We're baa-ak!!

This international move business is serious. I haven't been this stressed in a long, long time. Needless to say, the blog has gone neglected for way, way too long. The good news is that we are now here and getting settled in. We moved into our apartment today after three long weeks moving between Jack's mom's place and his sister's place. Now, we have a space of our own. I am posting some pics from our move and Dahin's jetlage (she and Jack arrived just last Saturday) very soon, but here I thought I'd show some highlights from the past few weeks (ok, not too many, but they are what they are). Above, Oliver learns just how third-world halmoni can be (since I am technically a relative, I can say this). Her bathroom is just a room with a drain in the floor. The room includes a washing machine, electric heater (! hello, electric shock) and toilet and sink. This is pretty typical of old-style Korean housing and explains a lot as to why public bath houses are so darn important in Korean culture (we've gone twice so far with the family). Oliver insisted on a bath so we filled this little tub for him. The room is pretty darn cold, so he was smart to insist on sitting in some warm water.

So, the boys and I were here for two weeks before Jack and Dahin arrived. Incheon International Airport is about 2 hours away from where Jack's mom lives in Seoul, so I decided to go to the airport with Jack's uncle while the boys stayed with halmoni and their cousin Haenee. Jack's uncle and I waited for hours at the airport; mostly because we got there way too early, but also because the plane was delayed an hour and a half. They had to change the route due to North Korean missile threat. But, they finally got here and her brothers were so happy to see her. Above, Ronan is rushing to get her some water and Oliver is sharing his wisdom on the fine art of chopstick use. (note little puppy Bomi to the left: is that fresh meat I smell?)

Everyone ate together, although it was 11:30 at night and waaaaay past bedtimes. The kimchi chigae and bulgogi tasted especially yummy now that we were all here together.

The boys have consumed more ice-cream here in the past few weeks than they have in their entire lives. Their grandma and cousins and aunts insist on loading them with sweets. Note the following semi-conversation: Aunt Eun-young: 'Hey boys, how about some icecream!"(note: it was 8:45 in the morning) Me: "No, it's too early. How about some fruit?" Aunt Eun-young: (after discerning what an evil mommy I really am due to the boys' responses) "Well, let's eat cookies then." And, before I could semi-protest, the boys were all over the cookies. I guess I am a semi-mommy here when in the presence of spoil-eager relatives. Above, they are with their cousin Haenee enjoying, once again, ice-cream.

Dahin wants a puppy so bad she is convinced Bomi really, really likes her. Actually, Bomi really only likes the possibility of being hand-fed freshly-cooked beef. Yet, Bomi has actually taken a shine to Dahin and will sit in her lap on occassion (which is huge since she is that kind of skittish little doggie who runs the other way when called). Dahin enjoyed her first day or so here, until the jetlag set in and she became obsessed with what time it is in Oakland (no worries, though; she's totally adjusted now; barely one week later).

Shoo-Fly Pie

Growing up, this was my absolute favorite dessert. I remember, during the summer, going to the peach orchard on the way back from the swimming pool and picking bushels of peaches. Some we'd eat raw, but the majority my mom would can so that we could enjoy their summery goodness throughout the fall, winter, and spring. During the winter, especially, I remember peach shoo-fly pie (as my dad says, a pie so good you have to shoo the flies away so you can eat it--a bit gross, but that's a Southern allegory for you). My dad and mom would also make blackberry shoo-fly pie or cherry shoo-fly pie, but my favorite has always been peach shoo-fly pie. In all its sugary, gooey goodness, it is comfort food at its grandest. My kids, especially Ronan, have fallen in love with my childhood favorite. I've got the recipe below--with illustrations--so you can try it. Enjoy it, but don't you DARE call it cobbler.

First, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Put half a stick of butter in a casserole dish and stick that in the oven so that the butter can melt. While it's melting in the oven, prepare the other ingredients.

Mix 1/2 cup of self-rising flout, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1/2 cup of milk in a bowl (I usually double this because I love the breading).

Pour a can of peaches (or blueberries, blackberries, cherries, etc) in a pan and add 1/2 cup of sugar. Cook it over medium heat.

