Lost and Found

For the first time last week, I lost my wallet. Like, completely gone, no clue where it could have gone, vanished. I definitely had it on Thursday evening, when I opened my wallet for the LIRR conductor; I handed him the ticket to click, replaced the ticket, then stowed away(?) my wallet in my purse. Dave picked me up from the station in his car; we drove home and picked up Maddie from Joy (our nanny). Then we went out to dinner, but Dave paid, so I didn't need to look for my wallet. We stopped by Stephen's house after dinner to say hi and pick up some tools, but I think I left my purse in the car. At any rate, when the LIRR conductor came by to click my ticket on Friday morning, there was no wallet in my purse. It wasn't at home, it wasn't in the car, it wasn't at the restaurant, it wasn't at Stephen's, it wasn't at the LIRR Lost and Found yet. I had no idea what had happened to it: had I left it behind on the train? Did it fall out of my purse? Did someone reach into my purse and take it? Did I leave it at the restaurant and someone picked it up? A good Samaritan surely would have emailed me by then—my work email is very easy to find by Googling my name.

Fortunately, I had my work ID and a separate credit card squirreled away elsewhere in my purse. But by the time I got to work on Friday morning, I was in full panic mode. Call the credit card companies! Order a new debit card! Order a new driver's license! And most importantly (I guess?): cancel your New York Public Library card so a thief doesn't check out books under your name and then never return them!!!

By Friday evening, I was resigned to the loss. At least most things were replaceable, and as long as no one stole my identity using the information from my driver's license, I would only be out the cost of the cash ($140), my LIRR tickets ($200), my Metrocard ($50), the cost of the wallet itself, and something of sentimental value: my credit card-sized periodic table that says "Proud to be a Chemist" on the back. Don't ask me why I'm still carrying this card from high school. The answer is: I don't know.

Then, a minor miracle! On Saturday afternoon, we received a mysterious visit from...the mailman! He handed me my wallet, saying "My supervisor told me to give this to you." Everything was still there, minus the cash, and my driver's license. I asked the mailman, "Wow, this is amazing! But do you know what happened to my driver's license?" He called the supervisor, who said that it had fallen out and that she had it, and he went back to the post office, picked it up, and brought it back to me! Apparently someone had just put the wallet in a mailbox, and it was taken to the post office, and the post office returned it to me! I didn't even know they could do that. There are still some mysteries: why didn't they just return the driver's license with the wallet, since they knew they went together? Why was everything in the wallet so...damp? And when truly did I lose the wallet?

I suppose I'll never know. Just count me grateful that someone only wanted the cash and didn't want anything else to do with me. S/he took only the cash, and left me the hundreds in public transportation cards! So the only cost was really $140, a day of stress/anxiety, and the $20 for the new driver's license. I'll take it! And be more careful with my wallet from now on...

Valentine's Day 2016

Last year, Dave and I spent Valentine's Day on a cruise with my family. This year, we are not on a boat – but that's no reason not to spend it with my family! Usually Grace or I makes family dinner; for this special occasion, Dave and Stephen took over. Here are the chefs at work:

The results: a feast of homemade paella and roasted asparagus! Dave has been trying variations on his paella for a long time now. He has discovered that the cast iron skillet gives the best results: you'll want to stir the rice some as it cooks, so that it cooks evenly; but towards the end, refrain from stirring so that a nice saccarat forms on the bottom. We all agreed that this was his best version yet!

To make it extra romantic, we broke out our wedding china and candlesticks! A and M were not particularly impressed, I don't think. Haha.

I'd been tempted all week by the recipes for chocolate desserts that I'd seen posted online. When I saw a recipe for Intense Chocolate Mousse Cake, I knew what I wanted for Valentine's dessert! Unfortunately, Dave does not know how to make a cake. Solution: I'd just have to make it myself! It was my first time baking a dessert in a water bath.

The dessert looks like a flourless chocolate cake (it is indeed flourless), but is not as dense in texture. I do like to make a classic chocolate mousse, but this cake recipe is nice because the top crackly crust gives it a contrasting texture to the inside.

I would definitely make it again! And the water bath was not as messy/intimidating as I thought it would be. I recommend.

Finally: Dave also bought me gifts! He comparison shopped at the local grocery stores, and found the best deal on flowers...that's my guy! Plus a sweet treat. I couldn't ask for more.

the benefits of the better half

It's been fun setting up house with Dave. There are the predictable minor conflicts, and then the sometimes surprising benefits. For example, we now have a lot of spices from our combined kitchen.  I was trying to fit them all on a lazy-Susan we got from my old roommate five years ago, but I had a hard time finding the right ones while cooking, and was knocking them all over the counter in my frantic search every night (hot oil, rolling jars, not good). My mom gave me a two-tiered spinning rack, which did not give us more square footage, and also obscured the inner spices. We returned to the lazy-Susan, and I was pretty much fine with knocking spice bottles all over the counter for the next two years, but Dave had a better idea:

He went through each spice jar and labeled them clearly on top, so that in the rush of cooking, I won't need to search for what I want. So logical, not difficult, and yet the kind of thing that I would never actually do for myself. Good thing I now have a better half!

