pacyforest

a new chapter

2007-10-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

I've decided to stop posting here and begin a new blog, a solitary grace.

Robert Salvatore Mercer

2007-09-04T09:30:00.001-07:00

Our dearly beloved Robert passed away on Monday, August 27, 2007 at the age of 35. Robert, with his great passion for life, accomplished many dreams. With a Bachelor in Architecture degree from Rhode Island School of Design and a Master of Architecture degree in Urban Design from Harvard University, he led a successful career including work with world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. He was a remarkable man who battled Ewings Sarcoma Cancer for over five years with strength, spirit, and determination. After being diagnosed, Robert and his wife founded Robert's Snow: for Cancer's Cure, which to date has raised more than $200,000 for cancer research.

Robert was blessed with wonderful parents, Anna Valente and Edward Mercer, a loving wife and soulmate Grace Lin, his sister Alison (husband Garry Butler), his brothers Tam and Greg, and an adoring grandmother Angela Rossi Valente. Robert will be lovingly remembered by his aunt Vicki and uncle Tony Valente, his cousins Michael (wife Lori Martins) and Lisa, the Lin family, as well as his many relatives and friends. We wish to celebrate Robert’s life; we welcome all those friends and loved ones who want to celebrate with us.

Visitation at:
Centre funéraire Côte-des-Neiges
4525 Côte-des-Neiges road, Montréal
(514) 342-8000
on Thursday, September 6, 2007 from 4 to 9 p.m. and on Friday, September 7, 2007 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. followed by a religious ceremony in the chapel of the funeral home at 10:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, we would ask that you make a donation, in Robert’s name, towards Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund
Attn: Lauren Nash 10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226. Please make checks out to "Robert's Snow."

Robert

2007-08-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

We are sad to say that Grace Lin's husband Robert passed away Monday, August 27, 2007. If you would like to send your condolences, the best way to do so would be by donating to cancer research in Robert's memory via the Jimmy Fund, and by supporting Robert's Snow for Cancer's Cure. Check made out to "Robert's Snow" should be mailed to: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund/Attn: Lauren Nash/10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor/Brookline, MA 02445-7226.

Thank you for thinking of Grace in this very difficult and sad time.

dear friends

2007-06-26T18:06:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry to say that Robert is not having the results from his treatments that we hoped for and the written word no longer brings me solace. As Robert's body betrays him, so does the consolation of my blog. So for now, during these hard times, I say goodbye--hoping to find hope in silence.

miracle

2007-06-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

This is the drug trial Robert is on. It made a miracle happen for someone else, please send your good thoughts that it will make a miracle happen for Robert too. At this point, we'll take anything to help sway the balance.

news article
video

spoke too soon

2007-06-20T13:43:00.000-07:00

Ah, methinks I jinxed myself for as soon as I posted Robert was better he took a backward step and I will not be able to go to ALA afterall. Such is the way of the best laid plans.

Someone steal some gold stickers for me.

relief

2007-06-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

Even though I have tried to be quiet about it, the last two weeks have been really brutal. Robert has suffered viciously, yet still soldiered on. I felt the least I could do was try to do the same.

But the last few days have brought improvement and relief; and as it rains upon us, my creative seeds begin to sprout again...novels and work are no longer stalled and it looks like I'll be able to go to ALA in Washington as planned. But more important than keeping the schedule intact, is the hope that it gives us that all may be well someday...maybe even someday soon.

stalled

2007-06-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

It's strange how not having a camera has affected my blogging. Somehow without being able to post images has stalled my blogging.

But perhaps that is just an excuse. I have also stalled on my new novel (the one I talked about here); and it's not even because I don't know what to write. I actually have it all planned out and ready to go. My big hang up is the title; for some reason I can't seem to get out of the gate because of it. I am obsessed with trying to figure one out. That and the Chinese name of my main character. I'm not too happy with the one I have, especially as my Mom said, "That's not a good name. No one would ever name their girl that, it sounds like the word for vegetable."

Anyone have a lovely Chinese but not too intimidating to read name (the name Zhizhuang, for example, I think would cause kids to give up after paragraph one) they'd like to offer up?

Maybe I should make it a contest. The winner wins, um, the gift of me using it to name my character? Or maybe I'll let the winner choose the title, from a predetermined list. Hey, that might be win-win for all! It might just give me the jumpstart I need. What do you think?

a real life Ling and Ting

2007-06-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

Shortly, after posting about my new project, I received this wonderful e-mail. It reminded me why creating children's books is the best job ever. And it makes me want to paint Ling and Ting in striped sailor dresses.

Dear Ms. Grace Lin,

Our names are Jennifer MeiDe and Rebekah MeiRui. We are ten years old and we are home schooled. We were born in Hefei China, but now we live in the United States. We are identical twins.

We have several books by you. The first book our Mom and Dad bought was Dim Sum For Everyone! The book we liked the most is The Year Of The Dog. Both of us can't wait to get The Year Of The Rat because our Dad and we were all born in that year.

We like your books and know that your new book will be Ling and Ting. This new book is about Chinese American twins, just like us. We look the same, but we have many differences. Jennifer loves to draw paper dolls of people. Rebekah loves to draw animals and draw background scenes.

We each write stories, but we write different kinds of stories. We are taking an online writing course at Northwestern University. Both of us like origami, just like in your other book, Lissy’s Friends , but we each make different kinds of origami figures. When we were babies, Rebekah wore a red ribbon and Jennifer wore a yellow ribbon so that they could tell us apart. Both of us still like those different colors as our favorites today.

We do the same things, but we do them in different ways. If you have any questions about Chinese American twins, please e-mail us.

Becky
and
Jenny

Rebekah(on right) and Jenny (on left)

home sweet home

2007-06-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

So, we have returned to Boston for a short break in between Robert's treatments; and we are quite happy to be here. All the complaints about our apartment being to small, the creaky floors and falling-down doors are suddenly like spots on cherries--unnoticeable in the deliciousness of coming home. So much so, that I am a little sad that I have to leave immediately for FCCNY's Culture Day(if you are coming stop and say hello!), though I have been looking forward to the event for a while. But it's a quick trip and I know it will make the time I do get to be home that much sweeter.

these boots weren't meant for walking...

2007-06-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've had a giant sighting. But all you need is one to bring back the memories. This one has a particular Texan flavor, don't you think?

new project!

2007-05-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm thrilled to announce that my new pet project (which I alluded to here) has officially been acquired! Yippee!

This project will be my first early reader--think along the lines of Frog and Toad, Amelia Bedelia. So not a picturebook, like Lissy's Friends and not a novel like Year of the Dog. A whole different beastie for an age group in between those two types. Very exciting!

Ling and Ting will be an early reader about twin Chinese-American girls (it also marks my first Asian book that does not feature my family members!). Why twins?

Well, originally, they were triplets. This book actually has been brewing for many years. Just like how Year of the Dog was an homage to the Betsy books, this early reader began as an homage to the Flicka, Dicka and Ricka books I used to read.
(I had to paint Ling & Ting in the same dotted dresses!)

But even though my vision was for identical girls, I felt a tad uncomfortable-- would I be encouraging that whole "All Asians look alike" stereotype? So I put the story away and let the idea sit and sit. For years.

And then in 2005, a group in Portland, ME put on a play of the Ugly Vegetables. There, I met the cutest Asian twin girls I've ever seen. As I watched them share cookies but eat them in completely different ways, a light went off in my head. Suddenly, I knew how the book should be written and that I needed to give the early reader another shot.

So I went home and scratched and rewrote and resketched, with a different outlook. The shift was subtle, but important--as it finally justified (to me) why the characters had to be identical.

Because, whereas the theme of many of my other books have been how even when people look different, there are many similiarities--the theme of this book is how when people look the same, there are many differences.

And that is the story behind the story of Ling and Ting! It's strange how books with the fewest and simplest words seem to take the longest to produce. In fact, I think this blog post might be longer than the actual manuscript!

8 things

2007-05-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

Seven Impossible Things as well as Gail, have tagged me for the 8 things meme:

Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Hey, didn't I do this meme already? Oh that was 6 weird things. Okay, 8 is a lucky Chinese number and I like luck, so here I go...

1. I say I'm not superstitious but I am. I try not to be, but it pops out. For example, the reason why I'm doing this meme.

2. I love candied ginger. I can eat bags of it a day. Yes, that bags plural.

3. I can read the same book over and over again. For years.

4. On the other hand, I seem unable to sit still enough watch movies or TV. I usually leave in the middle, during the most tense scene. In fact, if you want me to leave the room, simply turn on the TV. This drives Robert crazy as he is a huge movie fan.

5. I have a very bad sense of direction. This has been well chronicled here and here.

6. I love Cirque Du Soleil. One of my goals in life is to see every show that they've produced.

7. In my youth, I was the "troublemaker." Compared to most teenagers, I was quite tame. However, compared to my sisters, I was a "heller." I wore make-up and got my hair permed!

8. Yes, I had my hair permed. When I was in my teens I proudly sported teased mall-rat hair. Ah, those were the days.

Um, I don't know 8 people to tag. Everyone I've thought of has already been tagged...If you are reading this and have a blog, consider yourself tagged!

unexpected

2007-05-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

Great Googlie-Mooglie! One Year in Beijing won the Chinese American Librarians Association Honorary Mention Best Book Award. I'm pleasantly surprised, especially as this book had fallen off my personal radar.

bearable

2007-05-29T16:33:00.000-07:00

We received Robert's test results which were, strangely, anti-climatic. While he didn't achieve any miraculous tumor disappearance as some other patients had, he hadn't declined at all either. We knew it would not be the former as his symptoms have not been alleviated but were relieved with the latter. Perhaps, like the doctor suggested, we just need to give this treatment a bit more time. Which is what we shall do.