Once the butter is melted in the casserole dish, take it out of the stove and pour the batter in the dish.

Pour the fruit in next--you might want to drain some of the liquid (you don't want the batter, etc swimming in too much)

Stick the dish back in the oven for 20 minutes.

When 20 minutes is up, you'll have a dessert that looks like this. Let it cool for a few minutes.

Serve it up in small bowls (it's so sugary, a little goes a loooong way) with some milk or coffee on the side. Ronan approves and so will you!

Inauguration

Yesterday at Berkeley they turned Sproul Plaza into a huge movie theatre, broadcasting the inauguration on a massive screen in front of Sproul Hall. It was packed and it was nearly impossible to navigate through the crowd. The Chancellor was there as were, it seemed, most students, staff, and faculty on the Berkeley campus. At International and Area Studies we had an innauguration party, complete with a breakfast spread and an innauguration showing. I chose to go out to Sproul for the innaugural speech because I wanted to feel the energy of the crowd. It was amazing. On the Berkeley website, they've created a very moving slide slow of the event. At one point, they interview a school kid who was there on campus to see Chinese acrobats at CAL Performances--Dahin was there, too, for the same thing, but her class came after the innauguration since her school hosted an innauguration showing, too. The link to the Berkeley slide show is here:
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/01/inaugural/20_inauguration.shtml

Ode to Chinese SF Chinese Food

(sung to the tune of "My Favorite Things" from Sound of Music)
Piping hot rice with beef chowfun noodles
Barbecue duck served with crunchy rice noodles
Hot wonton soup filled with such flavor you sing
These are a few of my favorite things!

Creamy seafood porridge with abalone and scallions
Sweet walnut prawns tossed with mayo and lettuce
Broccoli beef with thinly-sliced ginger rings
These are a few of my favorite things!

When my stomach growls, when I'm hungry, when just any food won't do
I simply remember Shan Dong or New Sun
And then I don't feel so famished!

Chinatown

People were trying their luck at the California Lottery. We had decided a while ago that the lotto was the way to secure a great future, until we discovered that's what everyone else was thinking, too. Ah well. It's fun to play every once in a while, but I usually just limit myself to buying one lotto ticket a month, if that. I think some people go overboard. In this place, the floor was littered with scratched out quick pick tickets and older men and women were furiously scratching out cards and picking numbers.

The boys in Nirvana--nothing like the candy and cookie possibilities in the Chinatown markets.

This is, hands down, my favorite building in San Francisco. I love the mural on the building. It's caught my eye since the first time I saw it. On this day, you could see the laundry hanging off of balconies and outside of windows. It epitomizes the diversity that is San Francisco. On the side facing Chinatown, the mural describes a bit of local Chinese culture, and on the east-facing side you can see the jazz artists and bits of Italian culture that make the neighborhood of North Beach so awesome. You can see, to the right of the building in the background, a bit of the National Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi, the heart of Little Italy. Another reason to like the building: It houses the Chinese restaurant I love the best in Chinatown. You can see the New Sun Hong Kong Restaurant at street level.

Apa and Ronan

The kids, Jack, and I are getting our fill of San Francisco before we leave these parts. We feel like we're tourists now and visit the city every chance we get. Ronan and Jack were having a good time walking through the streets of North Beach on our way to eat some (surprise!) Chinese food in Chinatown.

My New Year's Resolutions

1) No more procrastinating. I will make a list of 'to do's' daily and set clear priorities every day
2) I will meet deadlines
3) I will not mindlessly watch tv just because I am tired
4) I will knit a sweater
5) I will not raise my voice at my kids
6) I will remain calm when my kids are driving me nuts and will put myself in a 'time out' if necessary
7) I will stick to what I say, including when I tell the kids 'if you do that one more time we will leave...'
8) I will continue to play the violin regularly and perform
9) I will fix my poor dulcimer so that I can play it
10) I will run in at least one 10k this year
11) I will run at least 3 times a week (no excuses)
12) I will not keep balances on my cards and stay up-to-date financially