Sicknesses

I got sick in the early part of November. I was at work, in a meeting. About halfway through it, I could feel my body just 'shthlump.' I went from feeling fine and happy to chilled and droopy. At least there were only four more hours of work and then my weekend. I spent most of the next day either in bed or on a chair watching TV. Karen took care of me, making meals. After another day, it was time to get back to living; there were many things left to do around the house and the first winter snowstorm was on the way. I needed to bring many wheelbarrow loads of bark dust to the back yard and spread it over the garden, do some weeding, rake the fallen leaves...I probably pushed myself a bit too hard, but I have to admit, it sure felt good being outside. Then, when the snow fell over the next two days, I could feel that I got things done. A few days later, I was still coughing and a bit hoarse, but now Karen was the one feeling sick. Now, she's bottomed out, feeling really bad, taking medicine and getting restless nights of sleep. I'm still coughing after more than two weeks, but not too often. I sure wish Karen would start to feel better. I could tell this morning that she at least wasn't getting any worse--she started flipping me some attitude during breakfast! Yippee! My loving Karen is scratching her way back from the depths of illness! Hopefully it won't take much longer and Karen will be smiling again...

Sleepless Nights: Epilogue

It's been a week now since our invader first arrived. Karen and I laughed about it when it was overwith on Wednesday but while it was going on, we had no idea what would happen next. When we tell the story to friends and family, we smile at the fact that what we were doing to keep IT out was actually keeping IT in! One thing we don't always say, but can provide a good background at why we were initially freaked out about this whole incident: The former owner of this house had two rotten girls who grew up to be unruly, morally-questionable women. Even now, we get letters from local police and vice departments. Neighbors have told us horror stories of what they were like. Then, just before the Sleepless Nights began, Karen had two incidents of cars stopping on the road right in front of our house and the people inside just looking this direction. Were they the former daughters just checking up on their old home? Or, maybe they were ex-boyfriends looking for a fight...

We haven't seen that cat since it left Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. We looked around the house to see if it had left any piles or puddles but didn't find anything. We did finally see some faint pawprints in the bathtub closest to the bedroom he was staying in. Smart kitty, using the bathtub! One other note, when Karen and I each searched the house Tuesday morning, we both noticed that the rug in that bathroom had been ruffled up but we each thought the other had done it and didn't mention it until Wednesday. Funny!

I wonder what our next event will be in our new home?

Sleepless Nights: Part Four--Face To Face with Fear

I was at work all day on Tuesday, so I couldn't be with Karen. I hoped she would be OK, especially as night settled. The forecast called for thundestorms, which really perpetuated to cinematic feel to everything that had happened the past few days. Really, when you think about it, we had the full horror-movie quotient at play. Dark nights, eerie scratching sounds outside then inside, shadows creeping about in the bedroom. Of course on this night, it had to include an unrelenting storm. I got home at my normal time, pulling up to our house with all the lights off. What were we going to experience tonight? I had practically resigned myself that this was how life would be during the summer months. I mean, we had moved out of a fourth-floor condominium right into a ground floor house. We already had to deal with ants, slugs, even maggots coming from...wherever they come from. I felt strong, maybe just like horror movie characters do when they're faced with no choice but to confront their worst nightmare. I unlocked the front door and walked in. A strange odor tickled my nose and I wondered what Karen had fixed herself for dinner. It was dark inside, save for the light coming from the family room. Karen had left the TV on and gone to sleep already?

I stepped into the kitchen to drop off my backpack and take off my soaked jacket.

"Chad? Come here." Karen's voice was strangely calm, coming from the TV room.

I paused for just a moment. I don't recall ever hearing that tone in her voice before.

I walked down the hallway to join her. Why were there no lights on? What was that smell? The walk seemed to take forever as I thought about what I might see in that room. Which movie might it reflect? "Amityville Horror" with blood streaming down the walls? "The Exorcist" with a green liquid spewed over the carpeting? "Poltergeist" with it's portal to purgatory? I entered the room. Karen sat in her chair. The TV was playing "That 70's Show."

