Happy birthday to my mom! I’ve written about how stupendous she is before, so I won’t go into detail again, but she’s really somebody to be admired. I mean really parents in general are pretty amazing (particularly mine :-D). They’ve worked so hard to bring me to this country and provide me with a comfortable upbringing. I’ve never had to worry about anything serious because they’ve set me up for a path of success. I can hardly believe how fortunate I am with everything I get – parents who aren’t overbearing, who teach me enough but let me learn on my own too, who show their love for me in all sorts of ways, who are always there if I need them, who allowed me to grow up in this country, who set fantastic examples of what it is to work hard and be a good person… they’re great in every way.
Posts Tagged ‘experiences’
365great Day 260: parents
Meet & greet
Today’s a pretty momentous day in the history of my life. For most people it’s just another Black Friday, but in my world it’s also my mom’s birthday and the first time my parents and Panda’s parents met.
It started off as a nice lazy day – I woke up around 9 and lay in bed playing games on my phone for a good two hours. Missy came to find me at one point and napped by my side as I enjoyed lounging in bed. Eventually, my mom came up to discuss stuff for a bank account I’m opening and I wished her a happy birthday. She’d forgotten it was today, as usual. For the past couple of years, she probably wouldn’t have known when her birthday was if I didn’t remind her. 😛 I went through the mail that was waiting for me from my time away and went downstairs to join everyone for lunch.
Saw a rainbow on our drive!
After sitting around for a bit to chat with my mom and catch random bits of the show my dad was watching, I decided it was time to head off to Chase, where I was going to open a savings account. That turned out to be a bit of a disaster (offer had expired but I called in weeks ago to make sure to lock it in… and they had no record of it) and an hour later, I only kind of sorted it out. Oh well, I did the best I could and I might still get the offer. Sometimes I really hate large organizations. How do I ever get to the person who can actually help me? Bleh. From there, I had hoped to swing by the stores for a quick look around at the Black Friday deals, but it was time to go home to get ready for our trip out to Panda’s parents’ place. My parents, cousin, and cousin’s friend all came along for the festivities. 🙂
I made sure to get crab and shrimp!
At Panda’s, his parents and brother were there with him to meet us. My cousin had met his family before and we’d both met each others’ parents, but the parents had not met each other. Back when Panda was graduating with his Master’s degree, my parents had hoped to attend but were ultimately unable to. Little did I know that would be the very day we got engaged! Too bad my parents weren’t there for that. Since then, this was the first time we got a chance to all gather. We sat in the living room and the adults chatted about a variety of things, including their histories and us kids. After nearly an hour, we did a tour of the house and headed off to dinner.
The hot & sour soup was a mushroom-lovers dream! NOM
Throughout the night, the parents seemed to have plenty to talk about. They got along quite well and had many common threads, including the immigrant experience, being engineers, and of course being Chinese. I got a chance to catch up with Panda’s brother, who is working down in San Diego now. We had all sorts of filling food and stayed for nearly 3 hours! It went so much better than I could have hoped for and I think we all had a great time. Now his parents aren’t some mysterious phantoms that my parents need to imagine and both sides have a sense of what the other family is like. I think the way I describe his family doesn’t do them justice, so my parents had a skewed view of what they might be like. Now they can see for themselves and it was encouraging that we all enjoyed each others’ company. We are very different, yet share enough culturally and experience-wise that it’s wonderful.
Home for Thanksgiving!
Happy Turkey Day! I’m thankful to be home. 🙂
It was a strange feeling yesterday to show up to work with half the office out, then work a short day. I left around 4:30 and ended up taking a nap when I got home. I woke up about two hours later and tried to get some work done. Between attempting to blog, chatting with Panda, and getting distracted by the news, I had a busy night. Before I knew it, the night had passed me by and Panda was settling in for some shuteye before our flight. I kept working and at 3:30 I decided that it wasn’t worth it to try to sleep, so I took a shower and started to get ready. I pretty much had nothing to pack since I’ve got everything I need at home, so I decided to treat myself by bringing my sherpa blanket with me. Panda got up at 4:50 and we were outside by 5:15, right as the taxi showed up.
