a couple words worth a second posting in one day...

1. bruschetta
2. cannoli

AGAIN!

Free Food was available today! and i didn't even need to sit through a mtg! and I was even able to share! Pizza thrives these days. I shall not be making pizza anymore. I am in a land flowing w/ cheese and veggies on bread.

I must seriously be smaller on the East Coast. It seems to me that my kitchen counter is NOT at waist level. Cutting things and stirring bowls on the counter is not maximizing my abilities. unnecessary energy is lost to the unfavorable position of the counter. should i ever have the opportunity to design my own kitchen and bathroom, i'm going to use my own waist-height as the standard. sinks and counter will be at my waist, the cabinets won't be any higher than i can reach. people have done this before. i'm not talking crazy.

today's free food intake: half a poppy seed bagel. yum.
Probability of Free Food tomorrow: 0%

today's cookie output: ranger cookies. status: EXCELLENT, but lacks chocolate. perhaps mini chocolate chips would be very acceptable.

other food developments: dinner: my first official try w/ mushrooms, onions, and fun see. status: PASS; "yam cakes": chewy, needs more sugar. status: PASS.

Non-Food Section: did laundry AND went to the bank. i am o-so-productive. yay me.

i've never seen so many GYN exams done in one afternoon. hence, my newest mandarin phrase: Take off your pants.

it's been an amazing run of free food this two days. yesterday, i brought home a HUGE leftover slab of cake from the preschool. seriously, how much cake does a bunch of preschoolers eat? this cake was about 2 ft in diameter. i kid thee not. it's a good thing i was able to give it all away in one night. and today, i just got some "shui gao"s and "wu gok" which possess high sharing equibility (i'm making up words.) and a couple of "bo loa bao"s that have red bean filling and a sprinkling of poppy seeds. yum. and soy milk, too. what a deal.

clinic was madness. i think we had 68 patients tonight. fun for all.

surely the mandarin is improving...i need to learn how to say "breathe" so far, my ingenuity consists of asking them: "Do you have any problems *deep breathes*" thank goodness the patients are so bright. i don't need to breathe too many times. whew.

also, thank goodness for the patient who brought in a whole box of pastries. yum yum. it always smells so enticing. the choices overwhelm me. and the nutritional content poses another debate. of course, it's easy to not eat the char siu bao, etc. but then, this time the sesame ball was really calling out to me. more than the flaky almond cream thingie and the zhi bao dan gao. and definitely more than the coconut-y tart thing w/ a cherry on top. and then someone ate IT. the whole thing. i was kinda sad. no, let's be truthful, i was crushed. I was REALLY planning on claiming that one for my belly. there had only been ONE sesame ball anyways. i was offered a bite, but that's not how my stomach functions. especially not with sesame balls. of course, if it were cut in half and i got half, that's ok. but i DID NOT want a bite. a bite is like a fake-out. you think you get more, but you don't. i later soothed the sorrow w/ a zhi bao dan gao, but it was not the same. it wasn't even one of those super good dan gao's. it was just a regular old one. not exciting. and certainly not as exciting as a sesame ball. i like to think that if i were back in SF such atrocities would not be committed. remember, sharing is caring.

another topic not related to food (see how diverse my interests are...)

read Fast Food Nation with Dvorak's symphonies. makes the gory parts more dramatic. first it makes me kinda hungry, then it made kinda grossed out, then i went back to being a little hungry.

current favorite children's book i get a very broad education around these parts.

and today i got a gift of a "dan taat" another favorite. what a deal.

then i read this and longed for "tong yuens." but that's ok, b/c my grandmother reminded me of the "jungs" that i have to eat. life is good these days, i believe.

personal research has proven that my intelligence level is inversely proportional to amount of edumacation achieved. that's ok. because i think i will think about dinner instead. feeding the stomach gives better returns anyways.

today's high was 67. i'm impressed. after this, we're going to hang around the 50's for a while. that's very reasonable. i think i won't have to work so hard to conserve body temperature these days. i wonder what the temperature and humidity will be like in heaven. (keep in mind that this site's purpose is NOT to impart wisdom or gravity in any way, shape, or form. i think i've been true to the goal so far. phew.)

a rocky start to the morning:

note to self: know PIN for ATM card if you're going to carry it around.

but...promising midday perks:

1. free pizza for lunch! (and enough left over for future feedings)
2. an excellent, excellent chocolate chocolate chip from Willis
3. I WON A PRIZE!

