Sorry Blogger, I've been cheating on you with Myspace

I very casually joined Myspace a few weeks ago, because an old college friend had joined. At that time, I didn't know what I was getting into... finding old friends, viewing picts of people that I haven't seen in years, messaging people, adding comments and cute images to friends' pages... it is all very entertaining! That is why I have been neglecting you, Blogger.... Oh, I have to go, I have to approve a friend request...

Life with Jonas' Family

This is a typical evening with Jonas’ family from my perspective…

Jonas mom: blah blah blah blah blah blah … blah blah … hui sic… blah blah… blah blah…

Me thinking: (Ok, she is talking about going to eat somewhere)

Jonas: blah blah blah blah … blah blah … blah blah…

Me thinking: (No idea what he is talking about.)

Jonas mom: blah bah … blah blah… yum cha… blah blah

Me thinking: (Drink tea? What? Oh, wait, I think she is talking about dim sum. Double meaning. Cantonese is sooooooo confusing.)

Jonas: (Trying help translate) My mom is saying that she went with her friend to eat…

Me: Dim sum, right?

Jonas: How do you know!?

Me: You told me that yum cha also means dim sum … since your mom was talking about going somewhere to eat, I figured it was dim sum.

Jonas: Ohhhh… very good!

Jonas mom: blah blah … blah blah … blah blah blah

Jonas: blah blah blah … bean doh … blah blah… blah blah…

Me thinking: (I think that means where.)

Jonas dad: blah blah … blah blah … blah blah

(This is where I usually start to tune out. I start thinking about if I am ever going to be able to completely understand Cantonese. I wonder if I will be able to pick up the language more easily because I hear it every day. I feel somewhat thankful for the language barrier, because it kind of takes the pressure off of me to keep up with the conversation, so I can be introverted around his parents, without them thinking that I am not friendly… I think that I should try to listen, because it will help me to learn the language. Then I can spy on people… heeheehee… And I could probably get a job more easily if I knew Cantonese… Hmmmm, I wonder if there are any new job openings in Alameda county… Oh, Jonas mom is speaking English! That’s my cue.)

Jonas mom: Mey-la-nie …tomorrow… you want eat at Sweet… Um…

Me: Sweet Tomato?

Jonas mom: Yeah, Sweet Tomato.

Me: Yes. I like Sweet Tomato.

Jonas mom: You like it?

Jonas: blah blah blah …. Mel-la-nie … blah blah choi … blah blah

Me thinking: (I guess he is telling her that I like vegetables?)

Jonas dad: You should eat more meat. It is not healthy to just eat vegetables … not a balanced diet.

Me: Ok… (Thinking: My daily reminder from Jonas’ parents that I need to eat more meat… just smile and nod.)

Jonas dad: blah blah blah … blah blah … blah blah

Jonas mom: blah blah blah … blah blah … blah blah

Dammit, I need to learn more Cantonese...

Another List

What I like about living in CA:

Being with Jonas.

The food (variety and quality).

Two words: Tapioca Express!!!!

Public transportation.

Entertainment, culture, things to do, places to go, etc.

The scenery, especially the mountains.

The easy going, optimistic attitude of a population of people who seem to be unfamiliar with the term "seasonal depression".

What I do not like about living in CA:

Gaining weight from all of the good food and bubble tea.

The traffic on the expressways.

The ant and spider infestations in the house.

The cheapest gas around being $3.29 per gallon.

People making fun of my rusty car.

Missing my family and friends who are not here.

Trip to Denver

Jonas had to go to Denver for work this week, so I tagged along and we made a mini-vacation out of it. Jonas is the type of person who wants to make the most out of visiting a new city, so he always has a huge agenda of visiting museums, shopping centers, restaurants, and everything in between. I am the type of person who wants to relax during a vacation and who is happy sitting at the beach or by the pool the entire time. So when Jonas was not working, we went out and explored. And when he was working, I sunbathed outside by the pool until I looked like a tomato.

Jonas and I stopped in Denver when I moved from MI to CA, but of course there was a long list of things that Jonas still wanted to do during our recent trip. We went to the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Denver Art Museum, the Downtown Aquarium, Cherry Creek Shopping Center, the 16th Street Mall, the Denver State Capitol, and of course a bunch of restaurants. The aquarium was my favorite. :)

Here are some pictures of the aquarium.





















