At the tailend of my three week trip in Japan, I did get to see the start of the color change in the fall leaves in Ena, Hakone, Kyoto, and Tokyo. When the sun set, the light reflection gave the tops of the trees an iridescent red glow giving me a preview of what’s to come if I had stuck around for another week or so. My Instagram feed was filled with teasers of lush red, yellow, and orange leaves against a Mt. Fuji backdrop. But the fall color chart indicated that mid – Nov. through Dec. would produce the full glory of falls colors in Japan. This implanted a seed that it would require a future trip to see the fall colors at its height.
When I came home to Portland, the very next day I noticed the red, orange, and yellow at its peak at home. Fall had fully arrived back home. This was a reminder to be present, to be in the moment instead of chasing what’s to come otherwise you miss out.
The decay of fall is beautiful as it’s a signal for change, transformation, and to look inward. Decay is part of the natural cycle. You have to have decay in order to welcome renewal, rebirth, and to appreciate what’s alive and around you.
I recently read the article, The Art of Being a Flâneur, describing a way of traveling through leisurely strolls, wandering aimlessly, or serving as a “passionate spectator.” It prompted me to reflect on my own past travel experiences and travel style.
If it’s a city I’ve never been to, I often like to fill my itinerary with all the must-sees, landmarks, and coveted food spots. I enjoy building google maps and pinning all the possible spots I would be interested in. I also like to prioritize certain museums and restaurants and research whether I need to make reservations or bookings ahead of time. This gives me a peace of mind and helps nourish my sense of FOMO. Like planning a yoga sequence, I have my peak events as my must sees/must dos/must eats.
However, in my past travel experiences, the moments or gaps whether intended or unintended where I allow serendipity to come into play, tends to be the most memorable moments. When I got sick in Lhasa, the group continued on after assuring me that I was well taken care of at the local hospital. They later picked me up but extended my stay in Lhasa for a few more days so that I could rest and take it easy with my high altitude sickness. (I literally turned blue due to low oxygen levels.) I spent 2 days slowly sauntering and wandering on my own through the marketplace and alleys. I encountered a local shopkeeper and we ended up chatting. She shared her lunch box with me. I ran into her again the next day and she asked her friends to take me around, giving me the opportunity to take a peek into the life of a local. I starkly remember how they made me feel and provided a sense of belonging.
I do leave room for the unexpected to happen and learn to be okay with it. I do think some of the Airbnb Experiences I’ve signed up for such as Luca and Lorenzo’s cooking class in the Chianti Hills can simulate a flâneur-like experience by setting aside a block of time and allow the hosts to guide you through a curated, magical experience. The serendipitous part is the other folks you meet in the group. I traveled alone in Florence and ended up befriending a few others and wandered together through the streets of Florence for the rest of the day until the sun set.
I haven’t planned a trip that is 100% flâneur-style, but I do appreciate the moments when I incorporate chunks of time allocated to wandering. It may be hit or miss but you allow for a serendipitous encounter or land yourself in front of a secluded izakaya in Kyoto and that became the food highlight of my trip. It brings joy to pause, take it wabi-sabi, and notice the minute, intricate elements of your surroundings and indulge in all of your senses feeling alive and grateful to be here.
Grace, Eddie and I reached Phnom Phen after being 8 hours on the road driving up from Portland. It was memorial weekend so there was a bit of traffic through Washington. When we arrived it was almost 8:30 PM and it closed at 9:00 PM. Grace was enthusiastic about their butter beef and had reminisced over the past few years since she last had it. Butter beef is similar to a carpaccio but with thinly carved slices of raw beef marinated in a soy vinaigrette covered in minced garlic and cilantro. Eddie wasn’t sure of what to expect. We gave Grace full reign on making the order with a request of oyster pancakes from me. We were super disappointed that they were no longer allowing dine-in service. I tried to convince them to allow us to dine in but it was futile. Grace with her quick thinking pivoted us to takeout and suggested we should head to Granville Island for sunset outdoor dining experience along the waters. We were all hungry and I’m sure Eddie was the super tired one since he drove the entire way. I watched Grace lay out the huge styrofoam boxes of fried rice, oyster pancakes, fried chicken wings, garlic spareribs and butter beef. I noticed there were no veggies and Grace just laughed it off saying we aren’t wasting precious stomach space for veggies. The fried chicken and spareribs were garlicky and delightfully crispy. We did finish the butter beef although it was slightly underwhelming compared to previous experiences. It was sometimes hard to read whether me and Grace’s excitement for food would wear on Eddie’s patience but we were too distracted to care at that moment. As expected, we had lots of leftovers. Grace declared that we would have leftovers for breakfast. The weather was perfect with a light breeze and we watched the sunset together. The light pink and purple hue rested atop the pier and water. Then I said next to The First Dessert for my favorite HK style dessert since I checked it didn’t close til 11 PM. I saw a slight pause, hint of weariness on Eddie’s face but quickly dissipated and obliged. Although again due to long lines we couldn’t get a table seating, we ordered take out and I was happy to score a ginger milk pudding to take back to the listing.
