#ode to peanut sauce

[clownleys]

2, 10 and 13 for the ask thing!!😊

thank u so much, love!

2. what’s your feel-good movie? i actually love cinema, so this one is pretty hard! i guess i would go for either final cut (2022) or exterminator (2017).

the first one is a french film about a film crew shooting a zombie movie and finding out there might be actual zombies in the area. it's super funny and has a wonderful, wholesome message about filmmaking and family.

exterminator (2017) on the other hand is actually a polish production. it follows the ups and downs (mostly downs) of a small town metal band that decides to make a comeback when an opportunity to get european union donation arises. peak polish rep with kolorowe jarmarki playing softly in the background!

10. what’s something you’re excited for? my upcoming gdańsk trip! and then the munich one i have planned for mid december. also the phd i'm planning on starting... and obviously for yet another round of flat renovation (my toxic dad trait is being stuck in an endless home renovation loop). oh and there's also that lock-picking hobby i picked up! and a super cool vintage jacket i grabbed from vinted...

13. what’s your comfort food? i make this crazily good peanut butter pasta with soy sauce, some agawa syrup, chilli flakes, garlic and tahini. you gotta make the sauce, then fry some onion and dump the pasta and sauce to the pan as it's frying. stir for a sec and voila! it's warm, it's creamy and tastes wonderful with ✨ogórek kiszony ze słoika od babci✨

give me some more of those soft questions! ♡

[airfryerburrito]

An ode to versatile summer proteins

Mozzarella (open and slice)

Caprese sandwich (mozzarella, basil, tomato) with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Caprese pasta with pesto and spinach.

Melted over spaghetti and tomato sauce.

Tofu or Paneer (air-fry)

With rice, peas, and butter chicken sauce.

With noodles, edamame, peanut sauce, and green onions.

With mashed potatoes and salad.

Chickpeas (drain and rinse)

Added to salad.

Stuffed into a pita or wrap.

Smashed into chickpea salad.

Chickpea cookie dough.

[fight-surrender]

Happy Birthday @Penpanoply!

Happy Birthday to my dear, incredibly brave, resilient, disturbingly positive, breathtakingly talented friend and purveyor of phenomenal hugs @penpanoply

Here’s a lil ficlet I wrote, inspired by your love of peanut sauce. I hope you don’t hate it <3 <3

Life is a Bowl of Peanut Sauce

Word Count: 1025

Read on AO3

Baz 

“Hey babe.” Simon calls from the kitchen as I walk in the door.

The counter is a war zone of ingredients, as it tends to be when Snow cooks. I pause a moment to survey the damage. Hm. Not the usual dusting of flour and scone ingredients. This time it’s an exotic blend of lime husks, ginger knobs, garlic peels, bottle of tamari and—I do a double take—a jar of peanut butter.  “What the hell are you doing, Snow?” That came out a little sharper than intended, but I’m knackered. Work was a beating and the Thai place was running even more laboriously behind than usual.  “I told you I was getting takeaway.” I drop the bag on the island with an insulted thud.

“I know,” He sing-songs, pressing the button on the blender with a flourish. “I love that place,” he shouts over the whine of the machine. Merlin, I hate that infernal device. Its repulsively loud presence is an insult to the quiet sanctity of my home. The closest I ever came to breaking up with Simon was during his smoothie phase. (I would never actually break up with Simon.) (I did consider throwing the vile machine out the window though.) Thank Circe he decided he’d rather eat his meals than drink them.

If I was an emotionally mature adult, I would share with Simon how much I hate the fucking blender. I’m not, so instead I school my features and seethe in a pit of roiling fury until it cuts off. Simon, selfishly oblivious to my turmoil, has his back to me, bopping his head to whatever insipid nineties pop song is rattling around in there. What spell can I use to blow up the blender that won’t harm him?

Snow shuts the monstrosity off, restoring peace and order to the universe. I can breathe again. Everything is right with the world. I notice Simon must have gotten his hair cut today. I resist the urge to run my hands through the freshly shorn back and sides. It’s like velvet in this state, I usually start at his neck then work my way up into the curls. Simon’s bronze locks are always deliciously silky after my stylist has her way with them.

Simon takes the lid off of the blender and smiles down at his concoction. I sidle next to him to have a look, taking the opportunity to gratuitously rub his head. “What the fuck is that, Snow?” I recoil in horror. “It looks like baby shit.”

“Now, now Baz, that’s no way to talk about my culinary masterpiece,” Snow knocks my shoulder with his. “Anyway, what do you know about baby shit?”

“I have four significantly younger siblings. I have experienced more than my share of baby shit.”

“Oh, come off it, you posh git. You had nannies and staff.” Simon counters.

“They worked part-time. Daphne believed in hands-on parenting,” I shudder, “Which apparently translates to – make Baz deal with the kids while I work or engage in self-care.”  I have nightmares of those summers. If I ever have to see another episode of Caillou or Thomas the Tank Engine, I may actually commit infanticide. “

Simon turns and slides his arms around me. “The horrors you’ve had to endure, my love,” He pulls me into an all-enveloping and vaguely condescending hug. “You are truly an inspiration to us all.”

“Fuck off,” I say halfheartedly, running my fingers through his curls for emphasis. “What is that vile sludge? It smells of peanuts and despair.”

“You’re half right,” Simon says, disentangling himself from me and dipping his finger into the carafe. The finger emerges covered in what looks like a terribly embarrassing bodily secretion and he proceeds to lasciviously lick it off.

“If you are trying to seduce me by licking that slop off of your finger, you are sorely misguided,” I say, leaning away. And that’s saying something, because normally, even Simon putting on deodorant is seductive.

“Come on, Baz, where’s your sense of adventure?” Simon grins at me and takes another swipe at the vile goop, sucking on his finger again.

“It stops at food that looks like gastrointestinal distress, Snow.”

Snow rolls his eyes and bumps my hip with his. “It’s peanut sauce, you coward. That place never gives us enough, so I thought I’d make my own.”

“Disgusting,” I reply, taking the bag of food to the table. “I never touch that stuff.”

I pop the staples on the package and start parceling out containers. “Anyway, I’m allergic to peanuts.”

“What?” Simon has poured the sauce into a soup bowl and dropped it at his spot. Sliding his chair back, “Do vampires have allergies?” His face is twisted adorably.

“Yeah, that garlic thing is a myth. It’s peanuts that can kill us.” I say absently, tossing him a box of spring rolls.

“Well, fuck this then,” Simon gets up with his bowl of muck and heads for the sink.

Shit. I scramble to grab Snow before he divests himself of his beloved sauce, “I’m just kidding, you knob. I’m not allergic to peanuts.”

“Ah-ha!” Snow smiles, managing to wrap an arm around me while holding his bowl, “I got you, you dramatic twat. Now you have to try this.”

“Absolutely not.”

Simon kisses my cheek before releasing me. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Baz. This is what heaven tastes like.”

“It’s a good thing my road goes straight to hell then.”

Simon hums, “I’ll just have to bring my peanut sauce when I follow you there.” He takes a spring roll and submerges it in sauce, swirling it around to ensure full, horrid coverage.

“Good thing I love you despite your culinary atrocities, Snow.”

Simon swallows the dripping mess in two disturbingly erotic bites. “Good thing I love you despite your shockingly mundane taste in foreign cuisine.”

He eyes me up and down, like I’m a particularly delicious snack. “Now hurry up and eat. I’ve thought up some other uses for this peanut sauce.” He narrows his eyes and gives me his best filthy grin.

“Crowley, Snow.” I nearly choke on my pad see ew. 

[lovemesomesurveys]

Serious question, peanut butter or nutella? Peanut butter. I don’t get the Nutella hype to be honest.

Do you prefer baked potatoes or mashed potatoes? I refuse to choose cause I love both.

What is your oldest sibling’s middle name? I’m not sharing that.

Do you like breadsticks? Yes. The more cheesy-garlicky, the better. <<< Yesss. With marinara or some kind of olive oil sauce for dipping.

What are your favorite things to spend money on? Food and clothes.

Which would you rather have a new puppy or kitten? Puppy. 

How old will you be on your next birthday? 33. 