And while time is something we are loathe to give up, sometimes it seems like we have too much of it. There's too much time where Robert is debilitated and I have too much time watching it. Somehow, we are unable to transform this into living time--moments of love and joy have somehow passed over us as we wait and hope for our lifetime to begin.

frozen

2007-05-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's 82 degrees here in San Antonio, yet,strangely, I feel frozen. All my creative juices have turned to ice and the bright sun seems unable to warm our worries. And like the movement of glaciers, the days pass slowly. Perhaps tommorrow, if Robert gets good results from his first scans, we can finally begin to thaw out. I hope so, but thinking about his test gives me chills.

boring is good

2007-05-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Most of the times boring is bad. When writing books, for example. Or watching a movie. However, for a clinical trial boring is good.

We learned this as Robert received his first infusion on Tuesday. We've spent the rest of the time simply sitting around the clinic twiddling our thumbs. It's quite a contrast to the chaos and rush we went through before arriving here.

"How are you doing?" the nurse says, checking in on us every other hour.
"Fine," we say, "A little bored."
"That's great!" she says, "It means nothing is going wrong. Bored is good."

So we are doing very good, indeed. Robert is feeling good, as well. I can tell because he jokes about drawing spots on his skin to cause some excitement.

cautiously optimistic

2007-05-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

It seemed like no sooner than I swept the cupcake crumbs from the floor, I was off on a plane to San Antonio to meet Robert. During my days of frivolity he was undergoing tests and filling out paperwork (I feel very guilty!). But all things considered, he did fine and I was glad to be by his side when he started his treatment today.

It’s a Phase I Clinical trial, so I know better than to expect miracles. But I can’t help see stars when the doctor tells us about the early promising results of the trial so far. Just thinking that there might be a possibility for the life we want makes me weepy; and it fills me with a reckless hope that this could be the answer we’ve waited so long for.

luck

2007-05-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

I refuse to believe
luck
is like a puddle of rainwater
that dries up
and disappears

I think
luck
is like water from a faucet
turning on
and off
but
It
Never
Runs
Out

Just like my tears

celebration

2007-05-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

Even with the wonderful help of Ki-Ki and the Blue Rose Girls, I still was scrambling when the first guests arrived to the party. Punch wasn’t mixed (and never was), paintings were crooked and ice had been forgotten. But the party had begun!And it was wonderful. Who would’ve known that Lissy’s Friends would be such a appropriate book for the party? Because friends from everywhere, from all facets of my life came out on the cold, rainy day.

Author and artist friends like:

Mary Newell Depalma, Steve Engel (the artist that cuts all the snowflakes for Robert's Snow) and Nicole Tadgell.

Alissa Imre Geis

and Barbara O'Connor
Teacher/School Visit Friends like:

Pat Keough

Eisha (with Anna)

New Friends like:

Lily (a big Year of the Dog fan!)

and Scott Magoon

And old friends like:
Mike and Nancy (who came from Texas!)

Throughout the party, Ki-Ki and the blue rose girls were working the book table, selling lots of copies of Lissy’s Friends:

I kept getting unnecessary but extraordinarily lovely gifts from people. Thank you!

And Lolly from the Horn Book was podcasting:
See her trying to deviously pretend she’s not recording?

Kids seemed to like the cupcakes:
and the flowers:
And no one seemed to notice the lack of punch:

But I was still a bit scrambled. Time passed in a blur! I forgot to publicly thank the girls for all their help, do a book reading or even acknowledge the Lissy doll! I do remember that I did urge everyone to eat cupcakes, that I raffled my painting,and The Blue Rose Girls (sans Meghan) had a photo op:

So, I think Lissy and I had a pretty good birthday! Thanks everyone for celebrating with us!

safe arrival

2007-05-21T17:49:00.000-07:00

After a late night, I woke up bright and early to prep for the party waking up Ki-Ki and Alvina (who slept over). Ki-Ki was particularly difficult to awake. The overload of sugar the night before left her in a state of food coma and I wasn't sure she was going to make it out of bed.

Now how does one transfer 144 cupcakes? I have a feeling I am one of the few people who have attempted this so I will just tell you the answer. You do it with the help of great friends like Anna and Elaine who are willing to chauffeur them and this cool gift from Alvina:

It's a Cupcake Courier! It can carry up to 36 frosted cupcakes at a time...and it does so perfectly. The cupcakes made it to Spark Studios (where my party was) in pristine and beautiful condition:

Other things that I was gratified to see make safely? The fruit arrangements:

And the books and dolls. Those were rushed in the day before from ChinaSprout. They had told me they weren't sure if my order was going to arrive in time...I guess just because a product is released on a certain day doesn't mean you actually get the product that day. But I begged and pleaded, as it is a little silly for me to have a Lissy's Friends Book Party when the book isn't there!

I rather enjoy this picture as it is the Lin sisters all together: me, Ki-Ki and Lissy, as a doll. Glad we all made it!

good friends

2007-05-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

I think I just realized that throwing a book party is like getting married; or at least having a wedding. Or maybe it's just the way I do things--what's the book party equivalent to bridezilla? Book partzilla? Parthra (a la Mothra)?

And just like having a wedding, the success of the party is dependent on good friends pitching in. Lucky for me, I have those.

Alvina flew in straight from the International Reading Association conference in Toronto to Boston and pitched right in. Gosh, I needed her. Not only did the gift bags need to be finished (not everyone got chocolate rats; I had to start making chocolate faster so I was using all my molds--turtles, pigs, roses, seashells. Not very themed, but oh well!); I had cupcakes to make!!

144 to be exact: 48 carrot cupcakes, 48 pink velvet (supposed to be red velvet but I ran out of red food coloring) and 48 lemon. We used 3 boxes of butter! Alvina and I spent the day baking and I finally feel justified in having a fancy mixer.

Then after work, Ki-Ki, Anna, Bruno, Luke and Ranida came over to help frost. This actually didn't take that long...

Okay, maybe it did.

bon voyage!

2007-05-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, we received a suprise phone call from San Antonio. "If you can get Robert here by tommorrow," they said, "we can start him on Monday."

Tommorrow? Monday? That means he'd have to leave...now. So in a mad panic, we booked a ticket and hotel (I'm sorry, but I hope the Spurs lose in the basketball playoffs because they are making hotel prices skyrocket) and before Robert could say, "Happy Birthday!" he was gone on a plane.

But upon reflection, it was a great birthday gift--the best I could've gotten. I'll be leaving on Sunday as originally planned, so the party is still on. But it's a bon voyage party solely for me now! Oh well.

So in the meantime, I'm keeping myself busy with my party preparations.

It's going to be great--the Horn Book is going to try to podcast parts of it(I have a secret desire to spike the punch and have them record scandalous drunken gossip), the books and dolls probably will be there (though that has not been confirmed, I guess I scheduled a bit too close to the release date--things aren't really released on the release date, did you know that?), and I am making chocolate rats (in honor of The Year of the Rat, the ARC I'm putting in the bags) and blue chocolate roses (in honor of my girls here) for the goodie bags (though I may give up after a while and just start filling with M&M's).

So, you're coming right? You must be, because I have 98 who RSVPed yes! I better start making cupcakes.

P.S.: Some people have asked me if they could bring anything; but for my birthday, in lieu of gifts,I'd love a donation to Robert's Snow/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. There will be a donation tin at my party for your convenience, as well as the raffle for the original painting (I'll pick the winner at around 3:00 pm). If you are only coming in spirit, I'd be extremely thankful for this present.

my bestest birthday present

2007-05-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

Robert and I have been reeling from the bad news of his recent test results. For the past few days we have been fighting despair, our sole hope being a clinical trial in San Antonio. It's been a see-saw, a day of probable rejection to another day of possible entry then back to another day of probable rejection...until today when we finally received word that he's in. All I can say is thank you.

thank you!!!!!

miracles can happen

2007-05-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

i know
the cliches
i swallow
are empty calories
without nutrition
only
quick fixes
of hope
that will not
satisfy
but
i have
nothing else
to eat

unspoken

2007-05-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

the words are
silent
like falling tears
but i can hear them
like a cutting wind
they leave me
raw
and
red

My clumsiest dear

2007-05-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

Be with me, darling, early and late. Smash glasses--
I will study wry music for your sake.
For should your hands drop white and empty
All the toys of the world would break.

--John Frederick Nims

what I'm reading

2007-05-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

Elaine tagged me with What Books Are You Reading?, which made me want to look up the most erudite books on Amazon and claim them as my bedside companions. Yes, I'm reading House of War and American Theocracy. Yes, yes, of course I am.

Okay, honestly, right now I have been brushing up on my Chinese folk and fairy tales with books like, Tales of a Chinese Grandmother, Chinese Fairy Tales and Fantasies and Tales from China because I am in the midst of trying to write my new novel. It's a novelization of a Chinese folktale with other folktales and myths woven through. It may or may not work as I'm taking lots and lots of artistic license and letting my westernized views influence the story. It's quite a bit more ambitious than my other books. But I'm giving it a shot, and as Samuel Beckett said (I read this on someone else's blog),"Try again. Fail again. Fail better." I'm going for the "fail better."

I'm also reading the Houndsley and Catina books, the Mr. and Mrs. Green books and the Zelda and Ivy books as research for... shhh! a new book that I'm not suppose to reveal yet. Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have said anything about my above novel either, but oh well. Interesting how the question, What are you reading? is answered by what I am writing!

cute food I won't have at my party

2007-05-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

Just to be mean, Ki-Ki sent me these images of super cute food that I won't have at my party. Even I know there are limits. As cute as those adorable octopus made out of hotdogs are I'm not foolhardy enough to attempt to make them myself (if I tried to make 87 of them, Robert might just kill me). And the piggies in the kimonos? Imagine cutting the seaweed decorations, much less trying to attach them to whatever the wrapper is. Still, I have to admit I was slightly tempted by the froggie sandwich...

nervous

2007-05-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

i would line our walls
with red,
or search the fields for
clovers

i would steal feet from rabbits,
cross my fingers and toes,
or toss pennies in
the air

i would eat dried oysters,
spin paper windmills
or knock on wood
from
now
until
then

if it would make
then
a time
which we couldn't see
an end

me, me, me, me

2007-05-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

All you ever wanted to know about me and more. Only the charm and skill of Seven Impossible Things keeps it from getting annoying:

Seven Imp's incredibly thorough and complete interview of Yours Truly.

japanese fiesta

2007-05-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

Perhaps because it is Cinqo de Mayo, but Robert's reaction to my paper flower plethora was, "Wow, it looks like a Mexican fiesta in here."
"Mexican?" I said, suddenly realizing perhaps that theme wasn't quite in keeping with my girl-folding-origami-animals-book, "But my book isn't Mexican! It should look Asian!"
"Don't worry about it," he said, "Who cares?"

