Asian Blogger Gathering & Somen Salad

There are countless blogger events and meet-ups that happen every year. But here is one I cannot and will not miss: Banana. The first ever gathering of Asian American bloggers is happening this month, on November 21st in Los Angeles. The event will include a panel of well-known Asian American bloggers, including Angry Asian Man, the Kimchi Mamas, Minority Militant, and many other cool people. The bonus is that it's happening at University of Southern California, where I work. I will be trekking my Chinese-American self and my little hapa son to the event. If you're around Los Angeles, come check it out!

In honor of my fellow Asian bloggers, I'm posting one of my favorite recipes, somen salad. Somen salad is a Japanese dish that my mother frequently made for our family and various potluck gatherings when I was growing up.

It is simple to make - just chop everything up, and toss it together. It is served cold, with a delicious sesame dressing.

Somen Salad
1 package somen noodles, boiled
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup thinly sliced ham
2 eggs, scrambled and thinly sliced
1 package kamaboko, thinly sliced
3 stalks green onion, chopped

Sauce:
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cooking oil
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Lay somen in 9x13-inch pan. Garnish with lettuce, kamaboko, ham, green onion and egg. Mix ingredients for sauce in a bottle, and shake well. Pour over salad. Serves 6-8.

6 Months and Counting

Six months ago, our son was born.

Six months ago we were in a hospital delivery room, looking into our son's eyes for the first time. We held this tiny, delicate creature in our arms, completely awed by every sound and movement he made. In that one moment, we were thrust into this thing called "parenthood," and our lives changed completely.

The first several weeks with Aaron were, in one word, an adventure. The cute newborn who moved in with us ended up being a severely high maintenance roommate. It seemed like every hour he needed to nurse, or be rocked to sleep, or have his diaper changed. Oh Lord, the dirty diapers! The phrase "poop explosion" became commonly used in our home, and we thanked the heavens that we owned a washing machine for the endless loads of laundry. As we made our way through sleepless nights and inconsolable crying (mostly the baby, but sometimes me), we wondered to ourselves how on earth we were going to survive.

But every day was a little easier than the last. Through lots of grace, humor, and trial and error, we gradually started to figure our new lives out. Aaron became more alert and interactive, and the fun moments increased. He started smiling, laughing and babbling single-syllable baby words. He learned how to roll over, and sit up, and give "high-fives." He began sleeping through the night (woohoo!).

Sometimes it is difficult to recall our Before Aaron days. I have vague memories of abundant free time. We used to do whatever we wanted whenever we pleased. Getting in the car and going somewhere was once a quick and simple task. We could walk around the living room without stepping on toys.

While there are times when I miss that past era, the thrilling, awesome moments of parenthood far outweigh any desire to go back. Aaron is a better gift than I could have imagined, and I feel so grateful that we get to love and cherish him and be his parents.

The last six months have been full of true joy, and I am excited to continue the adventure.

More Verbs

I'm currently...

wishing: someone else would eat up the leftover Halloween candy
disliking: the dusty furniture and dirty bathrooms I don't have time to clean
reading: Loving Our Kids On Purpose by Danny Silk and The Host by Stephanie Meyer
missing: the luxury of 8+ hours of uninterrupted sleep
wanting: an immersion blender...maybe it will go on my Christmas wish list
improving: my Scramble score on the iPhone
realizing: I have five different To Do lists that I should consolidate
loving: boots, scarves and Mexican hot chocolate
considering: buying a space heater to compensate for our horribly uninsulated house
watching: Top Chef and wondering why Robin is still around
regretting: staying up so late to blog
hoping: that I can make a successful roasted turkey for Thanksgiving

What are you currently doing?

Welcome, November

Aaron the monk, Steve as a clown detective, and me as Marcie from the Peanuts.

Thanks to all of you who voted on my previous post, Rock the Vote: Fall Edition. The winners were: Marcie, slouchy boots, and slumber party. The boots and party votes were both close, but Marcie won by a mile. Previous to the poll, I was actually leaning toward dressing up as Waldo for Halloween, but you all spoke out loud and clear. So Marcie it was!

Usually Steve and I put lots of thought into our Halloween costumes. This year, however, we threw them together at the last minute. Most of my Halloween energy went into sewing Aaron's monk costume. We spent Halloween afternoon walking around West Hollywood. In the evening, we hung out on the front porch to give out candy to trick-or-treaters. It was an uncharacteristically low-key Halloween for us, which was a pleasant change. More Halloween photos here.

And now it is November, quite possibly the best month of the year. The chilly weather is perfect, Starbucks is serving pumpkin spice drinks, and Thanksgiving is around the corner. I found the perfect slouchy brown suede boots, which I am determined to wear as frequently as possible during the next few months. There is an abundance of firewood sitting in our living room, just waiting for those nippy days that call for a toasty fireplace. Also, we got our flu vaccinations, so no flu viruses here!