Karen said flatly, "Turn the light on." I flipped on the switch and bathed the room in harsh flourescent light. "I saw it."




























One heartbeat moment later, she told me about her day here at home. She had an uncomfortable feeling that there was a presence in the house all day with her but couldn't find anything. Finally, just before 11:30 pm, she was watching TV and felt something behind her. She swiveled around to see...a BLACK CAT trying to pry open the door of the laundry chute! Time slowed as Karen and the cat stared at each other. He must have felt the rush of cool air coming from the basement and probably felt that was his last desperate way out of the prison that this house had become for him the past two days. Karen's startled gasp sent him darting to the guest bedroom. Now that she knew what it was, Karen could finally relax. She opened up a can of tuna fish and served it with a bowl of water, placing it just inside the doorway of the bedroom. That explained the odor I encountered when I came in. I walked into the bedroom and peered under the bed, all fear of "Poltergeist" and that movie Clown drifting away. Under the far end of the bed, there it was, a dark mass of fur and two glowing eyes. It wasn't moving, just waiting. After a few minutes of trying to coax the frightened cat from under the bed, I ended up taking the tuna fish out of the room, opening the window and closing the door.

Karen and I slept well Tuesday night, after laughing about the last two nights. The next morning came, like it always does, and I checked the guest bedroom. Sure enough, the bowl was nearly empty of water and the cat was gone. I stuck my head out the window and said a quiet goodbye to our unlikely guest.

Sleepless Nights: Part Three-- Day After Night Two

I am no stranger to being alone late at night. For years, I lived alone in my flat in Singapore. I felt comfortable living alone then. So when Chad works and arrives home long after it has gotten dark, I do not have a problem being on my own. I feel comfortable and safe. Until a couple of nights ago, that is.

After another night of fitful sleep, I found myself calling Chad at work just a little too often. After two nights of some THING going bump and thump in the night...and losing sleep over it, no longer was I comfortable being alone in the house. I was especially freaked because Chad thought he saw something in our room both nights. But then, he didn't have his glasses on and I did not see anything, so we both decided that it must have been his imagination. Still I sat up and stayed awake after Chad had gone back to sleep just to make sure.

The day after night two started as grey and cold but later it got sunny like someone had turned on a switch. It was even starting to get warm but no way was I opening a window. That THING might get in. As I entered the basement to do laundry, I found myself holding my breath. "Please, please, don't let that THING be in here." Then I got busy in the front yard and I was distracted. Strange...I actually felt safer being outside.

When I was inside, I kept hearing strange noises and had an uneasy feeling. I looked around. I checked all the windows and doors. Shut and locked! Still I kept hearing the noises and I switched the lights outside. I was not letting any-THING in.

I hear the dog next door whining. He was doing that last night too. 11.30 pm and I'm in the media room which is connected to our bedroom. Chad should be home soon. I'm still feeling uneasy and turn my head. At laundry chute a few feet away, I see ...

Sleepless Nights: Part Two--The Next Night

So, Sunday night, we seemed to have a nocturnal visitor. Scratching at the wall-twice-trying to get somewhere. What was it? Why were there no marks at the window? We had no answers and no evidence. I went to work Monday morning and Karen was left at home alone. While at work, I got a few opinions from co-workers. Most likely, everyone agreed, was that it was a raccoon. Or a cat. Maybe even a squirrel. Whatever it was, we were going to be prepared Monday night. We gathered up a flashlight and I had my backscratcher ready to beat back anything that would attack. Hey, who knew what was lurking in the shadows outside?

