Meet Ivy! She is one of the American girls, and she is dressed in the 70’s styles. She is the middle child in a busy Chinese American household, with a father holding 2 jobs, and a mother studying hard to become a lawyer. Sounds familiar? My sister-in-law also told me the book is really great too. I am, of course, always drawn to the outfit, and especially love this Chinese New Year outfit that you can purchase separately.
I’m not sure if there is a connection between Holiday Inns and Chinatowns, but somehow, it seems there is a Holiday Inn Hotel in a lot of the Chinatowns I’ve visited. Growing up in California, there is one on Figueroa in Los Angeles, and one on Kearny in San Francisco. Both of these hotels are in the heart of the Chinatown. Now that I’m in Montreal on vacation, I saw yet another Holiday Inn here in Montreal’s Chinatown, and it makes me wonder if there is a connection between Holiday Inns and Chinatowns. Did Holiday Inn offered the best deal? It really doen’t matter, but rather it’s kind of cool. This one in Montreal is particularly pretty and unique. It’s got two Pagoda tops on the roof!
I love this classic panda stuffed animal from Blabla, it is handcrafted in South America with 100% cotton yarn, and it reminds me of something I used to own as a child. I really love this mini panda version personally, and this stuffed animal is also avaiable in many other styles too!
Half the Sky Foundation is a non-profit organization who currently operates 18 permanent Family Villages in China for orphaned children whose physical and developmental challenges will preclude them from being adopted.
Sometimes we take it for granted for how fortunate we are, reading their stories really gave me a new perspective. There are many ways you can help, so please check them out.
Ice Cream – 冰淇淋 – bīng qí lín
Who doesn’t like a nice scoop of icy cold yummy ice cream for the hot summer days? Chinese people often incorporate local favorites and make some pretty awesome favors. The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory in NYC is known for its delicious ice cream, my personal favorite is the Lychee Ice, yum.
Found this Flickr group that dedicates to Hong Kong food. Check out the sticky rice shu mai, they make my mouth water. However, nothing beats my all time favorite street food. These rice noodles are the best, and they definitely bring back childhood memories. Enjoy! Even if they are just pictures.
Recently, in one of the many open houses I visited in Summit NJ, I came across a personal correspondence from Madam Chiang Kai Shek to the homeowner. It was totally unexpected, but it reminded me once again how powerful and influential the Soong sisters were. For those of you who are not familiar with the Soong sisters, they were, along with their husbands, amongst China’s most significant political figures of the early 20th century. They each played a major role in influencing their husbands, which, along with their own positions of power, ultimately changed the course of Chinese history. It is also commonly said that of the three sisters, “one loved money (Ai Ling), one loved power (Mei Ling), and one loved China (Qing Ling).” To find out more about the legendary Soong Sisters, you can read Soong Dynasty by Sterling Seagrave, an investigative journalist who grew up in China to western parents. With his journalistic background, I feel it gives him more credibility in the stories he tells. Alternatively, grab some popcorn and watch a piece of history in this movie version of the Soong Sisters starring Michelle Yeoh, (aka bond girl) and Vivian Wu (Joy Luck Club).
Swim – 游泳 – yóu yǒng
Swimming is my favorite sports. Throughout my childhood, all I did was to hang out at the swimming pool with my sister in Hong Kong. I remember getting all my favorite treats after a day of swimming, such as red bean popsicle, fish balls on a stick, and those yummy waffles with peanut butter and condensed milk. I know those are not the usual treats, but hey, that’s what I grew up with! What’s your favorite treat after a day in the swimming pool?
For $29.99, you can buy a very stylish and chic cotton and burlap FEED 100 bag. I first came across this bag last year on vacation in Portland visiting my good friend Sara. She’s a posh mom and always stylish. So when I saw her with the very trendy white FEED bag in the August sun, I immediately fell in love. I loved it even more after learning that A FEED bag purchase helps provide 100 nutritious lunches to hungry Rwandan school children through the United Nations World Food Program’s School Feeding Program. You can buy yours online here, or at any of your local Whole Foods stores. Imagine, toting around toys and juice boxes have a whole new meaning with this new accessory!
Okay, this is too fun to be true. This fun set of little buddha moulds will definitely put a big smile on anyone’s face. Each set comes with 4 little buddhas and in different colors. I have a list of things to try with these little guys, from pudding, popsicle, and jello. The big question is, will my mom appreciate it as much as I do? Check it out at Charles and Marie.
