Oink Oink

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

***Update*** After I watched Contagion eating pork just made me feel bad. How can delicious meat come from such adorable creatures? Maybe it is time to start cutting out the pig from my diet.

Meet The Dog With Multiple Names

We adopted Mocha/An An from the Baldwin Park Animal Shelter last week and she has been making nice progress adjusting to a home where 4 people want to spoil her rotten.

I like dark corners and tight spaces because I'm emo.

Sometimes I'm happy when I get to sit in someone's lap.

I wanted to give her a name that non-Chinese people would recognize. Unfortunately my mom already had a name picked out. Who the heck knows what An An means? Or even how to pronounce it? Ann? Ahn? So I have covertly been referring to this beloved doggie as Mocha, but I think I am losing the battle because she only responds to the name my mom gave her. Blah.

I'm glad we got her now because I think if we had adopted a puppy any earlier, we inevitably would have kept comparing her to Nina. Our puppy deserves its own relationship with us and I think that's happening. And though I am totally in love with this dog, Nina will always have her own place in my heart. And now under my right shoulder blade, because I got her paw tattooed on me. It's still healing, but it already looks lovely.

Gluttony Extreme: LA County Fair Edition

Being at the LA County Fair this weekend reminded me of why there is a frightful obesity problem in America. At one point while we were pigging out on funnel cake, Henry and me exchanged a look at each other because we both saw the "wide load" that graced our line of vision. I feel like America is designed for people to get fat. Staying fit in this country is really an uphill battle, I tell you. There's no opportunities for people to naturally build exercise into their daily routine. Walking from point A to point B is like walking from your doorstep to your car. That's why you need gyms, whereas people in places like Asia don't nearly have the same obesity problem we do. Too much going in, not enough going out. At the fair you can also rent those motorized scooter things and drive them around the fairground, in case you didn't get enough un-exercise. Did people watch Wall-E? And then people like my mom who are just weird and make no sense when she gets mad that I tell her I'm going on a hike with some minor scaling involved. I mean, what is wrong with you woman? Most parents can't be happier that their kids are getting exercise, and you're going blah blah blah you're going to break something and you're not strong enough and don't try to show off and then watch, you won't be able to start work? From a hike. Why is she so Asian??? I lack upper body strength anyway so it's good that there's some arm work involved.

Wow, ok, I really went off on a tangent. Talk about parent issues. Anyway, back to what I really wanted to blog about, which was the fair! I was kind of disappointed there was no deep fried butter. But maybe that was a good thing. I was already feeling pretty gross at the end of the day. I did see other things you could get deep fried, including deep fried oreos, deep fried zucchini, deep fried koolaid, deep fried watermelon, deep fried burgers, deep fried burritos, deep fried twinkies, and probably anything else you wanted they could deep fry or if not, dip in chocolate (pickles, anyone?). Good stuff.

Good thing I was sharing it or I would have eaten the whole thing.

Interspersed between stuffing our faces there were some carnival games and animal petting. Man, speaking of carnival games, it's way expensive! I don't remember if it's always been that way, but 5 dollars for 10 tickets? And then one play is usually 10 tickets, so you're paying 5 dollars to play a game where you probably won't win anything. I guess I shouldn't think about it in those terms. But there are definitely more satisfying ways to spend 5 dollars. Maybe if I were Yao Ming, buying those carnival tickets would be worth it. I would buy a few and then keep playing the basketball game.

We made Brandon pay $1 to see Hercules, a 3,000 lb horse. He looked smaller in the picture, but we'll take my brother's word for it that he was big.

The fair is kind of like Disneyland to me now. I guess I could go once a year and have some fun, but I'm perfectly fine skipping it most of the time.

Seriously though, I had fun. This expression says it all. That, or constipation.

Kip the Heeler

 My canine friend an ocean away.

My doggelganger is this cute lass. Too bad she's all the way in New Zealand.

Conflict

Have you ever been to an animal shelter? If you have any place in your heart for dogs (and even cats), it's a jarring experience. The smell, the pairs of eyes behind wired pens--pleading, imploring, hostile, hurt, desperate, confused--the whines, the barks. I almost wish they would be euthanized soon so they don't have to go through crests and troughs of hope when a human walks by, thinking this might be the one to save them, that they might be adopted and be able to leave this hellhole, only to be disappointed because they are deemed too big, too furry, too ugly, too old, too whatever else that makes them unattractive, to be adopted.

I hate that place. I only went there a few times with my mom in the hopes that we might be able to rescue one. Nina might not have died so much in vain if the reason was to save another canine's life.