Laying in bed, we slowly drifted off to sleep. Then, about 1:30am, I woke up to the sounds of scratching above us. Karen was already sitting up, distressed. I was immediately awake, hearing the scratching at the wall behind our bed, which meant that whatever was making it had to be inside our home. Then the scratching moved over us, as if in the attic. The scratching stopped. Karen and I sat up in the dark and whispered about how to proceed. This was just nuts. How could something be scratching a wall inside our house? The windows were closed and Karen had been careful to not leave any doors open during the day. There must be something inside the wall, that had to be the only--then I saw a slow moving shadow by the laundry shoot close to our bed. "GET OUT!!!" I yelled. I turned on the light, rushed out of bed and stomped down the hallway, switching on every light that I could. But, searching every room, every corner turned up nothing. That's it. Was I imagining it again, like the night before? Maybe I was seeing things due to the stress of it all. But, nerves were now rattled and needed to be settled. I closed the other bedroom doors and we left the hallway light turned on just like Mom leaving the closet light on to keep away childhood monsters. Thankfully, we don't have a stuffed clown doll like in the movie "Poltergeist." Morning would be here soon and the daylight would chase away the shadows. We both finally fell asleep.

We still had no answers to this mystery. Is this something we would have to deal with every night? Would we just have to get used to it?

Sleepless Nights: Part One-The First Night

Karen and I have been in our new home for about 10 weeks now. We are loving it here. Who knew I would enjoy doing yardwork after 20 years of apartment and condo living? We've got plenty of room here and every night we are thankful that we have a good solid home. We enjoy spending time in the kitchen, planning and shopping for each of the rooms--I'm looking forward to someday soon getting our first HDTV. Going from a small one-bedroom condo in a busy Seattle neighborhood to a wonderful house in a quiet Shoreline neighborhood has meant a few adjustments. Its much darker here at night, and much more quiet.

But, two nights ago, our nighttime peace was broken. Around 2:30am, we woke up to sounds of scratching. I swore that they were coming from INSIDE the window. Of course, that would just be crazy! It just had to be a raccoon or something crawling outside. I figured maybe it was trying to jump the fence we had right outside our window and kept hitting the house. Creepy, for sure! Scratching, clawing sounds are not what you want to hear at night. Then, maybe 5 minutes later, the same sound. Now, I was wide awake as was Karen. We had the window open just a little to get some air circulation, as it had felt stuffy when we went to bed. I sat up in the near-pitch black of night. What was I expecting to see? Well, all the horror movies I've seen over the years started to play back in my mind. What makes scratching sounds? Or sounds like it/they are moving around in or out of the house? The alien visitors from "Signs" first came to mind. But that would be too far out there. Some sort of stalker right outside the window. Maybe, logically, it really was just a raccoon outside. Karen had told me she had seen one recently. So, sitting up and straining to focus my eyes I tried to see if there was anything inside the room. Nothing, no sound but my beating heart. Way back in the kitchen, the refridgerator turned on and I jumped a bit at the sudden sound. A deep breath and a relaxing sigh at what it was, then IT MOVED! Something darted from the window into the bedroom! Something not really there, but yet there. Something dark and shadowy, the kind of something you can only see out of the corner of your eye. I yelled out, jumped out of bed and shut the window. I turned on the lights and nervously started searching the...thing...that I was sure I had just seen jump from the window. I walked down the hallway, turning on every light I could because I didn't want that thing to jump out from the dark. But, then I thought it must be just a trick and maybe it was trying to lure me away from Karen. But, she joined me in the kitchen, nervous as well. Another moment later and I realized I must have just seen something move because of my imagination. We went back to bed, a little on edge still, but thinking it just had to be a raccoon or animal outside making the sounds. It was maybe another 30 minutes before I went back to sleep...

I woke up Monday morning and checked outside at the window. Hmmm...no scratches on the wall and no footprints in the dirt. What the heck happened Sunday night? Did I see anything or was it sleep and stress induced halucination?

Now, what happened Monday night? That comes in the next post...

SHUSH!!

I can see that Karen is getting serious about completing projects now. When I came home from work tonight, she said "SSSHHH!!" and put up her hand to quiet me. She was in the middle of a thought and just could not be disturbed in case she lost concentration.

