Taiwanese weddings

I went to my second cousin's wedding on Sunday. I'd never seen him before, but went as my mom's representative. The most interesting fact about the wedding is that since my great-uncle manages a temple, all of the food served was vegetarian. Vegetarianism is quite common in this Bhuddist-influenced culture, and its amazing what can be done with soybeans, including vegetrian "sashimi" and "shrimp tempura." Like most weddings in Taiwan, this was a multi-course affair, that ended with little paper cups of durian ice cream that I dared not touch.

This was also a more traditional Taiwanese wedding, held on the road near the groom's home. A tent was set up, but not the white, billowy kind that one imagines in the States. These have are the red-and-blue striped plastic awning ubiquitous throughout Asia, with over 50 tables were crowded underneath, complete with red plastic stools for seating. As usual, a good portion of the guests did not bother to dress up for the wedding: sweats, sneakers, and windbreakers.

As a foreigner, I often feel that Taiwanese weddings are impersonal. But at the same time, this wedding was very personal, as my aunt took me around and introduced me as my mother's daughter. My distant relatives scrutiny of my face, followed by exclamations of "she looks just like her mother!" provided a brief tunnel through time to my mother's past.

Bad shirt yuanfen

Clearly I was not meant to wear the shirt I put on today. First, I noticed once I got into the office that there was a BIG, embarassing splotch on my shirt. I finally got it out during lunch when I went to the gym, and figured I could deal with wearing a slightly damp shirt for the rest of the afternoon. Of course, as soon as I open my lunch box, sauce splatters all over my front...

Eternal Optimist | Metropolis Magazine

"I've never been appalled. When you see how much can happen so quickly, it's very frightening; but at the same time, it is what it is. Our job is to work with reality, start on the ground, and then imagine what a future might look like. A number of years ago someone asked me, "Mr. McDonough, how long is this sustainability stuff going to take?" I said, "It's going to take forever. That's the point. And it will take forever. Can I turn it around tomorrow? No. Nobody can. What I'm simply looking at is how we can chart a course."

Now that's an atitue I should take. Not fatalist, not defeatist, not overwhelmed, but just acknowledging reality and going forth purposefully.

Paging the mom

On my flight to Tokyo last night, I had the distinct pleasure of sitting next to a mother and her two young kids. The problem was, this mother didn't do any parenting at all, and her kids - high on sugar and fat (a couple of sodas, and the little boy ate the butter packet during dinner) - were just out of control. These were two very cute kids that need some proper parenting before they outgrow their cuteness. This mother was so out of it that as we were about to decend, I quickly put my documents aside to catch him before he swan dived from the seat. I was the one that caught his cup when he was about to knock it over, and the one who helped him put on his socks and re-fasten his seatbelt. The flight attendants all assumed he was my kid...oy. Earth to mom, care to give your kids the structure and discipline they're craving?

All by myself

Was feeling unwell yesterday and so took the morning off to see the doctors. I was so proud of myself for finally successfully negotiating Taiwan's medical system without having my hand held by one of the receptionists.

In Taiwan, if you want to see a doctor at a hospital, you must first go stand in line to register (10-15mins). After getting a number, you then go to another area ringed by smaller examination rooms and wait for your number to be called (10-15mins). After the examination (usu. <5mins), you then have to go back to the registration area to pay fees, including any presecriptions. Then, you get another number for the pharmacy, and go the that area to pick up any presecriptions (5-10mins). All in all, a rather complex process that can be confusing if you 1) don't read much Chinese, and 2) have a limited vocabulary. But I am learning, learning...

Land of Penny Pinchers

A New York Times op-ed by columnist Nicholas Kristof calls the U.S. the land of penny pinchers. I did not know that Americans give 15 cents per day per person in official development assistance to poor countries, and spends four times that on soft drinks daily.

After reading it, I'm now thinking of giving to other causes in addition to those providing relief to the tsunami victims. Kudos to Jen for pointing out the article!

Treehugger: Stapless Stapler

This is one of those products that I see all the time in catalogues, but when I was actually going back to the States for a visit and wanted to buy one, I couldn't find a stapless stapler