FTX New Recruits – FTX 62, FTX 63, FTX 64 & FTX 71!!!!

by admin Posted on July 23, 2010

FTX INDUCTEES – FTX 62, FTX 63, FTX 64 & FTX 71!!!!

http://www.frenchtoastandhugs.com

 

hey gang! i hope these summer months (for us over here in the states!) are finding you happy and well. i have found myself addicted to frozen yogurt and a renewed love of water slides!! 🙂

 

back in may we had our 15th FTX in Philadelphia and right around that time i inducted four new recruits into the gang!

please join me as i welcome in….

 

 

FTX 62

Taylor Rockwell!!!!

when i met Taylor at FTX #10 – Echo Park back in the winter of 2007 not only didn’t i realize i  was meeting someone who would become another stone cold FTX member, but i was also meeting a new and good friend.

 

Taylor was invited to that event by my future girlfriend Brandy (our future FTX 110!) and over time i got to know her better and the many things i love about her.

 

her sarcastic sense of humor is equal to her quick and easy laugh. and that laugh always makes me feel good like a sunny day in a hammock.

 

i soon learned how big her heart is but it wasn’t until FTX YO! that i realized how hard of a worker she is too. that day had not one but two locations and i have memories of her hauling the heavy coolers and goods without stopping and then spending the rest of the day working the toppings table.

 

i mean it when i say it, Taylor you are one of the best gifts i received back in Echo Park on that 1st of December.

 

 

FTX 63

Travis Barone!!!!

when i first heard of Travis it wasn’t by exactly that name. it was “Sweet Trav”!

 

during my high school years growing up in New Jersey i became close friends with the Ellis family. as you can see with THREE of them represented in FTX (FTX 15, FTX 16 & FTX 17)!!!!

 

one day after i moved to California, Jamie – FTX 15, told me her younger sister Tricia was dating a wonderful guy the whole family loved – “Sweet Trav”.

 

so in time i eventually got to meet him and what can i say? he IS sweet!!

 

he’s got a huge heart and i admire how brave it is when he shows how much he loves our Tricia. it doesn’t get much more stone cold than that.

 

welcome to the gang my brother.

 

 

FTX 64

Tricia Ellis!!!!

did i just write there are THREE Ellis’s in FTX?!?! i meant FOUR!!!!

i’ve known Tricia since she was a stone cold little girl in glasses.

well let me tell you, only the glasses have changed!

 

in college i made a strange short video about squirrel puppets trying to take over the world with poisoned nuts and i will always remember little Tricia’s highly vocal support of it when she yelled out “ I love ‘Those Dem Nuts!’ ”.

 

Tricia, you supported my heart then as you do now. i guess that’s what a good family does.

 

you’ve always been on my short list for FTX but i like to do things in my own time. thanks so much for waiting little sister.

 

 

FTX 71

Sam Mau!!!!

i met Sam in Melbourne back in 2005 as i randomly passed her office and noticed a new Nick Cave album sitting there. she let me borrow it and we quickly became friends sharing music and stories these past 5 years.

 

Sam is someone that stands up for herself as well as the people in her life in that uniquely Australian way.

 

as I believe FTX 50 said about her, “it’s great to meet someone who you know immediately is your friend for life”.

 

 

so please join in me in welcoming our newest recruits

http://www.frenchtoastandhugs.com/docs/pages/about.html

 

today i realized after writing about them that we could very easily substitute the word “gang” for “family” after FTX.

 

love,

 

shyam

FTX 1

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FTX Yo! Wrap-Up

by admin Posted on May 23, 2010

May 23, 2010

FTX Yo! Wrap-Up

FTX #15

http://www.frenchtoastandhugs.com

it’s a grey rainy sunday morning in philadelphia and the dog park across the street is unusually quiet. but one week and a day ago the sun was warm and rolling across a great expanse of blue east coast sky. the wind was up and so were we as we headed out to the Rocky statue located at the art museum steps for our 15th FTX – FTX Yo!

born and raised in philadelphia and south jersey i grew up with a fascination with the Rocky story and statue. as my girlfriend Brandy and i will be heading back west soon i knew this would be my last FTX in philly for awhile and i was eager to do the city and my childhood memories right.

the gang assembled a little after 9am at the statue and started setting up. placing our table and heaps and heaps of food out they started to organize as i hurriedly got the grill going – eager to start, eager to hear and smell that first piece of cinnamony bred crackling, eager to be in front of the Rocky statue and connect a childhood dream with an amazing reality. i was so excited and moving so fast that i even forgot to hang the two photos i have at all recent FTXs: FTX’s co-creator, brown dog Daisy Mae and an old faded picture of me and my dad Vasant.

luckily Brandy, FTX 110, quickly noticed them missing and ran to put them up. as she did i hit play on “Gonna Fly Now”, the theme from Rocky, and ignited the grill.

