部落格開市近兩周, 然而一直未有張貼中文稿件, 心中實在有愧.
轉眼間經已整整一年沒有以中文寫作, 加上日以繼夜的浸淫在全英語環境下, 寫起中文來的確有點吃力. 另一難處是要以倉頡輸入法打字, 更讓我感到力不從心. 當年一分鐘打三四十字的拼搏歲月已然不復再了.
也許是自己心虛, 總認為要寫好文章便必先多讀他人傑作. 在美國定居以來, 除了在網上翻閱中文報章以外, 四年多來也沒有正正經經的讀過半本中文書. 現在要提筆自書, 便覺江郞才盡, 有出沒有入, 很不是味兒.
歸根究底, 還不是一個懶字. 若然不是任由自己懶惰成性, 便不會不看書; 若果沒有把書本遺棄, 便不會有今天提筆千斤重的凄涼境況. 自己討來的苦, 又可以怪誰呢?
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Keep It Real
I'm not a food snob. And, I don't give too much respect to one. Unfortunately, people like to think that I, as a food writer and wife of a chef, must hold an extraordinarily high culinary standard. I hate to disappoint, but I love simple, basic food. The simpler the better.
I believe the best food is one that is made from fresh, natural ingredients (Organic is always good, but I'll take what I can get - in Texas, it's not always easy to find organic produce at a reasonable price range.), prepared in simple ways, and tastes like what it's supposed to. Say, a tomato that tastes like fish isn't exactly my cup of tea.
Here, no offense to Chef Ferran Adria. I think he's a true innovator and a food revolutionary. But, honestly, how many times do you want to eat frothy ham? Or crunchy olive oil rings? It's fun to try it, and to challenge yourself what food is supposed to be. At the end of the day, food is nothing more than nourishment for the body and soul.
So when I read this article in New York Times today, my first reaction was NOOOOOOO! I want nothing to do with fake chocolate! It's hard enough to find chocolate that doesn't taste overwhelmingly sweet. And now we have to live with chocolate that's made with artifical cocoa butter? If the FDA allows manufacturers to use cheaper fats instead of cocoa butter, a majority of our future generation will never know what real chocolate tastes like. Plus, who knows what adverse effects this subsititution could bring? People had been eating margarine for years before realizing that they've been eating tons of trans fats all along.
I don't dream of fancy food every day, but please don't give me (and the world) any more artificial food. I'd rather keep it real.
*************************************************************
My favorite chocolate dessert is in the form of truffles. This recipe from epicurious.com is one of the recipes that I like to use.
Monday, June 25, 2007
My Linguistics Divide
Since I was about 6 years old, I was taught to "think" in English when I am to speak or write in English. I have acquired this skill pretty well. "Thinking in English" has become one of my conditioned reflexes. And this is probably one reason why my friends in Hong Kong used to call me gweipor, which I never took very seriously, and, by no means, was proud of. But the more I think about this, the more I think my friends might have a point.
I learned early on that I think differently when I speak or write in English than in Chinese. Depending on the subject matter, I would pick the language that I feel most comfortable to "think" in. This became more obvious when I started writing poetry in college. I believe poetry is all about expressing yourself in certain forms and sounds. It is meant to be read aloud. And, because Cantonese is not exactly written Chinese, I had a very hard time writing poetry in Chinese. It just never sounded right. On the contrary, writing English poems just comes naturally. I can read my poems in English aloud, and feel good about it.
Lately, I have also been thinking if this lingua franca has any effect on my Chineseness. It has been almost 5 years since I moved to the U.S. I speak/write English in the work place, out shopping, socializing, and even at home - thanks to my non-Chinese speaking gweilo husband. The only times I speak in my mother tongue is either when I'm with my son (AND when my husband's not around), or calling my family and friends back in Hong Kong.
There's basically no way to find out if I've become less "Chinese" because of my increased use of English, unless I can somehow put another me in a control environment - something like a Chinese-speaking western country, if such exists!
One thing I know for sure is that I can't keep up with the slangs in Hong Kong any more. I have such a hard time understanding what is written in those youth magazines in Hong Kong. My greatest fear is that on my next visit to Hong Kong, I would sound like a 50-year-old because of my inability to understand the new slangs.
It's a shame to feel that one has to practice one's native language!
