Monthly Archives: November 2011

Takeaways from NaBloPoMo

Writing requires heart, perseverance, and commitment. Producing quality work takes more time and effort than one might believe, and I still feel like a greenhorn after gaining more experience these past few months. I hope to feel more at ease, yet inspired to always work toward improvement.

Writing every day was a difficult enterprise, but enjoyable and a goal worth continuously struggling to meet. I did not always hit publish by the technical midnight deadline, but endeavored, crawled, and confidently sashayed (on at least one occasion).

The writing process felt like falling in love all over again with a long-term partner. I learned, observed, and appreciated. My fingers ached with fatigue, itched with anticipation, and suspended themselves in frustration over the keypad.

Messy. Ridiculous. Mundane. Exhilarating. A hundred emotions and reactions more than Jackson Pollack could ever express in an abstract masterpiece.

Let’s go again.

Five Girly Things I Really Wanted, but Didn’t Buy on Cyber Monday

I used to shun feminine clothing, beauty cosmetics, and hairstyle trends, but something happened to my brain from the time I grabbed my college degree to when I stepped into the workforce. However, paying my way through life helps restrain my urge to splurge. Instead, I stayed within my holiday spending budget and bought gifts for others as originally planned.

Here are several items I stopped myself from purchasing:

1. Urban Decay: Book of Shadows IV, eye shadow palette - Artsy packaging, glamorous, vibrant colors, and rave reviews from many Urban Decay fans made this kit a difficult one to pass up. $64.00 USD.

2. Urban Decay Skyscraper Multi-benefit Mascara - I went from buying clear mascara to stumbling across this incredible product in a sample size. This product lengthens, curls, and separates without clumping. Long-lasting. Black. $20.00 USD.

3. New Orleans Saints PINK Tee & Boxer Gift Set by Victoria’s Secret – Sheepishly adding this one as a NY Giants fan since birth, but the team has style, NOLA is beautiful, and the fleur-de-lis symbol is classy. Lastly, my team loyalty defection has nothing to do with the G-Men’s horrific season, okay? $52.50 USD. Who dat indeed.

4. Grand Traveler in Rhythm and Blues by Vera Bradley – Carry-on compliant, bluesy, and perfect for my upcoming trip in 2012. I never check a bag and with this one, I won’t feel tempted either, $118.00 USD.

5. Fossil Starter Charm Bracelet with Charms - These charms are beautiful, chunky, and represent really memorable events in my life. A starter bracelet is relatively inexpensive. Build a bracelet or necklace order with the helpful charm builder module on Fossil’s website. My ideal bracelet lists for a total $172.00, USD.

Total money saved from the throes of reckless spending: $426.50!

Indian Soul Food – Sweet Potato Tofu Balls

This recipe results from desperation to use the last sweet potato from Thanksgiving and a container with leftover firm tofu from my last stir fry. This first attempt was a bit crispier than desired (though this did not seem to negatively alter the taste), but still bursting with flavor. It’s a very interesting and tasty appetizer to serve when entertaining guests.

Serving Size: ~15-20 individual pieces

Here’s What You Need:

- A wok or deep pan

- Large mixing bowl

- Medium sized bowl

- Potato masher

- Large stove pot

- Kitchen tongs

- Paper towels

- Large serving tray/platter

- 1 – 2 cups olive oil

- 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

- 2 tablespoons parsley

- 2 tablespoons minced dried onions

- Three large sweet potatoes

- 1 cup diced medium to firm tofu

- 3 tablespoons Creole seasoning

Here’s What You Do:

1. Wash, then boil the sweet potatoes (leaving the skin intact) in the large stove pot for 45 minutes or until soft.

2. Place in the mixing bowl and peel off the skin, staying mindful to avoid burning yourself. Dice the tofu and place it in the same bowl with the seasonings.

3. Mash and blend with the potato masher. Pour the olive oil into the wok and set it on medium heat.

4. Set aside a serving tray or platter lined with paper towels.

5. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Wearing disposable gloves, grab handfuls of the potato mixture and roll into small balls, about 1.5 inches in diameter. Roll in the bread crumbs and place gingerly in the hot oil.

6. Repeat four-five times, keeping each about one inch from each other in the pan. Turn the appetizers over individually with the tongs, adjusting the heat to prevent them from burning.

7. Remove each and place on the serving platter after they turn a golden brown color.

8. Allow to sit and drain for several minutes. Transfer each to a separate serving dish or discard the paper towels. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauces.

The Creole seasoning adds spice and soul to this appetizer, while the basic dish ingredients and short frying time keep the calories to a minimum. Olive oil should be used sparingly when preparing this meal.

No, Dad, I’m Not Pregnant

Once upon a time, many years ago, I worked as a waitress in a small diner. A hardworking, damn good waitress remembers regular order and coffee preferences, despite being intermittently hired there in between semesters. And I was that kind of gal, setting up for the morning rush at dawn and restocking supplies in the evening.

Anyway, it’s only worth mentioning because I am a regular at a local eatery, but rarely order the same foods. I don’t expect similar treatment as the customers who frequented my seasonal job, because the staff would need to develop mind reading abilities.

I sat at one of my usual tables and ordered a rr w 1 sc, am ch, saus, & pk, waitress shorthand for the Breakfast of Champions. My father called while I breathed in the aromas of an urban morning, sizzling bacon mixed with freshly brewed coffee (not car exhaust and curbside garbage). Our conversation was worth transcribing:

Dad: Good morning, sweetheart. Do you have something you want to tell me?