Hello somewhere in Colorado.
As soon as we got on the plane, I settled in with my blankets and drifted off to sleep. When I awoke, I felt like we should be nearly there, but it was only 10:30 EST… we were flying over Colorado with two more hours to go. This is the first time I’ve actually felt hot on a plane ride, so I’m definitely going to try to bring my blanket with me for all future travel purposes, if there’s room. I hate having cold feet! After playing some games on my phone and catching a few more Zs, we started our descent. We arrived a good half hour early and got picked up by our respective families. My mom and cousin came to get me since my dad’s back is not doing so well. It was great to see my family again and I had a good time catching up with my dad. Soon after, I got a chance to do what I’ve been missing for months: play with Missy! She’s my baby and loves me the most – probably because I’m the only one who scratches her neck, rubs her face, and lets her sit/sleep on me all she wants. I took some time to go through my things at home to prepare items to move. Tons of memories to come! It’s weird being home; I feel different out here. It’s like my life out here is completely separate from that of my life out east. It’s surreal being back and I hope to really relax during this time. 🙂 And now I’ll some of my day in pictures…
I got home to find a sleepy, confused Molly. “Who are you again?”
Missy ran in and out of my legs for awhile as we played in the yard.
Pretty soon, she found her way to my lap and took a nap.
Eventually I went up to my room and Missy decided to join me for a nap.
It’s turkey time! My mom made a delicious turkey.
We always have a Chinese American turkey day, with turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, and random Chinese vegetable dishes.
Whenever I’m eating, Missy likes to come sit on my lap. I then end up sitting there for hours because I don’t want to move her.
Missy loooves being scratched – under the chin, behind the ears, along the neck, on her back… it’s all good!
She’s a naughty girl who likes to sneak a taste of our food! I eventually had to hide the turkey in the oven.
She loves to use pineapples as an after dinner mint/floss. Gotta keep that breath fresh!
365great Day 258: elephants
I got a chance to ride an elephant when I was traveling through Thailand and it was one of the coolest things ever. I’m in such awe of these creatures. Even though they’re so large, they’re very precise and delicate with the way they approach many things. Their gait is a funky jolt that makes riding them a bit of a rollercoaster, which is fun. It was amazing to be up so high in the trees as we passed by – I could see so much more! I enjoyed running my feet on their rough skin, which provided a sort of massage for my achy soles. They didn’t seem to mind that we were climbing atop them and touching them and basically being these annoying little distractions. There’s an air of wisdom and zen about them and it was great to be able to get up close to interact with them.
365great Day 257: Marines
These are the Marines I first fell in love with. They trained my JROTC unit in New York and taught me so much about drilling, discipline, and determination. They were fun yet serious and crazy fit. They barked out orders in those gravelly voices and shaped us into strong cadets. I only spent a few days with them, but I have never forgotten them. Ever since then, I’ve had immense respect for the Marine Corps and all its members. I even wanted to join at one point, before I decided that my path didn’t quite belong that way. Still, it’s one of those dreams I’ll always carry – to have served as a proud Marine. I still hold out hope that I get to work with Marines somewhere down the line. All the ones who have trained and drilled with me have been amazing; truly great people.
The buildup
You know when time after time, things happen to make you feel a certain way until you can’t take it anymore?
That happened to me when I wrote about how I don’t quite fit in earlier this month and I’m feeling it again (for other reasons). Depending on how you feel, you might explode in a fit of rage, burst into a round of tears (like I did), or channel that energy into some sort of activity. I thought that going to my yoga and meditation class tonight would help me find peace (and it did, temporarily), but when I came home I found myself pouring my heart out to Panda. It’s been a long time coming and I still wish I had a close girlfriend I could share my feelings with, but Panda does a pretty good job.