I wish you all a wonderful month of November.

Rock the vote: Fall Edition

Time for another chance to Rock the Vote here, where I call upon you readers to help me make some important life decisions. The first Rock the Vote back in July was a big success as many of you took a stance and made your voice heard regarding some of my weekend plans.

With the weather a-changin' and the holidays upon us, a few decisions are in order. Help a girl out and vote, wouldya?

Decision #1

I am going to a few Halloween parties this week, and need to come up with a costume. The key factor is that I would like to be resourceful and creative, and use clothes and accessories I already own. Specifically, I want to incorporate a pair of round, black glasses I recently found at a costume shop.

Should I be Marcie from the Peanuts comics...


...or Waldo from Where's Waldo? (Wally, for you Brits)?


Decision #2
I want to buy some boots. Rarely do I spend much on shoes, but I have been wanting a pair of boots for ages. And with a bit of cash saved up, I am finally ready to commit. Boots are calling out to me! Most of the boots I have been eying are flat and brown, the kind that can be worn with just about anything.

Should I buy these suede buckle boots...


...or these slouchy shafted boots?


Decision #3
I am planning a dinner party with some girlfriends. A group of us gather every few months for a themed dinner. Previous dinners have been centered around a particular cuisine, like Italian food, for instance. But it would be fun to have a broader theme that could influence not just the food, but the activities and ambiance as well. I am thinking of some sort of girly theme.

Should our next dinner theme be Slumber Party (with pajamas, manicures, popcorn and romantic comedy flicks)...


...or Ladies' Poker Night (Martinis! Texas Hold 'Em!)?

Okay, vote away! Cast your votes in the comments. And yes, photos of Halloween costume will be posted.

Pumpkin Scones and Other Nice Things

It has been one of those weeks. It was the sort of week that leaves you a little depleted and bedraggled. Nothing utterly awful happened this week, just little things that built up over time.

My husband was sick, which meant that I was the only one between the two of us to take care of our son. The baby, on multiple occasions, fought his naps, even though he was extremely tired and cranky. I spent half the week searching for a place in Los Angeles to get a flu vaccination, only to discover that most pharmacies have run out of them already. Things around the house seem to be falling apart, such as the toilet, the light switch, and the internet connection.

But lest I begin to complain too much, there are many things that are currently making life more bearable, and at times, really great. Things like...

• Making Thanksgiving plans. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and this year, we are hosting it for the first time. My whole family will all gather together for a weekend of food and festivities.
  
• Ruby port and dark chocolate, consumed together. Yummm.
• Lots of baby showers for expectant friends. More beautiful babies are about to arrive!
  
• Emails from friends who write simply to say hi.
  
• Pumpkin scones. A warm, spicy pumpkin scone eaten with coffee in front of a fireplace is quite possibly the best way to start a new week. The following recipe was adapted from three different recipes.
  

Pumpkin Scones
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all spices. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, cream, sugar and vanilla. Whisk together. Cut butter pieces into flour mixture, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir liquid mixture into flour mixture until just moistened. Transfer dough to floured surface. Pat into a 1-inch thick circle. Cut into 8 pieces, and place on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

Creepy Man Rant

Last week, while at a gas station, I was approached by a man. He was probably in his sixties, with shabby, dirty clothes, and a scruffy beard. The following conversation ensued:

Man: I like your necklace.
Me: Uh, thanks.
Man: (staring far too long at the chest region) At first I thought it was gold.
Me: (awkward silence)
Man: But it's not is it? It's silver. Heh.
Me: Okay, I need to go.

I would have extracted myself from the interaction sooner, but I was in the middle of pumping gas. As I got into my car and drove away, I couldn't help but feel icky and violated.

Honestly, I am fed up with this sort of encounter. I have had far too many creepy interactions with men. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if my neighborhood (or possibly the city of Los Angeles) has an inordinate number of these men prowling the streets.

When approached by a stranger, I used to give as much benefit of the doubt as possible. Hey, maybe this is a friendly grandfather with no other motives than to chat. But midway into the conversation, the man says something inappropriate or lingers too long with his eyes. My intuition starts to send warning signals to me. I begin to feel unsafe and self-protective. I start reaching into my purse for my keys, strategically planning how to gouge the stranger's eyes out if I am attacked.

Creepy Men, do I look like I want to talk to you? Am I giving off some sort of Please Come Hit On Me vibe? Just to set the record straight, I do not appreciate your advances. I am not interested in being objectified or disrespected. How would you react if someone treated your wife or daughter like that? Yeah, I thought so.

I would love to live in a world where everyone can be trusted. Where we didn't have to worry about people's dark motivations and secret agendas. But unfortunately, it is not that type of world. So from now on I think my new modus operandi will be to wield a large can of mace around, and pretend I don't speak English (or whatever language Creepy Man is speaking).

Women, has this sort of thing happened to you? How did you respond?