Harry potter christmas?

Anyone else notice similarities between Harry Potter and Jesus?

HP was born and voldemort tried to kill him when he was a baby. Herod wanted Jesus killed and thus had all boys under the age of two in Bethlehem killed. Jesus's family fled from the area for their protection. HP's parents were killed and he was sent to live with his muggle relatives. The fate of the parents are a bit different, but the idea of a mere baby posing a threat to some great power, surviving murder attempts and through their survival bring hope to all people is similar. People rejoiced over the births of both.

Also, later on both are tested through trials with the evil one and arise victorious. Both had supporters and people who doubted them along their journey. HP was imperfect, prideful and often had to be bailed out by friends. Jesus was denied by his friends, crucified, suffered a very painful death, paid the price for humankinds sins and rose again after 3 days. Oh and HP was penned by a muggle from England named JK Rowling in volumes that get progressively lengthier. Jesus's birth is written about in Matthew and Mark in a couple chapters of the Bible and I can't imagine those two becoming incredibly wealthy for those writings. I didnt say they were identical... just similar in light of the current holiday.

Merry merry CHRISTmas to all!

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Holiday heavy

Cookies are pretty much my favorite dessert. I may play favorites, but if you put any type of dessert in from of me I wont be terribly choosy. Jello, creme brulee, cheesecake... yes yes yes. I always hear people talk about putting on the holiday pounds and resolving to hit up the gym more often in the new year, but those sorts of things felt like myth to me. No matter what I ate I stayed the same. Being from the south, I am faaaaaaaar from being a healthy eater. Bring on the bbq drenched in sauce and cookies (of course). Sometimes I think I may be a 500 lb cookie monster trapped in the body of a petite asian girl. BUT this year....

Something has changed. I'm feeling much squishier. My metabolism isn't the same as before. I'm starting to wear baggier clothes to hide it. Is this what getting older means? I can't eat a half gallon of butter pecan ice cream and get away with it? If so, this month is dangerous. My house's kitchen is factory for pudge-inducing morsels of sugary goodness. Time to practice some restraint.

In a land of plenty its often difficult to grasp this idea of restraint. The word itself holds an aire of negativity to it. In a society that teaches not to hold back and pursue whatever whimsy hour heart desires why would anyone want to practice restraint? It may not be easy and it may not be popular but it means there are more resouces to go around and sometimes its just whats good or us. People seem to be struggling with restraint in many facets of life. Food. Money. Materialism. If we hold back stuffing ourselves past full and close to explosion, we wouldnt have the post-meal guilt, you won't feel nauseous, there is food to share with those who are struggling to simply feel less starved, no tiring extra weight (what inconvenient baggage) and my inner cookie monster will not be my outer appearance. I know its Christmas and maybe for you it is all about trying to be around family and what gadgets am I getting mysef and I need to top last years present to this person and eating till you can't breathe... but consider there are others who can't make it to be with families. There are families who are together but have no home and no presents (or necessities we don't consider a gift). Perhaps restrain yourself from splurging on another something extra for yourself or a loved one and instead buy a couple something wonderfuls for someone who could not afford it otherwise and who probably can't pay you back. Share a piece of your typical christmas to give someone a wonderful one.

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Bake free

I heard good things. I read good things. Though they didn't come out looking so great, they were pretty darn delicious. Jello no bake cheesecake- I don't know how you do it but I do believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

*this post is not endorsed or compensated by jello. Fyi.

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enjoy the moment

So much time, so little to do. Wait. Reverse that.

What a busy, busy week. I've been feeling overwhelmed to tears but am slowly beginning to organize my thoughts one-by-one again. No more time to waste wallowing, there is shopping to be done, songs to be sung, company to be enjoyed, items to be returned, presents to wrap, food to be devoured and smiles to be shared. I would like to practice my presentation, but secretly want to read (love in the time of cholera because of its presence in serendipity), but will actually be falling asleep in 30 seconds because my electric blanket has that effect on me.

May I not worry about the future and enjoy the moment that is now. Thank you God for preparing a home for me with people who bake small samples of heaven.

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Xmas is coming

 A day of Christmas songs on the radio/pandora. A night of Christmas movies and Christmas decoration-making and some late night frying creations. Christmas caroling with some elderly folks next week. Christmas is on its way.

Some of the roommates are out of town.
To surprise them when they come back we made stockings for each roommate.

iLikeProjects - Stockings
level: easier than pie, cost: $, time: <10min, kid-friendly
Materials: non-furry stockings, sticker felt pieces, sticker rhinestones
Paste away. Hot glue whatever doesn't stick so well.

Gross.

That is how I feel right now.

I ate unagi with fried rice for dinner. I should have been content. But I looked over at Franz's chicken pot pie and my stomach was jealous. It should have been full. But It wanted chicken pot pie. Not Franz's healthy looking chicken pot pie. I am back in America. And It wanted to go to the Home of the Colonel.

So I ventured out to KFC to pick up dinner #2. This isn't the pot pie. But its buttery goodness may also be contributing to my current sluggishness. Perhaps tomorrow I will attempt to eat more green. One time for a school project we were told to check if the nutritional facts were available at our favorite fast food joint, eat something and comment on what we ate. I picked Popeyes. I asked the man at the counter for the nutritional facts. He told me not to ask. I considered his request, rejected it and asked again. He pulled out a wrinkled, greased up pieces of paper that probably contained more oil than fiber from under a binder and handed it to me. I have not eaten there since. I'm pretty sure KFC isn't much better. But ignorance is bliss today.

