Mekong Market

A few days ago we visited an Asian market here in Mesa. What a fun experience that was.

We learned that the Lunar New Year had begun and that particular day was the beginning of the Vietnamese New Year so everything focused on the Vietnamese celebration.

Although it's not the only New Year celebration in Vietnam, it's the biggest. It's called Tiet or Tet and it means "joint of a bamboo stem" (literally!) or, figuratively speaking "the beginning of a period of the year".

Mekong Plaza, as it’s called is really a mall. There are several restaurants, retail shops and a huge supermarket all Asian in their design and content.

I LOVED that the name one of the restaurants is UnPHOgettable! Get it?? What a sense of humor!

Pho, in case you’re wondering, is a Vietnamese noodle soup. Pho actually means noodle. Although we didn’t eat there, I’m assuming the restaurant is a soup restaurant. It sure sounds good. If we ever go back, I’ll let you know.

Hundreds of people were milling around the vendor booths. There was a stage so I figured that there would be entertainment from time to time.

I noticed two girls dressed in identical costumes and asked if they were going to perform. They said that they already had and the next performance wouldn’t be until 4:00 p.m.

We’d be long gone by then so I asked permission to take their photograph. Just going to have to imagine what the dance was like…I’m sure it was lovely.

These three young ladies were dressed in traditional Vietnamese costumes. They were happy to pose for a picture.

One other interesting thing…this photo with the yellow-leaved tree? That’s an apricot blossom tree and it marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring and will bring good luck to the family.

Cards and good luck symbols are usually hung from the branches much the way Christmas trees are decorated at Christmas time.

Besides the apricot blossom trees which are traditional in the South of Vietnam, the kumquat tree and the peach blossom tree are also significant during Tet. Peach blossom is more traditional in the North.

We also met Miss Vietnamese Arizona, who attends Arizona State University. She's featured in a calendar that we bought (Jack's a sucker for a pretty girl) and the proceeds all go to the Forgotten People Foundation...an organization that cares for lepers in Vietnam. Apparently these people live in poverty and are literally forgotten by everyone...it was founded by a Catholic priest and is supported by Western Oregon University as well as the Vietnamese students at ASU.

Then there was the supermarket. It was amazing. Every kind of Asian food you could ever want, I'm pretty sure.

Some of it looked just delicious like the mangoes, every sort of pepper you can imagine, coconuts all peeled and ready to shred into a yummy concoction. There's lemongrass which I know very little about except that I think it's healthy and is used to "cleanse" the system of toxins. It's probably tossed into recipes, too. Some time I will research that, but not now.

There is fresh seafood including crab, salmon, and a lot of fish that I've never even heard of! Rabbit fish was one that comes to mind. Rabbit fish?? Who knew? Something else to look up some time when I'm thinking of it.

There's a huge meat section that would be the envy of any supermarket worth it's salt. They even sell a fresh seaweed salad and it says, "ready to eat", for heaven's sake!

Some of the stuff looked just awful! There were some frozen bugs...have no idea what kind they were and lots of meat & fish "body parts". We won't go into that...trust me, you don't want to know.

Have you ever heard of Jackfruit? This is a picture of a wedge of it. It's enormous! It's actually a native of India and I read that it's the world's largest fruit!

It grows on an evergreen tree and one single fruit can grow as large as 3 feet and weigh as much as 100 pounds!

If you get a hankering for it, you can buy it here at the Mekong Plaza Supermarket!

Then there's Durian. I don't know what the Creator was thinking when he created this...but it's apparently really popular in Asia. There were dozens of them for sale here.

Here's what The Asia Food website has to say about Durian:

"A good durian is sweet and has the texture of smooth, rich custard and the flavour, while quite unlike anything else, hints at banana, mango, pineapple, pawpaw (all somewhat over-ripe) and vanilla. Some call it the king of fruits, regard it as an aphrodisiac and break hotel rules by sneaking it into their rooms."

The description goes on to say that "unless you have smelled ripe durian, it is hard to imagine an odour as invasive." Seriously. If you can get past the odor, it's supposed to be delicious!That's what it says.

