Stories from My Past - Stinky Tofu

(My sister Erin and me; I'm on the left)

Stinky Tofu

On a clear August afternoon in California, the sun shone brightly, the breeze blew faintly, and my family sat inside a quaint Chinese restaurant in Chinatown.  It was our annual summer vacation and, this year, we were in the Golden State.  Beach, relaxation, and good food were the only items on our agenda.

Chinatown boasted the best Chinese food we'd ever tasted.  My parents claimed it was the closest to authentic Chinese food that wasn't actually from China or Taiwan.  We'd already been to my parents' favorite Dim Sum and their old haunt, Fisherman's Wharf, for fresh seafood.  The previous day, we stopped by an Asian bakery, reminiscent of the corner bakery in my mom's old neighborhood in Taiwan.

Now, they sat in our booth, expectantly awaiting something called chou-dofu, or stinky tofu.

My sister Erin and I had never heard of this strange dish before.  Chicken feet, yes.  Pig's ear, yes.  But, stinky tofu...what was that?

When it arrived on a gleaming white plate, we understood why it had been christened with such an unfortunate name.  So smelly!  My mouth wanted to swallow my tongue.  My nose wanted to jump inside my throat.  My eyes watered as the stench rose like steam.

Erin and I both covered our noses as the odor overwhelmed our senses.  Imagine our severe disgust when my mom and dad proceeded to cut the yellowish-brownish, spongy squares of tofu into pieces and eagerly stuck those pieces into their mouths.  My mom smiled.  My dad commented on the just average quality of the tofu. 

That meant Ma and Da had eaten this stuff before!?  Gross.  Double gross.  Infinity times gross.

They both tried to get us to taste it.  Absolutely not!

We bore the pungent smell for as long as we could, but after two minutes, we were squirming in our seats, holding our breaths and breathing into our t-shirt sleeves.  We begged Ma and Da to let us go outside.  Our booth was right next to the ceiling-to-floor window that let us enjoy a view of the parking lot.  They would be able to see us.  We knew about stranger danger.  We'd be safe.

With each excuse, Erin and I slowly inched our way toward the door and, finally, our parents relented and had mercy on our poor inflicted noses.  We burst into the open air with gasps of relief, exaggerated heaves, and ebullient laughter.

As our parents finished the remainder of the dish, we proceeded to dance about in front of their booth, sticking out our tongues and miming fainting...regardless of the other patrons' stares.

Suffice to say, we never returned to that restaurant ever again.  And Erin and I still, to this day, can't stand the fragrant aroma of stinky tofu.

In which we get photographed...

All Images Copyright of Brenda Eden Photography (please credit them if using image)

Before my daughter was born, my husband and I decided to get pictures taken. It had been almost 6 years since we had any kind of professional photos (basically, since our wedding). So, we wanted to commemorate the moments before we became three.

We met friends (and sisters) Brenda and Becky Eden of Brenda Eden Photography from playing soccer a couple years ago. When I found out they had a photography business, I was excited to have a chance to work with them. :)

We took most of our pictures in their backyard, a rustic wilderness of tree, grass, and big blue sky. Inside, they hung up a brocade-ish piece of fabric on the wall and posed us there.

They are awesome. They made us feel so comfortable and relaxed in front of the lens and really got us to smile naturally. They captured so many tender moments and happy thoughts.

Thank you, Brenda and Becky!

Family Matters

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In honor of my sister coming into town, today's topic is family. One thing that has really stood out the last two months is my family. I'm continually grateful for everything they did while we were adjusting to being new parents.

They cooked. They bought diapers. They were available round the clock for emergency/panicked phone calls. They came over to hold the baby when she just didn't want to go to sleep. My mother-in-law even spent the night once, so we could get a little bit more sleep.

Obviously, I'm lucky that both my mom and my husband's parents live in state.

But, it's a good reminder (this is something that is stressed in Asian families): don't forget your family; they can be your support system no matter what happens (familial piety).

Aren't you glad you aren't Arranged?

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After my husband and I subscribed to Netflix (because we were getting a little cabin fever while our daughter was napping), we decided to make sure we watched movies we wouldn't normally watch. My husband found Arranged, a cute little independent film about two women who both have to go through the process of finding a mate by being arranged. They become friends through the process. There's a bit about acceptance of people not by stereotypes (because one woman is Orthodox Jew and the other Muslim). It's a really cute movie.

Anyway, it made me thankful that I was allowed to choose my own husband. Throughout the whole pregnancy and then raising the baby, I am continually awed by how attached he is to our daughter. It is a delight to see him cooing with her and kissing her chubby cheeks (and even changing diapers!). He's the best thing God put in my life. And I love him.

That said, imagine trusting your parents or even a Yenta to make the marriage decision for you. Yikes! I totally respect all of the cultures that still do this. It is amazing.

Supporting All Things Local

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There's a movement (I think generated in the past decade) that highlights supporting your local businesses. I've slowly come to realize that this is a good idea. And I have moved even slower toward participating.

