My Kind of Meditation: Coffee, Cream and Sugar

My Kind of Meditation:  Coffee, Cream and Sugar

When I feel like this (oh, life is so hard).

012

I translate my body is asking for some happiness injection.  Gentle sugar intake.  I barely use sugar when I drink coffee since I want to enjoy pure flavor and taste of coffee beans but sometimes what you need is good quality sugar and happy cow cream.

012 013

Inner beauty is important but outer beauty is also important.  I don’t know what it is but I have this huge love for mason jars.  Whatever you put in, they all look lovely.  I even put my  quinoa salad in one of my mason jars and bring it as my lunch.  Anyhow, coffee also looks good in that.

I like to use rock sugar or raw sugar because it taste milder and rounder than refined sugar, to me anyways. Sometimes all you need is to take extra few minutes to grind beans, boil the water, and inhale fantastic coffee aroma while pouring water over the coffee.  Your life would be so much better after that.  It is sort of like meditating.

009

Some tips on making this coffee…use good quality coffee. I tend to like higher acidity beans from Africa.  Use good quality sugar and cream, this makes so much difference.  You can also add vanilla beans (real) to ground beans to it.  Don’t rush to do anything.  Please make sure to taste it.

They Are a Great Start for Problem Solving: Flowers

They Are a Great Start for Problem Solving: Flowers

It is true, flowers actually do not solve any one problem you may have.  However, flowers remind you that you are being thought of by someone, the beauty of life, that you are loved and to smile.  Someone special in your life, whoever that may be, is thinking of you, which lifts you up, not the flowers themselves.  It has been hard to accept that I am special to someone because I grew up convincing myself that I was an ugly duckling and no one cared about me.

016

My friend Ayako Gordon, (also an artisan jam maker) made this gorgeous bouquet.   Archie goes to see Ayako every other Sunday at Marigold and Mint where she works as a florist.  She knows exactly what I like so he doesn’t have to tell Ayako what kind of bouquet he wants to get for me.  Every time Archie brings me those flowers, my heart gets filled so much and it almost explodes.

The bonus to that is that when you give flowers to someone special, your best friend, your spouse, your boss, your direct report, your mother, your brother’s wife…whoever that is, you will experience the same effect as much as when you receive them.  You will get to feel the beauty of life, how much you love that person, how much you think of him/her.

Flowers=the first step to world peace (at least your inner peace)

Happy Meal: Sunday Brunch at Sitka & Spruce

Happy Meal:  Sunday Brunch at Sitka & Spruce

“A Sunday well spent brings a week of content”  Whoever said this, gets my respect automatically.

My favorite meal is brunch on Sundays.  Not Saturday, not holiday brunch.  It must be Sunday brunch.  My work starts Monday so Sunday is the day I recharge and rejuvenate my body and soul so that I can tackle my insane work week until next Friday evening.  Rejuvenating my body and soul starts with satisfying my tummy.  When I am done with that task, my Sunday is 80% complete.  Therefore, choosing where and what to eat on Sundays is super critical.  Since last Thursday, I had been thinking about spending my couple of hours of Sunday morning, at Sitka & Spruce.

005010

Sitka & Spruce is one of 5-Matt Dillon’s restaurants, located in Capitol Hill in Seattle.  Melrose Market is combination of restaurant, bar, butcher, furniture store, general store, cheese shop, clothing store, deli, shellfish restaurant/shop, it’s a mini version of Chelsea Market in New York City.  Sitka & Spruce is located inside of this old building that they didn’t tear down.  The space has floor to ceiling windows and concrete floor, it reminds me of old and spacious loft.  We were lucky to be seated at bar by the window.  Bloody Mary, homemade pickles, bread and butter, hot rye porridge, granola, cultured cream & marjoram, baked eggs with smoked brisket, beer braised cabbage & harissa.  I was already giddy being inside of that restaurant anyway and I was overjoyed by looking at the menu.  What Archie and I ate was ridiculous.  If I can show you what happiness looks like, this would be one of them.

009 011 012 008

My stomach is warm and satisfied.  Now I look forward to welcoming my new week.  Have a great rest of Sunday, everyone.

014

A Well Read Woman: and Well Traveled Women

A Well Read Woman: and Well Traveled Women

I love books so I read a lot.  I love traveling and I get out there a lot.

When I was about half of my current age, I was traveling through Thailand.  I was dirty, filthy and broke.  I was hungry.  At one point, a  well-dressed Caucasian couple threw a can of cat food at me when I was sitting street side in Bangkok starving. Two not-well-dressed-at-all kids took me to their home to feed me what they already DON’T have.  This couple seems they had enough money versus these kids’ family who don’t have enough of anything.  These kind of experience opened up my eyes and my heart.  Wide open.