One of my strengths and greatest weaknesses is that I care. I care a lot; I care too much. I also tend to overthink. So when people don’t give me the time of day or say something insensitive off-hand, I can sometimes take it too personally. It’s not so much what they do as what I interpret to be the reason they do it – like when they don’t give me the time of day when I’m asking for a little bit of help. It’s not that they didn’t really help me… I understand that there are situations where they are busy with their own work, don’t know how to help, etc. What makes me sad is when I get the impression that they just don’t want to hear what I have to say. I wish I felt more respected instead of disregarded, even ridiculed.
I don’t know why I’m letting the sad moments get to me when they are far outweighed by the good. I just can’t help dwelling on those interactions and wondering what I could do to improve the situation. My mood is sort of mirroring the weather outside – dreary, drizzly, and damp. I think I just need to let it all out and let it pass. It’s going to be so nice to go back home to my dear family, my sweet cats, my lovely home, and that beautiful weather. I just need to hang in there one more day.
Return to New York: Re-Exploring the City
Alright, here’s the continuation of our Veteran’s Day mini vacation! To see what we did the first day, go back here.
Started off the second day with a lovely breakfast at HGI Danbury.
After packing up and checking out, we left the Connecticut side of things where I used to go to the mall, YMCA, and Stew Leonard’s. Back to New York!
One more drive through my town of Brewster, admiring the lakes in the area.
Oh that steep hill that pictures can’t seem to do justice to. I remember many a bike ride down and walk up that thing.
At the base of the hill is this giant house, which was always a great mystery to me. I think it’s two units. Looks so grand!
Once we arrive in the city, we swing by Dominique Ansel Bakery, which I am told is where the cronut originates.
No more cronuts, so I went for the magic souffle instead, which they cooked in something like 10 minutes.
As we walked towards the World Trade Center area, we saw this cool tent set up for #TalkingTransition.
Fancy a bike ride? No problem! I’d rather walk though.
I saw a bright sculpture and just had to have some fun with it.
Underneath that bench and bike racks you’ll find a vent for the subway station. Strange sort of place to sit.
Have you ever tried stacked parking? I haven’t.
Upon arriving in the WTC region, we were greeted by this large balloon sculpture.
We were told to check out the Canstruction exhibit and this rollercoaster was my favorite.
A very poignant memorial for 11 American Express employees lost in 9/11.
We got tickets for the 9/11 memorial and came across these cute trees on our way over.
Just as we neared the 9/11 memorial, the sun came out to light up the new One World Trade Center building being built.
Here we go into the memorial… first it took us through a line winding around buildings and through a security check.
The brochure and tickets we got.
Aw, that’s so sweet of them.
A ton of people were there looking through names and taking in the rushing water.
I think they did a good job designing this memorial. It’s a powerful image paired with impressive sound to give you enough of a haunting feeling.
Adorned with yellow ribbons… this tree got plenty of visitors.
Memorial guides were available in many languages.
When we left, I saw this police guy watching the entrance to the memorial.
And another funky watching station the NYPD uses.
Check out this massive mural for those who have fallen and those who have carried on.
Random eyes in the subway station are kind of awkward.
For dinner, we went to Ollie’s! I gobbled down hot and sour soup meant for 4.
Panda shared some of his wonton noodle soup.
I also got the xiao long bao (juicy pork dumplings).
Panda helped me eat one and loaded on the ginger. The couple next to us literally stared at him as he ate it, apparently in disbelief that he could have all that ginger.
I was so excited that they have potato strips! One of my favorite dishes, but few restaurants offer it. They’re so crisp and wonderful! This one was SPICY though.
Panda gets his all-time fav dish: salted pork chops. We were very full by the end of it all.
After taking the bus back to the New Jersey side, where our hotel was, I noticed the skyline visible in the distance as we walked. Nice!
I got back to the hotel to find that 1. a friend on Yelp had seen me checking in and was wondering where in New Jersey I was since she was in the area too 2. two friends/former managers from Singapore had seen me posting on Facebook and wanted to meet up since they were in NYC and 3. a friend had seen my pictures on Instagram and was wondering where I was since she was in New Jersey too! Lol, way to go social media. So I arranged to meet up with my college friend who reached out on Yelp and my Singaporean friends who reached out on Facebook. I couldn’t make plans with my college friend who commented on Instagram, but maybe next time!
