Pants

It’s summer!

At least, it’s supposed to be.

For the last quarter of my life, summer meant working at a water park. Summer meant suffocating heat and eyebrow-raising tan lines. It meant throwing on a red tank top and watching kids splash around a pool.

It meant beer.

And good food.

This summer – if you choose to call it that – has been different.

This summer, I’m spending 40 hours a week in an office.

An office.

This summer, I’m not rolling out of bed, into my car, and over to my work station in one disoriented motion.

This summer, I’m wearing pants.

My new job is hella fun, but I miss those splashing kids.

I’m grown-up now. Or, at least, I spend all day pretending to be. I put on my pants and a shirt that’s too hot and I somersault from meeting to meeting.

I really am thankful for the chance to do some communications work for such an enormous company, but every time I sit in my grey cubicle and stare at my Microsoft Outlook inbox, I realize those splashing kids are gone.

Well, they’re not gone.

I am.

I’m not going to be a lifeguard again. I’m not going to teach another swimming class. I’m not going to play Duck Duck Goose or London Bridge while crouching in two feet of water. I’m not going to blow bubbles and pretend to talk to sharks.

I’m going to be a real live actual totally-not-made-up adult. With, like, a beard and everything.

What.

9 months of school. Then I’m done. Then it’s just beards and meetings and Microsoft Outlook.

It’s weird, but it’s also exciting.

I may not get to suffocate in the heat or raise any eyebrows with my tan lines this summer, but I can do so much more.

Exempli gratia: I made a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich.

It was very adult.

My mom helped.

Here’s the Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich that I made:

Impressions: The cheese sauce was too thin. The bun was soft, but boring, and only dulled the spiciness of the steak. In the end, I think I made a decent sammy. My mom did alright.

What made it: The onions. The caramelized mix of spanish and white onions was sweet, crunchy, and gentle all at once. The onion drippings flowed through the sandwich, covering the steak and peppers in sweet, earthy love.

 

Ode

School in the Exchange District does have an advantage.

So many different places to find a tasty sandwich.

King’s Head Pub or the Cookery for a nearby lunch,

or Urban Forest‘s Ham & Swiss that’s pretty cheap to munch.

But luckily, for me at least, I go to school right there

at RRC and actually the price is very fair.

For lots of food that’s good and fun and super quick

I’d recommend the Food Court in the building made of brick.

It’s a tiny cafeteria that once upon a time

sold to me a sandwich that was easily divine.

By now I’m sure you’re wondering, if you’re still here at least,

why I’d even bother to rhyme about my feast.

Well,

Me too.

Here’s what I got at The Food Court South in Red River College‘s Roblin Centre:

The Reuben: Grilled Reuben with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, roasted red pepper mayo, and fries.  ~$7.00

Impression: The marbled panini bread was cut thick and toasted firm to hold the large portion of corned beef.  Fortunately, the sauerkraut was understated and added a sweet acidic taste to the sandwich without overpowering the meat and gooey cheese.

What made it? Roasted red pepper mayonnaise.  I could drink it.

Sexism

SANDWICHES IN THE NEWS PART 1

That was May 8, 2013.  23 days later…

The former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard dodged 2 sandwiches at 2 different high schools on 2 different days.

While Gillard joked that the culprit must have “thought [she] was hungry,” many saw the flying lunch as physical representation of sexism.  It was seen as a refusal to respect the authority of the female Prime Minister.

Was it?  Could the sandwich heckler have been a class clown, ready to throw a sandwich at any politician or guest speaker?  Or, could this be the kitchen equivalent to when a man told Hillary Clinton to “iron my shirts?”

Before you answer, consider that Gillard had recently made her famous Misogyny Speech.  Also consider how the phrase  “go make me a sandwich” has evolved into a common dismissal of women.  ALSO consider this menu from Australian Liberal National Party candidate Mal Brough’s fundraiser dinner.

