tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188118392011-07-28T09:23:48.746-07:00Tiff is a PhD student in English literature at UC-Berkeley. She takes no prisoners, bars no holds, holds no bars.GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.comBlogger831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-79273868429165696852009-06-11T12:53:00.001-07:002009-06-11T12:53:24.015-07:00

Although Indonesian airlines are admittedly not the safest way to fly, they definitely have pretty good service...well...in comparison with United States airlines. In fact, the low quality of domestic air travel in the United States has pretty much made it the butt of bitter jokes in the international jet-setting community. PM and I, like the US-residing bumpkins we were, couldn’t help but be

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-49265138784642256962009-06-11T12:49:00.000-07:002009-06-11T12:50:36.451-07:00

On our second day in Biak we spent a total of eight hours driving to and from to the neighbouring island of Supiori, which is separated from Biak only by a narrow channel, over which there now exists a bridge. If one thought that Biak was relatively undeveloped, Supiori was seriously undeveloped. The population of Supiori consisted primarily of village folk who made their living fishing and

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-9722388350890493322009-05-28T11:04:00.000-07:002009-05-28T11:13:11.107-07:00

All right, I know it’s been a really long time since I wrote the last installment recounting last summer’s travel-adventure extravaganza in Papua and the Spice Islands....nine months, to be shamefully precise. But applying for academic jobs and finishing my dissertation got in the way of more important things...like writing funny things that people I know would actually enjoy reading, (not to

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-66314761482877930222008-08-22T09:15:00.000-07:002008-08-22T09:19:53.584-07:00

I've been posting these on facebook, but someone said I should post them to my blog too. They're episodes of my trip this summer with PM to Papua and the Spice Islands in Indonesia. Here are installments 1-3.IntroductionI lived in Indonesia for six years and my family is Indonesian-Chinese. This bit of information about myself usually means that I automatically acquire cultural cache at social

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-3997459950620775532008-02-17T22:52:00.000-08:002008-02-17T23:02:18.860-08:00

PM and I don't celebrate St. Valentine's Day, but we do celebrate St. Faustinus and Jovita Day--St. Faustinus and Jovita being two brothers who were beheaded because of their Christian faith.  St. Faustinus and Jovita Day falls on February 15th.  Last year, I made special sugar cookies: I didn't want to get into a rut, so this year, I tried a variation: Martyr Buns--Chinese steamed buns filled

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-32157977821140448852007-10-03T06:52:00.001-07:002007-10-22T21:39:07.927-07:00

This was from the newspaper while I was visiting my family in Singapore.Really, what better way is there to celebrate the mid-autumn festival than with a romantic speed-dating event sponsored by the Singapore government?

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-47283897703329534502007-10-02T06:50:00.000-07:002007-10-10T18:31:26.310-07:00

One Sunday afternoon, while on a visit with my family in Singapore, I discovered the joys of being eaten alive by tiny fish. Sitting on the edge of a pool, dangling our feet in the water, my friend May, her boyfriend Tong, and I all watched in fascination as tiny sucker-fish nibbled (or gummed, or whatever toothless fish do) away at the skin on our feet. All for the sake of beauty. Well, and

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-45852892284089163172007-10-01T07:57:00.000-07:002007-10-01T08:04:24.595-07:00

I just woke up from the strangest dream. I was wandering around a (middle and elementary) school located right next to the ocean, with two pools. It was a long dream, and some of the more memorable scenes were:A whole bunch of people my age (early twenties) and I were standing around in a circle in a classroom, and we were supposed to play a game which involved doing something--anything bizarre

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-28210475866542258272007-09-14T19:37:00.000-07:002007-09-14T19:44:18.261-07:00

Yesterday, I finished writing my first novel. We'll see what happens.In the meantime, hooray for finishing! More details to come soon.

