"Honey Badger don't care. Honey Badger don't give a sh*t." One of the funniest things I've come across in a long time.
(NSFW-language)
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Monday, November 07, 2011
Japanese Family Dinner
Back when I was 9 or 10, I can remember dinners out with my Japanese side of the family. We always met up in the banquet rooms of Chinese restaurants. You might be asking why would Japanese people do this and I have no idea. I did like Chinese food at that time so I did not complain. (I now find it too greasy, salty and "sauced," but I digress.) We met up with my many great-aunts and uncles, 1st and 2nd cousins and occasionally my grandpa and grandma (if the were visiting) to talk, drink tea and eat lots of Chow Mein. Speaking of Chow Mein, I've still never learned how to make it. But I hear there are culinary classes from accredited online colleges available, so definitely worth checking out.
My younger brother and I were usually the only children present so we had to entertain ourselves. It being the 80's and pre-Gameboy or iPhone, our options were limited to playing with the chopsticks, slowly sucking up our soda with a straw, making sugar packet forts or drawing on the paper placemat with Dad's check writing pen or just wandering around the table/room/restaurant. When an elder would catch us in their eye line, they'd try to have a conversation with us. Everyone always asked about school which is part Asian cliche, part standard protocol when talking to a school-aged kid. But it didn't take long to list off what we were doing and kids don't give a rip about what adults like so the conversation pretty much fizzled out. There would be an uncomfortable silence and then they'd turn to the nearest adult and start talking again.
The Japanese folks were a lot less raucous and emotive than my Italian relations but they could still surprise you. Once my great uncle Walter ordered a fancy drink but at age 9, I had never seen anything like it before. To me, it looked like water in a triangular, stemmed glass.
So I leaned over and said, "Is that water?"
He said, "Yes!" (a bit to enthusiastically I should have noted)
"Can I have some?" I asked.
"Sure," he said as he slid it over.
I took a big mouthful which was okay for a second and then as I swallowed, it BURNED all the way down. Oh yes, that would be a gin martini. My normally reserved uncle howled with laughter and some of my other relations flashed a knowing smile. I gulped down my own water as fast as I could to wash the taste out of my mouth and I never asked to try his drinks again. Sure, it's not nice to trick children who trust you but I have to admit that was pretty funny.
So last Saturday, I found myself at a long table with many of my Japanese relations seated across and next to me. Earlier that day, my family celebrated the life of my great uncle Bill who passed away in late September. Ken and I were not at that earlier event but we were very eager to be at this dinner. It was in a Thai restaurant which fit the prerequisite of an Asian-cuisine-laden-in-sauces-that-is-not-Japanese. Only this time I was not a kid any more and ended up asking my younger cousin how school was going. Sidney proceeded to wander around the table as my brother and I once did. It's like this has happened before and will happen again. The cast of characters has certainly changed.
Now you can pick your ending:
Sentimental:
But nothing says family like having a good meal together, reminiscing about those no longer with us and introducing the next generation to this tradition.
Realistic:
But nothing says family like Dad & cousins comparing receding hairlines, dealing with a toddler who won't eat anything and tracking the UW vs. UO game on Smartphones during dinner.
My younger brother and I were usually the only children present so we had to entertain ourselves. It being the 80's and pre-Gameboy or iPhone, our options were limited to playing with the chopsticks, slowly sucking up our soda with a straw, making sugar packet forts or drawing on the paper placemat with Dad's check writing pen or just wandering around the table/room/restaurant. When an elder would catch us in their eye line, they'd try to have a conversation with us. Everyone always asked about school which is part Asian cliche, part standard protocol when talking to a school-aged kid. But it didn't take long to list off what we were doing and kids don't give a rip about what adults like so the conversation pretty much fizzled out. There would be an uncomfortable silence and then they'd turn to the nearest adult and start talking again.
The Japanese folks were a lot less raucous and emotive than my Italian relations but they could still surprise you. Once my great uncle Walter ordered a fancy drink but at age 9, I had never seen anything like it before. To me, it looked like water in a triangular, stemmed glass.
So I leaned over and said, "Is that water?"
He said, "Yes!" (a bit to enthusiastically I should have noted)
"Can I have some?" I asked.
"Sure," he said as he slid it over.
I took a big mouthful which was okay for a second and then as I swallowed, it BURNED all the way down. Oh yes, that would be a gin martini. My normally reserved uncle howled with laughter and some of my other relations flashed a knowing smile. I gulped down my own water as fast as I could to wash the taste out of my mouth and I never asked to try his drinks again. Sure, it's not nice to trick children who trust you but I have to admit that was pretty funny.
So last Saturday, I found myself at a long table with many of my Japanese relations seated across and next to me. Earlier that day, my family celebrated the life of my great uncle Bill who passed away in late September. Ken and I were not at that earlier event but we were very eager to be at this dinner. It was in a Thai restaurant which fit the prerequisite of an Asian-cuisine-laden-in-sauces-that-is-not-Japanese. Only this time I was not a kid any more and ended up asking my younger cousin how school was going. Sidney proceeded to wander around the table as my brother and I once did. It's like this has happened before and will happen again. The cast of characters has certainly changed.
