JANUARY 27, 2007
DANIEL'S SHISH-KABOBS
Los Angeles, California. If you have dreams of becoming a star, this is the place. This isn't a news flash; people have been coming here for years to realize their dreams of being famous. Many come out and find jobs as waiters/waitresses, etc to make ends meet until they get that big break.
Unfortunately, as the odds would have it, most of them never "make it."
I once heard that the only thing we can control in life is our reaction to the situation we find ourselves in.
Daniel Salva came to Los Angeles from his home in Puerto Rico to become a star. He was already somewhat established in the local scene as an actor and had aspirations of bringing his game stateside and making it in America.
In an effort to keep afloat, he decided to open a shish-kabob stand and infuse some of his own culture here in America. The key ingredients were: Mama's secret sauce, salsa music, and Daniel's charisma.
First the sauce. Daniel claims that the sauce (of which he would not reveal the secret ingredients) is the key to what makes his shish-kabobs so flavorful. You could try to steal the recipe but it would do you no good, because it needs to be made by Mama.
The salsa music. Daniel found a woman here. He's engaged. Together they work the stand. Music is an important part of Daniel's life, so at any given moment he will crank the boom box, grab his lady, and start to dance (chef hat and all).
Finally, the charisma. Daniel has a smile as long as a city block. And he wears it non-stop. He does not wait for his customers to come to him, he reaches out to them. And not like an obnoxious, over the top salesman. He often lures them in with "just a taste" and from there he lets Mama's sauce do the rest.
Daniel's story is a wonderful example of a guy who came looking for one thing and found another. It's the stuff great movies are made of. Daniel's passion for life is what makes him such an engaging character. And certainly all passionate characters are welcome.
Past Entries:
- (1/16) Globetrotting with Corbin
- (1/9) Having a Ball
- (1/4) A Picture is Worth 1,000 Calories
- (12/21) Boys and Dolls Don't Mix
- (12/12) Chris Young
- (12/7) Air Apparent
- (11/30) I Break for Gio
- (11/9) Geek Cubed
- (10/31) Danish is Not Dutch
- (10/25) Pali Adventure Camp
- (10/18) From Birds to Ligers
- (10/11) The Man Behind the Mascot
- (10/3) Top Banana