I literally have a new toy. Learning issue for this week: toy safety. Our speaker brings in buttloads of toys, hats, and candy. And then gives away toys for prizes. Today, even being in preschool is not a better time to be in school. I am now the proud owner of a little girl backpack. I am oh-so-cool. Sometimes I can be thankful to be called "christina small" or "the small peanut." (I am only considered small on the East Coast.) I can actually wear this bag, however, it does detract from my grown-up aspirations. who cares about those, anyways. *throwing grown-up aspirations out the window* no one needs grown-up aspirations when you win cool prizes like little girl backpacks.

This weekend, i saw five different states, ate in four different states, and slept in three different states. I am a traveling machine, thanks to my friend, stephanie, who is a very inspiring traveling machine. i could learn to love the sight of a dunkin donuts...

I ate three different cookies this weekend. I think i'm actually working my way back to the chocolate chip cookie. I wandered far from this delightful cookie for the past six months or so, but it could be making a return. And if i get my chocolate chocolate chip cookie from Willis tomorrow...

the weather continues to look good, but i am not looking forward to the possibility of hanging out here for the summer. take me home, Jesus. I don't want to deal with 90 degree weather on a daily basis. i don't function well under such circumstances. i should find summery things to be excited about...

New Revelation Unrelated to Food:

umbrellas are a grown-up thing.
i finally am in possession of such a contraption. who knew it was part of being a big girl. no one tells you these things. some things i figured out on my own. big girl shoes, big girl bag. that's a given. but an umbrella?!

look at the edumacation i'm gettin on the east coast.

miss the reports on food and weather? do not despair, the food has been great and the weather is almost just as good.

weather:
i actually wore capris...
actual conversation, or as much as i can recall...

me: it's almost warm enough to wear a skirt.
friend: i know! i wore one yesterday. you'd never wear a skirt, i don't think you have any legs.
me: uh huh. i'm wearing capris. see, i'm showing a little leg.
friend: you're such a tease.
me: i know.

Food:

1. a most incredible buffet exists in Queens, New York.
2. curry is quite good. (seri: remember the 1st time i made curry?)

how come the ratio of right handers to left handers isn't 1:1?

how come full term term pregnancy is considered 40 weeks?

just wanted to introduce something unrelated to previous topics of food, weather, etc..

props to my friend, Nicole, for:

1. feeding me a most luxurious meal of asiago cheese bread, spinach dip, tortilla, ceasar salad, french onion soup, cantalope, apple pie, and banana. (and of course credit to her husband for making everything from scratch.) this meal prompts and propagates all sorts of new food fetishes. sometimes when i get REALLY hungry, i think that the way to my heart could be through my stomach...but then i eat and regain sanity, thankfully.

2. having a tv and letting me watch it. the food network...i could learn to love it.

3. fulfilling my dreams and wishes by supplying me w/ two(!) baking spatulas, a pizza cutter, and THREE knives. knives are incredibly useful. everyone should have some good knives. except for the really crazy people. no knives for them.

(Two is also a good number that i have not given credit to. It is the only even prime number. Two also makes a pair. A pair can be very useful. you might like one for back-up.)

New Food Fashions:

1. scones.
2. wontons.
3. pitas.
4. tortillas.
5. bananas w/ peanut butter and cinnamon, microwaved.

five just seems to be a better number to end on than four. Odd numbers are better than evens, generally. Except for the even numbers which can be divided by odds. for example, multiples of three are acceptable. on the whole, prime numbers are the BEST. especially the ones w/ seven. unfortunately, i don't have seven different food passions currently.

weather report: warmer.

i've noticed the improvement in temperature. it's affecting the way i shower. perhaps this is too weird for some of you...quit while you're ahead...but it's funny...

the shower head has to be held allatime. most disappointing since it ruins the whole showering experience just about every time. i can't wait til i have time to go to the pool so i just stand underneath the spray. with such cold weather, i've developed a very precise showering method. first, wash lower extremities, then torso, last. you'd be surprise at how fast core body temperature drops, even when i try to stay "under" the spray the whole time. but with the warmer weather, it's actually possible to put down the shower head during parts of the showering process. it's not restorative of the entire shower experience, but it's a step in the right direction. when we've reached ultimate warm weather mode, the entire process will be reversed.

this is the official beginning to spring break week.

symposium went great. i did nothing except stand there and look grown up.

i am a contributing group member. thankyouverymuch.

food: i ate two great lunches today.

first lunch: we celebrated the beginning of spring break with dim sum, filtered air, and filtered water. i ate a generous amount. the highlight of this meal was the sesame ball. even though melissa doesn't like them. i will eat them. don't be sad, sesame ball. i love you.