Have you seen the Medicinal Chicken episode of SP? If you have, you probably know what I'm thinking. If you do not know what I am talking about, no worries.

You know I blame this whole KFC episode on the fact that I wasn't allowed to watch Glee tonight.
Jbear is studying for a test and Glee would be a distraction. Apparently, so is the Christmas special of Alf. Remember Alf? He's now on Hulu.

I am considered a food-centric blog. Posts like this wouldn't end up on it. I'm still in the idea incubation period, I hope to have the whole thing hatched by new years. Input and ideas would be greatly appreciated.

democracy.

 

I am now a fan of rest stops. But only the one in Taiwan with the awesome food court.

By awesome, the one with green onion pancakes wrapped around a chinese sausage with white pepper and curry powder. The vendors that sell this also provide a container of fresh, peeled garlic cloves to add some extra yum to your breath. So everyone you run into will smell its goodness and know that they missed out on something delicious.

Anyways, the rest stop is where we waited before picking up my mother from the train station.
I asked her about her ride. Most people's responses usually include something like "good" or "bumpy" or "the crying baby hurt my ears". That is MOST people. My mother's response was, "I tried to spread democracy to some Chinese tourists."

Apparently, her conversation with some tourists from China on the train went something like this:
Mom: Have you heard about our upcoming election?
Tourist: Yes. It reminds me of China's Cultural Revolution.
Mom: It's nothing like the Cultural Revolution. This is a democratic election. Do you guys have elections?
Tourist: No.

Never a bore. No time to snore.

That is life when my mom is present.
There is never a dull moment.
She is like a whirlwind that picks you and sweeps you off to some place you didn't expect to go and make life much more interesting.

I just realized I never wrote about what happened when my mother visited two months ago. Time flies!
From what I recall, I received an email on a Monday. She said she was arriving on the 14th. I thought "Yay! After all the confusion and drama, she's actually coming!". Then I glanced over at the calendar. If today is the 13th.... the 14th is TOMORROW!?! If the flight is 13 hours long she should be boarding today and is anyone going to send me any information? A flight number or general arrival time would be nice...

Tuesday also happened to be my final for my night course. She said no worries she'd take a shuttle to the hotel nearby. Around 3pm I received a call from my dad, in China, saying she changed her mind I should pick her up from the airport. After class I drove to SFO to pick her up. It was late. Her flight was early and she had already been in the states for 5 hours. My dad called to ask if I had found her. No luck. I paged her a few times and waited. After half an hour I received a call from my mom. She finally got a hold of a working phone and was already at the hotel. In my post-final, sleep deprived state I had failed to even consider checking my voicemails. Apparently, she had quite the adventure on a share van traveling the entire bay area before reaching the hotel. She walked to the nearest and purchase a phone card that was not working. Her hotel phone was not working either. The hotel staff were not terribly helpful. When I arrived the single person at the front desk, who I had just talked to on the phone 10 minutes earlier, was on the phone and in between bits of conversation, informed me she was off-duty and I would have to wait for the person with the next shift to arrive to answer any questions.

As a sighed a heavy sigh and almost fell asleep while standing, my mom stormed out of the elevator dragging all her luggage because her room phone was still non-functioning. Finally. Near midnight, we were finally reunited.

MORAL: Always check your voicemail. Even if no one ever leaves you voicemail. Check it. It could be the difference between driving 70miles and 7miles.


THAT was the first 7 hours with my mother.
Later that week she rented a car. She had Places to go, People to see, and Things to buy. One of those places was rainy Oregon. Some of those people were old Oregonian friends. Some of those things were half of Costco. Not really, just more than I've spent at Costco, ever. But I rarely venture into Costco. I usually stop by for the gas. If you are ever thinking of going somewhere for a shopping trip, Oregon has no sales tax. If you are like me and are not used to driving in rain, I recommend going during the summer.


RECENTLY, my incredibly active grandmother has taken a turn for the worst. She was a mountain climber. She climbed hundreds of mountains in Taiwan. Just a few years ago her daily walks around the neighborhood included carrying a backpack with books, not because she was going to school, but for the extra weight. Yes, she was that hardcore. Last year she had quite a great fall. Now she spends her days lying in a hospital bed. Off I go to see her.


I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving across the globe in a country where people seem to eat 10x more than Americans and never get any bigger. Wish me luck.

Love is thicker than blood

Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days?
Always a bigger bed to crawl into
Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything?
And everybody believed in you?

-Innocent

I have this song stuck in my head. I know it was aimed at Kanye West. But I like about Taylor Swift is her ability to conjure up moments in childhood or past relationships and bring out associated emotions listeners can relate to. This verse is one of my favorites because it resonates the simplicity of childhood and creates an ideal picture of an upbringing in a loving environment. Love. Something everyone craves. Even before we know how to speak the word.

This month is National Adoption Month.

Not all people born of this world have a bigger bed to crawl into.

Nor a mom and dad to cuddle with on Saturday mornings and rainy days.

I always thought it was odd that people born into different families could have such drastically different lives. A person born into royalty is exalted and provided from birth to death. Served by others for nothing more than their bloodline and who their parents are. Others are born into poverty or lose their parents at a young age. They may never experience the simplicity of childhood nor the warmth and security of family. 

I am overjoyed for those people who have sought to make a difference. Turning a child's view of the world upside down. Reminding them they are not forgotten and welcoming them into a forever family. Overcoming mountains of obstacles, these families are true warriors, fighting for a child most times before the child knows how to speak a word of gratitude. They are loved before they know the word.