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-38773678126670241862007-07-29T17:51:00.000-07:002007-07-29T18:58:45.888-07:00

Contemplative Part....skip this section if you want to get down to the nitty gritties.Although, sometimes I'm deluded by my overactive imagination and the head-fantasies that ensue, that I lead an exciting life, I actually don't. Yes, that's right. A big shocker to you all, I know. But there, I've said it: I do not lead lead an exciting life. It only feels that way to me because in response to

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-72409014456995495132007-07-24T22:42:00.001-07:002007-07-24T23:05:49.134-07:00

This past week, PM and I took a road trip to Northern North California and Southern Oregon.The diversity of climate and landscape that we saw was...diverse! This trip only confirmed what past excursions into nature have already confirmed.1. People build cool things. But God totally whups our asses....so to speak.2. Urban life is overrated, and perhaps when I'm old and grizzled I shall move into

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-60473862210435601392007-07-24T21:39:00.000-07:002007-07-24T22:41:52.474-07:00

My only excuse is quite lame: I keep wanting to post pictures on my blog, but then I'm too lazy to download the photos on my camera onto my computer.Yes. Lame excuse. But I finally downloaded pictures onto my computer!These are pictures of Belteshezzar and his tiny bell-peppers (he owns a fancy sports-car to compensate).In other news, remember how Bebop and Archibald slowly grew from tiny black

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-84749425650420450732007-06-28T19:56:00.000-07:002007-06-28T20:08:56.891-07:00

So, some of you who read my blog religiously (or so claims my freewheeling Indian friend, Anna, from the Wellesley days of yore), may remember the day I bought and planted 6 eggplant plants collectively named Edgar. Due to unfortunate, accidental circumstances which can only be described as AN ACT OF GOD (i.e. me going away for two weeks and not watering Edgar), Edgar died.Oh, Edgar was a

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-57206875266517858072007-05-22T22:31:00.000-07:002007-05-22T22:51:17.224-07:00

For those of you out there who desperately want to shed those extra pounds for a summer sun funtastic body, yet still want to indulge in the joys of sinfully rich and creamy fruit, here is a wonderful recipe for non-fat fruit salad. Non-Fat Fruit Salad Ingredients:1 non-fat orange, peeled and sliced into small wedges.1 non-fat apple, cored and diced.1 fistful of non-fat grapes (a baby's fistful)

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-76029398268378017132007-05-22T08:52:00.000-07:002007-05-22T08:59:56.884-07:00

If you know the tune, sing along...Is this the little grub I carried? Is this the little larvae at play? I don't remember growing older. When did they?(Sunrise, Sunset. Fiddler on the Roof)

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-42953877463370652182007-05-14T09:50:00.000-07:002007-05-14T10:26:32.618-07:00

Meet Bebop and Archibald.I met them after going jogging this morning. They were hanging out on the anise plants next to my apartment building. "How do you do?" I said to them. Then I plucked off the anise stems they were on, carried them to my apartment, and put them in a glass jar. And now they belong to me. And they shall be called Bebop and Archibald, and if they live, they will grow up

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-18016766348050689952007-05-13T18:21:00.000-07:002007-05-13T18:31:10.783-07:00

I forgot I took this picture. It was in an airport bookstore in Asia somewhere (either Hong Kong or Singapore, I think). Now it's time for fun and games. What's odd about this picture?If you guessed it, your cheque is in the mail. If not...ponder for a while the "Asian Interest" signage above the shelf. Then let your gaze rest on the second shelf from the top. Now let your gaze wander over

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-86320642534188738032007-05-12T07:56:00.000-07:002007-05-12T07:58:44.475-07:00

Qualifying exam was yesterday! It's over! It's finally over! Hooray!!I have nothing witty to say. Only written expressions of sheer, unadulterated joy and relief.

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-3524015980994442132007-05-07T11:21:00.000-07:002007-05-07T11:24:18.769-07:00

Approximately 96 hours left until my qualifying exam (high noon on Friday, May 11th). Dum Dum DUM!!!!!

