Big World Little Fish

Why?-- Chun Jie Edition

2012-01-26T20:44:00.000-08:00

"Why?" is a question that comes up often here in China. Why are all security guards in China either 12 year-old boys or 70 year-old retirees? Why are condoms always sold front and center, right next to chewing gum and Snickers bars at the check-out line? Why is it that one mooncake will be wrapped in fifteen different layers of packaging, when it's just the same nasty mooncake that's sold on the street? Why do we have to pay for pharmacy goods separately from our grocery items?

Many of these 'why' questions are left unanswered, or with the ubiquitous shrug and, "This is China." Neither is very satisfying, but it's what we've got. Actually, "it's what we've got" is also a pretty common answer.

Anyway, in my few years of living here, I have found a few very satisfying answers to my 'why' questions related to Spring Festival (Chun Jie 春节) or Chinese New Year, as it's often referred to back home. Here are my findings:

Why the fireworks? Every year, China erupts into mass chaos at midnight to ring in the New Year. Fireworks are sold at street corners for two weeks prior to the big event, and the volume of fireworks has led to a few hazards in the past. That seems commonplace enough, but what most people don't know is that the fireworks, firecrackers, noisemakers that sound like bombs, and every other irritatingly loud noisemaker will go off before every meal time over the course of the following week.

I've learned that the reason for this is that fireworks, firecrackers, and noisemakers aren't just something Chinese people use to celebrate. The light and noise from these things are meant to scare away evil spirits that, I suppose, are only active at the one major holiday of the year. These 'evil spirits' are also more present at meal times, which is why the works are always set off just before meals also.

Why the red paper around the doors? Ah yes, the red paper around the doors. For those of you who don't know about red paper around the doors, they are sort of like China's version of Christmas lights that stay up year-round. Walk up any apartment building stairwell, and you'll see fading, tearing strips of red paper stuck to the door frames, usually emblazoned in some sort of Chinese greeting in gold foil.

Turns out that this tradition also stems from the same vein of guarding from the evil spirits. Red is the color symbolizing good luck in Chinese culture (hence, why red is freaking EVERYWHERE in this country), and they are keeping bad luck out and good luck in. I find this absolutely fascinating because it totally mirrors the story of the last plague on Egypt, when the Israelites were able to keep the Angel of Death from entering into their homes by painting the red blood of a lamb sacrifice over the tops and sides of their door posts.

Why the TV specials? Ask any Chinese student what they do at New Year's, and you'll probably receive the same answer: watch TV. CCTV puts on a number of New Year specials featuring magic shows, some song-and-dance numbers, a lovely hostess in a flashy outfits, and cross-talk... which is sort of like China's version of stand-up comedy. These specials will often go late into the evening, and I have to admit that I've never seen anyone get so excited to watch TV until 3 AM.

From what I understand, there isn't much to do on New Year's. Everything is closed, the dumplings have been wrapped, boiled, and eaten, and the fireworks have been set off. At that point, there's not much else to do but gather 'round the old telly and be entertained. I heard that this year's specials left much to be desired, but then again-- I haven't been one for hours of Chinese kitsch and comedy I don't understand.

For how long I've lived here, I've learned comparatively few answers to all my 'why' questions. The truth is that even many Chinese people don't know the answers to these questions, but that is part of the beauty of living here. To simply exist in a seemingly insane system of traditions and ways of doing things, and appreciate the aspects you enjoy, and learn to deal with the aspects you don't. In any case, here is to wishing everyone a joyful new year! 新年快乐 xin nian kuai le !

The Year of the Dragon

2012-01-26T20:14:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

I suppose for folks living in China, it is obligatory that I post something about Chinese New Year's on our blog. We're now almost at the official end of Spring Festival Week, which went by too quickly, as holidays often do. It's still been an amazingly relaxing time, free from classes and full of slept-in mornings.

Considering that Spring Festival is the biggest holiday of the year (imagine Christmas, Thanksgiving, Boxing Day, and New Year's Eve all rolled into one), the majority of the city shuts down. Major malls, public transit, and chain supermarkets stay open for business while the rest of the Beijing turns into a Chinese version of the set of a zombie apocalypse film... or just a reasonably populated city in a Western country. For us laowai, it's a dream come true-- free reign of the streets without having to worry about colliding with someone every five minutes, and quiet for extended periods of time. For our Chinese friends, it's strange. Where are all the people? And why is it so eerily quiet?

In our case, our celebration was eerily quiet-- even for laowai. We made plans to hang out at our friend's 22nd floor apartment to watch the insane free-reign fireworks that go off to usher in the new year. The photos don't do the event justice, but just imagine if every family in China made it their mission to hold their own personal Disneyland fireworks show at midnight-- and pulled it off. That's basically what happened.

Here are a few photos:

Coming up... a laowai's perception of Chinese New Year traditions.

Lost in Translation

2012-01-10T22:32:00.000-08:00

The Chinese education system is a puzzling thing. I've blogged about my student, Xindy, before. Xindy is a whiz at memorizing words and chanting slogans, but she still doesn’t know why it’s probably not a great idea to rub your eye after that same finger was digging for gold in your left nostril just before. Call me old-fashioned, but I am of the school that believes that manners should retain a place in everyday society.

Being cross-cultural, though, often makes teaching and learning manners tricky. Not only do you have to translate cultures, but you also have to translate languages. Here's a sticky situation I found myself in with Xindy.

Xindy leans back and rips a loud, long fart.
Grace: (laughing) Xindy, did you just eat lunch?
Xindy: (learning back on the sofa with her arms tucked behind her head) No. Why?
Grace: Well, after you do that, you should say, “Excuse me.”
Xindy: (brows furrowed, still lounging on my sofa) I should say what?
Grace: You should say, “Excuse me.”
Xindy: (sitting up) What? What does that mean?
Grace: It is kind of like saying, “I’m sorry.”
Xindy: But why I need to say this word?
Grace: Because what you did is a little impolite.
Xindy: What’s meaning this word? Poligh?
Grace: Im-po-lite. It means "不客气的" (bu keqi).

And here's where I went wrong. Technically, what I said was "not" (bu) and "polite" (keqi), but together, the phrase "bu keqi" is another way of saying "You're welcome"-- a phrase most Chinese students learn. Now, I'm worried that Xindy will get them all confused, and the next time she farts, she'll try to be polite and respond by saying, "You're welcome," which in my home, would warrant laughter and joy. Among mixed company, though, perhaps not so much.*

Our lesson in manners didn't end there, though.

Fifteen minutes later, Xindy is working on a dictation.
Xindy: What you said before I should say when I… 放屁 (fart / fangpi)?
Grace: Oh… “Excuse me.”
Xindy: (smiling as a rancid smell fills the room) Okay. Excuse me.

*For the record, if you want to convey that something is impolite without saying "You're welcome," the correct term is "不礼貌" (bu limao).

Who is your daddy...

2011-12-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

... and what does he do?

That became a topic of conversation today while tutoring my little six year-old student, Xindy. She has become one of my cutest buddies in Beijing. Jason keeps encouraging me to give up tutoring her so I can have a little free time. Sometimes, I do consider it, but then I'd miss out on conversations like these:

Rumble rumble. Splish splash. Whiiiiirrrrr.
Xindy: (startled) What is that noises?
Grace: It's the washing machine.
Xindy: Washing for what?
Grace: 洗衣服的 (translation: for washing clothes). Jason is doing the laundry.
Xindy: (more startled) WHAAAAT? He is washing the clothes!?
Grace: Yeah... well, he's putting it into the machine.
Xindy: He knows how to do it?
Grace: ... Yes. Doesn't your dad know how to use the washing machine?
Xindy: No!
Grace: (laughing) Really? So only your mommy does the laundry?
Xindy: Eat, sleep, play iPad. That's all my daddy knows.

Classic.

The Work of Someone Greater

2011-12-04T21:02:00.001-08:00

When I happen upon difficult times in this place, when the winters are too cold, the summers are too sticky, and the food too oily. After I've long forgotten that skies are meant to be various shades of blue, and not fluctuate between white, tan, and gray. Long after the bags are packed, tickets bought, and miles traveled, I will know it was all worth it.

Because of this...

It's 9:36 AM

2011-12-04T17:37:00.001-08:00

You're in your pajamas sitting at your desk. Your laptop is open. Your coffee cup is empty. You've been awake since 7.

Do you know where your lesson plan is?

NO. FOR THE LOVE OF PETE. NO, I DON'T.

Fifteen Minutes or Less

2011-11-07T04:29:00.000-08:00

START TIME: 1:29 PM

Yes, that is how long I've given myself to do a post. We've all heard that old saying, "There are 24 useful hours in a day," and ain't it just about the most bittersweet thing you've ever heard? The fact that there are indeed 24 whole hours for you to have your way with, and yet knowing that only a fraction of that time gets used in worthwhile ways?

In any case, here is my super-quick update.

Fall is in full swing in Beijing, and it is without a doubt the loveliest time of the year. I love the fall. With fall has come a ridiculous onslaught of work, work, work, and opportunities for service. At my other job, it's bazaar season which means lots and lots of selling, scheduling, and hair-pulling. Oh, and (hopefully not feigned) Christmas cheer. At my 'real' job (that I am quite eager to leave), it's midterms and grasping at straws for good lesson plans. Today, my students learned "Killing Me Softly" to the tune of a poorly played ukulele, compliments of yours truly. Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel.

As my schedule fills up and the number of daylight hours quickly dwindles, I find myself craving those fifteen minutes, just for myself. I-- like many other women-- am a great multi-tasker, but I often find that I try to squeeze in a few relaxing/fun moments while working. I open up multiple tabs on my browser, so I can answer emails, read the headlines, and download a trailer from Apple Trailers all at the same time. The result? A few emails inevitably get left unanswered, I still don't fully understand what crazy debacle happened during the Occupy Oakland protests, and all I know of new releases is that it's just a bunch more of the same old crap, crap, crap that Hollywood loves to churn out.

And of course, the first thing to go directly to the backburner is my quiet time. I think many Christians can understand this plight. Life happens, and spending time with God gets lost somewhere in the mix of work, family obligation, and errands. After a while, though, it becomes easy to forget just what I'm working, spending time with family, and running errands for. Furthermore, quiet time is a two-way interaction, and it is so easy to forget that God has a feeling about being left on the backburner, too. It hurts Him, and He misses us. Isn't that nuts?

I know old habits die hard, but one thing I'm trying to be intentional about is doing one thing at a time, and giving my full focus on Him for some portion of the day-- be it on the subway or in my non-existent prayer closet-- so that I can give full focus to my entire being.

Just for kicks, also, here's a photo of a lesson plan that is a surefire success. Your perfect 24-hour day. You'll notice that the majority of my time is spend eating. And see that giant slot left open for shopping? It's not for clothes. It's for food.

END TIME: 1:47 PM. Dang!

Annuals

2011-10-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

Anniversaries are funny things. The majority of my students admit to having never celebrated a wedding anniversary as weddings tend to be tricky here in China. Do they celebrate the day they signed their marriage contract, or the evening the couple hosted giant wedding reception/variety show in their honor?

Oddly enough, Jason and I had never celebrated an anniversary before. We, like so many of our married Chinese counterparts, were a bit fuzzy on our details. I mostly attribute this to a conversation that I love telling friends about.

On the afternoon of March 13, 2006...

G: So I called my mom today to wish her a happy birthday. She asked me about you.
J: Mm-hmm...
G: She asked about what's going on between you and me.
J: Yeah?
G: And I didn't know what to tell her.
J: Well, I've been telling my friends you're my girlfriend for the past few weeks.
G: ............

Yup, folks. That's how a DTR happens.

Well, it's a good thing that wedding dates are a bit more definite. And if this is where the bar is set for our very first anniversary celebration ever, then Jason has a lot to live up to for future anniversaries.

Here's how we celebrated our first year as a married couple:

We hopped onto our lovely e-scooter, Estelle, and made our way to the subway station.

En route to the restaurant...

...we saw dinosaurs in a shopping plaza! Only in China...

We made it to our dinner spot and ordered up a Mediterranean feast that made us smile pitas.

We went for a stroll through brand new shopping malls with vacant store fronts. Until I came to Beijing, I would never have expected to find a moment of peace away from crowds in a shopping mall.


We made our way to a Cantonese restaurant for a Chocolate Banana Ice Cream Parfait. In the words of Donkey, "Everybody loves parfait!" But Americans, take note. Those are corn flakes on the bottom of the bowl. This was one righteous parfait.

And here's the best part of our anniversary. When we got married, Jason and I decided that we'd always give each other gifts made of the element that represents that anniversary. Year one is represented by paper. Jason commissioned a friend who is an art student to paint a watercolor of our first home as a married couple.

Everyone. Welcome to our home.

Estelle: A Love Story

2011-09-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

This post is not about the fabulous British singer who sings about American boys. It is, however, a simple love story.

A few months ago, Jason and I started toying with the idea of getting an electric bicycle. We had been living sans wheels for quite some time, and with summer fast approaching, the idea of zipping through the city instead of slowly trudging through the grueling Beijing hot smog started to seem more and more appealing.

We started checking internet classifieds for a second-hand dian dong che (electric bicycle) and hoping that we'd find one that hadn't been used too much and was the right price. Often times, we came across ads for two-seater battery-powered pedal bikes. Truth be told, they are not pretty. Clunky and made mostly of cheap aluminum-like metal and often emblazoned with the image of some sort of infantile mascot (they like sheep here, for some reason), these bikes are long associated in my mind with the post-menopausal aunties I see picking their grandchildren up from primary school.

Even though I felt too foolish to verbalize it, I had a secret hope that the moped we found was of the fake-Vespa variety popular amongst over-privileged Korean students in Beijing. It felt stupid to do so, but even when I prayed at night about whether or not a moped was waiting for us in our future, I asked that it would be one that wasn't an eyesore and would help me fulfill some silly fantasy of being like Audrey Tatou in Amelie, zipping around Paris on an adorable little Vespa, arms wrapped around the torso my Chinese-American version of Nino / Matthieu Kassovitz (with obvious, glaring differences, of course. I mean, c'mon. Who are we kidding? Paris vs Beijing?).

"I know that if it's your will for us to buy this scooter," I'd pray at night, "then you will prepare the perfect one for us. Even it may not be the one I have in mind."

Well... he is good. He dresses the lilies of the valley, he gives the birds a home, and he prepares Beijing's most adorable, perfect scooter for us. Estelle (my moniker for our perfect Chinese fake Vespa) was put up for sale late one night, and we were the first to respond to the ad. Not only was she the most perfect scooter and in our price range, but Estelle's previous owner was an amazingly sweet Indonesian man studying Chinese on our very own campus. Like all things pre-ordained and blessed, obtaining Estelle was easy, joyful, and beneficial to all parties involved.

So while you may have thought that this love story was going to be about my love for Estelle, it is more about the amazing love of a Father who provides and fulfills our every need AND desire. I think living in China has often made me jaded to the idea that God actually wants to give us all that we desire and more. But in my blindness and self-satisfying tendencies, I fix my eyes on what I can't have (easy access to cheese, open roads, trees, and clean air) instead of simply asking and receiving.

Thankfully, with His grace and through these small acts of love, I don't have to be a slave to what I "have-nots," but I daily have the joy of receiving all that I need, and more.

Estelle has changed our lives. I know that sounds a little dramatic, but I guess if I compared it to having a car in downtown LA and not having a car, you would see how it would open up so many opportunities and save a ton of energy. Plus, whenever I take Estelle out for a trip to the veg market, or to meet a friend, or to drop off my dry cleaning, I don't just enjoy the feeling of being a Chinese version of Amelie, but I am reminded of how deep the Father's love is for me.

Big Plate o' Chicken

2011-09-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

Ahh, Xinjiang food. If I ever leave this crazy country, I may bid its traffic, crowds, and pollution good riddance, but I will be eternally grateful for being introduced to Xinjiang food.

Xinjiang is the very large province (technically 'autonomous region') in northwest China populated mostly by the Uyghur minority... and some of the most delectable sheep you've ever encountered. The land is dry, which means less rice and more wheat, yielding a cuisine rounded out mostly by some tasty flour-based carbs such as noodles and bread that is baked in wood-fired tandoori-like ovens.

Despite Xinjiang's abundance in tasty lamb, one of my favorite Xinjiang dishes is Da Pan Ji (大盘鸡), literally meaning Big Plate o' Chicken. And a big plate of chicken it indeed is: a giant platter of chicken pieces tossed with potatoes, green peppers, and leeks. Fresh, wide, chewy flour noodles are added afterward and tossed in the remaining sauce.