Well, I cared. After an unhealthy panic attack and brainstorm, I quickly folded some paper cranes to aloft lightly amongst the flowers.
"Does this make it look more Asian?" I demanded.
Robert paused, realized he was taking his life into his own hands, and then said a tad to heartily, "Oh, yeah. Now it works. Looks great!"

Methinks he was lying, but I have over 50 paper flowers that I refuse to let go to waste. Let the Japanese fiesta begin!

quiet

2007-05-05T21:50:00.000-07:00

sometimes
there are things i'm afraid
to say
because
they might wake
the nightmares
that we try to keep
asleep

disclaimer

2007-05-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

You know how I said "you're guaranteed to have a good time" at my party? Well, I take it back. There's no satisfaction guarantee. Same with my books, pictures, blog posts, everything. I don't stand by any of it. Sorry. But want to make sure you're clear.

Blame this.

Party Preparations!

2007-04-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

It's raining outside,very dreary and grey. But I don't notice too much because I am deluged with bright tissue paper, making a garden of paper flowers.

These flowers are going to be decorations for my party, I'm hoping to make a gigantic amount of them, a virtual "bower of flowers." When Ki-Ki heard that, she groaned, "You're not going to try to make 1001 of them are you, like the story of the paper cranes?" No, not 1001...but maybe 100!

Because party plans are going full steam ahead. I've been reading the advice of fellow book launchers and have been trying to think of ways to "theme" up my party. I thought maybe I would serve all Japanese food, as Lissy's Friends is about origami--even thinking about making wagashi--those cute little Japanese sweets. Ki-Ki quickly brought me to reality:

"Wagashi are hard to make," she told me bluntly, "They are made out of azuki beans!"
"But they are so cute," I said, "And there's no way I can buy them. Maybe I can make the simple square ones." (Wagashi are also really expensive).
"Even if you could, it'd be a complete waste," she said, "Those taste like ---."

You can imagine the last word. And while her opinion isn't exactly true (I think they taste pretty good), I have to admit she does have a point. Compared to a luscious cupcake, a dry rice-flour, bean filled block isn't very appetizing. Besides, I do have my hands full making paper flowers.

1933

2007-04-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

During a recent renovation, friends of mine unearthed some old relics. Included were some newspapers from 1933. How times have changed!

For example, a 7-room rent for $71.00. and a house in Wellesley for $9800.! You can't rent a parking space for $71. here, much less an apartment. And wouldn't he mortgage on $9800. be sweet? Less then my condo fee! Ah, how I long for those old prices. I would be sooooo rich if real estate was still at that price. Okay, well at least not as poor.

But I can't say I'd want to be back in those times. I think my sense of humor wouldn't have fit in. Look at their comics:

Why is that funny? Am I missing something?

smell the new car smell

2007-04-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

So, we finally got our new car! Robert is just about bursting with pride. Everytime we get in or out of the car, he walks a wide circle around it, admiring its shiny glory. It is rather nice, so nice that I am a little intimidated that it is ours. It is black (Robert chose the color as he wanted it to be manly) and very high tech on the inside. There's a back up camera on it! Whenever you go in reverse it shows what is behind you onscreen. I had a momentary panic attack when I saw that:

"Did we have to pay extra for this?" I asked Robert.
"No," he said, "it comes standard with the car."

Well, in that case, I guess we'll keep it!

But all this slickness and gadgetry reminds me of Kitt in Knight Rider; and I half-expect the navigation system to address Robert as "Michael."

Capital District

2007-04-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

I've been on the road again, this time to the Capital Area District Library in Lansing, Michigan. I didn't really see too much of Lansing and it was only after I returned that I found out that there were plenty o' pressed penny machines around if I knew where to look. Oh well, maybe next time!

But I did meet some very nice people, especially the marvelous Storybook Quilt Lady. I've always wanted to quilt and have had a soft spot for them, ever since reading about "tulip cotton warp" quilts in the Anne of Green Gables books (most specifically in Anne of the Island, when the next door "tobacco king" wants to buy the ones Anne has put out to air). Without a heritage of quilting or any exposure to it, I had no idea what those kind of patterns looked like. But my imagination made them glorious.

So I was completely touched and suprised when Linda, The Storybook Quilt Lady, pulled out a quilt she made based on my book Robert's Snow!

I don't think my photos are doing justice to her work. It was really great, she captured so many of the details that I put into my paintings--including the stamps on the wall, the dice and the scotch tape on the windows. So much fun! I might have take another try at making a real quilt myself.

Virginia Tech

2007-04-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

I've been horrified and greatly saddened by the shooting at Virginia Tech. And, I am ashamed to say, initally a little relieved that he wasn't Chinese or Taiwanese-American (my race). All the reasons I should feel shame for (we're all Americans, it's one disturbed individual who could've been of any race, and it's about the tragedy of the victims and event, not about personal race relations, trying to differentiate between "Asians" at a time like this is cowardly, etc., etc.) and for all the reasons I wish I didn't (if there is a backlash it probably won't matter what Asian the shooter was anyway) have been jumbled together and I've been trying to come to terms with my varying emotions to write something coherent; but I read this:

Let it be some other Asian

on someone else's blog and realized I probably couldn't say it any better.

TLA: Just Plain Fun

2007-04-17T17:38:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday, I spoke at the Texas Library Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Laura Tillotson of Booklinks and Sylvia Vardell kindly invited me to participate in their talk Just Plain Fun:Books for Families to Enjoy session. I, of course, jumped at the chance as I've never had the honor of speaking at one of these big conferences before.

Which is probably why I was not very nervous about my speech. Over the years, I've gotten fairly comfortable with public speaking. I've done so many school visits and speeches that I am now able to speak in complete sentences in front of people (well, most of the time). However, most of my presentations are in venues like libraries and with groups like this:

So I was in for a little bit of a shock when at TLA, the audience looked like THIS:

Yikes! That threw me for a little bit of a loop. But that lovely Southern hospitality that people talk about also applies to Texans because the audience was so warm I felt as if I were speaking to a roomful of friends. Also, Laura and Sylvia were pros, their part of the program was stellar so I felt pretty confident that the audience would at least felt they got their money's worth from them.

And after my speech, the conference was, like our program title, just plain fun. I met wonderful librarians, including Heather Jankowski the librarian who brought Robert's Snow into her Houston School last year (what she did was really amazing, please take a look). I also signed books, (mainly The Year of the Dog as it was on the Bluebonnet List! Yippee!) and got to see some great upcoming titles (my new favorites include Yuyi Morale's Little Night, Piano Piano by David Cali and Hiromi's Hands by Lynne Barasch).

I also got to meet some fellow bloggers! It is strange, yet wonderful, to meet people who read my blog and whose blogs I read. It's kind of like you already know each other, even though you've just met. Some blogger and listserve people I ran into briefly include Cynthia Leitich Smith of THE Cynsations(perhaps the first blog I ever read), her handsome husband Greg Leitich Smith, Leda Schubert and Patricia McMahon. I also chatted for a while with Camille before realizing that she was BookMoot!:

And I met Chris Barton of Bartography. Recently, his blog was driving me crazy with curiosity as he has decided to keep his mysterious "SVT" book classified from the blogging world. Lucky for me, I have connections and threatened his editor with revealing her life-long secrets unless she gave me the goods. I was glad that I could tell him in person that it was only under extreme duress and torture that she gave it up.

And I'll keep it secret too...or will I? Hey, I might have just lost out on a prime opportunity, think of the damage I could've done...blackmail...secret auction...Hmm, too bad the conference is now over and I am back home, far away from Texas.

san antonio

2007-04-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

I'm saving my blog about TLA for Wednesday, so I have something to post on the blue rose girls. But in the meantime I'll tell you all about my impressions of San Antonio.
Which isn't much, not because San Antonio isn't interesting, but only because I didn't see too much of it. I was lured by all the book exhibits, so I didn't get to do too many touristy things.
But I did get to see the Alamo!

Sad to say, but this is all I got to see of it. I lost all sense of time in San Antonio, because it is so bright and sunny out. Even at 7 pm it felt like the sun was shining overhead. So, I arrived thinking it was still early, while in reality the Alamo had been closed for over an hour.

But the outside was still interesting. Lots of plaques naming all the people who died and the heroic last words of the fallen. The building itself is a bit smaller than I imagined. The movie makes it seem a lot bigger. I don't remember clowns in the movie either.

Since I was wandering alone, I have no pictures of myself with the Alamo. This is the closest I could come up with, which is my shadow on the Alamo placard. It was very hot in San Antonio, 80 degrees! In my hand is a ice-cold cherry icee that melted within 10 minutes.

And there was also a penny press machine! Probably not very authentic to history, but I have to admit it filled me with excitement. I started a pressed penny collection last year that has, unfortunately, hit a slow patch. Seeing this has inspired me to continue the collection, which I'm cataloguing at my Pacy's Pressed Pennies blog.

It was a good thing that warmed me to the cockles of my heart because the first thing Robert said to me when I returned to Boston was, "We're having a Nor'Easter tomorrow. They think it'll snow."

Ah, I just rubbed my pressed penny and imagined it was the sun shining from San Antonio.

Easter

2007-04-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

Robert and I don't have a lot of family in the area, so on holidays like Easter it's nice to celebrate with friends. This past Easter we went to Libby's and got together with the Blue Rose Girls. In honor of the day--okay, maybe just so I could use my mixer--I made carrot cupcakes.

which were the color of Peeps. I meant to get some to decorate the cakes with, but never got around to it. But no one seemed to mind.

At Libby's place(which is so nice!) we had an Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by Linda which was great fun.

Some of us looked a little harder than others.

