Hump Day

Guess I'm back in the rat race of life. I've never had a Monday to Friday job before so the weeks seems ridiculously long to me... Is this what everyone else does?!

One of the doctors I work with asked me today, "So I heard you worked on a farm last year?"

Um... yeah.

Before the farming, I worked 12-hour night shifts 3-4 times a week, so I had nights off in between. But I spent it all sleeping or dreading going back to work. So I wouldn't ever go back to that.


However, I was just sitting at my desk today thinking about how one year ago I was shoveling dirt and milking goats and living with other people in a big farmhouse. I was genuinely happy.

The job I have now is I think the happiest I'm gonna get with a nursing job. I have my own office, I get an actual lunch break, no one is dying... And I have health insurance again! So yay for that. But it was raining today and I wanted to be outside working, not rushing down the crowded streets in dry-clean only dress pants! But spring is coming around the corner, so I'm looking forward to some farm work days soon!

Sourdough French Toast

This week felt long, despite the holiday on Monday. And of course, on the day I can actually sleep in I wake up at 7am. It's a gorgeous morning though, and I'm happy to be enjoying it. Started off with a breakfast of sourdough french toast.

I'm not hearing a lot of Whitney Houston songs on the radio anymore but I'm listening to them on this quiet morning, just like I do every now and then. When those songs came out, I was still a kid. Everything was so different for me back then-- my mom was alive and so was her brother, my uncle, who absolutely loved The Bodyguard soundtrack. That always made me laugh a little, but wow-- that was a long time ago. Anyways, that's who Whitney Houston songs will always remind me of. It's kind of amazing to think how much her music has touched so many people-- and even 20 years after they first became popular.

Sometimes it's Just Easier

...if you let the kid have everything he wants. Babysitting my nephew.

My Two Cents

I've always been a fan of Spike Lee movies. He explores themes that I think other film-makers shy away from or try to avoid-- like racial tension, hatred and violence, or stereotypes in America. But those are subjects I think are relevant and important, especially for cities like New York (most of his films are set in Brooklyn) where so many different cultures co-exist (or clash) together. 

So I can't tell you how happy I am about this photo. I don't want to make this about race or the fact that Jeremy Lin is Asian-American. But honestly, when was the last time anyone ever supported someone because they were Asian-American?? I don't particularly like basketball but since ESPN is continually on in my home year-round (and my husband has a monopoly over the television), I can't help but notice all the attention this story has gotten in the last couple of weeks. (And to think about how many other people who don't even like basketball are suddenly excited about Knicks games is kinda amazing.) I'd like to think that this is more about his skills than about his ethnicity, but then I also have to wonder why he was overlooked for so long. Kobe said after the game he lost to the Knicks last week that when someone plays that well, he doesn't just come out of nowhere.

I am always acutely aware of how others perceive me and extremely analytical when it comes to observing interactions among people, especially within New York City, so I am really happy to hear that people-- and not just Asians-- are rooting him on. As a young child, I never thought much about race because I really felt like an American (or Canadian). It's not until the last few years (out of sheltered schools and into the workforce) that I have noticed people really do treat each other differently based on how they look. Living in NYC the last 6 years, I have heard people yell out things like "ni hao!" or some other similar thing to me as I walk down the street. It's not like I'm from China and can't understand. I understand what people say-- or don't say-- loud and clear. Similarly, I've heard that when Lin played ball games when he was younger, people would yell out things like "wonton soup" while he was playing. I'm sure that was one of the nicer things people would yell out. Seriously, people say things to Asians (or people that look Asian) that they wouldn't dare say to people of other ethnicities. 

So maybe I've joined everyone else and made this post about Lin's ethnic background. It can't be ignored. But what I am really hoping is that people will recognize him simply as a really talented basketball player and focus on that instead. He is the first undrafted player to score over 20 points in each of his first five games in over 40 years! After all the hype dies down, I hope people will just appreciate the fact that he is a really good athlete-- and one who is an American who happens to be of Taiwanese descent.

Mini Vacation

Took a short trip to DC this past weekend to visit Diana and my family decided to go along with me as well. It was unusually cold and we spent much of the time indoors but it was still fun. We had a low key meal in Chinatown on Saturday night, toured the city in the car, had late night pizza and sleepover with Diana, and enjoyed brunch at Jose Andres' Jaleo on Sunday.

Where Have You Been?

I haven't been able to update as frequently lately. I'm adjusting to my new job, which so far has been going pretty well. However, I miss taking photos, as well as whipping things up in the kitchen, and spending time with my family and my cats-- but I hope to make time for all of those things again soon.