Are you drooling yet?

Last semester, I had the pleasure of teaching a group of primary school teachers from Xinjiang, and decided to let them put their teaching skills to the test and teach me how to make Da Pan Ji. It certainly wasn't easy or quick, but I was pleasantly surprised by how do-able it is and that Da Pan Ji is a one pot recipe is an added bonus.

Well, I couldn't keep the joy of Da Pan Ji to myself, so here is the recipe for one of the tastiest things that China has to offer. And I promise you, it will taste nothing like Panda Express. In a good way.

Xinjiang dinner, compliments of my amazing students.

You will need:

For the noodles:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons salt-- dissolve salt into water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the Da Pan Ji:
1 whole chicken-- cleaned well outside and inside the cavity, giblets removed, separated and cut into small pieces (keep bone in)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3-4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 liter light beer
1 cup hot water
3 potatoes-- peeled and cut into 3 inch cubes, then tossed with a little salt
2 Anaheim peppers, cut into 3 inch squares
salt to taste

Flavor Bouquet-- place all ingredients into a small bowl
3/4 cup dried red chilis
1 whole star anise
4-6 Bay leaves
2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
4 inch knob of ginger-- peeled and sliced into strips
2 leeks cut into 4 inch pieces, then sliced lengthwise
1 whole bulb of garlic-- peeled, then crushed lightly to release flavor

Note: For those of you who lack the butchering skills (or a mini chainsaw) to take apart an entire chicken, I cheated the second time I made Da Pan Ji by using drumettes and chicken wings. Saves a TON of time, and if you live in China, you don't have to deal with the whole chickens coming with the head and the claws. For me, personally, that's just a little to 'real.'

First, prep the noodles. Put the flour into a large bowl, then add salted water little by little, incorporated it into the flour by hand. Continue to add water until the dough comes together and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough on a board (no need to flour the board) until it softens. Put the dough on a board with the bowl inverted over it to keep the dough moist. Allow the dough to rest.

AJ kneading the noodle dough

Pour oil into a large wok over high heat until the oil is about 2-3 inches deep. When the oil begins to smoke, add all of the chicken pieces. Stir carefully, and add a few pieces of ginger to stop the smell. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of salt over the chicken to render its juices. Cook over high heat for 10-15 minutes, until all juices have reduced and the oil begins popping gently.

Add soy sauce to the chicken, until it turns into a deep caramel color. Add the flavor bouquet all at once. When the chicken begins fragrant, pour in the beer, and hot water. Allow to simmer for a few minutes, stirring the chicken and spices gently. Ladle out about three ladle-spoons of the broth, and reserve for later.

Flavor bouquet!

Rinse the salt off the potatoes and drain well. Place potatoes on top of the chicken in a single layer, but do not mix them. Cover the wok with a lid, and turn down the heat to medium. Let the broth simmer until the potatoes are cooked through (and can be pierced easily with a chopstick).

While the potatoes are cooking, push down the noodle dough into a large patty. Rub the oil over the top of the patty, turning it over once so it is well coated by oil. Cover with the bowl again, and let it rest a second time.

At this point, the potatoes should be cooked through. Add the reserved broth back on top of the potatoes, toss in the green peppers, and mix everything together, and transfer to the biggest plate you own, preferably one with a generous lip to catch all the good broth.

Now, to finish off the noodles! Slice up your patty into long strips about 1 inch thick. Squeeze the strips in between your fingers to create a wide, flat noodle. If you're feeling brave, you can try holding your noodle on each end between your index finger and thumb and waving it up and down to stretch it out.

Once your noodles are good and stretched, fill up your wok (no need to clean it!) with water and bring the water to a boil. Push your noodles into the boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes. You can put the noodles over the chicken, or divide it between your guests bowls, and ladle the Da Pan Ji over the noodles.

Wipe the drool from your chin, and savor the product of all your hard labor.

White Privilege: Not Just for Americans

2011-09-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

Before coming to China, Jason and I were hoping to teach English in Korea. Of course, now we know that it was simply not in the plans for us to avoid going to China, but I had a hard time grappling with the reasons for why we couldn't find a position teaching English.

"Hi, you are Korean American, right?" the girl at the teaching agency asked.

"Yes, I am. But I was born in America and I've lived there my entire life."

"Yes, but it is very difficult to find a school that will take a teacher who does not look like an American."

To which my next question should have been, "Well, what the hell does an American look like?" I suppose people everywhere are ignorant of the fact that different countries contain a diverse range of physicalities. I'll admit that it still surprised me just a little bit (ok, maybe more) when I met a Chinese-South African, or when I realized that there is a huge Asian-Australian population-- a group of people who look a lot like me but speak with a way cooler accent.

Does it get frustrating when I walk into a class full of students fully expecting a "foreign-looking" teacher whose disappointment is clearly written all over their faces because I look Chinese? Yes, and the whole explanation about not being from Korea, and having not much of a Korean national identity, is never easy to get out.

But what is more infuriating than having to explain myself a hundred times a week to taxi drivers, restaurant workers, office workers, sales clerks, and nearly every other person in China is that I could never get the job in Korea, or the job posted here on the blog, simply because I don't enjoy white privilege. Not only that, but the job very well may go to some idiot whose Modus Operandi it is to sleep with as many unsuspecting Asian women and get as plastered as possible every night while still being able to show up to class the next morning, just to play a pirated DVD of Friends and sleep off his hangover at his desk. But it doesn't matter. Because he is white.

So what do I hope to gain from my little rant? Really, nothing. I'm as little of a fan of white guilt as I am of white privilege. Am I saying all Chinese people are ignorant for thinking that I look Chinese? No. Because frankly, so would Dave Chapelle.

I suppose I'd like to say just this: WAKE UP. It's no surprise that the world is a diverse place, and thankfully, the media is just starting to catch onto it. Racism is still a problem today, but namely because of things like this advertisement and the people who perpetrate the problem are those who assume that one's ability is based on the color of their skin. If the Chinese continue to believe that because "we all look the same," racism is not a problem in this society, they are sorely wrong and will continue to fall short of the social advances of their world power neighbors, who are just now learning to embrace their diversity as an asset.

'marshawu,' you should seriously start reconsidering the wording on your advertisement. And I'm not your friend.

Direct Message

2011-07-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, we get subtle, gentle reminders of bigger things that happen around us. Things like hunches, feelings, or "movement in the spirit" that lead us down one path or another.

Other times, we get hit right over the head with something so direct and undeniable, it takes your breath away.

Case in point:

from our weekly church bulletin

Staring at me right in the face was a question that I had a hard time answering. Am I still amazed, or do I still take His grace, mercy, and power for granted? After living in a foreign country for a while, the challenges of getting through daily life become commonplace, and the work I do starts to become routine. It becomes so easy to lose sight of the fact that the work I do, the life I live, the marriage I am a part of, the relationships I've been blessed by, the food I eat, the joy I feel, the sorrow I share-- are not simple coincidences. In every facet of even the simplest life are opportunities to be amazed by how He loves. As simple as the perfect cup of coffee (although, that's not so simple where I am) or a blue sky in the middle of a cloudy week. Or as complex as a divine appointment or situations that unfold and seem to defy all scientific or logical explanation. Yet, how easily we pass over the beautiful ways that we are reminded of His unending love and vastness in favor of mundane, circumstantial explanations!

I could say that this was just a funny coincidence-- that my name happened to appear on our bulletin. Printed with such urgency and accented by an exclamation point that just seems to express a cross between excitement, frustration, and perhaps final resorts at getting my attention. Anxious to stir up the fire and wonder I once experienced when we were closer, the title simply asks if I've lost my sense of amazement.

Sure, it's just the title of a sermon.

But I'd rather not see it that way. Instead, I am dumbstruck, overwhelmed, and amazed.

Channel surfing has its consequences

2011-07-20T23:28:00.000-07:00

We interrupt our regular programming to bring you a fantastical Chinese creature who seems to have grown an enlarged scrotum on his forehead.

Brownie points to whomever can come up with the best captions for these photos.

A Humble Return

2011-07-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

I've been absent for quite some time. While I'm sure it was an absence not deeply felt, I can't attribute it to unbearable busy-ness, mundaneness of daily Beijing living, or even laziness.

This semester has been extremely long for multiple reasons- difficult students, boring curriculum, and adjustments to married life, being among them. At the end of the semester, I had a bit of a meltdown when I realized how I'd let myself down in nearly all capacities. I hadn't kept up my first home, or cooked enough, I didn't spend enough quality time with Chinese friends and students, I hadn't been the teacher my students deserved, I didn't exercise enough, and as we all know, I didn't keep up the blog.

I've started this blog entry about eight times. Each time I did, the entry felt inadequate. Who would actually be interested in reading about a new recipe I'd tried or the new oven we finally got, or my first disappointing trip I took to the ocean? Who was interested in my photos when there are thousands of blogs out there brimming with DSLR gems and impressive angles? And as I kept thinking about how overwhelmingly average I was, I found just another reason to delete my drafts. And while this blog isn't truly an extension of my entire being, it seems that the inadequacy I felt about my blog stemmed from feeling inadequate myself. Why would anyone be interested in anything I had to share when it would simply be disappointing?

Well, here we are, eight drafts later, and somehow I found something to write about. Today, I was singing in the shower (Jason is away for two weeks, teaching at an English camp, so I indulged myself), and the song that kept coming back to me was one by David Crowder.

"He is jealous for me. Loves like a hurricane, and I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy... He loves us, oh how he loves us."

I've heard and sung this song hundreds of times, but this time, I was struck by the amazing juxtaposition of those first two lines. Overwhelmed by a love that is more powerful, wider, and weightier than anything I could possibly imagine, I am simply a sprout in the ground encased in the typhoon of his greatness. His power transforms lives and maintains galaxies. The creator of love, justice, mercy, and goodness.

And yet, he is jealous for me.

He feels pain when I reject him. He longs for my company when I am caught up in the little, meaningless things in life that too easily become so important. In my underdeveloped sapling state, he fights for me, and finds me absolutely adequate. More than simply adequate. He finds me precious.

All this to say, life hasn't been especially interesting. Yes, I do have a few things I'd like to share from the past few months that I haven't managed to post up on this blog. But this necessary reminder forgoes any sort of China-anecdote or rant that my experience on this world could offer. Because the experience of being pursued relentlessly by the Author of Love is certainly enough to get me to start writing again.

Because it's by His grace and love that I am adequate.

Whoo-Wee! (Jie)

2011-05-19T01:31:00.000-07:00

May 1st was China's May Day Holiday, otherwise known as Wu Yi Jie (which sounds like "Whoo-Wee!" if you say it really quickly). I'm not really sure of the origins of Wu Yi Jie, but I believe it's something akin to America's Labor Day. It began as a one-week holiday, but I guess that was just too much fun for a country like China, so they shortened it to a measly 24-hours. My students usually go shopping that day because there are a ton of good deals. A ton of people brave the crowds and travel.

We were lucky this year because our buddy Lance came to visit us while he was in China on a month-long business trip in Shanghai. Beijing is just a quick two-hour plane ride or so, and it was such a blessing to see a familiar face and share our lives in China with him.

When tourists attack...

Given that it was an official holiday, we fully expected there to be a ton of crowds at all the major tourist sites, so we decided to give Lance a more local walking tour of Beijing. We walked through the hutongs and down Nanluoguxiang-- a really neat "bohemian" street with a ton of little shops, bars and restaurants, and snack stalls. We walked through Houhai Lake and past the Drum and Bell Tower. Basically, we walked a lot.

We took public transportation a LOT.

And we didn't just take pictures of the backs of each others' heads.

Of course, we ate a lot of really tasty grub. Lance is a fellow yogurt enthusiast (Jason isn't so much into yogurt), and his wife, Amy, had told him about famous Beijing yogurt. Plus, eating yogurt is one of the best ways to fight indigestion or traveler's diarrhea-- two things that are almost guaranteed to visit you while you visit China. Suffice it to say that a good deal of yogurt was consumed in our three days together.

Iced fruit tea at Bellagio

Mango Coconut Milk shaved ice at Bellagio

Lance and his first cup of Beijing yogurt

Beijing Yogurt comes in a tiny clay jug that you can keep for an extra 1 kuai.
Each cup is covered by a little piece of printed wax paper, secured by a rubber band.

Lance and me with some friends having hot pot for dinner.

Even though we wished his trip could have lasted longer, we were so glad to have our very first visitor to our home. We miss you, Lance! Hurry back, and bring Amy with you next time!

Lance in his favorite chair at our apartment

Oh, the times...

2011-05-19T00:26:00.000-07:00

... they are a-changin'. As evidenced by these two construction site signs.

Spotted in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. February 2009

Spotted near the Forbidden City in Beijing. May 2011

I'm not going to try and assign some symbolic significance to this change, although I have to say it might be a sign that things are starting to be taken less seriously around these parts. Or... things are starting to be cuter. Or... construction workers are getting to be too young.

A Tale of Two Bagels

2011-05-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

When living in China, you find that the littlest joys of life are what redeem all of your gloomy China days. For me, the littlest joys often come in the form of food (not surprisingly)-- namely shopping for food. Shopping for home comforts in Beijing is certainly easier than it is in other parts of good ol' Zhongguo (that's 'China' in Mandarin), but one cannot imagine the joy that comes with discovering that the things that seemed unattainable can be reached just by going around the corner.

Bagels: Not available right around the corner, unfortunately.

Parchment paper, aluminum foil, soda water, decent non-sweet cheese, unsalted butter, and-- my personal favorite--cream cheese. There's a local Chinese brand here that makes a great cream cheese, and say what you may about the safety of Chinese dairy, I'll risk it if it means I can sink my teeth into that creamy, buttery, sour tart goodness that is cream cheese. (By the looks of it, if the food here hasn't severely harmed my health by now, then I'm probably good to go. At least, until I grow a third eye or my urine becomes radioactive, or something.)

Contrary to what the brand may state, the cream cheese is not "suki." Haha.

Finding cream cheese, of course, means that bagels must also be found. Let me tell you something about Chinese bread. Well, it sucks. It's full of air, with absolutely no nutritional value. So I set out to make my own bagels. One recipe I used came from Budget Bytes, which is much faster and yields a decent crop of bagels. The other recipe was a combination of one for Sourdough Bagels from one of my favorite cooking blogs, Chocolate and Zucchini, and another recipe from my other favorite cooking blog, Smitten Kitchen. Both cite the same recipe from Peter Reinhart's book The Bread Baker's Apprentice, with their own personal tweaks. The latter recipe requires a sponge to be made, then the dough to be proofed overnight, then the bagels are shaped, boiled, then baked. If you don't know what that means, that's okay, most people don't.

Top: Sponge for Peter Reinhart's Bagels fermenting. Bottom: Budget Bytes bagel dough

Budget Bytes bagels after second rise

The final word is that work and time definitely pay off. While the Budget Bytes recipe delivered nice, speedy results, they weren't as chewy on the outside and soft on the inside, the way bagels ought to be, and how I remember them. That said, the work and time are quite an investment. Between proofing the dough, shaping the bagels, letting them rest, boiling them, then baking them, I found myself wondering why I would go through such great lengths for just a taste of home.

Sesame Bagels straight out of the oven

All I can think of is this: I don't know when I'll be going "home" to America. And to be extremely honest, I don't know where home is. I wouldn't go so far as to say that China is my home, but I would say that living with the expectation and to want move on as quickly as I can to the next thing--simply because I'm not comfortable--is no way to live at all. And so, even if it takes 24 hours of proofing and a few minutes of boiling and baking, we do our best to make a home here with what we have.

And in the meantime, I've also learned new things to add to this whole idea of what "home" is. Like putting peanut butter and tomato slices on a toasted bagel. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but you'd be surprised at how incredibly tasty it is!

American English and Old Beijing

2011-04-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

The American accent is high in demand in China, where it's considered "standard" English. In China, there is "Standard Mandarin"-- a pure, unaccented version of good ol' putonghua, the language Chairman Mao enforced to become the language of the nation, simply because it was what was spoken in the capital. I keep reminding my students that there's really no such thing as "Standard English," but years of watching Friends and Prison Break has given many Chinese the impression that if one wants to speak English, they should speak it as Monica and Rachel do when they're bickering in their fabulous Manhattan flat.

Being from California-- where most American TV shows and films are from-- and having a Western American accent has blessed me in the TESL department, since I was born with the "standard" accent. So it was only natural that my friend and colleague, Zhang Kun, asked me to co-teach a Pronunciation Class with him.