But we found all but one of them. Even Linda, who hid them, couldn't locate the last. Maybe it hatched and ran away. Or maybe it planted itself and next year an easter egg tree will have grown. I hope we all get together again to see.

talking, talking

2007-04-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

Compared to my daily routine of sitting at home alone (or with Robert), social interaction of any kind is pretty unusual. But I've been up and about a lot these last couple of weeks and, gee, a couple of days in a row of having conversation makes me feel like a chatterbox. I'm starting to worry people are getting sick of hearing my voice. Of course, most of these discourses have been at school visits; and that does require me to talk.

Blank silence probably would be construed as very rude, which would be unfortunate. Luckily, some of my visits have included kids writing their own fortunes (in honor of my book Fortune Cookie Fortunes) so, talking or not, my good fortune should be assured.

Perhaps when I run out of things to say to people I should just hand them these slips of paper. Though they might want a verbal explanation of fortune #1.

in the meantime...

2007-04-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

I have so much to post about-- cupcakes, Easter and TLA...but I have misplaced that cord for my camera that downloads all my pictures. As soon as I find it, I will be posting like a fiend. In the meantime, check out this lovely interview of moi for The Edge of the Forest by the wonderful MotherReader. I think that was a run on sentence.

a new hope

2007-04-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

Ah, it seems that our car has been hearing all the bad things I've been saying about it because it continually beeps and flashes an angry red warning light at us. Finally, I looked up the light meaning and was a bit alarmed when I read, "If you see this warning light, pull over to the side of the road and contact a mechanic immediately." Hmm, that doesn't sound good.

And it wasn't. When we brought it into the garage, the mechanic shook his head sadly over our vehicle as if it were a dying animal. I took this as a cue that it was time to buy a new car.

So, we have put in our order for a new car! Most of the specs went right over my head, as Robert is the car person in our family, but there is one thing I did get excited about. We are going to get a navigation system! Robert has finally reached his limit with my directional disability. "You CAN'T drive using the force," he tells me (as I tend to steer aimlessly, hoping that a correct direction will reveal itself to me), "We are getting you a navigational system. You need one." And I do, I really do. This might change my life.

You're invited!

2007-04-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's the party I've been waiting for! As you know from all my various posts like this and this, I've been harping about having a party for ages. So the time has come.

And YOU, yes, YOU are invited. It is a birthday, book and blogger party! If you read this blog, I'd like to meet you. It's only fair, don't you think?

It will be on Saturday, May 19th, 1pm at the Spark Craft Studio in Davis Square . Please visit their website for directions and parking tips. This is the Evite, but I'm not sure if it is accessible without a formal invite. Just e-mail me at bluerosegirls@gmail.com and I'll put you on "the list."

There'll be homemade cupcakes & other yummies and free, stuffed goodie bags (so far they include an exclusive Lissy's Friends poster and an advance reading copy of my upcoming novel The Year of the Rat).

And you'll have a chance to WIN the original piece of art of that picture above! Yes, the original! I've decided to just throw everything I'm passionate about in, so I'm going to raffle it off at the party with tickets to benefit Robert's Snow.

All that as well as the great people--so you are guaranteed a good time! You don't want to miss it, bring your friends and spread the word. Everyone's invited!

Hope to see you. Please RSVP so I know how many cupcakes to make (though you can come last minute too).

Books by all the blue rose girls will be for sale at the event and available for autographing.

impressive

2007-03-31T19:17:00.000-07:00

I continue to associate with impressive authors even after returning from Hong Kong. Most recently, Janet Wong came to town and Elaine and I went out to dinner with her.

The other thing that continues, however, is my complete lack of directional sense. I foresee this inadequacy plaguing me for the rest of my life. And, somehow, this gets even worse (Robert asks, "Is that that possible?") when I am put in charge. Because even though we went to a restaurant ten minutes from my house, we got lost and I had to stop and ask directions. Yes, I've only lived here for about seven years.

So while Janet impressed us with her talent and wit, I impressed with my ability to get lost. But we did finally get to the restaurant and had a lovely time. Janet had visited the Hong Kong International School a couple months before me, and it was fun to compare notes. We also ate a lot of food. This is a picture of our dessert: bread pudding and gourmet baked Alaska. All I can say is YUM!

I think Elaine and Janet ordered especially large amounts of food as they were afraid it might be their last meal. I still had to direct them home.

for your reading pleasure

2007-03-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

I've been receiving quite a few nice comments about my travel blog to Hong Kong, so for your reading convenience I've put all my Hong Kong travels in one blog: Grace Goes to Hong Kong (with apologies to Curious George). You'll notice on the right I've listed it under a title heading of "grace goes...travel blogs." That is because my aspiration is to create many travel blogs, cataloguing all my foreign adventures. The only snag to this grandiose plan is that I have to really travel to do this...anyone want to send me someplace exotic? I am open for invitations!

missing mangosteens

2007-03-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

I've been back from Hong Kong for over a week yet I still crave the food I had there. It was really neat to taste things that I can't get here in the States. Some things, like certain fruits, are not allowed to be imported (because of the fruit flies) such as wax apples(left) and mangosteens.

Mangosteens are these interesting fruits with a deep, dark purple (almost black) peel. The peel is hard and thick and when you hold a mangosteen in your hand it feels like a you are holding a stone.

But underneath the thick skin-- almost in direct contrast-- is the whitest, softest fruit. It is the sweetest fruit I've ever tasted, with just a hint of tartness.

This fruit is in sections, like an orange. But there's a trick to the mangosteen. If you flip it over, you'll see a flower shaped pattern on the bottom. As many "petals" are on the flower is how many sections of fruit is in the mangosteen. And they're all delicious.

The other fruit that I've eaten before but never really seen, and especially not in abundance was the dragonfruit. This fruit is also a lesson in contrasts, as the outside is brilliant fuchsia and green, while the inside is white with black specks.

The dragonfruit has a subtle sweetness and the texture of watermelon. I love its appearance. I really want to illustrate a book about why the dragonfruit is called a dragonfruit. I haven't found too much about that, maybe I'll just make a story up!

I also miss the pomelo soup! I had the most amazing bowl of this dessert soup, made from pomelo,mango and coconut milk when I was at dim sum at a restaurant called Metropol(I'm not sure about the spelling). It was my first taste of it and it was so fresh and light and yummy! I'm told that this soup is what the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin, has in her vase. She's very popular.

Other hard-to-find delicacies include Sesame Ice cream:

And long-life peach cakes. But I confess, I did not actually try a peach cake. I was too full from eating everything else.

blue dress

2007-03-23T06:21:00.000-07:00

There were a couple of things I didn't get to post about while I was in Hong Kong, so here are the dregs...

Women in Hong Kong are very stylish. Every woman I saw looked so polished and put together. There were no dragging too-long pantlegs, too-tight waistbands or oversized shirts. Everything perfectly fitting and flattering.

And the reason for this is that people here get their clothes regularly tailor-made. Comparably affordable, if the whole suit, dress and outfit is not made from scratch; clothes are at the very least impeccably altered. Men also have flawlessly fitting clothes, the only people who look disheveled are the tourists.

My two week stay was just enough time to upgrade me from messy tourist to potentially well-groomed ex-pat. But I had to work fast. Amy, almost immediately upon my arrival, brought me to a tailor where we discussed and designed until the blue dress was finally decided on.

Patricia, the tailor, then had me back in a couple days later for a fitting. It was neat to see the dress in the rough stage, with hundreds of white temporary stitches.

Then a week later, just before I left, the dress was done (that's Patricia standing next to me). I heart it, even though I'm not sure when I'm going to wear it. I'm going to have to get Robert to take me out somewhere. Or maybe I'll save it for my next trip to Hong Kong.

Gai See: What I Saw

2007-03-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

I posted this on the bluerosegirls blog, but since it continues my Hong Kong journey, I thought I'd post it here too.

When I was in Hong Kong, I had the pleasure of seeing Roseanne Thong's new book, Gai See: What You See in Chinatown. Now while the title of the book says, What You See in Chinatown, it is fairly obvious that the book is about the Hong Kong open air wet markets. The "Chinatown" addition to the title was done by marketing, so that it would it appeal to the greater public.

Which I think underestimates the children's book audience. This book is a real treat; and, even more, it truly captures what a Hong Kong open air market feels like. It's rare that one can test the authenticity of a book, but I was able to do so and it passed with flying colors. Take this excerpt, for example:

Mangoes, starfruit,
colors bright
glisten in the morning light.

Dragon fruit
with scarlet scales,
lychees filling woven pails

Doesn't it just match this exactly?

And then there's images like this:

The book so exactly matches my experiences in Hong Kong that I can't imagine any child not finding delight in it. The only thing that was not included was the fascinating aspects of the fish market, where live fish jumped in the air.

Roseanne told me that she did have passages dedicated to that but they were edited out, probably in fear that that it would seem barbaric. Which it is a bit, to our western sensibilities, but is also a significant part of the culture of a Hong Kong wet market. Of course, the book is not about a wet market, it's about "Chinatown," so I suppose the deletion has validation.

Regardless, this book is just plain great. I'll never look at it without remembering what I saw in Hong Kong; I hope you all take a look at it and see what I saw too.

safely home

2007-03-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

So after an 18 hour flight, I have finally arrived back home. And, more importantly, with all my Hong Kong goodies in tact. That includes the 8 egg tarts I smuggled out for Robert. I packed them in my bird cage which protected them quite nicely. Not smushed at all, though not as freshly delicious as they were in Hong Kong.