It's all right, just wait and see
Your string of lights is still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent

I invite you to take a peek into some stories I've come across in the past month. 

May the pull at your heartstrings too:

Moments with Love

The mother of five that inspired this post.

The Journey of the Maks

College mentors still showing how to walk by faith.

This American Life- Unconditional Love

An episode with a family that adopted a boy from Romania who developed detachment disorder and his amazing mother who never gave up on her son.

Maureen Owino - Mercy House

This joyful Kenyan girl received sponsorship through Compassion.  She may have been born in a slum, but will soon receive her degree in education in December.

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. 

Many say misery loves company and spend their days dwelling on the injustices in their life.

I say some people's hearts are contagious and encourage you to see the hope in the world.

Spread the word.

Saturday stroll



Crispy crunchy autumn leaves under my feet. Door hangers in my hand.

Welcoming local east san jose residents to our baby church. I wish I could recall more Spanish. My mom always encouraged me to learn more languages because it can only help you in life. How do you say we are from the church at the park? All morning I thought "iglesia en el park?" but was too hesitant to try it outside of my head. Park is actually "parque". We are more similar than I think sometimes. Quite a few people had their front doors open and the smells of their mornings drifted out to the street. People did not look at us suspiciously and shut their doors on us. They took my doorhanger and nodded politely. Community is more than a row of houses with closed doors. Houses in the neighborhood reminded me of my random jogs and emo walks in berkeley through the neighborhoods straight to Ici (the ice cream shop). I am a 500 pound cookie/ice cream monster trapped in the body of a petite asian girl. I am not complaining.

Each house had it's own personality. And Everyone seemed to have a dog or (attack) cat. Across the train tracks was a newer neighborhood. Every house lined up pristine and matching. It felt like the Stanford campus versus Berkeley. No matter what side of the tracks you were on God made a beautiful autumn day.

(i'm a bit addicted to this retro camera app.)

better than the last

[Last last Night...]

Today my head hurt less than yesterday. I sounded sicker but felt much beter. I have about a hundred things on my mental todo list and about 10 on my physical one. But having a hurting head and tired body helps me accomplish none of my goals. So for now i hold back my normal energizer bunny tendencies and aim to rest. That simple. Jesus rested when he had the task of saving the world I should be able to do the same too. Hold back and simplify my plans. Enjoy company, sleep, and maybe make myself a grilled cheese sandwich in the morning. I cant wait till morning. But everything else on that todo list can wait tilll morning too.

My problem with naps.

[From Yesterday...]

I loved preschool. Everyday I went to the giant community church in my sprawling suburban neighborhood and played, learned, napped and played some more. I only had one gripe.

The naps.

My mom would ask me about my day and I would complain about the naps.
What was wrong with them?
I told her "Naps are a waste of life."
Seriously. I was... four? five?

I finally found an appreciation for naps during college. Amidst my 3-hour of sleep a night schedule, naps during the day were a gift from above. But I seem to be reverting back to my youthful thinking. Today my head hurts. A lot. I promised I would stay home this time and resist the urge to go to work with my body fighting whatever virus or bug that is going around. I am home. Last time I only made it to lunch until I hopped in my car and trekked into the office.

I should be napping. I tried. I really did. I had a goldilocks moment. My bedroom was too bright. So I migrated to the sofa in the living room. But the sofa was too soft. So I rolled onto the floor. Squished snugly between the coffee table and sofa I thought I had found my spot. Unfortunately, I am a side sleeper and the ground was too hard. I can't sleep. I can't go to work. I am restless. I have already itemized my goodwill donation, played with the angry birds app, downloaded the new taylor swift album, made rice for dinner, planned everything I want to buy at Target (Toy Story 3 comes out today!) and Safeway for when I am ready to drive and be around other people.

Time to go lie down and... stay there.

Orange Orange Everywhere!

[My posts keep getting later and later...]

I was so excited about last week's theme because currently, orange and black in the bay area don't mean Halloween, it is ALL about the SF Giants.

When the SF Giants were playing the Phillies, who were apparently the top-ranked team.
That Thursday WOULD have been epic if the Giants won because it would have meant they were going to the world series. We trekked up to the city to watch the game and be present for festivities JUST IN CASE they DID win. But they did not. Good thing I took pictures before the game. Because after the game, the sky was drizzling and the city's mood was somber.

It's amazing how a team of few people can unite such a variety of fans.
People can overlook differences and unite for ONE cause.

I love the spirit.

The good news is they DID win the game on Saturday.
2010 World Series was SF Giants vs. Texas Rangers.
A battle of the underdogs. I love it.
Tonight the SF Giants won that too.
 
There is a parade tomorrow but I am still recovering.

Harvest.

[from Saturday]

It's one of those dreary, horrible Saturdays because it's raining outside.
Except it isn't. It may be cold and dark outside but it sure is warm and cheery inside.
The roommates decided to go all out on a southern comfort style breakfast. Bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, grits and all. I had to leave early to go celebrate my dad's birthday at a buffet. Sigh. I and my little bellow are not made for buffets.

The seasons changed so quickly. I was wearing tanktops last week and suddenly the sky remembered it was suppose to be fall and began to mourn the end of summer by sending down tears of rain. The sky wasn't whimpering tears, it was bawling.

But rain also means life (or green things).
My stepmother's tomato plants use to be wee weed-like beings and now they have transformed into bushes bearing little beings of life. I hope my herb plants can be just as fruitful.

Cooking Creations.