Michael told us that there are restaurants that absolutely will not allow it in the building.

So that's just a smidgen of the many exotic offerings of the Mekong Plaza. Quite an experience right here in Mesa, Arizona.

It was a fun afternoon and I wish we could have stayed for the entertainment.

If The Shoe Fits, Wear It...

...but make sure it matches the one on the other foot!

I can't believe that I'm actually posting this picture but, oh well...

Luckily, I did notice that I had two different sandals on BEFORE I went to the store. I was rushing (as usual) and grabbed my purse & car keys and...and ... something just didn't feel seem right. Looked down at my feet and this is what I saw. Jack & I started laughing and I grabbed the camera...just couldn't resist.

Now, is this a sign of old age? Or is it a sign that I'm not as relaxed as I should be here in sunny Arizona? Or is it a sign that I've got too much on my mind? Not paying attention?

I'd say that it's probably a combination. So that's good news and bad news. The good news is that I can laugh about it.

I'm just hoping that the kids don't use it as evidence when they're ready to put me in "the home". It'll be their word against mine.

That's all folks...hope you all had a lovely weekend.

P.S. I'm working on a couple of good "touristy" posts which I will publish in the next few days...barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Thoughts on the Inaugeration

Just a quick post, today, and although I don't want this to turn into a political blog (in any way) I feel that it's important to post on this particular occasion.

I didn't post about the Inauguration, yesterday, because I wanted to see it all, first. I watched it pretty much from start to finish...couldn't tear myself away from the television. Barack Obama's speech was inspiring. Mrs. Obama looks every bit like a First Lady. I just read this morning that she's the new "Jackie-O" of fashion. And the little girls....well, what can I say...they're as cute as buttons.

I'm so impressed. I can't possibly imagine how anyone could come away from that event and NOT be impressed. Not just because of the historical nature of it (although that was reason enough to be impressed); no, it was because for the first time in a long time it was evident that Americans of every persuasion are pulling together and supporting a new direction for our country. The World is going to like us, again!

I wish George W. Bush and Laura Bush well. I've always liked Laura Bush...she is a real "lady" in every sense of the word. Anyway, I'd bet the farm that she's happy as heck to be back in Texas.

So...I don't know about you, but I'm feeling pretty darned good. I don't expect a miracle. It's going to take time to get the good old USA back on the right track. That's where we're headed, though. No doubt about it.

Websites You Really Ought To Visit

One cardinal rule of blogging is that you are never supposed to start a post with, "I haven't posted for the last (period of time) because..."

Well, to heck with that. I've spent the past few days with writer's block...somehow or other I just couldn't summon the muse and therefore haven't posted to this blog for...what...five days??? Good grief!

Plus, we've been busy with our friends here in lovely, warm, sunny Arizona. Who wants to be inside on the computer when balmy breezes are beckoning? DID I REALLY JUST SAY THAT????? (I think we can be reasonably sure that the world is coming to an end......)

I have, on the other hand, spent a few evenings (while Jack and Michael are glued to the television watching reruns of Brotherhood - Season 2) reading all my favorite blogs and websites. There's a lot of good stuff out there in cyberspace.

For example:

Have you ever checked out The Amazing Real Time World Clock? No? Well, you should...it's fascinating and it's at http://dalesdesigns.net/world_clock.htm.

Then there's my favorite photography website: Focus Wildlife. Click on http://www.focuswildlife.com/ for some of the most amazing photographs you've ever set eyes on.

Another website that is not only fun but also provides rice free to hungry people is Free Rice. It's a game, really, and if you're just sort of feeling blah and unproductive the least you can do is help feed the hungry while you're trying to talk yourself into a different frame of mind - ha!

I must admit that it can be addicting. Besides being fun it's educational, too...you are presented a multiple choice question about a certain subject and each time you answer correctly you are donating free rice to hungry people. There are about a dozen subjects that you can choose and each time you answer correctly you are filling the rice bowl at the side of the page.