My buddy Zhang Kun and me

Teaching Pronunciation is a really tricky thing. Imagine trying to tell someone how exactly to manipulate their mouth to make them pronounce "usually," when what keeps coming out is "urally," or to say "think" instead of "sink." Or explaining why your sentences drift up and sink down at certain parts. It ain't easy. Fortunately, Zhang Kun had undergone the long arduous task of trying to perfect the American English accent, though what comes out now is more of a charming marriage of British and Chinese English.

After a few hard weeks of class, Kun offered to give Jason and me a proper introduction to Old Beijing snacks, since we still didn't really know exactly what Beijing cuisine was. He took us to a place that is just about as old school as you can get. You first go to a ticket window, where you buy 50 RMB worth of paper tickets. Then, you go from window to window, exchanging tickets for snacks.

Snack offerings and illustrated menus

Beijing snacks are-- at best-- interesting. It's mostly marked by fatty meats, sesame flavoring, and a lot of heavy, oil-laden fried things. Neither Jason nor I were big fans, but we were grateful for the experience.

No, this is not a bowl brimming with sewage! It's sesame soup! It's basically made of a thick, starchy paste topped with sesame paste mixed with oil. I wasn't nuts about it, but I managed to put down a few spoonfuls before feeling completely full from all the oil and starch sitting like a rock in my stomach. But there was plenty more to consume, of course...

It's not an authentic Chinese meal until you eat some unusual animal part. This is a plate of flash-boiled tripe. Despite the aforementioned piping-hot bowl of thick, oily sesame soup waiting for me, the tripe comes with a bowl of sesame paste sauce meant for dipping. I actually quite like tripe, but this wasn't my favorite incarnation of it.

These little sandwiches were what I had my hope for a good meal riding on. Sadly, they didn't deliver. I've had some excellent versions of the sandwich (called bing in Mandarin), where the meat is juicy, flavorful, and dripping with yummy fats that are soaked in by the sesame seeded bun. What we found were two sad, cold, dry sandwiches lacking in any flavor except salt.

After our meal (on which Jason later commented that he'd never eaten at a meal where he didn't like a single thing on the menu), we three decided to take advantage of the rare beautiful Spring weather and take a walk through Beijing's historic area. We passed the back end of the Forbidden City, and Zhang Kun took us to one of the oldest standing Catholic cathedrals in Beijing.

While we weren't thrilled about the grub, it was a good day.

Welcome to 27

2011-04-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

April 9 was Jason's 27th Birthday. We're still a little blown away at how quickly our twenties seem to be rushing by, but our good friend Frieda was quick to remind us how young we are, emphatically insisting that Jason is "far too young to be married!" All musings on age and growing older aside, Jason opted against his usual quiet approach to birthday celebrations and decided to give me a night off from kitchen duty.

Jason with our buddy and Firefly student, Paul, at dinner

We met up with our good friends at our campus's Xinjiang Muslim Restaurant. Xinjiang food is mostly carbs and protein (so Jason was pretty stoked), and in following with Muslim doctrine, doesn't serve pork or seafood. Being that beef in China is rather expensive, you're left with lots of chicken and mutton options, which Xinjiang folks do extremely well. I have to hand it to people in China for serving up some seriously tasty, non-gamey mutton. Here's a peak at what we feasted on.

Of course, being me, I simply couldn't let Jason go on and have a birthday without a proper dessert to give his big day a good finish. And of course, Jason simply wouldn't let me spend the 150 RMB (about $23 USD) it would cost to buy a little cake at a local bakery. He made a special request for chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes. I went with this recipe for the cookies (lives up to its name) and some awesome Eton Mess Cupcakes, courtesy of Ming Makes Cupcakes.

Eton Mess, for those who may not be in the know, is a British tasty treat hailing from Prince William's alma mater, comprised of meringue, whipped cream, and strawberries. Not to be confused with Pavlova, which is the only other meringue-based dessert that brings me joy (don't even get me started on meringue-topped pies).

I made little J's out of meringue in honor of the Birthday Boy. Or is it Birthday Man?

Birthday Boy/Man enjoying his Eton Mess Cupcake

I'm pretty sure that every single time I introduce Jason to anyone in China, they immediately express is their shock and amazement at how handsome he is. Sometimes, it's hard to not take that personally-- like I'm actually supposed to be married to Sloth from The Goonies instead, and by some crazy turn of events, I completely lucked out and married a good lookin' human being.

Well, all this self-deprecation is healthy for no one, so I simply take the compliments as an excuse to gush about how, yeah, he is really handsome. Isn't he? Of course, all the people who remark on how handsome Jason is don't have the great privilege of knowing that his personality outshines his appearance. They don't know that when his wife stomps around the kitchen throwing things because it's too early on a Saturday and she hasn't had coffee yet, he sits patiently and waits for her to become sane again. They don't see how hard he works at being better as a teacher, husband, servant of the Kingdom day after day, humbly and without expectations for praise or reward in return. They don't know what he looks like shuffling about the apartment in his pajamas, singing Musiq Soulchild and checking his email. And they certainly don't know how fun it is being married to him.

But I do. Happy Birthday, Husband. I so look forward to finding out all the other things about you that other people won't know.

Tomb Sweeping Day

2011-04-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, world. This past weekend was the first "holiday" of the semester-- Qing Ming Jie, translated as Tomb Sweeping Holiday, which is literally what families across China actually do on this holiday. Qing Ming Jie is a day devoted to honoring loved ones, relatives, and ancestors who've passed on. Families go home to maintain their family plots and "worship" their ancestors, asking for good luck and prosperity.

Another part of Qing Ming Jie tradition is to give "offerings" to your relatives by burning replicas of things that you think they might need in their respective afterlives. Traditionally, copies of paper money is burnt... I guess so your ancestors can finally get that Snickers Bar they've been eyeing at the Afterlife Concession Stand. But plain ol' cash simply won't do for those who've passed on nowadays, oh no. I learned from my students that paper copies of iPhones, iPads, television sets, cars, even Visas to travel to other countries are available for all your ancestral worship needs.

In any case, given that we're sans tomb to sweep, Jason and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful Spring weather that's finally come around to take a walk through old Beijing. Here's a bit of what we saw.

Some hutong doorways.

Locals doing what locals do. These men are playing Chinese chess. To the bottom left corner of this photo, you'll also see a disabled man dragging his torso along the ground, begging for money.

This particular area (Guanzijie) is down the street from the Confucian Temple and Museum, and near Yong He Gong Buddhist Temple, so it's a hot spot for tourists, which means a lot of panhandling. The street is lined with Buddhist fortune tellers, where people can give a sum of money to hear about their futures. While I was taking this picture, I found myself wondering about the future of this beggar. Would anyone in his family ever burn a paper car, television set, or iPhone for him when he's passed, when I'm sure all he wanted during his time on earth was enough to fill his belly and the ability to use his legs.

Of course, it's not a proper day walking around China without your dose of Chingrish signage. For the record, Funny Socks was closed, but from what I could tell about it, it was a real estate office. Yup.

We decided to stop for some lunch. This little Xiao Long Bao (steamed dumplings filled with meat and soup) joint looked pretty good, and the two men working inside urged us to come in. Sure, it wasn't considered what most would call fine dining, but we thought we'd give it a shot.

While the dumplings were tasty and filled us up, they made a rather unwelcome, speedy return visit just one hour later, which necessitated a detour on our subway ride home. I won't go too far into detail, but I'll simply say that given how few tissues I had on me, I was grateful that I'd brought along last month's issue of Time Out Magazine in my backpack. The bright side to all of this is that I found out that subway toilets are a lot cleaner than one would assume!

In the midst of experiencing bits and pieces of "Lao Beijing," we inevitably ran into the cold concrete and soaring immensity of New Beijing, which continues to sprout up and overtake the city without warning. In its own way, New Beijing was also the uninvited guest in many households this Qing Ming Jie, as many Beijing families had to dig up the ashes of their relatives to find a new burial site for them, as they'd been informed by the government that a new building is set to be built on what was the resting place for their parents, grandparents, and ancestors' remains.

Just around the corner from the small hutong where we'd spied on kids playing hide-and-seek by ducking behind wooden wheeled carts, old Beijing seniors chatting with one another, and lap dogs lounging in the sunshine, I saw these three identically giant buildings.

Old Beijing, I hope that by this time next year, we won't be burning paper money in your memory as well. Cheers.

Frat Stanrey

2011-03-23T23:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, I know. As an English teacher in China, it's totally unprofessional and insensitive of me to take such a cheap shot at the ever-elusive Asian accent. Sometimes, though, I do think that speaking English is overrated when actually understanding and interpreting accents is the true challenge in championing the English language. I mean, what would you think if your student said the following to you?

"In zer countryside, some time you weel find some unhygienic sh*ts on the bed. In a hotaire. You know hotaire? They don't often cling the sh*ts. So, you must pay much monays to go to a nicer one to slip on the cling sh*ts."

True story, folks. Translation: "In the countryside, sometimes you will find the sheets on the beds in hotels are not clean, as the sheets are often left unwashed between stays. So it's worth it to pay a bit more to stay in a higher-end hotel where you can sleep on clean sheets."

But that's totally not the point of this blog post. As stated in the title, I wanted to tell you about Flat Stanley (whose Chinese name is Frat Stanrey), who was sent via envelope from my cousin's home in Pleasanton, CA to spend some time with me in Beijing.

In case you haven't figured it out by reading this blog, my life is actually quite boring. Work, home, work, home. Sometimes I'll bake something. That didn't stop Flat Stanley from seeing the sights, though! (Like the little Chinese track suit I gave him? His hat says "Bei Yu Xiao Xue," for BLCU Primary School. Represent!) Here are Flat Stanley's Greatest Hits from his trip to China.


BeiHai Park, Beijing


Forbidden City, Beijing

Map of Beijing at a bus stop

Bus schedule

Flat Stanley got to "visit" two places that I still have yet to travel to! The grasslands of Mongolia and Jiuzhaigou Valley in Sichuan Province!*

Ride 'em, Mongolian cowboy!


Jiuzhaigou's natural terraced mineral lakes

What's a trip to China without a little Chingrish?

Of course, Stanley had his fill of traditional Chinese dishes, plus some Cantonese icy desserts! Yum!

All in all, it was an eventful trip for Stanley. Now it's back into the envelope from whence he came. Bon voyage, Flat Stanley! Send my love to my cousins back home! And try your best to steer clear of the unhygienic sh*ts!

*All right, so he didn't actually go there. But c'mon. We're talking about a paper doll, here, people!

Art & Film

2011-03-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

"These are a few of my favorite things."

I'm back today with a few more images from Cathy Lomax, whose work I wrote a little about yesterday. Here are a few more images that Ms Lomax has generously shared with me to post of her favorite pieces from the series. The names of each painting is written at the bottom corner of the canvas.

All images used with permission from Cathy Lomax

Here is what Ms Lomax writes about her inspiration and thoughts on the project:

The boredom of everyday life is punctuated by episodes of escapism. The most easily accessible escapist experience for most people is provided by film – 90 min slices of someone else’s life.

I decided to keep a diary of all the films that I watch, selecting one image from each to make into a small painting titled with a perfunctory explanation of what is happening in that image. This record of what drew me in and kept me rapt could be viewed as one of those arbitrary un-scientific exercises that artists indulge in. But as with any recording of everyday events the choices that I make say something about me and probably define me at this moment as much as anything could.

This certainly makes me think twice about the pivotal moments I chose to feature from some of my favorite films yesterday. Some are purely sentimental while others are moments that are burned in my brain for their quiet significance, and yes, I do suppose that this does say something about me and what is can be considered pivotal in my life outside of consumption of film. In my relationships and daily life, it is often the quiet, understated acts of kindness or what is silently spoken through subtext that get me thinking, move me, or keep me up at night.

What do you think? What do your favorite movie moments say about you?

Around the World Wide Web

2011-03-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

Delightfully Engaged. For our three-part wedding feature! Hooray! Plus a few of my thoughts on wedding planning (if you're really bored).

This fascinating article about what really goes on when you're a parent. (Spoiler: it ain't pretty.)

Cathy Lorax's amazing series "Film Diary," in which she recreates pivotal scenes from a wide range of movies. It's really fun to click through and see which movies you recognize.*

From "Film Diary" series, posted with permission from Cathy Lomax

So, in honor of Ms. Lorax's genius, let's play a little game of "Guess the Movie from the Pivotal Scene," shall we? I don't think we can ever expect to see that name on the outside of a Milton Bradley box any time soon, so my wee little blog will have to suffice for now:

#1: Two boys race against each other in a filthy motel swimming pool.

#2: He pushes broken glass on the ground out of her way with his foot.

#3: A man sees a stranger crying in a theater.

#4: They find a dead body in the freezer next to the ice cream.

#5: A man moves into a familiar apartment, and puts his cigarettes on the shelf over his bed.

#6: A man gets something in his eye, then tells his daughter that he loves her very much.

#7: He watches her put money into a cookie tin.

#8: He fetches her a pitcher. (This one is so easy-peasy, I shouldn't even include a picture, but I will be kind.)

*She also painted a fascinating series studying Mia Farrow's costumes in Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby-- a film I still haven't developed the courage to watch.

Bed Head

2011-03-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Months before the wedding, I was itching to cut my hair short again. I'd been growing it out for more than three years and was growing weary of the same old style. So one of my first orders of business as a married woman was to get a haircut. I chopped it off and sent my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which uses donated hair for wigs and hairpieces for cancer patients. My hair grows really quickly, so donating my hair every few years is a practice I'd like to continue doing.

This is my third hair donation in the last seven years, so I've gotten pretty used to going from style to style. One thing I'll never get used to, though, is waking up every morning and seeing what sort of wild, gravity-defying feat my hair has done overnight. Here's what I'm talking about:

See what I mean? I'd encourage all to try donating their hair at least once in their lives. I've also found that it's a lot easier to part with your hair knowing that it's going to a good cause rather than just being swept up off the barbershop floor. Plus, you get the bonus of waking up in the morning to hairstyles that rival the Donald Trump's "Which Direction Does It Grow From?" Comb-Over! The deer in headlights look may not come as naturally, however.

Mystery Fruit

2011-03-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

I recently hosted my first student gathering for the semester, and as expected, the students did not come empty-handed. Fortunately, they didn't show up with 100 ripe bananas, but they did show up with a ton of fruit. Most of the fruits were of familiar (albeit expensive) varieties, but one left the Husband and me puzzled.

It's about the size of a small grapefruit, light green with small ribs going up the sides. When opened, it resembles a small cantaloupe tinted yellow-green and has a melony smell.

As far as taste and texture go, it's like a funny cross between watermelon and cantaloupe but mushy. So, not a fruit that I'd be going out of my way to pursue. Still, an interesting experience either way. At least it didn't taste like chou doufu.

Happy Birthday, Ma

2011-03-14T00:31:00.000-07:00

It's her birthday today. Oh, my mother.

I imagine that in Heaven, God keeps a library of everyone's "Greatest Hits" on DVD (or whatever new awesome technology He keeps up there) and we get to watch them. Except my mom's "Greatest Hits" DVD will probably have seven discs and need bonus features and a separate disc of outtakes. THAT is how legendary my mom is.

I can't put it into words, and she'd kill me if I ever posted the photos or videos we have, so you'll just have to wait until we get to Heaven to see what I'm talking about.

Until then, here's a little teaser.

Love you, Ma.

On Being "American"

2011-03-14T00:10:00.000-07:00

On a daily basis, I find myself having to argue with a Chinese local that I truly am an American.

"But you don't look like an American. You look like us. Like an Asian."

Pushing my heavy sighs aside, I try to explain that America is a diverse place where there are all sorts of different people. "In fact," I remind them, "people of Asian, African, and Latin descent have been in American longer than you've been alive. Not to mention the real native Americans. So really, 'Americans' don't look any certain way." Usually, they're confused because "Americans" are all supposed to look like Cameron Diaz or Julia Roberts or this young woman here:

and move on with their day convinced that I'm just nuts and all Americans still look like a moving Eddie Bauer advertisement. On occasion, I'll meet someone who is truly perplexed by this whole idea that an entire country couldn't be populated by a bunch of people who share similar physical characteristics. It takes a while to explain to them that most Americans don't live the way Ross and Rachel do on Friends, and that you can't depend on television or movies to determine what you believe about an entire country full of people. (Same goes for the Americans who assume that all Chinese know kung fu.)