Do you ever feel self-conscious when you eat around other people? Yes. I’m a picky and particular eater, even when it comes to how I eat. Plus, I take forever to finish my food, so I’ll still be eating longgg after everyone else and I just feel awkward and rushed cause I don’t want to keep anyone waiting.

When you opened your eyes this morning, what were your first thoughts? What time it is is generally my first thought. 

What is one thing in the room you’re in that reminds you of somebody? A framed photo of my dog, Brandie, who passed away December 26, 2016.

Would you ever want to be a supermodel, or date one? I have no desire to be one. Not like I’d be cut out to be one anyway, so it works out. As far as dating one... I don’t know if I’d want to date anyone in the spotlight like that. That kind of life is not for me. 

Honestly, have you ever made fun of somebody so bad they cried? Nooo. I don’t make fun of people or purposely try to hurt someone.

Honestly, would you rather be complimented on your looks or intelligence? Intelligence.

Have you ever purchased a pregnancy test, for yourself or otherwise? No.

You can get one thing, anything, for free right now. What do you pick? Why? All expenses paid vacation.

Honestly, have you ever danced naked? No.

What was the first illegal thing that you did? Did you get caught? Take candy from the candy bins at the grocery store when I was a kid. I was a big rebel, I know. 

What is the home page on the computer you’re on? Google.

Do you like to write poetry? I don’t write poetry. I’m not a poet and I do know it. 

Are your ears pierced? Yeah, my earlobes.

If so, were they pierced with a piercing gun, or with a sterile needle? I’m not sure, since my mom had them pierced when I was a baby. I would guess piercing gun, though. <<<

Do you wear makeup regularly? No. Prior to my brother’s grad party back in May it had been like 4 years since I wore any makeup. I haven’t worn any since then. 

Did you eat cereal for breakfast today? No, I made a microwave breakfast egg scramble thing with these microwave mini pancakes. 

When was the last time you tripped over something? My doggo likes to leave her toys right in the way so it’s not such a rare occurrence. 

Who was the last person you yelled at? Not yell, but had to get stern with my doggo earlier when my aunt brought her doggo over. Mine was getting too hyper and excitable and wanted to play of course, but her dog is a tiny chihuahua and was scared. My dog forgets how big she is sometimes lol. To be fair, she hasn’t had a lot of interaction with other dogs, which is something we should have tried to do more.

Why did you yell at them? ^ That.

Favorite type of apple? The brand, ha.

Ever seen live horse racing? No.

How about live greyhound racing? No.

What’s one thing, besides the obvious, that you couldn’t live without? I need my coffee, ha.

Have you ever touched a giraffe? No, I wish!

What does your mom call you? She often calls me “Sis.” What stresses you out the most in life? My health.

Do you play any PC games? What is your favorite? Yeah, The Sims 4. I’ve been obsessed again lately. I go through phases with it.

If you were pregnant, how would you tell the father? Well, that would depend on the circumstances. Did we want a baby? Was it a bad surprise, a happy surprise? I can't answer this with just one idea. < Yeah. <<<

What’s the hardest level you can play on Guitar Hero? I rocked out hard on easy mode, ha.

What ever happened with you and your first boyfriend? I realized I wasn’t ready for a relationship and he was moving too fast for me so I ended it.

What’s your favorite country song? I like several, but the first that just randomly popped into my head is “Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves.

What is the worst thing a former boyfriend/girlfriend has done to you? Use and play me.

What were you for Halloween last year? I stopped dressing up a few years ago.

Are you feeling guilty for something? Yes, a few things. 

Are you usually quiet or loud? Most definitely quiet. No one would describe me as loud.

How many hours do you spend on the computer a day? It really varies. Some days definitely more than others.

What is the show that you watched when you were little, and you still do? Rugrats, Hey Arnold, and Doug to name a few.

Do your siblings text you? My younger brother does.

Do you want a small or big wedding? I don’t plan to ever get married.

Have you ever searched for your own house on Google Earth? Of course. That was like the first thing everyone did when it came out, which is quite funny because you could search anywhere and we chose our own house haha.

Who is your ex dating/talking to? I have no idea nor do I care to be honest.

Ever kissed someone who smokes? No.

Does it take a lot for someone to annoy you? No, especially not nowadays. I’m so moody and irritable.

Do you own your own computer? I do.

Did you ever have to share a room with one of your siblings? No.

What noises in the room you’re in, do you hear at the moment? The ASMR video I’m listening to, my fans, and myself typing.

Have you ever dated someone with longer hair than yours? No.

What’s the biggest upcoming event for you? I don’t have any.

What do you typically order from Wendy’s? Meh, I rarely go to Wendy’s but if I did I’d just get a cheeseburger, fries, and a frosty.

Have you ever been given a lapdance by an actual stripper? No.

What do you love most about yourself? :/

Have you ever received a hickey from the last person you kissed? No.

What are you doing right now? This and listening to an ASMR video.

What’s bothering you right now? My stomach.

What was the last thing you drank? Water.

Be honest, do you like people in general? I’m not a people person.

Do you want your tongue pierced? No.

Do you change your phone background a lot? I change it for the season or holiday. Have you ever made someone so mad that they broke something? Not that I know of.

Have you ever been strip searched? No.

Do you have a funny last name? Does anyone make fun of it? No, a lot of people have said they like it.

Ever have a drug overdose? What did you OD on exactly? No.

Do you get sick of people who call themselves bipolar all the time? People do throw that term around too loosely. That one and OCD.

Describe your day so far in three words: My stomach hurts.

What was the most stressful project you had so far/while in school? There had been many.

Choose one- Butterfinger, Milky Way, Snickers: Butterfinger.

Have you ever stepped in dog poop? Ugh, yes.

What was the last thing you spent money on? Food.Yeah.

Have you ever slept in the same bed with the last person you kissed? No.

Is there a guy that knows a lot about you? Yeah.

Is there someone you just can’t imagine your life without? My parents and brother.

Do you prefer Starbucks coffee or small cafe coffee? Ooooh, both. I love coffee. <<<

Would you ever consider getting a piercing in your septum? No.

Do you enjoy being outdoors? At the beach, yes.

Do people tell you that you have an accent? No.

Do you enjoy watching fireworks on the 4th of July? I wish they weren’t so damn loud.

What’re some unspeakable subjects for you? Meh.

Is there anyone you would take a bullet for? My parents and brother.

Do you enjoy tanning? I don’t mind if I get one while I’m at the beach, but I don’t actively go tanning or get tanned.

Are you a virgin? Yes.

Who’s your celebrity crush? Alexander Skarsgard.

Did or do you get good grades in English class? Yep. English was always my best and favorite subject.

What part of your body are you self-conscious about? All of it.

Are you expected to help fix Thanksgiving dinner? No. I like doing the appetizers, though.

Have you ever lost anyone close to cancer? No.

Do you personally know anyone who is transgender? No.

When was the last time you got a shot? It’s been many years.

[hrafn-vyrdmake]

Alphabet meme: J I M B O N E S :3

“Jealous? Not really my thing,” he rolled his shoulders in a sort of shrugging motion. “I do not like sharing, but it is because I just do not like people.”  “I...” His hand went up to scratch at the hinge of the iron jaw that made up the lower portion of his face, “I do not say things like that easily.” He worked at the hinge with one of his boney fingers, pulling out a small chunk of decayed skin. 

“Moon-what?” His dull white eyes squinted as he furrowed his brow in confusion. “Oh, a date? I do not really do ‘dates’ but..” He twisted his neck around to survey the immediate area, checking to see who all was around. “We could hunt some scarlet crusaders... Catch a quick bite.” “Bouquet,” he said, pronouncing the T at the end of the word. “Yes, I do like flowers,” a hand ran across the bald surface of his hand as he gave it some thought. “Peony. A whole load of them and bring me peanut sauce as well.”

“Ode? You mean words? I am okay at words. Pretty good when I need to be,” he said as he clacked his exposed toe bones on the cobblestone beneath them. “I just do not like talking to people.”

