Happy Birthday to Green Thumbs McGillicutty!

It's another beautiful day outside and it's time to celebrate Green Thumb McGillicutty's 22nd birthday!  I wish you good luck (it's finally your turn to have some!), great health (it's finally your turn to have some!), and infinite happiness (it's finally your turn to have some!).  In an attempt to include Starbucks in the birthday festivities, I asked the barista to write something special in place of Green Thumb's name on her cup of coffee.  You see it pictured at right.  But, true to Starbucks form, this is what I actually requested.  Happy Birthday, Green Thumbs!

The Dark Place

Hello, Friends!  Long time no see.  Been a bit busy, but getting back into the swing of things.  There has been much travel in this rabbit's life.  First, it was London (pamphlet forthcoming).  Then, New York City (New York City?  Get a rope...).   Last month, I also went to my old stomping grounds...

In the middle of America is a place that is known as "The Dark Place."  I had not seen The Dark Place since I left it some time ago.  I went back recently and it wasn't as dark as I remembered it!

My first day many moons ago was a day similar to this one.  I walked through this archway and went to my first class--Contracts at 7 a.m.  Mr. Gargoyle looked on.  The quad greeted me with its light and trees and squirrels.  Oh, Mr. Squirrel!  How I missed you.

Then, there's the school itself, with its old reading room and new(er) law library.  Yes, the new law library is a modern structure that is built underground (just the way rabbits like it).  But, one wouldn't feel buried in it, not with all the light streaming in from the windows.  Here, you can see from the outside at ground level where the law library is dug into the ground and extends from the reading room's stained glass windows.  From the inside of the law library, you can see the reading room's stained glass windows, and vice versa.  The old watching over the new, and the old in the eyes of the new.  In fact, when I used to be a younger rabbit, here was my favorite seat for studying.  It was hard to study, though, because I was so tempted to just gaze through the windows.  The library was a multi-tiered warren, similar to the double-tiered warren that is the Nu Warren, and filled with nooks and crannies for studious rabbits.

As to classes, here is the class room where my first class took place.  I sat here.  The building has beautiful long corridors with stone floors polished and worn down by foot traffic, and lined with windows teaching against crimes like barratry (ambulance chancing).  Sometimes, the windows are good for just looking out of, which isn't half bad at this time of year.  Here is where I got my school mail.  My locker was the first one on the left in this room.  Here is where I was, when Mr. Nonny Nu narrated via cell phone that a second plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.  On that note...

I finally got to walk around town and just see places.  Lo and behold, I found a hammock.  I also ate at the famous deli in town where a vegetarian clerk named Brian gave me a great recommendation on a reuben.  It was also chock full of tasty bottled items, sammiches, and AWESOME salads (I sampled four types).

All in all, it was a great trip.  For some odd reason, I never thought I would ever go back.  But now that I have, I'm glad.  I guess sometimes it takes time away to become friends with a place.

Indian Giver of British Products

Less than three months ago, I was in London.  It feels like it has been ages since then, though.  I had so much fun.  I am working on a small, informational publication on the subject of London to be delivered, hopefully, as Christmas presents to my Friends.

On that trip, I met up with an old friend from yesteryear--Old Chap.  Back in the day, Old Chap, Cl. Panic, Green Thumbs McGillicutty, L. Woods, and I all worked in the same law firm.  Old Chap was in the London office.  One wintry day, we all flew to Washington, D.C., to participate in some training, and that's where we all met each other.  We have kept in touch since then!  It was one of only a handful of good things that came out of working in that firm.

Naturally, when I finally made my way to London, I called up Old Chap and off we went to have wonderful Pakistani food.  We went to Tayyabs.  O.  M.  G.  This was so good.  But Old Chap's food tips didn't end there.  He also directed me to Fortnum & Mason, described by Old Chap as "the quintessential supplier of English goodies."  Boy, he was not kidding.

On my last full day in London, I paid a visit to Fortnum & Mason and bought so many biscuits (cookies), teas, and jellies.  Most were slated for gifts to friends and family.  But I learned a valuable lesson:  Send food gifts as soon as possible because, the longer you hold on to them, the more likely they will end up in your own stomach.  There were two jellies (a hunter's marmalade and a rose jelly) that were slated for MonkeyPig and 3-Fish, respectively.  Those did not survive long enough in the US to reach their intended destinations.  So, I ordered replacements (plus other things) online.  I kept the dark lime jelly (detailed description).