To validate the real worth of this site, I should point out that it's a collaboration between the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and the United Nations World Food Program.

There are so many more worthwhile/amazing/fun/just-plain-silly websites that I could tell you about - and I will but not today. Don't even start me on the subject of Squidoo! One of these days, I'll post my favorite Squidoo lenses.

I can wile away hours searching for stuff online...

On The Road Again...L.A. to Phoenix

Leaving Los Angeles - Morning Rush Hour

Note: These are the cars coming AT us...

A Wind Farm - Palm Springs

The Olive Tree with actual olives!!

Breakfast!!!!

It's about a six hour drive from Los Angeles to Phoenix which, in the scheme of things, is a very short drive! It's an interesting drive, too.

Although leaving Los Angeles during morning rush hour doesn't really qualify as an interesting experience. It's more of a bumper-to-bumper, hair-pulling, drumming-your-fingers-on-the-dashboard, trying-to-be-patient, experience. You just think, "This, too, shall end." And it does.

Once you are out on the open road you forget all about the struggle it was getting through the city. I like road trips. I know, I know...

One part of the trip that I really enjoy is going through the mountains near Palm Springs. There are thousands of windmills and I, for some unknown reason, find them fascinating. This "wind farm" is in the San Gorgonio Mountain Pass in the San Bernadino Mountains and it has more than 4000 windmills. Wow! Did you know that one blade is the length of about half a football field? That's huge.

Okay, so now we're in Phoenix...Mesa, actually. Kinda like coming home we've been here so often. I'm not sure what we'll do while we're here...if Jack can drag me from the computer (I've been in withdrawal) I imagine we'll do a lot.

One thing I know I'll be doing is eating a luscious, huge, juicy, fresh-from-the-tree-in-the-backyard grapefruit. Every single morning. Probably as I'm sitting on the patio under the olive tree with the sun peeking through the branches. Mmmmmm.

A Visit to the Getty Villa

We took a trip to the Getty Villa, yesterday. Although it wasn’t at all what I expected, it was really interesting and educational.

What did I expect? Well, the inner designer/home lover/nester in me expected to see a villa…by that I mean, a home…an elegant, furnished abode that, at some point in time, was home to the Getty family.

Had I taken the time to do some research, I would have learned that the Getty Villa is a museum. It has never been a home. It was built to replicate the Villa dei Papiri which was a country house in Herculaneum…an ancient Roman town. It’s an imaginative rendition with gardens that are much like the gardens in ancient Rome such as the Herb Garden which has herbs and fruit trees that you would find in a Mediterranean climate.

We weren’t allowed to use flash cameras in the rooms but were not restricted outside; that’s why these photos are all outside shots. The picture with the "stairs" is actually of the outdoor theater. The others are of the gardens in and around the Villa.

Now, if I would have learned more about my camera before heading to the Villa, I would have been able to shut off the flash. I am kicking myself all around the block for being such a “blockhead”. I also neglected to bring fresh batteries. Need I say more?

The rooms are galleries filled with more than 1,000 ancient objects from the region. There are statues of the deities that were worshipped back then including Zeus, Aphrodite, and Poseidon.

Did you know that these gods and goddesses had unique names depending on the culture. For example, Zeus (Greek) and Jupiter (Roman) were one and the same. Aphrodite (Greek) and Venus (Roman) were the same goddess.

The god of wine, Bacchus (Roman) was called Dionysus by the Greeks.

I’m not going to go into all of the excellent exhibits because this would be too long and probably boring…however, it is sort of a “teaser”…if you ever are in Los Angeles, I absolutely recommend a visit to the Getty Villa. The Getty Center which is another of the Getty Museums is also not-to-be missed.

Follow this link for a better look at J. Paul Getty’s wonderful museums.

Thank Goodness for Starbucks

We’re here in Los Angeles, still, but we’ve left our housesitting assignment and are staying with Jen for a few days. It’s great to be here…cute little apartment. We’re bonding with our “grandpets” Eva (the cat) and Bob (the bird). Don’t laugh when I say this but it’s so sweet how they both remember us. Well, it IS!

