Life Through Coffee

Life Through Coffee

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Growing up, my Irish father and Vietnamese mother seldom agreed on anything. Countless arguments were a constant presence in my household, some more heated than others. Despite the high tensions in the household, there was always one item that brought my parents together:

Coffee.

The first memories of being in the kitchen with my parents involved a cup of coffee. Back in the 80’s and 90’s, most people drank Folgers coffee (a real treat back then) from a Mr. Coffee drip machine. My parents always had a hand-me-down coffee mug of some kind, never matching of course, and they never failed to drink their coffee black. No matter how ugly the fight the night before, the two of them would somehow find a way to sit down and have coffee together the next morning. read more

Moving from Portland to Seattle: 2023 in a Nutshell

Moving from Portland to Seattle: 2023 in a Nutshell

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I find it therapeutic to write a new year’s post and, since I’m trying to write more, I figure it wouldn’t hurt to write a little a bit about the year I moved from Portland to Seattle. 2023 was a year of massive change, both good and bad, and while I strangely feel more lost than settled, I think my new perspective on life as a working mother has been invaluable.

The move

First off, I moved. During the last week of April 2023, we made the big move from Portland to Seattle. Both husband and I found new jobs in Seattle (at the same time!) and figured that was a sign that it was meant to be. We were worried about how Portland had fallen as a city, and as someone who wanted to still pursue a career, Seattle had a more attractive job market. read more

The fantasy books I read as a new mom in 2023

The fantasy books I read as a new mom in 2023

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I haven’t posted in a while and, weirdly, I feel compelled to write about all the books I read as new mom in 2023. Why? Because I read a shit ton of books in 2023 (and most of 2022) thanks to my lovely baby daughter. Not only did she sleep horribly and needed to be held throughout the night for most of 2022, she refused to nap unless she was in human contact. In other words, I spent many hours holding a baby in one arm and a cell phone in the other.

I am listing specifically fantasy books because that’s my jam, but will throw in an extra non-fantasy bonus book here and there. read more

Has Portland Gone to Hell? Life in Portland after Covid

Has Portland Gone to Hell? Life in Portland after Covid

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Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

“Portland? Hasn’t that city gone to hell?”

“Isn’t it a lawless zone of anarchists?”

“Isn’t Portland overrun with homeless?”

“I heard the police are completely defunded in Portland.”

“Are you ok?”

These are all typical questions I get asked by people in Utah when I tell them I’m living in Portland, Oregon. After COVID took a toll on the main economic industry of Portland (tourism and food & beverage), the city has, indeed, sunk to new lows. read more

Being Pregnant with Asian Parents (and in-laws)

Being Pregnant with Asian Parents (and in-laws)

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So.. surprise! I’m pregnant. Seven months pregnant, to be exact. And with this pregnancy has come a whole flurry of emotions, many of them frustrating and downright confusing thanks to my asian parents (and in-laws).

There are moments where I curse having Asian parents and in-laws, especially as I am someone who was raised in the west and had a non-Asian father. Despite this mostly negative post, it’s not been all bad. Hell, if I try really hard I can pick out some rather good positives that come with the culture clash. read more

Traveling Provence and Southern France in March

Traveling Provence and Southern France in March

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My fellow friends and family looked at me in horror when I said my husband and I would travel to Provence and southern France in March 2022. When we bought the tickets to Paris in January 2022, the omicron virus was still raging in both the US and EU and the border situation was precarious. Regardless, we took a gamble on the tickets. It was our last chance to take a long vacation and go abroad (due to husband’s work duties), and we were itching to travel.

So why France, and Provence in particular? read more

What Christmas is like with an Asian Mom

What Christmas is like with an Asian Mom

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Growing up, I dreamed of a Christmas like the one I saw in the movies. A big shining tree, a table surrounded with family, a house decorated in lights, and most of all the anticipation of waking up on Christmas morning to a tree filled with presents just for me.

Well, with my Asian mom around, all of the above seldom happened.

My Irish dad expected his wife to be in charge of making Christmas a joyous, holiday season — just like his mother did for him as a child. Instead of do it himself, my dad (like most men) had the unsaid expectation for my mom to accomplish all these things for his children. read more

The Best Winter Street Food in Asia? Sweet Potatoes

The Best Winter Street Food in Asia? Sweet Potatoes

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There’s a certain Thanksgiving dish that, with one bite, takes me back to my favorite winter comfort food in Asia: sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are one of the most popular winter street foods throughout China, Japan, Korea, and basically any country in East Asia with temperatures that drops below freezing.

In the USA, we know the typical sweet potato dish at Thanksgiving as a diabetic’s worst nightmare: mashed yams sprinkled in brown sugar and baked with a blanket of marshmallows. In China and Japan, however, sweet potatoes are prepared au natural: just the potato, wrapped in foil or paper, and baked until soft and moist. read more

A Year of Change: Making Big and Difficult Life Decisions

A Year of Change: Making Big and Difficult Life Decisions

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One of my greatest faults is my inability to make quick decisions, even about minor issues. I am so indecisive that I will see-saw back and forth for mundane decisions such as what to wear for the day or what meal I should select at dinner. So when I’m faced with the task of making a big and difficult life decision — such as relocating or pursuing a new career — I am usually paralyzed with anxiety.

This year was filled to the brim with life-altering choices that I saw as junctions in the big road we call life. read more

Escaping the Summer Crowds in North Cascades National Park

Escaping the Summer Crowds in North Cascades National Park

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After a truly devastating year of loss and isolation, I was dying to go on a vacation and get away from it all. However, with a new job and little PTO under my belt, I was stuck taking time off during the most dreadful holiday weekend of the summer: Fourth of July. I knew the Utah, Wyoming and California National Parks were going to be oozing with humanity, and fighting for parking spots and waiting in long hiking lines sounded like my worst kind of vacation.

A quick google search soon had me scoping out North Cascades National Park in Washington state — one of America’s least visited National Parks with “only” 120,000 visitors per year (for comparison, Yellowstone gets 650,000 annual visitors). Turquoise lakes, majestic mountains, lush forests AND no tourists? This made North Cascades an easy sell to my husband and two close friends. Within minutes, we had plane tickets booked for a summer adventure that was (crossing fingers) relatively empty. read more