second lunch: my work LOVES me. they ALWAYS save food for me. so i ALWAYS get lunch everytime i go. even if i go shortly after lunch. they even pick out the meat for me. and the lunch lady, ms. pat, also encourages me to get seconds. ms. pat is my friend. today's lunch was special b/c one of the staff was leaving. i got to eat cheese lasagne, a salad, bread, and a scrumptious dessert called 'death by chocolate.' That was an amazing lunch. i think i will keep working here.

and there is still dinner...muahahahaha.

i think i'm starting to enjoy this forum of saying naught.

today's adventures were very interesting...

noteworthy since it's partly related to food: scones are yummy.
interesting b/c now i introduce a new section: clinic.

today i started eating at nine and i pretty much stopped at three in the afternoon.
i think i ate on the hour, every hour.
wasn't full enough to pass out, but it was reminiscent of the good old days.

it was good thing i ate a ton, b/c clinic went completely nuts and i think i did everything i could possibly do. i was a machine.

in light of the fact that someone just underestimate my age...i just did the same:
very very patient lady, God bless her soul.
came in b/c her UTI wasn't clearing up and asked if she could get her GYN exam.
(i'm sure you don't want details on the acronyms.)
she spoke cantonese, another reason to bless her soul. o if you could hear the mandarin i make up, i'm sure someone is turning over in their grave. (side note, i learned how to say 'period' in mandarin. very useful.) and on that note, i learned that i was missing an important part of vocabulary in my women's health department. (stop reading here if you're not into anything medical or remotely related.) i don't know how to ask someone if they are sexually active. hmmm, time to get creative, per usual. so i ask if she has a boyfriend and hem and haw til she gets the idea. and she laughs and tells me she's married. whoops. then she tells me she understands what i'm asking. another reason to bless her soul. later on, she tells me that she has a nine year old son. whoops. obviously i have no gauge on the age of people of asian descent either. and i really need to work on my chinese.
more movies?

tomorrow is the symposium. i will at least LOOK my age.

an adventure not officially related to school, food, or the weather.

this lady who was taking care of some paperwork on me...
tells me i don't look a day over 12. couldn't believe i was actually 20-something.

12?! i'm a gi-normous twelve year old.

this are the things that make me reconsider wearing sneakers allatime.

can't be just the sneakers, though.

on a food note:

scones. i think i'm gettin sucked into scones. scones made with orange juice ...
we'll see.

school topic:

POOP on POOP.

most of the time, things don't drop into my lap.

it must be just plain funny when they fall off your lap.

someone's got to be laughing...

since the fun is obviously with the laughing, guess i'd better laugh, too.

at least today's weather hit a high above the freezing point.

at least my dinner was good. i think i could learn to love feta.

at least i can still dream. i'll make a list:

1. a zester.
2. a pizza stone. or some terra cotta tiles.
3. a baking spatula. or two. i can't believe i've been functioning w/o one of these.

NOW WHAT?!

the weather topic is only gettin better and better...

today, i open my eyes and see da sun. what a beautiful thing.
then i turn on the radio and hear: 17 degrees. that's coooold.
i get in the shower...the radio delivers again: 16 degrees.
what?! how come it went DOWN?! that's not fair. c'mon, God.
i put on three layers, the long johns, the tights, the knee-high wool socks.
i find another t-shirt, i forgot about...i put that on, too.
the radio gets extensive: wind chill: makes it into the single digits.
i put on another sweater underneath.

i get outside...mother of God...do i HAVE to go to school??

yes. yes. i do. at least there's free lunch. this week's topic is obesity. i don't think i'm ever going to purchase a tv.

last week before spring break.

i think it might be time to tell a little story instead of making a list.

let's see...

my other favorite topic besides food and nerdiness...the weather.

today, we're finally going to have a high of 41. except that i have to miss the high part because i am occupied with nerdiness. poop on that. i never thought i'd get excited to hit 40 degree weather. who am i kidding. i've actually been excited to when the weather says we're going to be in the thirties. the threshold for excitement is any point above freezing point. for those who never need to know what freezing point, i will tell you. Freezing point is 32 degrees Fahrenheit. the wind chill factor oftens kills my party though. When the report says that the high will be above freezing point, i start speculating wild and crazy ideas, such as...perhaps, i won't wear tights today, meebe i'll just wear my coat without a jacket, and i don't think i'll bring the hat as a precautionary measure. Usually, i cave in to wearing the coat and the jacket. Today, however, that was a wise decision. I'm counting the days until i can leave the gloves and mittens behind. I don't even walk around the corner without those babies. That's just IGNORANT. and lemme tell you, ignorance is not bliss. It's just STOOPID, and cold to boot.

the end.