The elderly man

He pushes, with considerable effort, through the second door in to the café, seeking warmth from the crisp winter Sunday afternoon too cold for his age.

Mostly white, with the occasional black strand clinging to its youth, hair is tucked under a forest green beret.

He wears a silver watch, shiny, well-maintained, it peeks out under his red flannel long shirt which is under his black fleece collared jacket

He walks slowly, deliberately. A little stubborn about how his body is not as nimble as it once was. Stiff.

He carries a standard cane. Gray and metallic, with notches to adjust the height, and a rubber handle to make for more ergonomic grip.

He walks to the table beside me. Sets down his medium cup of tomato cheddar soup and bun. A top a stack of paper napkins. He movers forward to lean his cane opposite him, as if a companion joining him for his meal.

The smooth metal cane slides right off the edge of the table.

The lady sitting beside him looks up from her book to reach out and help him position the cane so it won’t slip again.

“That’s very kind of you, young lady.”

His face is wrinkled, dark spots, freckles, splash across his cheeks. He has a hunch when he uses his aged fingers to pry open the cover of his soup.

His white eyebrows raise with each bite he takes, he devours his meal much faster than the two younger ladies at his neighboring tables. Yet he moves slowly, deliberately.

I want to know more, but I don’t think his story is mine to hear. All the best sir, may God bless you.

Let the countdown to 2014 begin.

My last post here was in April. I made an attempt to be more organized about my online activities, so I tried moving everything to my Tumblr. It was a learning point in which media is better for which platform. I realize I still ought to find a place to post more original long form content since Tumblr really is a place for all other media besides words, and a lot of reposting cool shit I find around the Internet. Ultimately though, I think this platform is going to be more for personal ramblings than anything.

I also miss the categories of WordPress, and being able to organize/file away my own content so I can find it easier.

ANYWAY! I totally stopped attempting to organize my #beckydoes365days project. It’s still going strong, cheated a few times and just plain ignored the rules other times, but what’s a long-term project without that. Go follow me on Instagram for more asinine snaps of my daily trudge.

It’s the end of Sunday, July 28th, which was the 209th day of the year. Which means we’ve long passed the mid-point of 2013, in fact, we’ve only got 156 days left! Living in a country with seasons made me notice some really odd behavior you’d never see in a place like Singapore. All through May and April people are grumbling about this fickle spring weather and whining for summer to hurry up and arrive. Come summer, and everyone’s too hot. Now that July’s here, most people are practically done for the season and have already started stocking up for autumn/winter.

I know I wasted quite a number of days from the first 209 days, but no point feeling bad about the past, and I’ve got 156 days more! I’m challenging myself to bring my DSLR out everyday come August. I will also make an effort not to stay at home all day anymore for the rest of the year.

A LOT of exciting plans for the rest of the year, friends coming to the city, and I’ve got some traveling to do. (YES!) Summer is also not over yet! I’ve got a good month left to catch all the free, summery stuff in the city. Shakespeare In The Park, Smorgasburg & Brooklyn Flea!, a free movie in Bryant Park, and all the random block parties on the weekends. One thing I don’t feel any inclination towards though is to go to the beach. I guess growing up on an island city can do that to you.

Well. NYC, let’s do this.

Asians At Work – Guilty! Also, I reached 100 days!

This video is hilarious. I love how we Asians totally embraced this stereotype. My Project 365 days has me doing essentially every Instagram pose under their #cnnreporter tag. And yes, I happily admit to taking #foodporn photos all the time, as well as #hashtagoverloading.

This video also came at a brilliant time, I celebrated my 100th day of my Project 365 days on 10th April, and I couldn’t think of a better way to sum up my photos thus far.

My 100th day of #beckydoes365days!

Looking through the past 100 photos, I even have a few co-co-co-combos. Combining the likes of the number 2 hand pose with the #sotd.

I also noticed some trends in my photos such as the #instanail shots, and a disturbing trend of covering my mouth with whatever I was about to eat.