The next morning, we had breakfast with my friend and then went to meet up with my Singaporean friends. Saw this randomness in the subway station.
We found the Singaporeans at the MoMA gift shop browsing. It took me a sec to figure out these calendars!
I almost got these at the MoMA store, but they weren’t large enough for the measurements I wanted.
After a brief visit to the city once more, we were back on the New Jersey side, getting a great view.
The rest of the day was spent driving home. As the sun lit up the sky in pink, Philadelphia came into view and I passed out for part of the ride.
For dinner, I found a Mexican place in Delaware and tried something new.
They gave us such cute little dessert lollipops!
On our way through Baltimore, we passed by Johns Hopkins as we avoided the toll roads. Soon enough we were home!
365great Day 248: random acts of kindness
My fourth year of college, for Valentine’s Day, I was super surprised when I got a delivery. My fraternity was doing one of those fundraisers where you can send a flower and bear in a cute little package to anyone on campus. When one of them came to me, I was sooo confused. Who in the world would have gotten me something for Valentine’s? I didn’t have a boyfriend or even anyone I was seeing. Baffled, I took to the web and eventually got a message from a random friend who just thought it’d be nice to send me something, so he bought one for me to support the fundraiser. How sweet is that? Then when I was in the UK, I joined LoveSoc, a club that some students put together where they’d prompt you to do random acts of kindness, like giving hugs or leaving change. It’s those little surprises that can be so wonderful, especially when they’re completely out of the blue. I really should do more of those. As a kid I was very generous – probably even too generous – and I miss those days of bringing a smile to people’s faces. It’s one of the greatest feelings in the world.
Return to New York: Walk Down Memory Lane
I thought I could summarize all of our long weekend activities from last weekend into one post, but as it turns out, there are 77 pictures I want to share, so I’m splitting them up into two posts. First off will be the day we spent revisiting my old stomping grounds and faded memories in the areas of Westchester and Brewster. The rest will come in another post! Now, join me as I go down memory lane…
A perfect start to our trip!
This reminds me of the time my friend yelled HEY while driving… what she meant was HAY (on a truck), lol.
I’d like a side of gas station with my tobacco outlet please.
Crossing over…
A quick pit stop at a ginormous Whole Foods leads us to these yummy apple samples.
We totally pigged out on the chips and guac alongside some employees. It had quite a kick!
I was sooo excted when I saw marinated mushrooms, but after buying them and trying them, I found they weren’t the taste I was looking for.
I *almost* bought one of these, but I’m holding off til we move.
What a fun basket cart you can wheel around!!
Such pretty colors. I’d love to hop in one and explore a river.
I’d forgotten what it was like to drive on roads like these.
The first memory we revisited: Westchester Community College, where I had Chinese school on Sundays. I still remember the parking lot area!
And that’s the building where I learned many years of Chinese and took a cartooning class, a paper cutting class, an oil pastel class, and more…
Whoa, check out that super modern Wendy’s!
IT’S MY TOWN!!!
Good old train station where we’d pick up my dad after work.
Aww, my old house! We were the first tenants; I wonder how many have lived there since.
I took a quick peek at the house where I used to babysit a family of 5 kids. The only family I’ve ever babysat for!
Our neighborhood is up on a STEEP hill. I don’t know if you can tell but take a look at the person walking up. Great views from here!
Hello, middle school. This is where I learned how to make tweeties, played full-contact basketball with the guys, and went to some awkward dances.
Across the street from the middle school is the deli that I remember so fondly.
They still have my fav sandwich, the Pesature, which I liked mostly because I knew the people it was named after.
I love this place because of the deviled eggs. I’ve never been able to find ones that I like better.
So of course, I had to stock up on those eggs! The nice lady threw in two for free when I got half a dozen. NOMMMMM
Such a pretty sunset out here.
