What would you do for a neighbor with food poisoning?

Would you knock on the door and check on him/her? Even more, would you bring over a pot of freshly cooked chicken noodle soup for dinner? Would you care enough to stuff their fridge with Chobani, fruit and OJ for the next morning?

I did all of the above, and suggested him to sue the hell out of the certain food chain (starts with a C) that put him in the miserable state.

In return,  he gave me a box of match sticks that I needed for lighting the lavender scented candles that I just got for insomnia, and even a bottle of my favorite beer.

Now, replace "neighbor" with "ex-boyfriend" (actually he is both). And in case you are wondering, yes, he is the reason for my insomnia, and the reason I like beer to start with. I will probably saving the beer and the match stick box for as long as I can. Pathetic, I know. But this is what I do to move on...

Along the Silk Road -- Wandering around the Grand Bazaar

What trip would be complete without a market place visit? I'm not a shopoholic, but when you are exploring the thousand-year trading route, a visit to the grand bazaar is not to be missed!

The grand bazaar consists of several big buildings, and has quite an Islamic feel to it.

Along the Silk Road, Tian Shan Tian Chi -- the Heavenly Mountains & Lake

Part of the Himalayan orogenic belt, stretching 2,800 kilometers (1,700 miles), Tian Shan is a large mountain range in Central Asia. The Xinjiang portion made the World Heritage List by UNESCO for its outstanding natural beauty, superlative natural features and as an example of ongoing biological and ecological evolution process. Of course we were not going to miss this spot!

Would You Eat This? -- My Food in China, Week 1

Born in China, having lived on three continents, I thought I had tried it all: escargots, squid on a stick, fried cicadas, grilled grasshoppers, salads consisting ducks' tongues and snake skin. Within two hours of my flight touched the ground, I quickly realized: Oh no, I was so wrong. I had not even touched the tip of the iceberg.

First, I was greeted by this lovely duck carefully prepared by my folks, simmered in a clay pot for over 5 hours.

Huh. Did I tell you it's stuffed with sticky rice, chest nuts, dried scallops, Shitake mushrooms, salted pork, bamboo roots, chicken gizzards, and lotus seeds? Once I came to peace with the duck head, the meat was lean and a bit tougher than chicken. It also had a slightly more earthy tone. This dish is a famous Shanghai style dish, and is supposed to be super nutritious (perhaps from the comprehensive ingredient list).
Bottom line: I would eat this VERY occasionally, maybe once a year on special occasion. I would NOT replace my turkey with this duck though as Ralphie's family did for Christmas.

I am going to do the rest of this post based on how gruesome the picture is, instead of by chronological order, just to ease you in. One day I walk home and found this sitting on the table.

A Month in China Day 0, via Air Canada -- going through immigration without a valid visa (how did I do that?!)

10 years ago, I left my hometown and started my life on a foreign continent. After my recent events in life, I looked back and reflected on how I ended up where I am now, and realized something that was quite shocking: more than 90% of the memorable and/or life changing events happened AFTER I left China. I suddenly felt the urge for a visit, no, a life back home, to be re-immersed in this rich culture and to maybe gain some new perspective in life. If nothing else, I will at least be able to visit some friends and family, and experience a ton of great food. Such urge was growing bigger day by day,  I just needed the last kick to get me off an enjoyable day-to-day life. Finally, a round-trip ticket for $760 did the trick. I mean,  who can pass THIS up?

At 2:40 a.m. September 18th, I packed one single suitcase and started a journey. Within the next 26 hours, I experienced several events that was more than a little surprising: I crossed the US/Canada boarder WITHOUT a valid VISA to each country, and with fresh fruits intact in my carry-on; I looked for a healthy and ended up eating at Mc Donald's; I got super fresh meals served before everyone and had a very boozy flight on Air Canada; and I almost drank a whole glass of dairy creamer before going to bed in full exhaustion. Man, where shall we start?

Friday Pizza on the Farm + Sunday Chewing on the Farm

FRIDAY

My first volunteer experience on the Yale Farm was super fun, and of course, I had to go back for more on Friday. And guess what, on Friday, there was a pizza party!

Yep you heard it right. Apparently, through fall, Yale hires pizza interns who starts roasting newly harvested vegetables and making pizza dough at noon every Friday. By 5:00 p.m., at the end of the volunteer hours, all volunteers are invited to a pizza feast to celebrate the hard work. You probably already know that New Haven is famous for its pizza, and the farm pizza has the reputation of being the best in town. Having sampled all the local pizzerias that claim to be the "best", I had my  doubts. But one bite later, I became a total believer. Oh my goodness, weren't those delicious!

Wednesday Afternoon on the Farm

Were you ever intrigued by what it is like on a farm? Were you ever tempted by the wild, natural farming life style? If you were somebody like me, the answer would be "Yes! Many times!" I have always dreamed about living a rural life, especially after reading the Swiss novel "Heidi" at the age of 10. I was fascinated by the idea of sleeping on a hay stack, waking up to a mug of fresh goat's milk, and staying up chatting under a million stars in the sky. Today, my dream came true. Well, sort of. I finally got to work on a (not certified but better than) organic farm, for about three hours in the afternoon. 

2 life 2 balance

It all started 8 weeks ago. Right before going to a conference, I decided to get a medical check up at the health center, just to be sure--my belly had swollen to a balloon, and we all know that there is a possibility birth control and pregnancy test both fail. Either that, or my one-beer-a-day consumption was giving me a beer belly, somehow.
And everything happened in a flash. Pelvic mass? Cyst? 9 inch? In danger of bursting? Potentially cancerous? Open cut surgery? Full anesthesia? Right ovary in danger? What? Why? How come?
Within a week, I woke up on a surgery bed, and the doctor's words sounded like the most beautiful piece of music. "Everything went well. You are fine now."
Recovery would be a boring story to all. Basic life function became more challenging than a 26-year-old could imagine. Fortunately I was blessed with love. With the love and support that I can never thank enough for, life peddled on.
A better life, I hope.

Life, is such a peculiar thing. Some people strive for success or fame; some live for love or honor; some believing in serving others. I am still searching for its meaning, and how to live a happy one. At the moment, it seems to me balance is the key.

After moving in with my boyfriend recently, I realize each person's life has its own balancing issues. So we'll start small, with two life to balance.

To life, to balance, to happiness.