15 minutes later we were shut down and told to move.

but i’m getting ahead of myself….

my dad was born in nagpur india and met my mom in nova scotia canada. a pediatrician and a nurse. how perfect is that? they moved to new jersey and he ran his practice in the ground floor of our haddon heights home.

as we all do, i learned a great deal by the actions of my parents. without a word ever being said i understood the importance of family to my father and mother.

he was at home almost all days and i have memories of how he would allow me in his office and answer an elementary school question while simultaneously giving a scared child an immunization shot.

my mom, each morning, got up early to make us a homemade breakfast every single day. (i’m sure you can tell how much an impact the french toast had on me! :))

when i reached the 8th grade my dad had his first heart attack. and from that hard experience i started to actively learn from him.

worried and unsure of how much longer he would be with me, i made a conscious choice to ask him every single question i could come up with. questions about death (he wasn’t afraid), questions about life and the future (his answers were to not worry, his actions were to swim deeply in the love of his family and friends).

but the asking of such direct questions and him giving equally direct and adult answers changed us.

no longer were we only father and son.

we were best friends.

when i moved to california for college i would spend nightly hours on the phone with him. each of us not speaking but going about our business, comforted knowing the other was there.

my third year in college my dad had his second and last heart attack.

i am forever grateful for the questions i asked him during the eight years between. and surprisingly i find there are few to none i would have for him now.

but i miss him. i miss my friend.

and so i hang his picture up at our FTXs.

FTX Yo! being no different.

i had scouted the Rocky statue for almost a year, that’s how much i wanted to do an FTX there. and i knew there was a chance we could be shut down as there is always a chance since we have no permits to hand out the food and music and love that we do.

but we had never been shut down before and like my dad’s answer to one of my questions, i try not to worry about the future.

in the end, it wasn’t a cop or a park ranger that got us moved.

it was a water ice vendor!

the Rocky statue is on land managed by parks and recreation where vendors have to get a permit to sell their foods.

the same was true when we did FTX C.Park in 2006 in NYC’s Central Park. if a vendor (or vendors in the case of Central Park) doesn’t complain then we’re all good. i find that police and park rangers are usually happy (and hungry!) when they stumble upon an FTX and since we aren’t selling anything but giving it away they are pleasantly surprised by the whole thing! 🙂

but this wasn’t true on the 15th.

the one and only vendor present wanted us gone.

and the park ranger was forced to oblige.

BUT the ranger loved us and what we were doing and said he wished we could stay. so he offered us the opportunity to move just across the street to set up in front of a huge running fountain.

and that’s just what we did!!!!

the gang and new found friends carried the whole thing over in a few short trips and before you could shout “Yo Adrian!” we were up and running!!

throughout the perfect day we got flocks of tourists and locals as they passed by. some for french toast, many more for hugs. far from the long lines of the FTXs in Downtown LA or Love Park there were many moments of pause as i turned off the grill and looked around me. (something that almost never happens at an FTX).

during one of those moments i took a step back from the group. i was still struggling with my ego of wanting to be at the statue and what this FTX was supposed to be when it happened.

i turned from facing the statue to facing the fountain.

and then there he was.

my dad.

my thoughts spoke to myself “he is here” and for the first time in 19 years i saw my father.

i have never been more sure of anything in my life.

he was there at that fountain as its sun sparkled water reached for and touched the sky.

he was there as the clouds softened the yellow sun.

he was there in you. in all of your golden FTX shirts and smiling faces. in friends i have known since i was born, in friends i haven’t seen in far too long. and i felt a happiness so strong that it made my eyes cry.

it turns out that he was there all along.

and on that day i swam deeply in the love of my family and of my friends.

and i want to thank you, all of you who came, all of you that couldn’t, the ranger and the vendor, everyone.

i am honored and humbled by your love.

you take my breath away.

love shyam

FTX 1


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FTX NEW RECRUITS!!!! – ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE FTX 59, 60, 61, 70!!!!

by admin Posted on May 9, 2010

i  wanted to write you about our four newest recruits!!!!

i keep a short list of future members and i’m happy to know these four are no longer on my list but on this one:

http://www.frenchtoastandhugs.com/docs/pages/about.html

and now without further ado!!