The kitchen and I have never been terribly close.
Whenever I attempted to make anything, things never went quite according to plan.
Making mac and cheese set a dish towel on fire. Heating a pop tart set a fire in the toaster oven. Those types of things...

But restrictions can change people.
Not allowed to cook for two years, I now want to cook EVERYTHING.

I have been following a blog called Closet Cooking.
I want to make every recipe on it.

 Carmelized Mushroom and Onion Pizza

I couldn't find an puff pastry so I just threw it on pita bread with alfredo sauce.

Ingredients: pita bread. onion. mushroom. parsley. gorgonzola.

My Additions: alfredo sauce. mozzarella.

This is such a great way to make delicious caramelized onion and mushroom that can be used for anything. I want to try it with mashed potatoes next.

-1- Heat 1tbsp oil. 

-2- Add 1 onion chopped and cook till caramelize (~20min) 

-3- Add 1tbsp butter and melt. 

-4- Add 1 pound chopped mushroom and saute till caramelize (~20min) 

-5- Add 1 chopped clove of garlic and 1/2 tsp thyme chopped. 

-6- Season with salt and pepper. 

-7- Add 1/4 cup white wine. Deglaze and cook until evaporate.

Then... just throw everything on pita and bake in toaster oven or microwave.

Spinach Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Food processors are awesome! Pesto making is such a breeze.

Herbal Chicken Soup

Everyone around me was sick with something. So just for preventative measures I asked my mother for her herbal chicken soup. Too bad I couldn't find any of her suggested ingredients.

Mom's Ingredients: organic chicken. 15 slices of ginseng.

My Ingredients: black chicken. ginger. wolfberries.

 Cut up chicken. Throw all ingredients into pot and cook in 4 cups of water. 

Let simmer for a very long time. I left it in slow cooker over night. Drink the broth. Not bad.

No Pictures.

I seemed to have misplaced my camera cord during all the moving.
It isn't that I would mindlessly toss something so important aside,
I strategically placed it in the front pocket of my black backpack.
You see, I know exactly where the cord is. The problem is the backpack.

My weekend did NOT go as planned. It was even BETTER than expected.
But I do not have the pictures to show you.
So I will tell you.

Friday was supposed to be a chill movie night --> and turned into a surprise birthday people for two of the nicest people I know.
That's something I love about living in a house with a little extra space. You can fit guests in that little extra space.

Saturday was supposed to be game night with the new church --> and turned into a double date-like night with the pastor and his wife.
I imagined board games and cocoa. We had wine, Mexican cocoa (it comes in a bar), and a whole lot of Xbox action.

Sunday was supposed to be a daylong birthday celebration with ONE of my favoritest people --> and well.. you can read about it in an earlier post. I thought I would get to recycle the birthday balloons and hat from Friday but they are still eagerly waiting in my trunk for the next birthday boy/girl. I got to see TWO people I rarely get to see! Except this week I get to see this rare person THREE times!

Tonight may be epic. Let me emphasize. E-P-I-C.
If you are from the Bay Area you might be there too.
If tonight goes well, I hope I find my camera cord soon so I can share it with you.
[Note: President Obama is in the area today too. Avoid 101 at all costs.]

Falling into place.

I have always dreamed of living in the city. It would be so fun and exciting. There are so many people and things to do. Every moment would be a new experience.

I spent all day today in the city and in light of my new experiences from today, I am sooooo glad I do NOT live in the city because I am NOT a city driver. First, there was a 49ers game meaning one word... traffic. Yes, those ideals of fun and a plethora people culminate into a herd of people seeking a fun day at candlestick park storming the freeways and clogging up the roads for innocent passerby-ers like me. Although I admit I would love to go to a game someday. 

So many things fell into place so that my childhood friend and I were able to meet up this morning before my predesignated plans. This meeting felt fated. Despite the traffic (and a few detours) everything went rather smoothly. I took her to my favorite bakery (introduced to me by my brother) and despite being near Church Street (with at least 2 churches at every intersection) was miraculously able to find an awesome parking spot. I was beaming with excitement for this place. A cute, chatty elderly lady behind kept commenting about the line out the door and asked me if it was really worth the wait. I told her I had driven up all the way from South Bay just for the A-mAzing chocolate croissants and I overheard all her friends ordering it. I hoped they liked them as much as I did.

My lunch plans were for a dimsum place to celebrate my lovely friend's birthday. The evite did not include an address so I quickly googled the place before leaving bright and early. Search result #1 listed a place in Milbrae. Perfect! Only one exit away from the airport. So I drove my friend out of the city and delivered her to SFO. That is when the perfect morning ended and my day began to spiral downwards. After dropping off my friend I curse the macchiato and giant glass of water I had drank because my bladder was on overdrive demanding bathroom stops about every five minutes. The clouds began to trickle rain, just to remind me I shouldn't have drank so many liquids. Rainy days also make me sleepy so my sleep-deprivation kicked in. I stopped at a gas station in Milbrae, realized my phone was beeping that horrible red, you-have-no-more battery light and discovered the restaurant was not in Milbrae. Somehow everyone knew which restaurant it was... the one back in the city. Yes, I was sleepy, stressed, and on the verge of no communication with the purpose of my venture.

