101 in 1001: How Did I Do?

The time for my 101 in 1001 goals just recently ran out. How did I do?

Beautiful 3/6
Self Disciplinary 0/4
Explorations Abroad: 6/7 (one deleted, as right now I have little desire to visit Australia)
Explorations at Home: 10/10
Familial: 3/5 (three deleted)
Financial: 5/10 (three deleted)
Healthful: 3/10
Indulgent: 7/7
Intellectual: 1/8
Organizational: 4/7
Parental 8/10
Social: 2/5
Spousal: 1/3 (two deleted)

Total: 53/92 or 58%

This is not as well as I wanted to do, of course, but considering that I made the list almost three years ago and have been through a lot since then it's not terrible either. What is interesting to me is the differences between categories: I did very well in Indulgent and Explorations (ie things I like) and poorly in Self Disciplinary and Intellectual, both requiring substantial mental energy (something I frequently lack for various reasons). Healthful was also below average (my natural tendency is to sit around never moving and living off gummies, popcorn and coffee), as was Social (I have a lot of social anxiety/fears so this category is a challenge for me). In Parental I did better than average, while Spousal was below average even though my goals weren't that numerous: it is pretty obvious where most of my work/energy is going within the family! So sorry B.

I liked having goals to work towards, even if I did not accomplish them all. It gives a lot of mental clarity. I did not like the long time frame, because I already have a tendency towards procrastination and knowing that I had so long to complete the goals sometimes meant never completing them.

So this time around I am going to try a mini version: 36 in 365. It's especially appropriate as I will be turning 36 this year. I think I had too many categories before so this time it will be only six categories: two easy (or fun), two personally challenging and two important-but-not-too-difficult. Here's hoping for success and continued self improvement!

(Scroll down for the completed list details if interested.)
Beautiful: (6)
Get makeup professionally done: December 2012
Reassess wardrobe and get rid of all ugly/unflattering clothing: January 2012
Create a new and complete wardrobe
Learn how to style my hair in at least one style
Buy myself a pearl necklace: December 2013
Do skin treatment morning and night for one month (1/30)

(Self) Disciplinary: (4)
Go to bed by midnight, for two weeks
One hour or less of Internet use per day, for two weeks
Make my bed first thing in the morning, for two weeks
Create a daily/weekly schedule, and stick to it

Explorations Abroad: (8)
Visit Bali: October 2011
Go to Japan again and go to a rabbit-themed attraction: January 2013
Go to Italy again
Go to Australia
Visit Bagan: April 2014
Visit Borobudur: July 2013
Visit Malaysia: October 2011, March 2012, April 2012, May 2012, September 2012
Go to the jungle and look for wild orangutans: September 2013

Explorations at Home: (10)
Go on the Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo: September 2011
Visit all the museums in Singapore: click here for list to-date
Take a river cruise: May 2012
Ride the Singapore Flyer: September 2011
Day trip to Pulau Ubin: March 2012
Have a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar, Raffles Hotel: May 2012
Visit Haw Par Villa: December 2011, August 2012
Go to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve during migration season: January 2012
Tour the Goat Farm: September 2012
Attend a concert at the Esplanade: December 2012

Familial: (8)
Decide definitely whether to have another child; if yes, start working on it!: November 2013
Take a family vacation with my parents (May 2012: Malacca, Hong Kong) and sister
Get a rabbit
Get a dog
Help my cousin visit me in Singapore
Visit family in California (4/4): December 2011, June 2012, December 2012, December 2013
Send family cards via mail, either for a reason or no reason (1/15)
Take a family photo once a month (7/33)

Financial: (13)
Pay off all credit cards
Pay off my student loan debt: November 2012
Pay off B's student loan debt: November 2012
Save $30,000 as a backup fund for emergencies etc: April 2013
Open a retirement account/Roth IRA
Save 10% of income, every month, in retirement account
Start a savings account for college fund
Buy life insurance for B (at least $1 million)
Donate $1000 to charity in 2012
Donate $1500 to charity in 2013
Donate $2000 to charity in 2014
Visit a financial planner
Hire a professional to do our taxes: March 2012

Healthful: (10)
Lose 15 pounds (weigh 125 pounds): May 2013
Hire a personal trainer for ten sessions
Exercise five days a week for a month: April 2013
Climb a mountain
Take a picture of everything I eat for two weeks
See a doctor for my heartburn: June 2012
Do yoga every day for a month
Dessert/sweets no more than three times/week, for three weeks
Drink 8 glasses of water every day for two weeks (1/14)
Floss my teeth every night for two months (1/60)

Indulgent: (7)
Have an all-day spa session: April 2014
Have an Indonesian massage: October 2011
Have a Swedish massage: December 2011
Have a Thai massage: June 2013
Get periodic pedicures: April 2014
Get a facial: January 2012
Blog every day, unless I am without internet access or really sick

Intellectual: (8)
Work my way through beginning Mandarin (Book 1)
Work my way through intermediate Mandarin (Book 2)
Take and complete a Mandarin class
Work my way through beginning Japanese book
Learn hiragana and katakana alphabets
Take a Chinese calligraphy class
Read 300 books (189/300)
Participate in a book group: April 2012

Organizational: (7)
Enter everyone's birthday/anniversary into Google Calendar
Declutter our possessions: get rid of everything neither useful nor beautiful
Write wills for me and B: select guardians for little R
Get new driver's license: December 2012
Change address on credit cards, student loans, with post office, IRS, DMV, for voting
Get antique scroll rematted: May 2012
Sort, reorganize and store files

Parental: (10)
Take swim classes with little R: May 2012
Take a music class with little R: November 2013
Take an art class with little R, when she's old enough to create
Attend a playgroup: September 2012
Take Mandarin class with little R: May 2012
Create a library of 100 quality children's books for little R: May 2012
Go on a beach vacation with little R: March 2012 (Pulau Tioman)
Bake cookies with little R, when she's old enough to help: December 2013
Complete photo album of little R's first year: May 2012
Complete photo album of little R's second and third years