Dutifully, I sent the goodies to their intended recipients.  In advance of their arrival, I tell 3-Fish that I'm sending her a rose jelly.  Well, guess who's too good for rose jellies and breakfast in general?  So, I tell 3-Fish to send the rose jelly back if she's not going to eat it because I would eat it.  The rose jelly was delivered back to my house yesterday.  What's wrong with this picture?  Yep, Mr. Nonny Nu had to pay the postman $1.55 because *somebody* didn't pay the full postage.  But here is the treasure trove, complete with polar bear greeting card to Mr. Nonny Nu conveying a hateful but accurate complaint about a most beloved rabbit:

Happy Birthday, Skillet!!

My little girl.  Six years old.  How the time flies.  I remember the day I saw you in jail and thought, "What a cutie pie!"  This was back when you were still going by your street name, "Claire."  Well, you can take the girl out of the street but you can't take the street out of the girl.  Here is a cake with a bird that's very similar to the type of bird you brought home for dinner a few weeks ago.  I hope you like it!  I love you!

Your momma,
Momma

...Try, Try Again.

My NYC trip two weekends ago was an application of the proverb:  If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

New York City Depositions and Me
Several years ago, I was assigned to do an emergency deposition.  The assignment came to me on the morning before the day the deposition was actually scheduled.  Seeing as how the deposition was scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. EST on a Friday, and I received my assignment at 9:00 a.m. PST (at the earliest) on Thursday, I had less than 24 hours to acquaint myself with the relevant issues, assemble exhibits, and fly across the country.

Because my ticket was bought on short notice, it was slim pickings as far as seats were concerned.  I was booked on the red-eye in the middle seat of the last row, which did not recline.  During my entire flight, I had my light on so that I could work.  My neighbors were just ecstatic to have me sitting next to them.  Well, I finally made it to NYC at around 6 a.m., and checked into my hotel by around 7:30 a.m.  I decided to take a quick shower to wash off the travel before heading to my deposition location.  When I got out of the shower, there was a voicemail waiting for me--"Come home.  The depo's cancelled."

Right?

So, when on my Friday flight to NYC two weekends ago, my middle seat malfunctioned and refused to recline, I took that as an omen.  I just knew that something would go wrong.  Sure enough, late that night on Friday, I was informed that the witness's flight back into town was cancelled due to storms and his deposition, scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. the next day, could not start until 2 p.m.  At the time, I tried to contact the court reporter and videographer to see if they could stay late on Saturday but no dice.  Nobody called me back to confirm.  Luckily, they were able to stay late and I was able to complete my first NYC deposition!  When at first I didn't succeed, I tried, tried again.  Here are the people who made it happen: the videographer, the stenographer, and the receptionist.

(Note:  Some of you might recall that I once took a deposition in NYC successfully but you'd be wrong.  It was in Brooklyn.)

Kalbi and Me
When I was in NYC this last time, I stayed in Koreatown.  My first time!  When in Koreatown, must eat Korean food.  Freelance Midget recommended two places for me--Don's Bogam and Kunjip.  Kunjip was described as "more authentic."  My first night there, I tried my darndest to eat at Kunjip!  I really did.  When I got there, the line was out the door and past the door of the neighboring restaurant.  So I wandered around, saw the New York Public Library (*claps!!*), wondered why the streets of New York are lined with trash bags, and when I circled back to Kunjip, there was still a line out the door!  By this time, my nonmach could not take it anymore, so I went to Don's Bogam.  I feasted on the fried potstickers (love the sesame seeds in the sauce) and the kalbi bimbopereebop (short ribs and rice in a hot stone pot).  All of this came with side dishes of various pickled vegetables, including, of course, kimchi.  But, this was the first time I've ever seen kimchi presented in a neat stack.  Here is what the full meal looks like.

I was rather disappointed that I did not get the chance to sample the "more authentic" Kunjip, but this was before I knew about the Fortunate Incident of the Witness' Cancelled Flight.  That caused me to have to change my return flight from Saturday night to Sunday morning, meaning that I got one more night in NYC and a second chance to eat at Kunjip!