FTX 59

Audrey The Great Dane!!!!

what can i say? i knew Audrey was stone cold the moment i met her. she’s always up for telling a good joke and with her continual curlicue smile you know that there are plenty more she’s not saying! not only that but she gives HUGE hugs with not only her arms but her neck! an FTX first!!!!

FTX 60

Sarah McKaig!!!!

i met Sarah just last year while working in nyc. from the get go she exhibited a true energy and heart that could be nothing else but FTX. her spirit and enthusiasm for the good things in life (including fried bred!) is contagious as could be seen by the people she brought down to FTX LOVE last year on a bus trip from the big apple and the hugs she delivered upon arrival. and when FTX DOWNTOWN 2 was announced she was among the first to ask to be put to work! i am always stunned by a giving heart.

FTX 61

Shawn Marie Turi!!!!

i never met Shawn until the morning of FTX DOWNTOWN 2 but i feel like i’ve known her for quite some time. almost a year ago she posted a comment on our FTX blog about FTX LOVE. although she wasn’t at the event she had heard of it and was inspired by what she read. not only that but she loved the soundtracks (a surefire way into my heart)!

http://frenchtoastandhugs.com/?p=237

both henry and i took notice of her heartfelt comments.

i didn’t hear from her until i announced the FTX DOWNTOWN 2 event but when i did i was amazed. not only was her excitement uncontainable but she repeatedly kept offering so much help that i couldn’t say no. she brought tables from orange county just on the chance that i might need them. and she brought her friends too. on the morning of january 24th when of course she was already there waiting for me in downtown la it was like meeting an old friend. and of course i was.

and last but not least….

FTX 70

Sandy Anne Yadav!!!!

my mom! 🙂 it may seem strange or funny or wrong that it took this long for her to get into the gang but i’m a firm believer in every thing in it’s own time.

and now is the time! my mom was the one who woke up each and every morning that i went to school and made me a good solid breakfast. every single day. and french toast was the top of my list. i can’t tell you how many times she made it for me but when i think of french toast i see HER french toast. made on simple white bred with cinnamon and maple syrup and love.

a veteran of FTX LOVE my mom flew in to los angeles for DOWNTOWN 2. on the morning of the event it was just me and her, up at 5:30am cutting bowls of strawberries and bananas. i will always remember looking over my shoulder at her working hard on that early early morning. working hard with me and for me. when some of the gang showed up after 7am at my place to head on out i turned to her and asked if her blue new jersey t-shirt was what she planned on wearing. she was confused until i finished with “because WE would like you to wear this.” and held out her very own FTX shirt.

the surprise on her face is the look of an unassuming person. someone who gives without expecting to receive. it is the very same look i have seen on so many of you.

i thank you all so very much and always look forward to seeing you again.

love,

shyam

FTX 1

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FTX YO! INVITE REMINDER – MAY 15th, 2010, 9AM

by admin Posted on May 9, 2010

FTX YO! INVITE REMINDER – MAY 15th, 2010, 9AM

FTX #15

http://www.frenchtoastandhugs.com

hi everyone! it’s the second week of may and training is over for the second philadelphia FTX!!!!

that’s right the French Toast & Hugs Gang is geared up and ready to run thru the streets of philadelphia only to explode in triumph with some tasty carbs and goodwill when we arrive at philly’s own rocky statue located to the right of the art museum’s steps this saturday may 15th at 9am! 🙂

we have 30 pounds of maple syrup and 30 loaves of freshly baked challah bred from our local chestnut hill farmer’s market ready to go!!

we have strawberries and blueberries and hershey pa chocolate syrup!!!!

we have have cans and cans of vanilla & chocolate whipped cream!!!!!!

and we have hugs arriving from as far as california and chicago!!!!!!!!

there’s no need to try to resist love because like water it is unstoppable.

here’s a link to a map to where you’ll find us on the morning of may 15th:

http://tinyurl.com/rocky-statue

and also on the morning of may 15th, i’ll post a last minute FTX update on our facebook FTX wall as we head out in case you’re wondering about weather. if it does look like rain i will plan to push to sunday the 16th and if not sunday then the following saturday the 22nd.

to check on our FTX facebook wall on saturday morning click here:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=81235971582&v=wall

and of course please check out and sign up if you haven’t already on our official page!!!!