Social: (5)
Make five real friends in Singapore: February 2013
Volunteer my time at a nonprofit I like (0/33)
Host a dinner party
Do random acts of kindness for non-family members (6/10)
Attend mothers' group once a month: March 2013

Spousal: (5)
Date night with B at least twice a month (20/66)
Overnight trip for anniversary, 2012
Overnight trip for anniversary, 2013: December 2013 (Chicago)
Go on an all-day bike ride with B
Make list of 50 things and do them with B (2/50)

Pulitzer Prize Winning Books

I love to read, and being a fast reader have gone through quite a number of books. I try to keep it varied, both because I harbor a fantasy of knowing all the things about everything ever and because I find it more interesting. As far as fiction goes at this point I have read most of the "classics" and in a fair selection of world literature (in translation, sadly I am too lazy to excel in languages, at least at the moment).

One big gap, though, is in American literature, particularly twentieth century American literature (I have actually read quite a bit of earlier stuff). I saw the Pulitzer challenge (in which one reads all of the Pulitzer winners in the novel/fiction category) on some blog last year (unfortunately I can no longer remember which one) and it seems tailor-made for this goal. I haven't even heard of many of these, particularly the older ones!

I will be trying to read at least one from this list per month (which means it will take me years to finish, but that's fine! Reading is a lifelong activity.). The ones I have read so far are crossed out, and I will update this list as I make progress.

2014 - The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
2013 - The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
2012 - No award given

2011 - A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
2010 - Tinkers by Paul Harding
2009 - Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
2008 - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
2007 - The Road by Cormac McCarthy
2006 - March by Geraldine Brooks
2005 - Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
2004 - The Known World by Edward P. Jones
2003 - Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
2002 - Empire Falls by Richard Russo
2001 - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
2000 - Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
1999 - The Hours by Michael Cunningham
1998 - American Pastoral by Philip Roth
1997 - Martin Dressler: The Tale of An American Dreamer by Steven Millhauser
1996 - Independence Day by Richard Ford
1995 - The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
1994 - The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
1993 - A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler
1992 - A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
1991 - Rabbit At Rest by John Updike
1990 - The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos
1989 - Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
1988 - Beloved by Toni Morrison
1987 - A Summons to Memphis by Peter Taylor
1986 - Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
1985 - Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie
1984 - Ironweed by William Kennedy
1983 - The Color Purple by Alice Walker
1982 - Rabbit Is Rich by John Updike
1981 - A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
1980 - The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer
1979 - The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever
1978 - Elbow Room by James Alan McPherson
1977 - no award given
1976 - Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow
1975 - The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
1974 - no award given
1973 - The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty
1972 - Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
1971 - no award given
1970 - Collected Stories by Jean Stafford
1969 - House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday
1968 - The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron
1967 - The Fixer by Bernard Malamud
1966 - Collected Stories by Katherine Anne Porter
1965 - The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau
1964 - no award given
1963 - The Reivers by William Faulkner
1962 - The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor
1961 - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
1960 - Advise and Consent by Allen Drury
1959 - The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters by Robert Lewis Taylor
1958 - A Death In the Family by James Agee
1957 - no award given
1956 - Andersonville by MacKinlay Kantor
1955 - A Fable by William Faulkner
1954 - no award given
1953 - The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
1952 - The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk
1951 - The Town by Conrad Richter
1950 - The Way West by A.B. Guthrie
1949 - Guard of Honor by James Gould Cozzens
1948 - Tales of the South Pacific - James A. Michener
1947 - All The King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
1946 - no award given
1945 - A Bell for Adano by John Hersey
1944 - Journey in the Dark by Martin Flavin
1943 - Dragon's Teeth by Upton Sinclair
1942 - In This Our Life by Ellen Glasgow
1941 - no award given
1940 - The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
1939 - The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
1938 - The Late George Apley by John Phillips Marquand
1937 - Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
1936 - Honey in the Horn by Harold L. Davis
1935 - Now in November by Josephine Winslow Johnson
1934 - Lamb in His Bosom by Caroline Miller
1933 - The Store by T.S. Stribling
1932 - The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
1931 - Years of Grace by Margaret Ayer Barnes
1930 - Laughing Boy by Oliver Lafarge
1929 - Scarlet Sister Mary by Julia Peterkin
1928 - The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
1927 - Early Autumn by Louis Bromfield
1926 - Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis
1925 - So Big by Edna Ferber
1924 - The Able McLaughlins by Margaret Wilson
1923 - One of Ours by Willa Cather
1922 - Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington
1921 - The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
1920 - no award given
1919 - The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington
1918 -  His Family by Ernest Poole

Traveling Past and Future

R never goes anywhere without a packed bag:
she's a girl on the go!

The second half of 2013 was filled with a LOT of traveling.

June 22-26: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
July 19-23: Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia
July 28-August 2: Sri Lanka
August 17-22: Ayutthaya and Bangkok, Thailand
September 13-17: Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia
September 21-24: Kuching, Borneo, Malaysia
November 16-19: Surabaya, Java, Indonesia
December 10-January 7: San Francisco Bay Area, USA (December 20-23 in Chicago)

We were supposed to go to Japan for a week on the way back from the US, but I had a mental breakdown instead. We didn't go anywhere until April for the same reason.

So far in 2014:
April 2-8: Rangoon and Bagan, Myanmar
April 12-13: Batam, Indonesia (just me)
April 26-27: Batam, Indonesia
May 14-20: Khao Lak, Thailand

We currently have no travel plans (until December, when we will be going back to the US). I think B would like to go on more beach trips (he wants R to love the ocean, as it was an important part of his childhood); R wants to go back to Batam and Thailand (for some reason she is obsessed with that destination; and I want to go everywhere!