We spent the next day exploring Victoria. We reached the ferry at the nick of time. It was Grace’s first time to Victoria and my very first time driving a car onto a ferry. The hour of a half ferry ride took us to Victoria and our very first stop was Butchart Gardens with a high tea experience. Grace got all of her photos. I tried to make dinner reservations at one of the coveted Cantonese seafood places but we would get back too late. While on the ferry ride back, I scrolled through pages of Richmond restaurants and browsed menus and reviews. Grace was craving HK cafe style condensed milk bun. I wanted seafood. I think Eddie was open to anything. We got back to Richmond around 10pm for another late dinner. I got some Hong Kong sass from the staff (typical). We again filled the table with clams with black bean sauce, salted fish chicken tofu claypot, veggies and rice (with a side of sass). We also got fresh BBQ meat with a duck surcharge. Grace got her wonton noodles and condensed milk toast. The uninitiated would be intimidated by the amounts we got. Grace and I tend to get carried away as we enable each other for sure. Eddie on the other hand does not like to see waste. But we finished most things and packed away the BBQ meats to take back to Portland. Then I said next to the late night Chinese grocery store! There was a tinge of why crossed his face but the Asian auntie side of me couldn’t help but stock up my favorite snacks. I think Grace would agree with me on this.
I booked Kirin for the next day which Eddie noted as the best dim sum outside of Hong Kong (maybe some hyperbole) but their Malay yuzu cake was pretty amazing. Grace already lined up some goodies to pick up on our pit stop in Seattle, Chi Cha tea and beecher cheese. The 7 hour drive back went by quickly being silly and chuckling all the way back. This trip made me nostalgic for spontaneous trips with close friends over good food although I could live without the HK sass.
The next few days we explored Waimei Canyon although it turned out a bit cloudy. We practically had poke every day. My parents’ favorite meal besides the home cooked fish they got from the farmers market was Tip Top Cafe and their Oxtail Soup. They loved it so much we bought a few more to go for dinner. We also loved our visit to Hanalei Spirits for a wonderful free tour of their beautiful farm by the owner. My sister and I enjoyed the generous tastings as my parents bonded with the elders of the farm. It did pour on the last day so we did miss out on our scheduled beach day. We’ll have to visit next time. My sister did extend her stay in Kauai for another year. So I’m sure we will return.
Since I woke up at 2:30 AM, my brain was only half functioning off of 3 hours of sleep. Cherry, Stewart, and I were in one car. Maureen and Jade were in the other car. As we were speeding ahead against traffic, we wondered if Maureen and Jade were in the same predicament. The driver did skillfully evade oncoming buses and cars as if we were in a real-life Mario Kart game. The driver assured us that Maureen and Jade were on their way as well. We finally reached another grand hotel to greet our guide after 4+ hours of driving. We had to go through security checks and it was split by gender. The pat down was a bit of a jarring experience. We had our bathroom break and snapped a few photos. Our guide, Guru, set off with us to the Taj Mahal. The heat was starting to build. Guru warned us to avoid interacting with the vendors and we hopped onto another cart trolley to reach the ticket booth. We exchanged our tickets for a bottle of water and shoe covers. Once we passed through the security check again, I saw grandiose buildings built by Emperor Shah Jahan dedicating the Taj Mahal to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Emperor’s tomb also lies next to hers. The intricate walls of carved marble and adorned by precious stones was an amazing sight to see. Guru was an expert in posing us and capturing moments as the crowd started to spill into the long pathways in the garden. We also learned that Guru is a Airbnb SuperHost. The temperature reached 105F and we left to grab a late breakfast at the hotel. It was another 4 hours back and I was able to take a quick shower in Maureen’s room and set off to the airport for my way back home.