When at first I didn't succeed, I tried, tried again.  This time, there was just a short line outside the restaurant, but once I gained entry, I was placed in an internal line.  Very tricksy and false.  But that's okay because it gave me the chance to look at how people were eating the kalbi.  The night before, when I failed to have kalbi (I only had the stone pot kalbi and not the cooked-at-your-table kalbi), Midge texted me so many times to chastise me.  She even insisted that I get up at 3am to go eat at the 24-hours Kunjip.  Again, I was given a variety of sides, including the very important and tasty shredded green onions in sauce (left side of photo) and the bean paste.  Most interesting was the egg omelet(?), which appeared at my table boiling to the brim of its little stone pot.  This was not a boiled egg but a BOILING EGG.  While I waited for the helpers to cook the kalbi at my table, I ate from my extra order of seafood japchae (stir fried glassy noodles).  Once the kalbi was done, I wrapped it in a piece of lettuce, put in some of the bean paste, shredded green onions, and a bit of kimchee and, voila!, ready to eat!  The food was very yummy but I have to say that I cannot fully enjoy this type of interactive meal without friends.  It was a bit lonely.  At the end, I was given a small cup of iced tea.  I almost didn't drink it but when I tried it, wow.  I honestly think it was as good as the kalbi.  It was cinnamon-y, delicately sugared, and icey cold.  I asked the waiter if there was actually cinnamon in it.  He said there was and seemed to appreciate that I noticed how good the tea was and cared enough to ask about it.  I told him how much I enjoyed it and mourned the fact that it was not available in supermarkets.  He then gave me a wink and brought over a larger glass!  What a great way to complete my kalbi experience.

So, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

Musical Chairs

As you all know, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Ca Loc lives in Southern California.  Last Friday, she came up to the SF Bay Area for a visit!  How exciting, right?  Yeah, exciting for Ca Loc.  Here she is enjoying drinks at the top of the Intercontinental, wandering leisurely through the city, and watching street shows.

On the same day, I had to fly over to NYC for work.  Lost opportunity... *tear*

But that's okay, because our very own Freelance Midget now lives in NYC, so I can just go see her.  Driving from the airport into the city, into the heart of Koreatown and toward the Empire State Building, I knew all the while that there would be no Midge at the end of my travels because...

That same weekend, Midge was in Wyoming for a wedding.  Here she is frolicking with her sister and terrorizing a local family.

At the end of the weekend, Ca Loc, Midge, and I returned to our respective homes.  Only a true family can be so coordinated in its movement.

Happy Belated Birthday to Cl. Panic and Kashy Boy!

OMG, I'm such a horrible person.  It was Cl. Panic's and Kashy Boy's birthdays on July 13.  I will have to get calendars to everyone, including myself, next year.  This is too much!

Cl. Panic, I hope you will like this cake for your 5th birthday.  May your days be filled with your ladies and laughter.  High five!

To my dear little Kashy Boy, I'm a bad momma.  But, I love you so much!  You're a good little boy, so loving and kind.  Sometimes you get snippy but that is the province of a Siamese, isn't it?  For you, a moth cake.  Enjoy!  (But share with Skillet.)

Tourists in our Own Backyard

In honor of the return of Twinkies, I'm going to make a concerted effort to bring back The Nu Warren. I begin with a post about a rejuvenation...

Today, Green Thumbs McGillicutty, L. Woods, and I were tourists in our own backyard.  For L. Woods' and my birthdays, Ms. McGillicutty invited us to tea at Charles Chocolates in San Francisco.  Charles Chocolates is located in the Mission District.  This was the first time I'd been to that part of the city and I really liked it.  I felt like I was among the working folk, and not the fancy pants city folk.

When we got to Charles Chocolates, we were greeted with a menu that promised nothing less than scrumptiousness and wonder.  I chose the Yorkshire Gold Black Tea, L. Woods chose the Organic Maiden's Ecstasy Pu-Erh Tea, and Green Thumbs chose the Organic Blood Orange Pu-Erh Tea.  My Yorkshire tea and L. Woods' Maiden's Ecstasy tea were yummy.  I don't know whether the Blood Orange tea was good because Green Thumbs never offered me any.  Then, the food arrived, each item lined up to meet their fate in the Chamber of Horrors that is my stomach (my favorite victim was the Pulled BBQ Chicken Slider).  Most interesting item was the Fresh Bing Cherry Clafoutis, egg-y and light (for Cantonese speakers, the consistency is the same as lo bahk go).  We met Charles himself!  He's a great host!

