Lazy European Vacation Day

I took the bus this morning and met Michaela at Rachel the Pig this morning. We went to Le Pichet and had des olives, deux chipolatas grillees avec des frites, assiette de fromages and a san pelligrino. They gave us a sliced ficelle with a little cup of butter, which would never happen in France, but the butter came in handy when we were eating the roquefort. Try it: butter your bread before spreading a good blue cheese on your bread. My French host mom taught me that trick.

We decided we would have a Lazy European Vacation Day, as if we were a couple of tourists in some European capital, with nothing to do but shop, walk, and eat. So we shopped for a roomate gift; didn't find anything; walked all the way up to the Ex Officio store on Vine, then back to Westlake Center for a free cup of water. We sat on the balcony and watched people give money to the kid who was trying to raise tuition money by standing in a kiddie pool with some swim gear, and occasionaly flex for the tourists.

We walked over to Pacific Place to buy tickets to Ratatouille, which is not playing there... Oh well, we saw a whole bunch of Pigs on Parade. We walked over to Meridian 16, bought our tickets, and then back to Westlake to check out Daiso. On the way, we saw that 7th Ave was filled with cops, who had parked their thirty-plus motorcyles parked all in rows on both sides of the road. They were the escort team for Roh Moo-hyun. By then, I was starting to lose steam, so we walked back to the Market and parked at Jack's Fish Spot for some shrimp cocktail, a bowl of mussles and clams, and a half dozen raw oysters. Some woman sitting at the counter was trying to take my oysters, when he called JP, she said they were hers. I reached right over her and said, "I'm JP." Do not stand between me and my oysters, woman.

Michaela bought a sandwich for 老虎, and I bought us a dozen cinnamon doughnuts, and we hopped into 老虎's waiting car and drove to my place. We sat around, I took a mini nap, those two went off to Costco. Now I'm going to go meet them to see the movie.

I love lazy European vacation day. We should do that more often.

Lunch!, T-minus Five Days, Conversation Topics, Three-Way Sex, and SCOTUS vs. Diversity

I met some friends for lunch at Jade Garden, it was delicious! It's the reigning champ of dimsum in Seattle. No, I've never been to O'Asian, but look at the name, children, it's a non starter. They might as well call it No Asian. (I've never been, so who knows. Maybe it's full of Chinese people. The critics like it... but the critics also like Seven Stars Pepper over 老四川 Sichuanese cuisine... in a pinch, follow the Chinese people...)

I bought me a cheap, new microphone that works well, so expect to see some more videoblogs over at my travel blog: jp goes to china (dot) blogspot (dot) com. Yesterday I posted a my first videoblog, but I think I fell short of fullfilling the spirit of the assignment: I only stuck to very basic Lesson 1 items that I know I can do well. Maybe tomorrow I will try to talk about something more substantial, so you can *really* see how much work I have to do on my Mandarin.

So the RD of the program in Hangzhou has been sending us emails, what/what not to bring, what to expect from the language pledge, etc. One of his recommendations was to equip yourself with a PDA and PlecoDict, which IS SO COOL. It's two dictionaries on your PDA, and it breezes between listing and recognizing your English, your pinyin, or your hanzi! All students of Mandarin should equip themselves with this tool. All.

So right now I'm brainstorming some vocabulary for conversations that I know I'll have. Some topics I thought of are:

1. I have diabetes. (vocab: diabetes, blood sugar, blood test, sharps container, carbohydrates, walking...)


2. Leave Asian Americans alone! (vocab: cultural blindspot, not intuitive, ignorant ethnic majority, lack of compassion, refusing to assimilate, children of immigrants...)


3. Bush is a moron! (vocab: I did not vote for him, blue state, dishonest, un-constitutional, un-American, totally incompetent, liar, shameless, dumb cowboy...)


4. I'm not White people! (vocab: Filipino, fighting over milk, removing shoes at the door, fear of Spam, crimes against rice, stand-around-holding-a-beer parties, I'm not responsible for your stereotype...)

If you can think of any other topics, or any other vocab that I should prepare for the topics listed above, please let me know.

On another note, there is a Kia ad, both in radio and on tv, where a couple talks nervously about finding a Kia as if it were THREE-WAY SEX. Yes! Why am I the only one getting bruised by the subtext hitting me over the head? Look at the way they are talking about the Kia, for pete's sake! Am I the only one that thinks this? Obviously, OBVIOUSLY this is intentional.



And, finally, if you want to read about the bullshit SCOTUS decision that diversity is not an academic and social advantage, read what Dr. B has to say. I don't even want to think about it.

To think, I once had faith in this country.

Sunday Afternoon Notes

Just a few days until my big adventure, so I've been reading sites on packing (including one dude that packs really light) and street scams.

