i^_cc[ho - Teens in Print

Right next to Faneuil Hall is a restaurantglimmering on the horizon. Red Sky isnot just a restaurant, but a stress freeenvironment with a lounge for relaxingwhile you enjoy your meal. Locatedat 16-18 North Street in Boston, Red Sky is a greatplace to sit back and have a bite to eat after a nighton the town.The name Red Sky describes what the restaurantlooks like inside, with red walls and plenty of space.The restaurant has three sections: a bar, a loungewith couches (which can be reserved for up to 60and has a beautiful view of Faneuil Hall), and arather ordinary looking dining area. Open daily from11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m, food is served until 1 a.m.One problem I had with the lunch menu is theyworry more about appetizers than main courses. Themenu I ordered from had 15 appetizer choices andonly 8 choices of burgers or sandwiches. They alsohad two choices of soup.First, I wanted to see how the salads were, soI tried the buffalo chicken salad ($11). The portionwas solid and the fixings were typical, withtossed buffalo chicken; and, of course, where thereis buffalo chicken, there is blue cheese dressing.The salad did get me ready for the main course,although for $11 it wasn’t worth the money becauseit didn’t fill me. Needing the nextcourse, I decided on theSouthwestern burgerwith frenchfries ($9.50).Don’t get mewrong: it tastedfantastic. It’s an 8-ounce burger covered inbarbecue sauce, pepper jackcheese, bacon, and avocado. Butif I hadn’t ordered the salad, it wouldn’thave filled me. By now it was clear: portionsize is not Red Sky’s strength.It’s great I was comfortable, but how long didI have to wait? Even though it was only 4:30 p.m.when I arrived, there was only one person workingthe floor and she wasn’t always around when Ineeded service. The only worker was hanging out atthe bar chatting with customers. When it was finallytime to get my check, she was nowhere to be found.When I finally found her she was in a corner talkingon her cellphone. That wasn’t just bad service, butbad business.During certain hours, Red Sky has menu discounts.This helps when you have to pay $9.50 for aburger that doesn’t fill you. Drinks were refillable, soI guess that makes up for it. I did enjoy my food, and I was fullwhen I left, but these discounts aren’t always on. So if you’regoing to try Red Sky, I suggest you call 617-742-3333 to find outwhen discounts are available.I rate Red Sky a 5 on a scale from 1 to 10. It did have arelaxed atmosphere and good food. On the other hand, thatdoesn’t make up for the lack of portions and service. For moreinformation on menus go to redskyboston.com.Photo by: Mary Nguyen Photo by: Darius CephasThe book “The Farming of Bones” is written by one of myfavorite authors, and also a fellow Haitian, Edwidge Danticat.I’ve read nearly all her books and each time I learn new thingsand I understand and get to know her better. What I reallyenjoy in each of her books is that she includes Creole and oldHaitian Creole sayings. This makes the stories very personal.“The Farming of Bones” tells the story of a young Haitianwoman named Amabelle. Orphaned at the age of 8, Amabellelived in the Dominican Republic with a Dominican family,Señor Pico and Señora Valencia. She and her lover, Sebastien,a sugarcane cutter, live in a difficult time, during a massacreof Haitians, and love each other a lot. The story feels realbecause it is based in history and the characters could be real.One of the best chapters is the first. In the beginning, theauthor describes little details in subtle ways. For example,she never mentions the word “sex,” but gets the point acrossto the reader. I thought it was a powerful way to start a book.The writing describes every detail. It felt like I was in thescene and someone else was putting it in words, especiallythe parts describing the persecution of Amabelle and otherHaitians. This writing style shows the author’s personality.The reader gets to know the author by reading her writing.In the book, the reader sees how characters interact andwonders why they act like they do. I think Señor Pico didn’tlike Amabelle as much as Señora Valencia did because thereis nowhere in the book that Señor Pico talks to Amabelle.Even so, I think Amabelle shouldn’t leave the household. Nomatter how tough it was, Señora Valencia would never letanyone hurt Amabelle. She would do anything to protect herbecause she loved Amabelle, she grew up with her, and sheconsidered her as her sister.My second favorite chapter is the last, where the story oflove, war, struggle, survival, and hope ends. Although I hadmany questions, I understood how Amabelle felt about howthings had turned out. I recommend this book to anyonewho is Haitian, or anyone who wants to know more aboutHaitian history and people. It’s a great story and a good read.i.