You can imagine how upsetting it is to see a video like this circulating the net when I spend hours explaining to my students that not all Americans are racist (though many still are), that somehow we manage to find a way to live together and respect- or even appreciate- our differences, and that things like being polite or non-confrontational aren't solely traits of Chinese culture. It's not worth it to go into the many ways in which this young woman is misinformed in her thinking and in need of some serious diversity training. I know we've still got a long way to go, but one hopes for something far greater from the educated youth of America, especially in a place as diverse as LA.

As a teacher, my goal is to broaden the scope of my students' understanding of an ever-shrinking world. As an American, my goal is to break a stereotype about who I am and what I am not. Both are difficult here, and it's so disheartening to see how it's still such an uphill battle back home. With great hope, we shake it off and press on.

C'mon America. You're better than this.

Japan

2011-03-11T18:37:00.000-08:00

Of course, the world is at a standstill today watching in horror at what has happened in Japan. It is difficult to put into words a response that is appropriate for the magnitude of what so many people are facing in Japan. Instead, I'll leave you with a few illustrations by Kate T. Williamson from her book, A Year in Japan, which is filled with beautiful images from her time in Japan. We pray for restoration, healing, and redemption.

All images from Amazon.com, copyright by Kate T. Williamson

Hammin' it up

2011-03-11T18:26:00.000-08:00

While I anxiously await my Mom's next birthday, another less personally significant birthday has just passed...

Jon Hamm's! Ah, Jon Hamm. I've suckered the Husband into watching Mad Men and I'm pretty certain that he just likes watching it with me because of how I'm always yelling Mom-like advice to Don Draper. It still puzzles me that no matter how loudly I yell, Don (played by Jon) still doesn't listen to me, that naughty man. He still sleeps with all the wrong women.

Jon Hamm photographed by Paul Jasmin for Interview Magazine

Still, Jon Hamm has always delivered, whether it be on Mad Men where you frustrate me as one of the most confusing and conflicted characters I've ever seen on television, or be it on SNL where you've shown what I like to believe is your more natural personality, poking fun at yourself and trying desperately to be an unattractive idiot. Sorry, you do fail at that.

Happy Belated 40th, Mr. Hamm. I had no idea who you were before you were Don Draper (or even before you were Dick Whitman), but oh, how you've stolen my heart. Here is one of my favorite Hamm moments on SNL. Enjoy.

Bonus: Pretty hilarious interview of Jon Hamm by fellow four-lettered-last-name-that-ends-in-two-consonants actor Paul Rudd

Our First Home

2011-03-10T21:41:00.000-08:00

I've heard it's not really your own home until you move the furniture in. I give you our first child: Ikea BEDDING sofa bed.

Beyond These Walls

2011-03-10T21:14:00.000-08:00

Do you ever stop to think about what sort of amazing things your friends are doing with their lives, and then are blown away by the fact that you get to rub elbows with them? No? Maybe you need some cooler friends. (Kidding!)

One such buddy of mine is David Gaulton. He is an amazing worship leader, songwriter, and just an overall cool dude. This past summer he released a new album, called Beyond These Walls, which I've been coming back to every few weeks and have been so blessed by.

photo courtesy of David Gaulton's Facebook Page

A few weeks before I was scheduled to come back to China, I found myself in my parents' kitchen, wrestling with the thought that I'd have to go back to a place that I, frankly, don't like. As I looked out the window at the beautiful Oregon clear skies and open fields, I kept asking why I had been asked to leave my loving family, friends, and my home when so many have the luxury of doing the Father's work from the comforts of their homes. As I silently fought with the calling that had been handed to me, David's song played...

"For we are called to be light into the world, and not conform to the patterns of the earth

For we are saved, we are free, we are redeemed...

This world is not our home, and we will not conform..."

From my experience, David's heart is not to perform (though he does perform well), but to generously spread the spirit of worship to the nations. His songs hold interest melodically and rhythmically, but are simple enough to be accessible to the average kid in your church who just wants to sing. While Christian music has changed drastically in the last twenty years, it is refreshing to see how David has reconciled contemporary sound with lyrics that retain their power in their directness and convicting honesty. To add to his "overall cool dude" status, David also shares all his chord charts and other resources on his website for other worship leaders, so you don't have to sort through 15 different versions on ultimateguitar.com to find one that is actually correct.

I could go on and on about how each of his songs has been life-giving in different situations, but I will simply let you experience it for yourself.

Favorite Tracks: Holy Nation, Beyond These Walls, Awake O Soul, With One Touch

Friends in High Places

2011-03-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

I don't usually do much writing on music on my blog because it's often such a personal thing. But sometimes, something so good comes along that you must share it. This time, it's even more "so good" because the pianist/vocalist for this group is a friend of mine from my university days!

Aura was awesome back then, owning it in the world of Santa Cruz ethnic music, classical piano, and then singing her heart out to top all of it off. Plus composing, and being generally a lovely person to be around and swap stories with.

She's now in a band called The Horde and the Harem. I love their music. I'm a huge sucker for harmonies, and they nail it-- balancing their female and male vocals delicately over upbeat, indie-rock instrumentals. Their slower songs will melt your heart.

Lucky for all of you who reside in my native American West, they're on tour, as well! Be sure to check 'em out if you live in Portland, San Francisco, or Los Angeles.

Thanks supermarioz for the video.

Stuff My Sister Finds, Part 2

2011-03-03T03:20:00.000-08:00

Shortly after my undergrad days were over, I gave up my crazy bar-hopping-on-Tuesdays habit. As far as I could see, it was fun for a few years, but got old quickly, not to mention the fact that my savings account had been spent on a few too many lackluster bars that lit up the humble downtown Santa Cruz strip. My friends called me Grandma. Some nights, I could hear the debauchery occurring outside my studio window while I was trying to focus on whatever movie I'd rented for the evening. Yes, I am a boring person.

Mostly, I stopped drinking because I realized what drunk people look like to sober people. And it ain't pretty. And you know what? It just gets worse as you get older. Sloppy drunk kid on his twenty first birthday? Might have its nostalgic charm. Sloppy drunk people trying to relive their fraternity/sorority days in their mid-thirties? Not so much.

So I bring you this amazing video clip found by my sister, who just finds the best stuff on the internet. No one could make sloppy drunkenness look this adorable. But the next time you think about picking up the bottle, ask yourself... will I look as cute as that baby on YouTube by the time I'm done with this? Chances are, you probably won't.

Just a Normal Day in Beijing

2011-02-24T06:49:00.000-08:00

Wake up. Have breakfast. Run some errands. Have lunch. Decide to spend the afternoon at IKEA. Find an empty bed. Take a nap on the display floor. Sleep. Sleep deeply. Let silly foreigners take pictures of you and blog about it. Make foreigners' day.

Business Class

2011-02-24T06:37:00.000-08:00

Say what you will about money not buying happiness. But it sure does make certain things a lot easier. Like a 14 hour flight, for instance. Some people don't get along with their in-laws. Other peoples' in-laws do ridiculously dope things like use their miles to buy Business Class tickets on their daughter in-law's favorite airline. Some people just luck out, I guess. Behold, a few highlights from our flight with Asiana.

You can easily tell who the Business Class rookies are. First hint: they're usually the idiots taking pictures of the amazing amount of leg room you have. Yes, my legs are short, but this was still pretty awesome.

Not just one little button that pushes your seat back down a measly 6 inches. The seats can lay down at 180 degrees, at three different default settings, or you can opt to control the seat back or leg rest independently.

The Husband was very excited to see that we could play Go Stop in-flight.

And of course, the food.

Snack: Beef Empanadas

First Course: Prawns in some kind of creamy sauce.

Main Course: Bibimbap. This is a classic stand-by on Economy, but portions and side dishes were of course better.

Dessert: Tea with Korean Cookies and Candied Walnuts

Snack: Smoked Salmon Canapes

The Business Class lounge at Incheon-Seoul International is fully stocked with massage chairs, showers, bar, and buffet. Incheon-Seoul is probably one of my favorite airports to have a stopover at with its excellent shopping, wide variety of snacks, and now that I'm an Asiana Gold Member, I have yet another reason to look forward to my stopovers.

I should state that I was in no way paid by Asiana to endorse their airline, but I've always been a huge fan. The Husband likes to make fun of how much I gush about the gorgeous flight attendants, but overall, it's simply one of the best airlines I've ever flown. Business Class was a great experience, but I certainly won't mind flying Economy the next time I head Stateside.

Lastly I leave you with an artsy-fartsy shot of me mid-flight. Look how calm and serene. Some things are worth every penny.

Live The Language

2011-02-23T04:25:00.000-08:00

These spiffy videos posted on Vimeo by Albin Holmqvist have been spreading like wildfire throughout the blog world. They are various commercials for EF Language Schools, featuring some of the most beautiful cities in the world. The ode of the mighty Beijing is charming and lovely and reflective of some of my sunnier moments here in Beijing. It also makes me crave summertime and clearer skies. Blast this smog.

In any case, I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into this chaotic, rich city as much as I did. And practice reading your Simplified Chinese characters (I got about 85% of them! Woop!)

EF - Live The Language - Beijing from Albin Holmqvist on Vimeo.

Directed by Gustav Johansson (gustavjohansson.com)

D.P: Niklas Johansson, fsf (niklasjohansson.com)
Typography: Albin Holmqvist (albinholmqvist.com)
Music: Magnus Lidehäll (twitter.com/magnusthemagnus)

Produced at Camp David (campdavidfilm.com)

Beijing & Bacon Jam

2011-02-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

The Husband and I are now in Beijing, after a one-week stint in Guangzhou! There will be more to write later, particularly about our once-in-a-lifetime experience in Business Class on Asiana (literally... once-in-a-lifetime). For now, though, here is a small piece of home that I would like to share with all of you. Because what is more American that bacon turned into a sweet?

Super Tasty Super Easy Bacon Jam Crostini

Ingredients
6-8 slices low sodium bacon
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 red onion diced
2/3 cup orange juice or sherry
a pat of butter
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper

1 baguette sliced

2 tomatoes sliced thinly
1/4 red onion sliced thinly

Toast your baguette until both sides are slightly browned. Set aside for later.

Brown up your bacon in a cast-iron skillet until crispy. Drain your bacon on some paper towels, and pour about half of your bacon fat out of your pan. Break up your bacon, and let your bacon fat cool down in the pan. Add butter to your bacon fat and let it melt. Toss in the red onion and saute it until it's about half way done. Add your brown sugar and let it dissolve. Continue sauteing the onion until it's translucent and has a nice sheen to it. Deglaze your pan with the orange juice or sherry, and be sure to pick up all the yummy bits that have stuck to the bottom. Turn off the heat, and throw your bacon bits back into the pan. Stir it around a bit until it's well incorporated, and the bacon has softened a bit.

Put it all in a blender or food processor, and pulse until smooth.

Spread your bacon jam on your crostini, and top with tomato and onion slices.

Your guests will thank you. Your arteries, perhaps not as much.

Blog Love

2011-02-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

The past two weeks have been good to me in the blog world. It's only fair that I pass on the blog Karma and encourage all two of my faithful readers (haha) to chiggity check out the folks who have brought traffic my way.

30 DAYS AT A TIME

Shelley is one brave woman. She's taken it upon herself to conduct 12 different 30-day experiments for each of the 12 months in 2011. She is a fellow "Sixer," and I guess she kinda dug the crazy thoughts in my head, because she gave me the honor of being featured in her blog! You can check out the entry here, but be sure to stick around and peruse for a bit. Shelley is a bona fide pro writer!

BERNALWOOD

Bernalwood is a blog dedicated to all things Bernal Heights-- one of my favorite areas of San Francisco. It's a quiet little suburban district just south of the Mission District, but it holds so much character. Since my childhood dream of settling down in Bernal Heights are still on hold, it's nice to settle down for now on its ultimate blog here. And also be called a "Globetrotter"... though not of the Harlem variety.

Stuff My Sister Finds

2011-02-07T23:40:00.000-08:00

My sister is awesome. She is incredibly talented, adorable, and has a witty, original blog that is a lot of fun to read (it gives some insight as to what it's like being in our family). She also sends all the good stuff she finds on the internet to me.

Everyone's heard of hipsters, but most are still unsure as to what exactly a hipster is. From what I understand, hipsters are people who wear glasses, drink a lot of coffee and beer, ride their bikes, and try to disassociate themselves from anything that is considered "cool" by mainstream society. And wear a lot of flannel/plaid. And jeans that are too tight. If you still aren't quite sure, observe this alarmingly realistic portrait of a Portland hipster from the IFC Show Portlandia.

I actually fit into more than half of those criteria, but I guess being a hipster means taking all of those criteria and heightening it to the next level. Even people who thought they were hipsters apparently have felt forced disassociation from the hipster crowd. I guess they were just too cool.

Anyway, my sister found this little gem of a gif. It brought me a lot of joy (no pun intended) because it joins two of my favorite things: Disney, and tongue-in-cheek humor poking fun at hipsters.

Gotta love it.

Lightening Your Burden (plus, some wedding photos)

2011-02-07T11:34:00.000-08:00

The husband and I in Bernal Heights, San Francisco

Since I was a kid, I've envisioned myself settling down comfortably in a Victorian townhome in San Francisco-- after traveling the world, winning an Oscar, and marrying Jonathan Taylor Thomas, of course.

Childhood dreams aside, the Bay Area is a truly unique place, full of diversity, life, and an amazing balance of cityscape and natural beauty. So it seems logical that over my entire life, I would develop such a deep, James Joyce-ian affinity for my hometown. And while some grow weary of returning to the place where they grew up once they've seen life in "the big city" or "the real world," my love for the Bay Area grows with every visit back home.

The husband and I still in Bernal Heights, San Francisco

This past stint back home made my childhood dream seem even sweeter. Driving through all the different districts of San Francisco, the East Bay, and down the Peninsula portion of I-280 made me long to forgo my world travels (and my Oscar, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and settle anywhere in the Bay forever. To finally feel "at home" in my favorite place in the world.

Bay Bridge Pier on Embarcadero, San Francisco

Yet this idyllic picture of my future weighed heavy in my heart, and I couldn't understand why. After getting married, isn't settling down the next logical step? Is it so wrong to desire to own property, to have a place to hang my hat and kick the boots of my feet?

Then it hit me. No, it's not wrong to desire to settle down, or to love my hometown, or to know how awesome the Bay Area is. But it is a burden to have my mind set on something that may not be in the plan God has prepared for me. It is a burden to feel that I have a right to the privilege of a comfortable home. And it is a burden to think that I actually need to own property to take off my hat and boots when I can just do it anywhere.

In less than a week, I will be returning to China-- a place that I have a love-hate relationship with. People keep asking if I plan on living there for much longer, to which I reply that I certainly hope not. But what I really should say is that I really have no idea, simply because it's not up to me.

And living with this mentality of not knowing is also living without the burden of trying to figure out how I'd manage to be able to afford a Victorian townhome in San Francisco, what district I'd like most, where I'd find a job to pay my impossible mortgage, and if living in San Francisco was the right move for my husband and me at all.

I can't say that I feel completely free of my desire to stay in the Bay Area, or in the United States for that matter. Leaving home has never been easy, and I don't expect that it ever will be. But I look forward to the day when leaving home is marked also by the great expectancy for what is to come, rather than the burden of fulfilling my expectations. I am grateful that we've been called to a place I really don't like at all, because I know that God will be faithful in showing me how small minded I am in the midst of His great plan. And I know that He has long prepared for me a home that far exceeds anything I could find in San Francisco.

Photos by the illustrious Emily.

Well, this is cool

2011-02-04T01:46:00.000-08:00

Our wedding and day-after photo session were featured on Love and Lavender, an adorable wedding blog that features weddings, engagements, and little DIY ideas for fellow budget-conscious brides.

As much as I heard that it's "just one day," it is amazing how much joy our wedding continues to bring me as I look back at the photos and remember all the little moments and beautiful people that made our wedding day so special.

Of course, immense applause and all credit for photos by the illustrious Emily.

About as Korean as I get

2011-02-04T01:20:00.000-08:00

Some Korean-Americans are super into being Korean. They follow Korean pop-culture, fashion, music, speak Korean fluently, only hang out with other Koreans, and their favorite vacation spot is Korea... or wherever it's trendy for Koreans to be going.

I was never really one of those Korean-Americans, but I'll admit I did wish I was one until it was discovered that I couldn't keep up with the trends, skincare regimen, diets, and my Korean language ability is pretty dismal. That being said, I was really excited to read that Carolina Herrera's Spring 2011 line was inspired by traditional Korean dress. And she does an amazing job of re-interpreting the design of traditional Korean clothes.