Ugh. Now I'm disgusted with what I'm doing. I'm looking through listings of purebred miniature pinschers because my dad can't find a pet at the shelter that satisfies all his requirements. I don't understand his fixation on finding a doppelganger Nina. Does he really like min pins? Or he really liked Nina and misses her so much he's pinning his fondness for her on one who can replace her and fill the missing pet gap? There are so many poor strays at the shelter who are going to be euthanized in days' time and we're looking for purebred min pins online that cost hundreds of dollars.

Sigh.

Cuteness Overload

ZOMG. I don't want to eat pork ever again.

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! It's so FLUFFY!

Those Big Brown Eyes

I'm taking Nina to get spayed tomorrow and I am deathly worried. I know it's a normal procedure but she's so little...and frail...and afraid of strangers...what a horrible person I am for not feeding her breakfast and leaving her alone all day, drugged, cut up, with people she doesn't know. While she's gone her little whines are going to be echoing in my head.

Dear God, if I become a mother one day am I going to be one of those types that bundle up their children in 10 layers of clothing during the summer because I'm afraid they'll catch a cold?

Neeners

Nina came down with a fever yesterday because I let her out in the rain too long while taking her out to do her business. I was worried to the point of tears yesterday when she lay there, barely moving a muscle. At times she would let out blood-curdling high-pitched whines, like she was in serious pain. I didn't know what was wrong with her. Contrast this with lively, playful, hyper Nina who rarely stops moving and jumping. I know it was super paranoia taking over, because through the night I kept thinking, what if she doesn't make it? What if she's a dead doggy by twilight? It was such a relief, after 4 hours of sleep, to wake up and see her moving her eyes around even if her body wasn't. At the vet's office the doctor gave her some antibodies and a checkup. I had no idea the physical vulnerability of this poor little pooch. I felt so guilty while at the same time being sad that this ordeal had put a dent in my wallet--meds and office visit cost 73 dollars! A costly oversight indeed...But the good news is Nina will most likely be ok. She looked and seemed better today, so hopefully this recovery continues apace.

Before one begins to jump to conclusions about me being certified neurotic, there probably is a logical, psychologically-rooted explanation for my excessive anxiety. At least this is what I think. I don't usually get so ahead of myself when it comes to other issues. At the root of the problem, it has to do with my numerous short-lived experiences with pets. I must have had 4 or 5 puppies and/or dogs, all who met a tragic end less than a month of us owning them. Lucky was sent away because my mom couldn't stand him nibbling her plants (which she values more dearly than pets). Mimi died of a disease genetically transmitted by her mother. Peanut was sent away for the same reason Lucky was. And then I had an adorable mixed terrier whose name I forget, but she slipped under the gate and was never to be seen again. I guess through all this, my mom is partially to blame. These experiences have traumatized me such that I am horribly afraid any roaming insect eaten or rapid-fire illness will claim Nina's life, or that an unnoticed crack somewhere will be her portal to escape. I'm delirious aren't I?

That's the last time I take Nina out when it's raining. Her well being trumps a perfect potty training regimen.

Adjustment Costs

Back in LA, where...
I am no longer a pedestrian, but a driver
Space is no longer a luxury but a built-in feature
Shanghainese no longer punctuates the conversation around me
"Exotic" food like burritos are no longer a treasure hunt
I no longer have my bed to myself but instead have to share it


Meet Nina, a mini Pinscher. She is the smallest thing and I can easily pick her up with one hand. I researched the breed online and they are one of the most hyperactive, attention-seeking dogs out there. I don't think my mom did the research before deciding to adopt her from my uncle. My mom is also an elitist when it comes to dogs--she'll shun mutts from the shelter but oohs and aahs over Nina since she's purebred. So in the end, I didn't get to choose my pet, but this one is a handful so I think I'm good for now.

I finally had the meeting today I've been anticipating for...oh, about a year now. My announcement to quit has been made official, and it went over a lot better than I thought it would. The director was especially receptive, which I was pleasantly surprised about, because it's never easy breaking this kind of news to a program that has invested so much in you. What a relief--it really feels like a great burden has been lifted off my shoulders. A good indication that I made the right decision? But this also means I'm potentially working on a shorter deadline than I initially thought. I could be graduating in May, which is half a year from now. This puts something else on my mind...the prospects of being employed after everything is done and settled. Time to start job hunting now. Now...now...now...