Unfortunately, I am having a hard time getting back into this time zone. I keep falling asleep around 6 pm and waking up at about 2 am, then napping at odd times of the day and have not yet been able to break the cycle. I also find myself very hungry at strange hours. Robert thinks it's just an excuse to eat all the egg tarts, which I first served to him inside of the bird cage like this. I thought it was gourmet plating, myself.

coming to an end

2007-03-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

My Hong Kong adventure is winding down and the end is within sight. I leave tommorrow after a whirl-wind last day of presentations, possible interview, workshop and dinner (my plane leaves at 1 AM!). I have more things to share and might post more later, but this will probably be my last post actually in Hong Kong. It's been a wonderful time. I've made new friends, taken over 700 photos, gained weight and have a whole extra bag of stuff to bring back. All the signs of a grand adventure.

commute

2007-03-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my last day of school presentations at HKIS. So I decided to mark the occasion by cataloguing my commute from the hotel to the school. For the past week, I've gotten up in the morning and caught a taxi like this:

Once I get a cab, I hand the driver this piece of paper, which is the address of the school in Chinese. Most drivers don't speak English, so the written address is essential.

Then I am driven through the congested city,

pass the cemetary,

and into the countryside towards Repulse Bay.

On the way, this building always strikes me. It was recently renovated, the whole pastel part was just added. The hole is built to ensure good feng shui. Apparently when a building is against the mountain a hole allows the dragon to still come out. Poetic, isn't it? However, I also heard a story that the developer saw something like this in Disneyland and just copied it for his own building. I hope that the motivation for the hole is the former, not the latter. Then I can forgive that awful peach color.

Finally, I drive pass Repulse Bay,

and up the mountain,

where I reach the Hong Kong International School. For the past 6 days, arriving there has given me a strange sense of homecoming. I'm rather sad that I won't be doing the commute again.

fine things

2007-03-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Today I rode the famous Star Ferry to Kowloon. This ferry is a mere $1.7 HK--which is an incredible deal. Unfortunately, I didn't get to take advantage of this deal because I thought it said $17. and dropped two $10. coins in the slot before I realized my error. I really kicked myself on that as I am running low on HK cash.

In Kowloon, Amy and I went to the Jade Market, an indoor marketplace with hundreds and hundreds of stalls selling jade, jewelry and other fine things.

I was, ironically, explicited instructed NOT to buy any jade at the Jade Market. Jade has too many variables such color consistency and purity that determine its value--all of them very difficult to judge to an untrained eye. Any attempt to buy "some nice jade" would undoubtably be taken advantage of by the ruthless bargaining vendors.

So instead, I stuck to the lesser value objects, such as the vegetable ivory carvings. These hand-carved figurines are made from a Tagua nut; it has a similiar appearance to ivory and no elephants were de-tusked.

With my wallet empty and my hands full of Tagua nut souvenirs, we went to the Pennisula, the "Grand Old Lady of Kowloon" hotel, for the high tea served in their opulent lobby.

It was very British, complete with delicate cucumber sandwiches and scones. I felt very aristocratic, nibbling on my crust-less triangles of bread and sipping tea poured from real silver teapots. Suddenly, my chagrin of losing $18. from the Star Ferry seemed so bourgeois.

dining directions

2007-03-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe I have been here in Hong Kong for over a week. Well, actually, I do because I am starting to get a feel for the city—something that, for me, takes time.

But just a start. Last evening I was left to my own navigational devices, leading Linda Sue Park and Gail Carson Levine to what was promised to be the best Chinese food in Hong Kong (I know, I keep such impressive company when I am in Hong Kong! That all fades away when I return to the US and my most frequent visitor is the UPS man). They had just arrived a couple days before, so I felt that I (being the most senior Hong Kong visitor) should steer the way.

Unfortunately, while you can take the girl out of the US, you still can’t take the direction dysfunction out of the girl. My mystical “I’ll find my way using the force” didn’t work here in Hong Kong any better than it does in the States, so we were wandering up and down the street for a bit. No one recognized the street address, and try pronouncing D’agulier Street to a Cantonese person. They had no idea what I was saying.

But we did eventually find the Ning Po restaurant (more thanks to Linda Sue and Gail’s cell phone then me) which was highly, highly praised from one of the foodie teachers, who also included a list of the best dishes to get.

And it may just be the best Chinese food in Hong Kong. It was incredibly delicious—the dou miao (Chinese greens) was the hands down favorite which we almost fought over. If you are ever in Hong Kong, this restaurant is extremely recommended. Just don’t ask me how to find it.

charm

2007-03-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

Within walking distance of the school, there is Tin Hau Temple--another temple devoted to the Goddess of the Sea (I suppose an island depending mainly on the fishing industry figured they couldn't have enough of those)--which I saw today for the first time.

It is rather large, almost as if bits and pieces have been added over time--a pavilion here, a walkway there, a statue somewhere there. It is actually pretty disorganized and slightly shabby. The smoky, mysterious atmosphere that I have seen in the other temples is nowhere in sight. The statues and colors are, in fact, rather garish.

And I loved it. I had no expectations of this place, it wasn't in any of my guidebooks or lists. But there was an intangible charm to it that is hard to describe. The unplanned design, the bright colors, the new cartoon-styled statues next to ancient stone carvings gave the whole temple an unpretentious air. It made you feel not in awe, but welcomed. It felt like people had loved it and still did.

Adding to its appeal, was this longevity bridge. According to the plaque, crossing the bridge adds three days to your life. It was a very well-worn bridge.

My camera was running out of batteries, so I didn't take as many pictures of it as I wanted. I'm going to have to go back. I've been searching on this trip for inspiration for a new book and I think I may have just found the perfect setting. The colors, the bridge--it's as if they were waiting for me to place them in a book. I can feel images wanting to be painted. Maybe the reason I crossed the ocean was to see this place, answering the call of the Goddess of the Sea.

space

2007-03-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

After dim sum, we went for a short walk to Hong Kong Park, a beautiful, calm green space tucked in the hectic city. The park boast of fountains, leafy green trees, blooming flowers, whistling birds and an artificial lake home to colorful koi and turtles, who were in hiding because of the light rain. Its very lushness makes quite a strange juxtaposition with the towering modern buildings that surround and dwarf it.

It was Sunday, so that meant it was the day of wedding photography. There is so little green space in Hong Kong that all engaged couples take their photos ahead of time at the park--it's one of the few picturesque places. Since it was slightly drizzling, there weren't as many brides as there normally are. We only counted six. I wondered what they do when the days are fine and the place is packed with brides. Take turns in front of the lake, I suppose. Maybe there's a number system.

But their finery makes a stark contrast with the Filipino ladies sitting underneath the HSBC building whom we saw on our way home. Sunday is the day these low-income wage earners have off; most of them have no private space to relax in. So, they create their own in public areas--like underneath overpasses and buildings. I'm told every Sunday enormous masses gather here, sitting on flattened cardboard--talking and gossiping. Underneath the HSBC, their words echo into nonsensical chatter and they seem to me to be the birds of Hong Kong's giant concrete trees.

eating and eating

2007-03-11T04:12:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, I ate at a speakeasy; a term given to private dining restaurants mainly hidden from the public. These restaurants are usually not legal (no boards of health certificates!), very small (sometimes just someone's kitchen), with a fixed menu (you get what you get!) and extremely delicious. The speakeasy we went to was no exception to the last...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Amy's fun-filled merry colleagues (including Nat & Jen Whitman, whose mother happens to be Margaret Read MacDonald whom I had dinner with at ALA--small world!!) reserved us all a table and dinner at Club Qing. This had to be done at least seven days in advance.

We went to Lan Kwai Fong, the very hip, cool, club and bar section of Hong Kong. The young and beautiful walk these streets, in high heels and designer clothes; and a local pharmacy advertises that it has viagra and condoms in very big letters (wish I had taken a photo of that!). And hidden so well that Amy and I couldn't find it and had to call Nat, was a red metal door that led you to an elevator...

to Club Qing:

where I had what I imagine will be the closest eating experience as I'll ever have to Iron Chef. I ate things such as White Bunapi Mushrooms with Truffle Sauce, Scallop and Cheese Roll with Crataegus & Kiwi Sauce and Coconut & Papaya with Shellfish Soup--all gastronomical delights. Before each course, the chef came out and told us what each dish was with tips on how to eat it. So a bit of Top Chef, too.

After gorging myself on the 8(!) courses, I decided that they should call them sleepeasy restaurants, because I just went home a rolled into bed with a food coma.

But I woke up the next morning up and eager for....

Yep, dim sum! We went for another fun and stomach filled meal. But it's Hong Kong, and I can't leave Hong Kong without having dim sum, right? That would be sacrilegious.

And when we got our bill of $1166, my companions lit up. Apparently it's a very lucky number and bodes well for the rest of our day. I like that, having some good luck around is always nice. Though, I think we already gave the restaurant theirs.

big buddha day

2007-03-10T01:38:00.000-08:00

Today was the day I have been most looking forward to ever since arriving in Hong Kong. It was the day that Amy (my ever-gracious HKIS guide) and I were going to go see the Big Buddha!

Located on Lantau, this enormous statue is a little bit of a trek from Hong Kong. But not too bad--it was only one MTR ride to Tung Chung Terminal where we got on the Ngong Ping Skyrail. This 25 minute gondola ride would be the fastest way to the Big Buddha.

And it was also the most picturesque. At first I was a bit disapointed that our morning was cool and misty, but as we traveled I enjoyed the atmosphere the mist gave the surroundings. There were moments that the skyrail disapeared into the fog.

And the countryside below was visible most of the time. Below I could see the lush greenery, the mountains and water from a viewpoint unmatched. See that pathway?That's the hiking trail to Big Buddha. It stretched all over the landscape, like a miniture version on the great wall. I also saw incredibly fit people walking on it.

And from the tram, I got my first glimpse of the buddha. A solitary figure, through silver-grey clouds.

The skyrail dropped us off at Ngong Ping village, which was a strangely Disneyfied Chinese village. It had all the tiled roofs and latticed windows of traditionals Chinese buildings, but had Italian gelato stores and Starbucks. However, I have to admit, I enjoyed these modern amenities-- I am too spoiled not to take advantage of things like western toilets and bottled water.

From there, if you want to see the buddha up close, you have to climb many, many stairs. It is part of the Po Lin Monastary and it is half way up the mountainside.

Did I mention there were many stairs? 268, to be exact. I didn't count, I looked it up afterwards. It was a tad bit tiring.