My sister, Amy, moved to Kauai in July, 2022. Jessie and I helped her move back then so we got a first hand taste of Kauai together with Amy. We wanted to take our elderly parents to visit her as well so they can see how Amy is doing and check out her new living situation. Amy is in her last year of graduate school finishing her PhD in Child Psychology. She is working at a local high school in Kauai interning, while completing her dissertation. I commend her for her discipline. I don’t think I know how to study anymore.
I found a deal on Southwest Airlines back in Feb, so my sister and I booked tickets for us and our parents to visit in April. Since this was Southwest Airlines, we waited to hit the check-in button exactly 24 hours before departure to try to score a queue spot. On the morning of departure, we ordered a lyft to head out to PDX. Jessie had already put a hold on our mail and she set up a randomized flickering light in the kitchen.
My coworker friend, Yun, provided sage advice in regards to traveling with elderly parents. She said make sure they are well-hydrated and provide frequent bathroom breaks. I tried to be mindful of not walking too much. I know their feet often get swollen ( so do mine for longer flights) but they refused the compression socks I got them. I made sure to buy lunch at PDX before we boarded since it was a 5-6 hour flight with transit in SJC. My dad had forgotten his water bottle and then said why didn’t we remind him. So I bought him a bottle of water to carry around. Another learning is that next time I need to request a medical labeled container for my mom’s insulin as she kept getting stopped by TSA. Learned from last time, we had to remind my parents to bring all of their medication because during our last cruise trip, my dad miscounted and didn’t bring enough blood pressure medicine which created a scare. They sometimes go rogue with their decisions.
My father was confused that we had to line up for first-come first-serve seating. We tried to come up with a game plan and find a row to make sure my dad and mom each got aisle seats so they had easy access to visit the bathroom. My mom also was trying to figure out the best way to administer her insulin shots. We had a brief layover in SJC so she did them there in the bathroom.
I rented a Honda CR-V hybrid car through Turo because Amy drove a tiny Honda fit that would have felt tight for the parents. When we finally arrived in Kauai, she picked me up first so I could pick up the car and went back to the airport to pick up Jessie, my parents, and our luggage. Felt very fortunate that our flights were on-time and smooth.
It was getting late and we booked a nice dinner spot at 7:30 pm. Since we got there on time, we tried to move up the dinner reservation by an hour but they didn’t have openings. It was 7:00 PM local time which translates to 10:00 PM PST and the parents were hungry and sleepy. The change in timing probably threw off my mom’s sugar levels as well. We also had to make sure to carry candy and snacks in case her sugar goes too low. Amy is on a tight budget so it was nice to spoil her and the family with a nice meal. My dad wanted seafood and Amy wanted prime rib. The prime rib was juicy and tender. The ahi and ono fish were all nicely seared and adorned with butterfly pea flowers.
Amy had to work on Friday, so I booked a free tour of Noni farm. We went last year and we enjoyed the insightful 2.5 hour tour of Steve’s Noni farm. They do upsell their noni fruit skincare and leather fruit products but they aren’t pushy at all. We all found their products do work well so it’s a win-win situation. I recorded my parents trying out the raw noni fruit knowing the outcome because I experienced it last year. When you bite into it, it produces a spicy, bleu cheese flavor that is very unpleasant. It generated some ❤ from friends when I posted them on IG stories.
Halfway through, I started to get stomach cramps and felt a strong need for the toilet. We were on the elevated side of the noni tree farm where he was talking about worms and compost. I had to interrupt him to ask if there were toilets. The pang of fear hit me when he pondered for a minute because there were no visitor bathrooms but then he offered up that I could use the facility bathroom. I had to walk a few minutes and then another tourist and my father were following me. I don’t know if it was diarrhea or constipation all mixed in one. I tried to drive us back but pulled off to the side and asked Jessie to take over cause I was not feeling well. I sat in the back and my mom rubbed my belly with white flower oil (the Chinese cure-all) and she watched me wither in pain and I was perspiring cold sweat. I crawled into bed and napped for a few hours. I have no idea to this day if it was something I ate or what triggered it. I also downed a few mini tubes of Bo Chai Yuen, the miracle Chinese meds for stomach issues.