The two of us have many things to do over the next six months. First of all, Karen needs to finish her college application by Thursday and she is trying to write her personal essay. She is really good at so many things, but she admits writing (or talking) about herself does not come naturally for her. We also are putting our condo up for sale, so we need to start packing our 'stuff' and clearing out anything we won't need for the forseeable future. We need to de-clutter as much as possible, so there go 99% of our books, CDs, DVDs, clothes, and most of our dishes and furniture. So, we need to pack up and store it. We want our 525 square feet to look as big as possible! Plus, we need to buy a car as ours was totaled last October. We also need to look for a house to buy that will be our home for the next, say, 10 years--if not forever. I like to say we've got six months of work to do in the next 30 days. What has prevented us from getting started is that around Christmas, we both got sick and are just now starting to get the strength and will to accomplish these things.

Good luck to both of us!

What a month!

OK, we've all had those kinds of months, where things just don't happen they way you want them to. October was the month that our car was totaled due to some guy careening into it due to driving too fast in the rain. Karen has spent the past few weeks studying really hard for her GRE. We've had lots of condo meetings about the three big things that need to get done--soon before the main winter rains come! I'm sure there are other things that have happened in the past few weeks but I can't remember them.

But, the past few nights, Karen and I have ended our days reading a few(turning to many) strips from Calvin and Hobbes. It is my favorite comic strip of all time. When Karen came to America, she had in one of her suitcases her complete collection of Calvin and Hobbes books and we put them on a shelf for easy access whenever we need them. Just turning to a random page will turn both of us into laughing nutballs! In the 10th Anniversary book, the creator explained many of the strips and the meaning behind them. Some of the reasons were quite subversive! But anyway, reading the books have been a great way to end the past few days. Lots of laughter that makes the day drain away...Who can have a grumpy time when Calvin and Hobbes are giving out their insightful views of the world? Just look at the picture at the top again and try NOT to smile!

The Teacher Strike- Is it Justifiable?

One of the top stories in the news lately is the Kent (not far from Seattle) school district strike. My immediate thought when I first hear about it was" "What?! A strike at a time like this?" The economy is still in shambles and many are jobless. I found out later that the central issue is smaller class size. Other demands are fewer adminstrative meetings for more time with students and an increase in salary. Having been a teacher for many years, these issues are all too familiar, particularly about class size and workload.

In a family conversation about the strike and the central issue about class size, the question came up, "Is there really a difference for a teacher of a class size of 32 compared to a class of 30?" I've been thinking about this. I think it really depends on the demographics of the class and the characteristics of the 2 additional students. It also depends on the total number of classes that teacher has.

I think about the classes I myself have taught. For example, one year I had five classes of 39-40 students. I had 4 different lesson preparations and the classes were of different levels and subjects. In one particular class, I taught general science. It was a class of forty 14 year-olds. About thirty do not have a good grasp of English, two of whom can barely write their names, at least six with serious discipline problems, seven of whom want to learn but can only make it with extra help. Adding even a single student to this large mix is unthinkable. In contrast, when I was teaching in junior college, the students were more able, more mature and relatively motivated. Two hundred 17 year-olds in a lecture theater was not ideal but still doable. In my opinion though, the real learning still took place when they were in their smaller tutorial classes of 20-30 students. I had more time for out of class one-on-one help. At this level and with these category of students, was there a difference between a class of 24 and a class of 30? A definite yes!

When I was teaching, class sizes of 40 was the norm in secondary schools in Singapore (equivalent to middle and high school in the U.S.). I had expected class sizes in the U.S. to be no larger than 25 or at most 30, so it's a surprise to find out that (though I expect rare) some classes are as large as 45 in Kent. Surely it did not get this bad overnight.

