HK Alphabet :: O

O :: Oranges

You may see them tucked into a corner on the ferry pier or hidden in the shadows of an alley. Sometimes they sit prominently outside the door to even the most modern, Western shop. But I suspect I miss most of them, on their red plates, in front of urns overflowing with ashes, quietly offered to the ancestors in hope of blessing.

I read once that Hong Kong has the highest per capita consumption of oranges in the world, but I don't know if that's true. If it is, it's certainly due to all the offered oranges. (I do wonder, though, if the oranges have to be eaten in order to count in this statistic. And did they figure in the ancestors too?) (Our neighbor's ancestors seem to be more fond of saltines and cigarettes than oranges. Try explaining to your toddler why there is a pack of crackers on the little altar next door.)

What is true is that I can't imagine a Hong Kong winter without a particular kind of little orange, sold with the leaves attached. I don't know what they officially are called—tangerines? Mandarin oranges? We call them the perfect toddler food—easy to peel, easy to eat, self-separating into little bites. Little jewels of sunshine, every one a gift on those dreary days from December to February.

O :: Octopus

The Octopus is an aptly-named card that allows you to go to work, buy lunch, buy afternoon coffee, get groceries on the way home and not carry a bit of cash, nor worry about losing a credit card. It's an indispensible cash card accepted most eveywhere. As a three-year-old, Finn has proudly joined the ranks of kids wearing their cards around their necks, ready to swipe whenever they get the chance. Our friends discovered the hard way that vending machines accept Octopus, after their son gleefully got Coke after Coke, thrilled with his newfound power. We're trying to keep Finn away from this particular joy ...

In which she sews ...

I have been the very lucky caretaker of a sewing machine the past few months, and I've made good use of it--perhaps to the detriment of writing, reading, knitting, keeping flickr current or just spending time with Matt. But it has been good. SO good.

Beyond the simple joy of playing with fabric and pattern and color, and beyond the satisfaction of creating something useful with my own two hands, there is the very necessary gratification of starting and finishing a project. It's a gratification that comes rarely in life with little ones, a life where "clean" and "tidy" lasts only a few minutes and where bits of time for my own projects come in 15-minute increments, if that.

But--15-minute increments do add up. A seam here, a seam there--and a child's top or pair of pants is only a few seams, really. So by taking little bits of time over and over again, I've made our home more beautiful and I've kept my kids clothed. Not bad for 15 minutes, is it? 

a few notes: 

:: the quilted squares at the top are seasonal wall hangings, made in a very simple, random log cabin pattern.

:: the pants are made from directions in Amanda Soule's The Creative Family for copying pants from a current pair. I've done this tons of times for Finn, making shorts and pants (and even some flannel-lined ones this cold winter!) Most often for him I've used old t-shirts from Matt, positioning it so that the hem of the shirt is the hem of the pants. I added a butt panel to accomodate Willa's large cloth-diapered bum. And really, how many years in a girl's life will she want attention drawn to her bum? Celebrate it while we can, I say!

:: I've appliqued tons of shirts for Finn like this. Each season he gets a few more ... it's such a great way to cover a stain on a hand-me-down, or just add interest to a plain shirt. This year's additions were a train, a monkey, a panda and an "F". He's previously gotten guitars, elephants, turtles, fish and a sail boat. I use some interfacing to line the applique, then use a zig-zag stitch around the edge. So easy and satisfying--some of my favorite sewing to do. 

:: Two tops for Willa were copied from ones she has, as were the shorts. 

:: The flaphats are from here. Willa is wearing size small, and Finn has size medium. Love these! The pattern makes a reversible hat, and I made Willa's that way, but Finn's I just made with one layer so it wouldn't get too hot. Just added some seam tape around the inside to compensate.  

Some other sites I love for sewing ideas: 

The Purl bee

Oliver + s --they have a new book out called Little Things to Sew--can't wait to get my hands on this! 

