I must apologize for not writing for nearly three months. It’s been a very trying three months for me. After twelve years, we have sold our home and downsized. With three boys, our 3,700 sq. ft. suburban home was spacious with a huge deck that commanded a fabulous view of the Olympic Mountains and Seattle in the …
Our Downsizing Story – From 3,700 sq. ft. to 1,190 sq. ft. Read More »
I am all for education and as an enthusiast for Asian culture, I truly believe that learning a language also allows one to get a better understanding of a culture. For all of you who have thought about learning Japanese kanji, but never got around to it or thought it was too difficult, have a …
Mobile Game for Learning Japanese Kanji – Kanjilicious on Kickstarter Read More »
High ceilings bring about a sense of grandeur. Ballrooms, theaters, arenas, cathedrals, and castles all come to mind. These are all public spaces but how do high ceilings feel in a residential setting? How do you feel in a home with a tall ceiling? Are you impressed? Do you feel cold? Many people rave about …
As a student of Master Hsu, I’ve come to appreciate Asian philosophy more and more. It has become part of my lifestyle. It affects how I think, live, and feel. In his teachings Dr. Hsu always tells me, “nature has all the answers.” Well, okay, I understood the words, but it didn’t really mean much. …
Spring is here and I’m finally feeling Pantone’s color of the year – Radiant Orchid. It’s fresh and uplifting. However, I would prefer to call it a clean, intense lavender. By clean, I mean it’s not muddied, there is no strong influence of yellow, red, blue, or black. Maybe it’s just me, but the name, …
Hope you all had a Happy Easter! Although, I am not a practicing Christian any longer, I do love the symbolism and traditions of all cultures. Traditionally, eggs are a symbol of birth, new beginnings, and fertility. Today, my dear Ukrainian friend Taras, sent me their beautifully decorated Easter Eggs. They are absolutely gorgeous and …
MindBodyChi Health Workshop – Ancient Eastern Wisdom of Self-Healing Date: April 19, 2014, Saturday Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Location : Belltown Community Center, 415 Bell Street, Seattle, WA 98121 ($5.00 parking across the street) Cost $150 – register through me at jenny@asianlifestyledesign for a 10% discount! – lunch included This is a One-Day …
Ancient Eastern Wisdom of Self-Healing Workshop in Seattle Read More »
Every time I visit family in Hawaii, I always marvel at the vegetation. There are just so many beautiful trees. I don’t know if it’s because of the climate, blue skies or ocean, but why do the trees there look better than the ones where I live? Or is it just my personal biases. While …
What the Feng Shui of Trees can Teach Us about Life Read More »
The Chinese have a wonderfully rich culture that I love to learn about and I’ve always dreamed about visiting the country. My only concern about going there is the pollution. Growing up in Tokyo, I remember we had really bad days of pollution. I don’t know how they cleaned it up, but it got better …
Growing up in Hawaii, we used to eat Chinese sausage, or lap cheong, just thinly sliced and fried with plain white rice. I liked that sweet taste. It brings back memories of our childhood. Lap cheong is a fatty sausage, that’s a little sweet, not savory. It’s pretty readily available on the West Coast, and …
I first came across chayote in Costa Rica, as it’s commonly sold on the street. It tastes like a mild squash. The outside green skin is thin and can be peeled using a peeler. The inner white flesh is rather firm, but very mild in flavor and reminds me of a cucumber. It also has a …
I’ll be doing a few more recipes from Winnie here. I like recipes that I can use for everyday meals. These do the job as they are all delicious, easy and definitely keepers. Today’s recipe is Chinese Style Pork Chops. Chinese Style Pork Chops Author: Winnie Recipe type: meat Cuisine: Chinese Serves: 4 Prep …
Back in 2002, we moved to our home, located in a very small cul de sac in the suburbs. The neighborhood included a variety of ethnicities and professions, which was a good fit for our family. After a few years of settling in, I found a couple neighbors who had a common interest in cooking: Winnie, from China and …
Cooking Club and Sharing Recipes – Chinese Fragrant Eggplant Recipe Read More »
The first Japanese immigrants to the United States came in the late 1800’s. Like my maternal great-grandparents from Hiroshima, most were farmers searching for better opportunities, mainly in hopes to make a buck abroad and to go home to a better life. But, life had other plans for them. Many never made it back to …
In early December, 2013, Japanese Cuisine, known as “washoku” in Japanese, was awarded UNESCO’s intangible cultural assets status. The only other cuisine to receive this honor is French cuisine in 2010. Now, for Japan, a country of foodies, it’s a great honor to receive the UNESCO status…
In continuation of my New Year’s Resolution of “Increase Energy” – here is step 4: Connect Inward with Nature and step 5: See Beauty in All Things Let me review my Five Steps To Increase Energy. Meditate Spend time with people Help others Connect Inward with Nature See Beauty in All things Connect Inward with Nature …
Increase Energy: Connect Inward With Nature and See Beauty in All Things Read More »