“Naughty?” He gave a grunt of mild amusement, “I think you know as well as I that there is nothing down there.” He jerked a chin towards the vague direction of the undercity. “Fleshcrafters are not there just to fix our plumbing. We do not need it anymore. If I still had an interest in that kind of thing..?” His shoulders rolled once again in a bone grinding shrug, “I have an iron jaw and sharp claws. We can figure it out.” “Embrace?” His upper lip twitched slightly at some memory that played through his head, “not usually. Anyone that gets that close to me is usually there because I am shooting them and they, and their weapons, are trying to get me to stop. I save my embraces for just one person.”

“Sweetheart..” His raspy voice, so typical of undead, trailed off for a moment. He dipped his chin as he tried hard to remember anything from his past. The brim of the wide western hat he usually wore covered the expression of pain that flashed in his eyes. “I have no memory of my childhood. No memories at all past the time I woke up in a grave with dirt in my mouth.” ( @illidariguarddog )

[sockparade]

tips for surviving the pandemic: things i learned from my immigrant parents

It’s hard to believe that it’s only been a little over a week since the WHO announced that the coronavirus (COVID-19) was officially a pandemic. This has been a long, challenging week for a lot of people and it is nothing short of terrifying to read reports of what is happening in Asia and Europe as many predict that we’ll likely endure a similar fate here in the United States. In the midst of all of this chaos and uncertainty, I’ve been reminded of so many lessons that my Taiwanese immigrant parents taught me. I’m sharing them here so that others might also benefit. Thanks Ma. Thanks Daddy.

你昨天已經出去了.

“You already went out yesterday.“

1. Learn how to stay home. Our family is eight days into self-isolating at home and Tony asked me this morning if I had cabin fever. And strangely, the answer is no. I’m not. Not to downplay the difficulty of this moment but my experience with this “shelter-in-place” ordinance reminds of pretty much all my summers between kindergarten and 8th grade. Both of my parents worked full-time so summer was just three blissful months of nothing. No structure, no plans, no camps, no playdates, and no responsibilities. My parents never made me feel like I was missing a thing by staying home and I don’t remember ever feeling bored. There were always library books to read, stories to write, and thoughts to journal. Hours were spent playing school with my big sister (now a first grade teacher!), making up random games like who can avoid touching the carpet longest, learning Kim Zmeskal’s latest gymnastics floor routine, writing lyrics to Kenny G saxophone solos, and rehearsing for our variety show that we would perform to our tired parents at the end of the day. And that’s not even including the hours we spent watching The Price is Right, CHIPS, Knight Rider, and Airwolf (yep, no cable).   

As a teenager I carefully plotted all my hangouts with friends so that I didn’t have too many consecutive days when I was out of the house. Whenever I asked my parents if I could hang out with friends, they would always say, “But you already went out yesterday. What’s wrong with staying home? Why do you always have to go out?” It was as if having too much fun two days in a row was off limits. If there was a big party on Friday, I would purposely make sure I stayed home Wednesday and Thursday just to increase the chances of being able to go out on Friday. I know a lot of people talk about how awful their high school years were but I was one of those lucky kids who had a really great group of friends that made me feel seen, loved, and cared for. The downside was that I couldn’t get enough of it. I was always thinking about the next hangout, the next event, the next thing. It took me all the way until my late twenties to fully appreciate the fine art of staying home and to finish my unexpected transformation into the expert homebody that I am today. 

I’m reminded of that old quote by Blaise Pascal, “All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." 

It’s great to be out and about, but it’s also really important to learn how to stay home.  

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晚上要吃什麼？清冰箱.

“What are we eating for dinner?” “Cleaning the fridge.”

2. Be creative with what you have. I love food. Not in a foodie sense, but I get a lot of pleasure out of eating. I’m not a food snob by any stretch of the imagination. I thoroughly enjoy a Stouffer’s frozen lasagna or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as much as I enjoy a fancy, inventive, Michelin-starred meal at Commis. What’s hard for me is when food is eaten as sustenance rather than with delight. But my parents taught me that you can always take pride in preparing a meal. No matter your ingredients.

My mom is an excellent cook. I know a lot of people think their mom is a good cook but my mom is legitimately skilled in the kitchen. There were some nights when I’d ask what was for dinner and my mom would just reply, “Cleaning the fridge.” 

Now for some, this might sound terrifying. But my mom could honestly make something out of nothing. I still crave my dad’s simple egg and garlic fried rice. My parents raised me to be able to make an tasty meal just from rummaging in the pantry and fridge for random leftover things. There were plenty of summers where lunches and snacks were an individual culinary adventure for each of us kids. I still remember the day I witnessed my baby sister add a Kraft single on top of her onion ramen noodles. She saw my confusion, shrugged and said, “You should try it, it’s good.” 

With all the hoarding folks have been doing during this pandemic, I’ve found myself feeling quite anxious. Trying to calculate if we have enough food. Estimating how many more meals we can eat at home before we need to make another grocery run. As someone who struggles with a scarcity mentality it has been hard not to panic. But then I keep reminding myself that I know how to make good food using just whatever’s available. 

You know, I was pretty disappointed with Mary H.K. Choi’s second novel, Permanent Record, given how much I enjoyed her debut novel, Emergency Contact. But I was absolutely thrilled with the shine she gave to what her protagonist calls “Hot Snacks”.

Here’s an excerpt from Permanent Record that is a beautiful ode to creative food mashups and immigrant kids everywhere: 

“I edit and post a Shin Ramyun Black video set to music. My favorite instant noodles with three flavor packets and so much garlic. It’s a classic Korean HotSnack, especially when you throw in cut-up hot dogs, frozen dumplings, extra kimchi - and this is where the artistry comes in- eggs, cheese, corn from a can, and a drizzle of sesame oil on top. And furikake if you’re feeling wealthy. The next night I put up a bacon, egg, and cheese not in a bagel but in a glazed honey bun. Laced with sriracha and pan fried on the outside. Then it’s chilaquiles with Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos and chorizo. Jamaican beef patty casserole disrespected with a smothering of Japanese curry and broiled. With Crystal Hot Sauce over the top and pickled banana peppers. I’m trolling with that one but the controversy is berserk. When I run out of old videos, I make saag paneer naanchos with Trader Joe’s frozen Indian food, and it’s a hit. Especially when I add yogurt and a thick layer of crushed-up Takis on top.”

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看連續劇.

“Watch soap operas.” 

3. Find a way to escape. I’m generally pro technology but I’ll admit I’m a little bummed at the way iPhones and iPads have made TV viewing such an individual activity. I like how Disney+ has gotten some families back to watching TV together again. Although I will say, we really coddle our kids these days. I grew up in a time when movie ratings only applied in the theaters and we watched movies with our families like Alien, The Fly, and Gremlins. We were scared out of our minds and sometimes could only watch through the cracks between our fingers covering our eyes because it was so scary. Okay, this also might be why I can’t watch horror movies as an adult. 

From a young age, my parents taught me that watching other people’s drama unfold on screen is one of the best way to escape your own drama. Some people say binge watching became a thing when the TV networks started releasing shows on DVD. Others give credit to Netflix releasing their original content a whole season at a time. But truth be told, I first learned how to binge watch from my parents. 

We would rent 30-40 VHS cassette tapes from that random spot in Bellaire Chinatown. Can you picture it? You needed multiple plastic bags to transport that many VHS tapes. 

Do you remember the one about the dying mother who needed to find homes for each of her 7 children? I don’t think it’s normal for a 10 year old to cry so much but you better believe it’s made me learn the true value of a soap opera escape hatch. 

Are you in a pandemic? Now’s the perfect time to pick up that YA novel, binge that reality show, start that kdrama, or rewatch all six seasons of The Sopranos again.

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下個禮拜會下雨.

“It’s going to rain next week.”

4. Be informed about what’s ahead. If you ask either of my parents about the weather at any given time they can reliably tell you the daily percent chance of precipitation and humidity for at least seven days out. They’ve always been this way. They would inform me of the weather at various points throughout the week. They planned their yard work and car washes around the weather forecast. There’s something about the way the weather forecast is available to everyone. And it feels like it’s just a matter of making the small extra effort to access it and gain a slight advantage. I feel like so much of the immigrant mentality is to be diligent in making the right choices to not screw yourself over and seizing opportunities whenever you can. And it wasn’t just weather but this is such an obvious example of it. 