http://www.frenchtoastandhugs.com/

also check out my great friend john dissed’s recent podcast interview that we did about the upcoming event. his podcast, “the bull pit”, is a do it yourself show filled with rock and friends and is always fun. listen to the interview and subscribe on iTunes here:

http://bit.ly/d5aquw

i’m gonna fly now but i’ll see you saturday!

love,

shyam

FTX 1

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FTX YO! – May 15th At The ROCKY Statue, Philadelphia Museum Of Art

by admin Posted on April 8, 2010


FTX YO! INVITE – MAY 15th, 2010
FTX #15
http://www.frenchtoastandhugs.com

it’s 1982 and i own two records.
pac-man fever and the rocky III soundtrack.

i remember sitting on the maroon carpet of my parents living room floor in our south jersey home, staring at that rocky album cover, angling it as the sunlight from our window hit it, hearing the crackle and hiss as i reset the needle on the player to spin “eye of the tiger” over and over again.

it was a summer when the driving force of that song was playing from passing 70s machines. it was a film with BOTH hulk hogan and mr. t!!! and with lines like “that guy’ll kill you to death!” it would for me always be hard to top. hard to top indeed.

i hadn’t seen rocky or rocky II yet but was completely blown away by this newest bout.

but rocky III was more than just a movie for me. it was my first taste of the underdog story. as many of my closest friends know, the story of the underdog has and is an important one in my life. i have always identified with the outsider and even more so to rocky, a southpaw from philly. to me it wasn’t the story of a boxer but the story of a fighter. it stirred in me the belief that sheer will power, hard work and faith could take you the distance.

it wasn’t until later in my life that i realized i had missed one essential point in that story.

the power of friendship.

rocky never went it alone. and once i stopped trying to do just that my life started to come together. because in the end, you’re only as strong as the people in your corner.

and the people in my corner are legendary.

so i’m calling out to all of you to come and celebrate with the FTX gang one more time in the city of my birth – philadelphia!!!!

just across the river from my childhood home in jersey, to the right of the art museum steps, is the physical reminder of what ignited my desire to fight and to believe that i could become more. the rocky statue! the place for our upcoming FTX YO!

and on saturday, may 15th at 9am we’re going to set up and hand out some knock-out french toast and hugs! that’s right, almost 28 years to the day of the release of the film!

feel free to pass on the attached flyer and here’s a link to a map to where you’ll find us:
http://tinyurl.com/rocky-statue

if you’ve never been to an FTX event click on the following link for a unique opportunity to see a 360 degree view of our last one in downtown los angeles. much thanks to tim for putting this together!

http://timconwayswebsite.com/media/French_toast_360_DNut/sample.html

and after you’re done with that see it for yourself and come on down may 15th for some tasty good times and a free copy of the super funky FTX YO! soundtrack!

i’ll bet when you’re driving home and you pop in the new mix and hit play, you will almost hear that crackle and hiss as i start that record over one more time.

eye of the tiger baby. eye of the tiger.

love,
shyam
FTX 1

ps
on the morning of may 15th, i’ll post a last minute FTX update on our facebook FTX wall as we head out. to find and sign up for the facebook FTX page please go here:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=81235971582

and of course please check out and sign up if you haven’t already on our official page!!!!

http://www.frenchtoastandhugs.com/

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FTX Downtown 2 Blog Post On “Social Political Art” Blog

by admin Posted on February 17, 2010

i was recently emailed about another blog post about our recent FTX Downtown 2 event that occurred on January 24th, 2010. the blog is called “Social Political Art”. thanks so much to whoever wrote it!!!! 🙂

you can read it below or go to this link:

http://www.socialpoliticalart.com/2010/02/let-them-eat-french-toast.html

Let Them Eat French Toast


Last year my sweetheart heard a story about a guy (Shyam) who had fed French Toast to the needy and homeless on the streets of Los Angeles. When he has traveled for his work he has done the same thing in other cities around the world. This year he fed French Toast on January 24, 2010. He asked for volunteers so my sweetheart and I went downtown to 6th and Towne (skidrow) and helped.