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-76250425228067386232007-04-27T08:24:00.000-07:002007-04-27T09:00:55.040-07:00

One thing that I do like about Berkeley is the presence of quietly eccentric people in the area. By "quietly eccentric people", I mean people whose eccentricity1. doesn't involve threatening or insulting anyone2. doesn't involve detaining anyone in conversation for an overly lengthy period of time3. doesn't involve being pushy and obnoxiousSo, an example of a non-quietly eccentric person would

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-37998572613960229162007-03-20T14:52:00.000-07:002007-03-20T23:38:33.379-07:00

Easter approacheth! The time of the year when we (dost) commemorate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ...and when Peeps start appearing in the candy section of supermarkets and drug-stores.When I first came to the U.S. as a wide-eyed, wholesome, innocent undergrad of 17, I was fascinated by Peeps. They looked so adorable...so brightly-coloured...so sweet and delicious! I assumed

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-79385148875506061562007-03-07T14:52:00.000-08:002007-03-07T14:56:47.865-08:00

Upon a quick glance while passing by a book-shelf I spied a book entitled, The London Dumpling Convention. Wow, I thought, who would've thunk? Unfortunately, it turned out that the book was actually on the London Dumping Convention.

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-92067541778630788102007-02-10T09:45:00.000-08:002007-02-10T10:45:44.475-08:00

One thing that I really do miss about Singapore is the experience of celebrating Chinese New Year. I mean really celebrating it...not with a one-time dinner of Chinese food or a trip to Chinatown to watch some little parade. Like the whole traditional American Christmas experience, with the weeks leading up to Christmas--buying the tree, putting up decorations, making gingerbread houses,

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-54925602613547980212007-02-09T10:01:00.000-08:002007-02-09T10:13:19.029-08:00

One might have thought that a twenty-three year old would find the opportunity to design your own M&M character sophomoric and unentertaining. But one was wrong...

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-41716379323692979432007-01-31T10:37:00.000-08:002007-01-31T12:15:46.368-08:00

My friend, May Ng, sent this to me, so I think it's from the Guardian, but I'm not sure. Book snobbery in Britain Tuesday 23 January 2007 A third of British adults have lied about reading a book to appear more intelligent according to a new survey. A cunning 33 per cent of adults have confessed to reading challenging literature to appear well-read, when in fact they haven’t a clue what the

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-84489009768404326292007-01-29T11:50:00.000-08:002007-01-29T11:59:33.645-08:00

Thanks to Justin, I have discovered the "Average Asian" skits on MadTV. Watch Hideki (pronounced "Hye-Dee-Kee")--a mild-mannered Asian-American chap--deal with the dastardly and evil forces of racial stereotyping with pleasantly comic results!Here's a sample. But you can also just type "average asian madtv" in the search box at youtube.comhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU5tPpGTXOw

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-26597799778343340012006-12-06T18:07:00.000-08:002006-12-06T18:21:04.480-08:00

Even though cockroaches have outlived whatever big thing killed all the dinosaurs, and even though they can apparently survive nuclear war (click here to see the levels of radiation that they can withstand), I've managed to kill one of my pet cockroaches.Baby Love was found dead yesterday evening, near the dry cat food he was apparently consuming at the time. It had been noted by his owner that

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-71599888428217557642006-12-01T10:14:00.000-08:002006-12-04T22:13:29.852-08:00

Casseroles have always been very foreign to me. In Asia, casseroles are not common fare. In fact, I would dare assert that one would be very hard-pressed to find casseroles or casserole-eaters in Asia. In fact, conversation between a casserole-aficionado and an uncle (middle-aged to elderly man) in, say, Singapore, might go something like this.Casserole Aficionado: Excuse me, my good sir. Would

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1164607754171944092006-11-26T21:29:00.000-08:002006-11-26T22:09:14.306-08:00

My boyfriend really likes Grape-Nuts. His two favourite cereals (if I'm not mistaken) are Lucky Charms and Grape-Nuts. I myself think that they taste like little crunchy, indigestible bits of cardboard, but my dislike of them is nothing personal. Really. I mean, I've met some very nice grape-nuts who are fine, upstanding, decent people. Some of the most intelligent individals I've ever known are

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1164308327435042192006-11-23T10:40:00.000-08:002006-11-23T10:58:47.450-08:00

So, I've recently discovered the discovery of trap-jaw ants!!! This is going to sound really geeky, but check out the mandibles on that baby! (The insect it is crushing between its mandibles is a small cricket.) Their mandibles close at a rate of 35 to 64 metres per second, apparently breaking the record for "the fastest self-powered predatory strike in the animal kingdom." (Does anyone the

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1164183701503546992006-11-22T00:18:00.000-08:002006-11-22T00:21:41.516-08:00

A friend's comment, upon my sharing of the latest crazy drama occurring in my family:"Your family is like my family....We have Jerry Springer families."