After this delightful tea, the three of us strolled around the Mission District with endless possibilities before us.  We were open to anything!  Green Thumbs then suggested that we visit the mission and we did.

Just kidding.  That^ wasn't the mission.  That^ was the high school.

This is the Mission San Francisco.  It is also known as Mission Delores and is the oldest structure in San Francisco.  It was built before the Declaration of Independence (see right).

We met many saints there.  My favorite is San Juan Capistrano.  He was the only one with a sword (because he led a Crusade) (he's the one on the left).  Here is the altar where Pope John Paul II visited back in 1987.

Then, we visited the basilica that is part of the mission but the basilica was built in 1918.  I'm not Catholic so I'm not sure what is the difference between a basilica and a church, but the basilica was fancier than the church.  Here is its altar.

The mark of a basilica is the gold and red umbrella (shown at the right) and the crest of the church (it's on the left but blocked by a column in this view).  We saw many saints here, too.

Oh!  I take back my previous statement about San Juan Capistrano being my favorite saint.  He's only my second favorite because my first favorite is Saint Francis of Assisi, the saint for whom San Franciso and the Franciscan order are named.  Here's a picture of him (left).  Can you guess why he's my favorite saint?

At the basilica, we saw beautiful cupolas and stained glass windows.  The windows showed many saints, many after whom cities were named:
Santa Clara
San Juan Capistrano and San Luis Obispo (boo...long live Pomona!)
San Gabriel (*claps!!*) and San Antonio
San Carlos and San Diego
Santa Barbara and Junipero Serra

There was also an ancient cemetery ("goo mo"), which is something that So Ba Sing really loves to visit.  Because we are in the West, which is a younger part of the nation than the East, our goo mos aren't as goo.  The oldest one I found was from 1830, the grave of Don Luis Antonio Arguello, the governor of "Alta California," back when California was still a part of Mexico.  Interestingly, that  picture I took is almost exactly the shot that is on the Wikipedia entry for Senor Arguello (scroll down). There was a sundial in the cemetery that was off by only about 20 minutes, and that depicted Father Time (not the Grim Reaper) (so says L. Woods and Green Thumbs).

On the way back to our parking spot, we found a pair of shoes and its owner a few yards away.

All in all, we spent a relaxing day experiencing San Francisco and being tourists in our own backyard.  Here, again, are the ladies who lunched:

Welcome back, Friends!

Happy Birthday to Mr. Nonny Nu!

Today was Mr. Nonny Nu's birthday!  So many friends and family wished him a happy birthday--it really made the day special. Not sure what I could get for the bear that his own paws could not obtain, I decided to offer my services in the kitchen.

But, what to cook? Mr. Nonny Nu has long since loved Eggs Benedict. In recent days, he has been foraging in the forest on his own in search of EB with porcine-level enthusiasm for truffles. Alas, no local diner could satisfy Mr. NN's standards. 

Enter The Rabbit.

This morning, we got up early and I tried to make EB for Mr. NN's birthday breakfast. I watched about 10 YouTube "how to" videos the night before, but I still disappointed myself with an F. Okay, maybe a D.  Not only was the English muffin too crunchy (actually hard because I think I let it cool too much before serving), the sauce was not tangy enough and the components were not all hot. But, Mr. NN gamely ate his entire plate, and half of mine.  This was a serious case of "it's the thought that counts."  Now that EB has throw n down the gauntlet, I accept the challenge. I'm trying again tomorrow!  Here's what today's attempt looked like:

Dinner was a different story. I got high marks!  We had broiled salmon (an ursine favorite) with Bearnaise sauce. (The Bearnaise sauce was attempted last week as a dry run for today's birthday dinner so I was actually confident this time.) We also had roasted asparagus in lemon juice and olive oil, potatoes au gratin (okay, this was a box concoction requested by the birthday bear), salad, and French baguette. 