Potential destinations:
--Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (to stay at the Shangri La and see wild orangutans)
--Chiang Mai, Thailand (I especially want to visit this elephant sanctuary)
--Chennai, India (to see UNESCO World Heritage listed temples and in my fantasy life at least, fly to the Andaman Islands, one of the world's most remote regions and home to perhaps the world's only uncontacted tribe)
or perhaps somewhere else...since I want to go (almost) everywhere, we tend to make travel decisions based largely on what flights are the cheapest.

Goals for August

R at Mandarin class with her favorite toy mango

My goals for August were the following:

--Take Mandarin class with little R (completed)
--Sort, reorganize, and store files
--Visit family in California (completed)

Since I did two ahead of time, I'm changing the list to:

--Sort, reorganize and store files
--Exercise five days a week for a month (well, starting now: it's already the tenth so I won't finish this)
--Send family cards via mail (at least 5)

Also, I'm planning to make some progress on longer-term goals:

--Read at least five books
--Pay off $1000 of B's student loan
--Visit two new museums
--Take two more music classes with R
--Go on a date night with B

Kind of daunting when it's all written out like that. But honestly it's not THAT much, so I can do it! (Yoda says there is no try, so I am using more positive language.)

Goal Progress in 2012, So Far

Back in the day I had a whole list of self improvement goals I was going to work on. Then various things popped up, I lost motivation/focus, and somehow it's the middle of July already!

Let's review:
I made a list of goals for this year, divided by month.

So far these are the ones I've accomplished (through July):
Day Trip to Pulau Ubin
Complete photo album of little R's first year
See a doctor for my heartburn
Hire a professional to do our taxes
Have a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar, Raffles Hotel
Take swim classes with little R
Save $30,000 as a backup fund for emergencies etc
Go on a beach vacation with little R

I also did these (not yet scheduled):
Get antique scroll rematted
Take a river cruise
Take a music class with little R (in progress)

I did NOT:
Exercise five days a week for a month (Big fail on this one)
Give up all caffeine for two weeks
Send family cards via mail
Buy life insurance for B (I know, awful)
Lose 15 pounds (I'm still hovering around 127)
Overnight trip for anniversary (logistically not possible, will have to wait until December)
Work my way through beginning Mandarin (Book 1)
Visit a financial planner
Help my cousin visit me in Singapore (she is now not interested, so not currently possible)
Buy myself a pearl necklace

Pretty mixed results. The good news is, with the exception of the italicized goals above, I can still get everything done if I am just willing to put in the effort. I have 11 days left in July, so let's see what kind of progress I can make!

As a good start, I exercised yesterday and today (which is a huge deal, given my laziness over the last few months).

100 Things to Eat Before You Die

I saw this list of 100 Things to Eat Before You Die on Terri's Try Anything Once website (here's her version), and was inspired to borrow/steal it. I have a lot more to taste (and hopefully will expand my palate a little bit; I am pretty conservative, a hangover from my picky eater days).

Ones I have consumed are in bold.

1. Abalone

2. Absinthe - In the Czech Republic. I did the whole shebang (with the flaming sugar cube and everything). The effects were just like being tipsy.

3. Alligator

4. Baba Ghanoush - It's good, but I like hummus better.

5. Bagel and lox - Yes, many times. I don't really like lox though (it's fish, after all).

6. Baklava - For the first time in a Mediterranean restaurant in San Francisco. Yummy!

7. Barbecue Ribs - No! I must try this.

8. Bellini - Yes, at a fancy museum soiree back in California. Pretty good, but I don't really like the taste of peach...

9. Bird's Nest Soup - No, somehow swallow spit just seems too icky. And it's so expensive! I'll think about trying it though.

10. Biscuits and gravy

11. Black pudding - Anything based around blood grosses me out. I don't think I will ever be able to eat this.

12. Black truffle - Yes, last at Senso. 

13. Borscht - Many times: most memorably in Saint Petersburg, Russia. I love borscht and could eat it every day (and did in Petersburg, as it, rye bread, jam, and pastries were the only good food available: Russian food tends to be bad). 

14. Calamari - Yes, but I don't like it. To me, it tastes like rubber bands.

15. Carp

16. Caviar - Yes, by accident in Saint Petersburg (I mistakenly ordered it in a bliny or crepe; this was the red version), and on purpose at a very swanky reception in San Francisco (Mikhail Baryshnikov was in attendance); this was the black version. Salty but icky.

17. Cheese Fondue - Yes, at a Swiss restaurant in San Francisco (before I was allergic to milk). Pretty good but SO heavy I felt sick afterwards.

18. Chicken & Waffles

19. Chicken Tikka Masala - In the US and in London (the only good food in the UK is Indian food). Delicious!

20. Chile Relleno

21. Chitterlings/Chitlins

22. Churros - Mmmm... I love churros, especially when dipped into hot chocolate. 

23. Clam Chowder - Clams gross me out. I really should try this though.

24. Cognac

25. Crabcake - For the first time in Washington DC (and later in California). Deliciously rich and decadent. 

26. Crickets - No, but certainly available in Singapore!

27. Currywurst - I must try this. I love sausage in every way.

28. Dandelion wine

29. Dulce de leche - At various Mexican/South American restaurants. Good but too cloying for my taste (and now I can't eat it anyway). 

30. Durian - In Taiwan. It tastes fine actually, but I can't get past the smell (it smells just like vomit). I am not a fan.

31. Eel - In a traditional inn in the Japanese countryside. It was delicious!!

32. Eggs Benedict - Most recently at the Pork Store in San Francisco. OMG it's so good. I could eat some now!!

33. Fish Tacos - I used to eat these all the time in Los Angeles. I don't usually like fish, but actually these are incredibly delicious, especially with lots of mayonnaise and cabbage.

