Monthly Archives: February 2009

Pills for Everyone

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I have been going to the doctor consistently for the past two months. I have been to about five different clinics based on proximity to work and hours. The main reason for my trips is that I have really bad allergies which are probably triggered from the mold that is hidden behind my walls in my bedroom (which I’m currently attacking with bleach once a month or so). However, I have also seen the eye doctor and the gyno for my yearly check-ups.

Fun Fact: I just want to say that seeing a doctor here in Taiwan is one of the easiest things to do. All you need to bring is your blue medical card and $200NT ($6USD). There is usually no wait to see the doctor, and you’re in and out within 10-15 minutes. Then they prepackage your pills for you, which you pick up on the way out. No trips to the pharmacy, no ridiculous bills, no wasting of time. Thank goodness for socialized medicine.

Now on to the dentist…

The One Who Denied It.. Supplied It

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I assigned a timed writing assignment in my fifth grade class today. The class was completely silent, except for the scratching of pens, when suddenly someone in the front row lets out a fart. It’s one of those really long, drawn-out ones and totally noticeable. Three awkward seconds pass by before the giggling breaks out.

Then the rest of the class starts asking questions, “Who was that? Who farted?”, except for the two in front who were oddly quiet.

I’m trying to keep a straight face and restore order back to the class, “Alright, guys, go back to writing.”

Then they turn on me, “Ah, it was Teacher. Hehehehe.”

But it was not me. I know exactly who did it. The one eating yogurt before class. Asians and their lactose intolerance.

Love Affair

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I admit it, I have a love affair with food. Maybe it stems from growing up with a mother who knows her way very well around the kitchen and a father as a chef who is amazing with experimentation and loves making gourmet surprises every now and then. I think a secret personal goal of mine is to one day open a restaurant where my father can be head chef and make fascinating creations for all.

Last night, I went to a cocktail birthday party for a friend of a friend. The birthday boy’s family owns the restaurant, L’Idiot. It was a night filled with sweet champagne, delicious finger foods (I’m definitely going back for a sit-down meal soon!), and social networking. Being one of the youngest people there, I was surrounded by suit-clad career-minded individuals, quiet conversations, and soft lighting. Gatherings like that are something that I didn’t realize I had missed about Vanderbilt until I experienced it again last night.

I met the young owner of L’Idiot, and he shared his experiences as a chef and a new perspective on food and our relationship with it as consumers. And I was taken aback by his zest for life, his endless hobbies, and his creativity with the creations that he makes for the restaurant.

I want a taste of Pierre Gagnaire‘s explosive-tasting strawberry cups. He works with his friend, Hervé This who’s a molecular gastronomist (how cool!) to create some of his works. I hear Pierre has a restaurant in Hong Kong, since Paris is too far from me.

I seriously need to start cooking more.

Words to Live By

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For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.

Just saw the movie tonight. It was a wonderful movie because Brad Pitt was so amazingly good-looking, even at his age. I still marvel at the miracle that is him, and as much as I love his open-mindedness at adoption, I hope he will leave some more legacies of him behind before he’s gone. In other words, have more babies with equally good-looking Angelina Jolie.

The movie was deep and profound, just as it should be. It was a bit long, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Speaking of movies, I also saw Slumdog Millionaire and that was mind-blowingly good. I think the love story here was a bit more convincing than Benjamin Button, and I loved the cultural aspects of it. I hope this will win the Oscar.

Beer and More Beer

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Last night, we went to the Taiwan Beer Factory Bar, which is a warehouse in the back of the factory filled with picnic tables and a stage. There was food options and freshly made Taiwan beer. I definitely am digging the just-brewed beer. It’s a crisper and cleaner taste. That bar closed at midnight, so we headed to a really laid-back lounge-y bar called Belly Wash. Apparently, according to the owner, the name is derived from the fact that when you drink the alcohol, it’s like a wash for your belly.

Today, mahjong later.