Jonas making a new friend.

















I love marine life.
















This is me doing my best Vanna impression at the Denver MCA.















This is charcoal, but it looks like a photograph in person.
















I don't remember the artist, but I liked this paiting.





















Denver wasn't exactly the tropical vacation that I have been waiting for, but it was pretty nice.

Curry Cardboard

Jonas made a delicious pot of curry and vegetables tonight for dinner.

However when we were experimenting with all of the different food items that might be good dipped in curry, I made the mistake of saying, "This curry is so good, I would eat it on a piece of cardboard." Of course, a split second later, Jonas had a piece of cardboard in his hand.

Don't worry, I may have eaten cow's stomach out of love for Jonas, but I will never eat cardboard. :)

National Dance Week

When I discovered that this week was Bay Area National Dance Week, I was of course, totally excited. Events include a conga line through downtown SF, dance classes, open rehearsals and performances, and dance parties. But the best part of all is that all of the events are FREE.

Although we missed the conga line, Jonas and I were able to attend two open rehearsals this Saturday.

We watched the San Francisco Ballet practice technique in an open rehearsal. When I was in college, I took dance class and/or had practice almost every day, so it was interesting to see a professional ballet technique class. The rehearsal was actually quite similar to the ballet classes that I have taken. Cameras and recording devices were not allowed, but Jonas snuck a few shots at the end of the rehearsal.

We also watched Company C Contemporary Ballet practice some of their works for future performances. I found out that Jonas enjoys classical ballet, but is not a fan of modern dance. (Yeah, the Paul Taylor piece was a little strange, but you can't stop thinking about it, can you Jonas?)

Anyway, this is the sneaky picture from the end of the SF Ballet practice. (The actual practice was much more eventful.)

















And here is a picture of Company C dancing their tushes off.
















Oh, how I wish I could go back in time, start taking dance at an early age, grow five extra inches, and become a real dancer....

Hell has frozen over

I cooked AGAIN today... mostly out of guilt because Jonas and his dad both work so hard. Not that I am not busy with cleaning, jobsearching, shopping, etc., but I do have just a little more free time than they do. :)

Tonight, I cooked Mushroom Meatloaf AND Creamy Tomato Basil Soup. I mean, I actually cooked them. And I even touched the raw meat, and minced, sauteed, baked, and everything. Even more surprisingly, they both turned out to be very good.

I made a few substitutions to make both of the recipes a little healthier. For example, I used fat free half and half instead of heavy whipping cream for the soup. (I don't want to kill anyone.) Oh, and I used canned diced tomatoes for the soup instead of fresh tomatoes, because I am still a little lazy.

Here are some picts of the final results:

































Also, here is a picture of a casserole I made last week.
















I am still not a gourmet chef, but it is a step up from frozen dinners.

Seriously Scared

This is all I have been hearing on the news, all day:
Study: Bay Area Quake Would Be Staggering

Apparently, tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of a big earthquake that happened in the Bay Area in 1906.
The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Now I just have to remember to keep bugging Jonas about getting his parents' rickety old house bolted down.

Can't Sleep

I can't sleep, because Jonas is out of town.....

It is a little weird to sleep at his place when he is not here.

I'm watching the early morning news, but I haven't gone to bed yet. God, I wonder how early those news people have to get up.

Getting LOST

Even though ABC's LOST is becoming more obscure with each episode, it is still one of my favorite TV shows. Sadly, I have not been able to watch it lately, because I have been busy moving, unpacking, cleaning out Jonas' room, etc...

But, guess what??!!! There is good news for those of us who cannot afford TiVo (or a VCR). You can download episodes of LOST and other popular TV shows via iTunes!!!! (I know, most of my friends already know about this kind of dorky stuff).

Anyway, today I downloaded the LOST episodes I missed, and I was SO HAPPY! :) What a wonderful way to spend a rainy day! But be warned, it takes over an hour to download each episode, and I am not even using dial-up anymore. But it is totally worth the $1.99 and the hour wait.