I'm pretty excited that Myna Bird has started a blog; I hope she tells a lot of stories!

Me, I'm thinking about my first day in France... I may blog it up. I don't remember much about the flight, except that it was SAS and therefore awesome. What I do remember:

• the guys across from us rolling a doobie, teaching us vocab
• language failure at the train station
• jet lag crash in the hotel room
• pushing a guy into a pile of garbage

Right now I'm getting hungry.

Home Alone

So mama and I watched Children Of Heaven last night. I love that movie!

Today mama knocked on my door at 3:35 am, and she, my dad, and the dog loaded up the car and left on their long drive home. After they left, I sat down and watched tv. It's about 10 minutes to six am now, my belly is full of breakfast (fried egg, toasted dinner roll, hot italian sausage), and I'm a little sleepy. Of course, today is the solstice, so it's totally daylight, so I may not get back to sleep.

Not sure what I'm going to do today; I have 11 days left before my program, and not much to do. The house is mostly clean, I'm kind of broke until payday, I don't have to go into the office until, well, August...

Ambiguity isn't all bad.

Part of me wants to know what this is about.

But another part of me thinks that a little strategic ambiguity is not all that bad.

Stop Singing that Song!

So H has taken to singing the chorus of "Knute, kleine Eisbär. Too bad she doesn't speak German...



Lunch today at the Tamarind Tree. Later tonight I'm going to a despedida for M, J, and J. They're leaving for good tomorrow, will eventually end up in Shanghai. I should see them in August!

Anyway, dad said it wasn't a "despedida" because I told them it wasn't all about food. So I guess it's just a "going away party."

I've spent most of the afternoon snoozing on the couch. I love summer break. Love it!

Can't Sleep

Had dinner with the family at a place called "All You Can Eat Sushi" on Spring Mountain. Dad swears they're Japanese. Looking at the place from the parking lot, I said, " they are certainly Korean." I heard them speaking Korean while we were eating (we all got bentos, no all-you-can-eat), and finally, I said 'thank you" in Korean, which the waitress was delighted to repeat back to me. I knew it was Korean, dad! His reply: "some of them are Japanese."

Doubt it!

Breezed through security. Got back into Seattle on Saturday a little past midnight. T$ picked us up.

I spent the next couple days cleaning the house, adding tags to my old posts, and correcting all the misspellings I can find (sorry, orange tangerine).

I had my phone interview with the company in Shanghai. I think it went really well, and my interviewer seemed interested in me... although I had the disadvantage of hearing my own echo very loud a couple seconds after I spoke... very maddening.

The next step is to meet them when I go to Shanghai. We'll see how it goes. It would be a big pay cut, so I will have to see if it will be worth it.... Anyway, I know for sure by next month.

I ordered take out from 老四川饭店 Sichuanese cuisine as my parents rolled into town. The house is clean, and I think as of right now, all my laundry is clean. How long will that last....

Dinner Time!

For dinner tonight we had grilled mackeral, grilled asparagus and onions, sliced tomatoes, grilled sweet corn on the cob, and a rice blend.

The rice blend we had was Mogami 8 Blended Whole Grain Rice, which is a blend of short grain, long grain, brown rice, black rice, maple rice, red rice, red wheat, and barley.

So if I don't want to spend the big bucks to buy this pre-packaged mix, where do I go in Seattle to buy a cup of each of these grains bulk, so I can mix it myself?

Back From Vancouver

I'm back from Vancouver.

Here's what I'm going to write about after my nap.

• Ken Carroll and the not-so-great slow input debate.
• Multi-tasking vs. goal-orientation.
• Customer service anecdotes
• Thai massage and the boat to Granville Island
• 'Skytrain' or 'Death to the Monorail haters'
• Home again, jiggety jigg.

Mmm... cheese....

I want to meet the Cheese Nun. Don't you?

Actually, Dr. Mother Cheese... Nun.

Notes from a rainy, sunny, rainy Saturday.

CompUSA is closing.

The Long's Drug by my house is closing; everything is 25% off. Maybe tomorrow I'll buy a sandwich press.

PDAs seem to be fasing out.

My phone had a crisis yesterday.

Ash Wednesday.

My workplace has no policy for paid maternity leave. Total bullshit. More on that later.

I love this website; it's a great great reference.

I put my den back together yesterday. Thank God! I've been watching tv, sitting on my big nice new couch; I may even take a nap down here.

Ash Wednesday. I think I've given up eating dinner out by myself, and rice. No sweat.

I have quizes to write.

Dolphins and Sea Lions

Navy to deploy Dolphins and Sea Lions to Protect Nukes.

Yah? Why haven't these sea mammals found Osama Bin Laden? Are more sea lions needed to secure Iraq against sectarian violence? What do the dolphins think about surging the number of US troops or attacking Iran?

