Lights and Mirrors

Imagine walking into a pitch black room seeing nothing but floating lights. You know there are walls so you blindly reach out with your hands to feel for some sort of boundary but you look around and all you see is an infinite span of colorful lights. What you know in your head is fooled by the illusion of your surroundings. This game between your mind and your sight is the experience of Yayoi Kusama's "You Who are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies". It's a popular exhibit in the Phoenix Art Museum that fills you with mixed emotions of discomfort and wonder! Visiting this room is like immersing yourself in a Koan that you could see and touch but even with your senses, you could not fully comprehend your surroundings.

An Oriental Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is now 10 days away and I have to admit, it's probably my favorite holiday of the year. It beats Christmas, New Year's, and even my birthday. There's no distraction of presents or fireworks, its a day simply of feast and thanks. What else do you need in a single day? I don't really know how my family began celebrating Thanksgiving, since we came here never having heard of the holiday before. But who could pass up a day of food and thanks?! 

I stumbled upon a photo of my family's thanksgiving meal two years ago. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is celebrated with turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, and pumpkin pies. But not in my family.You can see on the table we've laid out a honeybaked ham, eggrolls, gravy, banana sauce, creme brulee, noodles (similar to chow mein), relleno (stuffed fish), a tripe dish, and of course, rice! Nothing like your traditional Thanksgiving meal. We've tried the whole turkey tradition, but it didn't work out very well (we cooked it too dry). I say as long as there's food on the table and things to be thankful for, it's a Thanksgiving meal.

One thing people don't realize is Thanksgiving doesn't exist in any other nation. It started when the pilgrims feasted with the native americans, this event didn't occur anywhere else. Thanksgiving is unique to America. But I believe everyone, regardless of race or situation, needs to establish a day to just be thankful for everything they have.This holiday is one of the reasons I'm so thankful to have been raised in America. 

We can get tropical in AZ too!!

I found a coconut in the desert today. I walked into a Vietnamese restaurant for some pho and discovered that they sell young coconut among their exotic drinks! When I ordered it my friend was surprised, she thought I was kidding when I said I want to drink out of a coconut. But why drink out of a bottle when you can drink the juice from the real fruit?! 

This coconut reminds me of one of my earliest childhood memories. Before my family left the Philippines, we made a trip to my father's family farm which was covered with coconut trees. He climbed to the top of a tree and brought down fresh coconuts for us to share amongst each other. He cracked it open and we drank from the coconuts the old fashioned way. Sipping from a coconut again makes me wonder if we're a little weird for drinking out of cans and bottles.

Just a scroll

I found a scroll hanging upon the walls in the Vietnamese restaurant Saigon Pho. The calligraphy was illegible, so illegible that I could't tell if it was in asian characters or the ordinary american alphabet writing. The translation for the first scroll says this:

People can go to many places,

But there is only one place

That can come back. 

It's home

I assume it must be some sort of Vietnamese script. Whatever form the writing is, you can tell that the writer infused art with each stroke of the brush. But to be honest, this scroll is very confusing. Besides the style of the characters, you can't tell whether the direction of the writing follows the horizontal form of the Western tradition or the vertical approach of the the Eastern tradition. Although the meaning of the words are very clear, the artistic aspect of the scroll is very puzzling.

A bite of multiple cultures

I had such a positive experience trying out the pho at Miss Saigon, I  decided I should stop by the pho restaurant just 3 minutes away from my dorm. Tonight I decided to try out Saigon Pho.

Although my initial intention was to have some more pho, I noticed a wall of the restaurant covered completely with baguette sandwiches. This was really confusing. Here I was, walking into a vietnamese restaurant, that looked very authentic with ornate chinese lanterns covering the cielings and bamboo covering the windows, but the on the wall were sandwiches, not just your everyday sandwich, but french sandwiches... baguettes! 

Apparently these sandwiches are traditional Vietnamese dishes known as Banh Mi. The Banh Mi bread is very similar to the french baguette but it is more airy with a thinner crust. The Vietnamese fill it with carrots, white radish, cucumbers, some jalapeno peppers (without the spicy seeds), cilantro, and a meat, in my case it was filled with barbecue pork. The dish struck me as so odd when I first walked in that I had to give it a try. Below is a photo of the wall of Banh Mi as well as a photo of my meal. It's another clash of western and eastern cultures!

Stumbling upon a piece of history

I went home to phoenix for the weekend and when I was shopping with my sister I found an empty asian restaurant getting ready for opening. I peered through the windows and found this amazing display of samurai armor and weaponry. I took a quick shot from my phone and since I was looking through two panes of glass there was a lot of glare. But from what I was able to capture you can see the intricate design in the armor of samurai warriors. It's very different from European armor. I've never seen a display of samurai armor but this one looked very authentic. One can only imagine the history behind it...

Shaolin Warriors

This sunday I went to see a performance of the Shaolin Warriors at Centennial Hall. The performance was a two hour immersion into the Buddhist martial arts of the Shaolin monks. There was a beautiful rhythm to the way these men moved their bodies. Each fluid motion of this martial arts gave an elegant illusion that contradicted the deadly power of each limb. There was a balance of push and pull between man and his surrounding. A fascinating demonstration of this mastery of control existed in the way one man balanced upon the point of knives hovering over the heads of other men.