But, lately, my husband and I have been trying out the local.

We recently went to CIBO, an "urban pizzaria" in downtown Phoenix, on the recommendation of Check, Please! Arizona on PBS. Holy cow, so delicious! Not only do they buy their ingredients from local farms, but they also try to incorporate them in their unique menu. :) We're eager to try more independent restuarants! They have such flair.

I've also learned that spending a little bit more on your local business is a good thing. Especially, when you can get personable service! Like at my favorite yarn store in Tempe...and my favorite scrapbook store in Mesa. You can even find that you're supporting a struggling family-owned business at the dry cleaners.

I don't know why I didn't start shopping local before, but I think it's something that I will continue to do.

A Lesson in Automotives

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I vow to force my future children to enroll in an Automotives class in high school.

Why? Because last week, my husband's car battery died and he was helpless. He'd never taken Automotives in school.

But I did. And I became the hero.

We went to Costco, bought a new battery, went home, popped the hood, unscrewed the nuts holding the battery in place, took out the old battery, put in the new, and rescrewed the nuts. SO simple!

(Granted, I had to do this in college with my roommate when my car battery died...but still, knowledge is power!)

Leading Ladies

(L to R: Esther, Elizabeth, me, NoNo)

So...let's talk some personal stuff! :) I'm determined to keep to my New Year's resolutions and blog more about myself. Here goes...


Over the Christmas break, everyone from out of town comes home to Arizona, which makes the holidays so exciting. It's an endless friend frenzy, making plans to meet up and eating like no other. Seriously, we pig out. :P I think it's an Asian thing.


Anyway, it's become a tradition for the girls above (who all went to Greater Phoenix Chinese Christian Church while we were in school) to meet up for eating and chatter and updates. And the special thing about us is three-fold: 1) we're all the oldest child in our families; 2) all of our families' birth order is girl, girl, boy; and 3) all of our parents were immigrants to the US. Yeah, I know you wish you had friends like these!


So, while we were eating (at Joe's Farm Grill) I was not just listening, I was observing. After 20+ years of being friends (seriously!), I thought about how our lives have gone in totally different directions, scattered among the whole of the US (and Hong Kong). And I realized that being the oldest girl in the family has given us some advantages.


There are certain qualities you possess as the oldest, especially as the oldest girl: determination, confidence, and joy/passion in finding and performing work. Maybe these qualities are naturally bred because we have younger siblings? Not sure.


And that made me think about my book...since my main character is a middle child. Do I really know what a middle child thinks like? I hope that the qualities I've put into Jolene seem realistic.


I guess if I have questions, I can always turn to real life...I have a younger sister, who is a middle child, just like the three leading ladies in the picture above.


Are you the oldest in your family? Do you think you've been naturally bestowed with the qualities that are so often present in the oldest child?

Weddings on the Mind

(I made this card for A+J's wedding)

My sister-in-law is getting married! Congratulations to her! And she recently asked me to be a bridesmaid...and I suddenly realized that this will be my fifth time as a bridesmaid. :) Good thing I'm already married or I'd be almost two times on my way to being an old maid. hahaha.

Anyway, it got me thinking about weddings and traditions and all that ceremony. I love the crafty part of weddings. In fact, I am a frequent reader of WeddingBee, a forum for women who are planning their weddings. It's not that I love wedding planning, but I really like the different Do-It-Yourself (DIY) crafts that these brides have started blogging about. I think that weddings have evolved into something more creative and more unique nowadays, which is cool...and a little stressful, too.

So, suffice to say, I'm looking forward to helping out with her crafty wedding projects. Makes me think about DIY wedding gifts as well. How crafty are you? Have you ever hand-made any gifts?

Victory!

My husband is a high school basketball coach and yesterday afternoon his boys won the AICS (Arizona Independent Christian Schools) championship. Congratulations to the Providence Panthers!

This past week has been filled with playoff games and working late (due to scheduling in the lab). So, I have been a little neglectful of my blog. However, after the boys won their final game, it made both my husband and I think about victory (and especially since the Olympics are on).

Victory is really short-lived, if you think about it. The hightened moment only lasts a few hours. And of course, people will congratulate you, but only for the few minutes after the game. It just makes me think...why do we all strive for victory that only lasts a brief time?

I don't have answers. But writing a book is sort of like trying to acheive success/victory. Months (and sometimes years) of writing/training lead up to a big finish (or sometimes a big failure). I guess, in some ways, writers are just like athletes.

Happy Birthday to my sister!

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Today, my sister turns 26.

She is so much more independent and confident than I was at 26 (and the fact that she turns 26 makes me feel a bit old). I am so proud of her. I envy her fashion sense. I love her passion for learning; she is always taking a new class. I love her eagerness for travel.

I wish I could be in her city to celebrate her birthday with her, but I'm stuck here. :( I hope she enjoys the yummy, chocolate, fruity something that I sent to her work to embarrass her and show her off a little. :D

Happy Birthday, E!