Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Nutri-Grain: Breakfast of the Late

I was running late this morning and couldn't grab breakfast. As I purchased a "Nutri-Grain" bar from a nearby vending machine, two colleagues admonished me for not making healthier choices. Considering what ELSE was in the vending machine, I think I picked the lesser of several evils.

I am currently vacillating between being super-annoyed and feeling profound gladness that they cared at all.


Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Initial Impressions of Eugene, Oregon

So, now, I've been in Eugene for more than a month. I'm still not as settled in as I would have hoped. This is evidenced by the still unopened boxes sitting in the other room waiting to be unpacked. However, in the time that I have been here and transitioning, I have been able to make some initial impressions. These fall into three categories: the Good, the Not-so-good, and the Not-sure about-this-yet. Here we go--


Good:
1. Naturally beautiful.  This area is full of greenery, flowers, rivers, parks, hills, etc. The grass IS greener on the other side of California! Jokes aside, folks, all you nature-lovers would love it here. The coast is only about 50 miles away.

2. Historical pride. Eugene was established by a dude named Eugene (go figure) around 1842. At the time, Eugene was a trading post and later became a post office. University of Oregon was built in 1867. The first buildings on campus are registered historical landmarks and are still used as classrooms today. Pretty amazing, I thought. Historical places are maintained well around here. There is even a pioneer cemetery on campus from before the university started. In the 1960s, there was some huge controversy as the university wanted to use that land for classroom space. Blame it on my childhood training in scary movies, but  I'm sure that would have had consequences of poltergeistic proportions. In the end, they decided to keep the cemetery and preserve its historical integrity.




3. Interesting people. Eugene is not as demographically diverse as Houston or Fresno. However, there is certainly a diversity of ideas. One of the mottos around here is "Keep Eugene Weird." And that it is, my friend. You will see a dreadlocked dude in a lungi at the local thrift store but you may also see a local hipster wearing overalls and beating bongos at the Saturday Market. Rockabilly hipsters with lumberjack beards, aging baby boomer hippies sporting tie-dye, polo-shirted yuppies doing doobies by the river, modestly dressed proselytizers in the park, and tattooed biker guys/gals with bicycles on the bus; I've seen them all.



4. Great public transportation. Frequent, efficient, and not scary. Free for university students and employees. The EmX rocks!

5. Rain. I missed rain while living in Fresno. That's all I have to say about that. Also, they tell me here "winter is coming" rather ominously. I think that means we will be getting a whole bunch of rain soon.

6. South Indian Food! Masala dosa and sambar from the Indian restaurant right across the street from campus!

7. More affordable than Fresno. Not that things are exactly inexpensive; there are just a lot of little things in place to help you save your money. For one, the weather here keeps A/c costs down. Also, everything is nearby or a quick bus ride away so you save a lot on gasoline and wear-and-tear on your car. No need for a gym membership as there are so many places to walk, jog,  bike and hike for free. And, the best part: no sales tax on your purchases. Holla!


Not-so-good:

1. Hippies, homeless, or home-free. I can't tell the difference but there are a lot of them equally dispersed all over the city. I see them all the time and they keep to themselves. There are many homeless advocates and it seems like the city wants to work with them instead of  sweeping the issue under the rug like in other places. Several people sympathize with them and don't seem to view them as a public nuisance. One lady said to me, "You know, most of us are only a couple of paychecks away from being in their shoes." Truth.

2. Humidity. Similar to Houston. It's bleh when it gets warm around here and does wonders for my hair. Ugh.

3. Bugs. I don't think a whole lot bugs survive the hellacious heat of Fresno but the little buggers thrive here. Spiders, house ants, moths, random bugs, and weirdo bugs that I've never seen before. Not fun. Also, not a bug but a little green tree frog lives (and might die) somewhere in my apartment. I have seen him once and was not able to catch him. He needs to go because it's just weird to have a little green tree frog sharing your apartment with you. Hit the road already, Kermit!

4. Things I can't get here. A/C (amazingly hard to find), Ethiopian food, Blue Bell Ice cream, a decent bowl of chili, Dicicco's minestrone soup and fresh-baked bread,  Fresno State Farm Market almonds and olive oil. Boo. Sad Face.

Not-sure-about-this-yet:

1. Eating establishments. They have been hit-and-miss for me so far. The Indian place had the worst avial ever created. It was white and slightly sweet. I was, like, whaaaat? But, they had dosa, sambar and goat curry that was on-hit so I can't complain too much. Tried two pho places. First one had good pho but had no doors on their bathroom stalls. Does that matter? Yes, for some people. The other place had pho but they put bok choy and carrots in the pho ga. That may be some Asian fusion twist but I am picky about pho so I refused to like it. The soul food place downtown was great though and served a mean  gumbo that was almost as good as in "N'awlins". Papa's Pizza Parlor, Hole in the Wall BBQ, and Izumi Sushi are pretty good. The sushi around here, in general, has been consistently good and fresh. The two Thai places I tried had good Tom Yum so they were ok in my book.