If one were to claim there is no difference between a class of 32 and a class of 30, how would a class of 34 and a class of 32 compare? Or a class of 36 and 34? Or 38 and 36? You get the idea. My point is, someone allowed things to get THIS bad.

I have not verified this, but I read that the Superintendent of the Kent School District, who is a Government employee, gets paid more a year($240,000+$833 car stipend) than the Vice President($227,300) of the United States. Assuming this is true, for a salary like that, I would expect problems to be fixed before escalating to this point and in fact, Kent should be expected to progress to nothing less than a top class education system for that salary to be justifiable. It makes me wonder how else educational funds are being (mis)used. It is conceivable that, despite the economic situation, these funds could be better prioritized.

Where I come from, strikes are unheard of. The only means of protest for poor job conditions in teaching, as in most jobs, is to quit. There have been changes made over the years. Efforts were made to improve promotional opportunities and improve salaries for teachers. I think this has really made it more competitive to get into the teaching profession and, as a result, has made it possible to hire better teachers. There are also plans to reduce class sizes, starting with the elementary schools, which is reason to be optimistic about the future of education. Still, too many great teachers had to leave the vocation before the higher-ups took notice.

Though I think the goals of the Kent teacher strike are worthy, I am still unclear if the strike is a justifiable means. Is mass quitting the only other alternative to get the wheels turning in the right direction?

Dentist update

Well, I finally had my dentist appointment for my toothache. The dentist did all sorts of tests to figure out where the pain was coming from and finally discovered it--OUCH!! She felt a root canal was the best way to go since it was a tooth that had periodically bothered me through the years. Who am I to say no to two hours of drilling and picking? And now I get to have another session later this month to complete the root canal. What I can say is right now, I feel the best I have in four days and when this is done, I shouldn't have any more discomfort. But, I do get to have the pictures! I've always wanted to get a picture of me in a dentist chair. Why? Just because...

I've got a toothache!

Saturday night, while at work, my tooth started hurting a bit. I thought it was nothing, maybe just a temporary soreness due to biting on something. I took some ibuprofen and didn't think about it. Sunday night, it got worse. I couldn't get to sleep; I'd get close and then the pain in my tooth would wake me up. Monday morning, 6am, I woke up and knew I had to get some help. I called in sick and then called the dentist. They could squeeze me in at 9am--relief!! They discovered a bit of decay under an old crown. They gave me an appointment for 2pm Wednesday to get it fixed. They also gave me two prescriptions, one for Vicodin to help with the pain, and one for pennicilin, in case there were any infections. I've spent the last two days taking that medication and it really seemed the Vicodin had no real affect on me. For most of the past two days, I've gotten very little sleep and the pain in my tooth would come and go. I couldn't go to work on Tuesday since I could barely see straight at times-maybe the medication was having some sort of an effect after all? So, the past two days have been spent at home with Karen. She's been great, tending to my needs. I've spent my time sleeping whenever I can, reading two books from the library, watching some TV, and having great conversations with Karen.

I'm really looking forward to going to the dentist tomorrow. Maybe I need a root canal, maybe not. Whatever happens, I just want to be able to sleep without pain and not worry about any side effects of medication.

Thank you, Karen for all you've done the past two days!

Block Party

Tonight, Karen and I went to a neighborhood Block Party. My friend David and his family were co-hosting a block party at their home just a few miles from us. I thought it would be lots of fun to go and I'm glad we did. Karen made some delicious and spicy chicken wings and we also brought some fruit salad. When she was making the marinade for the chicken wings, even she was affected by the Jalapeno Chili Peppers! I wish I had a picture of her with her face all contorted--those things are stronger than onions and black pepper combined.


We had a great time, getting there a bit early to help set up tables and the food. There were lots of people there, from at least 8 houses in the area. Two propane grills were brought out for cooking and the tables were full of food.



