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Tin Cans and Twine

Saigon, Vietnam - Day 4 (Wednesday)

I'm having a hard time communicating with folks back at home, but it's probably better that way. I guess all it takes a few thousand miles, a differences in time zone, and a dial up connection to create communication gaps that rival the Grand Canyon. Of course, in some cases it's more than just those barriers. Funny how it happens that when you really want to keep in contact with people these barriers are negligible. Part of me is glad for the quiet solitude.

Still, this sort of lonely is pretty insettling. I'm surrounded by people who care about me, but wishing for a deep philosophical, spiritual, emotional connection (Further comments about my primal instincts for something physical can wait for another time or blog post). What's even more weird is that instead of finding Vietnam revolting because of this out-of-sorts feeling, I want to stay longer. The challenge to overcome it is really appealing.

Anyway, I have pictures to upload but I'll wait until I have a faster connection at an internet cafe to put them up. Just the usual: food, family, fun and Tiger Beer.

Side note: I really want to learn how to play the bass and want my first performance to be a song with the same name as this blog post. I just need the rest of the band.

Cook an entire holiday meal, check.

This was my vegan/vegetarian version of a turkey. Stuffed Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin).


Soy-brined citrus turkey. It turned out a little undercooked, but delicious after 45 more minutes in the oven. Yay. Turkey for days! Turkey porridge, turkey sandwiches, turkey salads.


Apple-chestnut/walnut stuffing. I made it with a mix of whole wheat and challah breads. It was great.


Mashed potatoes and gravy (neither from a powder mix), and buttery Brussel sprouts with pine nuts.


Vegetable ratatouille (not a winner), mushroom couscous.

I did not have the time or energy to get the apple pie out for Thanksgiving Dinner, and I was relieved when my cousin came bearing a pumpkin pie for dessert! Heroism is still appreciated even if it is unintentional.

Revolving Door - This Thursday!

While my parents' house is not quite a prison (reference 1988 presidential campaign), and not quite a modern skyscraper, I would like to invite people through the figurative revolving door. I am making a Thanksgiving feast for my family in Chino Hills. And since I'm making a meat dish and dishes with onions and garlic in them, my parents will need help eating it from more than just my brothers. Even if it's just to make a plate and run or if you need a place to hang out, I'd love to see you. Starting at 4pm, stop on by if you happen to be in the area... before your next party or after your seventh Thanksgiving meal, it doesn't matter.

After Thursday, I get to cross off one more item from my List- to cook an entire holiday meal. I'm usually good in the kitchen so the food should turn out ok.

Tentative Menu
Soy Brined Citrus Turkey
Squash/Pumpkin with veggie stuffing
Vegetable Ratatouille
Brown-Butter Green Beans with Pine Nuts
Sweet Potato French Fries
Mushroom Couscous
Jasmine rice
Homemade Apple pie (yes, folks homemade)

Wines and beer
Soda


I'll make sure to have the board games out, except I think I'm missing my Scrabble set(s).

If I wasn't saving money...

It would have been nice to go to the Caetano Veloso concert last night in Pasadena. The Brazilian composer and singer is apparently rockin out with some youngsters on his new album. Could have used the adrenaline boost from live and loud drums and guitars.

My friend, who is teaching English in Japan, wants to provide me shelter, take me to really cool thrift stores (including one in Harajuku), and teach me some Japanese words if I visit her.

It's sunny again and my car could use a tint job.

Yikes! I have only today to use my Spend $50, get $25 off coupon for Express. What a deal...

There are several dozen things on my list that lie within my reach.

ALAS!

I need to plan for an impending drop in income and change in status- back to being a poor student. Hey, the LA fitness job now becomes prefect for me! (See previous post)

Just me and My Car

Look up road conditions on I-15, check.
First road trip alone through Nevada, Utah, the corner of Idaho, Wyoming... on the way to Bozeman. I was kinda freaked out, but I'm starting to feel better about things. The mental prep was a great challenge and distraction--been needing plenty of those lately.

Pack up plenty of snacks, knitting, and trashy magazines, check. (including Men's Health--interesting read!)
I can't wait until the Trader Joe's opens in Chino Hills!

Borrow friend's GPS Navigation
The main reason I feel safer.

Search friendly places to stop, check. (Vegas, Provo, West Yellowstone)
I've picked tourist cities and a university town that have high chances or having ever seen an Asian person... and people who may be friendly to a non-in-state resident.

Told about a dozen people that I'd call them from the road.
If you get a call from me, thanks in advance for answering or receiving the text. That way, if something happens to me, at least one person will be able to track the last place I stopped.

Said I love you to the people I love.
Very important.

The Last Hoorah

Another potential hash mark on my list of things to do is to follow a budget. This starts tomorrow. Today I went on a shopping spree... spent about $250 on a combination of boots, shirts, pair of socks, and gift. In one day.

My last hoorah I must call it. This cannot continue.

I finally figured out a way to curb my shopping habit. I've been trying to for several years. This one's a three-pronged approach. First, I will be budgeting all of my income and setting aside a modest $50 per month for personal-items shopping, which includes clothes, shoes, accessories, electronics, and miscellaneous and not-absolutely-necessary items. Second, I will not carry around my credit card. Third, (and here is where I will need help) I will need 2-3 volunteers to serve as my approval board for these so-called personal items. I should be setting this $50 aside to go toward my laptop, so I will need an approval board (a.k.a. nagging reminder people) to help me remember how much I want this laptop. I'd nominate my mother, but I think that will be so effective it will hurt. I would also like to nominate the BF. But he hates nagging and thus hates to nag. I guess I will have to ask my brothers...

If that does not work, I guess I have to try it the old-fashioned way.

With willpower.

BTW, I passed up multiple offers to help eat people's kalbi today. Though it was tough, it felt good to say no. Let's see how this anti-shopaholism system pans out.

Goodbye Kalbi

so one of the items on the list is to re-become a vegetarian. i had been a vegetarian for a couple of years for 3 reasons, not really all the same importance and not the always the same priority at any given moment: religion, environment and health. on one day my health could have trumped the environment and on another, being a good Buddhist could have taken priority over my health and countering global warming, and so on, so forth, etc... at least it all resulted in the same outcome-- i didn't eat meat or seafood.

TODAY marks the day i start making active baby-steps toward attacking this goal on the list. no more red meat. i could have squeezed in one more shaken beef or Korean bbq dish, but if i did that i would end up giving myself extensions for years. the time is now... and it is a baby step after all.

wish me luck.

100 Things I want to do before motherhood

So the right-hand side of the page is where I'm going to keep track of "the list." My friend Jeannie encouraged me to start and keep this list and the blog will help me stick to it. Lots of people have lists of things they want to do before they die--people write books about it. Like this one. And this one.

My list has a twist. It's not that my life is going to end when I have children, but it will definitely be organized differently. It also does not mean that these things must happen before I become a mother. I recognize that when I have kids, my [already existent] insticts will kick in and my life will be thrown into sort of a maternal martyrdom where I'll feel more or less guilty for indulging in selfish pleasures.

If I do not achieve some of the things on this list before Kim, Jr. comes along, it is not the end of the world. There are several things on the list that I definitely do not want to do after I have children, but most can be transferred to the "Things I want to accomplish after I retire" list.

If you haven't already guessed, I like lists.