Note: This starter greeting is never a good way for a parent to talk with their child, regardless of age.

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Creamy Sweet Potato Pie recipe

Our car whizzed along the highway without interruption on Thanksgiving. The highway dipped, curved, and bumped us along. I felt sick from the jostling and movement, not used to it anymore after relying on my feet and the occasional train for several months. My body fully assimilated to living in the city, even if I mentally fight it.

My parents welcomed me inside my childhood home, and I promptly fell asleep on the couch to combat continued dizziness. My family kindly woke me up five hours later with Thanksgiving dinner leftovers, but explained they left my relative’s before dessert.

I accepted the news with light disappointment since we indulged in mini pumpkin pies a few weeks earlier, but still felt a hankering for some holiday goods. Naturally, baking sweet potato pie was the only way to cure the craving.

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Ignoring Black Friday

I slept in. How was your Black Friday?

#SORELThankful

Sorel selected me as a winner in their recent Fearless campaign with the tweet posted above. My nominee and I chose Sorelia Earhart boots for prizes and received them a few weeks ago, right before the early Halloween snowfall.

courtesy of Sorel.com

Today, Sorel asked fans to post why they were #SORELThankful. Winning tangibly represented my sister’s resilience. I won’t go into detail about everything she endured, but my sister got in with the wrong crowd, wanting to be accepted and popular. Initially, she was, but then the bullying began.

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Feeling Grateful before Thanksgiving Eve

What is the luckiest thing that ever happened to you and why?

I am lucky because someone made me this cupcake. Life is a delicious thing, and I'm going to grab and eat it.

There are so many ways to approach this prompt. I could get emotional and talk about personal triumphs- overcoming illness and maintaining friendships over many years, etc.

I can also talk about accomplishments on the job, especially moving moments with anonymous counseling clients, or the recent successes experienced while freelance writing.

Then again, I could refer to material gains, but those in comparison to the above seem shallow and without merit.

What is the luckiest thing that ever happened to me and why?

I can’t qualify it to a single event. There are many reasons why I feel lucky and they are similar to others’ on a broad scale:

- I overcame a lot to get to where I am.

- I persevered when times were difficult, yet I also had help along the way from unanticipated sources.

- I have housing, shelter, and food.

- I’m employed during a really rough economic decline, and really enjoy my job.

- I’m able to write and blog on my time, and that time is about to free up even more.

- I feel like here and now is a really wonderful time to be alive. Despite any setbacks we’re experiencing in America, there’s an incredible amount of open opportunities, ever-improving technology, and globalization of ideas, thoughts, and information. Nobody said living was easy, but it’s worthwhile.

Yes, I’m more than lucky. I’m blessed.

Four Years Later

Four years ago, six college seniors sat around the restaurant table, pouring and drinking wine at a steady pace. The wall mural behind them depicted a lovely Italian vista overlooking clear blue waters of Capri. The students’ boisterous laughter filled their private alcove with merriment and shared remembrances. They departed several hours later with full stomachs and five empty bottles standing upright on the white linen tablecloth.

One year ago, a fire burnt down the lovely painting, the tables and chairs, and turned most of the interior to cinders. The business reopened, but knocked down the wall and opened the space for a more welcoming atmosphere.

This evening, two college seniors and their old resident assistant sat at a table where the original one stood years before. She helped them transition in as freshmen and returned to wish them well as they readied for graduation, for an inevitable departure from the familiar. They raised their water glasses in a toast and smiled at one another over the rims.

Castaways from Korea to New York

I halfheartedly dressed for the outside world today, then promptly snuggled back under covers to watch Castaway on the Moon, a charming, eccentric South Korean film about how two misfits find one another despite improbable circumstances.

Watch the trailer:

The female protagonist, Kim, is agoraphobic. She is too anxious to explore the rest of her house, occupied by her parents, and spends years browsing the Internet and taking photographs of the  moon from her bedroom. The main male character (also Kim) tries to commit suicide, but finds himself alive and stranded on a small stretch of land beneath an overpass. The young woman accidentally sees him through her telescope and begins to take photographs of him as well. Kim is finally motivated to connect with another living person and courageously leaves the house (donning a motorcycle helmet to help her feel safe) to deliver a message to him. Their correspondence begins.

Yesterday, a young person rode slowly down the sidewalk on a bicycle. They wore a motorcycle helmet and carried a satchel. Their shoulders slumped forward slightly with the burden and an exuded uncertainty. Could they have been on a mission akin to the fictional Kim? I silently wished them well.

Castaway on the Moon is worth watching, and fortunately, it features English subtitles. The average viewer will not need a solid footing in Korean culture to understand the movie’s lesson, because the theme parallels what I strive to cultivate with Chi Speak, a shared space for a universal audience.

Here’s my takeaway- Most people are lonely and afraid of themselves and those around them, by varying degrees. We all fight to create identities and manifest passions, discover motivations, and develop trusting relationships with others. We worry about the ways others perceive us and wonder whether we’re on the “right” path, meeting unspoken, yet firmly culled social milestones in contrast to our loved ones and peers.

Metaphorically, we all wear motorcycle helmets. Have you ever wondered what you might find beneath yours? My helmet is a dark blue with some glitter, and after much work and ongoing reflection, I will bet a mug of hot apple cider I’m smiling behind the tinted visor; contentment is there, real, and attainable.