Although this martial arts is said to originate from a Buddhist temple tucked in the ancient forests of China, there was a clear fusion of taoism within this performance. Elements of Taoism were present in the background music which imitated sounds of nature such as the flow of water and the drum of wood. Animal movements were also incorporated into the motions of the shaolin warriors. One man crouched on the ground over his hands with one foot on the ground and another in the air curved over his head to imitate the stinger of a scorpion. Another warrior jumped around stage to imitate the erratic movements of a monkey. One of the most fascinating things for me was the performance of two young boys who progressed through the stages of mastering the Shaolin martial arts. They too represented the Taoist balance of yin and yang: one boy wore the cool shade of blue while the other wore the warm shade of orange.

The Shaolin Warrior performance provided a fascinating look into the one of the dignified martial arts of Asia. I hold a great regard for these men who keep this Shaolin tradition alive.

My first taste of pho

I had my first bowl of pho the other day. I've always wanted to try it, because I have a friend who possesses a small percent of asian in his blood. He's not really sure what sort of asian he is, because he's such an elaborate mix of ethnicities that his family failed to keep track. However, because of pho, he particularly likes to claim the Vietnamese culture as his own.  

Pho is a traditional vietnamese noodle soup that consists of rice noodles in a hearty broth (usually beef or chicken) topped with various spices and herbs. Honestly, I never imagined water could taste so rich. You'll understand once you've had a little pho yourself, and if the broth alone isn't enough for you, it's common to squeeze a little lime juice to add a tanginess that completely transforms the broth, in a good way. To be truly authentic about your pho, you have to be able to pronounce it as "fuh" never "foh".

A Look into the Life of a Geisha

Tonight I saw Memoirs of a Geisha. It's funny because I always thought geisha's were just a fancy word for Japanese prostitutes -- excuse my language and even more, please excuse my prior ignorance. Unlike today's modern idea of prostitutes, Geisha's were women of power.

We sell our skills, not our bodies. We create another secret world, a place only of beauty. The very word "geisha" means artist and to be a geisha is to be judged as a moving work of art

These words from the movie were the words that transformed my entire perspective of Geisha  What I used to think was a shameful trade of seduction I now understand to be an enticing secret in Japanese traditions. The art of the Geisha is a very serious honor. Something about them makes everyone stop to catch a glimpse of them. 
There's a lot to say about the life of a Geisha, and simply watching a movie will not bring anyone to complete comprehension. I heard that their secrecy plays a great part in their alluring art. When you leave things for the imagination, people seek to know more. I recommend this movie to anyone else who is curious about the culture of the Geisha.

Memoirs of a Geisha provides valuable insight into the secret lives of the Geisha revealing that even in their luxurious lives, they were not free from tragedy. These women could capture the hearts of any man but even with their power they could not keep the hearts of the ones they truly love.

Koi Sketch

Two koi fish in yin yang formation. I spent about 2 hours to sketch this drawing on the computer. It was two hours to reflect on two great asian cultures unified in one simple picture. Koi fish are said to be so brave that when placed on a cutting board, they await the knife without a quiver. Oftentimes, they're used to symbolize the bravery of samurai when they face the sword. In this yin yang formation the koi fish also symbolize the balance of nature in Taoism. It represents a fusion of Japanese and Chinese cultures.

Perspective on the Asian Fold

photo obtained from viakorea.wordpress.com

We, Asians, are known for our squinty eyes. Some people may find this sort of stereotyping upsetting or insulting, but personally, I embrace it! If our eyes didn't squint just a little bit, we just wouldn't be Asian anymore. Apparently, our eyes are so unique that there's a term for it! I discovered this today when I was reading an article and stumbled upon the phrase "the mongoloid fold of the eye". I'm not sure why it's established as the mongoloid fold of the eye, as if the mongols are the ones who have ownership over all asian eyes, but it may be because mongols are among the most ancient of asian ancestors. Anyways, our distinguished eyes are actually a result of the way our upper eyelid folds over the inner corner of our eye. This fold of the eye that is characteristic of asian people, has a scientific term: the EPICANTHIC FOLD!!

I feel that there is a lack of knowledge about this term, and awareness must be spread. We are not simply squinty, we are epicanthic!!

A Boy and His Buffalo

I found this painting of a boy on a buffalo during my day to day errands on campus. I feel like this painting represents the simplicity of country life in Asia. Even as children, the people of this lifestyle labor. And they must work each day in order to sustain themselves. Any chance for play is sweet. Here is a boy who is mixing work with pleasure, just like children of today. 

Moon Festival

Google welcomed everyone with this doodle today in honor of the Moon Festival a.k.a. the Mid-Autumn festival. I've always been curious about the moon festival, but I've never known what it was. So I did a little research and discovered the Mid-Autumn festival is one of the biggest festivals in China. It takes place in the middle of the autumn season because at this point, the moon is at its fullest and brightest. People celebrate with eating moon cakes, but even more poetic, they appreciate the moon and reflect on their family and friends far away.  This is a day to remember that no matter where we are, where we go, and where we find ourselves we can always look above in the night sky to see the same moon that the whole world sees.

