2012 has been a year of self-discovery and new beginnings.
Physical challenges (Insanity, Spartan Race) have pushed me to my limit and shown me that I'm much stronger than I thought. Sometimes sheer will is all that stands between you and success.
I've finally finishing school and working full-time has forced me to reevaluate my time management skills (not to mention my financial management skills!) and learn to balance work and a social life.
So what have I been up to?
I celebrated my quarter century in July with as many close friends as I could gather in the midst of a busy summer. I've definitely had my "quarter-life crisis" moments, but nothing too long-lasting that I can't subdue...for now.
Surrounded by my favourites |
True North strong and free.. |
My mom's side of the family in Calgary |
The first night we met. Photo cred: Derrick Francis Wong |
We had to make a pyramid to make the bride and groom kiss Photo cred: Kuba Photography |
BBH crew at the BuTran wedding Photo cred: Kuba Photography |
The long-awaited proposal..Congrats, Viet & Robin! |
Honestly, it didn't really hurt, but the back of my rib was sensitive |
This Too Shall Pass |
My very first philly cheese steak! ermagod SO good |
Captain Tom's. I always stop by when I'm in Houston |
My first Vietnamese-American Thanksgiving! |
Corn. In. A. Cup. Corn + cheese + spices + butter + sour cream + hot sauce = $1.50 heaven |
In America, I get to shoot an uzi. |
"My mother was my cooking inspiration. She was a wonderful cook. When I was fourteen, before I'd had any interest in cooking, she passed away. She left no recipes. After I moved away for college, I had to learn to cook for myself.[...] I've since spent many hours in the kitchen using my childhood memories trying to recreate my mother's dishes."
This hit home pretty hard for me, and her words have lingered long past the ending of the show. I've never had much of a presence in the kitchen, and up until the last year, I had difficulty cooking rice with a rice cooker. (Okay, that might be a bit of an exageration, but you get my point.) I've always been fond of pasta dishes and the occasional shepherd's pie, and maybe even corn and crab soup if I was feeling particularly adventurous. I also make a full Thanksgiving and Christmas feast each year with S, so I'm not completely hopeless. But in terms of venturing into the domain of Vietnamese cooking...well, there's not much to be said there. I can eat nearly everything on a Vietnamese menu (also worth noting that it's the only Vietnamese I can read fluently) but when I move out, my new home will be sorely lacking in traditional asian cooking. So, with that in mind, I've made a conscious effort over the last couple of months to spend more time in the kitchen with my mother. I could never forgive myself if I didn't learn how to recreate (or at least write down) some of her recipes. I've always helped here and there with food prep, but never really paid attention to the actual cooking portion -- How long do I simmer this before I add this? How much fish sauce do I add? What can I use as a substitute if I don't have a this ingredient?
As a result, I've been writing everything down, almost obsessively, and in finite detail so that I won't forget a step when I try to recreate it. And chances are, it'll probably take a few tries until I perfect it myself, but at least I'll have it written down somewhere. Mom has since taught me how to make my absolutely favourite prawn dish, as well as her staple fish sauce seasoning and a few other dishes as well. Next up: pho, bun rieu and canh chua. I hope to be able to cook these dishes by the end of the year!
As an aside (actually, M lost a bet and I participated just for the fun of it), M and I attempted to 'see' through Christine's eyes by embarking on a blind baking challenge of our own...
We may have made too many peanut butter cookies... |
Upcomings: Glass blowing! All-girls snowboarding workshop! Swedish House Mafia! Tough Mudder!
I promise my next update won't take so long =P
For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald