Year of the Rabbit

Growing up in a traditional Chinese household, I have learned to love all of the Chinese that I am. This includes trips to Chinatown where homeless lie on every street corner, where police cars are constantly patrolling the neighborhood to stop fights and drug deals, and where many rats were found in grocery stores/eateries. OK OK, so this is the really bad stuff of Chinatown. I guarantee there are pros. For example, take the food. (I tell this to a lot of people. I always say, "I must've been Japanese in my past life...I could eat Japanese food and sushi all day, EVERY day!" And if you know me, you know this is true.) Yes, Japanese comes first to my taste buds, but Chinese food flows in my blood. Who can resist Jai, Jin Doi, Gau, Half Moon, Har Gau, Ham Sui Gok, and Lo Mai Fan?? PHEW! I don't know Chinese well, but I definitely DO know my chinese DIM SUM. Hah!

And take the many Chinese traditions like the Chinese Lion Dance. Give $1 to the lion for good luck! Or The Moon Festival. This day falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar year, when the moon is at its maximum brightness for the entire year. What does this mean? Yummy Moon Cake!!!

So in conclusion, yes, traveling to Chinatown means not-so-pretty odors of homeless and not-so-nice glimpses of rats and infestation, but for me, that's part of my culture- good AND bad. I'm going to embrace every little bit of who I am. 

And hey, doesn't the food make it all that much better??

Chinese food: tofu with squash, tomato tofu, jai, and bean curd
Bsky top, Alloy cardi, BDG jeans, Steve Madden sandals

fresh jin doi!

just don't think about all the oil...

Narcissus and other traditional Chinese flowers

tons and tons of "Year of the Rat" tshirts for sale!

fake?

cutest little girl ever! she wasn't afraid either!!