My old high school, which did not have the left half when I moved away. Too bad I couldn’t see the old part, where I knew everyone in my graduating class (and many in other grade levels too), took way too many classes at once, learned of 9/11 (and got sent home), and always had snacks to share with friends.
I watched Fiddler on the Roof when I was a sophomore and it was cool to find the poster up, albeit at the far end of the hall where it might get phased out in a few years. I still recognize many people in the pictures!
If only I’d stayed to graduate from this school, I might just have made it on this poster.
It was a brief visit, but good to see my old school. Go Bears!
Tuned in to my radio station from back in the day. Over a decade later and I still like what they play.
I only vaguely remembered Stew Leonard’s and I really wanted to show Panda the singing cows.
It’s massive inside and like an IKEA, where you follow a single path winding through the store. Tons of electronic animals will sing to you as you pass by or press a button.
It’s such a homey feel in here.
As we were leaving, I caught a glimpse of Christmas trees that were hidden away in a tent. I just had to investigate!
There were so many memories that came back to me, like that pizza place we JROTC kids used to walk to and the trek from the middle school to the high school for track practice and the peacock farm near the high school and the hidden trail that we’d run on for gym sometimes and the few driving lessons I took (including the awful mistakes I made) and riding my bike into town and volunteering at the library that was practically smaller than my house and hanging out with the guys from the group home and all my crazy nicknames (like China White, which I’d completely forgotten) and so much more… coming back after getting a better sense of where things are on a map really helped me with my scattered memories. I was able to piece a lot back together and I had a ton of random stories to share. It was a fabulous time!
UK Vacation Day 6 Recap
Day 6 of our UK trip was a wonderful day of revisiting memories and sharing them with Panda. We wandered all through York and checked out a bunch of stores, buying some items but mostly browsing. I got a chance to feed some ducks and geese by a river, which I loved. We even had time to enjoy afternoon tea at Betty’s before returning to the hotel to rest and wait for the train to Edinburgh. A few hours later, we were stepping off onto Scottish soil and making our way to the hotel (getting a bit lost along the way). Once we finally found it, we happily settled in and enjoyed the welcome gifts and nice warm quarters.
[Need more recaps? Here are Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5 recaps.]
Good morning, York!
I had a lot of fun choosing what to get from the Yorkshire Soap Co.
Yippee, now I’ve got awesome bath products from lovely Yorkshire.
Cat scarves?! I was really tempted, but next time…
Did you know Guy Fawkes was born in York?
Panda got a shot of me getting a shot of York Minster.
Our wanderings eventually took us outside the city walls.
Fancy a ghoulish tour? Then meet these guys for the Ghost Walk!
Hehe, check out this windblown street performer.
Evil Eye lounge! All I remember is weird beds upstairs and Asian fusion downstairs (with a bar too, of course).
Panda had to try some fish and chips. Tasty!
Caught me wandering.
The Sainsbury that I once walked all the way back from with my groceries!
I wish we could get on that bridge.
I had to stop and feed the birds. It’s a compulsion.
Can you see how gleeful I was? I love animals.
A ton of them joined in when they noticed food and I had fun walking along the bank sharing the wealth.
Even this pigeon wanted in on the action. Check out the cool black duck too!
At one point, I leaned over the bridge to feed them.
After running out of food, I happily walked off into the wind.
If they can make their marketing suite this big, I wonder what the places they’re selling are like!
Back in the center of town, we discovered some old cars on display.
Random browsing brought me to these adorable contact lense cases!
It was cold out, so Betty’s was especially inviting to us.
I loved warming up to a pot of tea and some snacks. Afternoon tea rocks!
Back by the hotel, I hardly recognized this as the old Toff’s where I went clubbing once. (I much preferred the Gallery.)
Does this look like a proper hotel entrance? Cuz it totally was.
After a few hours on the train, we arrived in Edinburgh and got to see the castle from afar!
All settled in at the hotel, with these nice treats waiting for us.