34. Foie Gras - Yes, by mistake at a fancy restaurant in Singapore. It was good but ethically I feel bad.

35. Fresh Spring Rolls - In Taiwan I used to order them for breakfast from the vendor who'd roll them in front of me. She added peanuts and they were so delicious.

36. Fried Catfish

37. Fried Green Tomatoes

38. Fried Plantain - Yes, at a Brazilian restaurant in Los Angeles. Surprisingly delicious and sweet.

39. Frito Pie - I love Fritos but this sounds kind of disgusting.

40. Frog's Legs - I should have, since I went to Sichuan, where they are one of the main specialties, but it was too weird for me. Maybe someday?

41. Fugu (Pufferfish) - No, though I've been to Japan. I think I have to wait until little R is independent (it seems a bit indulgent to risk orphaning her just for kicks...)

42. Funnel Cake

43. Gazpacho - Ate it in Spain back when I was a really picky eater out of politeness and hated it. Now I love it.

44. Goat - In Greece. It was pretty good, but I like beef better.

45. Goat's Milk - This is my big standby (since I'm now allergic to cows' milk, it's my sole source of milk/cheese). It's very good though if I could I would still choose cows' milk for the taste.

46. Goulash

47. Gumbo - Yes, at a Louisiana restaurant in Oakland, California. Very flavorful.

48. Haggis

49. Head cheese - No, and probably never. Ick.

50. Heirloom Tomatoes

51. Honeycomb

52. Hostess Fruit Pie - No, and why is this on here? Sounds foul. Maybe I am just being snobby though?

53. Huevos Rancheros - So good: if you haven't had these, go to a good Mexican restaurant ASAP!!

54. Jerk Chicken

55. Kangaroo

56. Key Lime Pie - Yes, but not really a good version (some dumb buffet). 

57. Kobe Beef - Must eat on next Japan trip.

58. Lassi - Yes, pre-allergy. Good but not my thing.

59. Lobster

60. Mimosa - I love these!!

61. Moon Pie

62. Morel Mushrooms - Yes, often. Yummy.

63. Nettle Tea

64. Octopus - Rubbery and not for me.

65. Oxtail Soup

66. Paella - In Spain. I ate it out of politeness but hated it (it was the seafood variety). Should try it again now that I'm not so picky.

67. Paneer - Yes, with spinach. Quite good, though I prefer regular cheese.

68. Pastrami on Rye - One of my favorite sandwiches of all time. I could eat this every day.

69. Pavlova

70. Phaal

71. Philly Cheesesteak

72. Pho - B and I used to eat it every week at a little hole-in-the-wall near our apartment in San Francisco. I like the beef version with lots of lime and bean sprouts.

73. Pineapple Cottage Cheese

74. Pistachio Ice Cream - Oddly enough, no (even though I used to work in an ice cream store). The color put me off.

75. Po' Boy

76. Pocky - ? This is really not good at all, and my bar for candy enjoyment is pretty low (I love Skittles, for instance). The strawberry version is worse than the chocolate one.

77. Polenta - Oh I love polenta, especially when the outer layer is a little crispy. Eat it with mushrooms for extra deliciousness.

78. Prickly Pear - At a Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles as a salad. Really delicious (though the somewhat slimy texture might put some people off). 

79. Rabbit Stew - No! I love rabbits > : (

80. Raw Oysters

81. Root Beer Float - I used to get this all the time at a traditional soda fountain in Berkeley, California. Best with vanilla.

82. S'Mores - I don't really like these, because marshmallows aren't my thing. I've eaten them when camping though, because who's going to turn down chocolate?

83. Sauerkraut - I lovvve sauerkraut, especially with sausage. I will even eat it plain out of the jar. Of course B's homemade purple cabbage version is best.

84. Sea Urchin

85. Shark

86. Snail

87. Snake

88. Soft Shell Crab

89. Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad) - It's very good. I like green mango salad a little bit better though.

90. Spaetzle - I like this, especially with sauerkraut and sausage. Ate it last at a German Swiss restaurant in George Town.

91. Spam - At a Hawaiian restaurant in San Francisco. I love ham, but spam is really not very good. Why the Polynesian obsession with it?

92. Squirrel

93. Steak Tartare

94. Sweet Potato Fries - I like these much better than regular french fries (I rather dislike the potato taste). They're really good with mayonnaise--but isn't everything?

95. Sweetbreads - No, and probably never will. Organs gross me out.

96. Tom Yum - This is good. I prefer Tom Kha though, especially with tofu. I could eat it every day: the coconut broth is SO addictive.

97. Umeboshi - Yes, in Japan. As a relish, they're not bad: but I can't eat more than a taste because the flavor is too overpowering.

98. Venison

99. Wasabi Peas - Yes, at least the dried snack food version, in Taiwan. I don't like them.

100. Zucchini Flowers - No, I hate zucchini. Maybe I should give this preparation a chance though. 

101 in 1001: March Progress

I had several goals to meet in March:

• Complete photo album of little R's first year: no, but I'm working on this (more complicated than I thought). Will move to April.
• See a doctor for my heartburn: no, because I am avoiding it (I am afraid of what they will say).
• Hire a professional to do our taxes: yes!!
• Day Trip to Pulau Ubin: yes!!
• Exercise five days a week for a month: no :(

This performance was better than last month, but still not very good. The real problem was that I didn't feel like doing two of these goals at all. There is a mismatch going on here between Aspirational Grace and the actual one running around Singapore. I am not sure whether it's better to give up, and embrace the real Grace, or try harder to become an improved version of myself. My tendency is to pick the second, so I guess I will see how I fare in April. Hopefully better.