I remember my dad saying to me once, "Can you imagine if someone decided to read every book in their local library? If they just went shelf by shelf and systematically read all the books? You could do it, you know. It’s free, it doesn’t cost any money to check out a book from the library. But no one really does it.” 

I think immigrant parents get a bad reputation for forwarding chain letters and health/science hoaxes they get on email, WeChat and Line. And in a pandemic, yes, they are definitely susceptible to misinformation, rumors and flat out untruths. But the thought behind it seems right. 

The mistrust of government leadership is actually quite relevant right now in this pandemic. Many immigrants left countries with governments that were overtly corrupt, oppressive, and used propaganda to influence its citizens. And while many Americans still take pride in living in a country that verbally champions freedom and democracy, the truth is that our government has already failed us and lied to us in many ways. During this pandemic, we cannot wait on leaders to tell us what to do. We must be diligent in reading for ourselves, seeking experts, using our critical thinking skills, and making preparations accordingly.

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會不會冷?

“Are you cold?” 

5. Check in with yourself. Check in with others. I have so many memories of my parents walking through the living room and asking me and my sisters if we were cold. It felt like they couldn’t walk past the thermostat without asking us if they needed to raise it or lower it. As if they couldn’t hear us sneeze and wonder if they needed to turn off the ceiling fan. They couldn’t see us sitting in a dim room without turning on a light for us. There are so many times I fell asleep reading on the couch and woke up with a blanket over me. Or sometimes I was fully awake doing something random, like playing Egyptian Rat Screw with my sisters (a cardgame for the uninitiated), and my mom would walk by and wordlessly drop a warm, heavy blanket over my shoulders. That’s care, y’all. Consistent, immediate action, and often without words.  

The tip here is to pay attention to your discomfort during a pandemic. There’s this immigrant stereotype of stoicism and that’s true to some degree but maybe the resilience is made possible not because of unnatural toughness but largely because immigrant parents can also be so incredibly perceptive and tender in some very tangible ways. 

When everything is chaotic around you and you’re busy multitasking these next few months, don’t ignore your needs. Notice how you’re feeling. Physically and emotionally. Where are you carrying your stress and tension in your body? You don’t have to tough it out. Oh and remember to check in with your people on how they’re feeling. Is there a light switch you can turn on for someone? 

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笑死人.

“Laugh to death.” 

6. Laugh to survive. Look, we didn’t have the perfect family or anything like that. We’ve definitely had our share of difficult times, financial stress, health issues, arguments, and pain. But my parents also really knew how to laugh and taught us to laugh with abandon. Like, bent over, tears running out of your eyes, can’t breathe kind of laughing. Our dinner table was kind of like a writer’s room. It was difficult to tell a mediocre story. You had better come prepared with a punchline or a point. It was a tough crowd, every night. On many occasions I stopped myself halfway through a story upon the self-realization that there was no real way to land the plane. Polite laughs were nowhere to be found, except perhaps a charitable smile from my baby sister. But it didn’t stop us from trying. I think my sisters and I are all probably better storytellers for it and we definitely have learned to try to bring humor into difficult times.  

I know that this pandemic is so incredibly dark and depressing that it can sometimes feel disrespectful, inappropriate, or childish to laugh at anything. But my parents taught me that you laugh to survive. Nothing is ever so dark that you can’t find a reason to laugh. And sometimes you really need to find something to laugh about.

I’ve been taking long breaks each day from major media news outlets but I have been finding such joy and laughter from the meme creators on IG and the comedic geniuses on Twitter. In Taiwanese when something’s really funny, people will say a phrase that is imperfectly translated as laugh to death. Like you killed a person it was so funny. Now’s the time to find that content or those people who will get you to laugh to death. 

______________________________________________

我要去挪車.

“I’m going to go re-park the cars.” 

7. Go to bed with a plan for the next morning. I grew up in a suburb of Houston, Texas where one property developer built the entire neighborhood and used the same eight or nine floor plans for all the houses but changed up the brick and trim color to keep things interesting. Most homes have a long driveway that connects a garage set near the backdoor of a home to the street. By the time I was driving, we had four cars in total -- two in the garage and two on the driveway. At the end of the day when everyone was home for the night and my dad was getting ready to go to bed, he’d announce, “I’m going to go re-park the cars.” Then we’d all kind of stop what we were doing and rearrange the order of the cars to match our morning departure schedules. This meant figuring out who was leaving when in the morning and sometimes also prompted brief check-in conversations about any changes in our usual routine. 

In a pandemic it can sometimes feel like there are a million different things to attend to and large conceptual concerns that demand your attention. But there’s something calming and centering about spending a few minutes each night thinking through specifically what needs to happen just tomorrow. Not the day after or next week. Get super tactical and specific about what tomorrow morning looks like. Check-in with your partner about any aberrations to your schedule (e.g. I have a super important conference call at 7am tomorrow) to minimize any unnecessary surprises. There’s something magical about setting up your morning that helps you rest just a little easier at night. 

______________________________________________

星期三我們有禱告會.

“On Wednesdays we have prayer meeting.”

8. Make time for your spirituality. Growing up my parents both had physically demanding jobs. My mom was a seamstress for many years, providing alterations at my aunt and uncle’s dry cleaners. She later worked in an elementary school cafeteria and then eventually became a classroom aide for special needs students. My dad worked at that same dry cleaners for years until he got a job at the post office. He then became a letter carrier, delivering mail on foot. The summer months were especially grueling, carrying a heavy sack of mail in 100 degree, humid weather, and walking until sweat soaked his shirts and blisters formed on his feet. They had every excuse to skip weeknight events. But unless they were sick in bed, I can’t remember a time when they missed their weekly prayer meeting with their friends from church.  

Pandemics have an unsettling way of forcing us to confront our mortality and can trigger a bunch of unresolved shit that has been bubbling underneath the surface. We’ve lost some of our usual coping mechanisms and it can be super hard to quiet the anxieties, fears, and other demons that we usually try to keep under control. This isn’t a lecture about a particular faith or belief system. It’s just a reminder to prioritize your existential questions, your interior life, and your connection to things much bigger than yourself -- whether that’s a community, a yoga practice, a faith group, a tradition, or something else. 

I have a fledgling meditation practice that I’ve been trying to strengthen since last year. When I say fledgling I mean that sometimes I bail before the ten minutes is up and check my phone. Even though I’m not very good at it yet, I can really tell the difference on the days that I make time for it. Our church started hosting its weekly Sunday service online and that’s challenging for me because a church service feels like it’s designed to be so much about the physical rhythm of going to a place, seeing faces of people I love, hearing their voices co-mingling with mine in song and in prayer, and tasting the bread and wine in my mouth. The online service was short, and just for viewing through a zoom conference call, but there was still something meaningful about setting aside that time Sunday morning, asking our wiggly kids to be present, and saying the liturgy out loud knowing that in homes all across the country, other people are doing the same. 

If things are really going to get as bad as some are predicting, we’ll need the spiritual strength to make it to the other side. Those habits are hard to form overnight. My parents taught me that you really have to make the time for your spirituality non-negotiable, so that you won’t abandon it when it’s inconvenient or when you are too tired.    

______________________________________________

沒辦法.

“What choice do we have?” 

9. Rise to the occasion. Whenever my parents are telling old war stories about things they had to do to get to where they are today, inevitably one of us will say, “Man that’s crazy, how did you manage to do it?” And instead of pointing to some super personality trait of theirs or some complex self-help principle, they always say, “We had no choice.” It’s not said in a defeated way, but in a posture of accepting that life can be cruel, unfair, and capricious. And that it’s not helpful to dwell too long on the why’s and how’s. My parents taught me that you can’t stay in despair mode. You eventually have to push yourself into problem solving mode and you do whatever it takes to move forward.  

This coronavirus is so unlike anything we’ve ever experienced in our lifetime. It is so unprecedented for me that my brain is having a hard time processing the reality of what’s happening right now and the rest of my lived experience. I spent the first few days of this week just being overwhelmed, anxious, angry, and irritable. At this point though, I’m in go mode. I’m doing what needs to be done for our family and taking care of business. What choice do we have? I can hear my parents saying it. One day, if we’re lucky, we’ll say it to our kids too. 

