issue 3// vol 46 So, I was robbed » A personal story of theft, anger, and violation Craig Allan Contributor ast week was a tough one for me. Starting from August 30 I was beginning a streak where I would be working every day between my two jobs until September 10. That’s 12 straight days of work. That, along with writing four articles for the Other Press and working on my resume for a promising job prospect was going to make this stretch one of the hardest times of my life, but this difficult run would be made even tougher due to the fact that I was robbed. It was the night of September 4. I had just gotten back from working one of my two jobs—a retail clothing store. This was the beginning of the toughest run of the stretch for me, as the period between 4:30 pm on September 4 and 4:30 pm on September 6 were going to be the worst. I would be working 25 of the next 48 hours. Arriving home at 10:00 pm and sliding on my backpack over my strained right elbow (that had been causing me tremendous pain over the last few days), I went inside and frantically leapt to my computer to send off the finished articles for the Other Press, and tried to get to bed by 10:30 pm. I had to get up at 6:30 am the next morning in preparation for a 13-and-a-half-hour day split between my job at the retail store ES and my job at a local movie theatre. It was during this night that it happened. I went to my car at 7:30 am, condensation covering all the windows, and I opened the door to my car to find a troubling sight. Items in the centre console were now strewn across the driver’s seat, and a piece of paper from the closed glove > Three levels of rice preparation oes Se ee htt tesiet ide Photo by Billy Bui compartment was on the passenger seat floor. I quickly realized that someone had rummaged through my car. I must have not locked it! Taking stock of the situation, I was able to determine the only things stolen was a pair of sunglasses that might as well had been 1000 years old, and an A&W coupon for a free burger and root Rice-based recipes for the student life & style // no. 9 beer. I couldn’t do much about it due to the schedule I had for the day, so I just had to leave it. But the incident would not leave me. As the days went by, I started feeling more and more angry even though nothing of value was stolen. Hell, my Sirius radio plug in was still there, and my Spider-Man 2 promotional hat I got back in 2004. That would have been the real loss! Also, I found four dollars in change in the back seat. That’s worth more than the sunglasses. What a stupid robber, I said to myself with delusional fervour. Still, the incident ate at me. Someone went into my space. Someone stole my property. It wasn’t the fact that nothing of true value was stolen, it was the fact that I felt violated. A couple days later, when my schedule slowed, I went looking to ease my anger and sadness. I called the police non-emergency number to report it. 1 knew nothing could be done but I was hoping it would make me feel better. It didn’t. My hope in writing about this is that maybe it will provide some catharsis. Maybe I will be able to move on. The truth is the only thing I can do is move on, try to feel better, and calm my anger by hoping this crook stares into the sun wearing my sunglasses not realizing they are old and ineffective. Maybe the bastard will blind themselves due to their cockiness. Morgan Hannah Life & Style Editor R“ is the foundation of many eals and is a staple in homes across the world. This hearty grain can bea student’s best friend; it’s so cheap! And, depending on which type of rice you use—long- grain, jasmine, white, brown— and how you cook it—in the oven, on the stovetop, or with the good ol’ rice cooker—you’ve got plenty of options available. With its delicious flavour, unparalleled versatility, ease on the wallet, and high vitamin B and iron content, it’s no wonder why many people choose to eat rice. Here are three easy, inexpensive, and amazing rice recipes that I’ve prepared to help out fellow students: QTD; Pennies Poké Bowl Okay, so this dish costs a little more than pennies but it’s pretty damn close. For the dressing all youll need is some soy sauce, sesame oil, orange juice, and ginger mixed in a jar. Then take a can of tuna, drain it, and put it in a bow] with the rice. Pour your dressing on the tuna and fold it all together. Add in some sautéed shallots and a sprig of cilantro. Chop up half an avocado, halve some grape tomatoes as well, and sprinkle in some sesame seeds. Simple Veggie Burrito The title says it all. Chop up the following: one red bell pepper, half a medium-sized red onion (use personal preference to decide), corn (shucked off a cob is honestly the best and juiciest corn you can get), one carrot (peeled), half a can of black beans (washed and drained), and cherry tomatoes (halved). Once all of the vegetables are chopped, throw them ina preheated wok with some veggie oil and cook them with the occasional stir until all the veggies are softened and sautéed. Then gently mix in one cup of your favourite cooked rice along with some cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper to taste. For the wrap, there’s the option of flour tortillas or corn tortillas. Make sure to preheat the tortillas—especially if going with corn tortillas—using a panini press. If you don't have access to a panini grill, two stainless steel heated frying pans pressed on either side of the tortilla will do the trick. Fill your heated tortilla with the fried veggies and rice mixture (grated cheese is optional) and wrap it tightly. Serve with a dollop of sour cream. Roast Chicken and Rice This recipe is super simple. You pop it into the oven for one hour and walk away. Using a roasting pan, dump one cup of your favourite rice and one and a half cups of water. Add spices like salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Put a bit of margarine in the mixture. Gently place a quarter of cut, without giblets (WOG) chicken into the centre of the roasting pan and apply a light layer of a savoury spice blend, marjoram, thyme, black pepper, and salt. Tuck bok choy blades and chopped onion into any remaining space. Cook at 400 degrees for one hour. Now that you've been inspired to stretch rice to three different levels of fancy, the next time youre hungry you can say “what am I waiting for?” Jump into that kitchen and cook up something yummy!