I felt better that evening and well enough that I went to Costco with the family before dinner. I wandered the aisle in a zombie-like state but all the amazing snacks piqued my interest. The selection seemed to be less compared to last July. I love checking out their seafood section and all the fresh poke. They had a robust sushi station. We bought a pack of raw local Kauai shrimp to cook over the weekend. As I perused the local snack aisles, I plotted what I wanted to take home. Costco is also a great spot to get Maui Jims especially since they offered the “Asian fit.”
Costco is a must when in Hawaii when buying gift items, but the farmer markets are top of my list for the fresh fruits you can’t take back to the mainland. Find out more in part two.
Last week I traveled to India for a work conference in preparation for peak travel. Airbnb is gearing up for a busy summer. We also took the opportunity to meet the India team in Gurgaon. I was excited that I was asked to go by my boss and former manager. I took the Asia route and flew from PDX to LAX with a 6 hour layover. During that layover, Grace came and picked me up for spicy Korean crab and Eddie joined us as well. Then I took the next 12-hour flight to Tokyo for another 6 hour layover landing in Haneda. Chrystal told me about the new onsen hotel inside Haneda but I made the mistake of going into the departure terminal too soon and could no longer exit. Then my last leg was 9 hours to Delhi.
Once I stepped out of the arrival hall to find the driver, I could feel the intensity of the dry heat. My colleagues did tell me that they were experiencing a heat wave. It was 7 pm and I could feel the simmering heat of 90F bouncing off the pavement. I was immediately overwhelmed by the constant honking. When the driver located his car, the car behind him had parked so close that it was bumper to bumper and he had to scoot up before I could place my luggage into the trunk.
It was a 20 min car ride from DEL to Trident Hotel. I was immediately greeted by the hotel staff and they helped take my large rollaway luggage. All guests had to have their smaller bags inspected by security and pass through a detector. I was enamored by the large reflective fountain pool and saw a group taking photos. The hotel was a large white grandiose structure adorned with tall white doors and curvy gold door handles. It took a lot of effort to pull open the door. Once I stepped in, I was instantly relieved with the AC on high and was greeted with a cup of refreshing calamansi lime drink. After I checked in, I had to walk through another set of heavy doors and across the courtyard before I reached the wing of where my room was. In front of me was another large pool surrounded by lush greenery. Every morning, I woke up to this pool view.
I wandered around the halls but felt my eyelids droop a little due to drowsiness. I went back to my room and passed out for a little while. I decided I was going to stay in and order room service. I ordered a fish curry, fried spinach kebabs, and garlic naan. 30 minutes later, the staffer rolled in a trolley covered in white table cloth filled with plates of food, papadams, chutneys, raw onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, Indian pickles, and a cup of masala chai. He parked it along the bedside so that I could eat and watch TV at the same time. I may have over-ordered but that’s usually me. I was so excited to try everything.
This first meal helped set the tone of my week. Morning buffets where I start with a masala chai, then I ordered the dosas, akuri egg, all the coconut chutney paired with fluffy idli, and a plate of guava, papaya, melons and especially the fragrant sweet mango. I chased it with a shot of beet juice. The lunches at the office were simpler but with an international theme. One day we had japchae and gimbap and other days biryani 3 ways and a chicken stew like dish. I tried every snack that I saw. I especially loved the curry flavored corn flakes and makhana which my co-worker explained was a puffed lotus seed snack. For dinner, I had late dinners with my co-workers at the hotel. I ordered a different curry dish every day with appam, paratha to naans. My stomach held up well this trip. I was super thrilled my stomach cooperated this time.
The very last day Cherry, Maureen, Jade, Stewart, and I booked a car and guide to see the Taj Mahal. Luckily, Bhavesh told us to buy our tickets online ahead of time to save queueing time. We set out at 3 AM and it was a 3-4 hour drive to Agra. Halfway there, we came across a traffic jam with lined up trucks. The driver took a hard U-turn and started to drive against traffic on the highway. My Indian colleagues said you drive towards the gap or you won’t get anywhere. Check back next time to see if we made it to the Taj Mahal.
The cleaver is the center of every Chinese household kitchen. When you pick up the wooden handle, you feel the weight of the hefty square-shaped blade. It’s usually paired with a thick wooden or bamboo chopping board. I felt very intimidated when I first lifted one. I challenged myself with making a simple burdock, carrot, celery dish but it required cutting precise thin strips. I soon realized it was a recipe for disaster for someone who does not cook often.