2. Plethora of supermarkets. Market of Choice is like Whole Foods but bigger. Prices are comparable but you can get a lot of stuff that you can't get anywhere else. I get wheatgrass and apples there. I was also able to get a bag of "murruku" that was produced in Oregon. Yup, that south Indian crispy snack thing. I was, like, whaaaat? Trader Joe's has been my go-to but their produce is not that great in terms of quality. They also have Safeway and Albertson's. Capella's is an organic place downtown that I have not been to yet. Also, there are lots of farmers markets that I have yet to try. The Eugene Saturday Market is a very hippie/New Age/organic venue. It is fabulous but very close to sensory overload. I've only been there a couple of times.


3. Housing. Might be comparable to Fresno. Anything near the university costs twice as much. They are constantly building new student housing. The new design seems to be eateries and business on the ground floor while housing is on the top levels. The downtown area is getting revitalized and slowly building more places like that.

4. Springfield. Springfield is to Eugene as Fresno is to Clovis. Springfield is like Eugene's country cousin. The I-5 marks the border between both. Eugeneans call Springfield "Spring-tucky." People in Springfield think Eugene people are a bunch of hippie snobs (that sounds like an oxymoron). Springfield has most of the EmX route, the more affordable national stores, and does not charge you $0.05 for a bag when you go shopping. A cashier at the Springfield Target told me that with great pride, " We don't charge you for a bag like they do over THERE." Springfield seems more down-to-earth, open to development, affordable, while Eugene seems to see itself as more sophisticated, diverse, green, refined. I'm not sure which I like better yet. According to some people this Springfield is THE Springfield from The Simpsons. I wasn't sure I believed that until I saw Moe's Tavern near the EmX station. Also, there is someone at work that looks like Mr. Burns. Coincidence? Perhaps.

Bonus list: places to shop

Springfield: Gateway Mall with Target, Ross, Cabela's and Lane Bryant. Walmart, Winco, Costco, Shopko (not sure what this is yet), Fred Meyers ( not sure about this one either), Ross, Big 5

Eugene: Oakway Center with Old Navy, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc., Valley River Center
Mall with Macy's, Costplus World Market, Barnes &Noble, and other typical mall stores like Hot Topic, Claire's, Forever 21, etc. Walmart, REI, lots of local mom-and-pops and new age places.

Thrift stores are huge here. St. Vinnie's is a big one with several locations. Goodwill, and Value Village are the other ones.

Others: Bi-mart is like a mini employee-owned Walmart. It is popular. Dari-mart is like a 7-11.

So, that's it for now partly because I am tired of typing. This was an intense post.















Tuesday, July 30, 2013

"What is your original homeland?"


All my life, I've been asked some strange questions by people who try to figure out my ethnicity. Yesterday, I was asked the strangest one at an event I attended:

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your original homeland?" asked a height-challenged man with an ambitious soul patch and very little other hair.

I wanted to roll my eyes and say "Texas." But, I try not to be rude to people who try to relate to others meaningfully. Also, years of experience as a racial curiosity taught me that my exotic ancestry would be the more desired response. So I said, "India."

He then said, "Namaste and welcome" which I tried not to take the wrong way but probably did anyway. 

Later, I relayed the incident to my brother and a couple of friends because it did amuse me a little. Also, the experience made me wonder how other people would have responded if they had been asked that question. The very nature of it makes you feel like an outsider. Hello? What did we learn in Microaggression 101? I'm sure he didn't ask the not-so-brown folks that question though many of them very well could have come from a homeland other than the United States. 

Aaaannd, that's my take on that.  Namaste, y'all. :)



Thursday, January 31, 2013

Juice it up!

My green juice smoothie recipe:
2 handfuls spinach, 1/4 tray snipped wheatgrass, 1 banana, 1/2 large apple cored, 1 tablespoon roasted flaxseeds, and 1/2 tablespoon ginger (mine comes in a squeeze tube).

Layer ingredients in the above order in the NutriBullet tall cup.
Fill to the max line with coconut water.

Follow NutriBullet instructions to blend until smooth (takes 30 sec to 1 min usually). Makes about 24 ounces.

Drink and be merry!



Saturday, October 27, 2012

An Omnivore's Dilemma

I'm not completely sure when I decided to change my dietary habits to something with a little less meat. I've never been really into red meat, chicken or pork even though we always had some kind of meat with our meals growing up. As in most Asian meals, meat was a side dish rather than the main course that we see in a lot of American cuisine.

As my parents got older, the word "cholesterol" slowly creeped into our vocabulary. Suddenly, we were eating too many eggs and meat. My parents stopped purchasing beef and pork as much and started using chicken as the staple meal-time meat. Fish was acceptable too but because it took more prep time usually, it was more of a weekend thing. 

After I moved out, I pretty much maintained the same routine but included more beef and eggs. For some reason, I stopped eating pork around this time. I'm not sure why but I think it was years of hookworm and "unclean animal" lectures that I had internalized. So, besides the pork thing, I was your typical American omnivore. Looking back, all I can say is that omnivores have it easy. 

