The Boba Bandwagon

It might be a fad, but it's a tasty one

Once unheard of, boba tea, or bubble tea, features chewy tapioca, or “boba” balls that patrons slurp down with a wide straw, along with a milky iced tea.  “It started in Taiwan in the 1980s,” says D.I.Y. Tea & Beyond owner Richard Zheng. “Now it’s all over the world.”  Zheng says his shop’s boba tea is a standout because of its brewing process, using a tea espresso machine, and the way they prepare the addictive little boba balls themselves:  Continue reading 

Curry and Spice

Crazy Curry is a food cart to look out for

Padma Prakash worked as a prep cook at the Oregon Electric Station for more than three decades, she says. It was a hard pill to swallow when management changed in 2014 and slashed her pay. Unsure what else to do, Padma Prakash— with help from her youngest son, Jayant Prakash — opened Crazy Curry, the bright yellow Indo-Fijian food cart on the lonely corner of River Road & Thomas Lane. “I’ve eaten a lot of Indian and Fijian food,” Jayant Prakash says. “Nothing compares to my mom’s cooking.” Continue reading 

The World’s Greatest City for the Arts and Outdoors

Cultural inspectors Floomf and Schmorple come to Eugene

When Floomf and Schmorple descended upon Earth, it was for one specific reason: To investigate a claim made by the city of Eugene in the early aughts. The two were inspectors for the highly regarded Associated Stars Systems for Cross-cultural Outerspace Propagation (ASSCOP) located in the Boopz Galaxy, and their satellite scanner had intercepted the message: Eugene is The World’s Greatest City for the Arts and Outdoors. Continue reading 

Eugene Woman Discovers Civilization North Of River

Peggy Wolfheart was rescued from Valley River Center yesterday after the lifelong Eugene resident got lost on her way to The Kiva and found herself smack in the middle of Eugene’s largest mall. Wolfheart, who had never before left downtown Eugene, says she quickly became overwhelmed after entering the retail shopping center. “Who knew that anything existed beyond Skinner Butte?” she says, adding that she had heard of north Eugene but avoided the area because it was too “commercial.” Continue reading 

You’ve Been Served

Local self-loathing cretin finds solace in lack of service

I don’t like myself very much. For me, self-loathing is a matter of principle. It’s not so much that I see myself as unlovable; it’s more to the point that I consider myself utterly unworthy, and I experience human attention of any sort, much less gestures of affection and compassion, as a kind of assault on my very being. Abuse, derision and outright neglect are my real life’s blood. I thrive on being ignored. And when you up and shit on me, it ratifies my low self-esteem, as though all is right in the world. Continue reading 

Eugene says yes to Indigenous Peoples’ Day

The UO Native American Student Union (NASU) led the charge at last night’s City Council Public Forum, making a final plea for the city of Eugene to pass a resolution to declare the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The council voted yes, joining other PNW cities Seattle, Portland and Corvallis. Hear! Hear! It’s about time, and we hope to see cities around the country follow suit. Continue reading