  At the end of the meal, Kashy crashed the party. He was dressed up with his hair slicked back and wearing his usual ascot (name tag on the side instead of in the middle). If you look closely, you can see him starting to go cross-eyed. That's what happens when he is in a feeding frenzy. Skillet did not partake.  She is usually disgusted by human food, even fish. 

Update September 2, 2012 (the morning after): Improvement!  The English muffin was still on the toasted side, but the sauce was better (slightly too tangy), the egg was just right, and everything was hot.  Check out the B-grade EB:

Happy Birthday to Wah Toh!

Wah Toh, for the mouse who has it all (food-wise), I baked you a mouse cake and wish you much cheese in the future!

Love you lots,
nn

Happy Belated Birthday to Nonny Nu! by guest bloggers Cl. Panic, A-Dog, and Little Miss

We found you a cake that goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on.  Just like your birthday celebrations....(how many birthday bbqs did you have?)

Love Cl Panic & A Dog & Little Miss

Happy Belated Birthday to Cl. Panic and Kashy Boy!

What's a birthday without a cake picture found by Nonny Nu?

Cl. Panic, happy, happy birthday.  I thought this cake was especially appropriate for you.  You are diving into such an adventure!  I admire you.  Way to go!

And, for my little boy, you truly walk the line, don't you?  For you, a jaunty Kash cake.  I love you!  You are a cutie pie with a cutie face.

Happy Belated Birthday to Ca Loc!

In anticipation of your trip to France, I have baked you a Marie Antoinette cake! I hope you will enjoy it. It's a yellow cake with cherries. Thank you for being such a wonderful sister and good luck traveling with the cheapest skate on Earth.

Happy Birthday to Sushi Cat and Siddharta's Girl!

To two very good friends...

First, to my sweet Sushi.  Remember when you used to eat broccoli off my plate?  You are such a weirdo.  A loving and fluffy weirdo.  I miss you.  We will be on the same cloud one day!  Here is some broccoli cake for your birthday.  Don't eat it all in one sitting!

And, Siddharta's Girl!  My dear friend!  Though I have never met you in person, we have always related in a way that no two other people could.  I'm very thankful for the Internet because it has brought so many great people into my life, including you.  I hope you have wonderful birthday with your two kiddos and that special someone.  For you, a Japanese rock garden cake!

Belated Happy Birthday to A-Dog!

Dear A-Dog,

I hope you had a wonderful birthday last week.  Below is a birthday cake with tap shoes.  I hope you will grace us with a dance soon!

nn

Happy Birthday to Willy Wonka!!

For Willy Wonka on his special day, a nice cup of coffee with yummy coffee cake inside!  I hope you have a great birthday and that it is filled with relaxation and rejuvenation!

nn

Extremely Belated Happy Birthday to Ghetto FOBulous!

A veggie cake for you, kind sir!  I wish you a very happy year and many more to come.  May the wind be at your back and your ghettos be fobulous!

nn

Happy Birthday, MonkeyPig!!

MonkeyPig, here is a cake for you.

Art imitates life.  For those of you who have not met MonkeyPig in person or who hasn't seen her in a while, MP is definitely high on life.  Every dinner at her house is a party with MonkeyPig, Wooh Dau, and Baysee.  [Woo:  Hey!  Me, too!  Happy birthday, mom!]

MonkeyPig, here's to another 43 years of bananas!

Halloween Adventure, Day 2

Chinese idiom of the day: 讀屎片
Transliteration: study diapers
Phonetic: duk6 si2 pin3
Meaning: refers to a person who studies but remains ignorant or stupid

Today, MonkeyPig went to the first day of her medical conference.  However, every time I texted her asking what she was doing, she'd respond with one of two answers:

1.  "Eating."
2.  "Pooping."

Never "studying" or "listening to lecture."  Never.  All I ever heard about was the egg custards, the BBQ pork buns, ...and their aftermath.

Since MP is obviously a talented doctor, there is no way that the idiom, "讀屎片," could apply to her.   So, for the first time in Idiom of the Day history, I'm going to modify the idiom to my needs.  The new idiom is going to be:

Chinese idiom of the day: 讀蛋撻
Transliteration: study egg tarts
Phonetic: duk6 daan3 taat3
Meaning: refers to a person who is supposed to be studying a serious subject but is instead enjoying life.