I learned early on that I think differently when I speak or write in English than in Chinese. Depending on the subject matter, I would pick the language that I feel most comfortable to "think" in. This became more obvious when I started writing poetry in college. I believe poetry is all about expressing yourself in certain forms and sounds. It is meant to be read aloud. And, because Cantonese is not exactly written Chinese, I had a very hard time writing poetry in Chinese. It just never sounded right. On the contrary, writing English poems just comes naturally. I can read my poems in English aloud, and feel good about it.
Lately, I have also been thinking if this lingua franca has any effect on my Chineseness. It has been almost 5 years since I moved to the U.S. I speak/write English in the work place, out shopping, socializing, and even at home - thanks to my non-Chinese speaking gweilo husband. The only times I speak in my mother tongue is either when I'm with my son (AND when my husband's not around), or calling my family and friends back in Hong Kong.
There's basically no way to find out if I've become less "Chinese" because of my increased use of English, unless I can somehow put another me in a control environment - something like a Chinese-speaking western country, if such exists!
One thing I know for sure is that I can't keep up with the slangs in Hong Kong any more. I have such a hard time understanding what is written in those youth magazines in Hong Kong. My greatest fear is that on my next visit to Hong Kong, I would sound like a 50-year-old because of my inability to understand the new slangs.
It's a shame to feel that one has to practice one's native language!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Morning Rush
alarm clock, bath robe, slippers,
running water, tooth brush, toothpaste, bubbles,
water jets, shower, shampoo, shower gel,
towel, hair brush, floral dress,
face cream, foundation, brow pencil, blush, lipstick,
perfume, earrings, necklace, watch
keys, purse, shoes, car
running water, tooth brush, toothpaste, bubbles,
water jets, shower, shampoo, shower gel,
towel, hair brush, floral dress,
face cream, foundation, brow pencil, blush, lipstick,
perfume, earrings, necklace, watch
keys, purse, shoes, car
I'm looking at you looking at me
I'm looking at you
looking at me
I see rainbow I see sparkles
in those big brown eyes
I want to keep this moment
in eternity
But then I blink
I open my eyes and
I see not you but me
I was once like you
know no sorrow but joy
know no anguish but love
I stare at those big brown eyes
and I blink again
There it is your smiling face
reappearing in front of me
I'm looking at you
looking at me
looking at me
I see rainbow I see sparkles
in those big brown eyes
I want to keep this moment
in eternity
But then I blink
I open my eyes and
I see not you but me
I was once like you
know no sorrow but joy
know no anguish but love
I stare at those big brown eyes
and I blink again
There it is your smiling face
reappearing in front of me
I'm looking at you
looking at me
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Squid Salad Thai Style 泰式魷魚沙律
I love salads. In cooler weather, I like salads tossed with warm meat. In the Fall or Winter, a warm spinach salad with bacon and drippings would be the perfect accompaniment to any entree.
But in the hot and humid Texas summers, I would trade anything for a cool, fresh salad. One of my favorites is the squid salad. (My 3-year-old loves the little squid "circles".) It's tasty and versatile. You can basically use any combination of your favorite veggies. And, it's a meal of its own that takes only 15 minutes to prepare! What's not to love about it! Here's the recipe (pictures of this dish and its recipe in Chinese will be uploaded soon):
Ingredients
(serves 2)
12 oz squid (preferrably fresh), cleaned and sliced6 oz of your favorite mixed salad greens (I like something with a spicy touch, such as, arugula)
1/2 cup radish, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 cup sprouts
a handful of Thai basil (optional but strongly recommended), chopped
a handful of mint (optional), chopped
a "cake" of dried rice noodles, thoroughly soaked and cut into shorter pieces (makes about 2 cups)
1/4 cup Thai sweet chilli sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil (don't use olive oil or sesame oil - I know it sounds like a good idea, but in reality, these oils have too strong of a taste that's not a good match for this salad)
(1) Blanch the squid in a pot of boiling water for about 2 to 3 mintues, until it turns opaque.
(2) Drain the squid and rinse it under cold water. Drain again.
(3) Toss the squid with all the vegetables, herbs (if using), and rice noodles.
(4) In a separate bowl, whisk the last 4 ingredients well & dress the salad right before serving.
*When I was in San Francisco, I like to get organic salad greens at the farmers market, where they'll put colorful, edible flowers with the greens. It makes me happy looking at the tiny pink, yellow, and blue flowers sprinkled on the salad.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Too rich? Too expensive?
It's probably a coincident that these two pieces of news came at the same time. But it makes me wonder how Hong Kong's economy is really doing 10 years after the handover.
