Catch Up

Pin It now! Hi there, remember me?  I'm not going to mention that I haven't written for over a month.  Ok, there I said it but let's move on.  I've been busy with work, cooking, weekends, birthdays.... here's a 10 second photo montage of what's been happening here in BK.

Our non-existent winter and the fabulous transition into an already very warm spring.

Trying to get through Hunger Games before the movie comes out.

Getting back into volleyball and anxiously awaiting the start of dodgeball.

Running outside again (signed up for this 5K).

kagetter on flickr

Celebrating Chinese New Year (four times)

Chinese New Year

Pin It now! Chinese New Year...twice at a neighbor's apartment, once at ours (where I made everything except the Peking Duck), and lastly at my cousin's (new and gigantic) house in NJ.  We better have a lot of good luck this year.

And I can't stop watching this New Year Shuffle that Lorraine sent me.  I already jump up out of my seat whenever I hear this song and having it used for a dragon dance makes it that much better.

The Dice Game

Pin It now! Last week, while we were at my cousin's house celebrating Chinese New Year, my cousin busted out the dice game.  Every year he takes out the game, makes sure he's the dealer and steals plays with all of the kid's red envelope money.  It always starts with quarters and then progresses to dollar bills.  You would think that statistically (I'm just guessing, I have to no idea about statistics) the house loses, but it's never the case.  I know I shouldn't condone gambling, but for such a simple game, it's hours of fun.

Red Envelopes for New Year

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Last year, Michael and I were in London for Chinese New Year.  Although we weren't physically at the annual New Year dinner with my relatives, my mom still gave the younger cousins red envelopes on my behalf.  This year I'm really excited because we actually get to hand them out ourselves.  I'm the oldest of the second group of my cousins and it'll be a surreal "grown up" experience to be handing them out to the youngins.  I hope they still let us sit at the kids table.  (I didn't get fancy ones though like those I took a picture of in a bin in Chinatown.  I totally cheaped out and bought the ones that were half the size and $1 a package!)

52 Weeks: Week 5 - Chinatown

Pin It now! Happy Chinese New Year!  It's the year of the Rabbit and another year to celebrate with yummy food.  Truthfully, I've been a bad Chinese - we didn't close the old year with the proper dinner last night.  Growing up, my Mom would make a big dinner Chinese New Year's Eve with certain foods to "close" the year.  You know the Chinese (ok don't answer that with an Amy Chua reference and yes, I still have to post about her book and article.  I still don't have the words though...) - everything means something.  She would make a whole chicken (family unity), two whole fish (making sure we have one for leftovers the next day symbolizing always having more and being prosperous), lettuce (money!) and a vegetarian dish with dried oysters and black moss ("fat choy" - more prosperity).  Life has been really busy and tradition was a little lost this year.  We'll make it up this weekend though when we "open" the new year with all my relatives.  I'm sure there will be loads of delicious dishes to bring us lots of luck to last us through next year.

This week's photo is a familiar sight in Chinatown.  Have you been to one of the hundreds of restaurants that have roast duck, roast chicken, and roast pork on the menu?  I know a lot of people get squeamish seeing their food hanging in the window, especially when the head and feet are still on the food.  I've been seeing (and eating) them since I've been a kid so I've gotten used to it.  It's delicious anyway so get over it!

Hubby in London!

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he's here! my husband, the love of my life, has arrived in jolly old london to visit his wife! it's been a month since i've left nyc, and i'm so glad he's here. i've been doing great by myself here, but having him here every day makes it that much easier.

saturday, hubby was a bit jetlagged so we had dinner. sunday was valentine's day and we had a romantic stroll through the british museum along with hundreds of other people. we saw the rosetta stone though! since it was also chinese new year, we went to chinatown for crispy duck and roast chicken and pork. it was so delicious! i missed home though since my parents were having chinese new year dinner with all our relatives at their house. this would have been the first year we gave out red envelopes. although my mom gave it out for us (she threatened that hubby and i would be bad chinese if we didn't), it just wasn't the same in-person. i know, who complains about not having to give out money!