The street was blocked off, allowing all the children to ride their bikes and draw with chalk on the streets without fear of cars. We met most of the people there. laughing and talking. They would ask us which house we lived in and I would tell them that we were friends of residents, but that we were also 'auditioning the neighborhood' since I know at some point we will be buying a home--maybe in this neighborhood? It reminded me of my own childhood in Salem, Oregon where kids could play in the streets without worrying about strangers, cars, or whatever, and everyone knew everyone else.




Thanks David and Susanne for inviting us!

Devil's Curry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

"Devil's curry (also known as curry debal in Kristang or curry devil) is a very spicy curry flavoured with candlenuts, galangal and vinegar from the Eurasian Kristang (Cristão) culinary tradition in Singapore and Malacca, Malaysia. "

My first, not so successful attempt at making some curry devil.
Way too spicy.
I could almost handle it but did not chance it on Chad.

Thank-you, Rhonda for getting my mom's recipe in the Family recipe book wedding gift and thank-you Mom, for the on-the-phone extra tips.

I did not think I could do it, but I did. I made some, just like my mom makes it. Well, perhaps not EXACTLY like my mom makes it, but close enough. And it only took two tries to get it 'close enough'!

My second attempt.

Lets explore!

Wednesday was such a fun day. Karen and I woke up early because we wanted to get out and explore the region on my day off. After a blueberry pancake breakfast, we headed up north. My plan was to show Karen the eastside of King County, where the smaller towns and berry fields are. She's seen a lot of Seattle already during her driving lessons and since we had all day, I wanted a road trip! We started up in Monroe and went south from there. Going through the cute towns of Duvall and Carnation, we stopped at Remlinger Farms for lunch. I also wanted pie, since I really enjoy their frozen pies at home. But, they didn't have any available to eat(just a huge warehouse of frozen pies!). We continued south to Snoqualmie, past Snoqualmie Falls. Entering in the town, there was a stand selling cherries. Big sweet cherries, two big boxes for $11. We got two boxes of Rainier cherries, which are not as common as other kinds.


After we got the cherries, we stopped at the Snoqualmie Train Museum. Walking around the trains, we ate cherries and spit the pits at each other, just like I used to do to to Mark, Scott and Linda when we were all children. We found out that on the weekends, there are train trips around the area--I wish I could have weekends off from work!



After enjoying the trains, we continued south when Karen said, "I'm thirsty. I want something cold." Well, I knew where to go!

Starbucks? Not this time! In Issaquah, there's an iconic restaurant called "XXX Drive In." I'd only been there once, but loved it. They make their own root beer, which may be the best I've ever had. Great burgers and the best onion rings. But, we actually weren't very hungry, just thirsty. What to have? Lets have a look at the menu, shall we?


Karen: "What's a XXX root beer float?"

Chad: "How about a milkshake? They make 'em big and good here."
Karen: "Which flavor? Chocolatecherryraspberryvanillaoreo...there's a million here! I think I'll just get a chocolate one this time and get a different kind every time we come here."


Chad: "You get a milkshake and I'll get a root beer float."



Karen: "I want both!"

We got a chocolate milkshake and a root beer float, both which were yummy! We shared them, and also shared the sugar buzz afterward.



After a stop at Gilman Village to explore the cute shops, we headed home. How can a whole day have gone by already?

Forward!

It was yesterday. An email update from USCIS. These two lines caught my attention:

Application Type: I-485 , APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUS

Current Status: Card production ordered.

In 30 days, I expect to have that green card in hand. This means that, I can travel without an Advance Parole, visit Canada and not need a Visa, settle what needs to be settled in Singapore so I can do my Masters, and the to join the workforce.

The waiting period has been like being in a state of limbo in some aspects for me. Especially in terms of education, job and career. Not being able to go forward or backward. All we could do was wait. Not knowing for sure how long. The wait is almost over.

Where do I go from here?

Forward!

10.5 lbs

Chad and I woke up early this morning so that I could go strawberry picking with his mom, Maeve and brother, Scott. Chad had to work so he drove me to his mom's house before heading back home and then to work in the early afternoon.