The Gini Coeffient
The first piece of news is about the statistics on Hong Kong's Gini Coefficient (GC) released a couple of days ago (original story in Ming Pao via Yahoo.com.hk). The GC of HK had risen from 0.518 in 1996 to 0.533 in 2006, which means that the difference between the lowest wage and the highest wage is widened. An immediate conclusion would be the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.
Blogger Roland Soong has already raised the question that this might not necessarily be true (related posts in EastSouthWestNorth). While GC does reflect the gap between the rich and the poor, a smaller GC does not guarantee a good economy nor financial equality. A zero GC means everybody are equally rich (or poor). That's supposed to be the perfect scenario, right? Wrong! Any communist country can obtain a zero or near zero GC. But is that the kind of economy Hong Kong would want?
As Fung Hing-wang, Commissioner for Census and Statistics, pointed out, the number of seniors living by themselves is increased from 61,000 ten years ago to 98,000 last year. This alone would have pushed the Gini Coeffient up a few points. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that these seniors are living in worse conditions than their counterparts 10 years ago. Their sons and daughters may still be taking good care of them, and their standards of living may not have changed a bit.
I agree that the government should take note that there's a rise in the GC, and try to figure out ways to get the poor out of poverty. But it's also equally important for all of us to question the motives of those who try to use this statistical findings to work in favor of their political agenda.
*****************************************************************
Most Expensive Cities in the World
Yesterday CNN Money.com had a story on the world's most expensive cities. The methodology is to use New York City as the base and then compare how expensive/cheap it is to live in a certain city. The top 5 most expensive cities are, in the order of 1 to 5, Moscow, London, Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.
In comparison, Hong Kong is 19% more expensive than NYC. This somewhat surprises me because, having been living in San Francisco (which ranked No. 54) & now Texas for 4 and a half years, I've come to a conclusion that you can really get by more easily in HK than in the U.S. if you don't make very much.
I suspect that when they did this survey, they didn't take into account an important social phenonmenon: most single people in Hong Kong live with their parents. This saves them a chunk of money! I can say that loud and clear because I was a beneficiary of this. I had been living with my parents up to the day I got married. I don't have to pay any rent or mortgage (I did give my parents "pocket money", though).
It'd be interesting to see this survey re-evaluated with the live-in factor accounted for.
The Gini Coeffient
The first piece of news is about the statistics on Hong Kong's Gini Coefficient (GC) released a couple of days ago (original story in Ming Pao via Yahoo.com.hk). The GC of HK had risen from 0.518 in 1996 to 0.533 in 2006, which means that the difference between the lowest wage and the highest wage is widened. An immediate conclusion would be the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.
Blogger Roland Soong has already raised the question that this might not necessarily be true (related posts in EastSouthWestNorth). While GC does reflect the gap between the rich and the poor, a smaller GC does not guarantee a good economy nor financial equality. A zero GC means everybody are equally rich (or poor). That's supposed to be the perfect scenario, right? Wrong! Any communist country can obtain a zero or near zero GC. But is that the kind of economy Hong Kong would want?
As Fung Hing-wang, Commissioner for Census and Statistics, pointed out, the number of seniors living by themselves is increased from 61,000 ten years ago to 98,000 last year. This alone would have pushed the Gini Coeffient up a few points. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that these seniors are living in worse conditions than their counterparts 10 years ago. Their sons and daughters may still be taking good care of them, and their standards of living may not have changed a bit.
I agree that the government should take note that there's a rise in the GC, and try to figure out ways to get the poor out of poverty. But it's also equally important for all of us to question the motives of those who try to use this statistical findings to work in favor of their political agenda.
*****************************************************************
Most Expensive Cities in the World
Yesterday CNN Money.com had a story on the world's most expensive cities. The methodology is to use New York City as the base and then compare how expensive/cheap it is to live in a certain city. The top 5 most expensive cities are, in the order of 1 to 5, Moscow, London, Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.
In comparison, Hong Kong is 19% more expensive than NYC. This somewhat surprises me because, having been living in San Francisco (which ranked No. 54) & now Texas for 4 and a half years, I've come to a conclusion that you can really get by more easily in HK than in the U.S. if you don't make very much.
I suspect that when they did this survey, they didn't take into account an important social phenonmenon: most single people in Hong Kong live with their parents. This saves them a chunk of money! I can say that loud and clear because I was a beneficiary of this. I had been living with my parents up to the day I got married. I don't have to pay any rent or mortgage (I did give my parents "pocket money", though).