It describes the Moroccan Quail as: “Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail – Small Breasts, Huge Thighs & A Big Red Box.”

She was the country’s Prime Minister.

So often I hear/see people say/write that sexism is a thing of the past.  They say that it’s done its job. Women can vote, they can even be Prime Minister.

No one ever talks about Stephen Harper’s thighs or chest.

Gillard is one of many women in power who are not given the same respect as men in the same position.  Evidence of this is found in media coverage that focuses on a female politician’s clothing instead of her policies and in the lobbing of sandwiches.

Shannon Sampert, a University of Winnipeg Professor, wrote this about gendered politics in the Winnipeg Free Press.

Later in the summer, public opinion of Gillard began to fall drastically.  Australian writer Van Badham wrote in the Telegraph:

“Julia Gillard navigated through the financial crisis, presided over a 14 per cent growth in the economy and pushed through several impressive policy reforms.  The problem for the Australian PM was not her performance.  It was that, from beginning to end, she remained female.”

This may have happened in Australia, but I think it applies to Canada, too…It’s all the commonwealth.

Gillard said, “At the end of the day, yes, it happened to me, but it’s not, you know, about me. It’s about all of us, about women and about the kind of society we want to be for all of us.”

But wait, you say. You are a boy!  What do you care and what could you possibly know?

Yes I am but I think the last ‘us’ in Gillard’s quote above includes me and men and boys.  I care to write a post like this not because I think it will transform the country but because there are so few males that write or talk about issues of sexism.  It has been relegated to a ‘women’s’ issue that men aren’t expected to talk about.  I think equality whether that be between gender, race, sexuality (I know that Gillard strongly opposed marriage equality), etc. is everyone’s business.

I don’t know much, but I hope that by looking at the abuse Gillard received we will realize that there exists a culture of sexism.  We will realize that this culture permits the dismissal of women, especially those in power, and, hopefully, work to end it.

*Next week, I’ll be back on the sandwich grind!

 

Big

The Winnipeg Free Press News Café at 237 McDermott Ave. represents a major shift in the way newspapers are funded.  As classified ad revenues continue to decrease, newspapers are looking for new ways to not only generate money, but also reach their audience.

While the News Café offers a (rather small but awesome) menu of appetizers, soups, and sandwiches, it also hosts town halls, book launches, lectures and educational seminars, as well as live interviews with newsmakers.

When I was there, Tim Hague Sr. and Tim Hague Jr., the Winnipeg winners of Amazing Race Canada, were arriving and setting up for a filmed interview in the café.

Here’s what I got from the Winnipeg Free Press News Café

Cuban Sandwich: roasted pork loin and ham with pickles and swiss cheese on baguette.    $10.25

Impressions: The toasted bread balanced out the gooey filling of the sandwich.  It was also easy to get the teeth around which is a bonus for little-mouthed me.  There were generous amounts of tender pork, ham, and cheese.  Thick slices of pickles gave most bites an extra crunch.  I will definitely go back for this again.

What Made it? Mustard Seeds.  A layering of these tasty little buds sweetened up the sandwich in a way the old yellow stuff never could.

Don’t believe me? Here’s what other people are saying.

“The sandwiches are generally stellar” – Sir Omnyvore

“[The Pulled Pork Sandwich] was messy but very tasty. The sandwich came with a fresh green salad with a vinegary salad dressing. I would gladly return here for another meal and to hear an interview. Great idea Winnipeg Free Press!” – blacksadegirl

“I love their Manitoba Club ($9.95) Bothwell aged cheddar, Winkler bacon, chicken breast and vine ripened tomato and includes a mixed green salad or potato salad. Probably one of my favourite club sandwiches in the city – real cheddar, mayo and perfect bacon.” – Dineoutgal

The thin slices of flank steak were grilled perfectly and tasted of a delicious Asian-inspired marinade. [The Vietnamese Sandwich] was topped with a crunchy coleslaw that was dominated by cilantro (luckily I like cilantro).”

– slamb