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1163909608939861992006-11-18T19:56:00.000-08:002006-11-18T20:13:28.953-08:00

Having read lots and lots of thick Victorian books in preparation for qualifying exams, and faced with the prospect of reading lots more thick Victorian books, medium-to-thick 20th century British works, and a bunch of scientific literature from the 19th to 20th century (British, of course), I'm frankly sick of it all. In my leisure time, I don't think I can take reading anything where I have to

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1163836815354185032006-11-17T23:51:00.000-08:002006-11-18T00:00:15.356-08:00

These are my roaches after their bathtime.Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, like your typical loveable and cuddly pet (cats, dogs, boa constrictors) will sometimes become infested with mites. The mites do not feast on human flesh, but nonetheless, it is always somewhat disturbing when one lovingly strokes one's roach and disturbs dozens of small, white mites which come crawling out of the chinks in

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1163836256664215042006-11-17T23:47:00.000-08:002006-11-17T23:50:56.680-08:00

What do you call a cheerio with no hole?I meant to leave that as an enigmatic and uanswerable zen-type question...but then a thought came to mind:an unholey cheerio.

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1159768550890093822006-10-01T22:38:00.000-07:002006-10-01T22:55:50.906-07:00

I considered myself quite proficient in Roald Dahl knowledge until I took this quiz on the Guardian Books websiteScored a 6 out of 10. Having attended a British primary school in Singapore for six years, authors Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton were da bomb. Or should I say, da bombs. Roald Dahl visited my school when I was in kindergarten, but we were informed by the teacher that we couldn't see

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1159767233763643062006-10-01T22:18:00.000-07:002006-10-01T22:33:53.866-07:00

I just had dinner at an Indonesian restaurant which has recently opened in Berkeley about four blocks away from my house. After I ordered, the waiter asked me, "Dari Indonesia, yah?" (Are you from Indonesia?)Me: Bapakku dari Jakarta. (My father is from Jakarta.)Waiter: Oh. Bahasa sudah seperti orang buleh. (Oh. You speak like a white person.)Sigh. Ah well. I guess Indonesian isn't my first

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1158599681048669192006-09-18T09:57:00.000-07:002006-09-19T08:19:42.126-07:00

Does anyone remember the nursery rhyme,I had a little nut-treeNothing would it bearBut a silver nutmegAnd a golden pear?Now that's one confused nut-tree if you ask me. I don't have any little nut-trees, but I have recently decided to try my thumb at growing eggplants. Originally, the plan was to buy one eggplant plant and name it Edgar. But the plants came in six-packs, like beer, so I bought six

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1158475446771004902006-09-16T23:38:00.000-07:002006-09-16T23:45:03.796-07:00

Okay...so most people I know are already acquainted with the fact that I work at a natural history store which sells fossils, insects, and human bones. What follows is a business e-mail exchange between a customer placing an order and Diana the manager.Names have been changed to protect the innocent.Hello, I was referred to your website by a Santero from the Orishalist.I am looking for two (2)

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1158429564046901222006-09-16T10:56:00.000-07:002006-09-16T10:59:24.063-07:00

From Sartor Resartus by Thomas Carlyle (one of the multitude of Victorian books I must read for the dread qualifying exams): The narrator of the book apparently writes "at an epoch when Puffery and Quackery have reached a height unexampled in the annals of mankind, and even English Editors, like Chinese Shopkeepers, must write on their door-lintels, No cheating here..."

