新年快樂 Gung hei faat choih
Posted: January 30, 2011

My friend Sue stops by on Shabbat and mentions that Chinese New Year is celebrated this week. We grew up in an ethnically diverse neighborhood so these holidays are notable. We greet our Chinese friends with 'gung hei faat choih' - the greeting for happiness and prosperity. Sitting at the local kosher vegan Chinese restaurant last night, I extend greetings to the loyal staff who have worked there since the Ming Dynasty. It is a big deal to the Chinese and I remember during high school the exchange of tangerines with leaves and stems intact, along with the red money envelopes...more good luck and prosperity.

This morning, while lying in bed, I remember watching Rachael Maddow last year at this time. She is discussing the Chinese New Year and the travel in China as everyone rushes home for the holiday. It is an event described as the largest human migration in history. I have a 3 hour layover in Hong Kong. I'll now join the largest human migration in history. Online check-in with Cathay Pacific posts a number of travel advisories. One of them is the huge numbers of travelers at this time.

Another is that Bali Ha'i, which I am choosing to mean volcano, is erupting and causing flight cancellations and rerouting.

In addition, the US State Department doesn't recommend travel to Bali, and if you are there, doesn't recommend the water or alcohol!

Adding canned tuna, rice crackers, and chocolate covered raisins to my shopping list, I tell myself it will all be fine. "Sam seung sih sihng - Accomplish that in your heart"

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Bali Ha'i or Bali Chai?
Posted: January 29, 2011

Wow. I'm leaving for Bali on Monday night to meet some friends. Feeling a bit of ticket buyer's remorse, I wonder what possessed me to think that I could possibly leave for a vacation now. Booking the reservation just prior to Rosh Hashana, I feel deserving of a break. August is intense with catering, September and October are crazy, and then the website project over-took November until today....and, tomorrow.

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Challah Braiding: The HD Epic in Surround Sound
Posted: January 25, 2010

I'm not a movie star. I don't want to be a movie star. I want to show people how to do a selection of braids for challah. That's all I want.....

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Sargent Shriver, Albert and Vanessa
Posted: January 20, 2011

Turning to the news of Sargent Shriver's passing, memories past mingle with new consciousness. Embarrassing as it is to acknowledge, I had no idea of his monumental contribution to the Peace Corps, Volunteers of America and other such notable service organizations. Realizing I have this bumper sticker, I dig it out of my 'forever box' and scan it to the immortal web.

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WSJHS Cookbook Project
Posted: January 17, 2011

The Washington State Jewish Historical Society has undertaken a very ambitious project. They are writing a cookbook based on family recipes, and the stories associated with them, of Jews in the Northwest. Titled "Yesterday's Mavens, Today's Foodies", the book will host a range of culinary traditions from the region.

Photo by Dawn Lucrisia Photography

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