Melancholia

Catching up with my Netflix queue. This may be the first Lars von Trier movie I actually really liked... mostly because it was so gorgeous to watch. Visually stunning film accompanied by Wagner's music as the main theme-- I didn't even mind the hand-held camera movement!

My Weekend

Growing micro greens. Waiting for rain. Reading on my new kindle. Bachelorette party (random!) Cooking at home.

Charlie keeping my seedlings warm.

Went to pick up soil at McEnroe Farm yesterday and stopped at Wild Hive for lunch. I've probably talked about them before since they were really close to the farm I worked at last year. They grow their own grain for their baked goods and bread, and I know a lot of the students at the CIA visit the local farm/bakery for one of their classes. I bought a couple of loaves while we were there-- the sour corn rye bread is absolutely delicious.

So I think it's time to start planting seeds for my balcony garden. I'm pretty new to container gardening but I learned from last year about what did well (radish, mint, basil) and what didn't (cilantro, tomatoes) so I'm probably only going to stick to a few herbs and flowers this time around, especially since I don't have the time to be watering all day long anymore. Maybe some arugula and micro greens. We'll see how it goes.

Adoring Almodóvar

From Sony Pictures Classics

If you love Almodóvar as much as I do, you've probably already seen The Skin I Live In. Some reviews I've read have pointed out that it left people feeling cold and disconnected from the characters. But I disagree... I can't stop thinking about this film!

My kitties are always up in the middle of the night, waking me up at all hours. Last night, the ironing board came crashing down at 4am. I went to bed at 1 and couldn't sleep after that. I am hoping to get at least 5 hours of sleep tonight... but not sure that's going to happen.

Blueberry Muffins

Made with whole wheat pastry flour, ground flax seeds, oats, and almonds, some yogurt, maple syrup, and frozen blueberries from the summer. Just kinda threw in whatever I felt like and they turned out pretty good.

It's been a really nice and relaxing weekend. I opened all the windows and let the breeze flow through the apartment, and I've been hearing a neighbor's jazz music play all evening. Although the recent warm weather and mild winter has made me feel nervous about an extremely hot summer (and planet) ahead, I enjoyed the beautiful spring day today.

Lunch in Brooklyn Heights with Grandpa, then a walk with a view of lower Manhattan.

Veggie Spring Rolls

Neil's out in California this weekend, so I'm cooking tonight. Had a craving for fried food (as I so often do), so I made these spring rolls for dinner. 

From NY Times

People who care only about making money will not sustain this firm — or the trust of its clients — for very much longer.
-Greg Smith in his resignation essay


Or the trust of anyone else. I didn't think that any Goldman exec would have any ounce of moral fiber in them, but hey, surprise. I'm really touched that someone actually thought of themselves as something more than a money-making part in a giant machine-- but only because he felt he was ripping off even wealthier client! I doubt his op-ed piece will cause any lasting dent for the firm or the economy-- but like they care about public opinion anyways.


I'll bite my tongue now.

Lentil Soup

With some fresh kale. Today was really warm, I think it's going to be in the high 70's tomorrow. It has been an exceptionally warm winter here in NYC, but it still seems like it turned into spring overnight. Allergies have kicked in and I've been feeling more tired than usual. Gonna curl up with a book I started months ago and get ready for bed.

Days Go By

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.