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1157731379432529112006-09-08T08:37:00.000-07:002006-09-08T09:02:59.480-07:00

....I ever dreamed before.Well, maybe not the absolute strangest. I've had some really strange dreams. Often the really strange ones are nightmares, and involve the grisly murder of someone: my mother, my baby sister, and Bart Simpson are the more memorable victims.But in this one, I was in Naan 'n' Curry on Telegraph Ave. (cheap Indian restaurant in Berkeley) for the first time, except Naan 'n

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1157527619854110662006-09-05T23:40:00.000-07:002006-09-06T00:26:59.906-07:00

When I was a but a wee snippet of a girl, whenever I would eat out at a restaurant with my mother, she would always discreetly call to my attention anyone in the restaurant eating at a table alone. By "discreetly" I mean that she would point, lean in my direction, and whisper loudly in my ear while looking at them. "See that? He/she is eating alone. How sad." "Why sad?" "Because it

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1157255743922594872006-09-02T20:39:00.000-07:002006-09-05T23:40:00.940-07:00

This is Kathleen Chiu.Yes. She is indeed picking her nose contemplatively with a pen (in a cafe in Hiroshima). We first met on Orientation Day at Singapore American School in August 1998. I had just moved from Indonesia because of those bothersome riots due to political unrest. Kathleen had just moved from Saratoga, CA. We ate lunch together and were thoroughly bored with each other. I tried

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1156316618293436682006-08-22T23:56:00.000-07:002006-09-02T14:38:24.886-07:00

In response to Amy Lee's "Book Meme" tag, here is a list of significant books in my life.meme: a unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another. (Courtesy of www.dictionary.com.)1. One Book That Changed Your Life: The Bible2. One Book You Have Read More Than Once: Jane Eyre3. One Book You Would Want On

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1155929206711162982006-08-18T12:26:00.000-07:002006-08-18T12:26:46.726-07:00

'nuf said.

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1155796596303279472006-08-16T23:35:00.000-07:002006-08-16T23:36:36.326-07:00

After successfully getting out of jury duty twice, I've been summoned (for real) to appear at the Wiley M. Manuel Courthouse in Oakland at 9:30am tomorrow. Off I go.

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1155539549990391712006-08-13T23:58:00.000-07:002006-08-14T00:12:29.993-07:00

The Church of the Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg.A red sun sets. (Legolas: Blood has been spilt this night.)Tallinn, Estonia A beach near Warnemunde, Germany

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1155538683919145382006-08-13T23:47:00.000-07:002006-08-13T23:58:04.900-07:00

Today, I got three Madascar Hissing Cockroaches as pets--all of them male because 1. I don't want them to breed, 2. they're sexually dimorphic, and the males have cute little ridges on their back.Baby Love was hiding underneath some tree bark, so I didn't want to disturb him (he's the smallest one.) But Sugar Pie and Honey Bunch were up and about.Sugar Pie and Honey Bunch having a roach-to-roach

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1155452828182021612006-08-13T00:05:00.000-07:002006-08-13T00:07:08.196-07:00

My neighbour screened Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope) this evening at his place for a few of his friends. And even though I only got to see the tail end of it (from the highly unimpressive lightsaber duel between Darth and Obi-Wan), I found it amazing that I still found myself utterly enchanted, even after all these years and multiple viewings.Let me give some background. I am a Star Wars

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1151730361867670482006-06-30T22:03:00.000-07:002006-06-30T22:06:01.876-07:00

Two of the more memorable accidental word-substitutions my sister has made during this 'vacation'.Amanda: Did you see the news? A terrorist was canonised.(pause)Me: What?Amanda: Oh. Did I say 'canonised'? I meant, 'incarcerated.'(Drinking Shirley Temples at a restaurant)Amanda: Hey, we should make these at home. All we need is some cyanide!(pause)Me: Cyanide?Amanda: Oh. Did I say 'cyanide'?

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1149208629173538742006-06-01T17:20:00.000-07:002006-06-02T12:29:51.800-07:00

At The Bone Room, (the natural history store I work at), we sell a selection of insect sweets: hard-candy with ants, scorpion lollipops (technically, those are arachnids, not insects), chocolate-covered ants, and chocolate-covered crickets and mealworms.On your humdrum, average-joe day, the sweets are located in a corner, and attract customer attention, but not very much of it: the occasional "

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1146328401679136932006-04-29T09:25:00.000-07:002006-04-29T09:42:54.786-07:00

PM and I drove down to Death Valley to visit my friend, Eileen, who works in the park as a hydrologic technician! Here are photos (taken by PM because I didn't bring my camera.) I'm imagining that he'll post some up on his blog as well sometime soon.This is Eileen and her boyfriend, Lance.