I finally arrived to the restaurant 1.5 hours late. Everyone was done eating. I was starved but nauseous and frazzled from being honked at by those city drivers (why are there so many unprotected turns? apparently i am not aggressive enough for those) and struggling to find parking and running into a YMCA to beg for bathroom privileges and that sleep deprivation thing I mentioned earlier. (I was up at 5am.) But who am I to complain? The birthday girl was up even earlier than I for a marathon and was having an allergic reaction to herself and was as chirpy as that silly rabbit when he gets his hands on some Trix (prior to the mean kids who don't share). I marvel at marathon runners. Being 1.5 hours late, everyone was done eating and were ready to get on with the days activities. Next up, a musical in downtown. I ordered some chive buns to go which somehow ended up taking 15 minutes. 15 minutes in Chinese dimsum restaurant time is like 1237937589275987519205792180 years. Usually things are out in a snap. I felt so terrible for making us late to the musical. I am a musical fanatic but today I had a hard time keeping my eyes open. This was serious. I decided it was best to head back home before I fell asleep driving up a hill so me and my ready-to-present birthday present and birthday balloons and leftover chive buns headed home... straight into traffic because now the 49ers game was over and people were heading home.

Sigh.

BUT prior to leaving the parking lot I got a taste of one of those most oily, delicious chive buns. I basically stuffed it into my mouth because my nauseousness level decreased enough to allow eating. As I contemplated eating another bun while driving, I saw a man next to the freeway holding a "Starvin Marvin" sign. I took one more whiff of those delicious chive buns and passed it off to the man. If I had not gone to the wrong city, if I had not arrive 1.5 hours late and if I had not waited those 15 minutes of anguish for those chive buns I would not have had any to share. And if I had not been so tired to leave straight from the musical and if I had followed directions properly thus not requiring a detour, there would have been no Starvin Marvin to share my chive buns with. And if I had not been honked at and so frustrated with parking I would not have called Jbear the moment I returned to suburbia to thank him for always driving in the city while I cling to the I-See-My-Life-Flashing-Before-My-Eyes handle and make anime noises. And if it hadn't rained and been so cold I would not be as appreciative for my winter clothes and bed as I am now.

Perhaps my day went exactly the way it should have, everything falling into perfect place.
Maybe where I am now is exactly where I should be.

Plans change.

I accept that.

My engine light has been consistently on for the past two days. Maybe Chevron just isn't good enough for my car so I fed it some Shell. Then I found out I'm not supposed to mix different types. Darn! I just got an oil change last week. Now my car is going to eat all my sorbet money and I made plans to spend my Saturday sitting in the dealership waiting room... sorbet-less. Just when I thought I was going to experience another unfortunate string of trips to multiple mechanics, the light disappeared. Yes! I am thankful plans change. [It keeps me on my twinkle toes.]

This weekend I'm planning
a dash of this

So'fella pumpkin spice bars.
Now at Cost Plus World Market.

a dab of that

how to train your dragon.
blockbuster express kiosk code: DRGN1 (10/15 only)

hopefully a smidge of this
[sorbet]

a pinch of that

 

 i hope i don't get stuck playing xbox.
am i the only one that finds sports games dreary?

perhaps a second helping of this

Zzzzz...

[sleep]

and a large dallop of friends.

But if my plans change.
I will be okay with it.

The Pacific Northwest

Why is it called "The Pacific Northwest"?
I've never heard of "The Atlantic Northeast", it's usually "New England".

Perhaps they should name it "New Narnia" because venturing into Oregon or Washington is like stepping into a foreign fairy tale setting. The sky is filled with majestic clouds. Clouds hang low and mingle amongst the trees. Houses and signs of human life are tucked away, hidden away by thick clusters of trees. Actually, everywhere you look are trees. Even on the license plates.

There are some distinctions between California and Oregon. 

Can you guess which pictures are from which state?

Hint: Oregon rains (a lot).

My week. My world.

This week has been a bit... crazy.

On Saturday, my father and stepmom cooked a family dinner. My dad bought lobster. Real live lobsters. This is not normal. I think the special occasion was a combination of my stepmom returning from taking care of her mother, my stepsister beginning her first post-college job, my brother being in town and me finally moving out. I'm not sure which item was the tipping point that upgraded family dinner from a trip to Sweet Tomatoes to making lobster, but I'm thinking he's pretty excited about the last one. When I asked him where he learned how to cook lobster he admitted he didn't. But, he DID eat some good lobster in Boston earlier this year. What a guy. No recipe. No instructional. Just gut instinct. I was impressed.

Sunday's move was a success for the most part. I had a minor panic attack Saturday night/early Sunday morning when my dad asked me about the truck rental. I forgot what the prices were and told him rental was only $20 for the first hour and $40 for each additional hour. He kept telling me I really messed up and was making a big mistake. My dad makes me very nervous sometimes. I didn't mention to him it was first-come-first-serve, no reservations. There are some things people who worry a lot don't need to know. I prayed. I woke up at 6am. I got a got a truck for $19.95 for 75 minutes and $10 for each additional hour (not $40). My faithful, sleep-deprived friends showed up at pre-bright but very early at 7:30am to help. There was a Starbucks right next to the Home Depot. All my furniture fit in the truck and was moved in one trip. This move cost less than $100. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

My brother left Sunday night and returned back to the other side of the world. I am assuming I will not be seeing him for another year unless he gets invited to another wedding. Things are definitely not the same now but I am so happy I got to see him for the short time he was here. Is it normal to be this ecstatic that your family member talked to you? I'm still giddy. I tried so hard to stay awake and alert after the morning move and then church and then a giant sleep-inducing wet burrito and then church prep for next week and then more moving... but then my body decided I was a terrible master and revolted by going into hibernation mode so I was unable to drive my brother to the airport. He said it was okay and to get some rest. I stayed up doing homework for my class.