Reading has the same effect on me.  I can be inside of a book and travel though the book.  I get to experience tons and my heart soars.

A well-read and traveled woman is very emotional, opinionated, strong, stubborn, protective of her own space and wants to be alone many times.

On contrary, she is kind-mannered and (most likely) has a fuzzy heart.  She is just afraid of showing that.

If you ever wish to lead an interesting and never-a-dull-moment kind of life, she would be a perfect companion.  I won’t say it is easy but you will never get bored, I promise.

Reminder of the Day: My Thought Exacly

Racists are a problem

White people are not

Homophobes are a problem

Straight people are not

Transphobes are a problem

Cis people are not

Sexists are a problem

Men are not

And most importantly, hating an innocent person solely because of their race, sexuality, or gender makes you a fucking asshole

(source: http://egalitarianyellowfang.tumblr.com/)

Yep.  Can’t agree more.

Get The Sand Out!: The Ocean Stew

Get The Sand Out!: The Ocean Stew

Ocean.  Waves, salty water, sand, surfboards, ocean smells, sunset…I love the ocean.  I like lakes, rivers, mountains but I love the ocean.  The ocean and I have a very personal relationship.  It’s deep.  Ocean produce seafood, especially shellfish…my love.  There’s only one downside of shellfish.  Picture this; you have this gorgeously prepared plate with all types of fish and shellfish.  Your favorite is clam and you dive into it.  Then, as you’re biting into it, this hard, weird, most unpleasant texture you’ve ever experienced.  Sand.

My mom grew up in Shizuoka prefecture which is located about 2-3 hour drive from Tokyo near Mount Fuji and beautiful pacific ocean.  My grandma and mom moved to Tokyo 15 years after the World War II ended but they never forg0t how great the seafood was in Shizuoka.  They taught me how to gut and filet the fish, how to clean and prepare fish and shellfish.  One particular lesson I am so appreciative having been taught is to soak clams in salt water and for (at least) a couple of hours.  You make the salt water bath the same concentration as sea water, then soak your clams for couple of hours.  Then you will see them become very active and start spitting sands out so you don’t have to take that super annoying first bite of clam sands.  Thanks, grandma!

026 028 029

This was nice and easy seafood stew that I made.

Heat cast iron pot, add olive oil and garlic.  Brown your fish (I used red bream) with high heat.  Lower the heat to medium-low, then add white wine and 1 small can of tomato leave it for a few minutes then add squids and clams.  Cook them for another few minutes then add oysters.  Don’t overcook oysters, turn off the heat just about when the oysters get plump.

Please go ahead, enjoy the Ocean Stew with sand-less clam

Not-so-lovely Saturday: Self Acceptance

Not-so-lovely Saturday: Self Acceptance

Today’s (or my lifetime) goal is “not to compare myself to others.” Sounds strenuous.  I think that is the root of all of my issues and baggage that I carry, which is constantly comparing myself to others and not accepting myself.  Other people have better personality, family, more money, popularity, leadership skills, more talented, are kinder, more beautiful, thinner calves, prettier smile, better cook, better dancer…etc.  No wonder my life has been so harsh.  That is no one’s fault, but mine because I have been letting myself accept that.

This last Saturday, Archie and I wasted almost all Saturday because of lack of self-assurance and affirmation.  I was not liking parts of my bodies.  I thought too much about it and that drove me to the point where I get upset with someone else.  I was angry at myself too much already and I was not sure what to do.  My emotion burst out against Archie.  We could have spent a lovely Saturday together (it was gorgeous spring weather day!) if I was not that way.  Me being bitter affected us so much and we ended up having a long-ass argument that was not necessary.

It is all about my ego that is playing me.  I read below a while ago but I can’t recall where but I kept it in my notebook.  This is such a nice reminder to take a step forward to accept who I am.

