Life lately

The last few months have not been easy.  The cumulative fatigue--the lack of a good night's sleep for nearly 11 months--has caught up with me.  In addition, there's a lot of tension at the office and an increasing workload that coincides with my deceasing motivation (or you could see it as my stricter enforcement of boundaries between work and life). I am working on a project that focuses more on research and writing, a nice change of pace.  I do wish, however, that I could take on more complaints/cases, but I also know from experience that providing legal support to a group in another country would require frequent travel, particularly where dispute resolution is involved.  And right now, I'm okay staying at home for most of the time.

Motherhood has also presented challenges, but overall it has brought me so much joy.  Some weeks, I'm startled by how much M is changing into a being with a personality. A few weeks ago, she added "mama" to her vocabulary, which consisted of "hi" and "dada." She also started very clearly mimicking my tone and even some of my gestures.  

In July, we'll celebrate her first birthday. It is insane how writing/saying that chokes me up.

today

So tired.

And it's the last day of August. HOW?

From the morning market

Flowers to brighten our home on this rainy day.  I don't want summer to end, not just yet. 

Slipping away

In the early months of summer, the sunflower patch on my block barely had any flowers. Now, in mid-August, the flowers are out, some wilting away. I cannot believe the final weeks of summer are here.  

I had misguided notions about what maternity leave would look like --that I'd have plenty of time for reading and trips to the cafe, that I'd be able to keep up with what is going on with the outside world. Since M's arrival, my world has felt much smaller. Today, we managed to take a walk around our neighborhood in the early evening. We came across the trickle of people coming home from work.  I felt out of sync.

A weekend in Baltimore

A quick train ride to Baltimore to celebrate Stu's birthday: oyster festival, roller derby hijinks, and just generally, slowing down.

Documenting a Walk: Graveyard Grub at Historic Congressional Cemetery

Life has been busy this month.  By the end of the month, we'll have spent three out of the four weekends in May out of the city.  We welcomed a weekend in the District - and it's Ethan's birthday! - so we did what we do best, which is to explore (and eat).

I feel like, at one point in my life (in my childhood or teens, perhaps), my cultural upbringing would have made me turn up my nose at an event like Graveyard Grub, a gathering of food trucks at a historical cemetery in the Eastside of the city.  But thank goodness I shed those kind of feelings and associations with cemeteries and sacred places as vacuously solemn long ago.  

Over the years, my favorite visits to hallowed/sacred buildings are often those that involve life mixed in - people sleeping in the corners of a red-stoned Burmese temple, attempting to escape the dry, unbearable heat outside; children playing outside of, and Hispanic vendors peddling queso fresco and sugary drinks on, the steps of the church in Mount Pleasant, DC; the birds chirping loudly and flying in and out of windows in a Catholic church in Saigon, Vietnam. 

And I was reminded of this cycle of life at this old, stately cemetery, where children ran around, dogs and their owners sunbathed on the green grass, couples explored the rolling grounds, looking for famous gravestones, and late 90s music and Pabst Blue Ribbon were served along with fare from DC Empanada and Captain Cookie and the Milkman.

One of the visits I had - to Wisconsin a few weeks ago, to attend the funeral of Ethan's grandmother - came to mind as I was sitting next to a giant stone obelisk.  Having lost yet another wonderful female in our family and anticipating the birth of my daughter in late July, my thoughts were wrapped up in this idea of cycles, of birth and death, and the lives we live in between.  

Documenting a walk: Spring has sprung.

Images from today's walk around the National Mall. 

Documenting a walk: Saturday

Walking from Mount Pleasant towards Dupont Circle, I came across a half-marathon: runners, walkers, cheerleaders on the side, music playing.  

I continued south.  My friend, Jess, was visiting from Portland. We met for brunch at Founding Farmers. As usual, I ate too much.  This city is serious about brunch. 

Later that day, I took the Metro to meet Ethan in the Noma/Gallaudet neighborhood - to visit Union Market. 

Ethan wasn't as enthusiastic about the place as I was, but this may be my favorite DC market yet.  It's a little bourgie-hipster, which runs in stark contrast with the immediate industrial environment. The pros and cons of gentrification aside, I confess I enjoy a fancy market. Now and then, I need to delight in (arguably) overpriced artisan pickles, good bread, and freshly-squeezed juice concoctions. This would be a great place to bring visiting family/friends.

It was 65+ degrees that day!  We sat outside, soaked in the sun, and watched many young families do the same. Once, twice, a bike "gang" rode by, dressed in costumes and obviously drunk from sunshine, reminding me of Portland days.  (Cue: Ethan eye-roll.)

But, the primary reason I wanted to visit Union Market was for the pop-up extension of H Street's ramen shop, Toki Underground. (Food occupies so much of my weekend planning.)  I once tried to have dinner at Toki Underground, but was told there was a 4+ hour wait.  I never returned.