[ellocentipede]

Arcana Wildcraft’s Green Dream Collection

Arcana Wildcraft’s limited edition Green Dream Collection, an ode to the many fragrant nuances of the natural, blooming cannabis flower, is currently available! It’s an interesting and shockingly beautiful collection that I have fallen in love with. Julia of Arcana is known for her gorgeous, realistic, atmospheric, aquatic, and floral blends, and each of these scents showcase her talent beautifully. Each fragrance in this collection is unique and tranquil in its own way (and no, they don’t smell like stinky smoke!).

Beta Endorphins

Scent description: When these are released in your brain, food begins to smell and taste irresistible, causing the side effect known as the munchies. Chocolate milk, salty popcorn, cold vanilla ice cream, peanut brittle, and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

From the description, this sounds like such a thick, decadent scent, but it’s surprisingly not as heavy as I thought it’d be! It’s a little clean (perhaps the coldness of the ice cream?) and there’s lots of smooth, mild, creamy peanut butter. This is like eating peanut butter out of the jar in a clean, cozy room. It becomes more toothsome pretty quickly and develops into a gorgeous, realistic peanut butter scent. It smells like freshly-ground artisanal peanut butter, with just a hint of shell bits and a touch of cold, smooth, chocolate milk. Yummy!

Coconut Chalice

Scent description:  Created from a coconut shell, this traditional Jamaican water pipe represents the elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Green coconut, coconut husk, rich Cuban vanilla, dark Muscovado sugar, and Lamb’s Breath accord.

Dark sugar-sweetened fresh coconut meat still in the husk, with a hint of ripe greenness. This is the scent of a relaxing meditation session on a tropical beach. A gorgeous coconut blend. 

Rose Petal Blunt

Scent description:  Delicately beautiful and delicious, this is probably how fairies partake. Dewy red rose petals and fresh green stems evolve into a heart of soft tuberose and Silver Haze accord.

Rose Petal Blunt is the most clamored-for scent in this collection, and for good reason. It is a beautiful fragrance. This is one of the most beautiful rose scents that I’ve come across. The rose is velvety, dewy (true to description!), and realistic. When I smell this I feel like I’m lounging in a meadow, pressing roses to my nose. There is a hint of the Silver Haze, but it’s not overpowering--it’s peaceful and mellow. Good vibes in this blend for sure!

Shiva’s Trident

Scent description:  A special three-pronged joint created to honor Lord Shiva’s smoking sadhus. Indian sandalwood, Nag Champa incense, and Hindu Kush accord.

Rich and airy Nag Champa, smooth, dry, sandalwood, and chewy, green cannabis flower. This is one peaceful and pretty incense blend! It’s fragrant, rich, and uplifting. It feels both snuggly (like a soft, cozy blanket) and meditative. 

Waterfall

Scent description:  A smoking vessel which utilizes Bernoulli’s principle of fluid dynamics as expressed in his 1738 book, Hydrodynamica. The green dankness of rain, wet leaves, lichen, water-drenched tree moss, fucus, French seaweed absolute, and Northern Lights accord.

Julia does aquatic and rain scents so well, and in my humble opinion this is one of her best. Waterfall opens with dank, pungent, mossy green cannabis blossoms. The pungency mellows quickly and the scent develops into a beautiful, atmospheric warm rain on cool stone. It evokes the feeling of being in a cool, natural moss-coated grotto with a waterfall. This is a gorgeous and calming atmospheric blend, with a touch of gentle sweetness. I can feel my stress melt away when I smell it.

Arcana Wildcraft’s beautiful scents may be perused and purchased at https://arcanawildcraft.com/ 

[ao3feed-snowbaz]

Life is a Bowl of Peanut Sauce

https://ift.tt/3bX0PD0

by Fight_Surrender

Simon kisses my cheek before releasing me. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Baz. This is what heaven tastes like.”

“It’s a good thing my road goes straight to hell then.”

Simon hums, “I’ll just have to bring my peanut sauce when I follow you there.” He takes a spring roll and submerges it in sauce, swirling it around to ensure full, horrid coverage.

  Pure domestic fluff. Simon makes Thai peanut sauce, Baz hates everything about it.

Words: 1025, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Simon Snow, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch

Relationships: Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch & Simon Snow

Additional Tags: Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Bliss, An Ode to Peanut Sauce, Ficlet, blender hate, Thai Food, Food Issues, Novel Uses for Peanut Sauce, SnowBaz, domestic snowbaz, Vampire Allergies

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3bX0PD0

[ao3feed-carryon]

by Fight_Surrender

Simon kisses my cheek before releasing me. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Baz. This is what heaven tastes like.”

“It’s a good thing my road goes straight to hell then.”

Simon hums, “I’ll just have to bring my peanut sauce when I follow you there.” He takes a spring roll and submerges it in sauce, swirling it around to ensure full, horrid coverage.

  Pure domestic fluff. Simon makes Thai peanut sauce, Baz hates everything about it.

Words: 1025, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Simon Snow, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch

Relationships: Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch & Simon Snow

Additional Tags: Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Bliss, An Ode to Peanut Sauce, Ficlet, blender hate, Thai Food, Food Issues, Novel Uses for Peanut Sauce, SnowBaz, domestic snowbaz, Vampire Allergies

[halsteadproperty]

Offbeat Winter Events in February

By Denise De Maria, Lic. R.E. salesperson in our Forest Hills office                

When the dreary cold days of February come around, there are two bright spots I always await with anticipation—and the best part is that they last all month!

Hot chocolate aficionados may already be wise to this, but you must pay at least one visit to City Bakery, located at 3 West 18th Street, right off Fifth Avenue, during their Hot Chocolate Festival. Their regular hot chocolate, topped off with a marshmallow, is rich and decadent. But you haven’t lived until you’ve tried Sunken Treasure, complete with gold caramel coins and a chocolate truffle buried in the bottom of the cup, Hot Chocolate on a Peanut Butter Barge, or Ode to the Polar Bear (white hot chocolate). There is even a “Love Potion” hot chocolate for Valentine’s Day. While you’re there, you may also want to sample some of their delicious cookies, muffins and scones.

If you’re not too worried about calories, the other “don’t miss” locale is the Clinton Street Baking Company during their annual Pancake Month. Located on the Lower East Side at 4 Clinton Street, off East Houston Street, they regularly feature renowned blueberry, banana nut and chocolate chunk pancakes, but they dedicate the month of February to unique varieties that change every few days. My personal favorites are Japanese Pumpkin Pancakes, Raspberry Pancakes with toasted almond butter and raspberry jam, and last but certainly not least, Chocolate Pancakes with fresh raspberries and raspberry-caramel sauce. As one can imagine, they are usually at capacity day or night, but they thankfully expanded over a year ago so you don’t have to wait in the cold.  

These are both fun, comforting places to ward off the cold, whether on your own or perhaps to celebrate with your Valentine.

[limbicmoshpit-blog]

GST- GET SSsALT, tata

Wee weeeeeeeeee! Janta! Wheeeee! What a ride! Haven’t seen the inside of this city in a while Three wheels and the steer Schumacher wanna-be, Deleting swerves with swag! Sunday and familia

has shifted face, place, sentimentality… who are you again?!

Who died and made you leader? Birthright for being the first; Sudha? Who’s Sudha? Where have you been? Reinstated? We’ll call you; No, you can’t visit We put the fun in dysfunctional Ode to my family, last night Rocket Burger didn’t feature… Shit! What the duck does dissing drum down to?

P-language of parallel lanes… Uphill, we roared in, A gopika selling tissue packets outside Daniel; "Thali khilao na?" Option two… "Amul butter", compassion. Her smile silenced similes

We entered the mouth of the buzz, still breathing. Everything changes Is a lie… there are time warps! Did you notice the palpitations bass At level one?

Three levels: Everything that’s black and white Everything that’s grey Everything that’s inebriated on productivity, HAY!

Hey!

Bhahoot time khe baad, ma’m Dali, what’s the tense of memory?

Clinking smart phones, eyes clued in to glare Digital adrenaline streaming across mini-tv screens, hindi retro tunes, azure filtering, boundaries melting into a pot of cocktail sauce, Ketchup hain?