Monday was the day I gave up trying to add a class late. It the day I skipped class and then found out later it was still possible to add classes past the deadline. Monday was also the day my friends surprised me for lunch and the day I decided to go to the post office in the morning and the day I left my phone charging at work and the day I almost witnessed intentional manslaughter. Lunch was good. The drive back from the post office was not. In the 2 miles from the post office to work my naive heart was shattered. The one day I leave my phone at work to charge is the day it would have been most helpful. Luckily, other people have phones. I was driving back to work and saw fire out of the corner of my eye. I turned and saw a van rammed into a light pole with its front engine area on fire. A man running as quick as the wind with all his might away from the scene. Another man from a car ahead of me running toward the scene hollering something. I thought he was going to run after the van driver who was quickly escaping. This was all terribly confusing because I don't normally see fire and the van was facing the wrong direction and was on top something and I've never seen someone run so fast. Then I noticed what the brave man was running towards. Caught under the fiery front of the van lay a cube of shiny metal. That cube was a motorcycle lying on its side. Still in sitting position on the motorcycle was a police officer. Caught under the blazing van. Still wearing his spotless, shiny white helmet.

I stared in rubbernecker shock. Do you ever dream about what you would do in a situation when someone's life is at stake? Do you dream of putting yourself in harms way and being the hero that saves the day? Do you run away? Or do you freeze in a sudden panic? Apparently, I am a freezer. I froze but my car rolled on. And almost hit the car in front of my who had abruptly stopped. My first reaction was purely a product of Hollywood. I admit it was terribly selfish. This scene looked like a product of Hollywood. So don't all its Hollywood norms apply? Once a car crashes and catches on fire, it will inevitably create a mushroom cloud explosion and all those still alive in its vicinity will shield their charred faces from the sun and say something vengeful. At this point I was directly across the street from the accident and my first thought was to get further away in case the blazing car explodes and shoots pieces of scrap metal in every direction. (I now know only cars with gunpowder and explosives inside will perform such feats.) My second thought was rather selfish too. Call the police. People like me don't know how to deal with these situations. This is not my world. Oh how I wish I secretly moonlight as an EMT or even knew CPR or first aid. But I don't. So let the authorities do their job. I've been saying that quite a bit lately, "this is not my world". When something feels too foreign and unfamiliar I give myself this affirmation as if its an excuse to excuse myself from the situation. Unfortunately, it isn't. The world isn't filled with just rainbows and butterflies and yummy things to eat, it's a fallen world where evil dwells as well. Our world is not perfect and our defining moments include how we choose to deal with those imperfections.

No one ever told exactly what to do in a situation like this. They don't prepare you for this in school. Acing a calculus test seems less significant in the grand scheme of living life. As I drifted away in daze I saw the blur of oncoming police car lights responding to their call. I turned around, prayed for the officer under the van and the man who had fled the scene, and returned to the scene of the crime. As of yesterday, I learned the driver was apprehended in LA and the police officer received surgery on his leg and foot at a local hospital and will soon be (unless he has been) released. You can read more about this incident here.

Monday was also my first night at the new place. The new place is beginning to feel less like my friend's home and more like my own. I have slept a total of 4 nights there and each day I wake up a little later. I want to stay in bed longer. I am growing more comfortable with my surroundings.

The rest of the week was filled with work and small group and moving and smitten kitchen's mushroom lasagna and Glee and a rainbow and the last book club meeting and exploring the church office and thai food and an awesome tiramasu cake and hugs and healing. Happy Friday!

Flowers cry too.

I received a bundle of flowers 2 weeks ago.

They were supposed to go to someone else but ended up with me.

I don't mind. Flowers are always a wonderful surprise.

After a whirlwind weekend (post coming), 

I came back to be entranced by a droplet on the stigma of one of the flowers.

As if the flower cried a beautiful, silent tear in my absence.

If you remember elementary school that protruding gland in the middle of the flower is called the stigma. (I'm not sure why I always remember that.) The stigma is releases droplets of sugary liquid and the pollen will stick to it when a pollen-carrying bird or bee or me brushes by and thus pollinate the flower.

Another surprise during my trip,

look what I found growing in front of a gas station in Oregon!

lavender.

a sweet-smelling surprise.

I was taking a picture of the area and smelled their fragrant aroma and found them by my feet.

Why would these be here along this lonely road?

Perhaps they stayed for the view.

"I am not a weed," the flower replied, sweetly. -The Little Prince

Sunday/Saturday Signs

{Let's go backwards. Sunday...}

Sunday was an exciting day!

Jbear and I have been attending a few meetings for a new church plant. 

After months of preparation, it was opening day.

This past Sunday was the first service for Jesus the Recreator!

I can't believe how smoothly everything went. Everything pretty much exceeded my expectations. Praise God for everything coming together! The church hopes to reach out to different ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds so Pastor Abel found a facility in downtown San Jose. We are renting from the Roosevelt Community Center. Amidst some older neighborhoods the city has built a gem of a park. The facility was gorgeous, the worship music was diverse but the musicians are so talented they can pull off any style, the message was great, and the food was delicious. I admit I was very hesitant about becoming involved in another church when I feel as if I haven't yet experienced all that my current church has to offer, but I am so glad I did.

Check it out on facebook.

Jesus the Recreator Covenant Church

AND...
despite helping out with lunch and staying to clean up, we were able to make it back to GRX for (the end) of Fall Launch. My beloved small group. Sometimes you can have it all, with flan.