After a 45-minute drive in Chad's mom's car (Scott drove), we were at the strawberry fields. The strawberries were smaller than I imagined they would be- a result of a June which is uncharacteristically dry and sunny. The bad news: Lots more picking to fill up the box. The good news: They MUST be concentrated with flavour.
It was a wonderful morning. There were many mothers with their young children there. The kids' were excited and every other word I heard from them was "Strawberry". For many of them, it could have been their first time picking strawberry picking. Like it was for me.

The mild weather helped make it relatively easy first time strawberry-picking for me. Extrapolating from my experience with it for a mere hour or so, however, I could tell that that doing it all day would be back-breaking.

After about 75 minutes, I had about filled my strawberry box/basket and decided I had enough of berry-picking and enough strawberries to satisfy both Chad and me. Aunty Maeve and Scott were already on their second box and continued picking for another 20 minutes.

My box of strawberries

The weigh-in for our day's pickin' : Aunty Maeve: 16 lbs, Scott: 25 lbs and me :10.5 lbs

In an 'Experimenting' Mood

I've been in the mood for experimenting in the kitchen lately. Here's the dinner I prepared and packed for Chad, chicken tandoori skewers with saffron rice pilaf. Packed dinner is not always this elaborate. I usually prepare them in the morning BEFORE Chad makes breakfast for us. Sometimes, all I do is assemble a sandwich using store-bought cold-cuts, but lately it's been briyani or poached and roasted soy chicken or split whole tandoori chicken or saffron rice pilaf or chicken tandoori skewers or chocolate lava cake. As it is with any experiment, there are successes and failures. The briyani was a disaster, the chocolate lava cake was a bit too much 'lava' and a bit too little 'cake' and when I made the saffron rice pilaf the FIRST time (SECOND attempt shown in photo above), it did not look 'saffrony' enough and it had so much cardamon, it smelled a bit like cheap perfume! Lots of cheap perfume!

The poached and roasted soy chicken was really good. It tasted like the roasted chicken you find at chicken rice stalls in Singapore. So the next thing I want to try is to make the rice and chilly sauce so we can have something akin to Singapore chicken rice right here in Seattle. The tandoori chicken was so good the first time I made it using split whole chiken, I decided to tweek the recipe and make the chiken skewers using boneless, skinless chicken thighs we already had in the fridge. I also tweeked the recipe for the saffron rice pilaf by reducing the cardamon and including golden raisins and cashews.

Chad loves the Sichuan chicken we had at a restaurant in Singapore and the Portuguese Curry Devil ('Debil') my mom made while we were in Malacca. These are among my favourites too. Looks like I'll be taking further advantage of this 'experimenting mood' of mine this week. I've had lots of fun doing these experiments. It would be even better if I could find someone willing to clean up AFTER me (*wink* Yes, I'm looking at you, Chad).

Ballard Locks

Here is a beautiful montage of pictures that Karen put together of our trip to the Ballard Locks last Thursday. With the sun shining so bright and the promise of warm weather, we decided to go on a picnic. We packed lots of food(a sandwich, a few pieces of chicken, potato chips, cookies and frozen lemonade to keep things cold) and ventured out to the bus. We wanted to take the bus there so we wouldn't have to worry about finding parking, paying for parking and then having to look at our watches to make sure we didn't overstay. Taking the bus is so easy and cheap, just $1.75 each way for Karen since I get a bus pass from work. And it drops us off one block from the entrance, right at a 7-11 store where we each bought an ice cream treat for dessert.

It was really warm, and I wore my short pants for the first time since being in Singapore. We found a small hill with a big tree for shade and ate while watching all the boats coming in and out of the locks. Afterwards, we walked around and explored most of the area, walking across the locks and getting close-up views of the boats going through. The air was definitely cooler by the water!

In all, we were there more than three hours. Such a nice relaxing afternoon, and I know we'll have more of them through the summer. The last two summers were very cold and wet, even for Seattle, so I think we're due for an extra long, extra warm one this year!