Salt, I repeat, S A L T! Not sauce…

Gandhi’s Salt March, East India corruption From the glycerine in our glasses. Miracle cure : beta-carotene : sight. Do you like trees? Sentences laced with ethyl vapour.

Simultaneously satiated sprouts are germinating the courage to be lunch tomorrow. Yesterday’s stairway tunnels up into an era. Thwarted truths, tedious twisting

bottle cap, bottle cap, bottle cap

“A plate of masala peanuts?” He asked Finely chopped hari mirchi Roots and mother tongue, too spicy for my accent Warnings arrive too late Are we doomed to wisen In hindsight, No peanuts, no gain.

Watching dough and ‘DUH’ squeeze out the brilliance of the night!

@limbicmoshpit

[syd-vish23]

Ode to my Son

He can taste the carrots in his spaghetti sauce. He spots the squash in his soup. He makes a face before I set down his meals, narrowed eyes knowing I masqueraded vegetables again.

Good thing he likes the stars hidden in his sandwiches- galaxies mixed in his strawberry jam. Bits of Orion’s Belt mixed in his peanut butter. He glows with the joy of fullfilled wishes.

I’ll find a way one day for him to eat his spinach. Perhaps if I sprinkle it with glaze or celestial light, he’ll find a way to like his veggies and all will be alright. - Syd

[shyloft]

do the entire alphabet, my dude !!!

DUDE ok here’s all of the other 20

A: art, afraid by the nbhd, air catcher by 21p, anathema by 21p, addams family and addams family values

B: breath of the wild, bread, behind the scenes photos from films with actors in full costume, børns, beverly hills by weezer, banana + chocolate + peanut butter, brownies

C: car radio by 21p, cookies, cake (unless its covered in buttercream yikes), chvrches, color by finish ticket, cadbury mini eggs, cry baby by the nbhd, colourpop cosmetics, clear by 21p, christmas, chocolate, my best friend (courtney) (love u court), costume, apparently things starting with the letter c

D: DOGS, dumb dumb by red velvet, dark chocolate + raspberry, drawing

E: embroidery, everlong by foo fighters, empty by kevin abstract, edge of seventeen by stevie nicks, everytime we touch by cascada ugh what a bop

G: guns for hands by 21p, greetings from califournia by the nbhd, gatsby, glowing eyes by 21p

H: hozier, holding on to you by 21p, happiness, halloween, hairspray (the musical)

I: ice cream cake, isle of flightless birds by 21p

J: JOSH DUN, johnny boy by 21p

K: kit kat bars, kill bill, kitchen sink by 21p

N: naked 3 palette by urban decay, not today by 21p, the neighbourhood, not remembering to put really important things on my other asks

O: ode to sleep by 21p, only by nicki minaj and everyone else in that song, ocarina of time (loz)

P: putting a 21p song under like every letter except this one, prey by the nbhd, pasta (not really red sauce pasta. i know), papermate inkjoy pens

Q: queen (the band), quilts with floral designs

R: ride by 21p, rihanna, reading what other people put on stuff like this, regional at best, romeo + juliet (the baz luhrmann film), rupaul’s drag race

S: spirited away, skyward sword (loz), slowtown by 21p, sfx makeup youtube tutorials and shows like face off

T: twenty one pilots, tyler joseph, twilight princess (loz), tattoo shows like ink master and tattoo nightmares (ones centered around specific parlors are literally all scripted and full of huge drama queens), talking about myself clearly

W: wind waker (loz), winston (my dog), writing i guess

X: xylophones (this is me desperately trying to find an x But i did actually used to be the Xylophone Girl in percussion in middle school band)

Z: …zidler….harry zidler, the owner of the moulin rouge as portrayed by the man who played professor slughorn in the harry potter films

[millababicheva]

purnple even tho i already kno ur a taurus

what’s your astrological sign?

wrow,, thank you for remembering….. you’re also very right, i am painfully a Typical Taurus, tbh….

what’s the best piece of advice you ever received?

as;ljfaskldfj gOD i cannot remember anything i just wing it

when’s the last time you followed your instincts?

when i took my bio test earlier this week……. for real tho

what’s your favorite food?

there’s a lot of room in my heart for anything chocolate and ice cream…… but dish-wise, i’m a sucker for barbecue (especially my grandma’s korean barbecue……damn….) and this dish called kare kare, which is oxtail in peanut sauce mixed with other vegetables like string beans and whatever is the english version of pechay 

what’s your secret dream?

hmmm it’s not too secret but not a lot of people know and i don’t bother saying so like… my secret dream is – besides publishing a couple books – to someday settle down with my wife, and we’ll adopt and/or foster kids, especially older kids, and like….. alfjasldkj i’m so extra i have like extra details worked in too but that’s like the gist of it just know that i’m a domestic mess and love kids

send me a color!

[tripstations]

A Lengthy Weekend in New York: What to Do?

from the tripstations archives: November 2017

The town was nonetheless buzzing and considerably in shock from the latest twin uptown and downtown Blue and Purple occasion sharing of election night time acceptance and condolence throughout our final November go to. It’s the weekend earlier than Thanksgiving: that each one American, parades of billowing balloons and black Friday purchasing. The unusually balmy climate provides the town some pre-holiday giddiness that solely provides to the standard New York Metropolis buzz. New Yorkers are speaking to strangers over shared tables at dinners (this occurred twice on our go to). What are you able to pack into 4 days within the metropolis that by no means sleeps? Rather a lot it appears. Tie on some cozy strolling footwear and be part of us as we uncover acquainted and never so acquainted issues to do over an extended weekend in New York Metropolis.

The Different Park

We had been fortunate to expertise some uncommon New York, late Indian Summer time-like climate, and hopped the F practice to Brooklyn, exited at Flatbush and entered into Prospect Park. We joined nannies with strollers, zealous joggers, and cyclists and fell in love with the numerous paths and forested walkways of this Brooklyn oasis. Take a detour into the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens or cease at BAM for a live performance or lecture in your means in or out of this lush and beautiful inexperienced area that Frederick Regulation Olmsted, the famend designer of Central Park, (that different park) regarded as his most profitable and achieved park design. Stroll down Carroll Road by way of Park Slope and expertise a few of the neighborhoods’ lovely Brownstones and a few 40 minutes later, end up on stylish Courtroom Road in Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill, subsequent door to Historic Brooklyn Heights. Or maybe a bit additional north to the hip and gentrified Williamsburg.

A Night time on the Opera

On any go to to New York, one ought to absorb it’s many and splendid cultural establishments. In case you have by no means skilled the Metropolitan Opera and a glass of champagne in her luscious red-carpeted interval lobbies, then indulge your senses in Anna Netrebko’s Manon Lescault this fall within the Met’s breathtaking manufacturing, with Marcelo Álvarez as Des Grieux offering greater than a match for Ms. Netrebko’s over-the-top soprano. Set in occupied France within the 1940s, it’s a becoming setting for an opera about an unprincipled protagonist, prepared to do something to acquire her ends. The gorgeous set is ideal! Tickets start at $25; for costs, extra data, or to put an order, name (212) 362-6000 or go to www.metopera.org.

Two Museums: One Conventional, One Not So A lot

 The Metropolitan Museum of Artwork unveiled its new present, Masterworks: Unpacking Style on the Costume Institute simply days earlier than our arrival. The exhibition is an unbelievable story of the evolution of clothes over the past 200 or so years, in about 60 shows, and lets the viewer simply observe and perceive the “dialog”; consider the that means behind the cerulean lecture in The Satan Wears Prada, and you’ll perceive. Outfits on show embrace Price, Schiaparelli, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Dior and it’s a must-stop for the fashionista.

The Museum of the Metropolis of New York was opening their New York at it’s Core exhibition on the Saturday of our go to and was filled with dwell music and welcoming leisure. The exhibit follows the historical past of the town’s preliminary rise from a Dutch colony to right this moment’s metropolis. We additionally had been completely enthralled with Homosexual Gotham: Artwork and Underground Tradition in New York, till February 26, 2017, “brings to life the queer inventive networks that sprang up within the metropolis throughout the 20th century–a sequence of creative subcultures whose radical concepts had lasting results on the mainstream.” We encountered homosexual icons from Mae West to Leonard Bernstein and Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Cecil Beaton; George Platt Lynes and Gertrude Stein.