 

{On Saturday}

After an amazing Pho breakfast at Cong Ly,
our little trio went to a park in attempts to burn off the filet mignon meat and endless noodles.
Actually, the plan was to go for a hike. But hike easily turns into eating LARGEst bowl of noodles available and taking pictures at the park.

I wish I could start all mornings like this. Yes, I got a LARGE.

Oh what a beautiful Saturday morning.

As we left the park I noticed this sign... then found out my future residence is just around the corner.
What a pleasant surprise.

YouCapture

Pulling out the cushion.

 Do not worry about tomorrow for today has enough worries of its own.

I am finally leaving the nest and venturing back into the world of rent and utility bills. Although I am excited to live with people my own age and new friends and FINALLY have FREEDOM! in kitchen once again, I'm a bit scared. When I first graduated college, my brother, who was one of those handsomely rewarded "I live at work" investment bankers, looked down at my (fraction of his earnings) salary and asked me how I expected to survive, I responded "well I better get used to PB&J sandwiches". I saw it as a good opportunity to force myself to simplify my life. Fortunately, I decided to not rush into living with craigslist strangers and moved with my dad, temporarily. Lucky me had a cushion of what I was supposed to pay in rent to save or spend semi-frivolously (mostly on classes) AND visiting my wonderful grandpa only meant a one-minute walk AND I got to spend some time with my dad to get to know him better than I did in my childhood. Unfortunately, "temporarily" turned into over two years and I grew accustomed to my own bathroom, hanging my laundry in that bathroom, sticking holes in my walls, living two-minutes from the freeway, not cooking and that slightly cushy cushion.

They say rent should not be more than 30% (or 30-35% if you a place with a high-standard of living, aka CA) of your income. I feel so fortunate that my future housemates were able to bargain down the price of the house. Yet fear comes around for a surprise visit and pounces on me. You know that gnawing fear of the unknown? That let's come up with every worst case-scenario possible type of feeling. I've been thinking about setting aside money for love opportunities. If I do, I am really going to need to do some tight budgeting and lots of discipline.

Lately, I've been running into more people outside of stores asking for money. People that don't seem much different from me. They are clean, well-dressed and don't have a disability or drug problem or mental illness to blame for being down on their luck.  They recently lost their jobs, have rent to pay and usually have kids to feed. How far would you have to be pushed to start asking strangers for help? It must be a humbling experience. I was looking on craigslist for housing a few weeks ago and came across a post from a former banker who found himself in a place he never expected. Laid off and unsure what to do with himself, you could hear the desperation in his plea for a good Samaritan to provide him housing for a $200/mo. Oh how I wish I owned a home with lots of rooms to house all of them. I bet none of them expected to find themselves so vulnerable.

I never know how to respond to people asking for money. During freshman orientation the police representative told us the homeless had many services available to them and if we were to give them money it would probably be spent unnecessary things. I had a discussion with Jbear and his thinking is if you give to people who do it full-time you are enabling them to continue a lifestyle that doesn't contribute to society. But what about people who have to pay rent NOW and are still waiting to hear back from job prospects? Can you really know a person's situation without getting to know the person's situation? I think the time you are least likely to get meaningful help is when the person you are asking is in a rush to get somewhere. That has been me in most situations. I hope for change.

The one with the (not) taco trucks.

Lately people seemed to have upped their standards on fast food. Not only do we want it fast, but we want something beyond burgers and fries. We want variety. We want quality.

I had a food festival Saturday last week. Taiwanese Kids Day in Cupertino in the morning. Then we headed to Oakland. In an area around here.

To Eat Real.

Why pay rent when you can go mobile?
Here are some of my favorites.

Taco Guys. Maui Taco.
We saw a line waiting while the truck was closed and we figured this would be a good place to try.

El Porteno. Best Empanadas I've ever had.
(meat. good. bananas + caramel. amazing.)

Scream Sorbet. I had the pistachio.
Apparently, they were big on the farmers market circuit. They will be opening up an Oakland location near Bakesale Betty's. I am excited for both.

Sam's Chowder Mobile. The bread used in the lobster roll is so thick and buttery it reminds me of Texas toast. Clam chowder was still good a few days later.

Some various other things. Fried cactus. Various types of fried chicken (OB Town still wins my vote). Chairman Bao Buns (fried tofu was my favorite). They were all pretty good. But the the $3-5 price tag could be a bit debatable.

Another sunny day in cal-i-for-ni-a.

Beat-the-heat mints.

Did it suddenly become summer? Even in my cubicle afternoons feel so much warmer. Unfortunately, my office doesn't have ice to cool the readily available slightly-cooler-than-room-temperature water. How does one deal with such a dilemma?

Did you know that you have thermoreceptors all over and they are the part of your nervous system that detects changes in temperature? (unless, you are experiencing painful temperatures, that is something else)

Did you know some of these thermoreceptors are specific to cold and some to warm?

Did you know according to 2008 study involving a cat, scientists found...

"Aqueous menthol solutions of 1: 10,000 lead to strong stationary discharge of the tongue's cold receptors at constant warm temperatures at which there without menthol is no discharge. At lower temperatures at which the cold receptors are stationary discharging without menthol, this substance produces a great increase of the stationary cold impulse frequency."

HENSEL, H. and ZOTTERMAN, Y. (1951), The Effect of Menthol on the Thermoreceptors. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 24: 27–34. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1951.tb00824.x

When I was in school, my teacher said scientists think that capsaicin (what makes peppers spicy, burning hot) make you feel hot via those heat thermoreceptors (along with the pain receptors) and menthol (that freshmaker found in peppermint and mint oils which is found in gum/mints and tingly facial creams) may activate those cool thermoreceptors.

it says ice on the package.