It'd be interesting to see this survey re-evaluated with the live-in factor accounted for.
Dragon Boat Festival 端午節
Another Dragon Boat Festival with no dragon boats & no rice dumplings... I don't get homesick very much, but this is one of those rare days that I really wish I'm in Hong Kong, curling up on the couch watching dragon boat races on TV, eating an assortment of rice dumplings my mom got from the market, and chatting away with my sister, who wouldn't stop complaining about how boring the boat races are.
When I was in San Francisco, at least I can get pretty decent rice dumplings. But, even then, the dragon boat race was never on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. In a small town like College Station, it's absolutely out of the question. 90% of the population here is Caucasian. The best Chinese dish you can find is Kung Pao Chicken (well, it's actually not true, I've tried decent steamed fish & other real Chinese food at a restaurant here).
But I'm excited that I'm in a position that I can do something about it. Not that I'm going to make any rice dumplings myself, nor am I going to start kayaking in Lake Bryan - but the fact that I'm working at the Institute for Pacific Asia at the local university means that a big part of my job is to bring more Asian cultural awareness on campus. I have all the right reasons to introduce this very special celebration to the heart of Texas. I've done that with Chinese New Year earlier. My next ambition is the Dragon Boat Festival.
But before this happens, I'm planning to go to Houston this evening & try to find some good old rice dumplings in the New Hong Kong Market...
Monday, June 18, 2007
囝囝照相薄
At the front doorFirst Chinese New Year at Aggieland
One of our many trips to Houston
Blue Bonnets on the road
Peaches from our yard
Beefcake Genghis
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Long Time No See
People moutain people sea.
Put you on the table.
Laugh die me.
Blow water.
What the water are you?
So you're clueless what I'm talking about? Welcome to the world of Chinglish! Or, to be more specific, the world of Hongklish!
I was reading this group on Facebook about Chinglish and couldn't help thinking once again the amazing influence of Hong Kong culture in the world. The phrase "long time no see" has obtained legitimate status in the English languge already. I wonder what would be the next.
Speaking of Chinglish, I think there is, though, a big difference between the Chinglish in HK and the Chinglish in mainland China. The former is more about fun, but the latter is mostly because of inadequacy. I mean, I can't help but laugh at all the nonsense Chinglish signs I see in mainland China, but, at the same time, I feel really bad about it.
It's a shame. Is it really that difficult to find someone to translate the public signage into English? I don't think so. I'm sure there're lots of capable people in China to do that. So why is this happening? If the government could care less whether the translation of public information is accurate or not, why bother translating. Might as well keep everything in Chinese only.
This reminds me of a Chinese idiom: "drawing snakes and complement them with feet".
Put you on the table.
Laugh die me.
Blow water.
What the water are you?
So you're clueless what I'm talking about? Welcome to the world of Chinglish! Or, to be more specific, the world of Hongklish!
I was reading this group on Facebook about Chinglish and couldn't help thinking once again the amazing influence of Hong Kong culture in the world. The phrase "long time no see" has obtained legitimate status in the English languge already. I wonder what would be the next.
Speaking of Chinglish, I think there is, though, a big difference between the Chinglish in HK and the Chinglish in mainland China. The former is more about fun, but the latter is mostly because of inadequacy. I mean, I can't help but laugh at all the nonsense Chinglish signs I see in mainland China, but, at the same time, I feel really bad about it.
It's a shame. Is it really that difficult to find someone to translate the public signage into English? I don't think so. I'm sure there're lots of capable people in China to do that. So why is this happening? If the government could care less whether the translation of public information is accurate or not, why bother translating. Might as well keep everything in Chinese only.
This reminds me of a Chinese idiom: "drawing snakes and complement them with feet".
Open Door Big Tangerine
A literal translation of a typical Cantonese congratulatory greeting to a new business, that is.
I've been meaning to set up a blog for the longest time but never really put it into action. Until now. My urge for writing "something" has been rapidly on the rise, and finally it hit its peak. I am starting this blog just so I can release my rants on everyday life, and in the hope that this could be a way for me to keep in touch with my friends in HK, SF, and other parts of the world.
More later!
I've been meaning to set up a blog for the longest time but never really put it into action. Until now. My urge for writing "something" has been rapidly on the rise, and finally it hit its peak. I am starting this blog just so I can release my rants on everyday life, and in the hope that this could be a way for me to keep in touch with my friends in HK, SF, and other parts of the world.
More later!
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