 Last month, after a cleansing detox accompanied by a scary film about how dairy turns into plastic in your gut, I decided to transition to being more of herbivore. I knew I coouldn't quit cold turkey (pun not intended) so I decided to start with cutting out most dairy, beef, poultry, and eggs. At this time, the only animal products I have eaten are butter, honey, and seafood. So, essentially, I am now a pescatarian. 

 I'm not sure if I could handle being vegan - someone who completely abstains from any animal products including dairy, honey, and eggs, I have a vegan friend and I see the extra steps she has to take in order to maintain her lifestyle: she reads labels to make sure of the ingredients, she does not eat out because she is never sure out things are cooked (cooked veggies, for example, could be bathed in butter before they are brought out), she has to bring her food with her or she doesn't eat, and finally, not living in a thriving metropolis leaves her with very limited vegan options. Fresno is probably not the greatest place to be vegan. Vegetarians would be fine here but not vegans.

 Some people have asked me why I have decided to go this route. At first, it was to aid in the dietary detox process and to maintain a healthy diet. Now, I'm questioning more about why we eat what we eat. A lot of times it is based convenience, taste and satisfaction. I've long ignored the plight of the animals that we get a lot of our products from. Ignoring is very easy to do when you're looking at a rib-eye wrapped in cellophane rather than a dirty corn-fed cow in cramped quarters. Since I am no longer blindly shoveling meat and cheese into my mouth, food has become less of an escape. I don't claim to know the scientific rationale of why food is comforting during a stressful day but I do know that the fattier, the sugurier, the better it comforted. 

 So, I find myself not craving food like I once did. This is a good thing because it helps my health but also helps me time to focus on other things. Just like anything that makes you feel good, food can be addictive I now realize. And just like any addict in rehab, I am learning that it takes one day at a time, that you should surround yourself with folks who support you, and you must keep vigilant against your temptations. For those who are fighting the same battle, I've decided to start sharing some recipes that have been helpful in fighting those appetizing siren songs. For me, it is pizza. It whispers ever so gently about the melted cheese that stretches for miles as you pull a piece away, the chewy heat of a slice of pepperoni, the black slices of olives embedded like jewels in a steamy expanse of mozzarella. Oh, trust me, it calls me like lullaby.
Here's my methadone: Pita pizza with basil, capers, garlic, shallots, daiya cheese (vegan) and pizza sauce. 
Recipe: 
1 Round pita loaf (wheat or white) 
1 small shallot diced 
1 teaspoon of diced garlic 
3 leaves of basil 
1 forkful of drained capers 
2 tablespoons of tomato sauce 
Olive oil spray

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. While the oven is heating up, spray both sides of the pita with olive oil. Lay it flat. Spread pizza suace evenly on the top. No need for a thick layer as it will make the pita soggy. Sprinkle the diced shallot and garlic evenly on top of the sauce. Next, cover the top with a layer of the daiya cheese. Then take the leaves of basil, tear them up and distribute evenly on the top of the cheese. Next sprinkle the capers and another layer of cheese if you like. Pop into the oven for 6 minutes. 

Check periodically. You want to see the cheese melted and the edges browned a little. If additional time is needed, lower temperature to 420 degrees and let bake for another 3 minutes. After baking, let it sit in the oven for about five minutes. Slice and enjoy. Tip: The pre-cut pitas make it easier to pulls the pizza apart into pieces. 

Serving size: 2 
Prep time: 16-20 minutes. 

Enjoy and share!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Five years in Fresno

Today marks the 5th anniversary of my residence in California. I look back and see all the things I have learned, the people I have met, and the experiences that I have had the fortune (or misfortune) of experiencing and I am truly amazed. When I first moved here, I hardly knew anything about Fresno except that the name meant "Ash Tree." Heck, I didn't even know what an "Ash Tree" was. And now, as the morning sun creeps into my bedroom, as the birds sing to each other, and the cool breeze of dawn flutters the venetian blinds, I realize how amazing it is to inhale the sweet fragrance of the nearby citrus orchards in bloom. Not many other places have such a way of welcoming you to a new day. Five years ago, I may have been too preoccupied to notice. I was going through the motions of moving in, fitting in, and living in Fresno. People who have changed their humble abodes at least once know what I'm talking about. There's the excitement of discovering the nuances and quirks of a new place but also the unsteady doubt of finding your way. I'm still finding my way. Fortunately, I don't need that Fresno map as much any more! There are many people who wonder why I moved to Fresno in the first place. Why Fresno and not LA or San Francisco or one of those quintessential California towns on the coast? My answer to them, "Why not Fresno?" The people are great, the city is just the right size, and it's not too far from the mountains or the ocean. Heck, it's not even that far from San Fran or L.A (if that's your thing). I just felt at home here immediately. Coming from a big city, I was glad not to be battling traffic. There's nothing I hate more than my engine idling in sea of others doing the same thing. Idle mind? Puh-lease! Idle engines are ten times worse! However, the main thing that led me here was the job and the prospect of starting something new. I really was taking a leap of faith but it has all worked out so far. No regrets except the occasional longing for Htown friends and family. Life has certainly been busy these days but I'm grateful that every once in a while, I have the time to stop and smell the citrus.

Monday, July 25, 2011