Photo from anonymitynews.com

Photo from cupcakemag.blogspot.com

I still remember growing up and having kids in my class ask me if I was Chinese or Japanese, and having no idea what Korea was. S. Korea is making some pretty incredible strides in putting itself on the map culturally, technologically, and politically, and it is exciting to see the influence grow.

Now isn't it ironic how Carolina Herrera, a Venezuelan designer, is doing an arguably better job of celebrating Korean history and culture than, say, these guys over here are? Just sayin'.

SIOL: Notes for Next Time

2011-01-31T23:40:00.000-08:00

With just a little more than a week to go, my SIOL experience is coming to a slow close. I'd definitely do it again, and am considering making it a seasonal activity, just to keep me honest, and to keep my husband from having a heart attack whenever I go shopping.

All that in mind, I wrote myself a few tips to make the next round go by a little smoother. A few words of wisdom, from a seasoned veteran (but not really):

Choose clothes that can all be washed in one load. Because wearing the same top four days in a row because you don’t have enough whites to do your white wash really, really stinks.

Tailored clothing is your friend. Feeling like a gelatinous blob for one month because your clothes hang off of you like a potato sack is not.

Own lovely PJs. Or at least clothing that you wouldn’t mind being your second-most-worn clothing for a month. I’ve found through this month that PJs are far too overlooked. Sure, your eyes are closed for the majority of the time that you are wearing them, but given that you buy far less pajamas in a given year but spend at least 25% of your day in them, it might be the investment for a lovely pair of knickers.

Invest in nice undergarments. Refer to “tailored clothing is your friend.” Saggy is sad.

Unscented deodorant- while not as easy to find- is far superior to scented deodorant. The issue of smell is certainly not one to take lightly. And while some of my other olfactory-sensitive allies out there might disagree on my penchant for unscented deodorant, I pose this question: What’s worse? Slight body odor, or body odor mixed with tropical paradise, cool cucumber melon, or gardenia?

Invest in quality shoes that you love to put on. This might seem like an oxymoron, as a large part of this experiment is to steer us from spending. However, I recently rain into a situation where this very idea became my new stand by. Shoes are a lot of fun to own in heaps (if you’re a certain former first lady of the Philippines), but the truth is you only really need a few that you can rely on day-in-day-out. If seen as the most functional accessory you have the opportunity to put on every day, shoes can completely change how you feel about your six items. Don’t settle for less.

Find a buddy. I imagine that it could be a lot more fun if I had someone to chat with about how to change my outfits around and accessorize to make the experience more creative and interesting.

Pray more. You will be amazed at what your eyes are opened to when “fasting” from clothing. Prayer has helped me to root those things much further than I could do on my own.

Remember that it’s just one month. And as much as your intuition speaks to the contrary, your clothes don’t have feelings, and no, they aren’t sad that you haven’t been wearing them.

Take more pictures. It forces you to make more of an effort with hair, make up, and changing things up. Which leads me to my final point…

Wearing the same clothes does not give you an excuse to completely let yourself go. Having a huge wardrobe is not synonymous with being presentable. And vice-versa.

SIOL: Sell what you have...

2011-01-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

...and give it to the poor. I'm pretty sure I've read that somewhere...

I think this experiment has brought many thoughts to my mind, but ultimately, it's simply reinforced all of the pearls of wisdom that have been passed my way through the years, only to be trampled by my own ignorance and ridiculous spending habits.

A friend of mine told me that she'd spent a summer serving in inner-city missions with a family who were missionaries in Russia. This family took this command very literally, and arrived back in the States that summer with two full sets of clothing each. That's two pairs of pants, two shirts, and probably a few miscellaneous jackets, shoes, etc. The rest, they gave to the poor. And guess what? They didn't look homeless, or not presentable, and probably only a few people who spent every day with them noticed. Life went on.

Francis Chan is one righteous dude, and I had the pleasure of seeing him speak the spring before I took off for China. The one thing I will always remember him saying is, "Did it ever occur to you that Jesus actually meant what he said? That those commands were literal?" Often times, I find myself avoiding the commands that seem too difficult, too time consuming, or simply too "unrealistic."

"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." -Philippians 4:13

Of course, wearing the same six items of clothing for a month doesn't make me a martyr. But it does bring to mind how much money, time, and energy I put into buying, wearing, organizing, then throwing away my clothing. It reminds me of what I could do without, and what I could do with the resources I've been blessed with.

I won't make any grand gestures on such a shaky podium, but I will say that the possibility of what God can do through me opens so much wider when I am willing to let go of what I really don't need and cling to what He desires for me to do.

Playground

2011-01-19T22:45:00.000-08:00

Last week, I had the great privilege of having my eyes opened to the severity of human trafficking within the United States. I was shocked to learn that Portland is a hub for human trafficking in the US, and that little is being done within the state of Oregon to address this growing and horrifying issue. There are plenty of reasons for this, none of which can be blamed on any single person, group, or party. However, what little work that has been done is indeed effective, and therefore must continue.

Playground is a documentary by Libby Spears, whose efforts against human trafficking around the world have been incomparable. I personally felt that the film was a bit scattered, but the gravity of the facts-- regardless of how it is presented-- is undeniable.

In my short time there, I've come to have an appreciation for Portland and all the beauty that surrounds it. I've learned how passionately Portlanders truly love their city, and it is unfortunate to see that the ugliness of this global issue is happening right under our noses.

All this being said, I know that there is hope for this issue and for the people caught in human trafficking. I pray for the strength to be one of the brave to fight it.

SIOL: And then there were five...

2011-01-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

Geez, has it only been one week since this started? I'm sad to say that I'm already tired of my six items; and while I'm still pretty content with the items I chose, I'm quickly realizing that I probably should not have chosen items that can't be worn independently (plaid button-up needs white tank top, white tank top needs cardigan). In addition, it seems that the mysterious sock monster in the laundry room has developed a taste for finer white cottons, and my trusty white tank has gone AWOL.

On a positive note, this experiment has opened my eyes to a number of things.

General mistreatment of clothing. I, like so many women of my generation, have often seen aprons as a cute accessory to be worn when entertaining guests and be purchased at ridiculous prices from the Anthropologie clearance rack. Once I started SIOL, I knew that I would need my clothes to last between washes, which meant taking better care of the clothes on my back. I hope that I'll be able to maintain better treatment of my clothing, rather than keeping the "once it's stained, I'll toss it" mentality.

I am NOT what I wear. This one seems obvious to those of us who aren't fashionistas, or "in" in the Heidi Klum sense of the word. Wearing plaid makes me a lumberjack as much as wearing purple makes me the Artist Formerly Known as Prince. So unless I'm wearing a pointed white hood or a swatstika arm-band, I'm probably not at risk of being judged by others as being a horrible human being with awful taste. I know the notion sounds absolutely reasonable now, but I also know I'm guilty of pitying the "before" version of every guest on What Not to Wear. "What a ghastly life they must have! How poorly they must think of themselves to dress like that everyday!" are often the thoughts that fly through my head. Sure, taste is important. And an excellent sense of style is certainly an attribute that I'd like to develop over time. Six items of clothing leaves little space to depend my entire identity on... which is a good thing.

No one notices. Really. No one.

Personal hygiene is your friend. Wearing the same six items of clothes doesn't mean I can't look presentable. With less time to think about clothes, I've taken better care of my general appearance. Clothes come and go, but I'm stuck with this face and body forever. Should I concentrate more on if my jeans make my butt look fat, or if my butt simply is fat?

Packing is a cinch. And I still forgot to bring my contact lenses. Blast.

I do miss the creative aspect of putting outfits together every morning. It is a comfort to know that all of this will be over February 9th, but I'm sure I'll miss the simplicity of sticking to a daily uniform. And I'm sure no one will notice by then, either.

Sherwood, OR at Sunrise

2011-01-15T23:11:00.000-08:00

Living on a Pint and a Prayer

2011-01-15T22:38:00.000-08:00

Sometimes- no matter how blessed life may be- some days can be exceptionally difficult. Just a few years ago, I would have drowned any memories of such exceptionally difficult days under a small sea of adult beverage. Since then, I've learned to cope with the difficulties of my (incredibly comfortable) life with prayer. On days like today, though, a pint is the Lord's form of the little extra amount of grace I needed to keep a smile on my face. I could turn this truly exceptional day into a rant against rain, cranky people, and the City of Portland, but it is the prayer that keeps me in check and express the very grace unto others that I have been fortunate to receive myself... albeit a bit tongue in cheek.

Thus with my pint chilled, poured, and ready for consumption begins my very first (of what I'm sure will be many) "Pint-and-Prayer-Nights."

Pint for the Night: Widmer Drfiter Pale Ale

Cheers, to the anonymous Portlander who vigilantly maintains sound parking enforcement on the streets of this great city. I sincerely hope that getting my car towed on a miserably rainy day satisfied your wrath against me. If not the towing, then I trust that your note proclaiming, "Idiot. You can't park here" did the trick for you. I assure you, after forking over the towing fine and receiving an additional Parking Citation, the note certainly put me over the edge, so I hope it did the same for you.

Cheers, to the old, faded "No Parking On This Block" sign on the corner of NE Alberta and NE 15th. Oh, what a fool I was to not see you. How dense I must have been to have not recognized your great power when I passed you on my way to breakfast... twice. Believe me, if you have been ignored, disregarded, and disrespected in the past, I certainly hope that today's events made up for that.

See it?

I suppose this makes it more clear.

Cheers, to the City of Portland. I hope the hefty donation made on behalf of the Lee newlyweds comes into great use.

Cheers, to the folks at Newhouse Towing. Thank you for your politeness and sunny disposition toward your customers. Your sympathy makes a world of difference. It is never fun having your car towed, but your service eases the pain a bit.

Cheers, to my four beautiful girlfriends who came all the way up to rainy, foggy Portland to visit the husband and me. Whose smiles and joy brought some much-needed sunshine and great redemption to an otherwise awful day. Whose friendship I know is lifelong. Whom I am deeply and forever indebted to.

Cheers, to my lovely and patient sister, who forewent her plans for the afternoon to chaperone her sad sack of an older sister and brother in law from place to place on the great search for Mr. Honda.

Cheers, to my amazing younger brother. I'll admit that I often thought it was simply a cute and silly party trick that you memorized everyone's license plate numbers. Little did I know that it would become an immeasurably valuable ability during a very stressful and vital moment. You surprise me in the most unexpected ways. I'm so very proud of you.

To a bittersweet rainy Saturday.

건배 (Gun Beh/Cheers/Slante)!

SIOL: Day One

2011-01-10T14:10:00.000-08:00

Today marks the beginning of the Six Items or Less Experiment. It was interesting preparing mentally for this experiment, and it was surprising to see how much I weighed on my clothes to represent who I am to the rest of the world. Initially, I had a pretty good idea about what items I'd be tied down to over the next month, but what I found while debating over those last few items was an unpleasing realization of my incredible shallowness. All I can say for now is that I am overwhelmed by the ridiculous privilege I must have in order for it to be such a challenge to figure out what six items of clothing I am allowed to wear for a mere 30 days of my life.

By moving on from the philosophical side of things, here are the six items I chose (pardon the wrinkles and poor lighting):

#1: Blue and red plaid button-up blouse. In the land of Oregon, plaid is still hip. And in the land of Grace, plaid hides coffee spots, evidence of dropped kimchee, and overall uncleanliness.

#2: White thermal long-sleeve shirt with gray stripes. Warm, but light enough to not be uncomfortable and suitable for layering. Stripes make thermal shirt look less like long underwear.

#3: Charcoal-gray long-sleeve cardigan. Excellent for layering. Necessary for Portland winter. Long enough to hide unsightly muffin-tops and remnants of holiday overeating.

#4: White tank top. Good for layering and for not unintentionally flashing poor cleavage to innocent bystanders who value their eyesight.

#5: Dark wash skinny jeans. Gap calls the cut "Forever Skinny" but I'm still feeling "Never Skinny" in them. Still, they fit well, aren't susceptible to Plumber's Crack in the back, and are short enough to fit my stubby little legs in.

#6: Black skinny leg pants. They look like a fancier version of leggings, feel wonderful, and stretch in a flattering way. Can be dressed up or down, yet often sit in the back of my closet. I figured this would be a great chance to give them some air time.

I feel that I do have an unfair advantage in this challenge simply because I'm not working right now and spent a good portion of my days in work-out clothes or my pajamas (the two exceptions to the Six Items rule). That being said, I'm gearing up for a busy weekend out and about with friends who'll be visiting from California (hooray!) and a week in Seattle. We shall see how my six items hold out!

And a-WAY we GO!

On Becoming a "Sixer"

2011-01-03T22:42:00.000-08:00

Here I go! I've just sent in my registration to start the "Six Items or Less" Experiment and am on my way to becoming a "Sixer." The actual run of the experiment goes from January 10-February 9, which is a relief because I'm still pinning down which items of clothing I want to stick with. I never thought I could be so torn over clothing (long sleeve or short sleeve? prints or solids? gray jeans or black slacks?), and I actually consider myself lucky since I don't have a formal job to show up at in the same six items of clothing five days a week.

In any case, it's such an exciting thing to take part in, and I'm anxious to see what effects it will have on me in my thinking and spending habits. I'm also keeping this whole thing a secret from my entire family and my (new) husband! It will be interesting to see if they pick up on it... but my bet is that they won't have a clue!

Keep comin' back for more on being a "Sixer"!

Kazoos: Ready, Set, BLOW!

2011-01-01T01:05:00.000-08:00

It is officially 2011! New Year's Eve was spent nursing my husband's bad back, sitting around my parents' large TV, watching my sister polish of a bottle of champagne on her own, and starting up my New Year's Project: knitting a hat for my grandma, aka Weh-Halms (all the Koreans reading this will get that one, and subsequently know which side of the family she's from).

Resolutions? Not so many, really. Here's one to start, though.

I've officially decided to sign up for the Six Items or Less Challenge! The Six Items or Less Collective is launching a new site on January 3. Thus, with their launch, I will enter myself into what could end up being a wonderful, enlightening experience, or a horrible, drawn-out, month-long form of extended torture. We shall see... and all of you (few & faithful) readers will join in on my musings about it. Let it be known that on the 3rd of January, I will be posting my six items of clothing (with the exception of outerwear, exercise clothing, and/or accessories) on this blog, and wearing only those items for one whole month! Given that shopping has been a rather uninspired experience as of late, I am betting that the whole ordeal will err more on the wonderful and enlightening side.

With that... I wish you a sweet New Year's Day tomorrow, and pose the ever-unanswered question, "Is it two-thousand-eleven, or twenty-eleven?"

One Big Long Catch-Up

2010-12-17T15:20:00.000-08:00

Today is my day off, and consequently the last day I have to pack and get ready to leave my most favorite place in the world (so far).

A lot's happened since my last post, when I was just getting re-accustomed to life in the Bay Area. Among those things, the big ones would be...

I got married.

To this guy.

We had a beautiful...

and delicious...

and rockin' out with your hair let loose...

wedding.

We went to Cancun, Mexico on our honeymoon.

Where we ate some amazing food.

And enjoyed a body of water that wasn't the great Pacific Ocean.

And I had an amazing six-month run with some of the greatest people on earth.

Now, we're off to visit my folks in Oregon, then it's back to China. Which leads to the obligatory tradition of collecting as much stuff as I can squeeze into my suitcase that I know I can't get in China.

I've been reading up on the "Six Items or Less" experiment online, in which people are challenged to go for an entire month wearing only six items of clothing. It's an enticing prospect, simply because nice clothing that isn't covered in sequins, ruffles, or bad Engrish is certainly hard to come by in Beijing. Perhaps this could become an experiment due to necessity. Something to ponder... but it definitely means I'd have to choose my six items while stateside.

More updates when more interesting things pop up in the next few months.

For now, I bid the SF Bay Area a tearful farewell. I love you. I miss you already. You are unlike any other place in the world... and I am forever grateful for your existence.

Oh, geez

2010-08-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

K-Town. "An Asian American version of Jersey Shore." A newscast subtitle that reads "Jersey Shore with Asians: They So Horny."

And a group of ridiculously good-looking Asian Americans having the time of their life.

I'm not finished commenting on this one, but I have a feeling when I know how to process this, it'll be a doozy.

I love you, America. But I didn't miss this. At all.

Back to the Bay!

2010-08-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

Long time since last post, I know. But this is what happens when you're too cheap to buy a VPN and you're stuck behind the Great Firewall of China (unlike those stupid Mongorians!).