Now you can pick your ending:
Sentimental:
But nothing says family like having a good meal together, reminiscing about those no longer with us and introducing the next generation to this tradition.
Realistic:
But nothing says family like Dad & cousins comparing receding hairlines, dealing with a toddler who won't eat anything and tracking the UW vs. UO game on Smartphones during dinner.
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| The cousins: Euge, Ken, Steve |
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| Dad gives Sidney some coconut ice cream, one of the few things she would actually eat that night. |
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| Cousin Ali meets Sidney for the first time. |
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| Ali holding Sidney. Ali and Sidney both have dads who are called 'Ken Sakai'. But only of them is actually named that. |
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| Great Uncle Hank & Great Aunt Juli. Juli was later styling in her "hot" Juicy Couture hat (not pictured). True story. |
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| Riyo & George |
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| Max & Rosanne |
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| Little brother with cousin Dave and Great Aunt Susie |
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Remembering Auntie Rosie
Today, we lost a dear, lovely lady in our family. My great-aunt Rose who was my grandmother's sister passed away this morning, surrounded by her children.
She was always very chipper, easy-going and optimistic. One of my earliest memories of her is visiting her and Skipper, her dog. He loved these little "hot dog-like biscuits" call Snausauges. During one of our visits when I was 4 or 5, I was allowed to give him one. I decided to sample one also and to my surprise IT TASTED AWESOME! From then on, I equated going to Auntie Rosie's house with getting to eat, straight from the box, these amazing "crackers" that were really dog treats. My mother and aunt just let me go to town on them like they were Nilla Wafers. I don't begrudge it though--they were delicious.
All joking aside, it is truly a loss that I have not come to terms with yet. Rose was the closest thing to a grandmother that we/I had left on this side of the family. She was so excited about Sidney and always lit up when she saw her at family functions. Auntie would always want to hold and play with Sidney and had such a caring way about her. (You can just see it in the picture below.) It made the absence of my own grandmother just a little easier, knowing that her younger sister Rose was doing an outstanding job filling in. RIP Auntie. We will miss you.
She was always very chipper, easy-going and optimistic. One of my earliest memories of her is visiting her and Skipper, her dog. He loved these little "hot dog-like biscuits" call Snausauges. During one of our visits when I was 4 or 5, I was allowed to give him one. I decided to sample one also and to my surprise IT TASTED AWESOME! From then on, I equated going to Auntie Rosie's house with getting to eat, straight from the box, these amazing "crackers" that were really dog treats. My mother and aunt just let me go to town on them like they were Nilla Wafers. I don't begrudge it though--they were delicious.
All joking aside, it is truly a loss that I have not come to terms with yet. Rose was the closest thing to a grandmother that we/I had left on this side of the family. She was so excited about Sidney and always lit up when she saw her at family functions. Auntie would always want to hold and play with Sidney and had such a caring way about her. (You can just see it in the picture below.) It made the absence of my own grandmother just a little easier, knowing that her younger sister Rose was doing an outstanding job filling in. RIP Auntie. We will miss you.
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| Christmas 2009 |
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Halloween 2011
Sidney's costume this year was a triumph in procurement. While my mother used to make many of our costumes and was amazing at turning fanciful ideas into reality, sewing is not my core competence. So I had to start early and be on the look out for ideas. I think by late spring early summer I bought Sidney's antennae headpiece. I loved it so much and built her entire costume around it. Next I found that little dress on the internet on clearance and it came with the lamest set of wings I've ever seen. So I found another set of wings on the internet but when they arrived I realized they were for adults and too big & heavy for her. Then a few weeks ago while trolling around in Target I happened into the costume section "just to see" and wouldn't you know it? Perfect purple wings with the curly ends and everything. Looks like the headpiece and wings are a set but they weren't. Score! The downside of those wings are those curled ends: they grab on everything so she has to have a 4 foot radius of open air.
This Halloween we went up to Queen Anne to participate in their neighborhood trick-or-treat event. I know, we don't even live there, it's scandalous! But we were with our friends the Testas. They joined us last year in Ballard for our neighborhood trick-or-treat event. Up on Queen Anne at their neighborhood event where you go from store to store, it was pretty crowded and there were some kids who were 10-12 years old who were like velociraptors and as our little toddlers would approach a person with a bowl giving out candy, these kids would rush up in front of them nearly knocking them over and crowding them out. Seriously, there's enough candy for all of you--take it easy. In all honesty, Max & Sidney will not get to eat most of their bounty this year (that's what we're for) but at least they got the experience so they can sharpen their elbows for next Halloween.
And on top of that a gal from one of the coffee shops had all the candy in a glass jar and was sitting outside the shop, holding it on her lap. I passed her then I heard a loud crash and felt something hit the heel of my boot. I looked back and saw the glass jar had shattered on the ground with candy scattered among the very sharp pieces. (I'm still not sure what caused her to drop it.) Ken and other adults helped pick up the chunks of glass as there were a lot. Once that was done, "the velociraptors" moved in and started taking the candy that was still littered among the smaller glass fragments because no one could grab a broom fast enough. But the gal working there was actually letting them take it. This would be THE scenario where I would say checking for foreign objects in trick-or-treat bounty is a good idea.
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