the joys of street food

[L]: I go through phases, especially with food here. There are days at a time when I was super addicted to these vegetable dumplings, that I even day dreamed about them in class. Then, one day, I had ONE too many. And I haven't eaten there since.

Then, there are days when I was super adventurous and would try out different noodles from the street vendors. And then, as if my mind had a change of heart, I got scared and stayed away for some time... realizing that if my stomach went bezerk, there's no one to complain to.

Well, after staying away for some time... I decided to go back. Why? Well, one hungry day while walking back home from school, I passed a stall that looks amazingly crowded. Lo and behold, the guy was making SUSHI! Well, okay, granted. Not really "real sushi". But pseudo California rolls type stuff -- with a flair. He definitely had seaweed, rice, the cucumber, and the carrots... THEN he also smeared in ketchup, mayonaise, pickled/salted vegetables, dried meat floss... even salted duck egg. (There was no wasabi.) Okay, I don't really know what you call this creation. Pseudo california rolls with lots of additions??

I looked and looked and looked...saw tons of people ordering it.... finally, caved in, and ordered myself a whole thing of 10 slices. I was super starving, and so I went home and ate the whole thing! It was SO GOOD.

Okay, maybe it sounds a little gross. But when you smush it all together and dip it in soy sauce... well, you can't really tell what you are eating.

But one thing I know for sure... it sure satisfied that craving I have for ANYTHING besides greasy food, noodles, dumplings, and fried rice. And as far as I can tell... I don't have any stomach problems yet. Maybe because there's no fresh meat nor fish nor anything that can technically spoil. At least that's my theory.

I hope that this theory holds true. :) Having a new vendor come into the neighborhood makes life a little more exciting at times.

if this post was my fridge...

[L]: So, of my many classes, one class that I've had consistently since last year was calligraphy. It gradually became more of a blow-off art class, since our teacher is just sooooo nice! She'd bring us ice cream, candy, and show us movies. And when we did do work, we spent the whole entire time just writing radicals (portions of characters) on our notebooks. It was nothing resembling the "calligraphy" I had imagined in my mind.

Then, with a change of heart, near the end of last year, our teacher decided that we finally were ready to use brush and ink! We were so excited we squealed like little kids who finally were given crayons for the first time. And of course, just like in elementary school when I was given very fat crayons and fat pencils... we were given very fat brushes. My first strokes looked more like blobs. Or maybe abstract art.

And week after week, our teacher would patiently watch us make blobs and more blobs. Then, second year rolled around. We were given thinner brushes and better quality paper. And slowly, our blobs looked more like characters...

If this blog was my fridge, I'd be displaying my "ink blobs". And finally this week, my characters came out to look... errr... well, like characters.

missing home...

[L]: Wow, it's already April. The flowers are blooming again, and traces of the harsh winter has passed. Little mosquitoes are starting to come out. It seems almost unreal that 3 months from now (this July) would mark our complete 2-year period of being overseas.

These 2 years have been definitely a refining period. Sometimes I wonder if if my character has gotten better or worst for it. Perhaps being out of one's comfort zone brings different things to surface that I just never knew was there. It's like "house-cleaning" per se. Unless I move the furniture around and toss the carpet about, I don't see the dust and specks that have longed settled in some remote corner of my home.

These 2 years have made a mark in my life that I won't forget. There were moments where I just want to laugh out loud. There are ridiculous idiosyncrasies that are just part of living life here that no one in their right mind would have to deal with back at home. Then, there are parts that just want to make me cry. Sometimes out of loneliness. Sometimes out of pain. Sometimes out of joy -- like getting to see the transforming power of JC in another person's life.

Sometimes I wake up in awe that I am living on this side of the world. Then, there are days when I just feel like I am SO ready to pack my bags and go home -- to a place where I can find Taco Cabana, Jason's Deli, La Madeleine's, Souper Salad, Target... a place that feels akin to the "land of milk and honey."

But then again, I am reminded that perhaps these things aren't going to fulfill my deepest longings in the long haul.

And I am reminded that earth is just a temporary home. We will all leave it one day.

However, sometimes... boy, just the thought of some yummy enchiladas with real sour cream, a good hot tomato basil soup, and some good western food just makes me so happy! Oh, and then the joy of pushing my shopping cart through some good clean aisles... shopping for really nothing, but anything... Now that makes just makes my heart really excited!!

Boy do I long for home!!!