About
Welcome! Asian Lifestyle Design is about sharing practical tips on interior design, Feng Shui, Asian culture, superstitions, customs, food and family lifestyles. Among Asians in the U.S. there is a difference and sometimes a misunderstanding between first generation Asian Americans and later generations. Although I am a third generation Japanese American I was raised in Tokyo and therefore understand the little nuances of culture that at times can be difficult to comprehend. Many first generation Asians made great strides to embrace the American lifestyle, but due to circumstances had to let go of some of their own customs and traditions. As the world becomes smaller, we can all enrich our lives from many cultures. While continuing to enjoy your “home” country traditions, I would like to share Asian ideas and tips on culture, food and lifestyle ideas to both Asians and non-Asians alike.
My name is Jenny Nakao Hones and this is my blog where I want to share and preserve the Asian culture for the generations to come. I am a Japanese American born in Honolulu, raised in Tokyo and have also lived in San Francisco, New York, Singapore, Kuwait and now our family lives in Bellevue, Washington, which is just across Lake Washington from Seattle. My English husband and I have three sons. As parents we try our best to preserve all our cultures in the best way we can, with an open mind and an open heart.
I am an interior designer, specializing in a contemporary Asian aesthetic and serve the Greater Seattle Area through my company, 3 Frogs Design. I am also a certified Feng Shui consultant from the Blue Mountain Feng Shui Institute. Through our travels and circumstances we have a great love and appreciation of all cultures, customs and food. Our friends have all been so kind and generous with sharing their knowledge and I have been most fortunate to have learned from all.
What you will probably notice is I am extremely practical and like things kept simple. However, that does not mean I have to give up on design. Somehow, I try to keep the two in balance.
In the tagline I added Sharing. I would love to hear from all of you and feel free to share any of your ideas and thought. And please, any suggestions, comments or requests would be most welcome. Please email me at jenny@asianlifestyledesign.com or kindly leave a comment.
If you are interested in feng shui consultation please feel free to contact me as well. You many also email me at
jenny @threefrogsdesign.com
Thanks!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello Jenny,
I was wondering around and noticed your blog. We seem to have similar interests, but with slightly different niches. Both of our blogs are relatively new, so maybe we can guest write or help each other out sometime. Have a great day!
-Ben
I love your blog and the fabulous video on onigiri making! Such clarity and you make it look all so simple and can’t wait to try it myself.
Here in NY, craving for Japonaise foods.
Thank you!
Hi Jenny – love your blog and especially the recipes! I will definitely give them a try and also recommend this blog to my brother who is in Maryland and really interested in Feng Shui.
@Ben: Great blog Ben, I added AsianLiving.me to my blogroll!
@Norine: Domo domo – must make more videos!
@Jane: Thanks for stopping by and for recommending it to your brother. Many in Australia have an interest in feng shui too.
Hi Jenny,
My name is Anna and I am an Interior Designer in the Los Angeles area. Our firm is doing a high end model home project that has a primarly Chinese/American buyer. I was wondering if you had any advice or insight that would help me target this buyers needs.
Thank you so much for all your help!
Anna
Hi Anna,
Thanks for dropping by. From a feng shui perspective, do not place mirrors directly across the front door, as it does not welcome qi energy. Also, make sure to have plenty of live plants inside the home. If you do have a water feature outside, be aware that the water should be flowing toward the home, not away as water is a metaphor for wealth. In Chinese culture, a red door is auspicious, please read my post on that: http://asianlifestyledesign.com/2010/04/17/feng-shui-red-door-auspicious/
Hope this helps.
Hi Jenny,
I’m currently in nursing school (RN to BSN)and enrolled in a Trans-culture nursing class. Our discussion question this week is ; What is Feng Shui and how can it be incorporated into the healthcare setting for an Asian client? As I was searching I found your blog. Can you give me some help with the later of the question. Or can you tell me your personal experience in the healthcare setting (what would of been better care by the nurse to support your cultural belief’s, etc.) I’ve been a nurse for nine years and live NC. In my area of practice, we don’t work with the Asian population much. Thanks in advance for any help
Hi Brigitte,
Good question. Feng shui today is a mixed bag of superstitions, folklore, customs and true feng shui practices. There are many Asian trinkets and gadgets that have various meanings depending on where in Asia one is from.
In general, there are some tips that you can incorporate. First is the position of the bed. It’s best for the patient to be in a position where they can see the door. This causes less anxiety if they know who is coming and going. Second, if they can see out a window, it is believed they will recover more quickly because it connects them to nature. In Japan, observing greenery from nature is thought to be healing. There is an old wives tale, that says if you have a birthmark near your eyes and you look at natures greenery it will slowly disappear!
From a Japanese custom perspective, they say never bring a potted plant to a hospital room as a gift because it has roots. This symbolizes growing roots at the hospital meaning, you will never be able to leave! The best is to bring cut flowers. But again there are certain rules. White flowers are not appropriate as they are for funerals, so yellow is considered cheerful and a good choice. Also, avoid bringing four flowers because the number four, pronounced “Shi” has a homonym that means “death”, five is always considered a good number. Good luck in your nursing studies and hope this helps!
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