      

Thanks JinnyBoyTV for the screenshots from the video. Reuben and Jin are a hilarious duo based in Malaysia. (No, Malaysia is not part of Singapore, nor is it part of China.) Go check out more of their videos on YouTube.

Moving forward, I don’t know if I’ll still be taking every 365 day photo with my phone. Clearly it’s really limiting my angles, especially since the iPhone has no self-timer like the Samsung S3 did.

We’ll see, and I’m super proud of myself for reaching 100 days. I hate taking self-shots, and it’s really been a challenge, I’ve succumbed to cheating and totally bending the rules along the way.

Also, I can’t believe it’s mid-April already! Experienced my first Spring thunderstorm tonight. ^^

What Monday Blues? Here’s how to start your day.

42 Things That Prove That Joseph Gordon-Levitt Is The Perfect Man.

‘Nuff said. Thanks. Happy Monday.

Buy this watch: on consumerism and creation.

Marc Johns: buy this watch.

As a former communications student (well, current, since there’s always something new to learn in this field), I really appreciate this piece by Marc Johns.

“This is another drawing about consumerism and identity, topics I am constantly fascinated by. The way that we use objects (usually branded objects) to create an identity for ourselves is intriguing and absurd and amusing.” – Marc Johns

Particularly more so in America – land of consumerism. Everyone everywhere is trying to sell everything to everyone. It’s insane here and I feel overwhelmed left, right, center.

But then, within the cracks, a small, but steady, stream of creators, brilliant minds, and people with huge hearts and bigger plans is constantly beating. U.S.A. may be the #1 consumer country in the world, but we are not without our own homegrown brilliance. And we continue to nurture it. That’s something I don’t think can be said about many other places in the world.

六味汤

Spring was coming! Then today happened. -.-

So much for that ‘Spring is coming!’ sentiment I had when I saw the trees starting to bud. Today it started sleeting/snowing again, and according to dear ol’ AccuWeather, the rain/sleet/snow/general-unhappiness expected to continue till Wednesday.

Yay.

In times of adversity your true self shines. (LOL for the cheese. I apologize.) So the Cantonese kid in me, (and dad since he’s the one who took out the packet mom brought over), is battling this winter cold with soup.

六味汤 liùwèi tāng (or lok-mei-tong in Cantonese) literally translates to Six Flavor Soup. It’s a very common Chinese herbal soup. There are six main ingredients, which you can get in ‘instant packets’  at most supermarkets in Singapore.

I’m not sure if they have it here in NYC Chinatown, but I’m pretty sure I can find all the individual ingredients anyway.

The dry ingredients laid out. This makes about 6-8 bowls of soup.

六味汤 liùwèi tāng – Six Flavor Soup

30g 玉竹 yù zhú – Polygonatum / ‘Jade Bamboo’
10g  龙眼肉 lóngyǎn ròu – Dried Longan
10g 淮山 huáishān – Chinese Yam
20g 莲子 liánzǐ – Lotus Seeds
10g 百合 bǎihé – Dried Lily Bulbs
10g 芡实 qiànshí – Euryale Seeds

The packet calls for 1.5L (or just over 1.5 Qts.) water. And you can choose to boil it with meat or rock sugar.

Yes, soup can be taken both savory or sweet. I prefer all my herbal soups savory, so tonight we’re boiling this with pork ribs.

Winter woes begone.

#beautyintheold

I’ve started a new series of sorts on my Instagram feed – #beautyintheold.

I’ve always had a penchant for something aged, something well maintained, or forgotten but not gone. There is a tenacity and endurance in the things, buildings, people, that survive the passing times and elements. Weathered but not destroyed.

There were plenty of such joys and stories behind the vintage in Singapore. And even more here in NYC. It’s a great learning tool for my birth country. A history lesson in nostalgic proportions.

Looking forward to sharing more.