Pressure Cooker Palooza 2014

Today is Mother's Day, and for the first time, Dave and I spent it with each of our mothers. Hurray for returning closer to home! We took Dave's parents out to lunch in NJ; it was a beautiful day, and we ate our first meal of the season outdoors. But before we went to lunch, Dave played most of the Moonlight Sonata for his mom. She was surprised and delighted.

In the afternoon, back on L.I., Stephen and I prepared a Mother's Day meal for my mother and Grace. We usually pick a "theme ingredient" (Iron Chef-style) that unites all of the courses. This year, we upped the ante: we'd have a theme ingredient (orange) AND a theme technique (pressure cooker)! It was Pressure Cooker Palooza 2014!

 It's a three pressure cooker kind of meal!

 Chickpea and Artichoke Tagine

Bacon-braised Brussel Sprouts, Pomegranate-Orange Short Ribs, Mashed Sweet Potato

 

Red-wine Poached Pears with Marscapone

And here's one happy grandma, in matching aprons with her granddaughter:

at last

It's been a hard winter, and I'm not just talking about the weather! But spring finally seems to be here. And June is just around the corner – when my first semester of teaching at my new institution will be under my belt, when the students for my summer program come through the doors. I can't wait.

A. and I took a stroll to the bank together this morning. She remarked upon every Easter bunny decoration in the neighborhood (there are lots), and we chatted about the blooming flowers popping up everywhere. This is a tree outside the nearby public library:

For me, the paradigmatic sign of spring isn't the first crocus, or the Chinook coming over the mountains. It's a blooming magnolia tree – the kind of tree that fills the Princeton campus with color just as senior theses start to be due.

So I was pleased to spot this magnolia planted in a peaceful courtyard off of a Catholic church. We didn't have time to sit on the benches, but it was a beautiful spot for meditation and rest. Maybe I'll return sometime soon with a book!

Big hug

A. recently picked up the concept of "BIG HUG," in which she wraps you and anyone within reach in a tight squeeze. I love it!

How many babies are in this photo?

One delightful thing about A. at this age is how clearly she reflects back the affection and attention she receives. She's pretty easy-going, not yet defiant and willful. When I invest in my relationship with her, I see the rewards immediately. She grins upon my arrival home after work, runs down the hall to give me a big hug, and tugs at my hand, indicating that I should come play with her. It's such a refreshing shift from my work life, in which I plug away at long-term projects that constantly threaten to run off the rails. I'm glad that while I'm in New York, I can be both Director and Auntie!

A Merry Christmas

It's been a lovely holiday so far. I'm taking a mental vacation from work and have been loving being together with Dave every day. Here we are at my parents' place in PA, celebrating our first Christmas as a married couple:

There were moments of wonder:

And time for play:

Here I become acquainted with down-sized living quarters and a tiny roommate.

But mostly I've rested, eaten tons of food, and spent quiet time enjoying our families. I have so many blessings to count.

My Dinner with András

Just kidding, I've never had dinner with András Schiff. But he comes to perform often in Ann Arbor, and tonight was the fourth time I heard him play. During the concert, I was reflecting on how his concerts have punctuated various stages of my life in Michigan. I attended the first two concerts with my roommate Christa during my second year of graduate school. They were part of a 2-year series in which Schiff played the entire Beethoven sonata cycle. I remember feeling so smug that this project would only be performed in New York City, San Francisco, and...Ann Arbor. (Take that, coastal elites! We're just as important, plus I can get good tickets for $10.) At the time, I was so grateful that Christa was interested in going with me. I was struggling to find friends with similar interests in my graduate program, plus I was single at the time, and I was always anxious about having to go to classical music concerts alone.

By the next year, when I attended the third concert (still Beethoven sonatas), Christa had moved, and I took Dave as my date. But this was early in our relationship, and I was skeptical that things would work out: here's a guy who doesn't read literature for fun and had never heard of my field before! What did we have in common anyway?? I was planning to leave in a few months to spend a year abroad for research. I figured I may as well see where the relationship was going until I had to leave...

And now, the fourth concert (Goldberg Variations): Dave and I are newlyweds, trying to find our way out of Ann Arbor and to the same location. Now we're balancing two real careers and future family plans. Christa is married, has three dogs, and a beautiful baby girl in Boston. And those friends who didn't share my interests and left me feeling lonely? Now we text, call, email each other regularly; though some are as far away as Kabul and Munich, and others have left academia altogether, I treasure the experiences we've shared and the support we can offer each other.