Goals for April:

• Send family cards via mail, either for a reason or no reason (at least 5)
• Buy life insurance for B (at least $1 million)
• Lose 15 pounds (weigh 125 pounds) (am not sure if this is actually doable, but we will see)
• Complete photo album of little R's first year
• Exercise five days a week for a month (hopefully this will help with the weight loss goal!)

I am postponing the doctor's visit for now.

11 Random Things About Me

I saw this meme on Bookish Penguin and thought I would follow suit (I'm skipping the tagging part because it feels so dictatorial to decide what other people ought to write about).

The Rules:
1. Post the rules
2. Share 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions posted to you from your source

11 Random Things:

1. I had pica as a child so I used to eat a lot of strange things. Once I ate a whole cereal box (the cardboard part). It was delicious.

2. I still can't tell my right from my left without thinking about it (usually I do the "L" trick to identify the left hand).

3. My husband, my daughter and I all have birthdays on the 15th of the month. I love the tidiness of this.

4. I always give my height as 5'2" and a half because I think it makes me sound taller. (For some reason, I feel like rounding up is dishonest.)

5. I had recurrent kidney stones from 11-20. I was hospitalized multiple times as a result, once for a month (finally I had to have surgery in that case). I haven't had one since my junior year of college. The causes of the stones, or why they stopped, are unknown.

6. I can't whistle, snap, or throw (real throwing). I can also barely swim, even though I took years of swimming lessons (including private lessons). I am not very coordinated.

7. I taught myself to read when I was 4. My mom didn't believe me when I told her until I proved it by reading the nutritional facts off the box of Cheerios.

8. I dislike most fruit (even though I am a sugar fiend). The only ones I eat gladly are Taiwanese guavas, berries, apples (only if cut though, I don't like eating whole ones), and grapes.

9. I have always hated Barbies (even though I loved dolls as a kid) because "she looks tacky" (my response on receiving one from my grandmother at age 6). I was a snob early.

10. I've spent over a third of my adult life living out of the United States (and almost all in Asia). This is strange to contemplate because I still feel really American.

11. If I were independently wealthy, I would visit every UNESCO World Heritage Site. It IS my goal to visit as many as possible, and I love looking at the list and fantasizing about future trips.

Questions:

1. What was your favorite vacation and why?
The first big trip B and I took to Europe (3 months). I saw so many places I'd always dreamed about, with my favorite person at my side.

 2. If you could live anywhere in the world and not have to worry about things like family being far away, where would you live?
San Francisco. I love the culture, the food, the physical environment, and the fact it still feels like home.

 3. What reading significantly impacted your life? (Book, article, poem, anything)
The Oz series by L. Frank Baum (The Wizard of Oz is the first). It shaped my imagination, my values, and many aspects of my future life. I wrote my college application essay on it, and my daughter's middle name is from my favorite Oz character.

 4. What's one thing you hate that it seems like everyone else likes?
Sports. There is no sport I have any interest in whatsoever, though occasionally I pretend for social harmony.

 5. What do you daydream about?
Taking trips to exotic locations, mostly historic ruins or fantastic museums.

 6. What did your bedroom look like when you were younger? (Any age you want to share.)
Pretty much all childhood: Huge bookshelf jammed full of books, smaller bookshelf with carefully arranged dolls (I was a little OCD), unmade bed, dollhouse on a coffee table.

 7. What's your morning routine?
Sleep in until my baby insists that I get up. I hate the morning.

8. Is there any food you absolutely refuse to eat (other than things you may be allergic to)? Why?
I don't like fruit (see above). I also dislike seafood (except sushi and fish and chips), but eat it if necessary.

9. If skill/ability/money was no issue, what would be your dream job?
Registrar in an ancient Roman history museum.

10. What memory has stuck with you even though you wish you could forget it?
So many it's hard to choose! Maybe the time I was insulting a teacher and going on and on about how boring he was, and then turned around and saw he'd heard the whole thing. His embarrassed face will haunt me forever.

11. What do you want your life to look like when you're 75?
Financially secure, with enough extra money to travel often; successful, happy, partnered children who I talk to regularly; still happily married to B; living in a cute Victorian house in California or somewhere similar, filled with books, oriental carpets, beautiful art and hardwood floors; still in good health and with all my mental faculties (and a quick, painless death less than 10 years away).

101 in 1001: February Fail

Last month I posted about the specific goals I was going to accomplish in February:


Day Trip to Pulau Ubin
Exercise five days a week for a month
Give up all caffeine for two weeks (really)

I didn't accomplish a single one. Wahp wahp.

I did make some progress on other 101 in 1001 goals (including continuing to save money, taking little R to her classes, and reading some books). But overall my performance this month was not very good. I didn't even lose any weight (though I have mostly maintained the weight I've lost so far).

Reasons for this dismal performance include:
--illness. B was sick for the first two weeks; then little R got sick on her birthday and was ill for the next week or so. Then I got sick, and am only now getting better.
--marital bickering. B being sick made me grumpy, as he was not helpful at all during this period (spending a lot of time ill in bed instead). His sickness meant he got behind in his work, so as soon as he was better he had to spend all his time catching up: no family fun or house chores in the cards. So we had a lot of fights about how unsupported I felt. (Writing this out makes me look like a pretty selfish person: yikes! I am trying to work on this.)
--laziness. Sometimes I was too sick to exercise, but for the most part I just didn't feel like it.

I have three new goals for March, and will reuse two of the February ones (I am not ready to give up my caffeine indulgences):

Complete photo album of little R's first year
See a doctor for my heartburn
Hire a professional to do our taxes
Day Trip to Pulau Ubin
Exercise five days a week for a month

I can do it! Try, try again: or as the Chinese say "Jia you!" (literally means add oil, which I think is so funny).

101 in 1001 Road Map

I love my 101 in 1001 list, and check it regularly to remind me of what my long-term goals are. Meg of Moments Like This has one too, and recently posted about her new idea, in which she assigns a particular month to each goal. I love this idea, so I'm copying it.