Trying to be anyone else is a waste of the person you are.  Be yourself.  Embrace that individual inside you that has ideas, strengths and beauty like no one else.  Be the person you know yourself to be-the best version of you-on your terms.  Above all, be true to YOU, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it” 

本日の(というか、きっと人生の)目標は、「人と比べない」。私自身、たくさんの問題を抱えているけど、根源となっているのは、自分はこれでいいんだっていう、そういう思いが欠けているから。自信というより、自己肯定。生まれてきてから、今のいままで、何かが欠けている、自分は人より劣っている、他の人はできるのに、なんで私はできないのか。そんなことばかり思って生きてきたので、今になってその代償を払っている。アーチーに教えてもらうまで、人より劣ってると思うことが普通だったから、ようやく、どうしてこんなに辛かったのか良くわかった。

以下、「私より他人の方が。症候群」の症例。他人の方が、正しい、良い仕事持ってる、友達がたくさんいる、頭が良い、優しい家族がいる、お金持ち、笑顔がきれい、足が細い、料理が上手、怠惰じゃない、ダンスがうまい、収入が多い、性格が良い、みんなに優しくできる、人気がある、リーダーシップがある、才能がある...等々。これにプラスして、「自分もそんな風になりたい。を通り越して、他人より秀でたい。症候群」っていうのになりかかっている感じもする。周囲の評判や、他人が自分のことをどう思っているのか、気にしすぎてしまう。もう少し言えば、気に病んでしまう。そうすると、自分にも他人(自分にとってとても大切な人々)にもぎすぎすした態度を取って、優しくできなくなってしまう。魔のパラドックスにどっぷりはまって、抜け出すのに物凄い量の、労力と時間がかかる。先だっての土曜日だってそうだ。自分の体型が気に入らないとか、そんな理由でアーチーに、つっかかったし、それが理由でその日は、ほぼ一日無駄にした。しかも別れる、別れないとかそんなことまで、話す羽目になって。暖かくて、春みたいに良い天気で、もっと楽しい一日が二人で過ごせたはずなのだ。

慎み深さを持ってまた、自己肯定のできる様、ゆっくり、ゆっくり、牛歩にて。

Seattle Food Icon: The Dish (no famous chef required)

Seattle Food Icon: The Dish (no famous chef required)

There is something romantic about eating at a diner, especially at the counter. Drinking a very bad cup of coffee in a very thick unmatched ceramic mug.  The food is greasy and its portion is gigantic so it’s promising that you’ll get a huge gut-bomb even while you are eating.  You can easily find those diners in NYC but there are not many in Seattle.  The Dish is one of only a few and very valuable.

Since I moved to Seattle in 2000, I have been coming here.  It is a small restaurant.  The counter seats 8 people and there are 9 four-top tables.  They only open from 8 am to 2 pm, are closed on Mondays and all national holidays.  If you arrive there after 10 am, you should be ready for waiting. Outside.  Summer in Seattle is gorgeous, so there is no problem waiting outside. But winter?  Wet and cold…but the line does not get shorter.  Of course, there is bottom-less coffee with unmatched ceramic mugs while waiting.  You sometimes have to go to the bathroom twice before you get seated.  People in Seattle adore this place despite these inconvenient factors.

The menu is not that original, regular American.  Lots of eggs, starch and meat.  Not a lot of gluten-free or vegan options but this place attract people.  98% of Seattle population either knows about this place or has been there, I bet you.  Nobody will judge you if you dine there alone.  It’s actually quite comfortable place to do so.  It has lots of sunlight so it’s nice to eat there when the weather is nice.  It’s equally good to dine there on rainy Sunday’s as well.

IMG_3602

Their food is good, it doesn’t necessarily wow you.  But I repeatedly go there because of the charm, consistency, nostalgia, comfort and romance that this place offers.  The Dish will remind you of your grandma.  It’s like eating your breakfast in her 50’s kitchen with a bunch of other people.

Luner New Year: Komodo Dragon

Luner New Year: Komodo Dragon

On morning of Chinese New Year, what is the appropriate way to wake yourself up?
Komodo Dragon, of course. Komodo Dragon is one of Starbucks’ core coffees. Rich, deep, dark. Also earthy spicy and kick. It will take you to Southeast Asia somewhere. You will feel like you are wondering around in the forest hearing these exotic birds and animal crying.

This coffee does not have any association to Chinese New Year but it is nice to start the day taking a trip to where you have not been to, by drinking Komodo Dragon. Happy Lunar Nee Year, everyone.

IMG_3598-0

This Book Made Me Tired: Part II

This Book Made Me Tired: Part II

読み終わった。時間とお金が少しもったいなかった気がする。読後感って大事だなあ。再度この作家の書いた本が読みたいって思えるかどうか、がかかってるんだもんなあ。世間評と選考委員評はすごいのだろう。性格に合う合わないがあるように、本と読み手の相性もあると思う。だから、この本は私と合わなかっただけだろう。

さ、これから帰って、Pretty in Pinkでも観て、頭を空っぽにしよう。それで、自分の本棚にある、大好きな本を読んで週末をはじめよう。