So... we're back! We'll buy a VPN once we head back to China February 2011, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying basking in the glory of the freedom of information back here in America (notice my little Youtube link up there? Not to be taken lightly anymore, friends!).

We flew into LAX about two weeks ago and stayed down in southern California for the week for a friend's wedding, then flew up to SFO on Monday. Do we miss China? Hmm... not yet! But I have to say there are some aspects that I certainly do miss. So here we go, Little Fish's top five things I miss about China after being away for less than two weeks:

1) Public transportation. Do you know this face? It's not constipation. It's not gas from gorging on Mexican food after being away for a year (although that did happen).

It's called the "I'm in LA. I'm in a car. I hate my life" face. Do you notice the writing on the windows in the background? My guess is that the rest of the sign reads, "Holidays blow when you have to drive in LA." Call me nuts for being an American who hates driving, but I really do. I REALLY dislike driving. Put me on a bicycle, bus, or subway any day and I'm happy as a clam. Put me in a taxi and pay and I'm even happier.

2) My students. I know, it sounds crazy, but I really do miss my students. God was so good to me this semester and gave me the most amazing batch of students a teacher could ask for. They're the absolute best, and I know I'll miss them forever.

3) Joohee & Joosun. Joohee & Joosun are my friends' kids who live in Beijing. Over the last few semesters, we've gotten really close and I miss these two little rascals so much. Even though their mom and dad tell me that I'm going to be a great mom someday, I have to say that I love being Auntie Grace to them and I'd hate to give it up any time soon. This is one of my favorite videos of Joohee demonstrating how to use a hula hoop.

4) My apartment. Sure, the paint was cracking and coming off the walls. My TV only played three channels that used English. And my sofa was just my spare bed stuck in the living room. The internet connection sucked and my kitchen was just a closet with two gas burners in it. But after living there for two years, it is a little strange knowing that I won't be back. After all, there were some good times had in that little apartment of mine.

Like this time, when Jason fell asleep on my sofa and I went a little nuts pwning him with some black make up that I don't use anymore.

Maybe I took it a little too far...

This is Christmas dinner 2009. I made it all in my tiny 2-burner kitchen and it was pretty tasty!

This is a throwback to the first student party I had in my tiny place. We baked cookies and made paper snowflakes and paper chains to celebrate Christmas. It was very successful, as evidenced by the huge mess that was left behind.

5) Enjoying the simple pleasures. Back in the comforts of the USA, little things like getting a fresh cup of coffee at McDonald's, finding a decent pair of shoes, cold soda or beer, baking fresh bread, or finding a good movie on TV just don't hold the same value that they do in China. Of course, it's all a matter of perspective, and making sure to not get jaded by the amazing privilege we experience here is going to be a daily struggle. But the changing mentality that I've gained is something that I hope I will never take for granted.

I have to admit that it was a struggle for me to come up with five measly things that I miss about China, but I'm sure this list will grow over time.

'Til then, here I go to have brunch with some of my most favorite people in the world!

Mid-Term Blues

2010-05-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, teaching English is a great, engaging, and fun job. Easy? No. Never. Especially on days like today, when your students are zombies sitting in chairs, looking at you hoping that you'll pull a bunny rabbit out of a hat while bouncing upside-down on your head and teaching them the key to perfect American English pronunciation.

And yes, nearly all teachers can recall at least one day each semester where they nearly lose it with one of these classes. Usually, it's nothing a stiff drink or a lot of prayer can't solve, but it's also usually the sign that it's the mid-term and it's time to take a vacation.

When these signs aren't apparent, an email from a student like this one might be the last glaring signal that you need a break.

Hi, Grace

I am very sorry for making you so depressed and let you almost lost your temper this afternoon. I consider I owe you an apology for my inactivity in your class.

I think that the awkward silent air in class can definitely make any oral English teacher mad at her students. Please calm down!, we are still your students. For myself, I wish I could speak English fluently. I wish I had ever had a good English teacher like you teaching me when I started learning English. And I wish I had been more active today.

So, please forgive us for our inactivity in your class this afternoon.

Michael

Boy, Michael. I knew I was a peeved at you, but I didn't realize that you were making me depressed! I especially like the pleading tone when he tells me to, "Please come down!" followed by a badly misplaced comma. It really is time for a vacation!

Domestic Travel: Luoyang, Henan Province

2010-05-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

The beginning of May marks the Chinese "May Day" Holiday, which is basically the equivalent America's Labor Day. It originally was called "Golden Week" and was a week-long holiday created by the government to boost the economy and increase consumption. I suppose the Chinese simply weren't spendy enough to make it worth giving them a whole week off (and forbid it that anyone should ever be allowed to have a holiday just to rest or enjoy life), so it got shortened down to just a 3-day weekend.

Our school provided a guided trip to Luoyang and Zhengzhou down in Henan Province. The whole trip, including admission, food, and transportation, cost a cool 500 RMB (that's less than 80 USD, folks!) so I took advantage of the opportunity to see more of China.

After a pleasant overnight train trip, we arrived in Luoyang at 6:30 am and were off to the Longmen Grottoes. The word "grottoes" conjured up thoughts of the Playboy Mansion or peg-legged pirates, but this couldn't be further from. Sadly, our fairly useless guide didn't tell us much about the history of Longmen, but we gathered what information we could from the ~~propaganda~~ information outside of the site. Although I don't share the Buddhist belief, the human feat of hand carving each grotto was very impressive. It's unfortunate that many of the Buddhas have been decapitated by ~~the Cultural Revolution~~ "factitious natural erosion." (Factitious, as you may have guessed, would be the opposite of fictitious-- which means it is, indeed, a fact. Oy, China.)

The grottoes were carved around 490 BC and are mostly in tact today (aside some of the factitious natural erosion). The detail that remains is pretty incredible.

A wall of tiny little Buddhas

These little caves are also filled with carved Buddhas and statues.

These giant Buddhas are the main attraction. You can see them compared to the people standing below for size reference. They are HUGE! Again, the detail is amazing and there are amazing carvings in the walls and to the sides of these giant suckers.

Being that it was a major (albeit short) holiday, all the major landmarks in China were flooded with tourists. People back home complain about crowds at Disneyland on a Saturday in the summer. That's China on any given Friday. I don't think I've ever grown to enjoy the insane crowds in China, but I think my tolerance for them has certainly improved.

A sea of black hair, sun umbrellas, and tourist groups.

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah! Hurrah!

Despite the crowds, I was still able to find a few moments of solitude and quite in the midst of the tourism madness.

After our rushed tour through the grottoes, it was back on the bus with our useless tour guide for an hour-long journey to Shaolin Temple nestled in the foothills of the famous Song Mountain- a gorgeous mountain range surrounded by green. And yes, Shaolin as in Shaolin Soccer.

But more importantly, Shaolin as in the birthplace of Kung Fu (Gongfu, for any of your die-hard Mandarin speakers). A little-known fact is that much of my parents' early courtship was marked by frequent trips to the local Kung Fu theater to watch old Bruce Lee movies. Then- according to my mom- my dad would romantically whisk my mom back to his apartment and put the moves on. No, not those moves. He would show off his mad nunchuck skills. Yes, my parents really are that cool.

So with that in my history, I was actually really excited to tour the birthplace of Kung Fu. Unfortunately, a LOT of other people were, too.

The line of cars leading up to the parking lot for the Shaolin Temple. There's nothing scarier than a crowd of Chinese people than a crowd of Chinese people behind the wheel!

After some time in the car, we made it into Shaolin Temple. The temple itself was not spectacular- once you've seen one Buddhist temple in China, you've pretty much seen them all until you head up to Tibet. But the most interesting part of Shaolin was the Pagoda Garden, which puts our American cemeteries to shame.

An interesting Buddhism tidbit that I learned was that you can learn a lot of information about a monk from his pagoda. Since Buddhism runs on the merits/demerits system, the more merits a man has, the higher his pagoda is. This doesn't come as a surprise to most, but what was surprising was that you can earn a huge amount of merits if you raise money for your temple or for Buddhism in general. The monks won't keep the money to themselves, but if you happen to garner a larger amount of donations or contributions to Buddhism during your life, you might end up with a few more levels on your pagoda when you pass on.

There were also a lot of monks (some perhaps more authentic than others) peddling goods like prayer beads, and one old man who was selling these interesting herbs.

A doorway at Shaolin Temple.

Rice paddies in the surrounding area with the Song Mountain in the background.

Of course, you can't go to the birthplace of Kung Fu without taking in a Kung Fu show. Because of the traffic, we missed the last show at the temple, but our guide took us to one of the many surrounding Kung Fu academies near the temple. We actually went to Bruce Lee's Kung Fu academy and saw some of the students perform Kung Fu.

Our guide said that the school probably has 4000-5000 students and costs at least 100,000 RMB per year! This is a fairly typical Chinese practice. Parents will enroll their children into a school specializing in one skill, and they become experts in that skill at a very young age. This also explains why China is kicking major butt at a lot of Olympic events like gymnastics, diving, and figure skating-- they've been doing it since they were popped out of the womb!

Why settle for one Bruce Lee when you could have thousands upon thousands of pocket-sized Bruce Lees?

Don't call it San Fran

2010-05-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

Or Frisco. Even "SF' is cutting it a little close. A place simply known as "the city" is deserving of the ridiculous talent and patience it takes to produce something like this.

I discovered Karen M O'Leary via DesignSponge, another blog I frequent almost daily. Ms. O'Leary's maps and other results of her awesome talent are available for purchase at her Etsy shop. If you know me well, you know I am a huge sucker for maps, so I was really excited to see these on DesignSponge. I'd be quick to snap up one of her amazing maps (especially this one of my favorite city in the world) if I weren't working on a Chinese salary. Who knows, though? After this Financial Crisis blows over, I may end up being in the country that lands on top.

Either way... ridiculous talent, wouldn't ya say? I miss home.

Embracing my inner (Julia) Child

2010-05-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

Like many other girls with a penchant for baking and blogging, I was inspired by the movie Julie and Julia to get back into the kitchen (not in the metaphorical sense, though) and re-tie those apron strings (again, I mean that literally).

I've always loved cooking, entertaining, and experimenting with ingredients in the kitchen. I haven't always loved teaching, but I did have a goal this semester to teach at least one cooking class to my students. I fully expected to channel Julia Child in my cooking-- not the spy in China aspect (though I do feel like one, sometimes), nor the strange tenor-falsetto she rambunctiously encouraged her viewers with to seize a freshly buttered raw chicken with vigor. I meant more of those moments where she flopped things out of pans live on the air and simply wiped her hands on her apron and said, "Well, it's no problem because we have a perfect one in the oven!"

I held my first cooking class in April. We made my favorite recipe for banana muffins/bread and chocolate chip cookies. The banana muffins were a huge hit, and a few of my students went out and bought ovens, muffin cups, and most of them are now proud owners of rubber spatulas after I convinced them it's the single most useful tool you'll have in your kitchen.

Most Chinese students have never seen measuring cups or chocolate chips before. Seeing all these baking goods was like going into the Museum of American Cuisine in the "Why We're All Fat" wing.

Like a good, responsible teacher who overdoes it and makes fun things completely un-fun, I created a Baking handout filled with useful vocabulary, tips, and even a few idioms.

Aren't they cute? They look so happy making cookies here, especially compared to this picture...

...where they are basically sleeping with their eyes open. I think I'm introducing measuring spoons here and they are responding with the ever-dreaded student glaze. I guess I should stick to my day job and let Julia do the real entertaining.

A few of them came back with stories of their first baking successes and eagerly asked when the second class would be. Call me a pushover... but I couldn't say no to their puppy dog eyes. Class two was on baking apple pie all completely from scratch. They learned how to make the crust, apple sauce, and put it all together to make it look perfect. Like this:

Ooooh, SNAP! Look at them apples! The sauce, bubbling from underneath a blanket of perfectly layered apple slices, all topped with a golden brown crust! Not bad for first-timers, hm?

The lattice could use some work, but for a bunch of Chinese students who didn't even know what apple sauce was, I had to give them props for their first-time glory.

Well, since I was on a baking kick and I wanted to get the most out of my tart tin (as pictured above) and had a bunch of whipping cream, I decided to experiment and make a peach-custard tart.

The picture didn't come out so well, but it was quite tasty and super easy, too!

Today, my students asked again about when our next cooking class would be. I love cooking, but I'm quickly running out of ideas. Any suggestions from my faithful (and few) readers would be gladly welcomed!

Next up: lemon meringue, chocolate cream, and about 500 dates with Jillian Michaels and Billy Blanks.

Downfalls

2010-05-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

I have many, especially here in Beijing. Some of my ugliest moments have come to fruition here in Beijing. When you see what's coming next, you might understand why.

There's not much that I want right now more than this...

courtesy of scanwiches.com

Look at the fat marbling through the appealing pink of slow roasted pastrami. The generous slabs of meat that are probably oozing with fatty, buttery, oily goodness and seeping its way gradually into flavorful, chewy bread... not that air-filled, useless white bread that can never NOT be sweet that you find here in China. The dramatic pop of yellow that calls attention to your eyes and your tastebuds.

I'm drooling all over my keyboard. And being in Beijing means there's absolutely. Nothing. I. Can. Do. About. It.

Jesus fasted for 40 days and was tempted to turn stones into bread, and he withheld. And here I am. Ready to throw in the towel for a Pastrami sandwich. How meek the human spirit can be!

Jitters

2010-04-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

Today, I checked me & J's wedding website. On the homepage, there's a countdown to our wedding day.

Today, the clock informed me that we are at 165 days to go. It seems like just a week ago when J and I set up the site and it began counting down from some ridiculous number like 407 and we kind of chuckled at how long our engagement will be. Others assured us the time would fly. I still disagree, but man... 165 days? The time isn't exactly flying by, but it certainly is passing without me fully realizing it.

Jitters? None yet. But ask me in 164 days, and my answer might be a little different.

One of our engagement photos, taken October 2009 by my buddy Buzz.

Reinforcing Complacency

2010-04-26T00:59:00.000-07:00

As I write this, I am also writing my midterm project for my Advanced Speaking class. The project is to create a group presentation based on different topics given to them. As I go over each of the topics, I find myself deleting and then re-typing anything that I anticipate would wedge my students into the corner of complacency.

I've often given my students topics to discuss that force them to think about their own sense of political efficacy. Things like the sickening amount of electronic waste (or other waste, for that matter) that pollutes the poor rural areas of their own country and the corrupt officials who pocket the money meant to assist in alleviating these problems. Or the fact that many more Chinese citizens are waking up to the fact that a press controlled by a higher power is no press at all. Or that their boastful monuments to Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and increasing joint ventures of Audi in the city centers are quickly warping the humble simplicity found in Chinese tradition and history into a massive consumerist society obsessed with the quickest way to make money-- the very same bourgeois lifestyle that could've landed you in prison not so long ago. And don't even get me started on the fact I need a VPN to keep up this blog... most likely visited primarily by my parents.

In most cases, my students explain to me-- sometimes with defiance, other times with a crippling helplessness-- that my discussion topics are often "too political." There's nothing, they explain to me, that they can do, or that the common person can do, to change the situation I lay before them in simple chalk and instruction to discuss how to address the problem using the present perfect or in conditional sentences. Perhaps they are right-- maybe mixing grammar with politics in China is not a good idea.

But my idealistic mind likes to believe that I am not just an English-speaking parrot spitting out grammar rules and vocabulary without making my students think. Sure, that is what China would like for me to be. Unfortunately for them, it's something I simply won't do.

"And therein lies the rub." At what point do I simply give them a break and let them live in their continued existence of bending to a certain rule for the "harmonization" of a country they love? When do I throw in the towel and just hope that they have retained some ability to think on their own? When is it time to just be an English teacher? When will I realize that striking the delicate balance between taking advantage of teachable moments and knowing when it's time to shake the dust is an art that very few have perfected?

I'm still not done with my midterms, and I fully expect to hear a chorus of moans and groans when I pass it out to my students tomorrow. Little will they know that inside, I am moaning and groaning right along with them. For different reasons, though, of course.

Conversations with my dad

2010-04-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

My dad is one in a million. I woke up today for some ungodly reason at 5:30 AM. I made it a point to be productive and catch up with folks back home since we rarely beat the time difference and find good times to chat. For a little background, my dad is a HUGE Karaoke fanatic. People think I'm kidding when I talk about how family events go in my house, but the formula goes something like: Dinner, Dessert, Drinks, Karaoke, Drinks, Karaoke, Fall asleep on couch. My dad must have a thing for obnoxious songs, because his signature karaoke number is "My Way," made famous by Frank Sinatra and broken-English speakers all over the world. Here's a tidbit from a conversation I had over Gchat with my pops. Gotta love that slight hint of Konglish in the conversation, too.

