milk tea, high heels, and bittermelon

i am currently writing this as i eat brekkie and sip $1 milk tea in a hong kong style bakery on the first day of my job. it's everything i've ever dreamed of.

i love the walking around and exploring.

i love the way the sun hits my bedroom when i wake up in the morning.

i love how cheap (and untaxed) the food is.

i love the hustle and bustle and being able to speak cantonese because everyone understands me.

the peacefulness of the hour-long subway ride.

the glow of the summer.

update: i have spilled the milk tea on myself. good thing it's only $1 (and untaxed).

my feet hurt.

i have been walking through the ups and downs and roundabouts of chinatown in

HIGH heels.

no one told me i could dress casual. why did no one tell me i could dress casual?

update: i have about five blisters on each foot.

i just had the craziest talk.

being chinese-american is something really different, i'll tell ya.

never let the other side look down on you because you're a jook sing.

and if they do, that just means you haven't done enough homework.

find out about five generations up, and you'll really get to the good stuff.

what are you? chiu-chow? taishan?

i panicked and said taishan instead of dongguan.

oh.. chiu-chow has the best congees. really thin. known for not being goopy.

and their lo soi gai... they're known for that too.

and the kung fu tea! those teas that are brewed in small little cups like espressos?

that's so concentrated!

sooo concentrated. and you're not supposed to swallow it! it's the finish. some people like the taste of tea. some people like the aroma. with this tea, it's the finishing taste. after you swish it around in your mouth a little.

and taishan people really know their fish... don't mess with them. they're a good bunch.

hard-working. ambitious.

you know how i know all this? i was born here, but i did my research!

ask your mom. or your grandma. they'll know.

they know everything.

the most personal question? who in the family likes bittermelon?

they'll tell ya.

they'll tell ya who likes bittermelon and who doesn't.

who likes it more bitter and who likes it not as.

and it's a metaphor, you know?

好苦... so bitter.

and you don't know if they're talking about the melon or life.

ask them.

update: i did. and they did know.