Technically, the pop-up isn't a ramen shop, more like a noodle shop.  There are two tables that seat perhaps 6-8 people, and there is only one soup offering each day (week?).  On Saturday, it was a Taiwanese spicy beef noodle soup.  Freshly made pandan and pork ham bao were also available.  Other noodle dishes the chef has done: khao soi (one of my favorite Thai/Burmese soups), laksa, southern Thai curries, pho, even Khmer noodle dishes. Definitely worth a re-visit.

Looking back

This is one of my favorite pictures of Ethan.  I took it two summers ago, when we were in Darjeeling, India. It was during that summer of travel between Indonesia, Singapore and India, the summer before we moved to Thailand.  

Drawn out by promises of proper coffee, we walked to this small restaurant. I can't remember what it was called, but it had maybe three tables.  Indeed, it served up a proper cup of coffee and a hot, hearty breakfast.  We sat at this table, staring at the foot traffic outside, the fog and cold enveloping the streets.  I don't remember what we did that day.  I probably dragged him out to afternoon tea at the Elgin Hotel. Or, maybe we took a jeep ride to another hillside town. 

I get so caught up in the pace of life in this city. Sometimes I forget all the little adventures we shared.  I don't want to forget; those experiences ground me.  Sometimes I fail to realize life in this city is itself is a little adventure for us. One day, I'll look back and miss the tree-lined streets; the bands/musicians playing in Dupont Circle, causing music to stream into my office in the late afternoon; the rowhouses jutting up towards the sky; all the bits and pieces that make this life colorful.

Out and about

I've been a recluse lately. I blame Winter.  This weekend, we managed to make it to the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (love all the free museums in this city) and then finished off the day with a cup of tea and slice of Flan Normande at Paul.  (Note to self: Must find a recipe for this pastry.)

2013, a year in review.

January

We still lived in Bangkok.  Sigh.  This was my last trip to Chatuchak Market.

My family visited Bangkok and we played tourist.

February

One of many rooftop bars in Bangkok. What a view.

March - June

A month or two into my move to Washington DC.  Walking around the Mall.

Same day, at sunset.

July

The view from the mountain house in Colorado.  We were married in this meadow.

Sunrise in Turkey.

Exploring.

August

An afternoon of baseball.

September 

Fastfood bibimbap in Dupont Circle Park.

October

The inevitable transition to Fall.

November

Treats at the office.

December

On the Hill.

Snow day!

  via

I woke up to the beginnings of a snowstorm, big fat flakes swirling outside - which meant my office was closed!  I spent my day taking a walk in our new neighborhood (more on that later), drinking hot tea, taking a few telephone meetings, and making these cookies. I enjoyed this disjointed mix/pace of life today: planning meals (arugula strawberry salad for lunch? curry for dinner?), worrying about browning the butter correctly (for the cookies), in between phone calls about the human rights situation in China.

Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter +Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 jar of Nutella, chilled in refrigerator
• Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

 Process

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan; continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
2. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined. Gently fold in all of the chocolate chips.
3. Chill your dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or place in freezer for 30 minutes if you are super eager, although I cannot promise the same results if you do this.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once dough is chilled measure about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the dough ball very thinly into the palm of your hand. Place 1 teaspoon of chilled nutella in the middle and fold dough around it; gently roll into a ball — it doesn’t have to be perfectly rolled! Make sure that the nutella is not seeping out of the dough. Add more dough if necessary. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and flatten with your hand VERY gently. (Really only the tops need to be flattened a bit!)
5. Bake the cookies 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Cool the cookies on the sheets at least 2 minutes. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Donburi in DC

I have a confession: I often complain about food in DC, particularly if it's Asian food. It's often too expensive compared to its relative quality (and compared to good food in Los Angeles, for example).  Case in point: after several disappointing Sichuan meals, Ethan and I decided we would only eat Chinese food in the suburbs, never again in the city - a decision I stand by.

But recently, I've witnessed a small wave of donburi (Japanese rice bowl) shops hit the city.  Japanese rice bowls are one of my comfort foods. When executed well, a rice bowl is satisfying and simple.  I think I've survived on some type of donburi since undergrad.  I even had a spot I frequented when I lived in Cambodia.  

I'm thinking donburi may be a worth exception to my ban on (most) Asian food in DC.

Exhibit #1:  The karaage (fried chicken marinated in mirin and soy) donburi from Donburi, a 14-seat bar in Adams Morgan, is topped with a hefty serving of pickled vegetables, sliced onions and a half-cooked egg that seeps into the warm rice.  

Exhibit #2:  Another favorite is Daikaya's Japanese twist on a traditional Filipino dish, the sisig donburi with citrus marinated pork belly.