You know, the Israelis have had sea lions for years....

I dare you not to puke.

It's Friday night, and I'm exhausted. Just a few quick words before I brush my teeth, climb into bed, and read either the next few chapters of A Sudden Country, or maybe go over a chapter in my Chinese textbook....

First of all, how do people not see the scathing political commentary going on at Battlestar Galactica? Last week's episode was totally Abu Ghraib in space. And guess what, there will be Saddam Hussein on Trial in space before the end of the season.

Second, I got a fat load of hits the other day, when Seattlest posted a link to my weird dream.

I heard something crazy on the radio today, that today Washington Governor Gregoire enacted a law to keep protests from interfering with funerals. Apparently, there's a group of people from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas that travels the country picketing military funerals, claiming that God is killing troops in Iraq to punish American acceptance of homosexuality.

How many ways are these people stupid? What could possibly be accomplished by protesting at funerals? And what kind of god do they worship that needs to kill people in order to change cultural mores? Doesn't the creator of heaven and earth have a more direct means of affecting change?

Ok, finally, the principal sent us this video as a thank you to the faculty during Catholic Schools Week. When you start to gag, please note the slide number, and post it in the comments. I gagged at slide number one. But I have a low tolerance for this kind of stuff. Still, I dare you not to puke.

PHONE PHOUND!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my phone has been found.

I would like to thank my mama and my sister for being so supportive and helpful, and for L, who seemed to want me to find it more than I did.

I pushed the couch to see what was under it. It was my phone. It's charging now, don't call me. Besides, it's time to take a nap.

Speaking of L, please keep her in your prayers. She took a nasty spill on her bike today, broke a bone near her elbow, and jogged her coco a little bit; her helmet was split.

That's what helmets are supposed to do! Split and absorb the shock. Thank goodness.

Come mai non sono mai andato da Pino?

Tastingmenu tells us to go to da Pino, a salumeria a block from my house. I've never been there because... because, honestly, it's a block from my house! I live in this neighborhood! How good can a salumeria a block from my house be?

Well, apparently, it's the real deal, according to the Weekly, and (more importantly) Madeline.

Allora ci penso andare se non domani doppo domani. I already know what I'm going to tell Pino if I meet him.

"Ma... Lei si chiama Pino? Io sono Filipino!"

Struck by an Asteroird

Don't you want to know why Marjie was on Evening Magazine?

You should.

Christmas Mission Accomplished

I left the house at 10am and I returned by 12:30pm, with all my gifts.

I only bought gifts for my parents and my sister. The cowsins had Brown Elephant, so the pressure is off in terms of buying them gifts.

Along the way, I found a Valerio's Bakery and bought some pandesal with ube and a couple of pork embutidos.

I bought gifts for my parents and then went to another place for my sister's gift. I found it without much trouble, and bought a couple of lamps for my den. Ok, they are disco lights.

I've got plenty to do before my parents get here, but I don't think they've started driving yet. So I'm just going to take it easy and wrap the gifts, and watch the Star Trek Voyager marathon.

No Battlestar Galactica for the next month. It's just as well; I don't like the KaraLee drama.

Laundry Day

Haven't started my laundry yet.

Went to Fu Man Dumpling House for lunch. Yum!

The Seattle Times published a multilingual carbon monoxide warning today. I speak English, and I barely look at that paper, so what is the likelyhood that someone who doesn't speak English is going to see the warnings... oh well, it's a nice gesture. (thanks Seattlest).

Let's congratulate Rocco for finaly discovering Simbang Gabi (*smirk).

I found a nonstick electric griddle for $30. Who wants pancakes?

And I bought a pair of suspenders for my suit pants, and had brackets put in. I'll try them on in a second.

Then I'll start my laundry.

Captain's log, stardate 200612.19.19

Elevated rapid transit is awesome. I can tell you that the elevated sections of the Paris Metro are the best parts of the system, in terms of riding experience. Do the noise and arial obstructions outweigh the convenience? Anyone in Chicago will tell you 'no.'

So why do I like monorails instead of heavy elevated or light rail? Because elevated monorails DON'T DERAIL.
____

Let's see, for breakfast I made a cheese omelet and some bacon.

Went to Ross to buy my chair; stopped at the Spanish Table to buy a bottle. Wandered around the Market for a while, had a cup of chowder and a crab roll for lunch. Forgot to drop off my pants for buttons; oh well.

For dinner I made steak and potatoes, deglazed again with some sake. I had some of my left over pie for dessert.
____

So I went into work today to to pick up some stuff, and found that a colega had left me a little tin of chocolate walnut cookies. Delicious. She wrote "to: khuya" in Arabic, which means "my brother."

See? Arabic and Tagalog are the same language!
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I keep forgetting; I saw Mario Battali yesterday, as I drove past Zeitgeist.