I have seen my uncle, a trained chef, quickly chop chop with great speed and precision with impeccable thin slices or finely chopped garlic that looked effortless. I felt the weight of the handle and blade with my wrist caving in. It was a sign of weakness and I had not built this muscle. I remembered I had to bend my left hand fingers slightly in and have the knuckles lean into the blade so that you’d protect your fingers when chopping quickly. My left fingers also helped push the root vegetables forward to keep the momentum coming. However, I didn’t dare to chop too quickly. I clumsily did a slow chop chop and that resulted in thick carrot strips.
After chopping a few carrots, celery, and burdock sticks, my right hand was sore and started to shake. I started to doubt if it is worth making this seemingly simple dish. My mother mocked how weak my arm was or how slow I was or how many dishes I used just to make one dish. My dad and mom would both make light of their cleaver accidents and the scars and knicks served as battle wounds. Just last week I had to run to find band-aids from the cupboard because she accidentally cut her thumb and blood was gushing out. Then I poured out some of this Chinese powder called Yunnan medicine that they swear by. I have to say it is very effective in stopping bleeding quickly and helps wounds close up.
Witnessing such cleaver accidents just makes it seem more scary to me unless there is a way of mastering the cleaver without cutting myself. Everyday is a test because my mom likes to casually place the cleaver in the dish rack either blade up or in a precarious way that invites injury. Reminding her to place it blade down or away from traffic often triggers a scoff from her. The cleaver in my household is a divisive and dangerous tool that I’ll just admire from afar.
I have caught the pickleball bug. I kept hearing my friend, Grace, talk about how much she loves pickleball and how fun it is. Finally, last summer I took it upon myself to google where all the pickleball courts are near where I live and how to try it out. I found a new indoor pickleball place called RECS in the Clackamas area. I saw that they offered free introductory classes and made my sister, Jessie join me. I took advantage of a prime deal and bought a set of paddles and balls. The intro class was full and there were 25 folks standing around waiting for the class to start. Steve and Paul were the instructors. Steve is a retired PE teacher and also a hall of fame pickleball player. I loved how diverse the group was although slightly skewed to the older population. Both instructors were super enthusiastic and all the drills felt doable. It was fun to face off different folks while fumbling and knew that you can’t take it too seriously hitting a plastic wiffleball. The two hours went by so quickly and then the owner, Kevin came out to chat about membership and jokingly said the intro class is free because it’s like giving your first hit free but thereafter you’ll be hooked. He was right about that.
My sister who usually deviates away from physical activity was also intrigued. I also signed up for another intro class at the George Rogers Park (which recently banned pickleball due to noise complaints) in Lake Oswego with my friend, Jessica who also is usually not super keen on physical activity. She did have an advantage of having a tennis background. Jessica was sold as well. The seasoned folks who were typically older were super impressive players. I wish I’d be as agile at that age as well. I also brought in Celine and encouraged her to give it a try. Jessica became a pickleball evangelist. She created a pickleball slack channel and brought in more coworkers. We set out to play every weekend and mainly our core 4 folks but have other folks drop in every few weeks.
You can immediately dive in with a low barrier to entry. It’s been a super low key way to socialize while shit talk and vent out any frustrations you may have on the court. I mean Jessica has been known to threaten with her eyes and walk over stoically with paddle in hand to shake at you. She takes her paddle to the net when she misses with her low fast serves. It’s fun to poke at her seemingly threatening anger playing pickleball whereas Celine yells Irish profanities where our court neighbors would turn their heads. It’s all acceptable for a bit of pickleball fun. I got the nickname, Lethal Lucy, which I swear my returns aren’t as scary as Jessica’s in my opinion. It’s even super fun to see Jessie with her manipulative strategy of making folks run from side to side to win her game point. Our group has grown to around 8 folks. I look forward every week to an engaging game of pickleball with friends over foul-mouth, socially awkward quirkiness all displayed on the court. It has been a godsend to be able to come back together in-person from 3 years of the pandemic.