James: :)

Did you hear about "My Way" is banned from karaoke shops in Philppines?

me: Because everyone wants to sing it?

7:51 AM James: No, they were fighting - each claiming that they sang better than the other guy

there were too many fights

can you imagine??!!!

7:53 AM me: Maybe you should go and sing it so you can settle all the fights

James: that's a great idea - why didn't I think of that!!!! :)

me: They'll all say, "Remember when that Korean guy came? There's no comparison. We shouldn't even try."

James: you are funny!

7:57 AM me: That is so funny, though.

Leave it up to Asians to get all emotional about their karaoke.

7:58 AM James: I think their way of living seem more humane than the americans live their lives - americans are all about working, but others enjoy their lives a bit better like fighting about who sang the song better.

who has time for something like that in America? Yes, Pops. Life would be better if we just took work a little less seriously and regarded karaoke with the respect it deserves.

Happy Belated Birthday, Yobo

2010-04-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

There he is. The father of my unborn children. I purposely made this picture smaller to avoid any embarrassment that Jason might face in the future, but this picture is just too good. I can't decide what's best about it. The fact that he is clearly unhappy that I'm taking his picture, last season's long johns making an appearance when they badly need to be thrown out, or the fact that he's only wearing one slipper. What's up with that, anyway?

Anyway, on April 11, 2010, Jason turned 26. He's not one for huge birthday celebrations, but since we weren't able to spend his birthday together last year, I insisted that we do something a little special. I asked him what he wanted for his "Birthday Dinner," which consisted of breaded chicken strips dipped in Teriyaki, white rice (because I usually make him eat brown rice), some Shrimp and Veggie Soup, and his favorite pie.

Yes, that is a giant votive candle in the middle of Jason's birthday pie.

Even though I'd offered to make something a little more special for Jason's birthday, he very humbly asked for his chicken strips and rice, to which I gladly obliged. Overall, it was a very uneventful birthday. We ate dinner quietly, and I busted out the only candle I could find and some sparklers that I had lying around to sing "Happy Birthday" to him by myself. We ate a lot of pie, talked a little bit about our days, and 15 minutes in to watching "A Gentleman's Agreement," he was asleep on my couch and we called it a night.

Jason blowing out his giant birthday candle.

And you know what? It was a great night. Some of my friends have given me a little flack about getting married so young, and even by the time I was 23, I'd already acquired the moniker "Grandma Grace" for never wanting to go drinking with my buddies and getting stupid at some bar. Sure, maybe I did spend a few too many lonely nights in my little studio apartment watching weird independent movies and smelling my neighbor's weed smoke wafting through the hallway- I'll fully admit that.

But Jason's birthday was an example of how I get to be a boring person with another boring person for the rest of my life... and how great is that? To be completely at ease and content with someone you love, who has no expectations, but lives with great expectancy of what good things are to come. Someone who is totally cool (okay, maybe compliant is a better word) to you taking a somewhat unflattering picture of them in their long underwear with only one slipper on. Someone whose only birthday wish is to hang out with his kooky fiance and eat some chicken strips and pie.

Happy Belated Birthday, Jase. Here's to all the Banana Cream Pie, chicken strips, and rice you could possibly consume in our future long life together!

Oh... and you didn't think I'd leave you hanging without a few more shots of that pie! Home made, baby! Look at that crust crimping! The Oreo topping was Jason's idea.

The Father-Daughter Dance

2010-04-13T23:26:00.000-07:00

The Father-Daughter Dance has been a topic of some debate between my Pops and me long before I was even engaged. A few years back, my dad had this crazy kick where he was only listening to country music and insisted that he'd found the song we'd dance to at my wedding. It was country. The lyrics are very, very literal, and whomever wrote it penned it- I'm sure- with the intention of selling millions of singles to soft-hearted dads with daughters on their way to the altar. And... it's COUNTRY! The one form of music I can't stand listening to!

His gentle suggestion was met with some severe protests from me that were probably insensitive to my dad's vulnerability. Even though my sister keeps insisting that I just "let him do what he wants," something still doesn't sit well with me with the idea of dancing with my father at my wedding to a song I can't stand. Maybe it won't matter, but wouldn't it be so much better for us to have found a song together? One that is significant to the both of us?

We still haven't settled on one. The one I thought of was the song "One of These Days" by Neil Young, which my dad sent to me via email last year when I first came to China and my dad mused to me about how the song reminded him of me. But today, I think I finally found it.

When I was a little girl, I watched The Sound of Music everyday for a year. And when I say "everyday," I really mean it. My aunt has told me about when she'd come to visit us and I'd be sitting there very faithfully in front of the television watching Julie Andrews rescue the Von Trapp family from eternal cold-heartedness, and then we'd re-enact the "I am sixteen going on seventeen" dance by jumping from sofa cushion to sofa cushion. I'd totally forgotten that the first time Captain von Trapp melts his icy exterior was when he sings Edelweiss for the first time with... his eldest daughter, Liesel.

Courtesy of threshold.vox.com

I love this scene. The children all look up at their father adoringly as he reconnects with a lost identity that was buried under years of grieving, politics, and one very glamorous woman. I love the unspoken gesture he makes towards Liesel to duet with him, a hidden secret that only the two of them know about. It's a lovely song, and a familiar one, too.

Courtesy of solarnavigator.net

Not to mention, the song isn't so stinking long. There's nothing worse than hearing the chorus for the fourth time while the father and daughter are still up there swaying awkwardly.

Something we can all look forward to

2010-04-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

Larry King irritates me. Maybe it's the seemingly cold way that he asks questions that often seem to cross the line without even flinching... but then maybe that's why he's been on the air for as long as he has been. But perhaps the thing that I dislike most about Larry King is that I always end up getting sucked in to watching the full hour of his show.

Today, though, I had a good reason.

Snoop Dogg has so much to say when given the chance to say it. On this hour of Larry King, I learned about Snoop's brief stint on the soap opera "Another World" and about his future plans to record with Susan Boyle. I also learned about his plans to venture into...

...supermarkets. Or rather, "Snoopermarkets." Ahh yes. Snoopermarkets. Like a beautiful marriage of WalMart, the Dollar Tree, and Soul Plane, Snoopermarkets will sell "everything" and "everything will be under $20." "Clothes? Food?" Larry King asks incredulously.

Without missing a beat and with that cool, smooth tenor that caught the West Coast's attention with its first utterance of "...laaaaid baaaack," Snoop replies, "Everything, Larry. Everything."

Yes, everything.

I could turn this into a sociological observation about the decadence of American life. I could talk about the changing face of hip-hop, or its humble origins and the irony of Snoop Dogg (literally) breaking bread (cornbread and fried chicken from Albertson's) with Larry King before the masses. I could... but a pun like this is so good it deserves its own post.

Snoopermarkets... rollin' through to a hood near you.

Stories by Brian: How to...

2010-04-08T02:25:00.000-07:00

The assignment was to explain how to do something. I'm teaching the kids about outlining a paper and writing transition words to denote order. At first, they started writing things that they can do easily, so I told them to use their imaginations. It's like watching a lightbulb switch on inside of their eyes when I say the magic word "imagination." I guess they don't get many opportunities to exercise that part of their brain school, so getting to waste a few hours a week with their kooky English teacher is actually fun for them! Here goes:

How to make the yuckiest food

Today, I am going to make the yuckiest food in the whole wide world.

First, I will find the ingredients. The first ingredient is big caterpillars & lizards from amazon. Then, I'll find rats, toads, newts, and mud in the slum.

After that, I'll kill them: caterpillars into jam, kill the lizards and let them go into stink meat. Drag off the toad's legs, newt's bodys, kill the rats. I will put the toad legs, newt bodys and rat meats into the mud.

At last, I will cook them. I will fry the rat meats, toad legs and newt bodys with mud, and put the stinkmeat and caterpillar jam on it.

Do you want to try?

Gotta love that little bit of Chinglish at the end!

CGNWWT PART 5: Shenzhen, China

2010-03-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

This is the FINAL chapter for the Crazy Go Nuts Whirlwind Worldwide Trip. Frankly, there wasn't much to Shenzhen, and I actually found out later that the area we were in wasn't even REAL Shenzhen... just a suburb or outer area called Bao'An. Sort of like someone traveling to the Bay, staying in Burlingame the whole time, and never making it into the City. How sad.

Hank, me, Hank's niece, and the neighbor kids who were in and out all day.

That being said, there really wasn't much to Shenzhen. It's a dirty, sticky, hot, and humid Chinese city with a lot of people living in cramped apartments. We mostly went to visit our friend, Hank, whom you'd remember from this blog about a year back. We went to visit his village in Guizhou during Chinese New Year last year and had an epic time. So even though Shenzhen was more developed and technically there were more things to do, it didn't even hold a candle to last year's trip.

One thing to say about this trip, though, was that it was a cultural experience. We stayed with Hank, his sister, and her husband in their tiny apartment in Bao'An. Hank sleeps on a makeshift bed made of a piece of plywood and some blankets in what we Americans would call the living room, and his sister and brother in law sleep in the bedroom with their two year-old baby girl. Their kitchen is the size of a closet, and the no-flush squatty pottie, running water, and buckets where all the dishes are done is right next to that. So much for "Don't s**t where you eat."

Still, Hank and his sister were gracious hosts. His sister churned out an awesome dinner from that tiny little kitchen on her little hot plate stove. We bonded with the neighbor kids playing with a ball and showing them pictures and movies on Jason's laptop. And somehow... SOMEHOW... I managed to maneuver my American-sized butt in their bathroom to take a much-needed cold shower without falling into the no-flush toilet. Staying with your local friends in China is often an intense cultural experience, but it definitely does put things into perspective as far as being appreciative of the blessings that are poured out on us daily.

Our favorite part of the trip, though, was meeting these two little girls while we were out walking. The older one was taking care of the smaller girl, but something about their glasses and the older girl's wild gesticulations and the way the little girl sort of shuffled her feet behind them was so endearing. Jason immediately said, "They look like little grandmas." So true. They looked exactly like two little grandmothers. So we called them "Xiao Nai Nai" for the rest of the trip and would start laughing wildly just thinking about them.

The "little grandmas" or "xiao nai nai."

Hank and I do our own interpretation of the Xiao Nai Nai

Even though I probably wouldn't go out of my way to visit Shenzhen again in the future, it was still sweet being reunited with a good friend and making good memories in the short time we were there. I miss Hank a lot and often think about him and his sister, who still doesn't know Father. I am grateful for the deeper relationships Jason and I have built in our relatively short time in China.

Hank's beautiful niece and sister.

Blog Shout-Out: Being in Love with the Urban Sinner

2010-03-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

I only had the privilege of working with my buddy Phil for my first super-short year at BLCU, where I'm still teaching. Since last year, he's returned to his home in the Philippines (yes, he's Phil from the Philippines), where he's been working and living and figuring out life. Even though our time together was short, it was rich with laughter and memories, and he's still my hands-down favorite colleague. We'd get together for lunch and dish about our students, wonder if they gossiped about us, and swapped stories of our past sinful, and often regrettable, escapades. I miss him whenever lunch time rolls around because- although my new colleagues are wonderful- it's simply not the same.

Sometimes you meet those people with whom you are instantly comfortable. Old souls who still know how to tell a good dirty joke and throw back a few beers before it's time for lunch. People who aren't ashamed to admit that going out to bars and clubs is getting tiring and pathetic and perhaps we're prematurely submitting ourselves to the dooms of middle-ageism. Phil is one such man. And even if the distance gets to us and we aren't able to keep up this international friendship of ours, I know that I will always remember him as the best lunch buddy a girl could ask for in a strange land that we're awkwardly trying to make homes in as single people.

So, I hope he doesn't mind, but I simply had to share this post that he wrote on his blog, aptly titled The Confessions of the Urban Sinner. This one post, which is about an evening he spent with his parents on their 52nd wedding anniversary, made me miss him more than ever before, and reminded me of the one struggle I also face every time I turn my back on my parents when I climb back onto that plane headed to wherever it is I am going. Don't get me wrong- living internationally is amazing and an experience I've never regretted. But there are times when I am back home and wonder if I've shot myself in the foot by leaving behind loose ends and missing all the wonderful little moments that turn familial bonds into the memories you cling to when you feel like killing each other. Those horrible holiday experiences where one second, we're enjoying a meal together, then yelling at each other, crying, then moving onto dessert and karaoke without missing a beat. Man, what can replace that?

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Phil would be the one to remind me of this poignant little point. Still, I miss him. If you have a chance, please read his post. He is an incredible writer, and I think there is much we can learn from his observations and experiences.

I miss you so much, Phil. Be well.

The lunch crew on one of our legendary lunches in Beijing: sweet Lulu, me, and dear Phil.

CGNWWT Part 4: Chiang Mai, Thailand Part 2

2010-03-24T00:26:00.000-07:00

Aside from the being a beautiful place filled with some of the kindest people I’ve encountered, Chiang Mai is also a haven for backpackers. It was interesting walking around the city center and running into people from different countries exchanging stories and updating their statuses on their tiny little laptops (it turns out Apple does not reign supreme in the ultra-portable, tiny laptop category. C’mon, Steve! Ditch the unfortunately named iPad and get crackin’ on one of those teeny tiny little laptops!).

Thus, Chiang Mai is a great place to indulge yourself in a few shameless tourist attractions. The most popular one is the elephant ride, which Jason and I got a chance to enjoy. I, for one, am not a big zoo person, so I was a little skeptical about how much I’d enjoy an elephant ride. However, the Maesa Elephant Camp was a great surprise in that it was really clean, the grounds were well kept and beautiful, and the elephant show wasn’t too hokey.

An elephant gets a little friendly with Jason.

Elephants bathing

The elephants also painted pictures, which were quite impressive. For 1000 Baht, you can buy one of their pictures.

Denise knew that they'd ask for volunteers for this part of the show, so she volunteered Jason to compete against the elephants at throwing darts. The elephant won, but with great sportsmanship, patted Jason on the head for a good effort.

It’s a bit a ways out of town, but it was a great experience, still. Also, it is the home of the BEST CORN I’VE EVER CONSUMED. So the corn was swimming in enough melted butter and condensed milk to throw Paula Deen into her long-overdue cardiac arrest. But as far as corn goes, this corn put most corn to shame.

We also wanted to take a Thai cooking class. Our hosts, the Tang family, suggested the Thai Cookery School, which cost 900 Baht (about $25 USD) for each of us. They offer a week-long series of classes, but we were only able to go to the introductory class, where we made Tom Yam Gong, Green Curry, Pad Thai, and a few other lesser-known dishes. The whole experience was a lot of fun, and even though I would have liked the class to be a bit more hands-on, it was very informative and the food was pretty tasty (Jason’s too)!

Outdoor kitchen facilities at the Thai Cookery School. The school itself is a 20-minute ride out of the city center, and has its own organic garden where they grow the herbs and vegetables we use in class.

We love basil, oh yes, we do! We love basil! How 'bout you?

Jason fries up some Thai fish cakes.

We met this sweet Japanese couple from Hokkaido who didn't speak a word of English. They took the counters next to us and gave us postcards with pictures of Hokkaido and made us paper cranes. So cute!

The Tangs graciously fed us and toted us around to various food courts for meals. And being that we are a bit conservative in our spending, Jason and I mostly ate cheap, local food. But we did decide to splurge on one nice meal at a restaurant just around the corner from the Tang’s house. It was called Khaomao-Khaofang and it was quite possibly the coolest restaurant I’ve ever been to. It was mostly an outdoor space with a huge tent covering to shield you from the sun. Everywhere you looked, there were trees, flowers, and WATERFALLS! Doesn't get much more paradise-like than that!

This was just a few steps from the table where we had lunch. To our left, there were a few mini-waterfalls and flowers growing out of the trunks of trees. Absolutely beautiful!

Denise (Mama Tang) told us to be sure to go to the bathroom because of its decorations. I won’t go into too much detail, but I’m sure there are few places in the world to pee that are as aesthetically pleasing as these stalls.

Sink-area in the Ladies' Room.

I never thought I'd be so emphatic about a bathroom stall, but this picture really doesn't do the toilet justice.

And speaking of Thai food, of course, we consumed just about everything we could get our hands on. Everything… and I really mean EVERYTHING… was delicious in Chiang Mai. I was grateful that we didn’t have any stomach issues during our trip, but it turns out that even the hole-in-the-walls are pretty clean in Chiang Mai. Here are a few things we were lucky enough to try!