But it was worth it.

kowloon markets

2007-03-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday evening I went to Kowloon. For some reason I thought Kowloon was far, far away but as we got there in a fairly short subway (MTR) ride, I realized--oh, Kowloon is like Cambridge is to Boston. Just over (er, under) the water. The subway system in Hong Kong is immaculate--no food or drink is allowed onboard, everything is sparkling, clean and FAST. People can have their passes in their watches and just wave their arm through the turnstyle--like easy pass for humans. And a train comes every 2 minutes, max. Also, I noticed everything is built for slightly shorter people. In the T in Boston, I can barely reach the top holding bar, here the bar is an easy grasp.

Anyway, I reached Kowloon (with the wonderful Roseanne Thong as my guide) and our first stop was the flower market. Hundreds of stalls full of flowers lined what felt like street after street. Kowloon has less of the British influence, English was less widely understood and the city, compared to Hong Kong island, seemed less modern, more old world--with crotchey street vendors, dirtier streets, and more chaotic crowds. And beautiful, beautiful flowers. A true rainbow and the smell of lilies filled the air.

At the end of the flower market, we went through this little passage and entered the Bird Market.

Which is where people go and buy birds, bird cages and bird supplies. Birds and goldfish seem to be the pets of choice here in Hong Kong, where space is quite limited. Birds seem to be especially popular with old men, who can be seen carrying their bird cages. They like to take their birds out for a walk.

The bird cages themselves are works of art. Handmade, intricately carved of bamboo or rosewood, I found myself staring at each one. In the end, I couldn't resist and bought one as a souvenir. I don't know how I'm going to get it home.

The sun was setting, so that meant the night markets were opening. Here, you can buy pretty much everything, from food to fruits to footwear. Vendors here like to bargain and I watched a customer and vendor sputter at eachother in Cantonese as if they were angry, but both left smiling and seemed satisfied. I bought a Monkichi t-shirt for Ki-Ki. Luckily, Roseanne speaks Cantonese and was able to do the appropriate bargaining for me.

The market was just getting into full swing when we left. But my arms were full with the birdcage and I couldn't carry another thing, so it was time to go. I thought I might look a sight carrying the cage on the subway, but no one gave me a second glance. I suppose the only unusual thing was that I didn't have a bird in it.

Stanley

2007-03-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

Today started out leisurely, as my first presentation did not begin until 10:40. However, about 5 minutes before it was time for me to head out to school, I had a panic attack that I had lost my passport. Last night's late return had made me careless and I couldn't remember which "safe" place I had put it. I unsuccessfully searched my hotel room in the time I had left and had to leave in a state of anxiety. I ended up being late for my presentation as well (my taxi driver brought me to the wrong place), so any calm my morning relaxation should have brought was quickly lost.

However, I slowly began to regain it as we visited the Stanley area after school. Stanley is the coastal area, a one-time fishing village. In the mist, one can still see solitary sampans gliding across the waters.

It is also home to the Tin Hau Temple, a temple appropriately dedicated to the goddess of the sea.

Even though I would've like to look at more of the temple in detail, I always feel awkward examining a place where people worship. It seems rather rude to gawk at it like the tourist I am. So we only glanced around briefly.

But, to be honest, the biggest attraction in Stanley is the SHOPPING! There are hundreds of stalls selling everything and anything. I could look around for hours and spend every red cent I've made coming here on the available goods.

And I just might do that. Already, I've bought this cute tiger backpack and this painting; and I want to go back for more. Hmm, I might need to buy another bag just to pack all my stuff in for when I go back. If I CAN get back that is. Still have to find that passport.

fine dining

2007-03-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

I'm doing a quick post this morning because I was too tired to blog last night. And why was I too tired? Because I went out to a fancy dinner at the exclusive China Club. This restaurant was once owned by David Tang, Hong Kong's equivalent to Donald Trump (David Tang also used to be the owner of Shanghi Tang, the uber-expensive, extremely coveted chinoiserie store that all the celebs shop at). David Tang has moved on to other businesses since, but the China Club remains a swanky destination restaurant.

Which I was only lucky enough to go to because I gave a talk to the local SCBWI who took me out to dinner afterwards. At the talk, I met Roseanne Thong for the first time! I've been the illustrator for 3 of her books and her work in getting those books noticed in Hong Kong played a vital role in getting me this exotic gig. So I was very grateful to meet her and she is a super nice person to boot.

The China Club was very snazzy. Modeled after an English gentleman's club of the 1930's, it's a tasteful blend of the British and Chinese old and new world. It has many floors:

and many separate private dining rooms, including a library:

and original art by contemporary Asian artists adorn all the walls:

And the food is amazing! Here's a photo of some othe desserts we had. Mango pudding (that was luscious) and custard filled gelatinous fish. Can you tell they are fish? They were really neat looking in real life.

There was also a balcony with an upclose view of that I.M. Pei building, it's right across which means all the bad luck of the building is getting reflected onto the China Club. I wonder if David Tang sold the restaurant because he didn't want the bad feng shui.

two tart day

2007-03-06T06:09:00.000-08:00

Today started with two egg tarts.

But these tarts were not just any tarts. These were AMAZING egg tarts. I've never had egg tarts this good ever. The crust was so light and flaky and the tops had been broiled so there was a light burnt sugar coating. Absolutely delicious. They put all the egg tarts I've ever eaten to shame.

And apparently they are world famous, flown in from Macau and only available in Hong Kong at the hotel I am staying in! I am trying to figure out how I can bring some home to Robert.

After the such a delicious start, my visit at the school seemed to pass sweetly. Even though I usually fear presenting to grades 6-8, today's presentation to the 7th graders seemed to go pretty smoothly. Before I knew it, school was out and it was time to explore Central Hong Kong where I got a better view of:

The famous Bank of China, designed by I.M. Pei. This eye-catching skyscraper is actually pretty disliked by many native Hong Kong--because it gives out BAD feng shui. The many angles cut the good luck and the reflective surfaces reflect all the bad luck out into the public. Unlike this building:

the HSBC designed by Norman Foster. Apparently this building has the best feng shui of the city--but more to do with the location than the design. But this building is well liked because the structure can move--the entire floors of the building can be shifted up or down. And see those bridge like things? If the building catches on fire or a disaster happens inside, people can stand on those. Not very comfortably--I think it's single file-- but with the idea that it would be someplace for them to escape to while they wait for help.

And just a couple miles away, in great contrast to these ultra-modern buildings is:

the Man Mo Temple. I'm not sure how old it is but I know parts of it date to the 1800's. This temple mixes Taoism and Buddhism and is beautiful in its ancient mystery.

See the coils? Those are incense coils. The whole place was filled with incense smoke--which while adds the the visual beauty made it very difficult to spend a long time there. I wasn't able to really see the things I wanted because, well, I couldn't breathe. Also, I had to rush to do this:

Yep, be on TV! I was on a Hong Kong TV show called "What's Up after 8?"; one of the few English language chat shows, as well as on a cross-media interactive TV channel (people can e-mail the show live as well as watch it via the internet). It was VERY last minute...and I think I smelled of incense.

today's junk

2007-03-05T05:57:00.000-08:00

It's a well known truism that viewing other people's vacation photos is rather dull. But, I'm not on a vacation. I'm working! Today I did a full day of visits at HKIS.

Where I had two lovely suprises waiting for me in the teacher's lounge. First:

a gigant-normous amount of books for me to sign. This was rather aweing. The other was on the magazine shelf:

and it was bluerosegirl Linda! Linda had been featured in a magazine in the States and it had made its way here in Hong Kong. Neat! She's an international cover girl.

After school, the HKIS coordinator, Amy took me to some fun places around the city. First, I went to a tailor to get some clothes made (more about that later) and then we rode on an authentic junk. It was amazing; and because it was kind of misty and grey out, we were the only people onboard--so it was like our own private boat. As we passed the ports, people took pictures of us, well, probably, really of the junk. But we felt like celebrities.

The sun set during our ride and the city really glowed with lights. It was quite beautiful.

I only wish I had had the sense to take a photo of the junk before the sun had set, as the only pictures I have of it are shrouded in shadows. But it was very exciting for me to experience...which means it was probably really boring for you to read. Be glad I didn't post the whole camera-memory card.

jetlag and hong kong at micro/macro

2007-03-04T05:48:00.000-08:00

After waking up at 5AM, I went back to sleep at 8, woke up at 10, back to sleep at 11, woke up at 11:30 and decided I had better try to do something or else my jetlag was going to suck my day away. And I'm on an adventure, right? Adventure doesn't wait for sleep (though jet-lagged children's illustrators do easily succumb to it). So, I dragged myself out of my hotel room and into the street.

It was 70 degrees out there! Good thing I left my jacket in the room. I wandered the area around my hotel, which is a prime shopping district. So far, Hong Kong feels like an enormous, very modern, very clean Chinatown.

Of course, that is the micro view of it. I decided I had better get the big picture so I took advantage of SCBWI coordinator Mio's offer to take me to Victoria's Peak...

and got the macro view of it. Also, a nice view of I.M. Pei's Bank of China, the "sting ray" convention center and Norman Foster's special building that has the best feng shui of the city. I only know this because Robert especially pointed them out to me before the trip and said to look for them.

The sun was just starting to go down, so Mio and I decided to have dinner until it got dark so I could see the city all lit up. We went to the Peak Lookout Restaurant (that's Mio below. She doesn't like to have her picture taken which is why she is mysteriously shrouded in darkness)...

where I opened up the menu to see:

Boston Lobster! Gee, I traveled half way around the world to get Boston lobster! I'm sure it was quite good, even though I didn't order it because, heck, it came all the way from Boston. Probably not the freshest, though. Maybe that's why it was a "supplement."

Anyway, we spent so long with dinner that I forgot to go back to the lookout view to take the night photo I had planned. So instead I took the picture from my hotel room, where I am now about to fall asleep yet again. Here's hoping that I can stay awake for more than 3 hours at a time tommorrow.

honorably arrived

2007-03-03T17:04:00.000-08:00

These are my feet in Hong Kong. I'm here (or there, depending on where YOU are), honorably arrived as they say in Japan.