The only problem – if you can call it a problem – is that there’s no internet connection. Jen has an iPhone so she has access through her phone. We don’t.

Now, if you’re addicted to the internet (as Jack insists that I am) this is significant. So a daily trip to Starbucks is on our agenda. No more blogging in my jammies or connecting in the middle of the night when I have a brilliant thought. I’m actually working offline in Word and then cutting and pasting into a new post at Starbucks. It’s sort of a pacifier. I’ll take what I can get.

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects
it to change and the REALIST adjusts his sails.” (Author unknown)

I’m trying to be a realist.

The Famous Los Angeles Farmers Market

The Famous Los Angeles Farmers Market Clock Tower

The Trolley

The French Crepe Company Menu

Preparing the crepes


The Farmers Market Shopping/Dining Aisles

A few days ago we took a trip to the world famous L.A. Farmers Market. It's been there since 1934. I don't know what it was like in 1934 but I can tell you that it is definitely not what you'd expect of a typical farmers market.

According to the official website there's "a remarkable selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, poultry and fish..." but as far as we could tell, there was one large produce stand and a couple of meat/fish counters...the rest of the market is comprised of eateries, gift shops, galleries, and clothing shops. Quite a change from the dozen or so local farmers who parked their trucks in a field to sell their produce back in 1934!

It's now a place where you can dine on ethnic foods from around the world, have a beer or sip a glass of wine. Apparently it's become a popular meeting place in L.A. We chose to try the French Crepe Company...we had La Normandie (free range chicken, button mushrooms, carrots & green beans in a white dijon sauce) and La Marie Antoinette (a choice of four ingredients from several cheeses, eggs, sour cream, tomatoes, avocado, onions, fresh spinach ham, turkey and/or mushrooms). Both were really delicious.

If you don't know what to expect it can be a little overwhelming when you get there. There were hundreds of people trying to navigate through the aisles. Dozens of people standing in line to order their food. Yeah, I think "overwhelming" pretty much covers it.

But if you grab one of the free maps, you can see exactly where everything is located. Get your bearings and you'll be just fine. It's actually fun and I'd go back with an entirely new perspective.

So today (Saturday) we're thinking about a drive to Pasadena to see the floats before they're all dismantled. It's also the day that the Santa Monica Farmers Market is open. I'd really like to go there, too. We've shopped the Santa Monica farmers market and I can tell you that it's a true farmers market. It's such a worthwhile trip.

Stay tuned...

Happy New Year - 2009

Entrance to the Rose Bowl Stadium

2005 City of South Pasadena Float Poster

Float Construction Station

Flower Frames

Black Cat Frame

Framing the Witch's Chair


Making progress...

It's New Year's day and we're watching the Rose Bowl Parade.

Jack really wanted to go to the actual parade but after we heard that there have been people camping out for a couple of days to save their spots, we decided that the chances of getting a decent view were much better if we just stay home and watch it on television.

We were absolutely right...it's wa-a-a-ay better.

Our only other experience with the Rose Parade was back in 2005 when we volunteered to work on a float. We were SO excited. It was the City of South Pasadena's float and it was called "Magical Mischief".

We were instructed to show up at the float construction site at a certain time on a certain day. We were there early with bells on...all set to put our personal touch on this amazing float. Well, nobody was there so we figured we were just early...waited about an hour and still nobody came. So we walked to a deli for coffee and a donut and then walked back. STILL nobody there...waited another hour or so and then left. We were really bummed.

We returned a couple of days later and found people working on the float but we just watched. I don't remember why we didn't ask about helping that day. Probably were just not pumped, any more.

Anyway, I knew I had taken some photos so just hunted them up out of the thousands that I have on this computer...sure enough, there they were!

You're probably thinking that I'm really stretching for something to "New Years-y" to post! You'd be right...

So Happy New Year from Jack & me. All the best to you in 2009. I've got a feeling that it's going to be a fabulous year!