But something really nice happened as a result of this--I was the beneficiary of the first of several days of breakfast pastries!

Halloween Adventure, Day 1

Today, MonkeyPig left early to go to a medical conference in San Francisco, but that didn't stop her from complaining. I had meticulously crafted a schedule of things we'd do and eat during her visit and the first grumblings have been submitted to me via text message. Wah Toh will appreciate this because of a similar incident which happened during the whale watching trip a month ago (not blogged--sorry). This is also an opportunity to reinstate a modified version of the highly popular Chinese Idiom of the Day feature but only for the limited time of one week--the duration of MonkeyPig's stay. The modification will be: I will disclose the meaning of the idiom and you need not guess it.

Chinese idiom of the day: 貨不對辦
Transliteration: product not match sample
Phonetic: fo3 bat1 deoi3 baan6
Meaning: bait and switch

Back in September, MonkeyPig, Ca Loc, and I travelled to Wah Toh's neck of the woods for a whale watching vacation. Prior to arriving, MonkeyPig had requested that Wah Toh make "gwei deou" for her first night there. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Wah Toh and MonkeyPig had gone to different schools in Saigon, each of them had a different idea of what "gwei deou" should be. Apparently, each of these schools had a street vendor standing outside, and who had made completely different styles of "gwei deou." On arrival, MonkeyPig sensed that something was not quite right when the dish of gwei deou was presented to her because it was in the style of Wah Toh's school's street vendor, and not MonkeyPig's school's street vendor. Compounding the problem was that MonkeyPig had requested an additional dish of salt-baked chicken, which arrived as a different type of chicken. To be fair, Wah Toh also had to accommodate other guests who were not into salt-baked chicken.

But the damage was done. At this point, MonkeyPig proclaimed, "貨不對辦!" Throughout the trip, MonkeyPig used this idiom like a war cry.

Aggravating the situation was a family friend who very nicely offered to make MonkeyPig's style of "gwei deou" for her and even invited MonkeyPig to stay at her house on the next visit. This prompted Wah Toh to say to MonkeyPig, "When you leave at the end of this trip, remember to delete my number from your phone. The next time you visit, you can stay with your new friend and eat her food. Maybe I'll send some eggs from my chickens to you at that time--but maybe not."

Thus, "貨不對辦" has enjoyed renewed popularity in conversations among the sisters.

Today, I am on the receiving end of MonkeyPig's accusation. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I had meticulously crafted a schedule for our Halloween Adventure. I am not posting it here because it's so detailed that anybody who would want to harm us could easily find us using the schedule, but I trust the The Nu Warren Friends, so if you are a Friend (you are if you receive the email pings for whenever I post something here), and if you wish to see the schedule, please email me for it.

But back to the 貨不對辦. On this schedule are suggested restaurants, two of which serve curry (a Japanese curry house and a Pakistani restaurant that happens to have "curry" in its name, but I really want to go there for the roasted chicken). This morning, I received the following text from MonkeyPig:

I have a complaint on the agenda. Why so much curry.

Not having received a response from me, MonkeyPig reiterates her complaint three hours later but this time with urgency:

Why are we eating so much curry? I want a refund. The meal portion of this vacation sucks. If i want "phor butt dui ban," I might as well as go to Wah Toh's house. Oh, I get the overwhelming amount of Indian food. You want to pay tribute to the large Indian population in Silicon Valley.

So. Will we eat curry on our Halloween Adventure? You'll have to keep reading to find out.



UPDATE
Text from nn:

First of all, there are only two curry places I suggested and one is Japanese the other is Pakistani. I thought you might be interested in Japanese curry. It's kinda interesting. The Pakistani one, I really want you to eat the oven roasted chicken there. Not the curry. The oven that they cook the chicken in is authentic. It was broken one time and they had to buy a new one. They needed three days to let it cool down before they could remove it and swap in the new one. That's how hot it gets. Took another three days to get the new one hot enough to use. That's why I thought you would like to try it. Besides, the chicken is delicious.

Text from MonkeyPig:

Ok. It they were in Afghanistan, they could've heated up the oven with IED (improvised explosive device) quickly. Parki curry place ok.  Japanese curry--I've not been impressed when I was in Hawaii.