New Year's and...Lion Dance!

My weekend was devoted to my other specialty -- lion dancing.

On Saturday my troupe, Gund Kwok Asian Women's Lion & Dragon Dance Troupe, performed at the Peabody Essex Museum for their re-scheduled Lunar New Year festivities. The very next day was spent sloshing in the snow and cold in Boston for the Chinatown New Year Festival...for 6 hours.

Oh boy, I woke up that Sunday morning at 7AM and looked out the window to see snow whipping around and down. Would the event be cancelled? You'd think it would be, but no. The show was most definitely on. The stage performance was nixed by the organizers, but lion dancing at all the shops was not.

I can now say that I have lion danced in the snow. Toward the end, I was pretty miserable -- my boots were not as water-proof as I'd thought. I seriously thought my toes were frostbitten. But, once we were finally done and I could put on a pair or dry socks and shoes AND we were feasting on our multi-course dinner, I was happy as a clam again...albeit, utterly exhausted.

Much thanks to my teammates and lion dance sisters, ALL the volunteers who actually came out and soldiered on with us, and to Mr. Lee. :)

And with that, a new comic is on the way for tomorrow!

Valentine's Wrap-Up

Hope everyone had a great VDay -- I couldn't leave the parents out of it so flowers for the mom and an old photo of me and the dad from when we traveled to Thailand.

And the roses? They were for ME! :)

On True Love

Here's a throwback comic from 2002! I thought I'd bring it back for this very fine occasion. Anyhow, Happy Valentine's Day Everyone -- whether you love it, hate it or are ambivalent about it! :)

"Sriracha, a Love Affair"

Sriracha, Sriracha on everything!

This Foodbeast video is total foodp()rn:

The cock sauce has been the focus of cookbooks, clothes, has been jocked by Subway, and web-famous cartoonist The Oatmeal even satirically prototyped a Sriracha Beer Helmets. Let’s also not forget the potential health benefits of Sriracha documented earlier in 2012, which may include things like: making people happier, skinnier and generally more amazing. READ MORE

Who knew that the bottled chili sauce found in all pho houses would take on a life of its own? And initially I totally thought it was a Vietnamese invention until my Thai ex-pat friend schooled me on its origins.

Doesn't really matter since it's international now -- even the office fridge has a communal bottle :P

A Mother's Request

MaMa Lee is officially entering senior citizen years with this one request. Kinda scary...but she shall be joining the ranks of all the other old Chinese ladies dragging their rolly bags of groceries and running over anyone's feet that gets in their way.

Watch out!

SportsCenter with Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin! I <3 him but who doesn't?

Which brings me back to when Linsanity was just blowing up :)

[video via Disgrasian]

Happy Lunar New Year, Superstitions

Happy Year of the Snake

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and fabulous New Year!

I will be following some of the traditions like going vegetarian for the day, not cutting my hair, and not swearing -- which might be hard.

One tradition I refuse to follow? This business of not bathing. Sorry, but personal hygiene trumps superstition.

On another note, they say that the Year of the Snake is not that great. But I was born in the year of the snake and I say that it's going to be amazing. So there.

Hello and Goodbye Nemo, aka Snowmageddon 2013

From left to right, top to bottom: I should've written 'HELP' instead; we ran out of spots to dump the snow; MaMa Chan is way too meticulous with her shoveling; my little Fit and all the other cars were buried.

The weather people weren't lying this time when they forecasted this blizzard.

But that's to be expected living in New England. What has been surprising were the driving bans and public transportation system being shut down.

Needless to say, my arms are killing me from all the shoveling. It was pretty epic.

Let's hope that the city will be dug out by Monday. And know that when I leave for work, my shoveled-out parking spot on the street will be claimed by me with a bucket.

Snowmageddon 2013

Papermate pen doodly-doo.

It looks like this #Nemo weather situation is going to be a doozy of a blizzard.

The city is pretty much going to be shut down at noon -- public transportation will be coming to a halt at 3:30PM. I was wiser this time around and did my essentials shopping yesterday -- i.e., milk and a 6-pack of hard cider. I am good to go :P

Anyhow, apologies for the digital dust bunnies accruing here -- work has zonked me out as well as prepping for the Lunar New Year. And by the way, I'm always tempted to refer to it as Chinese New Year like most but Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and others celebrate it as well. With that being said, please be on the look-out for new comics every Wednesday and Friday.