Balloons

We went to see Pixar's latest movie yesterday- "Up" in 3-D! Just before the movie, Chad came home from the grocery store and surprised me with.... (look at photo below).


I just love helium filled balloons. Not those shiny mylar ones though, which are not really balloons to me. And balloons without the floating factor are nice but don't hold my interest.

My earliest memory is, like for many, I suspect, when I lost one as it floated out of my 5 year-old hands and into the blue blue skies. I remember chasing after it but it was quickly blown away by the wind. That first experience did not sour my feelings about floating balloons though. I love them and hope someday I can go up in one of those hot-air balloons, just like the old Mr. Carl Fredrerickson in his house with his thousands of helium filled balloons (watch movie below).



Click here for direct link at Youtube.

That night, Chad tied my balloons to my bedside table. They were happily floating high above. Then I woke up in the middle of the night and saw them still floating but barely so and when I woke up, they were looking just a little bit sad on the floor. I guess their short floating life is part of what makes the balloons so special. I find myself ignoring the most beautiful silk flowers but appreciating fresh flowers before they fade away-seizing the moments to enjoy them while they last.

Click here for an interesting blog entry that ties the movie "Up" to Seattle's urban legend Edith Macefield.

Becoming 'Legal'

From the USCIS website:
A "green card" gives you official immigration status (Lawful Permanent Residency) in the United states.

So here's where I'm at as far as being 'legal' here in the U.S.

Chad and I went for the initial interview for my application for permanent residence last Thursday (21st May). My memory is a bit fuzzy on the questions we were asked. I think basically the questions were very much like the ones I had for the interview for the Fiance (K1) Visa in August last year: How did you meet? How did the relationship progress? ...and so on. I was also asked if I was already working. In fact, I have not yet been able to work because I am still missing the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and when I informed the interviewer about this, she checked on my application on her computer, she found that I've been APPROVED for the EAD. Since FEBRUARY!!!

She then asked us to check at the information counter because we never did receive the document in our mail. The interview continued and we showed her a bunch of evidence to show that we have a bona fide marriage.

Just when I thought everything was going smoothly with the interview, she asks about my middle name and why I had dropped it and indicated that this might be a problem when or if I wanted to apply for naturalization (US citizenship) down the road. To make a long story short, we had to decide on the spot to change my name on the green card to avoid having to legally change my name on my Malaysian passport. This means, however, that I will have to backtrack and have my name changed on at least 3 documents here in the US-social security card, state ID card and my bank accounts, after spending considerable time to get those documents in the first place.

As for the outcome of the interview, we were told that the decision of whether I've been approved or not will come after the 'final review'. If everything goes the way it's supposed to, the application should be approved and we should expect something in the mail within a month.

Which brings us back to the question-What has happened to that EAD? As suggested, Chad and I went to the information counter expecting to get answers. We did not get any answers but were told we needed to arrange an appointment and to do so we had to get to such and such website. Harrummph!!

We get home, I get on the computer, arrange an appointment, the earliest being a week away (which was last Thursday, 28th May), we go back to the USCIS Seattle Field Office in Tukwilla, pay ANOTHER $6 for parking, ask the question, the guy at the counter makes a phonecall and finds out yes, I've been approved, yes, since February but...

We find out my Biometrics (which I did in February) was only linked to my I-485 (Immigration speak for my green card/PR application) and not my I-765 (Immigration speak for my EAD application). The Biometrics data should have been linked to both. So they linked my Biometrics up to my I-765 and the guy at the booth said he was 99% sure, though he would not stake his life on it (his words) that we will be getting my EAD in 10-14 days. We are counting...

So what has this done about my confidence level about receiving that green card in good time, without any problems? I can only say I HOPE everything will go smoothly. I need to have everything I require to be 'legal' here to really rest easy and go on the the next phase in making Seattle my home.