Photo is of Shyam (in hat) cooking French Toast. Now the first question we asked was, “Why French Toast?” He felt it was a treat for the people on the street. He not only fed them French Toast but also topped it with Blueberries, Strawberries and Bananas and whipped cream and syrup
You can see in the above photo what the serving looked like. Here is a list of what he brought. 66 loaves of freshly baked challah bred!
60 Costco bins of blueberries!!
55 dozen eggs!!!
48 Costco bins of strawberries!!!! (half of all they had at my local store)
34 cans of whipped cream (not enough, not even close!)
22 bottles of 100% pure maple syrup!!!!!
100 limited edition FTX pins & soundtracks!!!!!!

and over 1,300 pieces of french toast!!!!!!! Also some of the volunteers brought bags and bags of oranges and cases of bottled water.

On that day he fed over 600 people.

Below is a video of singing from a group just down the street from
where the French Toast was being served. Video is about 40 seconds
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Kacie Scherler / Pepperdine College Article On FTX Downtown 2!!!!

by admin Posted on February 4, 2010

Thank you Kacie Scherler & Pepperdine students for coming down to FTX!!!!


here’s the article:

Serving up love

By KACIE SCHERLER

Published: Thursday, January 28, 2010

Updated: Monday, February 1, 2010

Shyam Yadav loves carbohydrates. His best friend Daisy, a brown pit-bull, adores hugs. Accordingly, this dynamic duo created the “French Toast and Hugs” (FTX) gang.

The FTX gang hands out free French toast and hugs on street corners worldwide, touring London, Philadelphia, India and, most recently, Los Angeles.

Last Sunday, Pepperdine students assisted FTX in feeding the homeless and hungry at the corner of 6th and Towne streets in downtown Los Angeles. Hundreds lined up at 8 a.m. to get their French toast, heaped high with whipped cream, chocolate and fresh fruit.

With more than 50 “gang members,” the FTX team loaded up 525 bottles of water, 60 loaves of freshly baked challah bread, 40 dozen eggs, 22 bottles of maple syrup, 3 grills and one whisk for Sunday morning’s big event.

FTX members sported bright yellow shirts with French toast on the front and were recognizable by the smiles on their faces. “I do it out of love,” five-year gang member Messrob Torikian said. “This experience has been phenomenal.”

Identifiable by his cowboy hat, gang leader Yadav spent the morning on a makeshift grill that was ingeniously attached to a red wagon. A photo of Daisy, who couldn’t make it to the event, leaned against the cooker as a tribute to a key gang member who helped bring the FTX idea into reality.

“The amount of friendships and the solidity of our group are very powerful,” long-time FTX crew member Jovin Montanaro said.

Montanaro has been with the organization since its inception in 2003. “It’s guerilla-style,” Jovin explained. “We hit, and no one knows we’re coming. We don’t ask permission. It’s always surprising, we never have problems, and we are never kicked out.” (In fact, the police have been known to enjoy the free grub and hang out on the streets during FTX events.)

The hungry crowd displayed an attitude of gratitude, despite long lines and the chill of the morning.

“God blesses and knows the benevolent,” an easygoing homeless man named Mark said. “People in Haiti would die to be in this line.”

“Excellent! Superb! We need this kind of refreshment!” Grace, a homeless woman, said in her hip, relaxed Jamaican accent. “You have to go to a restaurant to get this kind of meal!”

The French toast not only looked gourmet, but the taste was praiseworthy. Victor, another homeless man, exclaimed that “[he] was gonna have to get in line and check it out again!” After finishing his last bite, he planned to go back for “seconds, thirds, maybe fourths or fifths!”

Pepperdine students volunteered throughout the day cooking, serving, picking up trash and interacting with people. Armed with garbage bags, students walked the block sorting recyclables. Volunteers cut fresh bananas and strawberries for participants to enjoy on their mouth-watering breakfasts.

Volunteers also sang with the homeless, listened to their stories and shared experiences that made Sunday morning a memorable time.

“There were some interesting characters out there, pretty nice people,” freshman Noah Webster said. “It was refreshing to see that we’re all the same, regardless of status.”

“I came out for breakfast and ended up volunteering,” Pepperdine alumna Sarah Burch said. “It’s been awesome. I wish I did this on a more regular basis.” Burch, known as “Burch-tastic” by her friends, encouraged current Pepperdine students to dive into volunteering. “It really does great things.”

Yadav, by using his creativity and passions, has inspired and reached out to the oppressed with a relatively simple idea. Read more about FTX events, members and ways to help on his blog at Frenchtoastandhugs.com.

As Yadav states: “Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Start it right with French toast.”

http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:Zbq8ABsPlwYJ:www.pepperdine-graphic.com/life-arts/serving-up-love-1.2154466+french+toast+ftx&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

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