Despite the Lunar New Year budget being reduced by 60% this year for work, I do appreciate that the Asians@ global leadership team, Hellen from Womens@, and Rui, the owner of Grass People Tree all came together to make this tea and calligraphy/fan painting event happen. This will be the third time we have partnered with Grass People Tree. I had over 100 folks sign up, far exceeding the 50 slots I had anticipated. I very much appreciated that Rui was able to work with us on budget so that we could extend it to 100 folks to experience tea with Rui’s calm presence. I am amazed with her team coordinating 100 shipments around the world with tight deadlines and the reliance on global shipping instability prone to snafus. I met with Rui and her team, Lynn and Adriann on Monday to prep for the Friday tea event. I shared with her that with the Monterey Park mass shooting that happened on Saturday that the tone may weigh heavy for some. There may be an undeniable sense of anxiety, fear, and even grief. But I think it will be a beautiful moment to be in a community , to share tea together, learn more about the indigenous tea that Rui helps cultivate, and to paint together as a group.
Mo shared a beautiful sentiment that despite this shared sense of grief that we should still give ourselves permission to reclaim joy and to celebrate Lunar New Year unabashedly. This morning I connected to Zoom 20 minutes before the event started with Rui, Lynn, and Adriann to iron out any technical difficulties. Rui and her team are masters in creating a sense of calm and groundness. We had a loose agenda starting with an introduction to their teas where we had 3 to choose from; prickly tea (non-caffeinated), osmanthus oolong, and red tai (native to Guizhou). I chose red tai and she used the words this tea was akin to a warm hug so that definitely felt comforting. I pulled out my ceylon ceramic tea set that my sister and I bought in Taiwan. I think the last time I used it was another Grass People Tree event a year ago. I was trying to remember all the steps. I rinsed the gong dao bei (the fairness cup), teapot, and cups with hot water. I placed the water kettle next to me. I also remembered the slender cup that is used to retain the aroma before taking your first sip. I used only half of the 4g package and steeped the curled dried tea leaves with hot water. One of the advantages of Grass People Tree tea is that there is no prescribed water temperature and that you find a steeping time that suits your own taste but the tea will not have bitterness. I still had two more pineapple mini tarts and peanut sweet from Sibeiho that was perfect to pair with my red tai tea. It was very soothing to hear Rui share a bit about the origins of the tea, her teacher, and her hometown. I glanced at the clock and realized we only had 15 min left but we slowly transitioned into the fan painting. There was something very comforting about painting with almost 50 other folks in quietness (although I was slightly annoyed that about 20 folks didn’t show up). Rui and her team stayed on for an extra 15 or so minutes to allow for folks to slowly transition out to help maintain this calm sense. I’m so glad that we were able to host with Rui again and hopefully this partnership continues.
I’ve always enjoyed planning Lunar New Year events for the Portland office. Although I know the scale will be much smaller this year, I was so happy that Joe, our new workplace coordinator, was just as enthusiastic about reviving this tradition for Portland. We didn’t have lion dancing but we planned for an entire table full of Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese sweets and snacks. He helped set up a social impact station writing notes for the Asian elderly in NYC supporting Heart of Dinner, an amazing non-profit organization. He ordered so many dumplings, pea sprouts, gailan, scallion pancakes from Master Kong and then dan dan noodles and veggie dumplings from Dough Zone. We had about 20 folks attend. Jessica brought her KTV setup,a bottle of Japanese whisky and red string to bring good luck for folks. It was very simple but I was extra touched by Joe’s call for allyship and acknowledgement. I felt very blessed to be able to partner with both Joe and Jessica to keep the Portland Airbnb culture alive. For KTV, we had about 6-7 folks and my goodness I was so impressed with everyone’s singing skills. Joe mentioned he casually sang opera in the past and he belted out 夜來香.
It was a wonderful feeling to be in a community with a supportive group. I do hope we will have more in-person gatherings to chip away at the isolation and loneliness the pandemic has exacerbated. I dwelled on the aspect of two asian elderly men who committed these horrible acts of violence and eroding spaces of refuge for the Asian community and the stigma behind mental health within the community. I also reflected on how heightened fear, trauma, and just how isolating especially in the last 3 years it has been especially for the elderly. I just hope that there is greater push to re-establish that sense of security and community. The small part I can commit to is to bring that sense of awareness at work, partnering with organizations like Heart of Dinner to help bridge that gap. I don’t have answers but I feel more hope when I do have communities I can turn to like my Asians@ community at work and was grateful we came together this Lunar New Year.
Travelogue 