Good Idea: Pop in a mint or chew some peppermint gum (especially try to get some of the mint on the back of the mouth towards the throat). Take a swig of that slightly-cooler-than-room-temperature water. Refreshing.

Bad Idea: Do NOT do this with ice water. Remember those pain receptors I mentioned? They activate with extreme coldness too.

A few days ago my coworker commented we have been out of school so long that some of the things we were taught in college may now be obsolete. It is inevitable, but I still have a stash of mints and gum in my purse. Perfect for days like these.

What's in a name?

I had dinner last week with a group of women, of whom I was the youngest.

Post-dinner we sat around snacking on rice krispie treats and sharing one of those insightful, open-hearted conversations you'd expect at Friday Night Knitting Club (except this was a Thursday). The conversation turned to last names. Majority of the women were married and had children or were soon expecting. I was surprised to discover the number of mixed race marriages around the table. One woman is Korean and married a Mexican man, one woman is Mexican and married a Caucasian man, and one Caucasian woman married a Vietnamese man. Each woman adopted her husbands last name. No hyphenations. They simply too up their new names despite clearly being from a background far from the surnames origins. They brought up funny stories about mispronunciations, awkward moments and gave a peek into their new family's family gatherings. Although each woman genuinely loves her husband and accepts their new families, each expressed a sense of lost identity with the loss of their maiden names. Each has an American first name so without the Korean or Mexican last name, who would know? I admit, a Caucasian woman with a Very Vietnamese last name would still probably give me a bit of a surprise if she was my nurse or teacher. One woman added her former last name as her middle name to regain a bit of her history.

One Chinese woman married a Chinese man but stayed adamant on keeping her maiden name and still remains firm. In Chinese culture, the continuation of the last name is of greatest importance. It is the reason why sons are so prized. They are the ones to carry on the family name. My father is the only son after a long line of sisters. I think my very traditional grandmother must have sighed a great sigh of relief when she finally had my father. My brother, my only brother, was always her favorite. I never knew until after her death that she always carried pictures of him in her purse. When my grandfather passed them back to my brother I wondered if she had pictures of me hidden somewhere. I had always hoped I was both of their favorites since I had spent the most time with them. Tradition and culture tends to win out in many situations. I remember reading somewhere before that if the woman came from a wealthier, more prestigious family the newlyweds would adopt her last name rather than the groom's. Carrying on a last name is tied to family honor.

I like my last name. It is short, simple, has meaning and is seemingly rare.
I never gave it much thought because it always felt like mine.
Names identify us from birth on our birth certificates, on teachers' attendance sheets, by nicknames classmates and friends call us, on the degree we gladly accept at graduation and at death on our tombstones.

Could you imagine having any other name?

Daily Deals

Heard of Groupon?

Sites just like it are popping up all over the place. Great marketing tools for small local businesses. These short term limited deals give great offers for people to try out different foods or or activities. Last week, I was excited about the start of Zozi. They were giving away $500,000 worth of free activities. I got a couple of referrals which was super exciting because now I know there are others I can go kayaking with. So here are a few others. Let me know if you get something!

Groupon

The most popular. The recently featured a $25 for $50 worth of merchandise from GAP stores. Looks like major retailers are interested in this marketing tool. Duration: 24 hours. Referrals: $10

Living Social

Apparently this site gets the most number of unique visitors. San Jose isn't up yet, but San Francisco is up and running. Duration: 24 hours. Referrals: refer 3 people to buy the same deal and get it for free.

Daily Dealster

I just got Golfland deal for 4 rounds of golf and 100 tokens. This site provides discounts through packages. Get a discount on 4 car washes, 4 rounds of golf, etc. They sure do like the number four. Duration: 24 hours. Referrals: $10.

Bloomspot

This site has a little bit of everything all at the same time. Hotels, spas, restaurants, etc.
Things tend to be a bit pricier since they seem to go for the luxury crowd.

Plum District

Duration: 24 hours. Location: San Jose & South Bay. Referrals: you get $5.

KGB Deals

This site started off with $4 AMC tickets. They are finally up and running.

FreshGuide
I haven't used this one before but they always have ads on Slickdeals.
Location: San Francisco. Referrals: $10.

Zozi

More focused on local activities. Duration: one week. Referrals: we both get $10.

Food - pork stuffed tomatoes

You can never talk about food too much... can you?
Another NA creation.


Pork Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients:
_1 lb ground pork
_1 stalk scallions (fancy name for green onion)
_roma tomatoes
_ketchup
_oil


1. Cut tomatoes in half. Spoon out innards of tomatoes and save for sauce. (These are tough times. You need to be resourceful dontcha know?)

2. Chop up scallions and mix with ground pork.

3. Roll pork mixture into ball and put into gutted tomatoes. (refer to picture)

4. Put oil in pan and fry the stuffed tomatoes on both sides until meat is cooked and tomatoes have that semi-soft wrinkly texture.

this is a bit of waiting game.

tomatoes waiting to dive in.

MEANWHILE...

onto the SAUCE!

5. Mix tomato innards with ketchup until its a thicker but still runny consistency

6. When stuffed tomatoes are done cooking. Remove from heat. Pour the sauce all over.

This kind of reminds me of grilled tomatoes in Middle Eastern food. Squishy tomatoes are good with rice. Especially fried rice. I like to break up the stuffed tomatoes and mix it with the rice so it's a giant blob. A delicious blob.