Made By Rae--this winter they had a "sewing for boys" month, filled with contributions, patterns and ideas for boy's sewing. 

weekending

and oh yes, plenty of this too:

When you're in the middle of a job search, it's unavoidable ... But thankfully the sun lured us outside for much of our days. And what sun it was! How one's perspective on life can change so drastically, given a little sun and a little fresh air. It made all of us happy.

The kisses had nothing to do with it. Nope. Not at all. 

Hope your weekend was full of sun and whatever makes you happy, whether it's hunting for the perfect walking stick, getting kisses from one you love, making one you love smile, or digging holes. ("I just love to dig" is something we heard often this weekend, both before and after the beach. And while there? Well, the smiles said it all.)   

Celebrating the sun

Thankful does not even begin to describe how we've felt for some recent days of sunshine. Blessed, perhaps, relieved, lightened. And even more, we've appreciated the way that the current tilt of the earth allows just a few more rays to find their way through all the surrounding buildings and into our windows. And so we've celebrated:

With morning romps and wrestling in mama and papa's room (which has the best morning light.)

With flowers. In every room.

With a new "rainbow maker"--a solar-powered motor slowly turns the crystal, sending rainbows everywhere. And everyone in this family likes to catch them.

With planting in the garden. (Yes, he planted rocks in his corner, and watered them, "to see them grow!")

With hanging diapers out to dry again--Yippee! They take forever to dry in our little dryer.  We've also had full-on colds around here, so thank goodness for the sun, and for little celebrations. Hope you have a few rays of light in your windows today.

Three

3!

Three is not a baby anymore. Three loves to jump off ledges, three asks "what is this, mama?" and "why is that?"

Three is a panda cake and a trip to Ocean Park to see the pandas. Three is a bell for the bike (and a couple balloons) and a new scooter and a wooden crane. Three is a ferris wheel and a carousel and his very own Octopus card.

Three loves book marathons and playing with other kids. Three will happily wear whatever I make for him, even when it's a goofy hat with maximum sun protection. Three still needs an afternoon nap, though three struggles mightily against it. Three makes up words and enjoys silliness and bossing us around. Three will enter pretend play for just a bit, but doesn't want it to go too far: "No, I'm NOT a fireman. I'm just a boy." And three asks us anxiously, "When I'm three, will I still be Finn?"

Oh yes, our sweet boy. You most assuredly will still be Finn, if not even more so. Thank you for such sweet days of celebration, and thanks for letting me try out your new scooter. We love you.

Valentine's Day x3

Is it too late for a Valentine's post-mortem? How about for the past three Valentine's Days? Somehow I drafted posts for each of these years that never quite got done and never quite got posted. But there's some darn cute pictures in here, and a recipe for a chocolate cake that I've been promising someone for far too long now. So I'm forging ahead, hoping that the cake recipe at the end will make up for the three years' worth of sentimentality you are about to encounter. Ahem. Be forewarned, my friends, and be brave.

2011 

I actually have little to say about this year's day, except how could you not fall in love with a boy who wants to make a heart-shaped train track (and figures it out!) and a girl who smiles at even the barest hint of a smile? Finn got some homemade beanbags (the better to curb his throwing tendencies) and Willa a little handknit ring toy. We all got chocolate and love was in the air.

2010

or The Year of Kisses

     He clambors up on the bed and hits his knee on the way, urgently declares himself "hurt" and then looks up hopefully. "Kiss?" And I love it. I love how quick he is to ask for what he needs, to declare his need for a kiss or a hug and then claim it, rightfully confident that we are eager to indulge.

     While this sweet boy of ours has never been one to linger on the lap or to cuddle extraneously, he is generous with his affection to others--quick to hug, to kiss, to hold hands. And not afraid to ask, either, or to drag us together so he can join a family hug.

     Somewhere along the way, we answered his curiosity about couples on the train by telling him that people hold hands because they love each other--he was tickled, and ever since has been much more eager to hold our hands on the crowded streets, especially if we remind him of that "loving each other" thing.

     I know that his hurts won't always be soothed by kisses, nor will he always eagerly grab my hand as we walk, but I'm enjoying it now.

(It's a good thing, too, because that boy no longer wants kisses to soothe his hurts ...)  

