Have you ever read or received feng shui advice that really didn’t make sense to you? Sometimes I read other feng shui advice on the internet and I just have to shake my head. For example, someone advised painting a laundry room purple to bring in more finances. A reader claimed they followed instructions and lo …
Relationships are complicated. Only those in the relationship understand what’s going on between them. Even if you’re the one in the relationship, we often wonder why they come to an end. The other day, I was talking with group of my girlfriends and the subject of friendships and relationships came up. As the year is …
I’m a home cook. And just like most of the home cooks I know, I make an effort to use whatever I have in the pantry and fridge. We’re just too practical. The other day my husband brought home a bunch of Thai basil from the green house. For any delicate herb, if you don’t …
First, let me say that if you need a window treatment in your bathroom, consider yourself lucky! That’s because today, many bathrooms don’t have the luxury of a window. And as the bathroom is a wet area, one of the major concerns is ventilation. Without a window, often we run into problems of mold. Living …
My girlfriend gave me a few packets of Japanese Gold Leaf Tea. The Japanese characters on the packet says, Jun Kin Cha, or Genuine Gold Tea. Yes, it claims to have real gold in the tea. So, I opened the packet just to check. In between the granules of plum and seaweed tea, there were …
There’s a saying in Japanese, “Ginsei Wakaranai Monda” meaning, “You just never know in life”. Me, the city girl is moving to the country. As my sister said, “who would have ever thought that you would live in the country.” How true. You just never know in life. I’m a city girl, raised in the …
A Mid-life Crisis Lifestyle Change – Saying Goodbye to City Life Read More »
I consider my teacher, Dr. Shan-tung Hsu, a true natural philosopher of our day. He is an advocate of living a life in accord with nature, following and respecting the earth. Through his teachings, he’s guided myself and thousands of people to lead a more holistic life. He has taught and reminded me that nothing …
This year for the first time in its history, Pantone chose not one but two colors, Rose Quartz and Serenity. Why two? Because they said, the two colors reflect the duality of the times. One cool color and one warm color. The two means connection, balance, order and peace. The color of the year often …
2016 Pantone Color of the Year-Rose Quartz & Serenity Read More »
Wishing all my readers a very healthy, happy, and loving 2016! The New Year always brings time for reflection and time for hope. What did we accomplish last year? What change and growth will be experience this year? What did I do right? What did I do wrong? How can I improve? So many questions …
Today I heard that a friend of mine is going to be a new grandparent! How exciting to welcome new life into this world! It just seems like yesterday when my husband and I were going to be new parents. With each birth, I experienced excitement and anxiety combined with the physical discomforts of pregnancy. Welcoming our little babies …
How Do We Teach Asian Respect to Children in Today’s World Read More »
This spring, before we moved, we decided that our home was in need of a new coat of paint. What color was I going to paint our house? No worries. I was all prepared with the perfect color and ready to go…. so I thought. When painting a house, you first have to decide if you want to …
What to Consider When Choosing Paint Colors for Your House 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 »
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, …
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 …
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 »