February 2012
Day trip to Pulau Ubin
Exercise five days a week for a month
Give up all caffeine for two weeks (really)

March 2012
Complete photo album of little R's first year
See a doctor for my heartburn
Hire a professional to do our taxes

April 2012
Send family cards via mail, either for a reason or no reason (at least 5)
Buy life insurance for B (at least $1 million)
Lose 15 pounds (weigh 125 pounds)

May 2012
Overnight trip for anniversary, 2012
Work my way through beginning Mandarin (Book 1)
Have a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar, Raffles Hotel

June 2012
Take swim classes with little R (complete 14)
Save $30,000 as a backup fund for emergencies etc.
Visit a financial planner

July 2012
Help my cousin visit me in Singapore
Buy myself a pearl necklace
Go on a beach vacation with little R

August 2012
Take Mandarin class with little R (complete 15)
Sort, reorganize and store files
Visit family in California (2/5?)

September 2012
Tour the Goat Farm
Open a retirement account/Roth IRA
Get antique scroll rematted

October 2012
Take a river cruise
Take a music class with little R
Get up right when my alarm goes off for two weeks

November 2012
Visit all the museums in Singapore (at least 26)
Do yoga every day for a month
Work my way through intermediate Mandarin (Book 2)

December 2012
Send family cards via mail, either for a reason or no reason (at least 5)
Visit family in California (3/5?)
Get makeup professionally done

Let's see if this helps me!

My ABCs of Travel

I saw this at Alex in Wanderland's site, and thought it looked like fun...

A: Age you went on your first international trip:
16. I went to Grenada, Spain, with a language study program (I am forever grateful to my awesome father, who talked my overprotective mother into letting me go.). We also traveled to Seville, Madrid and Toledo. Despite the fact that I lost 20 pounds on my diet of exclusively chocolate, bread and granitas (I was a really picky eater then and scared to eat Spanish food), I had a wonderful time. Appreciating the art (Seeing Velasquez's Las Meninas for the first time was breathtaking) and architecture (I loved the Alhambra so much I went at least once a week), and experiencing a foreign culture was incredibly meaningful and fascinating to me. I was immediately hooked on travel!

B: Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where:
The best beer I've ever had was in Prague, Czech Republic. I can't pick one brand, because they were all absolutely amazing (and so cheap, like as cheap as a Coca-Cola!). Just get whatever's on draft.

C: Cuisine (favourite):
Italian or Chinese.

Italian for the pastas, the delicious fresh produce, the gelato, the pizza...I ate the best pizza ever at a little sidewalk cafe in Naples: just tomato sauce, a square of mozzarella and a couple leaves of basil on crispy pizza bread. It was perfection.

Chinese for the incredible variety of flavors and tastes, the regional variety, the stir-fried vegetables (pea sprouts and garlic=so good numnumnum), the dumplings, the deep-fried meats...It's hard to pick one meal that was the best: maybe the first time I ate xiaolongbao (pork soup dumplings) at the flagship Din Tai Fung Restaurant in Taipei? Absolutely incredible. If I had to only eat one thing for the rest of my life, this might be it.

D: Destinations, favorite, least favorite and why:

Favorite Destination: I have a hard time just picking one. Rome, maybe for the history (I am obsessed with ancient Rome): plus, the food! I absolutely loved Japan: it's beautiful, full of history and art, there are so many great sites and museums, and the food is quite good. I also love China, in all its polluted, hectic, crowded insanity: it's one of the most exciting places on Earth, its historical and cultural attractions are absolutely amazing, the natural beauty is stunning, and it's really affordable (sadly not true for Japan, home of the $4 banana).

Least Favorite: Vietnam. The natural beauty is amazing, but I found the hostility, sexism and constant crime (violent and non-violent) disturbing (not to mention the rural poverty, which is exceedingly depressing). It's one of the few places I've been that I did not feel safe.

E: Event that made you say “wow”:
Most recently, watching a kecak dance performance at Uluwatu Temple in Bali as the sun set. The combination of music, dance and scenery was breath-taking.

F: Favorite mode of transportation:
Trains, no contest. I like being able to see the scenery while moving around freely: planes are too confined, driving too stressful, and buses are basically just awful.

G: Greatest feeling while traveling:
Seeing something in person that you've only read/heard about.

H: Hottest place you’ve ever traveled to:
Taipei in summer 2003; the Taklamakhan desert in Xinjiang, China

I: Incredible service that you’ve experienced and where:
Maybe the ryokan (traditional inn) in Japan, where the hostess put our shoes on our feet for us. Or Bali, where whenever we went out to eat, the servers would take my infant daughter off and amuse her throughout our entire meal, leaving me free to eat at my leisure.

J: Journey that took the longest:
Maybe the journey from Warsaw to St. Petersburg, during which we were hauled off the train during a stopover in Belarus, and then deported for failing to bribe the customs agents appropriately. We had only a 50 Deutsche mark in currency, and used it to bribe the conductor of the train the Belarussian border agents tossed us on. Luckily it all worked out, and we ended up in Prague. What a happy ending to the multiple-day ordeal!

The journey that felt the longest was either the overnight ferry from Italy to Greece, during which I became horribly seasick (despite my confidence that I would overcome seasickness with willpower), or the bus ride from hell in Vietnam, during which we were jammed in three to a two-seat section (and the peasant lady we shared with fell asleep on my shoulder for hours), the bus broke down, chickens ran down the aisles, and someone attempted to pickpocket us with their feet. It took about 18 hours to go a very short distance. Never again.

K: Keepsake from your travels:
Handmade felt rug from Xinjiang, made by the Kazakh minority: I saw one being made by nomads in their yurt. I bought two at the bazaar in Kashgar, where I had to haggle with a Uighur merchant while sipping extremely sweet tea: the other went to my sister as a wedding present.