And it was an honorable arrival. I have to say, HKIS sure treats you well. For the first time, I had one of those smart looking drivers holding up a sign with my name on it at the airport. And then I rode off in a fancy black limo. When I arrived at the hotel, I could see all the passerbyers watching thinking I might be a celebrity. I hated to disapoint them, for not only was I far from being a celebrity, I looked awful. Nothing like 17 hours on an airplane to make you look like the Wicked Witch of the West.

Also, nothing like 17 hours on an airplane to make you dull-minded. I got some HK dollars at the airport, but didn't figure out how the currency worked out. So I think I tipped the driver the equivalent of $1. and the baggage person $40. (I was trying to compensate for my $1. driver mistake). And then I got complimentary room service from the hotel; and I forgot to tip that fellow completely. Oops.

But I liked the room service. There was more fruit but I ate it before I remembered to take a picture. But notice the hot green tea. It was lovely, I had a cup before I completely collapsed into bed, asleep to the world until 5 AM Hong Kong time...

when I realized my room had a view. Isn't that neat? I'm on the 18th floor so I can see the city and the water and the rooftops. One rooftop in particular struck me:

because of the garden. There's just something poetic about a small rooftop garden like that, in the vast landscape of buildings. The inkling of story is now in my head...I might have to spend the rest of my day writing it. Good thing I have 2 weeks here.

far travels

2007-02-28T18:29:00.000-08:00

Did I tell you? I'm going to Hong Kong on Friday.

Yes, I am. The Hong Kong International School and the Man Festival invited me out there for the next 14 days, I think due to the attention that author Roseanne Thong (who lives in HK) has gotten there for the books we did together. Thanks, Roseanne!

But the trip is a little bittersweet. It's been in the works for a while; originally Robert was going to come with me and it was going to be a grand adventure. Unfortunately, his recent decline ruined those plans--but his current stable status does at least allow me to go (unlike the Feb. San Diego trip that had to be canceled completely--sorry San Diego! Hope you don't hate me!).

So, go I will. And I am determined to still make it an adventure, even though I admit to being a bit intimidated trying to explore Hong Kong by my lonesome. Luckily, the HKIS and SCBWI coordinators have graciously offered their guidance--which I am SO going to take them up on. Boy, are they going to regret that. I've declined to tell them about one of my most annoying traits--my love of vacation photography. I am the worst Asian sightseer off the tour bus, clicking away and always asking people to take a photo of me in front of some iconic monument. That's the one thing Robert said he's glad he's going to miss.

time off

2007-02-24T14:24:00.000-08:00

What's a girl do when her work is done? For me, I do what brings immense rejoicing to Robert's soul. I clean my studio! Yes, lo and behold I've organized(mostly), swept, and scrubbed the studio (otherwise known as the obstacle course).

You can see the floors! You can see that the tables are white! You can tell it's a pin-up board! I'm so proud, it had to be catalogued.

And perhaps a job well done is its own reward but while I was cleaning, inspiration struck me. As I was putting away my mounds of decorative paper, I found this Japanese print I bought a while ago. The little, glowing rabbits reminded me of the Chinese Moon Festival and I thought, hey, why don't I do a companion to my Chinese New Year picturebook and do a Moon Festival one too?

But maybe it's not a good idea. It might just be me doing the same thing over again, same type of books, same type of pictures and subject matter. Even though I'd enjoy it, I'm always afraid people think I rehash the same-o, same-o. So maybe I won't. I can't tell. I think the cleaning fumes are getting to me.

relief

2007-02-23T18:32:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it, but I am finally caught up on all my work. It is a surreal feeling. For the last couple years, I've been behind, late, and juggling. People would ask me what I was working on and I would be purposely vague--half because I was so scattered I wasn't quite sure and half because I was paranoid that one of my publishers would find out that I wasn't working on their book.

But it's over. I 've finally stuck my reward stickers on my schedule (covering up the many crossed out and revised due dates). And now I'm left with a strange feeling. I think it's relief.

oink, oink

2007-02-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

Hello, Year of the Pig! While Robert wasn't up to doing any of the traditional celebratory things, I still made sure we started off the year sweet by making piggie chocolates.

Though, since it is the year of the "golden pig" maybe I should have made them yellow, not pink.

goodbye, year of the dog!

2007-02-17T13:58:00.000-08:00

Ah, tommorrow is Chinese New Year and I officially have to stop signing my book, "Happy Year of the Dog!"

I like Chinese New Year, because I feel like it's my second chance. By this time, my new year resolutions have already been broken, so Chinese New Year allows me to, um, readjust, my previous goals.

Regardless of my personal shortcomings, the Year of the Dog has been a pretty good one for my book. It's been fortunate enough to garner several positive reviews and accolades. So a lucky little book, if I do say so myself. And, just because the Year of the Dog is gone, doesn't mean the book is, right? Right?(That was my transparent plea for you to buy my book. Good thing red is a lucky color for the holiday, hopefully my blushing gives me good fortune).

• 2006 Fall Publisher’s Pick
• Starred Booklist Review
• 2006 ALA Children's Notable
• 2006 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) GOLD Winner
• 2006-2007 Texas Bluebonnet Award Masterlist
• 2007 Nene Awards Recommended List (Hawaii's Book Award Chosen by Children Grades 4-6)
• 2007 Cochecho Readers' Award List (sponsored by the Children's Librarians of Dover, New Hampshire)
• NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2006
• Kirkus Best Early Chapter Books 2006
•2006 Booklist Editors' Choice for Middle Readers

heart redo

2007-02-15T21:56:00.001-08:00

I accidentally erased my valentine's day post. here it is again for posterity.

We bought this heart for Valentine's Day from the multi-talented Polly Sonic.

layouts

2007-02-15T21:11:00.000-08:00

I just received layouts for The Red Thread. This book was quite a challenge for me; and there were many times I regretted taking it on as I felt my style might not be the best match for it. However, now looking at the spreads, I'm pleasantly suprised how well it came together.

It's what I call an adoption fairytale, inspired by the Chinese belief that all people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. In my story, a fictional king and queen are pulled by a red thread from their hearts over mountains and oceans to find a baby at the end. They adopt the baby and make her a princess of their kingdom. This is the end scene,

and detail.

6 weird things, plus an extra

2007-02-13T22:48:00.000-08:00

Gail, whom I've only made the acquaintance of over the internet, has "tagged" me. I'm suppose to post 6 weird things about myself with this rule:

Each person who gets tagged needs to write a blog post of their own 6 weird things as well as clearly state this rule. After you state your 6 weird things, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names.

I'm not very good at following instructions but here's my best:

1. I'm allergic to the telephone. I would rather write a letter with blood pricked from my finger than communicate verbally. Of course, internet pixels are more preferable than blood.

2. I own a cell phone that I never use, because of weirdness #1. However, I continue to pay the unnecessary expense because I keep thinking I might need it in an emergency. However, whenever an emergency happens, I usually have left the phone at home or it has run out of batteries; and I have to mooch someone else's phone.

3. When I do talk on the phone, I speak 10 miles a minute--so quickly that people think that I am in a rush to go somewhere and must leave RIGHT AWAY. In reality, I don't have to go anywhere, but I never clarify that to the other person because I don't want them to know how weird I am about talking on the phone.

4. I speak better Italian than I do Chinese/Taiwanese, to the chagrin of my mother but the delight to Robert's grandmother.

5. I speak better dim sum than I do Italian or Chinese/Taiwanese to the delight of my dim sum companions (and my stomach).

6. Working at home, I have been guilty of wearing pajamas all day. This has become so routine that I no longer even feel embarrassment getting packages from the UPS guy in such alluring attire (flannel bunnies)...and neither does he!

Strangely, I only know 6 people to tag and they are the blue rose girls. So, girls, if you are reading this, consider yourself tagged. Of course, you can just ignore it and pretend you didn't see this too.

Alvina
Anna
Libby
Linda
Meghan
Elaine

*Hey I just remembered one more weird thing that is so weird that I have to add.

7. Two or three years ago I had a run-in with someone (about what is not important but she was really mean to me !). After she left I said, "What a witch! I hope she falls into a hole!" The next day she came in with her ankle all bandaged up and limping...she HAD fallen into a hole. Yeeks!

sunshine

2007-02-10T10:22:00.000-08:00

When the extended family gathered for Christmas at my parents' house, the star of the show was my 3 year old niece, Lily. On one grey morning the sun suddenly shone out from the clouds and streamed through windows. Lily burst into smiles and laughed. "The sun!" she cried out and proceeded to run throughout the house, calling to everyone, "The sun! The sun!"

At the time, her delight at such a small thing filled me with wonder. However, Robert's return from his 5-day emergency hospital stay has taught me the charm of these simple things. Just hearing him whistle in the shower makes me smile and want to run around the room with joy; and I feel as if the sun is shining through the clouds.

listen to my book!

2007-02-06T17:07:00.001-08:00

I just discovered you can download an audio version of The Year of the Dog! You can even listen to a sample of it for free. It's so strange to hear someone else reading the book, I'm so used to my own voice reading it. Ki-Ki and Lissy are going to be upset that their names are pronounced wrong (Ki-Ki should be kie-kie--rhyming with pie, and Lissy should be lee-she)but it's not the reader's fault. My parents should have spelled their names more phonetically correct...or I guess I could've, now that I think of it. Oops.