You can't leave Thailand without having a real Thai Iced Tea!

...or an ice-cold Tiger Beer... YUM! For less than $1, I'd gladly trade in pyramids of PBR for a Tiger any day.

Hmm... so this ended up being a series of photos of Jason with various beverages. This one tops the rest. A fresh strawberry smoothie that cost 15 Baht (less than 50 cents) and would run Jamba Juice out of business in no time.

A bit different from your standard Ketchup and Mustard... Ketchup and Thai Chili Hot Sauce.

Rice noodles with tender beef chunks and meatballs... extra cilantro, please! YUM!

Green curry with fried fish. The little green pea-looking things are actually tiny eggplants. Neither of us were huge fans (super bitter and not much flavor otherwise), but it was cool to see what "real" Thai curry is supposed to taste like.

This white bowl of magic is a local Chiang Mai specialty called Khao Soy. It's a noodle dish with cocnut milk and crispy noodles on top. It's served with this next dish...

Pickled cabbage, freshly sliced shallots, and a wedge of lime. It was wonderful being surrounded by limes, again, since they're almost impossible to find in Beijing. The lime and picked cabbage are the perfect taste of sour tartness to cut through the creamy coconut milk in the Khao Soy.

Oh, Chiang Mai... you sure know the way into a girl's heart. Crispy breaded pork over Thai rice. Jason and I split this dish and the Khao Soy at a tiny little hole-in-the-wall for lunch. Everything cost us 50 Baht... about $1.25 USD!

There was so much more than we had that I forgot to take pictures of because, frankly, I was too busy eating. Papaya salad, other curries, noodles, and some of the best coffee I've ever consumed. I really can't say enough about how enamored I am with Chiang Mai. My mom was joking that I probably loved it so much because the food was good. She has a great point, but I can't stress enough how great the entire experience was because of the people. Everything from the tourist activities to just chatting with the guy selling cut fruit on the street was such a blessed experience. I've said it before, but I'll say it again...

I can't wait to go back!

English Corners Gone Wrong

2010-03-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

Today, I hosted my first English Corner of the semester. English Corners are when your students come to practice their English with you in a smaller, casual setting, and usually involves snacks and some sort of conversation-inducing activity.

I scheduled our Corner for 6:30 and ordered three large pizzas that put me out a heft fraction of my humble monthly salary. I enlisted my wonderful friend and educator extraordinaire, Frieda, to take on one of the small groups, since Chinese students get so excited at the prospect of talking with a "Native Speaker" who isn't already their teacher. I rearranged my furniture. Jason generously helped me to clean my place up, go grocery shopping, and carry all the heavy stuff on our way back.

6:50 rolls around. Frieda and I are sitting on my couch waiting. Pizza is getting cold. I'm getting hungry and therefore cranky. No one shows.

I could have gotten upset. I could have complained about how my students-- all in their mid-to-late twenties-- are incompetent and incapable of doing anything without their overbearing mothers. I could have... easily. I almost did.

Instead, I had a lovely evening with my wonderfully wise friend. I now have a week's worth of food which I can feed other hungry mouths with. I have a clean house and no dishes to do. I went grocery shopping, which I would have put off until I realized I was out of toilet paper (and we all hate that). I got to experience a glimpse of lifelong partnership with a generous man who will become my husband.

Not all flukes are failures.

Stories by Brian: If I could collect 100 objects...

2010-03-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

The assignment this week was to teach the kids about writing well-organized paragraphs where they use critical thinking to explain their ideas. I taught them how to make a basic outline, and this is what they came up with. The prompt was to tell us what they would collect 100 of, and explain three reasons why. As usual, Brian did not disappoint.

If I could collect 100 object, I will collect 100 kinds of sheep from the universe.
I can see how stinky are there poops, what is the color of them and what do they eat. I can drink their milk and taste is it yummy? What is the flavor? is the milk smelly? also I can count them when I sleep. That makes me sleep and I can see how they sing lullaby play violin.
After you see my reasons, maybe you want to collect sheeps too!

I do, indeed, Brian. I do, indeed.

CGNWWT Part 3: Chiang Mai, Thailand Part 1

2010-03-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Ahh, Thailand. There is so much to say about Chiang Mai that I had to cut my CGNWWT Entry for Thailand into two parts. Though my time in this amazing country was short, I am pretty certain that it is a magical place that would give Walt Disney a serious run for his money. I realize that it’s certainly not perfect, and even the current political turmoil is evidence that my perspective on Thailand is one of great privilege. However, there is something to be said about the quality of life of Thailand and how it is simply a lifestyle rather than something to aspire to.

Clouds outside my airplane window as we landed in Bangkok.

Homes downtown in the traditional Chiang Mai style.

The moment I stepped off the plane into Chiang Mai, I felt the feeling of coming home in a foreign country for the first time. A lot of long-timers in China have expressed that they felt that when they arrived in Beijing. I hate to say it since I do love aspects of China, but I am so grateful that I felt that feeling in Chiang Mai.

As many of you know, Jason and I traveled to Thailand mostly to visit the Tang family—some friends of ours who took off to Thailand at the same time that we shipped off to China. They are working with the Zoe House, which is a childrens’ home for young people who are at-risk for being sold into human trafficking. It was amazing to go and speak with some of the rescued children who are now being fed, clothed, and educated in schools in Chiang Mai. The staff at Zoe is incredible and their spirit is infectious.

Some of the Zoe kids & staff

While we visited, we were able to see the beginnings of a new era in Zoe history. Zoe’s ultimate vision is to open a fully functioning boarding school with dormitories for families, single adults, single parents, and children. Currently, they are finishing just a few dorm and office buildings, but it was amazing to drive out to the land where Zoe’s future will slowly be developed.

One of the Zoe girls at the site of the new Zoe complex. She was using that giant leaf to shade herself from the sun.

We also were able to do a few touristy things. These photos are from two walks in the downtown area. The night scenes are from the Sunday night walking market, and the others are just from the city center of Chiang Mai, which contains tons of Buddhist temples.

Jason will probably not like that I posted this one, but this is him eating some street food. Clearly, it's a sausage.

But it's filled with rice and pork and is a little chewy and a lot delicious.

These flowers are actually made of soap and individually painted.

This is a Buddha that was wrapped for some reason in that orange cloth. It reminded me of a Rene Magrite painting.

Songthaws are like the lovechild of taxis and buses. This is how Jason and I got from place to place most of the time. Super convenient and surprisingly comfy!

A Buddhist cemetary

One thing Jason and I noticed right away is the amazing friendliness of the Thai people. In situations where many Americans and even Chinese living in Beijing would roll their eyes, fed up with the dumb tourists, the people in Chiang Mai simply laughed it off and gave us the help we needed. Oddly enough, being around such patience and grace convicted me greatly of my own shortness with strangers and my unwillingness to express compassion in situations that don't benefit me directly. It was wonderful to get a different sense of life and remember what it's like to not be caught up in the everyday hustle or the growing obsession with finding a clear career path and making money. There is much that we can learn from the folks in Chiang Mai... certainly more than I expected. I can't wait to go back.

New Series: Stories by Brian

2010-03-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

I know I promised a post on Thailand, but I needed to make sure that I'd include this before Friday. Why Friday? This semester, I have the great privilege of tutoring five primary school students every Friday for two hours. They have all lived in the U.S. for a short time in the recent past while their parents did visiting scholarships at Harvard and MIT. The "hungry for knowledge" gene was promptly passed down, and their parents (being good Chinese parents) didn't want their kids to lose the English they'd gained in their time Stateside. Hence, my new side-job.

Brian is one of the brightest in the group, and even at the tender age of nine, he gets excited by synonyms and antonyms, brainstorms, and silent consonants. I'm fairly certain that most fluent English-speakers don't even know what synonyms and antonyms are. Every week, I let him use his imagination (which he's pretty stoked about) and write a creative story. I've decided that his amazing stories are certainly worthy of their own series on my humble little blog. So here's the first in the series, entitled, "New Year's Party."

I'm gonna have a new year part in the pyramid and it gonna be the biggest in Cairo.

I will invite the emporor of France- Napolean, he will go by car. I will invite Sherlock Holmes, he will go by car too. And I will invite a group of aliens, they will go by their spaceship.

Then, I will have 1000 kg of dumplings from Dumpling Patrol, 1,000,000 cups of peach juice, and 1,000,000,000 kg2 of pizza because the aliens stomach is too big.

After supper, I will give the presents: backpacks for the aliens, alive teddy for Napolean, and stuffed fish for Sherlock. Then the party is over.

I think the party will be fun!

Happy Birthday, Mom

2010-03-13T23:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (March 13) was my mom's Birthday. I called her today because of the time difference, and even though she was sick and it was midnight in Oregon, she still answered the phone and made a little time in the last bit of her birthday to accept my wishes graciously.
Some of you have the great privilege of knowing my mom personally. Others only know her through me and my many stories about her. For the latter, the one comment I always get is, "Your mom sounds so cool!" or "Boy, your mom sure sounds like a character."

My mom and me in a relatively normal moment.

Yes, it's true. My mom is absolutely nuts, and that is why we love her. My mom, who dances in the living room with my dad for no apparent reason. My mother, who sings Patsy Cline at the top of her lungs during long road trips despite the rest of the family begging her to stop. The source of my own sense of crazy and my piercing laugh. If I say some key phrases, our family will be able to conjur some amazing stories about my mom. For example: backing out of the garage, leftover whiskey shot, Zumba fitness, Mountain Mama, and the list goes on.
Being on the other side of the world makes it a little difficult to celebrate with her, but we always have a great time when we are together to make up for these sad lost moments.
So here you go, Ma. It's not much, but I dedicate this little number to you. Patsy Cline's voice may sound sweeter than your's does on our home karaoke machine, but she still doesn't hold a candle to you. I love you!

CGNWWT Part Two: Zhuhai & Macau

2010-03-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

After three glorious weeks back on the homefront, I headed back to East Asia for a week-long conference for foreign teachers in China. It was great to get together and swap stories, advice, and lift each other up and encourage each other for the upcoming semester. Our whole team only gets to meet once a year, and being that there are a ton of kids in our organization, it is always fun to watch them grow in year-long increments.

Our conference this year was in Zhuhai, located on the southeastern corner of the Mainland. Zhuhai was our second choice for conference location (first being Macau), but we were all looking forward to some warmer weather as most of us were coming from the northern areas of China. Womp womp womp. Zhuhai was cloudy, cold, and windy and I wore my wool coat for the duration of my stay there.

Fortunately, the hotel that we moved to for the conference was a "China Five-Star" (which means about the equivalent of a Three-Star internationally) and our conference was great overall. We had a wonderful keynote speaker and coordinator, and stayed well-fed. The highlight of the conference was a day-trip into Macau.

Macau- technically a "special administrative region" of China- is a tiny little "country" that was once colonized by Portugal. For that reason, it bears a lot of evidence of European presence in its architecture, and even its food. Portuguese is still widely spoken and nearly all the signs are written in Traditional Chinese characters and Portuguese. Today, Macau is a large hub for gambling and its major source of income is its casinos. During our trip, we had a chance to walk around a small concession-like village and look at all the brightly colored row-houses and cathedrals.

In the central area of Macau, we saw the remains of St. Mark's Cathedral and also visited Robert Morrison's Chapel and burial site. For those of you who weren't aware (as I was prior to this visit), Robert Morrison was one of the first M's to come to China and the first man who translated the Book into Chinese. For that, we certainly have much to owe to his memory.

Hmmm... comforting.

While I'm sure I most likely won't be making an intentional trip back to Zhuhai or Macau, it was still interesting to see this region of China. Next in line: Chiang Mai, Thailand!

Crazy Go Nuts Whirlwind Worldwide Trip PART ONE: Stateside

2010-03-04T03:38:00.000-08:00

And thus begins my long series of blog posts following my trip around the world. I've decided to give my long trip an equally long moniker, which will henceforth be replaced by a very long acronym. This trip wasn't filled with tourist activities, but it was still an excellent tour of some very different cultures, climates, and people-- some familiar and others completely foreign. I'm certain this won't be my last CGNWWT (see? Long acronym, eh?), but for my first one, I'd have to say I was glad to have kept my cool for most of it.

First stop was back home to the States for a girlfriend's wedding in, my favorite city, San Francisco. Aside from having the honor of being a part of one of my best friend's weddings, I got a chance to reconnect with all the things that makes San Francisco the wonderful place that it is. Having lived in Beijing for the past year and a half, it was surprising to me that I would come back to San Francisco and find it to be a comparably sleepy city and pleasantly uncrowded. A lot of people have claimed that San Francisco is just another city, but I triple-dog dare you to find a city with as much "local color." For example:

Here's a sign I found in an alleyway in the Mission District. Just your friendly reminder to not defecate in someone's garden. Not too much to ask, right?

Two of my best friends and I at a local restaurant/nightclub called Asia SF which is famous throughout the city for their "illusion artists." And what, you might ask, are "illusion artists"?

Feast your eyes on the most beautiful man I've ever seen. That's right, the one on the left is a man. And homegirl can dance, lip-sync, and serve up food like no one's business- all in six-inch heels and with a smile.

Like I said... I triple-dog dare ya.

The greatest thing about San Francisco is how different each of its districts are. It's hard to decide which is my favorite, but one of my favorites is definitely the Mission District which, sadly, is quickly becoming gentrified and losing much of its Latino culture. However, another great merit of San Francisco is the effort the city puts forth in preserving and nurturing its history and distinct cultures. Here are a few snapshots from an afternoon in near Balmy Alley in the Mission, which is covered in murals and lined with panaderias and various different mercados.

A few panaderias (Mexican bakeries) have started selling cupcakes, having followed the cupcake craze just a few minutes behind the rest of the world. They weren't stellar, but we still had fun sampling them alongside more familiar pan dulces.

This was a funny little moment of local color as well. What was once a storefront became a vacant window with a mailbox where people asked "Ms. Sterioso" for their "fortunas" and advice. Some questions were silly (ie. "Will I get lucky tonight at the bars?") and others were a bit more serious (ie. "When and how will this country redeem itself?"). Ms. Sterioso always had some clever, albeit tongue-in-cheek, advice to offer. My friend and I spent a good fifteen minutes just reading the different cards.

Naturally, one of the best things about going home is EATING EVERYTHING. I've already posted about how nuts I went over avocadoes when I went home, and the first thing I wanted to do once I set foot on U.S. soil was eat a bagel with cream cheese. Here are a few things I consumed Stateside.

Some friends and I ducked into this little taqueria called Taqueria Oaxaquena because of its proximity to the 16th and Mission BART Station and choice of vegetarian entrees. Best coincidence ever. Don't you love those serendipitous food moments when you stumble upon delicious eats just by chance? I had the fish tacos. Spicy and scrumptious.

They also sold these GIANT tamales made in the Oaxacan style (wrapped in a banana leaf rather than corn husk) and were literally the size of your face.

Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream served at Asia SF.

Oddly enough, this was the first time I ate Shark Fin Soup. It was at my friend's wedding banquet and I must say it was completely lackluster and mostly just tasted like a thickened broth with cartilage floating around in it. It also didn't sit well in my conscience knowing the environmental implications of eating Shark Fin Soup. At least I can say that I've done it.

Of course, nothing can hold a candle to home-cooked goods. What were we thinking as kids, always wanting to go out for dinner and passing up things made on home stovetops in favor of Olive Garden and Chili's? Blasphemy. This pie made by a friend of mine literally stopped a conversation. Everything was made from scratch and it certainly showed. Take THAT Marie Callendar!

Finally. Behold, quite possibly the world's most perfect food. This is my mom's Galbi Jjim (갈 비찜) which is basically Korea's answer to Pot Roast. In my opinion, Galbi Jjim beats Pot Roast any day and my mom's Galbi Jjim brought tears to my eyes. The meat falls off the bone and melts in your mouth and the marrow thickens up the sauce to make it creamy and delicious without being too heavy. Pair it with the tangy, clean taste of Kim Chi and some purple rice, then be done with Pot Roast forever.

Ahh... home. I was only there for three weeks, but what a sweet three weeks it was. Next on the itinerary: Zhuhai, China!

In Thailand

2010-02-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

Will be updating soon with a few posts about my worldwide adventures! That is, if I am ever able to rip myself away from this beautiful place. Why people would ever want to leave The Land of a Thousand Smiles, I will never know.

Tomorrow, I head to a Thai Cooking Class, then an elephant ride the next day. Yippee!