February flew right by

Wow, I’ve been away for a month. D:

#beckydoes365 days has been going well. February was a blur for me. Many firsts – which is always a good thing. It was a pretty eventful month, what with the Superbowl, the blizzard that was a fish, and DAD VISITING :D.

Highlight was clearly the last point. He’s still here and it’s been a month full of awesomeness and hanging out and being Daddy’s little girl.

It was also a very food-centric month, 13 of the 28 photos feature food in some way. Celebrated Chinese New Year with my family’s traditional vegetarian dish lovingly frozen and brought up by my dad. I also got to eat homemade Korean bim-mim-bap for the first time, it was tres awesome. Not to mention finally getting my hands on some Italian desserts from Carlos’ Bakery in Hoboken.

February was a blast, can’t wait to share March’s update. (Here’s hoping I post something new before then though. Haha.)

My first blizzard and it’s a fish. #nemo

The snow started Friday afternoon. So light I was thinking, “Seriously, that’s it?”

There’s something so calming about the silence that blankets the city. And it got dark pretty early, this was about 4pm? Seemed like a good time as any to curl up with a mug of hot chocolate and time traveling to the 1920s with ol’ Fitzgerald.

As the snow continued to come down, the cold called out to the Chinese in me. I very seldom made soups in Singapore, it was so accessible. But here, and in this weather, it felt like the only appropriate response. It smells so good!

Finally around midnight, our road was totally untouched, and the city went to sleep. <3

Here’s a picture of today at 8am. Nice and new and white (: I wish I had appropriate wear to go out and jump into the snow. If anything I’m craving to ski again.

This was my first major snowstorm/blizzard ever. And it was pretty mild to be honest, the kids in Boston are still getting snow, hope it gets better for them.

I love the snow ^^

Month 01 DOWN for Project 365 Days!

Month 01 is DONE! I’m really proud of what I’ve managed to achieve with a lowly phone camera that thankfully has a timer option otherwise this would’ve been virtually impossible.

Looking back, the pictures portray that I really only care about a) food, b) clothes, c) books, and d) museums? I’m pushing it with point D, it’s to make me feel better about point B. (:

I realize I’ve taken 16 of the 31 photos at home. I promise to get out more this month!

Also, my DSLR is finally COMING, hand delivered with love and a very painful 26hr journey for Dad. ♥ This also means more pressure to take nicer shots, ah well, I never took on this challenge because I thought it’d be easy.

IN OTHER NEWS, 

Chinese New Year is coming! The first day is February 10th, 2013. And this is MY year, meaning that it’s the year of the Snake, meaning that I’m turning 24.

I don’t know why I’m so excited about this being ‘my year’, as a Christian, I definitely don’t believe in all the superstitions and what nots. But I guess I’m still very much Chinese, and I do enjoy a good tradition.

I remember being crazy excited when I was turning 12 in 2001. It was my PSLE year, that’s the big exam we take to get us from Primary school to Secondary school (i.e. middle grade to high school). Maybe it’s because for the first time I got an A for my Chinese, I also remember it was my first trip to Switzerland and Austria, I learnt how to ski in Austria. I broke my big right toe for the first time, I also learnt how to bake Christmas cookies and pineapple upside down cake for the first time. I fell in love with my favorite dog in Switzerland.

So, 2012 was already such a crazy year for me, and if 2001 was any indication, that means I’ve got an epic 2013 ahead for me. :D

I’ll end off with this photo. It’s THE traditional Cantonese CNY dish my grandma used to prepare every Chinese New Year. Eventually my dad took over the cooking, and mom took over the preparation of ingredients with the help of my dad’s siblings. It’s called “Cai 菜” which just means vegetable. It has 30 odd ingredients, every year when the family gathers the numbers change.

Last year I was tasked with documenting the whole preparation phase so my generation can take over. So I have all the pictures of every ingredient in my computer right now, and it’s been sitting here ever since. Maybe I’ll try making it here in New York, according to friends and family I should be able to get all the ingredients in Chinatown.

Happy CNY folks! ♥