The Amazing Chia Hat

2007-02-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

I definitely need one of these:

TheChia Hat!

buoy

2007-02-06T10:05:00.000-08:00

maybe
everything will be okay
if i cling to cliches
things will get better
i won't drown
because miracles happen
in this ocean of tears

i want to branch out into homegoods

2007-02-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

I saw this peppergrinder in a store window and bought it, even though it was a crazy price. I looked up the manufacturer Pylones, and have decided that my next mogul empire (after children's books and cupcakes) will be homegoods. Robert laughed and said that the peppergrinder looked like me without glasses; and we contemplated fixing that with a sharpie marker. But since the girl has to go through exorcist head spins to grind the pepper we decided to leave it be.

effort

2007-02-01T20:27:00.001-08:00

The days have been hard and I watch the pieces of our lives sink. As they descend out of reach I read them like tea leaves at the bottom of a cup; I finally understand how those things were not meant for us. And as I come to terms with the life that we live, the life that we lost and the life that we want, I try to be grateful that it is life at all.

review copies

2007-01-31T11:16:00.000-08:00

If you review picturebooks, let me know if you'd like an F&G (the picturebook equivalent to an advance reading copy) of LISSY'S FRIENDS. My editor at Viking (Hi Tracy!) just offered me up a handful and I'd love to hear what people think (of course if you don't like it, I don't mind if you want to be quiet, either...). Like I said, there's only an handful so let me know ASAP if you'd like one at graceatgracelindotcom (I hope you can figure that address out) or you can just leave a comment.

crutch

2007-01-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

Many people discuss why they blog and what they blog about, always keeping their personal lives private and carefully choosing their topics like presents off a Christmas tree. I wish I could do that. But blogging has become my crutch, a precious outlet for me to vent without guilt, and a way for me to acknowledge my own existence. As the days blend together in hectic silence and worry, it's almost as if I disapear into a blackness of tea that has seeped too long. At those times, my cup overflows, yet I hesitate to serve such a bitter brew to friends and family. So, instead, I find myself offering this personal drink here, on this blog.

I hope you have your own cream and sugar.

preview

2007-01-22T21:41:00.000-08:00

I posted this on the blue rose girls blog, but I thought pacyforest readers might want to see it too. This is a painting I recently finished for my "Bringing in the New Year" book. It is roughly 8x 30 inches, it is for a special 3 page spread/gatefold. The book will be published (if I get it all done in time, hopefully!) Jan or Feb of 2008.

Here's a detail of it:

And a closer detail of it. It took a long timeto do because I put pattern over pattern on everything:

hungry

2007-01-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

Strange how small, microscopic specks consume so much. They ravage all joy available and leave behind frustration and worry like dung from a wild animal. As we starve for happiness, I fear we will become cannibals, turning on eachother. I look to the sky for something good to happen; for provisions on a parachute but it seems as if that plane has passed us by.

You get what you get and you don't get upset.

2007-01-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

This is was what the teacher said to her second grade students today during my school visit (when she was passing out notebooks and one boy wanted a green one). I'd heard it before, but somehow it really struck me this time. A pretty good mantra for most things in life, now that I think about it.

little rabbit forever lost

2007-01-14T13:58:00.000-08:00

Harry Horse, the author and illustrator of the "Little Rabbit" books has died, apparently due to a suicide pact with his wife. Mandy, suffered from MS and was confined to a wheelchair at the age of 39. More about it here.

This story really struck me. I hope they found the peace they wanted with death.

this just in...

2007-01-13T20:59:00.000-08:00

Merrymakers, the manufacturers of the Lissy Doll, has just told me that they plan to add an origami kit with the the doll when it goes on to the market. How neat is that? Gee, I think this is getting way to cool for l'il mushroom me.

Hi Lissy!

2007-01-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

Today, I received the revised prototype for the Lissy doll, and I heart it. They screened the jacket so that the pattern is just like the one I painted and they fixed the face as I wasn't happy with the first attempt:

The doll on the left was the first prototype, you can see how the new one (the one on the right) now actually looks Asian and just like my character.

I'm so excited. Can't wait for my birthday and the official release!

salt water

2007-01-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

drop
by
drop
my tears cannot
fill a glass
that will quench
your thirst
but
maybe it can make
an ocean
so we can
sail
away

just don't leave without me

scarf envy

2007-01-06T17:16:00.000-08:00

I've decided to take up knitting again. Two years ago when Robert was rediagnosed and waiting room sitting was routine, I taught myself how with internet instructions; it was strangely calming. Like our life, I could concentrate on one stitch at a time.

And for a while, I became a prolific knitter of scarves. Unfortunately, I didn't become a skilled knitter--I was never able to create anything more elaborate than my lumpy striped masterpieces.

But, after taking out my yarn again, I thought maybe I should start making some different kind of scarves, with different patterns or something. I looked on the internet for some inspiration.

And I found this scarf on Etsy:

Then I found these scarves, by a Twinkie Chan:

She also knits salad:

And (I've saved the best for last) CUPCAKES!!!

I'm so jealous! I want to knit cupcakes (and toast!). Somehow I think it might be beyond my knitting capabilities, though. At least for now...

waiting

2007-01-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

Today was a day of waiting. Waiting for Robert to get tested, waiting to be called to the clinic, waiting for the doctor, waiting for the results, waiting for a treatment plan. And as I sat there, stomach sick and in a mind numbed state, I realize that the past 4 years of our life has been spent waiting—waiting for the chemo to be over, the surgery, the radiation—always waiting for that something great to happen, the big miracle, the green light that will allow us to live the rest our lives.

But it’s been a long traffic stop. As we prepare for Robert to go on chemo again, I watch all the people and their lives passing us as we stay stalled. And as the soot of despair covers us and thickens the air, I begin to lose hope. Is there really something there for us to wait for? How long do we wait for it?

But we'd rather wait than be towed away. So we'll wait as long as it takes.

everything changes

2007-01-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

dreams are like people
souls without a body
they must be
or else
why would I mourn
when they die?
instead of being buried
their ashes disappear into
the grey clouds of the sky

ten pipe dreams

2006-12-31T12:42:00.000-08:00

Alvina's post What I'd like to try/learn reminded me of the lists we made a while ago. On it we put done all the things we wished to accomplish--selfishness and hubris completely encouraged. I know they are pipe dreams, but dreaming is half the fun. Here are ten of them:

1. Be able to do a handstand effortlessly, with abs of steel.

2. Have at least one of my books become a classic, beloved by generations and never go out of print.

3. Be an illustrator for a Children's Book Week Poster

4. Be an author/illustrator of a Little Golden Book (like Dan Yaccarino's Mother Goose)

5. Decorate a cake (or cupcakes) at a professional level (I want to learn how to pipe frosting flowers!)

6. Be honored at an awards ceremony where I get to get wear a fancy Academy Awards-type dress (like this).

7. Have a nice big studio with skylights (or something like this).

8. Stand on the Great Wall of China and pat the heads of the lions on the Marco Polo Bridge.

9. Have one of the characters of my book made into a statue placed in a public space/park (like the Make Way for Ducklings statue or the Alice in Wonderland Statue)

10. Own a successful children's bookstore/bakery/gallery.

Hmm, looking over my list I'm starting to feel pangs of guilt over my narcissism. I want world peace and an end to global warming too! Though, truthfully, I would trade everything on this list for Robert to be healthy and for us to have a real chance to live the life we've always dreamed.

i have a bad feeling

2006-12-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

When Pandora opened her box
and let out the evil spirits of the world
she also let out
hope
which was to be mankind's salvation
sometimes I think
it was
just another
evil spirit

what did you get for christmas?

2006-12-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

Santa, disguised as Robert, got me the material item I most coveted this Christmas--a bright blue (in honor of the Blue Rose Girls)standing mixer! Yippee! I was going to stop making cupcakes, but this has brought new life to my favorite baking hobby.

Though, considering my recent food habits, it probably would be best if I stopped. Fat, salt, sugar and everything else bad (but tasty) has been ingested nonstop for the past 120 hours. I also got an extra couple pounds of weight for Christmas too.

jolly holidays

2006-12-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy holiday!

sneak peak

2006-12-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

the background color might not be right, but I'm told there will be red foil. I guess I better finish the art for it now.

pin cushion

2006-12-13T15:32:00.000-08:00

I admit that I am not the epitome of what people would call a strong personality. I'm not tough as nails, able to deflect the arrows of life. Instead, I am more like a pin cushion. Each jab seems to stick deep and I am extraordinarily sensitive. Which is why the way my career has shaped is somewhat unusual. With every Asian character book that I do, every talk I give, the more I am standing on a platform, expounding my opinions and beliefs about “multicultural” books. With my character traits, it would probably be best for me to behind the curtain, not in front.

So recently, reading this blog entry Read Roger: "But she wanted a tutu" made me feel a tad squirmish. I’ve probably been quoted over a dozen times saying that I wrote “Year of the Dog” because I wanted someone that looked like me to relate to; and here was an entire discussion talking about how needing to see one’s own race on a character in order to relate to it was “repugnant.” And not only is the adult agenda patronizing (a word that sends horror into a children’s book author), it is completely unnecessary. These books don’t matter, kids are just going to want their non-multicultural books, anyway.

Yet, just as I was digesting this conversation, Rosie O’Donnell did her “ching chong” Chinese on national TV. I’m offended, yet read threads of “lighten up,” and “stop whining about being teased on the playground," which make me wonder is I am being my too sensitive self again. But then I begin reading more and more responses saying things like, “go back to ching chong and eat a fortune cookie.”

And I realize this is why I am in front of the curtain. I can’t believe that the books that I make don’t matter. I don't think I am making books with an "adult agenda," I am making the books that I, myself, would have wanted as a child. But even if my adult agenda is clouding my judgement, if kids are truly racially blind when is comes to books— then it’s all the more important for them to read these multicultural books. Because hopefully these books will plant the seeds of racial sensitivity and understanding before they start noticing. Because the step between poor taste and overt racism is a small one, sometimes less than 100 pixels.

So I stay on course, smarting and burning when people want to “stick it” to me. But I can take it. I've got a lot of room left.

broken toe life

2006-12-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

I guess my toe is not broken, because I have been able to walk on it with only mild discomfort. It does, however, remain purple--now with twinges of yellow.

But I can't let a toe slow me down. Since last post, I've had my art exhibit and talk at the Groton Public Library:

Baked my Christmas Cupcakes:

(Though, I think I'm going to turn a new leaf in baking when the clock turns 2007. I don't want cupcakes to get too old. Maybe I'll move on to cream puffs.)

Saw some good friends:

And all the other stuff, too--writing, painting, school visits, the RISD sale, etc., etc. So, I've been doing all the same lovely things that add up to my life-- just a tiny bit more painfully and with orthopedic shoes.