L: Let-down sight, why and where:
The Great Wall of China. I made the mistake of seeing it on one of the many dreadful package tours: extremely crowded, hot, polluted and with tortured sun bears. Go independently.

M: Moment where you fell in love with travel:
In the Court of Lions at the Alhambra. It was the most perfect courtyard I'd ever seen, and thinking about its long history (including the fact that the royals who bankrolled Columbus had stood in that very spot) made it even more special.

N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:
I've been lucky enough to stay at a fair number of nice hotels, thanks to generous relatives and traveling in non-wealthy countries. The nicest so far was the Peninsula Hotel in Bangkok. The views, service, food and amenities were all amazing: the hotel even has its own boat, on which you can cruise across the river.

O: Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?
I'm not very good at taking pictures of anything: I get caught up in the moment and forget all about it. Maybe ruins? I have a lot of pictures of antique buildings in various states of decrepitude.

P: Passport stamps – how many and from where?
I'm going to assume this means how many countries visited: 25. In order of visits: USA (born and raised!), Spain, England, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Czech Republic, Russia, Austria, Italy, the Vatican, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:
Most recently, Haw Par Villa: a patent medicine millionaire's personal vision of the afterlife, Chinese mythology, and classical Chinese literature. Weird and very personal, it's unlike anywhere else I've seen.

R: Recommended sight, event or experience:
How to recommend just one? Maybe Lijiang, in Yunnan province, China. It's stunningly beautiful, exotic, unusual, and historic: and won't be that way for long, probably, as it now has an airport and increasing numbers of Chinese tourists. The original Shangri-La, with orchids, glaciers, an interesting ethnic minority, and charming cobblestoned streets and villages.

S: Splurge – something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling:
Seeing cultural attractions. This can get pricey when you factor in transport, especially in places without good public transit, or to out-of-the-way locations. But riding an elephant through the upland jungles of Vietnam, seeing ancient ruined cities along the Silk Road, or visiting a gold mine on Japan's Sado Island was completely worth the money.

T: Touristy thing you’ve done:
I have a great need to visit the most famous attractions of any place I visit, even when that's probably a bad idea (the Great Wall; Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco; the whole city of Saigon). Usually they are famous for a reason though (the Sistine Chapel, the Forbidden City, the Tower of London).

U: Unforgettable travel memory:
Seeing the Roman forum and surrounding areas in person. The Colosseum, the temples, Trajan's column, the Palatine: it was incredible. The most exciting part for me was seeing the Rostra, where so many famous Romans (Cicero, Mark Antony, Caesar) actually stood to give speeches to the mob; and where Cicero's ears were nailed after he chose the wrong side in the civil war.

V: Visas, how many and for where?
Russia, Turkey, Taiwan (4), Vietnam, Cambodia, China (5), Indonesia

W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where?
I don't really know anything about wine, so this is an uneducated opinion, but I loved the wine in Greece (retsina is so tasty!) and Italy (it really was amazing, even when you were ordering only the house wine like me).

X: eXcellent view and from where?
So many! Most recently, the view of the ocean off Tanjung Rhu and the view of Langkawi from Gunung Mat Cincang will be something I'll remember forever.

Y: Years spent traveling:
If you count living as an expat, two in Taiwan, one in China, and six months in Singapore, plus four months traveling in Europe (one in Russia), three in China, and then the rest. Let's call it 4.5 years.

Z: Zealous sports fans and where?
I avoid sports whenever possible. Maybe the British for soccer, the Chinese for pingpong, and the Japanese for baseball?

50 Awesome Things

I saw a version of this on The Happiness Project...

Awesome Things:

1. Waking up early and going back to sleep
2. Water with lemon juice in it
3. New blog posts in my google reader
4. Advertising with rabbits in it: doesn't matter what it's for!
5. How clean your teeth feel after a visit to the dentist
6. Cherry blossoms
7. A warm caffeinated drink from the coffee shop
8. Bacon
9. YouTube, especially the historic movie shorts
10. A really windy day when it's not that cold
11. Getting a pedicure for the first time in months
12. Rechargeable batteries
13. All the varieties of goat cheese at Trader Joe's
14. The smell of wet hair
15. Lots of previews at the movie theater
16. The library
17. My new sandals
18. Hills covered in green grass
19. The feeling you get after your exercise is finished (I hate the actual process)
20. Dogs when they are playing with each other
21. Sitting in a tidy house, where everything is put away
22. The sound of the ocean
23. Drinking unflavored sparkling water with a bendy straw
24. Sugar in paper packets
25. Service people who enjoy their jobs
26. Capybara
27. Hugs
28. The smell of little R's head
29. Effective disposable diapers: love them!
30. Ikea, especially the names
31. Washing dirty hands in warm soapy water and seeing all the grime come off
32. Playing the radio really loud as you drive
33. Brushing your hair until it is all smooth and silky
34. The sound of typing
35. Used bookstores with lots of cheap books
36. The feel of silk
37. Putting lotion on dry skin
38. High quality dark chocolate
39. The color red
40. Wearing thick socks when it's cold
41. Buttercream frosting (even though I can't eat it now)
42. That first drink of water when you're thirsty
43. Sitting next to the heater on full blast
44. Deep breaths of fresh air
45. Soft peppermints
46. Tree leaves against the sky
47. Crossing things off your list
48. The smell of coffee
49. Clean wood floors
50. The feel of glossy paper

Progress on New Year's Eve Goals

For 2011, I listed the following goals:

1. Have a baby (due Feb. 28)!
2. Read 50 books.
3. Go to the gym at least 3 times/week.
4. Return to my pre-baby weight (135 pounds).
5. Blog at least 2 times/week.
6. Take pictures of me, the baby, my life (the move!) at least once a week.
7. Spend one-on-one time with B. doing something fun at least once a week.
8. After the baby is born, take at least 1 hour/day for myself to relax.
9. Visit a museum/park/cultural event once a week, before and after baby.
10. Call/visit family at least once a week.