Eats

A final minute reservation was made and with a lot anticipation we entered Pondicheri, chef, and restaurateur Anita Jaisinghani ode to lovely household based mostly Indian nosh. This Houston-based restaurant opened its New York doorways in July and had been receiving raves, together with two write-ups within the New York Instances alone.  We targeted on the Thali menu which we thrived on throughout our time in India: actually ‘plate’: large silver platters, divided into sections, quickly full of heaping helpings of no matter vegetarian wonders Anitaji has cooking in her kitchen that day. John scooped up the Vegetarian Vishnu: crimson beet soup, smoked eggplant, spiced okra, sautéed greens, candy potato peanut samosa. I opted for Earth: hen 25, spiced okra, smoked eggplant, sautéed greens, beet cashew raita, all washed down with chilly seasonal pints of draught beer. The meals gods, Vishnu included, had been smiling on us on our first night time in New York!

Eataly Flatiron continues to be a raucous, bustling, busy chew of Italy positioned at 200 fifth Avenue with entrances on 23rd Road between fifth & sixth Avenue. We loved their truffle and fungi impressed menu on the common Manzo earlier than heading uptown for our night time on the opera. I savoured splendid tagliatelle with Veal Ragout, shavings of Grano Padano and truffles and John was speechless together with his Farrotto: evenly toasted farro with whipped parsnips, wild mushrooms, and parsnip chips. Second-night rating, restaurant-wise!

The brand new Eataly NYC Downtown Italian market debuted at four World Commerce Middle this month and options tastings, a sit-down Southern Italian restaurant, bread bakery, Italian espresso bar and several other to-go choices. Ensure you ask for a window seat for spectacular views over the Nationwide September 11 memorial and the radiant reflecting swimming pools.

seventh Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn presents tons of takeaway choices from small storefront eateries that mix quick meals on the go together with a sit-down eating expertise that typically spills onto late November heat and sunny again patios. HANKI On a regular basis Korean brings loads of soul to their Seoul impressed genuine Korean meals. For meat lovers, the good Dak-Galbi ‘Hanki Set’: fire-grilled hen served with a spicy/candy sauce with slivers of inexperienced jalapeños warming the tongue and sides of veg japchae (chilly candy potato starch noodles) is a should. The Tofu Steak ‘Hanki Set’ is a vegetarian dream: easy tofu, shiitake mushrooms and onion ‘steak’ grilled in soy with 4 sides of banchan. A beneficiant facet of seasoned brown rice finishes each units. Wash it down with one in all their signature heat or chilly teas, and you might be prepared to complete your sunny November amble of Brooklyn.

Brunch or a Burger at The NoMad Lodge

Locals hail The NoMad Lodge Chef Daniel Humm’s Vegetarian burger as THE veterinarian burger to have within the metropolis proper now, and in response to the desk beside us, a reasonably rattling positive dry-aged beef burger as properly the place the lodge’s atrium is simply the place to seize sunny Sunday brunch or an intimate dinner underneath the cover of a twinkling metropolis. We selected the brunch choice, our final morning within the metropolis, and begin with a standard Bloody Mary, and John sips a Espresso Martini. Completely poached Eggs Benedict (sans contemporary crab meat, I’m allergic) offered on barely buttered cushions of house-made muffins draped with a tarragon-scented hollandaise. John opts for the spinach, chèvre and mushroom omelet, served with toast slathered with probably the most beautiful butter. In fact, there’s that well-known Veggie Burger: lentils, cremini mushrooms, and piquillo served fairly merely, letting all of the splendour of the burger shine by way of. Unobtrusive slick service provides to a beautiful final morning in New York.

The New New York

“Decrease Manhattan’s exceptional revitalization over the past 15 years is a cornerstone of the ‘new’ New York Metropolis,” mentioned Fred Dixon, president, and CEO of NYC & Firm. “With tourism reaching file ranges in New York Metropolis, guests and locals have extra selections to discover, store, keep and dine than ever earlier than on this newly reimagined downtown neighborhood.” And certainly it’s really new: enter your upscale purchasing expertise on the  $1.four billion Westfield World Commerce Middle purchasing advanced through Santiago Calatrava’s hovering Dove of a transit hub, the Oculus and 365,000 sq. toes of retail area. Up your purchasing sport at manufacturers that embrace Apple, Beneath Armour, Kate Spade, and Lacoste.

And naturally The Nationwide September 11 Memorial Museum on the World Commerce Middle. Take a quiet two hours to enter this solemn area of remembrance and reflection which attests to the triumph of human dignity over atrocity. Exit the museum and spend a while within the late November solar viewing the magnificent reflecting swimming pools that sit throughout the unique footprints of the Twin Towers. A difficult however inspiring morning.

Two Christmas Markets, Two Very Completely different Feels

The Union Sq. Vacation Market combines their inexperienced market with their Christmas market and makes for a much less company, extra natural seasonal expertise. wander the winding aisles and stalls of handicrafts and one-of-a-kind presents, or hand around in Market places like Little Brooklyn or Urbanspace Provisions. The youngsters can spend time in their very own craft studio whilst you heat up within the warming station.

Head uptown to Bryant Park, and do some early Christmas purchasing on the Vacation Outlets at Bryant Park.  Peruse the stalls of handcrafted jewellery, handmade soaps, scarves, hand heaters, distinctive small items of pictures and work and naturally, your requisite NYC memento. Or strap on some skates and take a look at the ice out on the Financial institution of America Winter Village at Bryant Park. There are many meals kiosks ringing Bryant Park must you or the youngsters want a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

Ensure you go to NYC and Firm and choose up a few Metropolis Passes. Not solely will you save 40 p.c off common mixed admission costs whereas visiting a few of the metropolis’s most essential websites, however additionally, you will get to leap the road and take the VIP route. How nice is that?

Fall in love with New York my buddies! Focused on your personal Lengthy Weekend in New York Metropolis? Take a look at Skyscanner for any flight or lodge offers on your Lengthy Weekend away! Or searching for a dependable information? tripstations ALWAYS makes use of DK Books Eyewitness Collection: 

  The post A Lengthy Weekend in New York: What to Do? appeared first on Tripstations.

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AKRON, Ohio — The students paraded through hugs and high-fives from staff, who danced as Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” blared through the hallways. They were showered with compliments as they walked through a buffet of breakfast foods.

The scene might be expected on a special occasion at any other public school. At LeBron James’s I Promise School, it was just Monday.

Every day, they are celebrated for walking through the door. This time last year, the students at the school — Mr. James’s biggest foray into educational philanthropy — were identified as the worst performers in the Akron public schools and branded with behavioral problems. Some as young as 8 were considered at risk of not graduating.

Now, they are helping close the achievement gap in Akron.

Students at I Promise lining up for a free breakfast. Credit: Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

The academic results are early, and at 240, the sample size of students is small, but the inaugural classes of third and fourth graders at I Promise posted extraordinary results in their first set of district assessments. Ninety percent met or exceeded individual growth goals in reading and math, outpacing their peers across the district.

“These kids are doing an unbelievable job, better than we all expected,” Mr. James said in a telephone interview hours before a game in Los Angeles for the Lakers. “When we first started, people knew I was opening a school for kids. Now people are going to really understand the lack of education they had before they came to our school. People are going to finally understand what goes on behind our doors.”

Unlike other schools connected to celebrities, I Promise is not a charter school run by a private operator but a public school operated by the district. Its population is 60 percent black, 15 percent English-language learners and 29 percent special education students. Three-quarters of its families meet the low-income threshold to receive help from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The school’s $2 million budget is funded by the district, roughly the same amount per pupil that it spends in other schools. But Mr. James’s foundation has provided about $600,000 in financial support for additional teaching staff to help reduce class sizes, and an additional hour of after-school programming and tutors.

The school is unusual in the resources and attention it devotes to parents, which educators consider a key to its success. Mr. James’s foundation covers the cost of all expenses in the school’s family resource center, which provides parents with G.E.D. preparation, work advice, health and legal services, and even a quarterly barbershop.