Below is a photo of a moon festival that took place in Hong Kong. I'm not sure what's going on but the festival is something I hope to take part in someday.

Sketch of an Ainu Man

Today I spent two hours recreating this portrait of an Ainu man. The Ainu people are the natives of Japan. They're known for their great beards which they grow to be large and lavish because they consider an abundance of hair to be a sign of beauty -- so much so that even the Ainu women tattoo mustaches upon their face to mimic the facial hair of men.

Ramen Noodles

a picture of authentic ramen noodles

As a college student, ramen noodles have come to be a quick and easy source of sustenance, though they may not be very nutritious, they fill the belly for only about 25 cents. I always like to heat up my instant ramen and drop an egg in the soup to imitate something like egg drop soup. It's a great recipe that my family has always enjoyed but it's nothing like authentic ramen. Although instant ramen is available anywhere, I have yet to taste or even see a real bowl of ramen noodles. Even if you google the origins of ramen noodles, you'll find it's very difficult to find any information on authentic ramen. Instead you'll find information about the dark
origins of instant ramen.

my bowl of ramen noodles

Instant ramen came about as a result of World War II, specifically due to the aftermath of the Japanese bombings. On August 15, 1945, A man named Momofuku Ando surveyed the damages of his hometown Osaka, Japan. Though the city was spared from the nuclear bombs, food was scarce, buildings were destroyed, and people were suffering. Amidst the wreckage, Ando witnessed a gathering of people standing outside a makshift ramen stand. He was surprised that people would endure such suffering to await a bowl of noodle soup. For years after World War II, the Japanese people perdured through food shortages. Momofuku Ando wanted to invent a food that would feed the world in the beliefs that "peace will come to the world when all its people have enough to eat." And thus he stumbled upon the invention of instant ramen noodles. Today it's a great comfort food enjoyed by people around the world, including broke college students. It definitely brings peace to my belly!

Meaning behind the cranes

The image of the crane is prevalent throughout asian art appearing as the most common origami paper form to the most elegant of details on ceramics such as the porcelain vase I saw the other day. The Japanese consider the crane, or Tsuru, as a national treasure. In folklore, the crane is fabled to live a thousand years. Therefore the crane symbolizes longevity and good fortune. It is also symbol of fidelity, in regard to the way cranes mate for life.

In the modern era, cranes have come to symbolize hope and peace. The reason for this is because of Sadako Sasaki, a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing in World War II. After being exposed to the radiation of the nuclear bomb, Sasaki became diagnosed with leukemia. In hopes of persevering through her illness and being rewarded with good health, she set a goal to fold 1000 paper cranes. Unfortunately, she passed before she could reach her goal. Today, the tradition of folding 1000 origami cranes symbolizes the hope of persevering through life's challenges.

Fashion of the sticks

 For so many years, I've tried to keep my hair up with a hairtie, but unfortunately my hair is too slippery to be wound by a little tie. One day I had a realization that for so long the Chinese and the Japanese have held their hair in place with sticks. That's it! Simply sticks! We have the same sort of silky hair so I thought maybe I should give it a try.

Many people seek to master the art of chopsticks, often to look trendy at sushi bars, but me, I've taken up the art of chopsticks in order to keep my hair looking trendy. 

For anyone else seeking to learn this art, there's a great tutorial here

The Simplicity of Chinese Architecture

The Sakyumuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple is an amazing architectural feat. It was build in 1056 in China during the Liao dynasty. Today it is longest standing wooden structure. And even more impressive is that there were no nuts or bolts used in the construction of the pagoda. The nine floors of the Sakyumuni Pagodi were created by the simple layering of wooden beams. Over the 10 centuries that it has stood, it has endured numerous wars and earthquakes. It is a great demonstration of ancient China's prowess in engineering and construction.

I found this beautiful porcelain vase the other day in the corner of an asian restaurant. I snapped a photo because although it's common to see porcelain vases in your typical asian setting, this one seemed very intricate with a sense of tranquility floating amidst the cranes. It's amazing how much eastern pottery evolved from the early clay pots molded only for utility into the elegant and intricately detailed ceramics we have today. These cranes embody such dignity that they have inspired me to learn more about their symbolism.

Pandan Wafer Rolls

I feel like asian cultures are more experimental with the flavors they stick in their delicacies. Have you ever seen purple ice cream? green milk? If you go into an oriental store you'll find flavors you've never even heard of. The other day, I was strolling my local oriental supermarket and found these green wafer cookies in the exotic snack aisle. Their green color is a result of the pandan flavoring. Pandan is a tropical plant more common in Asia. In foods, it gives a nutty, sort of coconut, flavor. Personally I love the pandan taste (whether in milkshakes, in ice cream, in cakes...) so I decided to give these wafer cookies a try. Unfortunately, I was let down. I feel like the wafer just didn't harness the pandan flavor to its best potential. I considered these cookies inedible.