 2009 

or, Pretty good for making do

 

     What do you do when it's Valentine's Day and you happen to have heart-shaped pans that fit in your oven and you really want to make a chocolate cake, but you don't have a mixer, nor do you have any chocolate or butter? Well, a normal person might just go to a bakery and buy something, or at least go to the grocery store and buy some proper ingredients. (Actually, first a normal person would wonder why in the world does a tiny, ill-equipped kitchen that doesn't even have a mixer or a proper oven have heart-shaped pans. I wonder too.)
     But I've always loved the challenge of making do, and I remembered one of the best cake mixes at KAF was a one-bowl, no-mixer-required chocolate cake, using cocoa instead of chocolate and oil instead of butter ... perfect for Hong Kong, and perfect for the state of my pantry.  So I hunted around, and found some recipes that looked similar. I tweaked them a bit, and now, several cakes later, I've got something just as moist and chocolatey as I remembered. (Even with no chocolate and no butter. I know, I know. Crazy, isn't it?)
     Now, normally I am totally against desserts that use oil instead of butter, since butter just makes everything taste better, and probably using melted butter in this cake would do that as well. But, the advantage of using oil is that the cake is just as tender straight from the refrigerator as it is at room temperature. (And exactly why that is an advantage ... ummm ... I don't remember. I'm not in the habit of eating my cakes straight from the refrigerator. Go ahead and use butter, and don't mind me. Unless you're out, that is--and then know that oil will be perfectly fine.)

     As for frosting, this is actually one of those neighborly cakes that's delicious as is, but if you have company or just can't stand the thought of a naked cake, a dallop of creme fraiche or whipped cream will dress it up quite nicely. It's pretty good for making do. 

  

Hong Kong Chocolate Cake      

I generally make a 9"x9" square pan plus a few cupcakes or those heart pans out of this (should you also be so lucky) but it also works well for 2 9" round pans or a 9" x 13" (should you live somewhere besides Hong Kong and have an oven that accommodates such sizes.)

Preheat oven to 350F (or 170C), and prepare your pans with parchment paper or grease.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Stir together dry ingredients, sifting the cocoa if it is lumpy. Make a well in the middle of the dry, and add the eggs, whisking them a bit to break up the yolks. Add the remaining wet ingredients, and beat until smooth. Add chocolate chips, if using. And that's all!

Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 20-40 minutes, depending on the pans you are using. A toothpick shouldn't be wet coming out, but there might be some moist crumbs on it. 

HK Alphabet :: N

N :: Noodles

No, noodles are nothing new, nor are they unique to Hong Kong. But they have been a significant part of our diet while living here, and they are a significant part of what sustains this city. (Noodles and cell phones. There'd be a revolt for sure if these two items ever became unavailable.)
There's Vietnamese pho--savory and rich, perfect on these drizzly cold days. Japanese ramen, with boiled eggs and fried pork and a light dashi broth. Coconut-rich Laksa. Wonton noodles, with just the right amount of chew and delicately wrapped shrimp. Pad Thai. There are fresh noodles in the market, hand-pulled noodles at the Shanghainese restaurants, and "cup" noodle at the beach (and virtually everywhere else. I doubt one could ever be further than 50 feet from a source of cup noodle in Hong Kong). There are more flavors of instant ramen than you've ever imagined. And in just a month or two, we'll be hitting the cold udon and the Vietnamese bun and the sesame noodles hard.

Part of what we love about noodles here is what they signify--a multicultural city where it's possible to get almost anything you want, and to get it cheaply and quickly. Noodles are the ultimate take-away food, and Hong Kong the ultimate take-away city. They work well together. And even though sometimes we hate how fast-paced and removed Hong Kong is from the land (you may only be 50 feet from a source of cup noodle, but that noodle is way more than 50 feet from its source), we do love the noodles.

N :: Names

Billionaire Lodge. Prosperity Plaza. Tycoon Court. Sincerity Building. Wealthy House. (my favorite) Effectual Building.  What more is there to say?

find previous HK Alphabet entries here