It's an incredibly hot day in mid-August, possibly the hottest this summer in Austin, but we are on a mission and nothing will stop us. Today, we are filming our fourth episode, our third one to be released (you will know more about why we are keeping one in our pockets soon ;) ). This time we meet Norma, she is the most extroverted person I have ever met, she genuinely loves people. It does not matter what type of people, she works for them and she cares for them and all of this with a smile on her face, isn't that awesome? Norma owns El Mana, before know as Camila's, located at 1402 E 38th 1/2 St. We met Norma in July, our camera Thomas has been eating breakfast tacos at her food truck for a long time and several months ago he said "We need to talk to her, I don't know her story but I think she has a really good one", and little did we know that she had the most touching story we have yet heard.
"In November, when Thanksgiving has passed, everybody knows I make Tamales so they call me asking for dozens of Tamales"
It's a beautiful Sunday in the Cherrywood neighborhood, a fast-developing neighborhood that offers proximity to downtown, campus while making you feel in a little town. Norma owns a food truck parked by the Monarch Food Mart - voted one of the best convenience stores in town, she looks so happy to see us again, and we are so amazed by how accommodating she is. Norma does not work on Sundays but she opened up only for us, well and anyone that came by, because is something characterize her is her passion for people, she lives for her customers to the extent that she kept cooking for anyone who approached the window of her trailer. After we got all our cameras and mics ready to roll she came and sit with us and enjoy some of the delicious food she cooks, simple and good food. She proudly shares with us that even when she knows she will do less profit, she will always provide her customers with the highest meat quality and handmade tortillas. And the most important part for the summers months in Austin: Aguas Frescas!! She makes the best ones, natural and refreshing. Tacos, gorditas, Mexican hot dog and tamales are on the menu today, and we can't wait to sink teeth into all of it! El Mana's tacos al pastor are so juicy and delicious, that is really hard to compare. There are so many good tacos around town but this is setting the standard pretty high up. Gorditas are just so delicious, the dough is made from scratch and you can taste and smell the corn flavor. And today's star, Thomas' favorite: Mexican HOT DOG. I am not going to lie, this was the first time I heard of such a thing but believe me, I will keep getting them for a long time. Is such a wonderful thing, think about a regular hot dog but 10 times better, with caramelized, diced tomatoes and avocado. Oh, yeah!
Aguas Frescas only contain three ingredients: fresh fruit, in the form of puree, sugar, and water. A must-have during Austin's summer.
But let's talk about Norma now. The moment she started talking about her past and how she got to the United States her words immediately got to my heart, and I felt some paralyzing energy going through my whole body. "She is a fighter, she is incredibly strong", I thought. Norma is original from Coahuila, however, she has spent the last 30 years in the US. When she was 14 years old, she felt the urge to make her life a better life, she had a dream and nothing could stop her, she had to make it happen. Norma crossed the border without telling anyone in her family, she found an opportunity and she took it. A river, a train and a couple of days later she was in San Antonio. She was not afraid of how hard she would have to work to stay in the US, she wanted to live in this country more than anything else in the world. Norma started working at a restaurant making tortillas, she arrived here with nothing but a dream, and she found wonderful souls that helped her out in the way - Don Juan took care of her and offered her a job making flour tortillas on his restaurant. The only thing she wanted to do was to work in the country that she "loves and respect". Today, she can proudly say she is living that dream. Mother of four, and grandmother of a very handsome little boy, she told us the way here wasn't easy but so worthy because she can to do what she loves: to cook and to make others happy with her food.
"She is a fighter, she is incredibly strong", I thought.
Check out our interview on Youtube, and subscribe to see all of our stories episodes. Always, thank you for your support!
Love, Laura, the Spanish One.
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