Cookies

Every once in a while I get the urge to do a bit of baking. A few weeks ago I decided to make some sugar cookies and decorate them like Cynthia's kitties Miko and Uli. I asked Matt if he would like to make a kitty cookie so I showed him how and walked away. When I had returned I came to see the Matt pretending to be a kitty cookie. I particularly enjoyed eating that one.

Portland's Chinese Classical Gardens

One of the prettiest places in Portland are the Chinese Classical Gardens. Situated on the outer edge of Chinatown, the Gardens are wonderful to visit at any time of year. Though the flowers weren't in bloom, we took Monica for a visit. We really meant to get out there earlier in the day hoping to catch a glimpse of the sun. But we were lazy and taking showers took much longer than expected as we let Matt go first and he used up all the hot water. In the late afternoon we finally got out of the house. The sun never peaked out behind the clouds and it was a typical winter day in Portland, chilly and moist. The gardens with their gentle curves and calming waters did not disappoint. The highlight of the visit was the stop at the tea house inside the gardens. A huge variety of teas, each served in its appropriate pot and cups, was a welcome respite from the chilly outdoors.

Vintage Store Goodies

Monica's loverly new hat, Matt's new pince-nez, ascot, woolly hat and Teddy getting in on the fun with a new tie. Perhaps Matt and Monica will tell you the story. I just do pictures.

Monica has arrived on the scene

My sister Monica has just touched down in Portland for a post-holiday visit. She has been in LA for just a few months, but already finds that she needs a vacation from the self-absorbed and well-tanned SoCal smart set. I hope the damp palefaces here will help rejuvenate her spirit, because she has a lot of work ahead of her back in Lalaland.

Monica is making a movie. And this blog has a sneak peek at the first promotional materials. Coming soon (but not that soon, maybe Memorial Day 2009) to a theater near you:

Fun Korean stuff

A recent trip to Uwajimaya, the city's one-stop shopping center for all your Asian grocery needs and a respectable Asian book, movie and music store too, reminded us of the last great unexplored frontier in contemporary popular art: Korean hip-hop. Apparently, the rhythm and cadence of the Korean language perfectly suits the rap milieu, and it is widely rumored (in the Harvard East Asian Languages Department anyway) that Korean rap is the best in the world. YouTube helped us test this hypothesis when we got home. The results? See for yourselves . . .

(Beware: it is actually Korean-American. And not very hardcore. Still, catchy and fun enough that I have been seen dancing around and butchering the song since I heard it.)

Also, while the following is not technically rap, it is technically awesome.