Why is it so hard being an adult? I wish I was a child, or Nina, who plays around with chew toys all day and just snuggles up to nap in my sheets once she becomes tired.

Love the Chang

I'm sitting in the Chiang Mai airport right now waiting for our noon flight to Bangkok, where we will have a three hour layover before boarding another plane for Phuket. Everything was going smoothly until Valerie realized she left her phone at the hotel. So here I am, glancing at the security gate every few minutes hoping she'll come through those doors and make the 11 50 final boarding call. And then I mistakenly thought the checked baggage was under my name when it was under hers, so I had to pay an extra 428 baht (~14 USD) to check in our luggage. No worries, just one expensive Thai meal. Food here is so cheap and good. I can't get enough lemongrass, green curry, kow soi, and pineapple fried rice, not to mention staples like pad thai. All the situps I did were quickly undone. The beach better be ready for the extra pounds I've packed on.

Chiang Mai was such an awesome city. I wish we could have had an extra day or two there. Amazing wats, such lush greenery, and elephant trekking. The elephants were such majestic creatures. So intelligent, serene, gentle, yet playful. Valerie says it was a life-altering experience. It definitely has made me see elephants in a much different and respectful way.






Dodo enjoying his bath.


...and then giving me one.

I don't know why we're leaving beautiful Chiang Mai for possibly horrendous weather conditions in the South. If it rains the entire time I'll just be thinking about what we're missing out on.

UPDATE: The Valerie has arrived. Whew.

JA China

The other night I went to a Junior Achievers volunteer training session in preparation for the JA Green Innovation Challenge. What is this JA business all about, you may wonder. In short, JA stands for Junior Achievers, a global non-profit organization that focuses on helping elementary and junior-school age children foster skills applicable to the “real world” of business and finance. The idea is to bring learning beyond the classroom and encourage students from an early age to develop a set of creative and entrepreneurial practices that will carry on with them later in life.

The event in particular consists of a “Green Trade” fair and presentation that teams of local schoolchildren participate in. Each team invents a product and business plan to market said product. The goal is to create something that will be economically feasible to produce and sell, but to also have an environmentally conscious element to it. During the trade fair students will market their product to “buyers” (CEO’s or high level executives of sponsoring companies); essentially being salespeople for their product. During the presentation portion students provide a short and entertaining explanation—in commercial, song, speech, whatever format you might think of—about the various characteristics of their product. A third part gives team leaders, “little CEO’s,” an opportunity to meet with real CEO’s of sponsoring companies.

Our job as USAP volunteers is to serve as mentors to these students. We are supposed to provide suggestions and ideas on ways they can improve their product—especially when it comes to incorporating a “green” element into it, and also encourage them when it comes to pitching their product and speaking in front of an audience. Mentorship can also be as simple as coaching them on how to greet important people like CEO’s—things to say, tips on how to behave, and so on. It requires us to work closely with the teachers of the students because although they are an essential part of their education, we act as valuable (hopefully) supplements to the students’ learning experiences.


We had to come up with a visual representing the spirit of our team and present it to the rest of the group.

The JA training session was interesting. Basically, the idea that one would volunteer without expecting any benefits in return is still one that is slowly gaining ground in China. According to the JA rep, when the organization first established itself in China it was very difficult to convince administrators and teachers that JA wanted to become involved with students purely because of altruistic reasons. Many suspected JA was driven by motives to proselytize or gain economic profit. It was also a challenge getting people interested in volunteering.

I honestly didn’t anticipate having access to such a wealth of volunteer opportunities working at USAP. I volunteered at another event spending time with mistreated cats, and other people have participated in events working with migrant schoolchildren as well as kids with disabilities. In my opinion it’s a worthwhile way to spend some of your time off as well as see a side of Shanghai that isn’t necessarily paid attention to amidst all the chaos and buzz that is the Expo.


Combing cats. I’m usually more of a dog person but this event hit a soft spot.

All in all, I’m looking forward to meeting my students and seeing what creative ideas they’ve already come up with. It’s great being a child. There are no limits to imagination and possibilities. Maybe they’ll be a potent source of inspiration for me.

[Images courtesy of Rene Patnode]

Suburban Birds.

Today my brother and I sat outside in our backyard for about 20 minutes to see if birds would come and eat the bread crumbs we put out. They did not. Stupid birds. If these were urban LA birds they'd be all over that.

My brother told me sometimes my dad throws handfuls of of my mom's grains for the birds when he comes home from work. My mom doesn't know. I think he's trying to slowly get rid of it because he hates eating that stuff.