Zeen - 002

*Note - an earlier version of this issue was sent in error; this is the correct version

What’s up with Z

I have a lot of hobbies. For many of them, I’d prefer to not be identified with the culture surrounding the hobby. It seems like becoming known as the {insert hobby} “guy” makes people unable to separate you from your identity as a ___ enthusiast.

I don’t want to be a Car Guy, but in many ways I am. I love cars - I enjoy working on them, learning about them and diving into their history. I like driving. I have strong opinions about models, manufacturers, etc. And so on. I mostly dislike car culture, though; It often (not always) seems to attract a certain type of man-child with whom I'm not interested in interacting. Most people in my life are not into cars. This is fine with me, because I enjoy being the approachable conduit between a subculture and the people who aren't in that subculture.

So, non-car-enthusiast reader, I wonder if I can get you to understand why my new car is cool? I’d like to try. 

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I was finally able to get rid of the Kei Truck I imported from Japan. A guy traded me a 1998 Subaru Legacy Wagon and gave me $2500 on top. It’s a one owner car with 51,000 miles and was stored in a garage for most of its life. That's the platonic ideal for any enthusiast: one owner cars are generally more well maintained, and being kept in a garage keeps the paint, rubber and plastic in much better condition.

This car excited me because I love 90's Subaru. They still do some cool stuff these days, but they were really at their peak in the 90’s (save the ‘02 bugeye Impreza WRX and the ‘04 STi). Already an established brand in Japan, Subaru was trying to change their image in America from a manufacturer of “cheap and ugly” cars (something they touted in their early US ads) to one who makes luxurious, reliable, technologically advanced vehicles worthy of competing with the likes of other Japanese manufacturers, as well as higher end German stuff. The brand new Legacy was at the forefront of this push.

The lore goes deep when starting to talk about the history of Subaru in America, but I want to avoid getting overly tedious with the story of their rise. Instead, here are a few quick facts that I believe make the Legacy and Subaru interesting. 

1. The Legacy was the beginning of Subaru’s commitment to manufacturing only AWD cars. 

2. Subaru debuted the EJ series of engines with the Legacy. This engine platform which would go on to power plenty of other Subaru models, including versions for the WRX and STi.

   1. On the whole, Subaru is unique in the way they almost make their cars like Legos - many parts can be exchanged between models, making it extraordinarily easy to find parts. For example, my car can use suspension components from any Forester or Impreza up until around 2007, etc. For many cars that old it would be difficult to find replacement parts. This makes Subaru a draw for those interested in working on or modifying cars, and has helped to spawn a massive cottage industry of third party aftermarket component manufacturers, many of whom solely make parts for Subarus. 

3. The Legacy was the beginning of Subaru's success in the rally racing world -- Colin McRae, one of the most legendary rally drivers of all time, won a lot of races in Subarus.

Those facts (among others) make the brand and the car a draw for me. It's hard to deny the aesthetic appeal of 80's / 90's Group A / B rally cars, and even though mine doesn't currently have all the neat aesthetic rally accoutrement like a lift kit, off road lights, dirt tires, etc., I can picture it when I look at the car. I’m trying to get Sophie to picture it, too…

I'm sure there's an element of nostalgia at play as well. I think a lot of people interested in cars are drawn toward what they saw in media when they were kids. It’s comforting to get into something that looks and smells like childhood, a time before responsibility or stress. Getting into a car like that with 50,000 miles...paint still on all the buttons and knobs, seats neither stained nor torn? It's comforting. My childhood is intact, thank God. But now I'm the adult, and I can take my Subaru anywhere I want (probably O'Reilly Auto Parts for the foreseeable future).

For anyone interested, I’ll add more minutiae in this footnote.1

Foxy the Food Critic

I realized that I threw you all right into the world of Foxy the Food Critic without any context. My apologies, dear friends and family. You might be asking yourselves “who is Foxy?” and “Why are they a food critic?” So to continue with my theme of backstories, let’s rewind a bit for a backstory.

As most of you know, Zach and I met at work, a tech company. The early days of our communication primarily consisted of him coming over to my desk to ask me a “technical product question” for a “potential new client” — most of these, I now know, were fabricated as an attempt to get my attention. He eventually got brave enough to start sending me private Slack messages consisting of “the photo of the day.” For several months we would send a random photo of aesthetic pleasure back and forth each day. The first of which is pictured below. This photo has served as a sort of ~relationship imagery~ for us over the years. We often sign off letters and texts with “love, Fox(y).” It felt appropriate to honor our collaborative love child by using the name “Foxy” as my nom de plume.

Now why is food as the topic of choice? This one is a bit more personal. How do I even begin to share with you the depth of my love, passion, and tenderness for food. I actually am not sure I am even capable of expressing it within the limitations of words. Here is my best attempt…

From my experience, food is both a universal language of love and a survival necessity. It is needed and wanted, desired and required, works in times of celebration and mourning, both casual and exquisite. There are not many things that span these dualities. Food feels sacred to me in this way. Its ability to be True in so many experiences of existence. The shared experience of meal time may serve as a way to connect with people, places, and things across all we use to measure existence (i.e. time, space, energy)? I am rambling now. 

Gosh, I am not doing “it” justice. How do I share with you the depth of my admiration for cuisine? How can I explain my unending curiosity to taste something new? How will I impart my appetite for sharing meals? My words continue to restrict my ability to communicate this feeling with you. 

Maybe my obsession has something to do with the fact that it is a hunger (literally) I feel capable of satiating, unlike so many of my life desires that feel out of reach. The tactical nature of going from empty to full over a four course tasting menu. Or like saying no to dessert because you ordered the perfect amount of food. No longer wanting, no longer needing, fulfilled at last. Food is such a tangible way to experience pleasure and completion. 

Food also serves as a concrete display of love. It is something we can GIVE to each other that has inherent value. The literal nourishment of life. I suppose I believe that nourishment and love are synonyms in a way. When our words fail us or we aren’t able to be a shoulder to lean on, food is often our conduit to communicate care for one another. It’s something we can feel, taste, see, and smell. Our intangible expressions of love, now tangible. To feed each other, what a gift.

On another note, what greater excuse to socialize (one of my other passions) than to engage in an activity that fuels our ability to exist. Meal sharing reserves a very special place in my heart. To spare you from any more of my failed attempts of sharing my soul with you, I will leave it at this: I hope, with all of my being, to eat with you soon.