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1146114636131169052006-04-26T22:08:00.000-07:002006-04-28T07:08:29.593-07:00

An ongoing conversation with someone has recently set my mind wandering on thoughts of my dream occupation. Ideally, it would be something that combines all of what I love to do and who I want to be. It wouldn't have to involve riches or fame. After all, I am a simple person, and don't need much in order to be happy. I thought to myself: I wouldn't mind eking out a humble and modest existence as

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1143742631384710602006-03-30T10:16:00.000-08:002006-04-30T22:36:44.666-07:00

I don't usually have problems with strangers trying to talk to me. I attribute it to a combination of 1) being Asian and thus quiet, humourless, unlikely to banter, and possibly non-English speaking*, 2) looking naturally hostile when I don't smile. Don't get me wrong. Human beings are indeed wonderfully wrought creatures made in God's own image...I just don't feel like making small talk with

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1142699790721313062006-03-18T08:34:00.000-08:002006-03-18T08:36:33.903-08:00

Here is a purposely pretentious poem contemplating the killing of locusts sent to me by Jo Hunter.locust exoskeleton continues. The big question I ask myself is, "can I justify murder so that I can send this little exoskeleton, where it will stay preserved (in ethyl alcohol 75% and up) for posterity with jiejie?" As I ponder this difficult question I find myself amongst the hopping

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1142494150547366642006-03-15T23:27:00.000-08:002006-03-15T23:29:10.560-08:00

From a strange, strange man, reflecting upon the realisation of his abnormality:"I've realised that I can never lead a normal life."

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1142268313249461862006-03-13T08:36:00.001-08:002006-03-13T08:45:13.250-08:00

In an experiment partially funded by Volvo, locusts were shown edited extracts from Star Wars to determine whether or not they could detect imminent collisions! Click here for the full article.From the article's comments section: But did the locusts prefer the original trilogy to the prequels? Is there a locust somewhere wearing a tiny t-shirt saying 'Han Shot First'? Enquiring minds want to know

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1141846902460214602006-03-08T11:34:00.000-08:002006-03-08T11:42:24.383-08:00

"Bali may be as small as a bird, but as you know, bird flu can kill a strong man, " he warned.(Context: In light of recent moves from the Indonesian government to put anti-pornography laws into effect, many have protested that the definition of pornography is too ill-defined and will lead to the impositional of morality and the suppression of free expression in Indonesia. Bali--which is primarily

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1141595390947762032006-03-05T13:41:00.000-08:002006-03-07T10:14:58.420-08:00

As per request from the best flatmate with whom I have ever resided, here is a list of my personal top sixteen favourite reads. I've excluded plays and short poems because Mr. Winkles (of all the voices in my head, he's the scariest one) told me to exclude them.After no. 1, they are in no particular order of fabulousness/importance.1. The Bible by God(But of course! I realise this is the

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1141422017138554412006-03-03T13:39:00.000-08:002006-03-03T13:40:17.153-08:00

The Museum, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) in England conducted a poll, asking the country's librarians, "Which book should every adult read before they die?"Here's the list! The American classic, To Kill A Mockingbird, beats out the Bible, and surprisingly, a slew of books by many beloved British writers (Tolkien and Orwell, Dickens, Bronte, and Austen.) For the article in full, click

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1140810221646041692006-02-24T11:39:00.000-08:002006-02-24T11:43:41.660-08:00

C3PO and R2D2: two droids in love? Check out this preview for The Empire Brokeback(link courtesy of Marisa Knox!)

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1139893917622651582006-02-13T20:34:00.000-08:002006-02-14T13:46:03.923-08:00

Despite having been a Star Wars geek for many years, I'd never been to a Star Wars convention. But when PM found out about Wondercon 2006, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. So armed with his Star Trek expertise and my Star Wars philia, we sallied forth, fifteen-dollar tickets in hand, to commune with our people: the people with whom we have claimed solidarity even as we have mocked

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1138040704986292882006-01-23T10:04:00.000-08:002006-01-23T10:25:05.063-08:00

Yesterday evening, I attended a session offered by the First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley on "hard issues" (such as Christianity in relation to wealth, patriotism, new life and death--which I assume encompasses abortion). Yesterday, the topic was Christianity and human sexuality. It's fairly interactive, with the attendees asking the pastor leading the session any questions they might have,