So now that we are in April, how am I doing?
1. Done! Little R arrived Feb. 15, and is even more darling than I expected.
2. I have read 48 books so far (though they were not all high quality). Parenthood hasn't interfered with reading that much so far, since I read while R sleeps or hangs out in her bouncer.
3. I did this until I gave birth. Since R came, I have been to the gym only 3 times total (FAIL). Must make more of an effort
4. Not yet. I weigh 148 pounds now, down from 170. But it's only been 9 weeks, so we will see
5. This month I have been doing better and have exceeded this goal.
6. I take pictures of little R almost every day (though they are usually bad pictures since I have no talent). I need to start taking the camera when I go out on mini trips though.
7. Have not done this (FAIL). We spend a lot of time together chatting, but rarely do anything fun (ie an activity) without R. I should start scheduling date nights.
8. Absolutely; in fact, since she goes to bed at 8 pm now, I usually have at least 3 hours.
9. Did not do this pre-baby because I felt so huge and uncomfortable. Since the beginning of April, have done this once per week. Keep at it!
10. Yes: in fact, probably more often since little R arrived. Everyone wants to see her!

8/10 isn't bad. I should make more effort for date nights and gym visits, and keep up the other efforts. Jia you!

ABC Meme

A. Age: 32

B. Bed size: Full (can't imagine what I would do with a bigger one...)

C. Chore you hate: Making the bed, so I never do it

D. Dogs: Tibetan terrier or Havanese: someday soon!

E. Essential start to your day: Putting my contacts in since I'm blind as a bat

F. Favorite color: Red

G. Gold or silver: Gold

H. Height: 5’3" (5'2.5" actually but I round up)

I. Instruments: the recorder (I even took lessons) but now I don't remember anything. I'm not very musical

J. Job title: Unemployed (at home with baby)

K. Kids: Little R, 2 months

L. Live: San Francisco

M. Mom’s name: Sari

N. Nicknames: Bunny, Panda

O. Overnight hospital stays: Kidney stones (several times), appendix removed, having a baby

P. Pet peeve: people texting while you are talking to them, drivers on cell phones, the proudly ignorant

Q. Quote from a movie: ? Can't think of any

R. Right or left handed: Right

S. Siblings: One sister: love you!

T. Time you wake up: when R does: usually 7:30-8 (sad sad because I am not a morning person)

U. Underwear: Cotton bikini

V. Vegetables you dislike: I despise zucchini in every form

W. What makes you run late: My husband!

X. X-Rays you’ve had: teeth, kidneys, lungs, knees

Y. Yummy food you make: Pasta with homemade pesto

Z. Zoo- favorite animal: Monkeys, otters, penguins

Happy New Year!

My resolution for the New Year: Be More Calm. I am still thinking about how to implement this exactly, but I want to strive towards being an unflappable, mellow, kind, tolerant person, who acts as a calm center for my household.

Goals for the New Year:
1. Have a baby (due Feb. 28)!
2. Read 50 books.
3. Go to the gym at least 3 times/week.
4. Return to my pre-baby weight (135 pounds).
5. Blog at least 2 times/week.
6. Take pictures of me, the baby, my life (the move!) at least once a week.
7. Spend one-on-one time with B. doing something fun at least once a week.
8. After the baby is born, take at least 1 hour/day for myself to relax.
9. Visit a museum/park/cultural event once a week, before and after baby.
10. Call/visit family at least once a week.

It's going to be an exciting year, with a new baby, a move to Singapore, B.'s new job and lots of changes. I am both anxious and looking forward to it!

Self Improvement

I very much admire Benjamin Franklin and his program for self-improvement as documented in his Autobiography. I was thinking about my own self-improvement, and it seems like a daunting but worthwhile task. The biggest problem is having the self-discipline necessary to do the things necessary. But another problem is knowing what your weaknesses are in the first place.

A tentative list:
1. I am contemptuous of many people, often for small traits, when they differ from me. Being contemptuous is both unkind and (usually) unjustified: it would fall under the category of Pride according to the medieval sin list. I am ashamed to admit how contemptuous I frequently feel.
2. I am impatient. I hate waiting, and it makes me grumpy. Then I become rude and surly, and do things I regret. This is inconsiderate and unpleasant to everyone around me. This would be Anger or Wrath.
3. My self-discipline is poor. I frequently shirk tasks that are unpleasant, even when I should do them, don't follow through on my resolutions, and make excuses for myself all the time ("Today I was tired/hungry/sick/it was the weekend etc."). This is basically Sloth.

I am also greedy, but I am not as concerned about this, as it's limited more to minor things (like not liking to share dessert) and is under better control. I am occasionally envious, but I think my excessive contempt for others has ironically largely prevented this problem. I don't think Lust or Gluttony are major problems for me at this point. Of course I could be wrong about all of this: it's so hard to perceive your own flaws.

Things to do for the next week:
1. Self-discipline. I will commit to working on this by 1. going to bed by midnight at the very latest every night and 2. by getting exercise (gym or bike ride) six nights out of the next seven.
2. Impatience: 1. I will leave 10 min. ahead of time to give myself more leeway and 2. will always bring a book with me wherever I go. Hopefully this will avoid triggering my impatience and worry, and keep me more sweet-tempered.
3. Contempt. 1. When I begin to think contemptuous thoughts about others, I will try to direct my thoughts in another path (so I don't go around thinking how stupid and worthless everyone is all the time) and 2. I will make conversation with people I don't like for 5 min./day, to try to understand them better and hopefully develop more charity and empathy.

The last seems by far the most daunting. This is a signal it's the most important. I will try to be brave (since talking to people is very scary for me).