellow, snot-like gravy.
Even the damn cereal! It didn't matter.
All dorm food tasted exactly
the same to me.
It was like there was some
special process, some kind of
demented, maniacal process,
that would turn every single
food product into exactly the
same thing once it went
through the cafeteria doors.
Did they change the atomic
structures of the food? Did
CHRIS they dunk it in some kind of
FARAH magical solution? Or was it
z. n all just created out of the
same generic, pasty substance
<'.. .._ -green-brownish goo stored
in gigantic vats with those yellow stick-
ers on them warning of radiation poi-
soning'?
Whatever they did, let's hope, for the
sake of mankind, that the evil remains
contained in the world of higher learn-
ing and doesn't seep out into everyday
society. After all, we're young and
See FARAH, Page 13B

--I

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By Joanne Alnaijar
Daily Arts Writer
Ann Arbor may be the only city in
the United States where the number
of coffee shops outnumbers resi-
dents, so it may not come as a sur-
prise that an equally large variety of
restaurants grace the streets. With
the appetites of a diverse population
to accomodate, Ann Arborites have
taken pride in establishing an inter-
national restaurant scene -- every-
one from carnivores to vegans are
sure to find something to satisfy
their cravings for international fare.
Shahrayar, a haven for Middle
Eastern food lovers, is one restaurant
that can provide an authentic region-
al atmosphere. Traditional Lebanese
dishes are augmented by art; carpets
hang on the walls adjacent to murals
celebrating Middle Eastern culture.
A large selection of Moroccan teas
and a raw juice bar are popular, and
owner Ali Hajazi said vegatarian
specialities are a large draw.
Hajazi said one such offering is
"makale, which is an egglplant and a
potato appetizer covered in cilantro,
garlic and lemon juice."
An array of global goodies greets
the hungry consumer on Main Street,
with Shalimar Cuisine of India part
of the eclectic collection there.
Mohammed Haque, a waiter at
Shalimar, said North Indian foods

are the restaurant's specialty; these
include chicken tandoori and chick-
en tikka masala. Both, he said, are
"very spicy foods with a lot of
curry."
Providing an authentic experience
can be difficult. Renu Gupta, an
LSA first-year student, said the food
at Shalimar Cuisine didn't meet her
expectations. "It was really disap-
pointing ... I've been to a lot of
Indian restaurants and all this
reminded me of was airplane food,"
she said.
Other Asian cuisine can be found
at Saigon Garden Restaurant. The
restaurant offers a wide variety of
popular Chinese dishes, including
combination specials during lunch
hours.
The most popular dish is the
cilantro chicken, which is chicken
mixed with sprouts, beans and other
vegetables. The restaurant is adorned
with Chinese artwork and lamps,
creating a semi-casual atmosphere.
Stuck at the northern border? La
Pinata, a family-owned Mexican
restaurant, is one of many in the area.
Manager Cindy Davis said one of the
most popular dishes is a stacked enchi-
lada with a fried egg on top of it, as
well as the brunch burrito filled with
cheese, potatatoes, onions and eggs,
with green chili sauce on top.
See CUISINE, Page 13B


Shalimar, on Main Street, is one of Ann Arbor's many ethnic restaurants.
$13.99 CD $7.99 Cassette

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