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1137436145805274082006-01-16T10:16:00.000-08:002006-01-16T10:29:05.826-08:00

Three GracesStillpointInterregnum For more information about Hung Liu, click here

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1137203510265152572006-01-13T17:30:00.000-08:002006-01-13T17:51:50.286-08:00

We can all doff our metaphorical hats in gratitude to Kathleen in the wilds of Akita-ken, who prompted the unearthing of this arcane grammatical rule.The difference between "that" and "which": "that" is used with restrictive clauses, and "which" is used with unrestrictive clauses.What does that mean?It means one uses "that" when one needs to specify something about the subject (i.e. "restrict"

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1136578046571734142006-01-06T11:59:00.000-08:002006-01-06T12:09:06.196-08:00

I'd completely forgotten about this really heartbreakingly beautiful poem (to be precise, a villanelle!) by Elizabeth Bishop until I was reminded of its existence via the recent chick flick, "In her Shoes" (based on the chick-lit novel of the same name.)One Art (by Elizabeth Bishop)The art of losing isn't hard to master;so many things seem filled with the intentto be lost that their loss is no

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1135940500051497022005-12-30T02:56:00.000-08:002005-12-30T03:04:37.600-08:00

A mysterious figure crept cautiously from his dark corner into the open space, enshrouded by a turbid murkiness as thick and dense as pea-soup. Cocking his head to one side, he appeared to be listening for something in particular: a signal or a warning perhaps. For that night, he felt instinctively that something was wrong, but he wasn’t quite sure what it was. The area in which he stood was

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1135935266953184202005-12-30T01:25:00.000-08:002005-12-30T02:34:08.906-08:00

Whenever I settle down in a place for the long term, I tend to neglect to do the touristy activities in area and only end up seeing the sights when a visit from someone else forces me out of my complacency in order to show them around, and in the process, show myself around too. So on the (double-decker!) bus-ride back from visiting the publishing firm I interned at one summer, I decided to get

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1134957907554986702005-12-18T17:53:00.000-08:002005-12-18T20:39:41.813-08:00

I'm back in Singapore!Ah, Singapore! Oh gritty, super-developed, cosmopolitan port-city of Asia! Your mornings filled with the stink of decaying fish and the hearty cries of the coollies! Your evening thoroughfares jam-packed with jingling horse-carriages and the vengeful downtrodden masses clamouring for the heads of the French aristocracy!Or as Carl Sandburg so eloquently put it when his second

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1133895689286329772005-12-06T10:47:00.000-08:002005-12-07T10:17:52.820-08:00

This article hails from Reuters' "Oddly Enough" news section. Who needs water-cooler talk when you can sit solitaire in your cubicle, listening to your sandwich? (Excerpts below):"LONDON (Reuters) - Tired of the same old lunch at your office desk? Help is at hand. A British supermarket is launching the ultimate life-enhancing snack -- the musical sandwich."""It's designed to provide busy office

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1133512568377761402005-12-02T00:28:00.000-08:002005-12-04T12:18:34.410-08:00

A cute and quirky link sent to me by my Wellesley little sister, Jo Hunter. She is from South Africa and is brilliant. The two may not be related though. But don't trust her with your MRI machine...she has a notorious track record.In the immortal words of Marx, "MONOBROWS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!"http://www.1brow.com

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1133334146958713412005-11-29T22:20:00.000-08:002005-11-30T00:52:57.340-08:00

In a fit of procrastination, I was poking about on the TIME magazine website. Apparently, the BIG news for this issue is "ITALY vs CHINA." Who knew?One of the main pieces is an article on the ferocious chair-making battle being fought by those two dread and fearsome nations. The sub-heading reads like a publicity piece for a boxing tournament: "What happens when old-world craftsmanship collides

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1132736129890192052005-11-23T00:41:00.000-08:002005-11-28T05:19:00.570-08:00

This is a photo of Justin Hastings. He is my boyfriend and he is also currently in Southeast Asia doing research for his political science dissertation.This photo was taken by this moth. Very admirable for its first attempt at human-life photography, especially considering its lack of opposable thumbs.