The future is so hard for me envision right now. I'm struggling to define what it is I even want out of life, beyond knowing that Dave and I must. live. together. For a goal-oriented person, this is hard, especially when I control so little about the academic job-seeking process. But in the fall of 2007, when I walked up the hill with Christa, tickets in hand, I never would've imagined the circumstances under which I would write this András Schiff post in 2013. This gives me hope that in 2019, I'll again be writing about doubts diffused, challenges overcome, and relationships celebrated. It just seems a long time from now.

creativity

Last night, Sarah and John hosted a really fun dinner. We feasted on tasty vegetarian dishes and stuffed ourselves with fall desserts. Rather uncharacteristically of me, I brought a crafty activity. Of course, this crafty activity was actually Dave's inspiration: balloon animals! He had learned to make one with his niece at a fair and was bitten by the balloon bug. He got us a pump, a beginner's book, and some balloons, and we all got into it:

Sarah with her brontosaurus

 John's creation: the "NAI"

Dave's toothy T-Rex

 A new headdress for Matt

 Fruit of the night's labor

We all enjoyed it more than I had anticipated. I was struck by everyone's intense concentration as they attempted something new, and the satisfaction that resulted from trying a new project, improving one's skills, and coming out with a fun final product! It made me think that I don't pursue enough "creative" projects in my life. Katie's blog, with its recent reflections on self-expression and photography, has also been stimulating my thinking. I'm too overwhelmed at the moment to take on new goals or hobbies, but I'd like to reframe some of the things I already do (like cooking or writing) as expressions of creativity to remind myself of the importance of making things.

rest

I've been avoiding going to my parents' house during this period in New York. Somehow, it felt like an admission of weakness. Shouldn't I be investing in getting to know Brooklyn better, having fun with friends, settling into the new place? Shouldn't I be doing something cool, something that would make being in New York worth it? Foolish me.

I had a calm and restful weekend in PA. I'm developing a cold, so I slept a lot, strolled through Costco, watched a silly movie, and enjoyed my mom's cooking. She proudly showed off her newest high-end kitchen gadget, the Vitamix:

And on Saturday morning, I joined my dad for a run/walk that benefited the patient services for his medical practice. It began and ended at my high school. Fortunately, I didn't have to endure flashbacks of that traumatic time, since the building I knew has been razed and replaced with a much nicer structure. It was a beautiful day for a walk and a long talk about my work challenges.

After another minor bus snafu, I'm back in New York, gearing up for one last week before Dave arrives in his blue Mazda to whisk me away – to Michigan, married life, and my research. Counting down the days!

moon

This past year has been a period of instability in my identity; some changes have been pleasant, others less so, and much confusion remains. But one thing, I suppose, is unchanged: I'm Asian! And this year, something unusual occurred: I observed the Moon Festival.

Typically, I forget about the holiday until it has passed, or I make an attempt to watch the moon, but it's cloudy and/or raining. This year, I had some help. My mother provided me with a moon cake when I saw her last week, and when I spoke to her on the phone last night, she reminded me about the Moon Festival. So I opened up my moon cake package, climbed to the roof, and in the perfect September air, watched the moon.

Lotus paste, no yolk: just the way I like it.

Moon over Brooklyn, 2013

The paradoxically smooth yet grainy lotus paste, the oily pastry that leaves my fingertips greasy, the scent of jasmine tea – all familiar things that remind me of home. I would have liked to have shared these moments with a certain special someone, but maybe it's enough to have experienced them at all.

a very summer weekend

I was in New York all last week, but returned to Ann Arbor on Saturday morning, just in time for the end of the heat wave! It was still warm and sunny out, but not nearly as oppressive and miserable as the previous week had been. A few hours later, my old college friend Daniel arrived in Michigan as well. Although the motivation for his visit was a fellowship interview with the medical center, we enjoyed some summery, touristy fun together as well.

Does anything say "summer" better than a perfectly ripe watermelon?

I was initially concerned that the large "crevasse" indicated a problematic watermelon. I'm happy to report that it was as delicious as we could have ever hoped for. We ate a lot of it throughout the weekend.

We patronized the newish beer garden downtown...

 ...and even paddle-boated on the Huron River! It'd been two years since I last tried it:

We had a nice time, but I was reminded of why I don't do this often. Despite our furious pedaling and sweaty efforts, someone strolling on the shore could have easily outpaced us! Good thing we weren't being chased by a hungry shark: paddle-boaters would definitely be the first victims.

The summer has been slipping by so quickly, and Daniel's visit provided a great excuse to enjoy the things I might have missed – barbecues with friends, outdoor dining, being out on the water. I keep reminding myself that I need to seize my opportunities to build a life rich in experiences, as the pressure to stay at my desk and in the books is so strong. Here's to more weekends of making memories!