The school opened with some skepticism — not only for its high-profile founder, considered by some to be the best basketball player ever, but also for an academic model aimed at students who by many accounts were considered irredeemable.

“We are reigniting dreams that were extinguished — already in third and fourth grade,” said Brandi Davis, the school’s principal. “We want to change the face of urban education.”

Angela Whorton, an intervention specialist, hugging Ibn al-Qaadir. The school aims to help children in academics as well as social life. Credit: Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

The students’ scores reflect their performance on the Measures of Academic Progress assessment, a nationally recognized test administered by NWEA, an evaluation association. In reading, where both classes had scored in the lowest, or first, percentile, third graders moved to the ninth percentile, and fourth graders to the 16th. In math, third graders jumped from the lowest percentile to the 18th, while fourth graders moved from the second percentile to the 30th.

The 90 percent of I Promise students who met their goals exceeded the 70 percent of students districtwide, and scored in the 99th growth percentile of the evaluation association’s school norms, which the district said showed that students’ test scores increased at a higher rate than 99 out of 100 schools nationally.

The students have a long way to go to even join the middle of the pack. And time will tell whether the gains are sustainable and how they stack up against rigorous state standardized tests at the end of the year. To some extent, the excitement surrounding the students’ progress illustrates a somber reality in urban education, where big hopes hinge on small victories.

“It’s encouraging to see growth, but by no means are we out of the woods,” said Keith Liechty, a coordinator in the Akron public school system’s Office of School Improvement. The school district, where achievement and graduation rates have received failing marks on state report cards, has been trying to turn around its worst-performing schools for years. “The goal is for these students to be at grade level, and we’re not there yet. This just tells us we’re going in the right direction,” he added.

But Mr. Liechty, who has been with the district for 20 years, said that the students’ leaps would not be expected in an entire school year, let alone half of one. “For the average student,” he said, “your percentile doesn’t move that much unless something extraordinary is happening.”

Although LeBron James has been to I Promise only twice since this school year started, his presence is ubiquitous. Credit: Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

Lining the walls of the school’s vast lobby are 114 shoes, including those worn during the 2016 season when Mr. James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the N.B.A. championship. Credit: Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

On a tour of the school on Monday, Michele Campbell, the executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, pointed out what she called I Promise’s “secret sauce.” In one room, staff members were busy organizing a room filled with bins of clothing and shelves of peanut butter, jelly and Cheerios. At any time, parents can grab a shopping bin and take what they need.

Down the hallway, parents honed their math skills for their coming G.E.D. exams as their students learned upstairs.

Dr. Campbell arrived to a classroom where a student and teacher were facing off.

“You’re being too aggressive!” the student snapped at Angel Whorton, an intervention specialist.

There was a pause, and the two burst into giggles, breaking character in a role-playing assignment.

“Good; that’s how I need you to use your words,” Ms. Whorton said to the boy, who is awaiting a disciplinary hearing.

Dr. Campbell smiled, “There’s magic happening in that room.”

Wallace Watson resting on Ms. Whorton during a meditation exercise. Credit: Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

I Promise students were among those identified by the district as performing in the 10th to 25th percentile on their second-grade assessments. They were then admitted through a lottery.

“These were the children where you went and talked with their old teachers, and they said, ‘This will never work,’” Dr. Campbell said. “We said give them to us.”

They are called the “Chosen Ones,” an ode to the headline that donned Mr. James’s first Sports Illustrated cover when he was a junior in high school, and which he later had tattooed across his shoulder blades.

I Promise students were among those identified by the district as performing in the 10th to 25th percentile on their second-grade assessments. Credit: Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

According to standardized tests, students at I Promise have vastly improved from their scores the previous year in Akron public schools. Credit: Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

Students here are aware that they are part of something special. “We get to have fun, and have opportunities that other kids don’t have,” said Kamari Dennis, a fourth grader.

The school is an extension of Mr. James’s work in his hometown, Akron, where his family’s foundation has been active for seven years. The I Promise program supports about 1,100 other students in third through 10th grade across the Akron public school district, with mentoring, college and career preparation and other resources estimated at $2.6 million for this school year. All of the students in the program and the school who meet certain academic criteria will receive a full college scholarship to the University of Akron.

But the I Promise School was a recognition that the foundation’s community services were not enough. They needed to reach students earlier. They secured an old district office building that served as a holding place for schools in transition, poured in $2 million and counting for improvements and reopened it in seven weeks. The school opened in July 2018 and is expected to serve 720 students in third through eighth grade by 2022.

The foundation’s support affords I Promise more resources than the average school, but Ms. Davis, a veteran principal in the district, said the school values things that no money could buy.

“It doesn’t take money to build relationships,” she said. “It doesn’t take money for you to teach students how to love.”

A food pantry inside the school. At any time, parents can grab a shopping bin and take what they need. Credit: Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

The school negotiated with the Akron Education Association for an extra hour a day and an extended year to put into place programs intended to address students’ social and emotional needs.

Pat Shipe, the president of the association, said the union was proud of the collaboration and “cautiously optimistic” about its outcomes.

“While this school is in its infancy, we look forward to an extended review of the many indicators, which will confirm any growth, understanding that one or two tests do not tell the whole story,” she said.

On a recent morning, students spent the first hour getting ready for the day in a gathering that is called an “I Promise Circle.” By the end of the circle, a girl who was upset about a run-in with her bus driver and another girl who had dozed off were squealing happily at the end of the game Down by the Banks.

I Promise’s $2 million budget is funded by the district, roughly the same amount per pupil that it spends in other schools. Credit: Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

The school negotiated for an extra hour a day and an extended year to carry out programs meant to address students’ social and emotional needs. Credit: Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

“Everything is strategic to transform the way our day goes,” said Nicole Hassan, a liaison from Akron Public Schools who oversees I Promise’s trauma-informed curriculum.

The school’s culture is built on “Habits of Promise” — perseverance, perpetual learning, problem solving, partnering and perspective — that every student commits to memory. The slogan “We Are Family” is emblazoned on walls and T-shirts.

Nickole Wyatt, whose son Ti’Jay Wyatt is in fourth grade, said she had felt unsupported ever since she became a teenage mother. “It took me coming here to realize what family even is,” she said.

Ms. Wyatt, who is taking classes at the school to get her high school equivalency diploma, said I Promise saved not only her son’s education but her own life.

“I was skeptical even of my own life, wondering, ‘Am I even worth fighting for?’” she said. “When I come here every day, I know it’s going to be O.K.”

Vikki McGee, who runs the school’s family resource center, said the center’s existence conveyed that the school was about something much bigger than a basketball star: “This is about fighting for generations.”

Mr. James has visited twice since the school year started, but he is everywhere — on murals, on wallpaper, on video messages. He comes up often when students reflect on their educational experience.

The school’s culture is built on “Habits of Promise” — perseverance, perpetual learning, problem solving, partnering and perspective — that every student commits to memory. Credit: Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

“One time, LeBron wrote us a letter, and I knew it was real because I saw the paper was signed in pen,” said Vikyah Powe, a fourth grader. “That encouraged me.”

While Mr. James called the school “the coolest thing that I’ve done in my life thus far,” he said he could take credit for only a small part of what was happening.

“I had the vision of wanting to give back to my community. The people around every day are helping that vision come to life,” he said. “Half the battle is trying to engage them and show that there’s always going to be somebody looking out for them.”

Lining the walls of the school’s vast lobby are 114 shoes, including those worn during the 2016 season when Mr. James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the N.B.A. championship, a reminder that he once walked a path similar to these students. Mr. James was also considered at risk; in fourth grade, he missed 83 days of school.

Nataylia Henry, a fourth grader, missed more than 50 days of school last year because she said she would rather sleep than face bullies at school. This year, her overall attendance rate is 80 percent.

“LeBron made this school,” she said. “It’s an important school. It means that you can always depend on someone.”

Nataylia Henry, a fourth grader at I Promise, missed more than 50 days of school last year. Credit: Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

Erica L. Green is a correspondent in Washington covering education and education policy. Before joining The Times, she wrote about education for The Baltimore Sun.

A version of this article appears in print on April 13, 2019, on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: ‘Reigniting Dreams’: An N.B.A. Star’s School Is Gaining Ground.

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