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1132735261848207152005-11-23T00:27:00.000-08:002005-11-23T01:00:43.053-08:00

Derek Chiang sent me this link to an article on a new BBC documentary series on invertebrates being hosted by Sir David Attenborough. (The documentary series is being hosted by Attenborough, not the insects. Although maybe the insects did manage to wheedle a cup of tea and a crumpet from him.)Here's an excerpt:"Caterpillars of large blue butterflies have been shown to communicate with ants,

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1132643488096623012005-11-21T23:04:00.000-08:002005-11-21T23:11:28.110-08:00

From the same company that brought you such appetising treats as UnChicken and UnSteak, this "vegan holiday masterpiece" is made "primarily of wheat gluten and covered with a crisp soy skin."The secret to enjoying this Thanksgiving treat is not to think of it as turkey, but as a huge hunk of wheat gluten.

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1132550494717941372005-11-20T21:06:00.000-08:002005-11-20T21:21:48.846-08:00

Hungry for the same fame that Kerstin and Frank enjoyed when they sent me the photo of the Jerusalem Cricket, Mark Bandstra has sent me a photo of a Polyphemus Moth. This is Mark Bandstra supposedly gawking at monarch butterflies in flight during the annual monarch migration in Pacific Grove.

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1132548512155286912005-11-20T20:26:00.000-08:002005-11-20T21:22:09.196-08:00

When I was back home in Singapore for summer vacation, I had the opportunity to eat lunch with a real, live Japanese-disliking Singaporean. His disdain for the Japanese was not a matter of ignorance...according to him, it was quite well-informed."First of all, they were very cruel to us during the war," he said. "Second of all, Japanese are actually very dirty people.""I thought Japanese were

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1132362409707917172005-11-18T16:14:00.000-08:002005-11-20T06:28:13.293-08:00

In an Indonesian course I'm taking this year, we read this poem by Putu Vivi Lestari on the Bali bombings. I found it very moving and so I'm going to try my hand at translation (with help, of course, from going through it once in class with the professor.)Di Sebuah Ruang Tunggu (In A Waiting Room)Seandainyadengan sekuntum mawardapat kutemujiwamu yang hilangmungkin mimpi akan cukupIfwith

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1132250702989483662005-11-17T09:36:00.000-08:002005-11-20T21:37:37.600-08:00

Sometimes, when you're browsing in a bookstore, you'll come across a really good-looking book."Hey good-looking," you'll say to the book. "Let's go have a coffee, and then go back to my place and curl up together on a rainy day."To which the book will not reply, not so much because you're being a superficial jerk(ette), but because it is an inanimate object.However, I've been struck in the past

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1132041596045917982005-11-14T23:50:00.000-08:002005-11-14T23:59:56.053-08:00

Stuck inside a cubicle 8 hours a day, 5 days a week? Perhaps business yoga is the thing for you! (Link sent by May Ng, editor at Ethos Books.)

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1132034214503520012005-11-14T21:37:00.000-08:002005-11-15T06:41:29.873-08:00

This is a photo of a Jerusalem cricket which was sent to me by Frank and Kerstin Tackmann (see below.) Jerusalem crickets belong to the order Orthoptera.Frank and Kerstin are graduate students in the Physics department at Berkeley. They are married to each other. They are from Germany. They do not belong to the order Orthoptera and are much larger in size than Jerusalem crickets.

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1131912900774315342005-11-13T12:15:00.000-08:002005-11-14T02:13:38.423-08:00

moth reclining on sofa (taken in Bogor, Indonesia) 

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1131908803965797152005-11-13T10:28:00.000-08:002005-11-14T02:10:40.566-08:00

"Postmodernism is like, so passe," stated Mirtha Lucensios in her keynote speech for a literary conference in Nantucket last month. Universally praised for her groundbreaking work in Russian-American literature and gender studies, it must have come as a great shock to Lucensios when she was booed off the stage by a great number of the audience. Some conference attendees were so vexed by

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18811839.post-1131571628957883732005-11-09T13:26:00.000-08:002005-11-09T13:27:08.966-08:00

Need I say more? Well, obviously yes. But that will come at a later time.

GT Foodiesnoreply@blogger.com0